Reluctant Mate

by Diana Persaud

  He didn’t respond.

  “Uh, female wolf?” she called. “Is this man protecting you?”

  She must have nodded because then the woman asked, “Do you trust him?”

  He glanced behind him.

  She nodded again.

  “Okay, then. I guess we’re all friends here. I’m Emma. My friends call me Emmy. What’s your name?”

  “Serena.”

  “Did they…are you hurt, Serena?”

  Serena shook her head.

  “Will you tell your mate to lower his weapon? I promise you, we won’t harm you. We just want to get out of here before anyone else comes down here.”

  “Mate? What the hell are you talking about?” he asked Emma.

  Serena touched him gently on his back. Quietly, she said, “It’s okay, Robert. I don’t think they mean to harm us. Can you put the knife away? Please?”

  I killed Evans and freed the wolves. Jessup is going to be pissed. I’m sure he’s going to call the police and tell them I killed Evans in cold blood. No fucking way I’m going to prison.

  I’m not going to end up like him.

  He gripped the knife tighter.

  I need to get out of here.

  No way out. I’m surrounded by wolves. Outnumbered four to one. I’m strong and fast, but not that fast.

  Fuck.

  I guess I’ll take my chances with the wolves.

  He relaxed his stance then slipped the knife back into his boot.

  “Great!” Emma said.

  “What are we going to do with Steven?” Emma asked Nicolai.

  “We’re going to take him with us. Lucien would like to have a word with him.”

  “Please tell me you’re going to put him in the trunk. I don’t want to see him another minute!” Emma declared.

  Nicolai chuckled and nodded in agreement.

  He moved to the side of the cell, pulling Serena with him. The caged wolves opened their door and walked out. They greeted Harley and Nicolai by hugging them.

  One wolf turned to Serena.

  “We promised you we would protect you from these men. You are both welcome to come with us to our pack. Our Alpha will return you safely to your pack.”

  Serena squeezed his hand, stepping closer to him. She glanced up at him.

  Asking permission?

  He shrugged.

  Slowly, Serena nodded to the wolves and they followed them out of Genesis 23.

  Nicolai made a quick call while they tied up Ellis and tossed him in the trunk.

  Harley and Nicolai sat in the front. He, Serena and Emma sat in the back.The other SUV carried the two wolves and Ellis. They drove quickly to the airport, anxious to get away from Genesis 23.

  He considered his options.

  They’re probably taking me to a Werewolf clan. What’s it going to be?

  Torture?

  Death?

  Torture then death?

  His shoulders sagged.

  He deserved no less for what he’d done to these wolves.

  But what about Serena?

  Serena’s hand was still in his.

  Would they really protect Serena? Return her safely home? Maybe I can reason with them. Will they protect her if I tell them about the other wolf?

  She leaned into him.

  Probably for warmth.

  Or safety.

  Or maybe she didn’t fully trust these wolves.

  He released her hand and placed it around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

  Emma smiled as she watched them.

  Serena sniffed, turning to Emma with a puzzled expression.

  “You are not a wolf, but you smell like one,” Serena said.

  “My mate is a wolf. In fact, he’s the first wolf that was sold,” Emma replied.

  Emma gave Serena a sympathetic look then continued, “I know it’s strange, a human and a wolf as a couple, but we aren’t the first…uh…interspecies couple.”

  “Mate? What does that mean? You are a couple with a wolf? You mean you actually have sex with a wolf?” he asked.

  This pretty young woman sitting next to Serena is into bestiality?

  Emma laughed.

  “It’s not like that. He’s human when we…um…you know….”

  She blushed.

  “Anyway, a mate is like a husband or a wife. Wolves don’t get married the way humans do, so they use that term to denote a spouse.”

  “Those wolves, the ones in the cell, they said I was her mate. Why would they say that? We only just met tonight.”

  Emma shrugged.

  Serena refused to meet his gaze.

  The car pulled to a stop and they boarded a private jet. A short while later, they landed and disembarked. Nicolai drove Emma in one car. He, Serena, and the two wolves got into another SUV. Harley tossed a conscious Steven Ellis into the back of their SUV.

  ***

  In his office, Dr. Jessup decided to check on the wolves he had in his basement lab.

  Had they fucked yet?

  He rubbed his hands together as he walked across the room to his desk.

  Will the two males fight over the female or will they take turns and share her? If so, how will they decide who fucked her first? Will they fuck in human form? In wolf form? Will they switch between their human and wolf shape?

  He fully expected them to rut wildly like the animals they were.

  Do mated couples fuck the same way or would their coupling be more…gentle?

  He made a mental note to ask the Trapper to bring him an established mated pair so he could observe them. He logged into the software program on his computer and stared at empty cells.

  He gripped his mouse.

  Where are my test subjects?

  He called each member of the Security Team.

  No one answered.

  He opened his desk drawer and removed a gun.

  Carefully, he crept downstairs.

  The holding cells were empty.

  He returned upstairs and accessed the video from earlier that night. Three unknown people along with his benefactor, Steven Ellis. One of the wolves attacked Steven then they freed the captive wolves.

  They didn’t attack Robert. In fact, it seems that Robert went along with them willingly.

  He smiled.

  How…interesting.

  He tapped his fingers lightly on his desk.

  It’s only a matter of time before the authorities descend on my lab.

  He sighed.

  All that work. Precious data.

  Good thing I backed up essential data.

  With a few keystrokes, he began to erase any evidence of his illegal experiments.

  First the security video logs.

  Knowing he had several hours before the police could obtain a search warrant to search the premises, he logged into his computer and brought up the command prompt.

  He typed in ‘Delall –c:*’ then pressed ‘Enter.’ This command instructed his computer to run the DeleteAll program and rename each file ten times. Once that program was complete, he would run another program, Vanish, which would write over his existing files in a random pattern. The third program he would execute was called ComputerCleaner. That program would take care of any hidden files the first two programs might have missed.

  These three programs would wipe his computer clean, erasing any evidence of what he had done.

  Not even the FBI’s forensic experts will find anything.

  He opened his brown briefcase and set it on his desk.

  He searched his office for any files or disks relating to his projects and tossed them into the briefcase.

  After two hours of methodical searching, his briefcase was full. Several manila folders lay in the briefcase. Three DVDs in slim cases lay on top of the folders. Seeing that it was full, he finally closed the briefcase.

  He surveyed the room one last time and checked on his computer. It was still running the Eraser
program. He typed in the command to begin the ComputerCleaner program. Satisfied that nothing here could tie him to any illegal experiments, he left his office.

  He walked into the parking lot, his briefcase in one hand, his gun gripped tightly in the other. Cautiously he made his way to his car and drove home.

  He drove by his house slowly, checking for any indication the wolves had found him.

  Everything seemed normal.

  He drove around the block then parked across the street. He sat in his car, checking the area once again. It was well after 3 A.M. and nothing moved. Deciding he was safe, he walked along the sidewalk then quietly sneaked into his house. After locking the door behind him, he immediately went into his home office. Setting the gun and his briefcase on his desk, he turned to the wall behind him.

  Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party hung on the wall. He removed the painting, revealing a Sentrysafe wall safe. He set the painting on the floor and spun the dial. A minute later, he opened the safe and withdrew a cell phone.

  Using the untraceable cell phone, he called his private research facility to warn them of a possible breach. He had not called from his office in case the police decided to check his office phone records. His associates at the facility began making preparations to destroy all evidence of their work.

  He went into his bedroom closet and found a small rolling suitcase.

  That should be sufficient, he thought as he removed the suitcase. Returning to his home office, he emptied the contents of his briefcase into the suitcase.

  He removed a dozen DVDs from his safe and set them inside the suitcase. He removed two stacks of bills in the amount of forty thousand dollars.

  A car backfired and he dropped the bills. Cursing, he crawled on the floor, collecting his money. He separated them into neat stacks on his desk.

  Glancing around his office, he searched for something to contain the bills. He rifled through his desk drawers and found two envelopes. He placed each stack in an envelope and placed both envelopes in the suitcase, hidden among the manila folders.

  Next, he removed a dozen journals from his safe and frowned.

  Save or destroy?

  He tapped his foot against the floor.

  I hate to part with my notes, but I can’t carry everything. The videos don’t implicate me directly. My notes do.

  Deciding to destroy his journal, he sat down on his chair and turned on his crosscut paper shredder.

  He ripped out several pages at a time and slowly fed them through the paper shredder. The shredder jammed several times, slowing his effort to destroy evidence.

  Chapter Five

  December 20th. Early in the morning….

  Lucien lay flat on his back on his bed, right arm tucked under his head. Lanie’s head lay on his shoulder. She ran her fingers along his shirt buttons. His hand caressed her back leisurely, sliding down occasionally to squeeze her bottom.

  He sighed loudly.

  She raised her head, kissing him lightly on the lips.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked.

  “Thinking about Harley’s call,” he replied.

  Earlier that evening, Harley had discreetly called Lucien and explained that they rescued three wolves from Genesis 23.

  One of them was a female.

  “Apparently the human guard in charge claimed her as his mate,” he said.

  She unbuttoned his shirt then slipped her hand inside.

  “Why is that a problem?” she asked.

  “When a wolf claims a mate, it’s for life.” He rubbed his jaw. “I’m not sure her wolf will accept the human’s claim.”

  “If he wants her—”

  “—That’s just it—he doesn’t—”

  She propped herself up on her elbow.

  “But Lucien, you just said—”

  “He doesn’t understand what it means to claim a mate.”

  “Oh.”

  “Besides, I’m not sure how her pack will treat her human mate.”

  “You mean not all packs are as progressive as ours?”

  “Mmm. No, Love, they’re not. Especially since this particular human has been capturing and harming our kind.”

  He caressed her cheek.

  “Humans! The bane of my existence,” Lucien said.

  She grinned at him, knowing he was joking. If there was one thing she was sure of in this world, it was that Lucien loved her. He didn’t care that she was a human. She hoped the wolf’s pack wouldn’t care, but she was afraid her pack would discriminate against them.

  “Well, meddling Molly, what are we going to do?”

  She arched her brow.

  “Oh, the Big, Bad Alpha needs my help?”

  Lucien rolled her on her back and pushed his groin against her.

  “I’ll make it worth your while if you help me.”

  Lanie laughed as she caressed his face.

  “You’ll do it anyway. I bet as soon as they leave, you’ll have me flat on my back. Unless your little princess wakes up.”

  Lucien shook his head slowly.

  “We need a full time babysitter. Your child is seriously interrupting my sex life.”

  Lanie stroked his face and he nipped her fingers. Lanie had an idea and she happily shared it with Lucien.

  Shortly after 3 A.M., Harley parked in front of the Alpha’s home. Lucien saw the headlights along his bedroom wall and reluctantly rolled off his mate. He stood and extended his hand. With a smile, she slipped her hand in his.

  Hand in hand, they walked to the living room. Lucien left her to answer the door. Lanie went into the kitchen to pick up the snacks she had fixed earlier and pour out some decaffeinated coffee. She carried everything into the living room and placed it on the coffee table.

  She straightened as her guests came into the room. She greeted Harley warmly then turned to the others.

  The female wolf wore an over-sized olive green shirt. She stood close to the shirtless guard.

  Holding his hand for comfort?

  Tension filled the guard’s body. His eyes darted around the room.

  Typical Soldier.

  Lucien introduced the two other pack mates and one of them introduced Robert and Serena. Lanie smiled and offered everyone coffee and snacks. Everyone helped themselves, except Robert and Serena. They sat quietly observing the rest of the group.

  The wolves told Lucien how they had been tranquilized and abducted from a bar in the middle of another city. No one knew how their abductors knew they were wolves.

  Lucien turned to Robert and raised his brow.

  Robert stayed silent.

  Lucien instructed the two wolves to return home.

  “Harley, take Steven to the basement and secure him there.”

  The two wolves nodded, bid them good night and left. Harley followed them out, closing the door behind them. She sat on Lucien’s lap. Automatically he wrapped one arm around her back and placed the other on her outer thigh. She turned to face Serena, who shifted in her seat.

  “What is the name of your pack, Serena?” Lucien asked.

  “I am from the Tarchannen pack,” Serena replied quietly.

  Lucien swore.

  “Tarchannen are purists, stuck in the dark ages. They will never accept a human as a mate,” he explained.

  He rubbed his jaw.

  “How is it that a pretty, young, single female was allowed to leave the pack?”

  Serena blushed and replied quietly, “I ran away.”

  Lucien didn’t bother to ask why.

  “Who?” Lucien asked quietly.

  “The Alpha’s son.”

  “Fuck,” Lucien said. “Not the Alpha’s son any more, Serena. Jordan is dead. Remington is now Alpha of the Tarchannen Pack.”

  Serena paled.

  Lanie turned to her mate.

  “Lucien? I’m not following.”

  “In her pack, females are given to males by the Alpha. In Serena’s case, she was given to Remington, who is now Alpha. If
I return her to her pack, he will force her to be his mate.”

  “Lucien, you can’t!”

  “If they find out she’s here, her Alpha can demand that she is returned to him. If I don’t comply, he will start a pack war with us. Tarchannen are powerful wolves, Lanie. I don’t want to risk a pack war. Especially since we have other problems to deal with.”

  “Then they won’t find out. Will they?” she asked uncertainly.

  “One of my pack Elders, George, is from the Tarchannen pack. It’s only a matter of time before he notifies Remington that his mate is here.”

  Serena leaned against Robert.

  “There is only one thing that will save her. If she is mated to one of my males, they cannot remove her, especially if it’s a true mate.”

  Serena gasped and Robert frowned.

  “What do you mean, mated to one of your males? What is a true mate? And why did one of your wolves say I was her mate?” Robert asked, indicating Serena with a slight nod of his head.

  “A true mate is the other part of your soul. When wolves meet their soul mates they know it instinctively.” He squeezed her thigh. “Lanie is my true mate. She might be human, but my wolf doesn’t care. She is mine and no one can keep her from me,” Lucien stated confidently.

  Robert gaped at her.

  “It matters not that I am an Alpha. All males feel the same about their true mates. No male will ever allow anything to keep him from his mate. The same is true for female wolves. They are just as possessive of their mates.”

  Robert leaned away from Serena.

  “Some wolves never find their true mates. To avoid loneliness, they choose a wolf to be their mate. Some of these couples are happy, some are not. I think dissatisfaction with these couples stems from females not having a choice. In my pack, we do not have this outdated custom. I only recognize true mates, where each wolf chooses the other.”

  “Why did the wolf say I was her mate?” Robert demanded.

  Lucien ignored his question and addressed Serena.

  “Did he claim you?”

  She nodded slightly.

  “In some rare cases, when a wolf sees his mate for the first time, he may not recognize her as his. But if another male were to show interest in her, instinctively, he will threaten to kill the other male. This is one way a wolf claims his mate.”

  Realization dawned on Robert.