72

Evander

We crafted a travois to load the deer on for the filly to pull. We would travel all night to get it home tomorrow and after a nice long nap I would set snares for rabbits and we would fish the nearby stream into the evening, anything not cooked for the ceremony would be dried and stored. We made it home around dawn. Aurora, still wearing the bloodied symbol upon her forehead, unhooked the travois as we stopped at the kitchen. The early risers looked on in awe of the regal antlers and men came forward to lift the beast into the kitchen to be portioned out further.

Shelly walked out dusting flour off her hands, eyes roving over the kill gifted to the pack. “Alpha, Luna, you have outdone yourselves, I thank you for providing for the pack,” she said bowing her head. Other heads bowed. When Whinnie and Blake came up they looked at each other before kneeling before us. Uncomfortable tension eased up her spine. As the crowd formed Nessa Shelly Millie Evan and Elijah were the first to join the Beta’s example Alex and Amy Steven and Dun came up and then others followed suit.

Aurora let out a shuddered breath, ‘What do I do,’ she asked startled eyes seeing more than half the pack before her on their knees. ‘If you have something to say love say it, otherwise dismiss them with a thank you?’ She was tired and weary and had spent the night acclimating to something new. As we rode through the moon and starlit forest. An ancient primal earthiness snaked through us now and she. I felt her steel herself blocking out the exhaustion. “Thank you for your show of respect, I am grateful, however, I do not wish for your submission, your friendship, and your comradery are enough, I hope you will all accept my offerings to the pack. She said bowing her head before she turned dismissing herself as they began standing. I gave them all a smile and a nod. Following her as she ushered the filly to follow, moving her away from the crowd as we walked her to the barn. My mate was quiet, as introspective tendrils passed languidly back and forth between us, in her silence. The warmth and brightness of her consumed me, and I chose to wallow in it, to let her feel as she brewed. I just followed her. Like the happy puppy, I was. Goddess was her ass beautiful to look at, in those gray jeans that hugged each luscious curve. Unintentionally letting out a pleased sigh. She glanced over her shoulder with a small smirk. She was so tired. Yet lust permeated from her.

I spent too short of an hour worshiping her, she worried about not bathing but I lusted after her exquisite woodsy scent before we fell into a deep hibernation. As I melded to her, consuming her, she returned to me encompassing me fully. Hugging herself fiercely into me, on a soul level. She was mine and I was simply her protector. No one will have what belonged to me. I let out a soft, yet reverberating growl. She stirred in my arms and I quieted, as I evaluated my composure.

The snares we set yielded 12 rabbits. Our lazy fishing even though half the evening I spent kissing and caressing her gave us several strings of an overly populated introduced trout species. We came to the kitchen late but Shelly was still prepping one thing or another. Aurora bowed her blood-adorned head in offering as we laid the bounty over one of the counters. Shelly’s eyes widened. “Our Alpha and Luna bless us surely,” she said, bowing her head in return. My mate simply stated. “I will be there in the morning to help you with these.” She said walking away, her tone weary. I hooked an arm around her waist as she ushered the filly with her trudging to the barn.

When we were finally in bed after I thoroughly worked her gorgeous body over I was rubbing the tension from her shoulders and neck as she lay draped over my chest. I watched the lines on her face ease as she lay there, in awe of how angelic she looked in the soft light of the nearly full moon beams leaking through the small window. She was everything pure and good in life and as much as I wished that this would be our life, the tranquility of our sanctuary. In mere days we would be united as leaders of our pack, however, the larger agenda loomed over our heads. I brushed my fingers through her hair until I also drifted off.

She stirred early, I grabbed her pulling her to me, her bare bosom against my chest, that mane of deliciously disheveled hair a halo around her soft features plump pink lips, parted in surprise. “I have to help in the kitchen,” she reminded me, nuzzling the tip of my nose with hers. Honey hair fell in a curtain around us, her lips whispering so close but too far away from mine. Navy storm-rimmed moss colored eyes stared back at me. The brown flecks seemed to sparkle and move as I took her in. She gave me a too-brief peck before pushing off my chest and rolling off the bed with a giggle. “You cannot trap me today Alpha, I have work to do,” she teased. Throwing on her old clothes expecting a day of carving up fish and rabbit and drying deer meat. The faded stains of blood on that jean skirt and shirt and the black leggings hiding the gore of my injury.

“What? She asked as she tied her boot propping it up on the trunk. A dark thought occurred to me. I had sat up leaning back against the headboard. I gave her a smirk, “I’m gonna keep most of my thoughts to myself Love or you won't be making it to any kitchens today and though it's not a requirement, I get and can feel how you want to go about being Luna, but just so you know,” I said with a heavy sigh. “It just makes me want to pound you into the wall while the heels of your boots dig into my back because you are perfect, in every way, and you are mine!” I state, with a low growl. My possessive nature, unable to be silent. She tied her boot and stood. “You need to explore the realm of shoes and boots before you finish your thoughts,” she smirked. She leaned down to say goodbye but whispered, those pink lips grazing my ear, “Imagine the sharp heels of a stiletto boot instead of my trail ones, maybe? Wouldn’t that be more appealing?” My mate had ideas, and I liked them. I grinned at her as she gave me a quick peck. “Remember love,” I teased. “I’ll be buying you things, so be careful what you put in my head. ”

She smiled smugly as she brushed out her hair in the dresser’s mirror eyeing me through my reflection in the dim light. Her night vision was still gaining as the wolf adhered to the deepest parts of her. “Counting on that Alpha,” she said the bond purring. I didn’t bristle and I thought back at her words. They were soft suggestions yet my woman was so above me on so many levels, This idea was a gift an offering, a way of meeting my ideas and maintaining control while at the same time submitting to the idea. She wanted to see that brute part of me again, she would have it soon enough. Two strong wolves together were seen as trouble. And at this moment, it only made sense. That was a key factor in what was wrong with my people in this day and age. The strong women were ostracized. After all, they couldn’t be dominated and were shunned because they refused to be meek bystanders. My mother could have been one of those women, yet my father never cared, he saw only his mate who needed him. Some Alphas even take pleasure in breaking strong women, mate or not. I found myself wrapped up in my thoughts as the scent of coffee wafted up pulling me back into today.