A Mating of Convenience

by Elyce de Reefe

  Zeke dodged, a mischievous grin on his face. “What? It’s a good song.”

  Boaz lunged for him and wrestled his phone out of his hand. A moment later the music stopped, but not before Nina identified the distinctive strains of Bad Company’s Feel Like Makin’ Love. It was a song she hadn’t heard in a long time. And yes, it was a good one. But the words were a too vivid reminder of just what she’d signed up for. She glanced around a little wildly as her stomach clenched. But it was way too late to run.

  As if sensing her unease, Lucas took her elbow and led her toward the footbridge. The rest of the pack trailed after them except for Boaz, who left to ‘change.’ Literally. For some reason, Aaron handed Lucas a light-blue chiffon scarf as they waited for Boaz to reappear. And then there he was, a huge smoky-white wolf bounding around the side of the house, mouth open in what looked very much like a happy grin.

  His eyes zeroed in on her. He closed his mouth and his stride shifted to a flat-out run. His powerful frame ate up the distance until he was only a few yards away, and still he charged. Nina gasped. He was headed straight for her.

  “Boaz!” Lucas’s voice ripped through the air like a whip. It seemed to reverberate in her bones.

  “Here!” He pointed at a spot by his feet.

  Boaz skidded to a halt before him, but his intense gaze was still focused on her. The tiny hairs prickled along the back of her neck. She had no trouble imagining him taking her down with a single leap. She swallowed convulsively. What had Mari said about not wearing her favorite clothes? Why hadn’t she asked more questions?

  In the daylight, she could see his white fur seemed to be dipped in silver, giving him an almost ghostly appearance. But his blue eyes gleamed with intensity.

  “Here, Nina.”

  She jumped at the sound of Lucas’s voice.

  “Wrap this around his neck like a leash.” He was passing her the filmy blue scarf.

  She looked at him incredulously. “What?”

  But he didn’t repeat himself, just continued to hold out the scarf. She gaped at him. He wanted her to get closer? Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Finally, with trembling hands, she reached out and took the scarf.

  She forced herself to take one step forward, and then another. Boaz’s gaze never wavered, and the blue of his eyes seemed to grow brighter as she approached. But he didn’t move as she sucked in a deep breath and carefully wrapped the scarf loosely around his neck.

  “Like this?” She had to admit he looked a lot more approachable like that. Almost cuddly. Except for that intense blue stare. As she was about to step back, he swiped his tongue along the underside of her wrist, sending shivers up and down her body. And not the good kind. At least— mostly not the good kind.

  Her eyes jerked to his as she wiped her wrist on her pants and took a hasty step back. Was that a satisfied gleam she saw there?

  “Nina,” Lucas said, capturing her attention. “You came to us in an unusual fashion, but you arrived just in time to save my sister. I have not thanked you for that. I thank you now.”

  His formal words, delivered with that quiet sense of certainty, moved her in a way she never would have expected. And the fact that he said it in front of his entire pack was not lost on her.

  “Boaz has claimed you. And I have accepted his claim. You have accepted him. Is that correct?”

  Her eyes went to the huge white wolf seated at his feet. The filmy blue scarf wrapped double around his neck so incongruous, and yet, oddly beautiful against his silver-white fur and vivid blue eyes.

  Am I really doing this?

  Her gaze flicked to Elizabeth, standing stoically beside Cray, holding tightly to his hand, her arm tucked inside his, close to his body. She smiled at Nina, but it was a tight smile. Lyla stood more at ease, with her arm slung around Aaron’s waist, his arm up over her shoulders. She gave Nina a quiet smile and a nod of encouragement. They seemed so happy with each other. How bad could it be?

  Don’t think about tonight. Don’t think about the chase. Her gaze returned to Boaz, and her stomach tightened into a knot. His tail wagged ever so slightly as they all waited, the silence stretching out.

  “Yes,” she breathed, feeling slightly faint.

  There was a soft stirring as the collected gathering seemed to heave a sigh of relief.

  “Nina Evans. Boaz Masters.” Lucas’s voice boomed in the still evening air like the peal of a gong. “Welcome to the Rabbit River Pack.” The words seemed to echo through the valley.

  There was a kind of a flash and the sensation of being hit with a blast of air. Without the air. And while Nina was still blinking and processing that, Lucas turned and began speaking again. This time it seemed like he was addressing the sky. Again, his words seemed to echo.

  “Blessed Moon Maiden, Mother of us all, if this union pleases you, gift this pair with a strong bond. Let them share many healthy children.”

  There was another clap of power and a brighter flash that seemed to stretch out from Lucas up into the heavens and back down. Then Lucas bent to gather the ends of the blue scarf in both hands. Boaz stood and tried to move towards her, but Lucas stepped back, holding him firmly by the scarf.

  “Nina, you need a strong bond. That means a good chase. I will hold him as long as possible so you can get a head start. But you must run as fast as you can.” Boaz whined and began straining towards her against the scarf.

  Nina felt her mouth drop open as Lucas widened his stance and braced himself against the pull. She took a step back.

  “Run, Nina. Now.”

  His words went through her like a shot. She felt a tiny spurt of panic.

  “Run!” The chorus went up from the assembled crowd, urging her on.

  Nina whirled and sprinted across the bridge, her boots slapping against the wood. What had she gotten herself into? And why hadn’t she worn sneakers?

  She reached the edge of the bridge and glanced back over her shoulder. Surely this couldn’t be right. Was this some kind of joke?

  Boaz lunged and strained against the makeshift leash, jaws open and snapping. It didn’t look like it would hold him long.

  “Run, Nina!” Lucas bellowed.

  Nina ran.

  Chapter 17

  Boaz raced over the footbridge in a surge of joy and adrenaline. Lucas had finally released him. He was free to follow the intoxicating scent that was Nina. Sweet, tangy orange and warm, inviting cinnamon. In wolf form, he could detect the more subtle notes of lotus blossom and honey. Tupelo honey.

  He grinned and bounded through the meadow, enjoying the feel of his muscles bunching and stretching, eating up the ground with each stride. The tall grass tickled his face, parting around his charging body like a river. Lucas had waited until Nina was out of sight before releasing him, making his body hum with urgency to follow her. Once she was safely ensconced in the trees, Lucas bent down to tuck the scarf around Boaz’s neck and stepped back.

  And now he was free. It was a simple thing to follow her scent. He only needed to herd her up the nest he had prepared. Then, finally, she would be his. Really his. For always.

  The soft, springy ground of the meadow gave way to the thick mulch of the forest floor and the shade of the trees reached out to enclose him in their sheltering embrace. Nina had come through here. He could see from the disturbed ground that she had been jogging here, rather than running. Poor little human. She was probably tiring. He knew from her escape attempt she wasn’t much of a runner.

  She was heading in the right direction, so Boaz forced himself to slow down. She needed a good run, but he didn’t want to exhaust her. Or scare her more than necessary. And he could tell from her scent that she was frightened. Which was important. That unsettling feeling would help keep her going. He had to admire the cunning of his Alpha—setting it up that way—adapting the ceremony to accommodate the fact that she was human. Because more than anything, Nina needed a strong bond to protect her. To keep her safe.

  He could feel the desire building i
nside him with every stride. The pounding urgency to claim his mate thrummed through him, but he reined it in. He couldn’t just pounce on her. She would need time to adjust to her new status. He would have to go very, very slowly with her.

  Her scent veered to the right, then, away from the steep hill that led up to the ridge. That wouldn’t do. He bounded up ahead to cut her off and chase her back in the correct direction. His mouth hung open in a happy grin. This was more like it. Chasing his mate. Thinking was for later.

  He felt the soft spongy give of the pine needles underfoot, releasing their sharp, clean fragrance into the air. Soon he would be with his mate. Soon. He scented the air. Good. He was ahead of her now. He turned and caught a glimpse of her through the trees. There. He stopped and dropped to his haunches. His howl echoed through the trees, long and mournful, warning her back. Ahead of him she froze, fear spiking her scent.

  Too much!

  Boaz rose to all fours, anxious now. She needed to move. Find the nest. It would be dark soon. He slunk towards her, head low, ears back. A soft rumbling growl rolled through the back of his throat. She turned and fled back the way she had come. Good. She was moving. But not quite in the right direction.

  He darted forward as she stumbled through the underbrush, yipping and snapping playfully. That got her moving up the hill, but it also startled a little scream out of her. And now terror flooded her scent.

  Had she never played like this as a pup? No. No, of course not, dog-brain. She’s human.

  Boaz sneezed, trying to clear away the harsh scent of her terror, and followed more slowly up the steep incline, careful not to get too close. Terror continued to coat her scent. He whined. This was a lot harder than he’d imagined. His heartbeat pounded an urgent rhythm. Mine. Mine. Mine. He shook his head, forcing himself to hold back.

  Go slow. You’ve waited all this time. Don’t mess this up now.

  Nina was climbing above him, desperately grasping at vines and brush to help haul herself up the steep slope. He should have scouted an easier route. Should have tried to create some type of path— but there hadn’t been time.

  He hopped up and over a fallen log, but had to jerk his head and shoulders to the side to free the scarf caught on the underbrush. Nina was almost at the top now. Soon she would see the place he had prepared for them. He felt a nervous tremor in his gut. Would she approve? He whined softly. She was his mate now. He had to provide for her. See to her comfort.

  Ahead, Nina tripped and let out a shuddering gasp of pain. Or possibly frustration. He scrambled over the craggy edge of a boulder, keeping her in sight. Wait. Was she—?

  Nina swiped something away from her cheek. His heart dropped. She was crying.

  No.

  He leapt over another jagged rock—and pulled up short—caught by the stupid scarf. He wrenched his shoulders and shook his head, trying to pull free, but it was snarled in a mass of thorny vines. He shifted and tore it free with both hands. She had paused up ahead, so he was able to close the distance between them in four powerful strides.

  “Nina.”

  She half turned to face him, but he pulled her back against him, wrapping his arms around her middle.

  “Nina. Nina. Nina,” he chanted softly. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”

  His heart ached, but his blood pounded with desire. He had to shift his hips away from her to keep from jabbing her inappropriately with the evidence. And still, his heart felt like a leaden thing in his chest. She was crying. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He had no idea what to do.

  “Why are you crying?”

  “Boaz, you— you chased me!”

  “It’s a chase, Nina,” he said gently. “A mating run. The faster you run, the more effort you put out, the stronger the bond will be.” Well, not exactly. It wasn’t a one-to-one ratio. But the Lore Masters strongly believed there was a correlation. He didn’t think now was the time to go into that though. “You need a strong bond, Nina. To protect you.”

  “You should have told me that.” She punched his arm with her small fist for emphasis.

  He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. He would not laugh.

  “I thought I did. We— we talked about it.”

  She snorted. “Some talk. None of this was mentioned. Why did you growl at me?” She wiped impatiently at her wet cheeks. She had stopped crying. Thank the Maiden.

  “I wasn’t— I didn’t growl at you. I was trying to encourage you. I need to make sure you went the right way.”

  He wanted to tuck her closer, wanted to turn her to face him and pull her into his arms, but he was naked. Which was unfortunate. The terror had left her scent, but somehow, he didn’t think she was quite ready for that yet. So he kept her wrapped in his arms, with her back firmly pressed to his chest.

  “All that howling and growling and barking was directional? Are you kidding me?”

  “I didn’t bark at you,” he said, feeling a slow burn of shame. “I would never bark at you. It was a chase, Nina.” And still, somehow, he’d messed it up.

  “Why didn’t you just tell me ahead of time which way to run?”

  His mouth opened, but nothing came out. She was serious. “It’s a mating run. I can’t tell you which way to go. I have to chase you.”

  She sniffed. “Well it’s ridiculous. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. I could have broken my neck.”

  His stomach did a slow roll. Was she changing her mind? “Move up a little, Nina,” he said, shuffling them forward but keeping her firmly wrapped in his arms.

  “Now you tell me,” she grumbled, but she accommodated him, taking small, awkward steps forward while he shuffled along behind her. Maybe if she saw—

  She stopped short. They had crested the rise, and the spot where they had had their picnic came into view. The weak light of the LED candles arranged on the boulders that framed the clearing were barely visible in the still-bright evening. But the ferns and rose petals strewn between them stood out against the grey rock.

  Boaz hadn’t been convinced the tiny tea lights were worth the trouble, but Aaron insisted they would be. “Trust me, when the sun goes down, you will be blessing that little bit of light when it allows you to see your mate better. And it will be a comfort for her— out here in the dark woods.”

  But it was the bed, obviously, that drew the eye. Covered in a graceful fall of white mosquito netting, it looked like someone had taken a fairy queen’s bed and placed it in the clearing.

  “Ambiance,” Nina breathed. Was that reverence in her voice? Or just surprise?

  “Yes. I had to borrow the tent. Um… the mosquito netting from Aaron,” he admitted. “The mattress is new. And, um… the sheets and everything.”

  He fought the urge to shuffle his feet. Which would have been difficult, anyway, with Nina still held tight against his chest. But he couldn’t help feeling anxious. Was this how humans did it?

  “But when did you— You didn’t even know if I would agree.” She paused, and Boaz felt the skin prickle along the back of his neck. “Or did you?”

  “No,” he said quickly. He didn’t like that accusing tone in her voice. “I set this up just in case. But I didn’t know. I hoped.”

  Nina felt her heart melt, just a little. She was still ticked off about that stupid mating run, but looking around—

  “You did all this? For me?”

  “Yes.” She felt him nod against the side of her head. “I told you, Nina.” His voice was soft and sincere. “Anything you want.”

  “It’s beautiful, Boaz. Thank you.” She craned her neck enough to get a look at his face.

  He bent his head and kissed her, but not before she saw his relieved expression. It was a quick kiss, slightly awkward because of their positions. She wanted to turn all the way around and hug him, but she could tell that he was naked. Which, of course, he would have to be— since wolves didn’t wear clothes, as he so eloquently put it. And she wasn’t quite ready for full frontal nudity.

&nbs
p; “Well, so now what?”

  “How about a little wine?” He pressed her forward, shuffling her closer to the bed, and Nina saw that there was a small white table on the far side, with wine and glasses and what looked like a picnic basket. “I thought we might need a little something to eat too.”

  After about ten shuffling steps they finally reached the bed, and Boaz released her to grab a thick white towel that he wrapped around his waist.

  “There. Now we can eat.” He stepped past her toward the table.

  Nina had to stifle a giggle. Boaz in nothing but a towel and that ridiculous blue scarf was something to behold. It was enough to ease some of her tension. He clearly didn’t intend to jump her. Which was good. She was feeling nervous enough.

  And when he’d seemed to change like that, into her worst nightmares… That had been scary.

  Nina shook her head slightly, watching him as he began to uncork the wine. He’s still Boaz. She almost rolled her eyes. Apparently his wolf verbal skills were every bit as lacking as his human ones. No wonder he led her everywhere by the hand.

  “Boaz, listen. We have to get one thing straight. If you ever growl at me like that again, we are going to have words. That is just not acceptable. Are we clear?”

  Boaz glanced at her over his shoulder, making his back muscles ripple and flex in the most intriguing way. His blue gaze was direct, his expression intense. But a slight flush rode his cheekbones. “It was a mating run, Nina. We will only ever have one. I’m sorry I frightened you. I will never do it again.”

  “Okay, then.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yes. Okay, Boaz. I forgive you. But don’t do it again.” That got her his little half-smile, as she’d hoped. It was what he’d said to her after she’d drugged him. Which— yes, he had been very gracious about. She supposed she could do the same.

  Boaz set down the wine and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Nina.”

  There was a whole lot of naked Boaz in her arms. His bare back. His bare chest. The thick towel didn’t seem like much of a barrier. Her head nestled in the crook of his neck and the scent of his skin was wonderful. “Okay,” she said again, and relaxed against him.