Fulfillment 02

Dear Readers, Not so much sex in this one, but there is sex. Have to set up/move the story along.

KemMyst

Thanks for reading.

******

Friday dawns cloudy. It was the third and final day of the unmated gathering.

Although there had been the potential for trouble around the initial meeting since the visiting wolves would be uncomfortable off their home ranges, Lyssa had been warned that this day would probably be the most boisterous, the most volatile.

But today marked a turning point. Earlier, they would have been on good behavior, both to attract a potential mate and so as not to disgrace their pack.

However, things got a bit more tense as time passed. Two, or more, males vying for a female's attention could lead to some nasty fights. And females after a male could be particularly vicious.

Those who hadn't paired up or didn't see a potential mate in any of the attendees were liable to get stinking drunk and stupid.

They would all need to take extra care today. An accidental bump or unknowing word could start a small scale riot, and groups would square off along pack lines.

The Wyeth wolves woke and headed down to breakfast.

Natalie took a tray to Cassie and Samuel. Males were not well tolerated in the vicinity of the new pup.

Erich has dragged Madeline down with him. Some of the others eye her speculatively, trying to gauge his interest in the small female beside him. Since Erich was to be Beta, she would be joining the pack if they mated.

Roland also brought a female with him to breakfast. She was blond, with long wavy hair, and green eyes. She had a lean body with large, full breasts. They were talking quietly. She could be another addition to the pack, as Roland was Alpha heir.

Martin had apparently not taken a female to his bed.

Celia had paired with a Gates male. Members of the pack had a hard time not looking. His coloring was highly unusual. His hair was white in the low lighting of the dining hall, but when he stepped through a beam of sunlight, it flared a golden red. His eyes were the deep blue green of the sea. [Mm, nice man candy, Celia.]

Celia growls, low in her throat. [You've already got yours, Anna.]

[Doesn't mean I can't admire.]

Lyssa checked on arrangements again with Simon, who was accepting another shipment of beef.

Emmett sent three of the adolescents, two younger females and a male, to May and Maggie, to help with the laundry. And he had Jamie and Justin run the perimeter of the range. Then he and Randall went to briefly check on the captive wolf, before Randall headed to the warehouse to meet with Mathias and Gabriela about the business. A shipment was coming in that he wished to oversee.

Things were pleasantly quiet that morning but everyone started to get tense as the time approached for the unmated to arrive for the final day.

It was counted as a success thus far for Lyssa and Wyeth since it appeared there were already a few couples coming out of it. Depending upon what had happened last night, it was possible there were already mated pairs.

By midafternoon wolves begin arriving again in the Wyeth compound.

Erich tucks Madeline under his arm and walks around the back garden with her, talking about the plants.

".. and a bunch of them have meanings attached to them."

"Like roses for love, right?"

"Right, but that's just the red ones. Other colors of roses mean different things." She brushes her hand over the branches of a bush with dark green glossy needles and is rewarded with a familiar resiny scent. She pulls off a small piece and rubs it between her fingers, crushing it and releasing more of the volatile oil.

Erich was taken aback by the potency of the smell.

"Rosemary is for remembrance." Erich looks confused. "The essential oils in the rosemary plant help memory. So, just smelling it helps you remember.."

She loses her train of thought as he turns her, takes her shoulders, and pulls her up to him, kissing her deeply. Her hands go around his neck.

After a couple of minutes, he releases her. She blinks her eyes, seemingly dazed, and he nibbles on her neck. "What were you saying?"

"Huh?"

***

Wolves eat, and troll, and drink.

Lyssa and Emmett watch as the alcohol consumption ramps up. Those that hadn't found mates, or had been spurned, were beginning to drink away their troubles. They took note of the more determined consumers and Emmett posted some of the males to keep watch over those four or five.

Four wolves had declined the invitation to this last day but there were still close to 40 wolves in attendance.

Roland and the Ross female had decided to part company and were looking elsewhere.

Joanna has elected to stay in her room until Nathan arrives.

Calvin looks for Stephanie and finds her outside, standing stiffly, completely focused on a couple of visiting males.

He walks up behind her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "My dear,.."

He barely gets the words out as she grabs his hand, whirls and twists, snarling at him.

She's wrenched his arm behind his back and has her forearm around his throat.

[Stephanie?] He was tense, ready to fight, the automatic reaction to a perceived threat.

She reacts quickly, releasing him and stepping back. "Alph.. Calvin, I apologize."

Calvin takes a couple of breaths, ratcheting down from battle readiness. "The fault is mine, my dear. I shouldn't have crept up behind you while you were working. I'll be in the dining hall and I'll leave you to it."

Stephanie watches as Calvin heads back into the house. As he disappears she shakes herself and returns to vigilance.

***

Emmett and Randall were watchful, both trying to keep track of the visiting wolves and keeping the sentries fresh by rotating their stations. Lyssa walks around, checking on things, watching the drinkers with some trepidation.

She sees Calvin sitting off to one side and walks over to sit beside him. "Is something wrong.. Calvin?"

"Unfortunately, my dear, several things. It's almost worse than when I led the pack."

"Would it help to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure where to even begin." He looks down and sighs. "You've got one of my.. one of our pack locked up. My son is having more difficulty as Alpha than I would have expected. And I've found someone I would like to spend time with and I'm quite sure I'm mucking it up."

The revelations give Lyssa pause. She had been hurt and then so busy she hadn't realized one of the wolves that had kidnapped she and Joanna had been taken alive and was being held by Wyeth. The admission of problems in the Ross pack was highly unusual. Wolves didn't talk about issues within their own packs. If it was a pack matter, they kept it to themselves. And he had been spending time with Stephanie. What he expected from such an unemotional female as Stephanie was beyond her.

"Trouble indeed. Can't you be Beta to your son, advise him?"

"He doesn't want my advice. Sampson has tried but Michael intends to change the way the pack runs. He has some murky plans he doesn't divulge."

"There must be someone he talks to. A friend? A woman?"

Calvin sighs. "One of our females warms his bed but holds no sway over him. His friends are gone. I haven't seen them in days." He looks at her more closely. "Lyssa, can you tell me what happened to the wolves that took you and Joanna?"

"They had me drugged. I don't remember much of anything."

"But you've heard. They told you what happened. The others are dead, aren't they?"

"One is. The other ran."

He considers asking how, but decides it doesn't matter.

They are quiet for a time. Calvin drains the beer he's been holding. "What can you tell me about Stephanie?"

Lyssa sighs. "Not much. She mostly keeps to herself. She doesn't talk much. And, even if she did, it probably wouldn't be to me." Calvin looks confused. "When I first came to the den, Stephanie was set to watch me, since I wasn't a wolf. Then.. something happened to me and she was at fault. So we aren't anything resembling close."

"Is there anyone she is close to?"

Lyssa puts her hand over her mouth and looks remote, thinking, "No."

"No one?" Lyssa shakes her head. "No family, no friends?" Lyssa looks at him, mouth open.

"I don't think so."

"What happened to her? This is not normal behavior. She has no family, no friends; she isn't seeking a mate. Was she born into the pack?"

Lyssa wrinkles her forehead in concentration. "I don't think so."

Emmett comes over and sets a couple of beers on the table then slides his arms around his mate. "So, Calvin, what are you and my mate talking about?"

Lyssa places her hands on Emmett's and squeezes, lightly, leaning back against his chest. "He's asking me about Stephanie. I just realized she really doesn't have any friends. That's kind of sad. I'm wondering what we could do."

"You can't force someone to have friends, Lys. She has reason to act as she has, as she does. And she would be upset if we were to interfere in her life."

"How long has she been with the pack, Emmett? Was she born to Wyeth?"

Emmett gusts a sigh. "No, Calvin, Wallace brought her in, oh, it's gotta be fifty years back."

"Oh, my. It's her." Emmett and Lyssa both look up at him. "Wallace told me he'd brought, that he'd found, a female who'd been through something horrific.. That he'd brought her into the pack."

There was a sudden outburst, the sound of blows landing, growling, the ripping of cloth. Emmett immediately stands, Calvin beside him. "Lyssa, stay." [Wyeth males, to the dining hall, now.]

Several males run in to contain the fight. Emmett yells, "Outside! Take it outside!"

One chair thrown, which Martin snatches out of the air before it can hit someone. A table broken.

Randall strides up. "Enough! Go to the circle or go home!" [Who are they?]

[Severn and Macy, Randall.]

"Get out of my house, now!" Claws were out, snarling, growling, the smell of blood. The two males were oblivious.

No one was ready to wade in just yet.

Nathan walks in as the melee continues.

Calvin gets an elbow to the face.

[Casey, stop it!]

Nothing. A broken window. Bloody claw marks in the wall. More broken furniture.

Nathan notices Lyssa walk up and he fears she'll be hurt. She puts a hand on Emmett's shoulder. "Lyssa, get back."

[I can stop this.]

Holes in the wall, more blood.

[You'll knock us all down.]

[No. I won't. But I need line of sight.] Emmett reluctantly moves to one side and she focuses on one of the males. An inhale, a furrowed brow. Emmett flinches, expecting pain. The male goes down.

The other stops, amazed, and Emmett and Nathan grab him. He reacts, roaring and throwing his weight against them. He suddenly goes limp.

A few heads swivel toward Lyssa.

"OK. Get them outside and apart." The two wolf men are dragged outside and then in opposite directions. Nathan goes with the Severn male. [Austin, come to the outside of the dining hall.]

[On my way.]

The two males start to come to, neither very happy. Randall stands beside the Macy male as he gets up, growling. Randall growls back. [What happened?]

[He hit me.]

[Did he have a reason?]

[No.]

[Are you drunk?]

[Um. Yeah.]

[Stay here.]

[Yes, Alpha Wyeth.]

Randall walks over to the Severn male. "Speak."

"Sir. I accidentally knocked into the Macy male and he rounded on me. I defended myself."

"I wish you would have done so outside."

"Please, sir, let me know what the damage is and I will reimburse you."

"Are you drunk?"

"I had a couple, Alpha."

"You may stay. The other male is going home." Randall looks him over, noting the injuries. "See our healer."

"Yes, sir."

Back to the other male. "You are leaving us. Will you go peacefully?"

He grumbles. "It wasn't my fault."

"Yes or no?"

"Yeah."

Joanna skids to a stop just outside the doors, looking for Nathan. Lyssa stands to one side of the door, arms crossed, watching. "What happened?"

"Small brawl. Beer and testosterone fueled."

"Anybody get hurt?"

"Just them. Nathan's here." They watch as the Macy male is escorted out. "Why don't you go grab him?"

"Are you OK?"

"Mm, hm."

Joanna walks over to Nathan, who absentmindedly slides an arm around her waist as he, and a couple of the other Severn males, stand with their pack mate, watching the Macy male being removed.

As the car carrying him leaves the compound everyone relaxes. Nathan looks down at Joanna, and smiles. "Hello."

"Hey, Nathan."

He inhales. "Are you set on staying here?"

"Um. No."

"C'mon. Let's go for a ride." He takes her hand and starts pulling her toward the front of the house.

[Mom. Nathan and I are going for a ride.]

Ariel stops, tempted to say no, but Joanna was an adult now and could, more or less, do as she pleased. She should be happy that she was telling her she was leaving. [Have fun. Be careful.]

***

Emmett walks up behind his mate, puts his hands on her shoulders, and slides his hands down her arms so that he can circle her waist. [Amazing. I didn't even hear you.]

[Ya know, I could probably kill anyone here and nobody would ever know.]

The comment came out flat and emotionless and it stunned him. She'd managed to refine her ability somehow, had apparently killed one wolf without harming others nearby and had just knocked out two more. Neatly. Surgically. It was disquieting. It was alarming. It was true.

[You would know, sweetheart.] He squeezes her, kisses her.

"We need to get this cleaned up. How're we gonna get the window covered?"

"We'll get Stacey on it tomorrow. It should be fine tonight."

"But the bugs.."

"Sh, sweetheart. It'll be fine. Let's try to enjoy the rest of the evening. You did so well."

Well? Well at what? The party? Knocking out the two males? He almost sounded patronizing.

A number of pack members, as well as some of the guests, grab pieces of broken furniture, piling it outside for later disposal. Anton sweeps up the glass. May helps clean up the spilled food and drink.

"Alright, everyone, excitement's over. Try to enjoy the rest of the evening."

Erich heard the fight and had kept himself and Madeline away.

They head back in for something to eat as the fuss dies down and watch the Severn male, with a ragged and bloody tear across his abs, head for the Medical ward.

***

Stephanie had watched the fight from the periphery, prepared to aid her pack if need be. But others were closer and ready. As long as it didn't spread, things would be fine.

She winced as she saw Calvin take a blow to his face and watched him shake it off.

Watched also as Randall, her Alpha, steered him to the ice as Thomas came up with a butterfly bandage.

Satisfied, she went back to looking after a couple of other drunken wolves. They had walked toward the Wyeth circle and were appraising it.

A movement, slightly beyond them and to the right, catches her attention.

So, she walks over, to assure herself that nothing was amiss. Coming across a gap in the understory, she sees one of the females stroking the exposed cock of a male.

She looks away, ready to move on, when the smell of beer and vomit hits her and she realizes the male isn't moving.

Stephanie steps closer. "What are you doing?"

"Jus havin' a lil fun. Go 'way." Her words are slurred. Inebriated.

"No. I don't think so. Get off of him."

"Hey. He won't mind. Guys like sex."

Stephanie closes on them. "Not when they're unconscious. Step away."

The female stops, glaring at Stephanie, her hand gripping his partially filled penis tightly. "No." She starts yanking on the male's penis again.

"If you don't step away, I'll pull you off."

"Why do you care, anyway?" More pulling, a slight groan from the male, a small movement of his head.

Stephanie takes another step forward, readying herself to grab the female.

Calvin quietly walks over. Coming into earshot he hears her say. "You are on Wyeth pack lands. I will not allow you to continue to molest another of our guests, particularly unwilling and unconscious."

He hears the growl start in the other female's throat. Stephanie snarls, "Now!" waits only a second, and launches herself, grabbing the other female and dragging her away from the male.

"Hey! Leggo! Help." [Help! I'm being attacked.]

As Stephanie pins the other female to the ground, shouts and noises are heard as her pack mates come running.

Calvin watches as three Gates males run up and roughly haul Stephanie away from the female she had pinned. Enraged, Stephanie shifts to intermediate form, throws off one male and claws another as the Gates female gets up off the ground.

As the males begin to shift, she throws one off and spins, knocking the third on his ass.

Calvin steps up as the three surround her. "She's done nothing wrong. It was your pack mate who was acting improperly."

"Stay out of this, old man."

Cal bristles at the statement. [Randall, Emmett, could use some help out here.]

He steps up to the wolf who had spoken, getting into his face. "Back down. I can still beat you, son."

All are growling. Stephanie is balanced on the balls of her feet, ready for the attack she is sure will come. The female screams, "Get her!"

Two of the wolf men go for Stephanie as Calvin heads for the third. The female jumps on his back.

He doesn't have much chance to watch Stephanie, occupied as he is.

He slams backwards against a tree, dislodging the female and knocking her out. He snarls, "Let's see if you can do more than talk big", leaps at the male and grabs his wrist.

Vaulting forward and rolling, he hears the telltale pop as the other male's shoulder is dislocated. His opponent roars in pain, turns, and swipes at Calvin. Blood wells up from three gouges in his upper arm as Randall, Emmett, and two Severn males wade into the fracas.

Emmett and Austin grab one of the males harrying Stephanie, the other Severn male comes to Calvin's aid, and Stephanie crouches on the chest of the third male. [Oh, baby, you get my juices flowing.] She snarls, snapping her jaws in his face.

"Stop! Now!" Randall sighs as the combatants quiet. "Would someone kindly tell me what started this?"

"She attacked our pack member."

"Stephanie, please get off the man." A growl continues to rumble in her chest as she complies. The Gates female groans, rubbing her head.

"Stephanie. May I have your explanation?"

"Of course, Alpha Wyeth. This one," she points to the other female, "was fondling one of our guests. He was, and still is, as you see, unconscious." Heads turn to take in the sight of the prone male with his cock hanging out of his pants. "I told her to step away and, when she refused, I pulled her away. The other males came up and attacked."

"Liar! She was messin' wi' 'im an' came at me when I said I'd tell."

Randall narrows his eyes. "Come here." Hesitantly, she walks over. Randall grabs both wrists, brings her hands to his face, and sniffs. Her eyes go wide; she knew she was caught.

"Calvin. Do you have anything to add?"

"I saw the female you're holding on the male. I heard Stephanie give clear warning then saw her remove the female, who yelled for help. Then these three arrived."

"He's in bed with her! He's lying."

Randall glares at the male who spoke. The Gates male drops his eyes and turns away. "Stephanie, your hands, please." Stephanie comes closer and offers her hands to Randall. "She does not smell of the male; this one does. Do not think to accuse a former Alpha of lying. I know he has not bedded her."

"Then why is he hanging around her?"

Jade green eyes light on Calvin. [A good question.]

"Do you wish to use our circle, Cal?" Calvin nods. "Stephanie?" A moment, a look at the other female, and a sharp nod. "Bring them."

The males are dragged and the female herded to the circle.