Publisher’s Note

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher has no control over and does not assume responsibility for any third party websites or their content. The uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.

Copyright © 2011 by Storm Moon Press LLC

"The Fullness That Love Began" copyright © 2011 by Marie Carlson. "The Fire of Her Eyes" copyright © 2011 by K. Piet. "Luna's Mate" copyright © 2011 by Shashauna P. Thomas. "To Pierce the Sky" copyright © 2011 by Erik Moore. "Protect the Moon" copyright © 2011 by Della R. Buckland. "Sacrifices" copyright © 2011 by S.L. Armstrong. All rights reserved.

Cover art by Nathie
http://www.creationwarrior.net/

Interior art by XonkArts

ISBN-13: 978-1-937058-28-9
ISBN-10: 1-937058-28-X

The Fullness That Love Began

Marie Carlson

The Fire of Her Eyes

K. Piet

Luna's Mate

Shashauna P. Thomas

To Pierce the Sky

Erik Moore

Protect the Moon

Della R. Buckland

Sacrifices

S.L. Armstrong

About the Authors

Fiona's fingers curled around my ankle.

My legs burned, thighs to calves, threaded with long red scratches. They would heal too fast—they were already healing as I stared down at her—but for a few minutes I had her marks on me, and I was thrilled.

"You look," she started to say, and twisted around to face me, but she didn't let go, "far too satisfied with yourself."

"What if I'm satisfied with you?"

"Well." Her lips were narrow and chapped, but I loved how they looked when she smirked. "That's different then, isn't it? In that case, you don't look nearly satisfied enough."

I stretched, pushed my hands high overhead, and arched my back. Her gaze dropped to my breasts, and I watched the heat of desire pass through her eyes like flash fire.

She skimmed her hand up to my knee and dug her thumb into a bruise forming just above it. I gasped and rocked my hips, pressing my thighs together for the pressure. Her grin grew wider, more wicked, and she bent down to press biting kisses against the curve of my stomach. Her scent was everywhere mixed with mine, seat and musk and the jojoba oil she put in her hair.

"Come here," I growled and pulled her up for a kiss. She settled between my legs, her hands fisted on either side of my head; I kissed her hard and sucked her lower lip into my mouth. She tasted like me, and I loved the way we mingled on her skin and her tongue.

She pressed her thigh to my cunt and rocked forward and back against me. I was so on edge, every bit of my body felt tight and ready, and if she kept it up, I was pretty sure I'd come just from that friction.

I grabbed her wrist and forced her hand down between us. "Fuck me," I ordered, shoving my hips up at her.

Fiona twisted her fingers against my pussy lips, spreading my wetness, teasing me. I snarled and squeezed her wrist, tiny reminders that, no matter how often we switched off topping each other, in the end, I was the one in charge.

She laughed, but obediently thrust her fingers inside, three at once. I held her hand in place and ground my body against hers, sparking every place we touched. She pinched my nipple, squeezed it tight, and spread her fingers wide inside me, stretching me until I throbbed.

Our alarm snapped on, too loud for our sensitive ears even at its lowest setting.

"Damn."

"Don't stop."

Another laugh and she pulsed her hand against me. "I have to get ready for work."

"Do not stop." I ground the words out through gritted teeth, so close to coming it hurt. I held my breath until my head spun from it, all my attention on my throbbing clit and full cunt, on the way I teetered closer to the edge with each passing second.

The alarm continued to blare. Fiona turned her arm a little until she could press her thumb against my clit in hard, sloppy circles. That was enough; that was exactly what I needed.

"Good girl," I gasped and came.

She worked me through it, twisting her fingers inside me. When I was done, sweaty and limp and sated, she slipped her hand free, casually wiped her fingers on the sheet, and smiled down at me.

"You're gorgeous like that." Fiona leaned forward, kissed my calf, and rolled off the bed, her body bending in inhuman ways. I tugged the comforter up and watched her cross to the en suite. I loved peaceful mornings like this, waking up with her and the sex we had, the way she looked stretched out in our bed. I couldn't decide if I liked her best right after she woke, post-sex, or her dark skin dewy and clean from her shower.

Not to mention every minute of the rest of the day.

Once the water started running, I headed downstairs to wash my hands. Our house was mostly windows, but I didn't worry about my nudity. We had a privacy fence, and plenty of bushes planted up against the walls, but I didn't actually care if the neighbors got a peek. They'd already seen everything we were.

We had a breakfast ritual. Fiona had lots of rituals I didn't share, but this was one I did. She was very particular about her food and ate the same thing every day: special cereal, yogurt, three scrambled eggs, a banana, and half an orange. I ate the other half, but the rest of my meal varied. I'd eat whatever was around, especially meat cooked rare.

The ritual, for me, was making sure everything was in its place. I poured her cereal, scrambled her eggs, cut up the orange, and grabbed some cheese and chicken from the fridge for me. Thawed, it only took a hot skillet and a couple minutes to make it warm and pink and perfect.

Fiona only bought yogurt in individual servings; less environmentally correct, but she swore it tasted better that way. I teased her about it frequently with the threat that she was the reason we would end up with no place to run, but she just laughed and pointed out all the ways she made our household, and the entire pack, go green. Each house had multiple recycling bins; we only bought recycled paper products, and just earlier this year, Fiona finally stopped the pack from buying Styrofoam cups and plates for our summer cook-outs, no matter how much cheaper and easier they were to use. She made sure we left no trash behind if we took anything into the woods with us, we adopted a stretch of highway to keep clean—as a human neighborhood, but it made me laugh every time someone thanked us for taking care of that part of the road, the humans with their gratitude not knowing what monsters lurked in their midst—and Fiona picked up litter whenever she saw it.

She was subtle about changing things. She didn't nag or order, just took her time and convinced us it was what we wanted to do all along, or at least what was the right thing for us to do, even if it was a pain sometimes. I controlled with strength and orders and a healthy dose of fear, but Fiona had her own charm.

I moved everything to the table and, when I heard the water shut off, added the milk to her cereal. She drank water, but I couldn't function without my soda.

Sometimes, I felt trapped by the patterns of our life, but the morning ritual was more often comforting than not.

She came downstairs naked, her dark skin slightly damp and a towel wrapped around her head. My stomach grumbled, and I shoved her toward her seat. She slammed her heel into my calf hard enough to raise a brief welt, but dropped into her chair and tore into her food. We ate fast, voracious. Wolves are always hungry, even when they don't need to hunt to survive.

After, Fiona went upstairs to put on unscented lotion and get dressed, and I did the dishes. If I left them sitting in the morning, by the time we got home at night, the stink of them would be too much.

"Walk me out?" she asked. She didn't look like herself when she went to work; I was used to her naked, or, at the most, wearing shorts and tank tops. Today, she wore pinstripe trousers and a long-sleeve black shirt, probably layered over a camisole. The long sleeves were for her human coworkers; when she shut herself up in her office, she would take it off. The building was always cold, the humans complained, and so she had to incorporate it into her outfits.

I threw on jean shorts and a sleeveless cotton shirt. All it had to do was keep me from being arrested for indecent exposure.

I didn't know how she stayed at her job, but she had worked there for years. She claimed she liked being around regular humans; they made her feel energized. She dealt with technology, new inventions, thousands of people, and dressed up every single day. I had to face down werewolves pissed off and frequently bordering on rabid and was naked most of the time. She loved her work, but I preferred mine.

Of course, her job came with a 401k, health insurance—not that we used it, between our rapid healing and being unable to let human doctors get their hands on our blood—and a retirement plan. If I was very, very lucky, when I retired, I'd get to stay alive.

I walked with her to the end of the block. We lived on a short street with a cul-de-sac and the shuttle bus her work provided picked her up on the corner.

"The Seattle wolves are coming into town," I told her. My flip flops made satisfying thwacking sounds against my feet. I walked silent so often that when I could make noise, I rejoiced in it. "I might be late."

"I'll call in delivery on my way home," she offered, and then, before I could remind her, "and I'll make sure to get extra, just in case."

"I'll try not to need it," I promised, and she grinned. She hated it when I brought my work home. I didn't blame her; she'd lost three coffee tables to it and a gorgeous wolf sculpture. I was still trying to find a suitable replacement.

Her ride was waiting, so she gave me a quick, chaste kiss. We weren't out to upset anyone, but I saw no reason at all we couldn't indulge in some of the same discrete public displays of affection that straight couples did.

After all, I wasn't humping her leg in the middle of the street. What more could they want?

I waited until the shuttle was out of sight, carrying her away from my world and into the human one, and then headed back to the house. The Seattle wolves weren't arriving until early afternoon, but that meant I had to compress an entire day's session into one morning to clear my schedule for them. I had a lot of audiences scheduled, too, just my luck.

Sometimes it was a pain in the ass—usually mine—to be pack leader.

The problems I resolved:

Kyle, who lived in the house next door on the right, wanted hunting rights for his extended family. He was having an anniversary party in January and needed to provide a hunt for his man's father, his own brother, and his woman's parents. Four extra 

people might not seem like a lot, but four extra werewolves was a heavy load for any hunting grounds to handle. 

Luckily, part of their visit fell over the full moon—the wolf moon, appropriately enough—so I invited them to join our run and agreed to talk to the pack leader across the border. If they all had valid passports, Canada was a good hunting option, and there was still time to make arrangements.

One of the things I liked best about Kyle was that he always planned ahead. It wasn't very wolf-like—I had worked hard and been groomed my whole life to be pack leader, but still slipped into think about now instead of planning for then—but it was much appreciated.

Dean, one of the weaker wolves just a couple years older than me, was accused of bringing human women around the neighborhood too close to the full moon. We'd just come off October's and I didn't remember smelling any strangers, but I assigned a couple wolves to look into it.

He didn't bother to keep a straight face while I questioned him. His grin was so wicked, I figured he was trying to rile me up. I wasn't easily shaken—one of the reasons I'd lasted so long as pack leader was that I could keep my temper—so his efforts were futile, but I still gave it some thought.

Possibly, he just wanted some time in the dungeon with me. We had scened together more when we were younger, before Fiona started sniffing around me and I got too busy with pack responsibilities, and if he was feeling abandoned, he might very well look to stir up trouble in order to make me mad enough to beat him again. Or maybe he was using it as terribly dangerous pick-up lines: Hey, baby, what's your sign? I was born under the sign of the wolf. Want to see what big teeth I have, the better for eating you with? Let's go howl at the moon. What's a pretty girl like you doing wearing such a bright red coat?

I made a note to pencil in some time with him just in case. If it turned out he was bringing humans around, whatever the reason, he was going to be in trouble, and his punishment would not be me binding and beating him, because he would enjoy the hell out of that. If he wasn't, though, we could have some fun.

Lily asked for her man to join the pack. It shocked the hell out of me, because I still thought of her as the twelve-year-old cub stumbling over her own two—or four—feet. She had grown sleek and predatory, and I could feel the power pulsing off her.

She was going to be trouble in a couple years, hunting for a higher spot in the pack hierarchy, maybe even for pack leader. I'd keep an eye on her. Maybe even groom her to be my successor, depending on how long she was willing to wait. I wasn't ready to step down, and the only way to force a leader out was a dangerous, often deadly, bloody fight, but if she could be patient, she might be the successor I needed. Her dad and my dad were good friends, even though my dad went off to join a different pack a few years ago when he found a new woman. I liked the pup—the full-grown wolf—even when she was an annoying, yappy thing chasing her own tail and tagging along with the older wolves.

She was a born wolf, too. That's probably part of why I liked her so much. Didn't mean I'd give her an inch if she challenged me, though.

Her man was quiet and let her do the talking. He had all his papers in order, recommendations from his pack leader and other alphas, and proof that he could contribute to my pack, both money and time.

I'd call to check the sources, but after I gave him a good sniff and watched the way they interacted, I was pretty sure he was in.

And then came the Seattle wolves.

They weren't at all what I expected. They had a fairly new pack leader, a strong wolf named Rafael. He'd only been in power here a couple years, and I'd never had the occasion to meet him. As geographically close as the two packs were, we did a good job of pretending the other didn't exist. Rafael was older, I smelled the age on him, but not so old he smelled weak. His skin was tough like leather, too much time working in the sun damaged even a wolf, and his hands were callused. He had a thin upper lip and stubble on his cheeks. His black hair was silvered at the temples, and his dark eyes were pretty, with startlingly long lashes.

I took in all of this very quickly, scenting him while his delegation approached, and I nearly squirmed in my seat at the combination. He was hot as fuck, and everyone in the room could smell my response. He tested the air as he approached, a natural thing for a wolf to do; I knew the moment he caught my scent, because his eyes darkened, and he smirked at me.

Hot as fuck, but I kept it professional. No visiting alpha was going to rattle me, not even one who made me want to throw him to the floor and mount him right there in front of both our packs.

Rafael brought me a complaint from the Seattle pack and a personal request. The Seattle wolves accused us of poaching on their hunting grounds north of the city. We hunt to the east and the south, leaving the north and the west to them. He had no proof it was us, of course, because none of my wolves would be so stupid.

Really, he had no proof it wasn't a natural animal, except that the carcasses were left, easy to find, the meat gnawed but not eaten. Sounded like a wolf message to me, even if wolves didn't normally waste their food, but Rafael swore he'd put his best bloodhounds on it—the wolves in a pack with the best noses—and they smelled wolves around the kills.

I listened to everything he had to say, and then I sat for a few minutes, silent and ponderous, perched in my chair at the head of the room. A long time ago, I learned that most wolves were like humans in a way, maybe because so many of them used to be human. People were uncomfortable with quiet spots in conversation; if you sat patiently enough, they would fill the silence.

Rafael crossed his arms over his chest and watched me watch him. I cocked an eyebrow, crossed one leg over the other, and smoothed my hands down my thighs. He dropped his gaze, watching me touch my own skin.

I wasn't the only alpha smelling like want. I bit hard on my tongue, hiding my smile.

Unfortunately, as fun as his desire for me was, my trick didn't work; he stood and silently regarded me.

"I'll put some bloodhounds on it," I said at last. He lifted his chin, showing his throat, a move that might have looked submissive if I couldn't see the confidence shining in his expression. He might want me, and he might blame my pack for the kills, but he wasn't scared of me one bit.

"And if you find anything? If you're truly innocent, will the Microsoft Monsters help me stop whoever is poaching on my hunting grounds?"

My lips twitched, but I managed to bite back my smile. Officially, we were the Eastside pack, but the Seattle wolves frequently called us the Microsoft Monsters even though only some of my wolves work there.

"When my bloodhounds find who is poaching, my hunters will help you stop it." I pushed confidence into my words, into my thoughts; my entire body needed to exude it, so if he looked at me, if he smelled me, he would see how much I believed in my wolves. 

So my wolves would see it and smell it and hear it, too.

Most wolf packs worked alone, but we lived too close together to constantly avoid teamwork. We either formed our truces and found ways to get along, or one of us would have to move. The Seattle wolves were penned in more than we were, so either we would have to move out into our land or we would have to fight.

I didn't want to fight. I was pretty sure we would win, but the losses would be tremendous. A good leader knew when to stand her ground and when to compromise.

A good leader kept her people alive.

Besides, if someone was breaching their hunting grounds, ours might be next, and I didn't want strangers in my territory, either poachers or Rafael's wolves tracking the poachers. Better to take care of the problem before that happened. I maintained very strict rules about what animals could be taken from our hunting grounds and how frequently kills could be made.

Hunting grounds were special, and it was the pack leader's job to protect them.

Rafael's request—and it was Rafael's request, not a request from the Seattle pack—was interesting. His youngest son was looking for a mate, and one of my wolves had caught his eye. They weren't dating; I wasn't sure if they'd even spoken, but his son wanted permission to come to the Eastside to pursue my wolf. It wasn't all that unusual for a wolf to look outside his pack for a mate, but it was a little strange to look so close to home. Then again, most packs didn't live in each other's shadow.

The oddest thing of all was that Rafael had enough children to have a youngest. Female werewolves didn't get pregnant easily, and their pregnancies were difficult. Though we regulated biting, new wolves were far more likely to be created than born. When a family managed to have a born wolf, they usually only had one.

I agreed to allow Rafael's son to have restricted access to the pack for one month; I would review it at the end of the period, unless I had a complaint before then. Their interactions would be supervised, at least at first; though I didn't think this was an attempt to infiltrate and destroy my wolves one at a time, I wasn't going to let him walk right in and have unlimited access either.

The Seattle wolves were getting ready to leave when I got up and walked over to Rafael. I kept my voice low, not that I was trying to hide anything. Not that it would work even if I was, because everyone could hear me even if I whispered.

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" I offered.

"You can feed us all?"

"Of course I can." I lifted the corner of my mouth, the precursor to a full snarl. Was he questioning the prosperity of my pack? Maybe he wasn't so fucking hot after all.

"Of course," he echoed and shot me a half smile. He leaned a little closer, until I could feel the heat from his body. It was a practiced move, an offer to scent him, to test his sincerity. "I meant, you want all of us to stay?

I took his offer and breathed him in, making no move to hide it. Then I bared my teeth, almost but not quite a smile. He wanted me and now I knew it.

"I just want one of you," I teased and chose my words with care, "but two other wolves from each pack sounds fair."

He chuckled, and it was a dark sound that reminded me of clouds over the moon and fresh dirt beneath my paws.

"Dinner's good," he said and angled toward me closer still, "and dessert."

Fiona wasn't going to be happy about our guests, but I could make it up to her in the bedroom after. I wanted more time with Rafael, away from the prying, knowing eyes of my wolves. Wolf packs gossiped; some leaders wasted a lot of energy trying to shut them up, but the way I figured it, we had to keep so many secrets anyway, it was good to let them discuss the little things. My sex life, though, I preferred to keep somewhat private.

Rafael grinned at me, and I smirked back. I liked to flirt. Sometimes, that meant flirting with danger.

Dinner went well. The conversation after dinner went even better, so much so that we dismissed our bodyguards. They were loath to leave us, but when the pack leader tells you to go, you get gone.

I really didn't plan to take him to bed, despite our flirtation, but that's exactly what happened.

Fiona took a liking to him the minute she saw him. We didn't often have the same taste in men, and it was nice when our desires lined up. He wasn't bothered at all by the two of us living together, or by the both of us flirting with him. Sometimes, the older werewolves were quite conservative and either thought two women together were playing house until the right man came along or that we existed only to titillate them.

Rafael wasn't like that. He respected us; he was polite and friendly and told funny stories about trying to control werewolves in the middle of a city. He'd come to Seattle from the pack in Costa Rica, following a woman he loved. She had died shortly after he won pack leader. It was a sad story, but he was very matter-of-fact about it.

I liked that about him. That's why, when I refilled his coffee, I kissed him.

He knew how to kiss; the pressure was absolutely perfect, firm without being demanding. He didn't hesitate to touch me. He put one hand in my hair and the other on my hip, but he didn't push too fast, either.

I brushed my lips along his jaw, intrigued by the stubble, and then bit the side of his throat. The noise he made went straight through me, and I straddled his lap and did it again.

Fiona came up behind me and pressed herself against my back; she wasn't wearing a bra, and I could feel her nipples hard beneath her shirt. She kissed him over my shoulder, and her hands slid around between us, stroking my stomach and his.

"Upstairs?"

I nodded and moved to get off him, but he tightened his grip and pressed his mouth to mine again. Fiona worked her hands up under my shirt until she could cup my breasts and rub her palms against my nipples.

Rafael tugged gently on my hair until I tilted my head back, and then he kissed my throat. He worked his lips, teeth, and tongue across my skin, teasing me, tormenting me. It was too gentle one moment, too rough the next, and then he soothed the spot and moved on.

Fiona continued to touch me, press against me, and when she put her mouth on the other side of my throat and bit down, a bright, sharp pain, I started to shake. What they were doing felt so good.

"Upstairs," she said again, and that time it wasn't a question.

We made it to the bed, but only just. Fiona held my hand while we walked upstairs and reached back for Rafael with her other. He touched the small of my back, and I wanted to feel him against my skin, so I chucked my shirt before we'd even hit the hallway.

I turned when he was still on the top step and kissed him again while I tried to unbutton his jeans. They were annoying as hell, button-fly, and what kind of self-respecting werewolf wore something so difficult to remove?

My fingers shook, and Fiona pushed them out of the way.

I may be hard to rile up, but once I go, I'm gone. She was the calm one; while I kissed him, and practically humped his thigh, she worked all the buttons free, and then pulled me off so he could remove them.

She kissed my shoulder, and then ran her tongue down to my breast and around my nipple. I clutched at her with one hand and shoved my shorts down with the other. They were loose enough they slid off my waist and only stuck a bit on my hips; Rafael was right there to work them down my legs.

He knelt, helped me step out of them, and kissed the curve of my hip. One hand cupped my ass, the other pressed to my stomach, and then slid lower until he eased his fingers between my legs. I was wet already, and his growl was definitely appreciation.

I worked one hand free and grabbed his hair; I loved that moment, looking down at him, watching him touch me, and the way his scent was thick with want. He bit my stomach, just below my belly button and tilted his head until he could smirk up at me. I thrust my hips forward and bumped against him; he dug his nails into my ass.

I was perfectly happy to fuck right there in the hallway, but Fiona pushed me away from him and into our room. I tumbled over the end of the bed and sprawled across it. She stripped off her clothes and leaped to join me. Rafael finished undressing and crawled across the floor after us in a quick rush of movement that was more wolf than man.

He came at the bed from the side, and I launched myself into him when he jumped up, hitting him hard enough to tumble him beneath me. He landed on his back, and I rose up over him and straddled his hips. His dick was hard, his eyes dilated with lust, and a low, steady growl rumbled his chest.

I wanted, more than anything at that moment, to fuck him, so I lowered myself onto him. It had been awhile since I had anything of flesh and blood inside me; our strap-ons were wonderful, but couldn't match the heat of him, the slow burn that built as I rocked against him and blood rushed through both our bodies.

Fiona bent over his head, offering him her breasts. He had one hand on my thigh, clutching at me without trying to guide me, but with the other he touched her, stroked her hair, the curve of her cheek, the swell of her breast. He bumped his head against her breasts and breathed in, scenting her; beneath me, he shuddered, his dick throbbing inside me, and it was delicious.

She moaned when he bit her nipple, and my whole body tightened. I was on the edge of an orgasm.

I leaned back, shifted my weight to keep my balance and keep thrusting, and pressed my fingers to my clit, back and forth, quick movements that made me jerk in response. Rafael dragged his nails down my thigh, tearing open my flesh. The pain mixed with my pleasure and that was it; I'd been building toward this from the second I scented him when he walked into my pack business room. I clenched around his dick and came so hard my vision flashed black and white, the wolf in me rising up inside. I thought he'd come, too, but when I relaxed and rolled sideways off him so I wouldn't collapse on top of Fiona, he either hadn't or he was already hard again.

Fiona pulled away to kiss me, and he touched her, slid a hand up her thighs and pushed his fingers into her cunt. She cried out, and I swallowed the sound.

She leaned forward, bending me backward until I was on my back and she was on her hands and knees above me. I put my hands on her shoulders, dug my nails into her skin, and felt the exact moment Rafael rose up behind her and thrust inside.

I had set a hard pace, but he moved even faster with her, deeper thrusts, and his hands met mine on her back. I splayed my fingers over his, and then twisted myself until I could lick one of her nipples.

She grunted when he slammed inside, and then let out a cry that bordered on a howl. She was close, I could smell it, could feel the way her body shook against mine. I bit into her breast, hard enough to momentarily bruise, and moved a hand to her clit; I scraped one fingernail across it, and then the pad of my finger, circling hard and fast.

Her orgasm hit and she screamed so loud the neighbors would have come running if they weren't used to our noises. Rafael froze for a moment, a stutter in his driving rhythm, and then he came, too.

He tossed back his head and howled; I joined him, though I was sated, and then Fiona chimed in, too, a more soprano counter tone to ours.

She collapsed on top of me, and I worked my way out from beneath her. It would have been nice to have Rafael spend the night, sleep in a pile, wake to fuck again, but he was pack leader, and so was I. He couldn't stay without his people, and I had already pressed my luck by keeping only Fiona around.

I walked him to the door, collecting clothes as we went. He dressed, but I remained naked. I didn't have to go outside.

"I'll contact you when I send my bloodhounds," I said. "We'll track down whoever is breaching your borders."

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes more golden than before. He was riding close to his shift; I had a brief, visceral image of running with him through the woods and how well the three of us would hunt together.

"I'm looking forward to working with you," he said and kissed me. He was an inch shorter than me, maybe slightly less, and it was an easy thing to put my arms around him, to tangle my fingers in his hair.

We parted and were pack leaders again, formal and slightly distrustful of each other.

As a rule, I didn't fuck other pack leaders, but I regretted nothing as I watched him walk to the street where his bodyguards waited. I nodded to my two wolves who watched them and closed the door, shutting out the night and the politics and the tempered wildness of the wolves in human form.

Fiona waited for me upstairs, the covers turned back, my pillow cool and fluffed. I turned off the last of the lights and went to join her. I could feel the energy of the pack change when the Seattle wolves left our borders. We closed in on ourselves, metaphorically circling together in a den that spanned the neighborhood.

Fiona smiled at me when I crawled into bed with her. Her warmth was delicious, and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer. She put her head on my shoulder and draped her arm across my chest.

I stroked her hair and let myself relax as much as I ever did.

The recommendations for Lily's man worked out, and I set people to planning his induction into the pack during the next full moon. Kyle's family had passports. The border wolves said they had plenty of prey, and for a set amount per kill, they'd let Kyle's family hunt. It was within our price range, so I had our lawyer—Fiona, actually—draw up a contract.

Not all packs have wolf lawyers, but I highly recommend it. We definitely had the advantage during negotiations and contract writing, and it just never hurt to keep a fine, upstanding citizen around, one active in local business, bar associations, and the boards of various nonprofit groups.

See? We wouldn't hurt anyone; we're good people. It was the modern day version of sheep's clothing, and it worked very well.

Dean's situation was another thing entirely. I had my second-in-command look into it—bringing humans near the pack around the full moon was serious business—in part because he was discrete.

Not discrete enough, and by the end of the week, even Fiona asked about it.

We were watching a movie, cuddled on the couch together. She leaned back into me so I could play with her hair and she could put her feet up on the arm. Her toes were a little swollen. I blamed the shoes she wore to look like the humans at work.

"Do you think Dean's really sneaking humans in?" she asked during a boring, talky part.

"That was quick." Though I knew how much my wolves loved to gossip, and I allowed them to do so, sometimes it still surprised me how fast information spread. Leaders who tried to keep an iron control and stop wolves from talking never lasted long.

I wouldn't confirm or deny, and she knew it, but that didn't stop her from asking.

"Who's he been scening with?" I asked instead.

She shrugged. "I don't know, he hasn't been to the last few play parties, or if he was, he left before we showed up."

"Huh." I twisted her hair around my fingers while I thought about that.

"You going to top him?" she asked. "If he's innocent?"

She was echoing my thoughts. When we first started sleeping together, I found it creepy. I didn't like that someone could read me so well. I was fighting my way up through the pack, and I was afraid she was sussing out my weaknesses.

Now it was just comforting.

"Maybe." I shrugged. "Would you mind if I took him downstairs?"

"Yes." My hand stilled in her hair. I hadn't expected that. We frequently played with others, especially when we both wanted to top. I only went submissive with her, and very rarely at that, so we frequently had to find other bottoms.

"Would you mind if I played with him at one of the parties?"

"Not at all." Fiona took a deep breath. "I don't want us bringing new people into the dungeon anymore. It doesn't feel..." but she trailed off.

"It doesn't feel what?" I prodded.

"Safe." She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "It doesn't feel safe."

The hunt for the intruder—or intruders—into Seattle's north hunting grounds dragged on. I sent a team, and my bloodhounds agreed, yes, it was the work of a werewolf, but no one could agree on how many. That was a bad sign, and I needed to figure out what to do about it. For a single bloodhound not to be able to pinpoint whether there was one wolf or multiple wolves was unusual, but for five bloodhounds for two packs to fail, well, that started to look like sabotage.

I kept a close eye on my wolves.

Things at home continued apace. I did my work, Fiona did hers, we completed our rituals, shared and not. We put up new decorations for Thanksgiving, put away the Halloween stuff, and began to plan the pack's winter holidays celebration.

I thought, perhaps, we would invite Rafael.

And then, one morning, everything changed.

I was in the kitchen, going through the breakfast ritual, and Fiona was upstairs in the shower. The water switched off, and she took longer than normal to leave the bathroom, but that didn't warn me that anything was wrong.

When she started down the stairs, my head jerked up. Something had excited her. I couldn't smell fear, but I wasn't sure if she was happy, either. Mostly, I thought, she smelled like adrenaline, so whatever it was had surprised her, at least. Maybe it wasn't a flight or fight situation. Maybe it was.

My heartbeat picked up and I widened my stance, squatted toward the floor. I was already naked, I could shift in a breath and howl for help. The whole block was pack, they would hear, they would come running.

She turned the corner, biting her lower lip bloody, and my stomach growled at the smell. It took her a minute to notice me, though she knew I was there. My scent was everywhere, and I was so tall and broad I was hard to miss. Where else would I be, for that matter?

When she looked up, she bared her teeth. It was a smile, but twisted, crazed.

"I'm pregnant," she said, and my thoughts all crashed down.

She called into work, I canceled my meetings, and, for awhile, we sat together, saying nothing. Eventually her scent returned to normal. I knew mine was still agitated; it's hard to smell yourself, but I felt shaken to my core and knew I wasn't going to calm down any time soon.

Fiona knew it, too, I think, and asked me to take her downstairs. I did, even though I didn't feel like dungeon time. It was a mistake, I knew better, but my thoughts were scattered, my attention far away.

I leaned against our oldest free-standing St. Andrew's Cross; it had a thick main section, sturdy feet, and a variety of ways to bind a body to it. Fiona watched me for a moment, her eyes glinting in the dim light.

"It's your turn to top," she said and curled her fingers at me, beckoning me forward. "I'd like the cane."

I nodded, but didn't push away from the rack. "I'm feeling subby."

She smiled for a second, but it melted into a frown. "Don't lie."

It wasn't precisely a lie. I had hoped it would be true enough to get past her sense of smell. I didn't feel like being tied up and beat. What I wanted—what I needed—was someone to hold me and tell me everything would be fine.

Lie to me.

I couldn't accept it even if she tried.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Nothing to talk about."

"Andy."

She put so much disappointment into those two syllables it made me want to whine and crouch closer to the floor, alpha wolf or not. I hated upsetting her.

"I want to run." Needed to run was more like it. Fiona got it; she nodded and headed for the stairs. I followed her. The basement floor was cold against my bare feet. I had put down soft rubber mats around all the equipment, but maybe I should cover the whole floor. Maybe it wouldn't matter much longer. That thought hit me so hard I stumbled going up the stairs.

We each grabbed shirts and shorts from the basket by the door. Usually the sign above it—Don't Freak the Norms, Obey the Grandmother Rule—made me grin, but I was doing good to get through all the steps before I could run.

Clothes. Shoes. Hand the keys to Fiona. She started the car. Stopped for the red light. Used her turn signal.

If we got pulled over, if I had to wait one minute more, I feared I would tear out someone's throat.

We made it to the woods in time. If it had been night, we could have run right out from the cul-de-sac, but since it was daylight, even though the sun was hidden behind gray skies, we had to go farther out for privacy. The pack houses used to be at city limits, but the city grew around us. Not much, but enough to be a pain in my ass when I needed release.

I was out of the car and plunging down the trail before Fiona turned off the ignition. She would catch up. I peeled off my clothes and tossed them haphazardly toward a tree. The air was cool, but not cold enough. I wanted my brain to freeze. I wanted my thoughts to stop.

The shift came rough. I was agitated, or it would have been smooth, painless. It didn't hurt, precisely, but it didn't feel great, either. I needed it to feel spectacular.

I needed to run, and I did, into the shadows of the trees, away from civilization.

I ran in large circles for hours, but as soon as I shifted back, my fears were right there at the front of my thoughts. I threw myself down and yelped. Stupid rocks and their sharp edges sticking up to pierce my skin. Once I'd cleared a space, I stretched out and stared up at the sky. It was cloudy, and we wouldn't be able to see much of a sunset.

The moon was one week, three days, and ten hours from being full.

I thought I might go feral before I saw it again.

Fiona came and stood over me, her legs on either side of my hips. I loved her outdoors. It was the wolf, I think, which made her even more luscious when in nature, but part of it was probably my love. My favorite place to be was in the woods, and she my favorite wolf to share it with.

She looked like a goddess standing above me. Her hair was unbound after her shift, kinky and thick and dark. She looked very tall from my angle, as if she, like the trees, reached for the sky. Her breasts were small, her thighs heavy, her hips wide. Childbearing hips.

That stopped me cold, and I looked away, at the trees towering over us, spears piercing the sky. The lowest branches were probably ten feet up, but the thin trunks pressed around us like a living army. It was claustrophobic, but comforting at the same time. It was as much my home as our house.

If she died, it would be more so. I would stay a wolf in the woods and my humanity would never hurt me again.

That meant leaving the pack without an alpha. Guilt tugged at me, and the weight of being the leader settled hard on my shoulders. It didn't matter. Without her, I wasn't fit to lead anyway.

"It's going to be okay," she said and dropped to sit on my legs. "I'm going to be fine."

"You don't know that."

She put her hands on my stomach. "You don't know I won't."

I didn't want to think about it anymore. I wanted to bask in the joy of the run and the freedom of our woods and the weight of her body on top of mine. I was afraid to touch her; I knew better, but deep in my gut, I thought she would disintegrate beneath my fingers, leaving only blood and flesh and bone in pieces.

"Andy." She put her hands on my stomach. "Andrea. Please."

She was worked up, riding the adrenaline high from the shift and chasing me through the woods. I could smell her, could taste in the air how much she wanted me. I responded; I didn't have a choice in that, the way my stomach tightened, my nipples hardened, and I grew wet.

I couldn't help getting turned on by her, but I didn't have to give in to it. I didn't have to have sex.

I reached for her, put my hands on her hips, and then ran them up her sides. I wanted this, wanted her. She was strong still; I wasn't going to break her. She scooted forward to straddle my hips and walked her fingers up to my breasts. Her nails were long and sharp; she pinched my nipples hard enough I gasped and trembled beneath her.

"Good girl," she crooned and rocked her body against mine. I could feel her slick against me, and I surged up off the ground, frenzied from the feel and smell of her. I wanted to be in control, and though she fought, I slammed her into the ground, her legs bent up on either side of my body, her hands still on my breasts.

I bit her stomach, hard enough to bruise. The color was a flash, there and gone almost too quickly to be seen. If I wanted to mark her, I would have to try harder, but it wasn't necessary.

She pinched me, and then let go, dropping her hands to the ground. The dirt would stain her fingers, get beneath her nails when she clawed at the earth. I curled my tongue around her belly button to make her shriek with laughter; she was ticklish there, in a thin line straight down her stomach.

When I bit, she convulsed and slammed her knee into the side of my head.

I eased myself lower, nuzzling my cheek against her thigh. I hooked my arms around her hips, spread her legs wider, and lowered my face to her. That close, and she was all I could smell, she filled every breath.

"Please," she whimpered and lifted herself against my face. I pulled back, teasing her, pinning her into place, and when she groaned, I put my mouth on her, slid my tongue between her lips.

I knew right where to lick her, to glide my tongue across her flesh. Her clit was swollen, and she was warm and wet. I put my lips around her clit, gentle pressure, and then bared my teeth and bit down.

She cried out, and again, her hips lifting off the ground. She tore into the dirt, and I could smell crushed pine needles, sharp even through the scent of her arousal.

I worked a hand free so I could thrust one finger into her and a second, curling them toward me. It took a moment, but then I found her favorite spot, the flesh slightly raised, slightly spongy. I pressed my tongue firmly against her clit, matched the pressure from inside, and she rocked up, her body tense.

She was so close she shook; her body jerked with each flick of my tongue. I turned my head a little, sucked in a deep breath, and then set into her, tongue and fingers and lips and teeth.

She cried out and came; her scream became a howl, her entire body undulating with the pleasure. I could feel it rushing through her, rising from her skin, and I absolutely throbbed with want.

I rolled away from her, leaving her trembling, and thrust my right hand, still damp from her, between my legs. She gave a little whimper as she fell through the aftermath, coming down from her high, and it went straight through me.

I brushed my middle finger across my clit, once, twice, and then her hand was there, and her mouth on my collar bone, her breasts smashed against my arm. She gulped air and made little needy noises in my ear.

When I came I threw back my head and whined, scrabbling one hand across her back, the other still working with hers between my legs, forcing her to go at my pace.

It felt great, it always did, but today it was no release.

She collapsed against me, both of us panting, and the woods were silent around us, the smaller animals scared off by two large predators at play.

My back hurt; my hips ached. I was getting too old to fuck on the cold ground.

No, that wasn't it.

I was scared.

"You worry too much," Fiona said, but for the first time I heard a thread of fear in her voice, too. It was about damn time. She knew the risks almost as well as I did. She was ten years old when I was born, already a werewolf and old enough to know what was going on around her.

Fiona sat with the pack and listened to my mother's screams as she died.

Back at the house, I made dinner, two steaks cooked just long enough to take off the chill, to heat the blood. We had twice baked potatoes with it, covered in cheese, and fresh iced tea.

"We have to tell Rafael," Fiona said after we settled at the table with our food.

I busied myself cutting my meat into tiny bites. I could have managed larger ones—I could have practically swallowed it whole—but I needed the distraction.

"You're sure it's his?"

"Who else have I slept with, Andy?" I deserved that sharp tone. "You didn't get me pregnant."

"You're sure you're pregnant?"

"Yes!" She took a deep breath, a bite of meat, and then a drink of tea. "I'll go see the doctor tomorrow, but yes, I'm sure."

"You're on the pill."

She shrugged. "You know it's not one hundred percent effective for human women, and I'm something else."

I knew that. Still, it made my stomach churn.

"Will you get it done tomorrow, then?"

She stared at me, I could feel it, but I didn't look at her. I couldn't, and the wolf in me raged that I was presenting so submissive when I should have been the dominant one.

"Are you ordering me to get an abortion?"

I could do it. I was her pack leader, she either had to do what I say, fight me, or leave. I wouldn't do that to her. Maybe my time as leader was almost done, because I certainly seemed to be going weak.

"No." I met her eyes then. "I'm asking you to."

"I want a baby."

"And I want you to live!"

She set down her knife and fork. "Andy, you don't know I won't."

"I think I do," I said, and my voice had more than a bit of growl to it. "From pack history, and from personal experience." It would take me all the fingers of one hand and a couple on the other to count off the names of women I personally knew who died during childbirth, much less the ones I'd heard about. I didn't understand why they risked it. We all knew how hard it was for one of us to give birth, but still wolves wanted to risk it. Still Fiona wanted to risk it.

"Yes, sweetie, I know. I'm sad for you still; I wish you'd known your mother. But I want to be a mother. I think it's worth the risk. Besides," she said, and smiled at me, but I didn't return it, "it's been quite a few years. Maybe there are ways to make it easier. There are for human births."

"We're not human!" I was definitely growling, and the hair on the back of my neck and arms stood up. If I wasn't careful, I was going to shift right there at our kitchen table.

"I know that!" She repeated herself, softer. "I know that. I was once, remember. I didn't ask for this, and I certainly wasn't told that I would have to give up so much."

We rarely talked about it, but she was right. She'd been attacked by a rogue wolf who had kidnapped her and kept her, biting her every day until she was infected, until she turned into one of us. He had wanted a baby, too, and when his wife couldn't give him one, he went rogue, found a toddler, and took her away. He had thought — well, he had ignored all our careful rules, and he had thought he was giving two gifts: a child to his wife and the power of the wolf to Fiona.

His wife had killed him for hurting a child and breaking another mother's heart, but the damage was done and the pack couldn't send Fiona home. Nor, in the end, did the pack leader—my father, at the time—think it best to bite Fiona's human family. Frequently, once one member of the family became a wolf, many other members did, too. It was easier to keep our secret that way, and it made for stronger pack ties when families were protecting each other as well as the pack. But it was easier for a human family to accept a wolf when the transformation was by choice. Fiona lost a lot of things when her body succumbed to the infection. Her human family was one of those things. Maybe that's why she refused to accept trying to have a baby was a bad idea.

There were more made werewolves than born, but ninety-nine percent of them chose it and went in knowing all the risks, and every single one but Fiona was a consenting adult. Fiona hadn't been able to consent, even if he'd asked her before he'd bit her, and the fact that she thrived as a wolf was impressive.

I still didn't understand why she wanted to be a mother, but surely there was some other way to make her happy.

"We'll adopt," I said, my voice shaking. "A hundred kids, if that's what you want."

"Maybe," she said, "but I want to try this first."

I sniffed hard and stared at my plate. I wasn't going to cry, I wasn't — I was terrified of losing her and at the very edge of my control. "Why are you being so stubborn on this?" I asked.

"Why are you?"

"Because I don't want you to die!" And my tears started to fall. Crying didn't make me weak or anything stupid like that, but I hated to the way I felt when I cried, hated the way my eyes burned and my nose filled.

She shoved back her chair so hard it toppled over, and came around to crouch next to me. She put one hand on my thigh, the other on the back of my neck, and I looked at her, cursing myself for breaking down when I was trying to make a point, trying desperately to win this argument.

"I don't want to die either," she said, "and I promise, I'll have the doctor monitor it closely, and if things go wrong, I'll consider an abortion then. I didn't plan this, Andy, I swear, but it happened, despite all my precautions. Maybe it's meant to be."

I didn't believe in things like fate and karma, but she sure did. I sniffed and blinked, trying to drive away the tears. Fiona leaned into me, her body warm and soft against mine, and I sighed.

"Fine."

"Really?" She smiled at me, and it was a little like the sun coming out in July after months of gray skies and rain.

"Yes. We'll try." She surged up and kissed me; I could taste my tears on my lips, smearing onto hers through the kiss. Eventually, she pulled back, and returned to her seat, righting her chair and digging into her food.

"We have to tell Rafael," she said again.

"I know. I'll arrange a meeting." I twisted my fork across the plate; she winced at the noise, but didn't ask me to stop. "This could be a problem."

She looked at me, but I didn't answer her unspoken question, and she didn't actually ask. I wouldn't have told her, anyway. It was pack leader business, and no matter how close we were, no matter how much I loved her, she didn't get to know everything.

Born werewolves were rare, and if she managed to carry this one to term and give birth to it without either of them dying, we'd have a pup who belonged to two different packs.

And I had a feeling Rafael would fight for it just as hard as Fiona.

I still had at least one, and maybe many werewolves, out there, possibly rogues, breaching hunting grounds; a werewolf who might be showing off to human women and putting them in danger, possibly to get my attention or, at least, to get into their pants; and now my woman was pregnant by the pack leader of our closest allies and biggest rivals.

Some days, being pack leader was so much more than a pain in the ass. Some days, I wasn't always sure why I'd fought so hard for it in the first place. It was a struggle every day to make the right decisions, to keep my wolves safe and my pack whole. 

The only certain thing was my love for Fiona, and she wanted to risk taking it away.

"I love you," she said.

I took a deep breath so I could smell the cool fresh air coming through the open window—it was rich with pine trees and dirt and the ever-present scent of my wolves—and smiled at her. She was breaking my heart, but it was hers to break. If she really wanted this, and it was obvious she did, I couldn't tell her no, even if it meant her life. Even if it meant mine. Even if it meant leaving the pack without an alpha, vulnerable until someone else took charge. Even if that meant not making sure the next leader was worthy of the pack.

"I love you, too," I said, and hoped as hard as I could that I wouldn't lose her.

"What do you mean, 'the humans have picked up our trail'?" Katya demanded and turned abruptly from her maps to glare up at Mikhail.

Mikhail quickly put up both his hands and averted his gaze in the face of her anger. "I don't know how it happened this time, honest. We did everything you said after the hunt. We made sure the remains were scattered, didn't take a straight path back..." He trailed off and looked at her cautiously between dirty locks of his blond hair. "I don't know how, but they've caught on."

The anger bled out of Katya's eyes, and she sighed, running a hand through her pale hair. "It's not your fault, Mischa. Get everyone assembled. We'll break camp and leave now. I'll be damned before those poachers catch us."

She dismissed Mikhail with a wave and rolled up her maps before stuffing them into her pack. Standing, she pulled the ties keeping the furs on the framework of her tent. A practiced yank and the sewn furs fell from the wood posts completely. The cold rushed in around her and she cursed, securing the hood of her coat up around her face to keep the worst of the chill at bay.

It was bad enough that the poachers had attacked two months ago and killed off half the pack. There had been no alpha male left after that massacre, no one more capable than her to lead the survivors deeper into tiger territory to escape the humans. Well, normal humans, anyway. Her pack was still human as well, but with how violently everyone else took to werewolves, it was hard to imagine they were in any way related to the scum that hunted them. At best, the normal humans saw them as extensions of the gray wolves that occasionally picked off their livestock for food. If they were just pests, then it was easy to justify hunting them down like animals.

She made quick work of her tent, watching as the others in the pack gathered their things, tore down their makeshift tents, and put out the fires. Their numbers were so few now. It made hunting difficult, even when they shifted. It also made her heart sore, even as they knit together the remainder of the pack, trying to mend the holes that still remained from their losses.

Her eyes narrowed as she picked up the pace of her own packing. She would see them to safety. It would mean crossing tiger territory to one of their old hiding places near the mountains, but the poachers wouldn't follow. At the very least, they'd be distracted by bigger game. She smirked to herself as she pulled one of the straps of her pack taut. Finally, a use for the weretigers that didn't involve eating her pack out of hearth and home.

With an upward glance, she breathed in the cold air. Snow. It would hide their tracks if they got moving. The day was looking up.

Katya looked behind her, checking on every member of the pack before nodding her satisfaction. They'd made excellent time, even with the snow. It seemed fear and adrenaline were on their side, keeping even the younger ones focused on their destination. She'd sent her two scouts ahead to make sure the path to the outcropping in the mountainside was clear.

It was only when they neared the final bend that she heard the grunts and growls of a struggle, and it sent her rigid with fear. She held up her hand, stopping the pack behind her, and a glance around the bend made her bite back a curse. "Tiger," she breathed to the waiting group as she hurried back and handed her pack off. "Mikhail, keep them back. It's alone, but watch for others. If the clan's close behind, you'll have to make a run for it down past the river. Dmitri, you're with me."

She growled softly, moving with as much speed as stealth allowed. The snow had dulled her senses. She should have heard the struggle sooner. Rounding the bend and moving just a fraction down the mountainside, she peeked over a convenient boulder with Dmitri.

The weretiger was female; Katya could tell that much from a distance. Her eyes widened when she watched one of her scouts take a kick directly to the throat. Her pulse skyrocketed at the sight of the weretiger blocking and dodging each of the other scout's attacks, the first man still struggling for breath in a heap of snow and gravel.

A nod to Dmitri, and they sped to the scout's aid. Before they could even reach the fighting pair, the girl tensed and deepened her stance. Katya growled as Dmitri lashed out at the tigress and was thrown off balance, his own momentum used against him. The tigress was still recovering when Katya lunged forward. Her nails barely grazed the dark-haired woman's cheek, blocked by little more than a reflex.

Katya ducked a kick, blocked a strike, and circled as she took a breath. Damn, but the woman was fast. Feline grace or some such nonsense. It just made her fists tighten with anger, and her growl was louder when she rejoined the fight, watching as Dmitri proved too slow to counter with his bulky frame. A well-aimed punch and the large man was down. Katya's pale hair swirled in the wind as her hood fell back, and she blocked and dodged strikes aimed for her torso.

The tigress' dark hair fell into her face as she swirled to block both the scouts' advances. There it was, a gaping hole in the woman's defenses. Katya darted in and grabbed the woman's arm as it reared back for balance. The screech of pain that sounded from the woman nearly made Katya's grip falter, but she held on tightly, taking advantage of whatever pain she had caused. It seemed to disable the woman, who lashed out wildly but without any apparent aim.

"Grab her!" she yelled to the scouts, who swiftly complied, tackling the woman to the snowy gravel, her calves pinned to the ground beneath their knees and her arms held back. The tigress struggled and cried out in panic and pain, but looked up at Katya with wide eyes. There was something off in the pale yellow eyes, a color she had never seen in an unshifted weretiger.

"How many of you are there?" Katya growled, and when the dark-haired woman renewed her struggles, she reached down and squeezed her captive's forearm until her head thrashed back and forth.

"None!" the woman yelped, panting hard, tears slipping from her eyes. "None. Just me. I swear it!" Her limbs trembled, as she struggled again, but more to pull back from the pain than to truly escape, or so it seemed to Katya. "Please..."

Katya released her arm and exhaled slowly. "Just you? A lone weretiger without a clan?" It was out of the ordinary, but not unheard of. The true tigers in the forest were all solitary, so why not this weretiger? It made just enough sense to be plausible

The tigress began trembling again as Katya shifted to crouch in front of her, just out of reach. "I swear it! I was cast out when my sister was killed by poachers." She opened panicked eyes to gaze up at Katya again... except Katya had crouched down.

Katya's heart skipped a beat, and her scowl twitched. Slowly, without making a sound, she raised one hand and waved it back and forth in front of the tigress' face. The girl didn't even flinch, her gaze only moving when Dmitri finally recovered and stumbled forward in the gravel, drawing attention to himself.

Pressure built up in Katya's chest, working its way up toward her throat. She tried to choke it back, to stop her lips from twitching upward, but it was useless. She burst out laughing, startling everyone in the group as she sat back on her heels, cradling her forehead with one hand. Relief was a welcome warmth through her core as her chuckles died down, and she stood, uncaring of the questioning glances cast her way.

"Mitya," she called, using Dmitri's pet-name and clapping him on the shoulder when he stepped close enough. "I hate to break this to you, but you just got the shit kicked out of you by a blind weretiger with a broken arm."

Dmitri's wide eyes soon narrowed on the tigress, and he growled loudly, "We should just kill her. Get it over with."

"Oh, you'd like that," Katya snorted, watching the tigress cringe away from blows she must have been anticipating, knowing she wouldn't be able to block them. Her smile faded just a bit as the smallest wave of sympathy wormed its way through her. "But you're not Alpha here, Dmitri."

Dmitri grumbled, but obediently bowed his head submissively along with the scouts. She let out a long, measured exhale, pulling her hood back up over her head when a gust of wind sent one side of her face tingling. "You, girl. How did you find this shelter if you can't see?"

"The same way I just broke your beta's nose," the woman retorted.

Katya smirked. She would be just as indignant if she were treated like a defenseless creature when she was anything but. "Who struck first?" she demanded, her eyes flashing between the two scouts, who shared a glance and stumbled over their words. "That's what I thought. Release her."

"But, Alpha!" Dmitri protested, but he froze in place, not daring to step forward as Katya's blue eyes bored into him.

"I said release her. She was seeking shelter from the storm, just like us. You attacked; she defended herself." Yes, she might have been oversimplifying there, but it was the sharp reply needed to make her scouts loosen their holds. The tigress didn't lash out at them. Instead, she simply cradled her injured arm to her chest and stayed in one place. "Did whoever taught you to fight also teach you to heal, girl?"

That startling, golden gaze turned to her through black strands of hair. Katya watched the woman's throat work to swallow, and the tigress nodded. "I was taught to tend wounds, yes. My skill isn't perfect."

The last sounded like a bit of a warning, and Katya caught the clenching of the woman's hand around her wounded arm. If she wasn't able to heal her own broken bones fully, then she wouldn't be able to heal others that much. So much for the myths about weretigers having skills to heal all wounds.

"In exchange for shelter in our hideaway and a hot meal, will you heal the damage you caused my men?" she asked, not bothering to point out that their 'hideaway' was actually quite deep in tiger territory. Let the tigress figure that out on her own or not. Either way, they outnumbered her.

"Alpha! You can't possibly trust this tiger to—"

"I accept!" the tigress yelled over the protests of the werewolves, effectively silencing them. "I swear to do no more harm, provided I am not forced to defend myself. I will heal what I can. If I break my word, your enforcers may kill me."

Katya nodded, and then realized the girl couldn't see it. "Very well. Ivan, Sergei, go fetch the rest of the pack. Dmitri, start a fire, cool off, and then we'll take care of your nose."

The men went about their business—albeit grudgingly in Dmitri's case—and she smiled when she noticed the small twitches and movements of the weretiger's head. The girl was aware of them all, sight be damned. She reached out slowly and touched the hand that curled protectively around the woman's injured arm. A soft, startled sound left the woman's throat, but even though she twitched with surprise, she seemed to sense that Katya meant no harm and loosened her grip. Katya took hold of her wrist and pulled a little, offering to help the woman up to her feet. "What's your name, girl?"

"Yun."

Yun's arm was still motionless in her grip, and that pale gold gaze narrowed at her just a little in what looked like confusion. "I'm Ekaterina, Alpha of this pack," she said, replying to the unspoken question. She made sure her tone held a note of humor as she added, "And if you break your word, I'll kill you myself."

The first hint of a smile twitched at Yun's lips, and she finally gripped back and took Katya's offer of help in order to stand. "If I were to break my word, you would be too dead to seek revenge."

The sharp sweetness with which those words were spoken sent a chill down Katya's spine. "Then I suppose I'm lucky weretigers have too deep a sense of honor to ever break their words."

Yun squeezed Katya's wrist, straightening with pride, her smile softening along with her tone. "Yes, you are."

Even with Yun's assurance that she wouldn't make any trouble, Katya kept an eye on her as the pack settled into the shelter of the cave-like overhang in the mountainside. They had hauled the venison from their last kill when they ran from the poachers, and it was turning out to be the perfect meal after their successful escape. Seasoned with the few herbs they still had from before the first frost, the kill perfumed their shelter. It was a scent that always reminded Katya of victory and celebration for the entire pack.

"This is going to hurt." Yun's voice lilted to her ears just before Dmitri howled in pain, and she looked over to see two of her wolves shove Yun back and pin her to the ground. Perhaps she'd been hasty with that thought about celebration.

Their forms were little more than silhouettes against the flames of the bonfire from where Katya sat. All she could make out now was Dmitri cradling his nose with both hands. She stood from her small fire and crossed the distance with long, swift strides. "Mitya?" she questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder, biting back her rising anger at seeing him in pain.

"Fucking bitch!" Dmitri cursed.

"I warned him," Yun said in her defense, perfectly passive in the grips of the wolves, not making a single move to incite them to violence. Katya had to admit, she was handling the situation with a calm that her jittery pack couldn't seem to conjure. When no one could speak against her argument, Yun continued. "If you let me up, I can ease the pain now that his nose is set."

Katya raised an eyebrow and squeezed Dmitri's shoulder. He looked up at her and growled. "I don't want her touching me."

"She set your nose like she promised. She hasn't made trouble," Katya tried to reason. Dmitri muttered under his breath—something about Yun having made enough trouble by striking him in the first place—but she jabbed his arm just below the shoulder with her knuckles, and that shut him up rather quickly. She nodded to the other werewolves. "Let her finish what she started."

Yun shifted back up to her knees and reached out. Her hand encountered Dmitri's chest first, and she followed the line of his collarbone up his neck to his face. The pawing made Dmitri lean back away from her, and Katya bit back a laugh. "What, Mitya? Does a woman's touch make you so squeamish now?"

It struck the nerve she was aiming for. Dmitri righted his posture and glared up at her, but there was a hint of laughter in his eyes as he grumbled, "I'd rather have you touching me, and for more than a broken nose."

Katya smirked. "I bet you would." If there was any chance that Dmitri could get into her bed, she knew he would take it. Fucking her was the easiest way for him to wrench control of the pack from her. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction, but at least it distracted him from his anger.

Yun's fingertips passed in front of Dmitri's eyes, and Katya peered at the strange way she positioned her hands on Dmitri's face. Yun's thumbs pressed just beneath the curve of his cheekbones while her index fingers were carefully placed in the middle of his eyebrows. That second part seemed to make Dmitri uneasy, since he swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. Yun's hands curled around the sides of his face, and the ring finger that Katya could see searched along the upper ridge of Dmitri's cheekbone before settling at the top, just shy of his ear.

Every finger seemed deliberately placed, and Katya's brow furrowed as she tilted her head to get a better look at Yun's face in the firelight. The weretiger blinked slowly, her eyes narrowing though her gaze went straight through Dmitri as if he weren't sitting right there in front of her. A deep breath, and Yun closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.

A low groan from Dmitri drew Katya's gaze back to him, and she watched Yun's fingertips make small dents into his skin, pressing firmly into those points across his face. With the way Dmitri grimaced, she thought for a moment that the pain of his broken nose was only getting worse, but Yun's fingertips began to tremble, and then slowly pulled away. They remained just above his skin, hovering there for a couple seconds, and then Yun exhaled swiftly, throwing her hands down and to the side, her fingers splayed wide in the empty air. She flicked her hands once, as if trying to rid them of something sticky, and then sat back, taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly with a small smile.

Katya looked between Yun and Dmitri a few times, only then noticing that the bustle of the pack had quieted. A glance around revealed that she wasn't the only one captivated by whatever Yun had just done; everyone else was staring just as intently at the pair.

Katya cleared her throat. "How does it feel now, Dmitri?"

The muscles in Dmitri's jaw twitched. "If I have a nose at all," he began, his eyes fluttering open to stare at Yun. "I can't feel it. I don't feel a damn thing."

"Then you have no reason to skin me alive," Yun concluded, her full lips curving up into a small, smug smile.

"It appears not," Dmitri admitted, much to Katya's astonishment.

She looked Yun over once and nodded her approval. "In thanks for your care of him, I will share my meal with you at my fire."

Katya could have sworn she heard a soft purr lilt up from Yun as she rose and carefully followed her back across the clearing to Katya's small, private fire. She wasn't sure if it was from pleasure or just gratitude at being taken from the other wolves, but it was a rather comforting sound, much better than growls or hissing at any rate. "Sit," she instructed Yun, who reached down and found a clear spot before settling, her eyes drawn to the light of the fire rather than to Katya.

"You are wondering how I healed him." Yun's voice was soft, resigned, as if she expected some sort of interrogation.

Katya humphed, flopping back down into her seat, which was softened by her folded coat. It hadn't been the foremost thought in her mind, actually, but now that Yun had mentioned it... "Is there any way I could learn?"

Yun's eyes flickered over to her. "Not likely."

"Then there isn't much use in me wondering how you did it," Katya chuckled. "Must be some magic only tigers possess."

"More like a skill and energy that must be learned over a long time," Yun corrected, tilting her head thoughtfully. "You wolves are too impatient, too impulsive. If you could sit still long enough to feel, then you might be able to see without seeing, use what you feel, mold it into something useful."

Katya raised an eyebrow at that. "Like molding it into a force that could heal broken bones?"

Yun's hand went to her injured arm, and her lips quirked up into a smile. "After many years of diligent practice, perhaps."

Mikhail shuffled for a couple steps, making a noisy approach, which earned him a grateful smile from Katya. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the thin wooden plate he brought toward them, piled high with prime cuts of seasoned meat. "When you said you'd share with her, I figured that meant you would need a larger portion." Mikhail smiled softly and handed the food over to Katya, remaining crouched by the fire for a few seconds longer than he really needed to in order to take a closer look at Yun.

Katya watched in amusement, unsurprised when Yun was the one to break the silence.

"You stare," Yun pointed out simply, her eyes focused on Mikhail with that quiet intensity that made the werewolves uneasy. "Are you afraid?"

"Impressed, not afraid," Mikhail corrected with a friendly chuff. "Though I would never take you on in a fight. I can't win against Katya, either." He looked between Katya and Yun. "Will she be sharing your meal and your bed?"

Katya felt her cheeks flush, and she growled to hide her embarrassment. "Mischa," she warned. Damn him, he knew her a bit too well. The only reason he got away with that question was because she'd known him for so long. He gave her all the submissive signals required for an apology, but his eyes still sparkled with mirth and affection as he retreated back to the main bonfire.

"Your lover?" Yun asked, accepting the piece of meat that Katya placed into her hand.

"Just an old friend." Katya took a bite of her meat and moaned softly. A soft purr lilted from Yun as she began eating as well. It felt like ages since she had enjoyed a proper meal like this, and coupled with that soothing purr, it loosened her tongue. "Mikhail—we all call him Mischa—has been my best friend since we were babies. I didn't have much of a family anyway, so when the pack turned him by accident, I demanded to join them rather than lose him. I lived with the pack until he was strong enough to turn me himself."

Yun ate quietly for a few minutes before finally responding. "Hunting accident." Katya perked and was about to ask what she meant, but Yun continued, "My parents were both killed when the tigers came after our livestock. When the tigers found my sister and me, they turned us both. I don't remember anything but growing up with the tiger clan."

It was more than Yun had spoken the entire time she had been with the wolves, and something told Katya it was the most she had spoken in quite a long while to anyone. She wasn't exactly sure what to say, something that wasn't going to be useless like 'wow' or 'I'm sorry'. She took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. "Do you ever miss your clan, being part of a team?"

The smallest of smiles softened Yun's face. "Sometimes. Why? Are you suggesting your pack is a team for me to join?"

Katya laughed softly, lifting her hands in mock surrender, even if Yun couldn't see it. "Hey, if you can heal us all up, don't start any trouble, and hold your own as a hunter, I'd say you can stay as long as you want. Better a new ally than a new enemy."

The offer brought a larger smile to Yun's lips, one she couldn't hide from Katya by tucking into her meal again. The pack had spent so long fearing and hating the tigers. Maybe by giving Yun a chance, Katya could help her pack heal in more ways than one.

Yun crept through the undergrowth, silent in a way that astonished Katya. How was it that the blind weretiger could lead her around so adeptly? Yun had asked to hunt alone, which had made sense to Katya, but nearly every wolf in the pack had grumbled about it until Katya had agreed to accompany her. She'd said it she would keep Yun in line, but Yun didn't need any help with tracking. She seemed to be doing fine on her own. Better than fine. Annoyingly fine.

When Yun paused in front of her and sniffed the air, Katya mimicked her. Spring was coming; that was the first scent she picked up, that wet, lightly acrid hint of green just starting to push through the snow. Beneath that scent, through it, she gradually caught the musk of their quarry. Roe deer, and mostly females, if her sense of smell was accurate. Katya stood, grinning as she headed toward that scent, nearly tripping when Yun grabbed the fabric at her calf and pulled.

"What are you doing?" Yun hissed softly, her gaze not quite meeting Katya's.

Regaining her balance, Katya pulled her leg free and huffed. "Hunting. This is the part where we hunt the does down, box them in, and kill one."

A smile curved Yun's lips, and she shook her head, looking off into the forest. "You wolves and your pack tactics. No wonder you catch less than half the prey you chase. It is patience that ensures the kill."

Katya crossed her arms, speaking in hushed tones but not hiding her annoyance. "The bevy isn't just going to traipse up to us so we can kill one."

"No," Yun admitted, tilting her head, "but if we move a little downhill and I shift, I can get one near that small stream."

Katya's eyes narrowed. "What stream?"

Yun simply smiled and pointed. Katya followed her finger down the hill. She couldn't see anything until she took several steps to the left, and then a glimmer of light on water caught her attention. She couldn't even hear the stream from here! Her jaw clenched, but she eventually relented with a clipped, "That stream."

"If you wish me to prove myself, you can stay behind and watch," Yun teased, standing and making her way around Katya and toward the stream, stepping carefully but easily down the hillside. She paused after a few strides, however, and suddenly began disrobing.

Katya couldn't help but stare. Yun knew she was watching, but she didn't seem bothered by that fact. Yun placed her heavy coat on a sturdy tree branch, and then peeled her thin undershirt off. Katya's mouth felt too dry all of a sudden. Yun's long, black hair was a stark contrast to her pale skin, and her body was deceptively svelte. Katya knew what power was hidden in that slender form, and she found herself being drawn like a moth to a distant flame, following Yun down the hillside. By the time she caught up, Yun was nude, her delicate feet pressed directly to the chilly leaf litter.

Katya couldn't find her voice. Maybe it was just as well so she wouldn't make a fool of herself. Wasn't it kind of wrong to compliment a blind woman on her appearance? Before she could answer, Yun gasped harshly, and her body contracted, bending her in half as her skin rippled, pale smoothness replaced quickly with stripes of black and pale orange fur. Bones snapped and knit together again before Katya's eyes, and she marveled not at the shift itself—she'd seen that often enough as a werewolf—but at Yun's control, her silence. It always hurt when Katya shifted, and she knew it was the same for the weretigers, but Yun didn't make a sound until she collapsed to the dead leaves strewn around the bare tree.

The scent of tiger assaulted Katya's nose, and she had to concentrate on breathing evenly to keep her instincts in check as Yun chuffed and growled softly. Yun's winter coat was luxuriously thick, and as she turned around, Katya found the dark stripes that decorated Yun's forehead and cheeks as a tiger absolutely fascinating. They made the color of her eyes look a more delicate yellow than before. Then again, maybe it was just that she was able to take a good look without having to worry about a tiger mauling her.

She motioned for Yun to go ahead and, much to her astonishment, the tiger turned and left. Yun headed toward the brush surrounding the small stream that was forming as the snow of the area gradually melted. A gesture like that usually would have been lost on Yun. Interesting.

Katya followed Yun, scenting the air every so often and settling next to her a few paces from the stream. It was close, but Yun seemed confident, if her comfortable crouching and twitching tail were any indication.

There in the brush, they waited.

It was always the worst part of hunting for Katya. The breeze brought the tantalizing scent of their prey to her nose, and waiting as it grew stronger made her restless. Whenever she would shift with thoughts of giving chase or play with her dagger, however, Yun fwapped her with her striped tail and growled a warning at her. It wasn't until the bevy of does was ten paces away that Yun even began to crouch.

That was Katya's signal to grow utterly still, and she watched as the does shifted around the stream, drinking their fill, oblivious to the hunters hidden just downwind. It was perfect, but Yun wasn't moving. Why didn't she attack? What other advantage could she possibly ask for? Katya's eyes darted between the prey and her feline companion, wanting to flail or ask 'What the hell', but then two of the does stepped within eight paces of them, and Yun was gone in a flash of black and orange.

The scratch of clawed paws against the dirt was joined by the clamor of hooves, and Katya sprang into action as well, her legs swiftly carrying her through the stream to join the chase. Without foliage to block her view, she saw Yun dash past the closest does and strike down her target with sharp claws and a snapping bite from an unforgiving jaw.

It happened in an instant, and then Katya's instincts took over completely. She chased the closest doe, pumping her arms and dodging the trees with trained skill. The young doe lost its footing, giving her the advantage she needed. With a shout, she drove her blade into the doe and sliced at it, using her body weight to ram it into a tree. The doe struggled on the ground, and she quickly stabbed again, delivering the blow that would dispatch the doe completely.

As the thundering of her pulse gradually faded, all that was left was the dry creaking of bare trees in the gentle wind. Katya let out a long, steadying breath and made quick work of gutting her kill. The doe may have been young by her standards, but it was still heavy as she carried it the short distance back to the stream.

Yun's kill was larger, and when Katya stepped closer, Yun's bloody face turned up at her with what she could have sworn was a smug expression for a tiger. The purr that rumbled out of Yun was the sexiest sound she had ever heard, and after the thrill of the chase, it sent unexpected heat pooling between her legs while blood rushed to her cheeks. She wanted to step away, to mask her scent from Yun in that moment, but as Yun sniffed the air, she knew she was already caught.

Yun turned back to her kill and bent down, chuffing a few times before that sickening crackle of bones and flesh left her in her human form again. She was still bloody, the red an almost artistic splash of color on her pale face, framed by wind-whipped hair. Those yellow eyes caught her attention again, and she swallowed thickly as Yun smiled serenely at her and held out her hand.

"Your knife, please."

Katya handed it over without a word. She didn't have to congratulate Yun on the successful hunt, didn't have to compliment her on her patience and skill. She didn't even have to explain away her body's reaction. For once, she practiced the silence Yun seemed so intent to teach her. It was odd, but not having to say anything meant she could just enjoy the kill, enjoy their triumph, and enjoy the beauty of Yun's body uninterrupted. As far as Katya was concerned, the day couldn't get any better.

Katya had waited until the bonfires and celebration had died down. Their hunt had been the most successful she could remember in a very long time. Their two does had been joined by a couple rabbits that they had set traps for, and the meal had led to dancing and storytelling and all-around merriment for the entire pack. Now that nearly everyone had retired to their tents, she finally had the chance to approach Yun privately.

The firelight cast a warm glow around Yun's silhouette, and Katya had to swallow several times before convincing herself to take the final steps to join Yun at the natural shelf in the rock face. She sat silently, but Yun still perked up at her presence and turned to face her. "Yes, Alpha?"

Katya smiled. "How did you know it was me?"

"Your scent gave you away." A smile slowly curved the corner of Yun's lips. "It always does."

Katya fought the urge to hang her head. Of course Yun could smell her. She had probably smelled her arousal the entire time they had tended their kill, right up until they had hauled everything back up to where Yun had hung her clothing. Perhaps that would make the rest of this easier.

"I'd like to talk to you about something," Katya began, and when Yun didn't respond other than blinking and waiting patiently, she shifted in her seat. The deep breath she took in didn't help to calm her suddenly racing pulse. "A poacher attack killed off nearly half the pack a few months back. It's the reason we don't have a large number of hunters. Hell, it's the reason I'm even in charge." She paused, running her fingers through her loose hair before admitting, "It also means there aren't many alpha males in this pack. A lot of the men have had to adjust to me as leader, and I don't blame them, but some have taken it better than others. I don't know how it works with tigers, but the strongest fighter wins here, and that's me. The others can't beat me in a fair fight, so I know they're looking for a loophole, a way to be Alpha without challenging me head on."

Yun brushed a lock of black hair behind her ear, and then tugged and played with it near her shoulder. Her fingers paused after a few seconds of quiet consideration, her eyebrows twitching as her eyes became more focused again. "They want to mate with you."

Katya laughed softly, but it was a little too clipped to sound anything more than nervous. "Yeah. They'd like to get me into bed so they can take my title from me."

"Especially Dmitri," Yun noted.

Katya hummed her agreement. "He's more eager than the others. I'm about to go into heat. It's the worst damn timing. The last thing I need right now is to show weakness by choosing someone too weak to be worthy. I could just keep saying no to all their hints, but..."

When Katya grew silent, Yun simply waited again, but she couldn't find the words she needed. This was supposed to be a smooth, effortless proposal, not just some discussion of pack politics. The soft smile that gradually made it's way onto Yun's face didn't do anything but distract her, draw her gaze to the softness of Yun's lips, the wonderful shape of her almond eyes and their striking yellow color. She was relieved when Yun finally spoke, breaking the spell that kept her silent.

"But you have another idea in mind," Yun finished for her.

"It's the perfect solution," Katya blurted out, leaning forward in an attempt to keep her voice down. "I mark you as worthy, and the pack has to accept you. I protect you, you protect me, and we both—"

Yun's lips sealed over Katya's so suddenly that Katya nearly recoiled, but the blind weretiger's depth perception was alarmingly accurate, the touch of their lips just firm enough to shut Katya up. Blood rushed to Katya's cheeks as she brought a hand up to cradle Yun's face, and she kissed back until Yun's fingers twined with hers, gently prying her hand away so they could part.

"Does this marking happen in public?" Yun whispered.

"No."

"Then I think you should show me to your tent. Now."

Katya raised an eyebrow in surprise, but the smirk that curled Yun's lips and the light that sparked in those gilded eyes sent a wave of heat through her. All she could do was kiss those smirking lips before standing and pulling Yun deeper into the caves.

The furs spread out in her tent were a welcome relief from the bare stone of the cave, and as Katya pulled Yun down into the softness of them, the light of her small, private fire caught in Yun's eyes. She couldn't help but pause and stare. No weretiger she'd seen had those eyes. They were usually dark, a deep brown until they shifted. Yun had been able to see at least a little better in her shifted tiger form. Perhaps over time, her body had tried to adapt. Perhaps the healing energy Yun had spoken of had made this change without Yun even knowing.

Yun shifted, uncertainty bleeding into her fiery gaze. "Is something wrong?" she breathed.

Katya smiled and drew her fingertips over Yun's cheek and jaw before pulling the ties of her clothing free. "No. You're just beautiful." The smile that lit up Yun's face brought a warm chuckle from Katya's throat, and Yun wasted no time, drawing her into another series of kisses.

Yun's fingers had to search Katya's body to find the ties and buttons of her clothing, and the way they touched every inch of her in the process just made Katya eager to feel those hands on her bare skin. Piece by piece, her clothing was discarded, tossed to the furs beside them. By the time Yun had pushed her leggings down over her ass, Katya's heart was pounding, their kisses hungry and deep.

Katya grabbed Yun and spun them down to the furs, helping Yun out of the rest of her clothing while wiggling the rest of the way out of her own leggings. Yun's hands ran broadly up her torso, her fingers tracing circles around Katya's nipples until they hardened. God, it felt so good to be touched this way, and knowing Yun's hands were making up for Yun's blindness just made every touch more meaningful.

Yun's hands reached her neck and face, and as they explored her scalp and pulled her down, she slid her knee between Yun's legs and settled their bodies against one another with a soft moan. Yun's answering sigh made her smile, and when those fingers continued feeling along her brow and cheeks, she licked across Yun's lower lip. "Can you see me?"

"In my own way," Yun panted with a smile, trailing her hands back down Katya's sides to her hips and backside.

"Looking for weaknesses?" Katya teased, loving every touch outlining the muscles of her ass and thighs.

"Not looking," Yun breathed with a whisper of a kiss. Her hand rounded Katya's hip and dipped between them so quickly that Katya was left gasping. "Found."

Katya laughed breathlessly, her hips rocking forward into Yun's nimble, knowing fingers. They circled her clit, rubbed at her, and even the light touches made her shiver. "Two can play that game," she warned before kissing and nipping her way down Yun's throat. Her fingers pinched and rolled Yun's nipples. When she reached one with her mouth, it was perfectly tight. Her teasing and sucking was relentless, and she doubted there was anything more arousing than the gasps and lilting moans she occasionally pulled from Yun as she moved even lower.

Yun was a quiet lover, which suited Katya just fine. She didn't need screams to know that Yun was enjoying her touch. When she finally nudged Yun's legs open and licked lightly up the length of Yun's sex, the firm tug at her hair and shuddering breath told her all she needed to know. Her scalp tingled as she gently spread Yun with her fingers and licked at her again, finding her wonderfully slick. For a moment, she worried her inner wolf would bristle, incompatible with Yun as a weretiger, but the scent of Yun, the taste of her, didn't do anything but make her mouth water.

Katya sighed her relief and sank into a sensual rhythm, licking and suckling at Yun until the pale limbs beneath her twitched and bucked. With a deep moan, she moved up to concentrate on Yun's clit, flicking it back and forth with her tongue and sucking fiercely. It only took a few seconds to make Yun arch with a harsh gasp, and the throbbing of the flesh against Katya's mouth was nearly intoxicating. She forced herself to back off, giving Yun a moment to recover, and those wonderful hands gradually untangled from her blond hair and shakily guided her up to Yun's mouth again.

Katya kissed her deeply, devoured the soft moans Yun fed into their kisses. When she shifted her hand and slid two fingers inside, Yun gasped, her eyes opening to stare up blindly through Katya. The astonishment and pleasure on Yun's face made Katya smirk. "Don't be afraid to touch back."

A deep pink tinted Yun's face, and her hands moved, one between Katya's legs and the other to Katya's shoulder. The instant fingers flicked over her clit, the thumb of Yun's other hand dug into a tender spot just shy of Katya's armpit. The shock of pain from that simple touch pulled a soft yelp from her, even as the pleasure thrummed, soothing it an instant later. "I am not afraid," Yun insisted.

Breathing suddenly became more difficult as Yun circled and rubbed her firmly, finding every spot and gesture that made pleasure radiate through her. It took every ounce of willpower Katya had to return the favor and thrust her fingers in and out of Yun. She had to bury her face in the crook of Yun's neck to keep from moaning too loudly. As Alpha, perhaps she shouldn't have been so careful, but this was unheard of, forbidden. She was mating with a weretiger, marking her.

The thought of marking Yun brought another moan from her lips, and her kisses to Yun's neck soon became nips and bites, harsh suction placed over the pulse point. Yun's breathing became harsh, and Katya growled softly, squeezing her eyes shut. Yun's fingers pressed, flicked, rubbed her until the pleasure overtook her senses. She bucked, smothering her cry against Yun's neck, her own touches becoming erratic.

"Yun," Katya panted against the deep purple mark on Yun's neck. Her mark. Everyone would see it, would know Yun was hers and worthy of being part of the pack. A low moan escaped her as she melted against Yun. But Yun wasn't still, and it took a few seconds for Katya to snap out of her satisfied haze. She shifted with a grin and redoubled her efforts, curving her fingers and thrusting while dipping down to suckle one of Yun's nipples.

The response was nearly instantaneous, and Katya pulled back from Yun's chest to watch the pleasure wash over that beautiful face. Yun's eyes practically glowed, and little tendrils of black hair stuck to her pale skin. Katya slowed her touches and gently pulled out before rolling them both to their sides and kissing Yun through the afterglow.

Several minutes passed before Yun's hand wormed its way to the deep bruise coloring Yun's neck, and Katya smirked. Yun might not be able to look her in the eyes and smile at her, but her expression was smug and sated.

"How long will you be in heat?" Yun murmured.

Katya raised an eyebrow. "About a month. If times were better, we'd pair off and dissolve the pack for that month, but we can't afford to here in tiger territory. Most of the women left aren't eager to have children now, either, so the men are going to be... restless."

Yun chuckled softly. "So I can expect a good deal of rutting with you for the next month to protect your title."

Katya hugged Yun close and tangled their legs, pulling a soft fur over them for warmth. "Do you look forward to it?"

Yun's fingers found their way to her face again, and she smiled, letting Yun feel the expression, see it through touch. A grin tugged Yun's lips upward, and the soft purr that suddenly lilted from Yun's throat was the most soothing and sexy sound Katya had ever heard.

"Yes, Katya," Yun whispered, the words trilling with her purr. "Yes, I do."

Most of the wolves were so jubilant over having an abundance of food after such difficulty that they were willing to overlook that help came in the form of a weretiger. Most of the wolves. Dmitri and a couple of the betas were still making nuisances of themselves. It had only gotten worse after Katya and Yun began sleeping together and smelling of one another. The females of the pack being in heat didn't help matters, either, setting everyone on edge and distracting them when they all had work to do.

Katya had given the men a short but firm lecture about appreciating the help Yun was giving in return for simple shelter and company. She had also told them that she'd marked Yun as an equal for a damn good reason and considered her part of their pack now, and while they had growled a little, they had been quiet ever since. Katya didn't trust that quiet. It was the sort of quiet that often preceded a challenge, and right now, she had no patience for challenges. They had enough trouble as a pack, and none of the others really posed a threat if they stood against her in a fair fight.

Still, their energy was a dark shadow lingering at the edges of the rest of the pack's hopeful disposition. Katya had to do something to keep them moving forward, and she knew Yun was the answer. She crossed the cave to the bonfire where the mothers and their children had gathered. Yun was at the far side, and Katya couldn't keep an amused smile from her face at the horrendous braids that stuck out from Yun's scalp thanks to several tiny hands that worked through the curtain of black.

"Alpha, look!" one of the children called when they spotted her.

Katya rounded the fire and crouched down. "Well, well, Ana. Are all these braids yours?"

"I helped with the long ones!" A young boy, Ilya, proclaimed before Ana could answer.

"You helped a little," Ana reluctantly admitted, and when Ilya stuck his tongue out at her, she returned the gesture.

"You've both done quite a lot," Katya laughed, mussing both their heads of hair. "If only Yun could see them."

Yun just smiled, her fingers trailing up and along the braids that jutted out through her hair, thick and slender cords alike. "I am sure they are beautiful. Thank you both."

Nothing seemed to faze Yun. She accepted the children's antics with a quiet pleasure that made Katya wonder how long it had been since Yun had been touched. Well, not counting the nearly excessive amount of touching they did each night and sometimes briefly while they were out hunting as a pair. Even when they shifted, their feral instincts didn't keep them from enjoying each other's presence. They had marked one another, and their canine and feline sides didn't seem to argue against it. Katya had been worried about it, but Yun had shown only serenity. It was odd and perplexing and strangely arousing.

Katya's eyes began to wander with her thoughts, and it was a harsh yank on her hair from Ilya that brought her back to the present. "What?" she asked, looking down at the young boy.

"I said we want to braid your hair, too, Alpha. Make you match."

Katya laughed and kissed his forehead affectionately. "Another time, perhaps. I need to steal Yun away for now. Important pack business."

The statement was met with a fount of whines and protests, but Ilya's and Ana's mothers quickly restored order. Katya then made her getaway with a promise to let the children braid her hair another time. Yun followed without having to be asked, and Katya walked to her tent, guiding Yun inside and shutting the flaps for a little more privacy.

The temptation to kiss Yun and run her hands through those silly braids while rubbing against her was terribly strong, and she took a deep breath to steady herself before speaking. "Spring is on its way. It's a marvel the tigers haven't hunted us down here, and I don't want to tempt fate, but I don't know where to go. We need a safe place to recover from this winter, where the hunting will be good and we won't run into trouble with the poachers."

Yun nodded, listening attentively as far as Katya could tell, but when she didn't say anything, Katya swallowed thickly. "Any suggestions would be appreciated, Yun."

Yun tilted her head. "I cannot speak of the poachers. They have no pattern. The weretiger clans cycle with the seasons."

"Winter, spring, summer, and autumn. A hunting ground for each of the four?" Katya guessed, but her blooming smile faded when Yun shook her head and scooted back to make space between them on the furs.

Yun pressed her finger against the fur and drew a five-point star before circling it. "We have five seasons, five elements. Right now, we are in winter, the season of water." Yun pressed her hand to the area near one point of the star. "In the cold, we all seek shelter, warmth, and to bring light to the shadows in our energy. The water season is reflective, cleansing, and sexual."

The last word was accompanied by a twitch of Yun's lips that made Katya smirk. "And after the water season?"

Yun moved from one point of the star to the next along the curve of the circle. It was as if Yun could actually see the drawing in the furs. Perhaps it was simply so clear in Yun's mind that the rendering on the fur was easy to navigate. "Spring, the season of wood. Wood is growth, the sprouting of new life, new ideas, new relationships." She glanced up, her yellow eyes catching Katya's as her fingers moved along the circle to the other points. "And then the fire of summer, the earth of harvest, and the metal of autumn. The seasons follow the elements, which nurture one another," she said, following the outer circle before drawing the star again, "and—"

"Balance one another," Katya finished, glancing up from the drawing. "And the tigers follow this pattern, moving to a new area each season so their prey can replenish the rest of the year." It was brilliant, and it explained why the tigers were so ferocious when anyone trespassed on their territory at times, and then seemed completely absent during others. Katya should have noticed the pattern.

Katya clapped her hands together and began rubbing, energy sparking as she tried to plan where to take the pack before the tigers might find them in the caves. "So! If the weretiger clans are about to move to their spring hunting grounds and shelters, then we can move to their summer ones, the fire places. That way, we're a step ahead of them, and— What?" Katya huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as Yun shook her head.

"Balance, Katya," Yun answered calmly. "You would ruin the balance of the prey. The tigers would reach summer to find the prey gone. One hunter like me does not upset the balance of their cycle with nature, but an entire pack of wolves would. One season may not hurt too badly, but years of sharing their territory will cripple them."

"So we're just supposed to leave tiger territory altogether?" Katya growled. "Is that the point? The tigers push us out toward the poachers? Better us than them?"

"I did not say that," Yun murmured.

"But I'd bet that's what they think. It's what I thought when we first came here. I'd work with the tigers if I could just to make sure the poachers don't get any of us, but the tigers would rather kill us on sight than ally with us, so we have to do whatever we can, and what we can do is stay one step ahead of them if you tell us where they are now so we can avoid them!" Katya panted softly, wringing her hands to keep from stepping from the tent to pace. It riled her up to know that she had been put in the position of having to weigh the options just to keep the pack alive.

Yun was slow to respond, though she glanced up at Katya frequently. Katya wondered for a moment if she'd frightened Yun, and she was about to apologize when Yun spoke, her voice soft but firm. "I will not lead you to keep your pack one step ahead of them."

Katya bristled. "They cast you out. They left you to die! Why protect them at all?"

"Because they are my people." Yun glared at her. "They are not animals to be slaughtered, and neither are you. I will not help you upset the balance so that the tigers will starve. It is dishonorable and cowardly, and I could not live with that betrayal."

"Yun..."

"No, Katya. I know you are upset, that you have to lead this pack, but that is not the right way. It is the easy way, but not the right way," Yun insisted, reaching out and searching until she managed to find Katya's hand.

Katya was tempted to pull her hand away, but the way Yun looked at her, so concerned and adamant, she couldn't bring herself to add any more insult than she probably already had. Damn it all, Yun wasn't making this easy, though! She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to breathe deeply until she calmed down. "I need to do something. Isn't there anything you can tell me that will help?"

Yun squeezed her hand and let out a soft, slow exhale. Her eyes darted away, searching for a few seconds before meeting Katya's gaze. Or, at least, getting close enough to meeting her gaze that she knew Yun intended to look at her. "The closest clan is downstream where the river splits. The eastern branch leads to a rocky area that borders a meadow. That is where they are. If you want, you can confront them. You can talk or you can fight it out with them. You can avoid them altogether, but I will not tell you where to go knowing the path will cause them suffering."

Katya sighed. "So you're neither helping nor hindering. Do you realize how annoying that is?"

Yun smiled softly. "I can imagine."

"Do you plan on making it up to me?"

"All night, if necessary."

Katya finally cracked a smile. "We'd better start now, then," she chuckled, pulling Yun forward. The pack problems could wait until morning.

Soreness never felt better than in the moments when Katya would wake up after a long bout of oral pleasures and frottage. Their fire had long since died down to embers, and Yun was a wonderfully warm weight against her in the semi-darkness. Once she was awake, it was difficult to simply fall back asleep, so she took her time in easing Yun away from her so she could quietly sneak from their tent.

It was when she rounded the back of the tent to make her way to a rear entrance of the caves that the scent of wolf assaulted her, and she froze in place. In human form, she couldn't tell who it was that had been standing here, but her blood chilled in her veins as she mulled over the possibilities. She had to know, and that meant shifting.

Once she made up her mind to do it, it was like willingly putting her hand into a snare. She knew it would hurt, but at least the pain was temporary. Sinking to the ground, she let the power inside her loose and couldn't stifle a soft yelp as everything went black for a moment, the world awash in the pain of her body breaking and knitting itself back together.

When her vision cleared, the pain still throbbed along her fur, but her senses had shifted just as she needed. Sight was less important, secondary to scent. The faint wolf scent from before sharpened, and she growled softly as it registered. Dmitri. And he hadn't just passed by. He had stayed in this spot for at least an hour, and the scent tapered off just enough that she knew he'd left a while ago. That damned wolf had been listening in long enough to hear Yun and her talking.

A low growl rumbled up from her, her hackles rising. God only knew what Dmitri would do with that knowledge. She looked behind her to see Yun poking her head cautiously out of the tent. Concern was a palpable scent from Yun, and Katya trotted over to her to nose her cheek and neck with a comforting huff of breath. A single lick against a mark she had left on Yun's neck, and Katya raced away through the back entrance of the caves.

The scents out in the open were muted by a dusting of snow that had settled in the last hour. Dmitri had timed his little bout of spying incredibly well, and it certainly didn't sit right with Katya. How much had he heard? More importantly, what would he do with what he'd heard? They were mysteries, and Katya hated that she couldn't track him down.

He might have even returned to the rest of the pack. Hell, he might have even overheard by accident at first and just not been able to help himself once they'd started talking. The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became. There would be no interrogating him in front of the pack. She couldn't prove he'd done anything wrong. That left her running through the woods for no other reason than blowing off steam.

She pushed thought aside and just let her instincts take over, enjoying the chill of the wind in her fur and the rush of adrenaline as her paws beat out a crunching rhythm in the snow and undergrowth. She wasn't sure how much time passed before she stopped to drink from the nearby stream, but that's when a familiar scent caught her attention, one that wasn't trying to mask itself by remaining downwind.

Footfalls sounded, moving closer and closer until her senses were overwhelmed by the scent. Instinct told her to relax, to rut and mate, but she wasn't mindless, even in this form. She growled a soft warning and looked over to see Mikhail holding a hand up in surrender, his head bowed in submission.

"I know better than to pounce you, Katya," Mikhail murmured, holding out a fur-lined coat and smiling up through his dark blond hair. "I'm not worthy to mate with the Alpha. Not by a long shot." Katya huffed skeptically and stepped forward, bumping her nose into his hip, just shy of the tented middle of his trousers. Mikhail backed away a step and sank to his knees with an embarrassed laugh. "You can't blame me for that when you're putting out clouds of pheromones."

He had a point. Katya couldn't help her body chemistry, especially as a wolf, and he couldn't help his reaction to it. When he held out the coat to her again, she gave in. A yipping bark escaped her as she shifted back, and when she collapsed, it was into Mikhail's arms. She shivered and panted against him as he wrapped her up in the coat, shielding her bare skin from the cold as she recovered from the pain of the shift.

"Is something wrong? You were growling when you left the caves."

His tone was so gentle, so patient and concerned. It brought a smile to Katya's face, even as she shook her head. "It might be nothing. Just do me a favor and keep an eye on Dmitri. He's on guard tonight and should be hunting the next couple days, but if you can join his team to hunt, an extra pair of eyes on him won't hurt."

"You've never trusted him," Mikhail noted with a chuckle.

"He's never given me a reason to trust him, Mischa. He smiles and curries favor just like he did before the poachers got to us, but he lies too easily. He's not you." It was a compliment, and Katya was glad when Mikhail grinned, perking up with pride. "Let's get back to camp. I think I just needed a good run."

Mikhail didn't argue. He just pulled out a pair of simple boots from his pack and held her close as they walked back toward the caves. It was a silent kind of support that she had come to appreciate even more now that she was so close to Yun. Once they were in the caves again, they parted with a friendly kiss that earned Mikhail a bit of teasing from the other males who had been awoken and set on edge by her sudden departure. The easy way Mikhail returned their banter, commenting that any of them were more than welcome to ease his needs in Katya's place, just made Katya grin as she returned to Yun and her warm tent.

Maybe she was overly suspicious. She had to be fair, to give Dmitri a chance, no matter how much she wished he would stop the song and dance and just challenge her so she could beat him to a pulp and be done with it. She'd keep an eye on him, and Mikhail would as well. No need to make something out of his eavesdropping if he didn't do more than gossip a bit. She had more important things to worry about, anyway. That's what she kept telling herself as she sank back into the furs and Yun's comforting kisses.

They had lingered in the caves as long as they dared before finally packing up and heading south along the river. Yun may have refused to direct them to a specific hunting ground used by the tigers, but she did at least point them in a direction that they all agreed was the best bet for keeping away from both the tigers and the poachers. Sure, there was no guarantee, but it was the best Katya had been able to get from her, so she wasn't going to turn away the sliver of help.

Instead of heading east at the branching of the river, which would have taken them straight to the clan of weretigers, they traveled along the western bank, chasing the setting sun. There was a wooded area downstream before the waterfall that the wolves regarded as the cut-off for tiger territory. They'd still be inside that border in the woods near the waterfall, but Yun had at least assured them they shouldn't be bothered there by the tigers this time of year.

It took a couple days, but their pace had been steady, and they were at the final bend of the river. Katya could hear the faint rush of falling water against stone, and it made her smile with pride and relief. It was when she had paused to close her eyes and breathe deeply that Yun's hand slid down her arm to her wrist. "Mmm... What is it, Yun?"

The grip tightened, and the acrid scent of feline unease pulled Katya from her rest. Her eyes snapped to Yun, but the far off look to those pale, golden eyes told her Yun was concentrating on one of her other senses. She swallowed thickly. "Yun?"

She received no answer, but an instant later, feline growls sounded from the trees, and black and orange flashes caught the light through the grass. Before she even had a chance to bark out a warning, the tigers were upon them, slashing through the pack's middle. A million sounds erupted all at once as everyone scrambled to react, and Katya shouted a curse as she sprang from the front of the group back toward the middle and the tigers, dropping her pack to free up her body.

"Betas, shift! Protect the pack!" Cries rang out around Katya as the betas followed her command, all but two of them. She pushed her way to them and growled, watching them cringe back while the other wolves met the tigers with yips and howling battle cries. If they thought the tigers were fierce, they would see she was even worse to pick a fight with. "Now is when you prove yourselves and protect this family. Shift and help, now!"

With a look at one another, the two wolves nodded, and she clapped them both on the back before taking in the sight of the attack. They had an advantage of numbers—half a dozen tigers alone didn't stand a chance—but the shifted weretigers had cut them in half. Most of the fighters were on her side at the head of the pack. The mothers and adolescents in the other half had herded the children into a tight group on instinct, but they were scrambling about, unorganized in their fright.

"Mischa!" Katya yelled over the fray, relieved when her friend's head turned in the other half of the pack. "Get them out. Move upstream along the riverbank. Just get them to safety!" She'd never asked Mikhail to take charge before, but with so many of the wolves shifting, it was instinct. He could be trusted.

A chill ran down her back at the thought of treachery that sparked through her. Dmitri. She'd watched him for a while, but he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary other than take an extra guard shift or two a week back and gossip like she'd expected. Her eyes narrowed, and she turned on her heel, nearly toppling into Yun, who had stayed close and silent, though her eyes were full of panic. The fearless weretiger was scared now? She didn't have time for this. "Don't just stand there!"

Yun shook her head. "I cannot fight. Not against them. Please..."

Katya growled but forced herself to breathe deeply. Getting angry at Yun for her lingering sense of honor wouldn't do either of them any good. Yun wasn't an alpha, probably wouldn't have been even if she'd been in a tiger clan. She probably needed direction, and if she wasn't going to fight, there wasn't much else she could do. Katya pulled Yun along by the arm, thankful that Yun's bones had healed adequately and that Yun followed with her usual feline grace. "I need you to help heal, then. You're pack, damn it."

A yelp of pain caught Katya's attention, and she instantly found where Faina had fallen, her pelt slick with blood. She quickly positioned Yun toward the wounded wolf. "Twenty paces forward, all right? Pull her back toward the river and have her shift back for you."

One of Yun's arms broke free of her hold and pushed at her shoulder, trying to turn her awkwardly. "They're coming!"

She stopped fighting the push and spun as Yun pointed. More weretigers were running toward the front half of the pack, and it wasn't their fierce expressions that made Katya's heart skip a beat. Sunlight glinted off their knives, and she pushed Yun forward. "Get moving!"

Katya shouted a battle cry that drew attention to her and the weretigers that were trying to flank them. She couldn't spare another thought for Yun; she just had to trust that Yun would take care of herself. Katya pulled her own knives from their small sheaths and motioned to the alphas of her pack that hadn't shifted yet. They brandished their own weapons and charged with her at the small group of weretigers.

Growls and hisses were all around her the instant the two lines hit one another. The clang of metal deflecting metal, cries of pain and anger from those who didn't manage to dodge fast enough. Katya darted away from an incoming slash and used her momentum to dive down into the legs of one of the weretigers locked in a hold with Sergei just a few paces away. The man yelped in pain and rolled on the grassy ground before rebounding. Anyone less agile would have broken something in the fall, but these damn tigers were hard to injure, even harder to kill if they knew how to fight.

Katya sank into the calm, cold place inside her that thrived on the action and adrenaline, that absorbed the heat of battle and made her stronger, faster, and focused. She engaged one of the tigers, blocking, attacking, and side-stepping to avoid her opponent's blade. By the time she was able to disarm the bastard, she already sported several shallow cuts. They stung, but the pain was good. Numbness would have meant poison in these parts. She'd take the pain over that.

Even without his weapon, though, the tiger fought. His hands, elbows, and legs were just as deadly. If she hadn't seen Yun spar with the wolves a couple times in the last few weeks, she'd have never kept up with his fluid attacks. He knocked one of her knives away, but instead of fighting to keep the blade, she gave it up and took advantage of his awkward recovery to trip him and send him sprawling to the grass. Her other knife was embedded in him before he could get away. He made to roll away, but staggered, gasping and hissing his pain as he fell back to the ground.

Even in the heat of battle, Katya didn't like to see his face twisted like it was with shock and pain. She pinned him easily and drove her blade home again, ending his suffering as swiftly as she would have a fallen buck's during the hunts.

The immediate threat gone, her icy eyes darted up and around the fighters. Several wounded on both sides, a couple fallen wolves, including Ivan just a few paces away, but an equal number of tigers were motionless in the blood-streaked grass. Sergei was growling fiercely at his opponent nearby, a bulkier tiger who pushed and pulled at him as they both tried to break their lock on one another's knife hands.

Katya rolled off her own kill and aimed before throwing her knife. It sank squarely into the weretiger's back, and the shock of the impact gave Sergei the advantage he needed to dispatch the man quickly. He flashed her a smile, and she returned it. The tigers were far outnumbered now, and impending victory began to warm her from the inside out.

But if they were about to win, why did Sergei's smile fade like that? She began to turn, and all she saw was a flash of metal surging toward her, far too fast and close to block with her bare hands. In a flash, the metal was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and she was sent rolling backward, toppling over herself. When she regained her sense of direction, her eyes widened, and she froze.

The male weretiger that would have killed her a few seconds ago had been blocked not by her fellow alphas, but by Yun. Her lover was bloody from elbows to fingertips, large strips of cloth missing from her shirt and pant legs. Katya couldn't help but stare as Yun hissed, baring her teeth at the man, who simply looked at her, momentarily stunned. There was fire in Yun's eyes unlike anything Katya had ever seen, even in the couple of months they had been close. Did the male tiger see that fire? What could he read in those eyes?

Katya could only guess what silent communication happened between Yun and the weretiger, but the man recovered, sinking into his fighting stance again as fury swept over his features. "Traitor!" he spat at Yun, taking one step toward her. "Feral outcast! You help these wolves? Let them replace us?"

"No," Yun growled, matching the tiger step-for-step in a seamless mimicry that astonished Katya as she watched, stunned to inaction. "I am mate to the Alpha Wolf here."

The tiger's laugh grated on Katya's ears and echoed oddly. She finally snapped out of her trance, glancing around only to see that the tigers had disengaged, not retreating, but watching, human and shifted tiger alike. They all watched the tiger facing off with Yun. He had to be their clan leader, the strongest of them. It made fear worm its way into Katya's chest, and she staggered upright with a helping hand from Sergei. Without the tigers attacking, the wolves stood down. A couple of the more bloodthirsty of her pack were being held back, kept from making kills during this strange pause in the action. The wolf pack might not have the same exact honor code the tigers were rumored to follow, but even her pack wouldn't attack someone who refused to fight back.

"They have made a bitch of you," the Alpha tiger sneered. "They bring poachers on their tails. They ruin the balance!"

"They are family," Yun growled back. "Leave us and return to your season."

If the man were in tiger form, Katya was sure he would have bristled, his fur put on edge to make him appear bigger in his anger. He hissed at Yun and rushed forward. The attack was fast, and Yun's block flowed into an attack that was dodged almost too quickly for Katya to follow. They fought the same way, their bodies locked in a killing dance that only seemed to speed up the longer they engaged.

Katya's heart pounded in her chest, and only Sergei's strong grip on her arm kept her planted in place, reminded her to stay still or risk the attack starting again on the pack. Duty said she couldn't interfere, not if the rest of the pack could be spared by Yun fighting this Alpha tiger. Still, as Yun took a hit, she thought her heart would burst out of her throat from fright.

Yun recovered just fast enough to counter another wave of attacks, and Katya watched in awe as she wove in and out with the Alpha tiger, slowly turning the tables, putting him on the defensive. Katya had known she was a good fighter, but she had never seen Yun move like this before, as if she were an extension of the wind, whipping and curling around her opponent until she found a weak point to exploit.

A sickening crack sounded, followed by a roar of pain from the Alpha tiger, and when Yun darted back, Katya could see two of the Alpha's fingers bent in the wrong direction. He staggered a couple steps, cracking the fingers back into place, and Katya's eyes flashed back and forth between Yun and the Alpha male. A glint of metal in the grass caught her eye, and she all but gasped, stiffening in Sergei's grip.

That was her knife, the one she had lost in her own fight with the tiger she'd managed to kill. It was only two paces from Yun, and when the Alpha tiger turned aside to grab his own discarded knife, Katya couldn't stay silent anymore. "Roll left, Yun! My knife!"

There wasn't time to yell out any other instructions, no time to direct Yun perfectly to the knife, but the sound of the Alpha male's knife dragging against the ground for a moment must have made sense to Yun. Katya watched her roll and flail just a bit in the grass. The Alpha tiger must have fully realized Yun's blindness for the first time, because his triumphant growl chilled Katya's very blood, and he rushed at Yun.

Katya shouted a warning and struggled against Sergei's grip, but just as she broke free, trying to sprint to Yun's aid, Yun grabbed the knife and moved faster than Katya could follow in her panic. The Alpha tiger blocked her view, but he had stopped in his tracks. In the space of a heartbeat, his whole body jerked, and then fell back, revealing Yun, panting hard, both hands gripping Katya's knife, the entire length of the blade slick with fresh blood.

Silence fell thickly over the entire group, but a palpable energy thrummed up through the shock, and after several seconds, one of the tigers shouted, "Retreat!"

Every remaining weretiger, shifted and human alike, responded immediately to the shouted word. They snatched up their wounded and retreated into the trees with as much speed as they could manage.

"Let them go!" Katya barked, finding her voice again at the sight of a few of the wolves trying to run after the retreating tigers. "It's over," she said again, her eyes returning to Yun's trembling frame. She crossed the space between them quickly and eased Yun's hands down, lowering the bloodstained blade. Her other arm wove around Yun, hugging her gently even though it made her own wounds smart a bit. When had that gash in her arm gotten so big, anyway?

Katya let out a slow exhale, taking comfort in Yun's scent for a moment before pulling back. "You all right?" she asked, only to get a mute nod from Yun. Yun's eyes were moist, and she refused to look up and meet Katya's gaze. It made her worry, but a call from Mikhail made her head snap over. Little Ilya was propped on his hip, and Mikhail held a knife in his other hand. The blade was clean. God, Katya had never been happier to see a clean blade. She gave Yun a squeeze before jogging over to meet Mikhail. "Mischa! Are you—"

"Not a single scratch," Mikhail interrupted, adjusting Ilya on his hip. "There were a few tigers waiting for us upstream, but they seemed just as reluctant to hurt us as we were to hurt them. They might have attacked the pack, but they weren't keen on killing the women, children, and omegas."

Katya sighed her relief and squeezed Mikhail's shoulder before mussing Ilya's hair. The lower ranks of the pack were all right. The upper ranks had taken a hard blow, though. She was sure of it. Turning around, she ran a hand through her hair, but then cringed and cradled the wound at her arm. "Casualties?"

There was shuffling through the group, murmuring, and then Katya remembered. Counting casualties and the wounded was a task that had always gone to Ivan. With Ivan dead, it fell to Dmitri. Katya growled low in her throat as her eyes scanned the pack, and when Dmitri stepped forward to give her a number, she charged him.

Dmitri fell without much of a fight, but when Katya pulled his knife from the sheath at his waist and pressed it menacingly to his throat, he stilled completely.

"You," she accused, practically spitting the word into Dmitri's face. "You lying son of a bitch. All those extra guard shifts, those times you insisted on hunting alone and always came back empty handed. What did you tell the tigers, that we were planning to attack so they should make the first move? That you would take the pack elsewhere if they helped make you Alpha? You led them right to us, didn't you?"

Dmitri's pulse practically jumped along the sharp edge of the blade at his throat, and his jaw trembled. He made to answer, and Katya growled again, wanting him to think twice about his words. His eyes were wide as they searched above and around the gathered pack. If he was looking for help, he wasn't about to get it. No one would dare stop her with the mood she was in. Dmitri's throat worked, and he finally choked out, "I didn't do anything, Katya!"

"Bullshit!" Katya barked. "How many? Tell us the count. How many dead and wounded, Mitya?"

Dmitri winced at the way his pet-name became an insult. That or the way Katya just barely nicked the skin of his throat with the knife. "Five d-dead. S-Sixteen wounded."

"Five dead. Five dead!" Katya reared back with the knife, and she could hear the gasps around her as she howled her anger. She surged forward, and the sound of the knife burying deep cut off all noises and sounds of protest from the pack. Breathing hard, Katya glared down at Dmitri's ashen face and the blade hilt-deep in the earth a fraction of an inch from his head. "You remember all five of those names, Dmitri, and remember them well. If I find out this was your doing, I will rip your throat out myself."

Taking hold of the knife's hilt, Katya stood, withdrawing it from the earth. "Everyone, gather near the river. Sergei, take a small team and separate our dead from the tigers. Take the tigers’ bodies to the opposite river bank." Katya let out a calming exhale, nice and slow. "It's time to set up camp and tend our wounded. Yun?"

Katya looked up and scanned the surrounding pack, but Yun's pale, striped face wasn't within sight. "Where is Yun?" she asked firmly.

"I saw her walking downstream," one of the women in the crowd called out. "Down toward the falls."

"Shit," Katya cursed beneath her breath. "Set up camp. I'll fetch her myself."

Just the time for Yun to go off, right when they needed her healing skill the most. It didn't sit well with Katya, and she handed Dmitri's knife to Sergei before striding quickly down the riverbank, waving off his attempt at getting her arm dressed first. She tore a bit of cloth from her ruined shirt and wrapped it around her wound as she walked, following the tree line toward the nearby falls.

She finally spotted Yun after turning a natural ledge in the stone. The river moved quickly there, and the sound of water falling on stone seemed to echo in the small, sandy glen. Yun didn't turn when Katya called her name, and when Katya stepped close enough to see more than Yun's back, her heart leaped into her throat. The dagger Yun had used to defeat the Alpha tiger was still clutched in Yun's hand, but the point rested against the bare skin of Yun's forearm.

Katya crouched carefully next to her. "Yun, what are you—"

"I should do it," Yun choked out, and Katya could see two fresh tears fall from beneath the thin curtain of Yun's dark hair. "I should end my life, restore balance, retain my honor as a tiger."

Katya reached out, covered Yun's hand with her own. She tried to guide the dagger away from Yun's wrist, but Yun's grip tightened beneath her hand with just the slightest tremble. "You were protecting me, Yun. You saved my life and protected the clan because we've become your family."

"I have no family, Katya. My sister died when I was eight."

Katya's brow furrowed. "I thought you grew up with the tiger clan. You made it sound like she had only died a couple years ago, that you had learned to fight and heal from the other tigers before they cast you out."

Yun shook her head, sniffling as she raised it a little, her eyes still downcast. "The clan raised me for four years. There was a shift in power shortly after my sister died. They thought I would come to nothing, remain an invalid burden. It was better I die and relieve them of the imbalance. I learned to survive on my own, to demand nothing of the other tigers. Now, I have killed one of my own. I should die for the offense."

Yun's hand began to tremble in earnest beneath Katya's, and Katya felt it clench one more time as Yun sobbed softly. "Please, Yun," Katya breathed, fighting the urge to simply pry the knife away and restrain Yun for her own protection. "What you did wasn't something you need to punish yourself for. I would have loved no blood to be spilt, but they attacked. We defended ourselves. You defended me. You named yourself my Alpha-mate."

Yun's cheeks flared red. "I should never have—"

"Don't apologize," Katya insisted. "I'd be damn lucky to have you as Alpha-mate. That's exactly what you've become over the last couple months. You hunt with the pack, try to lead us to safety, and you always respected the tigers, even after everything they'd done to you. You think that's somehow dishonorable?"

Yun's eyes flicked to and fro, and she shifted in her seat on the dry sand, struggling to find a way to argue.

Katya shook her head. "Listen to me, Yun. You tried to stay out of the conflict, and I respect that, but you fought for what you believed was yours. You fought because it was the right thing to do."

"I fought because I love you," Yun whispered, finally lifting her head and looking at Katya, "because I could not bear to lose you."

Those pale gold eyes were still swimming with unshed tears, but Katya still believed she had never seen anything more beautiful. Her own throat tightened to see Yun's grief and an echo of the fear Yun must have felt at the thought of losing her. "And what do you think I'm feeling right now? I'm not letting you go without a fight. Are you going to fight me, or are you going to come back with me and take your rightful place in the pack as my chosen mate?"

Yun's jaw clenched, and while Yun still struggled against Katya's hand when she tried to pull the dagger away again, it was weak and short-lived. Yun's grip relented, and Katya promptly tossed the bloodstained blade several paces away, gathering Yun in her arms. She held Yun through the sobs, petting her long black hair as her own eyes teared up with relief. It was only when Yun had quieted that she murmured, "You're the strongest woman I've ever met, and you fought like you were made of water and flame. You've learned to heal from nature herself, and you make my heart race with love and pride. You have so much to offer this pack, so much to offer this family. Please stay. If not for them, then for me."

Yun sniffled and wiped at her cheeks, which did nothing but smear dried blood from her hands onto her face. It would have brought a smile to Katya's face all on its own, but then Yun nodded and caressed her neck, leaning up and kissing her. Katya's heart soared, and she kissed Yun sweetly over and over, grief briefly pushed aside in favor of comforting and celebrating what they both still had.

"I love you," Yun breathed against Katya's lips, her fingers tracing over Katya's face.

It was a searching, intimate touch. Katya knew every twitch of muscle, every hint of expression was deftly interpreted by those fingers, and she smiled, kissing them one by one as they passed over her cheekbones and lips. "I love you, too, Yun. My stunning, elegant, feline mate."

Yun chuckled softly, and after another kiss, they simply held each other close, enjoying a private moment. They would return to the pack and help their family recover from the attack. They would endure as they always had, except now, they would have one another to rely on, to support, advise, and heal as the seasons cycled and they found their place in the balance. As Yun's soft purr lilted up to Katya's ears, she smiled and squeezed Yun even tighter. It sounded like a new beginning for them both. Just in time for spring.

Luna Rivers was convinced she was cursed. That she had the worst luck in the world. Every time she told one of her friends that, though, they'd simply laugh at her and tell her she was exaggerating and being melodramatic. Yet how does one overreact when things constantly seem to go awry? She was born a klutz, always falling down or dropping things. If she hadn't been blessed with healing quickly, she probably would've broken something a long time ago. She'd lost her job three times in the last year. She was constantly in danger of losing her apartment. Her car had been towed three days ago because she couldn't make the car payments. She was convinced she was the last single lesbian alive and living in Boston. And about two weeks ago, she'd gone camping with friends on one of Boston Harbor Islands and was the only one in the group that managed to get lost. They were camping on Lovell's Island, which wasn't the largest of the islands, and with so many amenities available to guests, it should have been impossible for anyone to get lost. Some how Luna did, and yet that was only the beginning of when Luna's true troubles started.

Like most campers, Luna was told there was wildlife, but she was pretty sure no one mentioned anything about wolves. Yet here she was: alone, lost in the dark, trying to find her way back to camp, and she just so happened to stumble upon a pack of hungry looking wolves. Could her luck get any better? Luna might have loved animals and nature, but she was a city girl through and through, so she had absolutely no idea of the best way to deal with a pack of huge wolves with very large teeth. Afraid they would attack at any moment, she did the only thing she could think of when faced with certain death: she turned and ran in the opposite direction. Ran like her life depended on it, which—as far as she knew—it did.

For anyone else, putting one foot in front of the other is a fairly simple task, but for klutzy Luna it never has been. She tripped at least three times, each one allowing the wolves time to gain on her. Then miraculously, Luna saw a break in the foliage up ahead. There was the Ranger station. She had a smidgen of hope that she was saved and would possibly make it out alive through this nightmare, only to feel a heavy weight hit her back and knock her down to the ground. She knew it had to be one of the massive wolves that were chasing her. What she didn't understand was why the beast hadn't already begun tearing her limb from limb. She rolled over, removed her backpack, and planted herself against the nearest tree. She held the pack in front of her as a shield, knowing it would be little protection against their massive body weight, sharp claws, and lethal teeth.

There had to be at least twenty-five wolves surrounding her in a semicircle. One gray wolf stood in the middle, pacing back and forth in front of her. He looked bigger than all the others, but Luna wasn't sure if he truly was bigger or just appeared to be because he was the closest. His proximity made Luna believe this was the wolf that had knocked her down, and he seemed to be the only one growling at her. This was the same wolf that growled at her before and caused her to run in the first place. All the other wolves stood by and watched, looking alert but not menacing. The blue eyes of the wolf in the center caused a cold shiver to run through her body. She was scared shitless, but she tried not to show fear, as she'd read somewhere that dogs smelled fear and knew that wolves were also in the canine family. The sadistic wolf with the blue eyes appeared to enjoy tormenting her before he went in for the kill. Funny, she always thought torture and killing for enjoyment were human traits rarely found in the animal kingdom.

Then all thought stopped as the wolf charged her. Luna screamed, lifting her pack just in time to stop the wolf's teeth from sinking into her flesh. The impact slammed her against the tree, but at least the wolf's teeth were embedded in her backpack instead of her neck. As the wolf struggled to get the pack out of his mouth, his claws dug into her arms deep enough to draw blood. Luna knew she needed to do something now, or she was never going to make it. She dug deep, using all the strength she had, and pushed the massive wolf away from her. The wolf took the bag with him when he went flying backwards. Before the wolf had time to rebound, Luna was up off the ground and running toward the Ranger station. There were two smaller wolves standing guard in that direction, but she knew staying there where she was surrounded wasn't an option. Her only choice was to run as fast as she could through them and hope her screams for help would bring someone to her aid before the wolves managed to rip her throat out.

"Help! Please, someone help!" Luna screamed over and over as she passed right by the two wolves and finally made it through to the clearing. As soon as she reached the door to the ranger station, she began to bang on it as hard as she could. The door opened, and a tall, thin man in a ranger uniform opened the door. Luna pushed past him and begged him to close the door quickly.

"Calm down, miss, and tell me what happened?"

Luna was panicked and kept telling him to close the door before they came in, but all her words rushed together, and the poor Ranger didn't understand a word she said.

"Miss, I need for you to calm down. I can't understand what you're telling me, and I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

Luna caught her breath and forced herself to slow down. "Close the door! Before the wolves get in here!" The Ranger looked at her as if she'd lost her mind before turning around to look outside. He looked around the clearing for a moment, and then turned back to face a still panicked Luna, taking in her disheveled state.

"You must've been mistaken, miss. There are no wolves here on the island."

"Yes, there are! They're right outside!" Luna insisted, but then took a look out the door herself. To her amazement, not one wolf was in sight. There wasn't a single sign that they had been there at all. "But... but they were right behind me. There were a bunch of them. They were right on my tail." Luna began to stammer, and the shock of it all made her begin to feel woozy and light headed.

Seeing she was about to faint, the Ranger grabbed her shoulders and helped her to a chair before she fell and hurt herself further.

"Now sit here and relax a moment. I'll be right back."

Luna sat in the chair, trying to breathe deeply so she wouldn't black out. The Ranger finally closed the front door before heading over to the closest desk and picking up a walkie-talkie. He called another Ranger and told him there was a situation here and to hurry back to the station. He also advised him to be on the lookout for any dangerous animals in the woods on the way. Then, he crossed the room and opened a cabinet to get the first aid kit.

He came back to Luna and began examining, cleaning, and doctoring her wounds as he once again asked her to explain what happened to her. "This time slowly, please. Remember, you're not in any more danger here. You're safe."

Luna took another deep breath and told him everything, starting with how she'd gone off exploring and managed to get lost. When she was done, she could tell from the Ranger's face that he didn't believe her.

"I swear I'm telling you the truth."

"I know you believe what happened to you was real, but you admitted that you fell a couple of times in the woods. Isn't it possible you might have hit your head kind of hard one of those times and imagined there were wolves chasing you? Fear can make a person see some really strange things. You wouldn't be the first one that the woods played tricks on at night."

Luna began shaking her head. She couldn't believe the Ranger thought she'd imagined the whole thing.

"Look," the Ranger continued, "I've been a Ranger here for over ten years, and I swear to you I've never seen one wolf out there. Plus, I've never heard of a pack of wolves behaving the way you described."

He had a point there, and Luna knew it. She didn't know much about wolves, but even to her, their behavior struck her as odd.

"But how do you explain these scars? Or what happened to my backpack?"

"You probably lost the bag somewhere in the woods and don't remember. During one of your falls, you most likely landed on some upturned roots when you fell, and in your haste to get away from what you thought was after you, they scratched your skin. These marks aren't as deep as they had first appeared to be anyway."

"No, they were deeper. I just heal fast. Always have," Luna mumbled as she thought over again what had just happened to her. Yes, she fell, but she had seen the wolves before that. It was because of the wolves that she was running in the first place.

Soon, the second Ranger arrived, and after repeating her story to him, he simply reiterated what the other Ranger told her. There were no wolves anywhere on the island. She finally got tired of them telling her she was crazy and asked if one of them could escort her back to camp. They took her back and promised to keep a lookout for her backpack and ship it to her once it was found.

After they left, Luna was once again surrounded by friends and extremely relieved to be out of the woods. Her friends had been worried sick and didn't know what had happened to her. She didn't feel like going into what happened all over again, so she simply told her friends she got lost and that she fell when they asked about her injured arms. Then, claiming to be exhausted, she left to be alone in her tent. She planned to be on the first ferry off the island in the morning. She'd decided never to mention the wolves again, but she knew what she'd seen and been through was real. So real she didn't sleep one wink that night.

Once Luna made it safely back to Boston, she tried to continue on with her normal life. Because of her luck, though, things weren't as smooth as she would've liked. A week after the incident, most of her bruises were gone except the ones on her forearms. The scars from the wolf's claws healed up rapidly, but instead of fading away completely like all the rest of her injuries, these left small pink scars. They weren't big enough to be disfiguring, but they became permanent reminders of what she'd been through.

She did find a new job as a waitress at a club in a not-so-safe part of town. If she'd had any other choice, Luna probably would never have considered taking the job. But she needed to support herself and keep a roof over her head, and a paycheck was a paycheck. Since she no longer had a car, there was a lot of walking home late at night. One of the other waitresses usually walked with her, though, since the bus she took stopped only two blocks away from Luna's apartment building. Tonight, however, she'd called out with the flu. Luna wasn't looking forward to the walk home alone, but as no one else was going in that direction, it really couldn't have been avoided. To top it off, there had been a group of rowdy guys who annoyed the hell out of her until closing and the bouncers made everyone leave. After staying past closing to help clean up, all Luna wanted to do was get home and crawl into bed to sleep the whole day away. She had the next two days off of work, so technically, she could.

Five blocks away from the club, she began to get the feeling that someone was watching her. She'd been having that feeling every day for the last two weeks. Every time she stopped and looked around to see if anyone was following her, no one around was paying her an extraordinary amount of attention. With no one in particular standing out as looking familiar, she shrugged it off as just paranoia after her ordeal in the woods. At first. But when the feeling persisted and began happening in different places and at different times, she really did begin to worry that someone maybe following her. But why her? She wasn't rich, and she wasn't anyone important. She had no enemies that she knew of, so there shouldn't be anyone after her for vengeance. Luna didn't understand it, but with that feeling steadily recurring, she was getting jittery.

"Hey baby, where you going?" The sound of a drunken man's slurred voice behind her made her jump. She turned around to see three of the guys from the drunken group in the club earlier walking behind her. She sighed briefly; at least this time she knew why she felt she was being watched. It was just some drunk assholes who didn't get it when a women wasn't interested. It wouldn't be the first she'd had to deal with unwanted advances. Figuring they were too drunk for their interest to stay focused on her for much longer, she didn't immediately feel threatened. Plus, they were at least a block away—plenty of distance for her to get away if she needed to. Deciding her best bet was to ignore them, Luna turned back around and continued walking.

"Ah honey, don't be like that. We just want to talk to you."

She turned around again to see how far back they were. They looked to have gained a little on her, but not too much. Luna once again faced forward and immediately stopped in her tracks. Standing directly in front of her were the two missing guys from their group. They'd apparently walked out of a dark alley directly along her path. They'd set a trap, and she'd walked right into it.

Luna took two steps back, but one of the assholes standing in front of her grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alley. They dragged her a few feet and then forced her back against one of the brick walls. Luna could smell the alcohol coming off them a mile away. He and his buddy cornered her against the side of a building and taunted her as they waited for the other three to catch up. One of the guys ripped her purse off her shoulder, and she let them. If she didn't resist, Luna hoped they would just take what they wanted out her bag and leave.

"Come on doll. Why are you treating me and the boys so mean?" the one who'd grabbed her said.

"The stupid bitch probably thinks she's too good for us," the same drunk from earlier slurred while he seemed to wobble on his feet.

"Is that it, precious? Do you think you're better than us?"

Luna shook her head. Then she felt like vomiting as the one holding her arm began running his fingers along her breasts. The lecherous look in his and his companions eyes told Luna they weren't going to be satisfied by robbing her of her last twenty in her wallet. She really didn't understand how she always seemed to find herself in these dangerous situations. It wasn't that she wished these problems on anyone else; she just wanted to understand why so many seemed to happen to her. It had to be a statistical anomaly for someone's life to be threatened by random occurrences within two weeks of each other. Maybe it was time she seriously considered moving out of Boston.

"I bet she's just a tease," another jeered, and they all began to chuckle and laugh along with him. "Probably hasn't cracked open those legs of hers in years. Probably locked shut and covered with cobwebs." They all continued to laugh and joke.

Luna noticed they all were pretty buzzed and, other than the prick who grabbed her, were standing a couple of feet away. They'd already taken her purse. She was afraid if she waited around much longer they start trying to take what they were leaning towards taking next. She figured this was the best opportunity she was going to get, and so she kneed the jerk who grabbed her, causing him to release her arm as he cradled his aching balls. In shock over what just happened to their friend, the men didn't react as Luna pushed past them and ran farther down the alley. She hoped and prayed the alley opened up on the other side of the street and wasn't a dead end. If it was, she was the one dead, but if it led to a street, maybe there were other people around, and these drunks would give up their pursuit. She saw the street lights at the other end and was so happy she wanted to cry. Luna was almost there when she saw something that once again made her stop in her tracks. There in front of her, coming into the alley, was a single black wolf.

"Oh God, maybe I am losing my mind," Luna said to herself as the black wolf stopped and stared right back at her. This wolf, like the others she'd seen on the island, looked larger than the average wolf. She was so stunned she momentarily forgot she was being chased, allowing all five drunken pricks to catch up with her.

"Oh no you don't, bitch. We're going to have some fun." One of them grabbed her from behind and began pulling her back into the alley.

"Stupid ho. I'm going to have fun making you bleed, bitch," jeered the one she had kneed. The others laughed as he grabbed the neckline of her top and tore it open down the front. Luna saw a flash of motion, and then the man was screaming as the wolf dug its fangs into his calf. Seeing their friend writhing on the floor and under attack caused the others to quickly step back. The man holding Luna still held her tight, but now he used her as a shield.

The man screamed for help from his friends as the black wolf crunched down hard. When two of them looked as if they were going to attempt to rescue him, five other wolves appeared flanking the black one. They growled and began to move closer. The man on the floor finally passed out, either from pain or from bleeding. The black wolf released his leg and then led the other wolves further into the alley. The prick holding Luna was so scared that his grip on her head tightened, causing her to cry out in pain. The black wolf gave a loud growl, and the five wolves charged. The other three drunks immediately turned and ran away. The bastard still holding Luna threw her to the ground, probably hoping the wolves would go for her while he turned and ran to catch up with his friends. Luna stayed completely still on the ground on her hands and knees as the growling wolves ran right by her to chase the men out of the alley. They passed closely enough for the soft fur of their body to brush up against her arms. Luna couldn't believe what was happening around her. Her body began to shake, and she knew she was probably going into shock. She didn't look up or move an inch for fear that one of the wolves would change direction and come back for her.

None of it made any sense. First, she got chased through the woods on an island where there weren't supposed to be any wolves, and now she found herself being saved by another pack of wolves in the middle of south Boston—where she knew for a fact there were no wolf packs on the loose. Maybe she was losing her mind and this all was an elaborate illusion, but if it was, then how to explain the fact that the five drunken thugs saw the wolves too, and one was even now passed out face first on the ground bleeding out? And as if to add to Luna's mental breakdown, the black wolf slowly walked over to stand directly in front of her. She saw its paws before she slowly looked up to stare it in the face. Finally, when her face came up and looked the wolf in the eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw. The wolf had deep brown hypnotic eyes that reflected a higher intelligence. Luna also saw caring, sympathy, and worry in those eyes. It was no longer growling, and Luna swore the wolf had approached her cautiously as if it was trying not to spook her. This was all way too weird and getting weirder by the moment. When she thought it couldn't get weirder, out of nowhere she heard the silky sound of a female voice in her head.

It's okay now. You're safe and amongst friends. No one will hurt you. We're here to help you. What's your name?

Luna knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that voice in her head was coming from the black wolf standing before her. It was all just too much. The next thing Luna knew, the world around her went completely black as she lost consciousness.

Luna began to come around slowly. As the blackness began to clear, Luna quickly became aware that she was no longer in the dark and dingy alley that she last remembered. She awoke to find herself in a strange bedroom. She was lying on a large king bed pushed up against a wall near a window. The black and wood tones in the furniture made the room look lavished, but homey. Luna sat up in bed and realized that someone had tied the two halves of her shirt together into a bow and taken her shoes off as well. When she moved to the side of the bed, she found her shoes sitting nearby. She looked around the room again and confirmed that she was alone in the room, a room she didn't know. The view out the window did absolutely nothing to help her identify where she was. Where was she? Was she even still in Boston? How'd she get here? Who was responsible for bringing her here, and why? How long was she out? Was it even the same day, or had more time passed than she thought? The last thing she remembered, she'd been saved from a group of drunken men by a pack of wolves and came face-to-face with a telepathic female wolf.

As she finished putting on her shoes, she saw her purse on the dresser across the room. So whoever rescued her in the alley had rescued her purse, too. She walked to the dresser and heard muffled noises coming from somewhere outside the door. It kind of sounded like a party. Luna checked her bag and determined nothing was stolen or damaged. She was slightly afraid about what she might face once she exited the bedroom, but she reasoned with herself that if whoever brought her here had meant her harm, they could have easily done so already while she was unconscious and completely helpless. She also knew that if she wanted answers, she wasn't going to find them here alone in a strange bedroom. Before she lost her nerve, she opened the door and exited the room. She found herself at the end of a long hallway. At the other end was a stairway leading down. The closer she got to the stairs, the clearer the sounds became, a mixture of music and laughter. Holding on to the banister, Luna slowly came down and found herself in the middle of what looked like the large parlor of an historical home turned into a club.

A steady electronic beat of techno music flooded the room from hidden speakers. Luna felt it vibrate through her as she merged with the crowd of clubgoers. Against one wall was a large bar with two bartenders mixing drinks. There were also a couple of waiters and waitresses moving around the room. They were easily spotted, as they wore black T-shirts and aprons while holding serving trays with drinks and snacks. One of the waiters passed close enough for Luna to read the club's name off the shirt: The Wolves' Den. Luna couldn't help but see the irony after having multiple run-ins with wolves in the past two weeks. She'd never been to this club—or even heard of it—so seeing its name didn't help Luna figure out where she was.

Luna continued on through the crowd and made her way over to the bar, catching the attention of the closest bartender. "Excuse me. I—"

"Ah, nice to see you've come around," the cheeky little blond said as she smiled Luna's way. "We're almost at closing. Why don't you hang around here, and then when the crowd clears out Syrene can come talk to you? I bet you have a ton of questions to ask. Are you thirsty? Do you want a drink?"

Glad that the woman was so helpful and nice, Luna perched herself on the closest bar stool. "A glass of water would be nice." The bartender nodded and poured some water. Luna thanked her and sat there nursing her drink waiting for closing. Thirty minutes later the DJ announced last call, and as the song ended, three large bouncers also wearing black T-shirts with the club's name emblazoned across their chest made sure everyone exited peacefully. Luna was busy watching everyone exiting through the front door and didn't notice someone had come up behind her.

"Glad to see you're up and about." Luna tensed as she remembered that voice. It was the same velvety one she'd heard inside her head coming from a large black wolf. She turned around slowly and came face-to-face with the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She was slightly taller than Luna. Luna loved women taller than her. The woman's skin complexion was a shade darker than hers as well, and unlike Luna's free flowing brown hair, this woman's straight black hair was cut evenly to fall just short of her shoulders. Her smile was beaming and friendly, but what most captivated Luna most were the woman's deep brown eyes. They were exactly like the black wolf's. She had beautiful feminine curves equally mixed with strong lean muscle making the fitted black jeans, black halter top, and black boots she wore sexier then they had a right to be. "I'm Syrene," the beautiful creature said as she held her hand out to shake Luna's.

"I'm Luna Rivers. Nice to meet you." Luna noticed that Syrene had a much stronger grip than she'd expected as they both were around the average height and weight for women. Luna guessed that Syrene had to be no more than 120 pounds.

"Wow, you are absolutely beautiful, and you're in heat. No wonder he wants you so badly."

Luna was so lost in Syrene's eyes that it took a minute to understand what she'd just said. Who wanted her? And in heat? Well, she was definitely horny at the moment, but that was due to not having sex with anyone in over two months and Syrene being just the type of woman she went for. Luna's confusion must've shown on her face as Syrene giggled and then said, "Maybe I need to start at the beginning."

"If you want me to have any chance of following, I'd say that'd be a great place to start."

"All right. Why don't we take a seat in the lounge while the others begin with the nights clean up?" she said as she gestured to a seating area closer to the DJ booth.

Luna followed Syrene and noticed that, like all of her employees, she seemed to glide as she walked. Every movement she made was graceful and effortless. Luna wished she had inherited that trait from at least one of her parents. The black leather sofas and chairs were even more comfortable than they looked. Luna unconsciously ran her hand along the cushioned arm on her chair while Syrene sat next to her on the end of a sofa.

"How much do you remember about what happened earlier tonight?" Syrene asked. Earlier tonight meant Luna hadn't been out for long. It was still the same day. Possibly the longest day ever, but the same one.

"I remember the night's events very clearly. The only question now is if the Rangers were right and I did hit my head hard two weeks ago. I think I'm going insane."

"Because this isn't the first time you've found yourself face-to-face with wolves?" Luna liked that Syrene didn't beat around the bush, but she'd said the word ‘wolves‘ so casually as if it were a normal everyday occurrence to see large wolves on the loose strolling the streets of Boston. "It's a lot more common than you think."

"How'd you do that?" Luna jumped back in the chair, thinking that Syrene had just read her mind.

"I need to answer a few other questions before I get to that one. Now what I have to say, you're going to find hard to believe, so I ask you to be open-minded and not to panic. Just remember you're safe and among friends." Syrene waited for Luna to nod before she continued, "As you've probably already figured out, the wolves you saw in the woods two weeks ago and the wolves you saw earlier tonight weren't normal wolves. They were werewolves." Syrene paused for that information to sink in.

"Werewolves?"

"Yes. Werewolves. They do exist. They're not just myth, legend, or horror movie stars. And...you're sitting in a room full of them now." Luna looked around at all the club's employees going about cleaning the club and imagined all those men and women shifting into the large wolves she'd seen earlier. Syrene, once again seeming to read her mind, quickly obliged. She stood up and moved to the open walkway. One moment Syrene stood before her, the next there stood in her place the same black wolf Luna saw before in the alley with her paws tangled in a pile of black clothing.

"Oh, shit!" Luna yelled and backed up so far she practically climbed over the back of the chair. Some of the others stopped what they were doing long enough to laugh at Luna's reaction before going back to work.

Relax, Luna. I told you you're amongst friends. No one will hurt you. I won't allow it.

"I'm sorry, but seeing people morph into wolves right before my eyes does have a tendency to make me forget things. Like how this isn't supposed to be physically possible," Luna replied as she once again heard Syrene's voice in her head. "And now I'm talking to a wolf that used to be an attractive female." Luna couldn't help but think that it was just her luck that the first female she'd been this strongly attracted to had to turn out to be a werewolf. She was just too perfect.

Thanks for the compliment. I think you're drop dead sexy too. And personally I don't think me being a werewolf should be a strike against me.

"Would you mind turning back, please? I feel like I look comical having a one-sided conversation with a wolf. And that last comment wasn't meant for you to overhear. It was supposed to be inner dialogue," Luna said. Just as quickly as Syrene morphed into a wolf, she morphed back into the black haired temptress she was before. Only this time she was completely naked, as her clothes were still on the floor before her. Syrene seemed completely comfortable with being nude in front of everyone, and with a body like hers, Luna understood why. Luna took a moment to appreciate all of Syrene's fine lines and curves without clothing blocking her view before she reminded herself that she needed to focus on the topic at hand. Which–as unbelievable as it sounded—was the existence of werewolves.

"No one thinks you're crazy. Everyone here is part of my pack, and they all can hear clearly when I speak to you in your head," Syrene replied, picking up her clothes and redressing. "Pack members can communicate with other pack members telepathically as long as they're within range, but I promise we'll get to that part later. Let me finish explaining what I started before I move on to other topics," she said as she finished dressing and retook her seat on the sofa. "Me and my pack used to be a part of the pack you ran into in the woods on Lovell's Island. They like to travel to all the Boston Harbor Islands so they can shift and run through the woods at night without being seen by the campers. When you came upon them by accident the pack leader Micah saw you and scented that you were... different."

"Different how?"

"You smell like us. Like a female lupine. In heat, no less."

"Why do you keep saying I'm in heat? And I don't know why I smell like you, but I promise you I'm not a werewolf. I'm pretty sure I'd remember turning into a wolf."

"Who named you? Your mother or father?"

Syrene caught Luna off guard by that question but she answered anyways. Wondering where she was going with this.

"My father did."

"Is your father still alive?"

"No. He died when I was still a baby."

"It was most likely him that was a werewolf. You see, sometimes when werewolves mate with full humans they have what we call hybrid children. The child usually comes out not fully human, but not fully werewolf. They take on some characteristics from both parents. The fact that you don't shift means you didn't get that trait from your father, but I can tell by the scars on your arms you inherited his healing ability," she said as she gestured to the scars on Luna's forearms. "The only reason those are still visible is because they were made by another werewolf; otherwise, they would've completely healed by now."

Luna looked at her arms once again, but this time with a whole new perspective.

"When you were growing up," Syrene continued, "I bet you rarely caught colds or got seriously sick. Or you noticed you ran faster then all your friends, but you weren't very coordinated. Have others ever commented that you were surprisingly strong?"

Luna didn't know what to say, as that seemed to describe her to a ‘T‘.

"What does that mean?"

"You inherited your father's immune system and speed, but human bodies aren't made to keep up with it. Your mind and body want to go faster than your human muscles are able to. They lag behind and cause you to fall or stumble when you're pushing past the speed they can manage. As for the strength, you've only got part of his strength—making you stronger than a normal human your size, but not as strong as full werewolves. You also inherited the werewolf's reproductive system. You're in that time when all unmated female werewolves give off a distinct scent announcing they're ready to mate. It gets stronger right after your time of the month. It's why you probably find yourself extra horny after your cycle."

It all seemed so far fetched and yet it explained a whole lot. "Assuming that all this is true what will make this heat thing go away?"

"When you find your mate and sleep with them. The exchange of bodily fluid changes your scent and marks you as their mate. Other werewolves will know by the new scent that you're mated."

"So you're telling me that I'm giving off a scent that attracts other werewolves?"

"Yep, and Micah wants to mate with you. That's the reason he tried to bite you. If his saliva had mixed with your blood it would've been enough to claim you as his new mate. Being bitten also claims a mate, but it's not half as enjoyable as the other way."

"His new mate?"

"His last mate died a couple of years ago, and until you, there hasn't been another unmated female in his pack."

"If your pack used to be part of his, why did you separate?"

"Each of us was kicked out his pack for one reason or another. I was the first of our pack to be exiled from Micah's. I was kicked out because I refused to mate myself to the werewolf he wanted me to. I'd pretty much been a disappointment to him from the moment I was born. Micah always wanted a son, but instead, he got me."

"Micah is your father?" Luna couldn't believe it.

"Yep. I'm the only child he and my mother, his ex-mate had. He wished for a son, but he had a daughter instead. One who loves women instead of men, which kind of messed up his plan for marrying me off to his lieutenant. Micah is alpha and doesn't like being disobeyed. I too am alpha, and two alphas can't co-exist in the same pack. I was left with the choice of either fighting my father for control of the pack or leaving and starting my own. I chose to leave. I might not like him very much and agree with him and his methods even less, but he's still my father."

Luna nodded her head and sifted through the remaining questions in her head before stopping at one.

"How do you know so much about what happened to me in the woods two weeks ago?"

This time Syrene gestured to two young women cleaning off tables and carrying dirty dishes behind the bar.

"Coral and Jan were there. They were the two young wolves you ran by to escape to the Ranger station. Micah was angry with them for not trying to stop you from escaping, so he banished them. To make matters worse, Coral is pregnant. Her mate wasn't with the pack at the time and hasn't returned yet to find that his mate has been banished. Once he does, I fully expect him to come here to find his mate and join my pack."

"Were you and your pack the ones I felt watching me?"

"No. That was Micah and his pack. He found your information from the backpack you left behind and has been keeping tabs on you until he felt the time was right to claim you. Micah has always been known for playing with people like they're prey. I just recently found out when Jan and Coral joined my pack. We were on the streets looking for you tonight because we hoped to protect you from being forced to mate Micah."

"But if all pack members are connected, won't he know what you're planning?"

"Once I separated from the pack, my mental link with him and others of his pack was severed. As with everyone here. When they joined my pack they re-formed those mental links with me and the other members of my pack. Now, I think I've thrown enough at you for one night. I'll show you back to your room so you can rest."

"My room?"

"Yes. Micah knows where you live and has been watching you for some time. He'll know something is up when you don't come home. If he searches the area, he'll catch my scent and figure out that we have you. If I sent you home, he may tire of his game and try to force you to mate with him. We have to keep you away from him. It is the only way until you mate." Syrene stood up and Luna quickly rose to follow her. Syrene led her back to the room she'd awoken in. "I figured you might want some privacy while I answer your remaining question. Although honestly, the others already know what it means."

"What are you talking about?"

"You asked why I can communicate with you telepathically, and the others can't yet."

"Oh yeah, why is that?"

"The only time werewolves are able to communicate telepathically with someone outside of the pack is because they're meant to mate. It's kind of like the werewolf's way of calling out to their mate even before the actual mating has occurred."

Luna looked at Syrene as if she'd suddenly gone dumb.

"So what you're trying to tell me is..."

"I'm your mate, Luna."

Luna's pussy pulsed at that information the same time her mind completely rejected the notion.

"But I've just met you. I don't know anything about you. How can you be my mate? God, I can't believe this is even happening."

"This is why I figured we needed to be alone to talk about this. Please have a seat." Syrene gestured towards the bed, and they both walked over and sat down. "From the way you responded when I first spoke to you telepathically, I figure it's safe to say you've never communicated with anyone that way. Werewolves aren't psychic. We can't communicate mentally with just anyone. We can't even use that form of communication with other werewolves—just members of our pack. We communicate with those we are connected to. Those who are or who are meant to be part of our family. I reached out to your mind because for some reason I heard your thoughts clear as day... as if you were already one of my pack." Syrene slowly reached one hand over to take Luna's. It was weird, but that simple gesture made Luna feel some connection between them grow stronger. "Look, I know this is all new to you and very sudden, but I figured it was only fair that I tell you. You're my destined mate and I'm yours, but it's not a commitment to enter into lightly. As mates we'll be together for as long as we live. Werewolves mate for life. Once we mate you'll be able to communicate telepathically with my pack and they with you. You'd be one of the pack."

"Even though I'm not full werewolf?"

"Absolutely. You wouldn't be the first hybrid to join a pack. That's how we know so much about what to expect. Also, I personally wanted to stress that I do want you as my mate, but I don't want you to rush into mating with me only because you wish to escape Micah."

Luna took in Syrene serious expression. This was very important to her as it should be. If Luna was in her position she'd want to be sure that her life long mate truly wanted to be with her for her and not to escape some mad power hungry werewolf.

"I definitely have a lot to think about," Luna replied.

"All right," Syrene said as she stood. "Have a good night, Luna. I'll come get you for breakfast tomorrow. Well, actually more of a late lunch. Running the club means a lot of late nights and no one wants to wake up too early." Then she cupped Luna's face between her soft hands and pressed a long, gently seductive kiss on her lips before once more saying goodnight and leaving her alone in the bedroom. The kiss had been short and sweet, yet Luna had felt it all the way down to her toes. If a simple good night kiss affected her so strongly, how powerful would sex with the woman be? Luna shivered at the possibilities as she stripped out of her clothes and got ready for bed.

Even though Luna was physically exhausted, she couldn't seem to shut off her brain. Over and over, all the information she'd learned from Syrene combined with everything she'd been though kept replaying in her head. Whether she believed werewolves were real was no longer a question in her mind. Seeing Syrene transform right before her eyes took care of that doubt quickly. Did she believe that Syrene was telling her the truth? Luna didn't understand why, but she did wholeheartedly. It didn't make any sense at all, but she trusted Syrene as if she'd known her for her entire life. Of course, if she said that to Syrene, she'd probably say it was because they were mates and destined to be together, so of course she'd automatically trust her. Then Luna began thinking about the pack and how'd she'd instantly become one of them if she took Syrene as her mate. It was very tempting. Luna often felt as if she were missing some familial connection while growing up, something she was sure Syrene would also attribute to her werewolf half. She'd always had her mom, but when she passed away she was alone and had been ever since. Now she had an incredible woman offering herself as well as the people who depended on her for guidance as a package deal.

On the other hand, joining a pack meant she was willingly placing herself right in the middle of werewolf politics, which she knew absolutely nothing about. Then again, it seemed she was destined to be drawn into it whether she chose to or not. Micah was determined to claim her as his mate. If he didn't like being disobeyed by his own pack, Luna could only imagine what he'd do to her if she refused to do as he wished. When exhaustion finally claimed her, Luna had absolutely no idea what she was going to do.

That night she had a dream that she was once again lost in the woods and being chased by Micah and his wolves. She ran and ran until she once again came to the Ranger station. When Luna reached the door, she turned the knob, and it opened. There sitting inside on a leather chair was Syrene, looking beautiful and strong. Just the sight of her made Luna feel safe and loved. Syrene beckoned Luna to her, and as she walked towards her the door to the station closed and Micah's growls were shut out. Luna knelt in front of Syrene between her legs. Syrene wrapped her arms around Luna as she brought their lips together. Luna felt that kiss down to her soul. She loved this woman and knew Syrene loved her too. This woman would protect her and the pack from all those who'd threaten them. She was strong, beautiful, wise, and she'd chosen Luna to share her life with. It was there for the taking if she wanted it.

When Luna awoke, she had tears in her eyes. The peace and happiness she'd felt in her dream was something she'd yet to find in real life. It certainly put everything into perspective for Luna. Did she want to explore this half of herself she hadn't known existed with the beautiful Syrene by her side? When forgetting everything else, it made making her decision a whole lot clearer. She'd just sat up in bed when there was a knock at the door.

"It's Syrene," came that same sultry voice she was growing to love.

"Come in," Luna called back, adjusting the sheet to cover her nudity. Syrene walked in wearing a short flowing white wrap that tied around her neck like a halter. She wore no shoes as she glided into the room. Luna watched as she closed the door then came over to the side of the bed and sat down next to her on top of the covers.

"How did you sleep?"

"All right considering everything that happened yesterday."

"You feel overwhelmed, don't you?"

"I definitely was last night, but this morning... not so much."

"That's good."

"I heard what you said last night about being sure I was ready for the mating and to not rush into it because of Micah. Syrene, I truly don't know how it happened, and I damn sure can't explain it, but I feel this connection with you. It's the strongest pull I've ever felt to another human being in my entire life. It's part of the reason I'm not finding it so difficult to accept that you're my mate despite the fact we just met last night. I just wanted to tell you I'm sure that I want to be with you and it's not because I'm afraid of your father. True, I am terrified of him, and I'm even more terrified what he'll do once he finds out I mated with another before he forced me to with him..."

"Don't worry about Micah. I'll take care of my father." Syrene raised her hand and gently cupped Luna's cheek as she brought their lips together. The sweet kiss deepened when Syrene opened Luna's lips for her tongue to enter and play with Luna's. Luna wrapped her arms around Syrene's neck, her movement causing the sheet over her to slip down exposing her bare breasts. Syrene cupped her mounds before tweaking both nipples. Luna moaned as the pleasure in her sensitive nipples radiated down her spine and headed straight to her clit. Maybe she was in heat, because she sure didn't remember ever being this sensitive before. One of Syrene's hands moved down her abdomen and reached under the sheet for her moist center. "I want you so bad, Luna. Your scent is driving me crazy."

"Will... you still want me once we mate and my scent changes?" It was hard to concentrate as Syrene's fingers teased her pussy with shallow thrusts in her aching hole.

"Even more so. Another thing about werewolves: they're very territorial when it comes to their mates," she said before plastering their lips together once more and pushing her fingers deeper inside. Luna reached to the tie behind Syrene's neck and undid the knot, allowing the wrap to fall free from her body. As Syrene stood to take the wrap the rest of the way off, Luna pushed the sheet away, exposing her body completely to Syrene's gaze. The look of hunger on her mate's face had Luna shaking with anticipation.

"I want to taste you," Luna replied. The huskiness in her voice made it sound deeper than it was mere minutes ago.

"And I you. We'll both get our wish," Syrene replied before lithely climbing onto the bed and straddling Luna's body. Luna laid back as Syrene trailed kisses from her head down the front of her body, stopping to pay homage to her breasts with her mouth before continuing down. Luna laughed when Syrene circled her belly button with her tongue and placed teasing kisses all around her hips and pelvis. "Mmmm... you smell delicious. Like a fine wine."

Luna had closed her eyes, but as she listened to Syrene's voice and felt the bed dip as Syrene changed position, she reopened them. She found herself staring at Syrene's legs straddling her head while Syrene's face remained inches above her pussy.

"Love me as I love you, mate," Syrene said.

That was all the warning Luna had before Syrene's tongue swiped at her glistening labia. Luna wrapped her arms around Syrene's thighs for purchase and at first found it very hard to concentrate on the task at hand. Then the smell and sight of Syrene's arousal had Luna as eager to give Syrene pleasure as she was to receive it. One taste of her mate's juices, and Luna became as ravenous as Syrene was. When Luna's tongue hit a particularly sensitive spot, Syrene would growl, and the vibrations on her already sensitive clit had Luna fighting off orgasm multiple times. The sensations flowing through her system were so good she didn't want it to end.

"You taste like ambrosia, Luna."

"Syrene!" Luna screamed as once again her orgasm threatened to overwhelm her. She knew when it did, it would leave all previous orgasms in the dust. Determined to not be the only one mindless with pleasure, Luna redoubled her efforts until she heard Syrene's moans increase and her inner walls begin to ripple around Luna's tongue. The more they ate at each other's cream, the stronger Luna's connection to Syrene became. Right before they peaked, she swore Syrene's thoughts were inside her head with her own, and their orgasms felt double the strength as they mentally shared their sensations with each other. It was the most profound experience Luna had ever had. She was irrevocably bound to Syrene from that point on, and she couldn't have been happier.

They made love multiple times that day, until they finally fell into an exhausted sleep around eight in the evening. They were sleeping peacefully when Luna began to feel that something was wrong. As she slowly came awake, she heard a voice in her head, but this time it wasn't Syrene. It was one of Syrene's pack letting them know that Micah was on his way there with a couple of his pack members in tow. Luna then realized she could also sense the rest of the pack in the back of her mind. It was surprisingly comforting to have everyone inside her head. She found it amazing that she heard them as if they were right in the room with Syrene and her even though she knew they were all downstairs preparing themselves for Micah's arrival. "Well, it didn't take him long to find me," Luna commented as she reached for the clothes she'd discarded the night before.

Syrene stirred beside her. "Didn't think it would. Your senses are probably stronger then regular humans, but not as strong as ours. You'll probably smell and sense his presence when he's a bit closer."

Luna didn't question Syrene's word. There was a lot she still needed to learn about this werewolf world, but she knew Syrene would be right there with her the entire time. She knew it in her heart and in her mind. Even though they were no longer touching, Luna still felt the connection between them strongly, as if there were an unbreakable thread connecting them. Their bond made her less afraid of what might happen once Micah arrived.

By the time Luna was dressed, Syrene had her wrap once again in place. Luna nodded that she was ready, and they left the bedroom together to join the rest of the pack downstairs. They were halfway down the stairs when Luna sensed what she knew instinctively was the close presence of an outsider and realized she'd finally sensed Micah. The moment they reached the bottom step, there was a series of loud bangs on the front door.

"Open the door, John," Syrene instructed one of the club's bodyguards stationed near the door. The whole pack seemed to place themselves strategically to defend their alpha and her new mate, Luna. When the door opened, Luna half-expected to see the silver wolf she'd seen in the woods, but instead she saw a middle-aged man flanked by a number of younger men and women. Apparently, werewolves aged well as Micah's physique was of a much younger man. His silver hair was the only giveaway that he was old enough to have an adult child. "Nice seeing you again, Micah." Syrene's voice reflected that she felt anything but.

"Why am I not surprised to find all of my misfit wolves have congregated around the original misfit? You have interfered in my business one too many times, Syrene," Micah replied with menace. Then his eyes fell upon Luna, and he visibly sniffed the air. His face and body language instantly changed as his demeanor turned from annoyance to pure rage. "How dare you steal my mate?"

"I didn't steal your mate. I claimed my own. Unlike you, I'd never force a mating on anyone."

"She was mine! You had no right."

"I had every right. And you will remember you're not in your territory anymore. You're in mine. I will not tolerate it."

"You ran away from challenging me before. You won't rise to the challenge now."

"I didn't have a mate to protect then. Do you really want to test your theory?"

Micah seemed taken aback by Syrene's words. He also must have not expected Syrene's pack to be so large, as he only brought five wolves with him and was now outnumbered about two to one.

"Face it, Micah. There's nothing you can do," Syrene added.

Micah looked as if he wished to throttle Syrene, but he seemed to be holding back. Luna didn't know if it was because he was in another pack's territory, that he feared his daughter would challenge him and win control of his pack, or that he didn't like being outnumbered. Either way, it appeared even to Luna's naive perspective that Syrene had already won this battle of wills with her father.

"Fine. You can have the hybrid. She wasn't good enough to be my next mate anyway. Mating with her would probably have thinned the blood line." Micah was trying to save face, but Luna doubted if his own pack would even believe him. "You two deserve each other."

"I'll take that as a compliment as well as your blessing. Now if you don't mind, we have a business to run, and I want you out of my territory." Syrene's voice had such command to it that Luna automatically understood why she was alpha. She was a natural born leader and a much better one than her father, from what Luna had seen. The bodyguard standing at the door held it wide open for the unwanted group to leave. Micah exited first, and then four of his pack turned and followed him out. Only one man stayed behind, but his gaze wasn't on Syrene or Luna. It was at Coral standing next to the bar. Luna heard the young girl's voice say the name Peter in her head, and she knew instantly that this was Coral's mate.

"Peter, if you stay here with them, you can consider yourself banished too. You will no longer be allowed to run free with my pack in our woods on the islands," Micah called back without turning around.

"I know. I accept those terms," Peter replied—also without looking back—before rushing over to take Coral into his arms. Micah and the rest of his entourage walked away, and the guard gladly closed the door behind them. Peter turned to Syrene and asked permission to join his mate in her pack by promising complete allegiance to Syrene. Syrene agreed, and soon Luna felt another consciousness join the rest in the back of her mind.

"Something tells me we've haven't seen the last of him," Luna told Syrene as the rest of the pack dispersed to go about preparing for the night.

"Unfortunately not. Micah isn't happy he lost another pack member tonight—in addition to you—to his nemesis daughter. I feel for the rest of his pack having to deal with his moods once he returns to them empty-handed and one man down. We may no longer be part of that pack, but the friends and family we grew up with are there, and as long as they are, we will always long to be reunited with them one day," she replied as she wrapped her arms around Luna and began steering them towards the stairs. "Until then, we will be each other's family, and we'll protect each other as well as what belongs to us."

Luna believed her, and though she didn't know what her future held, she was happy Syrene was the one fate had chosen for her to share it with.

The smell of the deer filled her nostrils. It overrode everything else, set a fire in her mind. Dimly, she could hear the other wolves elsewhere in the forest, in threes and fives, chasing down prey of their own. But this one was hers. She'd seen him twice before, this beautiful buck. She'd watched him, followed him. He was three years old, mature yet unmated. A fine challenge for a pack of wolves, let alone a single bitch.

The deer paused in his nightly walk, looking around cautiously. Had she moved? Had he sensed her? His eyes scanned right over the burrow in which she was crouched, and her hackles raised involuntarily. A tense moment, another, and then the deer continued on. The wolf-bitch waited another few seconds, long enough for the buck to turn fully away, and then sprang from her hiding place. The buck was quick, jumping instantly into a full run. The wolf stayed close behind, eager for the chase, to stretch muscles held in tense readiness for too long.

The buck darted through the woods, over roots, and around ravines, never missing a step. But the wolf had grown up in this forest, too, and had the benefit of a predator's instinct. Little by little, she began to close the gap. The edge of the forest was approaching fast, though. If the buck made it beyond the tree line, he could easily outpace her. The wolf put on a final burst of speed and threw herself into a leap. Her outstretched claws raked against the buck's hindquarters and dug in, dragging the deer to the ground.

The wolf sat beside her fallen foe and gave a keening howl. Slowly, the howl became a scream as the wolf's fur receded, bones shifted, muzzle compressed. In a matter of minutes, where the wolf sat, a naked woman now knelt. Susan Runningwind placed her hand on the buck's flank and thanked him for his life. Then she took the buck's head into her hands and, as swiftly and gently as she could, snapped the neck to give the dying creature a quick release.

Susan heard the excited voices of the children long before she broke from the cover of the trees. She frowned and hefted the buck more firmly across her shoulders, wondering what could have set them off. The other hunters would surely be back by now, but that had never caused this level of commotion in the past. A few more steps, and she scented them. Outsiders.

It wasn't unheard of for their tribe to receive visitors, even this far away from the white man's world. Just because they lived isolated didn't mean they eschewed all contact. Hikers that occasionally stumbled across their community, tourists on the hunt for the 'authentic' native experience, or amateur genealogists who had been told there was some Sioux 'somewhere' in their heritage. Still, it was a rare enough thing that the young ones always squealed with glee at the chance to meet new people.

When at last Susan emerged from the forest, and her eyes had adjusted to the sudden swelling of light, she looked around for the newest visitors to their home. They weren't hard to find: the garishly large black SUV was immediately obvious. Not far from it, a woman and two men were talking to Black Crow, who was leaning on his walking stick. Or rather, the woman was talking to Black Crow while the two men looked on. Interesting, that. But the hundred and fifty pounds on her back was a more pressing concern, so she continued on toward the hanging area.

By the time she finished hanging the buck to drain and age, she'd all but forgotten about the outsiders. It wasn't until she was halfway back to her cabin and she heard Black Crow calling her name that she remembered. She turned and got her first close look at the visitors to their home. The two men could not have been more different. One was tall, thin, and pale, with blond hair and light eyes, like a Viking torn out of time. The other was shorter than Susan herself, stout without being pudgy, and dark of hair, skin, and eye.

It was the woman with them, though, who was the most striking. At first glance, she might have been mistaken for a man. Her sandy brown hair was cut short and above her ears. She wore jeans faded enough that to call them 'blue' would be generous, and a man's flannel shirt buttoned up against the morning chill. But a single look at her face (and chest, Susan noted with a tiny flush) confirmed her femininity. Her face was round, all gentle curves and smoothness. Her green eyes seemed to take in the entire world around her and thank it for existing.

"Susan is the youngest of our tribal elders," Black Crow was saying. The mention of her name snapped her wandering mind back into place. "Susan, this is Jesse Westfield, Tyler Elison, and Jorge Rios." He indicated the woman, the Viking, and the stout one. "They are making a documentary about the wolves."

Susan's mouth went dry, but she kept her voice casual. "Which wolves are those?"

"Oh, the Werewolves of South Dakota," Jesse said, but followed it up with a laugh. "Well, that's what people call them, anyway, seeing as they're almost never seen except during full moons. I've spoken to several people who claim to have seen them, and most of them were in this general area at the time."

"So you want to know if we have seen them, too?" Susan darted her eyes nervously toward Black Crow.

"That's one reason. But I did my research before coming out here. Other Lakota refer to you as Shungmánitu Thánka Thiwáhe. Family of the Wolf."

Susan raised an eyebrow at that. "Your pronunciation is excellent," she noted. "But I assure you that has nothing to do with these... werewolves. I don't believe we can be of any help to you."

"I have told Miss Westfield that she and her friends are welcome among us," Black Crow said, a tiny note of reprimand in his voice that meant 'be nice'.

Of course he had, Susan thought. Black Crow was friendly and welcoming to a fault. If the white man's devil walked among them, Black Crow would offer to sharpen his horns and hold his pitchfork. "However, we will do our best and share freely anything that we have," she continued smoothly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must assist with the cooking." She didn't wait for a reply, choosing instead a hasty retreat. Even so, the memory of those green eyes lingered well into the afternoon.

That night, the tribe favored their visitors with a traditional welcome ceremony, complete with feasting and dance. Susan watched the festivities from her preferred seat on the far side of the fire. She sat in that ambiguous zone: close enough that she wasn't actively separating herself from the tribe, while still far enough away for everyone's comfort.

A reflected glint on the other side of the fire caught Susan's attention, and she realized it was the lens of a video camera. Apparently, Black Crow had convinced the other elders to allow the dance to be taped. It was the tall one, Tyler, using the camera while Jorge held a large microphone on a pole over the dancers' heads. Susan didn't see Jesse, which strangely saddened her. The other woman was at least an interesting puzzle to figure out, and Susan was beginning to look forward to the challenge.

"Hi."

Susan jumped at the voice, surprisingly close given her usual alertness. She looked up and found Jesse standing beside her. "Hau," she replied automatically once she'd recovered herself.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Jesse said. "I just saw you sitting over here and thought I'd come meet you properly."

Susan shrugged and gestured to the other side of the log she was sitting on. "Not your fault; my mind was wandering. Not enjoying the dancing?"

Jesse took the offer and sat down next to Susan. "Oh, the dancing's beautiful. But the drums were starting to hurt my ears. I'm just not used to it, I guess."

"It does take some time," Susan agreed.

They sat silently for several minutes, watching the flicker of the fire throw shadows across the dancers. Then Jesse rubbed her hands across her jeans and said, "Okay, I have to ask you this. That deer that you were carrying this morning. How much did it weigh?"

Susan frowned at the question. Hunting was such a natural function that it was completely unremarkable to her. "Around a hundred and fifty pounds, give or take. Why?"

"Oh, my God!" Jesse let out a low whistle. "And you carried it all that way and threw it up on a hook like it was just a big winter coat. That's incredible."

"No, incredible is watching Two Feathers pull it off the hook and carry it to the butchering table. She's eighty-six."

Jesse stared at her. "You're kidding."

"Not even a little bit," Susan replied seriously.

Once again, the only sounds for several minutes were from the dance and the dancers. And once again, it was Jesse who broke the silence. "Can I ask you another question?"

Susan shrugged. "You're a reporter; isn't that your job?"

"I'm a documentarian," Jesse corrected. "My focus is more on observation without interference."

"I see. Ask your question, then."

"Why did Black Crow say that you were one of the elders? Don't you have to be, you know, elderly to be an elder?"

The nervousness in Jesse's voice combined with the gentle innocence of the question made Susan laugh, a sharp bark of a laugh that briefly drew attention from a few of the other women seated nearby. She quickly regained control of herself, though. "I apologize for laughing. But just then, you reminded me of one of the children afraid they are asking a silly question."

Jesse turned away from Susan, leaving only her profile lit by the firelight. "Yeah, except that I'm twenty-seven." Another pause. "Is it a silly question?"

"Not at all." Susan smiled gently, even if Jesse couldn't see it. "Becoming a tribal elder is more involved than simply growing old. There are a limited number of positions, and to be considered, one must undertake a number of physical and spiritual tests. Passing them all at age forty, as I did, is not unheard-of, but certainly rare."

"Wait a minute. You're forty years old?" Jesse's head snapped back to Susan.

"I was forty when I passed the trials. That was five years ago."

Jesse looked Susan up and down. "Damn, you look good for forty-five. Seriously, I would never have guessed that. Thirty-five, tops."

Blushing wasn't something that Susan Runningwind had much experience with—and would deny if accused of it—but there didn't seem to be another word to describe the heat she felt rushing to her cheeks. "Well, thank you for that. And you certainly carry yourself with the confidence of someone much older than twenty-seven."

"Umm, thanks?" Jesse's laugh seemed a little forced.

"Was that rude?" Susan asked, frowning.

"Nah," Jesse said, waving her hand away. "Unexpected, I guess, but not rude."

"It was meant as a compliment."

"No, I get that. It's just not the kind of thing I usually hear. But thank you."

This time, it was Susan who broke the uncomfortable silence that followed. "So, are you and Tyler dating?" It was the first question she could think of, and she immediately felt foolish having said it.

Jesse laughed again, but this was an easier laugh, like she'd been asked the same thing a million times before. "No, we're not dating. Tyler's actually gay. And, well, so am I, to be honest. I hope you don't mind."

Susan quirked an eyebrow. "We're not savages, you know," she pointed out lightly. "The Lakota have accepted homosexuality since before we knew the white man's word for it."

"Oh. I didn't know that." Jesse worried at her lower lip. "What about you? I mean, do you have a partner, not are you—Never mind."

"Me? No, no, I've n—No." Susan noticed she was wringing her hands together nervously, and looked about for some excuse to change the subject. And thankfully, Wakan Tanka took pity on her. "Oh, you won't want to miss this," she said quickly. "Black Crow is going to dance. Your friends must have really sweet-talked him; he only dances on special occasions." She took Jesse's hand and stood up, leading them both back to the fire.

Black Crow's dance was as beautiful as she remembered, exhilarating and heartbreaking all at the same time, and Susan allowed her mind to be consumed by it. By the time the dance ended, Susan realized that Jesse was no longer sitting beside her. She looked around and found that Tyler and Jorge were gone, too, and that the gathering was starting to break up. She sighed and started toward her home as well. Sleep was slow to claim her that night, and quick to depart, yet it left behind a dream of Black Crow's dance. Except that the drums were her heartbeat and Black Crow's eyes were green.

"Okay, tight in on me."

Susan looked up from tending the fire at the sound of Jesse's voice. The younger woman was standing not far away, with Tyler pointing a camera at her and Jorge holding a microphone on a pole over her head. Obviously doing some shooting for that documentary of hers. Susan tried to turn her attention back to her tasks, but her ears continued to strain to hear the words.

"Three, two, one. Here in the wilds of South Dakota, there's a mystery. Blech. That's horrible. Okay, three, two, one. South Dakota is home to a great number of wolves, but perhaps none are as mysterious as the Werewolves. Their territory is believed to be not far from where I'm standing, among the tribal lands of the Lakota Sioux reservation. I say 'believed', because their very existence is in dispute. This is an area not known for wolf activity. What's more, the sightings of this strange pack of wolves only ever seem to coincide with the full moon, hence the name Werewolves. Scientific explanations range from dismissing the sightings as random lone wolves wandering too far afield to positing them as a new subspecies with an odd monthly migratory pattern. One thing's for sure, though: If there is an answer to be found, this is the place to find it." Jesse paused for a moment, and then asked, "How was that? Sound natural?"

"Sounded good to me," Tyler said.

"You sure? I could run through it one more time."

Jorge jumped in. "It's fine, Jess. You're too much of a perfectionist. If there are any wobbles, we'll fix it in editing."

"I guess," Jesse agreed with a sigh. "Let's just move on. Hey, Susan!"

Susan startled when she heard her name. She looked up again and saw Jesse hurrying over to her. "Um, hey?"

Jesse was already huffing by the time she crossed the short distance. "Wanna be in a movie?" she asked after catching her breath.

"Do I—what?"

"I'd like to interview someone from the tribe about the wolves, and I was wondering if you would like to be the one. If not, that's totally okay; I can ask someone else."

Susan weighed her options. It was unlikely that any of the other elders would be willing to do an interview—a few of them barely spoke English at all. Which meant that if it wasn't her, it would end up being one of the younger members, who might let something slip accidentally. That made the choice pretty easy. "Sure, I'd be happy to."

"Great!" Jesse waved Tyler and Jorge over. "Is now okay? It's just that the light's perfect."

"Now's fine, sure." She'd actually hoped to have a little more time to prepare, but the words were out of her mouth before she realized. Instead, she spent the few minutes while the guys set up frantically thinking of as many ways she could to diplomatically say 'we don't know anything, stop asking'.

Once the three were done, Jesse sat down and gave Susan a few pointers. "Don't look at the camera; just look at me. If you start stumbling or saying 'um' a lot, just take a deep breath, count to three, and start over. We'll just keep the good one."

"I think I can manage that."

"Great! Anytime you're set, Ty."

Tyler nodded. "We're rolling."

"All right, Susan. First of all, is it true that wolves aren't often seen in this part of South Dakota?"

Susan tried not to look up at the camera over Jesse's shoulder. "Wolves are very isolated by nature. They try to stay away from areas of human occupation—there's limited prey and the chance of their own death from hunters. So it's true that wolf sightings tend to be rare. But of course, as people continue to push farther into the wilderness, there is always a period of adjustment before the wolves again pull back from inhabited areas. In that sense, seeing a wolf here and there is always a possibility."

Jesse's eyes widened a little, and she gave a tiny nod of encouragement. Susan had to admit she felt pretty proud of herself as well. Maybe she could do this after all.

"And what about these so-called Werewolves? Are wolf sightings more common around the full moon, and if so, why do you think that is?"

"More light." Susan laughed softly. "Actually, that's true. Wolves, like most predators, tend to blend into their environment. So just because you don't see a wolf doesn't mean that she's not there. People are probably only remembering the ones they see in the full moon because those would be the clearest sightings."

"So there's nothing magical about the full moon?"

Susan smiled. "Oh, I didn't say that. The moon is a very powerful symbol for us. There are some Lakota rituals that can only be performed under a full moon. But it doesn't control the wolves, no."

"But still, if I wanted to see a wolf, the night of the full moon would be my best chance."

"If you were foolish enough to go looking for wolves at night, the full moon would be your best chance of seeing them in time to avoid them," Susan said bluntly. "Wolves will defend their territory. With some animals, you'll be told they're as afraid of you as you are of them. But not the wolf. Make no mistake: the wolf is not afraid of you." Jesse's encouraging smile had turned into a stunned expression, and it appeared so out of place on her otherwise soft face that Susan immediately shook her head, counted to three, and started again. "Most wolves know better than to try and hunt during the full moon, but at this time of year when food is getting scarce, often they have no choice. So, yes, you might have a fair chance."

Jesse had to take a couple of breaths to steady herself before her next question. "Your tribal group here is known as the Family of the Wolf. Does that mean you have a special kinship with wolves?"

Susan shrugged in what she hoped was a convincing way. "You would have to ask the ancient fathers about that. It is a name we have carried for hundreds of years. No one today could tell you how the name originated. We respect the wolf, but no more than we respect all life."

Jesse looked up at Tyler and gave a curt nod. "I think that's all we need for now. The light's starting to shift anyway." She looked back to Susan. "You were awesome. Maybe you should be doing this instead of me." Tyler and Jorge nodded in agreement, even clapping lightly for her.

"Being the youngest of the council means that I have to be able to speak well in order to be heard by anyone. Perhaps I'm learning after all."

Jesse leaned forward, pitching her voice lower. "Did you mean that? About the wolves not being afraid?"

"In this part of the world, the wolf has no natural predators. They've learned that not even a man on his own can stand against them. It's only when men are armed that they have the upper hand. If anything, the wolf fears the gun more than the hand that holds it."

"That's a chilling thought," Jesse admitted.

"What can I say? Nature's a bitch."

Jesse laughed, and Susan joined her, releasing some of the tension from moments ago. "Well, I'll let you get back to your work," Jesse said once they'd caught their breath again. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"Not at all. If you need anything else, just ask."

"Oh, I will," Jesse promised, though there was something in her voice that made Susan think they weren't talking about interviews anymore.

Susan looked up at the bright, clear sky, the forest around her small cabin seeming hazy in the odd heat. She sipped her icy water, swiping the sweat from her brow. These rare times, when the cold and frost of October were driven back by the brief breath of a summer that refused to give to winter, were some of Susan's favorites. Summer, in her mind, should never give in gracefully to the snows. It wouldn't last long, she knew, and so she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and basked in the solitary moment.

"You look content."

Susan's eyes flew open, her vision immediately filled with Jesse's hesitant smile. Jesse was only in a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a sports bra, and Susan wasn't sure she liked the odd thrill that moved through her at the sight. "I'm enjoying the respite from the cold."

"May I join you?" Jesse asked, motioning to the empty space on the hard-packed ground beside Susan.

A small voice told Susan she should keep her distance, but there was an even louder voice ringing in her head demanding she sit as close as possible to Jesse. Susan decided there was no real harm in sharing some water and company. "Of course," she murmured. "Would you like some water?"

Jesse flopped down beside her, leaned back against the smooth wood of the cabin wall. "I'd love some water. I thought it would snow soon, but it's been really hot the last couple of days."

Susan rose and ducked inside the cabin, grabbing an extra glass. In a matter of minutes, she was back on the ground, holding out a glass of the cold water to Jesse. "Indian Summer," she said, a brief breeze making the bare flesh of her arms and legs prickle with gooseflesh. "It doesn't happen often."

"Indian Summer," Jesse whispered, looking around them and taking a deep drink of her water.

"False summer," Susan explained, her eyes watching Jesse's throat work as she swallowed. "It only lasts a few weeks, and then the first snow will fall. It's like summer's last attempt to take back the world, but it's actually more like its dying breath."

Jesse's gaze finished taking in the fiery leaves of the trees surrounding them and returned to Susan. "That's... really quite poetic."

Susan felt warmth spread over her cheeks at the compliment. "No. It's Black Crow who is the poetic one. I just repeat what he's been saying for most of my life."

"Do you think it's summer's dying breath?"

"I think it's a brief memory," Susan said, a sense of foolish indulgence washing through her as she spoke about something so intangible. "Whatever it is, a meteorological phenomenon, summer's dying breath, or a memory of warmer, richer times, it's a time that comes too infrequently and will have the deer more active."

Jesse nodded. "And active deer are good?"

Susan finished her glass of water and set it aside. "Active deer means more meat stores through the winter when hunting isn't as easy. We stock up on dry goods from in town so we don't have to leave the reservation in the deep snows, but we prefer to hunt for the meat we'll eat."

"I still can't get the sight of you with that buck on your shoulders out of my head," Jesse whispered.

Susan turned to face Jesse, and what she saw in the young woman's eyes made her heart race. "It wasn't anything special." She hunted all the time, dragged in her kills on her own each time she was successful.

Jesse gave her a lopsided grin, and Susan almost flinched when Jesse's hand reached out and brushed along her cheek. "It was amazing." Jesse's fingers trailed down Susan's jaw. "And, if I'm honest, sexy as hell."

Now Susan knew she blushed furiously. "Jesse—"

"I want to kiss you," Jesse said, and her fingers went from touching her to cupping her jaw, drawing Susan closer. "I think I've wanted to since I saw you with that buck."

Susan barely heard Jesse's words, her heart pounding in her ears drowning out almost all sound. Her eyes darted from Jesse's eyes to her mouth, and then those full lips were pressed against hers. The simple kiss sent a sizzle of sensation through her body, and she didn't know if it was Jesse's lips or the breeze that made her shiver. Susan forgot to breathe the moment Jesse parted their lips and her tongue slipped into Susan's mouth.

Had that moan been hers or Jesse's? Susan couldn't tell. Her eyes closed, and she leaned closer, hoping her inexperience didn't show. She let Jesse lead, take her mouth, kiss her until she was panting. How could a kiss make her feel so much? Heat and wetness and a desire to rub against Jesse, scent her, mark her as hers. Susan's head spun as one kiss bled into another. She lost track of everything but Jesse's mouth against her own until Jesse's hand cupped her breast through the thin tank top she wore.

It was like a splash of cold water. The heat she'd felt evaporated, leaving her chilled as her nipple tightened against Jesse's teasing thumb. Susan pulled back, panting softly as she stared at Jesse with wide eyes. Had she lost her mind? She was making out with an interloper who wanted to expose her tribe to the world, expose all their secrets. It was clear Jesse wanted more than the kisses, and Susan couldn't give that yet.

She didn't know if she could ever give it.

Susan stood up, gathering their glasses and the pitcher of water. "You should go," Susan said.

Jesse got to her feet, confusion radiating from her. "Susan—"

"Enjoy the warm weather while it lasts," Susan was saying, backing up into her cabin. "Have a good afternoon." She shut the door on Jesse's bewildered face, and then just leaned against the door. It took a few minutes, but she heard Jesse's footsteps begin to move away from the cabin.

It took Susan a dozen deep, calming breaths before she could push away from the door and head for her bathroom. She needed a cool shower, and then she'd go out for a hunt once the sun set. No matter how much her body might think it wanted Jesse, Susan knew better. Jesse was trouble, a momentary distraction for the pack that would leave by the time the deep snow fell. Keeping her distance was the wisest choice, and she nodded to herself as she began to undress. Yes, distance was the best path for both Jesse and herself.

The following morning, Susan had exited her cabin and noticed that the black SUV was gone. She felt a momentary ache, but quickly swallowed it down and went on with her daily affairs. The filmmakers did not return that day, or the next, and Susan had all but pushed them out of her mind when the SUV returned early afternoon on the third day. Jesse spoke briefly with Black Crow, but as Susan was determined to stay as far away as possible, she did not pick up on the conversation. Just before sunset, though, Susan saw red smoke coming from Black Crow's chimney, signaling his wish for a council meeting.

"Our young friends," Black Crow explained once the elders had assembled, "have informed me of their intent to go into the woods tonight in an attempt to see one of their wolves. I trust that I do not have to explain how disastrous it could be for us if they succeed. I know that hanhepi wi waxes full tonight, and many of the young will be unable to resist its call, so it will be up to us to ensure that they are kept out of the forest."

Susan suddenly recalled the interview she had done with Jesse, and Jesse's question about the full moon being the best chance to see a wolf. She was, of course, thoroughly aware that tonight was the full moon, but she hadn't made the connection between that and Jesse's return until Black Crow pointed it out. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from cursing.

Two Feathers stepped forward, and Black Crow passed the talking feather to her. "I will keep the youngest with me, those who have not undergone the Change. The others should be divided among the largest homes and watched over by any who can control themselves."

The talking feather moved around the room, with each of the elders taking responsibility for three or four families. Through either luck or a silent consensus among the others, the entire tribe was spoken for before the feather passed to Susan. Susan instead agreed to stand watch in case their guests chose to return early.

There was little else to say, and so the elders dispersed to spread the word among the tribe. Susan did her part, though she suspected she received considerably more grumbling about the state of affairs than the other elders did. Nevertheless, her directions were not questioned, and by shortly after moonrise, everyone had divided into their assigned areas.

If Jesse or the others found anything odd about the situation, they kept it to themselves when they ventured out into the forest. Jesse tried to say something as she passed, but Susan refused to make eye contact and pretended to be absorbed by stoking her fire. She couldn't help but notice, though, that the trio were heading out armed with only a night-vision camera and a couple of flashlights. Wakan Tanka be thanked that they at least had the sense to wear dark clothing. Even so, they clearly did not understand the danger they were putting themselves in. The other predators in the area had learned to avoid this area of the forest when the wolves ran, but with their absence, they would feel no need to stay away tonight.

Susan looked around and saw that all of the homes were tightly closed, shades drawn. She knew that inside, those resisting the moon's call would be clearing furniture and other belongings to make room for those who would already be in the middle of their Change. She quickly extinguished her fire and slipped silently into the woods, telling herself that she would just keep an eye on them. If they turned around, she would still have enough of a head-start to get back before they did.

Even in her human form, Susan's senses were sharp enough to see the clumsy trail the three had broken through the woods and to pick up their scent trail with barely any effort. More specifically, she realized after following them for several minutes, she had picked up Jesse's scent. She recognized it easily as the same scent filling her nostrils during their impromptu kiss. Just the memory of that shared moment tightened her nipples and sent a rush of warmth between her legs. But immediately after that sensation came a rush of shame like a slap to the face.

She hadn't been lying to Jesse when she'd said the Lakota in general, and she specifically, were comfortable with homosexuality. In others. But at the same time, it had only been an abstract notion to her before now, and certainly not something she had ever considered herself to be. True, she'd never had this kind of visceral reaction to a man ever before, but no other woman had ever moved her to this degree, either. And after forty-five years, it was becoming clear to Susan that no one ever would. Until someone had.

So what did that mean? Was she a lesbian? Susan turned her thoughts inward and admitted that the label didn't feel right to her. On the other hand, neither did the label 'werewolf', and yet by all conventional definitions, that was exactly what she was. Does the chicken reject the name 'bird' simply because it cannot soar like the eagle?

A distant growl snapped Susan's mind back to awareness. She scented the air and quickened her pace, moving in a wide arc to remain undetected by the three she was protecting. The scent grew stronger as she approached, and very soon she caught sight of the source. A cougar had run down a coyote and was sharing the kill with her three young cubs. Jesse and the others had surprised the mother, who was now staring them down and warning them off. But instead of backing away slowly, they were standing frozen with their eyes open wide. To the cougar, of course, this was a sign of a challenge, and she refused to abandon her kill.

Knowing that the cougar could attack at any moment, Susan didn't waste time undressing. Because of the full moon, changing form was less a matter of willing the Change as it was to simply stop fighting it. Her fur-body trembled in relief as it burst forth from her skin, leaving her clothing in tatters on the ground. She jumped into the clearing, deliberately making noise in order to draw the cougar's attention. Her hackles were raised, teeth bared, body low, and her growl rumbled menacingly across the distance.

Susan caught the acrid scent of urine suddenly, but could not spare any attention to determine which of the boys—she somehow knew it wasn't Jesse—had soiled themselves. Breaking eye contact with the cougar now could be deadly. Susan was larger in her wolf form than most normal wolves, but the cougar was only slightly smaller, and had the benefit of a mother's ferocity. Her only real chance was to convince the cougar to take her cubs elsewhere rather than chance a physical confrontation.

The tense standoff dragged on for over a minute, but it was the cougar who looked away first, calling a warning to her cubs and nosing them away from their meal. Once the little ones had all been convinced to stop eating, the cougar backed away from Susan submissively and led her children deeper into the woods.

Susan relaxed her stance and spared a quick glance at the three interlopers to be certain they were unharmed. Apart from the dark patch on Jorge's trousers, she determined they were fine, slowly recovering from the shock of their experience. Odds were good that they'd be heading back for the village any moment, so Susan turned away from them and ran along their backtrail as fast as she could ever remember running before.

It wasn't until she broke through the tree line at the edge of the village that she dimly remembered seeing the faint red light on Tyler's camera indicating that it had been recording the entire time.

Jesse was waiting for Susan the next morning. She was trying not to be obvious about it, but Susan had noticed her outside the cabin for twenty minutes without turning the page in her book. And while going outside to face her wasn't high on Susan's list, she had responsibilities. She opened the door and stood just inside the frame. "Come in if you're coming."

Jesse smiled gratefully and accepted the invitation. "I wasn't sure you'd want to talk to me," she said once Susan had closed the door behind them. "After... what happened, I mean. But I didn't know who else to talk to. I don't think anyone else would believe me."

Susan poured them both mugs of hot tea. The Indian Summer had broken in the night, and there had been a frost on the ground this morning. Even midday, the air outside was cool. Jesse gave her another smile as she took her mug, and Susan sat across from Jesse at the small, simple kitchen table. "Believe what?" Susan asked before taking a sip of the herbal liquid.

"Last night, we went to look for the wolves. Well, we found one. Holy shit, did we find one."

Susan listened as Jesse recounted the events of the previous night from her point of view. She had to look away to hide her smile when she heard herself described as "this gorgeous gray wolf" that came "bounding out of the woods to save us". Jesse also went on to confirm what Susan had feared—Tyler caught the incident on tape.

"I've probably watched it twenty times," Jesse was saying. "That wolf coming out of nowhere, staring down the mountain lion, like she was watching out for us or something. It was incredible."

"How do you know it was a she?"

Jesse shrugged. "Something in the eyes, I guess. It was just... feminine. Anyway, after the lion ran off, she just looked at us, like she wanted to make sure we were okay. And then she just took off again. I'd never seen a wolf run that fast before."

"You're right; that is an amazing story," Susan agreed, trying to keep her voice light. "Perhaps Grandmother Earth felt you needed some looking after."

"I guess it was kind of silly, going off like that at night without any idea of what we'd find. Like they say, God protects fools and children." Jesse took another sip of her tea, and then sighed. "Susan, I didn't get a chance to say this earlier, but I'm sorry about the other day. I was forward and pushy, and I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

A moment earlier, Susan had been hoping for a way to change the subject. But this hadn't exactly been what she'd had in mind. "It's fine, Jesse. It wasn't your fault. It just surprised me, and I reacted badly. It was... nice. Unexpected, but nice."

"Your first time kissing a woman, I take it?"

Susan snorted. "First time kissing anyone at all."

"Seriously?" Jesse's cup was halfway to her lips; she slowly set it back down. "That was your very first kiss?"

"I know; I'm pathetic. You don't have to say it."

"Of course you're not pathetic," Jesse said quickly. "I didn't upset some vow of chastity or something, did I?"

The statement was so unexpected that Susan couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not a nun, Jesse. There's nothing noble about it; it's not by choice. I've just never been close to anyone before."

Jesse bit her lower lip for a moment. "Why?"

"I'm like the lone wolf," Susan said with a wry smile. "I just keep to myself, always a little out of pace with the rest of the tribe."

"So... if you haven't kissed someone, then you haven't..."

Susan could feel the blush threaten to creep over her cheeks, but she forced herself to meet Jesse's eyes levelly. "Yes. I'm a virgin."

"You have no idea how much it breaks my heart to hear that." Jesse stood up and slid the two mugs to the side of the table. She leaned across the table, cupping Susan's cheek and tipping her face up.

Susan's heart fluttered as she realized what was coming. Her eyes fell closed when Jesse's lips touched hers. The kiss was nothing like the first time; this was gentler, softer. Somehow, Jesse managed to walk around the table without breaking the kiss and helped Susan out of her chair. She felt Jesse's arms slide around her back, pulling their bodies together.

This time, it was Susan who deepened the kiss, opening her mouth against Jesse's and snaking her tongue across the other woman's lips. Jesse responded enthusiastically, darting her own tongue out to slip across Susan's. The sensation made Susan's legs tremble, and she held tighter to Jesse.

For several minutes there was nothing else, only the closeness and the kisses. Jesse did not push beyond that, for which Susan was desperately grateful. For all that her body cried out for more, her mind and heart simply weren't prepared. Finally, reluctantly, Susan stepped back. "I... have tasks," she said, catching her breath. "I'm sorry."

Jesse smiled and rubbed her thumb across Susan's bottom lip. "Don't be sorry. Do what you have to do. Maybe we can talk more when you have time."

Susan smiled back. "I'd like that." She straightened her hair and clothes and started for the door. "I'd like that a lot."

The next several days passed in much the same way. Susan spent her days attending to her responsibilities while Jesse talked to other members of the tribe, recorded pieces with Tyler for her documentary, or worked with Jorge in the small editing studio set up in the back of the SUV. But after the evening meal, the two would retire to Susan's cabin to talk. At least, they told themselves that, but talking always led to cuddling, which invariably gave way to kissing.

They took their time, and if Jesse was frustrated with the slow pace of things, she gave no indication. She seemed to take particular delight in the reactions she got from nibbling Susan's neck, and Susan certainly found nothing to complain about. For her part, Susan found that kissing along the edge of Jesse's ear brought the most delicious shivers from her companion.

It was exactly a week after the full moon when she and Jesse found Black Crow and Joseph Blackwater waiting outside her cabin after dinner. Susan realized by their disapproving stares that she and Jesse had been holding hands, though she was certain neither of them had made the conscious decision to do so. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right?" she said softly. Then she leaned in and kissed Jesse on the cheek, Joseph and Black Crow be damned.

She waited until Jesse was out of sight before acknowledging the two elders waiting for her. "I assume you two have something unpleasant to say, or else you wouldn't have felt the need to double-team me."

Joseph motioned for Susan to enter her own home. If there was to be a lecture, she was going to receive it in her living room, and Susan decided she preferred it that way. She ducked inside, followed by Joseph and Black Crow, and stood in the middle of the small home. They might expect her to sit, to give them the height and dominance, but Susan was nothing anyone expected her to be, and she remained standing, arms crossed, waiting.

"I assume you have heard the... fascinating story of our new friends being rescued from a cougar by the timely arrival of a wolf?" Joseph began.

Susan nodded. "Yes. Amazing, wasn't it?" she remarked dryly.

"You disobeyed the elders' express decision to not become involved," Black Crow said. "And worse, you left your torn clothes behind for others to find."

Susan stared at the pair for a moment. "If I hadn't intervened, the three of them would have been wounded—perhaps killed—and then we would have had even more outsiders poking about. I will not apologize for protecting the tribe by protecting the interlopers."

"And what of the nightly visits from the female?" Joseph demanded. "She is inquisitive, and you may inadvertently reveal things to her in an intimate setting."

"Oh, yes. My fragile, feminine brain might not know what to do with itself. I may just get so addled that I tell an outsider the secret I've carried for my entire life and ensure that our way of life comes to an end." Susan narrowed her eyes. "After everything I have done to keep this tribe safe, do you honestly believe I am that stupid?"

Black Crow smiled at her, but Susan knew that smile. It was the smile he used when he was about to say something he knew she wasn't going to like. Immediately, she bristled. "Jesse will not remain when her documentary filming is over. She will leave, and she may leave with the tribe's secrets. The elders do not want that to happen, Susan. It would be best, we think, if you ceased your interactions with Jesse."

The blood in Susan veins seemed to freeze. She felt cold inside and out as her mind processed the order in the gentle, well-meaning words. Give Jesse up? Her eyes moved from one man to the other and back again. "I would have to say that I disagree," she finally said, her voice deep, full of warning.

"The elders have decided," Joseph reminded her.

"The elders have no right to dictate a tribe member's personal life," Susan said. She tried to remain calm, keep her voice level. "I think this is an overstepping of their purpose."

Black Crow's smile faded. "Susan. This is for the betterment of the tribe. The tribe is your responsibility, just as it is mine. It would be in the tribe's best interest if Jesse and her colleagues left here without any proof of our kind and without any lingering attachments."

Susan squared her shoulders and drew herself up to her full height. They could tell her she was antisocial. They could tell her that she had a temper. They could ask her to live on the outskirts of the tribal center. They could even make her hunt alone. But they could not tell her to give Jesse up.

Not without a fight.

She knew every one of those thoughts were there to be read in her eyes, her face. She stared at them, her breathing deep and even, her back ramrod straight. Susan didn't count the seconds. She didn't glance to the window. She didn't listen to her own heartbeat. Susan simply stared.

And waited.

Finally, Black Crow shook his head. "Very well." He gave a nod in her direction, and then led an unhappy, sputtering Joseph out of the cabin.

Susan watched them go, and only when they were out of sight did she let out a long, slow breath. She'd won. She'd stood up for her choice and won. A goofy little smile curved her lips, and she shook her head. She was crazy. She was crazy for Jesse, it seemed, and now the whole tribe would know. Susan realized, as she headed into the bathroom to prepare for bed, she didn't really care. Not if she still had Jesse.

After the confrontation with Joseph and Black Crow, Susan became bolder in her interaction with Jesse. She had no hesitation about holding Jesse's hand when they were together, no embarrassment about watching her from across the clearing, and no shame about being seen kissing her goodbye when they parted. If anyone had a problem with it, a pointed look from Susan was enough to ensure they kept it to themselves.

The night of the new moon, Susan found Jesse standing near the cliff that represented the southern edge of the tribe's land. She was staring up into the cloudless night sky, bundled up against the early November chill. Susan slipped her arms around Jesse's waist and pressed against her back. Jesse stiffened for only a moment, and then relaxed against Susan when she realized who it was.

"Not a bad view, you think?" Susan asked playfully.

Jesse craned her head back and kissed Susan before answering. "It's incredible. I don't think I've ever seen so many stars."

"Some of the elders say that there's a star for every tear a Lakota has shed in mourning. If that's true, I expect I'm responsible for my fair share of them."

"Have you lost so much?"

Susan sighed and held Jesse closer. "Enough."

They watched the stars in a comfortable silence for several minutes. Then Jesse pointed out to a cluster of constellations. "Those are my favorites. Ever since I saw Clash of the Titans—the original, not the bad remake—I've been in love with that myth. Proud Cassiopeia, beautiful Andromeda, the brave Perseus, and the beast Cetus."

"Tell it to me?" Susan moved to lie on the soft grass, pulling Jesse down beside her.

Jesse stretched out and laid her head just below Susan's breasts. "Cassiopeia was a queen, and Andromeda was her daughter. Well, Cassiopeia loved Andromeda, and thought she was just beautiful. In fact, she would tell anyone who'd listen that Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids. They were a group of sea-nymphs who were daughters of Poseidon. Or Nereus—the stories vary. One of the gods of the sea, anyway. So, Poseidon hears about Cassiopeia's boasting and gets angry. So he sets Cetus, who's an enormous sea monster, on their city. And it turns out the only way to sate the beast is for them to feed Andromeda to it. Andromeda wants to protect her people, so she agrees, and they chain her to a rock by the seaside for Cetus to come get her.

"Now, Perseus comes along and sees all of this. He's a warrior with his own whole story, but for this part, he's got a helmet that can make him invisible. So he comes up behind Cetus while Cetus is checking out Andromeda, and kills the beast. Then he sets Andromeda free, and the two of them fall in love and live happily ever after."

"Lucky day for Andromeda," Susan remarked.

Jesse lifted her head and looked at Susan. "You'd never heard that before?"

Susan shook her head. "I recognized some of the names, but we have our own myths about the stars. Those are the ones I remember."

"Really?" Jesse's eyes seemed to glitter in the low light. "I guess I should have realized that not everybody has the same constellations, but it never really hit me. Can you tell me one of your stories?"

Susan pointed to a W-shaped group of stars near the middle of the group Jesse had picked out earlier. "In your story, which one is that?"

"That's Cassiopeia," Jesse replied, settling back against Susan.

"Among the Lakota, it is Hexaka Ha, the Elk Skin. According to legend, the North Star took a wife from among the Lakota and fathered a child on her, which was named Fallen Star. There are many stories about Fallen Star, much like your Perseus, I imagine. One story tells of Fallen Star's first hunt. He stalked and killed a great elk, large enough to feed his entire tribe. Fallen Star skinned the elk and stretched the skin across a number of large stakes to dry in the sun. Once it was dry, he wanted to make a gift of it to his father, so he hefted the skin and hurled it into the sky. But he was careless and did not remove the stakes first. The stars you see are where the points of the stakes pierced the sky curtain and left holes for the light to shine through."

Jesse thought about that for a while, and then decided, "I like yours better. Cassiopeia was a boastful woman who turned on her daughter in order to save herself. Fallen Star just wanted to give his father a gift. It's much sweeter." She sat up slightly so that she could give Susan a soft kiss. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"Thank you for making me feel like I have things worth sharing," Susan replied, kissing Jesse back. The soft, playful kisses quickly became something more ardent, and soon the two were entwined on the ground, each gripping the other's back almost desperately as they pressed together. Susan was aware of their exposed position should anyone wander by, but then Jesse's body shifted against hers, and she just didn't care anymore.

Jesse's hands slid under her shirt, and Susan shivered as the cool air licked at the exposed skin. Just as quickly, though, the warmth of Jesse's hands chased away the cold. Susan's mouth left Jesse's and trailed kisses down her neck. She enjoyed the feel of the soft skin beneath her lips almost as much as Jesse seemed to thrill at the reverse. She'd all but given up on the idea that this kind of closeness would ever happen for her, that she'd ever desire anyone as much as she desired Jesse.

Jesse's hand was caressing her side now, and all feelings of cold evaporated entirely. Her entire body felt flushed and warm. It was the same sort of heat that filled her when willing the Change forward. And right on the heels of that thought came an alarming sensation, as though the wolf inside her was stretching her legs. Jesse's heartbeat pounded against her mouth, and for an instant, the desire to tear into that fount of hot blood welled up in Susan's mind.

Susan pushed back with a gasp, clenching her eyes shut while she fought for control. The wolf was strong, but she was stronger, and within seconds, the bitch was cowed and silent. She opened her eyes again and saw Jesse's concerned stare.

"I'm sorry," Jesse said. "I'm moving too fast again, aren't I?"

Susan studied Jesse's face, and it made her heart hurt. It would be easy for her to nod, and Jesse would back off. But slow and gentle was no longer what she wanted. Her body was craving more. "No, you're not. I'm not moving fast enough. I just... think we should go somewhere private."

Jesse didn't answer except to help Susan up and lead her back to the cabin. Once inside, she started for the couch, but Susan grabbed her hand and walked to the bedroom instead. It was a bold step—after all, no one but her had entered the room in the twenty-five years since the cabin had been built. But she had never been as certain of anything as she was that she wanted this.

The room was dark when they entered, but Susan turned on the small gas lantern—she'd never bothered to run electricity, had never seen the need—and suffused the tiny space with a dim, flickering glow. In that small light, Jesse's pale skin looked like porcelain, and Susan's fingers ached to touch it. She reached out with trembling hands and began to undo the buttons of Jesse's shirt. When she pushed the flannel aside, though, there was a white undershirt beneath.

She must have made some small sound of disappointment, because Jesse laughed softly. "You may be used to this temperature, but I'm not," she pointed out. Still, she slid the flannel off her shoulders and let it pool on the floor, and then grabbed the hem of the undershirt and pulled it over her head in a single smooth motion.

Susan clucked her tongue at the sight of the bra that Jesse wore below the undershirt. "I will never understand how you allowed your men to convince you to wear those torture devices." To underscore the point, she pulled her own shirt over her head and let it join the other clothes on the floor. She, of course, wore nothing underneath, and the cool air across her breasts instantly stiffened her nipples to peaks.

Jesse's breath caught in her throat. "God, you're beautiful." She undid the clasp on her bra and shrugged it off. Susan could see her nipples react in the same way to the temperature, and the sight sent another rush of heat through her body. "Is that better?" Jesse teased.

"Oh, yes," Susan whispered, her mouth suddenly dry. She lifted her hands again and placed them on Jesse's shoulders. Her fingertips traced the collarbones, the hollow of Jesse's throat, and then moved downward. She ran her hands over Jesse's breasts, delighting in the weight of them, and in the difference between the softness of the skin and the firmness of the nipples. Her hands slid lower, across Jesse's stomach and the top of her hips, before moving back up, retracing her course. Her touch stayed light, as if Jesse would shatter if she weren't careful.

As if reading her mind, Jesse groaned out, "Susan, I'm not going to break." Her voice was breathy but strained. She put her hands on Susan's hips, and Susan could feel the tension in the arms, how hard Jesse was fighting to hold back and let her lead.

Susan stepped closer, letting her hands slip around Jesse's waist, and kissed her. Her bare breasts rubbed against Jesse's, and the sensation made her knees weak. Jesse caught her, though, and eased them down onto the bed. The small bed wasn't wide enough for the two of them, so Jesse rolled on top of Susan, pressing the entire length of her body against Susan's. Susan pulled Jesse down against her, kissing her hungrily. Her head swam at the feel of Jesse's warm skin rubbing against her own. Jesse's hands moved lightly up Susan's sides and cupped her breasts, brushing her thumbs lightly across the nipples. Susan's back arched into the touch, and she threw her head back with a gasp.

"You have no idea how much I have wanted to be with you like this," Jesse said, dipping her head down to nuzzle Susan's neck. "I still want to go at your pace, though, so you just say stop if you feel uncomfortable, okay?"

The dueling sensations of Jesse's mouth on her neck and Jesse's hands on her breasts reduced Susan's voice to nothing more than small squeaks of pleasure. It took every ounce of control she had to put her hands on Jesse's shoulders and push her back far enough to meet her eyes. Even then, it took several seconds before she could get the words out that she'd been wanting to say all night. "Make love to me, Jesse. Please."

Jesse responded by kissing Susan as fiercely as she ever had before, plunging her tongue deep into Susan's mouth. Susan tried to respond in kind, but was quickly lost in a sea of sensation. Jesse's hands expertly caressed her breasts, teasing out moans and sighs as deftly as if she were playing an instrument. She parted Susan's legs with a knee and pressed her thigh against Susan's shan, and sparks erupted behind Susan's closed eyes.

Her hands knotted in the sheets as Jesse continued to slide her thigh back and forth, making her heart jump each time. She felt one of Jesse's hands move down her body, loosen the ties at her waist, and slip inside her pants. She tensed, suddenly embarrassed by the thick mound of hair she knew Jesse would be finding, but Jesse seemed to take it in stride, stroking it as lovingly as she'd touched every other part of Susan's body.

She had just started to relax again when Jesse's fingers parted the puffy folds of skin they'd been touching and began to rub against the even more tender flesh within. Her entire body shuddered then, and Jesse's mouth swallowed her moan. As was natural for most people, Susan had experimented with pleasuring herself and still found release by her own touch at times. The feeling of another's hand against those sensitive, secret places, though, was another beast entirely. She found her hips bucking upward into Jesse's touch, unwilling to lose that contact for even a second now that they'd found it.

Jesse's mouth left Susan's, dipping down to capture a stiff and throbbing nipple between her lips. With nothing to block them, Susan's whimpers of pleasure began to grow louder until 'whimper' was less accurate a word than 'groan', and 'cry' seemed to fit best of all. Jesse seemed to know her body better than Susan herself, responding to her body's signals faster than Susan could recognize them. Time barely seemed to have passed at all when she felt the first stirrings of her climax, like a tightness in her belly, spreading through her body. In between shuddering breaths, she gasped out, "Oh, please, Jesse. Yes, please. Don't stop." Then the wave crested and broke, and Susan's world exploded.

It seemed to go on forever, more intense and satisfying than any orgasm she had ever brought herself. Jesse held her on the peak, knowing just where to touch to send Susan back into the throes of ecstasy whenever she threatened to emerge. By the time Jesse finally relented, Susan was literally weeping from the pleasure, and she collapsed back onto the bed, panting.

"That was...." Susan shook her head; she just couldn't find an adequate word. "Thank you."

Jesse chuckled. "And that was just these two fingers," she teased, wiggling them in Susan's direction before licking them clean. "Imagine what I could do if I really put my mind to it."

"I think imagining is the best I can hope for right now. Any more, and I think I'll pass out."

"Well, we can't have that. It's no fun if you're unconscious." Jesse rolled to the side, still half-draped over Susan, and snuggled against her.

Susan ran her fingers absently through Jesse's hair. "But what about you?"

"There's time for that later. Tonight was about you," Jesse said, softly kissing Susan's stomach. "I can go, if you like. Let you sleep in peace."

Susan shook her head. "I've never been more at peace than right now. Please stay."

"All right." Jesse stood up long enough to shed the rest of her clothes and douse the light, and then joined an also-nude Susan beneath the covers. It took a few minutes to negotiate a comfortable position for both of them. That achieved, Susan drifted easily to sleep, with Jesse's even breathing her lullaby.

Susan left Jesse sleeping when she rose the following morning. Even after her customary cold shower, she could still smell Jesse on her skin, and she decided that was a good thing. She dried herself slower than usual, drawing the towel across her body, enjoying the tiny aftershocks of remembered pleasure. Her eyes fluttered shut, and the towel dropped away as her hands continued to trace the paths that Jesse had caressed last night.

The creak of a floorboard caught her attention, though, and her eyes snapped open. Jesse was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, her naked form silhouetted by the morning light filtering through the closed curtains. "That is so not fair," Jesse purred. "No one has the right to look that gorgeous this early in the morning."

Susan resisted the sudden urge to cover herself. True, Jesse's hair was mussed, and she bore a few reddish marks from where the folds in the sheets had pressed against her skin, but if anyone in this room was gorgeous, it was clearly Jesse. Susan turned, unable to meet Jesse's eyes, and looked in the mirror instead. "I'm really not, you know."

Jesse stepped into the room and closed the distance between them. "You really are. And if I didn't have an interview appointment with a wildlife expert today, I'd spend the whole morning convincing you." She gave Susan a quick kiss, swiping her tongue playfully across Susan's bottom lip.

Susan moaned softly at the kiss, and then fought to control herself. "If you want a hot shower, you'll have to go back to your guest cabin. I don't have a water heater."

Jesse wrinkled her nose at that idea. "I didn't bring a change of clothes anyway, so if I showered here, I'd have to put dirty clothes back on anyway. I think I'll pass."

Not too much later, the pair emerged from the cabin. Jesse's clothes were rumpled, but she had managed to get a brush through her hair to free up the worst of the tangles. Even so, to anyone who looked in their direction, their appearances left little doubt as to the events of the previous night. Again, Susan felt a twinge of embarrassment, but quickly stamped it down. She wasn't ashamed of what they had done, and it hardly mattered who knew it.

That resolve was put to the test just after the pair separated, Jesse returning to the guest cabin to change while Susan went to set about her morning duties. She caught the sound of snickering from behind her. She turned slowly and saw three boys only a few years younger than Jesse huddled together and laughing in her direction.

"Well, that answers that," said Little Bear, the oldest, his voice just loud enough for Susan to hear without making it seem like he wanted her to. "Now we know why she never mated with a man all these years."

Billy Two-Spears laughed. "She always acted like a man anyway, so we should have figured."

"And what woman would want her when they have so many men to choose from?" offered Jacob Blackwater, Joseph Blackwater's grandson. "I mean, how desperate does that other one have to be that Susan Breaking-Wind is a catch?"

Susan had been content to let them have their jibes. Wakan Tanka knew she'd endured enough of them through the years. But when Jacob took a swipe at Jesse, she refused to let it stand. The boys didn't try to run, they just laughed harder as they watched Susan stalk over to them. Despite having the grudging respect of the elders, Susan had backed herself down from too many confrontations with the younger generation for them to take her seriously. That was going to change.

She clamped a hand onto Jacob's shoulder hard enough to send the boy to his knees. From the corner of her eye, she could see Billy and Little Bear frozen, unsure what to make of this new turn of events. Susan turned the full weight of her stare onto Jacob Blackwater. Jacob tried to hold his own, but when Susan bared her teeth and let loose with a throaty growl, the boy's eyes widened and dropped. Susan also detected the faint acrid scent of urine. She stepped back so that she could capture all three in her field of vision. "Go," she hissed.

They scattered like startled birds.

Susan spent most of the day away from the cabins, checking and resetting the various small animal traps. With winter coming on, the larger animals would be getting scarce, so the tribe depended more and more on the squirrels, rabbits, and foxes that populated the downslope side of the land. Today was a good catch, and Susan returned with a sack full of future meals.

The SUV was already back, parked next to the beat-up Ford they used for trips into town. Susan automatically began scanning the clearing for Jesse while she emptied the sack onto one of the large butchering tables and set to work skinning and cleaning her haul. Jesse was sitting at the fire pit on the other end of the clearing. She wasn't sitting alone, though, and Susan had to squint a little before she managed to identify the man beside her as Joseph Blackwater.

Susan's hands started to shake with anger, and her wolf seemed to be prowling circles around her mind. It was more than simple jealousy; between Joseph's words to her last week and his grandson's behavior earlier today, Susan knew that whatever he had to say to Jesse was not going to be positive. And as she suspected, the more they talked, the more agitated Jesse seemed to get, until she finally stood up and ran for the guest cabin, breaking down into tears.

It took oceans of reserve that Susan hadn't known she possessed to remain seated at the table and continue her work. Calling out Joseph Blackwater in front of the tribe was not the way to handle this, as much as she wanted in that moment to bathe her hands in his blood. Jesse was upset, yes, but unharmed. And nothing short of that could justify following through on that initial impulse. The hurt from words could often be soothed with more words. That is what separated them from the true wolves.

Once she had finished with all of the animals and washed herself clean, Susan made her way to the guest cabin and knocked on the door. Tyler opened the door. "She figured you might be by," he said.

"I want to see her. Is she all right?"

"That's not a good idea right now. She said to tell you that she'll come over to your place after supper. She just needs some time to herself first."

"What did Joseph tell her?" Susan insisted.

Tyler just shook his head. "She didn't tell me. But she promises that she'll talk to you about it tonight. You just need to leave her alone for a little while."

Her wolf whispered inside her mind. We do not allow the white man to tell us what to do. He is a weak, fragile thing. Break his neck and go to your mate.

The thought had a certain appeal to it, but Susan had not survived as long as she had by giving in to her baser desires. She nodded to Tyler and stepped back. "Tell her I'll be waiting for her."

It was still several hours until the evening meal, and Susan knew that just sitting and waiting would drive her mad. So instead, she walked into the woods until the clearing was no longer in sight. Then she quickly undressed and draped her clothes across a tree branch. Her wolf had been restless all day, and for once, Susan agreed that she needed a run.

Forcing the Change was harder than giving in to the moon's call, but it was a skill that had to be mastered to become a elder. With the need fairly clawing at her skin, Susan found it took very little coaxing to bring her wolf forward. Within minutes, she was bounding deeper into the forest on four paws.

Susan let the stillness of the woods surround her and soothe her mind. She could guess why Joseph Blackwater would have chosen today to have made a nuisance of himself. No doubt Jacob scampered off to his grandfather after the events of that morning. Still, she couldn't bring herself to regret her actions. Had he acted that way toward any other elder, they would have reacted the same way and been above reproach. Susan was worthy of the same level of respect, and she was prepared to fight for it.

The central fire was raging by the time she returned, and everyone was settling in to eat. Susan saw Tyler and Jorge, but Jesse was apparently still in the cabin. And as much as Susan wanted to take the chance to go to her now, she held back, trusting Jesse to keep her word. She filled a plate with a breast of rabbit and some steamed vegetables and carried it back to her cabin to eat. As usual, no one was sorry to see her go.

She had just finished her meal when she heard a knock. Susan opened it and let Jesse inside. Her pale cheeks were streaked with tears, and her eyes were puffy and red. She'd been crying for hours, and it broke Susan's heart to see it. She reached out, but Jesse flinched away, so Susan waited.

"I've never met anyone like you," Jesse said finally, pacing across the small living area, her hands wrapped tightly around her chest. "All the time we've spent together has been wonderful. I even thought I might be starting to fall in love with you."

Susan swallowed back a lump in her throat. "But Joseph Blackwater told you something today that makes you think differently." It was hardly a question, and when she thought about it, Susan was almost certain what it was he said.

Jesse nodded. Her voice was completely monotone as she continued, "At first, he just wanted to know how the film was coming. He seemed very nice. He asked about my family and my school. Then he asked about you, about how I felt about you. He said that you didn't make attachments and not to get my hopes up for anything lasting. I told him he was wrong, that you weren't like that at all. And then he told me that the reason your cabin is so far away from everyone else's, the reason that you sit apart at meals and that you hunt alone, is that you murdered your entire family." She took a deep, sniffling breath. "Is it true?"

"Jesse, whatever—"

"Is it true?"

"If you thought it was, would you have come here alone?"

"Then why, Susan?" Jesse stopped pacing and stared Susan in the eyes. "Why would he say such a terrible thing?"

Susan motioned to the sofa. "Sit down. I'll tell you the story he obviously didn't." She pulled one of the kitchen chairs over so she could sit facing Jesse. "My family died the day I was born. Mother didn't survive the birth, and before the following sunrise, my father, grandfather, and three brothers had died as well."

"Oh, God," Jesse breathed. "I'm so sorry! But that can't have been your fault."

"Naturally, the elders wanted to know what happened. They brought in medicine men, loremasters, and even a white doctor they drove up from the city. No one could find any reason why they had all died. It was a huge mystery for a number of years. In the meantime, I was raised by Black Crow. And for a while, no one thought any more of it.

"But then people started noticing things. I was big for my age. I started crawling early. Walking and talking before children born even before I was. When schooling started, I moved too quickly through my lessons. I could outrun even the boys. And slowly, the mystery around my birth started to creep back into people's minds. With the magic of hindsight, people started slowly remembering that everyone in my family had seemed more and more tired in the weeks before my birth. At the time, it had seemed perfectly natural, but now everything was starting to look sinister. By the time I turned six, the elders had decided that I must have been draining my family's energy into myself even before birth, and that the day I was born, I took the last of it."

Jesse shook her head. "But that's crazy! That's not even possible!"

"Among the beliefs of the Lakota, it is. Even Fallen Star was discovered suckling at his dead mother's breast, having apparently taken all of her life force to enrich his own. So, while 'murdered' is a bit strong of a word—I'm sure Joseph Blackwater chose it deliberately to upset you—according to Lakota tradition, I did kill my family. And every achievement I earn, every milestone I pass, every impressive thing I do, only serves as proof. I'm too fast, too smart, and too strong for one woman, they say, so I must have stolen additional life force."

"Susan, I..." Jesse slid off the couch and laid her head on Susan's knee. "I didn't want to believe him, but I couldn't understand why he would lie. That's just... horrible. I can't believe they would blame you for something you couldn't have done."

"For all I know, it's true," Susan admitted. "I could have done it and not even been aware. I could be doing it right now, to you. That's why I live apart. I'm afraid that it's true just as much as they are. Staying away is the best way to protect them if I am dangerous."

"That's bullshit. You've spent plenty of time with me, and I feel fine. In fact, I always feel better after spending time with you, not worse. The elders taught you to hate yourself, and you learned it too well." Jesse sat back on her knees and took both of Susan's hands. "And if you're willing to forgive me for doubting you—"

Susan stood up and pulled Jesse up beside her. "There's nothing wrong with doubts. The trick is not to let them rule you. You asked me about it. A lesser woman would have run and never looked back."

"Then I think it's time I start undoing some of that teaching."

"You already have."

They made love tenderly that night, with none of the frantic urgency of the first time. Jesse's mouth was even more limber than her fingers had been, something Susan would not have thought possible. And while Susan didn't have the same level of experience, her enthusiasm made up for the lack if Jesse's cries of pleasure were any indication.

The sky was beginning to brighten by the time they were sated. They snuggled in the bed, their bodies entwined, watching the light slowly fill the room. Susan buried her face in Jesse's neck, letting her lover's scent fill her nose. She felt Jesse's fingers brushing through her hair, and the last of the anger and stress of the previous day just bled away. It even seemed like her wolf was rolling over and happily panting from the attention.

"Something's been bothering me," Jesse said, breaking the silence of the past hour. "I heard you with those three guys yesterday."

"I'm sorry you had to hear that. I'm used to it, but you shouldn't have to be."

Jesse shrugged. "Believe me, I've heard worse. That's not what's bugging me. But after you pushed one of them down, I heard you growling at him. It stuck in my mind because it seemed so familiar. I was just lying here thinking about it, and it finally hit me. It sounded exactly like the growl of the wolf that scared away the mountain lion. It was a total alpha dominance play."

Susan stiffened, her wolf instantly coming alert. "Well, you said it worked so well on the mountain lion, I figured I'd give it a try," she said with a laugh that sounded forced even to her.

"It wasn't just the same kind of growl, though; it was the same growl."

"One growl is pretty much like another, I imagine."

"Not really," Jesse insisted. "I've been in love with wolves since I was seven years old. They're my number one passion, which is why I picked the subject for my documentary. Wolf growls are as individual as human voices."

Susan really wasn't liking the direction this conversation was going. "So, what are you saying?"

"I don't know. It's just bugging me. Like the wolf's eyes. I didn't notice it at the time, because I was scared shitless, but when I looked at the footage a few more times, I could see that they weren't like normal wolf eyes at all. They looked more human than that."

"You're getting carried away with this werewolf thing," Susan snapped. She got out of the bed, suddenly restless. "Is that why you're really here?"

"Really... where?"

Susan gestured vaguely to the cabin. She felt like fire ants were crawling underneath her skin. "Here, in my cabin. In my bed. Were you just trying to get close to me thinking I'd let something slip? Bark in my sleep, maybe?" Damn Blackwater for putting the idea in her head. Damn Black Crow for standing beside him. And damn Jesse for ruining what had been the most perfect night of her life.

"Of course not!" Jesse jumped up out of the bed as well. "I'm here because I want to be with you! Because I care about you! How can you even think that I'd use you like that?"

"Everyone else does, why not you? Used, abused, or ignored; that's my life, Jesse! Sometimes all three at once!" Susan shot back.

"And I told you that I want to change that. Look, why is this bothering you so much?"

"What, being accused of being some kind of movie monster shouldn't bother me?"

"I wasn't accusing you of anything!" Jesse said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was lower and calmer. "I'm sorry, Susan. I didn't realize it would upset you. Like I said, it was just weird. I won't bring it up again."

Susan was so geared up for the argument that hearing Jesse apologize was as strange as if she'd changed colors and started to fly. Her brain disconnected from her mouth for a few seconds. She looked away, ashamed both for getting angry and for the necessity of lying to Jesse. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have been such a bitch. It's just... so many times, people come among us claiming to want to learn about us, learn our ways, and then they take the little bit of knowledge they gain and take it back to their world to exploit for profit. It's made us all a little jaded."

"Hey, it's okay." Jesse walked over and ran her hands along Susan's arms. "Totally understandable. I'd probably have freaked out, too. Let's just forget about it, okay?"

Susan nodded. "Okay." Then, since it was too late to go back to bed, she turned toward the bathroom. "Shower?"

"Hell, no. I need my hot water, thank you."

Susan laughed. "White devil."

"Bloody savage," Jesse teased back.

Though Jesse continued to spend at least part of every evening at Susan's cabin, they rarely spent the night together. Susan's small bed was simply not large enough for the two of them to be comfortable. They would talk for hours, watch movies on Jesse's laptop, make love as often as not, and then Jesse would go back to the guest cabin to sleep.

They rarely talked about the documentary. Susan suspected that it was nearer to being done than Jesse wanted to admit, because as soon as it was, Jesse would have no more reason to stay. It was an unspoken deadline for their relationship, and something that neither of them was ready to face. Instead, they talked about Jesse's family in Arizona, or Susan's childhood with Black Crow (the fun parts, not the unpleasant ones). Jesse taught Susan about film editing, and Susan taught Jesse how to dry animal skins for clothing.

It was peaceful, almost idyllic. For a week. Susan was in her cabin repairing a hole in one of her shirts when Jacob Blackwater knocked on her door. He didn't say anything, just handed her a feather and ran back as fast as his legs would carry him. A single black feather: the sign for a summons before the Council of Elders. Which, given that she was a member of the Council of Elders and had no knowledge of this meeting, was distressing on a number of levels.

She saw no smoke from any chimney as she approached, which meant the elders had gathered in the meeting hall. Susan's confusion was quickly turning to anger. The meeting hall was only used if the elders were convened formally, and her exclusion from that was galling. Even more galling was that she could hear raised voices as she neared the hall, but only silence greeted her the moment she pushed open the doors.

Susan walked purposefully to the table at the head of the room, locking eyes with each of the other elders in turn. She slammed the feather down onto the table hard enough to drive the quill into the wood. "So. Now that you've summoned me before you like some kind of brainless squaw instead of as a full member of this council, what can I do for you?"

Black Crow sighed. "No offense was intended. Given your involvement in this matter, it was hoped that we could settle the question without you."

"What. Question."

"The question of whether to send your white friends away now or wait until they've completely destroyed our way of life," Joseph Blackwater said sharply. "And if it is discovered that you put her on this path, Susan—"

"Stop being such a drama queen," Two Feathers interrupted. Susan had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at an eighty-six year old woman calling a sixty-two year old man a 'drama queen'. "Let the girl say what she wants. Who would believe her? If we force them out now, it will only strengthen their belief that we have secrets."

Susan held up her hands. "Hold on a minute. Back up. Jesse and the boys know about our nature?"

"Not yet, but they suspect more and more each day," Black Crow explained. "They have asked many uncomfortable questions."

"What kind of questions?" Susan had thought the issue dead and buried after her argument with Jesse. Obviously, she had simply taken her inquiries elsewhere.

"Questions like why our hunting spears show so little wear. Or why the wounds on our kills look more like bite marks."

"Why the young children yip and bark when they play," Walks-In-Fog added.

Blackwater nodded. "I warned you about this. The woman is an expert on wolf behavior. It was only a matter of time before she began to notice things."

William Two-Spears barked out a laugh. "So what? What will she tell people? Indian werewolves live among us? They'll put her in the tabloids between Bigfoot's shoe salesman and Dracula's dentist!"

Black Crow rapped on the table before anyone else could offer their opinion. "The council is evenly divided on the question," he told Susan. "Your vote is required to break the deadlock."

"We all know which way she will vote," Joseph huffed. "Why bother to ask?"

"Please, Susan," Black Crow continued, not acknowledging Blackwater's outburst. "Answer with your head, not with your heart. Should we ask them to leave before they learn too much?"

Susan opened her mouth to say no, but forced herself to stop. Black Crow was right about one thing: it wasn't simply a matter of what she wanted. The tribe was primary, and all members were expected to sacrifice whatever necessary to preserve it. She tried to set aside her personal feelings and focus on the general welfare of all. But still, only one possible answer presented itself.

"You are right about my vote, Joseph, but not for the reasons you believe. I have spent more time with Jesse than anyone, and I know better than you how she thinks. When a thing is hidden from her, she only becomes more determined to know it. I can think of no situation in which sending her away now can benefit us. Two Feathers is right; it will only make her more suspicious. Her mind will refuse to let it go, and we may truly be exposed."

Two-Spears started to say something, but Susan held up a hand. "She is too smart to approach the media with such a story," she continued, "but there will be others who will listen, and we may find ourselves soon enough with more visitors. The tale will never be believed by many, but by enough. Let her stay, confirm nothing, and when she returns to her world, she will regard us as only a curiosity. A series of coincidences that played at her imagination. A week, a month from now, she will laugh at herself over how silly she was to think that werewolves existed. My vote is no."

Blackwater rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Dress it up however you want; you'll find any way you can to justify keeping your dyke lover!"

"That 'dyke' is my mashké!" Susan retorted. "And I defy you—any of you—to send her away from me!"

Black Crow stood up and slammed the head of his cane onto the table. "Iyena!" he shouted. The entire room was shocked into silence. Susan didn't think she had heard Black Crow raise his voice more than three times in her entire life. "Susan is a member of this council and will be treated with respect! Her vote is cast, and the matter is decided."

"Damn right it is!" Susan growled. She turned her back on the council and defiantly strode out of the meeting hall, her head held high.

Susan turned the last corner and eased the old Ford up the last hill leading back home. She checked the rear-view to make sure the huge bags of rice and flats of vegetables lining the bed were in no danger of toppling. She'd volunteered to do the run into town to get supplies, mainly because she wanted to buy a gift for Jesse. It took some hunting, but she managed to find a DVD copy of Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, which Jesse had mentioned she loved but didn't yet own.

The SUV came into view at the top of the hill, and Susan smiled. She wondered how much it was going to hurt when the day came that she would no longer have that reminder that Jesse was waiting for her. As she got closer, though, she noticed that the side window had been broken in, and the windshield was similarly cracked. She threw the truck into park and jumped out, afraid of what might have happened.

The sound of jeering and shouting immediately assaulted her when she opened the door. She quickly located the source: five of the tribe's young men, led predictably enough by Jacob Blackwater, had surrounded and were harassing Jesse and Tyler. Jorge was already curled on the ground, his hands pressed against his bloodied nose.

Susan looked around, but none of the elders were anywhere to be seen. She wouldn't be surprised if Joseph had called a council meeting in his cabin on the other side of the clearing and well out of earshot. And with no intervention by the elders, no one else was willing to step forward and challenge the incensed bullies. No one but Susan, of course.

She stalked right into the middle of the mob, pushing two of the boys aside to get past. It was then that she saw Little Bear crumpled into a heap and holding his head. Bits of black plastic on the ground and the cracked camera case explained that, and Susan nodded her approval. "You're all done here!" she yelled above the insults and taunts.

"We'll be done when they leave!" Jacob shot back.

"How can they leave when you've got them surrounded and you smashed their truck?" Susan asked, turning to face Jacob. She knew that trying to appeal to a mob's sense of logic was pointless, but Jacob's moment of stunned silence was worth the asking.

"Shut up! Just shut up! No one here is afraid of you. What are you going to do? You can't stop all of us. We'll kill you if you try."

Susan stepped forward, putting herself between Jacob and Jesse and Tyler. "When I make a hole, just run," she muttered under her breath as she passed. Then, to Jacob, she said, "Do you really think you're that strong? Are you certain that your wakan is sufficient to put me down? Because if you aren't, then you need to consider your next words very carefully."

She kept her eyes fixed on Jacob, but from the corners, she could see Billy Two-Spears and Singing Tree go wide-eyed and step away from their leader. Jacob, though, refused to be cowed.

"We don't want them here anymore! If you get in our way, we'll rip you apart."

Susan shrugged. "Suit yourself." She darted forward and grabbed a handful of Jacob's shirt, lifted him off the ground, and hurled him sideways. "Go!" she shouted over her shoulder to Jesse and Tyler, who thankfully complied, dragging Jorge clear of the fray between them.

A rock struck Susan's head from behind, causing her to stumble. It was all the weakness the other boys needed, and they all rushed on her at once. Susan threw herself forward into a roll to get clear of the mass, and then spun around to face them. Another rock came flying at her, but she saw this one coming and snatched it out of the air. The sharp point cut into her hand, but it didn't stop her from hurling it back the way it came. James Walkswithwind went down with a shout of pain.

Billy Two-Spears and Singing Tree came rushing at her from either side, and she dealt with them by the expedient method of stepping back and slamming the two boys into each other when they closed in. As soon as they hit the ground, though, Jacob Blackwater was up again, leaping over his fallen companions. Susan couldn't move in time to avoid the collision, and Jacob's full weight slammed her into the ground. She barely managed not to crack her skull on the ground, but the impact still knocked the wind out of her.

Jacob's knees drove into her chest, and he started punching her across the face with all his strength. Susan felt her lip split and lost most of the vision in her left eye before she was able to move again. One of the other boys—she couldn't see who—tried to pin down her legs, but she managed to kick him in the face hard enough to hear the crunch of bone. Jacob pulled back for another punch, but Susan grabbed his wrist and used it to throw him over her head.

By the time she got to her feet again, Jacob had as well. He was also brandishing a hunting knife that she hadn't noticed him carrying. "You're all done here," he taunted, swiping at her with the blade.

Susan jumped back in time to avoid being gutted, though the knife still managed to put a slice in her shirt. She dodged the second and third attempts, but misjudged his speed on the fourth when she made a grab for the knife and wound up with a cut across her upper arm. Her wolf howled inside her mind and clawed to be released, but Susan refused. She knew Jesse and Tyler were nearby, and shifting anywhere they could see would be the absolute worst thing that could happen.

She spun out of the way of Jacob's next thrust and backhanded Little Bear, who had been trying to sneak up behind her. The other boys were either occupied with their injuries or standing clear for the moment, afraid to get in the way of Jacob's knife.

"You know none of them are leaving here," Jacob said. "They know too much. Soon as I'm done with you, they're next."

Susan growled. That knife gave Jacob too much of an advantage, especially combined with his reach and his speed. She could only think of one thing that would even the odds, but even among the elders it was generally believed to be impossible. Still, Susan had little choice but to try. "Then stop talking and get it over with. Or would you rather piss yourself and run away again?"

The reminder of their earlier confrontation made Jacob even angrier, just as Susan had hoped. He rushed at her, screaming and slashing. Susan waited until his arm was fully extended and his body was exposed before she struck. She swung her arm around in a slap, but what connected with Jacob's cheek wasn't fingers but claws, gouging three sharp lines across Jacob's face. But Susan didn't stop, instead continuing the swipe down the length of Jacob's knife arm, tearing through fabric and flesh all the way from shoulder to wrist.

The knife went flying from Jacob's hand; the sudden pain and damage simply stole his ability to grip it. He stared agog, along with her other attackers, at Susan's partially-shifted arm as the fur and blooded claws receded back into a human form.

Susan spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "You're all done here," she repeated in a soft but dangerous voice.

This time, the boys agreed, falling over each other to be the first one to run away.

Susan limped back to her cabin and saw Jesse there waiting. She ran over to Susan and put an arm around her. "We should get you to a doctor; you could have a concussion."

Susan shook her head. "Just help me inside. I'll be fine."

"The hell you will. Your arm is bleeding, and you should see your face."

"You should see the other guy," Susan joked, though the smile made her split lip hurt worse.

"I did. What did you do to him? His whole arm was bleeding. And he was the one with the knife!"

Susan cursed herself. "You were supposed to have run, not grabbed some popcorn and watched."

"Damn it, Susan, don't change the subject. You don't have fingernails long enough to do what I saw."

"And what did you see?"

"I don't know," Jesse admitted.

"Yes, you do. What did you see?"

"You hit him, and he started bleeding. Oh, God, what if he bleeds to death?"

"He'll live," Susan insisted. "But what did you see?"

"Your hand turned into a claw, all right? I saw your hand change, and then change back."

Susan nodded. "Do you trust me?"

Jesse had to think on that, and Susan didn't blame her in the least. Finally, she just said, "I love you."

"Then help me inside."

Once the door was closed, Susan tore off the ruined shirt, went to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. The cold water stung like fire on her bruises, but by the time all the blood was washed away, the worst of the cuts were nearly closed.

Jesse shook her head. "No, you were cut worse than that. I saw it. A knife that size, there's no way."

"One advantage to our condition is that we heal extremely fast. That's how I know Jacob won't lose too much blood."

"What do you mean, 'condition'? What kind of... oh. Oh, God. Oh, Jesus, don't you dare." Jesse started backing toward the bathroom door.

"You'll never know how hard it was for me to lie to you, Jesse. To pretend to be offended in order to throw you off the trail."

"No... No, God, don't say it." Jesse's back hit the door frame, and she slid down, trembling.

Susan turned off the shower, but didn't step out. "You know some of the Lakota language. Do you know the word mashké?"

The question was such an abrupt change of topic that it seemed to cut through Jesse's fears. She sniffled back her tears and nodded. "It's a female friend of a female."

"It's more than that," Susan explained. "It's a bond between two women that goes beyond friendship, beyond love. Among my people, it is considered lucky to have even a single mashké in one's entire life. A mashké will protect her friend no matter what, will never betray her or endanger her in any way. I need you to understand this so that you'll know what I mean when I say I consider you my mashké and hope that you think the same of me."

Jesse nodded, still shaking. "I do. I don't know what's going on, but I know that much."

"I am what you would call a werewolf. So is everyone in the tribe."

"Oh, God," Jesse gasped, and then started crying again.

Susan stepped out of the shower slowly and knelt in front of Jesse. "No one is going to hurt you, I swear on my life. Or Tyler or Jorge."

Despite her tears, Jesse laughed softly. "I made them barricade themselves in the guest cabin. But I couldn't leave you out there alone. I guess you could handle yourself."

"I got lucky," Susan said, shaking her head. "The ability to partially shift like I did is something that hasn't been seen for generations. We only hear about it in stories. If it hadn't worked, Jacob would have killed me."

"Then why?"

"Because he threatened you. And if I didn't try to stop him with every fiber of my being, I had no right to call you mashké. Or to believe that I was worthy of your love."

Jesse sniffled again and ran a shaking hand down Susan's cheek. "So what happens now? I mean, obviously I can't tell Tyler or Jorge, but..."

"You have to cancel the film. Jesse, I'm begging you. If even the idea that we are the wolves gets out, we'll have scientists and conspiracy nuts and who knows who else putting us under the microscope. Eventually, someone will see something they shouldn't, and it will be all over for us."

"I... don't know if I can do that," Jesse said. "I've made commitments. I swear I'll keep the truth out of it, just say that I never saw any wolves."

"That might be enough, but it might make other people even more curious. Please, do whatever you can to stop it."

"I'll try; I promise."

Susan dropped her head, sighing in relief. "Thank you." When she looked up again, she noticed that Jesse was biting her lip and smirking. "What?"

"You're wet and naked."

"So?"

"Have I ever told you how incredibly turned on I get by wet and naked?"

Susan began to smile as well. "No, I don't think you have."

"Hmm. Just how healed are you?"

In answer, Susan stood up and pulled Jesse into her arms, carrying her into the bedroom. They undressed in a flash, and fell onto the bed, kissing and touching. Jesse ground her hips against Susan, rubbing her neatly trimmed sex against Susan's mound of hair. Susan gasped, grabbing Jesse's butt and pulling her closer. "Maybe I should start shaving, too," she said between kisses.

Jesse moaned. "Oh, don't you dare. I love how you feel."

"I love you," Susan replied, the first time she'd even dared to think the words, much less say them.

Jesse just kissed Susan again, thrusting hard against her. Susan's hips began bucking up to meet Jesse's, and she threw her head back, panting and groaning with each contact. Jesse dipped her head to nibble at Susan's throat, and the combination was enough to send Susan into a screaming, shuddering orgasm.

The moment the spasms subsided, Susan rolled over and pinned Jesse beneath her. She kissed down the length of Jesse's chest and stomach, paying plenty of attention to her breasts and navel, before burying her head between Jesse's legs, desperate to taste her. Jesse dug her hands into Susan's hair, writhing as Susan laved along the outer folds of Jesse's shan. The mix of Jesse's juices with her own drove her wild, and she plunged her tongue inside as far as she could.

"Holy shit!" Jesse shouted. Her entire upper body bucked off the bed at the sudden penetration.

Susan took that as a positive sign and slid her tongue in and out, lapping at every inch she could reach. Jesse's legs started to shake, and her hands began fisting in Susan's hair. Susan pulled back just enough to draw the nub of Jesse's clit into her mouth and suckle, at which point Jesse's back arched, her body tensed, and she let out a cry that Susan was sure the entire tribe heard. Still, she didn't let up until she had gently licked away every trace of their shared passions, leaving Jesse gasping above her and utterly spent.

They stayed curled in bed together the rest of the night, though Jesse did stop long enough to dig out her phone and let Tyler and Jorge know everything was all right. There were more whispered I-love-you's, and they fell asleep in each other's arms. All things considered, Susan reflected, it had been a good day.

The Blackwaters were expelled from the tribe by the elders in light of their deception and attempted murder. The other boys were reprimanded for falling under a bad influence. A couple of them grumbled about the unfairness, but all Susan had to do was wave at them with her right arm, and they immediately silenced.

The damage to the SUV was repaired by AAA, and Jesse finally had to admit that it was time to leave. "I want to stay more than anything," she told Susan on that tearful morning, "but I have responsibilities back at the school. I'm sorry."

Susan nodded. "Don't be sorry," she said, recalling an earlier conversation. "Do what you have to do. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll come back. I promise, mashké."

"I know."

It wasn't a black SUV that came up the drive that morning three months later, but the moment Susan saw the little pickup truck crest the hill, she knew.

Jesse parked beside the old Ford and walked to where Susan and Black Crow stood waiting. "There won't be a documentary," she told them as soon as she got close. "It's the damnedest thing, but there was a freak fire at my studio and all of the footage was destroyed." She smiled sweetly, and Susan's knees went weak to see it again.

"We are in your debt," Black Crow said. "Thank you for protecting our people."

Jesse took a deep breath. "I'd like them to be my people, too. If you'll have me."

"What about your school?" Susan asked.

"I can take most of my classes online now, if I want. But, honestly, it just doesn't seem that important to me anymore."

Black Crow smiled and patted Jesse's shoulder. "Susan's mashké is always welcome among us. We will be happy to accept you into our family."

Susan crossed her arms and put on a playful pout. "I guess this means I'll have to get a bigger bed."

"And a hot water heater," Jesse added.

"Devil."

"Savage."

The name is Toni McGowan, and I'm a bounty hunter. Not your run-of-the-mill 'catch the bail-skipping jaywalker' type of bounty hunter. I hunt creatures that are conjured up by new age magical fanatics who have not studied, get spells wrong, or just do not realize that they have allowed little beasties (sometimes big beasties) out to roam. So, I guess you can call me a Special Ops Bounty Hunter, and being a werewolf helps a great deal.

I knew my day was going to go from bad to worse when my espresso machine decided to break down, forcing me to use instant coffee. Sure enough, there came a knock at the door of my two-story log cabin. Not many people know of my home, which could only mean one thing. I opened the door to find a pig-faced little blue imp dressed in a bright orange and green leisure suit, holding a scroll unrolled before him in his grubby little paws.

"Shravani Phellan, werewolf bounty hunter, you are hereby ordered to appear before the council within two candle marks," the imp read from the scroll with a strong fake Italian accent. I failed at keeping a straight face.

"My name is Toni McGowan. Geez, doesn't the council realize that we are not living in the dark ages anymore? We have phones."

"Look, lady, I just do what they tell me to do," the imp shot back with his bad mobster accent. His little piggy eyes leered the length of my body from my night black hair to the tips of my military issued combat books. "Youse don't look like a bounty hunter."

"And you don't look like a mobster," I said, slamming the door in his face.

"Two hours you got." I heard his voice through the door.

I leaned back against the door and sighed. My day had been shot to hell, but that is the life of a bounty hunter. I pushed myself off the door and headed to change. Usually, the council just drops off assignments, but having an imp relay the message meant they mean business or were too lazy to pick up a phone. The last time the council called was to have me go up against the dragon that had started the East County fires back in 2007, and life had been quiet since. Donning my dark tan leather pants, blood red tank top, as well as a matching tan leather jacket and my combat boots, I grabbed my short sword with its wolf's head pommel and my steel blue Beastie taser (looks like a Beretta 9mm, but inside of the bullets, it sends out a good shock). I deemed myself presentable and headed out the door.

The annual apple harvest was in full swing, so traffic through the sleepy little town of Julian was heavier than normal. People from all over San Diego were coming up to view the changing of the leaves, pick apples, shop, and partake in fresh hot apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream. The scent of burning leaves, cinnamon, and exhaust hung heavy in the clear sky. It was my turn at the stop sign; I watched as a family of sprites walked past a small tourist group, and no one took notice. The sprites looked my way and smiled. I gave them a little wave before I took my left hand turn to head out of town.

Traffic thinned as I wound my way down the hill towards the Sleeping Angel Cabin Resort, otherwise known as the council headquarters. A large banner denoted the turn onto a graveled path. Two more pig-faced imps peered out from behind the banner. They nodded in my direction as a wet mist swallowed my truck. The road smoothed out, the mist faded revealing several log and cottage-style cabins nestled along the mountainside. In the center stood a Victorian-styled meeting hall where people held business retreat meetings and weddings. The lights flickered on as I parked my truck; the song Crazy Train died along with the engine, the songs of birds replacing the heavy guitar riffs.

Taking a deep breath of fresh mountain air, I entered the meeting hall. All the council members attended: I could smell each member, from the brimstone of demons to the grassy scent of elfin kind. This was not going to be good.

"Enter, Shravani Phellan, and be welcome," a light musical voice called out from within the hall. There was the ring of authority in the tone. Earwen had welcomed me in.

The room was larger than outside appearances. Heavy wooden tables formed a half circle, and I walked into the opening. The heavy medieval appearance was all an illusion. Bits of the dark paneled walls shimmered as the spell weakened.

"You really didn't have to go through all of this for me," I said, hoping my voice sounded coy.

"Enough," Earwen said, her voice deepening, yellow eyes flashing in anger.

The other members of the council cowered a bit under the sound of her voice. I was not so swayed. I placed my right hand over the pommel of my blade, squaring my shoulders. A werewolf cowers to no one.

"Why did you send Guido the imp when a call would have sufficed?"

Earwen stood and walked around her little table to stand before me. Earwen was a head shorter than I was, and I only stand five four. Even with her diminutive height, though, she felt taller than I did. Our breathing matched, breath for breath, slow and steady.

"We sent Guido, as you call him, to make sure you received our message. You, wolf, do not answer either of your phones," Earwen answered. She leaned up against her table, crossing her arms over her chest. "Bael, give Shravani Phellan the package."

"My name is Toni. Toni McGowan," I said through clenched teeth, trying to keep my fangs from showing.

A tall, blond man with deep brown eyes handed me a manila envelope. I gave a curt nod which he did not return. His intense gaze watched my every movement as I opened the envelope, pulling out a picture of a woman with shoulder length red hair and bright green eyes.

My emotions slipped, my mouth opening in shock, "Oh hell no. No. No," I uttered, dropping the envelope and picture in front of Bael. His lips quirked in a mocking smile.

"You know this woman?" Earwen asked, her right eyebrow cocked.

I only nodded.

Earwen smiled. "Good, then your assignment should be an easy one."

"What assignment?"

"You are to protect her until the full moon."

"No. Find someone or something else." I backed away, trying to make my escape through to doors. The doors slammed shut, barring my exit.

"Toni Shravani Phellan McGowan, you are bound to this council," Bael said, pointing towards Earwen. His muscular build strained against his black shirt; his brown eyes flashed.

"Quiet, Bael Thecho. This is not your turn to speak," Earwen said before turning her full attention back to me.

"I am not bound to anyone," I hissed through clenched teeth.

"That is true, Toni," Earwen answered, her voice softening, "but you are the only one."

"You want me to watch a New Ager." I could not hide the disgust in my voice.

Earwen's eyes changed to gold. "Yes, you are to watch a New Ager."

The council disappeared before my eyes, leaving me in the center of an empty room. The door behind me creaked open. Whirling around, I brought my sword up before me. A stout grey-haired woman entered. She gasped in shock, her grey eyes widening at the sight of my bare blade. I sheathed my weapon. "My apologizes, my lady. A group of my fellow LARPers and I were using the hiking area for a game, and I came upon your grounds."

"Hmmm, then you play a strange game if you are using a truck."

Now it was my turn to be shocked, and I blushed.

The woman chuckled. "I know you, Shravani Phellan, but somehow I pictured you taller, meaner looking. Now you best be getting about your business. The full moon holds new promises."

"Who are you?" I asked, following the woman out of the building.

She turned to look at me.

"Let's just say an ally." She walked down the path heading towards the check-in office, leaving me alone in the low-lying mist.

Tourists had thinned out, and only locals cruised the streets by the time I had made it back into town, which also meant the shops were closing for the night. Jade Nicols ran the new age shop "All that Wicca is Not Gold", a bright yellow, blue, and purple shop just off Main Street along with several ragtag tiny shops that sold trinkets and antiques to the tourists. I parked my truck across the street from the little strip mall to watch her leave. Maybe just sitting outside her home for the next two days would be easy, albeit boring as hell.

An explosion lit up the shops, rattling the windows of my truck. Damn, I really should stop wishing for easy ways, I always get my arse burnt. Jumping out of my truck, I raced over to the shop, sword drawn. My sword's blade glowed an eerie green blue light. Yep, it was demons, and by the scent of brimstone and jasmine in the air and the color of my blade, they were from the seventh level. It was going to be a nasty fight.

I could not change into wolf because there could have been someone, mainly Jade, in the shop that I needed to get out. Not knowing which car was Jade's, I hoped she had already left. Shadows moved inside the shop. The red door had been blown off its hinges and now rested at an awkward angle. I slowed, keeping to the growing shadows outside. Deep guttural voices drifted towards me.

"Wa roqa rar. Trek vok suu aokae. Bukk verr ba vraokad." Simple low demon tongue, easy to understand "We have her. This was too easy. Boss will be pleased." Lesser demons are so easy to understand, but the language is hard on a wolf's ears.

"Not going to be as easy at you think, boys," I answered in their tongue, stepping through the doorway. Two of them—an easy fight—faced me. Both were the color of ebony and wore no clothing. They reminded me of demented dolls with no anatomical parts, Barbie demons. Their legs and arms were exaggerated with fingertips and toes ending in wicked claws. The one closest to me grinned, showing me its ebony fangs. I grinned back, allowing my fangs to show.

"What are you?" The creature asked, moving closer to me. Its partner stayed near the prone woman on the floor.

"Your worst daymare." I so desperately wanted not to sound like a bad action movie, but the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

The creature lunged for me, its claws extended. When it was in mid-air and could not stop its flight, I sidestepped the demon, my blade cutting a path across its midsection. The demon fell to the ground and dissolved into nothing but sparkles of dark light. The other demon, not sure what to do, vanished on its own leaving Jade prone on the floor.

"Too easy," I muttered to myself, sheathing my weapon.

Jade lay with her eyes closed. Her breathing was steady but shallow. She wore a dark green flowing skirt and matching peasant blouse. With her left arm resting across her belly, she appeared peaceful, but I knew of her quick temper when they messed up her order at Dooley's Pie Shop. Quick to anger and just as quick to let it go, she was gracious, even apologizing for her outbursts.

Her shop lay in shambles: no fire, only nick-knacks and trinkets broken and scattered about the floor and shelves. A strange symbol burned on the top of one of her counters, near the cash register. It looked familiar, but there was the feel of demons to it. I steered clear, not touching, only looking. Right now, Jade was my main concern. I scooped her up in my arms. Against my better judgment, I placed her in my truck and took her back to my home.

I carried Jade into my place and laid her on my bed. Since her breathing was still deep, I left her to continue to sleep. I entered the kitchen to grab a quick bite, throwing my jacket over a chair. The faint sounds of the DeLupi pack sounded in the distance, their mournful cries calling to the near full moon. Feeling the pull of the moon myself, I gulped down the last slice of cold pepperoni and sausage pizza and took the last pull off my beer, and then I headed outside.

The night was clear, the stars bright as diamond chips on a blanket of black velvet. The pull of the rising full moon wanted me to run. I pulled off my tank top, my nipples hardening as the cool night air caressed them. I smiled at the sensation as I finished removing my clothing. I stood nude on my porch and willed the change to occur.

The pain, now almost pleasurable, coursed through my body. Bones breaking and reforming, muscles stretching, contracting and hardening in new positions. I howled my greeting to the DeLupi pack as I bounded off the porch. I have seen myself many a time in my wolf form, and I am different than others for I am a black wolf with one red paw that reminds most of old dried blood, and the scar that runs diagonally from my right eyebrow to my cheek, across my eye, is also visible in my wolf form.

The wind my body created as I ran felt good. I had not run like this in ages. I know I should be watching Jade, but the wards along my property would tell me if something had crossed onto my land. The cries of the DeLupi pack grew closer. While I was not a member of their pack, we tolerated each other, allowing one another to cross our lands.

The Alpha male, Logan, and his harem waited just outside my property. The wards did not bar animals or others that I had met and knew, but still they waited. I stopped short, only a few feet separating us. A pounding buzz hit the base of my skull; something had tripped my wards. I let out a low growl, turned, and raced towards my home. The other wolves followed. A new set of demons came into view. They stayed in the shadows, but their scent gave them away. Logan came to stand beside me. I motioned for the pack to circle the house while I headed towards the front door. Logan understood. He yipped a few times, and the harem spread out, leaving me alone to face whatever had tripped the wards.

I did not have to wait long before one of the Barbie demons rushed the front stairs. I lunged and caught it midsection. The demon and I landed on the ground, my weight crushing it. Clamping my jaw around the creature's neck, I bit. The vile taste of demon blood coated my mouth. I ripped a chunk out of its neck and spat the mess next to me. The demon shrieked, bathing me in dark sparkles as it exploded. I shook to get the sparkles off me as I saw Logan and the harem approach me. Blood lust consumed me, and one fight wasn't enough. The movement of Logan and his pack shocked me out of the fighting fever. They had changed; something felt wrong. My hackles raised, I stood poised for flight or fight. Logan only took a step closer. His normal amber eyes glared red. I took a step forward, ruffling my coat in challenge. Logan took a step back. We were at an impasse. He looked unsure, almost confused. He shook the same dark sparkles from his coat, but made no further move. I let loose a howl that cowered the harem. Logan glanced back at the group before he yipped at me, and then turned and bounded off. The rest of the harem followed. I waited for anything to return, but dawn was coming. I could stay wolf for as long as need be, day or night, but Jade would be waking up soon, and I needed to be at her side. I grabbed my clothes in my jaw and nudged open the door to find Jade coming down the stairs.

I was in mid-transformation when Jade finally looked in my direction. Her eyes widened, but she did not move. Once again fully human and nude, I stood before Jade with no shame.

"I know you," she whispered. Her eyes caressed my body in a way I had not experienced in a long time. A warm knot of lust formed in the pit of my stomach. She shook her head—not a smart move. She took one more step down and tripped.

I had my arms around her before she hit the floor. She had fainted. I was not sure if it was the earlier attack or my nudity. I carried her over and laid her on the sofa. Her skirt rode up, showing her thighs. I caressed the skin lightly. Silky under my touch. Jade stirred a little, and I pulled my hand away. There was a small mark on inner right thigh: circular, the size of a quarter, with a center smaller circle with three half crosses touching the inner circle with their bases while the cross member pointed outwards. I was not sure if it boded well or not as the mark was faint.

I dressed quickly, fixed two dirty chai coffees, and brought them into the living room. The warm smell of cinnamon, cardamom, and coffee filled the room. Jade stirred, opening one eye. Both eyes popped open, and she scooted into a sitting position, curling her legs underneath her skirt. I handed her one of the cups. She sniffed the contents.

"I am not going to kill you," I said, taking a drink of my chai.

"What is this?"

"A dirty chai."

"What? Who are you?"

"Espresso, chai mix and creamer, and I am Toni McGowan. You come into Dooley's Pie Shop a lot when I am there."

"I know who you are, but who are you?" Jade's eyebrow cocking as she emphasized her question again.

Jade's eyes narrowed, studying me. Her eyebrow lowered as she waited for my answer.

Might as well be truthful, "I'm a werewolf."

Jade barked out a laugh. When I didn't join her in laughing, she quieted down. Her eyes widened in surprise.

I shook my head. "Look, I have been asked to watch over you until the full moon."

Jade placed her cup down on the coffee table and stood. She swayed for a brief moment before getting her bearings. "I do not need your protection. I am a witch and can protect myself."

The small hairs on the back of my neck rose. I carefully placed my cup down before I broke it in my hands, and then stood. I was a few inches taller than her. "Look, New Ager, you are not a witch; you are a lost little soul who thinks your rituals can cure everything. In fact, your little rituals have caused more harm than good."

"New Ager? How dare you." Jade's face reddened in anger, her bright green eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

I felt like a heel, but it needed to be said. I bowed my head a bit. "I am sorry; that was uncalled for. Let me take you back to your shop to see what type of damage has been done."

"Damage? What the hell happened?"

"You were attacked."

Jade said nothing, she only turned and stormed out of my home. "Where is my bike?"

"You ride a bicycle?" I asked, following her out.

"No, my Harley. Where is my Harley?"

"At your shop." I headed over to my truck. "Jump in; I will give you a lift."

Jade climbed into my truck and buckled herself in. The ride was quiet. Jade stared out the window, watching the trees pass us by. Why the council wanted her protected, I did not know; I could sense nothing magical about her. She wore skirts every time I had seen her, but she claimed to ride a Harley. But I have never seen a Harley at Dooley's. The only motorcycles I have seen belonged to groups that ride up and down the mountainside roads as a day trip, some fast and sleek, while others looked as though they were on their last legs.

Jade played with the corner of her mouth with her fingertip. A knot of pleasure tightened itself in my stomach once again. Against my better judgment, I smiled.

"You are handsome when you smile," Jade commented.

I looked at her briefly. Her eyes still held the sparkle of unshed tears, but they were brighter, with something lingering there that I could not place. My lips went back into their tight line.

Jade laughed. "And there is the bad-ass werewolf once again."

I laughed; I could not help myself. The MP3 player played quietly over the truck's speakers. Sarah Brightman's Fleurs du Mal started to play.

Jade leaned over turning up the song, allowing me a brief glimpse at her cleavage. My mouth unexpectedly watered at the sight. I turned my attention back to the road before she caught me staring at her. "I love this song," she commented. I watched her from the corner of my eye as she cocked her head to the side. "You know, the song sounds a bit like you, powerful beats yet a gentle message." Her eyebrow quirked. "Who are you really?"

"I am a bounty hunter on a unique assignment."

I heard a gasp of breath from Jade as it registered with her. "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I have been ordered by the council to watch over you until the full moon."

"Why?"

"I have no clue."

We pulled onto Main Street, and I parked across from Jade's shop. The red door was closed and showed no appearance of being tampered with or exploded off its hinges. I pulled my beastie taser from its case and motioned for Jade to stand behind me. The door was locked. Jade went over to the side of the shop and opened a shed door. Inside there sat a Fat Boy Softail Harley. The bike was a wild mosaic of color and chrome. Jade smiled at the bike and closed the door.

"She's still here," she said as she walked to the shop's front door.

"Don't you listen? I said stay back. Something is wrong."

"Hello, the door is locked. I lock it at night so no one can get in."

"You were out cold last night. I carried you. Remember, waking up at my place?"

Jade waved me off and unlocked the front door. I tensed as she stepped inside. She looked back at me. "What fight were you talking about?"

Stepping inside the shop, nothing was out of place. I strode over to the counter; the burned symbol remained. Looking over at Jade, I asked, "Does this symbol belong in your shop?"

She stood behind me, standing on her toes and resting her chin on my shoulder as she looked at the symbol. Her body felt good against mine. I pushed down the urge to turn around and kiss her. She smelled of sage and wood smoke. My mouth watered, wanting to taste her. Jade, for only having met me in the most unusual of ways, was flirting. I could smell it, her scent stronger and tinged with the musky scent of lust.

"No." She moved away. My body cried out at the emptiness. She surveyed the shop. I watched her move through the small aisles. She stood in the center of the shop with her hands on her hips, glaring at me. "So, where was the fight?" She could turn off and on like a light switch. It confused me, making me jump from wanting her body to beating sense into her until she understood that there was trouble about her.

I didn't know what to say. The shop—other than the symbol on the counter—was cluttered, but otherwise ordered. "I don't understand." I turned away to look at the symbol. A stylized half wolf head and human head joined as one surrounded by a circle of Greek keys. I didn't get a good look at it last night during the fight, but now I recognized it. I pulled out my cell phone and took a quick picture of it. I grabbed Jade by the arm, pulling her towards the door. "Come on."

Jade jerked her arm away from me, moving to stand behind the counter. "No. I have a shop to run, and it's tourist season, my busiest time."

I shook my head,. "Look, I know who did this. I will pay for what you would have made today. I just need to keep you with me for one more day."

"You are a pushy woman for a werewolf."

"Let's keep the werewolf part of who I am on the quiet side of our conversations," I whispered, hearing the shop's door chimes ring.

An elderly couple walked into the shop and poked around the crystal balls. They wore matching floral print Hawaiian shirts of shocking red, yellow and pink hibiscus flowers on a sea of light green and khaki shorts, despite the morning being cool.

Jade looked over at me and then the couple. "You owe me big, wolf," she whispered, heading towards the couple. I just smiled at my small victory.

The elderly couple moved closer towards Jade. The hair on the back of my neck stood of its own volition: not a good sign. I walked over to stand behind Jade. The elderly woman smiled, the tips of her fangs barely showing. I casually put my hand on Jade's shoulder, baring my own set. The couple backed away, leaving the shop without a word.

"Okay, did that little old lady have fangs?" Jade asked, moving closer to me, her back pressed against me. I squeezed her shoulder one more time before letting go.

"Daypires. Like vampires, but they walk during the daylight when their brethren cannot. You are in danger here. Now will you come with me?"

Jade shrugged, "I don't know why I am doing this, but okay, you win. Protect me from the baddies, oh bounty-hunting wolf. But first, can I at least change?"

"Where do you live?"

"Behind the shop," Jade answered locking the front door, making sure that the closed sign was in place. She motioned me to follow her through the back door. She had made a small archway from clinging ivy. On either side was a small garden full of herbs and flowers. Her front door was an understated blue, and the home itself was just a studio with only two doors other than the front, one to the bathroom and the other to a closet.

The interior was a mish mash of furniture: wicker end tables, a yellow linoleum dinette table with matching plastic chairs, faded overstuffed couches and books. And everywhere, there were books.

"Have a seat." Jade offered, ducking into the closet.

"Leave the door open." I called back, taking a seat on the overstuffed couch close to the door.

"Why? Do you want to watch?" I could hear the laughter in Jade's voice.

"Keep an eye on you more like it. You know, you are taking this all in stride."

Jade chuckled, poking her head out to look at me, "Karma is a fickle bitch, so I must have done something to warrant this. Besides..."

"When did you get the mark on your thigh?" I asked, cutting her off. I did not really want to hear her reply. I just wanted her dressed so we could leave.

I heard Jade shuffling around in the closet. "What the hell?" She came out wearing only matching white lace bra and panties. I could not help but stare. Curves fit her well. I cocked an eyebrow watching her walk over to me. She put her leg up on the wicker coffee table, showing me the mark. It had considerably darkened since the first time I had seen it. She tucked one finger under my chin, pulling my gaze away from her thigh. "Two things. One, when did you first see it, and two, how did I get it?"

I swallowed hard. "I saw it when you fainted at my home. As to how you got it, I have no clue. Do you know what it is?"

"It's almost a Hecate's Circle. But the crescents are in the wrong place and the center circle is larger than normal." Jade pulled her leg away from me and headed back to her closet. "Okay, now things are getting weird. So, tell me, wolf."

"My name is Toni," I replied between clenched teeth, standing so I could get away from her body.

"Toni. Wolf. It's all the same to me. Anyway, what do you plan to do?"

"Other than locking you away for a day? We are going to start looking into who attacked your shop."

"There is nothing wrong with my shop."

"Please finish dressing." I paced in front of the living room door.

Jade's smile turned sly, and her eyes darkened. She was not embarrassed by what she wore or wasn't wearing. The scent of sage and wood smoke grew stronger as she wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me closer to her. "You smell of pine and earth."

I growled quietly, pulled her arms from around my waist and backed away. "Get dressed."

Jade did not pout, but did as she was instructed. She pulled on boot cut jeans, a plain white tank top, and hiking boots. She also grabbed a jean jacket with a pentagram embroidered on the back.

"Well?"

I nodded. Jade rummaged through her bag, pulled out her wallet, cell phone, and a pack of Black Tar gum, tucking them into her pockets.

"That stuff will rot your teeth." I commented about the gum.

"It is better than my old habit."

"Which was?"

"Smoking."

I laughed. "A witch that smokes. Come on, let's go."

She grabbed her helmet and reached for the spare.

"No. We are taking my truck. They know it and will let me pass."

"Who?"

"DeLupi Pack."

Stark reminders of the dragon's rage still marred the mountain as we drove down towards Trading Post Lake. Light green growth sprouted from blackened dead hosts, giving hope that the mountains would one day be green again. Old life for new may be the way of nature, but when a dragon is involved, regrowth takes a lot longer. The DeLupi Pack of werewolves ran the Trading Post Lake bait shop, cafe and gift shop. The lake, over a hundred acres in total, sat nestled in the mountains between oak and pine trees. The fishing season there was almost non-stop. The Los Lobos clan had a good thing going.

We drove past the main entrance, where one could get their permit, license, bait, and anything else they needed for a day on the lake, to a rickety old bridge that held a private property chain across it. I parked the truck beside a small, plain call box and pressed the call button.

"What do you want, wolf?" A gravelly voice responded to the summons.

"Nice to hear your voice too, Mica. Need to speak to Logan."

The speaker went dead. Jade and I waited patiently. A few moments went by, and I had thought about pushing the call button again. Mica was, at times, a pain in the ass, old and set in his ways. We had never hit it off; there was something oily about him that I had never been able to place my finger on. He never tried for Alpha, letting Logan take the position, apparently more than happy to stay in the background.

"Enter, wolf, and bring your bond mate with you," came Mica's voice over the speaker.

"She is not—" I started to reply, but Jade gasped at the sight of the poles and chain being lowered, so I didn't worry about the rest of my comment.

The road was dirt ruts cutting among the oak and pine. Jade inhaled deeply and smiled. She could not smell the scents I was detecting, though: males marking their territory along the path, strong and pungent. It did nothing for me. The only scent I was interested in, against my better judgment, was sage and wood smoke, and that was coming from right beside me.

A large log cabin came into view. Jade whistled low at the impressive sight. Old oaks made up the place. Windows decorated the facade, and massive double doors stood open. Mica stood in the center, waiting for us. Hewas older than the last time. His hair was grayer, and he supported himself on a walking stick. I parked the truck in front of the door and walked around to help Jade out of the truck. Her body pressed up to mine. "Your mate, huh?" she whispered in my ear.

I stamped down my desire. "We will discuss that later," I hissed. I stepped away and turned to face Mica. The walking stick turned out to be an oak staff decorated with eagle feathers and a wolf's head carved onto the top, dark from oil and age. His eyes were nothing more than black chips in his wrinkled, brown face.

"Logan will see you," Mica said, and then turned to go back inside, leaving the door open. He stopped for a brief moment, looked over his shoulder, and sniffed the air. He grinned, and I cringed.

"Is he always this pleasant?" Jade asked, following me up the stairs.

"No. Most of the time he leaves me to my own devices," I answered. My mind pondered why Mica would come down to show us in. He knew that I had been to the manor often enough to know my way around. Out of sheer habit, I sniffed the air. Something was amiss. I pulled Jade closer, and let her scent calm me. I clasped her hand, leading her to the main room.

The smelled of wet dog was strong as we stepped inside. A large fire was going in the fireplace that dominated one wall. She-wolves in both animal and human forms, lay about on thick cushions beside a large chair, a throne made from antlers and leather. Logan sat on the chair wrapped in a towel. He stood a little over six feet. He was proud of his body and its well-defined abs and strong arms. His blonde spiked hair was still wet. Two she-wolves were drying his legs. His light blue eyes bore into mine.

"So, Shravani, you have come to join my harem." Logan smiled, leaning back in his chair. The she-wolves around him glared at me with burning deep hatred. We have had this conversation many times. He knew of my tastes in mates, but he persisted. He still bore the bite scar on his left bicep from one of our last encounters. Now, I believe he just asks me to join his bevy of fine women to anger me and make those already in his harem more loyal.

"Cut it, Chakor."

"You will address me as Logan."

"And you will address me as Toni." I let go of Jade's hand to cross my arms against my chest. Logan was a cocky pup, and it became more apparent when he became Alpha. He did not fight for the position; rather, his father had given it to him. Unheard of by pack standards. His father has been a good man and blessedly died of old age. "Let's get down to business."

"You are not going to even let me dress?"

"No."

"Dangerous for you."

"Just try."

Logan looked at me. His eyes wandered over my body. He then turned his attention to Jade. He smiled, the tips of his fangs showing. I took a step forward; a petite blonde she-wolf stood to challenge. Logan held up his hand, and the she-wolf sat back down, her light brown eyes never leaving me. "You have gotten yourself a mate. Pity, you both would have made fine additions to my harem."

"Cut the crap, Logan. Why did you mark Jade's shop?" I pulled out my cell phone and brought up the image burned into the countertop. Logan took the phone to study the image.

Logan had the decency to act shocked. He looked over at Mica, but the old wolf's face was unreadable, before he looked back at me. "I have no clue what you are talking about," he said, handing me back my phone.

His scent told me that he was telling the truth. That bothered me more. I disliked him and his ways, but he had never lied to me before. I chewed my bottom lip in thought. I started to ask about the Barbie demon fight at my ranch, but I felt Jade move to stand closer to me.

"How many know your clan's symbol?" Jade asked, cutting me off from my next line of questioning.

"All in the otherworld know. It is required, pup."

"She is not a pup," I shot back at him. "She's human."

Logan took a sniff of the air. "She doesn't smell human. Okay, maybe a tad, but there is something more to her. I am surprised that you haven't taken wind of it, Toni." Logan stood. The towel stayed in place, slung low on his narrow hips. "I will take my leave. You may show yourself out, Shravani."

"Logan, you need to find out what is going on."

He walked away from his chair and stood a pace before me. "No, bounty hunter, you need to find out what is going on. I have no say in the human world. That is your domain."

"You do well with the shops."

"That is my only connection. You know that humans run the shops. I just oversee. Good hunting." Logan turned and left through the door behind his chair.

I took Jade's hand in my own. "Come on. Let's get out of this den."

Jade said nothing as she followed me back to the truck. I felt Mica's eyes staring at my back, and I turned around. The look on his face made me walk all the faster. I untied the peace knot on my sword and unclipped the holster of my beastie taser. I helped Jade into the truck. As I came around to the driver's side, a shadow moved between the oak trees that surrounded the property. I fired up the truck, slammed on the gas and wound my way off the DeLupi property.

Jade bounced in her seat as I took the rutted road too fast. She held on to the door. "Slow down."

I didn't pay attention to her. The gate was rising fast, I floored the truck. "Bring on the games, you damnable old wolf," I muttered.

"What are you talking about?"

The howls grew louder as the chain grew higher. "Hang on."

I slammed into the gate. The chain snapped, slapping the sides of the truck, but I did not stop. The howling grew to a crescendo before dying down to mere yips and barks. Back on the highway, I slowed the truck down to the speed limit, checking the rearview mirror to make sure we were not followed. I settled back to watch the road.

"Is it true you can smell what others cannot?" Jade asked, staring out the window.

"Yes."

"So it can't be fully hidden," Jade muttered.

I continued to watch the road as I pondered the comment. "I think the dog is lying," I told her, trying to calm whatever fear she had.

"Werewolves are strange."

I laughed. "If you think werewolves are strange, you really need to get out more. Hon, there are meaner things than us."

"Do you regret becoming a wolf?" Jade asked, her voice quiet.

"I was never bitten, I was born."

I heard the tumble of rocks before Jade screamed. "Hang on." I yelled when the first boulder crashed onto the road. I swerved to avoid the first boulder, only to be caught in a shower of smaller stones. The banging of stones drowned out the music playing. "Find 'Stand My Ground' on the MP3 player and crank it," I said.

Jade leaned towards the MP3 holder and ran through the cycle of songs, swaying with the truck as I wound my way around the stones that kept falling. The song blared from the speakers. I smiled and welcomed the challenge in front of me. The rocks, stones, and boulders continued to fall. Finally, the strange storm seemed to die and fall away behind us. Too easy. I slammed on my brakes.

"Why are you stopping?" Jade asked. Her hands were holding onto the dashboard, knuckles white.

"Watch," I whispered.

The rolling crash of a boulder grew louder. I threw the truck in reverse as a massive boulder fell just in front of us and blocked both lanes of the road. "I have a plan. Care to go off-roading?" I asked, looking at Jade.

Jade smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "After what I have experienced in just the past few hours, sure, why not? This has got to be a dream."

"This is no dream. I'll pinch you if you want." I cranked the steering wheel right, and we plunged over the side of the mountain. The music was strong and fast, helping me to concentrate. Jade said nothing, only gripped the sissy bar beside the door, her face ashen. I swerved through the oak and pine trees, losing one of my side mirrors. I slammed on my brakes, leaving skid marks in the fallen bracken.

"Do you have any idea what you are doing?" Jade's voice was shaky.

I kept my eyes on the terrain in front of me, watching the old oak tree loom larger in front of us. I smiled, letting my fangs show. The truck slowed down and stopped just before hitting the tree. I sighed, releasing the tension that had grown between my shoulder blades.

"Come on," I said, unhooking my seatbelt and opening the door.

"Where are we going?"

"Deeper into the woods," I answered as I unsheathed my sword and made sure that my taser was charged.

"We're what?" Jade sounded shocked. "Are you looking for a fight?"

"No, I'm looking for answers."

We moved deeper into the woods. The scent of pine, earth, and oak calmed me down enough to think. If I was wolf, I would be running for the sheer pleasure of it, but with Jade with me, I could not let that happen. Walking into a small clearing, I found what I was looking for: a small cave and a running stream.

"You knew about this place?" Jade walked around the small clearing, stopping at the stream to take a drink of the clear cool water that bubbled its way down towards the lake.

I nodded as I gathered fallen bracken and rocks from the edges of the clearing. I created a fire circle in the middle of the clearing and placed the bracken. Jade understood what I was doing and began to find fallen branches to help fuel the flames. In short order, we had a small fire going in the gathering darkness. Small plumes of smoke drifted up into the night sky. I took off my weapons and placed them next to Jade.

"What are you doing?" Jade asked, shying away from the weapons.

"Going to hunt for dinner," I answered as I sat down to remove my boots and then stood to remove the rest of my clothing.

"Do you want me to turn around?" Jade asked.

I could see the spark of lust in her eyes as well as sensing her growing arousal. I smiled inwardly; maybe watching over her was not such a bad thing after all. A smile twitched at the corner of my lips. "Why? You have already seen me in the nude."

"That was before all this karma started coming back and attacking me."

"Karma is not attacking you. She is more subtle. Demons are attacking under someone's command. The fates have other plans, and I am only the gatekeeper until such time." I finished undressing I and stood nude before her. While the spark of lust was still there, there was also something more. I cocked my head. "What?"

"I just want to watch you change."

I have never allowed anyone to watch my transformation. It is painful. "Are you sure?" I wasn't. I did not need her to panic and run blindly into the woods.

Jade squared her shoulders. "Yes." Her voice was even, no emotion. She gave me a weak smile, which I returned.

I let the change happen. The snap of bones breaking and reforming threw me to the ground. Muscles ripped away only to be reattached. My pelt thickened. I howled, and the change was complete. I stared at Jade with my wolf sight. There was something more in her aura that I had not picked up on before. It was almost true magick, but wild and untamed.

Jade leaned forward, her hand held out, palm side up. I pushed my nose into her palm and she giggled. "That's cold." She began to scratch behind my ears. I let my eye close a bit at the pleasure. She pulled her hand back and sat down. "That was something to see. Thank you. Do you know that they scar that is on your eye when you are human is also there when you are a wolf." I nodded. Jade watched me for a moment. "You understand me?" I nodded again. "I wish I could speak with you. Okay, I will stay here, but I will scream if something attacks. I will not use one of your weapons." I nodded again and loped into the forest.

I returned with two rabbits, cleaned and dressed. I had to change into human to complete the task, and then back to wolf It was risky, but I did not want to push too much onto Jade than she had already experienced. I still didn't know what the council had in mind for her. I dropped the rabbits at her feet and moved to the opposite side of the fire. I let the change occur. Jade paid no attention as I dressed.

"How did you manage to clean the rabbits?" Jade asked, placing them on wood stakes that she had found.

"Better you don't know." I looked about the site. "You've been busy." Jade had reinforced the fire ring with larger stones and constructed roasting spits. I glanced over at the small cave and saw fresh pine had been laid down. The area had been well attended. The crackle of real magick brushed up against my skin. "What have you done to the area?"

"I cleaned it up."

"No. I feel magick."

"Of course. I laid wards to help throughout the night. I am not traipsing through the woods," Jade said while keeping an eye on the rabbits. The scent of roasting meat filled our small campsite. My mouth watered as I stared at the food. I could have eaten it raw. Changing makes one hungry. Jade took pity on me and handed me one of the rabbits. I dug in, the juices exploding in my mouth. There was no gamey flavor.

"Herbs?" I asked around a mouthful of rabbit.

Jade nodded, swallowing her bite. There is a small patch of wild sage and rosemary just behind the trees.

I swallowed hard. "I told you not to leave the clearing."

"Had to."

I said nothing more, and we finished our meal in silence. I gathered up the remains of our meal and buried them away from the clearing so nothing would be tempted to intrude. I returned to find Jade with her chin on her knees watching the fire. She looked up when I returned and gave me a small smile, which I returned. I walked over and sat beside her. She moved closer to me and without thought, I wrapped my arm around her. The warmth of her body felt good.

"Why do you have to watch me?" Her voice was quiet.

I shrugged. "I am only doing what the council ordered me to do."

"You don't seem like the person who would take orders so easily."

"Trust me, I did not take this assignment easily."

"Why?"

"I don't trust New Agers."

"I'm not a New Ager." Jade huffed, trying to pull away.

I refused to relinquish my hold. She sighed and settled back into my embrace. "You do not let people finish statements."

Jade laughed. She snuggled closer to me. If it were not for the fact that I would have to turn her over to the council, I would have liked to stay just as we were. "So finish your statement," she urged.

"After Logan made the comment about there being more to you—"

A thundering crash came through the woods towards our clearing. A howl of pain followed.

"The ward triggered. Is it just an animal?" Jade asked.

I didn't answer. I undressed as the sound grew closer; Jade didn't stop me. Despite her earlier declaration of not using a weapon, Jade grabbed my sword, holding it in front of her in a defensive stance. She looked at ease holding the weapon before her. I cocked an eyebrow; she only shrugged as I flash formed into wolf. The sound in our clearing was almost deafening. A large wolf—one I had not seen before—lunged through the trees directly towards Jade. I jumped, crashing into the side of the beast, knocking us both back. Jade jumped out of the way and kept the fire between her and the wolf. I stood, with my fur raised in anger, hoping to intimidate the wolf. It snarled. No luck trying to scaring it away. The gleam in its eye was that of pure murder, and its focus was on Jade.

The beast began to pace back and forth in front of me and the fireI, its gaze never leaving Jade. One lunge and the beast was over the fire, and so was I. Again I crashed into the wolf's side, sending it sprawling. I closed my jaw around the wolf's throat and clamped down. The wolf attempted to flip me off. I tightened my grip. The wolf's howl became gurgled. I tasted its blood in my mouth. The beast went limp. I did not release him.

I felt Jade's hand on my shoulder. "Let it go," she whispered.

I released the beast and walked over to plunge my muzzle into the small stream. The cold water washed away the blood and my anger. I let the change happen quickly. Human hands once again my own, I splashed cold water on my face. I didn't worry about clothing while the dead wolf was still in the clearing. I walked back over to Jade, stunned at what I saw.

She knelt over the wolf's prone body, her fingers deep into its coat. Her voice—deep, harsh, and rhythmic—tumbled out words that I had never heard before. The creature changed into its true form. It was one of the Barbie demons that had attacked Jade's shop. The creature opened its eyes, its mouth moving silently. A piercing scream rent the silence of the clearing before it to fell into nothing but dark sparkle dust. Jade scattered the dust before she collapsed. I was at her side before her head it the ground.

"You all right?" I asked.

Jade only nodded, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her mouth sought out my breast. I inhaled sharply as her lips wrapped around my nipple. I tried to push her away, but I could feel her smile as my body shuddered while she tasted me. I reluctantly pulled away and helped her stand. She looked at me with a pout on her lips that quickly turned into a grin that held devilish delights.

"Damnable New Agers." I muttered, returning her smile. Jade laughed as I turned away to put my clothes back on.

She came up from behind to wrap her arms around me once again. Her body pressed tightly against my back. She had removed her top. I could feel the heat rising between us. "Don't," she whispered.

I turned around within her embrace. Her lips touched mine. The kiss deepened, tongues tasting new territories. I moaned. My hands trailed down her back. Jade pulled away and slowly removed her jeans and panties. She stepped back into the embrace. The heat I felt had nothing to do with the fire.

Under an almost full moon, I laid Jade down to claim her as my own.

The predawn light entered our clearing. I struggled to pull myself out of sleep. Jade had wrapped her body around mine, her right knee nestled between my thighs. I shifted a bit, and Jade stirred, pressing her knee in the most delicious of ways. I carefully lifted her leg away.

"Who's Bael?" Jade asked sleepily while I tried to untangle our bodies.

I cold shiver ran down my back. "Why do you ask?"

"The creature called out the name just before it dissolved."

"I heard nothing," I answered, reaching over to grab our clothes. I pulled on my jeans, knowing that Jade would not go back to sleep.

"You know I like you better without your clothes on."

"I feel the same way about you, despite my better judgment," I replied, and then tossed her clothes over to her and pulled on my shirt.

While she dressed, I made sure that the fire was out and cold. I scattered the rocks away from the fire ring, wanting the place to look as though no one had been here.

"What are you doing to do about the wards?" I asked, surveying my handy work.

Jade only smiled, picking up a small pine twig, and snapped it in two. "Ward gone."

"Seems kind of destructive."

Jade held up her right hand, showing a thin cut across the palm. "I offered my thanks when I set the ward."

"Dangerous."

"But necessary. So what are we going to do now?"

"Get back to town."

"Mmm, pancakes sound good." Jade grinned, pulling her own shirt on.

The sun was rising on my last day of this assignment. It had drawn me to a person that I would normally have nothing to do with, but within a very short amount of time, she had wormed her way past my defenses. A part of me was angry at myself. I had never wanted to trust anyone again, but a new part wanted to explore this new road the fates had decided to lead me down. I so wanted to have a talk with them when this was done.

The truck had only a few scrapes. Jade looked back to where we had spent the night, "My life is going down a strange road, and I don't have a map," she muttered.

"I know that feeling," I commented, climbing into the truck.

Jade pulled herself into the truck and buckled herself in. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Let's get to the council and find out if they have a map for you."

We were back on the road again. The rocks were nowhere to be seen. I will admit that whoever was following us at least cleaned up their mess if they failed. Jade's comment about Bael gnawed at me. How was he connected and, more importantly, why?

Having driven this road so often, I allowed my mind to wander, but it kept traveling in circles. If Bael was involved, there was no way I has handing Jade over to him or any member of the council. How far would we have to run to be out of their reach? I felt possessive, wanted Jade to myself. Maybe Logan and Mica were right and I had unknowingly bonded myself to Jade. I jumped when I felt a gentle hand on my knee, snapping me back into reality.

"Sorry," Jade said, pulling her hand away. "I tried saying your name, but you weren't paying attention. We're just lucky that we did not end up on another impromptu camping trip. Not that I would have minded." Her smile faded. "Why so serious? You put on the bad werewolf look again."

"Nothing."

Jade snorted. "Yeah, and I am the Goddess herself. Let's just say that I can feel things."

There have been very few times when I have been shocked by what I have seen or heard, and this was one of them. In all the time I have walked this earth, I have never come across a person who was able to read me so easily. "Just wondering what Bael has been up to."

"Thought you said you did not know who or what Bael was."

"Lied."

"Well, stop it. It will not do any good to hold anything back in a relationship."

I choked. "In a relationship? Us?"

Jade laughed, her hand once again on my knee, moving its way to my nether regions. "I don't sleep with just anyone. There is something about you. I feel connected, okay? I know it sounds contrite and stupid, but that is how I feel. Even when I first woke up at your place and saw you nude. It was a shock, but it felt right." Jade blushed.

I pulled over to the side of the road, only a few miles away from town. I turned to face Jade, but she was staring out the window. Turning her to face me, I saw tears in her eyes. One lone tear escaped down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

I smiled as I wiped the tear away. "There is no need to apologize. It has been a very long time since I have been in a relationship." I leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, inhaling her scent. My blood raged as our kissed deepened. Jade's stomach rumbled. I pulled away, laughing. "Guess you're hungry?"

Jade's blush deepened, going down her chest. She laughed. "How about them pancakes?" she asked, her lips smacking as though savoring their phantom flavor.

"You got it, New Ager." I said, pulling back onto the road and speeding up to get Jade to the nearest Pancake House.

"Stow it, wolf." Jade laughed.

The place was busy when we entered. The scent of pancakes, sausage, bacon and maple syrup filled the small dining area. A short, petite blonde with hair covering her ears and a small waist walked up to us.

"The infamous bounty hunter is gracing us with her presence," she said, leaning in close to us, her voice barely above a whisper. Then she pulled back with a smile on her face. "The usual place, Toni?"

"Yes, the usual spot. Thank you, Amiee."

Amiee led us toward the back of the dining area. All around, tourists and locals were enjoying the fare that was offered. As we sat down, Amiee handed Jade a menu and gave me a quizzical look. I shook my head, and Amiee just smiled. "So, ladies, I will get your coffee and be right back."

"Make it dirty," I said as she turned to walk away.

Amiee just nodded, holding up her hand in acknowledgment.

Jade looked over the menu. "Why doesn't this place just offer granola or something light?"

"I don't think your stomach will handle just granola. Besides, I thought you wanted pancakes."

"What are you getting?"

"My usual."

"Which is?"

"The Gold Rush Special."

Jade looked and her menu, and her eyes widened. "There is enough here to feed me for a week."

The Gold Rush Special, my personal favorite, included four pancakes, two waffles, five strips of bacon, two sausage patties, one hamburger patty, a pork chop, and a New York strip steak, along with three eggs. I lowered my voice, leaning in close, "I'm a wolf, remember?"

Jade shook her head. "Sometimes it is easy to forget. Do they say anything when you order that?"

"Nah, Amiee is an elf, and Fred, the cook, is a sprite. Helped them open this place a few years back."

Jade looked at her menu once again. "Okay if you are going to be that way, I will have the Kid Gold Rush."

I smiled. The woman had an appetite and was not afraid to show it.

Amiee came back with two dirty chais. "We are running low on your chai mix. Remember to bring some in next time." Amiee pulled out her order book. "So what can I get your friend?"

"I'll have the Kid Gold Rush. All meats medium and the egg over easy," Jade answered, handing back the menu to Amiee.

Amiee smiled as she took the menu. "The woman knows what she wants." Amiee turned to me. "The little breakfast or do you want it super sized?"

"The little."

Amiee nodded and left us to enjoy our coffee. I inhaled the spices as I sipped the drink. Jade did the same. "I could get used to this."

"Wait until you try it cold with a shot of espresso."

Jade laughed. "I don't want to be up all night."

"It could have its benefits." A sly smile crept along my lips.

A loud explosion rattled the windows. Patrons jumped at the sound. A look of horror clouded Jade's face.

"My shop," she said as she started to run to the door.

I followed her out. A billowing plume of dark grey smoke and bright orange fingers of flame were coming from the direction of Jade's shop. "How did you know?"

Jade was panting, pushing herself to get to the shop. "Wards."

A crowd had already gathered, and the sounds of fire trucks screamed in the short distance. Jade pushed through. I was right on her heels. The heat of the flames held her back. Tears were steaming down her face. "My Harley."

I barreled through the heat towards the little shed. The door was locked, so I. Ripped off the door. The flames had just started to consume the little garage. I pulled the bike out when a large bout of flame licked its way towards me. The bike was heavy. Then Jade was at my side, helping maneuver the bike out of the flame's reach.

Another explosion knocked me to my knees. Jade was just out of reach behind the bike. She propped the kickstand down and rushed over to me. I smelled burned flesh and winced in pain as I stood. Jade touched my back, and I yelped as the pain strengthened, coursing down my back. I waved her back and stood on my own.

"You have to get help," Jade choked out.

"That was my best jacket." I offered my attempt at a lame joke. Jade smiled weakly and followed me out into the crowd as the firefighters set about putting out the flames. A movement from the corner of my eye drew my attention. I recognized that grey hair. Mica. I pulled away from Jade and moved to the end of the crowd.

With all attention at Jade's shop, I allowed my change to happen quickly. The sounds of tearing clothing added to the internal sounds of my body reshaping. My back was only singed; my fur would grow back quickly. Mica changed into his wolf form, and the chase was on.

We ran through side streets and back alleys. I was gaining on him. He was heading back to his territory. I cut through backyards, knowing that most would not question a wolf running through their property. I scented Mica and jumped from a stone outcropping, landing on Mica's back. The shock of my attack broke both our concentrations. We tumbled nude onto the graveled alley. We both scrambled to our feet, circling for an attack.

His body was covered in scars and tattoos that were never seen when he was clothed. His eyes were full of hatred as he charged me. I sidestepped. Mica could not stop in time as my arm wrapped around his throat. He squeaked.

"What were you doing?" My breath harsh in his ear.

"Bael."

"What about Bael?" I tightened my grip.

Mica no longer struggled. He closed his eyes. His lips moved without sound. His skin grew hot. I pushed him away as his body blackened. The tattoos encased his body as it collapsed on itself. Mica fell into a heap of ash, was caught by a small dust devil, and blew away.

I leaned forward, resting my hands on my knees. The pain in my back worsened. Sounds coming down the road pushed me into action. I changed back and loped back to where I had last seen Jade.

The crowd was gone; only a few firefighters remained, cleaning up. I put my nose into Jade's hand. She jumped and looked down.

"Toni?" She asked.

I nodded and padded away from the scene to a side alley. Jade followed. I changed before her eyes.

"What happened?" Jade asked.

"I need you to go to Amiee and ask her for my spare set of clothes. Also ask her to get Jock and Brun to load your Harley into the back of my truck."

Jade nodded and headed towards the cafe. I changed back into my wolf form and kept to the shadows. The firefighters had gone; only caution tape surrounded the building. My heart went out to Jade; she had lost everything but her motorcycle. With my nose close to the floor, something caught my attention. Following the scent, I found the source of the blast. Fireweed. Outlawed in the human world for its destructive powers. Only its thick stem remained, easy to spot due to its ever-changing color pattern. The blast had not been large enough to destroy the weed completely. It was harmless now, so I clenched it in my teeth and continued my search. All of the trinkets that Jade sold were destroyed, shattered and scattered about the small shop. I watched where I stepped to avoid the glass. A small velvet pouch remained untouched by the blast. I also grabbed it within my teeth.

"Toni?" I heard my name being called. I carefully made my way outside. Jade, Amiee, Brun, and Jock stood waiting for me. Amiee motioned for the guys to take Jade's bike. As they left, Amiee placed a set of clothes in front of me. I spit out what I held in my jaw as the change occurred. Despite the damage to Jade's shop, her eyes held a touch of lust when she looked at me. The now familiar heat of passion coursed through me as I changed into a pair of old jeans, a white t-shirt, and dollar store sneakers.

"Fireweed?" Amiee asked as she picked up the stem.

I nodded as I handed Jade the black velvet pouch. "I'm sorry, this was all I could find that had not been damaged."

Tears shone in Jade's eyes as she took the pouch from me. Opening the pouch, she smiled and looked up at me. "Thank you," She whispered.

"Oh, kiss her already," Amiee chided.

We all laughed at the comment and I did as Amiee told me to do. The kiss deepened, our bodies pressed tightly together.

"I said kiss, not start something you can't finish." Amiee laughed.

I broke the kiss, panting heavily. I noticed that Jade too was panting, getting air back into her lungs. Amiee held up the stem. Jade watched as the colors on the stem flowed like liquid fire.

"So that is fireweed."

"You know about it?" I asked. No one from the mortal realm knew of the plant. I cocked my head to study her. There was definitely something more to her.

Brun and Jock had the bike loaded by the time we returned to the cafe. Fred came out and handed over four large takeout bags, smiling as I took them from him. The smell of freshly well-prepared food attacked me, my stomach rumbling in defense.

"Gave you both the biggest we had." Fred said. He leaned closer to me. "There be a slight spell to keep the food hot and fresh until you get home."

"Thank you. My tab?"

"Not this time. Take that lady home and feed her. This one be on me."

I gave Fred a quick peck on the cheek before he dashed back into the kitchen. After giving Amiee a hug, I climbed into the truck, pulled out, and turned the truck home.

The phone was ringing when we entered my place. Jade carried the food toward the kitchen while I picked up the phone.

"Yeah."

"You have the girl, bring her to me now." The voice crackled on the other end.

I said nothing, my fists clenching. It was Bael.

"Did you hear me? Bring me the girl."

"No." I slammed the phone down.

Jade walked into the living room with two large plates of food. She sat them down and pulled me into an embrace, her lips brushing along my collarbone. "Bael?"

"Yes," I growled. I could feel my teeth growing. I wanted blood—his blood—to be spilled.

Jade stepped away and led me to our meal. We ate in silence. I wolfed down my meal—no pun intended—without tasting it. Fred had outdone himself with the amount of food that he had given us.

"You finish eating. I'll go get you a change of clothing," I said. Jade only nodded and attacked her steak.

I had my head in my closet when I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I grabbed the wrist and flung the person onto my bed. It was Jade.

"If you wanted me on your bed, all you had to do was ask." She laughed as I turned red, and then sat up and pulled off her t-shirt. Her bra was gone, and the sight of her breasts made me hunger, but not for food. I knelt before her, lavishing my attention on the gift she had offered to me. Jade hooked her finger under my chin, bringing my eyes to meet hers. Around her neck was a thin silver chain with a charm shaped like a pair of wings. I sat back on my heels.

"Does silver harm werewolves?" Concern was evident in Jade's voice.

I smiled. "You have watched way too many bad movies. Silver only harms us when in the shape of a bullet and fired. But then, a silver bullet can kill anyone, human or not. Why?"

"These silver wings are a part of who I am."

I waited for Jade to explain, giving her a smile of encouragement. Jade stood and closed her eyes. She began to speak in a rhythmic chant in a language I thought long dead. I heard the ripping of skin. Jade's eyes snapped open as she cried out in pain. Bluish white light spilled from her back, becoming solid. She fell to her hands and knees. Wings the color of pure snow draped over her back. She was breathing heavily as she stood. The wings fell over her shoulders like a cape, covering her chest from my view. Her eyes, once emerald green, had deepened into a forest green, dark, welcoming and foreboding at the same time.

I stood to face her. Our eye contact spoke volumes though no words were expressed. She was a Guardian of the Gods. My mouth went dry.

"Well?" Jade asked, her voice hesitant. The wings folded back into themselves, disappearing only to reappear on the chain around her neck.

I pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply, passionately, hoping to express what I felt in that kiss. I pulled away and smiled, handing her a shirt from the closet.

Jade pulled on the shirt. "I guess nothing has changed."

"Oh yes, it has," I replied, changing into black tight leather breakaway pants. I slipped on a matching breakaway leather vest, wearing no t-shirt underneath. Shutting my eyes, I called forth my markings to run down both arms and across my collarbone. I heard a low whistle from Jade as I opened my eyes. I just smiled and buckled a silver belt scabbard; it hung low on my right hip. I pulled on black combat boots. "I am not giving you up." I turned and left the room; Jade followed behind.

The moon had just crested the Sierra Mountains when I pulled into Sleeping Angel Cabin Resort parking lot. The goblins paid no attention. The resort was quiet. Only the meeting hall remained lit, though small ghost lights bobbed about on the mountainside paths. Even the insects did not play their nightly songs. The metallic hiss of my blade rang loud in the still night air.

The door to the meeting hall stood open, beckoning me. I squared my shoulders and headed into the lion's maw.

"Just wait a moment." A quiet, familiar voice called to me from the shadows. The little old lady who I had met only a few days ago stepped closer to me. The ghost lights surrounded her. She held out her hand, and a small orange ghost light landed in her palm. She whispered to the light, and it flitted off towards the mountainside along with its brethren. The lady looked at me. "You are crazy to go in alone." She scolded me. She clucked her tongue and touched my naked blade. "There. That should help a bit." The blade shone in pure silver. Whorls of colors danced along the blade. The markings they left behind matched the whorls and patterns that decorated my arms and chest. The blade felt more like an extension of my arm than a weapon.

"Thank you, but—"

"Hush. I am your ally, remember? Bael has been doing no good for this council, and it is time for new blood to bring back the life that the council needs and deserves," the lady said, stepping once again into shadows.

"What is your name?" I asked before I completely lost sight of her.

"Allie."

The roar of a motorcycle broke the stillness, and I lost sight of Allie. I turned to see Jade ride up on her bike. My blood turned to fire as she got off the bike. Her wings cloaked her as she strode up to me.

"What do you think you are doing?" I hissed, anger replacing passion.

"Taking my rightful place."

"What are you talking about?" I shook my head. "Just stay here."

"No, Allie helped you to help me."

"I don't want to lose you."

"How touching," a voice said behind us. I turned around, my sword coming to bear. Bael. His duster was open, revealing low-slung jeans and no shirt, giving us a view of his almost perfect body from his narrow waist to well-defined chest. His blond hair hung past his shoulders. An oily grin showed white teeth. He moved closer. "Jade, you will make a wonderful addition. With you, the council will come to its knees."

I laughed. "Such a B-rated movie speech. You have no say in this matter, Bael."

"Stay out of this, wolf; your job is finished." Bael growled. A thin black light appeared in his hand. A fighting staff tipped in silver. Moonlight glinted off its sharpened edge.

I squared my shoulders. I felt Jade take a step back. "If you wanted her, why try to kill her?" I asked. I wanted to keep him talking so Jade could move out of the fight zone. Bael being overconfident, complied.

"Just to speed up the process. It is not her I want, but her blood. To be a Guardian, or even half, I would command the council and not have to grovel to Earwen or anyone else. They would have to bow down to me."

Bael played the B-movie villain to the hilt. He swung his fighting staff in wide arcs before him, letting the points shine in the light.

"Your acting skills are horrendous. What did you do? Take notes from the villains?" I scoffed, laughing at his antics.

Bael charged, his staff tip pointed at my chest. I twisted to the side, bringing my blade down to snap the shaft, but it bounced harmlessly away.

"You would think I would bring wood to a fight?" Bael laughed. He pulled the staff back towards him. The black light enveloped the staff, changing it. The staff went limp. He snapped his wrist and the whip flew at me, catching me at my left wrist. It burned. I dropped my sword as the whip snapped back toward Bael. I lunged for my blade, but Bael stood on the tip. "There will be none of that."

I looked up at him and smiled. "You are too predictable." I slammed the heel of my hand into his knees. He stumbled away. I grabbed my sword, bringing the blade to bite into his groin. Bael skipped back, and the tip of my blade only ripped his pants.

Bael turned and ran into the meeting hall. I followed and immediately stopped dead in my tracks. The council members were bound to poles along the back wall. Another pole stood empty in the center of the room, the base surrounded by a copper-lipped mat. I ground my teeth at the sight, and Bael tackled me from the side. We tumbled to the floor, my blade clattering away. His hands wrapped around my throat. He tightened his grip, and I went limp. His gripp slackened, and I punched him in his stomach, sending him reeling backward. I lunged and slammed him hard on his back, my knees holding down his shoulders.

A sharp knee into the small of my back threw me off. Bael was on his feet before I could recover. His booted foot crashed into my jaw. I felt the darkness overcoming me. I fought, allowing the wolf to come forth.

"Bring in the girl," I heard Bael call out.

The pain subsided as the wolf inside me came out. Skin to fur, muscles reforming. A deep growl grew within me. I shook as I looked up. Bael's minions, the twisted Barbie doll demons, had wrestled Jade into the meeting hall. I watched as the demons tied her to the pole. Our eyes met. A slight nod from Jade was all I needed. The demons had not searched her for weapons; I saw a sword hidden within her feathers.

Bael pulled out a short, wavy-bladed dagger. The Barbie demons left, standing just outside the doorway. My clothes were nothing more than a heap now, and I shook my paws free of them. Bael raised his dagger, and I launched myself at him. My jaw connected on his arm. The dagger clattered away. Bael swung around, but I refused to let go, my teeth sinking in deeper, keeping him from twisting.

The gleam of a blade caught my attention. "Don't move." It was Jade. I let go and backed away. A sword was across Bael's throat. "I may not look like much, but I can kick your ass," she said. Jade grabbed Bael's injured arm, pulling it up between his shoulder blades. Bael yelped in pain.

The Barbie demons decided it was time to enter the fight. They charged Jade from behind. I leaped between her and them. The demons stopped, looked at one another, and vanished of their own accord.

Jade had Bael on his knees. I came to stand beside her. She smiled down at me. "Go change," she instructed. There was a change in her demeanor, commanding and gentle at the same time.

I returned to her side to see that the other members of the council had been released. Earwen rubbed her wrists, a sad smile on her face. "Thank you, Guardian. I apologize for Bael's conduct. He will be dealt with."

"No. That is my judgment," Jade said as she turned towards the now-imprisoned Bael. His body sagged in defeat.

"You would have brought forth a new era." He pleaded.

"And I shall." Jade's wings folded into themselves, disappearing between her shoulder blades. She pulled on a black t-shirt from her back pocket. The magickal cage that held Bael began to shrink, and then disappeared completely with a small pop and a whiff of sulphur, taking Bael with it.

Jade turned and faced the remaining council members. "I know why you want me here, Council, and no, I will not oversee your petty squabbling. I will return to my life and to Toni." Jade looked over at me. "If she will have me." She faced Earwen and the council again. "As far as I am concerned, there is no council. Let the beings that inhabit the mortal realm do as they see fit. I will only intervene when necessary." Jade turned and walked away, leaving me to face the council.

Earwen crossed her arms over her chest. "And what of you?"

"I belong to no pack. I belong to Jade."

Earwen only smiled. The council vanished, leaving me alone in the center of the room.

"I doubt we will be seeing much of them for awhile. Things can finally get peaceful again." I turned around to find Allie leaning up against the doorframe. She pushed herself off and walked over towards me. "My niece could not have done better in choosing her bond mate."

"Your niece?"

"Yes, yes, Jade is my niece. I am full-blooded Guardian; she is only part."

"Where are your wings?" I said before thinking the question through.

Allie laughed. "I have no need for jewelry. Jade has a similar choice to wear her wings or not. Now go and protect the moon, for she is waiting." Allie patted me on my cheek and left.

I walked out the door, but Allie was gone. Jade was indeed waiting for me, though, leaning against my truck, her bike loaded in the bed. She pushed off the truck and folded herself into my embrace.

"Guess I didn't need to protect you after all." I smiled at her.

"Any regrets?" Jade asked.

I looked at her, from her green eyes, bright with laughter and happiness, to the silver set of wings that graced the hollow of her throat. I claimed her lips with my own. She was my moon now, and with her, anything felt possible. I pulled away just long enough to say, "None."

King Terfel had given her very strict orders: her pack was not to become a female dominated pack. The order had riled her, made her growl, but Regent Gauwyn—the king's chosen mate—had calmed her, as he usually did.

"It isn't out of a desire to continue the oppression of the women," Gauwyn had said with a smile. The Ice Elf, so different from his Wood Elf mate, had a smile that could calm a rabid wolverine. "It's about equality, Sasha. It would make you no better than the men who forced alpha females to behave as kicked puppies for millennia."

And, damn him, he was right.

The House of Wood was beginning to see how the interloper to their ways was almost always right when it came to such matters. Maybe the Wise Woman had been right: change came with an icy hand.

Sasha was an anomaly. She was one of a handful of alpha females in the House of Wood that hadn't had the alpha beaten out of her over centuries of abuse. Out of women capable of being the alpha of a new pack, she had been chosen due to seniority. Age, it seemed, still had its benefits.

Pale hands slid over her shoulders, looped around her neck, and Sasha leaned back into the warm scent of fur and heather.

Aneira had been running in the woods.

Sasha tilted her head back and smiled up at her lover. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Aneira whispered, dipping down to brush her lips over Sasha's. "But, I understood. A summons from the king could not be ignored. What did he want?"

Sasha rubbed her hands along Aneira's sun-kissed arms. "He has asked me to form a new pack. I am to turn in initial numbers within the week."

Aneira stilled against her. "You will be pack alpha?"

"Yes." Sasha smiled. "You will be the pack alpha's mate."

A hesitant smile curved Aneira's lips. "That's a lot of responsibility."

Sasha smelled the uncertainty like a cloying bramble of dying berry bushes. She sat up and pulled away, frowning at her list. The one person she'd wanted to share her fear and joy with wasn't happy about Terfel's decision. "Yes, it is. I think I've earned the responsibility. I've been clawing my way up for as long as I can remember, and I think it's high time someone noticed." She ground her teeth together for a moment before her mind reached out to Aneira's, whispering thought-to-thought, I thought you would be proud he chose me.

Aneira knelt beside her, looked up at her with brown eyes as rich as bear's fur. "I am proud," she breathed. "I'm proud that he has given you this place of honor, but... I worry about my place now. I am no alpha, Sasha, and I have never wanted to be."

"You don't have to be," Sasha said, combing her fingers through Aneira's golden hair. Scalp to shoulders, over and over. "Not every alpha's mate is an alpha themselves. Regent Gauwyn—"

"Is not one of us," Aneria finished. "The queen, before she died, she was as strong an Elf as the king. They were as close to equals as I have ever seen. I am not your equal now, and I never can be," she said, eyes downcast.

"Please, don't." Sasha cupped Aneira's face, brought their lips together. As her tongue slipped between Aneira's sweet, willing lips, their minds touched once more, thoughts passing effortlessly between them. I love you. Your place is with me, and mine with you. Don't give up before we've even tried to take this step together. Please, Aneira, I need you now as much as before.

Aneira moaned, soft and pliant against her. When Aneira's voice sounded in her mind, it was as tender and heated as a summer breeze. I need you, too. I don't want to be left behind.

Sasha stood up, pulling Aneira with her. "I will never leave you behind," she promised, leading Aneira back toward their bed. "Never."

It took little effort or time to strip, to bare their bodies, and Sasha was grateful for that. Words could be so useless sometimes, but with her hands, her mouth, she could show Aneira how necessary she was. Aneira was her heart, her soul, and Sasha couldn't imagine her life without the willowy, quiet Elf. Aneira had been everything Sasha herself couldn't be, and that had drawn Sasha like a moth to a candle's flame.

With tenderness that belied her true strength, Sasha pressed Aneira down to the bed, her lips tracing along the elegant curve of Aneira's throat. The moan that rumbled under her kisses thrilled Sasha, sent a shiver of need through her. There was nothing like this, the soft sighs from pale pink lips and the eager arch of sun-kissed skin. Aneira gave herself utterly, and Sasha took without a second thought. Her lips trailed down Aneira's throat, teeth nipping at the fluttering pulse. After a moment, she moved lower, letting her tongue lick broadly over the fine curves of Aneira's collarbones. Heat settled thickly between her thighs, and she moaned, her hands moving over the beautiful curves of Aneira's body.

"Sasha!" Aneira gasped as she pressed her chest up against Sasha's hands.

Sasha chuckled, dipped down to capture one pert peak between her lips. She suckled at Aneira's nipple, tugged with her teeth, and when her hand slid between Aneira's parted legs, she couldn't withhold her shudder of pride. Even now, decades after they'd come together, her touch still made Aneira impossibly wet. Her eyes rolled up, took in Aneira's flushed face, dazed eyes, and as her fingers circled Aneira's clit, Aneira's hands dove into her hair and tugged. It wouldn't take much, Sasha knew, to make Aneira scream for her, and as Aneira's fingers tightened in her hair, she continued to slowly, purposefully, rub at Aneira.

From one breast to the other, Sasha tormented Aneira until her sweet mate was shouting, thrashing under her mouth and hands. She lifted her head, panting as she watched Aneira, need burning through her as she kept that same insistent pace, not rushing a moment of Aneira's first climax. "Yes," she breathed, lapping at the dark flesh of Aneira's nipple. "Gods, I can smell you. It makes me crazy."

The flush gracing Aneira's cheeks darkened, and eyes that were usually such a welcoming brown now shone with the green-gold of a wolf. It took Sasha's breath away, how stunning Aneira was in these private moments, how close the wolf would come when pleasure reigned.

"I can smell you, too," Aneira panted out, a slight growl in the words. Her nails pricked at Sasha's scalp as her body twitched, her musk becoming stronger. "Sasha!"

Sasha smirked, a hungry gleam in her eyes as her fingers moved just a little faster. "Come for me," she breathed, capturing Aneira's nipple again, abusing it with tongue and teeth. Just as Aneira's body tensed, Sasha pressed two fingers inside her, her thumb moving slickly over that swollen nub, pushing Aneira those final steps. Her lover's howl filled their room, echoed in Sasha's ears, compounded her own desire, and she abandoned Aneira's nipple to take her mouth in a searing kiss. They rode out Aneira's release with kisses, whimpers, and quiet whines, until Aneira sagged back among the furs, breathless, pink-skinned, and grinning.

"Pleased?" Sasha laughed, thrusting her fingers in and out of Aneira's wet sex, not allowing Aneira to come completely down from the clouds. She couldn't keep the smile from her lips as she asked, "Ready for bed?"

Aneira snarled, her muscles coiled, and then Sasha found herself pressed to the bed. "Not yet," Aneira said, a feral purr to the words. Delicate fingers moved over Sasha's body, plucked at her nipples. "Not tired."

Sasha gasped, her hands splaying over Aneira's hips. "Who said anything about being tired?"

The wolf-like eyes seemed to sparkle, and Aneira gave Sasha one of those gorgeous, hungry grins of hers. It was the last thing Sasha saw before Aneira shimmied down her body and shoved her legs back, baring her utterly before that wicked mouth wiped all logical thought from her mind.

The look in Sasha's eye was enough to send the guards scattering, leaving her a clear path to Terfel's audience chamber. She threw open the two heavy doors like they were paper. "A breakdown in pack discipline?" she bellowed out without preamble. "What the bleeding hell did you expect was going to happen?"

Terfel, for his part, remained completely impassive, staring down at Sasha from his throne on the raised dais. "I take it that you received my summons."

Fury simply radiated from Sasha, but Gauwyn—standing still and calm beside Terfel's seated form—simply smiled at her. That damnable smile, the one that said, 'I know you're upset, and you'll be even more upset by the time we're done, but do, please, calm down.' It was enough to make her want to spit nails. "My pack is my pack."

"That it may be," Terfel said, standing. Terfel was an imposing Elf when he stood, all golden hair, golden skin, and bright, sharp eyes. "But this kingdom is my pack. When discipline and order suffer because the Alphas I have chosen can't control their families, it forced my hand into action."

"I don't need your help," Sasha snapped.

Gauwyn stepped forward, drawing her attention. His eyes, as pale a blue as they could be without being colorless, were warm despite their icy color. "There is no weakness in seeking help when help is needed," he said. "Within the pack—"

Sasha growled, low and dangerous. "What the fuck do you know of pack, Ice Elf?"

Terfel was off his dais in a blink of an eye, his hand on her throat, their bodies on the floor. A loud, vicious sound left his throat, his usually green eyes the amber of his wolf. "Don't you dare, little alpha, question my mate. He is Regent. He is Wolf-Mate. He has earned his place, which is what you must now do."

With Terfel's clawed hand threatening to cut off her air, Sasha nodded. She couldn't fight Terfel. She didn't really want to. He was king for a reason, and it wasn't just due to bloodline. When he let her go and stood back, she sat up and met Gauwyn's eyes again. "Forgive me, Regent."

Gauwyn stepped down the dais and approached her. His black and blue robes, which matched his hair so perfectly, crumpled as he crouched beside her. And, sure enough, that serene smile curved his lips again. "You are forgiven, Sasha. I am not Wolf, but I am Pack, and that part of Pack you've been given responsibility over is in chaos. We must fix that before the chaos spreads."

Sasha huffed; she couldn't help it, and she knew it made her sound barely beyond maturity. "It is under control."

"Half your men sport broken bones," Terfel said, crossing his arms.

It took Sasha a moment, and then she was on her feet again, her own arms crossed. A battle of wills. It was always a battle of wills with the males! "By the end of the week, it might be all my men. If they keep challenging me, I'll keep breaking their bones."

"That isn't how you earn respect," Gauwyn murmured, straightening. "That's how you teach your pack to be afraid of you. Fear breeds resentment. Fear leads to tragedy."

Sasha would have to be blind not to see the shadows in Gauwyn's eyes as he spoke. "Violence is necessary. They challenge me."

"Of course they challenge you. You're a female!" Terfel pointed at her. "If you cannot bring the pack under control—without an endless parade of broken bones and claw wounds—then I will need to find a male to take your place. Do I make myself clear?"

Oh, Terfel couldn't have hurt her pride more if he'd tried. Sasha gritted her teeth, kept her tongue still despite the litany of curses that demanded release. She turned on her heel and stalked back out the audience chamber, her cheeks dark with her blush of shame. Take the pack from her? Some days, she wished he would, but other days... when the young females looked to her guidance in the new world Gauwyn was shaping through her... No, no, she wouldn't let Terfel take her pack from her!

"Sasha."

She stopped in her tracks. Gauwyn's voice didn't need to carry for her to hear the edge to it, the silent command. Sasha turned in the deserted hall and faced the Ice Elf. "Regent."

Gauwyn's lips were, for once, curved into a frown. His brow furrowed and worry rolled off him in almost palpable waves. He motioned for her to follow him into a nearby room. It was small, sparsely furnished. She realized it was just a simple waiting chamber for guests seeking audience. Sasha crossed her arms. "Where is King Terfel?"

"He has gone to see if the new governess has survived the last three hours with Briana and Niallan." He smiled at her, motioning for her to sit in the chair across from the one he took. "Please," he added when she hesitated.

It was the 'please'. He hadn't ordered her to sit, but asked. Sasha sat, her head pounding as her anger began to drain from her. Aneira had noted she'd been angrier than usual, which had impacted their relationship in ways Sasha hadn't anticipated. All the challenges from the males always left her too furious and sore to do much of anything with Aneria, and she could feel her mate drifting off, lonely. It was only then that she noticed Gauwyn was talking.

"—is serious. If you can't bring the pack under control, he will find a male to take your place, and then everything will have been for naught." Gauwyn folded his hands demurely in his lap, making himself appear so approachable, as if she could trust him with her darkest secrets. "I know what it is like to be the center of change. When Terfel chose me, the Council had been adamant: he could bed me, but he could not marry me. He only had the one son, and I was male. How could they possibly allow our marriage if there was no chance for future children?"

"I remember," Sasha said, nodding. "Terfel was a beast, stalking the halls and barking at everyone as the Council deliberated your situation."

Gauwyn laughed softly. "And he raged in private. He wanted me, and I wanted him, but the needs of the kingdom were paramount. They always were, and they always will be. You understand that, don't you?"

Sasha looked away. "I don't want to lose my pack. I've worked so hard to have it."

"You're still working hard, and I believe we couldn't have chosen better."

Gauwyn was quiet for a minute, watching her. It was almost unnerving. She could swear he was able to see right to the heart of her. Could he see how afraid she was? How determined? How hard she'd been fighting all her life? How, in just three months, she'd gone from simply an alpha female to Alpha of her own pack? That she'd lost some of her friends, that she was losing Aneira? His lips curved into a sympathetic smile, and Sasha thought, yes, yes, he could see it all because he'd felt it all himself, too, at one point.

"Life is a series of battles and compromises," Gauwyn finally said. "It's time to compromise, Sasha."

"Compromise? What am I supposed to compromise? That pack wants a male to lead them, not a female, and all because Terfel's ancestors thought we were unable to lead. There's nothing I can do but beat them back, break every damn bone until they see that I am Alpha."

Gauwyn wet his lips. "Violence begets violence. It's one thing I think the House of Clouds has right. You can beat the men down every time, but they will only hate you more for it."

Sasha threw her hands up in defeat. "What am I to do, then? If I don't fight, they will take over the pack. If I do fight, Terfel calls it chaos and will take the pack from me. I can't win, Gauwyn!"

"Breed."

That one word was like a splash of cold water. "Bree—what?"

"You're Alpha, but you are also apart from the pack," Gauwyn said, his voice so reasonable as he suggested she be bitch to some male. "Most packs are headed by an alpha male and his mate, and together they produce offspring for the pack. They help strengthen the pack with children." He flushed a little. "It's what Terfel had to explain to me so many years ago when the Council came back to us, agreeing to the marriage if we agreed to Terfel breeding outside the marriage bed."

Sasha just stared at him. Gauwyn couldn't be serious. What Terfel and Gauwyn had done two hundred years ago had nothing to do with her! She shook her head. "Aneira would never allow it."

"Sometimes," Gauwyn murmured, "we have to give up something precious to us for the greater good of everyone else."

"I don't have to give up Aneira! She's my mate! She's been my mate for a hundred years!"

Gauwyn leaned forward, his eyes serious, his face grave. "I am not asking you to give up your mate, Sasha. I am merely suggesting that a child conceived with one of the alpha males of your pack would go a long, long way to bridging the gap between the males and females. I am saying, a compromise must be reached, or nothing will change."

"Aneira—"

"Aneira will have to come to terms with what it means to be mated to Alpha. Her position is one of honor and love, and she should want what is best for the pack as much as you do." Gauwyn stood and started for the door. He paused beside her, laid his hand on her shoulder. "It isn't easy to be Alpha. It isn't easy to be Alpha-Mate. Sacrifice is part of ruling... and I have never regretted the birth of the children I share with Terfel."

Sasha sat in the little waiting room for a long time after Gauwyn had left, his words turning over in her head. Aneira would refuse. She could turn her back on the pack and leave the kingdom, take Aneira with her and forget the politics and power and struggles. That would make Aneira happy.

But it wouldn't make her happy.

Damn Gauwyn. Damn Terfel. Damn the pack, and damn herself for that matter.

Sasha stood up and left behind the dim, stuffy room, but the conversation clung to her, lingered, just as she was certain Gauwyn had meant for it to.

"You've been quiet," Aneira whispered in the darkness of their room. "You barely ate."

Sasha's fingers stroked up and down Aneira's bare shoulder, the lingering warmth of their lovemaking leaving her sleepy and comfortable. "I have a lot on my mind."

Aneira nodded against her shoulder, pressed her naked body closer. "Did the audience with the king not go well?"

"It..." Sasha sighed, closing her eyes. "Terfel threatened to replace me as Alpha with a male if I can't bring the pack around. He says the chaos could spread."

"It's been hard." Aneira licked delicately at her throat. "They challenge you at every turn. What is it King Terfel wants you to do?"

Sasha moaned, turning to kiss Aneira. She didn't want to talk about it, but if she put it off, she didn't know if she would bring it up again. "He didn't have any suggestions, but... Gauwyn did."

Aneira smiled against her lips. "Regent Gauwyn usually does. What did he suggest?"

It was now or never. Sasha rolled onto her side, her hand continuing to pet along Aneira's thigh and hip. "He thinks it might raise pack moral and make us more cohesive if I... choose one of the alpha males and breed." There, it was out. For better or worse, the words had made it past her lips. "I... think he might be right."

Aneira became very, very still against Sasha, and all the color drained from her face. After a moment, she blinked, as if trying to comprehend the words Sasha had just uttered. Then, the anger filled her eyes, and she sat up, yanking the sheet with her, covering her nudity. "You think he might be right?"

"I don't want to do it, but I think it might be a good way to bring it all together," Sasha said, sitting up.

"You don't have a child to fix a failing pack any more than you have one to fix a failing marriage!" Aneira bellowed, stumbling out of bed. "Did you forget Elves don't breed well? That, what, a third of us die just trying? Did you forget you're mated to me, not some male with a desire to stake his claim on your womb?"

Sasha frowned and reached for Aneira, but Aneira only jerked away from her. "I'll still be your mate. We... we could raise the child together, like Terfel and Gauwyn do. It could be our child, Aneira, not mine and some male's."

"We aren't Terfel and Gauwyn." Aneira began to dress. "We aren't King and Regent."

When the scent of tears hit Sasha, her heart broke. Aneira was crying. Aneira was crying because of her. "Please, Aneira..."

"No. Not now, Sasha." Aneira pulled on her boots. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't want to hear your pleas or reasons or any rationalization. It's insanity. It's cruel."

Sasha wilted, slumping on her knees in the center of their bed. "It's a way that isn't violent."

Aneira's wet eyes met hers, and her expression was so dark that Sasha wanted to wince. "I said to stop talking!"

"I can't." Sasha looked down at her clasped hands, her whole spirit aching. "Sacrifices must be made sometimes. I don't want to fight the pack anymore. I don't want to fight you. I want to be Alpha. I want to be a good Alpha who sets the example other female alphas will follow. Can't you see that this is a way? A way without fighting, a way that shows we're a part of the pack, not just figureheads to be challenged."

When she looked up, she watched Aneira's dress flutter in the crack of the door, and then the door slammed shut. She could only hope Aneira would come back. That her mate would see reason. Did she want to breed? She couldn't say. It hadn't been an option before. But, Aneira was so sweet-natured, so loving, a child would thrive as a part of their family.

And the pack would thrive. Sasha felt that in the very marrow of her bones. If they could take this step, show that they didn't hate the males, that they were as pack-minded as all the others, it would all work out. She just needed Aneira to see that, too.

Daneyl came at her again, and again Sasha slipped out of his reach. This was the third challenger since her meeting with Terfel, and Sasha was trying to take his words to heart. Neither of the first two had been seriously injured during their fights, and Sasha was determined that Daneyl would escape with only his pride broken as well.

It was easier said than done, though. Daneyl was faster and stronger than either of the other two opponents, so simply throwing him out of the way was more difficult. Moments earlier, he had actually managed to bring his weight down on top of her, and it was only a well-timed knee to the groin that allowed Sasha to wriggle free.

Daneyl growled his frustration and tensed for another pass. Sasha was beginning to tire, and any hope of simply outlasting him was fading. She knew she had to end this now. When Daneyl rushed for her this time, Sasha stood her ground. She summoned up all her reserves of strength and lashed out, driving her palm into Daneyl's nose. The blow stopped Daneyl in his tracks as his eyes watered and a small trickle of blood dripped from a nostril. Sasha did not pause; she spun around, trapping the man's arm in a submission hold.

"First blood," she declared. "Do you yield?" The 'N' sound began to dribble from Daneyl's lips. Sasha redoubled her hold, until the bone creaked from the pressure. "Do. You. Yield," she repeated, making it clear that this was not a question.

"I yield," Daneyl spat through gritted teeth.

Sasha dropped him to the ground and stalked out of the challenge circle. The men were getting bolder; Daneyl would never have challenged before. Damn Terfel. Challenge by combat had always been the natural order of advancement within a pack. She had understood the necessity when combat to the death had been outlawed—they had lost too many to sacrifice any more. But telling her she could no longer fight with her entire heart was crippling her.

And then there was Aneira.

Aneira hadn't been coming into their room until long after Sasha was asleep, and then slept on the divan they had. The tension between Alpha and Alpha-Mate was trickling down through the pack. It made the women skittish, and the men bristle. It had to come to an end somehow, but Sasha was at a loss. Without Aneira, she was simply lost, and with her, so was the pack. It was only a matter of time before one of the males beat her or Terfel removed her as Alpha.

Gauwyn's words haunted her every waking moment. It was the answer, but it wasn't the answer she would accept if Aneira wouldn't be beside her. She'd rather be deposed and exiled than without Aneira.

Her whole body hurt, and she groaned as she opened the door to her room. She could smell that Aneira had been in recently, and it only made her heart hurt more. Sasha wanted to kiss her, love her, make things right, but she couldn't. She had to let Aneira work through it all and come to her. It was trying her patience to give Aneira that space while also fending off the challengers. She was being pulled in two, and she was beginning to wonder if it was worth it.

Sasha grabbed a change of clothes and headed off to the baths. She had to get the stink of Daneyl's sweat off her before she could go to bed, because maybe tonight, Aneira would come to bed with her.

Aneira didn't speak to Sasha for three weeks. It was three weeks of pure hell, and Sasha thought she was going to go mad between the unease of the pack, Terfel's pressure, Gauwyn's not-so-subtle manipulations, and Aneira's distance. She was being pulled in a dozen different directions, and she didn't know which one was the right one. What Sasha did know was that she was exhausted, tired right down into her bones, and she wanted her mate.

Maybe Aneira felt it, too, because the door to their room opened and Aneira stepped in. Yes, Aneira had been sleeping—on occasion—in their room, on that damned divan, but this time, when Aneira entered, she met Sasha's eyes. It was then, as they stared silently at one another, that the first tendrils of hope unfurled inside Sasha. Maybe, just maybe, she could salvage her relationship, please her king, and keep her pack. As long as she had Aneira at her side, loving her, she knew could do it.

Sasha wanted to fill the silence, but if she pushed, Aneira would run again. There couldn't be any more running. For either of them. She drew on all her learned patience, remained where she sat in the middle of their bed, and tried to keep her breathing even. She was certain Aneira was testing her now, that this was the moment for them, and she'd be damned if she screwed it up and lost everything. By the time she'd counted to three hundred-and-thirty-four, Aneira stepped away from the door and sat on the edge of the bed. Her back was straight, her head high, and Sasha wet her lips, wanting so badly to shake her, beg her to say something!

"Do you want to have a child with me?" Aneira finally asked, her voice so soft, so neutral.

Sasha couldn't stop herself from inching closer to Aneira on the bed. "With you?"

Aneira turned her head, her eyes dark and serious. "A child isn't a bargaining chip. It isn't something you create just to appease a man or a king. A child is a person, Sasha. It is a creature who will depend on us for care, for guidance, for love. I won't be a part of making that life if it's just going to be ignored or pawned off on me because all you wanted to do was compromise with the pack. It's either you want a family with your mate, or you want a disposable means to an end. Which is it?"

It was then that Sasha understood. Aneira wanted a family, not a ward. If they were to do this, it would be done right, just like Terfel and Gauwyn. But, did Sasha really want that? A child to love and teach and raise to be as good and honorable as Sasha had been taught to be? If it were a little girl, could they bring her up knowing that the females were just as strong, just as smart, and just as vicious as the males? If it were a boy, could they teach him that females should be as respected as any male? It was more responsibility on top of the pack, but it was an even greater responsibility because it was the next generation. The generation that could truly change the way the House of Wood ran.

Sasha met Aneira's eyes again and saw the small spark of hope in them. Aneira wanted a family. Aneira wanted a family with Sasha. A smile slowly found its way to Sasha lips. "Yes," she murmured. She reached out to draw her fingers over Aneira's lightly flushed cheek. The contact—after being denied it so long—made her heart jump. "Yes, Aneira, I want a family with you."

Aneira leaned into the gentle touch. "You're sure? You know what that means?"

"It means that, for the next twelve months, I'm going to be unable to accept challenges from the males, and then, when the baby comes, there is going to be a lot of diapers to change." Sasha grinned when Aneira laughed, and then she pulled Aneira into her arms, kissed her smiling mouth. "I know what it means," she murmured between kisses. "It means we're going to be mothers. We're going to be teachers."

"We're going to do this right," Aneira said, her fingers caressing Sasha's face. The kisses never stopped, even as they spoke. Too long apart had left them desperate for one another, to make up, to make it all right once more. "The males can't take the baby from us. It has to be our child, Sasha. Ours. I won't be cast aside. I love you too much to quietly stand in the shadows and let you raise a child with some male."

Sasha shook her head. "He is only a means to an end," she said, using Aneira's earlier words. "He carries the seed, and that's all I want from him."

"You're sure?" That light of uncertainty filled Aneira's eyes again, even as she cuddled closer to Sasha.

"I'm fucking positive," Sasha said with a smile, and then she pressed Aneira down into the sheets, her hands eager to separate Aneira from her dress. "I've missed you. I thought I would go crazy with you so far away."

Aneira arched, squirmed, helped Sasha rid her of the offending fabric, and then cried out when their nude bodies touched once more. "I couldn't think; I was so mad."

Sasha's hand strayed between Aneira's thighs, cupping her sex and moaning at the heat of it. "I know. I just want what's best for us, even if that isn't a pack of our own."

"It is best," Aneira gasped, pressing down against Sasha's fingers. "It's our family, if we can just hold it together a little longer!"

It was enough talk. Sasha didn't want to talk anymore. All she wanted was to make Aneira cry out in pleasure, writhe under her hands and mouth. As she kissed down Aneira's body, Aneira reached out, stopped her. Sasha could scent how ready Aneira was, how much she wanted Sasha, so the pause confused her. "Aneira?"

Those dark eyes, so warm and loving, sharpened. "Who?"

Sasha blinked. "Who what?"

"Who will you mate with?"

A goofy half-smile spread over Sasha's face. "I'm about to taste you and you're asking which male's seed I'll use?"

Aneira nodded, her expression as serious as any used in a council room. "I need to know."

Sasha flopped back on the bed, horny and denied. "Why?"

"Because if we don't do this on your next cycle, I may talk myself out of it," Aneira admitted, curling up against Sasha's side.

"Now who's not sure?" Sasha teased, kissing the top of Aneira's head. But, Aneira was right. If it was going to be done, it had to be done soon. She cupped Aneira's breast, fondled it, pinched the nipple, loving to soft, needy sighs that passed Aneira's lips. "Have you anyone in mind?" Silly question, Sasha knew: Aneira wouldn't have brought it up if she didn't already have a male picked out.

"Rhyd."

Sasha sat back a little, her brow furrowed. "Rhyd? He isn't the strongest alpha male in the pack."

Aneria nodded. "Precisely. He's an alpha, but lower in the pecking order."

It took Sasha a moment, and then she chuckled. "And here I thought Gauwyn was the only manipulative one in all of this."

Aneira pounced and rolled Sasha onto her back, and then straddled her thighs. She smiled down at Sasha, her fingers tracing little shapes on Sasha's breasts, making her nipples tighten and a moan lilt from her throat. "He will be good to you, to the child. He is suitable while not being too much male," Aneira purred.

Sasha wormed her hand between them, her fingers finding Aneira wet and eager. Her fingers teased through Aneira's folds, her thumb rubbing gently at the swollen nub. Sasha's mouth watered. She wanted to taste Aneira, drown herself in her mate's scent and flavor. "Rhyd, then," she agreed, and then bucked, swapping their positions. "I'll call for him when I am ready to mate."

"Yes," Aneira moaned. "And then we will conceive a child."

Sasha smirked, kissing her way down Aneira's body, spreading her legs wide. "Together," she agreed before dipping down, burying her face against Aneira's sex.

Sasha's heat was in full force, and the entire pack knew it. Left unchecked, she was likely to mate with any male who managed to hold her down. Fortunately, Aneira was there to dissuade anyone foolish enough to make the attempt, by the expedient method of dipping her dagger tips into a powerful sleeping draught and then throwing them at anyone who didn't give the door to Sasha's rooms a wide berth.

The only exception was Rhyd, of course. While he wasn't allowed inside right away, he was allowed to at least approach before being sent running by a well-thrown—and deliberately missed—untipped dagger. By the third day of Sasha's heat, word had gotten around, and no one but Rhyd so much as sniffed around the alpha.

On the fifth day Rhyd came around, the door had been left slightly open in invitation. When he inevitably ventured inside, Sasha was there just beside the entrance. She grabbed his arm and drove him to the ground, her knee pressing hard into his shoulder.

"Think very carefully about how you want this night to go," Sasha hissed. "I desire a mate, and I have chosen you. If you can prove that you deserve it."

Rhyd growled deep in his throat, pushing up against her. Aneira knelt on the bed, watching, and Sasha was crazed with the need to breed. It took one good shove, and Sasha was sprawled on her back. Rhyd scrambled on top of her, reaching for her wrists. If he pinned her, she'd never get out from under him. In a snap decision, she rolled to the left as he lunged to the right, and then pounced him again.

She would growl; he'd snarl. They rolled and fought on the floor of the room, one trying to best the other. Each time Sasha thought she'd managed to win the fight, Rhyd would regroup and have her pressed to the stones again, his body hot and hard above hers. While men didn't necessarily move her, Rhyd's stiff sex rubbing against her thigh brought about all sorts of base needs she'd never let fill her before. But, she'd be damned if Aneira's plan was wasted by some fast, stupid rut.

Sasha kicked up and sent Rhyd flying over her head. He landed with a solid thud, and then she was on him again. This time, she managed to grab his wrists and slam them to the floor, pressing all her weight into his chest and shoulders. They were both panting, flushed, sweating, and Sasha could smell how damn aroused he was.

She was, too, but it was mainly her heat and Aneira's eyes on her.

Rhyd tried to throw her once more, but he wasn't in a good position, and he was too damn spent. The wolf-green of his eyes faded a little, and he snapped at her with his teeth. She liked his spunk, how even now, he didn't give up. That was all she needed to know. A slow, pleased smile made its way to her lips, even as she heaved for breath.

"This will not be your child," Sasha whispered as she leaned down, drew her tongue over his lower lip. "I am Alpha. I chose my Alpha-Mate a century ago. I breed with you, but Alpha-Mate will be father to this child."

Another growl filled the space between Sasha and Rhyd, and Rhyd again tried to bite Sasha. "Any seed that takes root inside you would be mine."

Sasha surged forward, sinking her teeth into Rhyd's throat. She tasted blood, which only made her wolf all the more eager to fuck. Her mind reached out to his. Any child will be the child of Alpha and Alpha-Mate. You will gain rank in the pack by seeding my womb, but you will not gain me, Rhyd.

Rhyd's hands balled into fists, a pained sound rumbling against Sasha's teeth. "A child of my seed is still my child, Alpha. I deserve to know it. It deserves to know me."

Aneira spoke softly from the bed. "Yes, you do."

Sasha lifted her head, lips bloody from leaving her mark on Rhyd's throat. "What?"

"Would we take a child from him the way he would from us?" Aneira shook her head. "We would be no better than the men who have used us for millennia." Her eyes shifted to Rhyd. "This child will know his father. It will be raised by the pack as all children are, and you will have your place in that just as each pack member will."

Rhyd's eyes darted from Aneira to Sasha. "You will not challenge my right to be known as father?"

Sasha nodded once. "Aneira is generous... and right. If you don't want what this breeding offers, I'm sure there is another we can choose. I want you, though." She tilted her head, and then ducked down, bringing their faces very close. Her voice was low, tempting. "Do you consent?"

The wolf swirled in Rhyd's eyes again, and he growled, "I consent."

"Good," Sasha snarled, pulling Rhyd up and dragging him toward the bed.

Aneira took her place against the stacked pillows against the headboard. They'd discussed this moment so many times, Sasha was able to lose some of her unease as she mounted the bed. She crawled between Aneira's legs, kissing the insides of her thighs, her eyes never leaving her mate's face. This was happening because of Aneira, because of Aneira's strength and love, and Sasha tried to show her own love and gratitude in every thought, look, and touch.

Sasha jumped when Rhyd's large hands smoothed up her thighs and over her ass. She didn't want to stare at Rhyd while they mated; she wanted to gaze up into Aneira's eyes. It wasn't really Rhyd she was taking this step with. He was merely a means to an end. This was her family's beginning with Aneira, and it was Aneira Sasha wanted to focus on.

"Use your mouth on her," Aneira murmured, ordering Rhyd with an ease Sasha hadn't expected. Aneira smiled down at her, and Sasha was again struck by just how beautiful her lover was. "Sasha hasn't been with a male."

Even expecting it, Sasha gasped when Rhyd pressed his mouth against her. It wasn't exactly like Aneira, but it was something she could understand. It was good. Rhyd knew how to use his tongue, and as he circled her clit, a moan filled Sasha's throat. Sasha closed her eyes for a moment, that slick slide of tongue against smooth flesh making her pant slightly, and then Aneira's musk filled her senses. Aneira was aroused! Sasha's eyes opened, canted up, and Aneira was flushed, lips parted, and her hands carded through Sasha's hair.

"Now you," Aneira purred, and the sound of it made Sasha shudder, "will use your mouth on me."

Aneira wasn't usually so sure, didn't command her like this, but right now, Sasha needed it. She needed the direction, and she didn't hesitate to follow the order. Sasha ducked down and drew her tongue up the seam of Aneria's sex, and Aneira's soft sigh only made Sasha's clit feel incredibly sensitive between Rhyd's lips. As he sucked at her, made her shift impatiently on her hands and knees, Sasha circled her tongue around Aneira's nub, teasing under the hood where sensation was more intense for her lover. Aneira's hands tightened in her hair, pressed her face closer, and Sasha didn't care if she died then and there, her nose and tongue thick with the scent and taste of Aneira's arousal.

Release didn't come easily for Sasha, but then again, she hadn't expected it to. Her body knew the mouth moving over her, the tongue pressing inside, wasn't Aneira's, and that made it hard for her to peak. In fact, the longer Sasha licked and sucked at Aneira, the more and more sure Sasha was that Rhyd simply wouldn't be able to make her come. By the time Aneira bucked against her, cried out and tugged at her hair, Sasha had decided that Rhyd's efforts to pleasure her were in vain. Her body didn't want him, only what he could offer as one of the opposite sex.

Sasha sat up, panting softly as she licked Aneira's juices from her lips. Aneira was flushed and spent, her eyes beautifully dazed, and confidence filled Sasha once more. She pulled away from Rhyd and turned around, leaning back into Aneira's welcoming arms. Sasha spread her legs wide, moaning as Aneira began to pull and twist at her nipples. She met Rhyd's eyes, almost feeling sorry for not coming for him. It couldn't have been much of a bolster to his pride, but his pride wasn't really her concern. Sasha closed her eyes, slid her hands down her own body, and used her own fingers to rub at her clit. Aneira kissed her throat, fondled her breasts, and whispered the sexiest damn things in her ears. Even with Rhyd kneeling between her legs, the male scent of him invading her nose, Sasha focused entirely on pleasuring herself and the feel of Aneira's hands and lips on her body.

Her breath hitched, a ragged moan pulled from her throat as her climax approached, and Aneira whispered against her ear, "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Sasha gasped, her fingers circling her own clit faster and faster, feeling the small nub swell under her touch. "Gods, yes, Aneira."

Aneira's voice, low and full of a wolf-like growl, ordered Rhyd with such ease that it surprised Sasha as she balanced there on the edge of oblivion. "Take her, Rhyd. Be swift. She isn't your mate."

"I know," Rhyd snapped.

Through heavy lashes, Sasha watched him stroke his cock. It seemed terribly imposing to her, making her hand tremble against her, her heart jump. Perhaps they'd chosen wrong, should have chosen someone less—but there was no going back now. Rhyd braced himself over her supine body, bent his mouth to her throat, and when his teeth sank in possessively, his cock took its place within her. It wasn't slow or gentle; it wasn't meant to be. He took her quickly, his shaft moving in and out of her with a singular purpose, and Sasha lost her tenuous grip on her release.

Rhyd growled, groaned, and grunted, all alpha wolf. It was nothing less than what Sasha had expected, but it pricked at her own wolf, at its need to be the one on top. She suppressed it. Being on top wasn't what was needed now, and this was her small, slight concession to Rhyd. If he was to seed her, he should have the right to the dominant position.

It didn't mean she had to like it.

Her hands raked down his back as he all but pounded into her, a feral cry pulled from her throat. Sasha wondered when it would end, and then Rhyd pushed deep into her, stilled, and threw his head. The primal, triumphant howl that left his lips sent a shiver through Sasha, and Aneira's hands tightened on her. That one sound, carried through the section of the compound allocated for Sasha's pack, would be all the others needed to know that Alpha had mated. The wet warm that spread inside her with each little twitch of Rhyd inside her was all she needed to feel her own sense of triumph in it all.

Sasha's body ached, her throat burned from Rhyd's bite, and it took every ounce of restraint she had to not knock him off her the minute he ceased coming. Instead, she growled at him, bared her teeth. The wolf rose up in her, made her eyes shine amber.

Rhyd chuckled, eased himself out of her, and sat back on his feet, panting. He ran his hand through his dark hair, a lopsided, sated grin on his lips, his cock wet, pulsing, wilting. The male wolf was the epitome of smugness. He stank of it, and Sasha simply wanted him to leave. She wanted Aneira's hands on her, easing the aches, helping to ensure the conception. Sasha didn't want to have to do this again too often if possible.

"Go," Aneria ordered. Rhyd all but barked at her, and Aneira's soft growl filled the relative quiet of the room. "If you want to be invited back to ensure a seeding, you will go. Now."

Rhyd looked from Aneira to Sasha and back again. "I will return."

Aneira gave a short nod. "Tomorrow night."

Sasha's eyes followed Rhyd as he pulled on his trousers and made his way to the door. He glanced back at them for a moment, and then that smug smile returned to his lips before he let himself out. Sasha tilted her head back. "Do I not have a say in whether or not he humps me again?"

A fey smile curved Aneira's lips, and she dipped down to press a feather-light kiss to Sasha's mouth. "You never do anything by halves." She then deepened the kiss, her fingers twisting and plucking at Sasha's nipples as her mind brushed Sasha's. Besides, we don't want this all to be for naught. Best to rut now, as often as we can while you're ripe. Tilt your hips, keep his seed deep.

A moan from Sasha was fed between the kiss, Aneira drinking it down while tormenting Sasha's nipples. The arousal she'd lost the minute Rhyd had taken her flared back into vicious life. She arched up, offering her breasts up shamelessly, her tongue battling Aneira's, taking control. Once she dominated the kiss, their thoughts touched once again. I want to feel you against me, feel you come around my fingers.

Aneira shuddered, pulled back from the kiss to pant. "Gods, yes, Sasha."

The atmosphere was so different, intimate now, and Aneira shifted from behind Sasha, laying alongside her instead. Sasha took her mouth again, the kiss hungrier, filled with all the love and need that boiled inside her for Aneira. Aneira melted against her, pliant and sweet, the musk of wolf and woman driving Sasha crazy. When her lungs felt as if they would burst, she broke the kiss, rasping out, "Straddle my face."

A grin spread across Aneira's flushed face. She rose, swung her leg over Sasha's body, and then the wet, smooth lips of her sex was poised above Sasha's face, eager and ready. Sasha lifted her hands, spread Aneira wide, and drew her tongue from opening to clit. The flavor and scent, so damn potent now, rolled over her senses. Sasha groaned and dove in, licking and sucking, pressing her tongue within Aneira's pussy. Aneira's body trembled atop her, her voice raised high and proud in their shared pleasure. Let Rhyd strut about, his howl ring through the halls, it didn't matter. Aneira's cries were the ones Sasha wanted to hear—were the only cries that mattered.

With her hips tilted up, Sasha was perfectly positioned once Aneira's hands slid along her thighs, pushed her knees out and down to the bed. Aneira's tongue snaked out, slid along her upper folds, over her clit. Sasha couldn't help but buck up, moan and press her lips closer to Aneira's sex. Aneira lifted her head, pulled back, denying Sasha the pleasure of that talented tongue. At Sasha's plaintive whine, Aneira chuckled.

"Keep still," Aneira said, pressing down on Sasha's knees. "Don't want to spill a drop, and I also don't really want to taste Rhyd."

Sasha let her head fall back onto the pillow and laughed softly. "You don't want to taste his fluids, but I had to let him thrust into me like a beast."

Aneira turned enough to look at her, an amused light to her beautiful eyes. "It's how children are made."

"I know that," Sasha said, giving Aneira's ass a playful swat. "Now, make me come. I think I've waited long enough."

"You think so?"

Sasha thrust two fingers inside Aneira's wet, eager body, shuddering when Aneira bucked and pushed back. "I know so," she growled. "Lick me, Aneira."

Aneira moaned and bent down once more, her tongue swirling over Sasha clit. As her reward, Sasha lifted her head and began to lick and suck at Aneira's folds again. They moved as one, Sasha's hips always carefully canted up even when her body began to twitch with impending release. Aneira knew just how to drive her crazy, how to make her body twist itself into knots with need. Sasha gasped against Aneira, panted over damp flesh, her hands twisting in the bedsheets.

"Aneira!" Sasha's legs fought Aneira's vise-like strength. She wanted to writhe, to squirm, to push up against Aneira's tongue. But, Aneira was adamant. Her legs remained splayed wide, her body kept as still as possible. Then, Aneira sucked her clit between tight lips, flicked her tongue over the captured nub over and over, and Sasha screamed. She was lost to the fire of climax, her upper body thrashing as much as it could while her nails raked from Aneira's hips down to her knees.

When Sasha came back to herself, Aneira was still suckling at her, making her muscles jump as her sensitive clit was abused. Her vision cleared, and that was when she saw Aneira's fingers moving in and out of her own cunt, the soft, moist sounds ringing in Sasha's ears. She watched, dazed, whimpering each time Aneira's tongue slid against her. Aneira spread herself, rubbed shamelessly at her own clit, and when Aneira's body began to tremble, her tongue lax against her clit, Sasha reared up and buried her face in the drenched sex. Her whole world narrowed down to the thick musk on her tongue, the jerking of Aneira's body, and those heavenly cries that filled the room as Aneira came against her mouth.

Aneira collapsed onto her next to Sasha, laughing breathlessly as her hand stroked up and down the inside of Sasha's thigh. "Oh, my. I didn't expect it to feel so good."

Sasha rolled over, confident that Rhyd's seed would do what it would need to. She wasn't about to lay on her back with her hips up in the air for three days! "Making love has always been amazing between us."

"Yes," Aneira agreed, looking up at Sasha. "But it's never included foreplay with a male."

Sasha's nose wrinkled up. "I would not call rutting with Rhyd foreplay."

Aneira closed her eyes and hummed softly. "Of course you wouldn't."

Shaking her head, Sasha pulled Aneira up, bringing them face-to-face. "I love you," she murmured. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." Aneira pressed her open hand against Sasha's firm, flat belly. "And I'll love our child just as much."

The acceptance—the reality—rocked Sasha to her core. They'd done it. Gauwyn had been right all along. The choice hadn't driven Aneira away from her; the choice had made them a family and would cement the ties of the pack. It was real. It was here. There was no turning back.

Sasha hugged Aneira and smiled. "I'll love it, too."

"So will the pack," Aneira murmured sleepily.

True pride and excitement blossomed inside Sasha for the first time since Terfel had given her the pack. She settled with Aneira among the sheets and pillows and nodded. "So will the pack."

It had been harder than they'd thought. Four heats later, and Sasha was finally pregnant. Not that Rhyd had minded the bouts of sex, and Sasha had to admit by the fourth round, she hadn't felt the need to beat the piss out of Rhyd before taking him into her body. Aneira had announced that development as progress, and Sasha was willing to take it as such.

The pack had calmed. Alpha had taken a male alpha from the pack as hers, and Alpha-Mate had never been far from Alpha's side. Since the midwife had pronounced Sasha pregnant, Rhyd had even begun to take on some of the pack responsibilities Aneira herself—not alpha in nature—couldn't. It was a good situation, one of hope and promise, and as Sasha laid in bed, stared at the rain falling outside the window, she couldn't help but smile and rub absently at the small swell of her belly.

It wasn't going to be all roses, and Sasha didn't delude herself, Aneira, or Rhyd. Their race was long-lived. Children were hard to conceive, hard to bear, hard to birth. Children were hard won, precious rewards. But, for now, Sasha refused to worry about tomorrow and, instead, reveled in today. She was pregnant. The start of family. The next step for pack.

"You look introspective."

Sasha's eyes moved to watch Aneira climb onto their bed, all golden flesh and predatory need. "The midwife is certain all is progressing as it should, and I must agree." She smiled, lifting her hand to cup Aneira's breast when her lover braced herself above her. Sasha rubbed the pad of her thumb over the pert nipple, exposing her throat to Aneira. "I have to agree. All is progressing just as it should be."

Aneira leaned in and inhaled near Sasha's neck. "You smell different. It makes the wolf need you, want to protect you," she said, a slight growl in the words, teeth scraping her throat.

A shiver trickled down Sasha's back, her voice becoming breathy. "I smell like a wolf with a cub, and my mate will protect us unto her death."

Another growl, this one deeper, truer, rumbled near Sasha's ear. "Yes," was all Aneira said before her mouth fell on Sasha's, kissed her deeply, roughly, even as her hands moved over Sasha's body with such care, such tenderness.

Yes, it had been hard, and it would be hard in the coming months, years, but that was as it should be. Mate, child, pack, king. It was all as it was meant to be, and Sasha couldn't have wanted more.

Marie Carlson lives in the USA, travels far too much, and spends her nights writing about sexy monsters, watching the movement of the constellations, and searching the world for werewolf stories. She adores love stories during apocalypses and thinks for the end of the world fire or ice will suffice.

Marie spends her days on Top Secret Missions Involving Words to pay the bills and soaking up the sun wherever she is. She hunts down news items about upcoming werewolf media in her free time, is addicted to connecting with fans and other writers on Twitter, and collects horror movie figurines, books about monsters, and tattoos. She writes best in the wee hours of the night and drinks so much flavored coffee and iced tea she might as well have caffeine in her veins.

Marie's previous publications include the short stories Like a Thousand Miles of Fire in Torquere Press' Bite Me anthology, August 2009; Hunter, Prey in Circlet Press' Like Tooth and Claw anthology, December 2009; Blazing Star in Storm Moon Press' Cast the Cards anthology, October 2010; and the novella Beneath the Changing Moon as a part of Total E-Bound's Voracious Vamps line, October 2009.

Upcoming projects include Hunted, a sequel to Hunter, Prey; an untitled sequel to Like a Thousand Miles of Fire; Fire & Ice, a post-apocalyptic romance novel; and an untitled Only-Slightly-Secret project with paranormal romance and erotica author Elizabeth Reeve. You can find Marie online at www.mariecarlson.com.

K. Piet was born in California and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, with her older sister and two cats. After studying in three different states and graduating magna cum laude from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas in Kinesiological Sciences, K. moved back to Flagstaff to pursue a career in therapeutic bodywork and massage. Her private massage business places an emphasis on sports massage for circus performers, dancers, and athletes training at high altitude.

Throughout high school and college, writing fiction was little more than a pleasant diversion from required essays and applied science courses. After working with author S. L. Armstrong on a number of small writing projects and coming to see the act of writing as a learned skill, K. found a new zeal for the challenge and now writes as a sideline career. She is particularly fond of writing in the High Fantasy and Paranormal genres, adding her own homoerotic, and often kinky, flair to her fiction.

K. was once locally published in Flagstaff for her poetry in high school and has been a featured artist for the convention group CirqueCon. 2010 was her debut year at Storm Moon Press, the small, independent, erotic-romance press she cofounded with S. L. Armstrong in order to self-publish their collaborative fiction.

K. also enjoys drawing, circus arts such as flying trapeze and aerial silks, musical theater, and hoopdancing, all of which she feels balance her scientific, kinesiological side with her passion for the artistic and dramatic. Her love of the human body and its endless possibilities bleeds into nearly every facet of her life, from massage, to writing, to staring at the attractive men at the local Renaissance Fair...

Just kidding on that last part. Really.

Shashauna P. Thomas has always been an avid reader and writer of erotica. She is extremely proud of graduating from Cornell University with a BA in Anthropology and SUNY Stony Brook with a BA in psychology in six years. She is also a proud member of the D.I.V.A.S. of Lambda Fe Usöñ Sorority Inc. After finishing school she returned to her home in the Bronx where she was born and raised to become an erotic author. With the support of her family and friends she has dedicated herself to becoming a successful writer and having the creative sensual characters in her mind out on paper for the entire world to enjoy. Shashauna believes in using her passion for writing to hopefully inspire others to follow their own passions and wherever they may lead them. If her stories inspired one person to go out and try something he / she may have never thought to, then she feels as if she's accomplished one of her major goals. Everyone could use a bit of spice in their sex lives, but they mustn't be afraid to open their minds to new possibilities. If more people embraced their inner sexual creatures the entire world would be filled with much happier and satisfied people. So far a number of her creative works have been published both in print as well as in e-book anthologies. Her works can be found in such anthologies as Zane's Missionary No More: Purple Panties II, Xcite's Six of the Best: A collection of Spanking stories Volume I, Love on the Battlefield, and the Ultimate Uniform's collection. With more stories scheduled to be published in the future and others she's currently working on there will be plenty of her creative works to be found so be on the look out.

Erik Moore was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. From a young age, he was an avid reader, and recalls that the first book he read on his own was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. He was teased at school for being a geek and frequently dealt with it by retreating into the fantasy worlds of stories, other people's at first, and then those of his own creation. Though a writing enthusiast, his first love and vocation will always be computer programming and website development. He currently resides in Florida with his wife and their menagerie of dogs and cats, and wears his geek label proudly.

Della R. Buckland originally born in New York and transplanted to Southern California, has been writing tales of her fantasy worlds since she could hold a crayon. By day, she is a mild manner freelance writer publishing over 200 articles for such websites as Ehow and Answerbag for Demand Media Studios as well as Associated Content. However, by night, she wanders with nothing more than pen and paper among the dragons and other denizens that roam her worlds and tales of those travels can be found with such online sites as Associated Content and Sorcerous Signals and in print with Mystic Signals.

Della currently lives in El Cajon, California with her parents and two dogs.

S.L. Armstrong has been writing for as long as she can remember. Art and reading have played a large part in her life since young childhood, but around fourteen, writing became her passion. Voraciously consuming every book in front of her opened up hundreds of worlds in her head, and she soon wanted to create worlds for other people as well. She has a particular fondness for gothic horror, horror, high fantasy, urban fantasy, and romance novels. The authors she turns to time and again are Stephen King, L.J. Smith, V.C. Andrews, R.L. Stine, and Anne Rice, among others. She has no shame in picking up the young adult novels she loved as a child, and she will talk your ear off about grammar and punctuation.

After she married her husband almost thirteen years ago, she began to truly delve into the world of writing for public consumption. It was sheer chance that she stumbled on M/M fanfiction, and she's not looked back. Though fanfiction will always have a fond place in her heart, she soon grew tired of playing in other people's sandboxes. When she discovered M/M romance, and how it was now a legitimate branch of romance writing, she knew her course. S.L. plans to release F/F, M/M, M/F, and multiple partner books as she continues her writing career. M/M romance is where her heart lies, no matter what else she may write or read, and it's where she keeps returning to. There is something about two men passionately in love that just makes her heart melt, and she has no intention of giving that up anytime soon.

S.L. Armstrong lives in Florida with her husband, two dogs, and seven cats. She hates the heat and longs for a northern, snowy climate. She writes with K. Piet on a number of projects, but she also writes her own solitary titles as well.

She can be found at www.slarmstrong.net or contacted at slarmstrong@slarmstrong.net.