“Honey, are you coming to bed?"
Joseph looked up into the most beautiful grey eyes he had ever seen. His mate stood in the doorway of the study. She wore a lace nightgown, her hair tumbled in lose black waves around her shoulders and back. Her feet were bare.
Standing he walked to her. “You know you still are the only wolf that can sneak up on me."
“It’s because I'm quieter than you." She said laughing, " Come on let's go to bed."
***
Kenny found that he could not sleep. He looked down at his new mate as she slept. Beautiful. It was the only word he could think of to come close to describing her. A few locks of her hair fell across her face. He raised his hand and tucked it behind her ear.
He knew the morning would come too soon and they would have to answer for what they did. But he didn't regret it. He would do anything to stay with his mate, and he would kill to protect her.
Chapter 2
Clarissa dried herself after her shower. She looked in the mirror and grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair. Her eyes went to the wound on her neck. Her mate’s bite, one that everyone would see when she and Kenny left her home.
Her father would be furious. She didn't care. She would stand by her mate no matter what.
“Are you almost ready?" Kenny called from the bedroom.
“Yes, I'll be right out." She replied.
Clarissa rushed to finish dressing and came out of the bathroom. Kenny was waiting for her when she entered the room.
“You ready for this?" He said.
“As ready as I'll ever be."
Kenny nodded his head and walked up to her. He rubbed her shoulders and let his hand linger at her glowing birthmark.
“I know you're nervous, but it’s going to be okay. There's nothing they can do now. We've mated; we're tied to each other for life. They can’t separate as snow.”
“But he’ll be furious Kenny.” She said looking nervous.
“I know, but they will have to listen. It’s going to be okay.”
He kissed her on her head once more, “Come on. Let’s go face the music.”
***
Veronica was at the stove refilling her coffee when she heard the door open.
“I was wondering when you would come to breakfast." She said without turning around. She could feel the nervousness coming down the bond she shared with her daughter.
Turning, she looked Clarissa in her eyes. “Are you okay, Clarissa?"
"Um...yes. Just hungry is all."
Veronica knew there was more to it than that, but decided to let it go. She walked back to the stove to prepare a plate for her mate. Humming to herself, she piled his plate high with sausage, pancakes, eggs and toast.
"Morning ladies." Dominic said as he walked in and kissed his mate on the cheek. He grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.
“Clarissa, how are you this..."
He never finished his sentence. “What the hell is that?" He nearly growled. Slamming his cup down on the table, he rose from his chair and walked to his daughter.
Veronica turned from the stove to see what had her mate so angry. Dominic stood over his daughter not believing his eyes.
Clarissa stead slowly and faced your father. "Kenny and I are mates now."
She looked her father in the eyes, defiance in her own.
"If you and beta Joseph didn’t cause the mess in the pack, then we wouldn't have been forced to do this now. I love him, father. That will never change. You may be angry now, but there's nothing you can do."
Clarissa stared at her father trying to read his emotions, but he had blocked their bond. She wished Kenny was here, but she had sent him to his own family to break the news to them.
He had wanted to stay, had he been tried to assert his dominance in the matter, but she had begged him, pleaded with him to let her tell her parents on her own.
“You have gone against tradition. No Elders present." His tone was deathly quiet.
“You gave me no choice. I couldn’t lose him."
Veronica walked to her daughter and wrapped a protective arm around her. She turned to Dominic and quietly said. “Dom, please, down."
But Dominic’s angry was implacable. He stared Clarissa dead in the eyes. “I will not acknowledge this mating. You defied my wishes and mated that boy before it was time, ignoring pack law and tradition."
As he spoke, his wolf flashed in his pupils, snarling for release.
"You have disappointed me Clarissa, took from me the honor of giving my daughter to her mate. Customs ignored. You gave him say so over mine and he allowed you to do so. You know the punishment for that.”
Clarissa’s heart stopped. There was only one punishment for this: death.
“Father please, I love him. We're destined to be together."
Her father was already at the door.
“Run Kenny." She reached for her link to him. “My father’s coming to kill you."
Clarissa took off after her father, her mother close behind her. She knew her father would be angry, but the look on his face was one she’d never seen before and it scared her. As she made it outside, she saw her father’s clothes scattered on the ground. She began to remove her own, her mother doing the same.
Her father was one of the fastest wolves in the pack. The only wolf faster was Kenny’s father. She prayed as she shifted but she would make it to her mate’s side before father did something she would never forgive him for.
***
Kenny felt Clarissa’s fear as if they were his own. She was frantic and scared out of her mind.
“What the hell is going on?" He asked in his mind. “Clarissa, are you okay? I'm coming to you now."
“Run Kenny. My father is coming to kill you."
Kenny heard his mates were just as he stepped into the clearing of his father's home. His father Joseph was pacing the front deck with a worried expression on his face. Beside him was Kenny’s mother.
“Kenny are you alright son?” His father looked at him with concern. “You're sending so many emotions down your bond; we thought you had been hurt."
"What’s wrong Kenny?" His mother asked as she approached him.
She hugged his neck briefly and drew a sharp intake of breath when she saw his mating bite.
"Oh no, Kenny, tell me you didn't." She searched his eyes.
“We’re mated mother, last night."
“Kenny, do you know what you've done?” Horror filled his mother’s eyes. “Dominic will want your head."
“Then I’ll face him! I don't regret what we did and I'm not going to back down from this." Kenny said angrily.
“Calm down son." His father stood next to him. "Let me handle this."
They heard of rustling in the trees before Dominic appeared. His wolf was impressive.
He was larger than most beta wolves. His fur was a dark brown with highlights of white and blonde. His paws were the size of saucers with long and sharp claws.
Dominique entered a clearing in came to a stop about twenty feet from where Kenny stood. His teeth were bared, and a low growl was coming from his throat.
Kenny’s father spoke up. “Dominic, wait. I’m sure we can figure this out without any bloodshed.”
Dominique turned his gaze to Joseph. “Your son will answer for what he’s done. I will have his blood.” He snarled into Joseph’s mind
“You will have no such thing.” Joseph said.
Kenny stepped up to his father’s side.
“I know Clarissa and I didn’t follow customs, but we are mated. There’s really nothing you can do to change that.”
Dominique growled loudly, and stepped closer to Kenny.
“You allow your son to speak so freely? Another reason you’re not fit to run this pack.” He barked.
Kenny’s father shifted so suddenly that it was a blur. “Mind your tongue Dominique, before I take offense to your words.”
The two wolves faced off against one another,
snarling and growling.
Kenny stood to his father’s left, ready to shift if he needed to.
As the two wolves circled each other, Kenny saw movement to his right. A white wolf burst through the trees heading straight for them.
Kenny recognized Clarissa. Knowing the danger of the wolves in front of him, he shifted and ran to his mate protecting her.
“Stay back!” He urged her through their link.
“Kenny, I’m scared. My father won’t stop. He’s out for blood.”
“I know. I’ll fight him if I have to, but I hope it won’t come to that.”
Kenny looked behind him at the two most powerful wolves in the pack. His father matched Dominic in size and strength, his wolf a sleek black like Kenny’s but there were too many uncertainties in a fight that could tilt the favor in either way.
The fight was inevitable. Kenny knew that this scene in front of his eyes would play out eventually. There were issues much bigger than him mating Clarissa.
Dominic made the first move. He lunged at Joseph, teeth bared, going for his neck. Joseph evaded the blow and rolled to his side. He came up and swiped his paw across Dominic’s hind leg. Growling loud, Dominic came at Joseph again, this time hitting home with a swipe across the face, his long claws slicing flesh.
Kenny rushed beside his mother. “Mother, hurry, go get the council, this won’t end without them.”
She nodded and took off at a run, shifting as she went.
“Stay here.” He told to Clarissa.
“Be careful Kenny.” Her voice was full of worry.
Kenny knew it was dangerous to approach these wolves, but he felt to blame for the fight.
“Father please, stop this.” Kenny said, trying to reach his father.
“Listen to your son Joseph, before I take your life instead of his.”
“You can try Dominic, but the life lost will be your own.”
Joseph leaped into the air and landed on Dominic. Both wolves fell but Joseph came out on top. He went for Dominic’s throat, biting down hard. Dominic yelped and rolled away, snapping at Joseph’s snout as he regained his footing.
The fight dragged on and Kenny could not find an opening. Blood was everywhere. Both Joseph and Dominic moved slower from their injuries. But neither showed signs of backing down.
Kenny shifted and was now shouting at the men to stop. His relief was evident when his mother returned with three members of the council along with several enforcers—wolves who killed on command and who would die fighting if needed.
The head of the council, an old wolf, shifted and howled in spite of her age. “Beta Dominic, Beta Joseph, you have five seconds to cease this madness or the enforcers will show you no mercy.”
The two fighting betas were too embroiled in their own fight to heed the warning.
With a single look, the Old Wolf nodded at the two enforcers beside her. Both walked up to the fighting wolves.
As Joseph charged Dominic once more, an enforcer reached out and grabbed him by the scruff on his neck, halting his attack. The other enforcer placed himself in front of Dominic to make sure he didn’t charge.
“Shift. Now.” The Old Wolf ordered.
Until a new Alpha was appointed, the council was in charge of the pack. Dominic was the first to comply.
His body was beat and bruised, but he was already healing.
The Old Wolf turned to Kenny’s father, who was still held by his neck. His anger was still evident by the way he was still growing and trying to get at Dominic.
“I suggest you calm down and shift beta. I want to know what is going on here, and you two will tell me.”
Joseph snatched himself away from the enforcer and shifted. His body was just as beaten as Dominic’s, but he seemed not to care.
“Come inside everyone. I’ll get clothes, and we can talk.” Ophelia said.
As she walked into the house, Kenny went over to where Clarissa stood sparing after her father.
“He hates me now Kenny. He won’t even look at me.”
“Look in my eyes Clarissa,” As she did so, he continued. “He will come around. He knows that I love you and that you’ll be well protected with me. You will see that this will all be okay.”
Reassured, Clarissa accepted Kenny’s hand, and followed him into the house.
Chapter 3
“Someone start speaking.” The Old Wolf said as she stood before the two families. The council and enforcers stood at her back.
Kenny stepped forward. “Madame Councilwoman, I believe I can explain. I may be a young wolf, but I’m not blind. I’ve seen the problems within the pack. The split that is inevitable, unless they,” he tilted his head to Joseph and Dominic, “Come to some sort of agreement.”
He walked over to where Clarissa sat. “This is my mate. I know it and so does my wolf. He claimed her even before I knew what it was to be mated.”
He grabbed his collar and looked to Clarissa to do the same. Pulling the fabric, they exposed their mating marks to the council.
“We felt like we were left with no choice.” Clarissa said speaking up.
“I see.” The Old Wolf said. She looked up to two young wolves and her heart hurt. She knew without even consulting her fellow members of the council what the outcome of this would be.
The only other female on the council asked. “Was there any other pack member witness to this mating?”
Kenny shook his head. “We were alone. It was a decision we felt was right between us.”
Dominic snorted. “That is exactly why the two of you should not have mated. It’s not up to just two of you.”
“Do not disrespect my home beta, or even the enforcers won’t be enough to stop me.” Joseph warned.
Dominic growled.
“Insolent pups! Calm down.” The Old Wolf snapped and turned her attention back to Clarissa and Kenny.
“As you both know, pack law dictates and upholds certain rules and traditions. When two pack members mate without consent from the females relations agreeing to the match, it then falls to her father, or oldest male relation, to either accept the union or discarded it.”
Dread settled low in Kenny’s gut with every word.
“The mating cannot be undone, but if Dominic chooses to reject it, that two of you cannot live as mates.” She looked at Dominic and asked. “Do you accept this meeting between your daughter Clarissa and Joseph’s son Kenny?”
“Daddy, please.” Clarissa begged.
Dominic stood. He had heard everything that was said, but it changed nothing.
“This boy took from me an honor that was rightfully mine. Clarissa it is my only child and he stole her.” The vicious look on Dominic’s face was unmistakable. “So no, Madame Councilwoman, I do not accept this union.”
Clarissa felt as if the world opened up and swallow her whole. He couldn’t mean it. He wouldn’t keep her from her mate. He knew how hard that would be for them, to stay away from your new found mate.
Clarissa looked to her mother, who wore an unmistakable angry expression.
“Daddy, please don’t do this. Please.” Clarissa begged.
“My decision is final.” Dominic’s voice remained iron hard.
***
Kenny had stood silent. A number of emotions raced through him at once, but the one that lingered and dug in its talons was anger.
“You son-of-a-bitch.” He said. “You would put your only child through that kind of torture, that kind of pain. I will not let you hurt my mate. I’ll kill you first.”
The two enforcers stepped forward at the sound of the threat.
“Calm down son.” Joseph put a hand on his son’s shoulder. His eyes were drawn to the mark on his son’s arm. It never glowed so bright before.
Kenny’s chest was heaving heavily, his eyes flashed golden amber as his wolf started taking over control.
“I will not let you hurt my mate.” He repeated.
With a loud growl, Kenny shifted and went straight for
Dominic’s throat. The two enforcers sprang into action and stopped Kenny before he could reach Dominic. But Kenny was frighteningly strong and nearly overpowered the two before being forcibly subdued.
To Love an Alpha (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) Page 2
