For Silence's Sake Ch. 02

Sampson was tense, brooding.

Phil was distracted, waiting, skittish.

He ran into the garden twice with the lawnmower. Cut down a patch of chives. Thankfully, the season was essentially over.

No call came. For him to come to the phone or to speak to his Alpha.

He had trouble falling asleep and wondered what he had done wrong.

Nor did a call come the next day. Or the day after that.

-------

Madeline had been to the healers a few times. Most females came into heat every 9 to 12 months. Lyssa and Anna were on the short end of average, presumably because they started as human. However, it had been more than 18 months since her first heat. Almost two years since they had been mated. And she had only had her first heat.

The healers could find nothing wrong with her.

She was worried about it, moreso now when the gardens were winding down with the end of the season. She had much less to occupy her now. The tomatoes and salsa had been canned. The corn and peppers had been frozen. Zucchini breads had been made. They'd be digging potatoes, if they had planted any. So, the only things left in the garden were some brussel sprouts, some cabbage, and some root vegetables.

She was making a record of what had worked well and what had not. She was trying to match the garden's output to the tastes of the pack.

Madeline bowed her head and sniffled. Something had to be wrong with her. It had to be.

While she loved Little Em, he wasn't hers, wasn't theirs. She wanted a pup with her mate, with Erich. She wanted a pup of her own.

Even her mother was having another pup. What was wrong with her?

Lyssa walked in to see if Madeline wanted to spar and was almost bowled over by Emmaline. "Emmy. What?"

Emmaline jumped into Maddie's lap and started licking her face.

Madeline's breath hitched. "Mad? What's wrong?"

She squeezed Emmaline to her as Lyssa crouched beside her. "Maddie. Madeline, are you OK?"

Emmaline squeaked and wriggled as Madeline clutched her tightly. "No. No, I don't think so."

Emmy and Emmanuel had taken off to play in the light snowfall.

Lyssa was sitting with Madeline, who was slumped against her, sniffling.

A year ago she had been in the same place, thinking that she'd never have a child with her mate. But at least she had been having heats, Madeline had only had one.

There wasn't much she could say. So she just held on to Maddie and was just there for her.

[Lyssa? Madeline?]

[Ariel, we're...] "Don't tell her."

The sparring session involved two-on-one scenarios. Madeline's heart wasn't in it and Ariel dismissed her relatively quickly. The circle was well trod and the snow made it slick. She had fallen four times.

[What is troubling Madeline?]

Lyssa, one hand on Ariel's shoulder and the other on her arm, stopped. [She's worried because she hasn't had another heat.]

After completing her sparring session with Lyssa, and thanking her, the Alpha female of the Wyeth pack went to see the second Beta female. Madeline was in their suite. [Madam Beta, I wish to speak to you.]

There was no immediate answer. [Madeline.]

Madeline opened the door, a sorrowful look on her face. She stepped aside to allow the Madam Alpha in then stood there, wringing her hands and staring at the floor. Ariel took in her stance, her mood, and stepped forward. Madeline took a step back. "She told you."

"It's our duty to look after each other. As Alphas, the pack's wellbeing is our priority. If one of our packmembers is having difficulty, we want to alleviate it."

"You can't help me."

Ariel stepped forward again, put her hands on Madeline's shoulders and stroked down to take her hands. "I assume you've spoken to the healers."

Madeline nodded. "And they have no explanation?" She shook her head.

"Even my mother's having a pup!"

That revelation had apparently occurred during Madeline's last visit to her old pack. And, Ariel now recalled that the Madam Beta had only had one heat since her mating.

Tears were running down Madeline's face. Ariel wrapped her in her arms and held her. She believed Erich likely had no idea of her current upset and debated if it was a good idea to speak to him. As Madeline cried, she abandoned that idea. That was something that should be discussed between mates. Personal enough that she had no right to interfere. Madeline was right. There was nothing she could do.

-------

It was a cold night. The wind was blowing and a heavy snow was falling.

The command went out in the early hours of the morning. [Someone come get Emmanuel. Now!]

Lyssa had come into her first estrus following the birth of her son.

Emmett heard footsteps and a tentative knock as his mate was nuzzling his neck and caressing his balls. [Just get in here and get him.] As the door opened, Lyssa's eyes snapped to the doorway and she bared her teeth, growling.

Lavender eyes grew wide as Lyssa began to rise up from the bed.

Emmett wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her back down. "Just grab him and get out. Hurry!"

Lyssa snarled and squirmed. There was another female, one of high status, in the room with her and her mate. She shouldn't be there and Lyssa was going to show her the error of her ways.

Forcefully.

Emmanuel woke as Madeline picked him up. "Mama?" he asked, sleepily.

Lyssa swiveled in Emmett's arms. Her baby. The other female had her baby!

She clawed and bit, trying to get loose. Squirming, twisting, her knee contacted a very sensitive part of Emmett's anatomy. She howled.

He sucked in a deep breath, but held on, trying to figure out how to change her focus back to estrus as the door clicked shut and Emmanuel started wailing. He was having trouble restraining her. Restraints!

Emmett rolled, settling his weight on top of her as she howled. He reached for the drawer on the bedside table and pulled out the soft rope they sometimes used.

She was struggling less and sniffing him. He got one wrist wrapped up and strung the rope through the headboard. As he rolled a bit to get to her other wrist he caught a whiff of Madeline. Lyssa must have smelled it too because she went wild again.

Looping another rope around the bed leg, he reached up to where she was struggling, and grabbed a foot. He pulled down, against her struggles, and tied off an ankle. He reached for the other foot. She kicked him. Snarled.

Maternal instincts warred with reproductive demand. As a female werewolf in heat, she'd hate to be restrained. As a mother whose child had just been taken away, she'd like it even less.

She squirmed, she snarled, she writhed. Once he got the other ankle tied down she bucked and howled.

As he backed away for a second he heard, [Beta, is your mate in season?]

[Yes.]

[I can bring a sedative.]

[Give me a few minutes to try to settle her in.]

The noise and her fury had attracted attention. The metal of the headboard groaned against her struggles. They hadn't expected it. Most females took a year to come into estrus after having a pup. Thank goodness Emmanuel was practically weaned.

He opened a window, to try to clear the room of other scents, then went back to sit beside her.

She was none too happy with him.

He spoke calmly, quietly, and started stroking her body. "Lyssa, sh, sweetheart, it's OK. Someone just needs to watch Em for a little bit. Nobody's taking him away from you..."

She looked him dead in the eye, a challenge, and sent [BASTARD!]

Emmett rocked back at the strength of her send, but it didn't knock him down. Thank goodness she hadn't done it earlier. But the whole pack must have heard that.

[Beta?]

[Not yet, healer.]

[Someone tell her Emmanuel's fine.] The whole pack was awake by now, anyhow.

[Little Em's curled up with Emmaline, Lyssa.]

Her chest heaved and she glared at him, her dark eyes challenging him. He suppressed a growl of his own. It wouldn't help.

The room was cooling off quickly.

The next send came from the Alpha female. [Emmett, what do you need?]

He looked away, at the windows. Outside! Away from the den and its scents.

[The bunker. I need a change of clothes for each of us and food for a day. .. And someone to lock us in.]

[Done, Emmett. Give us ten minutes.]

He again tried to calm her, touching her, soothing her. She remained agitated. He was going to have to let her go to move her. So, he took hold of her left ankle and unwrapped the rope from it.

She calmed slightly, watching him. Then kicked him in the chest.

He held still, swallowing against the pain. Alright, then.

He tied her ankles together and wrapped the rope around her legs.

Damn. She smelled so good and he was so hard he hurt.

He settled his weight on her again and reached for a wrist; she growled. He steeled himself, thinking she might bite him. But she started sniffing.

Lyssa's nose pressed against his chest as his erection settled against the crease where her leg met her body.

She inhaled and gave him a lick on his pecs as he held that wrist. Making the decision, he released it. She grunted and her hand went to his shoulder. He smiled, relieved.

She tugged at the other wrist and he could feel her try to spread her legs.

Lyssa nipped at Emmett's collarbone and he couldn't let her go fast enough.

She wrapped herself around him, pulling herself against him tightly.

He couldn't get the right angle that way so he rolled them and stood up. Emmett put her against the wall, picked her up slightly, and slid inside.

She murmured and he groaned.

[Beta?]

[Not. Now.]

She growled lightly and tried to bounce since he had stopped moving to respond.

He grasped her buttocks more firmly, captured her mouth, and began thrusting up into her. She set nails into his shoulders and her head against his chest as he pounded her against the wall.