Pack Mentality

by Idella Breen

Silvia shifts in her seat and glances at Jezebel before looking back at Gwen. "Am I not attractive?"

  Gwen shook her head. "You're very beautiful. As is Jazz. It really has nothing to do with either of you and more to do with the fact that I don't like sex, in general."

  Jezebel continued to study her but Silvia cleared her throat. "Is there a medical reason?"

  Gwen frowned but shook her head. "I think I've always been this way. And I'm not ashamed of it."

  Finally, Jezebel spoke, "There's no reason to be ashamed. Thank you for being comfortable enough to share this with us, Gwen."

  Gwen smiled nervously. "I still want to be in a relationship with both of you though. Are you still willing?"

  Silvia held up a hand. "Wait, let me try to understand."

  Gwen nodded and Silvia took that as her cue to continue. "Are you saying that you're neither sexually attracted to Jazz nor I?"

  "That's correct."

  Silvia continued. "But you still want to be in a relationship?"

  Gwen frowned. "Yes, if you are willing."

  "But you won't have sex with us?"

  "No."

  Silvia was quiet for a moment before she said, "Why not?"

  Gwen tried not to sigh. She really did, but she couldn't hold back the sagging of her shoulders or the released heavy breath. "Silvia, I like you both very much. You're both beautiful, ascetically. Heck, sometimes I feel like I get a bit dazzled when I look at either of you and lose my breath for a moment, but I'm asexual. I don't get much pleasure out of sex and before you ask, it doesn't have to do with me having the right partner or anything like that. It could be anyone and it would be the same result. Sex doesn't bring me joy regardless of my partner. Every time I have it I feel like I'm betraying myself in some way. As I said, it has more to do with me than either of you. But both of you are my mates and I'm sorry that I marked the both of you with the blood bond of lovers without your consent but you kind of did consent even if you didn't know you were."

  Gwen took another deep breath, "I would be honored to be in a relationship with both of you. I see you both as more than friends. You would be my partners and my lovers even though sex wouldn't be something I could give you. I want to have an intimate relationship with both of you."

  Silvia was quiet as she studied Gwen. Jezebel reached out and placed her hand on top of Gwen's and smiled. "I knew after our first date Gwen, but thank you again for explaining."

  "You both already had a date?" Silvia huffed out.

  Gwen blushed but nodded.

  "I see how it is," She scowled and crossed her arms looking away like a petulant child.

  Gwen moved forward and placed her hand in Silvia's intertwining their fingers into a knot. "If you accept the blood bond I'll have all the dates you want, Silvia."

  The inuyoukai grumbled but tightened her hold on her hand. She mumbled something too quiet for Gwen to hear.

  "What was that?"

  Silvia turned to face her. "I can respect that you don't want to have sex though I do think it's a shame. But I demand that there be cuddles," her voice was haughty but Gwen could make out the insecurity in her expression.

  Gwen smiled. "Of course."

  "And kisses, if you're willing."

  "Absolutely."

  "And hand-holding."

  "We're doing that right now."

  "And — "

  Jezebel cut her off. "We get it, Silvia, you're needy. Can we please move on?"

  "Why you — "

  Gwen tightened her hold silencing Silvia and smiling pleasantly at her. Jezebel nodded, pleased, and continued. "So how do we go about all of this then?"

  "The blood bond?"

  Jezebel nodded.

  "Well, normally we would have just had sex and I'd bite both of you but I kind of jumped the gun." Gwen reached out and gently touched the tattoo that replaced the bite on Silvia's neck. It was of a crescent moon surrounded by tiny black stars. There were black trees and the depiction of a forest all contained within the dark outline of a circle. Gwen turned to Jezebel. Her bite displayed a sun surrounded by a mountainous range. It had the black outlines of birds flying around the clouded sky and a prairie below. It was also contained within the dark outline of a circle. Both tattoos were only about as big as a silver dollar and yet they sent a spark of thrill down Gwen's spine.

  "Any suggestions?"

  Gwen shrugged. "The bite has already healed as a symbol to make the blood bond official."

  "Wait, why do we have to have sex first?" Silvia asked.

  "Oh, right! What do you guys know about blood bonds? We can start there."

  "Nothing, if I'm being honest," Jezebel said.

  Silvia shrugged when Gwen looked at her. "Right, well I'll give both of you the cliff notes. I'm an omega so the way it works with me is slightly different than other types of werewolves anyway. During the blood bond of lovers, the werewolf would bite their lover while in their wolf form and after having sex. The reason it is done this way is that when the wolf comes to the surface I would somewhat lose control and am controlled completely by instinct. My wolf then has to decide whether the mate before it is worthy of the blood bond. So long as the mate doesn't show fear or weakness then the wolf has to decide what type of bond to form. It decides this through instinct. The smell of sex leads it to instinctively form the bond of lovers. If it was the bond of friends it could be performed at any time so long as it's not during sex."

  Silvia said, "Why is it different with you?"

  "Well, I'm an omega. My wolf is naturally submissive and omegas have to mate with alphas due to instinct. Usually, I would be receiving the bite. If I mated to another werewolf, we would give each other a bite. The other part is that you are both dominant. I believe you are both alpha types of your own species, right?"

  Jezebel nodded but Silvia looked down at their joined hands. "I was set to take leadership of my pack but I was disowned before I could."

  Gwen tightened her hold. "That doesn't change who you are."

  Silvia straightened her back and held her head high. "No, it doesn't. Yes, I am also an alpha. How does that change things?"

  Gwen smiled. "I don't know much about either of your species mating rituals, but as a werewolf, you must both take my bite, but as an omega, I'll need to be claimed. My instincts demand it."

  Silvia looked thoughtful for a moment then opened her mouth but was interrupted by Jezebel. "Nekomusume's don't particularly claim in any way besides to mate. We get married like some people, though it is actually rare, as cat demons usually take multiple mates to build large and strong prides. To show our claim over our mates it is common to give them a bracelet baring our family crest. I'm from one of the largest prides in North America as we have many branches leading back to the main family. I'm a Vega. The Vega's are the family from which all others descend. We hold the position as the main house and are direct descendants of the gods from the heavens. We were molded from the stars and have inherited the earth."

  Jezebel paused dramatically then chuckled softly, "Or so I'm told. My family is an old one and there is much history as well as tradition. I have a bracelet with my family crest that my grandmother made when I was young for me to bestow upon my first mate. Is that enough to please your instincts."

  Gwen smiled, teeth and all. "I would be honored oh great Vega," she laughed. "Yes, a bracelet of your family crest would be enough." Gwen turned to Silvia when she heard her clear her throat. Silvia was glaring at Jezebel who was smirking back at her.

  "Inuyoukai mark their mates by scent. This is done by simply being in my presence and allowing me to touch you but it is also tradition for inuyoukai's to gift their mates with a fang from their demon form. This can be crafted into a piece of jewelry."

  Jezebel hummed softly. "Don't dog demons fangs have magical qualities?"

  Silvia nodded. "They hold the qualities of the demon from which they come. I am from the main house of my pack, the Cain family. I am a full-blooded demon
without taint to my blood, therefore, I have abilities. My demon form is known for the toxins it produces."

  Gwen frowned. "You're poisonous?"

  Silvia nodded. "As a dog demon, I produce demonic magic and my abilities deal with poison. My fang will have properties of this demonic magic and depending on what and how it is crafted the jewelry it produces will hold these properties."

  "Could you make me a necklace?" Gwen asked.

  "Yes, we will all need to make something," Jezebel thought out loud. "I can make you a bracelet as well Silvia. My grandmother taught me how to make them."

  Silvia grimaced but Gwen was beginning to realize that was how these two women showed affection for one another. "I suppose I can make a necklace from my fang for you as well."

  Jezebel smiled lazily as she pulled Gwen's hand, that was now intertwined with her's, up to her lips and kissed her knuckle. "Then it’s settled. I will make the bracelet and Silvia will craft a necklace for the both of us from her fang. Does this sound acceptable?"

  "Sure," Gwen chuckled.

  "Well, now that's done, movie?" Jezebel offered.

  Gwen grinned. "Aren't we doing this Netflix and chill out of order?"

  Jezebel gave a lazy grin while Silvia frowned in confusion. "Why, Gwen, dear, I haven't a clue of what you speak of."

  "Netflix and chill?" Silvia asked and Gwen lost it in peels of laughter.

  "I believe this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship!" Gwen said as she snuggled down in the seat between her mates.

  13

  Jazz chopped vegetables. Jazz chopped vegetables and sang to the song playing on her speakers. It was Marvin Gaye’s, Let’s Get It On. Jazz chopped, sang, and even danced a little jig. She did all these things at the same time because Jezebel was talented, something Silvia was now intimately aware of, and amazing. She glanced up at the clock above the stove. It was almost time for her siblings to come home.

  She was expecting a knock, most likely from Mary, as she tended to forget her house key like it was a personal vendetta. There should have been a knock at the front door soon. It would have made this a typical Sunday. Sunday’s were supposed to be relaxing, restful, and nicer days than Saturday because Friday’s and Saturdays were pure chaos. Sunday’s were meant to be used to regroup and prepare for the absolute disorganization of her weeks.

  Jezebel had come to truly love Sunday’s ever since she’d taken custody of her siblings. She was not expecting her music to suddenly cut off in the middle of the chorus nor for the soft smooth tones of Marvin to be replaced with the jilting knives that this particular woman’s voice was known for. It cut out over the sounds of sizzling and sautéing vegetables.

  “Really, Jezebel, must you be so common? Didn’t I teach you that peasants cook for themselves? We are royalty. Royalty doesn’t touch a kitchen let alone know how to use the utensils within one.”

  Jezebel spun around and stared at a woman she had hoped to never have to see again. Yet, she knew it was only a matter of time before her mother paid her a visit to make sure her investments were still useful. Senna Vega, in all her six-foot pinstriped glory, stood by the stereo with one hand on her hip and the other holding down the pause button as if it had personally offended her.

  “Still haven’t figured out where the stop button is, I see.”

  Senna pursed her lips. “Technology is a peasants creation. Royalty owns people to deal with it.”

  Jezebel shrugged and pulled out the chuck for the stew she was in the middle of making. Her good mood was effectively dead on arrival.

  Senna sniffed. “What are you cooking?”

  “To peasant for your pallet?”

  “Perhaps.”

  Jezebel pulled out the butcher's knife and began hacking off the too fatty bits. “Good, you won’t be staying then.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I only came to tell you one thing. A queen doesn’t mingle with her offspring. I gave birth to all of you, I did all the work, the rest is up to you and the peasants. You should never have fired all of them. I don’t know what—”

  “Mother!”

  Senna stopped her rant and met her eldest’s eyes.

  Jezebel looked up from the cubed meat. She mindlessly tossed it into the pot. “Why are you here?”

  Senna adjusted her stance, holding her head high and her shoulders back. “I require you, Mary, Aaron, and Sheik to join I and the rest of those from the pride that I’ve chosen, to participate as allies in a land dispute alongside the McCloud Clan against the Lander Clan.”

  There was silence, a silence that was only broken by the sizzle of seared meat as it hit the bottom of the pot and mingled with the garlic, onions, and oil.

  “No.”

  Senna nodded her head. “Good, I’m glad you—” Senna’s green eyes opened fully to rest on Jezebel’s sharp jade. Jezebel both resented the Vega’s dominant color of green and thought it was a beautiful gift, as every day when she looked in the mirror she was reminded of who she was and the burdens she was meant to carry, yet every day when she sat at the dining table she stared into siblings gifted with the same colored eyes and felt like she truly belonged.

  Senna’s frown was prominent on her usually stoic face. “I’m sorry. I think I misheard you.”

  “Still arrogant and hard of hearing, I see. Age hasn’t done you well, Mother. I said, no. End of discussion. Now leave.”

  Jezebel stabbed the knife into the chopping block and held her mother’s gaze unflinchingly. Neither moved, spoke, nor even blinked. This time Jezebel was interrupted with a knock at her front door. She cursed under her breath. The cheerful sounds of her siblings filled the cavernous house and their stare off was broken by Mary, who was carrying Elijah, and Aaron who was pocketing his house key, as they entered the kitchen.

  “I’m telling you, oh monstrous brother of mine, that I grabbed my key, it just leaped off my key chain again.”

  “You forgot it, sis. Just admit—”

  The stopped in the doorway.

  “Why did you two—” Sheik came in after them and paused next to them. Jezebel wanted to scream and only counted the small blessing that her other siblings were currently all staying over at friends houses and yet to be picked up.

  “Mom?”

  It was Sheik that spoke and Jezebel immediately knew she had to act fast or this wasn’t going to end in her favor.

  “Was just leaving,” Jezebel said.

  “Mom, what are you doing here?” Aaron asked.

  Senna grinned in predatory delight. “My darlings, how long has it been? How wonderful you all look?” She didn’t spare Elijah a glance, Jezebel knew he didn’t suit her purpose. “I was just telling your sister that I need you four to join the pride in a minor land dispute.

  “Minor—” Aaron said.

  “—Land dispute” Sheik interrupted.

  Senna frowned and turned a disappointed look to Jezebel. “Really, Jezebel, haven’t you taught them anything?”

  She turned back to the others. “War, my darlings. But only a minor one. It’s really more about participation than anything else. I’d be delighted if you’d join your pride and I. Would you?”

  Aaron smiled. “You’ll be there?”

  “Of course!”

  Sheik and Aaron spoke at the same time. “Yes!”

  Jezebel snarled. “You will not!”

  Aaron and Sheik looked as if she’d stuck them. Senna grinned and walked up to them handing them each a business card, careful not to touch Elijah. She sang out as she made her way to the front door. “You aren’t her slaves. She has no true control over you. You are my children. I await your call. Ta ta, lovelies.”

  The front door slammed shut. They all stood still as stone but like stone, once they began to roll, only another element could stop them and like stone, they would sink, and sink they did, to the bottom of the lake of despair their mother had slowly cultivated from their tears of neglect and desperation to be acknowledged.

  Jezebel couldn
’t stop Aaron and Sheik from dialing the number the next day after school nor could she prevent them from climbing into the black car that came for them. All she could do was let Mary hold her and hold back her tears as she bit into her bottom lip.

  She’d fought so hard for them and yet she knew deep down that she couldn’t keep her siblings from the clutches of their mother. They didn’t know the kind of woman she truly was, but they would soon know, and it would crush them. Children dream of kind mothers with soft voices that tell them stories at bedtime and gently guide them when making a pie. Children didn’t dream of narcissistic mothers that only saw them as a means to an end.

  They didn’t dream of mothers that put them in harms way without a second thought as to their safety and they didn’t dream of mothers that sniffed when they were too weak to kill for her.

  Aaron and Sheik would soon know, and then they would never forget, because when your mother puts you to your death for her own gains you don’t forget such a lesson. Jezebel just had to make sure they would live long enough to never forget such a thing because there was no such thing as a minor war. War meant death, this was unquestionable, this was undeniable, and death meant loss. No, no war was minor. The cost of them was always too great even when it wasn’t enough to win one.

  “You’ve betrayed me?” Art grumbled from his seat behind his desk. They were in his study again. Silvia wondered if it made him feel important.

  Silvia sighed and leaned against the chair in front of Art’s desk, “How so?”

  “You’ve spoken with the enemy!” Art slammed his hand down on his desk.

  Silvia waved her hand in the air absently. “And how do you know this? How do you know I wasn’t collecting the very information you told me to collect for your war?”

  Art paused. “Well, were you?”

  “Their forces are minimum at best. With our allies, we outnumber them, two to one. But they are trained well. Remus is no fool and he is no amateur to battles for land. He can strategize well enough when the situation calls for it, and his tactics are adaptable, but his omega is preoccupied with her mate.”