Fulfillment 14

He grabbed her as she turned for the bedroom, pulled against him, and showed her how happy he was to see her.

She gasped when he released her, burying his nose in her hair. "I'll be too distracted to respond to anything intelligently if that's what you're wearing to dinner."

She swings at him. "No! Seriously, Nathan." She tries to pull away. "I've got to change, let me go."

He lets her slide out of his grip looking after her appreciatively. "Don't change on my account."

She emerges dressed in a pair of black capris and a pale blue shirt.

***

Stephanie is invited to dinner at the Ross compound.

A car was sent to pick her up. She takes a deep breath and enters the car.

The Ross wolf driving was startled as she slid into the passenger seat. He looked at the back seat, then to her.

Shrugging, he puts the car in drive and pulls away.

Faces showed at some of the windows. At one, a female with red hair smiles broadly as a male with brown hair kisses her shoulder.

Dinner is again in Calvin's suite. She eats quietly, her eyes flicking to him from time to time. Calvin spoke quietly about small things. He touches her hand across the table. "You're being quiet."

"I have nothing to say."

"You have no opinion on anything I've said?"

Stephanie shakes her head.

There was a lull in conversation. "Who was driving tonight?"

"I'm not certain. What did he look like?"

"Dark hair, very wavy, brown eyes."

"Busted nose? On the smaller side?" She nods. "Trevor."

And again she sits, quiet. An emotion wells up in him and he bites off a growl. "Why do you ask?"

She looks up, quickly, at him and he watches the flicker of fear on her face turn to anger and determination. "You're mad I asked what his name is?"

Calvin takes a breath, schools his expression. "Excuse me, Stephanie. Would you care for dessert?"

Jealous. Was he jealous? What else could it be?

Stephanie licked her lips. "OK."

Calvin lifted a tray and brought over two small plates and set one in front of her before taking his place. "Would you spend the night with me?"

She stops, poised, and looks at the bed. A new mattress and bedclothes. She looked back down at her plate and gestured at the dessert with her fork. "What is this?"

"It's called a peach crumble."

She digs in, chewing slowly, tasting the flavors, trying to unweave the complexity.

Peaches, of course. Sugar. Butter. Spices. The topping. "It's good."

"Bethany is adept at desserts. Do you want anything else?"

"No. Thank you."

Dinner finished, Calvin says, "It's time for the news." He extends his hand. "Sit with me?"

She takes his hand and rises, walking with him to the couch.

Calvin switches on the early news and watches, Stephanie beside him, trying to figure out what was going on. Stories on the television as if she'd entered a movie in the middle. Forty minutes later, he mutes the television and turns to her. "Will you stay?"

He watches her trying to form a response. He crouches, taking her hand in both of his. "I would like you to stay."

Stephanie looks into an earnest pair of blue eyes. "Alright."

Calvin's heart thrills. "I have early sweep tomorrow."

"Of course. When do you need to be back?"

"About 6."

"I'll arrange it." He hands her the remote, which she takes. "I would like a kiss." Looking up at him, she purses her lips. "More of a kiss than that." She gives him a puzzled look.

Calvin takes her hands and pulls her upright. He looks into her eyes and slides his arms around her waist and brings her closer. She stiffens as her chest contacts his. He tilts his head and closes on her mouth. He presses his lips to hers and kisses her. His mouth remains closed.

He holds there, inhaling her scent, feeling the warmth of her body.

Calvin finishes the rather chaste kiss with a light brush to her cheek and a "Good night."

He then released her, turned and went to the bathroom. As he closed the door, he smiled. Her hands had gone to his arms, but no further. But she hadn't pulled away.

Calvin emerged, wearing sweatpant shorts, and climbed into his bed.

She watched a show on Amazons.

He had fallen asleep by the time she came to bed.

***

Joanna had survived a dinner with her new Alphas.

She was glad that Nathan had been there beside her, to squeeze her hand or thigh occasionally. He kept her steady.

Aaron and Sarah Severn were nice people, really. They had asked her about herself, her parents, about their first encounter, hers and Nathan's.

Aaron relayed a few stories about Nathan's youth.

She enters his, their, house giggling slightly and feeling as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

He grabbed her by the arm, swung her against the wall just inside the door, took her face in his hands, and kissed her. Her hands go to his short hair as he presses his body into hers. [Nathan?]

[Not now, Ma.] He chuckles to himself and put his forehead to hers. "Mom's got an epic sense of timing."

Joanna's hand slides down her mate's body. She grabs his butt and pulls him more tightly to her. "Do you want to talk about your mother?" she smiles up at him.

She feels movement, growth, a swelling against her belly as she twists, grinding against him.

"What?" He's lost his train of thought.

Clothes fly.

He picks her up and wraps her legs around him.

Nathan carries her over to the couch and sets the edge of her behind against the back. She loosens her grip on him slightly and he arranges himself, poised to enter her body. The tip of his cock is bathed in her juices as he nips at her neck. She throws her head back with a groan and he takes the occasion to latch onto a nipple and sheath himself inside her with one firm thrust.

Joanna gasps and moans at the feeling. Being filled by her mate.

[I've been thinking of that outfit all evening.] He pulls out, the tip of his manhood lightly touching her opening. [Kendra?]

She gulps and he watches her throat convulse. "Uh, huh."

He says, [Surprise me with it another night.] as he thrusts back into her and she moans.

With her bottom braced against the back of the couch and his arms around her, one at her butt and one around her back, he begins a rhythmic thrusting that has her gasping and moaning, grabbing at his shoulders. It doesn't take long, given his thoughts of the past couple of hours, for his knot to swell.

As he presses it into her most intimate place, she begins to pant. She's glistening, filmed with a thin layer of sweat as he begins his short, sharp jabs. He's groaning, breathing heavily, as he feels his imminent climax. [Jo, Jo, I'm..] His send degenerates into a howl of completion.

She feels him pulsing inside her, feels the warmth of his seed filling her and, it felt good, but..

She heard his breathing slow a bit and felt his hand interpose itself between their bodies. The pad of his thumb rides over her curled hairs, down to her clit. She gasped as he began to rub. "Oh, oh, there. Oh, yeah. Harder." He followed her instructions and felt her muscles, her legs, tighten around him. Close, close. Just a little more.

Her vaginal muscles clenched and the result is an almost painful pressure on his knot. This would be a long tie. Then, rippling, her muscles contracting and releasing around him. Her back arched and he had to grab her to keep her from falling back and hurting herself. And him. She sucked in air and smiled up at him. "MMmm."

***

Kendra was riding her own mate. The black lace catsuit had not survived intact. There were holes where her breasts had been exposed. There were small rips on her thighs from teeth, several bite marks were evident on her thighs. Long lines were laid open on her arms and shoulders.

Of course, Kyle was almost equally marked. His pecs and shoulders showed marks from her nails. There were bite marks on his neck and collarbone.

She leaned down, kissing him deeply as she shifted her pelvis back and forth, rolling herself against him, searching for her release. He reaches up to touch her and she grabs his hands, pressing them back to the bed. "No, no. Kyle, not until I say so."

Kyle groans, looks into her eyes, and licks his lips. "Kendra, sweetie.."

She bites his lower lip, pulling it away from his mouth. "Not yet."

She resumes her movements, rolling her pelvis, rubbing her engorged clitoris against his body. She sits upright again, shifting up and down slightly, rubbing in small circles against his pubis. The weeping evidence of her sexual state is pooled around the base of his hardened length and is trailing over his balls. She throws her head back and grabs her breasts, twisting and pulling at her nipples.

Kyle can't hold back any longer and grabs her hips, raising her up and down as he thrusts upwards into the tight wet muscular channel of his mate. "Get down here."

Kendra looks at him, then leans down. He takes a nipple into his mouth and bites down.

Kendra shrieks, then howls, as her orgasm overwhelms her. The world goes bright as exquisite, almost painful pleasure slams though her body.

The strong contractions of the muscles around him sends Kyle over the edge and his howl echoes hers. As his penis pulses inside her, it sets off another set of quakes in her and another orgasm catches her by surprise. She actually stops breathing for a few moments, eyes wide. The additional twitching of her muscles sucks more semen from him and he groans.

Both are breathing heavily, sweating, as she collapses onto him. [Damn, baby.]

***

She was touching him, a hand around his shaft, her gorgeous mouth around him. Her mouth was wet, and warm. Her tongue was wrapped around him bringing an intensely pleasurable feeling in his cock.

He had a hand on one of her tits, oh, he loved their size, and the other in her chestnut hair.

He was fucking her mouth, and she was taking him, all of him. Oh, he wasn't extraordinarily large, but he was a good size. He felt himself slide into her throat, and she swallowed, and the feeling on the head of cock was more than he could take.

He begins spurting, groaning his release.

Brandon waits for his breathing to return to normal before getting up to clean himself up.

Ross looks over at him. "Really, man, who is it?"

***

Stephanie woke comfortable in some ways and uncomfortable in others.

She didn't wear clothing to bed and some things have twisted. An arm was thrown over her shoulders and her back was pretty warm. Not to mention the smell...

He moved his nose, half awake, against her shoulder. Then pressed a light kiss to it. "Morning."

She pulled away.

Stephanie sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him. Calvin lay on his side, looking at her back. He reaches a hand out toward her, then pulls back as she glances at him. "I have to go."

A sigh. "I told Sampson to have a car readied. It should be waiting for you downstairs."

She goes into the bathroom and emerges in pants, a flannel shirt over the t-shirt. Shorts that she had worn to bed in her hand. "Leave them, I'll have them laundered."

Stephanie drops the shorts and glances back at him again, hand on the doorknob. "Goodbye."

"Good day, Stephanie. Thank you for coming."

He rolls to his back and closes his eyes as the door clicks shut. He should sleep another hour or so.

He rolled to his side as he heard the car pull out. Opening his eyes to slits, he notices the shorts.

Calvin slides out of the bed, grabs them, and climbs back in. He inhales her scent, then twists them around and sniffs at the crotch. Ah, her essence. While there was no evidence of arousal, females still smelled differently there.

He fell back to sleep with her scent in his nose.

He arrived at Wyeth later that day, to see his friend and meet with Stephanie under more comfortable surroundings, for her.

What he doesn't expect is to be approached by the Beta female. "Alpha Ross? May I speak to you? Privately?"

"Is Stephanie alright?"

"Oh, yes. Um, she is."

"I see. Something else then."

"Please, would you come with me?" They enter a small meeting room and Lyssa leans against the door and exhales. "I would like to explore an idea with you."

Lyssa went over her idea of a pack council with him. "You've discussed this with your Alpha?"

"Yes. But if you haven't talked about it then it hasn't gone any further. I think it needs to happen."

"Why?"

"One of these days, the word will get out about werewolves. And we'll either be overrun with people who want to study us or, more likely, hunted down and killed because they're afraid of us. The packs would be wiped out if we don't find a way to work together."

Calvin sits quietly for a bit, thinking. "I find no fault in your reasoning. Who would lead this council of yours?"

"I'm not sure. It shouldn't just be one pack."

"There are seven packs so voting would provide a clear majority."

"Maybe a rotating leadership? Or maybe an election?"

"I'll consider your suggestion."

"Thank you. I really think we need this."

Calvin looks thoughtful. "The human race is adept at ignoring things they don't want to see. But, you're right, there will come a time the humans will know us for what we are." He strums his nails against his teeth. "If it is not the Alphas themselves there will be trouble. None will wish to see an affront to their authority."

Lyssa looks at him. "This will not be simple, Madam Beta. It will take time and it may take a crisis to bring some of the Alphas to agree to something like this."

She stands. "Thank you for listening. I have spoken to Ran.. my Alpha but thought I should spread the idea."

"Randall is aware of this conversation?"

He watches Lyssa shrink back. "No." Her voice gets quieter. "I did this wrong. Oh, shit."

"You must learn to be more aware of werewolf politics. You familiarity with me is no excuse." Lyssa's heart rate and breathing speed up. He smiles, baring his teeth, and chuckles. Lyssa is suddenly afraid.

"Of course, I have become too much a fixture around here. I have my pack to run. I should be there. But, I keep coming here because she is here."

Calvin Ross looks up to Lyssa. "Madam Beta, how does she seem to you?"

Lyssa licks her lips. "Unsettled. I should go."

"Of course." Lyssa quickly rises and leaves the room. [Randall, I've got some business to transact.]

[My office then, Calvin.]

Calvin hands over a check for the car that his son had demolished.

Randall accepted it without looking at it. "Is there anything else you can think of that I, that Ross owes you?"

"Jo is happily mated." Calvin's face shows surprise. Randall smiles. "Three days ago, Cal. Our Betas are healed and you have paid dearly yourself. How is the pack?"

"Better. Although I have two new widows, one of which will go into her first heat any day now."

"Michael's mate?" Randall asks.

Calvin nods, sadly.

Randall stretches. "The taxes are killing me. I could use a break. Up for a session in our circle, my friend?"

Calvin sighs. "I could use a workout."

Two large wolves trot out of the den and head toward the Wyeth circle.

[So, Randall, Lyssa was talking to me about a pack council.]

Randall stops dead and turns to face the Ross Alpha. [What did you say?]

[Your Beta female broached the subject of an inter-pack council.]

[LYSSA FORESTER! Circle. Now!]

Lyssa drops the book she's holding and shudders. Fuck. The rat bastard had sold her out. Celia turns to look at her. Breathing heavily, hands trembling, Lyssa fumbles, trying to get out of her clothing.

[Randall, stop.] Randall snarls at the older male.

A large grey wolf bursts from the den, headed for the Wyeth circle and the Alpha males.

[Lyssa!], the Alpha calls again. Lyssa flinches and shifts, shredding the clothing she was wearing and stumbling toward the door.

She stumbles again, leaving through the side door, and falls on her shoulder in the muddy slush.

Whining, she gets back to her feet and, with trembling legs, her tail tucked tightly to her belly, Lyssa heads for the Wyeth circle

[Randall.]

[Cal, she's gone outside the pack hierarchy. She knows better than that.]

Emmett stands by, worry emanating from his frame, unsure of what had happened. But he didn't think he'd ever heard Randall quite so angry. And it was directed at his mate.

Their Alpha female, in the form of a russet wolf, rushes out to find out what was going on. [Ran, what is it?]

Randall paces, awaiting the chestnut wolf.

Lyssa was slinking out towards the circle, belly low to the ground, whining. Emmett trots over to her. [What happened?]

[Stupid.] is all he gets from her. The fear stench coming off her was almost overwhelming.

Randall stands, growling, puffed up to his full size. Waiting.

[Randall?]

[She spoke to Calvin about her idea of a pack council. She's overstepped her bounds, speaking of such things outside the pack.]

[It is something that affects us all, Randall, all the packs. I admire the forward thinking.]

[Don't you start, Cal.]

[Ran, Lyssa is being Lyssa. We've commented on the strategic nature of her mind.]

[Talking to Calvin about something like this without me. She's undercut my authority. That can't go unpunished.]

[She brought this up almost three months ago, mate. She is acting as Beta female, looking out for the pack's future.]

Randall watches Lyssa slink toward him. He inhaled, she was terrified of him right now. He wanted her to be afraid, to some extent, to be more mindful of his place as Alpha. He needed to cement that in her mind. But she was much more afraid than he had anticipated.

Emmett stood back, but stayed close to his mate. Randall could see the trembling in his muscles.

Curious eyes watch the tableau. Randall shifts to intermediate form and grabs Lyssa by the throat. She yelps and whines, eyes rolled away from him. [Lyssa Forester, do you understand why you're here?] Dangling from his hand, eyes showing too much white flick to Calvin.

[I talked to Calvin about a pack council, Alpha.]

[Why?]

[He's, he's another Alpha and I think it's important. I wanted his opinion.]

[You value his opinion over mine?]

[No.] A whine.

[But?]

[But, he's older.]

Ariel tries again. [Ran.]

[Explain to me your motivation. What do you think you're doing?]

[Something good for the pack, for all the packs, Alpha.]

[And I wasn't moving fast enough for you?] Another whine. [Was I not moving fast enough for you, Madam Beta?] Randall shakes her.

[We need this.]

[And I've been too slow..]

She whines, [Yes.]

Randall stops, he's holding her close enough that she can feel his breath on her face.

Emmett watches Randall's jaws open and catches his breath.

Randall laughs, full-throated.

His hand opens and she drops to the ground. Lyssa stays where she falls, afraid to move.

Randall's voice comes out gravelly, as it usually did in that form. "Perhaps you're right, Madam Beta. But there was a better way to go about it."

[Yes, my Alpha.]

Randall looks to Emmett, who's still quivering in fear for his mate. "Your mate needs to learn patience, Beta." [You will spend the next three nights assisting me with the taxes.]

[Yes, Alpha.]

Randall shifts back to wolf and shakes out his fur. [Calvin?]

The two Alpha males head for the Wyeth circle as Emmett nudges his mate, who's in a miserable huddle on the ground. She stands, shaky, fear still rolling off her in waves.

[Lyssa, what the hell was that?]

She whines again. [I talked to Calvin about the idea for a pack council.]

[Lyssa!]

[Told you it was stupid.]

[Why would you do that?]

[Calvin's a friend..]

[An Alpha!]

[Yes, that, too, and I wanted his opinion.]

[Mate, you're going to age me 50 years.]

[I've got to help with the taxes the next three nights.]