Fulfillment 19

Tired, hungry, Jo is relieved when a knock at the door reveals a large meatloaf and a small vat of mashed potatoes. They fell on the food, ravenous, and then fell asleep.

***

Stephanie stays away for a day, thinking.

Emmaline hovers within her orbit. Stephanie scratches her ears and talks to her until her parents come to fetch her.

She had expected to be called on the carpet for her faux pas but nothing happened. She hadn't confessed to it and perhaps she should have. But she believed that Calvin would have talked to her Alpha about it.

She was concerned, confused, and uncertain.

Calvin arrived after dinner and, after requesting permission from Randall, asked Stephanie to go for a run.

She went, a bit relieved, as was he.

The spring day was warm, and pleasant. Some distance off they stopped in a small field of grass and wildflowers. They took a short nap in the warmth of the setting sun.

Calvin changed to human form and, watching her, began lightly stroking down her furred side. She moved her head slightly, so that she could look at him. As he gazes into those jade green eyes, he hears [What have you done to me?]

"What do you mean, little one?"

[I've gotten weak, soft. I was strong, a warrior, a protector. Now what am I?]

Calvin sighs and strokes her muzzle. "Someone who is loved." He takes her muzzle and makes her look at him. "I meant every word, Stephanie. If you will have me, I would like to be your mate."

[My.. mate?]

"Yes. You would be my mate; I would be your mate."

Stephanie huffs and looks away. "What? What was that for?"

[Alpha? Me? I can't be Alpha.]

"Who are you trying to convince?" He inhales, exhales. "Why not? You're strong, you have a strong sense of fairness, you can learn the rest."

She looks back at him. He sees something in her eyes. "Are you afraid?"

She blinks and looks away again and does not answer. "Do you love me?"

[I don't know what love is.]

"You do, Stephanie. You did. Your parents. Your siblings." She blinks and exhales. "What do you feel for me?"

Stephanie shifts to human form and shoves up on an elbow. "You are pleasant company." It was the old response.

Calvin smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. "What else?"

Her throat works but nothing comes out. "Alright, Stephanie. I will have an answer to my next question." There is a slight pause. "Why did you interfere with the challenge?"

There is emotion in her normally even voice. "I thought he was going to kill you."

"Everything in your brain should have been screaming that you not interfere. Why did you?"

"I didn't want you to die."

"Because.."

"Because then I wouldn't see you anymore."

No. He wasn't going to get anything more from her, so he leaned over, took her shoulders, and pulled her to him for a kiss.

She responded to him, almost frantically, nails biting into his shoulders.

This, however, he would not rush. He could feel it in her, almost smell it. Her realization that she could have lost him, that she still might. That something that had found her might go away.

He gently pushed her down to the ground and slid down beside her. Her hands went to his head, keeping the kiss. Their lips were melded together, their tongues twining, touching, delving. His hand traced up the side of her body, starting at her knee and slowly working up her flushing body. She shivered.

He pulled away and listened to her gasp and smiled as he looked in to those jade green eyes, slightly glazed. His hand covered her breast and he smiled at her. She licked her lips and he smiled again.

He heard the first sounds of pleasure leave those swollen lips as he bent his head to lavish attention on the luscious mounds of her breasts. He again took the time to revel in the contrast between soft skin and the scars on her body. Sabine, though she had fought occasionally, carried far fewer marks.

As he moved to leave light love bites on her collarbone and off to her shoulder and neck, his hand strayed down her body. His fingers traced through the light brown, curled hairs on her mound. She groaned and moved her hips, wanting him to touch her more intimately.

"Calvin..."

"Patience, little one, we have as long as it takes."

She groans again and clings to him, hands sliding over his body, his shoulders, his back, down to his buttocks, and back up. Her nails grazed his skin, urging him on.

He smiles against her, stroking her inner thighs now. She shivered under his touch. Calvin smelled her arousal, felt the stickiness of her juices on her thighs. Tonight he was determined to take the penultimate step with her.

And so, he lays atop her. Stephanie was large enough that she could handle his weight without discomfort. He took her face in his hands as the sky purpled. "Tonight, Stephanie, I would like to join with you completely."

She jerked her head sideways. [I haven't agreed to be your mate.]

He smiled down at her, took her lower lip lightly with his teeth. [I was not intending to mate with you tonight but...] She frowns at him. [..I would like to have intercourse.]

She takes a couple of breaths, looking into his eyes. "OK."

This was her usual, less-than-enthusiastic response to anything new. He positions himself between her legs, leans down, and kisses her deeply. Calvin can feel the head of his cock touching the slickness between her legs.

He's poised, ready.

Stephanie gasps as the kiss breaks and she looks up at him. He looks into her eyes as he starts to push inside her. Her face is expectant, nervous.

Calvin felt his foreskin move as he felt the pressure when the head of his cock passed beneath her pubic bone. There was a tightness to her, almost as if she were trying to keep him out. He continued to push forward, slowly, as he watched her face.

Her breath came quickly and she was searching his face. He smiled down at her as he continued his slow slide in.

Slowly, slowly, he continued his push as he assured himself there was no pain on her face. A couple of fingers was one thing, his full girth was another. He blew out a breath when he was seated fully within her and relished the feeling of being completely enclosed in her warm, slick embrace.

And he waited, for her to adjust to him, to ready himself for what came next.

Her face showed a slight interest. In what he might do, he supposed. She also showed a neutrality, not passion.

And, so, Calvin began kissing her while holding his body above her. Nose. Eyelids. Mouth. Throat. She was tall enough, thankfully, that he did not have to bend himself into a pretzel to find her breasts.

He began suckling on a nipple as he began his withdrawal.

He slowly began a delicious movement, feeling every inch of her walls caressing him as he pushed into her body and pulled out again. He had a thought to bring her up slowly to an earth shattering orgasm. But she lay there, rather passively, not responding as she should. Or as he wanted her to.

And, so, he folded her legs up, to her surprised look, and, holding her tightly, rolled them both over. Stephanie looked down on him. Oh, OK, she had seen this from time to time.

He waited. To see what she would do. Of course, his current position limited his options.

She began to move and he put his hands on her thighs, rubbing lightly. After a couple of minutes, she made a half-disgusted sound, and stopped.

[It's not doing anything for you?]

She exhales and shakes her head. "I'm sorry."

He reached up to touch her face. "If you will continue, I can do something about that."

Exhaling, she began to move again and he slid his thumb between them so that he could rub her clitoris as she came down on him. His other hand moved so that he could brush his fingers across her lips, then slid down to a breast.

The lubrication that came from her leaked from the space where their bodies connected. He was able to cover his thumb with it and twitch on her sensitive nub as he plucked her nipple. The next time she came down he sent [Stop there.] She had begun making little noises and he knew that she had begun to get pleasure from their actions.

Her eyelids fluttered as she looked at him. [Now, I'd like you to try something.] He watched her inhale as he rubbed her clit, as she got wetter. [I want you to find your pleasure, if you can. Tell me what I can do to help you. Try rotating your hips around, rub against my thumb. I'd like to watch you bring yourself over while I'm in you.]

She closed her eyes and the movement began. Stephanie tried circles and figure eights, but they were choppy motions. Then she started rocking, small motions, forward, up, and back.

He urged her on in his mind, not wanting to break her concentration. She made little grunts and, although his hand was cramping a little, he shifted his thumb from side to side a little. He watched her as she began to pant. Her face showed something and he felt a flutter around him. He took her nipple and squeezed a bit more tightly.

Tightness. She whimpered. He released the nipple and she shrieked. The squirt of her juices flooded his crotch.

And he felt the spasms of her pussy and closed his eyes at the sensation.

After a slight arch backward, she came forward on her hands, breathing hard. She opened her eyes to look at him as a drop of sweat hit his face.

Startled, he opened his eyes to her looking at him. He gave her a quick smile as the muscles around him gave one last light squeeze. Her eyes held an emotion he hadn't seen on her face before and he was truly surprised when she bent down and kissed him. [Thank you.]

He smiled broadly and hugged her tightly to him. [You are very welcome, little one.] She initiated the kiss. It was a first for her, for them. He had always started anything between them. Her healing was almost complete. While she would always bear the scars of her captivity, she was able to feel again, for someone else.

Stephanie was amazed. She had never felt anything like that. It was marvelous. She felt like she couldn't move but she should get him off.

"I can see it in your eyes, Stephanie. Sleep. I'll be here."

"But.."

"No buts, sleep."

He held her close, held her to him, as she slept off the climax. He softened, and slid out, but he felt a contentment, having her there. She had come so far. And he had brought her here.

After a nap, she kissed him again, rolled off, and took him into her mouth. She sucked and swirled her tongue over him, her hand around his base.

As he firmed up before his explosion, he expected her to back off. But she held him in her mouth as the first gout of cum erupted.

She did pull away since she had some trouble keeping up with it, but she was trying. It was messy but, as he had told her, it was nothing that wouldn't clean off.

"Thank you, Stephanie." He looked up into the night sky. "I would like to wash up a little and then I should get back home. And, if you can, I would like you with me."

"I do have early sweep in the morning but, yeah, I'd like to go with you."

"I'm glad."

***

June was a month of eventful happenings.

Stephanie agreed to mate Calvin and became female Alpha of the Ross pack. Tobias challenged her and she bested him, again.

Lyssa went through estrus.

Two weeks later, Joanna and Nathan arrived, bursting with news.

Joanna was pregnant. Both she and Nathan could barely contain themselves.

Ariel was overjoyed. Roland slapped Nathan on the back. Randall was quietly pleased at the thought of a grandpup. Congratulations were made and Joanna was embraced warmly all around.

A small celebration was pulled together.

Lyssa begged off early to do some work at the business. She practically tripped over Emmaline. "Oh, sweetie, I almost stepped on you."

Lyssa picked up the small, dark-haired pup and cuddled her briefly before setting her back down. "Go back to your mama." Emmaline looks up at her and whines. "Scoot."

Gabriela notices Lyssa is a bit distracted. After a couple of hours, she went back to the den. Without really seeing who was there, she handed the keys over.

Then she shrieked as Brandon grabbed her arm, pulled her against him and swung her around so her back was against the wall. He pressed her against the wall with his bodyweight and she could feel the firm length of him against her belly. Her protest was a series of mumbled sounds as he took her mouth in a bruising kiss. As she tried to push him away one of his hands went to the back of her head, keeping the kiss, and the other travelled down to cup her ass, and pulled her against him more tightly.

[EMMETT!]

Brandon winced and staggered a little, but continued to grind his pelvis against hers. He was groaning and she was screaming into his mouth.

[Lyssa, where are you?] All he could see was dark. All he felt was her fear.

She shifted to intermediate form and he groaned in apparent pleasure. [Garage.] She twisted slightly and clawed him, one set of marks across his back and another set across a shoulder.

Finally, her brain kicked in. [NO!]

She heard feet pounding down the stairs as Brandon toppled.

As Emmett got close, she looked up, eyes wide, and bolted.

"Lyssa, wait!" As he starts after her he throws back to Alex. "Put him in the bunker. Tell Randall."

Alex throws Brandon over his shoulder as Emmett takes off after Lyssa. Brandon had done something to her, but Emmett smelled his blood, not hers. Why was she running?

He chased her out into the range and caught her sputtering in one of the small ponds behind one of the outbuildings. She was rubbing her hands on her body, scrubbing her face, tears streaming.

He waded in, without a word, and gathered her into his arms. Even with the water he could smell Brandon on her, and growled.

She collapsed against his chest and clung to him. He stroked her back and waited for her to calm down. She sniffled into his strong chest. "Are you mad?"

The question was strange and it startled him. When he thought of what it might mean he went rigid.

She felt him tense and started crying again. "I'm sorry."

What in the world? He took some deep breaths, trying to calm down himself. Her body rocked back and forth with the movement of his chest. She had been scared, she had screamed for him. And they had come down to find Brandon on the floor, bleeding. She had apparently clawed him and knocked him out. Now..

Emmett smooths her hair away from her face and tilts it up so that he can look at her. "What happened?"

She sniffs, swallows. "A couple of months ago.."

He shakes himself. Months ago?

"...he kissed me. Said he'd never kissed a female and wanted to try it. I figured he had a crush on me and tried to figure out how to, how to let him down easy. Then, nothing. I, a few weeks ago, he was working on the garden and he kinda grabbed me as he went by. I thought it was an accident, but now.." She trails off.

He feels the growl start to rise in his chest, the question comes out on that growl. "Sweetheart, what just happened?"

"He, he.."

Emmett pulled her more tightly to him. [You stopped him, sweetheart. You're OK.]

She closed her eyes and said, "He grabbed me, shoved me against the wall, kissed me, hard. And he pushed... I could feel him."

Emmett growls again at what had happened to his mate, the liberties a younger male had taken. But he had to ask, "Why did you ask me if I was mad? Why did you say you were sorry? Why did you run away from me?"

"I thought you might think it was my fault."

He closes his eyes. Her fault? "I felt how scared you were. Why would I think it was your fault?"

"I don't know." He picked her up as she began to shiver.

Out of the water, he took her to the bank and lay back, with her sprawled on top of him. He held her tightly and thought about what had happened.

Brandon had made unwanted overtures to Emmett's mate. Werewolves, unfortunately, generally fixated on a member of the opposite sex and pursued them, looking for their mate. If Brandon wanted Lyssa as his mate, and he couldn't have her, there would be trouble. [Did he hurt you?]

She had her hand on his chest, and her cheek, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. "No."

"Good." He kissed the top of her head.

She finally settled and rolled off him, onto her back, and tossed her arm across her forehead. She looked up at the blue sky as Emmett rolled over and laid his head on her stomach, a large hand on her hip.

After a few minutes, she quietly asked, "Are you gonna kill him?"

Emmett exhales loudly. "I smelled his blood, how bad did you get him?"

Lyssa swallows. "Not bad. His back and shoulder. What about him?"

"Depends on why. If he wants you for a mate, sweetheart, he can't have you."

"That's possible?" She shoves up on an elbow.

"It doesn't happen often."

"Why is it me this rare, weird stuff happens to?"

He drags her mouth down to his. [Maybe because you're a rarity in our world, mate.]

Lyssa and Emmett lay in the sun a bit longer and then went to talk to the Alphas. "Madam Beta, are you injured?"

Lyssa shook her head. "No. No. I'm OK."

"She's just shaken up, Ariel."

"Do you have any idea what prompted Brandon's ... assault of you?"

She drops her head and shakes it. "No." A pause. "But, maybe I should have said something before."

"Before, Madam Beta?"

Emmett puts his hand on her leg and squeezes lightly. "He grabbed me and kissed me a couple of months ago. When I asked why, he said he hadn't kissed a female and wanted to see what it was like. I figured he had a crush on me and started thinking about how to let him down easy. Nothing happened for a while so I thought it was OK." A sigh. "When he was plowing the garden and he stopped to come back in to the house he kinda grabbed me as he passed. I thought it was an accident then." Randall and Ariel's expressions are getting more and more grim. "When I came back today, I went to give the keys over and he," an inhale, "grabbed me, pushed me against the wall," another breath, "kissed me hard and ground his erection against me."

The Alphas exchange glances. "Has he had any relations with any of the young females?"

"I'm not aware of any such relationship, my Alphas," Emmett replies.

"Where would..."

Lyssa interrupts, "Um, where is he?"

"I told Alex to put him in the bunker, for now."

"What's gonna happened to him?"

"That's what we were just about to discuss, if you would stop interrupting."

Lyssa looks embarrassed and closes her mouth.

"Tucker. Foster. Ross."

Lyssa opens her mouth and Emmett puts two fingers on her lips. "I agree."

"What about Gates?"

"Actually, that's probably a better idea than Ross."

"Shall I begin the negotiations?"

"I think that would be best."

"Brandon was interviewed while the two of you were ... talking. He had expressed no interest in any of our young females and appears to be obsessed with Lyssa."

"But he knows Emmett would fight him, that I could hurt him, that we're mated."

"Obsession does not care for any of those things. It's possible things may have just remained a fantasy and he would have taken no further action. But your recent heat and the possibility you may leave us for Ross probably triggered this."

"Sweetheart, we'll be sending him to another pack and the move will likely be permanent."

Lyssa drops her head into her hands. "Why is it always me?"

Ariel looks at her. "It isn't. It just seems that way to you." Lyssa looks up at her, unconvinced. "Stephanie has been enough of a handful of late. And you got wrapped up in Jo's kidnapping."

Lyssa exhales. "I guess." Her eyes go wide. "Oh, his poor parents, what about them?"

"Gordon and Naomi are with him in the bunker now. Naomi is devastated."

"Damn," Lyssa says. "Damn. Damn. Damn."

"It's nothing you did, although I wish you had told us earlier. It will be alright."