The Mating (15 page)

Leaning against the counter, Helen spoke hesitantly. “Elise, I’m sort of used to ‘mothering’ everyone in the pack, so don’t take this the wrong way—I’m not being nosey like my girls, inquiring into your personal life, but I can’t help noticing that there’s no mark on your neck. You and Kane haven’t blood bonded yet, have you?”

Flushing, Elise shook her head.

“Can I ask why? Did you refuse or are you nervous? I know the idea of someone sinking their teeth into your neck can be a bit scary, but I can tell you, amazingly enough, the bite doesn’t really hurt. At that point, you’ve lost all rational thought anyway and the wolf takes over. You’re too caught up in the moment to even realise—”

Elise interrupted before Helen went into even more details. “No, I’m not scared and I didn’t refuse. It’s just…well…Kane hasn’t suggested it, or even tried. I think he’s wants to give me some time to settle and get to know him better.” In actual fact, Elise wasn’t sure if this was the case or not, but she preferred to think this way, since the alternative was that Kane didn’t find her sufficiently attractive to want to blood bond with her. Not that she felt ready for that yet, but still… Strange how just a few days ago, the idea of mating with Kane made her stomach clench and now she was considering the possibility of a blood bond. Good heavens, but her brain was in a muddle lately!

“Hmm… Well, I suppose that’s considerate of him, but from the sounds of it, you already are bonding with Kane on some level. You just don’t have the mark to prove it. Now, you know I hold Kane in great esteem. He’s a fine man and a good Alpha, but sometimes, just like any male, he can be plain stupid. Like this whole thing with Marla, and not blood bonding with you. You know, you should just tell him you want to do it—it’s an incredible experience, better than any orgasm you’ll ever have. And once it’s done, you’ll feel that connection even more strongly, and so will he.”

Feeling her face growing warm once again, Elise sought to change the topic. “I’ll think about it, Helen. Thanks for your advice. Oh, look! This toast is ready. I’ll just set it on the table…” She grabbed the plate and hurried from the room. Helen meant well, but she was pushing for something Elise was still ambivalent about. While a regular bonding was pretty permanent, there were occasions where it could be broken. A blood bond, however, was for life. Some said it was akin to being telepathically connected, and while she wasn’t sure if that was an overstatement or not, she didn’t want to chance it, until she was sure how she felt about Kane and how he felt about her.

*****

Marla arrived around eleven o’clock and Elise met her at the door, gritting her teeth but trying to be welcoming, even though spending time with the woman was the last thing she wanted to do. For her part, Marla smiled and offered a polite, civilised greeting, even bringing her a small gift. “Our first meeting didn’t go too smoothly, so I thought we should start again. Here’s a little something to welcome you to our pack.”

Removing the tissue from the brightly coloured gift bag Marla handed her, Elise found a bottle of fragrance. Sniffing it cautiously, she found that it was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was light and delicate, floral rather than musky, and quite in keeping with her own preferences. She’d have thought Marla would choose something more heavy and cloying, but apparently the other woman was one of those people who just instinctively read others correctly. It was probably quite a useful skill when it came to her work at the gallery; knowing what a client might prefer would certainly help in guiding them towards the right sort of art and boost chances of a sale.

Murmuring polite thanks, Elise glanced over Marla’s shoulder to see Kane leaning against the doorframe of his office. He still had an overall aura of stress, but at that moment he was beaming approval her way and she felt a warm glow within at having been the cause of his happiness. Giving her a wink and a nod, he disappeared back into his work space.

Leading the way into the living room that was across from the office, Elise tried to make some small talk. “So, do you always have Sundays off or is this a special occasion?”

“I only work part-time at the gallery and my hours are pretty flexible. Most clients are quite wealthy and have very discerning taste. They call me when they want something in particular and, if Bastian’s Gallery doesn’t have what they need, I go looking for it. It gives me a chance to do some travelling, and I get to write it all off as a business expense.”

“It sounds like nice work, if you can get it.”

“I’ve found that if you want something badly enough in this world, you just have to make the circumstances work for you.” Marla shrugged delicately as she looked around the room. “You haven’t made any changes yet I see. If this were my house, I’d waste no time in starting redecorating. This ‘old homestead’ decor is so outdated. When you’re ready, let me know and I’ll help you transform this place into the current century.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Elise smiled, but seethed inwardly. She’d just arrived, for heaven’s sake. Redecorating was the last thing on her mind. Besides, while it wasn’t exactly up to date, the house wasn’t shabby; it was comfortable and homey. Helen had probably decorated it years ago and while the older woman wasn’t technically lady of the house any more, Elise couldn’t imagine just taking over and redoing everything. This had been Helen’s home for years, and Elise supposed, it would continue to be for quite awhile to come. As far as Elise was concerned, any changes that were made, should be agreed upon jointly by her, Helen and Carrie. After all, they all shared the house.

Deciding to change the topic, Elise tried to sound perky and pleased at the woman’s presence. I’m doing this for Kane, she reminded herself. “Marla, Kane didn’t realise when he invited you to lunch, that I’d already made plans with Julia, but you’re more than welcome to come along.”

“Well, I don’t know…Julia isn’t overly fond of me. Perhaps I should just stay back here. I can help Kane in the office and keep him company while you’re gone.” Marla glanced across the hall towards the open office door. Kane could be seen bending over the lower drawer of the filing cabinet, his pants pulled taut, showing off his muscular thighs and tight rear end to their best advantage. Both women paused for a moment and admired the view.

Giving her head a shake and refocussing on the conversation, Elise countered Marla’s suggestion. “Oh, Julia doesn’t mind at all. I’ve already explained the situation and she’s looking forward to seeing you.” Crossing her fingers behind her back, Elise made a mental note to buy Julia something really nice as soon as she had some money of her own. Julia had sympathised with her over the phone, telling her to bring Marla along so that they could share the misery.

Marla looked as if she’d continue to refuse, and Elise wasn’t sure how she felt about that. On the one hand, she really didn’t want to have lunch with Marla, but on the other hand, she didn’t want Marla spending time alone with Kane. Deciding that keeping the woman in sight was the better option, she pressed her case. “Kane knows about me having lunch with Julia and even said how good it would be for you to come along, seeing as how you’re trying to expand your circle of female friends.”

Barring her teeth in an insincere smile, Marla finally acquiesced and they set out towards Julia’s house.

*****

Lunch at Julia’s wasn’t a complete disaster. All three women made an effort to get along and chatted about Thomas’ condition—it was rapidly improving, the state of the weather—unseasonably warm, and recent movies in the theatre. Julia had made a delicious quiche and tossed salad and when Marla complimented her on the meal, Julia offered to share the recipe. After clearing the table, Julia hesitantly mentioned her plans for the afternoon.

“I thought I’d give Elise a tour of the woods. We found out yesterday that we both like to go for a good run, and she hasn’t had a chance to explore yet, but I know you’re not really that in touch with your wolf side, Marla. If you’d rather not—”

“Oh, no! Don’t change your plans for me. I haven’t been out for a while and I can use the exercise. I can even show Elise some of the spots where Kane, Ryne, and I used to go when we were all pups together.”

Elise and Julia just looked at each other, but made no comment. It had been over an hour without any snide remarks coming from Marla. The reprieve had already lasted longer than either of them thought possible. Was this the start? Hopefully not.

Julia gave a little bounce and clapped her hands in what was probably feigned excitement over Marla’s participation. “All right then. Marla and I will act as your tour guides, Elise. Follow me!”

They walked across the lawn and ensured they were actually into the woods where the trees started to thicken, before phasing into wolf form. It was private land and, while the chances of someone from the outside seeing them transforming was negligible, it was better to be safe than sorry. Elise noted that Julia had become a dark grey wolf, while Marla’s animal was a rather dull, mousy brown, which was totally in contrast to her flamboyant blonde human physique. She wondered if that was why Marla wasn’t as fond of her wolf side and hadn’t been in the woods recently. Being a plain, ordinary animal probably vexed the other woman no end.

Elise had always been pleased with her own wolf’s appearance. Her fur was thick and silvery with touches of black near the tips of her ears and tail. Idly, she thought that she and Kane would make a handsome couple, his solid black contrasting nicely with her silver.

The air was crisp and clear, carrying on it intriguing scents. Julia was prancing, eager to begin her run and Elise quickly followed her, taking careful note of all that she encountered. The ground was slightly damp and spongy underfoot, providing a good grip as they raced along. Elise darted her eyes from side to side, taking in all the sights, her ears pricked with curiosity. It had been several days since she’d been out in wolf form and it felt incredibly good to be back in the wild.

Instinctively understanding that Elise would want time to absorb her surroundings, Julia politely stopped at a number of spots along the way. Elise yipped her appreciation and sniffed the ground, trees, and bushes, her wolf’s brain sorting and storing the various scents while making a mental picture of the land and the animal life that inhabited it. Deer, rabbits, squirrel, and even skunks occupied the woods, and Elise anticipated going hunting in the near future. While she seldom killed her prey, she loved the thrill of the chase.

For her part, Marla trailed behind them and flopped down disinterestedly whenever they stopped. It was only when the scent of water indicated that they were nearing the river that she seemed to perk up. Marla began trying to take the lead and head south while Julia kept cutting in front and herding her in another direction. In frustration, Marla snapped and snarled but Julia stood firm, growling, and lowering her head in warning. After a moment’s hesitation, Marla backed down. Julia relaxed and then phased back into human form, but as soon as she could talk, she verbally began to rip into Marla.

“Will you stop being such a bitch? You know Kane’s forbidden anyone going near that area unless unaccompanied by himself or one of the more experienced patrollers.”

Marla returned to her human form and immediately countered Julia’s claim. “We’re not that close and besides, Elise is new here and wants to see more of the territory.”

Elise had changed while Marla spoke and knew something was up by the way the two women snarled at each other. She decided it was up to her to break the tense atmosphere that was developing.

“I do want to explore more, but it doesn’t have to be today. I can wait until Kane takes me. What’s so special about that part of the river anyway?”

Julia glared at Marla while explaining. “Well, first of all, it’s where the oil spill was. We haven’t gotten conclusive results back yet to prove the area is safe, and until he knows all the contaminants are gone, Kane doesn’t want anyone there. Secondly, it’s very rocky and dangerous, which is one of the reasons the oil spill got as bad as it did; a lot had leaked out of the containers before anyone came by and noticed.”

Elise nodded. “Kane mentioned there was a particularly treacherous area, but I didn’t know exactly where it was… Oh!” She suddenly remembered the phone call earlier that morning. “And he got a call about the oil spill this morning. The lab wants to do further testing. There was something about the oil having leached into the ground and the possibility of having to do a major environmental cleanup in order to prevent further damage.” Elise noted the worried expression on Julia’s face and tried to offer some reassurance. “It wasn’t definite though—they were just checking.”

“See?” Julia looked smugly at Marla. “Yet another reason to stay away. The ground could be contaminated as well as the water. If we went that way, we could end up getting sick.”

Marla seemed to cool down and returned to the pleasant persona she’d been assuming. “You know Julia, you’re right. I’d totally forgotten about that. We are supposed to keep clear. See what happens when you stay away from the woods for too long?” Marla’s apology almost sounded sincere, but Elise had her doubts. Still, she was curious as to the other woman’s motives.

“Why did you want to go to that particular spot, anyway?”

“Well, like I said, it would be interesting for you to see, and Ryne and I used to spend a lot of time there as well. He loved taking pictures around here.” She shrugged. “I really miss him sometimes and revisiting places that we shared helps me deal with the loneliness. Ryne and I were very close. We’d actually discussed becoming mates, rather than just lovers, and now that he’s gone…well…I feel that a part of me is missing, too.” Marla’s eyes began to fill with tears and Elise awkwardly patted her shoulder.

Julia just looked at her and shook her head. “If you miss him so much, then why didn’t you go with him, when he left?”

“Umm, I…” Obviously searching for an answer, Marla shifted uncomfortably. She looked around the woods and then shrugged. ”This is my home. I couldn’t just leave it.”