The Librarian and the Wolf: (4 page)

The pot luck was taking place at the central clearing on pack land.  It was where the
pack gathered for the full moon runs.  Today numerous long tables had been set up for food, and there were lots of smaller round tables with chairs already filled with people.  A stand had been set up for the local band ‘Cold Comfort’ to play on later, there was going to be dancing after eating.  The band were a bunch of town people who played all the local events; the lead singer was Rena from the grocery store.  She had a surprisingly sultry yet strong voice, a bit like Janis Joplin.

He took the cake from her in one hand and snaked an arm round her waist lifting her out
and placing her on the ground.  She splayed her hands on his muscled chest.  He felt warmth spread throughout him and blood rushed to his groin.  He leaned down and gave her a thorough kiss.

She pulled back her face flushed.
  “People can see us” she whispered.

He gave her a lopsided smile
and grabbed her hand lacing her fingers with his.  “Come on, I want you to meet some people.”  He loped away in long easy strides tugging her behind him.

She looked
around at the assembled crowd.  Most were wolves but there a few other shifters peppered throughout, as well as a few humans and some nervous looking witches.  She felt eyes on them as they marched through the crowd, she tried to hide behind him.

Mal
scanned the gathering.  He noted the Alpha, his mate Rosalee, the Beta, his pregnant mate Liv and the Alpha’s sister Mac.  He nodded at Casey and a few other friends.  He also noted with some displeasure that Darcy was there, wearing a very short and revealing red dress.  She has hanging off another puma shifter.  As long as she didn’t try to talk to him and Terri he could care less what she did.

He
zeroed in on an older woman rearranging the dessert table.  She was a couple of inches taller than Terri.  Her dark brown hair was stylishly cut in a bob and showed just the faintest hint of grey.  Her face was pretty but held a harried look.

Mal
thrust the cake in the woman’s direction.  “From Terri.”  He reached back and pulled Teri forward and against his hip.  He put his arm round her shoulders and rubbed her arm.  He gestured between the two women.  “This is Terri, Terri this is my mom.”

Oh god he was introducing her to his mother!
  Why hadn’t he warned her?  Did her hair look okay?  What would his mother think of her son being with an older woman?

His mother laughed
good naturedly.  “I also go by the name Ellie.”  She put the cake down and came round the table and pulled Terri out of Mal’s reluctant arms.  Ellie hugged her soundly.  “It’s so nice to
finally
meet you, Mal has told us all about you.”

When released from the bone crushing embrace
,
she really was a strong woman
, Terri cocked an eyebrow at Mal.  “Oh?”

“Yes, you’re all he talks about.”

“Mooommmmm...”  Mal looked down and kicked his feet in embarrassment.  He looked like an overgrown 5 year old.  Ellie laughed and ignored her son’s discomfort. 

Ellie looked at Terri with intelligent eyes, scrutinising every detail.
  Terri had never felt so naked.  “It’s nice to meet you too.”  Squeaked Terri. 
She wanted to run and hide.

Ellie
opened up the cake tin Terri had brought.   “Oooh is this black forest gateau?”  Terri nodded.  “Mmmm it looks delicious, thank you.”

Mal pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
“Terri’s a great cook.”  He said proudly.

A large man strolled over and placed a hand on Ellie
’s shoulder.  Terri was taken aback at the similarity between the man and Mal.  It had to be his father.  His father had more lines on his face and his hair was more salt and pepper but otherwise they could have been twins.

Ellie placed a hand over his.  “Hank, this is punk’s girlfriend Terri.  Terri this is
my husband Hank and the one who we can blame for me giving birth to four troublemaking male wolves.”

Hank bellowed with laughter.
  His voice was deeper and more gravelly than Mal’s.  “Good to meet you Terri.”  He gave her a devastating smile that she feared was a staple of all the Tanner men.

“You too.”
  She tried to move forward to shake his hand but Mal refused to let her go and after the welcome she received from Ellie she found it odd that Hank made no move to hug her.

Terri relaxed back into his body.  Mal eyed his father warily. 
He knew his father would never be interested in Terri yet until he bonded with her his wolf would see every male as a potential threat.  Luckily his father had been around enough young wolves to know not to touch an unbonded mate.  He couldn’t attest to the same for the rest of the males here.  His wolf pawed the ground in displeasure.  Perhaps coming here had been a bad idea.

“Punk?
  Is that your nickname?”  Terri craned her neck up to look at Mal, her lips twitching trying not to smile.

He snorted.  “
It’s nothing...”

Ellie interrupted
.  “When he was 6 he got it into his head that Mrs Martin wasn’t human, nobody would believe him so he decided to get proof.  He snuck into her yard and climbed up an apple tree so he could spy through her window.  Of course punk was quite large for his age and the apple tree wasn’t very strong... so the whole thing collapsed, onto Mrs Martin’s car.  Mrs Martin heard and ran out the house calling him a punk as he ran off covered in squashed apples.  The whole neighbourhood heard and punk just kind of stuck.  And FYI that is one of the tamer stories about his childhood.”

Hank
huffed.  “Tame nothing, fixing that car was expensive, and that woman’s still complaining about that damn apple tree.”

Terri giggled, the s
weet sound hardening Mal’s arousal.  “No wonder Mrs Martin refuses to talk to you when you come into the library.”

Ellie’s eyebrows shot up her head. 
“My son in a library?  Wonders will never cease.”  Mal pouted at his mother and Terri just giggled some more.

Ellie stared at Terri and carefully sniffed the air.
  She frowned.  Terri panicked. 
She’d showered and put on deodorant, did she really smell bad?
  “Are you feeling ok Terri?”  There was a look of interest on Ellie’s face.

Before Terri could answer a loud crash
interrupted.  They all looked in the direction of three young men currently wrestling with each other.  Hank exhaled loudly.  “Excuse me Terri.”

Hank firmly strode towards the fighting boys who were now a tangle of muscled arms and legs.  Ellie
tutted as Hank started to pull them apart.  She pointed at them wearily, “those are my three other sons.  Darryl is 17, Eric is 15 and my baby Craig is 13.” 
Her baby was almost six feet tall. 

Terri
thought she now understood the harassed look Ellie wore.  Each of them were a slightly shorter, younger version of their father.  They were all already devilishly handsome, although in Terri’s opinion they could never hold a candle to Mal. 
But then who could?

Terri watched as Hank gestured in their direction
.  She cringed as each of the three boys smirked at her.  The eldest of the younger brothers sauntered over, grinning at Terri.  He held out his hand and engulfed her tiny hand in a warm shake.  “Hey I’m Darryl.”

Mal tensed
and growled lowly.  Darryl ignored him.  Terri murmured her own greeting.  He held on to her hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and looked her up and down.  “You know I turn 18 in five months, by then I figure you’ll be sick of this one,” he jutted his chin at Mal, “so please give me a call.”

Ellie sighed and
Mal snarled at him ripping Terri’s hand away from him.  Darryl sniggered.  “What’s wrong bro?  Afraid of a little competition?”  He waggled his eyebrows.

Mal roared, heaving Terri behind him out of
harms way as he lunged at his brother.  They were a blur of punches. 

Terri stared at them wide eyed.  The fights with her sister seemed very tame compared to this.
  Ellie sidled up to her and slid an arm round her waist, gently pulling her away.  “Best to get as far away as possible, I don’t want you getting injured.”  Ellie gave her a lingering and meaningful look, for the life of her Terri had no idea what it meant.

Hank bound over
and tore them apart.  Mal’s face was filled with fury while Darryl was almost doubled over in mirth.  Hank looked at them both stonily.  Clapping hands on each of their shoulders he said, “Mal why don’t you and Terri get something to eat and Darryl you come with me.”  He let go of Mal but kept a tight grip on his younger son.

Mal looked at Terri sheepishly.  “I’m sorry.  Let’s go get some food.”

Terri nodded dumbly and Ellie gave her an encouraging squeeze.  “Come see me before you leave Terri.”

Before she could say anything
Mal was dragging her off.

*

Mal consumed an heroic amount of food.  Five sandwiches, two bowls of chips, three slices of quiche, a whole plate of deli meats, six biscuits, four chicken drumsticks,  three hard boiled eggs, two pieces of pie, two pieces of her gateau and a vanilla cupcake.  Terri managed two sandwiches and half a chocolate cupcake.  She gave the other half to Mal. 
Which he practically inhaled
.

Mal
gave her a look of disapproval.  “You’re not on a diet are you?”  He asked suspiciously.

“No, I’ve just been feeling a bit sick recently.”

“Good because you don’t need to.  Do you need to see a doctor?  If you have a doctor’s appointment I can come with you.” 
Mate behaviour 101, make sure your mate is protected, well fed, happy and healthy.

The idea of having Mal looming over her gynaecologist was not appealing.  “
Ummm, it’s probably nothing, I’m not sure I’ll bother going to the doctor.”

“
Hmmmm.”

“I think I’m going to go say hi to
Liv and Rosalee.”  She started to stand and he hastily stood so he could help her.

He gave
her a deep sensual kiss and told her to hurry back.  She smiled weakly and sought Liv and Rosalee.

He was being so attentive and
demonstrative, it was at odds with his previous casual behaviour.  Did something happen on his trip away? 
Oh God, maybe he met someone else and was now feeling guilty!
  The idea made her want to cry.

Although she had to admit that the two times they
had been out together he had spent the whole time with his arm round her and hadn’t been pleased when she talked to other men.  So he didn’t want her for a committed relationship but he didn’t want her to be with anyone else?

The mates of the Alpha and the Beta were lounging at
a table eating red velvet cake.

Rosalee
saw her approach and called out to her.  “Terri! Finally we thought you were going to spend all evening ignoring us for your hunky boy toy!” 
Rosalee wasn’t subtle
.
Luv tutted and said hello to Terri hugging her tightly as she sat down next to her.
They asked how each other were. Terri and Liv cooed over Rosalee's enormous engagement ring. Rosalee had insisted on a big wedding and a bigger engagement ring.

“So everything okay with the baby?” 
Asked Terri.

Liv
beamed and her cheeks pinkened.  “Everything’s perfect, Alec’s convinced we’re having a girl.  He’s already started decorating the nursery.  I’ve never felt more healthy, although... my hormones are all over the place.  I keep getting these hot flashes where I’m really horny.  One minute I’m fine and the next minute I’m throwing myself at Alec.  He says the hormones are a bit worse for me because I’m not a shifter, but we’ll get through it.”

Rosalee
snorted.  “Yeah it must be such a chore for poor Alec having you demanding sex from him over and over.”

Terri looked
down quickly.
Married and pregnant, Liv was so lucky
.  Angry jealousy coursed through her.

“
So how are things with your young wolf?”  Asked Rosalee gleefully, eyebrows waggling.

“
Ummmm... Okay I guess...”

Rosalee
pouted.  “Only okay? Do I need to have a word with the boy? Anything short of outstanding is a let down for a wolf, they’re usually quite energetic in that
department
.”

Red dusted Terri's cheeks.
“That's not what I meant.”

“
So everything's great in that
department
?” 

Terri giggled in spite of herself.
“Yes in that
department
it’s ... amazing. It's just that I need to break up with him.”

Rosalee
and Liv both cried “What?!” and “Why?!” at the same time.