Endangered Species Ch. 09-16

"Yes. Midshipman First Class Angela Summers."

"Then you know what I'm talking about, Angela. Cole Chapman is the Captain, and you are his Executive Officer. The Pack Betas are your department heads. In front of the crew, you are one. In private? You can chew his ass like a rawhide stick and make your feelings known."

I finished my sandwich and sat back with my Coke. "You all talk of him being my mate, but I don't understand. I didn't even know werewolves existed until yesterday. Isn't he supposed to have some hot wolf bitch instead of a human like me?"

"Oh, he's been praying for one his whole life. And those bitches throw themselves at him, hoping to bag an Alpha."

I bet. Cole was a male in his prime. If not for the circumstances, I'd want him. "I saw the picture and thought you were his girlfriend. Since he didn't seem happy to meet me, I thought maybe he loved you and didn't want me. Well, his dick wanted me. That thing sprang to attention like the Admiral just walked in."

"And that was the first erection of his life, Angela."

Coke snorting out your nose doesn't feel good. I had to wipe off the table and compose myself before continuing the conversation. "Say what?"

"Werewolf sexuality revolves around mates. The Goddess Luna grants us a mate and imprints their unique scent into our brains. We believe our mates are our second halves, completing our souls to live together forever. When we reach sexual maturity, we start looking for that scent."

"What does that have to do with hardons?"

"Male sexual arousal is connected in our brains to the scent of our mate. Everyone in the room knew you were the Alpha's mate by his reaction; his manhood pointed you out in a crowd. The shock was in his lack of reaction when finding his mate."

"I don't understand," I replied. "Cole was mad others hurt me, and he touched me and sniffed my neck. Then he sent me away."

"Exactly. Most males would take off with their mate, claiming them with a bite on her shoulder as they make love for the first time. Some don't even bother leaving the room first. Cole didn't claim you, and that's his damn fault, not yours. That boy is stubborn and elitist, and Luna boxed him in."

"What do you mean?"

"There is a line of thinking among our kind relating to 'bloodline purity.' Our father taught Cole that the power of an Alpha line comes from Alpha bloodlines on both sides."

"Bloodlines?"

"Rank within a Pack is based on the strength of your wolf. The biggest, strongest, and fiercest wolves are Alphas. Betas are a level below them, and they report directly to the Alpha and run sections of the Pack for us. Below them are Deltas, Warriors, and the lowest rank, Omegas."

"So your Pack position is set by birth?"

She nodded. "For the most part. You can train to move up or down a little, but never more than one rank either way. Very few wolves are Alpha wolves. Heredity allowed Cole to establish dominance over all the wolves in the Brinnon Pack when our parents died. It didn't matter that Cole is twenty-four because his wolf is so strong."

That made sense. Wild wolf packs had the same structure. "How do humans fit into this?"

"Luna knew that wolves would become inbred if they didn't bring in new blood, so some mates are human. Maybe one in five mates are that way. The 'purity' movement sees that some offspring of a werewolf-human pairing are weaker than the parent wolf. Perhaps a Warrior wolf with a human mate gives Omega wolves, while an Omega parent has less dominant Omegas. They consider such half-breeds inferior to 'pure' wolves, especially at the higher Pack levels."

Elitist bastards. Wolf packs weren't the only ones to discount talent in favor of breeding. "Cole didn't react well to learning he has a human mate."

Melanie nodded. "It wasn't what he expected, and it's taking him a while to wrap his head around it."

My mind went to another question. "Does your wolf have the same power?"

She nodded. "Dominance among wolves runs along the sexes. Cole is the most dominant male, and I am the most dominant female. When our Mom died, I had to step into the Pack Luna role. I'm responsible for the women, children, and day-to-day Pack operations like housing, food, and transportation."

"And where do I fit in?"

"Luna wouldn't have chosen you as his mate if you couldn't do the job. When you complete the mating, and he makes you a werewolf, you'll rule this Pack by his side. That will free me up to find my mate out there somewhere."

I stared at her. "Your Goddess made a mistake. I want nothing to do with your brother or your kind."

She laughed. "The Mating Pull doesn't care what you want, Angela. It's an irresistible attraction that will draw you together to complete the mating process. I can smell how your body reacts when we talk about him, and you've already felt its power."

"How?"

"What did it feel like when he touched you?"

I thought back. "It was tingly, like a feather running down my body and right to my...." Fuck. He made me hot with a single touch, and it was still working.

Ch. 12

My mind was reeling. A Goddess I didn't believe in paired me with Scary Naked Guy, putting an irresistible attraction between us. "This mating pull you talked about just now. We will both feel it?"

She nodded. "Humans don't feel it at the same intensity. I've heard it described as lust, infatuation, then love. You feel comfortable and loved in his presence, and kissing and touching are more intense than any in your experience. You start craving his presence, his scent, his touch."

"And for him?"

"It's the same, but worse. Cole is suffering right now. His wolf wants to be here with you, not out there running the collection details. The closer he gets to you, the stronger the urges become. He has to know you are safe, and he'll want to take care of you. He will want to be nearby always, touching you, preferably, and he will feed and care for you. All these things will help calm his wolf until you accept him as a mate."

Uh-huh. I hope Melanie was ready for disappointment. "Hypothetically, if I accepted him, what would happen next?"

"He would claim and mate you. The claim is a bite on the neck and shoulder. It proclaims your mated status to other wolves, and your scent will incorporate a bit of his. His claiming bite will start the change in you. Over about three days, you'll get a high fever and painful body changes before you finally shift to your wolf form. If you survive, you'll be one of us."

"If?"

"Not everyone makes it. The change is physically grueling, and some give up along the way. You are young and strong, and you'll have my brother with you to help you through. I'm curious what your wolf will be. I'm betting you'll be a match for him, not Beta level or lower. That's his big worry, you know. Cole believes a human mate will weaken his bloodline and not be worthy of his station. He's also worried you won't survive the change if he bites you."

"And he doesn't have a choice, now that he's found me."

Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "Like most men, he wants the reward without the risk. He thinks he can keep you human and get you to have his pups. He wouldn't claim or make you the Pack Luna, but it doesn't risk you dying in the change."

"So he wants me as a breeder? His captive mistress to pop out babies while he does whatever he wants." I shook my head. "I can guarantee THAT won't happen. I'd rip his balls off first."

Melanie giggled. "See? You're halfway to being Luna already. You have to stand by his side, not behind him. That means you don't take any shit from him."

I smirked, thinking of the booby-traps I'd left. "Cole has no fucking IDEA who he is messing with."

"You're a babe, and you're not going to sit there and wait for him to make up his mind. You already put him on his ass once, and you'll make it a challenge. You'll run, and he'll chase. When he catches you, he won't be able to hold back from biting you."

I wasn't liking where this conversation was going. Melanie made it seem like I had no choice but to accept the mating. "What if I say no? CAN I say no?"

"You can reject him. He can't stop you from rejecting him as your mate or force you to make the change. To turn a human without permission is punishable by death under our laws."

"How do I reject him?"

"Just like that. You say your name and tell him you reject him as a mate. The mating pull will go away for you."

Easy peasy. "Good. I'll take care of that as soon as Cole comes back."

Her shoulders slumped, and she reached for my hand. "It's not that simple, Angela. Nothing ever is."

"What? I tell him to fuck off, he doesn't want me around, and I leave. I'm not a clingy ex-girlfriend. He can bang any bitch he wants when I'm gone."

She shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. You reject him, but his pull towards you doesn't go away unless he rejects you back. He doesn't have to do that, and he won't." She sat back and put her hands on her lap. "A rejected wolf slowly dies, and the human side dies with it. Better to keep his bond with you and keep you close. You see, you're still a breeder. You're still the only one he can get an erection with, and your destiny is to have his children. He will keep you here where he can use you to give him the children the Goddess means him to have."

I gulped. "Your brother would rape me?"

"His wolf would not allow that, but he could look at you and smell you while he jacks off into a cup. Other wolves would secure you with your head down and inject Cole's sperm into you when we smell you are fertile. You'd probably give him more children this way than if you took the change."

I had a feeling they'd cleared the shelves of turkey basters. "Why is that?"

"Werewolves live much longer than humans, but our fertility is lower. A healthy human is fertile every month; a healthy woman like you could give birth to a child a year for decades. A werewolf female is fertile every three to twenty years. If you have children five years apart, you're lucky. Our parents were together for almost forty years, but Mom only caught with us."

Something clicked as I listened to her. I looked down at my tattoo in shock. "Breeders. That's why you're collecting women! You can't rape them because your men can't get it up if she's not your mate. You're going to use artificial insemination to impregnate them!"

Her eyes widened for a second, realizing I had figured it out before she could break it to me gently. "Yes. You've seen what it is like out there, haven't you?" I nodded; it was horrible. "Cole realized that humans were doomed; their technology didn't work, they died in the sun or above ground, and their society had collapsed into anarchy. In another week, all but a tiny fraction of the human race will still be alive, and we can't save them."

"Why not? The people in this base were doing fine until you killed them!"

"Humans are ill-prepared for the world we are in now. Werewolves live longer, heal faster, can see at night, have hunting and tracking skills, and have strong social ties. In a year, the only humans left alive will be in our breeder program."

"Your livestock," I said derisively.

"The survivors," she retorted. "Using breeders is the final part of Cole's long-term plan. In the near term, we've secured an underground home and the weapons to defend it. We are gathering enough supplies to last until we can restart fishing, farming, and livestock. We are not just going to survive this shit, Angela. Our Pack is going to THRIVE in it. Yes, we will have breeders. Yes, like ranchers, we'll collect the semen of high-ranking mated wolves and use it to get the females pregnant. The human women will get to deliver and raise werewolf children that grow and strengthen the Pack. In exchange, we will keep the women safe and healthy."

It was monstrous, and I told her that. She wasn't swayed at all by my words. "What should we have done, Angela? Should we have killed them ALL?"

"You shouldn't have killed anyone! You should have stayed in your holes and left my people ALONE!"

She shook her head. "If we did that, everyone would die. I know you don't understand, but you will. What we are doing is the best long-term solution available. It may not seem like it now, but you are one lucky girl, Angela. You have a future that few others can hope for."

"Get. Out." I was pissed off, and my hand was touching the knife under the table.

Melanie stood up, hands back. "Think about what you've seen and what I've said, Angela. Don't make a decision you can't take back."

"Just go," I said as she moved to the door. She didn't turn her back to me as she opened the door and left. I heard the lock click, and I was alone again.

A young girl dropped off dinner on a paper plate with plastic silverware. She didn't say anything before she left. I ate and crawled into bed at ten, wondering when my Scary Alpha Guy would arrive.

I awoke when the door opened, but I pretended to be asleep. Cole walked into the bedroom, stopping by the bed. I could almost feel him staring at me, and something inside me reacted to his presence. I could feel my body preparing for sex, and I couldn't stop it. He let out a low growl, telling me he smelled it.

Cole sat on the edge of the bed, removing his boots and shirt. I peeked at the mirror over the dresser as he walked to the closet door to put them away. Four things happened in quick succession.

The shaving cream bomb went off, shooting a high-velocity stream of white into Cole's face and chest.

The door fell off the hinges and clattered to the floor.

Cole used his shirt to cover the can, ripping it off the wall and running into the bathroom with it.

And I laughed so hard that I fell out of bed.

Ch. 13

I was still laughing my ass off, hiding on the floor on the far side of the bed, when Cole came out of the bathroom. "Very fucking funny," he said as we walked back to the closet. I sat up enough to see what the damage was. He'd reacted fast enough that most of the foam went into his shirt, which was probably why the shower was running. He had shaving cream in his hair, plus more smeared on his chest and pants. He must have wiped it off quickly with a towel. He was carrying two towels, one of which he tossed my way. "Any other IEDs I need to worry about?"

"Nah, you walked right into that one," I said as I grabbed the towel.

He stood in front of the closet and surveyed the damage from my shaving cream bomb. "At least you moved my clothes out of the way first." I'd pushed them into the corner to ensure more of it hit him. He started removing his shoes, wiping them off, and setting them aside. "Can you at least put the door back on?"

"Sure." I'd gotten him good, and pushing it wouldn't help. Better to let him cool down a little before my next prank revealed itself. I used the towel to wipe up the foam that had sprayed onto the bed and carpet first. I had the pins for the hinges, and he'd finished by the time the door was hanging again.

He was taking deep, calming breaths, but it didn't help. I could see the effect my scent and proximity had on him. He was fighting for control with his wolf, and Cole Junior was up and ready for action. I reached for his towel, a tingle shooting up my arm as our fingers touched. I saw the lust in his eyes; he felt it too. "You should take a shower. You smell like Barbasol."

"No kidding." I walked to the hamper in the bathroom and tossed the towels in. I heard a frustrated scream from the bedroom and started laughing again. Coming back out, he was standing in front of the dresser. Clothes covered the floor and his feet.

"Seriously?"

"You left me here all day with nothing to do. What do they say about idle hands?"

He reached down to the carpet, grabbed a pair of shorts, and then stormed off to the bathroom. "Wait for your Mate, Dad said. She'll be your other half, and she'll be the perfect woman Luna made for you, Dad said. LUNA FUCKING HATES ME," he screamed as he slammed the door shut.

"SHE HASN'T DONE ME ANY FAVORS EITHER," I yelled back.

"I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD SPANK YOU OR MARK YOU AS MINE," Cole yelled as he turned on the shower.

"YOU ALREADY DID, YOU ASSHOLE. BREEDER FUCKING TWO-EIGHT-SEVEN." I wasn't going to let him get around what he had done. While he showered, I put the drawer back in the right way and folded his clothes, putting everything back neatly. I carefully opened the other drawers and returned them to normal. Another prank might make him explode.

We both calmed down while he showered. When he came out, wearing only a pair of loose basketball shorts, I couldn't help but admire his body. He froze by the door, looking at me from head to toe. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," he said. "My head and heart are fighting, and I don't know what to do. You aren't what I expected."

"I didn't ask for any of this. If you don't want me, say the words. Your sister explained how rejection works."

The mention of that word made him panic. He moved quickly, pinning me to the dresser with his arms preventing my escape. His nose went to my neck, breathing in my scent. I was afraid he'd mark me without my consent. He didn't touch me, but he was taking deep breaths. I figured out he was trying to calm down. "My problem is that I do want you, Angela. Your scent calls to me like nothing else. I want to hold you, claim you, and make love to you all night."

"That's not happening without my permission, and you don't have that."

"I know. I also want to take you over my knee, spank the sass out of you, and turn you into the passive and compliant mate I expected."

"That won't work. You can't force me to be your mate, and you can't hurt me. Your wolf won't let you."

His lips touched my shoulder, making me freeze. My body responded with a burst of arousal that I couldn't stop. "My wolf wants to chase, dominate, and breed you. He wants you to run and rule by his side."

"You can't change me without my permission."

"I know," he said. He stood back up, moving his arms away. "We should get some sleep. There is a lot to talk about tomorrow." He walked to the bed and slid under the covers, holding the sheets open for me to join him.

"I don't think so. You and your raging hardon can sleep alone." I walked around to the far side of the bed instead. I had a pillow and an extra blanket on the floor and laid down with my back to the wall.

He looked down at me, his face showing his disappointment. "I want you up here with me."

"No. Everything you've said to me has been about you. It's all about what YOU want! What YOU need! What YOUR Pack needs! What YOUR Goddess did to screw you over! You don't give a shit about me. You can't figure out how to turn me into the mate you expected, and it's driving you crazy. That's why you ignored me all day."

"It's not like that."

"You know nothing of me that your sister didn't tell you. Hell, you haven't even introduced yourself properly! I had to learn your name from your SISTER."

"I was busy," he objected.

"And you left me here as your prisoner until you had the time to breed me," I replied. "I don't sleep with the Prison Warden. Turn the fucking light off and go to sleep."

For once, he did what I asked. Sleep didn't come easily for either of us.

"I'm sorry," I thought I heard before I finally dropped off.

I couldn't escape Cole, even in sleep. In my dreams, we were together in a fancy bedroom overlooking the ocean. He was in bed, still a little wet from the shower. His eyes lit up as he saw me. "You look amazing like that," he said.

I walked to the bed, and his hand reached out for me. His fingers spread out over my belly. I looked down, seeing it rounded in pregnancy. "I need you, Cole."

"I love you, Angela." He flipped the covers back, exposing that muscled chest and narrow waist. I leaned over, licking his nipple as his hand went down my back. I moaned in pleasure as his hand traveled down to cup my ass. I crawled onto the bed, kissing my way down his chest and abdomen until I reached his shorts. I pulled the drawstring open, then pushed the waistband down so I could free him. I laid with my head on his stomach, my lips inches from the tip of his impressive cock. My hand reached out, my fingertips running along it before moving to cup his balls. I heard him moan in anticipation and smiled. My hand moved back up, gently gripping him at the base. My fist didn't cover half the length as I moved the tip towards my lips. My tongue snaked out, licking the fluid already leaking out in anticipation.