Sharkbait Ch. 26-30

It turned out that Kai couldn't sign a contract due to his Navy commitments, but he COULD sign a release allowing them to use the photos. He did so gladly after Amy signed a one-year contract like mine. We celebrated late into that night; not only did the contract help with the young couple's finances, it meant the two of us could make appearances together. Amy and Kai got to keep everything they modeled, and a shipment of other clothes soon followed. Amy could lose money if she got photographed in another brand of clothes, so she had a new wardrobe. That included the new design Bodyglove formalwear we wore tonight.

I heard a knock on the door, and Makani came in with Noelani dressed as the seeing-eye dog. "Time to go," Makani said. She led us out down the stairs to where Kai and Jason King, my date tonight, waited in their full-dress Navy choker-white uniforms.

We stopped a few steps from the bottom and waited for their jaws to close. "Wow," was all Kai could say. Jason managed to recover and greet me with a big smile. "Ladies, your chariot awaits," he said as he bowed to us.

Amy put her arm in Kai's as they led our group out of the Pack condo and to the waiting limo. Noelani ran ahead and jumped in the limo after my friends, and Jason helped me as I sat across from him. Makani was in her formal gown, as her date to tonights Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Spring Ball would meet her there. Tonight's ball was to celebrate the seniors who would soon be graduating.

After the Hawaii disaster, it took a lot to talk me into another blind date with a human. Kai vouched for Jason, who was his second in command in their unit's Midshipmen structure. I found him to be a pleasant date and a gentleman. Jason was a Mechanical Engineering major, headed for Nuclear Power School, then the attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783).

We arrived to find a waiting mob of photographers, reporters, and students curious to see me. My fame showed no sign of slacking, and word of our attendance had been all over social media. Makani exited first, her date, a freshman, leading her towards the stairs. Noelani ran out and sat next to the door, as Kai helped Amy step out. She kept one hand in his arm and the other on the dog's harness as they smiled for the cameras. When they'd had their moment, Jason stepped out and helped me out to the cheers of the crowd. I waved at them and smiled; I was thrilled to be here at a military ball with my best friend.

We made our way up the stairs to the ballroom to the flashes of cameras. I walked next to Jason through an arch of upraised swords, then to a reception line where we met the officers and distinguished guests. Since Kai and Jason were the senior Midshipmen, we joined the line as the other guests came in.

There was a short speech by Admiral Connor Kincade, and then the dancing began. Our parents made sure Amy and I knew how to ballroom dance as young girls, and Jason was surprisingly good as a lead. We had a great time, but he wasn't my mate.

Amy was over the moon. In Kai's arms, she didn't need to see; she followed his confident lead as they waltzed around the dance floor. They were such a great pair, and my heart filled with joy at seeing her this happy.

My wolf and I had gotten past the rejection; both of us glad we never bonded with Alpha Nutless. Adrienne had filled me in on the latest with the Killington Pack before I left for the airport. The Luna had stepped forward to lead the Pack after Theodore's execution. She didn't have a lot of help; Traci was her highest-ranking wolf now, and she had problems of her own. Many blamed her for the situation they were in; if she had stepped aside for Timothy's fated mate, they would have had a dominant pair as Alpha heirs. Luna had not favored them since. Instead, Timothy received his first set of twenty lashes with the silver-infused whip and would remain imprisoned until he got the second. Adrienne said two Alpha-blood and two Beta-blood males had filed challenges with the Council to take on the Killington Luna or her champion, her son.

Yes, he'd been castrated, flogged, and imprisoned, but Timothy still had an Alpha mantle. He would not go down without a fight. The Council would have the contenders fight each other, with the winner getting a shot at the Killington Alpha position. There were no guarantees, but many, including me, hoped that new leadership would save that Pack. The Council had even asked me to file a challenge, and I laughed in their face. Life was doing enough to punish the mate who rejected me, and I didn't need those headaches.

One good piece of news had come our way. We both received our compensation ordered by the Council a few days ago. I'd heard Killington had to liquidate investments and sell some properties to pay it, which was another blow to the once-successful Pack. With their finances drained and half the Pack leaving for others, Adrienne didn't think Traci would last at Killington long enough for their child to become Alpha.

Yes, Traci got knocked up by the man she stole from me. It was even possible that I witnessed the conception just before the Summit's Scratch and Sniff. It would be their only child, and would never hold the Alpha mantle unless they could find and kill Monique's son. Adrienne assured me that would never happen.

I was on the dance floor until my feet ached; Jason tried a lot, but every male in the room wanted a dance with the Sharkbabe. I danced with everyone from plebes (first year NROTC midshipmen) to Admiral Kincade and took a bunch of pictures with them. Mercedes would be pleased, as social media would fill up with me in the Bodyglove design dress.

It was nearly midnight when Kai let Jason know it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, then left to climb into the limo. Kai and Amy were lost in each other, while I leaned into Jason's chest and Makani looked out the window.

"Can we keep the night going," Jason asked. "I know a place we can get some food and talk," he said.

I cupped his cheek, leaning forward to kiss him. He tried to deepen it, but I pulled back. "You're a nice man, Jason, and I enjoyed my night. You just aren't the man for me. I can't lead you on by telling you otherwise," I said.

The 'it's not you, it's me' didn't go over well, but he nodded. "I enjoyed the night as well. I hope we can be friends."

"I would like that. My best friend is engaged to your buddy; we might see each other again." I gave him a goodnight kiss when we returned to the condo, and he walked to his car to head back to his apartment. I had my heels off as soon as I crossed the threshold.

Kai led Amy to their room, and they wouldn't be out until late morning. Noelani shifted, pulling on a long shirt and pair of shorts she'd left by the door. "I'm having ice cream," she said.

"I'm in," I quickly added. The hors d'oeuvres weren't near enough for me, and I wanted to sit for a while. I went up to my room, hanging up the dress and removing the jewelry before coming down in sweats. I had a great time with Kai's younger sisters as we watched movies, ate lots of snacks, and gossiped. The males who Luna matched with them would be blessed.

"How do you like dating humans, knowing your mate isn't out there," Noelani asked quietly.

Makani looked at me and joined in. "Yeah, I didn't mind dating that human because I know my mate is out there, but you?"

I took a drink as I composed my thoughts. "I've only had a few dates since it happened, and you saw the one in Hawaii, right?" They nodded, the video had gone viral. "My wolf has zero interest now in males. I went out with Jason as a favor to Kai, and so I could be there with Amy at her first adult formal. I'd be just fine if I never dated again, but my bosses at Bodyglove want to see me out and about."

"Are you going to visit Packs, or wait for the Scratch and Sniffs," Makani asked.

"By Luna, I never want to go to one of THOSE again," I said. "The Council will make me, though. I'm going to fly in, let the males parade through, then head for the airport again. They can make me come, but they can't make me stay."

"Was it that bad?"

"Worst time of my life. Finding my mate while he was balls-deep in another woman, standing next to her as his seed was still on her thighs, then the rejection? It hurt. It hurt a lot. With time, my wolf and I realized how lucky we were it happened that way. I mean, can you imagine what could have happened? If we had claimed each other that night, I would have woken to a jealous, pregnant girlfriend, then find out he'd raped and impregnated another woman! I don't need that shit. I'd rather be off Australia diving with the sharks." Their eyes were wide. "I'm the exception to the rule. Look at Kai, that man is so in love it's sickening."

"Do you want to find a mate," Makani continued.

"I'm not waiting around for a man to make my life complete," I said. "I've got my plan, and I'm going to carry it out. If Luna wants to toss a werewolf male, or even a human male, in my path, she'll have to do the work."

"A human?"

"It can happen. My Mom was human when Brent found her. Terry Foster found his mate in a human female with a son." I smiled as I grabbed another beef stick off the tray. "For both of them, their wolves knew who she was as soon as they caught a sniff of her. I'll wait for my wolf to tell me my mate is here. Until then, I need a man like a submarine needs a screen door."

"I want a mate," Makani said, "But I don't want to be away from Noelani, and I don't want to leave this Pack."

"Luna has plans she won't tell you," I said. "Just don't give your neck to a man who isn't worthy of it."

Ch. 28

"Amy Miller." I jumped to my feet and cheered with the rest of my class, the whole auditorium letting out a tremendous ovation. Amy kept her left hand on the handle on top of her seeing-eye dog, Makani, as she slowly ascended the stairs to the stage. She walked to where the Principal of the 'Zoo School' waited for her with big smiles. "Congratulations, Miss Miller," he said as he shook her hand. Amy thanked him and took her high school diploma. The Principal gently turned her to face the crowd for photos. Finally, she turned and walked off the other end of the stage.

I looked up into the stands where my Pack sat with a large contingent from the Three Sisters Pack. After Amy was able to continue her studies, they worked out a deal with our school to let her finish the two classes she needed to graduate while she recovered in Oregon. For her classmates, it was the first time they had seen her since February.

I sat in my chair after that, holding my diploma. I won the award for Best Environmental Project with my shark tagging. As my adviser presented the award, he said it "set a standard that no student will ever exceed." I guess that having the head of the World Wildlife Federation, and noted shark conservationist Ocean Ramsey, show up at your project presentation guaranteed me an 'A.' Our project had now raised over four million dollars for tagging and tracking operations, and over seven thousand tags were active, with hundreds coming online every week. I could pull out my phone, pick an area of coastline, and see dozens of tagged positions and tracks of individual sharks. The school even 'adopted' five sharks, and displayed their track updates on monitors in the hallway.

When we tossed our mortarboards in the air, I went to hug Amy. It took a while, as all of my classmates wanted to hug me too, and Amy had a line. Finally, we moved outside for more photos and congratulations from family and friends.

Amy and I traveled separately to our homes, putting on our Bodyglove suits under Bodyglove sundresses and meeting for our graduation party at Alpha Leo's country estate. The place was overflowing, the home and pool area filled with guests.

Mom had us bringing a lot of food, so I used the big bowl of potato salad as a prop to help me get through the crowds. Once one of the ladies in the kitchen took it from me, it was endless hugs and well wishes on the way to the pool deck. Almost everyone from Miesville and Stillwater Packs was here, mixing with representatives from all the local Packs and Three Sisters. Allied Packs had also arrived in force, bringing unmated wolves near my age along. Any Alpha or Beta son who hadn't been at the Summit came to meet me, just in case. Functions like this built relationships and alliances between Packs.

In other words, this was a blowout. At least five hundred guests filled Leo's land.

A whole row of grills and smokers lined the area around the outdoor kitchen, putting out tons of meat to go with the other food. Since the graduation ceremony was at two in the afternoon, they were going full out to get everyone fed.

Amy and I were good hostesses, spending our time talking and thanking all the guests for coming. No males caught my wolf's interest, but we did get two matings out of the night. The gift tables were overflowing, meaning we would have a LOT of thank-you cards to write over the next week.

It wasn't until well after dinner that the Alphas, Lunas, and Council members took over the Man Cave in the basement. The remaining adults gathered in the house, allowing Amy and I to pull off our dresses and join the party in the pool. Amy was still legally blind but had been making steady improvement; she could make out shapes better now. The metal plate in her head was gone now, and she'd been able to shift for a few weeks. Unfortunately, the vision loss affected her wolf in the same way, making it impossible for her to run on her own. The fuzzy vision wasn't correctible with lenses as it was in the image processing area of her brain and not the eye. We were encouraged that it was getting better every month. Amy spent most of her time in and around the hot tub with Kai, while I played volleyball and talked with my friends.

Makani and Noelani were having a great time, and many a young man made plans to meet them after they came of age in October. They were beauties inside and out, and Kai was thrilled to include them in their trips. He and Amy had been on two more modeling shoots since signing their contract, and we made three joint appearances at Bodyglove events. Mercedes hadn't signed them, but she gave them lots of free clothes as they often appeared in the background at public events.

It was just after ten when Leo called for me to join the group downstairs. Kai and Amy were already getting up, with Alpha Steven calling them. I dried off and pulled my dress back on before going inside, taking the indicated seat in front of the aquarium. Mom and Brent came to sit next to me, while Susan took the spot on the other side of Amy from Kai. "I've dreaded this day's arrival for months," Alpha Leo said. "Children grow up and leave the den, going to find their way in this world. For Amy, it is to join her mate as he undergoes SEAL training and his service to our country. With Vicki, it is her dream to join her friend as she studies marine biology. Both young ladies have been valued members of our Pack, and though we celebrate with them, we will miss them as they go. Vicki, it's time."

I stood up, walking over to where Leo and Adrienne stood with Alpha Steven and Luna Carolyn. "I love you," I said as I walked into my Unka's and Aunt's arms. It had to be done as I needed to be able to communicate mentally with the others. Composing myself, I stepped back. "I, Vicki Lawrence, renounce my membership in the Miesville Pack and request to be released, Alpha Leo."

"I release you from our Pack," Leo said. I felt the Pack bonds break; if I didn't know it was coming, it would have brought me to my knees. I felt so alone; only my family bonds remained.

I turned to Alpha Steven. "I, Vicki Lawrence, offer my allegiance and loyalty to the Three Sisters Pack and Alpha Steven," I said.

"It is with great pride that I accept Vicki Lawrence into the Three Sisters Pack," Steven said. He put his hands on my head, and I felt the new Pack bonds snap into place. There were far fewer new bonds due to the limited numbers here, but my wolf reveled in having a Pack again.

"Welcome, Vicki," Carolyn sent into my mind as my new Alpha pair embraced me.

"I get my bestie link back!" I just smiled at Amy's voice in my head. We did the Pack transfer tonight because tomorrow morning, we would be leaving for San Diego. Amy and Kai were going with his parents to the fully-furnished house we were renting on Coronado Island, getting things set up before he had to report to SEAL training on Monday morning. If he made it through the training regimen, he would be spending at least a year at the Amphibious Base a few miles to the north.

Our rental was hideously expensive, over eight thousand dollars a month. Kai would get an officer's housing allowance, but that wouldn't cover much of it. Kai's parents and his Alphas were covering costs for the twins to live with us for their senior year in high school. The twins were staying with me as my security, and as Amy's seeing-eye dog. The rental condominium had a boat slip, and I'd been looking into buying or renting a boat we could use as a dive platform. I was hoping to join up with a research team heading to Catalina Island and the Great White Shark nursery ground. Who knows, maybe during Hell Week, we'd do a drive-by of the beach and remind Kai of why he had to persevere. It would be like An Officer and a Gentlemen, but without the mooning part. A stunt like that could threaten our modeling careers, after all!

The twins were coming with me so we could have some girl time. We'd be driving my Ford Excelsior SUV to my appearances in Kansas City, Dallas, and Las Vegas for Bodyglove's line of swimwear. I had all my clothing and gear, while another Pack member was moving things from Three Sisters down for them. We planned to have a great time swimming, diving, and surfing at the beach while Kai suffered in his training.

All these thoughts went through my head as I Leo motioned for us to sit down again. "I want you to remain vigilant for threats and stay safe out there in California," Leo said. "There are no Packs south of Los Angeles, but the Big Sur and Sequoia Pack Alphas are here. I thank them for their offers of refuge and assistance should it become necessary."

"I thank you as well, and we look forward to getting to know you and your Packs over the next year," I said to the Alphas and their Lunas. We talked during today's party, and I had invited them and their Betas down to visit once we got settled. As the Mantled Alpha Heir, I was the most dominant wolf and the leader of our group.

Adrienne continued for her mate. "Colleen Underwood has turned all the information she has on potential threats to you over to Alpha Steven and his security men." As a celebrity and model, I had attracted the attention of some stalkers, creeps, and crazies. "We don't think Timothy and Traci will go after you, but they are kill-on-sight if they show up. Leo told them to stay away from California and Minnesota."

"Do you think they will come after me," I asked. "Nutless and Skank have enough problems of their own."

"They have little to lose, and they still blame you for their misfortune," Leo said.

I snorted; it wasn't MY fault Timothy had rejected me, or that his father had me abducted to get his Alpha heir. I wasn't the one who challenged his mother for the Alpha title, and I wasn't the one who tore her throat out in the ring. Timothy and his pregnant mate Traci got kicked out of the Pack as the new Alpha's first order of business. No other Pack was willing to take them in. Not only was he a convicted rapist, but he was still a mantled Alpha blood who could challenge the leadership later. The pair were now rogues, destined to live on the fringe of werewolf society. If they showed up, they'd be lucky if they ended up in pieces and dumped over the boat as chum. "We will be careful, and I doubt we'll have any shortage of visitors from our old Packs once the weather gets cold again." San Diego had beautiful weather year-round; if not for the crime, taxes, and cost of living, it would be the perfect place to live.