A Mating of Convenience

by Elyce de Reefe

  She sighed and gazed out into the night. “Oh, who am I kidding? It’s hopeless. We can try another blood transfusion to hold her over, but…” She shook her head. “I need a baby.”

  In front of her, Boaz stiffened. She could just make out his shape in the darkness.

  “You’re going to use a baby?” The words were a horrified whisper.

  “I need to get pregnant, Boaz,” she snapped. “I need the stem cells from the umbilical cord. Believe me, no babies will be harmed.”

  “Oh.” He sounded embarrassed. She felt a tiny stab of guilt, but pushed it away.

  After a moment, he spoke again. “I can help you with that.”

  Nina glanced up at him in surprise. Not that she could see anything. “What?”

  “If you want to get pregnant—”

  She rolled her eyes. Really? “No thanks, sailor. I don’t think that would work.” She blew out a breath. “I’m not fertile.”

  “Nina…” Boaz cleared his throat. “You are fertile. I promise you. Just how much chocolate did you eat?”

  “How can you— Wait. What do you mean, chocolate?”

  “The chocolate Marten sent. That was really from Aster. And…” He trailed off, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “It’s a long story, but she doctored it with your fertility serum. I can tell you right now, it worked.”

  Nina felt a little dizzy. “The chocolate?”

  She had a flash of memory— sitting at her desk, eating one chocolate after another the night she learned that Eva’s graft had failed.

  She groped behind her blindly; her knees felt weak. Boaz must have seen because he was suddenly beside her, taking her arm and leading her to a fallen log at the edge of a small break in the trees. She sank gratefully down onto its hard, solid surface.

  “It worked? How can you tell?” Her voice sounded shaky.

  “I can smell it. You are… very fertile.”

  She tried to absorb those words.

  “So, does that mean I smell… really strong?” Her voice gave out as she tried to catch up. The serum worked. She’d eaten the chocolate. Did everyone—

  “It means you smell really great.” The deep timbre of his voice sent shivers racing up her spine. “Like cinnamon and orange… and heaven.”

  Her stomach did a little dip. “Oh.” Put like that…

  Her throat worked. “So everyone can smell me?”

  He settled on the log next to her and took her hand. “We have very good noses.”

  “Right.” She tried not to think about that. Tried to concentrate on the important thing. She was fertile. She could have a baby. All she needed was a…

  She glanced up at Boaz. “It still wouldn’t work. What kind of baby would we have?”

  He shrugged. She could see him much better now. The crescent moon hung just above the trees, illuminating the clearing in front of them as well the log they were sitting on.

  “A boy, probably. The People have mostly boys. But maybe a girl.”

  Nina blinked at him, momentarily distracted by the image of a little tow-headed boy with vivid blue eyes.

  “No, I mean, would it even be human?” She winced as the words left her mouth, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  “They would be People, just like me.”

  “Well, there you go. I need human stem cells. I need a match for Eva’s genetic makeup.” She rubbed her forehead. “Oh, who am I kidding? I’m grasping at straws. I’m not even a match. The chances that my baby, even a fully human baby, would be a match—”

  She broke off, unable to complete the thought. Her voice was softer when she continued. “But infant stem cells are so much more versatile than adult. I thought there might be a chance...”

  “Nina.” Boaz’s voice was quiet and serious. Maybe even a little chiding. “What kind of DNA did you use to make the serum? What kind of DNA have you been using for your pheromone formulas? Clearly we are compatible. Just think about it. The People heal faster. We are immune to most human diseases. Stem cells from the umbilical cord of a baby of ours would probably cure just about anything.”

  “I don’t know, Boaz.” She bit her lip. “I mean— you’re not human.”

  “And you are not People. But I don’t hold that against you. You are you. That’s enough.”

  Her heart gave a painful little squeeze. He was still holding her hand and gazing at her with such solemn sincerity that she felt small-minded. Even churlish. But she also felt afraid. How could she possibly—mate—with a… well, it was hard to think of Boaz as a monster, but that was what he was. Right?

  “We can talk to Dean about it in the morning. But Cray is half human, you know. There’s no problem.”

  No problem, except her babies would be werewolves. Not-werewolves. She rolled her eyes. And she would be sharing her body with one. Baring herself in the most vulnerable way possible to something she didn’t understand. Something she couldn’t quite reconcile with her knowledge of the natural world.

  Boaz.

  She must have stayed silent for too long because he continued.

  “You can never escape, Nina. The knowledge you carry— This is too important to the survival of the People. We would come after you. We would find you. If you were lucky, I would find you first.” His face was grim in the pale moonlight.

  “That is not the answer. In two days it will be the new moon. We can have our Moonrise Ceremony. Then you will be out of danger.”

  “Moonrise ceremony?”

  “A mating ceremony. We will bond. It’s for life, Nina, so you have to be sure.”

  She just stared at him, and her mouth might have been slightly open.

  “I know this is difficult.” He touched her cheek, gliding his thumb across her cheekbone. “Humans can’t sense potential mates. Not like we can. But I can sense it. I’ve sensed it from the beginning. You will have to trust me.”

  He stroked her cheek gently, then moved his hand away. “We will make a good match, Nina. Develop a good strong bond. It is the bond that will protect you. Once we are bonded, you will no longer be a danger to the People.”

  Nina shook her head. “How can that be?”

  She wasn’t even sure which part she was questioning. It all sounded fantastical.

  “The bond connects the two of us together, but it also connects you to the pack. And it makes it impossible for you to betray us.”

  “This is silly, Boaz. I can’t— mate you.” She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache building there. “But I wouldn’t betray the pack. Not if you let me go.”

  Boaz stared at her for a long moment. “I believe you, Nina. But it doesn’t matter. We literally can’t take that chance. The bond prevents it.”

  She shivered. “I don’t think I want this bond. It sounds creepy. Some outside force controlling me.”

  “It’s not. The bond is a beautiful thing. It will connect us together, make you Pack and keep you safe.” He lifted her chin with the hand not holding hers, so she was looking directly into his eyes. “I will not force it, Nina. I can wait until you’re ready. But you can’t leave until then.”

  He paused and released her chin. His other hand stroked the back of hers with his thumb. “How long can Eva wait?” he asked gently.

  “Are you telling me that if we have this moonrise ceremony thing, I can leave? I can go to my sister?”

  “Yes. That’s what I’m telling you. I will go with you. We will help her together.”

  Nina shook her head, a flood of unwanted emotions roiling through her. “How can you help her?” She sounded petulant, like a child, but she didn’t care.

  “I will do whatever I can.”

  His quiet declaration humbled her. Which just wasn’t fair. He was the one at fault here. He was the one holding her prisoner. Him and his People.

  But he’s only trying to keep them safe. And if he is telling the truth, he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.

  Her headache was getting worse. She took a deep breath.
/>   “Show me.”

  “Show you?” She could just make out the glint of his raised eyebrows in the dark.

  “How you— turn into a wolf.” She had to resist the urge to swallow. To look away from the concern on his face.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” It was a breathy whisper, but he seemed to take her at her word.

  He rose from the log, his hands going to the buckle of the belt threaded through his jeans.

  “Wait! What are you doing?”

  “Stripping. Wolves don’t wear clothes.”

  This time she didn’t even try to stop the convulsive swallow building in her throat.

  Chapter 14

  Boaz undressed was every bit as beautiful as she’d known he’d be. He kept his back modestly turned to her, but the way his strong shoulders tapered to slim, well-developed hips, the curve of his back, and the round swell of his buttocks were all clearly visible against the moonlit meadow. There was a brief sort of shimmer and an almost imperceptible snap of power—as if lightning had struck just a little too close, but muted—and then a large white wolf stood before her, facing out into the clearing.

  His tail wagged ever so slightly as he turned slowly to face her. Nina caught her breath. He was huge. Practically the size of a small pony. She could see he was just as powerfully built when a wolf as he was when a man. And with his mouth hanging open like that, and all his teeth on full display, it was a very intimidating sight. Too late she realized she should have asked more questions, like did he lose his ability to reason when he was in wolf form, or did he turn into the kind of bloodthirsty monster depicted in all the werewolf stories she’d ever heard? Suddenly, his insistence that he was not a werewolf took on new meaning.

  Slowly he approached her, not that he was far away as it was, and Nina had to steel herself not to swing her legs over the log and back away. Heart pounding, she forced herself to hold her ground as he crept closer. After only a few steps his large head was close enough to touch, if she reached out, and he stopped there, staring into her eyes as if he expected her to do something.

  She leaned forward and offered her hand for him to sniff, as if he were a dog.

  Great, Nina. Now you’ve probably committed some unforgiveable werewolf-etiquette faux pas.

  But he sniffed the back of her hand delicately and took another step forward. His head was practically in her lap now, although his nose was level with her ribcage.

  Moving carefully, she raised her hand to stroke along the top of his head. His fur was soft and clean smelling, and he gave a little doggy-like sigh as her hand traveled down to stroke the side of his neck. He moved in closer until he was standing between her knees and pressed his head to her side, pushing his nose between her arm and her body. She froze, not sure what to do, but he just stayed there, tail gently wagging, and eventually she let her hands descend to stroke the fur along his shoulders and back.

  They stayed like that for a few moments. Nina wondered if she should say something, but she had no idea what. And it seemed like words would break the magical stillness of the moment.

  He’s really a wolf. He turned into a wolf.

  Even with her hands buried in his silky fur, her mind was having trouble processing that. But he’s still Boaz. Gentle, thoughtful Boaz, giving her time to absorb this new reality.

  She glanced down at her hands, slowly stroking along his powerful back. His coat seemed to glow silver in the moonlight. He was truly a magnificent creature. In all forms, she thought to herself, unable to banish that glimpse of his naked body standing so completely at ease in the cool night air. A few moments later, he stirred and backed away, then turned and padded over to his clothes.

  There was another pop of power, the air around him sort of shivering, blurring his image, and then Boaz stood before her in the meadow, his back still turned as he reached down for his jeans.

  Apparently, he didn’t bother with underwear. Nina knew she should turn away and let him dress in private, but she watched anyway. She was only human.

  And he is not.

  She sucked in a breath as it all came crashing down on her. What was she going to do? She couldn’t— mate him. Could she? That was crazy.

  Boaz finished dressing and returned, holding out his hand to her and pulling her to her feet.

  “Are you okay, Nina?”

  She nodded and stared up at him, not sure what to say. After a moment, she managed, “You make a very pretty wolf.” Her voice sounded tentative.

  He stood there, just gazing down at her. It was too dark to see, but she thought he was giving her that familiar slight quirk of his mouth that passed for a smile.

  “You make a very pretty human, Nina.”

  “Um… thanks,” she said faintly.

  He regarded her for one more moment, and then he leaned down slowly and pressed his lips to hers. She saw it coming, and her stomach did a crazy little dance as she tried to decide what to do, but in the end, she just stood there.

  It was a soft kiss. A tender kiss, with only the smooth, warm skin of his lips brushing against hers— but she felt it tingle all the way down to her toes. And then he pulled away.

  “Let’s get you back.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, she had no idea what, but he didn’t wait. He just took her hand and began leading her silently back through the woods. It felt so familiar that Nina felt herself relaxing. It was all too much to take in, so she tried to concentrate on not tripping over anything in the dark.

  One thing had become clear though. Werewolves, or not-werewolves as the case may be, apparently did kiss, and Boaz was good at it. Nina did her best not to dwell on that fact, but it was hard. She couldn’t help wondering just what else he might be good at.

  When they got back to the room though, she was shocked when Boaz climbed into bed with her. He was wearing the same flannel sleep pants he usually wore, and he settled on the side of the bed closest to the couch. The side she didn’t sleep on. Did this mean her grace period was over? Just because she let him kiss her—

  She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off before she could say anything.

  “I want to trust you, Nina. I do. But if anything happened to you, I would never be the same.”

  She had absolutely no idea what to say to that, so she closed her mouth and turned her back to him. One large hand settled on her hip, enfolding it gently, but firmly. It was both disconcertingly intimate, and oddly soothing. Every time she shifted, his hand would tighten briefly, only relaxing once she settled again. It took her a long time to fall asleep, but it had been after three in the morning by the time they’d made it back to the room, and eventually she drifted off.

  The next day was a jumble of the familiar and the strange. They woke late, of course, and no one was around when they went down for breakfast.

  “I think it’s time for you to start eating dinner with the pack,” Boaz said as they settled into the breakfast nook with coffee and bagels.

  It was Jesse and Eli’s turn to make breakfast, and they frequently relied on takeout, but they always made sure it was top quality so they managed to keep their ranking. Nina was just thinking she needed to add some cardio to her routine before she started to gain weight, when Boaz spoke.

  “I’m going to talk to Lucas about it,” he continued. “How can he expect you to join the pack if he keeps you separated from it? You need to see what your life will be like. I’m going to tell him that.”

  It was one of the longest speeches she’d heard Boaz make, and it brought up the very idea she was trying not to thinking about. Was she really contemplating actually staying? For good?

  She winced at her word choice. Forever, Nina. There was no knowing if it would be for good. But if agreeing to be Boaz’s mate would give her the freedom she needed to go to Eva… And if she could actually get pregnant after all these years of trying— wasn’t that what she wanted?

  “Do you think that’s wise?” Nina licked a smear of ve
ggie cream cheese off her finger and glanced up at Boaz. “He won’t be able to tell about last night, will he?”

  Boaz shook his head. “No. And he’s more relaxed now. Aaron told me he spoke with Marten. They struck a deal— a truce of sorts. And there’s talk about cooperation with the Sickness research.” He regarded her steadily. “Your name came up quite a bit.”

  That sent a jolt of surprise through her. “Really?”

  Boaz nodded. “Marten definitely implied his continued cooperation hinged on your continued safety.” He paused for a moment. “We are in a stronger position than we were.” He gave her a hard look. “So long as you don’t do anything reckless. Like last night.”

  She swallowed and nodded, looking away. This situation was so confusing. She had a new appreciation for the complexities of Stockholm syndrome. She couldn’t quite fight the growing convictions that these—People—for lack of a better word, were honorable. She might even have respected them for their convictions, if those convictions hadn’t included holding her against her will.

  The fact that Marten had spoken up for her gave her an unexpected feeling of warmth. He was always so commanding, so sure of himself, and to have gained his respect, or perhaps even his regard, touched her.

  That afternoon she worked in the lab with Dean as usual. And she was just as elated as he was when they achieved a minor breakthrough in the Sickness research. They were now about ninety percent sure the strand of DNA Nina had been studying was the one responsible for causing the condition. They still hadn’t determined what triggered it, or even how it caused the multitude of symptoms that characterized the disease, but now they were pretty sure they knew which area to watch for changes.

  It was the first step in determining what caused the disease to manifest. From that they might be able to determine how to prevent it, if not how to cure it outright. Dean couldn’t wait to get started re-examining all the samples they had currently, and was talking about getting Lucas to contact Marten for more.

  And true to his word, when Boaz picked her up that night, instead of going for their usual walk, they headed to the pack house. But rather than entering through the mudroom, Boaz led her around to the front of the house, where a group of people were having cocktails on the veranda.