The Mating System: A Paranormal Shifter Romance

by Angela Foxxe

  ***

  Noemi found Alexa sound asleep where she had left the other wolf earlier that day. It made her frown because she didn’t want to wake the girl. There would be a lot for them to do, and it wouldn’t be easy on Alexa. The girl wasn’t an alpha, and Noemi didn’t know what she could handle. Something in her wanted to leave the girl there, and to abandon the plan.

  She shook her head. After everything she had told Alexa, she couldn’t abandon the girl. Noemi nudged Alexa with her toe, and the she-wolf suddenly jumped to a state of alertness. She rolled over, looking half ready to shift and bolt for her life, but calmed down when she saw that it was Noemi. The sun was just dipping below the horizon, and on the other side of the sky, the moon was rising. The first of the stars were appearing above them.

  “Get up,” Noemi ordered. There was no hint of emotion in her voice, simply a flat command given by an alpha to her subordinate. “We’re leaving.”

  “Okay,” Alexa agreed. Her wolf wanted nothing but to roll over and show their belly. The alpha in front of them was demanding her submission, and the last thing she wanted to do was anger Noemi.

  Noemi turned away from Alexa and stormed off, her chin held high. She looked down on all of those who dared to stare at them for more than a few seconds. Anything that was considered disrespectful had Noemi snapping her teeth, the beginnings of her fangs peeking through and showing. Alexa kept her head held low. The last thing she wanted was to anger an alpha.

  She didn’t see the twins, or her mother, as Noemi led her to the most unfrequented area of the pack grounds. They were at the very edge of the territory, and Noemi halted Alexa with an unspoken signal. Together they ducked behind a nearby bush. Noemi’s features were beginning to sharpen, her wolf coming through more and more.

  Once she had determined that it was safe, Noemi shifted into a wolf. She was a huge and sleek creature, lips dripping in saliva. She looked fearsome, as though preparing herself for a hunt. Noemi stepped forward, her nose raised to the air. One giant foot pressed forward, and Noemi emerged from the foliage. Another careful step, and then Noemi ran forward, as quick as a bolt of lightning. Alexa hunkered down in the bush, shifting as well. Noemi hadn’t given her any commands, so she stayed and waited.

  A few moments later, and an alpha walked by. He scented at the ground, pausing when he detected Noemi’s smell. There was a pause in his walk, but then he continued on his way. Noemi waited for a few moments longer before letting out a sharp bark. Alexa took the hint, and ran across the way. She hadn’t seen where Noemi had gone, but she was able to easily follow the alpha’s scent trail.

  Noemi, on the other hand, had yet to stop running. Since she had seen Alexa cross the pack border and onto the other side, she had taken off like a flash. She wouldn’t wait, the two of them didn’t have time to wait. They were risking enough by daring to cross the pack borders at all, let alone crossing the pack borders to see a male that was from a different pack.

  Noemi cursed herself as she ran through the forest at breakneck speed. She didn’t glance over her shoulder to check that Alexa was following her. If the wolf wanted to make it to her male, then she would keep up, no matter what fates were to befall the two of them.

  Noemi only stopped when she reached the mating grounds that were normally used. Alexa was a few moments after her, though hot on her heels. The underling wolf had to skid on her heels to not run straight into the field. Alexa narrowed her eyes, squinting out over the smooth grasses.

  Just a few days ago, she had been able to see everything for what seemed like miles in that field. Now, she could hardly see past the end of her nose. It was getting harder as the night drew on and the sun sank farther below the horizon, but Noemi seemed to have no trouble with the darkness.

  Her nose was raised to the air, and she made sure that there were no other wolves around. There was only one scent that she could pick up; it was the scent of a male wolf. Alexa must have caught it, too, for her eyes lit up and she stood at attention.

  Closer to them than Noemi had been expecting, a male wolf stepped forward. It appeared as though he manifested from the darkness, his fur as inky black as the night air around him. He had a snarl on his lips, directed towards Noemi. With one happy yip, Alexa seemed to silence his fears. She ran forward, and nuzzled up against the male, her nose bumping with his in a friendly gesture. It made Noemi smile to see such a tender exchange.

  *

  “Antony!” Alexa cheered. She nuzzled up against him and held him close, her arms wrapped around his chest as best as she could possibly manage.

  His strong arms were around her just as tightly as hers were around him, pressing her close and keeping there at all costs. “I knew you would come,” he breathed. His nose tucked against Alexa’s hair, scenting her there in a familial, friendly sort of way.

  Alexa couldn’t stop the happy rumble in her chest, too overwhelmed to form the words that she was truly feeling. Behind them, Noemi had backed off to give them some space. She was smiling as well, but was as alert as ever. The last thing they needed was to be caught off-guard.

  Alexa eventually pulled away from the hug, holding Antony at arm’s distance so that she could stare up into his beautiful, sincere eyes. In such a short time, she had forgotten just how beautiful his eyes were. She reached up, and placed a hand on his cheek. Antony nuzzled against her without a moment of hesitation, a possessive growl echoing in his chest.

  “Who is your friend?” he asked, his voice lowered. Alexa saw a flicker of distrust in those eyes, and the idea of it sent a cold shot of ice through her chest.

  “Noemi,” she said. “She would never betray us. She’s the only friend that I have,” Alexa explained. She turned to look at Noemi over her shoulder. The alpha had shifted again, and was leaping into the air to snap at bats as they flew around. “She seems scary, but she’s a pup at heart.”

  Antony nodded, his own distrustful expression growing into a fond smile. He remembered when he used to play the game that Noemi was playing. Nearly every pup in the two packs learned how to jump for bats. The intent was never to catch them, but it strengthened their legs and gave them a sort of limberness that could not be attained without such a game.

  “Would you like to take a walk?” Antony asked.

  Alexa glanced at Noemi again. She was distracted, but her ears were turned towards the two of them at all times. “We can’t go far,” Alexa said. “Noemi is here to protect us. She won’t like it if we go very far away from her.”

  “We won’t go far,” Antony replied. “I just want a little more privacy.”

  Alexa looked once more to Noemi, who had stopped her game. She was staring at Alexa dead in the eye, forcing Alexa to glance away and show her submission. A whine escaped Alexa, begging for the alpha’s permission. At first, Noemi didn’t respond. She stared at them with wary eyes, but eventually a little nod dipped her huge head in agreement. Alexa sighed in relief, and grabbed Antony’s hand and smiled at her.

  “I missed you,” Alexa said as they walked, hand in hand.

  Antony didn’t have a specific place in mind. He had just wanted to talk with Alexa without the prying ears and eyes of a different alpha listening in. He knew that Noemi was a female, but it made him bristle and growl to think that Alexa interacted with an alpha that wasn’t himself. He shook the thought off, knowing that it was just his wolf thinking for him. He wouldn’t allow himself to be controlled by the beast, not when it would risk the fragile trust that he had built with Alexa.

  “I missed you, too,” he said after a while. He squeezed Alexa’s hand tighter in his. Behind them, Noemi barked to let them know they had gone too far. “I’m glad that you came to see me.”

  “How could I have said no?” Alexa asked. She glanced up at Antony, and the smile that was spreading across her features calmed Antony more than he would ever admit to. “There’s no way I could have denied anything that you ever asked me, Antony. I…” she trailed off, and shook her head. “You’re the
only male that I’ve ever trusted.”

  Antony huffed, sensing that there was more to what Alexa was saying. He knew that she was holding back, but he didn’t want to pressure her. Instead, he turned the two of them towards a tree, backing Alexa up against it and pressing his nose under her chin, just below her ear. The scent gland there was strong, and he drank in her beautiful smell. It was just how he remembered, and he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his time wrapped up in her arms.

  Alexa’s fingers twined behind Antony’s back, holding him close as he scented her. She leaned her head back against the rough bark of the tree, and looked up through the branches. Deep within her, she could feel something stirring as she looked up at the stars.

  “What would you want our pups to be named?” she asked.

  Antony broke away from her neck all at once, staring at Alexa. “Our pups? What do you mean?” he asked.

  “I’m certain that I caught this time,” Alexa explained. “I don’t know how I know, but I know.”

  “It’s only been a few days,” Antony argued, a little furrow to his brows. “How can you be so certain?” He wasn’t a female, and there was no way for him to know for sure, but he doubted that Alexa knew for sure.

  “I just know,” Alexa said.

  Antony wanted to ask her more, but he was cut off. Alexa’s hands were on his cheeks, and she was pulling him closer. Their lips met in a tender kiss, soft and sweet. There was no desperation behind the act, although Antony felt as though the contact was nowhere near enough. He wanted—no, needed—more from Alexa. He held himself back, instead allowing her to control the pace. The pace she set was an agonizing one, slow and hot in a different way than Antony had ever kissed another wolf.

  Her lips were just as amazing as he remembered them being – plush and pliant under his own mouth, their lips slanting together and meeting perfectly halfway. Antony knew that they were meant to be together.

  In the same way that Alexa knew that she was going to bear pups, Antony knew that they had to be together for the rest of their lives. He would never take another female so long as he could help it. As an alpha, he had some choice in the matter, but not much.

  Eventually, their lips separated. Antony didn’t move far, resting his forehead against Alexa’s. Her eyes were closed, simply enjoying the moment for what it was. Antony couldn’t blame her. The air that surrounded them was a calm one, an atmosphere that he would love to be in for the rest of his life. If he were to die right then, he would have died a happy person, to say the least.

  “I love you,” Antony whispered.

  The words caught Alexa’s attention, and her eyes snapped open. She was shocked, but not in a bad way. After a while, a smile replaced the shock on her features. “I love you, too,” she said.

  “Hurry up, you two!” Noemi snapped. She had shifted back into a human, and was pacing back and forth across a thin strip of grass. “I need to be back before the moon reaches the height of the sky.”

  Alexa nodded towards Noemi, giving the alpha confirmation that she had been heard. “We need to meet again,” Alexa insisted, staring up at Antony. “Noemi won’t like it, and it might be even more dangerous than before, but it must happen. I can’t live the rest of my life without seeing you more than twice.”

  “I agree,” Antony said. “I will find a way for us to meet as often as we can. Come back in five days,” he instructed. “That should be enough time for any suspicions to settle in the packs.” He nuzzled against Alexa’s nose, and gave her one last, fleeting kiss before shifting into a wolf and tearing through the darkness on long legs.

  Noemi waited for Alexa some feet away, watching her with glinting eyes. The two of them waited for Antony to be far out of sight before Alexa turned to Noemi. She had to tell the alpha, but she was scared to broach the subject. Noemi had already risked her life once to help Alexa. She couldn’t ask her to do it again.

  “What did he say to you?” Noemi asked.

  “He wants to meet me again,” Alexa said. Noemi’s brows furrowed, and Alexa was quick to jump on the hesitation. “I won’t do it. Not again. We already could be dead right now. I don’t want to increase my chances.”

  Noemi seemed unhappy with the answer that she had been given, but nodded. “Come on then,” she said. Noemi was quick to shift into a wolf and take off at a brisk sprint.

  Alexa stood still for another moment before shifting and dropping onto her paws. She followed Noemi, but much slower. She never lost the alpha, but she couldn’t make herself keep up with the pace that Noemi was setting.

  It would be a struggle for her to do anything more than trot, so she walked along. Her tail was tucked under her legs and her ears were pressed flat against her head. With each step she took away from Antony, she felt as though another part of her heart were being ripped out.

  Ahead of her, Noemi stopped, and glanced over her shoulder. The alpha growled, trying to use a form of threat to urge Alexa into speeding up. When it didn’t work, Noemi loped over to her and nuzzled against Alexa’s face. She was trying desperately to cheer her up, knowing that it must have been hard for her. Noemi whined and glanced at the sky, urging Alexa to regain her senses so that they could get back to the pack on time.

  Alexa nodded, and picked herself out of her slump. Just because she was upset, she couldn’t risk Noemi. If there was anything that she wanted, it was to keep her friend safe and sound. Together, shoulder-to-shoulder, they returned to the pack grounds.

  Just as before, Noemi raised her tail and signaled Alexa to wait in a nearby bush. She sprinted forward once the coast was clear, and then the two of them waited. An alpha walked by, and then another. Alexa let out a nervous whine. If there were two alphas side by side patrolling, that meant that they were searching for something. Or someone.

  A second pair of alphas passed by, and spotted Noemi. One growled at her, and Noemi took the time to distract them. She shifted back, and they did, too. With her eyes, she directed Alexa around the two wolves, and Alexa followed her orders. She trusted Noemi to keep her safe.

  On silent pads, Alexa crept forward until she had made it past the border. From there she broke into a sprint until she reached the den that she shared with her family. The twins were asleep, but at the back of the den, she could see her mother’s glowing eyes. Sabrina looked livid to find her daughter returning to the den so late at night, but Alexa brushed it aside. Sabrina didn’t know what was best for her.

  Still as a wolf, Alexa slinked by her mother and curled up around her siblings. Immediately, they inched closer to her warmth, until they were nuzzled up under her legs and against her chest. Alexa watched Sabrina for a moment longer before crossing her paws and resting her chin on them.

  Sabrina was quietly growling, but Alexa shut her eyes and blocked out the sound. Her mother had no idea what she was feeling, and it wasn’t her place to decide what was or wasn’t best for Alexa.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Alexa woke the next morning feeling groggy and more exhausted than usual. At first, she couldn’t understand why, but then the memories came flooding back to her. She had snuck out of the pack with Noemi. She ran harder and faster than she had ever had run in her life to meet up with Antony and be with him one last time.

  A happy whine escaped her throat as she rolled over pleasantly, and nuzzled into the ground. It wasn’t nearly as soft and warm as Antony was, but she could pretend that the muggy, earthy smell was Antony’s. She remembered his words, of how he wanted to meet her within the next seven days. It was a longer wait than before, but Alexa knew that it would work out. She had faith in Antony.

  Emerging from the den, Alexa stretched each of her legs and let out a huge yawn. She couldn’t remember having her usual nightmare, a blessing. It was rare that she didn’t have the horrible dream, and she treasured the nights that were peaceful. Despite her lack of rest, as least she hadn’t woken up fearful and panicked.

  She shifted into a human as she strolled the pack grounds,
stretching her legs and arms even more as she did so. After spending a night curled up, it always felt nice to stretch everything and feel the pops and her muscles releasing all of the built-up tension.

  Suddenly, the scent of blood hit her like a crashing tsunami, and she turned her nose to the air. Even in her human body, the stench was overpowering. Curious, she followed the smell to the center of the grounds. The morning’s kill was there, a huge elk with antlers to match. Already, half of the pack had had their fill, and there was still half of a carcass.

  Alexa, strangely, found that she wasn’t hungry. The sight of the meat in front of her was enticing, but towards the background of the cluster of alphas, she could see Noemi. The she-wolf looked battered beyond repair, and was bleeding heavily from several wounds.

  “Noemi!” Alexa called. She ran forward, much to the displeasure of many of the alphas.

  They stood up instantly and snarled at Alexa, their hackles raised. Their message was clear: Alexa needed to back off or she would be bitten. From the distance she was from Noemi, she could smell the she-wolf’s distress. Some of her wounds had been inflicted by the elk but many of them were from another source.

  Alexa’s eyes went wide as she realized. There were obvious bite marks and claw marks all along her sides and face. On her left haunch, a huge patch of fur and muscle were missing where a wolf had dug his teeth into her and torn the flesh. Alexa whined, but Noemi refused to look up at her and put her worries to rest.

  “Back off,” one alpha growled. He was taller than Alexa, and was trying to put it to his advantage.

  “What happened to her?” Alexa asked. She was trying to peer over the male at Noemi, who was cleaning her wounds with long lapping motions of her tongue. “Why did she get into a fight?”

  “She was caught sneaking out of the pack grounds last night,” the male snapped.