Josi held tight to Reggie's coal black fur as they flew through the woods and deep into the mountains above their home. The moon provided her just enough light that she could see where they were going, but she knew Reggie's vision was far better. He ran as if it was the middle of the day, his huge paws rhythmically pounding on the packed dirt of the trail. She reveled in the speed and excitement of the run, urging him to go faster. She held on tight, pleasurable tingles radiating from where they touched, as he leaped deadfall trees and made the tight turns of the switchback trail.
"God, I love this! It was cool with Marcus," she was interrupted by his growl, "but you are so strong and fast. I'm the luckiest girl in the world." He chuffed as his wolf basked in her praise. He still didn't like the idea that she was so close to another male, even a mated one, but he was thrilled at how accepting she was of him.
Not everyone found a human mate to be so accepting. He had a friend in the Rexburg pack, a male near his age he had trained with as a teen. He found his mate in college, and they quickly became inseparable. He had bought her a ring, they were making wedding plans, but it wasn't long before their different values came into play. She was a devout Mormon, and refused to marry him unless he converted. He countered by bringing her to his Pack so he could reveal his true nature to her and convince her to mate him.
It didn't work.
She freaked out, called him a possessed beast, and ran to her car screaming about how they all deserved to die. She wouldn't listen to him, and threatened the Alpha with exposing their whole group to law enforcement and the press. Nothing he could do changed her mind, and as she tore out of their compound in her car the Alpha looked at him and shook his head. "I'm sorry, son."
Reggie and several others had held him down as the Betas went out to do what had to be done. When her car went off the road and she was killed, he let out a tortured scream before losing consciousness. He woke an hour later, but was inconsolable. He and the Pack had done all they could to comfort him, to pull him back from the edge, but it didn't work.
He ran off a cliff, killing himself rather than living without his mate.
The lesson had not been lost in him, and he would be eternally grateful to Marcus for saving her and teaching her about their kind. He listened to her talk about her life, her family, and everything that was "before fur" as she called it. His wolf was bouncing about in his mind in excitement as she talked about how she longed for such a life, such closeness and love, when Marcus explained it. She told him about her friends and their trip down the river. He shuddered under her as she described how her friends had been burned. He could feel her tense as she described how they suffered, and how shocked they were when two huge wolves barged into their tent and bit their friends.
His muscles burned as he carried them over the mountain and into the next valley. She continued her story, describing how Marcus, Eric and Derek had changed and how they learned about werewolves. She told him about the nervousness of riding a wolf, the shock of finding their guides dead, and the relief in reaching the North Fork pack. By the time they reached his favorite spot, she was describing how Britney had met her mate. He stopped next to a pool in a stream; she could smell the sulphur from what was a volcanic spring feeding it.
He lowered himself onto his stomach so she could get off him easily, then got back up as she moved around to his face. He almost purred as she stroked the fur on his cheeks. "Wow, a hot spring." She looked over at how the rocks had been arranged, allowing the mix of cool mountain stream water and boiling hot spring to be adjusted so the pool would be a comfortable temperature. She dipped her toe in, and it felt amazing. "Thanks for the ride, Reggie."
He moved back a few feet from her and started to change, standing naked before her as the change finished. She looked him over, not hiding her excitement at having such a handsome man as her mate. He wasn't shy, after all it was normal for werewolves to be naked after a change, but he had expected her to be shy about it. He looked over to her pocked where his shorts poked out.
"Shorts, please?"
She looked down at her pocket, then back at him as a naughty grin broke on her face. "Sure, love." She popped the button on her shorts and dropped them to the ground, followed quickly by her thong. His mouth was open and his eyes wide as she pulled her shirt off, leaving her naked before him. She turned her back to him, flipping her hair over her shoulder, and walked into the pool until she was in the center. The water only came up to her thighs, so she sank slowly down until she was sitting on the smooth rocks, and leaned back as she moaned in pleasure. The hot water felt amazing after the events of the past few days.
She could feel his eyes burning through her head as the nascent bond strengthened with each moment they spent together. She coyly looked back over his shoulder, noting his excitement and desire for her even though he hadn't made a move. "What are you waiting for, love? I need a back rub."
He shook his head to snap out of the trance he had been in, then walked up until he was just behind her. He sat down with her between his legs, the tingles exploding where they touched. He moved his hands up, splashing the hot water over her back and cupping it to drop it down on her shoulders. He then put his hands on her shoulders and started to rub with his thumbs between her shoulder blades. He smiled as she moaned in pleasure and leaned back towards him.
He started to nuzzle at her neck, moving from her hairline down to her left shoulder. He started to suck and nip at the skin where his mark would go if she agreed to the mating and the change. Her moans became louder, firing his blood and bringing his wolf forward. "Love, if you don't stop making those sounds my wolf is going to make you his, and I don't want that to happen until you are ready."
She leaned her head back so he could see his eyes. "Who said I wasn't ready?"
He moved her around so she was straddling his waist, and pulled her tight to him as their lips met in a passionate kiss. Their tongues danced together as their bodies tried to meld into one, each trying to maintain the pleasurable contact. They made out for several minutes until she finally sat back, breathless. "I want you to make me yours, Reggie. I want you to bite me, to turn me, and to make me your mate."
He smiled as his wolf moved forward. "Aren't you nervous about this?"
"I'm nervous about the change, and about what I have to go through, but I'm not nervous about us. I trust that we are mates, that we are meant to be together. I love the idea of being in a Pack; the togetherness, the support and the love. It's the family I've always dreamed of having. It's so different..."
