Heart of the Pack

by Jenny Frame

  The wolf looked confused until Caden indicated with her eyes to her office mate, feverishly realigning her things.

  “Oh? Yes, sorry, ma’am. I should have asked—here you are.”

  Lena gave Caden a grateful smile and said, “Thank you, you can use it.”

  “Would you like anything to eat from our cookhouse, Lena?” Caden offered. “Our food is very good.” She had noticed that all Lena seemed to eat every workday was a small salad she had brought from home.

  “Thank you, but no, I’ve brought mine with me.”

  You eat like a little bird, Miss Miller. Why?

  “That will be all then, Avery.” He gave the pen back, and Lena immediately put it back into its ordered place.

  “Lena, please feel free to use the cookhouse facilities while you’re working here. The food is free and provided by the company.”

  Lena started to tap her fingernails on the desk nervously. “Thank you, but I’m on a diet, and so I really have to stick to the salad I bring from home.”

  Caden was quite taken aback and immediately said in all innocence, “A diet? Why?”

  Lena blushed, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “That’s a very personal question. You shouldn’t ask a woman that.”

  “Why shouldn’t I?” She thought she would never understand humans—pack shared everything. There was no embarrassment, no secrets, and she wasn’t going to let Lena off the hook. “Tell me,” Caden said flatly.

  Lena furrowed her brow in annoyance. “If you must know, I need to lose a lot of weight, and if I ate something like a steak and fries I’d need to run three times a day, and once is enough for me.”

  She couldn’t imagine why Lena would want to lose that sort of weight. Lena had a soft, curvaceous figure just like any submissive wolf should have.

  “Oh? You run every day?” Caden asked. She had assumed after the accident that she wouldn’t have gone back out running in the evening. With Leroux’s threat hanging over their heads, she didn’t want a lone female like Lena out there on her own.

  “Yes, every night. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but it helps. At least it’s a lot more picturesque to run in Wolfgang County than the city.”

  Caden was grateful that Lena brought up the subject. It gave her the opportunity to warn her about setting off into the woods alone. “You have to be very careful where you run around here, Lena. There are wolves and other wild animals in the forest.”

  Lena’s eyes went wide. “Wolves?”

  She got up and walked over to sit on the chair beside Lena’s desk, feeling the need to get closer. “Yeah, you’re not in the city now. The animals are drawn down from the hills by the cattle and deer herds we keep.”

  Lena’s nervousness and anxiety were obvious as her fingers began to tap the desk in front of her. “I had no idea. The first day I moved here, I went for a run in the forest. I got lost, and I don’t remember much, but I slipped and knocked myself out. I woke up in the hospital. The doctor said someone left me in the emergency room. If they hadn’t come along—”

  On instinct, Caden leaned forward and placed her hand over Lena’s much smaller one. “Don’t worry about what might have been. Someone found you, and that’s all that matters.” She thanked the Great Mother she had found her. Her chest tightened at the thought of Lena lying on the forest floor, unconscious and helpless.

  “I wish I knew who found me, so I could speak to them.”

  She looked directly into Lena’s dark green eyes and said, “What would you say to them?”

  Lena’s breath caught as she met Caden’s gaze. “I would say thank you for saving me. Thank you for protecting me.”

  She squeezed Lena’s hand and said, “I’m sure whoever it was knows that.” Caden leaned back in her seat, releasing Lena’s hand.

  “I still have to run though. I have to exercise.”

  “Why?” Caden asked.

  “To lose weight. I hate it, but I have to do it.”

  Caden cocked her head to the side trying to work out why a female with such a womanly figure would have to lose weight. “Stick to running around town—if you stick to the populated areas, you’ll be okay.”

  “I will, from now on.”

  Caden nodded and got up to go over to the cookhouse for her lunch. She picked up her Stetson from the hook and turned back to Lena. She was itching to say the words that kept running around her head. “Lena? I know it’s none of my business what you do with your life, but can I say something to you?”

  “Yes, if you like,” Lena said.

  Caden walked closer to Lena’s desk, holding her hat to her chest. “I’m just a simple farmer, Ms. Miller. I don’t know how you city people see it, but from my experience the skinny, underweight, weak female will not attract a mate and breed.”

  Lena looked up from her seated position and forced herself to hold Caden’s determined gaze. “No?” She found Caden’s unique way of relating people to animals endearing, if not a little blunt.

  Caden leaned over the desk, coming well within her personal space. Lena instinctively lowered her eyes, as her heart raced in her chest. These were not her usual symptoms of anxiety. The feeling was different, exciting even.

  “The well-fed, stronger animal is more able to attract a mate, produce young to carry on their genes. When I look at you I see…a healthy young woman. You are perfect as you are, but I’m telling you that you must eat.”

  There was a calm, authoritative tone to Caden’s voice. She was obviously someone who was used to having her orders followed. Lena would normally cave to someone as commanding as this, but strangely she felt an unusual confidence when she was in Caden’s company. It gave her the strength to voice her true feelings.

  She watched Caden walk toward the office door and asked, “What about you?”

  Caden looked confused. “What about me?”

  She looked up and down Caden’s body, as she had done many times since meeting her. “You’re not like me. You’re tall, lean, and muscular. Why is it okay for you to be slim?”

  Caden appeared to consider her answer carefully before saying, “I am a hunter and protector. My body fits my purpose. Every animal in nature has a purpose.”

  Lena could feel energy between them. An energy that drew her to this stubborn, domineering individual—and it scared her. “What’s my purpose, Caden?”

  Caden put her Stetson on carefully and smiled at Lena’s question. “That’s up to you to work out, Lena. Be careful though—the answer might not be what you expect.”

  Lena and Caden’s truce didn’t last long. When Caden returned from the cookhouse, she brought with her a huge delicious-looking beef sandwich and a piece of apple pie. She placed them on Lena’s desk and said, “Eat it.”

  Without further explanation, Caden walked out of the office, leaving Lena enraged. “What kind of person orders someone to eat? How dare she.” Lena picked up the food and threw it straight in the trash.

  When Caden arrived back later and saw the food in the trash beside her desk, she growled and stomped off out of the office. Lena’s heart thudded hard in her chest. It took a lot to stand up for herself, but it felt good not to do as someone told her for a change.

  She could stand up for herself.

  CHAPTER SIX

  That evening the Alpha and Mater hosted some of their friends at their den for a very special celebration. Caden was walking up toward the gates that stood tall in front of the Alpha’s den. She spotted Stella and Tia ahead of her, each trying to carry some big bakery boxes.

  “Hey, Stella. Wait up.” Caden sprinted over and took the boxes from them.

  “Oh, thanks, Cade, you don’t realize it’s that far from our den, but that’s quite a hill with heavy boxes.”

  “Where’s Blaze?” Caden asked, shouldering the gate open as she asked. Blaze was Stella’s mate, one of the Alpha’s elite wolves and the county sheriff.

  “He called to say he would be late and he would meet us here. He did tell
me I should drive, but I thought it was a nice night and we would just walk.” Stella sighed.

  “So you got something tasty in here, Tia?” Caden asked Tia.

  “We’ve got a great cake for the new cub.”

  She smiled at the shy young girl. The whole pack was buzzing after the announcement that the Mater was expecting a cub. There was nothing wolves loved more than new cubs. Cubs meant health, fertility, strength of the Alpha pair and the pack, and a great cause for celebration.

  “That’s great, Tia.” She turned to Stella and smiled. “Another one for the Alpha, Stella? I think she’s trying for a whole soccer team.”

  As they approached the den door, Stella nudged her and said, “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do, Second—you better find a nice little wolf soon.”

  Caden smiled and shook her head. “Don’t start on the mating thing again, please.”

  Stella laughed, but Caden’s heart gave a silent pang. She never stopped hearing about settling down with a nice little wolf. Although she played along, projecting the committed lone-wolf image, her friends didn’t know how much she wanted what the rest of them had, but she knew with certainty that was something not meant for her.

  The large oak double doors opened, and Eden flashed a smile to her friends.

  “There she is,” Stella declared, “the most fertile wolf in Wolfgang County.” Stella engulfed her in a hug.

  Eden gave Tia a hug and told her all the other cubs were out back, and she ran off happily. “Hmm,” Eden said with mock annoyance, “it seems our Alpha only has to look at me to get me pregnant.”

  “I bet Dante did more than look at you, Mater,” Stella teased.

  Caden cleared her throat, feeling uncomfortable at the direction the conversation was taking.

  “Sorry, Cade, we’re embarrassing you,” Eden said.

  “Congratulations, Mater. I know the Alpha is over the moon at the news.” This Caden knew for certain, for as soon as Eden had told Dante, she had run in the forest, howling with joy, broadcasting to her wolves so that they would join her and share in her joy. Caden, Blaze, Flash, and her other elite wolves had heard, and ran to chase, play, and proclaim the virility of their Alpha.

  “Thank you, Cade, and yes, she’s full of energy and excitement. Drop those cakes in the kitchen and go and help her play with the cubs. Flash and the rest are already out there.”

  Caden bowed her head and made her way to the kitchen, gratefully leaving the intimate den talk behind her.

  *

  At the back of the Wolfgangs’ large timber den, there was a huge landscaped garden. There were no fences or barriers—the yard simply led into the forest, giving the family private access to all the Wolfgang lands.

  The backyard was alive with laughter, noise, and wonderful smells. Over on a raised custom-built cooking area, two pack members roasted deer over an open pit, while others, led very ably by Dante’s mother Iris, were putting out side dishes, cutlery, and drinks on a row of outdoor tables around the perimeter, where pack mates, family, and friends sat, enjoying drinks and watching the dominant wolves play soccer with some of the cubs, while others ran around squealing and playing their own games. And the Alpha was in the middle of it all, holding Conan in her arms.

  Caden walked out in the garden, and Dante greeted her with a wide smile.

  Caden thumped her hand to her chest in salute. “Alpha. Congratulations again. The pack grows from strength to strength under your and the Mater’s leadership.”

  Eden and Stella come out and headed over to Iris to help with the food. Dante’s gaze followed her mate. “I wouldn’t be half the Alpha without Eden.”

  Conan waved to Caden, and she took the one-year-old from the Alpha, ruffled behind his ears, and tickled his stomach, making the baby laugh. “Come here, little wolf.” Caden always loved playing with the Alpha’s cubs, and they loved playing with her.

  “Where’s Blaze? I didn’t see him come in with Stella.”

  Caden threw Conan over her shoulder like he weighed nothing, making the little boy giggle all the more. “He’s held up at the station. Stella says he won’t be long.”

  “Good. Come on, you two,” Dante said. “We’ve got games to play.”

  *

  The meat was finally ready, and the Alpha was called over to the spit to ritually take the first bite. Dante and Eden stood on the platform and said a few words before eating.

  “My wolves, thank you for coming to our den to share in our joy. The Mater’s pregnancy shows, yet again, what a strong and fertile pack we have. We can take great heart from the fact that the Wolfgang pack will walk on our lands for generations to come.”

  Dante took Eden’s hand and kissed it reverently before lifting it in the air to the acclaim of the pack. She howled in joy and the pack joined in.

  One of the pack, who had been cooking the deer, brought a plate full of meat and thumped his chest as he handed it over. Dante took a piece of meat from the plate and ate it before taking another succulent piece and popping it in Eden’s mouth.

  Caden took her place behind the Alpha’s cubs, to join in the ritual. The Alpha was entitled to first bite, and the act of sharing her food with the Mater gave the signal that the two wolves were bonded, and that the Alpha would always provide her mate with food. Dante handed the plate to Dion, and each of the cubs took one bite. Then it was Caden’s turn. After taking a bite, she returned the plate to the cooks, and Dante declared, “Eat, my wolves.”

  As the wolves stood in line for their food, Caden noticed Dion getting an extra-large portion of meat and walking proudly across to where her sister Megan and Tia were sitting. As she watched Dion starting the mating ritual by sharing her food with Tia, it suddenly struck Caden what she had done today: she had brought food for Lena.

  She had offered Lena food. What was she doing, giving food to a human? I just felt sorry for her. It didn’t mean anything, and anyway, she threw it away. Caden felt an unexpected sense of sadness at that thought. She’d offered Lena food, and she’d thrown it away.

  *

  Caden joined Dante and her family to eat. “This is good, Mater,” she said. She and Dante had finished a huge portion of meat and were now working on some of the delicious side dishes that she and some of the other wolves had brought, but her favorite was the Mater’s potato salad. She was eating her own meal with Conan on her knee, feeding him little bites of the meat.

  “Thanks, Cade, I’m always happy to see my wolves eating well. You don’t eat enough home-cooked food.”

  Caden thought back to today at the office, and how her offer of food to Lena had been disregarded. Beneath the anger, what she really felt was hurt at the rejection of her offer, and she didn’t like that emotion one bit.

  “You need to find a nice wolf to share mealtimes with, and stop eating takeout all the time,” Eden said.

  Caden sighed and played with the food on her plate. She watched the closeness of the Alpha and Mater. Dante always kept a possessive paw on Eden, and she envied it. Wolf couples were normally extremely tactile, but even more so when one of the pair was pregnant. Caden couldn’t even imagine the happiness that would bring. To love and protect a pregnant mate was a dream, and all it would ever be, she thought sadly.

  “You know I’m not destined for a mate.” She was becoming tired of having this conversation. This was the second time tonight—first Stella and now the Mater.

  “A wolf mate, yes,” Eden said.

  Caden looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”

  Eden fed Conan a piece of meat and looked to Dante and then back to Caden. “Just like I said. Your grandmother said you weren’t meant to have a wolf mate.”

  Caden thought hard. “What other kind of mate is—” Lena’s face burst into her mind. A human mate.

  She dropped her fork onto her plate, and Eden just smiled at her. Oh no. No, no, no. That was not going to happen.

  Dante filled the silence by saying, “If the right one comes along, I’m s
ure she’ll tell you. I know Eden did.”

  Caden did not like the smug look on Eden’s face as she continued to feed Conan.

  “That’s my good little cub. Eat up all your food, and you can have some cake. Good boy,” Eden told the smiling boy.

  “Pater?” Megan said.

  “What is it, my sweet cub?” Dante answered while munching on more food.

  “Why isn’t Dion sitting with us to eat? She always eats with us.”

  Dante gave Eden a desperate look, but Eden just smiled in response. “Well, Dion asked permission to share her food with Tia, and your mommy and I thought that would be okay.”

  Megan seemed to think about this information very carefully. “So if I find a wolf I like, I can go and share their food?”

  Dante’s lip curled into a snarl, and Eden immediately jumped in to say, “Well, when you find a nice wolf, we can talk about it, Meggie.”

  Caden pitied any young wolf that came to the Alpha hoping to start mating rituals with her daughter. They would need to be stupid, brave, or both. Wolves were always worried about a submissive cub’s first foray into mating, male or female.

  Eden nudged Dante. “What? Oh yes, Meggie, of course. We’ll talk about it when…when you’re a bit older.”

  Caden ruffled Megan’s blond hair. “And when some wolf that’s worthy enough comes along. Eh, Alpha?”

  “Exactly. Thank you, Second.”

  Megan seemed to take this very well and said happily. “Okay. Dommos are yucky anyway—well, except Dion and maybe Nix when she’s not being annoying.”

  Caden laughed softly. Phoenix, another of Dion’s friends, had a nose for trouble.

  “Yes, they are yucky. Just remember that, my sweet cub,” Dante said seriously, and Eden glared at her, but she just smiled in return. “What?”

  They were interrupted by Dion and Tia running up to the table. “Mom, Pater? Some of the other cubs are going running in the forest—can I go too?”

  “Me too, Dion?” Megan said excitedly.

  “Sure, Meggie,” Dion said generously.

  Eden looked to Dante and then said, “Have you asked your mom, Tia?”