by R. E. Butler
He kissed her throat, and she tilted her head to give him better access. “This is what I always wanted.”
She shifted her hips, rubbing herself across his growing erection. “Me?”
“Our connection. The knowledge that we’re perfect together, that we fit together just right because we’re meant to be mates. Anything else would be false and my bear would never be content.”
“My wolf wouldn’t either.” She turned in his arms. “I’m glad you’re mine, Row.”
He kissed her gently, teasing her lips with his until she pressed against him and growled in eagerness. He lifted her into his arms and turned toward the bedroom. “How about a tour?”
“A naked one?”
“I love how you think,” he said, chuckling.
* * * * *
Row and Kammie spent several hours in bed. He knew she was happy to be off the road and settled for a little while. She’d taken two weeks off from her duties with the pack, and he planned to make the most of that time. He hoped that while she was here she’d fall in love with Oakville and want to stay; to leave Wilde Creek behind and embrace being his mate in a place where her scars were marks on her skin and not the definition of her being.
She stretched out on the bed, rubbing her toes along his calves as they snacked on a plate of cheese and crackers. Having naked conversations was one of his favorite things to do with his mate.
After they finished their snack, they unpacked their belongings. He gave her the top two drawers in the dresser and half of the closet, and helped her hang up her clothes. He loved to see her things hanging next to his – her pastel-colored tops alongside his black shirts.
“I saw some steaks in the fridge. Want to grill for dinner? I have this great recipe for cheesy potatoes you make in a foil packet on the grill,” she said.
“Sure, sweetheart.” She liked to cook for him, but he liked taking care of her, so they’d come to an agreement to both help during mealtimes. He liked sharing household duties with her. He didn’t mind running a broom around the kitchen, when it was for her.
They dressed warmly and he took her on a walking tour of the sleuth’s territory before it got dark. The territory was several hundred acres, and he’d grown up exploring them. They walked to the mating cave first. He couldn’t wait to take her inside and hole up for a night so he could mate her in the traditions of his people.
She stood in his arms and looked at the entrance to the cave. “Remember, you promised to keep me warm in there.”
“You know I will, sweetheart.”
She peered up at him and smiled. “I can’t feel my toes.”
“It’s pretty damn cold. Let’s go see Fayar and then I’ll warm you up properly.”
“And grill some steaks for dinner?”
“Eventually.”
She chuckled and took his hand. They walked side by side toward Fayar’s home. Fayar and his mate, Gloria, lived in a large house in the center of the sleuth’s territory. Their children were all grown. Only the youngest, Rafe, had remained in the sleuth, primed to take over the kingship when Fayar was ready to step down. Rafe was an honorable male and only a year older than Row. The two had been friends since they were cubs.
Row knocked on Fayar’s front door. Gloria answered, her face lighting up as she opened the door wide and gestured them inside.
“I heard you’d found your truemate, Row! Come in, we were expecting you!”
Fayar strode into the room and clapped Row on the shoulder. “Congratulations on finding your mate.”
“Kammie, this is my king, Fayar, and his mate Gloria. This is my adara, Kammie.”
Gloria hugged Kammie lightly and said, “It’s wonderful to meet you. Come into the kitchen while the males talk. I hope you like snickerdoodles; I just made a batch for Rafe, but there’s plenty for everyone.”
Kammie smiled at Row. He squeezed her hand and let go, and she walked with Gloria into the kitchen. Row’s bear didn’t like her being out of sight, but he trusted Gloria to take good care of her.
Fayar gestured to the furniture in the living room and Row sat on the couch. Fayar settled in an easy chair across from a small wooden coffee table and cleared his throat. “Your mother called Gloria to tell us that you were bringing your new mate home, which is why Gloria said we’ve been expecting you.”
“I’m not surprised. Mom is really happy for me.”
“She should be. It’s a good thing when males find their truemates. I understand Dani also found her mate. Is he taking her on to her people?”
“I think she’s scrapped that and is planning to just stay in Wilde Creek.”
Fayar’s brows lifted. “You don’t seem happy about that.”
Row lowered his voice. “The wolves don’t take care of their injured.”
He nodded slowly. “It’s because of how they view weakness. For males especially, if an injury prevents them from being at their top strength, then they’re not seen as whole.”
Row explained about Kammie’s scars without going into too much detail. “I wish I could convince her to stay here.”
Fayar’s brow was drawn. “I don’t understand an alpha who would allow the abuse of a child, or anyone for that matter, to continue. Wolves are curious creatures. Very fierce, but they’re small shifters compared to bears or big cats, and I’ve always thought that gave them a bit of a complex.”
“Maybe. I dislike the idea of being in Wilde Creek, but it’s her home. The fact that she drew the short straw on family members shouldn’t be held against her any more than the color of her fur.”
“How long are you staying?”
“Ten days.”
“I’m sure you can convince her that Oakville is a better home for her, and for your future cubs, in that many days. From what you’ve shared, her life isn’t that good in her pack, and life is different in the sleuth. Show her the truth of that and she’ll see the light on her own.”
“Thanks.”
“I won’t talk to you about your position here until your future location has been decided, but know that the training job is there for you.”
“I’d really like to do that.”
“Do what?” Kammie asked as she carried a plate of cookies into the room and set them on the table. Gloria followed with a tray of mugs and a carafe of hot chocolate.
For a heartbeat, Row considered not telling her anything yet, but he never wanted to lie to her. “Before I left, Fayar offered me a position teaching the young males how to hunt and fight.”
Her eyes widened. She sat next to Row, and he put his arm around her. Her coat was gone, and she was wearing a short-sleeved top that showed some of her scars. He was proud of her for baring her skin, even just her forearms, to strangers. He kissed her temple.
Kammie said, “Gloria was telling me about her granddaughter, Ahmani.”
Row was disappointed that Kammie changed the subject from his job, but he shook off the feeling, deciding it really was too early for him to expect her to want to move from everything she’d ever known.
“How old is she now?” Row asked, taking the cookie that Kammie handed him. Ahmani was the daughter of their oldest son.
“She’s six. Quite a fierce little female,” Fayar said, smiling proudly.
Row couldn’t wait to give his own mother some grandkids to fawn over. As the small group ate snickerdoodles and drank hot chocolate, they talked about everything but the elephant in the room – Row leaving the sleuth and joining the wolf pack. He wasn’t sure how to show Kammie that Oakville was better for her than Wilde Creek, but he knew he’d figure it out.
“Kammie and I would like to use the sacred cave tomorrow night,” Row said.
Fayar nodded. “When your mother told us that you were coming home with your truemate, I had the cave cleaned and prepared. Everything you need is inside. Breakfast will be the following morning at nine so you have a chance to sleep in.”
“We almost missed our breakfast,” Gloria said. “It’s easy t
o lose track of time in the cave because it feels so secluded inside.”
“Thank you,” Row said, standing and shaking Fayar’s hand.
“Keep me apprised of your situation,” he said.
Kammie said goodbye to Fayar and hugged Gloria before donning her coat. Row took her hand as they left the house and began their trek back home. She was quiet, and he let her have the silence. He wasn’t sure what to say anyway. He wanted her to want to live in Oakville, but he understood how used to her old life she was. He’d live and serve with her in Wilde Creek if that was what she chose, but he hoped like hell that she’d see how much better she’d be treated in the sleuth and want to move.
“Would you have to keep doing the monthly battles if you lived here?” she asked suddenly.
He squeezed her hand. “Before I left to take Dani to her people, I told Fayar that I was growing tired of the battles and he offered me the position as trainer to the young males.”
“That would be your job within the sleuth?”
He nodded. “Why?”
“I was just wondering what you’d do if you – if we – were living here.”
He stopped walking and she turned to face him. “What are you thinking about, Adara?”
“This place is different than Wilde Creek. I mean, I knew it would be, but just from what your mom shared, you have a place of good standing here. You’re a valuable member of the sleuth, not an afterthought.”
At his confused look, she clarified, “In Wilde Creek, you’d be my mate.”
“I’m your mate wherever we are.”
She shook her head. “No, it would be what you are in the eyes of the pack. You’re a powerful male and a good fighter. Here you’re respected, but in Wilde Creek the definition of what you are is related to me – you’d become, in essence, a lowly omega. I can’t stand the thought of you being reduced to that when you’re worth so much more.”
“I don’t care what my title is as long as I get to be with you.”
“I care. You hate how my pack treats me, but I’m used to it. Do you think I could handle you being treated that way?” Tears glistened suddenly in her eyes.
His bear growled in approval. She might want to move to the sleuth!
“Adara, what are you saying?”
“Gloria took my coat and saw my scars,” she said, absently rubbing her elbow. “She asked me who hurt me, and then she growled. It was soft, but it was angry. She looked like she wanted to hunt down my uncle and kill him. She looked like you do whenever we talk about my past. Brynn is sweet, and concerned that everyone is happy, but she has limited power because Acksel is truly the law of the pack. He won’t deviate from the rankings, and he’s very much an ‘it’s always been this way’ sort of guy. Your queen wants to kill on my behalf and she’s known me for an hour. I thought you were unique and that you felt the way you do because you’re my truemate, but I think it’s all bears. Your mom also told me that she wanted to hurt whoever hurt me.”
“I don’t think bears are the only ones who don’t like to see their people abused.” He rubbed his neck and growled. “I do think that Acksel and Brynn wouldn’t allow the sort of suffering you dealt with to happen now. They both seem honorable. But they’re steeped in tradition that says physical scars are a weakness that can’t be tolerated. Instead of teaching you how to protect yourself so no one ever lays a hand on you again, they shoved you to the bottom of the hierarchy and allowed their people to treat you as if you don’t matter.”
“I’ve hated for you to see how I’m treated.” She flushed in embarrassment, and Row shook his head.
“I’ve hated it too, but it doesn’t have to be that way anymore, sweetheart. We can take a different path, together.”
Her eyes shone brightly with tears as she looked up at him. “I want to live here. I want to leave the pack and join your sleuth, and raise our kids here.”
Emotion filled him. He knew it couldn’t be easy for Kammie to choose to leave the only people she’d ever known, but she was doing it for him, and he loved her for it.
“If it’s what you want, then it’s what I want.”
She snorted and laughed, brushing at the tears that spilled over her cheeks. “You wanted to take me out of Wilde Creek from day one.”
“True.” He kissed her gently. “You’re mine to cherish, Kammie, to protect and love. I just want you to be happy.”
“I’d be happiest here, with you.”
“Then this is where our life will be. I promise I’ll be the best mate to you, and the best father for our children.”
“You’re already the best mate. You were willing to clean strangers’ homes for me without complaint.”
“My bear was complaining a lot.”
She chuckled and leaned into him, resting her ear over his heart. “I love you even more for that. Thank you for not pushing me. I’m sorry I’m such a mess sometimes.”
“I love everything about you. Wherever you are is home for me, and whatever the next chapter of our life together brings, I know it will be amazing because we’re together.”
“The next chapter of our lives begins tomorrow night in the sacred cave. We’ve got a date with some oil and old furs.”
“And lots of love.”
She smiled up at him, and it was his favorite smile – the one that made him feel warm from the inside out because he could see that she was truly, sincerely happy.
“How about we head home and warm up right?” He swung her up into his arms and carried her the entire way to his house, over the threshold and straight to the bathroom where they warmed up under the hot spray of the shower. His bear rejoiced to know that Kammie wanted to stay with the sleuth. He’d thought it would take a long time to convince her, but it had happened quickly, and he was grateful. Even if she hadn’t realized it, she’d been ready for a change, and a bear stomping through the woods on the full moon was just the sort of change she needed.
Chapter 8
Row wouldn’t let Kammie do anything to get ready for their time in the sacred cave. He said that the males were supposed to do everything for their females, and so she listened to his advice and walked to his mom’s house for a short visit in the afternoon. Alice was a sweet woman who always seemed to have a smile on her face. When Kammie was welcomed into her home, she found a small group of women sitting in the living room with books in their hands.
“I’m sorry, I can come back another time,” Kammie said, realizing she’d interrupted a gathering of some sort.
“Nonsense,” one of the women said, putting a bookmark in her place and closing the book. “We’re just having our weekly read-and-gab. Family is never interrupting, unless the bedroom door is closed.”
Kammie smiled. Alice introduced Kammie to her friends, she-bears from the sleuth who’d been getting together to discuss romance novels – in between sharing laughs about their mates and families – for several years.
Aggie, who wore her silver-streaked hair in long waves, patted the couch next to her, and Kammie sat down. “Now, Alice tells us that you and Row are going to the sacred cave tonight. Do you have any questions about it?”
“He mentioned oil. What is that for?”
Delphi passed a plate of pecan pie bars to Kammie, and she took one. “The oil is used for anointing. Row will recite what amounts to marriage vows to you. They’ll follow a basic script, but he’ll be able to make the vows his own. Then he’ll touch lavender oil to both sides of your throat, over your heart, and to your lower belly.”
“A lot of females become pregnant during their night in the sacred cave,” Aggie said. “Our people believe that when a truemating such as yours occurs, the great bear spirit blesses the union with a cub immediately.”
Kammie knew she looked surprised. “Wolves only go into heat once a year, in September. I can’t get pregnant right now.”
Stella smiled thoughtfully. “I think you might be surprised what happens when truemates come together, wolf biology or not. Besides, Ali
ce has been wanting a grandchild to fawn over. The only question is whether she has to travel to visit her grandcub or if you and Row will be here in the sleuth.”
Kammie felt all their eyes on her and she was glad she and Row had already made this decision. “We’ve decided to stay.”
The women cheered, and Kammie found herself enveloped in a group hug that warmed her right to the core. As they settled back into their seats and Aggie gave Kammie her copy of the romance novel they’d read, Kammie knew she and Row had made the right choice.
Row disliked the wolves, but he’d seen only the bad side of things. Kammie knew that there were wolves who liked and cared for her. Jeremiah and his mate Honey, Brynn, Adam, and some of the other omegas. But the truth was that pack life was harsh because the laws made it so. The ranking hierarchy forced the alphas to evaluate their people based on their physical abilities. She wished that her pack had been as loving and welcoming as the sleuth. Even if Fayar didn’t show affection to Gloria as outwardly as Brynn and Acksel did, there was no denying that the two loved each other greatly. For Kammie, that was all that mattered.
Tonight they were going to the sacred cave, and in the morning the sleuth would celebrate their mating and welcome her as one of their own. They didn’t seem to care that she was a wolf or that her body was riddled with scars – they only cared that she and Row were mates and were happy. She’d only been in Oakville for a short while, and already it felt like home, which she attributed not only to the kindness of the bears but also her amazing mate.
She’d show him just how thankful she was…later.
* * * * *
Row wouldn’t let Kammie carry anything to the sacred cave. He carried the cooler containing their food, as well as a large pack on his back. Along with dishing about the sex in the romance novel, Alice’s friends had advised Kammie to wear something sexy under her clothes and to treat the sacred mating the way a human male and female would treat their wedding night. Kammie didn’t own anything remotely sexy, unfortunately, so she went a different direction. She hoped that Row would be pleased.
