Maddie, my love, you’ve shocked the entire pack, and I love it. More importantly, I love you. You’re such a beautiful wolf. The Elders want to find out what happened, so I need you to change back right now so we can talk with them. I’ll tell Nanita to change back as well.
Maddie seemed surprised that she could hear Remus’s thoughts, and she didn’t look happy anymore.
Remus, oh, this is so embarrassing. I don’t know how to change back.
Remus chuckled in his mind, thankful he was here for this big moment in her life.
It’s easy, baby. Just concentrate really hard on your human physical appearance, and let the magic flow up your body. You’ll be back on two feet before you know it.
Stepping back to give her room, Remus went ahead and shifted back to his human form to watch her complete the shift. After a few moments, he saw her body begin to quiver and heard the sounds of bones popping. Suddenly, she was standing before him, human again, the most breathtaking sight he’d ever seen. And she was absolutely naked.
Maddie squealed when she looked down at her body and raced behind Remus to hide amidst the laughter of the crowd. Smiling, Ethan ran over and gave her the shirt off his back.
“Thanks, Ethan,” Maddie said, her face red with embarrassment. She slipped it over her head and then came out to face the pack Elders.
While Remus had been getting Maddie to shift back, several of the pack’s men lifted the debris off of Nanita and helped her to her feet. She shifted back without being ordered and now stood facing her pack members.
“Maddie, what happened here?”
Vanard was the first to question the women about what occurred. Everyone waited to see what Maddie would say.
“I was taking a walk when I came upon this woman on the trail. She seemed quite upset that I was mated to Remus. She told me she had plans to get rid of me and get you to force Remus to take another mate, preferably her. She changed into a wolf and began to stalk me. After a while, I got very angry and sort of tossed some dead branches at her.” Maddie looked up when Remus and his brothers laughed. “That only made her more angry, so she came back fighting even harder. She had cornered me against that tree, and I thought I was really gonna die.” She put her face in Remus’s chest as he pulled her close against his body. It was a couple of minutes before she could go on.
“Then I’m not sure what happened. I got this terrible pain. It was so bad I couldn’t even stand up. I felt like my head was going to explode, and all this fur started popping out all over my arms.” Maddie paused when almost everyone there laughed. “For a minute, I was really scared. Then the pain just went away, and I realized I was standing on four legs.” This brought forth laughter from the Elders.
“After I changed, I sort of took a little delight in stalking her for a while until I got tired, and then I used my other gift and dropped the dead branches from that tree on top of her. That’s when you came running.”
Remus cut his eyes over to Nanita to see what she had to say about the events. She seemed unusually quiet, and he took her silence as an admission of guilt. He could sense all the shock and outrage coming from the pack members. They were having a hard time believing one of their own would deliberately attack the Alpha’s mate. Remus spoke to Maddie in a stern voice. “Maddie, as Alpha Femm, it’s your choice what punishment is to be given. Her crime of an unprovoked attack on an Alpha family member is quite serious and can be punished very severely. It can be anything you think is appropriate, up to and including banishment from the pack or death. So, what do you want her punishment to be?”
Maddie stared at Nanita long and hard while everyone in the pack waited breathlessly to hear what the punishment would be. There’d never been a situation like this in their community before. Remus knew they were anxious to see what type of wisdom in such matters their new Alpha Femm had.
Maddie walked up very close to Remus and pulled him down to whisper in his ear.
“Remus, the whole problem with Nanita is that she doesn’t have a mate of her own. She needs someone in her life to stabilize her. Can she be made to mate with someone the council of Elders chooses?”
Remus was stunned and then pleasantly amused. He was pleased that his mate had a kind and forgiving nature. She recognized the worth in others, even when they don’t recognize it in themselves. He smiled down at her adoringly.
“Yes, she can be forced to take a mate if she wants to stay with the pack. But it’s not the Elders’ responsibility to punish her, it’s mine. It’s a very old law and hasn’t been invoked in a very long time. Her choice would be to mate with who we say or leave the pack and not return.”
“You’re okay with doing that?” Maddie asked.
“Yes, I think it’s a fitting resolution to the problem.”
“Then that’s what I want for her. But I want you to pick someone way down the totem pole in the pack. Her obsession is to be someone important, and I think she should learn that everyone’s important, even the smallest member. Find her someone good who’ll treat her right and love and protect her the way you love me.”
Remus smiled at the obvious concern he could hear in his mate’s voice.
“I know just the wolf, and he already has a huge crush on her. He will feel like a king if he has her to mate with, and he’ll probably worship her for the rest of their lives together.”
“Great. Then that’s what I want her punishment to be.”
Chapter 10
Smiling, Remus led Maddie to the center of the clearing to face the members of the pack and Nanita. Chuckling, he turned and grinned at Nanita.
“My mate, the Alpha Femm, has decided on your punishment, Nanita. Are you ready to be sentenced?”
“I’m ready.”
Nanita had a bored look on her face, like the outcome of this meeting had no effect on her at all, but Remus could sense her fear.
“For your crime in the unprovoked challenge of the Alpha Femm, you are hereby ordered to mate with Zebron immediately, if he’ll have you. It is my mate’s belief that your crime stemmed from the fact you don’t have a mate of your own and, therefore, didn’t understand the power of the mating love.”
The whole pack gasped as Remus rendered the decision of the Alpha Femm while Nanita voiced her fury.
“Elders, I won’t do it. You can’t make me mate with someone whom I don’t want to be mated to. It isn’t right.”
“You’re correct. We can’t force you. But if you don’t take the punishment we’ve rendered, you’ll be banished from the pack, effective immediately. Do you understand this?” Remus responded to her outrage, cutting off any reply the Elders might make. As Alpha, he was in his rights to mete out punishment as he saw fit.
“I understand that you think you can control my life. I can’t leave the pack. I don’t have anywhere to go. And I’m not gonna mate with someone just because you say I have to.”
“You have no other choices, Nanita. Zebron, step forward.” Remus’s voice turned cold and commanding.
Remus watched as the little, nondescript man came forward from the crowd. He was pleasant looking, with a kind of timid demeanor. He looked nervous as he came forward, and Remus couldn’t help noticing that he couldn’t take his eyes off the nude body of Nanita.
“Zebron, are you willing to take this unwilling female as your mate, promising to love and protect her for as long as you’re together? Are you willing to give her pups to care for, to carry on the traditions of our pack?”
Looking over at Nanita, Zebron licked his lips twice and cleared his throat before he could answer. The man was positively shaking in his shoes.
“Yes, Alpha, I’d be honored to take Nanita as my mate, and I’ll promise to love and protect her for the rest of her life.”
At his softly spoken words, the entire pack cheered happily while Nanita screamed out.
“No, don’t make me do this, Remus, please.” Nanita’s pleading did not sway Remus from his mate’s decision.
Frowning
, Zebron walked over to the trembling woman. Stepping up to her, he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. After about ten minutes, she nodded her head, took his hand, and walked down the path toward his home. Everyone in the pack, including the Alpha and his mate, called out their congratulations, and clapped their hands.
Remus looked down at Maddie and spoke softly to her mind.
Maddie, I’ve always wanted to be able to run with my mate as a wolf through the woods and along the river. Are you game?
Smiling, her fingers went to the buttons of his brother’s shirt. Slowly, she unbuttoned them, one at a time, until the shirt fell open. She let it slide down her shoulders and drop to the ground. She was standing there in all her nude beauty before his pack.
Remus watched her close her eyes, then saw the air around her shimmer. He could hear her bones pop as she shifted. Then, she was standing before him as a magnificent brown wolf, looking every bit the Alpha Femm she was.
Remus shifted and looked down when his little mate nudged him.
Catch me if you can!
Maddie whispered the words in Remus’s mind and then took off running toward the riverbank in the direction of their cabin. With a big, toothy smile, Remus thought, Piece of cake. He took off running after her.
* * * *
Smiling as he watched his brother chase after his mate, Ethan turned to say something to Latan and caught sight of Ariane. He couldn’t help noticing how sad she looked. Not taking time to think about it, he walked over to where she stood. Reaching over, he tenderly wiped a tear from her cheek.
“What’s wrong, Ariane? Are you okay?”
Ariane looked up at him with a watery smile. “Yes, Ethan, I’m fine. I’m just wishing that I had someone in my life to look at me the way Remus looks at Maddie. I dream of the time when I meet my mate and we can start our lives together. Do you think that’s silly?”
Feeling like an older brother, Ethan reached over and gave her a small hug.
“No, it’s not silly. We all dream of being able to find our mates. Remus was lucky and found Maddie when she was just a little girl. I admit I’m jealous of them myself. I know that I have a mate out there somewhere. It’s just a matter of time before I meet her. I know you’ll meet yours someday as well, and I’ll pray for you that it’s soon if you’ll say the same prayer for me.”
She smiled up at him. “You’ve got a deal, Ethan.”
Ethan grinned and then took her hand and followed the rest of the pack back to the clearing where they had their dinner spread.
* * * *
Remus watched as his little wolf mate raced along the riverbank. He was pretty sure where she was headed—the rock outcrop where they first made love. He knew Maddie thought he couldn’t catch her, but she was wrong. He was letting her stay ahead of him, taking his time to see where she wanted to lead. He wasn’t disappointed when he realized she was heading for their rock. Picking up his speed, he quickly caught up with her and leapt, tossing her to the ground. He nuzzled up close to her and then closed his teeth at the nape of her neck, effectively holding her in place and showing his dominance. He whispered into her mind.
Change, baby. Change back so I can make love to you as human.
Almost immediately, Maddie and Remus both changed to their human bodies. Maddie turned over, and Remus covered her naked body with his own.
“I’ve always known that I loved you more than anything else in this world, and I honestly didn’t think I could love you more.” He pushed her hair back from her face so he could gaze into her eyes. “Today, standing in the forest, looking at this beautiful brown wolf, I realized my love could grow even stronger. You’re everything to me, Maddie, and I’m gonna spend the rest of my life showing you how deep that love is.”
Lowering his head, he brought his lips to hers, plucking at them, and then ran his tongue along the seam of her closed lips, begging for entry. When she parted her lips, Remus thrust his tongue deep. Surprising him, she began to suck on his tongue, causing a tremor to run the entire length of his body.
With their mouths still fused, Remus slid his body into the juncture of her spread thighs. In a sensuous move, she raised her knees up along his sides, gripping his hips tightly. With her legs open and spread on each side of his body, his rock hard erection rested against her moist opening. She ground her hips toward him, effectively causing his cock to slide up and down over her engorged clit. Both of them groaned deep in their throats.
Releasing her lips, he ran his tongue over her chin and down her throat. All along the way, he alternated between licking and sucking on her fragrant skin. Moving further down, he traced his tongue across her chest, to settle his lips around her erect nipple, and began to suckle. Slowly, he raised his hand to her other nipple, where he began to tug and twist. When she arched her back in pleasure, he took her nipple between his teeth and bit gently, causing her to cry out and arch her back even further, almost as if she was trying to push her breast farther into his mouth.
Abandoning her breast, Remus moved up her body until he was nose to nose with her.
“As much as I love this special place of ours, I think that I’d prefer a nice, soft bed for what I want to do to you. Are you game?”
Maddie didn’t bother answering him. She just smiled and put her arms tightly around his neck. Taking that as an affirmative sign, Remus stood, pulling her up with him as he went, then swept her up into his arms before turning and walking toward their cabin.
Entering through the back door, Remus crossed to the bed, then laid her down on the soft mattress. Reaching over, he turned on the light beside the bed, then lay down next to her, placing his muscular leg across her thighs.
“I was so proud of you today, mate. You were everything an Alpha Femm should be and more. I can’t tell you how hot it made me to see you standing in the sunshine, all naked and beautiful.”
Maddie blushed and hid her face in his shoulder. He could see the flush start in her neck and move up. Remus smiled when she let out an exaggerated groan.
“What’s the matter, baby?”
“I was naked in front of your entire pack today! Oh my God, I was naked in front of your brothers!”
The horrified tone of her voice caused Remus to throw back his head and laugh heartily. Gripping his hand in her hair, he pulled back to bring her face under his own. He whispered. “Let my brothers eat their hearts out. You’ll never belong to anyone but me.” Then he took her lips in a passionate kiss.
As Remus deepened the kiss, he grasped Maddie’s wrists in each hand, pinning them to the bed as he slid his body to lie on top of her. He could feel his cock twitch at the juncture of her thighs.
Releasing her lips, he ran his tongue along the side of her face and down to the hollow of her throat. He scraped his sharp teeth across her delicate skin and then soothed it with a sweep of his tongue. He chuckled as he felt Maddie try to pull her hands free of his grip.
“Not yet. Right now I want you to keep your hands on the bed. Will you do that for me?”
“No, Remus, I wanna touch you.”
“You’ll get your chance to touch me as much as you want, but right now I want you to lie still and just feel me loving you.”
Maddie didn’t answer him with words but obediently laid her hands back down on the bed. Immediately, Remus put his mouth back into the hollow of her neck.
Seeing that she complied with his wishes, Remus continued his journey south, tasting every inch of her silken skin along the way. He allowed his tongue and teeth to trace her body, along her chest, and up the firm, rounded globe of her breast, stopping just before he reached the rosy peak. Carefully, he traced around the areola with the tip of his tongue, smiling as Maddie arched her back.
“Please, Remus, don’t tease me.”
“I’m not trying to tease you. I’m trying to make this last. I wanna bring you more pleasure than you’ve ever thought about receiving.”
Over and over, he swirled his tongue, slipping lower to trace
the underside of her breast, still ignoring the one place he knew she was desperate to have him.
“Remus, please!”
Sucking firmly on the underside of her breast, Remus didn’t answer her until he left a small mark of possession on her body.
“Please what, baby? What is it you want?”
“You know what I want. Please don’t tease me.”
“I want you to tell me what you want me to do. I wanna hear the words.”
“Remus, I want your mouth on my breast.”
“It is on your breast.” He teased her.
Remus laughed as Maddie growled and grabbed his head, trying to pull it down to her body.
“Remus, please.”
“Please what?”
“Damn you, I want your mouth on my nipple. I want you to suck on it. Are you happy now?”
Hearing the frustration in her voice, Remus immediately lowered his head, taking the straining tip in his mouth, and sucked strongly. Maddie groaned loudly and arched her body up off the bed, thrusting more of her breast into his mouth.
Remus began alternating sucking with light biting as he brought his free hand to her other breast. Carefully, he took her tightened nipple between his thumb and forefinger and tugged. His reward was Maddie’s head thrashing back and forth on the pillows. “Oh God, Remus, that’s so good. Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
Remus licked the nipple he’d been biting and transferred his mouth to the other side, giving that hardened peak the same attention. For several minutes, the only sounds heard were the groaning from Maddie’s throat and the sucking sounds from Remus’s hungry mouth.
Releasing her nipple with an audible pop, Remus began running his tongue down the middle of her chest and over her abdomen, stopping to search out the depths of her belly button. Smiling against her body, Remus felt her begin to squirm around. She was very sensitive around her abdomen, and he knew it. He held an arm tightly over her stomach to keep her from wriggling away while he continued to torture her for several long moments.
Discovering Their Wolfen Heritage Page 22
