In The Eye Of The Moon

by Mara Lee

  Sheila had never been accused of being a coward and so she reached down and began to pet Airek with shaking hands. She was delighted to find that his fur was unbelievably soft and, dare she admit it, fluffy. Sheila gasped when Airek began to nuzzle her leg with his large furred head. She began to tingle and she mentally doused herself with cold water.

  “Do you like how I feel, Sheila-mine?”

  Sheila had to admit that she did.

  A howl cut through the night and both Sheila and Airek turned their heads toward the clearing.

  Sira advanced toward the deer, stalking it as it skirted away toward the back of the brush where Thane and the others awaited. It was an orchestrated dance and each member of the Pack knew their role.

  The deer, alerted to the presence of the Pack members, raced off past the side of the thicket. The Pack followed.

  Airek looked up at Sheila. “Come, or we will miss all the fun.” Airek took off after the rest of the Pack and Sheila could do naught but follow.

  * * * *

  The deer was cornered and the Pack moved in like the predators that they were.

  “Oh, I can't watch,” Sheila moved her hands up to her eyes to shield them. She gasped when she felt the sharp prick of teeth on her leg. She frowned down at Airek. “Don't bite me, wolf boy.”

  Airek laughed. “Oh, but biting you gives me so much pleasure, Lupe. Now watch, it is the culmination of our hunt.”

  Sheila watched. It was like a bad accident that you couldn't turn away from. The deer crept back and the Pack crept forward. There was no competition, the winner was already apparent.

  Sira and another female wolf by the name of Raquelle each approached the deer from opposite sides. The Loopin waited patiently for their mates to bring the quarry to them. The deer, as expected, darted forward to escape Sira and Raquelle and rushed into the waiting fangs of the Loopin.

  As Airek said, it was over in a blink of an eye. Sheila watched as the deer's struggles stilled and then stopped altogether. Sira and Raquelle padded back to their mates and stood over the downed deer.

  “What are they waiting for?” It seemed unnatural that the wolves would stay still above their fallen prey.

  “Us, they're waiting for us,” Airek replied. He urged Sheila forward with a nudge of his head and made his way toward his waiting Pack. Airek gave his Pack a satisfied smile, they had done well. “Enjoy the fruit of your labor,” Airek said.

  The Pack did not need to be told twice, they dug into their meal, relishing each moment.

  Sheila took a couple of deep fortifying breaths. She opened her tightly shut eyes; she would have to face this sooner or later. What met Sheila's eyes surprised her. The Pack moved in perfect harmony with one another, each allowing the other to have a turn and taste. Instead of the gruesome scene she had been anticipating there was a sense of rightness. It was as Airek said—natural. She watched as Airek trod over to the deer and began to feast with his Pack. She hung back, watching, learning.

  Within ten minutes the feasting was finished and the Pack drew away from their meal.

  Airek looked down at the remains of the deer and then turned to his Pack. He addressed them with equal measure. “Let this, our brother of the flesh fall back to the earth from whence he came. We give thanks for the bounty which was bestowed upon us and wish for a merciful mother earth.” Airek turned to Sheila. “We will now convene to the stone circle for the challenge.”

  Sheila watched silently as each member of the Pack raced off into the beckoning forest.

  “Please don't do this,” Sheila begged when he too moved toward the trees.

  “Do you trust me, Sheila-mine?”

  “Yes, of course, but I don't trust Kristoff. He truly hates you, Airek.”

  “I know this. His hatred works against him, Lupe. He does not realize that hatred and rage will blind him. His senses will not be as sharp and his instincts will fail him. I am stronger than Kristoff, Sheila, know this. With his Loopin senses working against him I will come out victor. You must not worry for me, my Lupe.

  “What if something goes wrong?”

  “We cannot worry about 'what ifs'. We can only do that which we can do. Come now, we cannot tarry, they are waiting for us at the stone circle.” Airek rubbed his face against Sheila's bare skin and warmed her.

  Sheila sighed in resignation. She had to have faith in her mate as she had to have faith in herself.

  * * * *

  The stone circle measured the length and width of an entire clearing. The center of the circle was cleared bare, leaving only shadows of dust and dirt. Large boulders rose up toward the sky and formed a circular formation. It was an impressive sight, one that Sheila gaped at.

  Each member of the Pack had returned to human form and stood or sat gloriously naked amongst the rocks. Their eyes were all trained on the center of the circle where their Alpha and his challenger would fight for dominance. Sira sat cuddled in Thane's lap while Raquelle rested her head against her mate's thigh.

  Sheila felt Raquelle's eyes boring a hole in the back of her head and turned to look at the woman. Raquelle's gaze was not altogether friendly. She had her head against her man's thigh and her hand curled possessively in his. Sheila was bewildered at the woman's apparent animosity towards her. All thoughts of the angry woman-wolf were pushed aside when Airek strode confidently into the middle of the circle. His smooth skin gleamed in the moonlight and his pale hair fanned his muscled back. He turned to wink at Sheila, who found she could barely breathe past her fear.

  Kristoff entered the circle; the same expression of cockiness and arrogance that graced Airek's face graced his. Sheila did not think it petty that she thought Kristoff to be inferior to her mate. His large body lacked the tight muscles and graceful form of Airek's and his eyes lacked Airek's intelligence.

  “Are you ready to be replaced?” Kristoff sneered.

  Airek said nothing.

  Sheila could have cheered. It was obvious that Kristoff could not stand Airek's mocking silence. She thought Airek very clever not to rise up to the rogue's bait.

  Kristoff growled low in his throat and launched himself towards Airek, who easily sidestepped the enraged shifter. Kristoff pounded the dirt and spun around. His eyes glowed feral yellow and his mouth curved up in an evil snarl. When he turned back to Airek his hand was partially shifted into a wicked looking claw. He slashed out wildly.

  Sheila screamed.

  Airek, too, had partially shifted, and both his hands were now giant claws. Airek jumped back to escape Kristoff's slashes and, quickly sensing an opportunity, dropped to one knee. He sideswiped the impetuous Loopin and drew his claw across his chest, drawing first blood. Angry bleeding wounds appeared on Kristoff's chest and the Loopin, furious, jumped Airek.

  Airek and Kristoff were a jumble of tangled limbs as they rolled on the ground. Dust flew up as they continually pounded one another. Kristoff, seeing Airek's exposed neck, went in for the bite but Airek twisted away before flesh could be taken. Airek grabbed hold of Kristoff's leg and arm and hoisted the huge man onto his shoulders. He balanced him for but a moment before throwing him against a solid boulder.

  The Pack winced when they heard the crack of bones.

  Airek used this opportunity to hold Kristoff against the boulder with his claw. The other Loopin was bleeding badly and his head lolled to one side.

  “Do you yield?” Airek asked, panting.

  Kristoff's response was muffled. Blood poured out of his mouth when he opened it to speak.

  “Say again, do you yield?”

  This time Kristoff nodded. “I yield.” Kristoff spat.

  Airek nodded and released Kristoff, who fell unceremoniously at his feet. He then turned to his people and raised his arms triumphantly in the air. Great howls echoed through the Pack as they cheered their champion, their reigning Alpha.

  Sheila stood stock still. When Kristoff had shifted and struck she had felt the blood in her body drain. Her heart had frozen and her skin
had blanched. She still couldn't breathe, she was so frightened.

  “Sheila-mine, can you hear me?”

  Sheila swallowed heavily; there was a large lump in her throat.

  “Sheila, it is over, I was victorious.” Airek did not understand why his Lupe was so pale. Her skin was so translucent that he could see the fine blue veins right below the surface. Her lips were bloodless and her eyes unseeing. “Sheila-mine, are you all right?” He gently shook her shoulders.

  Sheila could hear Airek speaking to her but the words were all muddled in her fear-frozen brain. God, she had been so frightened, she thought that she would lose him just when she had found him. Could she live with this sort of fear in her life? How would she stand up if he was challenged again?

  Sira approached them. “Airek, she has seen the unthinkable. Here, let me take her back to your cabin.”

  Airek nodded. Perhaps Sira was right, perhaps the comforting touch of a woman would make his Lupe respond. “Yes, I believe that is a good idea.” Airek watched as Sira took Sheila by the shoulders gently and led her out of the clearing. He was the victor and yet, suddenly, he felt quite defeated.

  Chapter Six

  Sira moved the cold compress over Sheila's face gently.

  “Now, now, it is all over. Everything is all right.” Sira said, running her hand down Sheila's hair.

  Sheila fell back into the other woman's caressing hand and let her head rest on her shoulder. Her heart was just beginning to beat at a normal rate again and her eyes were now clear of the fog that had blinded them. She turned to Sira.

  “Thank you.”

  Sira smiled. “Think nothing of it. You are the Lupe of our Alpha; it is a pleasure to see you feeling better.” Sira set the compress aside. “You are feeling better now, aren't you?”

  Sheila nodded. “Yes, much better, thank you. I am sorry. I must have looked terribly foolish. It is just that I was so afraid for Airek. I, I was afraid that I was going to lose him.”

  Sira shook her head, her eyes solemn. “You must have more faith in your Loopin, Sheila. Airek is a force to be reckoned with. He is the finest Alpha Loopin I have ever seen. He has never lost a challenge.”

  “Have there been many?” Sheila asked quietly.

  Sira hesitated. “Any strong Alpha Loopin will be challenged for his territory. There are many rogue wolf shifters who long to set up a Pack, but few have land of their own and men and women who are willing to follow them. Therefore they will challenge an established Alpha Loopin for their land and their people. Airek has been challenged some, yes, but he has never been defeated, as you know. I have seen upstarts that have issued the challenge and once they come face-to-face with our Alpha in our circle they turn tail and run.” Sira laughed. “It is quite a sight to behold, a scared pup, running.”

  “I don't know if I can deal with this again.” She hated the fact that her voice quivered.

  Sira frowned. “I do not like to see such poor self-esteem.”

  “Hey,” Sheila protested, “I do not have poor self-esteem.”

  Sira gave her a look. “Obviously you do if you give yourself so little credit and question the skills of our Alpha. Do you think that Airek would have chosen a lacking mate? Do you think so little of his powers that you do not believe he can defeat any challenger? Do you think so little of yourself that you do not believe that your Lupe soul will not fail you, that it will help you get through your trials?”

  Sheila narrowed her eyes. Anger suffused her body and replaced the fear that had been present moments ago. She was not a wimp. “I am a very strong woman, thank you very much.”

  Sira smiled slightly. “Than act like one, show your mettle. An Alpha Loopin needs a strong mate to stand with him. You must not doubt yourself; confidence is the key, Sheila.”

  “What if I'm not the one, Sira?”

  Sira laughed heartily. “There is no question that you are the Lupe of our clan, Sheila. And there is no question that you are Airek's mate. Just seeing the two of you together is proof of that fact. Can you truly tell me, honestly, that you doubt that Airek is your mate?”

  Sheila didn't hesitate. “No, I don't doubt it.” Sheila covered her heart with her hand and blushed. “I feel him, here—all the time. When he is not with me, I ache.”

  Sira nodded. “So you see, Sheila. There is nothing difficult about this, then. You know inside what you are meant to do and who you are meant to be. You know, too, who you are meant to be with. Be happy and count yourself lucky that you found the missing part of your soul. Your wolf mate.” Sira leaned forward and placed a kiss on Sheila's lips.

  Sheila jumped, startled, when she felt Sira's smooth, moist lips on her own dry ones. She placed her hands on Sira's shoulders, intent on pushing her away when she felt Sira's tongue tracing her lips, gently. Sheila felt a shaft of desire press through her. Sira's lips were so different from Airek's. They were unbelievably soft, almost cushy and they were fuller and ever-so moist. Sheila, tempted, could do nothing but open her mouth to Sira's questing tongue.

  Sheila thought she would crumble. Sira tasted delicious. She had never known it could be like this. She pressed forward, spearing her tongue into Sira's wet warmth. She caught Sira's moan in her mouth and answered it with one of her own. The vibrations caused both women to shudder in delight.

  Sira reached down and with one hand gently cupped Sheila's full breast, plucking at the firm buds. Her other hand ventured lower to caress Sheila's soft and moist core.

  Sheila was on fire. She could feel Sira's hand, so warm and still on her pussy and she wanted more. She urgently rubbed herself against the other woman, loving how smooth and soft her body was. Sheila wrapped Sira's hair around her hand and let the silken strands flow through her fingers.

  Both women moaned as their lips met for a passionate kiss.

  * * * *

  Airek's cock was pulsing and there was a great loud buzzing in his ears. Every muscle strained for release and his heart pounded furiously in his chest.

  Sheila and Sira were kissing, their tongues winding with one another, their hands running up and down one another's soft bodies and their legs and hips inching closer. Airek had never seen anything so wondrous as these two beautiful women entwined. He stood still, enraptured by their glistening bodies and the moans they emitted.

  When Sira gently parted Sheila's pussy folds and stroked her, Airek could stand it no longer. His mate gasped, her fiery hair in disarray, falling in cascades as her head fell back in pleasure. He strode into the cabin and placed his large hands directly on Sheila's shoulders.

  “My turn,” Airek ground out.

  Sheila gasped and tried to turn around, but Sira and Airek held her in a firm grip.

  “Oh God,” Sheila said, mortified. Her neck and face began to flush a brilliant red.

  Airek knelt down on the bed behind Sheila and nipped at her ear. He laughed when she shivered. He moved his hands around her body to cup her generous breasts and watched with intent eyes as Sira continued to skim her fingers across Sheila's pussy.

  Sheila couldn't believe what was happening to her. Airek was kneading her breasts and Sira was playing with her pussy. It felt as if lightning or fireworks were exploding in her body; it felt wonderful.

  Sira took that moment to lave Sheila's hardened nipples. She plucked and bit gently at the taut flesh and all the while stroked Sheila's moist pussy lips.

  Airek rubbed himself against Sheila's back and loved the moans that she emitted. He let her feel his hard cock, ready and begging for entrance. Airek moved his mouth to Sheila's neck and licked her sweaty skin. She wriggled enticingly and Airek stopped her movements with his teeth to her flesh. She went still beneath his mouth, waiting for the inevitable pleasure. Airek did not disappoint, he bit his mate—drawing but a small amount of blood. He licked her clean and sealed the wound with the juices from his tongue. He felt her heart pounding furiously and knew that she was dripping, ready for his body to enter hers. He lifted his head and his silver
eyes met Sira's onyx probing gaze. With a flick of his head he called her off. She obeyed immediately—casting a look of regret in Sheila's direction.

  Once Sira was gone, Airek turned his mate to face him. His eyes took her beauty—from the slope of her feet up to the soft swells of her breasts. She was his Lupe, his forest Goddess and he would worship her now.

  “I will taste you now, my Lupe,” Airek said quietly, before dipping down between her spread thighs. He swept his tongue against the length of her slit, lapping up the moisture that gathered there. He began to knead the soft flesh of her thighs and probed her gently with his tongue.

  Sheila moaned and thrashed her head. It was agony and intense pleasure all rolled into one. The feel of his sandpaper tongue on the most sensitive folds of her pussy and probing deep sent off a neurostorm of sensation within her crackling body. She grabbed thick handfuls of Airek's hair and pressed him tighter against her body, begging him to continue his sweet onslaught of her flesh.

  Airek licked delicately and then pressed forward, curling his tongue possessively around her hard clit. He ran his tongue across the taut bud and she felt it swell in response. Her juices flowed, and Airek caught each drop, never missing a stroke of his tongue to her flesh.

  “I need you,” Sheila cried out. Her body was singing the Hallelujah chorus and her nerve endings were alive.

  “As I need you, Lupe.” Airek answered. He drew himself up her body, licking her the entire way. He stopped at her breasts, drew a nipple into his mouth and sucked the hard flesh. Sheila cried out. Airek smiled against her breast. “It is time.”

  Sheila spread her legs wide and arched her hips up. Airek laughed at her impetuousness. The hell with it, she was ready, and she was ready now.

  Airek did not make her wait. With one single, sure thrust he imbedded his cock deeply into her wet pussy. He went still in her body; let his cock feel the scalding wetness that encompassed it.

  Sheila grabbed Airek's hips and began to thrust her body up; she needed to feel him moving within her. She was desperate for him. Sheila let out a gratified moan when she felt the first, shallow movements of her mate. She began to thrust harder, urging him without words to follow her lead. There would be time later for slow and easy, she had waited too long to have him and she needed him now.