mywolfprotector (13 page)

Holding his sides and struggling to stop laughing, he watched as Connor shifted into his wolf

form. He walked away with a clumsy, hobbling gait, his rear legs moving stiffly. Marrok busted out in a new round of laughter when he realized it was the wolf version of a bowlegged walk.

“Looks like you're going to have a long walk back home, old buddy,” Marrok called after him

in amusement. “What will the hopefuls do without you for the next few days?” The hopefuls were the single females of the pack, and they had voracious sexual appetites. It was well-know around Wolf Town that Connor could often be found there, when not at work.

Connor looked back at him and bared teeth, his binoculars hanging from his neck. After several seconds he moved away, his movements unsteady. Marrok was still grinning long after he was gone.

Connor would heal quickly, but he was going to be mighty uncomfortable until he did.

He looked back at the Amish settlement in the distance. All was quiet there, with just the odd lamp lit here or there. The majority of the residents were already in bed, used to rising early. He couldn't understand what Connor found interesting out here, but he was willing to bet it wasn't anything good. There was no common ground between the Amish and werewolves, and they were best left

alone.

Could it be possible Connor had found a female Amish lover? It would explain the binoculars,

and the odd way he was acting. After a moment of debate, he pushed the thought aside. It was too fantastical to believe, even for Connor. Maybe the idiot really was birdwatching. After all, stranger things were known to happen, especially when it came to the supernatural.

Taylor walked beside Carole Anne down the cobblestoned sidewalk, enjoying the

companionship. The two women had become fast friends, and it had eased the transition into the wolf pack a lot. She smiled in response as the other woman talked, but her thoughts remained with Marrok.

Things had been strained between them since the day they'd almost made love. Marrok hadn't

tried again, in fact, Taylor was sure he was trying to avoid her. They'd hardly spoken all week, both of them making a concentrated effort to remain out of the house as long as possible. It was what she had wanted, or at least, what she thought would be best for him, but she couldn't deny that she missed Marrok. A lot.

Her emotions were still numb. The monthly shot did its job extraordinarily well. In a way it was a relief, though. Losing Marrok was hard enough now. How bad would it be when there wasn't any buffer from the pain?

She turned to Carole Anne, her thoughts reflective. “Could you tell me what a wolf mating

really is?”

Carole Anne stopped in shock, her attractive face surprised. “You mean you don't know? I

assumed after that night in the living room you knew.”

“No,” Taylor responded softly, shaking her head. “I was guessing that it's something similar to marriage, but I don't know for sure. I wondered what it entails?”

Carole Anne looked at her watch. “I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. Let's stop in the restaurant and get something to eat. I'll tell you all about it.”

“All right,” Taylor agreed, checking her pocket for money. Two days before, there had been

several hundred dollar bills lying on the kitchen counter when she'd woke up. It was thoughtful of Marrok to leave it, despite the unhappy state between them. “I'm actually hungry myself. I'm going to have to start watching what I eat. I've gained quite a bit of weight in the last week.”

Carole Anne winked at her. “That's the great thing about werewolves. They love their women

with a little padding on their bones. I used to worry about the same thing, but Alexander has left me with no doubts that he prefers a more voluptuous woman. Werewolves are very powerful lovers, with a great deal of stamina.”

Taylor took the information with mixed emotions. It would have been welcome news if she had

any intentions of staying. She didn't, though. Each day she remained was just putting the wolves in more risk of getting caught in the crossfire. In another life, things might have been different. If only she'd hadn't been taken, her life could have been spent with Marrok. There was no going back and erasing the past, unfortunately. She could only move forward.

She followed Carole Anne into the restaurant. It smelled heavenly, the air fragrant with the

aroma of herbs and baking bread. An older wolf seated them, smiling broadly. It was still a bit early for lunch, but several of the tables were already taken. The building was peaceful and homey, the seating comfortable.

“This is amazing,” Taylor said, smiling broadly at Carole Anne. “Wolf Town is absolutely

delightful, and so is this restaurant.”

“I know, right? I felt the exact same way when I came here. It's like a fairytale, come to life, and I was lucky enough to win the handsome king.” Carole Anne smiled. “Let's get back to some juicy girl talk.”

“Okay,” Taylor agreed, eager to learn all there was about matings.

“A mating is similar to a marriage, but it's so much more. A marriage can be ended. A mating

can't.”

“How does a wolf know who their mate is?” Taylor asked in puzzlement.

“It's instinctive,” Carole Anne replied. “A werewolf knows immediately, usually from scent

alone. It's like falling in love at first sight, only intensified a hundred times. A mate is vital to a werewolf. They live for the moment they meet theirs, then after that, they live for their mate. Fate predestines who their mate will be. I've never seen an unhappy, mated couple. It's like they were created for each other, perfectly. The same can be said for Alexander and I.”

“So Marrok thought I'd done all this with a werewolf at the research facility?” She asked,

shaking her head in disbelief. “I don't understand him at all.”

Carole Anne bit her lip, before saying carefully, “Marrok is interested in you, and I can honestly say you're the only woman I've seen him interested in. I haven't even heard of him visiting the spa, which is unheard of in a single wolf.”

“What is this spa?” she asked the other woman curiously. “I've heard others here mentioning it as well.”

A waitress arrived to take their orders, delaying Carole Anne's response. After she left, she

leaned over the table. “The spa is a beauty center, but it's also a whole lot more. It's staffed by single, female werewolves. As you can imagine, their sex drives are extremely high. It's also a neutral place for unmated wolves to have sex.”

Taylor was speechless.

Carole Anne gave her a knowing look. “I know how you feel,” she said with a chuckle. “It was

hard for me to wrap my mind around it as well. You have to remember that werewolves are different than humans. They are very free and uninhibited sexually. It's completely normal for them to have casual sex with one another. In fact, it's a way of life. The mated ones are different, though. You never have to worry about a mate straying. They have zero interest in another person, period, at least sexually.”

The women were quiet as the waitress returned with their drinks. Carole Anne gave her a smile

of appreciation. It was clear that the members of Wolf Town loved their queen. Carole Anne drank deeply before leaning closer and whispering, “Female mated wolves also have the option of utilizing the services of the sheik, at least during the initial heat phase. Each pack has one. He's unidentifiable and remains completely anonymous.”

Taylor's eyebrow furrowed in puzzlement. “What does he do?”

The other woman blushed, covertly looking each way to make sure nobody else was listening.

The other diners were oblivious, completely involved in their own conversations. “The sheik is hard to explain in the average human way of thinking. You have to think in werewolf terms. Can you do that?”

“Okay, I will try,” Taylor replied in a calm voice. Secretly, she was tantalized.

“When a mated female hits her initial heat spell, it can be overwhelming. A werewolf mate is

more than capable of handling it, in fact, he adores it. Sometimes he wants to give his mate a little extra, or sometimes, she just wants the added excitement of knowing there is someone else there.

Having a second alpha male involved can be thrilling to a woman. It's not an ongoing thing, though. It happens once, possibly twice, then it's never thought of again. In the eyes of the wolves, the Sheik is a tool, nothing more. A male wolf is too possessive and jealous to ever allow another male into their beds. They don't view the sheik as competition, though, and the sheik makes every effort to remain invisible.”

“Have you tried it?” Her voice was low and uncertain, not wanting to probe uncomfortably into

Carole Anne's private business.

“Once,” she replied, with a mischievous grin. “Alexander was up to the challenge of handing

my heat all by himself, but I was determined to give him my oral attentions. I didn't leave him any choice. It was a fun experience, and it got me through my initial heat, but it wasn't necessarily a needed one. I swear, Alexander has the sex drive of five men.”

Taylor smiled in response. It was obvious the other woman was well-loved and secure in that

knowledge. Their was no doubt in her mind that Alexander adored his queen, and it made her wonder what it would feel like to be loved like that. Carole Anne was kind and funny, and she deserved it. The other woman didn't have a tainted past like she did.

Taylor forced her thoughts back to their conversation. “If nobody knows who the sheik is, how

do they make arrangements for his participation?” she asked, puzzled.

Carole Anne shrugged. “Somehow he just knows where he's needed. It's a wolf thing.”

Taylor filed the information away to think about later. It was just a reminder of how different werewolves were from human males. A human male would consider it a threesome. A devoted

werewolf allowed it unselfishly, in an attempt to give his female the ultimate in sensual pleasures without lessening their bond. Her thoughts led her to another question. “How does a person know if they have mated?”

Carole Anne chuckled. “Believe me, they know. It's a connection unlike anything you've ever

felt before. A male wolf will pursue his mate to the ends of the earth, if needed. They are persistent, creative suitors. In the end, they always win their mates.”

A wave of sadness washed over her. The tiny hope she nurtured that she might be Marrok's mate

died. There hadn't been any true pursuit from him. What lay between them was simple lust, nothing more.

“I have wolf in me now. Do you think one day I might mate someone?” Truth be told she had

little interest in doing so. The only man she'd ever been attracted to was Marrok. Unfortunately, he wasn't meant for her, though. There was no changing fate. One could only acknowledge it, accept it, and move on.

A flash of something unrecognizable passed over the other woman's features as she considered

her response. Finally she said, “It's very likely you will, but it might not come as easily for you as it does others. Physically and mentally you have been through a great deal of trauma, not to mention, you've been heavily drugged. Keep your heart and mind open, Taylor. Don't make any rash decisions that you might regret later on. Sometimes things in life aren't as clear as we would like them to be, especially in the beginning. When the time is right, you'll know it. Just don't burn the bridge before you ever get the chance to cross it.”

The waitress arrived with their food. The hungry women immediately began eating, focused on

their meal. Carole Anne's words had given her plenty to think about. She remained quiet as she thought about her life, and what the future held.

Her time at Wolf Town was quickly drawing to a close. Nicole was healed, but her loyalty to her friend demanded she see her settled. She wanted to leave within the week, although she should have already been gone. Carlos had connections everywhere. Her freedom was not as free as she would have hoped it would be, and it was conditional. She was only free for as long as she stayed out of his hands.

The rest of her life would always have to be spent on the run. She had no other options. As soon as possible, she would check on the small balance left in her bank account years from years before, if the account was even still open. It would give her a start, but she'd have to figure out a way to add to it along the way.

She thought of her parents. Where they even still alive? She hoped the years had treated them

kindly. She wondered how deeply they had mourned her loss. Sometime in the near future, she would work out a way to see them, even if it was only from a distance. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt them. If Carlos discovered a connection, he would use it for his own horrible purposes.

A female wolf walked up to Carole Anne. After a quick introduction, the two women began to

speak of pack matters, leaving Taylor free with her thoughts. Marrok's face came to mind, quickly followed by the afternoon they'd nearly made love. It had been incredible, more arousing than anything she'd ever experienced before. Her body wept with the need to feel that way again.

She gnawed on her full lower lip before taking a sip of the icy cold drink to help ease the heat building up within her. She was tired of being a dead zone, never feeling any emotion strongly. In his arms she could, though. A possibility entered her mind, quickly growing in strength. Could she pull it off?

Mentally she examined it, looking for a flaw. There was none as far as she could see. Marrok

wanted her, and she wanted him, more than words could ever explain. They weren't mates, so there would not be the need for anything more permanent. She believed his words about being his was

nothing more than impassioned chat from the heat of the moment. There was no reason why they

couldn't indulge in the lust they were experiencing for one another. It would be a brief fling, and then, she'd be gone. Marrok and the pack would remain safe.