Pursuit of Happiness 04

Lyssa looks again at the lists from the other packs.

Severn had pared their list down to 12, nine of them male. She was pleased to see Nathan's name was on the list.

Aaron had offered several of his pack members to help keep track of things, break up disputes, provide security.

Randall had very specific instructions as to what they would have access to. They would simply provide a physical presence.

The Macy pack was sending five, three females, two males. The Alpha offered to bring the food for the introductory meal.

The Gates pack was indeed sending 11, a fairly balanced mix of male and females, and offered to provide some temporary shelter for the visitors.

Tucker was sending three and offered to help in the kitchens.

The Ross pack listed seven pack members and would help in moving things, whether food, individuals, or additional items for the gathering.

And Wyeth had five, including Erich, Roland, Joanna, Celia, and Martin. Lyssa briefly wondered why Thomas wasn't on the list, but then again, Stephanie wasn't either.

So, there were 43 unmated wolves going to be loose on the grounds, 38 from outside the pack.

OK. While still a lot of work, things were beginning to sound more manageable.

Joanna had gotten her invitations made and had filled them out for the Alphas of each of the five packs. Emmett would be dispatched to deliver them.

"Alright, Joanna, we've got the invitations done, the decorations figured out. We need to finish up with the food and the music."

Joanna had brought a listing of songs she wanted played at her party.

Lyssa looks down the list. While she knew most of the artists there were a few she was unfamiliar with. "You need to have a few slow songs, Jo, so that couples can dance together."

"There's a couple here that mates can dance to."

"I'm not talking about grinding, Joanna. Something slow that they can get close, hold each other, and sway to."

Joanna looks confused. "Like what?"

"Oh, Time in a Bottle. Kiss from a Rose. Stuff like that."

She wrinkles her nose. "It's my party."

"Don't whine. You're not 8, you're eighteen. I didn't say you had to change everything. The party will be hours long. It would please your guests if you include a few songs they would be familiar with."

Joanna huffs. "Alright."

"You have your dress figured out?"

"Oh, yeah, it should be here in another week or so." Her face lights up.

Lyssa contacts Calvin Ross again and Emmett makes a test of her fighting ability.

He sits in the center of the circle and she paces to one side of him.

[Why are you sitting there? We're supposed to be fighting.]

[Attack me.]

[Me? Aren't you supposed to come at me?]

[I'll teach you defense. But you'll surprise most males if you come at them. Show me what you got.]

[You're not even standing.] He can feel the irritation in her send.

[You won't even get a tooth on me.]

She launches herself at him, growling, mouth open. She was on her back with his jaws around her throat before she knew what had happened.

[Wrong idea, mate. I'm bigger than you.]

He lets her up and she growls in annoyance. She paces again and notices he's watching Erich walk up. She snarls and launches herself at him.

And finds herself on the ground again.

[If you're attacking from behind, don't broadcast your intent by snarling.]

He lets her up again as Samuel comes up beside Erich. She paces to one side watching him. Coming around him again, she quietly rushes him from behind. Aha!

At the last second, he moves, bowling her over.

She stands, panting, looking at him. He'd barely even moved.

She tries a couple of other things and kept ending up on her back.

[Don't let your annoyance get the best of you.]

Yeah, like that helped. She stalks up behind him, quietly. His ear flicks back; he heard her coming.

She comes closer, nips at his tail, and leaps back. He turns and she goes for him but he knocks her down again. [Better, mate. You're thinking now.]

She was tired, felt bruised, but she was damned if she'd let him be so smug.

So, she drops down before him, in a posture of play. [Lyssa...] And she runs, circling him once, twice. As she turns toward him she yells [HEY!]

He winces, and blinks, and she knocks him down.

A howl goes up from the dozen or so wolves gathered at the circle.

Lyssa yells, [Gotcha.] and takes off, out of the circle, through the assembled wolves.

She runs, into the woods, into the foggy dusk, chased by a large grey wolf.

She catches a glimpse of him to her right, and veers. He comes up behind her and nips at her hindquarters. [Good, mate. You have a weapon besides claws and teeth. Now, let me reward you.]

Putting on a burst of speed she throws back, [You'll have to catch me first.]

[Care to join them, my mate?]

[Actually, Ariel, I have something else in mind, if you will oblige me by shifting.]

A pale skinned, dark auburn haired woman stands beside a dark haired man. "And what did you have in mind?"

He grabs her, throws her over his shoulder, and heads for the house. "Patience, wife."

He hauls her into their bedroom and deposits her on the dark red satin sheets. She gets on her hands and knees, purring in anticipation.

He reaches for something under the bed.

"I'm ready for you, mate."

She certainly was, he could smell her.

"On your back, woman."

She complies, smiling and writhing seductively. "Arms above your head."

She raises her arms and he binds them with handcuffs and ties her wrists to the bedrail. "I don't intend on going anywhere."

"No. You won't." He then ties each ankle to a leg of the bed.

"Randall." He crawls up his mate's legs, inhaling deeply. She picks up her head and watches as his tongue extends toward her dripping pussy. He licks her, twice, then pulls away. "Randall?"

He disappears into their bathroom. "Randall?"

He can hear the irritation in her voice now. He returns with three items. Setting two on he floor beside the bed, he slides a towel under her behind. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Lyssa has given me an idea and I thought we might try it." He holds up a razor and a can of shaving cream. Her eyes go wide.

"I intend on shaving you naked."

She watches as he pumps a dollop of shaving cream into the palm of his hand. Before he proceeds, he looks into her eyes.

Hearing no protest, he slathers the cream over the dark reddish curls on her mound, over her outer lips. "That's cold."

He smiles. "It will warm. Now. Hold still."

After wiping his hands off on the towel he picks up the razor. He starts to move it to her lower lips then thinks better of the angle of approach. He moves from between her legs and straddles her waist, facing her feet. "This is an interesting view of you, Ran."

"Don't move, wife. I don't want to hurt you." The hardness of his erection presses into her belly.

He carefully holds her open, stroking the razor through the shaving cream between her thighs. It takes a bit more work than he expected. "There. I think that was the hard part."

The razor then makes fairly quick work of the hair on her mound.

A small strip remains atop her pubic bone, above her clitoral hood. "Well. This might be a bit tricky. Stay still."

Carefully, he works to remove the last of the coarse hair. "Oops. I'm sorry, Ariel. I've nicked you. Does it hurt?"

"Stings a little. Will you let me loose now?"

"Not yet. First, I'm going to wash you off, then I may just lick you until you don't know your own name."

He watches her rose colored nipples crinkle up. The aureoles on her breasts were large and contrasted nicely with her skin. He smells her juices again, no longer masked by the odor of the shaving cream.

He throws the towel on the bathroom floor and grabs a washcloth.

Randall wipes away all traces of the shaving cream from his mate's private parts, then throws the washcloth toward the bathroom.

"What do you think?"

"It doesn't feel any different."

"Let's see if that's true." He stands at the foot of the bed, surveying his handiwork, and noting the glistening sheen on his mate's labia.

Ariel looks down the bed at him. Her mate, these many years. Dark hair, green eyes. His skin, several shades darker than hers and crisscrossed with scars. The dark sprinkling of hair on his chest. The curled hairs his rigid manhood sprung from.

She licks her lips and looks up to his eyes. They're hungry, possessive.

Ariel writhes on the bed and thrusts her breasts up. A growl starts in Randall's chest. [I want you. Come to me.]

Slowly, he climbs onto the bed, eyes now latched onto her naked sex.

He inhales and frowns slightly. [What?]

[Your scent mixed with shaving cream.]

[Do something about it, then.]

Randall uses his fingers, running them over her lower lips, rubbing his palm across her stripped mound, then sniffs again. [Better.]

She watches as he closes on her, watches his mouth open, watches his tongue extend, then disappear from her sight as he strips her of some of her dew. [MMmm. Better still.]

Ariel twists, pulling against her bonds. [Touch me.]

He kisses her thighs and lightly runs his thumb across her clit. [Mmm. Yes. There.]

He backs off, stroking her wet folds. "Soft, so very soft, Ariel. Like velvet."

Ariel makes a frustrated sound. "Randall."

He dives in now, putting large hands under her buttocks and opening her to him. "Ah, gorgeous." He admires the sight of her womanhood, reddened, swollen, weeping.

He nibbles at her lower lips, nipping at the swollen flesh there. She moans and pants as he begins to lick, sweeping over her glistening labia. "Oohh." As his tongues delves into her slick sheath he rubs her clitoris. "Aaah. Yes!"

Her legs shake as he pushes her higher and, when he switches to tonguing her clit, she breaks.

Her back arches and she shrieks.

Randall releases her, briefly, then shoves two fingers into her soaked depths and sucks her hardened nub into his mouth. She shudders and grunts as he feels her pulse around his fingers.

He caresses her as the pulsing slows then resumes thrusting his fingers into her.

A lick to her clit. [Stop.]

[One more. I want to hear you scream my name.]

Overly sensitive now, it only takes a twist of her nipple and a light bite of her clitoris to send her crashing over the edge a third time. "RAnndalll!"

He releases her then, trembling, sweating, and removes her restraints.

"Now, El. I will fill you, and you'll know you are mine."

He climbs up her body, kisses her, and slides into her. Her sending is dreamy. [Always yours.]

He cocks her leg up around his waist and thrusts deeply, dipping his head to lightly bite her nipple. At that he feels the contractions begin again and he pushes harder, deeper, until he spews his seed into her, howls his climax, and they are locked together.

He comes down on his elbows, pushes a strand of damp hair from her face, and kisses her again. [Mine. My Ariel. My love.]

[Ah, Randall, I love you.]

The call comes a couple of hours later.

Calvin is awakened by a light touch to his face and another in his mind.

[Cal. Love?]

He jerks awake. "Sabine? Oh, my love, you should sleep."

[You need a mate.]

[You're my mate, Sabine. I have you.]

[There will be turmoil.]

He takes her thin, frail hand and kisses it gently. He says [I don't understand.] as she falls back into sleep.

He watches, for a little while, then allows himself to move toward sleep again.

But, something changes, and he rouses himself.

What was it?

Her breathing. It was slower, shallower.

He gathers her into his arms and tears begin to well up in his eyes. He kisses the side of her head and rocks slightly, whispering, "I love you, Sabine. I always will."

Sharilyn comes in an hour later and finds him holding her body, rocking her. "I love you, Sabine. I love you."

She takes in his grief stricken look and the tears rolling down his face. The Alpha female was dead.

A loud rap on the door startles Emmett and Lyssa. Both tense and look to the door, determining if there was a threat.

[Beta?.. Emmett?]

[What is it, Maggie?]

[Alpha Ross' mate has died. The memorial will be held at dusk.]

[Thank you, Maggie. I'll inform the Alpha.]

Lyssa looks at him.

He squeezes her tightly and kisses her. Calvin Ross had to be in agony. He knew he would be if he lost Lyssa. "Sabine Ross has died."

She blinks. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"We will be expected to attend the ceremony. Her body will be burned at dusk. I have to tell Randall and Ariel."

Emmett rises and heads for the door. "I don't know that I have anything black to wear."

He stops and turns to look at her. "Black?"

"Humans wear black to funerals and memorials. What do you wear?"

He smiles, sadly. "Nothing."

Emmett knocks on the door of the Alpha's suite. [Who is it?]

[Me, Randall, I have news.]

A sigh is felt through the send. [Sabine?]

[Yes. Ceremony to be held at dusk.]

[Thank you, my friend. This is a sad day.]

[Indeed.]

The two couples fall back asleep for a while, then rise to greet the sad day.

Even the skies appear to mourn Sabine as a morning shower passes through.

The pack members all seem quiet, subdued that day, particularly the adults. The youngest pups play, not entirely oblivious, but with the enthusiasm of youth.

Lyssa watches, seeing a bit more contact among mated pairs. Touching. Caressing.

"How long had they been together?"

Erich, his focus on the task at hand, glances at her. "What? Who?"

"Alpha Ross and his mate?"

"Mm. Dunno. They mated young. Probably sixty years or so."

This continues to distract Lyssa. 60 years. How would it feel to lose someone you loved that much after that long? It had been so horrible when she lost her family. She'd felt like half a person for so long. And, now, with Emmett? It would tear her heart out, if he died.

[Emmett. Where are you? Can you get away for a while?]

[Probably, for a while. What's up?]

[Make love to me.]

[Where do you want to go?] She feels his concern, as he feels sorrow and loss from her.

[Can we go to our room?]

[I'll be there soon.]

"Excuse me, Anton. I have something I need to attend to. Can we resume in an hour?"

"Of course, Emmett. I'll check with Simon about the kitchen supplies."

Emmett climbs the back stairs and finds his mate chewing on her thumb and staring out the window.

As he walks up behind her, he says [What's wrong, sweetheart?]

"It's just so sad. Erich said they'd been together 60 years." Emmett considers, the time frame sounded correct. He puts his arms around her and pulls her back against him. "And I started thinking of how I'd feel if you died. I can't imagine how horrible it is for Alpha Ross right now. And I," she inhales, "I just wanted you to hold me."

He stares out the window over her shoulder. He'd kill anyone who hurt her. But what if it was a disease? How do you respond to something like that claiming your mate? There was nothing to hurt, to make bleed. Nothing to take out your pain on.

What would he do?

He hugs her tighter and whispers in her ear. "I'm here, Lyssa. I love you. I'm not going anywhere."

"How do you know? You grew up with Ariel. How old are you anyway? 80? 70? Older? How long will you live? You're a lot older than me, aren't you?"

"Yes, dear heart, I'm quite a bit older than you. The lifespan of a werewolf is easily twice that of a human." He exposes and kisses her shoulder. "And you will live longer now that you're one of us."

She spins in his arms and grabs them. He allows himself to be dragged to the bed.

She sits down on the end, on the dark blue sheets, with him standing in front of her. "I want to feel you." He wasn't wearing a shirt and she runs her hands over his chest.

He looks down at the dark brown eyes of his mate, slightly glittering with wetness. She's wearing a soft green cotton sundress. "How much do you like the dress?"

Startled, she looks down at herself. "Um, it's OK."

The grey fur comes up on his arms and he neatly slices the dress open with his claws. Her panties are cut off next, followed by her bra. He goes down on his knees as the fur recedes and pushes the dress and bra straps over her shoulders.

He then lovingly cups a breast, rubbing a thumb over the dark rose colored nipple there. His mouth goes to the other, the one marred by Thomas' teeth, on a brief exploration of every mark left by the other male. Emmett then latches on to the tight nub there, and sucks.

Lyssa's head tips back and she makes a pleasured sound.

Her hands find the button on his jeans and, after sliding her fingers inside the waistband, carefully pulls down the zipper. He tended to go commando and she had no intention of hurting him.

As his ready cock springs free she grasps him lightly with both hands, one thumb running over the head.

He puts a hand behind her head and brings her into a fierce kiss.

As he releases her she falls backward onto the bed. [I want to feel you inside me.]

He shucks his pants and crawls over her body as she moves farther backward on the bed. As she stops he latches on to her breast again, sucking and nipping lightly.

The head of his cock rubs against her moist folds. As he pushes into her warm, wet sheath he says, "Wrap your legs around me."

He thrusts slowly, deeply, so that she can feel all of him. He looks down into Lyssa's dark eyes, watching her breasts bounce with his thrusts, and leans down to kiss her.

She clings to him, her nails scratching his shoulders, digging in.

She builds up, slowly, and he holds back. She was looking for physical comfort. To feel her mate's love for her. She tries to pull him closer and he pulls her upright, sitting in his lap, pulling her tightly to him. He feels the softness of her skin under his hands, feels her breasts rubbing up and down against his chest, inhales her scent.

He feels the first tightenings around his cock and moves a bit more quickly.

She moans into his shoulder as she squeezes his cock in rhythmic waves. Two more thrusts and he empties himself into her, clutching her to him and kissing her as he did so.

He holds her, stroking her back quietly.

It's several minutes later, as he goes soft inside her, that she raises her head from his shoulder. "Thank you. I'm.."

"Shh.. I know," he says, quietly.

They are not the only mated couple to comfort one another in such a manner. The smell of sex pervades the air. They pass Cassie and Samuel in a corner, her on her hands and knees with her mate covering her. Anna and Jeremy are found pulling each other's clothing off.

The mood of the pack is somber as they continue the day.