Belia getting to her feet distracted her. She switched her attention to the older woman, even as her mind tried to process all she had learned.
“You can’t mean it, Alpha. She isn’t one of us. It’s bad enough to taint our bloodlines with a vampire, but to add a human…it’s unthinkable. She doesn’t know anything about us or our ways.”
“She’ll adapt. You would have me waste a perfectly good female when there is a shortage?” His eyes swept the group, pausing to rest on a few members of the Pack. “How many girls do we have for the Mating Moon this season? Three? The woman will infuse our bloodlines with new purity. She will give her mate cubs to continue our way of life. It would be foolish to send her away, just because she’s human.”
“She’s not one of us!” A beautiful girl jumped to her feet. Her long hair flowed down the back of her fur robe like a waterfall of moonlight. “I won’t have my Mating Moon Ceremony upstaged by a human.”
Rica fixed a hard stare in her direction. “I suggest watching your tongue, Lia, unless you plan to challenge me.” He said the words calmly, but the others didn’t hold back their derisive laughter. Rica raised his arm, and they fell silent. “If she can best me, she can be Alpha. Do you want to try, child?”
Lia’s head bowed, obscuring her features. She sounded humble when responding, but the proud line of her spine didn’t soften. “I am content to lead by your side, Alpha.”
Rica didn’t reply. He turned his back on her and raised his voice. “The men will meet at this spot in three days to announce who they will challenge for. Next week, we claim our mates.”
Ellie saw the group getting to their feet and moving up the hill. She darted away from the tree and ran through the snow as quickly as her boots would allow, desperate to outrun the Pack and her own thoughts. How did she begin to process everything she had learned in the space of a few short minutes? Everything she had believed about the natural order of the universe was wrong. She had an agile mind, but how could she hope to accept revelations of such magnitude?
* * * * *
She didn’t return to Viggo and Davinia’s. Instead, Ellie sought shelter in the forest, detouring away from the village. She knew she would have to return to Necheau soon, but she had to process her thoughts first.
She slowed down as she approached a fallen tree. Ellie bent down to brush off the snow before sitting. The log was cold, and snow still seeped into her jeans, but she didn’t notice. She focused on taking deep breaths.
Breathing deeply, practicing a modified form of meditation, she wondered why she wasn’t more frightened or disbelieving. Already, a strange calm had filled her. Was it because she hadn’t truly begun to believe what she had seen, or was it because that wasn’t the first time she had seen something extraordinary?
During her first few months with the tribe in Africa, she had witnessed the funeral of the leader after he was killed during a hunt. The tribe gathered at night around a fire, passing a bowl of some noxious-smelling brew among them. Ellie had taken a cautious sip and immediately felt light-headed. She passed it on without taking her full share.
Minutes later, when the medicine woman began chanting as she danced around the fire, Ellie had watched with fascination. She attempted to make notes in her notepad, but her eyes had blurred. She had looked up just as the medicine woman transformed into a cheetah and draped herself over the leader’s body. Later, she had convinced herself she had imagined things because of the dram. Surely, the woman had only slipped on a cheetah skin during the seconds she had been distracted.
Now, she wondered about that conclusion and countless other things she had dismissed over the years as illusion. She certainly couldn’t blame what she had seen on a potion, and she wasn’t ill. She couldn’t doubt what she had witnessed, especially in relation to the culture of the Pack. No wonder they modeled their community after a wolf pack.
She jerked with surprise when she heard footsteps behind her. Ellie’s thoughts scattered as she turned her head to see Rica standing behind her. She looked at him impassively, while wondering if he were a wolf too. He had to be, or he wouldn’t bear the title of Alpha. Judging from the stir Rica’s announcement about her inclusion in the Mating Moon Ceremony had created, werewolves wouldn’t allow a human to lead them.
He kept walking, until he stood in front of her. She followed with her head, craning her neck to look up at him when he stopped moving. Ellie remained silent.
“Is it possible for you not to spy on us?” He didn’t sound angry.
She shrugged. “I have a curious nature, and Golatia told me I was a topic in your gathering.” She automatically slid over as Rica turned and sat beside her, not bothering to brush away the snow as he did so.
“How much did you see?”
“Most of it.”
“Did you see Istal and Viggo transform?”
“Yes.”
Rica looked at her with surprise. “You’re taking it calmly.”
Ellie gave him a small smile. “Oh, not as well as I appear. I’m shocked, to say the least.”
“Do you have any questions?”
It surprised her that he was willing to be open about his culture. She felt a twinge of guilt, imagining how he would react when he discovered her profession. She tried to dismiss her contradictory feelings when she replied. “Thousands, but I can’t seem to sort through them all right now.”
“Hmm.”
She shivered as he leaned closer, brushing his leg against hers.
“Are you cold?” He put his arm around her as he asked the question. His bare skin provided a surprising amount of warmth.
Ellie resisted the urge to curl against him. “What’s the Mating Moon Ceremony?”
“What does it sound like?” His voice was a whisper against her ear as he leaned closer still, bowing his neck.
“It sounds like the women are fought over.”
“That’s exactly what it is.”
She stiffened as he licked her ear. “What are you doing?”
“Tasting you.”
“Why?” Was that breathless moan really her voice?
“Because I want to.” He growled the answer in a rough tone, but it held no anger. Only passion.
She cleared her throat and tipped her head away. “Do you always get what you want?”
“Always.”
She tried to blot out the rush of sensations that accompanied his hand as he trailed it up her thigh. She had to ask him about something important, if only she could remember what that was. Oh, yes, the Mating Moon. “What’s the female’s part in this ceremony?” Even as she asked, she knew the answer on a deeper level.
“Men will compete for you to be their mate.”
She shook her head. “No. I won’t do it.”
Rica grasped her chin and turned her face to his. “You don’t have a choice, Ellie. We’ve claimed you as Pack.”
“So you men just decide who the women will mate with.” She strove for an outraged tone, even as her heart raced in her ears. Liquid heat invaded her pussy as Rica’s hand went higher, brushing against her mound.
“On the surface, but most of the women end up with the mate or mates they want.”
“How?” She bit back a moan as Rica’s fingers tugged at the button and zipper of her jeans. When his hand touched her bare waist above her panties, she couldn’t resist a small sound of pleasure.
“There are two theories. The first is, women are naturally drawn to the strongest male. It’s an evolutionary instinct, to protect themselves and their offspring.” His voice lowered to a whisper as he finished.
She gasped when Rica leaned forward to brush a soft kiss against her lips, as his fingers breached the barrier of the elastic waistband on her panties. She closed her eyes, praying for strength to withstand his desire and her own. “What’s the other explanation?”
He withdrew from her mouth, but she could feel his breath on her cheek when he answered. “It’s more sentimental. Love gives them power to win.” He sounded amused by the idea. “That idea is popular among the younger girls.”
“Of course.” She was proud of her level tone. “It allows them to think they aren’t just property won by the strongest.” She opened her eyes and met his. Somehow, she found the strength to lean away from his tempting lips. She couldn’t make herself pull his hand away from her pussy as he stroked her soft curls. “I won’t participate.”
“You will.”
She frowned. “You have to stop this nonsense. You know I’m leaving as soon as the snow thaws.”
“No, you aren’t. I’m claiming you, Ellie.”
Her eyes widened. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” She would have crossed her arms if there had been sufficient space between their bodies to do so.
Rica met her eyes. He wore a resolved expression. “I’m challenging for you.”
She felt a dart of fear, but not for the most obvious reason. Rather than being afraid of ending up his mate, she was terrified he would be injured. “You can’t.”
“I can. I’m the Alpha.” Rica’s lazy grin was entirely too sexual for her comfort. “Will you challenge me in order to stop me, Ellie?”
She gasped as his finger slid down her cleft, pausing to circle around her clit. She tried to draw away, but Rica’s arm moved around her waist, anchoring her to him. “You can’t just keep me.”
He chuckled. “I can. It’s our way. We’re what you might consider primitive, Ellie. We eat when we’re hungry, catching the prey ourselves. We’re superstitious about such things as the phase of the moon and alignment of the stars.” His voice lowered to a husky rasp as he lunged forward, pushing her down sideways across the log. “And we fuck when we’re horny. I wanted you the minute I saw you, and you made it possible for me to keep you by helping Davinia.”
She swallowed thickly as he pushed her more fully onto her back and parted her legs. His hand had dislodged from her panties, and now he used it to hold her against the log. She didn’t even notice the snow under her coat and hair. “So fuck me. That doesn’t mean we have to mate.”
He looked surprised. “I have more in mind than a fling for the next few months. I want you by my side, Ellie. I want you to bear my young.”
She shook her head, struggling to compose her thoughts as Rica settled between her legs, pressing his hard cock against her pussy through their jeans. She moaned when he thrust against her. “Are you saying you’re in love with me? That’s nonsense. You don’t even like me.”
Rica’s laugh was more of a purr as he thrust against her again. “I don’t dislike you. I just don’t trust outsiders.”
“How can you marry me if you don’t trust me?”
“You aren’t an outsider anymore. You’re staying.”
“I won’t…” She trailed off as Rica’s hand pushed under her coat and shirt to cup her breast through her bra. “Don’t do this, Rica.”
“Sorry.” He sounded anything but. “I can’t let you leave now.”
She closed her eyes when he ground his cock against her. She was prepared for more, and her eyes snapped open when he moved away. “What are you doing? You can’t stop now.”
He got to his feet, grinning. “You know what to do if you want more.”
She glowered as she sat up. “What?”
“Don’t resist when I claim you. You and your Guardian both have to accept me. I can still force the issue by claiming you for a moon-cycle, but I don’t want it to be like that.” He bent down and lifted her from the log, setting her on her feet. His fingers moved quickly to zip up and button her jeans. “Come to me willingly, Ellie. It will be good between us.”
“I don’t doubt the sex would be incredible, but I’m not going to be your mate.” The rest of her words cut off under his mouth as he branded her with a long kiss. She melted under his touch, opening her mouth to allow his tongue inside. As it thrust into her, mimicking the motion of his cock from a minute ago, she pressed herself closer. Once again, he pulled away, eliciting a muttered expletive from her.
“Come on. I’ll walk you back to Viggo’s.” He took her hand casually to lead her out of the forest.
Ellie allowed him to pull her along, not speaking as her mind whirled with thoughts. Uppermost was his claim on her. Most disconcertingly, she couldn’t seem to come up with a good reason not to accept him as her mate…at least for the next three months, until the snow thawed.
What an amazing study she could write about the existence of werewolves, from the perspective of having lived among the Pack as the Alpha’s mate for three months. Dr. Ludlow wouldn’t stand a chance of usurping the chair position if her study was scientifically verifiable and documented. But could she do that?
Chapter 6
After a restless night, Ellie rose early. She washed and dressed quickly, slipping from the cabin before Viggo or Davinia were even awake. The first streaks of dawn were just painting the sky as she made her way to Golatia’s, knowing the old woman would have the answers she needed.
More snow had fallen during the night, and no one had cleared the path yet, so it took Ellie longer than usual to walk to Golatia’s. She knocked on the door, hoping the older woman would be awake this early. A few minutes passed without anyone appearing, and she was just about to return to Davinia’s when she heard the latch lift. Seconds later, Golatia opened the door, still wearing her nightdress and robe, with her white hair bound into a single long braid.