Mated to the Alpha: The Complete Collection (30 page)

"Do you think your Clan would let that happen? Do you think I would let that happen?" Akiko asked, still in the same quiet, calm voice that she had used ever since they had come in. "I can promise you that Kimberly wouldn’t let that happen. Nor would I. Jay will have a place to grow and become the Lycan he is meant to be, regardless of what that is."

"You don’t assume him to be an Alpha already?" Keith asked, surprised. "Not what I expected from you."

"We are all born with the ability to be so many things. We are then shackled by circumstances both within and beyond our control. The fortunate among us are either shackled by things that we want to be shackled by, or are able to break free of those shackles through force of will and spirit. If I would have it my way, Jay Waldwyck will be strong enough to choose his own path. If he wishes to be an Alpha, I am sure that he will be. If he chooses to go another way, he will be able to do that too. Or perhaps he could create a third way, a way beyond our imaginations, a third path that allows him to be both an Alpha and free simultaneously. I had the same wish for Kensuke and Morrigan, and I regret my failures there."

Keith sighed. "You understand my fear well, Akiko. I don’t want to fail Jay. Or anyone else for that matter.”

Akiko stood up from her cushion and came over, standing next to Keith. "Come with me, Keith."

Keith took Akiko's hand and let her lead him to the glass panel to outside. Reaching down, she turned a secret latch and opened the hidden door, leading him onto the small balcony that extended past the room. In the silvery moonlight, Keith could smell the earth around him. The light, even though it was too weak still, stirred his soul and the wolf inside him, which prowled, wanting to get out. "You feel it, as I do, as all our kind do," Akiko said in her quiet voice. "It’s both our strength and our weakness. We are separately the Yin and the Yang, the hard and the soft, the fire and the ice. Regular humans have both inside them all the time, warring with each other, while we have at least some separation. But it is that very nature that makes us able to achieve so much. We can recognize our weakness as well as our strength, and the opposite within each."

"And when we forget?" Keith asked, turning his face to the moonlight. "When the beast overwhelms the man?"

"Just as the moon rises and sets, so does the beast in our souls. Sometimes the beast must run free, only to be reigned in after it has exhausted itself," Akiko replied. "But that is what love can do. It gives us those who will help us reign in the wolf when it is needed. You are a very lucky man in that regard."

"How so?" he asked, turning his face away from the moon to look at Akiko. She smiled and touched him on the shoulder.

"You have not just one woman to assist you, but three," she said. "And none of us will leave your side or let you fall. On the other hand, that has drawbacks as well."

"Oh, what are those?" Keith asked.

Akiko grinned, her eyes flashing and her teeth growing slightly as she let her inner wolf peek out. "Three times the bitchiness," she chuckled, her voice dropping into a growl. "Good luck with that."

Her eyes cleared, and Keith laughed, leaning his head back and letting his fear purge itself into the clear night sky. Finally, he felt himself come back under control, and he looked down at Akiko. "Thank you, Akiko. You’re a wise and wonderful counselor."

Not really understanding, but just going with the flow, Keith pulled Akiko in for a hug, holding her close. There was no passion, no sexual desire in the embrace, and both of them knew it. It was an acceptance of who Akiko was, filling a role similar to Kimberly, yet so different as well. As Kimberly was his peer, Akiko was his older Sister. Akiko returned the embrace, then stepped back. "Come," Akiko said. “I’m sure Edward must be exhausted by now, as well as Kimberly. Let us dine, forget the stress of inbred prejudiced imbeciles, and forge our future together."

"In other words, go kick some ass?" Keith said as they went back inside and Akiko closed the door. She closed the panel and turned, her eyes flashing again.

"It's time to let the beast out to play."

T
he first active
strike of the war wasn't undertaken by Keith, or Kimberly, or Melanie. Instead, in Seattle, a member of Clan Mac Tire, with the unfortunate name of Franklin Richards, who went down in Lycan history instead. Ironically, Franklin, who insisted on going by Frank, wasn't even a Lycan.

Frank Richards was forty eight years old, and stood five foot eight, a hundred and seventy nine pounds. For twenty years, ever since graduating high school, he had worked the night shift at Mac Tire Imports and Exports, making sure that the main warehouse was secure.

He had met Lindsey Mac Tire when he was twenty, and she looked about thirty. She was the eldest daughter of Connor Mac Tire, the president of the company, and would often come in late at night to work on paperwork for the company. One night, during one of the frequent evenings when Seattle was in that strange state somewhere between foggy and rain, she had been working late when she saw Frank making his rounds, shivering and sneezing from a nasty head cold he had picked up. Still, the young man made it into work, and was doing his best without complaint, even though he was obviously miserable.

Lindsey, who unbeknownst to Frank was actually over three times his age, left her office to bring Frank a simple Cup O'Noodles that she happened to have in her office. They had struck up a conversation, which grew into a friendship, and two years later, a Mating.

For twenty four years, Frank lived simply, but happily. He didn't mind that he was the least educated member of the leading family, or that Lindsey had access to more money than he’d ever imagined. He didn't even mind the little jokes and jibes some of the other Mac Tires made about his height or size, which were mostly said in good humor. He had his Lindsey, who loved him for his heart and the way he made her laugh. They had a beautiful daughter that they named Katherine, who looked so much like her mother it made Franklin's heart ache at times. Lindsey had even turned down Alphas from other Clans, a thing that still made him shake his head in disbelief as his stomach spread and he started to look older than his still beautiful Mate. Sure, he would live a long time, but he still didn't think he was anything special compared to his beautiful Lindsey, with her rich brown hair and sea green eyes.

They had discussed him becoming a Lycan, but he couldn't. A rare condition in certain humans made the Change impossible for them, as the body would tear itself apart and never knit itself back together in wolf form. It had put a dim on their Mating, but only a slight one.

Then, two years before Melanie met Keith, Lindsey had been driving from Vancouver to Seattle after a business meeting when she had been pulled over by the Washington State Police, supposedly for a broken taillight on her Jeep. Frank, who had gone to work at the warehouse that night, didn't think anything was strange until he got home at seven in the morning and found the driveway of their three bedroom house empty. When she hadn't come home by noon, he called Connor Mac Tire, his father in law and Alpha Male of the Clan. It was then that they discovered that Lindsey had been shot, supposedly in a road rage incident where she attacked a police officer.

Clan Mac Tire, in their tradition, collected the body, which the coroner released without any problems. After all, the suspect was dead, and the police were blameless, according to the testimony of the two officers who were on patrol that night. It wasn't until the Clan did their own autopsy that they discovered the traces of silver embedded in the splintered remains of Lindsey's skull, as well as the odd fact that she had been shot with a fifty caliber handgun, definitely not State Police issue.

The officers who had shot Lindsey supposedly disappeared, taking medical leave for "post action stress adjustment," only to never be seen again. Clan Mac Tire buried their dead princess, and Franklin was left alone, forty six, his daughter grown and Mated to a Clan in Texas. Katherine called, but had her own life, and the stress and politics of being a mid to high level female in a growing Clan.

He still went to work every day, guarding the warehouse that had been his job for twenty five years. He still would smile and greet every Clan member who spoke with him. He even accepted the invitations from Connor Mac Tire to dinner on occasion or to other social events.

But, the light was gone from his eyes. His quick sense of humor, which had been one of the things that his Lindsey loved about him, was gone. He didn't have little jokes for everyone any longer, and rarely laughed if something funny happened. Instead, he just walked his rounds, his feet dragging and shuffling as if he were carrying a heavy burden, if not on his shoulders than on his soul.

When the news of the war, and the reasons behind it, reached Clan Mac Tire, Franklin suddenly became more animated than he had been in two years. His middle age paunch, which had gone from slight softness to outright pudginess, reversed itself, and he was seen using the Clan gym for the first time in as long as anyone could remember.

When Clan Mac Tire learned that there was a
silberjagger
supply depot south of Seattle in Olympia, Frank had quietly gone to Connor Mac Tire and had a deep conversation. Nobody knew what it was about, but when Frank came out, he was pale faced and sweating, but determined. He left the Mac Tire estate and got into his Jeep, the same Jeep Lindsey had been driving when she had been killed, and drove off. Connor Mac Tire would not say anything about his conversation with Frank, stating that it was family business. Nobody would question the word of the Alpha Male, and the matter was dropped.

Two days later, a mysterious explosion ripped through Argentum Chemicals, which wasn't all that unexpected. The company was one of the largest fertilizer dealers in Washington, and when you have hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals around, things can happen.

Fifteen people, all men, died in the explosion, which destroyed three quarters of the Argentum facility. While the fire department stated that the cause of the blaze was unknown, nobody commented on the body that was so torn apart that even identification by dental records was impossible. Without a reason to suspect foul play, no DNA analysis was done on the remains, and the incident was labeled as an accident, at least by those in the news media.

Only among Clan Mac Tire, where a small headstone was erected within the area normally reserved for members of the Alpha's family, was the truth known at first. They didn't tell the other Clans the details of Franklin Richards' life, just that he was a hero who struck the first blow.

"
I
t's beginning
," Keith said as he came into a huge, dimly lit cavernous space that Edward used as his gym, and had picked up a bit of infamy within Clan Lockwood. It was the place where Lycans went to be humbled. For Melanie, who didn't even have Lycan abilities, to use the facility was seen by many as a sign of either hardcore dedication to getting herself back in shape or absolute insanity. The jury was still out.

Melanie's body dripped with sweat as she circled the punching bag, six feet of surface which had been made out of bolted together car tires to resist the power of Lycan and Aklark punches and kicks. She had pushed herself for eight punishing rounds today after donning thick gloves and shin guards. She'd seen similar bags before in poor gyms or on Youtube, but it was a lot different punching two hundred plus pounds of reinforced rubber. Even Lycans walked out with swollen and sore knuckles after using the punishing training device.

Ignoring Keith until the bell went off, she turned and pulled off her gloves. "What's beginning?"

"The first attack," Keith said. "Connor Mac Tire just contacted me. A member of his Clan blew up a Hunter supply depot. The war is on."

Melanie nodded and knelt down, unstrapping the shin pads from her legs. Kimberly's promise of quickly 'bouncing back' from pregnancy was correct, and she'd already lost most of the weight she'd gained. Her hips were wider, the bones and muscles permanently adjusted from carrying Jay inside her, but to Keith she was just as beautiful as ever. Standing up, she wiped her hands on the fabric of her shorts then looked at Keith. "What?"

Keith looked around the gym, and saw that there was only one other person in it, a single Lycan male who was currently working hard with a set of dumbbells. Keith didn't have the heart to tell the kid that he was busting his ass with weights that Edward handled as a warmup. Finding himself ignored, he closed in quickly with his Mate before lifting her like a feather in his arms and kissing her. Within seconds, their lips were mashed together passionately, a growl rumbling in Keith's chest as the wolf inside him howled in triumph at the news of the successful attack. Lifting her up, the smell of her honest sweat and warmth of her body left him massively aroused as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He knew that Kimberly and Edward were watching Jay, and it had been so long since his Mate, his Melanie, had been like this in his arms. Eyes glowing, he glared across the gym. "You. Out. Now."

The young Lycan turned to see who was addressing him, his anger at his workout being interrupted evaporating as he saw who was giving the command. Nodding quickly, he practically sprinted out of the room, leaving his weights and water bottle behind. Keith watched the door close, and carried Melanie over to the door to lock the door. Turning his eyes back to Mel, he saw the perfect understanding in her eyes, and the hunger that flared within.

"I want you," Melanie whispered in her ear. Her muscles trembled with exhaustion but she didn't care, as desire gave her newfound energy. "It's been too bloody long."

Finding a corner of the space underneath gymnastic rings that had been padded, Keith laid his Mate down on her back, his eyes staring a hole through her tank top and shorts. "Do you have a change of clothes?" he asked, his voice still containing a hint of growl to it.

"Yes," Melanie replied simply, lifting her hips. "Take me."

Keith's hands flashed forward, parting the fabric of her tank top and shorts so quickly that her nerves didn't even have a chance to register the pressure of the cloth being yanked off of her. Instead, the first sensation was the chill of the air against her suddenly naked body, goosebumps breaking out almost instantly. Keith buried his head in between her breasts, his lips devouring her skin and licking the sweat from her skin, the chill bumps being replaced by passion bumps as his warm tongue tasted her salty essence. Melanie pulled at Keith's t-shirt, yanking it up and over his head to run her hands through the silky soft hair that covered his body and the defined, powerful muscles of his upper back.

Keith wrapped his lips around her left nipple and sucked strongly. Releasing he reached down to push his jeans down his hips, freeing his cock. He was already raging hard, the normal light pink already an angry purplish red, and Melanie knew that neither of them would last long.

"Mate me," she groaned, turning over and presenting herself to him. She needed him so badly, foreplay was forgotten. "Take me, Keith."

Keith's fingers dug into her hips, and she lowered her face to the mat, not caring if she got rug burn or not, she'd bear it with pride. No other man in the world could do to her what Keith did, the way with a subtle glance or even a simple kiss he could melt her with desire. At the same time he respected her, treasured her, and even, she could admit, spoiled her slightly even as he let her be as independent as she wanted.

The first feeling of Keith's cock inside her felt like he was nearly splitting her open, driving her to the edge of pain and pleasure. It was nothing like they'd ever had before, and she loved it. Pushing back, they quickly fell into a rhythm, his cock hammering into her while Melanie pushed back, desperate for more and more. His fingers tightened, his need was so great, adding to the waves of pleasure that crashed over her over and over as his cock pounded her into submission.

Too soon, Melanie found herself quivering, her pussy clenching and squeezing his cock as she was on the edge of orgasm, her body racked with spasms. Keith's hips smacked against hers, the sharp strikes giving an steely edge to the warm waves of pleasure cascading through her body. The waves built, higher and higher, until they finally crashed and broke into trembling orgasm that left her moaning her pleasure into the mat while Keith howled, his cock filling her with his beautiful essence.

Keith pulled her to him, the two of them rolling to the side and lying on the mat, Melanie's fresh sweat cooling in the air of the gym. "I think this is against the rules of the gym," Melanie giggled as she pressed back against her. "I'm going to have to talk to the owner."

"The owner notes your comment, and dismisses the complaint," Keith laughed and kissed his Mate again. "I just, after the news and seeing you there, so strong and determined, I had to.”

"I know what you mean,” Melanie replied. "Remember, our Link is eternal. Once I focused on you, I felt everything, and I agree with you. We shouldn’t just be somber, nor celebrate the death of our enemies, but celebrate the life we have, and take joy in it."

Keith smiled and pulled Melanie against him. They lay there for a minute until he gathered her into his arms even tighter, rolling and lifting her as he stood up. "Speaking of knowing each other through our Link, I can tell you're getting cold. How about a quick warm shower and change before we let everyone back in? Hope there isn't too much of a crowd outside."