In Heat

Tensions are running high in my pack. We've all been edgy for days. It's finally time for me to step in and resolve the issue that is affecting all of us in one way or another. When I invited Lark to join our pack four months ago I knew this day would come and I anticipated it with mixed feelings. Today is the hard part. I'm beginning to feel like an outcast in my own pack. It's been nearly six years since we last had this issue and though it was difficult at the time, our pack is stronger than ever now.

"Shayna, you know how much I hate being away from you. I need to know that you will be all right." I pick up the satchel with my clothes in it and look at my mate standing at the closet, trying to decide what to wear. Shayna is stunningly beautiful. Her rich, mahogany hair falls in soft waves past her shoulders. She's currently wearing one of my t-shirts that cover almost half of her long, sexy legs. At nearly six feet tall, no one could accuse my mate of being petite, but she is still several inches shorter than I am. She turns around and her bright green eyes pierce into me.

"I'll be fine Jaxon. I will be a mess for the next several days, but eventually I'll be fine. I just need to find a way to deal with this. I'm sure it will come up again at some point in the future."

I walk around our bed and pull her into my arms, hugging her tightly. "You know I love you Shay. You and our baby are everything to me." I love the feel of the slight bump in her belly against me. I can't feel our son moving yet, but Shayna assures me she feels him fluttering inside her often. "I'm willing to step down if I need to. If my duties stand in the way of our happiness it isn't worth it."

"No Jax. I don't want that. You're a born leader. Our pack might be the smallest, but it's also the strongest and most stable. And that's all because of you and Brock. We survived Raine joining the pack years ago, and we'll survive this too. I can't go out to the common room with you though. I just don't feel like talking to anyone right now. Just know that I love you despite anything I might say or do in the next few weeks."

Her words make me smile a little. In some ways my mate is stronger than I will ever be. If our roles were reversed I could never handle this situation with the grace and fortitude that she displays. I kiss her quickly and leave our bedroom before I change my mind and decide to lose myself in her again.

I enter the common room to find most of the pack has arrived. Brock is standing alone not far from the front door. As beta of the pack, he will be in charge while I'm away. His mate, Raine, is sitting next to Lark. I think Raine understands better than anyone else in the room how difficult this is. Her loyalty to Shayna is unwavering, but six years ago she was in the same situation that Lark is in now. She has walked a fine line the past several months, showing love and support to her best friend and at the same time making our newest pack member feel welcome. A job that normally falls to my mate, but it just wasn't possible in this situation, and no one faults Shayna for shirking her duties.

"Lark, are you ready?" No reason to stand around making awkward conversation. We need to leave.

"Um, sure." Lark and Raine both stand and Raine hands a small satchel to her. Lark thanks her and looks around nervously. She has no idea what is going on. I will have to explain it to her, but not here.

I follow closely behind her as we leave the house and walk to my truck. I've never had a conversation like the one we're about to have and I really don't know where to start. By the age of twenty-one female shifters know what to expect. But Lark was raised as a human. Her entire pack was viciously murdered when she was a baby. The human couple that found her alive took her to California and raised her in secret, fearing that whoever murdered her pack might come after her. They were aware that she was a shifter and would eventually need to return here to another pack, but the couple died in a car wreck before they could finalize preparations to send her to us. Fortunately they had already contacted me and I arranged for Lark to join the Danvers pack. But just before Lark arrived Scott Danvers, the pack alpha, informed me that there was unrest in his large pack and it wasn't a good time to introduce a new member.

I wasn't on good terms with the Barber and Mason packs, so sending Lark to either of them wasn't an option. I met with Shayna, Brock and Raine to discuss our only option. As alpha I didn't need their approval. Packs aren't a democracy, the alpha is always firmly in control. Our meeting was a courtesy on my part, letting them know my intentions before sharing the news with the rest of the pack. Within days of our meeting, Lark arrived and was welcomed into our pack. She has spent the past few months learning about her heritage and learning to shift, but no one explained what's about to happen to her over the next couple of days, that's up to me.

"So Jaxon, where are we going?"

I drive out of our compound and onto the paved road. Our compound consists of the main house that belongs to me and Shayna. It's more than twice the size of Brock and Raine's house right next door. There are eight smaller houses behind ours for the rest of the pack. Most packs have up to one hundred members, but since Lark joined us we're now at twenty-three. We have a lot of room to expand though and I'm sure we will continue to grow.

"We're going to a small cabin I own at the far edge of the compound, just a couple of miles away from here." The cabin is on pack property, but far enough away for privacy. Both Brock and I bring our mates there from time to time. I'm thankful I won't need to bring Shayna there for a while. "You and I need to have a talk about what's happening, but since it will just take a couple of minutes to get there, I'll wait until we get to the cabin to explain."

Lark remained silent until we entered the cabin. It is one large room with a king size bed in the far corner and an attached bathroom, a sofa and chair across from the bed, and a kitchen and small dining table on the other side. I close the door behind me and use the key to lock us in. Lark is too busy looking around the room to notice. She finally looks back at me.

"Why are we here?"

"We're here because you're in heat."

Lark's eyebrows shot up and her eyes rounded in surprise. "You mean I'm in heat like a dog?"

I had to chuckle. "No, I mean you're in heat like a shifter. There's a difference – and there are some similarities to our K9 friends. As with dogs and wolves, you give off a scent when you're in heat that attracts males to you. All males, mated or single, feel a pull to you so it was necessary to remove you from the rest of the pack until your heat cycle is over. It only lasts 48 hours."

"But you're here with me."

"Yes. This is your first time in heat. The first time is very difficult. Your wolf will try to surface throughout the cycle, and though we've encouraged you to shift the past few months and embrace your wolf, it is imperative that you maintain your human form until the cycle is finished. If your wolf manages to take over at any time while you're in heat, she will see that as a sign of weakness on your part and you will never have control of her. As the alpha I can help you hold her at bay until this is over."

"You said males are attracted to me while I'm in heat. But as the alpha, you aren't?"

"On the contrary, I am very much attracted to you, more so now that we're here alone. But Brock and I are the only two members of the pack who have the discipline to control your wolf and the discipline to not fuck you for the next two days. The beta can fill this role if necessary, but generally the alpha takes care of his females."

"By taking care of me, you mean just staying here with me to control my wolf?"

"Among other things – you'll find that when you fully enter the heat cycle your craving for a male is insatiable. Your logical mind will take a firm backseat to your body's desire to mate. And that is my other reason for being here with you; to provide you with orgasms without actually fucking you. Your wolf isn't likely to take over if your body is getting the release it needs."

"But you're married.... you're mated."

"Yes."

"Wouldn't it have been better to send one of the single men here with me?"

"They aren't alpha or beta, none of them could resist fucking you. And it is unlikely they could help stop you from shifting. If any male fucks you in the next two days you will become pregnant. You aren't like a human female who is ovulating and stands a high risk of pregnancy. Pregnancy for you is guaranteed if you fuck a shifter right now."

"What about condoms?"

"Condoms are useless for shifters. We are immune to human diseases, we can't carry or spread them. We can't impregnate human females and our females only go in heat once a year. If I fucked you wearing a condom it would disintegrate when I come. And when you return to the compound in a couple of days the entire pack would know that you're pregnant with the alpha's baby. Needless to say, I won't be fucking you. I'll be right back." It was turning me on talking about impregnating Lark. Alphas definitely aren't immune when one of their females is in heat.

I go to the bathroom to give Lark a couple of minutes to process the new information. I had to get away from her quickly. I can tell by her scent that she is close to heat lust and the smell of her arousal was making my dick hard. I should have brought her here last night, but I needed one more night with Shayna. The men were clearly agitated at the compound earlier. It could have gotten ugly if we waited any longer to leave. I strip down to my boxers and go back out to join Lark. I start to tell her that there's a robe in the bathroom that she can use if she isn't comfortable yet being nude with me, but I can tell by her look and smell that I'm too late.

Lark is a beautiful woman, in general all shifters are beautiful. My wolf is making it known that he approves of my attraction to Lark's unique beauty. Most shifters have darker hair, but Lark's pale blond hair is nearly white, contrasting nicely with her lightly tanned skin. Her pupils are dilated so much that the ice blue iris is nearly gone. Now the fun starts. Lark impatiently starts peeling her clothes off.

"It feels like I'm on fire. These clothes are too rough against my skin."

When Lark is nude my eyes slowly peruse her body. Her skin color is natural, no tan lines anywhere. Her full, rounded breasts are perfect, the berried nipples are erect and begging for my attention. Her pussy is smooth other than a tiny patch of blond hair covering her mons. The smell of her arousal is stronger now and my cock swells in anticipation. Pre-cum is seeping from the painfully hard muscle that will find no relief between Lark's legs over the next couple of days.

"Please touch me Jaxon." Lark cups her breasts, playing with her nipples trying to find relief. And my dick gets even harder as I watch her.

I strip off my shorts and turn down the blankets on the bed. I stack several pillows against the headboard, then settle into the middle of them. I reach my hand out to her. "Come over here."

When Lark climbs in bed with me I open my legs and nestle her back against my chest. I arrange her legs around mine, spreading her wide open. My left hand cups her soft breast, plucking at the turgid nipple while my right hand slips between her legs. We both moan as my fingers explore the delicate, wet folds of her cunt. "Has a man ever touched your pussy before?"

"No." Lark pants. Her breath is choppy, coming out in small huffs, as I play with her. I'm pleased that she is a virgin. Females have no desire whatsoever for sex until their first heat cycle. But I wondered if Lark had experimented anyway since she was only around humans until recently.

"That's good. I'm honored to be the first to make you come." I push the tip of my finger into her and Lark arches against my hand, trying to force it deeper. "Does my finger feel good baby?" I tease her for a few seconds, refusing to give her the penetration she needs.

"Please Jax. Fuck me. I need more."

I push my finger deep into her cunt. Then I give her another. I can feel her hymen and I pull back just a little. It's not my place to take her virginity. Lark is unbelievably tight. My poor, neglected dick is jealous of my fingers right now. But since he is destined for frustration the next couple of days, I try to ignore him. "Come for me Lark. I want to feel you come on my fingers." My thumb flicks her clit quickly and I feel her cunt muscles constricting.

"Jax!!!! Yessss, oh yesssss..... Jax!!!!!" Lark writhes in my arms, bucking her hips, grinding her hot, greedy pussy against my hand. Her thick juices now coat my hand and the smell of her fresh release permeates the room.

It never gets old hearing a woman scream my name when she comes. I slowly pump my fingers in and out of Lark's pussy as she comes down from her orgasm. She came quickly this time, as I expected she would. When she's finally breathing normally again and her heart rate slows back down to a steady beat, I stop stroking her pussy, but I leave a finger inside her.

"I can't believe what we just did." Her voice is shaky and unsure. "The words came out of my mouth, but that wasn't me talking. I've never acted this way.... And why is your finger still in me?"

My chest rumbles. I'm trying not to laugh, but I never know what she will come up with next. "Yeah, I'm leaving it in there because your pussy feels really good and I don't want to pull out yet." Her wolf needs to know that even though her orgasm is over, I'm still in charge of her body and any pleasure she receives. And her pussy does feel damn good.

"I'm good with that." Her cunt muscles squeeze my finger in agreement. "So you've done this with all the women in the pack?"

"No, just Shayna, Raine and you because you're born shifters."

"I don't understand?"

Apparently Raine never explained the difference to her. "Most born shifters are male. They outnumber the females more than 10 to 1. The other females in our pack were changed by their mates after they married....."

"You mean they imprinted on them?"

Huh? I had no idea what she.... "You've been reading too many books." I just realized she was quoting from a popular book series. "There's no such thing as imprinting. Males can change their human mates if they are willing, to live out their lives together. They can have children together, but they can only produce male offspring. Only born female shifters can produce female offspring. It's such a rare occurrence to have a baby girl, everyone in the pack is protective of her. But when she reaches maturity she has to go to another pack before she's in heat for the first time. It's tradition for the pack alpha to be with the young woman for her first heat, and since her father is often the pack alpha, she joins a new pack. Though girls are also born to the beta couple, and can remain with the pack she was born in until she finds a mate. Born female shifters generally mate with an alpha or beta from another pack. Your father would have expected that of you if he had lived. I will take over that duty and help you find an appropriate mate. But for the next couple of days it's my job to take care of you."

"But wouldn't most alphas be too old for the young female? I mean not that you're old or anything..."

My laughter cut her off. "How old do you think I am?"

"I don't know. Maybe thirty?"

"Double that and you'd be a little closer."

"You're sixty years old?"

"Sixty-three to be precise. Shifters generally live around three hundred years. Males typically don't find a mate and settle down until they're my age. However, females mate soon after they go in heat the first time. I was young when I became alpha and I probably should have waited longer to marry. But I knew Shayna would look for another mate if I didn't commit to her and I couldn't stand the thought of her with another man."

"Considering you're here with me, and you were also with Raine, isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

"I didn't make the rules sweetheart; I just live by them. Shifters mate for life and we never stray from our mates. This is the only exception to the rule. We discovered the hard way, many generations ago, that it wasn't safe for young females in heat for the first time to get pregnant. It's safer and easier if she waits several more years. So the alphas started the tradition of helping their women through the difficult first heat cycle by giving them orgasms. Lots of orgasms." I kiss Lark's neck and my finger idly pumps in and out of her pussy.

"Mmmm, that feels so good."

"I aim to please."

She giggles softly as my finger works at her. "Am I allowed to please you too?"

"And just what did you have in mind sweetness? You want to suck my dick?"

Lark moaned and her cunt squeezed my finger again. "Could I? I've never sucked a man off before."

If she's offering, I'm not about to turn her down. "Sweetheart, you and I can do whatever we want, as long as my dick doesn't slide into this pretty little pussy." I flick my finger teasingly over her clit. Lark laughs and raises up from my chest. When she looks at my erection her eyes widen.

"Oh my!"

I can't suppress a cocky grin. I wasn't fully erect when she saw me earlier. Even now I'm probably only around ten inches. But a shifter's erection grows even larger when he fucks his mate. Right now I'm just looking for some relief in Lark's sweet mouth. "Put it in your mouth little one."

Her mouth closes around my dick and her tongue swirls around the head, exploring. She laps at the pre-cum, then I feel the tip of her greedy tongue probing my slit for more. Her mouth is so fucking hot I'm starting to sweat, but it feels unbelievable. A female shifter in heat lust is a good ten degrees hotter than normal. When Shayna goes down on me I can lie back and enjoy her mouth for a half hour before I finally come. Lark may not know what she's doing, but she's a quick study and her enthusiasm and scorching hot mouth make up for her lack of experience. I won't last more than five minutes with this girl. I guide her hand to my balls and show her how I like to be touched. "Suck it harder Lark, I'm almost there." Her delicate fingers continue to fondle my balls and her cheeks hollow as she sucks me in earnest. I thread my fingers in her soft hair. "You're so fucking beautiful Lark. You're making my dick feel so good baby. I'm about to blow, get ready." I firmly cup her head as I start shooting my load into her hot little mouth. She gags a little at first trying to swallow it all, then finally starts suckling me again. "That's it little one, suck all of my cum out." She looks up at me as she sucks and I smile at her. When I'm finally spent Lark raises up from me and my semi-erect dick plops onto my belly.

Lark cuddles into my chest but doesn't look at me again. "Was it ok?"

"You did great baby. It felt good to come. I needed that release." Raine never went down on me when I was here with her years ago. I jacked off a couple of times with her, but that's never as good as coming in a woman's pussy or mouth. "I think maybe you need to come again."

I gently lift Lark from me and lay her back on the bed. I open her legs and settle between them. Her soft pussy is glistening and my mouth is watering for a taste. My tongue slips between her lips and I savor my first taste of her salty, sweet cream. Lark jumped a little as my tongue traced the length of her slit. "That feels so good Jax." Her breathless whisper sounded needy. So I licked her again.