Embracing Home Ch. 01

A note to readers: This series follows Finding Home, so it's recommended to read that series first. Finding Home was written completely in advance of posting. I don't think I'm done with the DeLanes, and I have a lot of ideas for the pack. I'm going to try writing in real-time this time around, so the stories will come much slower than before. I'm going to try to make the chapters longer, but as you know by now, I usually prefer shorter. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

I'm the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. Jackson ran his large rough hand through the sleeping women's brown hair.

Our mate.

Her back rose and fell with each breath as she slept soundly on top of him, the sunlight dancing atop her naked curves. The couple remained inside the mating circle though the ceremony had ended the night before.

From his experience watching other Turnings, Jackson expected Lucy would stay asleep for another day or two. Her body was in the middle of drastic change. According to legend, the longer the sleep, the stronger the wolf.

Jackson wrapped his arms tightly around the sleeping woman and managed to pull himself up into a sitting then standing position. Lucy stirred briefly at the movement but quickly settled back to sleep. Jackson looked down at his mate once more.

So goddamn beautiful. Her face hadn't even begun to change yet, and she was already devastatingly gorgeous. To accommodate the change in bone structure, Turned wolves experienced a change in facial features in their human form. It just so happened that the change generally made Turned wolves more attractive than they had been as humans, but Jackson couldn't imagine how Lucy could ever be more beautiful.

And that body! For the life of him, Jackson would never understand her constant self-criticism. She had curves in all the right places and knew how to use them. He forced down his growing arousal. She needs us now. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips before carrying her back to the estate house.

The place was a madhouse. Although it was fairly normal for the Alpha's home to be a centralized pack hangout, the mating ceremony had brought quite a few out-of-towners. Jackson tried to focus on taking Lucy to their bedroom, and not the fact that so many wolves were near to his mate while she was in such a vulnerable position.

He growled lowly at many of the unmated males as he hurried into the house and up the stairs. Jackson knew none of his packmates would dare to threaten his new mate, but his wolf was on high alert. Mine! Lucky for them, the other wolves understood Jackson's alarm and gave him a clear path up the to bedroom. No one even dared to look at the Alpha in his current state.

Jackson ran inside his bedroom and kicked the door closed behind him. He laid Lucy down on the large bed and gently positioned himself behind her. He heard the quiet clanging of dishes as someone set a tray of food outside of his door. He could smell the slight char on the outside of the steak, the warm luscious butter melting atop the earthy potatoes, the sweet sour of the wine.

A distant cousin of Jackson's was Alpha of one of the French packs. That pack had had a vineyard and winery and Jackson stocked up quite a bit during a Council meeting a few years ago. It took a lot to make a werewolf drunk, but the complex flavors of some wines or other alcoholic drinks were a delight to a werewolf's heightened senses.

Jackson was hungry. Hell, I'm always hungry. But his wolf refused to leave his mate. Jackson could feel his inner beast growl at his human form for even thinking of getting out of the bed. Jackson wrapped Lucy in his arms and tucked his head close to hers on the pillow.

He inhaled deeply. Mine.

***

Jackson stared at Lucy, deep in thought. She's been asleep for over 4 days now...

The story of their mating had traveled well beyond Pine Creek by now. Jackson had been fielding calls from Alphas near and far, domestic and abroad. It had been quite some time since a sitting Alpha had had a mating ceremony. Most of the others had mated long before ascending to the Alpha position. Add to that the fact that his mate was a human... well, the packs were in a frenzy for more information about the situation.

It was actually quite a fortuitous turn of events- Jackson had been meaning to rekindle some of the DeLane pack's more dormant alliances and possibly invite some new.

And now that his mate had been asleep for longer than any Turned wolf in recent memory, it seemed like every pack was anxious to see what the new addition would mean for the DeLane pack's standing in the werewolf community.

Jackson himself was still working on wrapping his head around the situation. Of course, he'd known about mates since he was a pup. But after spending almost two centuries on this earth without a mate, Jackson had started to lose hope in his own future. In fact he'd even grown a fair amount of thinly-veiled disdain for mated pairs, even those in his own pack. The DeLane Alpha had looked down upon those more concerned with sex and passion than the livelihood of the pack. Those who would abandon their posts to attend to a lonely mate. Those who went mad and lost all sense of reason after losing their mate... Jackson shook the thought away. Those that lacked such self-control that they would stop and mark their mate at first scent, no matter what was happening around them. To be fair, that last one is still very much frowned upon.

Jackson almost had to laugh at his former position now. It's a wonder Luna hadn't cursed him for all eternity for how condescending he had been to mated pairs. He had thought of them as weak. The Alpha wolf inside of him snarled at the implication that he himself was now weak for finding Lucy. If anything, now he felt stronger.

The moment he had smelled her, Jackson had known what she was to him. Through all of the smog and filth of the city, her scent had hit him like a ton of bricks. She was crisp and clean. Fresh linen and citrus. Floral.

She smelled familiar in a way. Her scent brought him back to a sunny morning running through a meadow with his father and brothers. Chasing rabbits. Chasing squirrels. Chasing their own tails. It was a time of laughter and fun, long before responsibility or jealousy or suffering made their way into his life. Long before everything had gone so far off course. Lucy's scent was a reminder of the best of times... Well, the best until now.

Imagine his surprise when after finding the woman he was destined for, he discovered that she was already quite familiar with some of his pack. After stumbling upon Lucy in the park, Jackson reached out to his city-dwelling packmates and learned that Briana and Melanie were as good as family to her. Luna's doing, to be sure.

Jackson had been somewhat nervous about sending his newfound mate to The Den for their first meeting, what with all the other unmated males around. But as Alpha, Jackson had silently communicated to all in the dance club that his mate was his and his alone and any wolf bold or stupid enough to interfere with his claim would suffer swift and permanent consequences.

Plus, meeting in a pack establishment gave Jackson a little insurance just in case he was unable to control his wolf once they were face-to-face. Imagine explaining a giant black wolf on the dance floor to a human club owner.

When Jackson tasted her skin, he knew he had found his other half. It was an otherworldly kind of experience. He was overwhelmed with the complete and irrevocable dedication he felt to her, and he was overwhelmed with the feeling of foolishness for previously discounting the strength and force of the mating pull. He was ashamed of judging his packmates unfairly. But, more than that, he was filled with the need to claim his mate for all to see.

That night in the club she had so greedily orgasmed from his rough treatment on her neck, the spot that now bore his mark. From the first smell of her unwavering arousal for him, he knew he would never get enough of her.

His wolf had wanted to take her right then and there, but fortunately Jackson had just enough self-control to get away from her in the nick of time. His wolf was aching to bite her. To fuck her. To claim her. And Lucy's body called out to him like no other, all too willing to make the sacrifice. For him.

He was relieved to learn she had virtually no contact with her family. That would have made things much trickier for the Turning. Still, judging by the way he almost ripped a few heads off his own packmates during his weekend away from her, Jackson would have been willing to do anything to keep his Lucy. And he did mean anything.

Hell it was all he could do not to take her right there on the conference table her first day at DeLane Industries. The presence of Hank and the others in the room had been driving him closer and closer to a territorial rage. Luckily Hank was able to manufacture a believable reason for Jackson and Lucy to be left alone.

Good old Hank. The DeLane Industries plant manager had been Jackson's father's Beta for as long as Jackson could remember. Hank was tough, extremely loyal, and had an eye for bullshit better than anyone Jackson had ever known. Hank had been instrumental in keeping the pack afloat after Paul DeLane's passing and all the turmoil that followed.

And Jackson owed Hank a huge personal debt that both men knew would never be repaid.

Even in his relatively old age, Hank could keep up with the best of the younger crowd. But Jackson knew that Hank's time as Beta was coming to an end. Though he was still sharp as a tack, Hank had more than earned his retirement.

Now, whether Hank's mate wants him home all day going stir-crazy after centuries of being second-in-command to a large and powerful pack... Well, maybe I'll have to come up with some type of stripped-down responsibility for him...

Speaking of stripped down...

Jackson's eyes trailed over the concealed curves of his mate. Lucy was sleeping under a thin sheet that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. A faint growl escaped his throat as he tried to keep his arousal in check. He remembered the sweet taste of her juices. The way she screamed his name. How she was always willing and eager for more exploration of their bodies... of domination and submission.

I can't wait to really get rough with her once she's a little less... breakable. He just couldn't trust himself when she was in her human state. He'd wanted to tan his own hide when he saw the bleeding claw marks left on her shoulders the night she took his dick into her mouth. Filled with shame, he tried to heal the wounds before she saw them, but the fact that he'd injured her at all devastated him. He'd never been that angry at himself, or his wolf, before. The sound of his wolf whining filled his head as he remembered the feeling.

It wasn't just that he could have seriously wounded her body that worried Jackson. In fact, he could think of many ways to hurt her that he knew they both would enjoy (albeit, those ways typically involve less bloodshed). But Jackson was ashamed of his loss of control and his deceit.

Playing with Lucy was so damn hot because she wanted it. Hell, she begged for it. She trusted him implicitly. But until recently, Lucy had had no idea the type of danger she was putting herself in when she was with Jackson. Because he hadn't told her.

Jackson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. If he didn't know in his soul that they were a true mated pair blessed by Luna herself, Jackson would have wondered if Lucy could even love someone like him.

Lucy stirred. Jackson shot up from his chair, watching and listening attentively. She flipped over and let out a faint whine, then resumed her deep sleep.

He wished there was something he could do for her, but this would be her first test as a new wolf. As Alpha, the pack would demand a strong counterpart for Jackson. No one would dare to disrespect Lucy in front of him, but any discord within the pack was dangerous. Especially since they had only just recently found harmony after his father's passing. After Edward...

Jackson shook his head. He wouldn't let such a momentous experience as the Turning of his mate be tainted by the memory of the traitor.

The Alpha shifted his gaze back to his love. So far, the Turning had been relatively... uneventful. Aside from the very normal popping and stretching noises every now and again, Lucy remained mostly quiet.

Some wolves cried out loudly throughout. Some shook and shivered violently. Compared to the others, Lucy made it look easy. Jackson had the suspicion that Turning was actually a quite painful experience from the glimpses he'd seen through the minds of his packmates. But Turned wolves rarely remembered much of anything from the Turning, so Jackson couldn't be sure exactly what Lucy was currently going through.

Come on, Lucy. You can do this.

***

A few hours later, Jackson awoke to find... absolutely no change at all.

Well, not exactly no change.

Lucy had flipped over again, this time exposing her bare breasts to the open air. Jackson licked his lips. Her rosy pink nipples were standing proudly, welcoming his increasingly dirty thoughts. She loved when he was rough with the sensitive little buds. Tongue, clothespins, teeth, wolf teeth... Everything he'd tried so far had turned her on.

I'll just have to keep finding new things to try.

Suddenly Jackson couldn't wait to start the rest of their lives.

He couldn't wait to have sex with her. Human sex, anyway. His wolf had already gotten his. Lucky bastard. His wolf chuffed at him proudly.

Jackson pictured rubbing the head of his dick in circles around her clit, forcing her to moan. He'd stop, withholding her pleasure just to watch her squirm. She'd bite that lip in her sexy way and stare at him with pleading eyes.

Goddammit, it's so fun to tease her.

He'd wait. He'd wait until she couldn't handle it anymore and start begging. Jackson had been extremely pleased to learn that the more desperate Lucy became, the more vulgar that sweet little mouth got.

I wonder how far I can push her...

He would interrupt his own thoughts by rubbing his cockhead at her entrance. He knew her pussy would be soaking wet. She was always ready for him. So eager to please...

Jackson started rubbing his shaft as his imagination began to wander. He was completely unsurprised to find a large amount of precum at the tip of his dick. He stared at his gorgeous mate asleep on the bed.

Just wait until I really fuck you, my love.

For now, his hand would have to do.

He recalled the glorious feeling of his wolf sinking into her ready pussy during the mating ceremony. Of course, Jackson's human side felt like he was mostly in the backseat during the whole ceremony. But that was a night to top all others in his nearly two hundred years.

The way her needy pussy had accommodated the wolf's large size. The way she had so wantonly displayed herself for him in front of the entire DeLane pack. Together, they had shown each and every member of the pack that he was a virile and impressive lover and leader.

Jackson vaguely recalled that during their mating, most other wolves in sight had been fucking as well. Even those without a mate had been openly masturbating at the sight of such passion and raw sexual need.

And it was all thanks to Lucy.

Hell, if it will "help the pack," I'll gladly fuck her publicly every breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Jackson pictured throwing Lucy down on a cafeteria table at DeLane Industries and laying roughly into her as onlookers gawked. Let them look. Let them see how I take care of what's mine. With a body like that, Jackson knew the effect Lucy had on the men around her, werewolf and human alike. Lucy must've known it, too.

Mine!

The possessive thought forced Jackson's hand to stroke his prick faster. She was his alone. And he would make sure she remembered that. He would dive his dick deep into her hole to refresh her memory. I'll refresh her memory every goddamn day. At minimum.

Jackson imagined Lucy's juicy pussy squeezing down on his cock. He picked up more speed. Precum lubricated his dick nicely, sending excess droplets off onto the floor with every upstroke of his hand.

That's it, mate. Almost there.

He felt himself getting close. He reached down to brush over his heavy balls. Heavy with seed that he would soon enough pump into his mate's womb as she begged for it.

As she begged for him to breed her.

Cum erupted from the end of Jackon's cock. Spurt after spurt of white shot from his cockhead, coating his hand and creating a puddle on the floor beneath him.

Breathing heavily, Jackson stared down at the sizable load. He grabbed a towel nearby and wiped the spot. An omega usually cleaned his room, but frankly, he didn't want anyone other than his mate anywhere near his cum. He was disappointed enough that the load had ended up on the floor and not deep inside his mate.

A shiver went up his spine as he again imagined Lucy full of his seed.

A yelp behind him startled Jackson more than he would have cared to admit.

As Jackson turned his head to look towards the bed, he heard the popping of bones and the ripping of sheets and pillows. Feathers and fluff danced in a large cloud surrounding a silky chestnut brown wolf that was sitting up in what remained of their bed.

Jackson's jaw dropped as he looked over his stunning mate. Her body looked strong and powerful. She was larger than many other DeLane pack females. Her glossy fur gleamed in the light. Her thick, fluffy tail swished behind her quickly. Jackson was in awe.

You're beautiful, mate.

The wolf bared her razor sharp teeth and let out a fierce growl, staring daggers into the male in front of her.