The Mating

by Nicky Charles

  “I… I’m glad you healed well from your fight.”

  “Thanks. It was a few weeks ago—all water under the bridge now.” Kane flashed a smile at her and wandered back to the dresser to pick up his watch. “You need to get up and get dressed. We’ll be leaving in about an hour.”

  “Leaving?” She couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice.

  “Uh-huh. I need to return to my pack. It’s only about an hour’s drive but I want to get back in good time so that you get to see your new home before it’s dark.” With that, he left.

  Elise sat up and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. In an hour, she’d be leaving the only home she’d ever known—leaving all the people she’d grown up with. She’d be joining a new pack. The only person she’d know at her new home would be Kane, and he was still the next best thing to a stranger to her.

  Once again, her stomach clenched as she slowly climbed out of bed and got ready to go.

  *****

  Elise stood in the doorway of her old bedroom. All of her possessions had been packed for her and the room was now bare. She walked inside and ran her hand over the white dresser and pulled open a few random drawers, checking if anything had been left behind. Of course, nothing had been. The packers had been efficient. Peeking into the closet, only a few hangers remained on the rod; she sighed wondering how her whole life could be gathered up and stuffed in a box in such a short period of time.

  Wandering over to the window, she looked out at the familiar view of the yard and the forest beyond. A reminiscent smile played over her lips as she recalled all the times she’d stared out at the scene below, dreaming of the future, planning her life around this small world that she’d grown up in. Leaving had never entered her mind. Instead she’d envisioned herself mated to a pack mate, raising her pups here, teaching them all the secret places in the woods that were part of their territory. She blinked rapidly as tears threatened and turned away from the beloved view. That was all in the past now.

  Swallowing hard, she walked to her bed, carefully tugging it away from the wall so that she could feel along the baseboards. There was a loose section and she moved it over, feeling inside the hidden space behind. Was it still there? Surely no one had found it… She reached in further and finally her fingers encountered a soft surface. Pulling it out, she shook the dust off of the leather bound book. It was an old diary—one that she’d kept on and off for years. Lately she hadn’t been writing in it, but still, she couldn’t leave it behind. Who knew who might take over this room in the future? Elise didn’t want some stranger reading her secret thoughts.

  Tucking the book into the large purse she had slung over her shoulder, she scanned the room one more time before walking to the door. Pausing briefly, she turned and gave the room one last glance before flipping off the light switch and quietly closing the door on her childhood. Her chin quivered as she stood in the hallway but she forced her emotions down. Taking a deep breath, she descended the stairs and went to meet Kane where he was waiting to take her to her new home.

  *****

  The drive was completed almost in silence. Kane made a few idle comments along the way but seemed content to listen to the radio, his fingers drumming along on the steering wheel, keeping time to the music. Elise didn’t feel inclined towards conversation either and was grateful for the songs that filled the quietness of the cab. With her head leaning against the window, she stared unseeing at the passing landscape, lost in thought.

  Leaving the house had been hard. Sarah, usually a no-nonsense type of person, had uncharacteristically fussed over her, making Elise promise to come and visit soon.

  “Now remember, just because you’re moving away, doesn’t mean we have to lose contact.” Sarah tucked a stray lock of hair behind Elise’s ear. “You can call anytime and I’m sure we’ll find opportunities to visit.”

  “I’m sure we will too.” Elise hugged her tightly knowing she’d miss the woman. While Sarah wasn’t exactly the warm, cuddly type, she’d still done her best to help raise Elise, and her brother and sister, providing some of the attention that they missed once their mother was gone.

  Jake gave her a one armed hug, before ruffling her hair. “I’m going to miss you, kiddo. Who will drive me crazy with their non-stop talking now?”

  Elise leaned her head against Jake’s chest, breathing in his comforting scent one last time. She’d always had a fun, relaxed relationship with the easy-going Beta—he was like a favourite uncle who tolerated her questions and teased her unmercifully, yet was always there when needed. In many ways, he took the place of her father who always seemed too busy to have time for his youngest child.

  Vaguely, she could recall times when she was younger, when her father had played with her or taken her into the woods. That had been back when her mother was still alive. With the death of his mate, the Alpha had seemed to withdraw from his children, possibly too caught up in his own grief to deal with them. Whatever the reason, Elise had found herself looking more and more to John for fatherly attention and as a result, felt closer to him than her own biological father. She harboured no bitterness about the fact; it was just the way things were.

  “I’ll miss you, Jake.” The simple statement was all Elise could get out, due to the sudden thickness of her throat.

  He nodded at her in understanding and kissed the top of her head. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away and turned to her father. She loved him but it was a much more formal relationship. He was always the Alpha first and being a father came second. For a moment they’d studied each other and then he’d pulled her into an awkward embrace.

  “You’ll be fine with Kane,” he whispered in her ear. “He’s a good man.”

  Elise nodded, knowing her father had done what he thought was best, and would never have consented to her going with someone totally unsuitable. Being the Alpha wasn’t an easy position and the needs of the pack had to be considered first—she just wished that their well-being hadn’t come at the expense of her own dreams. Since there was no going back, she’d plastered a fake smile on her face and got into Kane’s truck, waving at the other pack members who had gathered outside. Searching the group, she noted that Bryan was absent and regretted not seeing him one last time, but perhaps it was for the best.

  As they pulled out of the driveway, she stared straight ahead. If she had to watch the house slowly disappearing from sight, she knew she’d burst into tears and she didn’t want to show such weakness in front of Kane. It wasn’t that she thought he’d say anything about it, but she had her pride. She wouldn’t be a snivelling, weak mate. There might not be any love between them but at least she’d ensure that Kane respected her.

  Slowly Elise came out of her reverie and began to take note of the passing scenery. They’d left her father’s territory about half an hour ago and she wondered if Kane’s home would be similar to her own. Each pack owned large parcels of land that consisted mainly of wilderness, clearly marked as private property. Within a territory, there was always one main Alpha house where meetings were held and the Alpha and Beta’s families lived. Surrounding the main home were several small cabins where other pack members could live when needed. Many had their own homes located within the territory and a few chose to live in nearby towns with the human population.

  Packs were generally stable. Occasionally new members would join either through a mating or having to relocate due to jobs, but they tended to be closely knit societies and spent a great deal of time at each other’s houses, though the Alpha home was the centre of most activity. At any given time, members could be found lounging about the living room, preparing food in the kitchen or roaming the property. There was never a chance to be lonely…

  “How large is your pack?” Elise broke the silence between them.

  “About the same size as the one you’ve belonged to. Our Alpha house has six bedrooms and four baths, office space, a living room, a large dining area and a kitchen. The basement was recently renovated and is a
multi-purpose room for meetings with a media centre, pool table, and play area for the young ones.”

  “It sounds nice. Who shares the house with you?”

  “Besides yourself?” He grinned over at her before returning his attention to the road. “My Beta is John and his mate’s name is Carrie. They’re expecting their first in a few months. Zack’s widow—he was the previous Alpha—she’s continued to stay there as well. Her name is Helen.”

  Elise nodded thinking that with three other people in the house, it should make things easier. She wouldn’t be alone with Kane all the time—she still wasn’t that comfortable around him—and having two other women to talk to would be nice. Hopefully, they’d like her. If Carrie was just having her first, she’d be about the same age, so maybe they’d have something in common. “There are always people in and out of our house—I mean my father’s house. Is yours similar?”

  “Yeah, sometimes it’s a three ring circus. With you arriving, it will probably be especially busy as everyone stops by to meet you.”

  She bit her lip, not looking forward to meeting so many new people. Names, and scents and hierarchy placements to remember… It sounded overwhelming. Possibly sensing her trepidation, Kane reached over and clasped her knee. “It will be fine. We’re not as… traditional…as your old pack. They’re a friendly bunch and will be happy to meet you.”

  *****

  As they got closer to Kane’s home, he offered further explanations as to who the pack members were as well as pointing out areas of interest. There was a medium-sized town nearby that they went to for supplies, though for the most part the pack stayed within their territory. It was heavily wooded and at the farthest point came close to her father’s land. Several streams fed a small lake and there was even a waterfall due to ancient, glacier-cut ravines.

  They stopped once along the way to get gas and then Kane pulled into a small strip mall, explaining that he needed to pick up a few things. Elise opted to wait in the truck and watched Kane sauntering down the sidewalk. The few people he encountered nodded at him but none stopped to talk. She wondered what the pack’s relationship with the townsfolk might be like. Were they friendly or did they secretly whisper about the strange group of people who lived just outside of town? From her own experience with her pack, she knew that most people were wrapped up in their own lives and didn’t give a great deal of thought to the close knit group that lived nearby. People thought they were odd but that was it. No one suspected that a pack of werewolves lived next door.

  That hadn’t always been the case. She’d heard tales of packs that had been persecuted by the human population, not because they were werewolves but because their close knit society was somehow deemed unnatural. Some packs had even been forced to leave their territory for fear of being discovered. All it took was one or two radicals to start questioning their life style… Elise hoped that wasn’t the case here.

  Soon Kane returned and stowed his purchases in the back. He climbed back into the cab of the truck and smiled over at her. She noted that he seemed happier and more relaxed the closer they got to his home. It was only natural, of course. No wolf was comfortable if it was away from its pack for too long.

  By the time they pulled into the driveway that led to Kane’s house, Elise was a bundle of nerves. She did her best to mask the fact—it wouldn’t do for the others to smell fear on her. As the Alpha’s mate, she had a status to maintain. In ancient times, a weak mate might have been challenged by one of the other females who wanted to usurp her position, but that wasn’t done now and Elise was thankful for the fact. Being a new pack member would be hard enough without someone wanting to bump her position.

  The truck came to a stop in front of a sprawling two storey home that featured a wrap-around porch. It was situated in the middle of a large treed lot with woods on three sides. As Kane climbed out, the front door opened and people spilled out, calling his name and enveloping him in hugs. Elise watched the activity from inside the truck and when she realised that it would be awhile before Kane could free himself from the crowd, she stepped out of the cab on her own.

  Hesitantly, she stood by the vehicle, unsure of what to do. Kane looked up at that moment and, catching her eye, made his way over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Everyone, this is Elise, my mate.” The people stopped talking and stared at her. Tentatively, she smiled back, and then a petite, red-haired woman about her age stepped forward with her hand extended. From the size of her belly, Elise decided this was Carrie, the Beta’s wife.

  “Hello, Elise. I’m Carrie. Welcome to our pack.” Her voice was calm and friendly, making Elise immediately feel welcomed. Some of the tension in her body began to relax.

  “And I’m John, her mate, and Kane’s Beta.” The man was about the same height as Kane, with blonde hair and friendly blue eyes.

  “I’m pleased to meet you.” Elise tried to sound confident and shook their hands firmly. After that, several others stepped forward and soon her head was swirling with names.

  The group moved towards the house and Kane grabbed two of her bags from the vehicle. “Come on inside. The others will bring the rest of your things.” A few of the men immediately headed towards the truck, grabbing the remaining boxes. Kane hadn’t issued a command, but they knew implicitly what he expected and obeyed unquestioningly.

  Elise followed behind Kane until they got to the door. Just as she was about to walk in, another female pushed her aside with her hip and cut in front. “Excuse me.” The tall, blonde woman threw the comment over her shoulder, blocking the doorway for a moment, effectively separating Elise from Kane. From her tone of voice, Elise knew there was no real regret for the action and frowned, wondering at the aggression she sensed emanating from this new person. She searched her mind for a name but then realised that this female hadn’t stepped forward to introduce herself outside.

  “Marla.” John was standing behind Elise and issued a low warning to the individual blocking the doorway.

  “Oh. Am I in your way? Sorry John.” The woman, who must be named Marla, flashed John a smile and sauntered on her way as if nothing had happened.

  Elise looked at John but the man shrugged and gave her a slight smile. “That’s Marla. Just ignore her. She has some…issues.”

  Watching the woman slide up to Kane and rest her hand on his arm while smiling brightly, Elise wondered what the ‘issues’ might be. Somehow, she just knew that Marla was not going to be welcoming her to the pack.

  Chapter 4

  Elise sat on the edge of Kane’s king-sized bed and surveyed her surroundings. The black and white colour scheme was definitely masculine and matched Kane perfectly but left her feeling rather cold and out of place. The idea of her under-things draped here and there, or her makeup scattered on the dresser just seemed wrong. A slight shiver ran through her; would she ever be able to feel at home here?

  She spent a few minutes thoughtfully considering how she could make the space more appealing then checked her watch again. It was now four-thirty. After showing her to their room, Kane left, promising to return and give her a tour of the house once he dealt with some pressing business. That was two hours ago. She’d explored the three rooms of their suite, finished unpacking her things, and familiarised herself with Kane’s collection of music, DVDs and books. Now she was wondering what to do next. Kane had said he’d be back, but she’d run out of ways to occupy herself and was beginning to wonder if he’d forgotten that he now had a mate.

  She couldn’t quite figure out how he viewed her. He seemed to vacillate between careful attentiveness to her feelings and blatantly ignoring her. Right now she was feeling ignored, just as she had upon arriving. Her mind drifted back to a few hours previously…

  *****

  Once Marla stopped blocking the doorway, Elise made her way inside and looked around with interest. She could see into several rooms from her position in the main foyer. A living room was to her left, a staircase with an oak banister was in front
of her, and a dining room could just be seen down the hallway. A few rooms were to her right but their closed doors gave no indication as to what might be inside.

  Elise’s first impression was that the house was simply yet tastefully decorated in a homey, traditional way with comfortable looking stuffed chairs and small occasional tables scattered about. Gleaming hardwood floors and neutral walls were a perfect foil for the dark green curtains that hung from the expansive windows. Light shone in from all sides and the impressive view of the outdoors, combined with the earth toned decor, gave a feeling of being one with nature.