Chapter One
“Delilah, are you alright?” My mother asked, knocking on my door. I shook my head, tears still falling from my cheeks. “Do you want to talk about it?” She persisted, coming to sit beside me on my bed.
I paused, trying to find a good starting point. “It isn’t fair, Mama. Why do I have be betrothed already? Why couldn’t I have remained unattached and free to date whomever? It’s cruel!”
“Your father and I only want what’s best for you. Your betrothed is a wonderful wolf. He’s truly perfect for you. He’s intelligent, handsome, protective, loyal, strong, a very skillful fighter, mature beyond his years, knows his duty and he’s the best tracker in his pack. You can’t ask for a better match, nor can you hope for one.”
“But I don’t want him! How could you and Dad take away my will like that? Take it away before I was old enough to understand and make my own choice? It’s not fair! It’s cruel, selfish and totally outlandish. No one is betrothed these days!”
“I know how you feel, sweetheart. But you must have faith. Your father and I know what’s best and we only want the best mate for you.”
“Bullshit! You just wanted to have an excuse to have me out of your pelts as soon as possible. I bet you haven’t even met him!” I accused, my rage at being betrothed making me lash out at my mother.
“Now, wait a minute, pup! You will not address your mother and Alpha Female in such a way! I have met Riley and I agree with your father. He is the One.”
“No! I’m the one who will decide his role in my life, in my heart. And I hate him! I hate that he’s alive, fully capable of snatching away my life, my independence. I hate that I have no choice but to take him as my Alpha and mate. I hate that I can’t make one single choice about my future! I hate all of this betrothed shit! I hate you for agreeing with Father and allowing this ill-wanted match!” I shouted. I turned, dropped my head and jumped through my window, only to keep going and jump off the balcony.
It was a short drop to the ground, but it was enough time for me to phase into my wolf form. My front paws hit the ground first. One beat later, my back paws touched earth and I bolted as soon as I could. I dug my claws into the soft soil, coaxing more speed out of my limbs.
I ran through the forest in my backyard, through the dark trees and bushes, into the everlasting shadows that is my refuge when I’m a wolf.
Enraged by my lack of choices in a possible beaux, and my mother’s full agreement in my betrothal, I did not stop until I was deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, searching for a place where no one can find me, not even my over-ruling father and Jazz, the best tracker in the pack.
“Delilah….” My father’s voice entered my thoughts and I immediately dephased before he could order me home. I continued my run, my speed unchanged. I was going to run away, far away, where no one could find me and force me to marry Riley. I was going to forget all about Riley, my parents, and my life as soon as I was settled. I could move in with another pack, change my name, become an Omega and live out my days with a mate of my choice. Yes, that was the solution to all of my troubles!
Turning North, I raced for my pack’s border. It was a long run, but I made it, thanks to my super-endurance. I paused, knowing it was Taboo to enter another pack’s territory without an invitation. Then, the bushes rattled on the other side.
“Hello!” I called, hoping it was a wolf of the Sun Pack.
“Who’s there?” A male voice answered. He stepped out of the bushes. His height and attire fully suggested he was a wolf fresh out of his wolf form. His shorts came up to his knees and he was shirtless. “Who are you? Get back!” He ordered, his lips pulling over his teeth and he let out a snarl of aggression. I held up my hands and lowered my head in submission. “I come in peace. I merely seek refuge and a council with Zeke. I mean no harm.”
“Who are you?” He barked, his aggression unwavering.
“My name is Delilah.” I said, knowing it would make an impression.
“Your Zak’s daughter. What are you doing here? Political matters?”
“I am his daughter, but I am not of his pack.”
“What do you mean? How can you turn your back on your parents?”
“Please, I just want to see Zeke.”
“Alright. Come with me, Delilah.” He agreed, turning half away from me. I crossed the border in a heartbeat and stuck to the man’s side.
Chapter Two
“What do you mean she’s crossed to the Sun’s Pack territory?” Zak yelled, shocked and furious at the same time. Poor Brian could tell Zak was furious and he was afraid of what Zak would do to him. Zak was not an Alpha to cross and some members of the pack had scars from bearing him bad news. When news so bad as this reached his ears, Zak turned abusive. He even overacted to his daughter’s harmless play with other children. She tried to mimic her father by playing Alpha with the other children and Zak hadn’t liked the role she had been playing. It wasn’t how she was playing, but the role. She was never meant to be the leader of a pack, just the Alpha’s whore and pup-factory, and he didn’t want her entertaining such ideas as she might rule her pack as an equal leader as Riley , so Zak’s idea of fixing it was to beat her.
“Just that, sir. She asked to see Zeke and the wolf let her through.”
“No! She can’t be…” Zak yelled, slamming his fist on his desk. “Brian, gather my wife and Dingo. We’re going to get my daughter back.”
“Yes, sir.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“So, Delilah, why are you here?” Zeke asked me, sitting down in his chair.
“Sir, I have abandoned my father’s pack and I humbly request to join yours.” I said, bowing my head and getting on my knees. “I will do whatever you ask of me. I swear.”
“You’re swearing is unnecessary, Delilah. Now, tell me, why have you left?”
“I…I was unhappy in my father’s pack. I left because I could not stand it any longer.”
“And what was the cause of your unhappiness?”
“An agreement was made when I was a pup. This agreement took away my right to choices and I grew sick of having no say in anything, most of all my choice in potential mates.”
“Oh! A betrothal. A very medieval act. Tell me, child, have you met your betrothed?”
“No, sir. But I hate him all the same. He is alive and I have no rights as long as I remain with my father’s pack.”
“But you have left. So why not go rogue?”
“Because I crave being with my fellow wolves. I could not handle being alone.”
Zeke was silent for a while, then he smiled, laughed and slapped me on the back.
“Congratulations, Delilah. You have passed the test.”
“Test, sir?”
“Yes. Welcome to the Sun Pack.”
“Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!”
“Now, let’s see. We need to iron out your rank and name. History. Yes, we’re going to completely re-invent you, Delilah.”
I remained silent, knowing the name and rank was traditional when a wolf switched loyalties, but why change my history?
“Umm, sir. One question?”
“Of course, my dear.”
“Why are we deliberating my history? I see no problem with leaving it the way it is.”
“Because of your previous loyalty to your father’s pack, my pack would target you as unfaithful. They will not trust you and my warriors would not share with you my battle plans, in fear of you tattling to your father. I know this will not happen because, coincidentally, I have the perfect opening for you. Beta.”
“B-Beta, sir?”
“Yes. Because of your long-standing past with your father’s pack, you have bountiful leadership qualities and training. You would do well as my Beta and successor.”
“Succ…Successor?! Alpha…”
“Now, no arguing. I know it is a lot to take in, but it has been decided. You are my Beta and apprentice. As for your name, we’ll call you Sora.”
“Yes, sir. Very well.”
“You’re history is going to be tricky. Born into a pack, Alpha’s daughter, but your pack was slaughtered and you were the only survivor. You’ve been a rogue since, for five years. In the five years, you’ve grown tough, but you crave the protection and safety of a pack. You have heard of my pack’s reputation and, after being turned away from the Lune Pack, you came here to apply for whatever rank is open. Sound alright?”
“Yes, sir. You’ve covered all of the stops. Very well.”
“Welcome, Sora, to the Sun Pack.” He said, closing the private ceremony.
I bowed, accepting my new life. “It will be an honor and pleasure serving you, Alpha.”
“Now, come. We must hold a meeting and introduce you to your new pack.”
“Hold it right there, Zeke!” Father yelled, bursting through the double doors. Father was visibly shaking with rage, his eyes looked like he could set me aflame and he was in full protection mode. He was accompanied by Mother and Dingo, Father’s Beta and successor.
“Zak! Welcome..”
“Just cut the shit, Zeke. Why is my daughter here?”
“I thought Dingo here would have filled you in, Father. I’ve abandoned your pack and joined Zeke’s. I am his Beta now and we’ve re-written my history. You no longer have any control over me.” I said, finally gathering the courage to challenge my father is such a way.
“You have not done anything except break Taboo. And the Law requires that in such a case as a wolf crossing the borders, that wolf’s previous Alpha retains full control until judgment is passed and carried out. That means you are still mine and I forbid you from ever consorting with any of the Sun Pack.”
“You can’t do that! I’m not yours! I am Zeke’s now. He has my loyalty and no one else.”
“Delilah, come!” Father shouted still, switching to his Order voice. I felt a great pull to obey his will, to move my feet and approach him.
No! He can’t be right. I am of the Sun Pack now, not the Lune Pack!! I shouted in my head, fighting the force with all of my will. Thankfully, my feet stayed in place, but I was having a hard time keeping them there. They shook with my effort to disobey and my strength was quickly leaving me.
“Zeke!” I squeaked, begging for his help.
“Sora, come here.” Zeke said, his voice Ordering, but still calm. I felt no effects. It’s true. I do still belong to Father. But I refused to give in to Father’s command. I tried to move my feet backward, toward Zeke, but I was not strong enough to refuse Father’s command and then pick up my foot. If I lifted my foot, the force will overcome me and I’ll be swept away to stand at Father’s side once more.
“No! I won’t go with you! You can’t make me and I am in Zeke’s pack now. You have no power over me!”
“You forgot the vital word, daughter. ‘previous Alpha’. That’s me. Now, come!” He shouted, his Order gaining far more power and it was humiliating to feel my feet slip towards him. At first, it was one foot and an inch. But that one inch sparked a chain reaction. Soon, it was both and full steps, then I was running headlong into Father’s arms and tears were streaming down my face as I abandoned Zeke and the life he had almost made for me. I bowed my head in shame, tears still running down my cheeks, and stayed in place until Father and Zeke finished and Father bade me to come. I glanced at Zeke before I left, a single glance that held so much regret, apologies and sadness. I really wanted the life I almost had, to be free of my parents, to be free to make choices, but that stupid Taboo had ruined everything and sealed my fate with Riley and the Lune Pack.
Chapter Three
“I can’t believe you would do something like that, Delilah! You turned your back on me, your mother and your pack. You abandoned us! If it hadn’t been for my quick thinking, you would have been accepted as a new member of the Sun Pack, a future I will do my best to keep you from. They are barbarians and you ran right into their paws. Have I raised such an idiotic and unfaithful pup? I raised you to be the Alpha Female of your pack with Riley, the Domiscuss Pack, and I set you up for a life with luxury, love and power. And you almost throw it all out the window! Do you have any idea of how ashamed I am of you?! You went against all that I and my pack stand for. You go against your Alphas and you break Taboo. Well, here is your punishment for your disobedience. You will marry Riley, as you were born to. You will be the most devoted mate, best Alpha Female and you will bear his pups. But this is only half of your overall punishment. For breaking Taboo, you and Riley will meet in forty-eight hours and will be married in thirty-six. You will not object to this union, you will only receive him and be the best wolf you can be for him, and him alone. My judgment is passed, my verdict final and your punishments begin now.” He slammed his fist on his desk, breaking the beautiful wood in half. I stood there, silent as the forest before a storm, and kept repeating vile, loathsome things about my father in my head. I was furious that my deed had done no good, and brought my wedding date closer. And now I have no hope of escaping. At least he hadn’t laid a hand on me. He probably didn’t want my skin bruised when I married Riley and he took me to the marriage bed and tip Riley off about my violent upbringing.
Zak dismissed me and my mother accompanied me to my room. I entered, flopped down on the bed, watched as she locked all of my windows, then exited my bedroom and locked the door. There was no hope of escape and I finally let the tears flow.
Chapter Four
Riley
I got Zak’s call just as I was heading up to my bedchamber to spend the rest of the night in the arms of one of the maids. I was passing the phone as it rang and I was quick to grab it and put it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Riley! So glad I caught you! Did I wake you?”
“No, Zak, I was awake anyway. Why did you call?”
“I hate to cause any inconveniences for you but I had a little talk with my daughter and I’ve decided to move up the date. Can you be here in two days? Same place as we’ve agreed on previously?”
“Why the change in date? I mean, it’s no inconvenience, but shouldn’t you called me and asked me?”
“I know I should have, but I had a troubling matter that needed dealing with immediately and her sentence is already being carried out.”
“Who’s sentence? What happened?”
“Delilah got the idea that if she abandoned her pack then she would be free. In her attempt to flee, she broke Taboo by crossing borders uninvited. I was able to get her back before any harm was done and I think I have sufficiently broken her to my will. Her sentence is moving up both the meeting date and the wedding date.”
“Okay. I’m sorry you had to go to so much trouble. I promise, she won’t think of doing it with me.”
“I know she won’t. Her punishment for disobedience was to be a good mate to you. She won’t try anything.”
“I will still discipline her, to ensure it. You moved up the wedding date?” I asked, leaning against the wall. I was starting to panic now. I have been betrothed since I was a boy, but the idea of being married three months from now was still making me uneasy. But to have the date suddenly changed made me feel like a rabbit with a white coat in a green forest against a pack of wolves.
“Twelve hours after the meeting.” Zak stated, simple as one plus one. I started shaking, my eyes growing huge, and my breath was rapid and broken. I had thirty-six more hours to enjoy my independence and then I was chained to one female for life.
“Thirty-six hours until I’m married?” I whispered, my throat clogged from shock and fear.
“That’s correct. And I’m sorry for the sudden change. I know you must be scared.”
“It’s okay. It was going to happen eventually. Might as well happen now, right?”
“Something like that. Well, it must be late over there. Please call me with your travel information.”
“Of course. I’ll see you soon, Zak. Good night.”
“Good night, Riley.”
I hung up the phone, merely dropping my hand and letting my fingers relax. The phone clicked into place and I was plastered to the wall, trying to comprehend my new life. In thirty-six hours, I will be facing my betrothed and saying ‘I do’. I don’t know what she looked like, I don’t know her personality, her likes or dislikes. All I know is her name, pack rank, her training and the fact that she is my betrothed. And now she was going to be meeting me for the first time in forty-eight hours and marrying me in thirty-six. It was too much to comprehend. I stumbled to my room in a daze, barely able to stay on my feet.
Chapter Five
Riley
I waited with my pack at the opposite side of the clearing. Zak had orchestrated every detail beforehand and debriefed us a few hours ago, when my pack convened in this clearing. The Domiscuss pack would wait at the north end and I in the center of the clearing. The Lune Pack would enter from the south and Delilah would approach me on her own. And then we would begin the acceptance ritual. It’s not brutal or anything, but it is binding.
I was talking with my Beta, Zasper, about the arrangements. After the wedding, Delilah would fly back to Tennessee with me and the rest of us and live out her days with the Domiscuss clan. After tonight, she will stay by my side so we can get accustomed to the other’s presence. She’ll even sleep at the hotel with us, in the same bed with me, but I won’t touch her. That action is strictly for after the vows when it comes to Alphas. I only bedded the maids because I was allowed and they aren’t wolves. But, I digress.
I knew it when the Lune clan made their approach. There was a subtle sound wolves make when they phase. When the organs stretch or shrink and move, when the bones grow, move and reshape and the skin changes. And there were many sounds, at least fifty. This indicated a whole pack was phasing and there was only one pack besides mine in the vicinity. The Lune Pack. She was here!
All conversations ceased and all eyes were diverted to the other side of the clearing, where the first sounds only we could hear came closer. At last, figures broke the trees and my eyes shot to the woman with white hair beside the older blonde.
That’s got to be her. The platinum blonde. That’s got to be her! Delilah.
The figures drew closer until all fifty had exited the clearing, but one kept going. Her face was set and hard, her muscles tense and there was a fire in her eyes. I watched as she glided closer, every bit the princess she was raised to be, and I wanted so badly to run to her and just get the binding over with. But Zak would never forgive me if I ruined his one chance at directing his mini play so I stayed still as the bane of my life swept closer to me until she was right where I could grab her. But I still made no move.
“Delilah?” I asked, starting the ancient ritual.
“Riley?”
“It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Really? Cause I haven’t heard anything about you. And I don’t think it’s nice to meet you!” She spat back. I was shocked. She couldn’t be the Delilah I’ve heard nothing but good from. But then she has always hated our betrothal and the meeting date was suddenly moved forward three months. Of course she’ll be like this. I felt the same way, only I blamed it on Zak and not on her.
“Delilah, this is a happy moment. You’re meeting your betrothed and starting your life with me. You should not be so angry.”
“I don’t care! You can go to hell and I’d still hate you. Because of you, I have no rights and no choices and I wish you were dead!”
I was speechless. She hadn’t even met me and she was cursing me to hell.
“No rights? No choices? Delilah, I would never take those from you.”
“Really? Then why can’t I let David love me, and I him? Because I’m betrothed to you. Mother said I have to always be true to you and everything. But I won't. With every breath I take, I will fight you. I refuse to be faithful, I refuse to be loyal, I refuse to obey, I refuse to be docile. And I will also curse you to the seventh circle of hell, dream you meet the most horrible death, every day I live. I hope the pups we will have are malformed, stupid, and die at birth. I hope for every misfortune to fall upon your head. And I promise, I will make life a living hell for you. Such I promise and such it will be." she growled, advancing, hatred, loathing and everything related shining in her eyes. I backed up, grew pale and realized that not only was she a bitch, but I had underestimated her. Zak was right. I will have my hands full.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Delilah. I'd so hoped you would accept me. But even if all of this comes to pass, I still accept you as my betrothed and mate." I said, the last part putting the responsibility of getting married on my shoulders. Delilah's mouth twisted, lips forming a crooked, thin line, hatred and dislike in her eyes. But she knew she had no choice. She has to accept, as is the Law.
"And I accept you." She growled so fiercely that I was barely able to understand her words. And so the final part began. I advanced, a grin on my face, and I took her into my arms, closed the distance between us and captured her lips with mine.
Delilah paused, froze up. She tried to pull away, now that the acceptance ceremony was complete. But my grip was too tight. My hands had circled her face and when she tried to move away, I squeezed so very gently as a warning. I wasn't going to let this kiss end until I wanted it to and it wasn't going to end anytime soon. I increased the pressure, the heat and people from both packs started whistling and cat-calling but I didn't listen. I could feel her cheeks start to heat up, blushing, but I kept going, my kiss getting violent. In my kiss, I warned her of my strength and she started to squirm a little as she realized how strong I am but I still didn't let her go. Through the pressure of our connected lips, I told her how willing I was to fight to save our relationship, how powerful I am and how weak she is. I told her just what kind of trouble she was getting into.
I had just opened my mouth when a sudden pain entered my lower lip. I pulled away with a quiet yelp. Delilah was breathing hard, her teeth bared and red. A salty taste came to my tongue and a warm liquid ran down my chin. I wiped it off with my hand and it came away red. I licked the inside of my lip, put my finger to the wound and it also came away red. She bit me. The little bitch bit me.
As I was processing this, shouts of outrage and astonishment erupted among the packs but I didn't hear them. I was just staring at her, sure that hatred and violence was filling my eyes as quickly as my temper was rising to new, far more dangerous levels than ever before. The bitch had the guts to wound not only a male, but an Alpha, her betrothed and mate. I growled very low, shaking with rage, wishing I could reach out and beat her senseless. But I stilled my hands. I was not that type of man, to hit a woman, much less my mate. But I could threaten all I wanted. I growled and snarled, teeth bared, breath coming rapidly as I fought to overcome my rage and the urge to phase and rip her to shreds with teeth and claws. I shook with the effort and I watched as she smirked, turned on her heel, flipped her white hair over her shoulder and returned to her parents, leaving me standing there, growling and snarling like an idiot, shaking with rage.
I was so engrossed in watching her walk away, teeth still red, planning many strategies of revenge and their bloody results that I barely noticed the Lune Pack and Delilah make her way back to me. However, she was smart enough to stay back, not that she could get anywhere. My pack had converged around me, my Beta male and successor shouting at me, checking to see if I’m okay, slapping me to get my attention. But I paid him no mind. I was giving a death glare to Delilah and fighting so very hard to stop my rage in its tracks. Finally, some cold liquid dumped over my head woke me, cooling my rage and bringing my back to awareness. Sputtering and surprised, I shook my head and used my hands to clear my eyes. I glared at the guy with the Gatorade cooler and paused when my Beta, Devon, held up his hands and approached me. I looked at the ground and shook my head, trying to shake the last of my anger. When I was ready, I looked at the boy apologetically and turned my attention to Devon. He put his hand on my shoulder and I picked up a corner of my mouth. The conversation was clear. He apologized for dumping the water on me, but explained it was the only way to get to me and my grin said I understood and that I wasn’t angry. Then I turned my eyes on Delilah. I didn’t say anything, just looked at her and she at me.
“We can address your… demands at a later time. Right now, we have a wedding to prepare for.” I said, my voice neutral as Switzerland and held out the crook of my arm to her. She hesitated, then tucked her hand in its place and came to my side and we turned north, toward our motel. Then, tugging her forward to the front of the pack, I let her hand go and phased, then watched as Delilah phased into the matching white wolf that her hair portrayed, then Devon into his red wolf form, and everyone else.
Once everyone was in their other form, I led the pack and Delilah through the forest to the motel at the edge of her territory.
Delilah
We ran through the trees in formation. Riley, the black wolf, and I were at the head, the red and brown wolves behind us, obviously they are the Beta male and female, and everyone else behind them. All of us made a horde of every color and combination in the wolf kingdom, although there were a lot of greys and rime greys. But my only concern was keeping up with Riley. He was a fast runner, took long strides, and I was unfamiliar with this area, so if I was separated from him, his black pelt would blend with the night and I would then have to rely on the red wolf to guide me. Naturally, relying on a Beta put a ding in my pride and I had precious little, so I couldn’t afford to lose any. To avoid that, I stuck to Riley’s black pelt like dried glue to paper. When our pelts brushed, Riley looked at me and I backed off, giving him the respectable space bubble all wolves demanded. But Riley growled and motioned with his snout for me to join him again. I reclaimed my place at his side and lengthened my stride so we matched perfectly. I could see as well as he could and with our gait matched perfectly, we moved as one. Looking from the red wolf’s point of view, we were amazing. The startling white wolf next to the invisible black, both moving in perfect synchronization was a sight equal to seeing a Bald Eagle in flight.
How big is your pack, Riley? I asked in an attempt to break the quiet.
One hundred and twenty-three individuals including myself. Your presence brings it to a hundred twenty-four.
So big? My father’s pack is only forty-nine now.
Yours is a young pack, just starting out. The Domiscuss pack has ruled California for well over a century, each new Alpha pair bringing in many pups and encouraging outsiders to join. And the pups produced usually became Alphas in other packs, or impregnated all of the females at one point or another to produce even more pups. That’s been the key to our growth. Lots of pup producing. It also helps when a lot of outsiders join.
And I thought my father’s pack was obsessed with growing.
Well, Tennesee wolves like pups because of the efforts behind their conception. Riley whispered, then everyone started snickering. Well, all of the males. Riley had a huge grin on his wolfy face and I started getting angry again. Obviously, that grin and the matching innuendo were from experience in that department. He wasn’t a virgin anymore, and yet I was. How unfair. Just another thing I had been deprived while everyone else around me indulged.
So what else are Tennesee wolves famous for? Lumberjacking? I barked, breaking formation and dashing into the forest. I felt it when Riley chased after me and heard it when he ordered his Beta to lead everyone back to the motel, but I didn’t care. In all of my years, the only thing that really helps me calm down is a good, hard run in the forest.
Delilah, we have to talk in private. Stop and de-phase. Riley said, nipping lightly at my tail. I veered away from his jaws and de-phased, knowing that what I had to say was a private matter. But I didn’t wait for Riley before I was screaming “I hate this! I hate this life.”
“Why? What’s so terrible about it? You’re my mate, going to be my wife in a few hours, Alpha Female of the largest pack in the country and you’ll have everything you can ever want. What is it that makes it so horrible?”
“All my life I’ve been told that I’m engaged, yada yada yada, but what really ticks me off is that you can do anything and I can’t. Judging from that innuendo and your grin, you’re already experienced in sex and I haven’t been allowed to even think about it, or look at a book that even hints at any romance, physical or not.”
“Okay, so you’re not pissed because you’re engaged, but because you’re still a virgin and I’m not? Sweetheart, that’s easily fixed and it’s absolutely unfair to hold it on my head when I had just as much say in this betrothal as you did!”
“But it’s not even a tenth of the problem! I’ve never had an upbringing normal to an Alpha’s daughter, or even a betrothed child. I’ve been raised to be a princess, yes, but I was also raised violently and…” I cut off, knowing I had said too much. Father didn’t want anyone to know about the beatings.
“Raised violently? What do you mean, Delilah?”
“Nothing and that’s hardly enough to worry about. I still have a lot of bones to pick. Like what I am expected to doas you’re wife and I have to say, I’m not looking forward to it.”
“We’ll get to that later. Right now, I want to know what you meant by a violent upbringing.”
“It’s nothing and this just proves my point. You’re spoiled. You’ve never had to go without anything. You think you can just demand to know my whole life story, all of my woes and wants, and think you’ll actually get it? Well, think again!”
“It’s my right as your future husband to know what you desire, what troubles you and such so that I can make you happy.” Riley retaliated, his voice shooting up a few volume levels.
“Well, you’re not getting a word out of me. All I will say is that I had a very unusual royal upbringing and it often left me with bruises and broken bones.” I said, stamping my feet and turning around, sticking my nose in the air. Behind me, I heard Riley take a deep breath and let it out. When next he spoke, his voice was calm and even.
“Okay, we can settle all of this after the wedding. Right now, I’m tired and I’m sure you are, too. We have a big day tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.” And then he phased. I turned around and his black pelt and gold eyes were staring back at me, waiting. I shifted into my other form and followed him through the forest again. Instead of an all-out sprint, we walked at a leisurely pace. Riley slowed so I can walk comfortably. He also kept a respectable distance from me. I think he was trying to help me calm down.
It was a tense run back to the motel, the atmosphere thick with annoyance, anger, irritation and frustration. It came close to being too much to handle and I almost broke away a few times, but I was bound to stay by Riley’s side.
When we got there, a Holiday Inn Motel, we de-phased and Riley slid the key into the slider-thing, which beeped and flashed green. He opened the door and let me inside first, then closed the door behind him. I switched on the lights and took in the room.
It was very simple. A couple beds, a TV, a kitchen and a bathroom with shower. The walls were white with no decorations of any kind and the room stunk of house dog. I crinkled my nose in distaste and went into the shower, cranking the water to full heat.
“Where’s the rest of your pack?”
“In different rooms. This is ours. We’ll be alone.” He said, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, arms crossed, eyes staring at me as I prepared the bath. I felt the water, plugged the drain and poured in some salts to soften and cleanse my skin. I wanted to look my best tomorrow, even though I hated Riley’s guts. After all, the wedding day is the biggest and most important day in a woman’s life. More so for wolves like me.
I stayed quiet, focused on adding salts and gels to the steaming water. When the water was at a suitable depth, I turned it off and looked at Riley. He held up his hands and walked away, closing the door as he left. I turned back to the tub, striped off my clothes and stepped in cautiously. After a few minutes of enjoying the heat of the water, I grabbed a washcloth and some body wash, poured the blue liquid onto the cloth and scrubbed every surface as hard as I could until my skin was red and raw. This erased my natural scent, as well as removed dirt collected during the day and left my human pelt soft, moisturized and clean. Then I dropped the cloth, scooped up a handful of salt from the bottom of the tub and scrubbed them over my skin as well, their effects increasing the health and cleanliness of my skin. After rinsing the bubble off my body, I dunked my hair, grabbed the shampoo, applied a generous amount directly to my scalp and scrubbed with my fingertips until I was sure my scalp was bleeding. Then I applied more shampoo to the main part of my hair and worked it into a lather, using my fingers to act as a brush. I worked out all knots and tangles before dunking again to relieve my hair of the shampoo. When I surfaced, my hair completely rid of the shampoo, I did the same thing with the conditioner, only I left it in for a long time. While I let the conditioner soak in, I grabbed a razor and shaved my legs, arms and underarms. After that, I grabbed the cloth again, squeezed some face soap onto the cloth, then scrubbed my face, removing dirt, make-up and the hot water opened my pours, allowing me to clean them out. I also scrubbed my throat and behind my neck to buy my hair more time to soak in the conditioner. Finally out of stuff to do, I ducked under the surface again and rinsed my hair. When I resurfaced, I stood, unplugged the drain, I stepped out of the tub, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around my hair, grabbed another and dried my body. Then I tied a knot in a corner, tucked it in, then set about cleaning up the supplies and drying the floor.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, still wearing nothing but two towels, I found Riley laying on the bed watching TV. But what stole my breath was his lack of clothes. He was wearing nothing but some pajama bottoms, laying with his arms behind his neck. This position showed off his chest and stomach muscles as well as his arm muscles.
When Riley looked at me, he studied me for a second, then lifted a single eyebrow. I broke out of my daze, closing my mouth, shook my head and stepped forward, hands clenched tightly to the towel around my body.
“Surely you have a T-Shirt I can borrow for the night?”
“No need. Your stuff was sent over earlier.” He said, and he turned his head and extended a hand to point to many chests in a corner. “The one containing your nightclothes is on the floor away from the others.”
I hurried to it, knelt and opened it. I searched for my Emerald Green floor-length nightgown and hurried to the bathroom to put it on.
“Aww, come on, Delilah. There’s no need to be shy.” Riley called.
“There is no way in hell I’m going to undress in front of you.”
“But you will eventually, darling. By this time tomorrow, we’ll be in Murphy and I will be seeing to your…education.” He growled the last word and I knew it was another innuendo. “And for me to do that, I’ll have to take off all of our clothes.”
I plugged my ears, shutting off his voice so I can ignore him. I dressed slowly, trying to put off going back out there to curl up in bed next to that arrogant son of a bitch who stole every hint of happiness I can ever have the moment I was born.
When I finished dressing, I brushed my hair, put in more conditioner, waited for it to dry in so it won’t get on the pillows, put on lotion and moisturizers for my skin, brushed my teeth thoroughly, grabbed a scrunchy, then went back out into the bedroom.
When Riley saw me, his eyebrows went up, his eyes got big and he whistled real low and slow. I paused for a moment to let him admire, then stalked forward. I thrust the Scrunchy in his hands, turned around, sat down and presented him with my waist-length white hair. “I can’t reach. Please braid it for me.”
“Uhhh…” Riley stuttered. “How?”
I sighed then carefully explained. “Divide my hair into three equal parts.” I said and waited until he had finished. “Hold one part in your left hand between your thumb and forefinger. A second part between your pinkie and ring finger and the third in your right hand.” He adjusted his grip and waited. “Now switch the part between your left thumb and forefinger to between your right pinkie and ring fingers.” He did. “Now, take the part on your right hand and move it between your forefinger and thumb. Do you see the pattern?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Keep it up. I’m going to lean forward to help tighten the braid. You keep braiding and pull as well, but not too tightly.”
“Okay.”
And from there, it was silent. I leaned forward and Riley kept braiding, steadily pulling on my head. When it was finished, he tied the Scrunchy around the tail and I flopped under the covers, pulling them over my head. I closed my eyes and tried to get to sleep, but guilt kept gnawing at me. “Thanks.” I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear under the covers.
“No problem, Delilah. And I’ll try my damndest to make you happy in our union.”
“Don’t push your luck.” I growled.
It was silent after that and I was soon asleep.
I was awakened by a noise. Riley turned to face the wall, adjusting the covers at the same time, and I thought that was the noise so I closed my eyes. But I was still restless. My instincts warned me of danger, of another person close by. I tried to shrug it off, reminding myself it was probably Riley’s presence that has me on edge, but I couldn’t shake the warning of impending doom. Then a hand clasped over my mouth and I jumped, flailing out with my limbs, hoping to kick or slap Riley awake so he could help me. But all I managed to kick was air and sheets, no skin, before tape covered my mouth and hands grabbed my arms and legs. Then I was lifted off the bed and panic set in. I was being abducted! And I couldn’t warn Riley. I tried to scream, hoping the noise would wake someone, but to no avail. Riley didn’t even move and my kidnapper was carrying me to the window. Then I felt a cloth being pulled over me to tie at my feet, the window opening and my abductor slipping outside. I used this opportunity to swivel onto my knees and make my way back to the bed, but I don’t think I even made it past the TV before those same hands grabbed me by my chest, stopping me. I used my hands to undo the tie at my feet, pull the cloth over me and scratch my attacker to all hell. Then, while he howled in pain, I stood and jumped over the TV to land at Riley’s side. I slapped his face, waking him instantly and before he could raise a hand against me, I pointed to the TV and he tensed, throwing off the covers, got onto his feet on the bed and jumped clear over the fan to land on the other side. A howl of surprise and fear mixed with Riley’s snarl of aggression and rage, then screams of pain as Riley attacked. I scrambled under the bed and waited for the fight to end.
I don’t know how long it was before I saw a pair of feet, but I didn’t wait to see whose they were. I scrambled out from my hiding spot and attacked the guy, whoever he was, but a pair of strong, large hands encircled my upper arms and pulled me away from him. “Delilah, it’s okay. It’s me.” Riley said and my attack instantly ceased. Instead of clawing him to hell, I tried to hug him, fighting against his strength so I can wrap my arms around him. I finally broke through and he staggered backward a step before he balanced, but he went still, probably shocked and trying to understand. I dug into his chest, tightening my hold and trying to stop shaking. Then his arms went around me and I felt his head touch mine. I extended my neck to increase the contact and a sound escaped my throat and hot tears trekked down my cheeks. Riley’s grip changed so it was more comforting rather than reassuring and his hands stroked my hair. He also whispered “It’s okay, everything alright.” In my ear while I cried and went into shock.
It felt like a long time before I finally quieted and even after I did, I let Riley hold me still. The truth was, I felt safe in his arms, like he would always protect me and never let anything hurt me. I felt like he could single-handedly take on the whole world, move a mountain with his bare fingers and I liked it. Then I heard myself wish that all that I had threatened back in the clearing wouldn’t happen and I felt like it was wrong for me to blame Riley for what my father did. After all, it isn’t Riley’s fault that we are engaged. He’s as responsible as I am. Unable to change it and had no say from the very beginning. I felt incredibly guilty and I pulled myself closer to lose myself even more in his embrace, but before long he was clearing his throat and pushing me away. Confused, I looked up at him and paused when I saw the hard set of his face and the cold gleam in his eyes.
“I don’t know him. Would you like to see if you recognize him?” He said, his voice as cold as his eyes. I mentally shook my head and nodded, my brain switching gears. Riley led me to the bound and gagged figure cloaked in black in the corner of the room. He turned on a light and my heart sank. There, bound like an animal, was one of my friends. Ya-cove was born a few days before me and our mothers are close friends. We’ve always been told we are cousins because we were to refer to the other’s mother as ‘Aunt’, and we’ve also always known we aren’t cousins by blood. But it still hurt to know that my closest friend had tried to kidnap me.
“Well. Do you know him?” Riley growled, impatient. I nodded. “His name is Jacov, a close friend of the family.”
“Want do you want me to do with him?”
I turned on Riley, shocked. I had expected him to simply throw Jacov out of the window and forget about him without my input. But to ask me what I wanted to do? I had never expected to be asked what I liked about anything.
I turned back to Jacov and thought.
“We’ll ban him from the wedding, dump him in front of Father and let him deal with Jacov. That’s all we can do.”
Riley nodded and picked up Jacov. He shoved Jacov out the window, climbed out and phased. I followed Riley and we ran through the forest together, Riley carrying Jacov in his teeth.
About an hour later, we reached the main house. Riley dropped Jacov and we de-phased. I pounded on the door, decided to hell with it and shoved my way through with Riley on my tail. We marched up the stairs to my parent’s room. I pounded on the door and backed off as the door opened.
“What the hell are you doing back here, Delilah?” Father demanded.
“Jacov tried to kidnap me about two hours ago. We’re banning him from the wedding and we leave the rest up to you.”
Riley deposited Jacov in a chair then we marched out, my skin twitching. I wanted out of that retched place, where so much of my blood had been spilled. Riley followed close behind me all of the way out to the forest, then I followed him back to the motel. When we fell asleep, I was curled against his chest, his arms around me and our hands clenched in the other’s grasp.
Chapter Six
Four hours later, the alarm went off. We bolted upright with energy from a sudden bout of adrenaline, then our energy sagged as exhaustion took over. We slammed back on the mattress and Riley reached for the button. “Come on. We have to get up. Got a big day ahead of us.” He groaned, rolling out of bed lazily. Groaning and whining, I followed him to the bathroom, where he let me take a shower. He kept his back to me and eyes closed as I undressed and got behind the curtain. I undid my braid, rinsed my hair and washed my skin all over again, the exact same way I had six hours ago. At my request, Riley stuck a brush though a slip in the curtain. I grabbed it and brushed my hair, working the conditioner and tangles out, then I used my hands to wring the water out and use what gathered in my hand to determine how much more conditioner was left in my hair. When the water came away crystal clear, I turned off the water, wrung my hair out one more time, asked for a couple towels and wrapped one around my hair and the other around my body and stepped out. Immediately, Riley turned and we switched places. I closed my eyes while he undressed and stepped into the shower, then brushed my hair some more, braided it as best I could, then bent over the sink to wash my face, neck, brush my teeth and inspected my body for things I might have missed last night.
Once I was close to sparkling, I left the bathroom to get on a suitable gown to wear until it was time to put on my wedding dress. I chose a simple sapphire blue gown and matching sapphire tiara and earrings. I really liked this color and it seemed darker when my hair was draped over my shoulder, making my ivory pale skin seem as light as my hair. I also slipped on the two inch white heels I would be wearing with the wedding dress and sat on the bed, turning on the TV to laze away the remaining time until Riley finished getting ready. Only once he’s ready to go will we depart since my whole world now revolves around him…in more ways than the romantic implication. Once he says so, I will do something and only when he says.
I found a decent carton about a cat who chases a mouse and always gets so hurt, but turns around and keeps chasing that rodent, fully healed. Despite the stupidity of it, the antics made me laugh and enjoying the clips was enough to keep my head away from today’s events and my near-kidnapping.
When Riley stepped out of the bathroom, he made his way to the closest and pulled out jeans and a T-Shirt.
“Ready to go, Riley?”
“Yeah. You ready?”
“Been ready. What’s the name of this cartoon?” I asked, hoping I could catch some more of it online.
“Uhh…” He said, fixing his belt then leaning over to look. “Tom and Jerry. It’s a classic for kids.”
“It’s funny but it’s also stupid.”
“That’s the point. A classic tale of the cat and mouse but designed to make kids laugh though the mouse’s ingenuity and the cat’s constant pain and misfortune. You’ve really never seen it before?”
“Never. I was always limited to tutorial videos about how to present myself as the princess of the Lune Pack and future Alpha Female of the Domiscuss Pack. I never had time to goof around or even be normal.”
“Well, once we’re married, you can watch any show you want....except for the ones I warn you away from. There are movies out there that no one should see. Okay? That’s a promise.” Riley said, sitting on the bed by my legs. “And the ones you really like we can buy or rent. Though I should introduce you to my favorite knock-off movie. It’s based on the play The Pirates of Penzance. But since you don’t know what genre you like, I should introduce you to several of each to help you understand. But I think you would like the romantic stuff.”
“I think I would, too. But we should get going.” I said, turning off the TV. “Only a few more hours until we’re married and we still have a lot to do.”
Riley nodded and stood, holding out his hand. I grinned, took it and let Riley help me up.
Nine hours later, after everything was in place, all of the flowers counted, strings put up, guests in place, etc…it was time for me to put on my dress and have my hair and makeup done. The whole process took about an hour, with the hair and makeup stylists working at the same time after my dress was on and adjusted. When they left, Mother came in, gave me some last pointers, hugged me and left. Then Father came in, reminded me of my wifely duties to Riley then led me out the door with my hand in the crook of his arm. He also informed me of Jacov’s punishments for attempting to kidnap me and I nodded in approval. He wasn’t put to death, merely confined in solitary in a one-acre corner of the territory for one month with no tools for survival. If he died, it wouldn’t be on our heads and it would make the pack marginally stronger since his genetics would be out of the gene pool, leaving room for the stronger to survive and reproduce. But that’s assuming he died. If he didn’t, then he would be chastised again for kidnapping me and his life would continue as it had before. But right now wasn’t the time to think about it. Right now, my wedding was taking place and I found myself entering the doorway of the chapel and looking straight at Riley, decked out in a black suit with a sapphire tie. As I walked up the aisle, trying to keep time with the song, my eyes forgot about the many hundreds of people who had gathered, but focused and saw Riley and Riley alone. Then it became so much harder to keep my feet moving to the tempo of the wedding march rather than sprint headlong down the aisle to land in his arms. To help me control the powerful urge, I clamped on harder to Father’s arm and focused on keeping time.
At last, Father and I reached the end of the aisle and Father passed me over to Riley, saying the necessary stuff, but I barely noticed. All I knew was I was so close to becoming Riley’s and his alone that I wanted to jump for joy and throw my arms around him. But I didn’t. I could do that later. Right now, I went with Riley up the remaining steps, our hands joined. As the preacher began his lecture on the joys and responsibilities of marriage, I zoned him out and stared Riley in the eyes, seeing his joy and happiness but also a darker hint of worry. I got so caught up in his sapphire blue eyes and the apprehension I saw that I barely noticed when the preacher said “For as long as you both shall live?”
Without hesitation, I said the most binding words I can ever say as loud as I could. “I do.”
Riley’s eyes then filled with triumph and supreme delight and when it came to be his turn, his words were proud and strong. “I do.”
I didn’t catch the first part of the last message, but I did hear “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” And then Riley was kissing me. One of his arms circled my shoulders and the other grabbed my waist while both of mine went around his neck once I realized what had happened.
The kiss was tame, but it contained everything. Joy, happiness and every other synonym under the sun was expressed and received in that kiss. I wished the kiss would never end, but sooner than I would have liked, Riley lifted his head and we looked at the crowd and the guests descended upon us. Mother and other women flocked around me, while Father and the men circled Riley, both parties threatening to rip us apart. To keep that from happening, Riley and I kept our hands clasped tightly and, whenever possible, I was pulled to Riley’s side. Then the reception began. We stayed in the building, but the food was brought out, the chairs re-arranged, the, music started and then Riley was pulling out to the dance floor for the customary dance. Ironic as it was, the first song was a slow dance and we slipped into position easily. Riley put one arm around my waist and the other hand grasped mine to the side. I put my head on his chest, an arm on his shoulder and let him lead. From there, I didn’t have to think. I have been dancing since I was a child, practice for this very moment, and everything was habit now.
After last night, the atmosphere around us had changed from tense and angry to relaxed and filled with friendliness. It made dancing so much easier and less awkward but I was still reluctant to let him go when the song ended. Then we made our way to our table, holding hands the whole time, and when we got there, we cuddled together a little and watched the next two dances take place, still holding hands.
When everything ended for the night, Riley pulled me back onto the dance floor for the final number, another slow song, and during the whole thing I could not get my mind off how much another song resembled Riley and myself. This is Not My Idea from the movie The Swan Princess, which was one of the movies Mother had required I watch only because the two main characters were betrothed, seemed to fit us perfectly. The main characters, Odette and Derek, have hated each other even before they met and as the song progresses, they age and they start to fall in love unknowingly. But when the final part plays, everything falls into place. That’s what’s happened with Riley and myself. Mutual hatred at the beginning and now both absolutely in love with no trace of hatred or anger anywhere.
After the final number, Riley and I made our way to the stage, accompanied by the red-furred wolf and my maid of honor, Theresa, for the closing speeches. Riley was the first to speak, grabbing the microphone a boy held out to him.
“May I have your attention, please.” He stated and the room quickly grew quiet. “I’d like to thank you all for attending this wedding ceremony, for all of your support and help setting up. It really means a lot to Delilah and myself, to have you all here to help us celebrate. And I wish we could stay longer, to have even more fun together, but we have planes to catch in a few hours so I’d like to bid you all thank you for coming, farewell and happy hunting!” Riley closed his speech and passed the mic to his Beta and best man, then Riley took my hand and tugged me off the stage and to our table. Riley held out my chair for me and slid me closer to the table as I sat down before he got himself settled.
“Riley and Delilah, I’m so happy you two have married. I know you will do wonders for each other and you will both be so much happier because of it. Riley, I have seen you grow up from the time you were just a little kid, seen all of your worse days and your better days. Delilah, I haven’t known you for very long, but I have seen enough. I know you will give Riley far more better days than bad and I can’t be happier for you both. Delilah, I think of Riley as my son in all but blood and I’m very happy to say welcome to the family.”
After the speech, my eyes blurred with tears. My hands clamped harder to Riley’s and my ears were deafened by the round of applause that ensued. Riley’s other hand grasped mine and we looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to the stage to find Theresa already holding the mic.
“I’m not sure I can top Devon’s breathtaking speech, but I find myself completely out of words. Riley, I’ve known Delilah since we were very little and never have I seen her glow like this” At this point, I slumped a little and I felt my cheeks heat up. Riley tugged on my hand and put his arm around my shoulder “and I know I have you to thank. So, I’d like to extend to you my personal welcome to our family. And Delilah, I’m so glad you’ve finally found someone who has made you truly happy.” She then put the mic back on its perch and floated off the stage, coming to sit on my other side. When she sat down, we hugged and then Mother and Father took the stage. I didn’t really pay attention. Their opinions have never really mattered to me and they sure as hell didn’t now.
It was well after dark when the party finally broke up and we all headed for our destinations. My pack, the Domiscuss clan, was heading for the airport while the Lune pack was heading back home. All of my clan phased and began the trek to the airport, where several luxury jets waited. Riley and I ran side by side, pelts touching and in perfect unison for the whole exodus, short as it was. And when we stepped onto the tarmac, my breath completely escaped me. Before us, lined up neatly in several long rows, were so many luxury jets I could not count them all. But they were all identical. Blue backgrounds, red lining, bodies designed for speed as well as capacity and each baring the Domiscuss Clan’s logo, a black wolf with yellow fangs, snarling with it’s ears laid back and a bleeding cut ran across its forehead.
Behind me, the Domiscuss Pack broke up and separated to the different jets while Riley and I kept going to the one at the head of the fleet. Typical. Alphas run at the front of the pack, they sit in the highest chairs in the room and their jets are the first to take off and land at an airstrip.
“The flight will take us several hours to get home. I suggest you sleep to avoid jet lag. It can really mess a body up for a few days.”
“When will we get to your den?”
“You can just call it the castle. Its really all it is. And we’ll be in the doors at night so that’s why I suggested you sleep, so you can sleep throughout the flight and then into the morning enough to be up when the sun wakes as well. Itll help you get started on the new time schedule you’ll be on. And don’t worry-“ I had opened my mouth to ask another question. I think he predicted what I was gonna ask about. “Even though we’ll be behind closed doors tonight, I won’t touch you. I want you settled in your new home and your duties as the Alpha Female before we spend a few days in our room.”
I nodded, grateful to him for putting off the part I was dreading the most.
“And I know you hate me, associating me with the betrothal you hate, so once we have one pup, whether it lives or not, you are free to see whoever you want. You can be sure I’ll be doing the same. Remember, I wanted this match just as much as you do and I think its best for our relationship if we keep it cordial. Friendly but not touchy feely. That’s not to say if your frightened you can’t cuddle up to me or anything. I like holding you. I just mean the whole falling in love thing. Its not for me. I’d rather continue my ways like I did before.”
“I think that’s very generous of you. And if I do take a lover after you, I’ll try to keep it discreet. Oh, but how can I take a lover if we occupy the same room?”
“Once our pup is born, we’ll keep separate rooms.”
“Oh, okay. I guess that’d help.”
Yeah.”
It was quiet after that, the atmosphere now very awkward. Riley wasn’t his usual confident self. He led me onto the plane and got me settled in a seat against the wall. He sat down next to him and he handed me a small yellow pill and a bottle of water. He explained it was motion sickness. Since I’d never flown before, I didn’t know if my stomach would object or not and Riley said he didn’t want me being uncomfortable so he figured it was safer for me to take the pill. I did as he suggested and a half hour later we were going down the runway. The pill had already started taking effect and I started getting tired. Itd been a very emotional thirty-six hours and it was starting to catch up to me. I laid my head on Riley’s shoulder and fell asleep.
Chapter Seven
When I woke up again, I was in a very soft, big, warm bed. At first, I thought I was back home and I opened my eyes, expecting to see my plain white walls, white carpet and furniture, but, instead, I was welcomed by vibrant colors. The walls were a vibrant crimson, the carpet was white and the bedding was white with red trimming. The furniture was all made of a painted white wood and the handles were the same crimson red as the one on the walls. The windows, thank god, had gold black-out curtains with crimson edging. Yeesh. Riley likes his red, doesn’t he?
I stood and looked around, getting familiar with this new room, and Riley came out of the adjoining room, one towel around his waist and another in his hand, drying his hair. He stopped when he saw me.
“Good morning.” He greeted me.
“Good morning, Riley.” I looked around, trying to find something to say to continue the conversation. “I like the color scheme. The white really helps to brighten the crimson while the crimson makes a nice contrast to the white.”
“Thanks. Its was my mother’s idea. She really figured white and a gemstone color would make great pairs. You’ll find the same scheme in just about every room, but with a different color to go with the white. The nursery has a rose pink and the room you’ll move into after the birth of our first pup has emerald green.”
“Oh, nice.” I said appreciatively as I pictured what it must look like. I had to admit, I liked what I was seeing.
“Yeah. So, umm, the bathroom is in there. Its been fully updated for your arrival so you’ll find all of the latest stuff as well as the complete list of your favorite bath stuff on the shelves underneath the counter. You can leave it out if you’d like, to make it easier for you to reach.”
“Okay, Riley. Thanks.”
He nodded and moved to a wardrobe on the other side of the room. I went to the other wardrobe and grabbed a pale purple dress and went into the bathroom, locking the door soundly behind me. I stared in shock at the bathroom. It was massive, complete with a bathtub, a stand-in shower and a Jacuzzi. All of them on one wall! On the opposite wall, the entire length had a countertop and two sinks with cabinets lining underneath the polished marble so every inch was utilized with style and a giant mirror that covered the wall to the end and up the wall a couple of feet. On one of the two other walls was a triple-lined rack lined with towels of varying sizes, all folded neatly on the rungs. On the fourth wall were two hampers; one for nightclothes, which already had Riley’s bedclothes in it, and the other for used towels.
Walking over to the bathtub, I stripped off my traveling clothes, put them in the hamper, started the water and searched in the cabinets for the bath stuff Riley mentioned. I found several scrubbers, bags of razors, many bottles of body wash, shampoo and conditioner, as well as more bath salts and oils then I could count. I grabbed just the body wash and a scrubber and checked the water. Finding it satisfactorily warm, I plugged the drain and stepped in. washed my body, drained the water and refilled the tub. I wanted to soak. Lord knows my body needed it. After all of the drama and highly strung emotions of the past week, I needed more than just a wash.
I sighed as I covered as much of my body in the steaming water as possible, braced myself with my feet so I wouldn’t slide and closed my eyes.
The next thing I knew, I heard worried shouting, but it was as if it were at a distance. I forced myself into consciousness and it soon became clear that it was Riley shouting. His tone was half panicked as he begged me to open my eyes. I could feel his hands on my shoulders, shaking me forcefully but still gently, as if he didn’t want to hurt me.
Why would he be shaking me? I asked myselfand I thought back. I had closed my eyes. I must have fallen asleep. Riley must have thought I had drowned or something. Well, then there was only one thing I could do.
I opened my eyes and looked my husband in his eyes. It took a couple seconds for his eyes, a beautiful emerald green color, to fill with relief. He stopped shaking me and, instead, just help me upright.
“I’m alright, Riley. Sorry to worry you. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I said as he crushed me to his chest in a hug.
“Worry me? God, I almost died of a heart attack! You’ve been in here for over an hour so I came to check on you and I find you asleep!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I guess I was more tired than I thought and the water felt so good.”
He breathed another sigh of relief as he picked me up out of the now cold water. I started to object since I was still clad only in my skin and he and I weren’t lovers yet. “Oh, stop it. We’re married. And besides, I already promised I’d wait until you were settled in here before I touched you intimately so you don’t have to worry about me now.” He said as he set me on the floor and grabbed one of the larger towels. He wrapped it around me, picked me up again and took me into our bedroom and set me on the bed. He lay down next to me, still holding me in his arms. I cuddled up against his chest and just enjoyed having him so close.
In time, Riley calmed down and gently got us into the business of the day, helping me pick out a dress for the day, though he left getting the dress on to me. After that, he showed me what I would be doing while giving me a tour of the castle and introducing me to everyone. Since there was so much I needed to get acquainted with, we didn’t have breakfast in the dining room like we normally would. We ate during the tour of the castle and the grounds.
I didn’t really learn anything new about my duties. I already knew that I was supposed to supervise the household staff like the maids, the gardeners and the kitchen staff. I rolled my eyes. I’d been doing that since I turned fifteen three years ago. But I was quite shocked to find that the castle had a massive herbs garden and, even though we had gardeners who kept the plants healthy and happy, the pack didn’t have a healer, at least not officially. Riley told them there were several wolves in the pack that had either a vast knowledge of the herbs in the garden or they had the ability to heal others. But since they were largely uneducated, they couldn’t do more than close the skin and hope for the best.
Hearing this, I was really aggravated. Back at my parent’s pack, everyone had a job to do, even the children. Healers were taught how to use their powers, how to heal and about the herbs available to us. Those with hunting abilities were used in the hunts and those with other powers or strong protective instincts were sent to patrol the borders and keep the peace inside the pack. Also, those with growing or elemental abilities were sent to grow the pack crops. The Domiscuss pack had no such structure. I was totally amazed that a pack could be this large and this old but it wasn’t really prospering.
Naturally, I told Riley all of this and I volunteered to add improving the pack infrastructure to my list of abilities. He tried to get me to take it back but I refused and all he could do was give in. I have to admit, I’d never had much to do with the Lune pack infrastructure - that was left to my dad – but I’d learned a lot over the years and I was sure I could do it.
After that, Riley took me back inside so I could get started. We immediately called a pack meeting by howling together and, while everyone gathered, I set up a couple of scrolls and I grabbed some blank parchment leaflets. I grabbed Riley to help me, sat him down at the table that had been moved to the ballroom.
Once everyone had gathered, I addressed everyone.
“Its come to my attention that many of you have abilities, powers, and that they aren’t being utilized to their full potential. I’ve volunteered myself to taking care of this problem. So, if you would please line up in an orderly fashion, we’ll get started.”
There was a resounding ‘yes, ma’am’ from several of the men and the men moved into line.
“That includes the women. Actually, let me amend that. The women without a mate and children. The mothers will have a special job during the day. I’ll be available after this so we can talk about the job afterwards.”
Several women joined the men in line and I nodded and sat down. The first man stepped up to me. I asked him for his name and if he had a power. He didn’t, so I asked him for a trait he was most proud of. The trait he gave me, or more like a talent, was enough for me to place him in a group. I nodded and wrote down his name on one form and asked Riley to make the man a leaflet with the first letter of his new role and, once he was given his leaflet, I directed him to one corner of the room. With the next man, I asked him the same questions and decided he was better off in another role so I sent him with his leaflet to another corner. And so on it went for two hours. At the end of it, all four corners were filled to the point where everyone was elbow to elbow. I stood up on the table again once everyone had been sorted and addressed the pack yet again.
“Alright, everyone. All of you have received one of four codes. They are M, P, HU and HE –“ I pointed to each corner. “M leaflets mark you as a Mother. Your duty will be to bring your children together each day so they can play and I expect all of you to pay attention to them, even if they aren’t yours. This will enable the children to become more socially active with other children their age, and with all of them in one place it’ll be easier to keep them out of trouble. Once we’re done here, this ballroom will be big enough for them all to play in. Chairs will be brought in for each of you to sit down. I’ll also look into supplying toys for them to play with, as well as other things for you to do as you watch the children. For now, though, I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for talking amongst yourselves.” I saw most of the women nod and I moved on to the next leaflet.
“P is for Protector. Those of you with P leaflets are now Protectors. Your duty is to patrol the borders in teams at various times of the day. The teams who aren’t on the borders are to keep the peace inside the pack. I’ll be assigning each of you to your teams tonight. Report to the dining room tomorrow morning for you team and patrol time assignments.” Again, most of the group nodded so I moved onto the next leaflet.
“HU is for Hunter. I hope this is self explanatory but to be safe I’ll go into details. Like the Protectors you will all be assigned into teams and you’ll spend the whole day hunting for the packs. All kills are to be brought to the back entrance to the kitchen after each kill. The kitchen staff will deal with it from there. Report to the dining room tomorrow for your assignments.” This time, I got some vocal acknowledgement so I moved on to the final leaflet.
“HE is for Healer. Those of you marked as a Healer either have a vast knowledge of herbs and healing, have the power to heal or you want to learn how to heal. The only way we’re going to be effective is if we come together each morning. I will teach you all I know about herbs and gardening, someone else will teach you about anatomy and using your power and knowledge to heal more effectively than simply closing the skin. We will start out each day in the garden by the herb section at the crack of dawn, though it will be later tomorrow due to me giving out the assignment for the hunters and protectors. Now, if you have any questions, please don’t be shy. I’d love to answer them.”
I saw a hand go up and I pointed to the raised hand. “Ma’am, why are you doing this? I mean, I thought we were doing alright as we were.”
“I’m glad you asked that. See, even though we are a large pack, very old and technically successful, we aren’t very effective in utilizing all of the talents we have. The Lune pack has a similar infrastructure where everyone’s talents are put to the best use to benefit the pack as a whole. By continuing as we are, we aren’t being effective and that will ultimately hurt the pack. By doing this, we insure everyone is safe, fed and everyone pulls their own weight to help the pack do the best it can.”
The person who held up her hand nodded as someone else, a man, just straight up asked.
“So, why should we listen take orders from you? You’re a female and you weren’t born in this pack. As far as I’m concerned, you’re not worthy of commanding a group of children let alone changing the whole system of a long-rooted pack.”
Riley stood up and got up on the table beside me, growling. I was growling as well but it was Riley who answered. “You will listen to Delilah because she is my wife, my mate, and the Alpha Female of this pack. That means she outranks every one of you, including you, Damien. Also, you should know that I gave her permission to do this because I noticed how ineffective we were before. Many of you hunted, but went hungry. Others lost children to an infected cut or disastrous curiosity when the mother was distracted. I’m not blaming the mothers for the deaths so please don’t misunderstand. Also, there aren’t enough houses for everyone. With this new system, I believe that life can turn around for the better, for all of us. No more hunger, no more lost lives, enough housing for everyone and many more results. And I believe Delilah is the only one who can show us the way. She grew up in this sort of system so she knows how it’s supposed to be, what everyone’s supposed to be doing and how it’s supposed to be done. If you don’t listen to her and treat her with the respect she deserves, you’ll have to answer to me and I can guarantee you, you won’t like what happens.” With that, Riley stood down. I smiled at him and nodded my thanks. I saw Damien looking shamefaced.
Another hand went up. “So, if the hunters bring all of the kills to the kitchen, how do the rest of us eat?”
“Oh, I guess I should have explained a bit more, huh? I’m sorry. The hunters bring the kills to the kitchen so the kills can be dressed for meals. To make sure you’re all fed, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be set up and eaten in here and the dining room. This is the only room with enough space for all of us to sit. Each meal will be buffet style, meaning you’ll stand in line at one end of the table, grab a plate and make your way across, grabbing only what you’re going to eat as you pass the desired food. Then, you’ll grab your utensils and napkins and take a seat. With so many hunters and with such a large, untapped territory, I’m sure there’ll be more than enough for everyone to fill their bellies, and take some food home for snacks or something. Leftovers will be fed to the humans after we have eaten. This way, no one goes hungry.”
Shouts erupted in the crowd. Men gave a shout of joy and a few mothers wept. I was a little intimidated. It was that important to them? I’d have to ask Riley about that later.
Another hand went up and I quickly pointed to her. “I don’t know how to phrase this so please forgive me if it doesn’t make any sense, but what about the pack social classes? Will these new jobs affect the classes?”
“Could you clarify about the social classes, please?”
“Well, we don’t have any aristocrats here but will certain individuals be given more privileges than the others?”
“No. Everyone will be treated the same with no favoritism. Hunters will have the same benefits as the protectors and healers.”
“And will there be mating restrictions?” As she said this, she reached for the male beside her, one I remember I had marked as a hunter while she was a healer.
“No. I won’t restrict you to mates of your talent. That’d be interfering with love and I don’t want anyone being unhappy about not being with the one they love because they have different duties.”
Another chorus of shouts of joy resounded as females ran to their mates. I smiled and looked around for other hands. Finding none, I asked again if anyone had any more questions. Again, no response so I adjourned the meeting and climbed down. Everyone except the mothers filed out of the room. I turned to Riley.
“Darling, did your mother keep any of your old toys?”
“We have every toy that’s survived the life of the pack.”
“Good. Would you mind if I use them for the children?”
“Of course not. By all means.”
“Thanks, Riley.”
He nodded and he surprised me by kissing me.
“You handled that meeting beautifully, like the princess you are. Well done, sweetie.”
I blushed and smiled, then it was time to turn to the mothers. I walked with them through the ballroom, pointing out where everything would be and explaining further what they’d be expected to do. I even promised to bring down knitting and sewing supplies, enough to keep all of them busy. They could use it as they saw fit.
Once the mothers had all of the information they’d need for tomorrow, they left and I turned to directing the staff about the new expectations and demands they’d be expected to fulfill, such as bringing down the toys and putting them in here during the day, as well as placing and removing the tables, chairs and food for each meal.
By the time I’d finished with all of that, it was past lunch and I was quite exhausted. I could barely keep my composure during lunch when Riley had his meeting with the pack to hear and resolve any complaints. Since it was such a large pack, it took from lunch to dinner to hear all of the complaints. But because Father never let me or my mother chime in for this, I spent the time working on the hunter and protector assignments and figuring out what I’d teach the healers tomorrow. I knew I would fall asleep as soon as I went upstairs so it had to be done now.
After dinner, Riley and I immediately retired for the night. I was so exhausted, I could barely keep my head up. I stumbled twice on the stairs and Riley actually had to carry me, much to my dismay. I liked that he was so gallant, but I was perfectly capable of walking!
As I predicted, I didn’t have the energy for a bath so I just changed into my nightgown, climbed under the sheets and closed my eyes.
Impressum
Texte: This book in its entirety belongs to me, Melissa Nichols. Any works based off this without the Copyright will be reported.
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 16.11.2011
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