by Sky Corgan
She turned around and crawled up on it backwards. Carter followed her like a predator, seeking out her lips as they moved towards the headboard. Almost before they had even reached their destination, he was on top of her again, hooking her leg over his hip and driving inside of her.
Karen moaned softly, tilting her head and savoring the feel of Carter's lips on her neck as he planted deep breathy kisses there while he writhed on top of her, pressing his pubic bone into her clit and driving her up the hill she had just come plummeting down from only moments ago. Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, and it took everything in her not to score his back with her nails. Carter was in enough trouble from being with her as it was without her marking him up and making things worse. She couldn't resist pushing back though, grinding her hips up to meet his, taking him deeply into her and feeling him fill all the space.
“You're the most amazing woman I've ever met,” he whispered against her neck as he rotated his hips and sent her body sailing into another orgasm.
“Holy shit, Carter. I can't believe...” Karen's toes curled as pleasure soaked through her.
“You can't believe I can make you feel like this.” She could hear the grin in his voice. “It's because we belong together.”
His words were sweet, but she couldn't force herself to believe them. Sure, Carter was in deep shit because of her, but he would probably wise up soon. Judging by the intensity of this fuckfest, it would likely be their last. This was farewell sex, something nice to remember him by. Karen needed to take it at face value to protect her heart.
“I need you to come inside of me,” she told him. One last chance to win her consolation prize—a pup from his gene pool. If she couldn't have him, it was the next best thing.
“I need to come inside of you.” He nipped at her earlobe, his blunt teeth causing a small bite of pain as he pressed deeply into her and held himself there for several seconds before really picking up the pace.
Karen lay beneath him, watching his lustful expression as he pumped into her, his thrusts fast and short, stealing his breath with every movement until his body was completely spent, and his cock had reached its limit. With a stifled howl, his fingers dug into her hips while he pushed into her for his liquid release, pouring out all of his efforts and her hopes for a future that might include some small piece of him. How she would miss him when she was gone. How she would miss this.
He collapsed on top of her with exhaustion, and she ran her fingers delicately through his sweat drenched hair, soaking in the scent of his wolf and his seed and their mating. She didn't want this moment to end, wanted to stay with him like this forever.
Nothing lasts forever though.
Karen waited with bated breath, knowing this would be their last goodbye. When she felt his chest heave with words, her heart cracked. Once he said them, she would be shattered. Irreparably.
“Karen.” He crawled off of her and sat on the side of the bed, looking so distant that it almost seemed like he had left her completely.
Karen felt ill. She didn't want to have to face this grim reality. “Hm?” she asked, her eyes beginning to water as she gazed up at him.
He turned to her then, smiling softly as he tenderly wiped one of the tears away with the pad of his thumb. “Karen Needham, I, Carter Hall, take you as my Alpha mate. I will be your shield in times of danger, the blanket that keeps you warm at night, the sentry that watches over our children. I will love you and only you, for as long as I live. I give myself fully and completely, forsaking all others, bringing you into the fold of my pack. Do you accept?”
It felt like Karen's jaw was broken. Her mouth fell agape and wouldn't work on its own anymore. Was he being serious? Those were sacred words. If she accepted and responded with her own marriage rite, they would be soulbound. Nothing could ever come between them but death. And that might come soon to them both if all the rumors she had heard around Sky High Ranch were true.
It would be irresponsible to accept, but the truth of the matter was that she loved him too. More than anything. She would give life and limb to be by his side. And so there really was no other choice.
“Yes.” Tears cascaded down her cheeks unbidden, but this time they weren't from sorrow. Karen had never been happier in her entire life. “I, Karen Needham, take you Carter Hall as my mate. I will be the light in your times of darkness, the bandage that heals you, the nurturer and bearer of your children. I will love you and only you, for as long as I live. I give myself fully and completely, forsaking all others, bringing you into the fold of my pack. Do you accept?”
The smile that broke across Carter's face was all the answer she needed. Still he responded, “Yes.”
And with that, they were bonded for life. Eternally. Regional Alpha and Alpha mate, destined to weather the storms of the world together, whatever the outcome.
CHAPTER TEN
It was a whirlwind romance, the type that Karen had only seen in movies. She and Carter stole off into the night, nary telling a soul. The way they had to sneak through Sky High Ranch to get to Carter's truck told her that what they were doing was forbidden and extremely dangerous. Carter had made his choice though. He had chosen her, which was completely unexpected to Karen.
She had spent a good portion of the afternoon preparing herself for the worst, thinking that Carter was coming to say his last goodbye—to show her pleasure one final time before he abandoned her forever. Now, they were running hand in hand, escaping lycan society and politics for a life of exile. Together.
The thought that Carter was casting aside his title as regional Alpha was endearing to Karen, yet sad at the same time. She had always been a misfit. Even in her own pack, where the wolf blood had waned to the point that she was almost human, she never felt like she quite fit in. He was giving away everything though. Plummeting from the top of the hierarchy down to the lowest of the low, all for her.
Of course, they couldn't really take his regional blood away. At least, she didn't think they could. All they could do was strip him of his title and mourn the fact that him leaving lycan society behind weakened the entire race. The overwhelming amount of human in Karen's blood would taint their children. But that shouldn't matter to her now. None of it should, as long as they were alright.
They boarded an early morning flight to Sudan. Karen felt relief rush through her as soon as the plane took off from the airport. They were safe now. If only for a few hours, the other regionals couldn't get to them. With any luck, they wouldn't follow at all.
“Life is going to be different,” Carter told Karen, squeezing her hand in his as he stared ahead. There was no question that he was shaken, probably still wondering if he had done the right thing. It was too late for doubt. They were wed, and soon they'd be starting a new life together—a life far away from all they'd ever known.
“Tell me about it.” Karen rested her head against his shoulder, trying to imagine what Africa would be like.
“I honestly don't have much to tell. I've never been, but I've heard about it a lot. There's a tribe there called Namak. It's kind of like the island of misfit shifters.”
“Sudan isn't an island.” She pulled from her meager knowledge of African geography.
“I know.” He offered her a weak smile that she felt was more out of courtesy than anything else. “It's an expression. The point is that there are all sorts of shifters there. Not just werewolves.”
“More types of shifters...” the words trailed from her lips. It seemed strange enough that they existed. Though, knowing that, Karen wondered why she was so surprised that there were other types of shifters.
“Yes. That's why they call themselves a tribe instead of a pack. They have a leader, but there's not much of a hierarchy otherwise. It's basically just a bunch of shifters from all over the world who didn't fit into the political realm of their own species. They offer sanctuary and protection—the closest chance we have of living a normal life.”
A normal life. Karen couldn't
even imagine what that would be like. Things hadn't been normal for her ever since she'd realized she didn't really fit in with her own pack. They'd been less normal since she'd gotten to Sky High Ranch. Now she was flying off into the unknown. At least this time, she had someone by her side, someone who appreciated all the things that made her unique. Perhaps there was a normal life waiting out there for them somewhere. Only time would tell, and all they could do was hope.
“The hunter becomes the hunted.”
Carter had never felt more nervous in all his life. The scent of various Weres clouded his nostrils with an almost unbearable stink. And there was power here. So much power.
The man sitting in front of him was proof of that. He was huge, thick with muscle, hulking and intimidating—a beast in human form. The amused smile he wore did little to put Carter's mind at ease. If it came to blows, Carter doubted he could best him. Perhaps he had just put he and Karen in more danger than they would have been in if they had stayed in the States. There was no way of knowing. But the move had already been made. They had walked into Namak territory unarmed, putting their lives in the hands of a tribe that Carter had only read about in books.
“I can smell the fear on you.” The man's grin broadened, and he inhaled deeply, his thick nostrils flaring.
“I'm not afraid,” Karen said boldly, sitting up straight as if her wolf was trying to match the behemoth in intimidation.
Carter would have beamed with pride if he wasn't so uncertain about their safety. He had spent a good portion of the plane ride trying to assure Karen that this was the right decision—the only choice they had left if they wanted to remain alive. Staying in America wasn't an option. No matter where they hid, the other regionals would sniff them out, and when they did...
“I wasn't talking about you.” The man's gaze fixed on Carter. Almost instinctively, feeling the threat of danger, Carter's eyes wolfed out, turning amber in warning. “Calm down. You've made the right choice by coming here.
“My name is Amare. I've been the leader of the Namak tribe for decades. As you've heard in the stories, we offer refuge here to outcast shifters. I assume that's why you're here.” He arched an eyebrow speculatively.
Carter felt his wolf fall back, his body relaxing some. He reached over to scoop Karen's hand up in his. Her being here with him gave him strength, though admittedly not as much as he would have felt with his whole pack behind him. Those times were over though. Now, Karen was his pack. It was a massive downgrade in size, but well worth it to live peacefully with the woman he loved.
“We had to flee into the night. Were...” Carter hesitated. The distrusting side of him didn't want to give too much away about his abilities. Did it really matter though? He was certain that a far greater beast resided inside of Amare. Withholding information about himself wouldn't earn him or Karen any brownie points in regard to fitting in with the tribe. Besides, if Amare had been the leader for as long as he claimed, then surely he'd met other werewolves. “Lycan society dictates that a regional Alpha can only take a pureblood as his Alpha mate. Karen isn't pureblooded.”
“Throwing it all away for love,” Amare boomed in laughter. Carter furrowed his brow. For a moment, he thought the man was mocking them, but then Amare settled, leaning forward with an earnest expression. “There's no greater cause.”
Karen squeezed Carter's hand in approval, and he gave her a weak smile.
“Worry not. You're safe here.” Amare continued, “We will give you sanctuary for as long as you seek it. Most of the shifters who come here take up permanent residence, as it's no longer safe for them in the outside world. You may be surprised to know that there have been many in a similar situation as yourself.”
That wasn't surprising to Carter at all. Lycans weren't the only Weres who were adamant about preserving their bloodlines. He wouldn't even be shocked to learn that there was crossbreeding going on in the Namak tribe. As far as he knew, anything went as long as peace was maintained.
“We have temporary residences set up where you can stay until you decide what you want to do. If you wish to remain here permanently, we will work to help get you established. Of course, there will be a trial period to make sure that you are good citizens. While this is a place of sanctuary, we don't invite in riffraff. Follow our rules, and you can stay. Disobey, and you'll be cast out without protection.”
“That sounds reasonable.” Carter nodded. The more they spoke, the more comfortable he felt around Amare. It seemed like the man had good leadership skills and a well organized take-in process. Knowing that helped to put Carter's mind at ease that they might actually be safe here.
“Our protocol for shifting varies from species to species,” Amare hesitated. “Since North American wolves aren't indigenous to this area, you will be forced to shift in cages. I realize that it's not ideal, but it's the price you pay for staying here. We do this for the sake of secrecy and also for your protection.”
A wave of unease washed over Carter. His wolf let out a low inward rumble of disapproval, and it took everything in him to keep it from making its way to the surface. Being caged during the shift would make him and Karen vulnerable. It would also be a great chance for them to be betrayed.
“I don't like that,” he admitted, cocking his head to shoot a side glance at Karen. Her brow was wrinkled with worry, an obvious sign that her confidence in the idea of staying with the Namak tribe had faltered too.
“I don't always shift during the full moon,” she said to Amare before turning to Carter. “If I don't shift, they'll let me out. I can watch over you.”
“Who will be there to let you out if we're all shifted?”
“I can understand how this would concern you.” Amare raised his voice slightly to capture their attention. “I assure you though, you won't be the only ones locked up. As you're probably aware, we take in shifters from all over the world. There are a handful who experience the shift caged regularly. Perhaps you'd like to speak to them before you make up your mind about whether or not you want to stay. I know it sounds less than liberating, especially since you're looking for freedom, but it's an important part of how we do things here. It keeps everyone safe.”
Carter sighed. It would be a while still before the next full moon. Plenty of time to talk to everyone and get their scoop on the tribe. Whether he liked it or not, everything circled back around to the fact that they didn't have much of a choice. It was adapt to the Namak tribe way of living or keep running, and a person can't run forever, especially when there are blood-thirsty wolves chasing them.
“We thank you for your hospitality.” He outstretched his arm to shake the hand of his host. “We look forward to becoming productive and respectable members of your community.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Life in Sudan was definitely different. Karen felt like they had gone back in time. The women spent their days cooking and cleaning and mending garments, while the men tended to the various livestock, went hunting, and performed tasks involving manual labor. Harvesting crops was a group effort, but mostly women's work.
It was living off the land. Going back to nature. Far removed from the cushy life that Carter had led. Even though Karen hadn't been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, it was a lot harder for her as well.
For the first week of their stay, she wasn't sure she was going to make it. Lack of air conditioning, and temperatures that easily rose in the daytime towards one hundred degrees, made her think she would die of heat stroke. Not to mention the absence of sweets other than fruits. It was like being put on a diet that she had never planned for, and her body had a hard time detoxing from the nutrient deficient treats she was used to enjoying. So many things she had taken for granted. If it weren't for Carter being there by her side, reassuring her that they would adjust and that everything would be alright, she might have run away.
He seemed to be converting to the Namak lifestyle much easier. While he complained about the heat as well, there was a new liveliness behind
his eyes that Karen hadn't seen at Sky High Ranch. Carter loved the chance to hunt everyday, and to walk around without his shirt on a good portion of the time.
That was the only real benefit to moving to Sudan, Karen thought. Seeing Carter shirtless more frequently. Plus it made him easier to unwrap when he came to bed at night all riled up from the hunt.
Within a few weeks of moving in, the men of the tribe had helped to erect a gottias for Karen and Carter to live in. The small one-roomed hut made of mud walls and a straw roof was far from the dream house Karen had once imagined herself living in. But it was now her home with Carter. Their very own home. The first sign that they had really begun a new life together.
Another thing Karen enjoyed was the sense of community in the Namak tribe. They had been welcomed in with open arms. Everyone helped everyone with even the smallest of tasks. No one discriminated because of species or lack of Were blood. It was the first time Karen ever felt like she truly belonged somewhere. Humans and Weres peacefully co-existing with no hierarchy to follow.
Making friends came easy. Though they were a diverse group, Karen felt at peace with the women. There was no catty bullshit or jealousy, except for with the werecats, and that was all in jest.
She sat with a group of women in the dining hall, shucking corn for the weekend feast. Every Sunday, the tribe came together to celebrate their unity by sharing food and drink. It reminded Karen of the nightly bonfires at Sky High Ranch, except without all the shunning.
Her stomach gurgled violently as she pulled the husk from an ear of corn and threw it in a basket to be used for kindling later. In truth, she still hadn't adjusted to the diet. Most days, she felt like she was starving to death. Food wasn't plentiful here as it had been in the United States, but despite all that, she miraculously somehow had managed not to lose any weight. It was infuriating.
