Pursuit of Happiness 11

After lunch, Lyssa makes her way up to the roof and stands, arms wrapped around herself, staring out across the pack lands.

Feeling her mood, other pack members avoid her.

It is Stephanie, finally, who approaches her a full day after their rescue.

She comes to stand beside Lyssa, at first saying nothing. Lyssa glances at her, then back out to the woods.

"You are Beta. You have a birth given right and obligation to protect yourself and your pack members."

Lyssa does not respond, or move away.

"Did you kill him?"

Lyssa looks down, exhaling. "I don't know. He was on me, ready to rape me, he told me so. I concentrated on the spot between his eyes and gave it to him. And then he fell on me."

"I would say you did." There is a pause. "You knew what you were doing, what you were asking her to do, the consequences of her escape. You expected to die."

Lyssa growls out, "Yes."

"Did you want to die?"

Lyssa turns to her, "Of course not."

"Then why are you so angry about being alive?"

It's a few minutes before Lyssa speaks again. "Stephanie. Could you ask Joanna to come up here?"

"Certainly, Madam Beta. I'm pleased you are returned to us."

"Thank you, Stephanie."

Joanna approaches, quietly, reluctantly. "Are you gonna yell at me again?"

Lyssa continues to look out over the pack lands. "Your mother told me to stay away from you this morning. Is that what you want? Do you need your mother to protect you?"

"No. Yes."

"Ah, the ambivalence of growing up. Wanting to be independent but still wanting to be able to run home to Mom and Dad when something goes wrong."

"You're what's wrong, Lyssa. Why are you being so mean?"

"I was ready to die, Jo. Prepared. I expected it. Then I wake up and Em's got me. And I hurt, so much, all over."

An inhale, a sigh. Jo sits on the edge of the roof, looking at her. "I was," an exhale, "just so glad to be home."

Lyssa is quiet again. Joanna finally breaks the silence as Emmett quietly walks up behind them.

Stephanie had come to tell him Lyssa had asked for Joanna and he went to see what was going on between them.

He approaches from downwind. He could smell the woods, the fields, a few deer, and both of them.

Joanna asks, "So, what changed?"

"I was alive and I hurt. I expected to be dead and I was saved at the last minute. I'm supposed to be dead, but I'm not."

"I don't get it."

Emmett says quietly, "She's pushing us away because she doesn't want to be helped or comforted or thanked because she failed."

"Huh?"

"She sacrificed herself for you, Jo, and since she didn't die it's like it doesn't count. I think she's having trouble believing it's OK for her to be alive."

"That's crazy. You did it. I got away. You got out, too. And, and Thomas is OK. And my party is tomorrow and some more wolves will find their mates. And you and Emmett can have pups and you can be around when I get mated and..." Lyssa smiles as Emmett gets closer. "..and I'm glad you're gonna be OK. Are you?"

Emmett gently places a hand on her shoulder and she turns her head to look at him, murmuring, "How do you know what I'm feeling? For that matter, how does Stephanie?"

"Because we're all very much alike and Stephanie had to remind me of that. We all lost our families. We're each the only survivor and each of us has had to work through our feelings of wondering why we were left alive. The guilt of not having died with our families. Why we're alive and they're not." Lyssa reaches up to cover Emmett's hand with her own.

"But, I'm not family and, she.. wait, I'm still not sure I get it."

"You're like a little sister to me, Jo."

"When I got old enough I got to the point where I would fight anyone for any reason. I was big enough and strong enough that I won most of the time. Randall's father, Wallace, had a talk with me after a bunch of males got together and beat me badly."

"It took a while for it to sink in. That I deserved to live. That I should make something of myself, make my family proud. You probably went through something similar."

Lyssa nods. "Rebellious. Out late partying. Drugs. Sleeping around. All kinds of self-destructive things. It was my grandfather who talked me into being something better."

"So, the fact that you didn't die makes you feel you're not worthy of living? Or love? Or something like that?"

Emmett strokes Lyssa's hair with his free hand. "A worthy end to your life?"

Lyssa closes her eyes. "Some of it. All of it. I'm not sure. But, yeah, something like that, I guess."

Joanna comes up to them, looks at Lyssa. "It was the most amazing thing you did for me, Lyssa. Do you remember what you told me? That the only way to help both of us was for me to leave you and get help? I did, and we were able to save you, too."

[I love you, mate. Don't ever forget that.] He slides his arms around her as the tenseness leaves her body.

"You're gonna be OK, aren't you? You're coming to the party, aren't you?"

"I'd better make nice with your mother, then."

"Good. I'm glad you're OK again. .. Oops, Mom wants me." Joanna squeezes Lyssa's hand and runs off.

"You'll feel better when you can run through the woods again." Emmett kisses the side of her neck.

"The damn cast still itches."

"If you eat, sweetheart, and take a nap, you'll heal faster."

"Of course, Dr. Forester. After I see Ariel. And get things ready for Jo's party."

Lyssa talks to Ariel and then makes sure the unmated are coming to the Wyeth gathering the next day. She then eats and sleeps for a couple of hours.

She stretches and groans when she wakes. "Ow."

"You'll feel better soon, I hope." He's sitting in a chair, staring at her.

"Afraid I'm gonna do something stupid?"

He rises and comes over to the bed, leans over, and kisses her. "No. Not anymore."

"Then why the guard?"

"Not a guard, dear heart. Just enjoying the peaceful look on your face."

She tries to sit up, and shoves a couple of pillows behind her back. "Why do I still feel so weak?"

He sits beside her on the bed, takes her hand. "All your energy right now is going to healing your injuries. Once that's done you'll be ready to take on the males again."

He pulls her gently against him and puts his arm around her. "I was with Roland when you screamed for help..."

It was two days since they had been rescued and Lyssa was still in some pain. She felt a lot better than she had and her body was sporting purplish greenish yellow spots but she still tired easily.

Lack of food, injuries, and long term drugging would do that to you.

She was supposed to rest but was really chafing under the restrictions. Everyone took that as a good sign.

Besides, there was no way she was going to miss Jo's party.

As they started down, Lyssa stopped. "We never got her a present!"

Emmett turns to his mate and puts his hands on her shoulders, sliding down her arms, he takes her left hand. The arm is still bulky because of the cast. He brings her hand to his lips, kisses it, then places her hand on his chest. "Dear heart, she's here, because of you. I don't think she expects any other present but you."

[Lyssa, can you come to my room?]

[Give me a couple minutes, Jo.] "Joanna wants me to come down."

"Alright, then."

"No. No. Back to our room, first." Mystified, Emmett walks with her. She was still a bit unsteady and slow.

She goes quickly into her drawer and takes something out. Closed in her fist, she takes Emmett's arm. "OK."

Emmett relinquishes her arm at Joanna's door. "You gonna be OK?"

She looks at him with a bit of a scowl. "Ya know, if I got a dollar every time someone asks me that we could go on vacation."

He smiles and kisses her. "You're on."

She knocks on the door and Ariel admits her. "No males." Lyssa chuckles.

As the door closes Emmett hears his mate exclaim, "Oh, Jo, you look lovely." He smiles again.

Joanna is dressed in a sapphire blue gown.

Strapless, it nicely frames her breasts, the neckline in a sweetheart style. The bodice clings to her smaller curves and the dress flares out at the waist. The skirt has some fullness to it. It would swing while she was dancing. Tea length.

She wears matching sandals with a kitten heel.

"OK, twirl."

Joanna obliges. Her light brown hair is done up in a loose chignon.

Lyssa is reminded of prom. Ariel stands proudly by, looking at her daughter.

"Absolutely gorgeous. Needs one thing though."

"Huh?"

"Turn around."

Lyssa drapes the chain around Jo's neck and fastens the new clasp. "Happy birthday."

Joanna picks up the pendant hanging below her throat, gasps, and whirls, eyes wide. "You can't give me this. You should keep it. For your daughter, or something."

Lyssa gives Joanna a kiss on the cheek. "I may never have.. a daughter, Jo."

"But it's like a family heirloom or something."

"This is where my family is now. I want you to have it. Besides, look how it goes with the dress."

"Mom?"

"It's perfect. In fact, I'd say you're ready to meet your guests."

"I feel so nervous."

"One foot in front of the other. It's all people you know."

The three women open the door to three men in suits.

Emmett whistles. "Well, Joanna, you do clean up well." She punches him in the arm.

He then notices the heart at her throat and turns to his mate. [Lyssa. Your mother's heart?]

[Yes.] Her eyes are a bit moist.

The men each offer an arm to one of the women.

Ariel is in a hunter green halter dress, Randall in a charcoal suit. Next is Lyssa and Emmett. Emmett also in charcoal with Lyssa in a burgundy wrap dress with a lettuce hem.

Roland, in navy, escorts his sister.

They walk to the balcony overlooking the front hall, the crowd murmuring below. Randall turns to Lyssa and gestures, she sends [Wyeth guests, your attention, please.]

Everyone shuts up and looks upward at Randall, Ariel, Lyssa, and Emmett at the railing.

Randall's voice rolls out over the assembled guests. "My friends! Today an Alpha daughter attains maturity. A Wyeth daughter. Joanna Wyeth is now an adult, with all the responsibilities and freedoms that entails."

"As you all know, she is recently returned to us. And, while I thank everyone for their help and support, there are three people I wish to give special recognition."

"The first is Lyssa Forester, mate to our Beta, through whose efforts our daughter was able to get free." A howl goes up from the wolves.

"Second is Thomas Cantrell, who was able to prevent Lyssa, herself, from being killed." Thomas looks up, startled, as the wolves howl again. Lyssa nods to him.

"Third, [Come up here, pup.].." Nathan mounts the stairs, wearing a white button down shirt and a pair of black pants, as Randall continues, "is Nathan Severn, who cemented Joanna's escape."

Out of sight of the guests downstairs, Randall gestures Nathan to stand beside Joanna. [Take her arm, son.]

Nathan wraps her other arm in his. [You're beautiful.]

"I present to you the Alpha daughter, Joanna Wyeth."

Joanna descends the stairs, flanked by Roland and Nathan, to howls and applause. The stairway is wrapped in a garland of greenery, including roses, colored carnations, and daisies.

"Let the party begin!"

Emmett scoops up Lyssa. "Hey!"

[It'd take you half the night to get down the stairs, mate.]

[So much for my grand entrance.]

[It's not your party.]

[Spoilsport. Why did I get so dressed up then?]

[For your friend. For me. I do look forward to peeling it off you later tonight.]

[Emm...]

[To put you to bed.]

[Uh, huh... Look at her and Nathan.]

[I think it would be a good match.]

Emmett deposits her in a chair off to the side of the hall. [I'll get you something to eat.]

Joanna stands with her parents, greeting the Alphas and her other guests.

The hall is covered with streamers and flowers in Joanna's chosen colors. A buffet is off to one side. Tables are placed around the room for guests to sit at, eat, or visit.

As the music swells, the party continues. Little knots of wolves stand or sit in various corners. Some going for seconds, or thirds, at the buffet. Others outside.

The Severn wolves had been paired with Wyeth wolves, to keep the peace. There had already been a small scuffle.

However, unless some serious damage was done, no one would report it to the Alphas.

Joanna and Lyssa are watched, carefully.

Jo and Lyssa are asked after and sought out by the more curious.

The unmated wolves had been introduced earlier in the day so as to lessen the possibility of an altercation. Everyone was behaving thus far, but there was a definite circling and trolling going on. Macy's Alpha female had already picked out a probable match between a pair of wolves.

The unmated gathering would continue for the two days following the party.

Calvin Ross had come as a courtesy. He had known Joanna since she was a nurseling. But, with rumors flying around about Michael, he was uncomfortable.

Wanting to get away from the press of the crowd, he grabs a can of beer and walks outside. It was difficult to tell who was where from the mixture of scents, and he's not paying the strictest attention to where he's going.

Rounding a corner, he runs into a female and grabs her, reflexively.

She growls, lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry.." and he looks up into green eyes.

"Alpha.. I apologize."

"It's just Calvin now, my dear. Who are you?" Brown hair, a sturdy frame, but those eyes.

"Stephanie, sir, of Wyeth."

"Ah, yes, I believe I may have seen you on one of my visits. Are you one of the unmated?"

"No, sir. Uh. Yes, sir."

Calvin smiles. "Which is it?"

Stephanie takes a deep breath. "I'm not mated. But I'm only here to work security for the party."

"Care to keep an old man company for a bit?"

Although a couple other young males had cut in for a dance or two, after the dance with her father, Joanna has been dancing with Nathan.

Lyssa watches, and smiles. It seems Joanna has found a young man to her liking. In truth, she might be mated by year's end.

Emmett watches with a bit of a scowl on his face. [Jealous, mate?]

[What?] He looks down at her. Lyssa nods towards the young couple. [Of him? Certainly not.]

[Then why the look?]

[She's just too young to be interested in males yet.]

Lyssa barks out an explosive laugh that has many of their guests looking at her. [How old is old enough?]

In all seriousness, he replies, [No daughter of mine will be mated before they're 60.]

Lyssa shakes her head. [Double standard, huh? How old am I?]

He looks down at her grin and kisses her. [You'll feel the same way, sweetheart.]

At the thought of their own children, she gets pensive.

Ariel looks over and notes Lyssa's look. [Alright, Lyssa?]

[Just thinking.]

[The party is marvelous. You did an excellent job.]

[Thank you, Madam Alpha.]

[So, Randall, what do you think of a Severn in the family?]

[He saved her. She's infatuated with him. It will wear off.]

[I don't think so.]

[Bet?]

[Yes. What's the bet?]

[I get to tie you down, blindfold you, and have my way with you for two hours.]

[Alright. And if I win, you bring back a wild pig and I get to tie you down, blindfold you, and have my way with you for two hours.]

[Done.]

[Let's dance, Ran.]

Ariel and Randall move out onto the dance floor with an animal grace. They launch into a salsa with an energy guaranteed to make their children cringe. The Alpha couple move to the music, getting closer to Joanna and Nathan.

Joanna watches her parents approach. [Here they come.]

[Do you want to go somewhere else?]

[Nope. It's my party. I'm gonna have a good time.]

Moving closer still, Randall dangles something in front of Joanna's face.

With a squeal, she grabs the keys. "Where is it!?"

"Behind the back outbuilding."

She grabs Nathan's arm. "C'mon!"

They run out the side door with Joanna in the lead.

On the way, they pass Erich.

Erich was caught between two females and wasn't really sure what to do.

The women were getting rather agitated and he was trying to defuse the situation, so he'd walked outside. They had followed.

They were both from Gates pack and seemed to be trying to outdo each other to get to him. He knew he was a pretty good candidate for a mate because of his position in the pack, but this bordered on the ridiculous. They seemed to have a long standing rivalry or something which he saw was being taken out on him.

They now had him backed against the wall in a corner outside the pack's dining room.

One, Diana, had pulled off her top to show him her breasts. The other, Cynthia, was pulling at his waistband and undoing his pants.

"Ladies, please! Ooo!"

Diana had shoved her hand into his boxers and was stroking him. As he opened his mouth, she stepped closer and stuffed her tongue down his throat. [Nice package.]

Meanwhile, Cynthia, or Cyn, as she liked to call herself, had dropped to her knees, yanked down his pants, and had sucked him into her mouth. "Urf. Uh."

[Mmm. Just like a popsicle. I could do this all day. And I'm better at it than she is.]

Selene, they were aggressive. And how did they know who was better at what?

Then his brain stops functioning in its normal fashion. Diana had ripped open his shirt and he felt her bare breasts against his chest while she stole his breath with her fevered kiss.

Cyn, meanwhile, was taking him deeply. The sensations were such that his claws were digging in to the wall behind him. Then she did something that no female he'd ever been with had. First, she sucked his balls into her mouth and rolled them around with her tongue. His toes curled and his leg muscles tensed up.

Next, she released his sack from her warm mouth and, with a smile, sucked him back into her mouth. Diana nipped across his collarbone as Cyn's hands reached around his asscheeks.

He gasped, "Selene!" as she rubbed the pad of her finger over his anus.

Then, a push, and she's inside, rubbing against.. Diana bit at his nipple and he roared as he came, overwhelmed by the sucking, biting, and the rubbing of his prostate.

He sucked in air, his hips jerked, as Cyn swallowed every bit of cum, the contractions of her throat milked him dry.

She pulled away slightly and rolled the last bit around in her mouth, then swallowed.

"How's he taste?"

"Mmm. Yummy."

"My turn next."

He's surprised his legs were holding him up. He cleared his throat. "Um. Uh. Thank you, ladies. I do have something the Alpha asked me to look into. I should see to it."

"Oh. Too bad."

"Hurry back."

Erich pulled up his pants and fled.

Joanna and Nathan dash to the back outbuilding.

Along the way Nathan sees two wolves standing guard outside another small outbuilding.

Calvin Ross and a brown haired female are headed that way.

"What's in there?", he asks, curious. "Oh, sorry, none of my business."

She stops, looks over, and looks back at him. "I probably shouldn't say."

He looks back. "You're right. It's Wyeth business, but it looks like it's bothering you."

She grumbles to herself. "I don't know why they're keeping him alive." A pause. "C'mon. I want to see what they got me."

Him? Alive? Had they taken one of the kidnappers alive? If so, he didn't understand either.

Stephanie relieves Samuel, who's one of the two currently guarding Alan.

"Two guards, my dear? Must be something or someone.." Calvin scents the air and catches a familiar smell. Three males from the Ross pack were unaccounted for. This was one of them.

The rumors about Michael were true.

He'd told his father he would keep Sampson on longer as Beta, but he had obviously had another in mind as his Beta. Must be one of the missing males. Of the three, it was probably Jason. But this was not him.

Calvin had to assume the other two were dead. But why would they be keeping this one alive?