“The plan is to live in the park and eventually bit by bit re-take the surrounding areas and the farmlands. Come winter, High Sierra snow will stop any wandering zombies.”
****
A tall, hulky, dark-bearded male and a beautiful woman with thin long silk-white hair met them at the heli-pad. Behind them guards, wearing black uniforms, stood at attention. Their weapons were long swords with black wolf head hilts peeking out from leather scabbards, reminding Dora of the type she’d seen at Renaissance fairs. Dirk held her hand in a strong “she’s mine” type grip, which made her both grateful and nervous. He said he would meet privately with Talon and Phoenix about bringing a witch to their pack. What would she do if they wouldn’t risk war for her? Where would she go? Rave said she was welcomed at her rookery, but she preferred Dirk’s company. He said he loved her or was that a in the heat of the moment emotion, in response to his stolen pet?
He squeezed her hand as if in reassurance. “Uncle Talon, this is Dr. Dora Adler, Josh Adler and his daughter, Melanie.”
Phoenix smiled at her niece. “Well hello, Melanie, we have a few kids about your age. You’ll have plenty of friends to play with.”
“Josh was a middle school social science teacher,” said Dirk.
Phoenix beamed. “Fantastic, you’re our first teacher. Can you teach younger kids as well?”
“I can try. I once did elementary tutoring on the side, to help cover the down payment,” he stared down at his hands and muttered, “when Victor and I bought our first house.”
Phoenix and Talon looked at one another but fortunately didn’t react to his sexual preference.
Phoenix smiled. “We plan to send out scouts to enter schools for supplies once we move to Yosemite National Park.”
Dora trusted that included a plan to feed the humans. Being stuck eating game would not be healthy for them. Was there even enough game for all of them? Her mind flashed to the Donner Party’s gruesome case of cannibalism. Though today, flesh-eating zombies made the well-known pioneer tragedy look like a day in the park.
Josh picked up Mel. “Did you hear that honey, we’re going to Yosemite. Remember, that’s where you saw your first bear?”
Mel beamed. “Camping!”
Phoenix shook her head. “We have better accommodations.”
Dora mumbled, “More like Hogwarts.”
“How soon?” asked Josh.
“Our pack is making the move in two months.” Phoenix smiled at Melanie and then turned to Josh. “However, all families are being moved next week.”
Dirk raised a brow. “So soon?”
“Sierra and Ethan, as well as the raven and bear shifters are already there. We’re also fortunate enough to have found Daniel Brownstone, a human student majoring in agriculture and sustainability. He’ll be most helpful once we clear more agri-land,” said Phoenix.
Dirk nodded. “First we’ll need to clear the zombie mess. Those ghouls are everywhere.”
****
The entire compound buzzed with activity. The pack loaded supplies into trucks and vans. An airstrip held three small planes, and two helicopters like the one they rode in. Men fueled them, while others inspected the planes in preparation for takeoff. Families with young children and the aged would fly instead of drive since they were the most vulnerable to attack. Along the road, zombies were an imminent danger, even for shifters. The rest of the pack would caravan in recreational vehicles and supply trucks. Dirk talked to his uncle Talon while Dora followed with her brother and niece. “I see you guys have been busy in my absence.”
Talon sighed. “I’m sorry. We had no way of knowing where you were or that you were in trouble.”
“Understandable.” Dirk told him about his capture and their escape but then paused. “I need to talk to you privately about Dora.” It was cold and her zipped coat covered his mating mark. His heart drummed and his skin prickled. How was he going to tell Talon his chosen mate was a witch? Dirk had a responsibility to inform his alpha first. It was the way of their kind, and certainly, Dora would understand that.
Talon smiled. “Sure, say in ten minutes. I need to check the passenger log with our pilots. Your human friends can go on next week’s flight transport.” He clapped Dirk on his shoulder. “See you soon.”
Dora caught up with Dirk as they walked to the huge estate. “I’m staying with you.”
“Good, we agree. But it’ll be easier for Josh and Melanie to go with the other families.”
“I’m sure Josh will agree. Mel should never have to see
hungry people
again.”
“Hungry for people
people
.”
A young woman with two children approached Josh and Melanie. She smiled at Dora’s niece. “We are having a birthday party, would you like to join us?”
Melanie’s eyes widened and she turned to Josh. “Can I?”
Josh darted his eyes between his daughter and the woman. “And you are?”
“I’m sorry, my name is Sarah and I’m the omega sitter.”
Dirk explained, “Sarah is in charge of the pack children.”
“Please, Daddy. You promised I would someday have a play date.”
“Sure, sweetheart.” He turned to Sarah. “Melanie is human.”
Sarah laughed. “Of course she is. We have three others. Don’t worry. The children are all well behaved.”
He nodded and Melanie went with Sarah and the two accompanying children, chatting with her new friends.
Josh sighed. “Mel really missed having friends.”
“Sarah is one of the most protective females in our pack,” Dirk reassured him. “She’ll be safe.”
Dora quipped, “An ass kicking
Mary Poppins
.”
Dirk snorted. “More like a grizzly bear mom on steroids.”
“Isn’t an omega the lowest rank in a pack?” Josh asked him.
“In a normal wolf pack, yes, but not amongst us werewolves. Our omegas are sterile but have strong parental instincts and are the honored aunts and uncles to all the children. Their rank is that of protector of the den. They are highly valued and are never treated like the lower class.”
They stepped into the large ballroom, used for pack meetings. Several men surrounded him and began asking a million questions. He looked for Dora but Rave swept her away to introduce her and her brother to some of her raven friends. Panic set in as he saw Phoenix take Dora’s coat. Soon everyone would see her mark and know she was his mate. Everyone but her. He needed to tell her, now. He tried to pull away but things deteriorated when his former girlfriend walked in.
“Dirk!” Marla dashed to him and planted a big kiss on his mouth.
His eyes widened and he gently pushed her away as she forced her tongue between his lips. “Sorry, Marla. Things have changed.”
Dora joined them and forced a smile at Marla. “So, are you going to introduce us?”
Marla’s eyes shot to her neck and then at him. Her face reddened in rage as she turned to him. “You can’t take a human as a mate!”
The entire room silenced. Rave gave him a sheepish smile. “I guess the cat is out of the bag.”
Dora brows pinched in confusion. “What are you talking about?” She glanced at him but addressed Marla. “Dirk and I are seeing each other, but we’re not even close to talking about marriage.”
Phoenix shot Dirk a scolding look. “You haven’t told her?”
“Told me what?” Dora asked.
Marla growled at her. Fangs out, ready to kill. Dirk drew Dora to him and held her tight. “This is none of your concern, Marla.”
“But it is. I moved here for you. I expected you to return and take me as an earth mate.”
Dirk flashed his fangs, the need to protect Dora greater than his need to be polite. “I never intended to take you. Not now, not ever!”
She flashed her fangs and growled. “I ought to tear her throat out.” Phoenix and two betas grabbed Marla by the arms. She struggled against their hold. It was clear she intended to challenge Dora.
Dirk’s bones began to vibrate, muscles enlarging in preparation for his wolf. He would kill her if need be, with or without his uncle’s permission. He snarled. “You’ll have to kill me first.”
Dora looked up at him, her voice calm. “Dirk, care to explain?”
He lifted her chin with a furred claw. “Babe, you know I love you.”
“Yeah, but if she has a claim.”
“No, she doesn’t.” He moved a finger to her neck. “This mark means you’re my mate.”
“But I thought…”
“Shh. We’ll talk later.”
She gripped his clawed finger and entered his mind
. “So when you said you loved me…what you meant was the mate thing?”
“Sorry, I should have told you but I wanted to…”
Talon stormed in. “Dirk!” He was partial werewolf. The commotion had drawn the quick attention of the alpha. “What the hell is going on?”
Everyone bowed their heads. “Wait here while I talk to Uncle Talon.” He turned to the betas holding Marla, who was still too enraged to submit in the presence of the alpha. “Take her out to cool off.”
She growled. “No! He cannot claim a human!”
Talon stared at Dora’s neck and turned to his nephew. “Dirk, she’s yours?”
“Yes, Lord Alpha.”
“Over my dead body!” shouted the jilted she-werewolf.
Talon quickly leapt in front of Marla and pushed her to the ground, his clawed hand around her throat. She met his eyes and snarled. No beta had ever dared such a challenge on an alpha. He bore his fierce dominant gaze into her until she submitted by exposing her neck and closing her eyes. His rumbling growl filled the room. “Go to your quarters, beta!”
She hissed, “Yes, Lord Alpha.”
Talon growled, set to cuff her, but stopped upon her utter surrender.
She knelt to the ground and bowed her head. “Apologies, my lord.”
Talon signaled two of his men and they hoisted Marla up and escorted her out. He narrowed his eyes at Dirk. “In my office!”
“Yes, Lord Alpha.” Dirk held Dora’s hand. “Come, babe.”
“Alone!”
His wolf wanted to challenge his uncle but his good sense told him that would be a monumental mistake. He let go of her and winked. “Stay with Rave.”
****
Josh whispered in her ear, “Talk about culture shock. I thought the bitch was going to tear your throat out.”
Dora’s voice trembled. “Yeah, they need to enact a muzzle law.” She had survived an evil lab, zombies and witch burning werewolves. Would she survive the ire of a jilted lover? She imagined the
Werewolf Times
newspaper headline: Alpha’s Mate Dies at Age Twenty-Seven from Spurned Female Werewolf Attack.
Josh wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Dirk wanted me to help him find an engagement ring. He’s ready to propose, but it sounds like you two are already married werewolf style.”
Dora fingered her silvery scar. “He did?” That night when he bit her, he had chosen her as his mate. Werewolf love. She did love him, but it would have been nice to know she was officially his mate rather than fret he would leave her. Still, she wanted to jump up and down in glee and yell, “
Yes, I will marry you
!” Her mind churned with mixed emotions. What about the fact that she was human, and a witch? Not that she preferred to be his mistress, but by the looks of the shifters and Marla’s outburst, things looked grim.
How long will Dirk be? He had disappeared into a private room with his uncle. Apparently, he was anxious to let the alpha know Dora was an Aradia witch. Maybe while she waited, someone might enlighten her more about what exactly an Aradia witch was.
Rave walked up to them. “I’d be careful around Marla.”
“She can’t force me to fight for Dirk, can she?”
“Only if you were a werewolf, but no, not with a human. It wouldn’t be much of a fight anyway. Just a gory clean up job. Marla is one of the strongest betas. Number one reason why I never made much of an effort to seduce Dirk. She would have broken my wings and plucked every one of my feathers off. Come on, girlfriend; you can use a drink, but first Bram wants to meet you both.”
Bram was Rave’s future groom. He was tall and slim with sleek black hair and deep brown eyes with an aquiline nose that added to his aristocratic charisma. Like Rave, he was dressed in dark leather and drop dead gorgeous. He took Dora’s hand and kissed it. “A pleasure, Dora.” He turned to Josh and looked like he was about to kiss his hand as well, but instead bowed. “Perhaps you would care to join me for a brandy in the library while the ladies chat.”
Josh appeared to be at a loss of words. “Sure…that…I’d love to.”
Was he attracted to the Goth male with the awesome British accent?
Don’t get your heart broken, bro.
Rave must have asked her fiancé to invite Josh so she could speak to her alone. “Josh, we’ll talk later.”
He gave her a brusque nod and followed the raven shifter into a library.
Rave guided her to a self-serve bar at the back of the ballroom away from the onlookers. “So what’s your pleasure?”
“I’m not much of a drinker, but maybe a beer.”
She opened the working refrigerator and grabbed two bottles. “Raven’s Tower Ale is my favorite. From Merry Old England.”
Dora didn’t care what kind of beer as long as it was cold. A touch of civilization in a world gone dark.
Rave lifted her bottle and clinked with hers. “To true mates.”
She drank, savoring the smooth cool beer. “I suppose there’s no such thing as an un-mating divorce.”
Rave chuckled. “Amongst our kind even death can’t break the bond.”
She swallowed a gulp, the cold matching the cold of her chilled blood. “Marla will certainly tear me apart.”
“Not after Talon went all-alpha on her. She tries anything more and she’ll get her ass kicked out of the pack. Banishment. Not to mention what Dirk would do to her if she harms you. No one in their right mind, even the Benandanti will mess with an alpha’s mate.”
“No wonder Theo reacted with horror when he saw my mark.”
Rave snickered. “Yep, I can only imagine.”
Dora downed more beer and then suppressed a burp. “What did Marla mean by an earth mate?”