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“So the pack has a reserve for wolves. And a vet clinic.” Ivan led me down the dirt path past the fence encompassing the massive field we walked through. The sun was low enough that my skin was not burning to a blackened crisp, but just bright enough that my weakening eyes ached a bothering amount. “That way we have an excuse when werewolves get seen. There are several buildings scattered around the property. The main building is used for meetings and parties and crap like that. It’s the closest to the gate and where we’re going now.” He pointed it out for me, a huge mansion with beautiful open windows and dark wooden siding. Loud music pulsated rhythmically from inside, assaulting my sensitive ears a little painfully. “Over there is the housing for the unmated males, and there’s the one for the females across from it. In between them is the hospital, but Main is blocking it. There’s a pool out back as well.” I followed his hand and nodded in acknowledgement. “There are a few single-family homes around too, where mated families who need some time to stabilize themselves have a place to stay or whatever. As a newly mated couple, we would stay in one of those until we get a place of our own.” He nudged me gently by my elbow.

I smiled pleasantly up at him in response to his chuckle. For a moment he leaned forward as though he might kiss me, and then hesitated with a slightly disappointed look overtaking his features. I’m not sure what it all meant, but I felt the intense need- almost like a mothering instinct- to reassure him, comfort him, something along those lines. For this reason I met him half-way, pecked his lips softly, and continued on the path. After a few steps I noticed Ivan was no longer beside me. I stopped some paces away from the extremely loud main building and faced my still mate. His head hung low, eyes hidden behind brown hair, fists clenched, breathing heavy. “…Have I made a mistake?” I whispered. Was he angry with me?

At the sound of my voice, Ivan’s head shot up and he released a short guttural sound. Near-black eyes stared at me longingly, hazy and unfocused. He took a shaky but determined step towards me and reached a hand out to caress my shoulder, then grip it solidly to pull me closer. “This must be a problem only for wolfmen,” I sighed, taking his hand in mine. Instantly he bent down to kiss it, causing me to giggle at the ticklish sensation.

This seemed to calm him down and the lust-filled solemnity was replaced with a proud smile. “You’re ticklish on your hands?” He kissed each fingertip lightly and proceeded to lick my wrist, wrapping his free arm around me to keep my laughing self from escaping. “I wish I could scent-roll you right now,” he whispered, moving up to lick my face with a grin. “Let everyone know not to get too close.”

I shook my head and pulled him by one burning hand to the stairs of the porch. “Ivan, my friend. We really must fix this jealousy problem. It’s quite unattractive.” I stopped us before the front door, rolling my eyes in a playful manner. He pouted and played with my fingers like a child being scolded. “C.S. Lewis wrote in his essay-styled work ‘The Four Loves’ that it is better to first develop the love of Friendship before one of romance, which he names Eros. This way both participants of Eros understand the relationship between other friends, and no jealousy is experienced.” I looked at him pointedly.

He huffed, but scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Even if we were friends before I found out we were mates, I would still be just as… as anally protective of you. I guess it’s just a goal we can work towards? Maybe?” He shrugged and smirked before pushing the door open. “Probably never. Love you too much, babe.”

The stench of many wet dogs filling my nostrils stopped me from reacting to his flirtatious statement. I suddenly became very nervous. My survival is unlikely in this situation.

The high ceiling held a chandelier with dimmed lights only barely illuminating the furiously-grinding bodies pressed into the large open living area. Couches had been moved aside to allow more room for the gyrating wolfmen. Sweat and overpowering perfume permeated the air to create a nauseating headache- and I’d only just entered the room. The last rays of sunlight poured through the large windows on either side of a huge fireplace, above the mantle of which hung an impressive television. The music was almost unbearably loud, a fast beat shaking my bones and unnatural instrumental sounds with minimal melody. From the doorway I was able to see a spacious kitchen, an immaculate dining room, and stairs leading to the upper level of the mansion-like estate.

Alpha Turner seemed to appear spontaneously beside Ivan with a lovely young woman trailing behind. He sent a friendly not to Ivan, who smiled back, and stretched a hand out to me. I shook it with a smile, the best I could muster despite my unease. “It’s nice to see you here, Vincent.” His voice did not raise to a shout, but held a firmness that transcended the intense music. He gestured to the petite woman in the skintight dance dress and thick heels next to him. “This is my mate Freya.”

She without hesitation smiled a blindingly white grin and held out a hand in my direction, her hazel eyes were determinedly friendly, and her strong grip did not match her small figure. “It’s very nice to meet you!” She had to yell to be heard. “I was glad to hear that Ivan finally found his mate! He definitely deserves it.” A thin finger stored a perfectly-styled mousy brown curl behind her ear before entwining with the Alpha’s.

Ivan smiled respectfully as they moved across the room. “Do you want to go outside?” he bent down to my ear and yelled. When I responded positively, he took me by the arm and led me around the moving mass of bodies through the kitchen to the yard. From the back porch, I could see up-close the two pack houses and the vet clinic between them. An enormous pool consumed a large area of land a few feet away. In front of each pack house was a magnificent garden of beautiful multi-coloured flowers and well-trimmed bushes. Different music played here, not as loud, and the bodies were interacting in a less sexual way. Mainly just swimming. Within seconds, noses upturned to catch my scent and eyes targeted me from all over the property. I kept my head low and basically hid behind Ivan as he tugged me to a group of beer-drinking males by a table of food. “These guys are going to be the less judgmental of the pack,” he said, indicating the three males. He slowed his pace and sighed in irritation. “Except for that guy,” he muttered as Bruno settled into the chest of one of them, his cold blue eyes staring me down indignantly. “He’s the tall one’s mate. Huge jerk. Alpha Turner only keeps him as 2nd in command because his mate- also the 2nd- is one of the best. So that’s how your relationship with the pack works.” He stopped us for a moment to explain. “Once we fully mate, you will also be 4th in command. We share rank. If you move up, I move up, and vice versa.”

I just nodded nervously. Bruno’s gaze never left my body as we approached. Even as Ivan growled in warning, he snarled dismissively back, eyes trained on me. Only when his mate nudged him a little roughly did he grimace and look away. Those eyes could definitely feed my nightmares. “Ivan’s told me a lot about you, Vincent,” the man said, his reddish-brown hair threaded into thick dreadlocks tied into a bun high on his head. Friendly blue eyes found mine and he shook my hand. I’m fairly certain I began to develop a burn from shaking so many wolfmen hands. “My name’s Austin. I’ve heard you met Bruno. Excuse his manners.” Bruno stiffened, but continued staring at his beer bottle. “This is Sebastian, but you can call him Seb-“ a short, blonde-haired, highly tattooed wolfmen nodded at me amicably- “and that’s Loch. He’s deaf, but he can read lips pretty well. It was developed later in life, so he doesn’t really need to use sign language all the time.”

A taller man in his mid-thirties with brown eyes and an undershaved head looked from Austin’s lips to my face, smiling pleasantly at me before shaking my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” His voice was a little quiet under the pounding music.

Once he released my hand, I put my rusty skills to use. *It’s very nice to meet you as well,* I signed slowly while speaking at the same time, trying to remember the phrase correctly.

By the pleased smile on Loch’s face, I did it well enough to be understood. “I didn’t know you know sign language,” Ivan said, another proud smile gracing his face.

I scoffed playfully. “We’ve not known each other for more than a month, you know.” All but Bruno chuckled.

“Bruno, introduce him to Danielle and Darius.” Austin nudged Bruno again. His mate, without any change in expression, pushed himself off of Austin’s chest, and walked off towards the middle of the yard. He nonchalantly grabbed another beer off the table on his way. I smiled reassuringly at an aggravated Ivan (though more for my own good than his) and hurried after the intimidating wolfman. Curious eyes snuck discreet glances at me as I passed them, some holding disgust, others just pure hatred. Bruno slowed to a stop in a slightly more secluded area behind the pool by a male and female. He waved a hand in my direction. “Meet the bloodsucker,” he muttered before taking another swig of the drink.

The female glowered at him. “Bruno, be nice.” Her black hair was pulled back into a simplistic ponytail and grey-blue eyes looked a little begrudging. I was beginning to realize that attending a party where I was not welcome was in no way entertaining- only degrading. “I’m Danielle.” She smiled, but didn’t offer her hand.

The male, on the other hand, smiled broadly and took my hand for me to shake it. “I’m Darius, Seb’s mate. Danielle is newly mated to Loch.”

I forced another smile, hoping it was genuine enough to not be insulting. “Congratulations.” I wished I were at home with animals that loved me instead of here with hybrid-animals who hate me. “I hope you-“

“What’s your problem?”

Our eyes snapped to Bruno’s aggressive stare. Those eyes… I had to struggle to maintain the intense gaze, feeling very confused and attacked. “I’m afraid I don’t understand-“

He interrupted me again. “You’re a leech. A murderer. I don’t see how Ivan could force himself to accept you as his mate. If I were him, I’d kill you for sure. It’s what you deserve.” As he spoke, he walked closer to me until his tall, lean frame stood inches away from me.

Our location was remote enough that no one had yet noticed our situation. “Bruno…” Darius attempted to interject.

Suddenly he swung a fist to my stomach. I caught the movement in time, and my years of service made me sidestep just in time. “Bruno!” Danielle looked appalled.

“What, you’re a coward too?” he sneered, pulling another fist back and aiming for my face.

Anger sparked in my gut. Instead I caught his fist in my hand, squeezing it tight in fury. “How is an attempt at peace equal to cowardice?” I seethed, feeling my anger grow. “Were the apostles of Christ cowards for being martyrs of their faith? Was Sir Thomas More a coward for accepting his execution in order to prove his allegiance to the king and to God?” I shoved Bruno away from me, causing him to fall to the ground. My voice had risen slightly in volume. “Was Martin Luther King, the man who eradicated the belief of white superiority and the wrongful treatment of the African American people as inferior to the white population, a coward because he promoted and participated in nonviolent protests? Protests that eventually won his war?”

They were silent. Bruno seemed just as furious as myself, and Daruis and Danielle both stood open-mouthed after my long-winded rant. I no longer cared about impressing these people. If they all would make no pursuit of even the façade of friendship, I would not waste my time. “What’s going on?”

I looked back at Ivan, but by the smug glare directed down at Bruno, he had heard most of our conversation. I walked toward him and took his hand. “A lesson in basic moral principles,” I muttered irritably. “Ivan, I do not wish to be a bother, but I would appreciate leaving.”

He laughed at my bluntness, but I had no patience left. “Of course, babe.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and walked me around the house to the garage. I waited while he drove a car out, a sea-blue, four-door thing with an engine louder than the thrumming music from inside. I slipped inside, rubbing my aching head and sighing in relief. “I’m sorry you had to endure that,” he said when we had passed the front gates. “I don’t know how Austin puts up with him. But you were pretty badass.” He smirked proudly, his chest puffing out a bit.

I smiled tiredly and closed my eyes. “Yes, well… His statements were just too insulting to be passed over. I lost some control for a few moments. That doesn’t normally happen.”

I heard him chuckle. That was the last sound either of us made until he parked on my street. I let him carry me out of the car, pretending to be asleep, because I was too lazy to do so myself. “Having a mate definitely provides some useful benefits,” I smirked, wrapping my arms appreciatively around his neck.

He nuzzled into my hair while opening the door. “Yes, it does,” he mumbled. His warmth is intoxicating.

Suddenly he froze. I felt every muscle in his body tense around me. “Ivan? Is something wrong?”

He released another low and continuous growl, burying his face into my neck. He knelt to the floor with me in his arms, adjusting me to better force his nose into the crook of my neck. The extended contact started the sensation of fire against my skin, but I ignored it and my exhaustion in order to focus on Ivan. I have no idea what’s happening… I yawned, then yelped when I felt teeth graze over my jaw. “Ivan… You’re burning me… What is wrong?”

He groaned, and I then noticed the low and lustful growl to it. Slowly he pulled his head back, but kept his hold of me on the floor. His eyes grew dark again. Driven by something I could not comprehend. “You’re in heat,” he whispered, eyes flicking down to my lips, then squeezing shut in concentration.

…Oh no.