by Jana Leigh
Chapter 1
“Really? I am sick and tired of being the only twenty five-year-old virgin in the Pack. Everyone else can have sex with whomever he or she wants, but not me. Poor little Casey, her mom died when she was young and her dad refuses to accept any male in his daughter’s life. Well I say, she is a grown up, damn it. I can make my own decisions,” Casey ranted to her best friend.
“How difficult could it be to find someone who would just fuck me? Take that back, obviously it is very hard since I have not found someone willing to do it.”
“Darlin’, I don’t think that is the problem.” Reggie said and shook his head. They had been best friends since the first time they met. She and her father had joined their Pack when she was only two. Her father moved them next door to Reggie’s parents and from the first time the little girl waddled over to him and pulled him to play in a mud puddle, they had been inseparable.
However, his mother was not happy about them making friends over a mud puddle and constantly over the last twenty years had pointed out how unsuited they were for each other.
Shit, as if they were going to get married or something. Casey may need to get laid, but she would never have sex with her best friend, they were more like brother and sister, it would be too creepy.
“Then, what? I know I am not the perfect girl who men dream of. I mean, I know my faults, but I do not have to have a bag over my head either. Crap, I really thought last night when that guy started to flirt with me that I was finally going to get rid of this thing that is dangling around my neck. Do you know what it is like to have everyone in the Pack know you are still a virgin?
Hell, I wouldn’t even want that responsibility, and I am the one who is trying to get rid of it!” Casey cried and continued to pace across her little living room. “It’s like I have a disease.”
“Listen, girl, you have to take the bull by the horns. You know that half the Pack already knows, because you have not been seen with a man, like ever. The rest suspect, and Gods know they are the ones who are making sure that all new men know. It is hard and a big responsibility for most men who want to fuck without finding their mates.” Reggie said. “Besides, have you seen how your father growls at anyone who comes near you? Most are scared to piss him off. Another thing I hate to tell you, your so called girlfriends help you out alot, when they see anyone even looking in your direction, one of the bitches step in. I don’t know why you insist on hanging out with them.”
“Why can’t you be my mate? Then you could just take care of it, and I would not have to worry about it. And, I hang out with them because guys pay attention to them. I see what they do, and laugh about it. I know I am nothing to look at, but for some reason I intimidate them, I use them as much as they use me. I make a great purse watcher at the bar. One of these days some wolf will look at them because of their beauty and see me, and he will not be able to take his eyes off me. Right?” Casey groaned. She knew her flaws. Men are worried about the virgin thing; too much emotional shit goes with taking a virgin. They also didn’t like the plus size that came along with her package. Let’s be honest, men think that most women who have a little extra padding are insecure, clingy, whiny bitches, which turn out to be crazy stalkers. They want a shallow, skinny slut, which would not expect them to call in the morning.
“Well, we can’t always have what we wish for, besides it would be like fucking my sister.” Reggie said, shaking in disgust and stood up. “We have the big Pack meeting tonight. Some big wig from another Pack is coming to talk to the Alpha, and we are supposed to greet him. I suggest you pull up your big girl panties, and try and make yourself irresistible. There will be a lot of single wolves out there tonight.”
Great, just what she needed, a mass rejection. Casey looked at the full-length mirror in her room and frowned. She was short and chunky. At least that is how she saw herself. Boring brown hair that hung to her shoulders and a cute round face, her best feature she thought was her eyes.
They were bright green, and huge. She was also blessed with long, thick eye lashes that people always commented on. She looked like the girl next door. No one would look twice at her when she was with any of her female friends. They always overlooked that 5’ 2’’ girl who tagged along with the Barbie look-alikes, but there was always hope. The only thing that gave her solace was the fact that none of them had found their mates, and so they could not rub it in her face that they had found bliss.
Casey had always dreamed she would find her mate. He would be the most gorgeous man. All of her friends would be jealous and for once, when they were talking and gossiping she would be able to join in the conversation, and tell them what a wonderful lover she had. Casey never felt like she fit into the chick scene, no matter how hard she tried, she just did not think that mani/pedi’s were important.
Casey turned and looked at her curves; she thought they made her look disproportionate. She at least could say she had boobs. When they were young, her friends had stuffed their bras in order to make it look like they were developing. Casey never had that problem, stuffing a D cup size would just be wrong. She could have, in order to make her proportionate to her big hips and rounded worn stilts, but she had no coordination, and would probably look like a bigger fool.
Some people may say she was fat, but she preferred the term voluptuous. With people visiting the Pack, it meant there would be more single men at the local bar. Casey looked at her wardrobe to find her best outfit to wear tonight. She hoped that maybe she would finally find a stranger to help her out.
Casey and her father moved to the South Carolina Pack when she was so young, she did not even remember where she lived before. She had the sass and accent of a southern woman, and most time men who were visiting liked it. So far, she had not had the opportunity to act on any attention that was shown to her. Most times her father showed up at the most inopportune times.
It was as if he had radar, when she even thought about picking up a man he showed up.
When she was young, she thought he had been the Beta of the Pack, but clearly, he had not wanted the job. He had been happy to raise his daughter, and make sure she was a virgin for the rest of her life. She once asked him where the hell he got all of his money. He had not worked a day in his life that she remembered, and they lived in a small cottage on the edge of the Pack.
He explained to her, that she had an inheritance from her mother, which let him to be home for her. It must have been some inheritance, since it sent her to college.
Sighing, she chose a flattering black dress. Her curves may not be her best assets, but when she wore this dress, it certainly showed them off. She hoped that someone would actually take notice. It clung to her breasts, and then flared out to hide the rest of her bulges. Being short and curvaceous was not always attractive. She wished for a few inches to add to her height, to make it all seem to even out, but then slumped when she thought even that would not help. Oh well, she had to play the cards that were dealt to her. Maybe her mate was going to be short and dumpy too. Casey giggled as she thought of them together like two little rollie pollies.
Casey wandered out into the living room where her father was sitting watching television. She watched him for a minute before speaking. He was tall and handsome, even at his age; she knew why her mother had fallen in love with him. Obviously, she had taken after her mother, because she looked nothing like the man who raised her. He stood at least six feet and was lean with muscles even though she never saw him working out. Black hair and a chiseled bone structure, she often wondered why she could not have gotten his bone makeup. Looking at the photo on the mantle of her mother, she smiled. She was just like her, a small and round woman who was laughing at the camera. Same mousey brown hair and same round face, Casey took comfort in it every time she looked in the mirror.
“Hey, baby girl. We have to be in the circle in an hour. The Alpha called and asked us to be on time.” Her father said and looked up and frowned. “Why are you dressed up? The meeting is
not formal.”
“Dad, I happen to be going out after the meeting. I thought it would be nice to actually dress up a little. Reggie and the girls are all going to be there.” Casey said and leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.
Her father shook his head and grumbled about Reggie competing with her for eligible men being wrong. He loved her best friend, but sometimes had a hard time accepting that he was bi-sexual.
Reggie had a hard time when he came out a few years ago. It had not been a real surprise when her friend told her his preferences, but he had not had an easy time when the rest of the Pack heard he came out. His father and her father, being the wonderfully supportive people they were, had gone a long way to help with the understanding. He had still been harassed a lot by small-minded people, including his mother who still tried to set him up with only girls. It had become easier in the last few years as more and more wolves announced they were also bi-sexual. Being extremely sexual creatures it should not have been a surprise, but basic prejudices still reigned.
Casey went and checked herself in the mirror again before her father stood and announced they were leaving. Casey rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue when he had his back turned. He still thought she was a child, and treated her as such. She thought after she went to college and earned her degree, he would come around, and realize she was a grown up now. He was proud of her job as the head accountant for the Pack. His downfall was that he was very old fashioned.
Casey had remained home while attending college. Reggie had too, since they majored in the same thing, took the same classes, and drove to school together. Now they both worked for the Pack, but Casey had won the head accountant's job last year when she found a major error while running a routine audit. Her father insisted until she found her mate that she live at home. It suited her fine so far. Even though she complained about his over protective attitude, she knew her father would never interfere if she stood her ground and asked to move out. So far, she had not found a man worth the hassle.
In the last few months though, she had grown restless. She wanted to have a relationship; she wanted to find her mate. Following her father to the center of town where all the wolves congregated when they had a meeting, Casey thought about what she wanted to do with her life.
It may be sad, but she always felt like she was meant for something more. Every once in a while she would think about leaving the Pack and trying to find somewhere she would fit in better, but something held her back. So here she was, in the same Pack, and walking to another boring meeting. Their Alpha called it the Circle, and found it easier to make important announcements this way. Casey nodded and said hello to many of the people already there.
She looked for Reggie and his family, and finally found them standing under a tree in the middle of the circle. Her father and Casey moved their way towards the other family until they were next to them. Reggie’s mother scowled a little at them until she heard her father growl a little.
Casey chuckled to herself; she knew Reggie’s mom would never have allowed them to be so close if it had not been for her father. Jeremy nearly shoved Casey down her throat on more than one occasion.
“Hey.” She said and nudged her friend. Regardless of his parent’s feelings, Reggie refused to give up his friendship with Casey.
“You could have at least added a little color.” Reggie smirked.
She looked down at her black dress and then looked at him. Reggie was tall and thin, his haircut short to his head. Although he was bi-sexual, he tended to dress a little more towards the flamboyant side. He had black jeans and a bright, teal colored, button up shirt with a black tank top underneath. He had both of his ears pierced and sported his favorite diamond earrings and a nice chain around his throat. The kicker was his loafers that he wore. They screamed ‘gay man here’. Casey knew that her friend had been looking for a man lately. Since the girl he had been dating had laughed at him and made fun of him when he had said, he found a male movie star hot. It had been a serious crushing blow to his ego, and he told Casey he was going to concentrate on men from now on, women were too big of a hassle. Gods, she really hoped that his mate was a male, because if it was a female, they were going to have a hell of a time.
“Sorry, did not feel like being a beacon tonight, sue me.” She drawled. If she dressed like her friend she would look like a clown, and that is what she was avoiding. It was humiliating enough knowing her faults and being a virgin, she did not need to add to it.
“Hey, I wanted to make sure the visitors knew I swung both ways. Who knows, maybe I will find Mr. Right.” Reggie argued.
“Ha, more like Mr. Right now.” She rebutted. Heck, she would settle for Mr. Ten Minutes if it took care of her problem.
Reggie frowned at her but did not have a chance to talk again since the Alpha was taking the stage. Casey let her gaze wander over the men standing in the crowd, there were more wolves here than normal. It seemed like maybe her night was looking up a little.
“I would like to welcome our visitors tonight. The Beta from the Denver Pack and his Enforcers are here. I want all of you to make sure you answer all of their questions. Obviously, there are many changes coming to our community.” The Alpha started. Casey tuned out the rest of the speech as she craned her neck to see the people who he was speaking about. She could see a very tall man whose back was to her. He stood at least a foot over most of the men in the Pack, so it was easy to spot him. The men who were with him were just as large. Holy crap, where the hell did they grow these men? They were huge! Casey sighed knowing that none of them would even look her way. Hell, she would need a step ladder to even talk to them.
While she was thinking what a waste of time it was to be here, the crowd shuffled and moved back a little when the tallest man took the stage. Shit, he was beautiful. Long, black hair flowed over his shoulders and framed his perfectly chiseled face. High cheekbones and a wide generous mouth with a regal nose made the man seem like a picture from the romance books she had littered all over her room. He could have stepped out of a cover, and she would not be as surprised as she was seeing him in person. He was huge, larger than life. Casey felt a small tingle on her neck as she looked at the handsome wolf. She wondered briefly about the sensation, but her thoughts were drawn back to the stage before she could examine it further.
His voice rolled over her like a sweet caress. It was deep and sexy; she creamed her panties just hearing it. Damn it, she would have to go home and change if she did not get herself under control. The scent would be noticeable to any wolf that chose to sniff deep enough. Reggie groaned next to her, and she smiled. Obviously, her friend was having the same reaction to the man. Casey chuckled; sometimes they were so alike it was scary.
“Fuck me.” He whispered in her ear.
“You wish.” She replied and laughed a little.
“I know, that is why I said it. Do you think he would be opposed to a red boa? I can see him wrapped up in red feathers and lying on my bed waiting for me.” Reggie chuckled.
“Uh, no, he looks like a strictly leather and chaps type of guy.” She drawled and looked back at the man on the stage, what she wouldn’t give for a night with him.
Chapter 2
Devon stood waiting until the Alpha finished his speech. He was growing tired of being gone for so long from Denver. They had been on the road off and on for the last three months, trying to find the remaining wolves from the Prophesy. It was becoming increasingly clear the information they had was very outdated. Every place they were told one of the families had moved to after thinking Jo was dead and therefore the Prophesy also dead, had been wrong. The Council had been so dejected that Jo and her mother had been kidnapped and killed; they refused to mention the Prophesy any more. Out of sight, out of mind, he thought in frustration. That was the problem they were facing now, no one wanted to admit they knew of the Prophesy, to most it would be considered a death sentence. Quin and Jaden had decided not to release the news of the Prophesy; they
were worried the Rogues would step up their attacks. So, they quietly traveled across the country, looking for the Chosen.
Now they were in South Carolina, with the Columbia Pack. It was one of the largest in the south. He figured they could base their search out of this area, and work the entire south if they had to. They had been in Florida just yesterday and had covered the entire state in a week. It had sucked, and they found nothing. Devon was beginning to wonder if they had been sent on a wild goose chase. The humidity here made him itch to go and shower for the third time today.
Gods, he hoped they found someone soon, this was getting ridiculous.
Devon stepped forward when the Alpha motioned to him. They thought that possibly the wolf born in April had moved here, to South Carolina. The Council had decided the best way to find the Chosen wolves, was announcing they were looking for wolves born on the first of every month. They figured they could weed out the years later. They did not want to tell the whole story to the Packs for fear the Rogues would get wind of what they were doing. It was bad enough they had to announce what they were, but to go to every household would take a lot longer.
“Thank you for the warm welcome. We are looking for any wolves born on the first day of the month. Recently, the European Council discovered certain documents that refer to these families. It has to do with a missing inheritance. We will be in town for the next forty eight hours and will be staying at the hotel. We have set up a desk for those who come to check in with us. We have specific information and will be able to tell you if you are on the list we have.” Devon said and then looked at the Enforcers who stepped up onto the stage with him, so he could make sure everyone knew who they were.
This was probably another lost cause. He was beginning to wonder if these people even existed.
