Half-Breed

by Marcia Colette

  "I didn't mean to interrupt,” Stephan said in a cheery voice, “but I was hoping you could lend me a shirt until mine's ready."

  Don't look back.

  No matter how calm his voice sounded, I wouldn't do it. The embarrassment did enough damage. Facing him would have killed me.

  Matt cleared his throat and turned around. As though nothing had happened, his buddy voice directed Stephan away from the laundry room. Regaining my own self-control took a little longer.

  "You two have been away from a pack too long,” Aiyana said, suddenly at my side.

  Her voice rattled me to the point that my body trembled like a guitar string. I should have heard her footsteps or at least smelled her scent. If it weren't for us indulging in early foreplay I wouldn't have been in this mess right now. No words could dig me out of this ditch, so I kept my mouth shut.

  Aiyana leaned her back against the dryer and folded her arms across her chest. I couldn't meet her eyes, so I continued applying the spot remover.

  "The reason I say that is because you guys don't have to hide your sensuality from us. We can smell the heat and desire on you two as though it were blood."

  "Maybe. But I'm not one for having sex in front of strangers. We should have been more discreet."

  "Please,” Aiyana said, waving a dismissive hand. “Don't apologize when you guys have nothing to be sorry for. Sex is as natural as changing forms."

  "That's not a good excuse. Neither is flirting with one of our guests in front of my husband."

  "What's wrong with that? Flirting, open expressions of love; they're all acceptable practices among our kind. That's why there's no such thing as personal space with us. So you can flirt with Stephan all you want. Besides, it's interesting seeing your werewolf side come out like that."

  "My what?"

  She grinned. “Think about it. If Matt had been a human male, he would've strangled you by now. Instead he came in here with lust in his eyes."

  "And other places,” I mumbled. I couldn't help the tiny smile that curled my lips.

  Snickering, she continued. “Your flirting excited him. Our being here triggered the wolf in both of you. With Matt, that's expected. With you ... it's like watching a young girl blossom into a woman. It's a beautiful thing."

  I appreciated her honesty, knowing that they didn't take offense at our behavior. Her feeling completely comfortable with my flirting and Matt arousing me a few steps away, astounded me. Had the shoe been on the other foot, I would have pushed Matt out the door and told him that his horny friends were off-limits.

  Pack life wasn't just a lifestyle; it was a way of thinking and seeing the world through their eyes. My visceral wolf begged to have a piece of that world. I wanted to dig deeper into their reclusive society, to find out what we'd been missing. I had the drive of an explorer, desperate to know more about the world I stood on the cusp of, never allowed completely inside.

  Aiyana bridged a gap for me. Even though only a day had passed since our initial meeting, I saw her as a sister. Outside of my husband, I'd never felt such a deep connection to another werewolf. This type of bonding went beyond friendship and words. I remained on the outside of a cohesive family unit and I wanted in. The glow in Matt's eyes made sense to me now. Even more, I could feel it.

  "What are you looking at?” Aiyana said, smiling.

  I blinked a couple of times, unaware of my staring at her. “It's nothing. Just a weird feeling is all.” Tossing Stephan's shirt in the washer, I put in the detergent, and set the dials.

  "What sort of feeling?"

  I met her eyes, despite not answering right away. “A longing. Not to the point where it's unbearable though. Just a weird need that needs fulfilling."

  Aiyana's smile brightened. She cupped her cinnamon colored hand on my cheek. Soft strokes smoothed back and forth. Warmth similar to Matt's lingered in places on my skin. Had it been anyone else, I would have pulled back and cursed them out for touching me like that. Not in this case. If anything, I leaned into Aiyana's comforting touch even more. My eyes closed and my head tilted against my shoulder, sandwiching her hand. I wanted to lean all the way into her soothing body heat so I could soak up every last drop.

  Now it made sense why I took a piece of her scent at the front door. Aiyana carried her own scent, but she also had the scent of the pack. She lived with them, dined with them, and spent a good portion of her life with them. Smelling their scent on her was my only gateway into the mysterious pack that had eluded me. For now, she and Stephan would have to do.

  "You're feeling your own pull towards the pack,” she replied. “Your blood is calling our blood.” She brought her other hand up to the other side of my face, stroking my cheek while combing her fingers through my hair.

  "But I've never felt the need to be around a pack before. Matt was all I needed, so that was enough."

  "We always feel the need to be with our own kind. You're part human, so you can tame your desires. Full-bloods like us? It's hard. Very hard. We don't handle loneliness well. Matt gets some of his needs fulfilled through you. That's why he's been able to maintain balance in his life."

  "But..."

  Aiyana smiled, taking her hands away from me. My face almost followed until I stopped and opened my eyes.

  She smiled. “You need a pack. Whether you're ready to admit it or not doesn't matter. I'll bet you spent all this time worrying about Matt's desires for a pack, so much that you didn't see your own."

  "But you said everything depends on your Alpha. No offense, but I'm not jumping through hoops for him. If that's the case, then you guys can count me out. Blood call or not."

  "That's that jackass you left back in Boston. Not all Alphas are like that. Seth demands obedience like any normal Alpha but nothing more. When he's ready to meet you guys, he'll say something. Asking Matt for help with the hearing tomorrow is the first step. Reintegrating Matt into a pack isn't a problem. But proving his worth will secure his position."

  "So where does that leave me?"

  "You're his wife and part human. The choice is yours. Being part werewolf doesn't mean you'll fit snugly into the big picture. You have to decide if this is for you or not. And Matt's not allowed to make that decision for you."

  I reached towards the wall and turned out the lights. Taking it as a hint, Aiyana stepped into the hallway. I came out, closing the door behind me, and let Aiyana lead the way back to the dining room.

  Both Stephan and Matt sat at the table, applauding us as we entered. Stephan wore one of Matt's faded Boston University sweat shirts. The men were finishing off the rest of their meals when Aiyana sat down. Taking both her plate and mine I stepped into the kitchen to nuke our food in the microwave. The scent of sweet-smelling apples took me by the nose, leading me to the oven. Looking inside, I saw the pie's fruity filling bubbling over the crust. Before heading back to the dining room, I put on the coffee for dessert and finished re-heating both plates. I handed Aiyana hers and took my seat at the other end of the table. I stuck my fork in the roast beef and was about to take a bite when I stopped. The utter silence in the room was bad enough, but the looks around the table ... all eyes were watching me, grins stuck to their faces.

  "Okay,” I said, dropping the fork into my plate. “What gives?"

  Matt threw his napkin down and scooted his chair away from the table. His eyes remained transfixed on me the whole time as he stalked toward me. What did I do now? He got down on his knees, turning my chair so that I could face him. A suspicious smile curved his lips before dropping his head into my lap, nuzzling my thighs. My poor husband had lost his mind. Not having a pack finally caught up to him.

  I glanced around the table for answers. Our guests stared back at me, conveying nothing except extreme happiness: Aiyana with excited energy in her dark eyes and Stephan sitting on the edge of his seat.

  "You felt it,” Matt whispered, face still nuzzling me. “You felt the call."

  I lifted his head to so that I could see his eye
s. “What call?"

  "The call of the pack.” He pushed up on his knees, pulling my face to his. We kissed, tongue and all.

  Never have we been so eye to eye on something. We both needed a pack, and we wanted this one. Other than marrying Matt, I'd never been so sure of anything in my entire life.

  Chapter 9

  When I woke, Aiyana's body was curled in front of mine. Matt spooned behind her. So that meant the strange arm around my waist was ... Stephan spooned behind me, radiating incredible warmth from his own body heat. The only things that kept this from looking like an orgy were our T-shirts and shorts. Stephan's hand tightened around my waist. His face nuzzled my hair, inhaling deeply, memorizing my scent in his sleep. I studied the dips and outlines underneath our nylon red sleeping bags; Matt's arm was around Aiyana's waist, mirroring Stephan's hold.

  Most humans might have felt awkward like this, but I was at ease. Even though my husband had his arm draped around another woman, it didn't bother me in the least. If anything, I loved him even more because of the peaceful look on his face. Everyone's body heat comforting everyone else was the natural order of things.

  Our sleepover started last night when we finished our meal and had our dessert while watching movies. I sat on the floor with Matt and our guests lounged on the couch. At one point, I fell asleep and woke up with the furniture pushed back and us on the floor inside a double wide sleeping bag. Stephan and Aiyana wanted to join in, so Matt found another sleeping bag in the basement. Just as we were about to start our second movie, Matt got up to take a phone call, leaving me to fend for myself. Stephan saw my body locked in the fetal position, took pity on me, and decided to zip both sleeping bags together for extra warmth. By the time Matt returned, the three of us had snuggled up with me in the middle. It felt strange at first, but the werewolves’ body heat helped me to surrender to complete tranquility, something I ordinarily felt with Matt. We made my poor husband bring us more snacks and drinks before allowing him inside. He crawled into the only natural position left, behind Aiyana. What can I say? Males feel the need to protect their females even in sleep. We stayed like that until well after midnight. At that point, it seemed useless for our dinner guests to go home. We didn't want them to leave anyway. But to keep their pack from worrying, Stephan called to let them know that he and Aiyana were spending the night. From what I heard, several people moaned their jealousy across the phone. When I asked why, Aiyana said it was because Matt represented something new and different to the pack. That already piqued their interests. On the other hand, I represented something new and exotic because of my human hybrid scent.

  "You smell so good,” Stephan mumbled. He snuggled his head in the back of mine, pressing several small kisses in my hair. “Matt is extremely lucky."

  "Thank you,” I said, enjoying the kisses that came with the compliment. “You guys are going to be hungry. I should start breakfast.” When I started to move, Stephan belted his hand around my waist.

  "Don't. How about I make breakfast?"

  Turning over, I faced him. He slipped his hand under my arm, pulling me a little closer, our legs entwining.

  "I can't let you guys do that,” I said. “You're still our guests."

  "We stopped being your guests last night. You guys shared your bed with us, so we're more like family now.” He kissed me on the lips.

  My eyes went wide in shock, but my smile remained. Heat rushed my cheeks and prickled out to my ears. “No man has ever kissed me in the presence of my husband. Though it was sweet, it felt a little awkward."

  Stephan chuckled. “Kissing and hugging are the usual greetings among pack wolves. Matt wouldn't think anything of you kissing another man because it's normal. You're so unaware and innocent to pack life that it's invigorating. Cute, too."

  His sweet words relaxed me into silence.

  "Are you okay with everything?” he asked. “This is your first time ever mingling with anyone except your husband's warmth. We're not worried about Matt.” He smiled, peeking over my shoulder. “He'll fit in just fine. But we want to make sure that you're comfortable with us before meeting any of the others."

  "I'm fine so far. Everything's so ... intuitive."

  He kissed me again. “Aiyana was right. You are blossoming. Next step ... mingling with us after a run."

  The smile fell off my face. “Wait a minute. You guys are naked after a run."

  "So?"

  "I can't lie around with a bunch of naked people. Are you out of your mind? I may not be the most fervent churchgoer, but I still have enough morals to know that sleeping around—"

  Stephan slipped a kiss in before I could finish. The tip of his tongue teased my lips, pushing into my mouth. My lips parted, tongue welcoming him inside. Okay. If the other males were as crafted kissers, I'd rethink my position. Stephan pulled out of the kiss first.

  "I didn't mean the next time we meet,” he said, green eyes sparkling. “I'm talking about over time. Mingling after a run is sensual, not sexual. Civilized packs have strict by-laws against things like that. Besides, if you're already thinking that way, then it'll be a long time before you ever join us after a run."

  Ducking my head, I kept him from seeing the heat rush over my face again. “Because this is my first time, you guys are introducing me to pack life in small doses."

  "Yes,” he said, tilting my head up. “You're still somewhat human, so we have to take it slow. The last thing we want to do is scare you off."

  Aiyana's hand went around my waist at the curve between hipbone and bottom ribcage. Her head snuggled into my back. She must have caught wind of my scent and embedded her face in my hair.

  Stephan's hand slid down from my side and touched the top of hers. “Those two will be waking up soon, so I had better get started on that breakfast. You stay here and enjoy the warmth while you have it."

  He flipped back the sleeping bag, careful not to let too much of the seasoned temperature out. Aiyana moaned and fidgeted in her sleep, pulling me closer to block out the chilled room air. I flipped back over so that I could face her. Matt was wide awake and staring at me. He mouthed a simple “I love you” over Aiyana's head. I smiled. The two of us snuggled into her warm body, intertwining our three sets of arms and legs, finding comfort in each other's touch.

  * * * *

  By the time everyone rose from bed, Stephan had a plethora of foods on the table. The conversation took on a business tone, discussing a project in Miami that might require Matt's legal expertise. They wanted his services but without the involvement of his firm. The human lawyer who worked for them at the present, Mr. Coto, was getting too close for comfort.

  Whenever something needed either Seth or Stephan's attention, Mr. Coto didn't hesitate to drive to the den. There was a reason why the pack had put a huge stone wall around their enclave. They didn't like humans dropping by uninvited. Werewolves had a nonchalant attitude when it came down to nudity and their free-spirited living conditions. They spent a good amount of time in the buff because changing required it. Mr. Coto was oblivious to the fact that his evening visits were during the prime time werewolves like to change and go on a run. A few months back, he had noticed an unclad pack member sauntering across the lawn and going into the woods. He thought a perverted mental patient had sneaked onto the property. Seth made up a story about his “cousin” being deprived of oxygen as a baby and not being right in the head ever since. The pack never had reason enough for human visits because they had their own carpenter, plumber, and electrician on hand. If a human had to pay a house call, then everyone remained hidden, unable to freely roam their own territory. Werewolves didn't like it when someone encroached upon their habitat.

  Stephan checked the clock on the far wall and sipped his coffee. “We should get going in case you have any questions for Jared before the hearing. Plus, I want to go over that Miami thing I was talking about."

  "Sounds good,” Matt said. He touched the back of my hand and asked, “You think you can keep yourself
out of trouble while I'm gone?"

  I almost choked on a piece of toast. “Gone? I thought I was coming to court with you since we're both still on vacation."

  Stephan cut his eyes at Matt before dropping his gaze. “It has nothing to do with you, Alexa. But we need to introduce you to the pack in small doses, to prepare them. They've never come across a human hybrid before."

  "I don't understand what that has to do with—"

  "Everything,” Matt interrupted. He twisted himself in the seat so that he could face me. “I've been meaning to say something before, but I forgot. Let's face it, hon, you're the living embodiment of a walking dessert to most werewolves. The last thing any of us wants is to have them swarming all over you at the trial. Some may want you there, but others might take offense if you're thrown in their faces like that. Small doses, remember?"

  "But—"

  "It doesn't matter,” Aiyana said, tossing her napkin on the table. “We've come up with the perfect solution."

  "Great. Can't wait to hear it.” I couldn't have kept the sarcasm out of it if I tried.

  Stephan leaned forward, grasping the handle on his mug. “Aiyana's going to keep you company at the spa. Most of the pack will be hanging around the den because we're all a little anxious about how this thing is going to turn out. Only our Alpha Pair and a few others are going to the trial. So since we're borrowing your husband, the least we can do is show you a little hospitality."

  I folded my arms in smoldering silence. I didn't like my husband going off without me and hanging around a pack we knew nothing about. My trust in Stephan and Aiyana went without being said, but I couldn't say the same for the rest of the pack. I didn't know them like that. Sure, I may have set a double standard by giving them a special place in my heart, but moments like this made my warmth drop a few degrees. Me not watching my husband's back? That was all I did throughout our marriage. How could they expect me to sit around like Kristen Stancil and play the part of a rich lawyer's bitch?