Sharkbait Ch. 06-10

We sat back down as Leo came out and grabbed the coffee cups. I asked my question. "What happens to us now that the rejection is complete?"

"There is no more 'us' between you and Timothy," Karen said. "The rejection severed the link the Moon Goddess placed between your souls. If you had walked away from each other, perhaps in time, you might find a way to heal it. That option isn't there anymore."

"Because he mated with Traci," I said.

Karen nodded. "Yes. When you mate another, the link is permanently severed. Even if Traci died now, your wolf wouldn't feel any pull to Timothy. As far as your wolf is concerned, he's dead."

It felt like that. "I was barely able to walk out of there, how did Timothy ever mark that bitch?"

"It wasn't his wolf. I figure his wolf was ready to mark you and didn't react fast enough in his pain when his human side decided to mark Traci instead." She shook her head.

"Is he hurting like I am?"

"I don't think so, not now that he has a mating bond. His wolf must be furious with him, though. There's a long list of people that are furious with him right now, and that's why he's already on a plane home," Ivan said.

"What happens to her mate now that she has chosen another male?" I didn't feel sorry for the bitch, but some guy just dodged a bullet.

"There's no way to know. Now that she is mated, there is no bond for his wolf to sense. If they met today, she'd just be another mated wolf to him. Our best guess is that he looks and looks and never finds her."

"I'd feel sorry for him, except he managed to avoid getting tied to that toxic bitch," I said. "My mate is gone, so I won't feel anything either."

"At some point, we think the Goddess grants you another mate. You can wait until you feel the pull again, or maybe you fall in love and mate that person."

I shook my head, no. "I can't do that," I said. "I won't be the wolf who takes another's mate from her."

Karen put her hands over mine. "I know that, Vicki. You need to heal, and after you heal, be open to whatever Luna has for you."

I nodded, my hand moving to my chest where it felt like the big, empty space resided. "I need to finish school, and there is college," I said. "It's not so bad. I was afraid of leaving here with a mate, and now I'm not." I tried to put on a brave face, but Leo knew me better. He pulled me into his lap, letting me rest against his chest as I gathered myself again.

His hand ran up and down my back, calming me. "You can't be alone now, Vicki. You still are a Mantled Alpha, but your wolf has withdrawn, and that makes you vulnerable."

I looked up at him, a little shocked. We'd built up my self-defense skills so I could defend my neck. Without my wolf, I was as weak as any human. I hated the idea of a minder, but he was right. "I understand," I said softly. "Maybe I should fly home early and let the Pack protect me instead."

"No," Leo said. "I think it would be better if you stayed here where we can help you. Most of the leaders here were shocked at what happened to you. The ladies from the party will have your back, I just want to make sure you don't leave them behind. There's also the dive trip I booked and paid for last night." My eyes got wide and looked at him. "My brother and I have to be around for the meetings, or I'd go."

"Lunas can get away with skipping the meetings, so Karen and I are going," Adrienne said. "When the other females found out what you wanted to do today, we got dozens of people who wanted to be with you. We had so many volunteers that we changed the non-mated activities today to a beach day."

"The charter can handle up to ten divers, and the rest are going to set up a party on the beach. I'm a little concerned about the amount of food and drink they are taking away from here," Leo laughed.

"I'm sure you'll be all right. We both know who eats more," I said as I stood up. I tried to link my best friend, and her wall was still up. "What's going on with Amy? Did you send her to stay somewhere else?" All of the sudden, no one wanted to look at me. Leo looked at Adrienne for help. "What?"

"We'll let her tell you at breakfast," Adrienne said. "It's not our place. Oh, my! Look at the time. We should be getting to breakfast before they run out of bacon!"

John and Karen got up and asked me to talk to them if they had any questions. "We'll walk with you after you change," Leo said before he followed them outside. I quickly changed into a pair of jean shorts, a loose top, and sandals, then went out to join them.

It was not a comfortable walk.

It wasn't that people avoided me; it was how they reacted when they saw me. The wide-eyed recognition, followed by the look of pity, then the uncomfortable silence as they tried to figure out what to say or do around me. It was like I was a broken toy they thought might explode at any moment. Leo and Adrienne held my hands as I walked between them, covering the few blocks between our trailer and the main house.

When we walked into the dining hall for breakfast, all conversation stopped, and everyone was staring at me. I'd accepted what my Alphas had told me; none of this was MY fault, and I had done nothing I should apologize over. "Good morning, everyone," I said loudly and with a smile. "Did you leave me any bacon?"

There were a few laughs, and people started eating and talking again as we went to the buffet line. One thing Mom and I had learned about werewolves is that we are creatures of contact; we express sympathy, solidarity, and comfort with our touch more than words. Almost everyone we came close to gave me a handshake, a pat on the arm or shoulder, or a hug. All this made it take a while to get through the line. I had my tray with my pancakes, scrambled eggs and cheese, orange juice, and a pile of bacon strips. "Where are we sitting?"

Leo pointed to the 'old people' area. "Adrienne and I have to sit with the other Alphas and Lunas, but Amy is over there in the corner. She saved you a spot."

I followed his arm to look across the room and saw her waving at me.

She was at a table with two other couples.

She was sitting on the lap of an athletic-looking guy who had his arms around her waist.

And her fresh mating bite was displayed by the loose-neck shirt she was wearing.

Ch. 9

I froze. I almost spilled my tray, the glass of orange juice sliding towards the edge until I caught myself and saved it.

I took a second to compose myself, letting out a breath before I looked up again.

Amy was my best friend in the world.

She found her mate and had claimed him already.

She had nothing to do with the shitshow that my life became last night.

I pushed my heartache aside, smiled, and walked to her table. As soon as I set my tray down, she was engulfing me in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Vicki," she whispered in my ear. "I should have been there for you last night, but Alpha made me stay and keep the mental wall up."

"It's all right, Amy. I couldn't have made it through that without you by my side. I barely made it out of that room." She stepped back and let me wipe the tear from my eye. "And you found him! Congratulations!"

Her smile broke through as she turned to the guy standing at her side wearing khaki shorts and a bright green Oregon Ducks T-shirt. "Vicki, this is my mate, Kai Steele," she said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Vicki. Amy's told me a lot about you," he said as he shook my hand. I took a good look at Kai; he looked to be in his early twenties, with dark hair cut short and a face that showed a Polynesian part of his heritage. He wasn't much taller than Amy, standing just under six feet tall, but his body looked chiseled in stone. Broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, well-defined muscles, and a firm grip. He wasn't a bodybuilder, and his arms were too big to be a biker, and he was too bulky to be a runner or climber. We all sat down at the table. "Kai is Hawaiian for 'sea,' isn't it?"

He smiled at me as he pulled Amy to his side, where she was clearly happy to be. "Yes, my mother is full-blooded Hawaiian. She met my father when he was a Marine stationed at Kaneohe Bay. He knew she was his mate, but it took him two years to get her to fall in love with him and agree to the change."

"Kai also means 'food' in Maori, 'forgiveness' in Japanese, and in Europe, it means 'warrior.' It fits him perfectly," Amy gushed. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, his hand stroking her side and breast. No one minded; new mates were like newlyweds, but less inhibited. Packs were used to overt displays of affection.

"Your father was the werewolf," I reasoned. There were no Hawaiian wolf packs.

He nodded. "My father is the Beta of Security for the Three Sisters Pack, near Bend, Oregon. For generations, our Alphas have sent their warriors and Betas to have training beyond what our Packs could give, so most of us spend time in the military or law enforcement. We even have a former Secret Service agent."

It sounded like a good idea, and I wondered why more didn't do it. "How does that work with your wolves?"

"Alpha Steve Dauntless orders us not to shift unless absolutely necessary, and they have silver-core chains for their dog tags. That keeps them from showing abilities or strength beyond what a human would have. It's a risk, but the knowledge and experiences we gain are priceless for our jobs."

I liked him. "Are you in the military? I mean, you're in great shape, but that hair..."

Amy was running a hand along his bicep, and he was stroking her muscular shoulders as they sat together. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. I was happy for her, but I felt a stab of pain in my soul because that should be ME now, too. "I'm in my senior year at Oregon, in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. When I graduate, I'll receive my commission as an Ensign. I have orders to report to SEAL training in Coronado."

My eyes got wide; those boys were hardcore warriors. Then I realized what that meant; SEALs did a lot of swimming. "You like the water? Swim a lot?"

He laughed. "I love it. Amy and I were talking about diving, and I have my open-water dive card with me. I plan to join your trip if that's all right with you. Diving in Oregon is much colder, and the waves are much stronger."

Amy TOTALLY hit the Mate Jackpot with this guy. A pang of jealousy hit my gut, and I pushed it aside. "I'd love that. My Luna is coming along, so I'll dive with her while you and Amy dive together," I replied. Adrienne had figured she might as well tag along one day we went to lessons and found out she loved it. "Do you have a big family?" Would it be too much for him to have a hot brother who lost his mate and needs comfort? Come ON, Luna! You OWE me!

"Not that big," he said. "I'm the oldest at twenty; my twin sisters are seventeen, and my younger brother is fourteen."

Damn. "Three Sisters is Luna Karen Volkov's old Pack, right?" He nodded. "Wow, that's a beautiful area. She showed me some pictures once. I can't imagine mountains like that." It couldn't be more different than the Minnesota prairie and lakes regions. After all of the drama with me being a mantled 'extra,' I hadn't been brought along to many other Packs.

"We're right next to the Deschutes National Forest, with thousands of square miles of wilderness in our back yard. You can run from the heat of the day by the river to the mountain snowcaps and back in one day. There are mule deer, elk, moose, and bears in abundance. Our Pack makes up a lot of the town of Sisters; we have almost three hundred members."

"You HAVE to come out and visit, Vicki! I want to share it with you," she said.

"You are always welcome at my Pack, Sharkbait. Leo and Alpha Steve have already talked about it, and Leo trusts us to protect you."

I tried a mental send to Amy again and got nothing. "Are you still blocking my mind-link? Didn't Leo lift the order on you?"

"No, I joined the Three Sisters Pack about twenty minutes ago, so you lost the Pack link to me."

My shoulders slumped; she was moving on without me. I'd never again share those private conversations with her in boring classes or while swimming underwater. Now I had to panic. "What about school? Are you leaving the Zoo School?"

Amy looked up at her mate. "We're still talking about it. Both of us are seniors, and we both want to finish up at our schools. We'll figure something out."

"I don't want to be apart from her, but her education is important if she is to achieve her dreams. We'll be apart plenty while I'm in the Navy, and I want her to have more to her life than a cheap apartment and a baby while I'm gone."

My eyes got wide. "You two... um, you're using protection, right? Or are you planning to have a pup right away?"

They both got nervous. "I'm going to talk to the Pack Doctor about birth control injections when we get home," Amy said.

"Yeah. You can't exactly roll a condom on with paws and claws." Both of them cracked up, meaning they'd already done it Wolfy style. Hell, she had all night to make love to him while I was crying and sleeping. "Now eat, your food is getting cold."

I went back to my breakfast while Amy told me about what I'd missed after I left. Thankfully, she didn't talk about my useless ex-mate, just about what happened when Kai stepped in front of her, and their eyes first met. She was SO happy, and I let her have her moment. "I called my Mom and told her the news. She was thrilled for me, and worried about you," Amy said.

I'm sure the news of my rejection went through the Pack like wildfire. "I'm happy because you're happy, Amy. You're my best friend. Don't ever think you have to hold back because of me," I said. Amy started to cry, I began to cry, and then we were hugging each other. "I'll get over this and move on with my life."

"I feel like I'm abandoning you when you need me most," she said.

"No. Luna knew what she was doing when she put you two together. Right now, I need to feel like she has a plan for ME too. Let's face it; last night kicked the shit out of all the plans we had made before coming down here." I sat back and wiped my eyes. "Except for the trip. We're STILL going diving."

"Damn right," she said. Most people knew, but Amy announced there was room on the diving boat for six more people if they had SCUBA qualifications and money. The group filled up fast, with another larger group planning to head to Navarre Beach to enjoy the warm weather and Gulf breezes. It was close to us than Pensacola, and we could drive to it after the scuba charter finished.

"Don't worry about the beach, we'll take care of everything," one of the women said. "All you need is your bikini and blanket."

That worked for me.

Something clicked. "Kai, how far is the University of Oregon from Sisters? Isn't it on the other side of the range?"

"It's a little more than ninety minutes to my school, and less than an hour to Bend, where Oregon State is. That's in the summer; the mountain passes get shut down with snowstorms. Three hours of commuting is a lot, so my Pack owns a condo near campus where we stay. We usually have a couple of students staying there as they go to school."

I looked at Amy. "I've already gotten my acceptance letter from the University of Oregon," I said.

Her eyes got wide. "If I get in, we could...." She looked at Kai, then looked at me. "Do you think? Would you?"

"We have to talk to Alpha Steve, and you still have to get into the school," Kai said. "There are online classes you could take while you're with me as I train."

It was the beginning of a plan. I took Amy's hand. "Florida is cool, but I can't see Leo approving me going there now. It's too much of a security risk, and I was kidding myself to think otherwise. Oregon? With a friendly Pack to host and my best friend sharing a home with me? I think I can talk my Mom and Dad into letting me go there. It's a top-five Marine Biology program."

"We'll work it out later," Kai said. "We need to leave in thirty minutes."

"Do you need your stuff out of our trailer," I asked.

"Leo brought it to our room last night," Amy said.

'Our' room. It just reminded me I'd always be the third wheel until Luna gave me another mate.

Life would go on; I'd cry, I'd rage, I'd sit quietly, but I'd overcome. Leo, Adrienne, Ivan, and Karen had all done it and found their happiness in the end.

In the meantime, I'd pursue my dreams.

Ch. 10

Kai and Amy were in the back of the open-top Jeep Wrangler, with the wind making it tough to carry on a conversation with them. I was in the front seat with Jennifer, who was a thirty-year-old Beta in a Pack from nearby Alabama. We'd taken three cars, and Luna Adrienne was in an air-conditioned sedan behind us. I didn't mind; the morning was warm, the breeze blew my long blonde hair, and I felt free. It reminded me of being in wolf form, traveling in a car with your head out the window.

We arrived an hour before departure and did our gear rentals and equipment checks. The water was warm enough we didn't need wetsuits, so I was diving in my bikini with a diving shirt over it. The suit was a bit more robust than the one I had for the beach because I didn't need a wardrobe malfunction forty feet down. I looked in the mirror as we got ready to leave the locker room, and reminded myself that it wasn't MY fault.

My legs were long and tan, with smooth muscles and a firm ass. I had a flat stomach that hinted at the muscles underneath, and my breasts were high and firm. I had the shoulders of a swimmer, broad and strong. My face was like my Mom's, oval-shaped with a thin nose and deep blue eyes. I turned to look at my backside in the mirror. That asshole would never have a booty like THIS in his bed.

And I'd never have those broad shoulders, those chiseled arms, those kissable lips...

"Are you all right," Jennifer asked.

"I'm fine," I said as I grabbed my bag.

"You look like you just dropped your ice cream cone on the sidewalk," she said as she put her arm on my shoulder. "No one expects you to act like nothing happened last night."

I looked at her, and she pulled me into a hug as I let out a wail. Soon I was surrounded by five other women, all lending me sympathy and strength until I was able to get my emotions under control again. "I'm sorry," I said. "Random things just set me off."

"We don't have to go out if you're not ready," Jennifer assured me.

"No. The water is my happy place." It always had been. I followed them out to the dock, where we loaded the dive boat and cast off. The Divemaster questioned everyone on their dive experience, particularly with deepwater dives, and what they wanted out of today. "What do you recommend," I asked.

"Well, the Oriskany is a fun dive, but it takes an hour to get there and back, and the superstructure is at a hundred and twenty feet. Not everyone here has experience going to that depth, and the bottom time is limited. With recovery time and travel time, you'd get about a half-hour total on the wreck." Not everyone was as hard-core as Amy and I about our diving. With our drysuits, we'd dived to that depth in Lake Superior, and THAT is cold. "Instead, I'd suggest diving the USS Massachusetts. It's not far from the jetty, and it's in thirty feet of water. The ship was built in 1890, it's been on the bottom of the channel for a century. Coral is everywhere, lots of fish, and you can still make out the features. No decompression, maximum bottom time, and no mandatory rest between dives."

Thirty feet was NOTHING to a free diver. Amy and I looked at each other and nodded our agreement. "That sounds like a better plan," I said. The others agreed, and it wasn't long before we were at the dive site. Just because it was shallow enough to stick out of the water at low tide didn't mean it was easy to dive on. Currents were strong, you had to watch out for nets and fishing lines caught in it, and there was boat traffic around.