Fulfillment 12

"I am happy, Mom."

"Good." Ariel sighs. "So, I assume you'll be leaving us soon." She puts an arm around Jo's shoulder and steers her toward the steps.

Joanna stops. "I, I hadn't thought.."

"It's OK, sweetie. It's a transition. You don't have to let go of everything, all at once."

"But, but, Em, Lyssa, Maddie, Rolly, you and Dad. I can't..." Her eyes start to water.

Ariel squeezes her shoulders and guides her up the steps and into the house. "You can, and you will. You have several new sisters now and there will be new friends in the Severn pack."

"But you won't just be down the hall anymore."

"No, we won't. But you can visit." [Emmett, Erich, bring your mates to the first floor sitting room. Roland, see your father.]

[Coming.] [On our way.] [Something wrong?] Ariel doesn't answer as she settles Jo in a chair.

Nathan is practically vibrating with nervousness as he follows the Wyeth Alpha into his office. He stood, stiffly, as Randall stalked around him, silently.

Just about ready to crack, his new father-in-law speaks from behind him. "If I hear she's been in any way mistreated believe you won't regret it long."

"Yes, sir! Uh, no, sir! What I mean..."

Randall steps in front of him, startling him back a step and into silence. Randall smiles, part feral, part threat. His voice takes on a conversational tone. "If I had any inkling that you might be such a male, you never would have gotten close to her." Randall claps him on the shoulder and he staggers slightly. "Welcome to the family, pup."

"Um. Thank you. Sir."

"Loosen up, boy, I'm not going to eat you."

Nathan swallows, his eyes flick up to Randall's eyes, then he drops them down to Randall's chest. Nathan was not small by any means but Randall was large, and looms over the young male.

"I assume you'll be living at Severn."

"Yes, sir, my job.."

"Of course, of course, although you could transfer. But, there'd have to be an opening and you've only got a few years in."

"Oh, yes sir,"

"Congratulations, pup. There's one thing I would ask of you."

"Uh, sir?"

Randall puts his arm around Nathan's shoulders and draws him closer. "Her mother would appreciate it, when she carries your first pup, if she could spend her last days here."

"We haven't even thought that far ahead."

"Just something to think about. C'mon, let's go find them."

Joanna is surrounded by members of the Wyeth pack, mostly females.

Emmett looks at Nathan. "So apropos, Severn. Valentine's Day. Easier to remember."

"Valentine's Day?"

"A human celebration of love, you must have heard about it." He smiles at his own mate. "You learn all sorts of interesting things. Gifts are usually exchanged."

The four couples practically mirror each other, each of the males has his arms around his mate, pulled back against him. Randall and Ariel. Emmett and Lyssa. Erich and Madeline. Nathan and Joanna.

***

Calvin had told the pack he wanted no interruptions for two hours.

He brings Stephanie to his suite. She stops dead at the sight of the bed to one side of the room.

He sits on the couch and pats the spot beside him. "Come sit beside me, Stephanie."

Slow, he's moved so slowly, but it was taking forever. While he could kiss her and hold her hand, anything else made her freeze and she'd push or pull away.

While Sabine had made him wait more than a year, there had still been touching, stolen moments.

She stood there.

"Please, Stephanie, we need to have a conversation."

Stephanie crosses her arms over her chest. "I can hear you just fine."

He sighs, then stands, and begins pacing the room. He stops and looks at her. "Stephanie, I haven't harmed you. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid."

"I smell it on you." She huffs. "I've asked you here to have a private conversation. And you don't trust me. Even after all this time." She looks down, appearing vaguely ashamed. "I haven't done anything you haven't wanted."

"No? You kissed me, hounded me."

"Why are you here?"

Stephanie opens her mouth, shuts it. She really had no answer, or not one she'd admit.

He steps towards her and she backs away. Calvin stops and drops the volume of his voice. "Stephanie. What did they do to you?"

***

Mercy was following a trail. Justin and Jamie had taken off and she was supposed to find them. The first one she found would be sent back to the den, to help in the kitchen. The second she had to spar with. Then they would return.

She was only thirteen, well, almost fourteen, and the Beta had petitioned to have her learn to track.

She was enjoying herself thoroughly. Her mother was not happy. Her father didn't know what to think.

***

Stephanie stares out the window, fists clenched at her sides. Not seeing anything. No, seeing the past.

"I was studying to be a healer."

Calvin is astonished, a healer. She had been a sensitive, caring member of a pack before what had happened to her. Now she was hardened, self-isolated.

She turns to him, looking directly into his eyes. It was a challenge and, even as Alpha, he allowed it, simply because of what she was.

"Tell me, Calvin, why you have been spending time with me. Why have you been pursuing me."

He stood and approached her, stopping before reaching her. "Your eyes, Stephanie There's something in your eyes. That and your strength."

She continues to look at him. He can tell she isn't satisfied with his answer. He exhales. "Your eyes drew me to you initially but there's something else that attracts me, that I can't put a name to."

Her stance changes slightly, it's almost as though she were hugging herself. She looks at the floor. "He said one of them was hurt, that he needed stitches. I turned to get our healer and he grabbed my arm and started pulling me away, saying I could handle it."

"I was, well, a little surprised, confused, annoyed. But I went with him. I was so naive."

"He took me to the end of the range and we met up with three other males. None of them was hurt."

"He gave me to them."

She closes her eyes and breathes.

"I screamed, I clawed, I fought. It wasn't enough."

"They knocked me out and took me away. I had no idea how far I was from home."

"They stripped me naked and tied me to a bed, facedown."

"There were five of them and they raped me in every way imaginable. I was clawed, bitten, beaten."

"Somewhere along the line one of them got the bright idea to give me the mating bite. Thought it would be fun to have me go into heat. And, then, they thought if they all bit me, it might be a constant heat, or more often. But I've never come into season."

Calvin's voice is very quiet. "How long?"

"Years. It was years." She sighs. "A lot of years."

Stephanie turns back to the window. "Wallace showed up with half the pack. It was a massacre. They died quickly, and bloody."

"Wallace took me away, back to Wyeth. I didn't know how to act, what to do, how to feel. He was patient with me."

"What about your pack?"

"I couldn't go back there. Wallace gave me a place to live, food. I pledged myself to protect him and his blood. And I worked on getting strong, so I could do that."

"You trusted him."

"He freed me, fed me, housed me. He made me a part of his pack and forbade any of the males to touch me. I was...alive."

Calvin comes up behind her and takes her shoulders. "Did you have a beau?"

"Yes."

"Does your family know you're alive?"

"No."

Calvin opens his mouth to extort her to tell them she had survived. But Wallace would have done the same, years ago.

"Sabine miscarried our first pup. Our second was stillborn. We held our breath during her third pregnancy. Michael came early, but survived. She caught three more times, but couldn't hold a pregnancy. She was strong enough to be Alpha, but she couldn't give me any more pups."

Stephanie's still facing away from him. "Well, what do you expect from me? I wouldn't be able to, either."

"I know."

"So, then, what? You've felt pain too?" Her voice is clipped. "It. Doesn't. Compare."

"No, no." Calvin exhales and steps closer to her, holding her upper arms without holding her against him. "My mate is gone. My son is gone. I have the pack, but I'm alone. I want to spend the rest of my life with someone. And I'm wondering if it might be you. But, you've never told me anything about yourself and the only way for me to do that is to ask you directly. And I wanted to find out about the thing that has affected you so deeply."

She stiffens under his hands. "Happy now?"

"Why are you so angry with me?"

"Because you want to make me something I'm not."

He steps slightly closer, his mouth at her ear, his voice intimate. "No. Stephanie, I want you to be what you were, caring, social, a true member of a pack.."

She rounds on him. "I am a full member of Wyeth." Anger flashes in her green eyes.

His voice remains calm. "Are you?" She glares at him, even more pissed off by how calm he is. "You survive there. You fight for them. Your life is theirs. But you have no friends, no one you're close to. As a wolf, how could you go so long without being close to anyone?"

Her teeth are clenched. "You know why."

"They're long bones and rot. The males who did this are dead. The members of Wyeth accept you. But they aren't close to you. Unless you're sparring, you won't let anyone touch you." He reaches out and touches her cheek.

She lashes out, knocking his arm away, backing up. She stands, back to the wall, eyes darting around as if looking for an escape route.

He stands back, looking at her. "Answer one more question, if you would. Then, if you wish to leave, I'll have you taken back to Wyeth."

She waits a moment, then nods.

"Why have you been willing to spend time with me?"

***

Joanna walks around, almost hugging herself, looking at things with new eyes. At things she felt she was losing.

Nathan kept his arm around her but stayed quiet. He didn't quite know what to do with her, again.

She stops, sitting beside the lake, staring at the house.

He sits behind her, his legs spread around her. He wrapped his arms around her.

Suddenly, several of the pups burst from the back door. Running, chasing, nipping.

Nathan watches, smiling. Joanna says, "Recess." Then she sighs as a couple run by. One young female stops, sniffs Nathan, flirts her tail, and takes off after the others.

"I'm going to miss this."

He sets his chin on top of her head. "There's no reason you can't visit."

"But it won't be the same. I won't wake up here.."

"You've spent enough nights at my place and woke up there with me."

"I know. It's just, kindof making me sad."

One fat tear drops on his forearm. "Things change, Jo. You're looking at schools.."

She inhales, exhales. "I'm not gonna go now, am I?"

"Why not?"

She twists in his arms and he kisses her temple. "We've got some things to talk about, Jo. Some decisions to make."

Joanna sighs. "It's almost lunch time. Can we stay and eat before we go back?"

"Sure," he chuckles, "you'll need your strength to deal with my family, when we get back." They stand and he pulls out his cellphone. Turning it on and looking at the screen, he winces.

"What?"

"37 messages. Mom, Kendra, Uncle Aaron. They're not particularly pleased that we took off."

"Great. Now I got your family mad at you."

He squeezes her. "They're your family now, too."

"Gonna let me take some of the heat?"

"Tempting." He leans down and captures her lips.

***

Lyssa's on the roof, arms wrapped around herself, watching Jo and Nathan.

She jumps as Emmett slides his arms around her waist. "Penny for your thoughts."

"So young. Starting a life together. So many possibilities."

He sticks his chin over her shoulder, looking down to the lake where Nathan and Joanna are sitting. "Are you happy for them? Or sad?"

She tips her head back against his shoulder. "A little of both. Happy she's found him and sad that she won't be around anymore."

"She hasn't been around much lately."

"Yeah, but she always lived here. Who am I gonna spar with?"

"I thought you and Maddy were getting along well."

Another sigh. "Yeah. But Joanna was the one who was with me most when I got here. Well, her and Stephanie. Well, she's not here either."

"Are you close to Stephanie? I had no idea."

"No. But, like I said, she was here when I got here. She helped."

"Things change, Lys." He squeezes her tightly, takes her hand. "Hungry? I smell lunch."

"My big, bad, bottomless pit."

"You're no slouch yourself, sweetheart."

***

Calvin calls for two trays to be brought to his suite.

Stephanie paces, glancing at him occasionally. She finally sits when the food comes.

His tray holds ham, baked potato, and peas. The one placed before her holds a rare 24 ounce steak, mashed potatoes, and cauliflower. Some rolls sit between them.

He watched her examine and sniff the food before she started to eat. She was suddenly highly suspicious of him. As if he'd hurt her in some way, drug her.

He makes no comment on her actions but begins to eat. She watches, then digs into the meat. Bloody and slightly warm.

She finally looks over at him. "I don't know how you can eat that."

He looks up and smiles at her. "It's got a tanginess to it I appreciate. Have you ever tried it?" She shakes her head. "But you've eaten bacon?" Sighing, she nods.

The rest of the meal is quiet.

He wipes his mouth with a napkin and sets it down and looks at her.

"Thank you for sharing a meal with me. Have you decided to answer my question?"

Stephanie stuffs one last roll into her mouth and chews thoughtfully.

"I don't know. You are .. pleasant company."

It was time to confront the issue more directly. "Do you think I'm going to force you?"

She turns away. "What is there to stop you?"

"Me. My morals. I have no reason or desire to force a female. And you would be difficult if I were to consider it."

She smiles briefly, then returns to her dour look. "Fucking. It's all males think about."

He reaches over and grabs her hand. His grip is tight, surprising. "I could have fucked you weeks ago. What I'm after is more, closeness, companionship. Love."

She wrenches her hand away and scowls at him. She snorts. "Love."

"Have you ever loved, Stephanie? Your family? You said you had a beau."

"I don't remember."

He looks at her, considering. "Shall we have a match?"

"Chess?"

"Our circle."

She looks at him, measuring. She nods, briefly.

The Ross circle was set up differently.

The Wyeth circle was a shallow bowl with a couple of boulders in it.

The Ross circle was a little bit larger. A small flat area had the rest curving upward like the sides of an amphitheater. A tree of some size actually stood within an edge.

Calvin won the first round as some of the wolves of his pack moved around the edge to watch. The second round had them fairly evenly matched until Stephanie performed the maneuver he had seen at Wyeth and set him on his back.

A collective groan went up from the assembled wolves.

Calvin picks himself up and smiles at her. "Best of three?"

She settles herself into a stance of readiness and smiles in acknowledgement.

The third round begins. After circling a bit, Stephanie heads for the high side. Calvin watches, turning with her. She waited a moment, then rushed him.

She ran straight for him, a wolf woman.

He waited, braced himself.

As she leapt at him, he grabbed her arms and fell backward.

Momentum has them both going over and, with her arms held, she can't stop it. He stops them with his legs. Settling his weight on top of her, looking into her green eyes, he says [My round. I claim my prize.]

Stephanie sighs, closes her eyes, and purses her lips. [No. I have something else in mind.]

As the howl goes up from the Ross wolves her eyes snap open and she starts to struggle. "No. Let me go."

[All I ask is that you lie beside me in the bed, to take a nap.]

"No."

[Fully clothed. Napping, Stephanie.]

"No. Let me wash your stink off of me and let me go home."

Part of being a leader was knowing when to pick your battles. He would not win this. "As you wish."

Calvin rose and offered her his hand, though he knew she wouldn't take it.

She gave him a dirty look and got up.

As she stalked back to the house Calvin sent to his Beta [Sampson, please have someone prepared to return Stephanie to Wyeth in half an hour.]

[Of course, my Alpha.]

Stephanie went directly into his bathroom without giving him a second glance.

As the water ran he lay back on his bed, fingers laced over his waist. He closed his eyes and tried to decide if this was the last straw for her.

He had pushed her to disclose her past, had pushed her into an admission, however faint, that she cared for him. He might have pushed his luck too far today. Then he began to wonder what he would do without her company. She had been a comfort to him, particularly after his son's death. It saddened him.

The water stopped and he swallowed. It took a few moments before she emerged, naked.

Nudity was not generally an issue with them and had never been with her. She looked briefly at him as he closed his eyes, and she saw the sadness in them.

As she turned to dress in the clothes she had left in his room before the sparring match, she said, "I don't need your pity."

He raised up on one elbow to look at her. "What you saw on my face, in my eyes, was not pity, Stephanie. I am sad to be losing your company."

She turns fully to look at him. He watched her face to see how she would react. She was having difficulty holding on to her anger. She clenched her fists and growled at him. "How do you do that?"

He smiles. "For one, it's a talent. For two, it's the truth."

She stands there, topless, staring at him. "I have never lied to you, Stephanie."

Stephanie pulls a tank top over her head. It was cream colored and he could still see her nipples through the fabric. He took a deep breath and worried what she would think as his cock began to firm up.

Her mouth quirks to one side and she snorts. "Sleep, huh?"

"My body responds to yours. That does not mean I will act on it."

She pulls on a brown flannel shirt, her only concession to the weather. "I have to get back to the den."

"A nap, Stephanie, nothing more. You are certainly capable of dissuading me if I attempt anything."

She gives him a feral grin, shakes her head.

[Sampson, my room please.] "Give me two minutes."

She backs toward the door and jumps slightly at the knock, so focussed on him. "Enter."

"You called me, my Alpha."

"I want two males outside of my door for the next hour. If Stephanie calls for help, in any way, they are to come in and extract her and you will take her home." Sampson's face shows confusion. "Understood?"

"No. But I will follow your order, my Alpha."

"Thank you."

Sampson turns to leave, glancing at Stephanie before he opens the door.

Calvin holds a hand out to her.

Stephanie looks at the door, at him, then at the door again.

He tries to keep his face neutral as she takes the first step, but his heart swelled. She was coming to him, of her own volition.

She hears two bodies settle outside the door. Large bodies.

He lies in the bed, looking at her, hand out. He wasn't coming after her but letting her come to him.

Her decision. It was her decision. He wasn't forcing her to do anything.

She swallows and takes a step forward.

His heart speeds up slightly and she stops, her heart pounding.

He watches her, holding still, his eyes shining.

Another step. It was almost as if she were walking though deep snow. Her heart pounded harder. He wasn't speaking to her, wasn't doing anything but looking at her and holding out a hand to her.