The Mating

by Nicky Charles

  She puzzled over this as they turned to walk down the hallway to the dining area. Kane pulled her back and whispered conspiratorially in her ear. “Helen thinks she’s everyone’s mother and can’t resist pointing out the error of our ways. She means well and she was right. I got caught up in something but it was no excuse for ignoring you on your first day. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”

  Elise nodded, taken aback at his admission. Her father never would have done that. Kane gave her a quick kiss, grabbed her hand and hurried her down the hall. “Carrie and Helen are great cooks. I can’t wait to see what they’ve concocted for us tonight.”

  The meal was pleasant, with general conversation. Elise mostly listened, trying to absorb as much information about her new pack as possible. It was just the five of them at the table tonight and she wondered if the others had stayed away because of her. At her old home, there’d always been extra people for dinner. She couldn’t remember how many times she’d been sent to count noses, so they’d know how many plates to set out. Possibly, this pack wasn’t as close knit.

  As if reading her mind, John explained. “I told everyone to stay away tonight. Since it’s your first day, I thought you might find it a bit overwhelming to have everyone here. With just our four new faces, you can sort of ease into things.”

  “That was nice of you.” Elise smiled at the tall blonde haired Beta. Everyone was certainly trying to be considerate of her. Maybe it was time to explain some of her own feelings. These people were supposed to be her new family and no doubt could sense the unease coming off of her. “I…I must admit that I’m finding it a bit unsettling to be the new wolf in the pack. I feel like I’m violating your territory by being here. It’s just old instincts kicking in, but there’s this underlying idea that it’s dangerous to be walking around, that I should retreat and get out as fast as possible…” She shrugged hoping she hadn’t made a tactical error.

  Helen nodded in understanding. “This doesn’t feel like your home yet. You’ll be edgy and nervous for awhile and then one day, you’ll find that your scent has blended with ours and you’ll wonder why you ever wanted to be anywhere else.”

  “Changing packs is still a new concept,” John added. “Just a hundred years ago it was almost unheard of. With few exceptions, we lived and died within the same pack. But the world’s changing and we have to change with it. People go away to school, get jobs in new cities; packs have had to adapt if we’re to survive. Some don’t like the new ways; they want to cling to the ancient traditions but our very existence depends on our ability to integrate undetected with the rest of the world.”

  “And it’s even healthy for the packs to have new members.” Carrie chimed in. “New members bring new blood. There was too much inbreeding in the past.”

  Elise was pleasantly surprised with how forward thinking these people seemed to be. Her old pack wasn’t exactly in the Dark Ages, but they did tend towards the traditional. “Thanks, that makes me feel a bit better. I just hope everyone else here feels as you do.”

  “It will be fine. You’ll find your feet, soon enough.” Kane hadn’t said much yet. Now he reached over and squeezed her hand. She was surprised at the comfort the gesture seemed to bring.

  “She’ll find her feet a lot faster, if her mate spends some time with her.” Helen pointedly looked at Kane and he grimaced.

  “Yes, mother.” He replied with mocking subservience. Helen threw a roll at him, which he promptly caught and bit into. “Thank you. How did you know I wanted more?” Helen scowled at him and the others burst out laughing.

  The rest of the meal progressed in an easy, affable way and Elise felt herself relaxing around her new pack mates. Even Kane seemed approachable, gently teasing her and laughing as she boldly replied with snappy come-backs. She found herself enjoying his company and felt some hope for the future. Maybe she and Kane could eventually become friends, at least.

  Dessert was just being served when the phone rang. John excused himself to get it, but returned quickly, his face grave. “Kane, we have a problem. Thomas was out patrolling the far edge of the property today. Julia just called to say he never came home and she can’t make a mental connection with him.”

  The table fell silent and Elise looked around at the grim faces, wondering what was going on. Kane set down his cup firmly and stood. “Call Franz and Michael. We’ll set up a grid and go searching. I’ll meet you at the edge of the woods.” He turned to go then paused, looking back at Elise. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  Nodding, Elise got up and followed him out of the room. Once they were by themselves, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Elise. It’s your first day here and all I’ve done is ignore you. I have to go but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “It’s okay, but what’s wrong?”

  “Thomas, one of the wolves that was assigned to patrol the perimeter of the territory, never came back from his shift. He’s recently mated and there’s no way he’d be late getting home. Last week, we found a whole line of traps along the area he’d have been in. Possibly the traps were reset and he stepped in one.”

  Elise paled, thinking of her mother. “I hope he’s all right.”

  “Me too.” Kane stared off into the distance, frowning, squeezing her shoulders tightly. She winced at the pressure.

  John popped his head in. “Franz and Michael will be here in five minutes. I’m heading out to the tree line.”

  Kane nodded then looked down at Elise. “Carrie and Helen will take care of you. Ask them if you need anything.” He pulled her in for a quick kiss and then left.

  Elise made her way back to the dining room and joined the other two ladies in clearing the table and putting away the leftovers. It had been a pleasant meal and she was sorry it had ended so abruptly and on such a down note. She’d never thought about how busy her father was as Alpha but now she was seeing a whole different side to the job. Maybe Helen was right and Kane would have to set up ‘office hours’—not that she was sure how much time she wanted to spend with him, but since they were mated for life, developing some sort of relationship with him would be a necessity.

  After cleaning the kitchen and doing the dishes, the three women sat down to watch TV in the new recreation room downstairs. Large overstuffed chairs circled the high-tech flat screen and a fire was burning cheerily in the corner taking the chill off the room. Elise declined the honour of controlling the remote and Carrie flicked through the channels before finding a favourite show.

  At first, Elise tried to concentrate on the drama unfolding on the screen but found her gaze drifting more and more towards the other two women. Helen and Carrie kept shooting each other glances and seemed to be exceptionally tense. Finally, Elise gave up the pretence of not noticing and when the next commercial came on, turned to confront them.

  “I’ve noticed you two looking nervously at each other. Is there something else going on besides Thomas being missing?”

  “Elise, don’t worry. It’s probably nothing.” Carrie stared down at her belly, stroking the child within.

  “That’s right. We’re just being foolish. Thomas is simply late.” Helen bounced up. “Why don’t I make us some popcorn?”

  “No, thank you.” Elise bit back the desire to growl. They were hiding something from her and she didn’t like it. “If this is to be my new home, I need to know what’s going on, don’t you think?”

  “Well yes…” Carrie twisted her fingers and looked towards Helen.

  Sitting back down, Helen sighed. “We aren’t trying to hide things from you, Elise. It’s just that Kane indicated that he wanted to explain the situation to you himself.”

  “What situation? Why can’t you tell?”

  “Because it involves Kane on a personal level and he wants you to understand where he’s coming from.”

  Elise frowned. “How does Thomas’ not coming home, involve Kane?”

  “Well, possibly it might not… We’re just not sure. As I sai
d, it could be nothing.” Carrie shifted in her seat.

  Throwing up her hands in despair, Elise flopped back in the chair. “You’re talking in circles. Kane said it was possible that Thomas stepped in a trap left by hunters. How could that involve my mate?”

  “Well, if it really was set by human hunters, then it wouldn’t involve Kane and we certainly hope that’s the case.” Helen nodded as if her positive thoughts could make the situation true.

  “If it involves ‘human hunters?’ What other kind are there?” Elise tried to wrap her brain around this new puzzle. What was there besides human hunters? Surely not… The very idea made her gasp. “Another werewolf setting traps? But why? That’s absurd!”

  The ladies exchanged anxious glances again and then Helen spoke. “It’s complicated, Elise. Suffice to say that there’s been some controversy and division in the pack. We’d hoped it was over but recent events are leading us to believe otherwise.”

  “Recent events? Like what?” Elise queried.

  Helen opened her mouth and seemed about to speak, then shook her head. “We really can’t say much else. It’s Kane’s place to tell you.”

  Sighing in frustration, Elise realised that she’d get nothing more out of her two new friends. If the Alpha had forbidden them to speak, they wouldn’t. “All right. I’ll ask Kane when he gets back.” Checking the time, Elise stood up. “I think I’ll head up to bed. It’s been a busy day.”

  Carrie stood as well. “I’m going to turn in too. The little guy inside me is quiet right now and maybe I can get a few hours of sleep before the gymnastics start again.”

  “I’ll just rest down here for awhile. The men should be back soon and might want a cup of coffee or a snack after being out in the cold.” Helen picked up the remote and settled back in her chair.

  Bidding each other a good night, Carrie and Elise each turned toward their own wing of the house. Opening the bedroom door, Elise didn’t bother to turn on the lights. Moonbeams streamed into the room through the bank of windows and she wandered over to them, staring out at the night.

  Her old pack was out there, miles away. She wondered what they were doing right now. Was her father sitting in his office, working late into the night as he often did? Had Sarah finished the apple pies that she always made and then stored in the freezer for the winter months? And what was Bryan doing? With a start, Elise realised she hadn’t thought of him all afternoon. She supposed she’d been too busy trying to settle into her new home, and mentally scolded herself for forgetting the one she loved.

  The sound of a wolf howling drew her attention. Somewhere out there, Kane and the others were searching for the lost pack member. Had they found him? Was the howl a signal? She hoped the man was all right. Nerves fluttered in her stomach. If they had found him, then Kane would be home soon.

  Turning, she looked at the large bed that dominated the room; the bed she’d be sharing with Kane for the rest of her life. A shiver ran through her at the thought. The intimacy involved made her both uneasy and excited. Last night had been embarrassing yet pleasurable. Quixotically, she both hoped that he’d not come home until after she was asleep, while at the same time she was curious to try mating again. The sensations had been…interesting.

  Frowning, she wondered how she could even be thinking that way. Not two minutes ago, she’d been reminding herself that she loved Bryan, yet here she was contemplating having sex with Kane! Shaking her head at her tangled thinking, she changed into her nightgown and climbed into the large, empty bed. Turning so she faced the windows, she stared out at the moon and let her thoughts drift between the two men in her life…

  Chapter 6

  Saturday morning, Elise awoke, once again momentarily disoriented until she recalled she was in Kane’s bedroom. Well, technically her bedroom too, but she figured it would take a while before she felt any ownership of the space. Surprisingly, she’d slept quite well in her new bed and began the day in her usual way, stretching her arms and legs until they were fully extended, and then releasing them and sinking back down in pleasant relaxation. Rolling her head to the side, she noted that the other side of the bed was completely undisturbed. Kane hadn’t slept with her last night. She frowned. Had he come home late and bedded down somewhere else so he wouldn’t disturb her, or had he not come home at all? Possibly he and the other men were still out searching for the missing man. If that was the case, then something was seriously wrong.

  Rolling out of bed, she hesitated for a moment trying to recall where she’d placed her clothing the previous day. A quick search of the drawers refreshed her memory and she soon found what she needed. Donning a pair of track pants, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, she combed her hair, pulling it back in a clip, and then scampered downstairs in search of someone who could update her on what had happened.

  Helen was in the kitchen, preparing bacon and eggs. “Morning, Elise. How did you sleep?”

  “Not bad. Is Kane back? Did they find the missing man?”

  “Yes, they got back around three in the morning. Kane stayed with him at the infirmary, but sent John back home with the news. Thomas was shot. He lost a lot of blood, but he’ll be okay.”

  “Shot?” Elise felt a chill run through her as memories of her own mother’s death came rushing back. All too often, her vivid imagination recreated what must have happened; her mother in wolf form with her leg in a trap, poachers approaching as she frantically tried to free herself. Had her mother tried to transform to save herself, but been unable to due to her injury, or had she feared for the rest of the pack and remained an animal, sacrificing her life so that her family would not be discovered? Her mother would have been terrified; her heart pounding as she desperately called out to her mate for help.

  Elise knew the story well. Her father had felt his mate’s terror through the mental connection that all bonded pairs shared. He’d raced as fast as possible to her side, but it had been too late. The gun-shot that killed her mother, had echoed through the woods as he came charging up the small crest to where his mate lay dying. They’d never found the hunters; her father had stay with his mate as she breathed her last, rather than giving chase…

  A pan clattered on the stove, causing Elise to jump and bringing her out of her reverie. She smoothed her sweaty palms on her pant legs and banked down the fear that had been rising inside of her. Helen had her back turned and was busily flipping the bacon, not noticing anything was amiss. “Yes, Thomas was shot—possibly seasonal hunters who wandered onto our property either not seeing the ��No Trespassing’ signs or deciding to ignore them.”

  “So, what will Kane do about someone hunting on his land? Tell the sheriff?” Elise was pleased her voice was calm, not revealing the inner panic she’d been feeling just moments earlier.

  “It’s tricky. We can’t let on that anyone was shot. They’d want to see Thomas and it would be hard to explain how the wound was healing so quickly. Kane will probably report that he heard shots fired or that there was a near miss. Nothing will be done though. There might be a few more patrol cars for a day or two, but the local police don’t have the manpower to watch this large an area. Nor do we want them around all the time. Like all packs, we try to keep a low profile.”

  Elise digested the information. It was just like home. A pack was basically on its own when problems arose. Involving the local police was always too risky. As Helen grabbed some paper towel to lay the bacon on, Elise realised that she was just standing there watching the other woman work. “Can I help with something?”

  “How are you at making toast and coffee?”

  “I think I can handle it.” Elise found the needed items under Helen’s directions and then went to take out the plates. “How many do you think will be here for breakfast?”

  “Breakfast tends to be pretty quiet around here so probably just the four of us. Kane’s still at the infirmary and called to say he won’t be back until mid-morning. Thomas is still unconscious and he wants to talk to him as soon as he wakes up
.”

  The two women worked companionably as they finished the meal preparations. As the sun streamed in the numerous windows, it warmed the large homey kitchen, taking off the morning chill. Elise mused that it was very evident Helen took pride in her culinary domain. The wood cabinets gleamed as did the various pots and utensils that hung over the large marble topped workstation and the floors were immaculate.