Favor Redeemed Ch. 03

I truly apologize for the delay. I found an editor and then had a family issue. I hope to have part 4 up shortly too.

Thank you all so much for your comments. Don't worry, I do intend to finish this, it just make take me a bit.

*

"Who are you?" Amelia asked. Although she was startled, as she looked at the handsome man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, she felt an instant connection that she had never felt with anyone else.

"I am Alpha Brendan, of the Phelan pack," he said with a bow. "I believe you must be Amelia," and he reached for her hand.

Amelia gave him her hand and was surprised when, rather than shaking it, he took it and kissed her knuckles. As his lips brushed over her skin she felt a sensual thrill race through her body, something that had never happened to her before. She honestly could not think of anything to say for a moment and then she sputtered, "Yes, I'm Amelia." She just sat in her bed, staring at him for a moment before she looked down and realized what she was wearing; a modest t-shirt style nightgown that was faded and worn with little green frogs all over it. She squeaked, jerked her hand back, and pulled the covers up to her chin, her face turning bright crimson. "If you'll, um, give me a moment, I'll, um, get dressed."

Brendan looked down her body beneath the covers and her red face and chuckled to himself seeming to realize that he'd woken the poor thing up in the middle of the night. He liked her natural beauty and messy hair and wondered if she always looked this beautiful. He could feel his wolf within him, anxious to claim his mate. The human part of his brain knew that wasn't likely to happen tonight. As he remained by her bed just staring at her and wishing for more, he heard others coming up behind him. He turned to find Josh, Jeremiah, and the other betas from his trip coming down the hallway. He assumed that his unusual behavior had prompted Josh to wake Jeremiah and while rationally he was glad for their concern, his wolf did not want any of them near his mate yet. He tensed, but his voice remained calm as turned to the door and said, "I do not think that Amelia really needs to meet all of y'all tonight. We have some things to discuss, if you'll wait in my office." His body blocked their view of her but none of them had quiet reached the doorway yet.

They all recognized the tension and that something was going on with their Alpha. Jeremiah actually smiled inside as he realized what could be going on. It appeared that the Alpha might finally have met his mate, though Jeremiah was surprised it was a human, these things did happen from time to time. He already felt that Amelia was an unique form of human anyway.

Brendan turned back to Amelia and said, "I'm sorry to have woken you. I just couldn't wait to meet you." He bowed to her and she could not help but smile at the courtly gesture and then he left her room, shutting the door behind him. His wolf whined inside at leaving his mate, and briefly he imagined going back in there, removing all of clothing, kissing and licking her all over so that his scent would cover her and then pushing his now straining cock into her hot, wet sheath and claiming her as his forever.

He shook himself out of the brief fantasy and walked to his office to talk with his assembled betas, wearing a goofy grin that was completely unlike his normal self. As he entered, all his betas bowed their heads slightly to him and he noticed the other grins around the room as well. "Yes, she is my mate," he said to the assembled men and accepted their congratulations.

"About time, my Alpha," said Jeremiah. "I was beginning to think we were going to have to start taking you around to all the packs and show you off."

"Yeah, we could have made one of those reality shows out of it!" interjected Josh.

"Like that was ever going to happen," said Brendan, taking the mild teasing without complaint.

"Hey, at least Reyna and I got her to stay the night. Otherwise you'd probably be back in the car right now, driving into town and then scaring her half to death by dragging her back here." Everyone in the room knew that until she was claimed, being outside of the pack was unthinkable. In fact, the longer he went without claiming her, the less he would be able to tolerate others being around her. Some she-wolves used this to their advantage and played hard to get, but it never lasted long because the she-wolves wanted to be claimed and to claim their mate in return.

Brendan then remembered something Jeremiah had told him earlier about Amelia and thought back on the bruising his wolf had sensed. His expression darkened and his tone turned more serious as he asked, "Jeremiah, did you say you thought she'd been abused?" The room sobered in an instant.

Jeremiah responded, "Yes my Alpha. Either that or she was somehow injured. Her movements suggested pain and difficulty."

Brendan and his wolf growled. "Tomorrow, we will find out for sure. If she was abused, her husband will be dealt with."

"Yes Alpha" everyone responded. While rough play and a certain amount of violence were part of their culture, abusing someone smaller or weaker than you was unthinkable. Abuse of a woman or more especially a child was dealt with harshly. To hurt the person who was the human approximation of a mate was absolutely appalling. Mates were partners who shared each other's strengths and did not exploit their weaknesses.

"We should all go to bed now," said Brendan. Everyone agreed and began to leave except Jeremiah. Once they were alone Brendan nodded to Jeremiah, sensing his need to speak.

"My Alpha, I am truly glad that you have found your mate. I sense a strength in her that I think will be good for both of you. However, I have a feeling that your claiming her will be difficult for you both, and not just because she's human."

"All good things come to those who wait," said Brendan, repeating the saying that his mother had told him many, many times. He wished that she was here now to meet his mate. He turned and stared out the window of his office, watching the night and feeling very tempted to take a run. He was tired but also filled with energy, and since he could not release the energy sexually, as he wished, a run would be the next best thing.

"Good night, my Alpha, and again, congratulations," said Jeremiah as he left.

Brendan continued to look into the night sky and think about all the complications and possibilities of having found his mate. Then, he decided he should try to sleep and went up to his bed, which now felt more lonely than it ever had before.

After meeting the Alpha Amelia had remained awake for a while. He was so handsome and even sexy, and she did not think that way about most men. Then she frowned, knowing that it was not appropriate for her to of him think that way. Her whole body ached and she got up and walked into the bathroom that adjoined her room. She pulled up her nightgown and looked at her body and almost started crying. There were blotches of blue and purple all over her body, but as she looked at her figure, she knew that she was not sexy at all. She'd heard often enough about how pudgy she was. In that moment she wished she could go home, not to the physical house that she had left that morning, but to place where she had grown up. She wished she had her mother or someone, that she was not all alone, that she could belong with this pack, which was one huge family. She missed her family so much, but not her husband. She did not think she would ever miss him. Taking a deep breath, she told herself not to cry. "I can do this!" she said, if only to herself. Then she went back to bed and created a fantasy world where she was loved and cared for as she drifted off to sleep.

Amelia woke the next morning to light streaming in through the window. The day looked bright and beautiful and she told herself that it was a sign of good things to come. Some of her clothes had been brought in from her car and hung in the closet for her. She had brought toiletries with her so she took a shower and tried to ignore the pain and stiffness in her body. She looked through her clothes, and knowing that she was going to see the Alpha again, she wanted to look nice. She finally decided on a floral dress that had sleeves that came to her elbow, an empire waist, and came almost to her ankles. Hopefully, she thought, she looked employable and a little pretty, and the Alpha would be able to find a job for her.

She hated again that she had to ask for a job, but she promised herself that she would be such a good worker that it would make up for how she had gotten the job in the first place. She wondered, briefly, if they had been able to fix her car or if she would need to have it towed after all. She was determined not to take any more from them, but to stand on her own two feet. She wondered if she should bother with makeup, but did not really have any. She remembered that yesterday Reyna had not seemed to wear any, and that she had not noticed many perfumes or scented things since she had arrived, so she decided it would be better to just leave it.

She opened the door and suddenly was unsure of where to go. The same young woman who had brought the refreshments from the day before was waiting outside her door with a bright smile on her face. "The Alpha asked me to bring you to him when you woke up, Ma'am"

"Thank you," replied Amelia, following her down the hallway. "What's your name?"

"Bridget, Ma'am," replied the young woman. Being southern, the ma'am was not so unusual; she'd been taught herself to be respectful and to answer her elders with a "Sir" or "Ma'am" but she wasn't that old, and no one, including this young woman, had used the terms yesterday. It puzzled her. Also different today were the number of pack members who seemed to be hanging around, watching at her. She felt a little self-conscious and wished she had put on makeup after all. Where the day before she had probably met only a dozen of the pack, it seemed the number had tripled, and now included children. She recognized the route Bridget was taking her on, as it was close to where Jeremiah's office was located. Now, however, she was shown into what appeared to be a small waiting area, with a door that Amelia assumed was the door to Alpha Brendan's office. Bridget went to the door and knocked.

"Enter," Brendan's voice came from within, and Bridget opened the door and indicated Amelia should go in. A little tentatively Amelia stepped through and watched as Brendan made his way around the desk. He smiled very warmly at her and she could not help but smile back. The look on his face made her feel like she was 16 again and having her first date, which was such an odd reaction, particularly given her experience with men. The thought made her smile dampen from warm to polite.

"Amelia, I want to apologize for waking you last night. It was quite rude of me. Have you had any breakfast yet?"

Amelia found herself blushing for no apparent reason as he spoke and she said, "No, but I'm fine." She watched as Brendan shook his head.

"What kind of host would I be if I didn't provide you with a good breakfast?" He looked to Bridget who was still standing in the doorway, "Would you please bring us some coffee and some breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits with sausage gravy sound good?" he asked turning back to Amelia.

"Umm, that's not necessary, and it sounds like an awful lot of trouble."

"No, it's no trouble. Actually, usually the whole pack eats meals communally and in kind of a buffet style. I'm sure that all those dishes are already prepared, it's just a matter of getting us each a plate."

"Well, I'm strange, I actually don't drink coffee," Amelia answered apologetically. "And, that sounds like too much for breakfast." Looking at Brendan, given his trim physique, she wondered if werewolves had a higher metabolic rate than humans and could burn calories faster. Or perhaps he just exercised a lot?

Brendan laughed, "That's not strange, it's just a preference. How about juice instead? And how about just the eggs and bacon? Or the biscuit with gravy?"

Biscuits and sausage gravy were not something she had ever mastered. Her mother had made both of them very well and Amelia had always thought she would have the time to learn how to make them later, but she hadn't. "Juice and a biscuit with sausage gravy would be nice, thank you."

"Yes my Alpha, Ma'am," said Bridget with a slight bow.

"Wait," said Amelia. "If you normally dine communally, then shouldn't we just go to where the food is rather than having it come to us?" The thought of being able to eat with a big family appealed to Amelia, which prompted her to make the suggestion.

"Normally, I would heartily agree with you Amelia, but there are some things I want to talk with you about before you meet more of the pack," He added with a playful note. "There is also something to be said for having you to myself for a bit." He smiled as Amelia blushed again.

Bridget closed the door and Amelia looked nervously at her feet. "It really isn't appropriate for you to say things like that. I'm a married woman." Her tone was soft and sad.

"My apologies if I went too far," said Brendan softly, his tone losing its playfulness. "Please, have a seat," he motioned away from his desk to a small couch in one corner with a coffee table. The tingle of being in his presence intensified and Amelia wasn't sure if she wouldn't prefer to have a desk between them, but as she was the one asking for help, she wanted to keep him happy. With any luck she would be starting her new job the next day. They both sat down and she found herself staring at his blue eyes, his gaze holding hers, and making her feel like he was trying to read her mind.

The intensity of his gaze made her more nervous, so she felt back into her old habit of rambling. "I assume Jeremiah told you why I am here and how I'm related to the Beckett family. I know that this not the way that someone normally gets a job, but I promise that I will be happy with whatever job you give me, and work very hard. I assume that I will only make minimum wage, and that is fine. I just hoped that I could start as soon as possible, maybe tomorrow even?"

Brendan sensed her nervousness and smiled inwardly as she began to ramble. He wanted to stop the flow of words by kissing her, but did not dare. He waited until her flow of words paused and then asked, "How much do you know about werewolves and their mates?"

The question was so different from what Amelia expected that she responded blankly, "What?"

"How much do you know about werewolves and their mates?"

"Well, um, it wasn't something Reyna and I discussed yesterday, so I guess I only know what the stories say. That werewolves only have one mate and that once they mate they remain together for their lifetimes."

"That's true. Unlike traditional wolf packs where only the alpha pair are mates and most of the rest of the pack are their children who have not yet left to find their own territory, all werewolves have a mate, but we remain living together in packs with our children until the pack becomes too large for the territory or there's a disagreement of some kind and then a new territory and alpha are found from within the pack. In addition, it's somewhat like the stories where a werewolf waits for his or her mate and once he or she finds their mate they instantly know, usually because of scent. There's some speculation that it has to do with pheromones, but I honestly do not care about the cause, I just know it is true" he smiled.

As Amelia sat listening she wondered why he would be telling her this? Had someone in the pack mistakenly decided she was his mate? She interrupted Brendan to ask curiously, "I'm not sure what this has to do with my request for a job. Am I supposed to keep track of who each person's mate is?"

Brendan paused, looking at her and wondering if, as a human, she did not sense the mating call as he did. He knew he needed to tell her the truth since the news had spread to the entire pack and was not likely to remain a secret for long. "No, it's not that." He paused again, and then had an idea. "I would like to make you my assistant."

"Your assistant?"

"Yes."

Amelia was shocked for a moment, because from what Reyna had described about the way the pack worked, he already had plenty of help. Then she had an unwelcome thought. Maybe he did not have a position available and he was trying to "create" this position for her. Or worse, he did not want her to work for him so he was trying to place her in a meaningless position.

"Alpha Brendan, if you don't have a position that you feel would be suitable, I'd rather you just say so. The hospitality of your pack and breakfast this morning are more than enough to redeem "the debt." It was wrong of me to actually use it in this way." She stood up and started walking toward the door, knowing that she would need to get into town quickly to start her job search and to pawn her belongings. She also needed to find out about her car, but perhaps she could find Reyna and ask her.

An additional sadness tugged at her because there was a part of her that wanted to stay for a while and watch how this family interacted together, so she could enjoy it vicariously. And if she was honest with herself, she realized that for a moment, being Alpha Brendan's assistant sounded like a good idea because being around him seemed like a good idea, but it would be far too dangerous.

Brendan stood up, his wolf becoming aggressive at the thought of his mate leaving. "Stop," came the command of a man used to being in charge. Amelia turned and looked at him. He walked up to her, very close and she backed away from him, up against the door. "The kind of assistant I have in mind is actually more of a partnership." There was a part of him that knew he was acting too aggressively, but he could not seem to stop himself. He had to be near.

"Partnership?" She hated that her voice sounded so breathy. Though she had found him sexy from the first, she had tried to ignore it, but now, as he stalked and eyed her, she felt her whole body respond to him.

"Yes. Amelia, each werewolf only has one mate, and you are mine," he said as he reached her and crowded her against the door with his body. Her body launched into a sexual awareness that she had never known before, her nipples hardening and heat blooming between her thighs.

"No!" she cried, closing her eyes and thinking 'this is only a dream.' But then she felt his lips brushing against her neck and it was the most erotic thing she had ever experienced.

He nibbled up her next to her ear and whispered, "Yes." The brushed his lips lightly against hers. Amelia could not help the gasp she let out from his touch and she found herself pressing her lips back against his. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue within her mouth and tasting her. He then reached to grab her waist and pull her closer and she cried out in pain. He took a step back and at that same moment a knock came at the door.

Amelia's face turned red as she realized what she had just done. She retreated toward the windows her hand pressed to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes and she whispered more to herself than to Brendan, "But I'm married. . . "

Brendan stepped away from the door and gruffly called "Enter." Emotions warred within him, but since she was not running away, he and his wolf were able to let her go, for the moment. On the one hand he was furious with himself for rushing her. On the other hand he was worried for his mate because she was upset, and also he was furious because she had cried out in pain and he did not think his touch had been rough enough to hurt her, which meant something else had.