Werewolf females are made to be strong and quick. At one time, I might have thought the females of my species would be preferable, but that was before Ana. There is something about her that takes ahold of me in a way that I never experienced before. Something I can’t quite put a claw on that makes me yearn to be close to her and to feast on her with my mouth and eyes.
It shakes everything I thought I knew about myself, and it is frightening. Not that I suspect that she is going to let me get close enough to intimately touch her again, all earlier playing aside, given that we both know this will end. Although my instinct insists that I claim her and never let her go, I know that I don’t want to lose my freedom as would be demanded of me. Every new responsibility is like a noose around my neck, slowly tightening. Being mated has just made it all that much worse.
So I will have to settle for discreet glances of appreciation. I am clearly off to a bad start at being inconspicuous, however. When I meet her eyes, her lips curve with humor, and I know then that she’s been watching me stare at her for at least several minutes. I cough awkwardly, my ears lying back. Ana’s soft laughter washes over me and her hand reaches between us to gently run down my arm. The touch is fleeting, but it has relaxed me and sufficiently distracted me from the whispers surrounding us.
Baru and Falo stand on a large rock jutting up from the ground in the village center with the elders clustered at its foot. I keep my brother in my peripheral vision as I bow respectfully to the elders. I flinch when I notice Ana do likewise without prodding. The elders exchange a satisfied look between each other, though not every elder looks terribly pleased about our mating. However, they appear to be the minority, and I have no idea if, despite their feelings, they would condone the termination of our mating. Not when its existence is now so rare. Even I know that it could very well bring hope to the entire tribe. The eldest among the elders, a female of such advanced age that her fur is thin and colorless, watches Ana with an expression of delight, her nostrils flaring as she scents the bonds between us. Approval gleams in her faded eyes and my muscles slowly unknot and relax. Depending on how the rest of the assembly goes, we will have the freedom to look for an opening to leave without arousing suspicion.
Unfortunately, Baru is also staring at Ana. I can tell by the cock of his head and the set of his ears that she has his full, undivided attention. Falo is spreading his attention evenly between us as he stands behind Baru with his arms crossed, but unlike the focused interest of our brother, he seems almost bored. Normally their mates would be by their side but given that this is the last day of the full moon, the sexual frenzy is still upon them and they are in their dens resting.
By all rights, Ana and I shouldn’t have been disturbed. We should have been left to bond and enjoy the sexual high of the final night. Even now, I can feel it, the frenzy beginning to boil once more in my veins. A need itches beneath my fur and my nose attunes to my mate’s scent. My skin shudders and bristles with the realization that other males of the tribe similarly affected by the pull of the moon are breathing in the same scent. The air around is thick and pungent with rising pheromones. I have a feeling that it is Baru’s idea... his little amusement.
“Brother!” Baru calls out, his voice loud and commanding. It is the voice of an alpha, designed to bring all other werewolves to heel... Not me, however, nor any of our brothers. My eyes stray to Eral, who frowns from where he is posted at the forefront of those gathered. He shakes his head. Turning my gaze back to the alpha, I incline my head.
“Brother,” I greet in return.
Baru hops down from the rock and approaches. I stiffen, uncertain of what game he is playing now. I set a hand on Ana’s elbow to not only comfort but to silently convey to her a need for stillness. He circles closer, sniffing without even trying to be discreet.
“It seems that, for once, rumor floating around the village has understated the situation. Such a delicious scent. So sweet and untamed... and fate bonded... to you. So curious,” he says, his blue eyes shining. “Such a tempting morsel for the full moon. Be careful that another male doesn’t attempt to steal her away from you.”
“That is not going to happen,” I growl.
His cheeks crease with his lupine smile. “Perhaps not,” he agrees easily. “But, then again, you know a careless male cannot protect his mate adequately enough to keep his female safe without interference. Another male could try to steal her from you.”
My growl increases in volume at the subtle threat. It is an unfortunate condition of our society that there are too many males who lack the morals to prevent them from stealing another male’s mate to fulfill his lust when her protector is too inattentive to stop it. Baru’s interest and blatant threat stir my jealousy to a fever pitch. I know, logically, that he wants me to break, but I find myself inching between them, my fangs bared.
He smirks and inclines his head before striding back toward the rock. He leaps back upon it at Falo’s side before he turns to look out over the gathered crowd. His voice carries loud and clear among everyone gathered.
“We greet and celebrate the union of Arawl and his female. May she bear him strong young, and may he possess the strength to fend off any challenges,” Baru finished with a malicious, sharp-toothed smile.
My eyes never leave his face, my gaze hard as I ignore the celebratory howls of the Evarue around us. I narrow my gaze in threat but his grin only widens before he disappeared into his own den. Falo watches a moment longer before ducking unconcerned into his own den. Only when they are gone do I feel a measure of peace as the tribe quickly begins to dissipate. Fahuri growls in disgust as she stops at my side.
“He couldn’t have been more blatant if he tried,” she snapped. “Just advertising it in front of the entire tribe what he intends in an attempt to shame you in front of them and your mate. Despicable!”
I am shaking with fury, half-tempted to follow them back to their dens and strike with all the aggression pent up from years of cruelty. The only thing that stays me is the feel of Ana’s small, soft hands stroking the fur along my back and arms. It works as a balm to my spirit. I allow myself the luxury of leaning into her touch. I am tempted to bid farewell to Fahuri and take Ana back to my den, away from prying eyes, but something in her ranting catches my attention.
“He prefers to mock you and shame her rather than put his energies to better use in light of the evil that has happened.” Fahuri bares her teeth in the direction of our brothers’ dens, but I turn to her in confusion. This is the first time I’m hearing of an evil.
“Evil? What do you mean?”
She expels a sharp breath between her teeth, whistling between a fang that broke during her time in captivity to the Warue, and shakes her head mournfully. “Females are disappearing again. On the first night of the full moon, we lost two females just barely matured into adulthood. This would have been their first sensual frenzy.” Tears gleamed in her eyes before she blinked them away, her expression hardening. “They’d been talking of it for days in excitement... and then just gone. Then, the second night of the full moon, another female disappeared who is heavy with kit, unmated, but she foolishly allowed herself to be bred upon by one of the unmated males rather than wait to find her mate before procreating. She went to gather sweetroot to ease her upset stomach and never returned.”
“Not possible!” I snarl. “We defeated the Warue. They have fled to the northern border of their lands. We don’t even see them on patrol.”
“If we dismiss the possibility of someone within the Evarue tribe working with them, then we are foolish. I refuse to be caught unaware again, brother. I am suspicious of everyone.”
I nod in understanding. Fahuri was with the Warue for far too long and only recently began to show noticeable weight gain, but her scars run far deeper. She doesn’t trust any of the males... not even Rashi, who has doted on her since they were kits. I reach forward and smooth my hand along her arm. She flinches and jerks slightly in reaction, but it doesn’t last
. Soon, she leans into the offered comfort. My hatred for the Warue runs deeper every time Fahuri shies away from the kindest of touches, and yet I am frustratingly powerless.
“Nothing can be done tonight. The best we can do is to spread the word among all of the females to stick to their own dens and take care of their needs to the best of their ability. Caution is called for. Tell them to avoid being alone with males and not to go anywhere alone.”
Fahuri nods. “What is your plan?”
“I will safeguard Ana tonight, but tomorrow I will seek out Eral and speak to him on this. I am certain it has not escaped his attention. He might already have a strategy in mind. In any case, something has to be done, even if our alphas choose foolishly to ignore it.”
Her face hardens and she nods. With a small smile to Ana, Fahuri darts into the crowd where several females are clustered together. I watch only for a moment before leaving her to her task. A need burns within my sister ever since we recovered her, a thirst to destroy her betrayer. I have no doubt she will make sure the females keep themselves safe on this night now that it appears that history shall repeat. The first females could have been considered a misfortune that struck our tribe, but this is more than coincidence.
I draw Ana beneath my arm, and she frowns up at me. To my relief, she doesn’t reject my touch or protection. Instead, she huddles into my arm, her eyes wide as she watches the males milling about. I don’t want her to be afraid of the males I grew up with and have considered as brothers all my life, but now even I am forced to look upon everyone with the same modicum of suspicion.
“We are returning to our den,” I growl, my grip tightening protectively around her.
I will not fail in my vigilance.
Chapter 11
Ana
When we return to the den, I’m surprised to see that someone has been in there while we were out. Large plush benches, reminiscent of couches, sit in the main room in front of a fire blazing away in the hearth. At the end of one, a beautifully woven blanket has been folded, the threads shining as if some sort of glitter or mica is caught in the weave. I run my hand along it. It’s exceptionally soft. I have no doubt it will ward off any autumnal chill. Tall, thick candles are scattered through the room on large pillars to provide extra light in the evening. Just that minimal touch makes a huge improvement, making the room feel inviting and almost cozy. Still, breaking in to redecorate seems a bit strange to me. Arawl doesn’t seem concerned, and I follow him through the house to see if anything else changed.
The bathroom had new soaps included as well as what appeared to be a sort of cream that was obviously left there with me in mind. Unless werewolves like to coat their fur with all manner of products? It is possible, although I have to admit it will kind of bring them down a notch or two in the fierce monster category. I dab a little bit of the cream and sniff it as I rub it between my fingers. It smells of something floral and sweet, like honey.
Arawl nods to the jar in my hand. “Troll-made lotion for your delicate skin. It seems that Fahuri thought of everything. She has even provided perfumes for you that are enjoyable to our sense of smell.” He nods to a shelf with several glass bottles.
I look at it skeptically. I’m not really into perfume. I find much of it way too strong, or the smell particularly unpleasant. Cautiously, as if I were being offered acid rather than perfume, I pick up one of the delicate bottles, this one a pale lavender, and lift the stopper. The light scent of honeysuckle and something completely foreign but delicately spiced that complemented the floral base tantalized my nose. I immediately place a few drops on my wrists and rub them together.
“Lovely,” I sigh as I set the bottle back among the others.
Arawl sniffs the air and smiles. “It suits you. My sister chose well.”
“Is it normal for your sister to come into your den and just start rearranging things? If so, she should have intervened much sooner.”
He laughs, and the deep, raspy sound sends tingles straight down to my toes. “No. It is the custom among my tribe that when a male brings home a new mate, the females in his family prepare his den to receive her. All of this, and probably more if my mother were still alive, would have been done before your arrival. It is our way for the females to welcome you to our family. No doubt, Fahuri used our absence to properly honor you. Baru’s mate wouldn’t have been permitted to help, and Falo’s mate is too self-absorbed to care about any female other than herself. But that isn’t enough to stop my sister from making a small gesture on her own.”
His face creases with displeasure and I hurry to change the subject, not wishing to bring down the mood.
“I wonder what havoc she’s wrought in the other rooms,” I say cheerfully. I extend my hand to him. “Shall we continue our exploration?”
Arawl relaxes, smiling as he accepts my hand in his larger clawed one. The skin on his palm is rough and warm and sends a tingle of pleasure through me at our touch. I look into his eyes, wondering if he feels it too, but his expression reveals nothing. Only his ears tip toward me attentively.
We leave the bathroom and immediately head into the bedroom. It is the only bedroom in the house and it’s not like I haven’t already fucked him, so I don’t know why I feel weird about it, like I am intruding in his personal space, but I do. I fight the blush that I can feel rising in my cheeks as I stare at the dominating room. Although Fahuri didn’t think to supply a spare bed for me—I mean, why would she?—Arawl’s bed was replaced with a thick mattress of a considerably larger size, clearly big enough for mated werewolves.
Arawl grunts at my side. “You should be safe enough in here,” he says. It’s so unexpected that I turn my head to stare up at him.
“I am not kicking you out of your bed. Honestly, those couches in the living room look really comfortable. I’ll be fine out there.”
He grimaces and gives me a wry smile. “You need to be able to lock yourself in. If you shut the door to the room, you will find a sturdy bolt on the other side.”
“Lock myself in... from what?” I ask, my eyebrows arching up.
His aggravated sigh sounds completely put-upon, but I’m not going to just let it go. I’ve seen the door to the den. It’s strong, more than capable of keeping most unwanted company out. I can even add a bit of a whammy to it just in case someone got the dumb idea to try and force it open. I roll through my mental list of good protection spells while I wait for him to answer.
“Are you suffering from vengeful house brownies that will terrorize anyone in the living room at night?” I ask at random. “I can imagine they’ve been up in arms for some time.”
Arawl growls irritably.
“No? Do you have even larger pet spiders lurking somewhere that you’re worried may come out and try to eat me?”
My mind focuses on a whiplash fire barrier spell and my lips curve in appreciation. That would be good. Placed on the door, anyone who attempts to break in would experience an excruciatingly painful backlash of fire. It makes a good deterrent, and if they’re determined they will suffer burns for their trouble. That should do the trick! I will be sure to sketch the magical ward on the door before I could go to bed.
“No,” Arawl growls. “To protect you from me!”
Now I’m really stumped. “Come again?”
He grits his teeth together, his ears flattening slightly in vexation. “You never asked why it is that we take human form on the full moon.”
Okay, complete change in topic.
“All right, I’ll bite. Why do you go human, all hairless and weak, on a full moon?”
“It is a natural mechanism gifted to us by the lady of the moon,” he rumbles. An eerie light appears in his eyes and my belly tightens in reaction. His voice slips lower and becomes raspy as he speaks. “When the full moon is bright, our species experiences a rush in hormones. We need to breed. It is a frenzy that sets upon us, an undeniable need to seek out another and mate. For mated couples, it is a time of excessive copulation, but the
unmated, we are permitted to go through the portal to your world or to mingle with other fae races to seek the release we need. The way I looked when we met, it is all due to magic devised to make me as attractive as possible to your species that activated the moment I crossed into your world and found myself among humans.”
“So, if it was the full moon when you were around trolls...”
“My magic would have made me appear as a particularly attractive troll male, an ideal of troll masculinity that would appeal to females in the vicinity.” His hand comes up to trace a claw along my collar bone, his nostrils flaring as a shiver steals through my body. His eyes narrow on me thoughtfully. “The need can be terrible if unfulfilled. We suffer and rage as it burns within us. If we absolutely cannot find a willing female on the rare occasion, we lock ourselves in our dens to wait out our need and attempt to satisfy it manually as much as we are able to.”
“Your directions to Fahuri...”
He nods. “The impulse, the need, can be violent when left too long. Although females and males of my kind both succumb to it, with the caution that we need right now, it is best if they lock themselves into their homes for their own safety.” He pauses and shakes his head. “Even if things hadn’t changed between us and our circumstances had remained as they were when we first met, I am not even sure if your small human body would survive a full moon. I could so easily tear you apart. The only way I can guarantee your safety is to lock you in here beyond my reach. Even now, I can feel the heat building again.”
I glance down at his swollen bulge in alarm, expecting to see him primed and ready. To my relief, nothing is peeking through. A claw rests gently beneath my chin and tips my head back up to meet his eyes. A small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.
The Accidental Werewolf's Mate: A Monsterly Yours Romance (Monstery Yours Book 3) Page 8
