The Merciless Alpha(erotica)

I didn’t expect that. “Why?”

“The Summit is about making social contacts and breaking down barriers between Packs. The two of you love diving, and you can use that to make new friends. The bigger the group, the better if you are going off on your own,” he said.

“You might find people eager to hang out with you and talk sharks, especially among the Packs nearer the coast,” Adrienne said.

I looked at Amy, who nodded. “You have a deal,” I said. We finished the meal, and somehow I found room for the warm pecan pie covered with New York Vanilla ice cream for dessert. I’d run a little longer on the treadmill tomorrow to work it off.

“Luna has a plan for your life, Vicki,” Leo said as we put our coats back on at the end of the night. “Things will all work out, and what you want is bound to change as you mature.”

“I know, Unka. I just don’t want them to change right now.” He embraced me before I moved to Adrienne. “Thank you for dinner.”

“You’re welcome, Vicki. Get some sleep; it’s going to be a long weekend.

Amy didn’t say much as we drove away; we both had a lot to think about after the talk. The sword over our head was that one (or both) of us could be mated and moved out by Monday. Our friendship would continue, but nothing would ever be the same for us.

I gave her a quick hug after I unbuckled my seatbelt in my driveway. “At least we get a free scuba diving excursion out of the deal,” I said as I leaned back.

“If we’re not mated,” she said. “The odds aren’t in our favor. Most of the matings come from females that have just come of age.”

“It’s not something we can control, so let’s agree not to worry about it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah.” I watched her drive away before I walked through the light snow that was falling to my front door.

Things would have to work out. Wouldn’t they?

**************

Thursday night was all studying. Friday morning, we had to take our afternoon exams before leaving school early to get to the airport. We picked up our luggage and headed out the door. “Do you have your PAADI open water card?” Without our certification card, we wouldn’t be able to rent the gear.

“Yes, Mom,” Amy teased. “I’ve got my phone and wallet too, and I’m wearing clean underwear in case the plane crashes.” I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm as I loaded my suitcase in the back seat. Both of us had more clothes than we would need for a simple weekend getaway. I didn’t want to, but my Mom insisted. We would need to have enough clothes to continue to a new mate’s Pack, and have enough clothes to last until our stuff could be shipped there.

“What suits did you bring?”

“My coral one-piece and the neon pink bikini,” she said. I rolled my eyes. “Hey, if I’m single, I’m going the turn some heads.” She would with that body and THAT suit. It provided just enough support and coverage to stay legal. “You?”

“Sharkskin one-piece and my green bikini,” I said. It was more modest in cut but still drew attention to my curves. It was less likely to come off during free diving, too. “It won’t matter, we’ll be in wetsuits more than swimsuits.”

“I’m just happy we’re in a warm place by the water. It could have been last year, in Vail.” Yeah, going from one winter to another wouldn’t have been as much fun, even if the mountains were fun to run in. We dropped our car off at Leo’s, moving our stuff into a van one of the Omegas was driving. It was a twenty-minute drive to the Red Wing Airport, where our charter business jet waited. It was well-appointed inside, with comfortable reclining leather seats, a flat-screen monitor, and a conference table with computer ports. We were wheels-up ten minutes after arriving, and after we climbed to altitude, the seats could swivel towards the table. Amy and I were near the back, and I was sitting next to Luna Karen and Ivan. Leo and Adrienne were opposite us, with the Stillwater Betas, Richard and Carol, on my right.

“Are you excited about your first mixer,” she asked. Karen was a good woman; her parents were unranked, and her Alpha’s son mate had rejected her for it. She didn’t go to the mixers due to her lack of rank.

Instead, Karen threw herself into her education and work after that, becoming a Nursing Supervisor at a hospital near Bend, Oregon. She had come to the Twin Cities six years ago for a conference, where she met John at a gathering of local Packs. The two of them, both veterans of rejection, found love in each other. A month later, they were married and mated, and she was now the Head Nurse at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater. Luna blessed her with a heat at age 46, and it took. They had twin boys, Keith and Kevin, almost four years old now.

Her addition to the Stillwater Pack had been the final step in stabilizing and reviving it. Ivan, who went back to his old name after the Luna of Marengo Lakes died, spent years clearing out the criminal elements and bad apples in his Pack. Karen was a compassionate and outgoing female, and her presence balanced Ivan perfectly. In the last five years, transfers had grown their back by almost half again to eighty members.

I’d liked her from the first time I met her, and I could see how happy she made my father. Somehow, I ended up a bridesmaid at her wedding. I took her hand and tried to smile. “I’m nervous, Karen. My whole life could change big time, all in the blink of an eye.”

“Whatever happens, you’ll still be the same young lady you are now. Luna has a plan for your life. Good or bad, you’ll be fine in time. I’m proof of that.”

“I wish I could be like you and not find my mate until I’ve got my education and career in place. I can’t take the idea of having to leave my school and friends and travel halfway across the country with a man I don’t know.” Amy took my other hand; she had the same issues.

“You know, nothing REQUIRES any of that. No Council ruling or Alpha can require you to complete the mating, and nothing says you have to move to his Pack immediately. If it happens, talk to him about it. Most likely, he’s a son of a Pack leader and is only the Heir to a leadership position. Tell him what you want and work it out.” She was the first person to tell me that I would have choices, even after finding my mate, and I loved her for it. “Your wolf may fight you on this; when it finds its other half, the pull to be with him is powerful. The longer you put it off, the tougher it is, especially when your heat arrives.” Heat was a biological pull to procreate, and it was days of hell if your mate was not there to make love to you.

“I could visit on weekends, and we could attend the same school,” Amy said.

“Exactly. You’re not property, and you’re not without choices. Work out something, so you still get what you want.” She squeezed my hand. “I’m sad you didn’t find your mate at your birthday party. I was hoping you’d stay in the area so we could see you more.”

All this talk about mates made me ask a question I’d not had the courage to ask, and no one discussed. “Karen? What happened to the man who rejected you?” Her face flashed pain. “You don’t have to tell me if it’s too painful.”

“No, you should know,” I said. “My fated mate rejected me in favor of another female he wanted instead, the daughter of his Pack’s Beta. The day before their mating ceremony, she found her mate and left him. His wolf became withdrawn over the next few years, wanting what he’d thrown away. He started to drink and get in trouble at work. He got drunk one night and drove home anyway; his car left the road and hit a tree, killing him instantly.” It takes a lot to get a werewolf drunk. “It took me years to get over him. Like Luna Adrienne, I threw myself into my work until the pain faded.” She wiped a tear away as Ivan held her other hand. “Of course, life is so much better now. I have everything I ever dreamed of.”Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“I love you, Karen,” Ivan said as he leaned across the seat to kiss her. I turned to give them some privacy and think about what she said. I was a Mantled Alpha Heir; I brought power to my mating, and my dreams didn’t have to die.

I felt so much better as we stepped off the plane into the heat and humidity of the Pensacola afternoon. We’d gone from ten degrees to eighty, and I loved it. A van from the Summit drove out to meet us, and five minutes later, we were driving out past the palm trees towards the gathering.

The property was the winter retreat for a large, prosperous pack in the Northeast. A large central building held meeting rooms, dining facilities, and a conference room. Dozens of small cabins surrounded the central building, and dozens of travel trailers sat parked in lots designed for them. “Some of the closer Packs brought their recreational vehicles,” Leo said as we drove past the fancy rigs.