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“I, Graham Archer, future Alpha of the Rimrock Pack, reject you, Phoebe Luan, as my mate and Luna.”

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Dreamnovel

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‘Mate! Mate is here!’

Jason turned into the breeze and watched as a petite she-wolf stepped onto the patio. She was rather pale for a werewolf, but her hair was a mane of rich, walnut brown. Her clothing was simple: turtleneck, denim jacket and jeans that hugged her small frame and teased him with what lay underneath. But it was her eyes that captivated him. Her gaze shimmered silver in the moonlight like captured slivers of the moon itself.

Jason broke into a sweat, his hands went clammy and his throat constricted at the vision in front of him. After a decade of searching, he finally found her. And she was perfect. Lobo practically bounced off the walls of his mind. Their mate was here!

“Miss Phoebe!” an excited squeal erupted from the crowd as several pups emerged from the crowd.

They ran up his mate like moths drawn to a flame. A dazzling smile warmed her face as she knelt embracing the first little she-wolf who reached her. They rubbed noses in a familiar gesture usually reserved for mates or between mothers and their pups.

Another she-wolf approached carrying a two-year-old, handing off the pup to the silver-eyed beauty. She accepted the pup without hesitation. The pup didn’t show the least amount of stress as its mother gave it to another. It was clear the pup was used to these handoffs and contentedly clung to the she-wolf who tenderly nuzzled him.

Chapter 5

Phoebe. Her name is Phoebe.

‘Yes! Phoebe!’ Lobo happily whined, eager to learn the name of her wolf.

“I thought I told you I didn’t want to see these heathens while we had guests,” Kristie snapped as she neared Phoebe surrounded by pups.

Phoebe bowed her head, “Sorry Luna. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not. I won’t have our guests’ night ruined by these spawn.”

“Of course, Luna. Come along pups,” Phoebe herded the little ones inside the packhouse.

“Jace? You okay?”

Jason’s hair bristled as he tried to calm his wolf, ‘Easy.’

‘How dare she talk to Mate like that! I’ll rip her throat out!’ Lobo growled.

‘Easy, let’s be smart about this.’

Jason frowned. It wasn’t right for his mate to bow to any wolf, Luna or no. Kristie’s attitude had been rubbing him the wrong way since his arrival and now he had a hard time controlling his disgust. Jason never heard of a Luna who hated pups or treated them with such contempt, chosen or not.

As his mate disappeared inside, Jason struggled to suppress his urge to follow. He searched for her for so long he wanted to keep her within his sight at all times. But he was the guest of honor and could hardly leave without drawing notice. He had to handle this situation carefully. Alphas were very protective of their territory and there was protocol to follow for a wolf to transfer packs, though no one would prevent an alpha from claiming his rightful mate.

‘Mate come home with us!’ Lobo growled.

“Jace! What’s wrong?” Luke’s voice finally cut in.

“My mate. That was her.”

“You mean the one who took the pups inside?”

“Phoebe. Her name is Phoebe.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Go inside and watch her for me, please.”

“Sure. Don’t worry. She’ll be safe.”

“Keep me updated. I want to know everything.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’ll be like you were there yourself.”

Jason suppressed a growl. He wanted nothing more than to be at her side, but something told him not to reveal his hand too soon. There was something off about them that went beyond simple, chosen mates.

“What was that about?” Jason casually asked as Kristie returned.

“Oh nothing. Just a little trouble with the staff,” she smiled.

“Staff?”

“Yeah, poor wolfless Phoebe. Minding those little heathens is all she is good for.”

Jason raised an eyebrow, looking at Graham for insight as the latter downed the rest of his beer. With a belch, Graham set down the now empty bottle with the others before demanding another from the nearest pack member. A new bottle soon replaced the last and he didn’t hesitate to drink deeply from it despite the fact his wolf had to be suffering. Jason warily eyed his hosts. Something was very, very wrong with these two.

* * *

While Jason was too prominent a figure to slip away, Luke had no such issue, quietly returning to the packhouse. Entering the dining hall, the echoes of laughter directed him to a small room off from the kitchen.

This room, unlike the dining hall, was plastered with the children’s artwork and educational posters from their lessons. It made the room cozy, unlike the sterile atmosphere of the larger room. The same sense of unease that made Jason wary of their hosts also piqued Luke’s mind. Packs thrived on their pups, which were literally their future. It was unnatural to hide them away like some dirty secret. Not wanting to disturb the group, Luke stood near the door, out of sight, peeking around the corner to observe his pack’s Luna.

She was average height, standing only a little over five feet, but more concerning was the fact she seemed thin. Luke didn’t recall seeing her at lunch and now he wondered if she was getting proper meals. Wolves tended to have a higher metabolism than humans, so it was important they consumed enough calories or else they would rapidly lose condition, especially if they shifted often.

She also seemed paler than normal, though she could also have a naturally lighter complexion. Luke knew wolves from certain parts of Europe and the east coast tended to be paler than those on the west. Her hair was a mane of rich chestnut with a healthy sheen and her smile was warm, causing her eyes to shimmer from gray to silver. It could also be her wolf hovering close to the surface, though he never heard of a wolf with silver eyes, most had brown or amber.

The pups quickly took their seats at a long table laden with colorful paper, glitter glue, markers, sequins, buttons and string. In front of the younger pups, the paper had been cut into star shapes with rows of plastic bins full of different craft supplies so they could color and decorate their stars as they wished. The older pups were given plain, paper squares. Once they were seated, Phoebe demonstrated how to fold the paper square into an origami star once they finished decorating it. The older pups colored their paper, folded it and, if they chose, Phoebe sprayed the finished project with adhesive and they sprinkled glitter over it for the final touch.

Attaching strings to the finished projects, Phoebe climbed up on a step stool to hang the stars from the ceiling, much to the pups’ delight. When they were done, they cleaned up their project table before pushing it to the wall. Once it was out of the way, Phoebe brought out her final surprise, a bucket. She placed a light in the bottom before setting it on the ground. Over the bucket she added a paper fire, effectively making a faux campfire. The pups giggled, gathering around it as if it was real, holding branches with paper marshmallows and hotdogs on the end.

“Excuse us.”

Luke jerked back, allowing the kitchen omegas to enter, bearing plates laden with real hotdogs, salads, coleslaw and other goodies from dinner. The pups squealed delight using the ketchup, mustard, relish and other condiments on their hotdogs. Each was given a soda and they happily ate their dinner around the pretend campfire.

Luke’s stomach complained about its own empty state. He stepped into the kitchen and helped himself to the sides lining the center counter. Outside, he knew there were barbeque ribs and steak along with burgers and hotdogs, but he didn’t mind missing out as he watched over his pack’s Luna, keeping Jason informed about her activities.

Slowly, he became aware he had an audience. Luke turned to see one of the cooks warily watching him. The she-wolf studying him was an omega, but well within her prime, giving her an aura of experience and elevating her status somewhat even toward a beta like him. Luke gave her a respectful nod.

She pressed her lips together before asking, “Just what do you want from her? She doesn’t like playing games, especially the ones you want to play.”

Luke grimaced at her candor before turning his head to show his mark. He thought the gesture would be enough, but she wasn’t impressed.

“I’m just confused,” Luke finally said. Maybe he could glean some information from this she-wolf, “why are the pups in here and not outside?”

“Because our Luna doesn’t like pups. She thinks they get in the way.”

“But pups are a pack’s future.”

“Not according to her.”

Luke frowned. Alpha Graham was still young by werewolf standards, so there was no reason for him to feel rushed into securing a mate. He didn’t have to wait as long as Jason, but certainly he could have given it a little time.

“Phoebe takes care of those pups like she was their mother,” the omega continued. “She’s sweet and gentle, so I won’t tolerate no playing around with her.”

“I promise you, I have no intentions of doing that.”

The cook watched him a moment longer before returning to her duties. Luke hesitated, but slowly sidled back to the door as the pups finished their supper.

“Miss Phoebe! Tell us a story!”

“Yeah! Story time!”

Phoebe chuckled as she gently cleaned the two-year-old’s face, “And what kind of story would you like?”

“An adventure story!”

“A story about kids like us! Adults are boring.”

“A scary story!”

“Oh my, that’s a tall order,” Phoebe laughed. “Let’s see…how about Treasure Island? I haven’t told you that one yet, have I?”

“What’s it about?”

“Well, it’s about a treasure hunt.”

The pups shared dubious looks.

“It has adventure on the high seas, about a young boy just your ages…and it has scary pirates!”

“Okay!”

Phoebe chuckled, urging them to settle down. When all were comfortable she started, “Once upon a time in a small English town…”

* * *

Jason struggled to keep his revulsion in check as Graham continued to drink heavily. Kristie flashed him flirty smiles and tried to play footsie under the table. The only thing keeping his wolf under control was Luke’s running commentary of his mate’s activities. Jason could almost picture the scene as she and the pups crafted their stars then pretended to camp around their campfire. By the time she related the plot of Treasure Island Lobo was practically swooning.

‘Mate is amazing!’

‘Agreed.’

Jason sighed, looking out across the patio with a relaxed smile. Her scent still lingered in his nostrils. What he wouldn’t give to trade places with Luke and watch over her himself. A pressure on his leg caused his skin to prickle, bringing him out of his revelry. His eyes shifted to his host where Kristie sat smirking. He could feel her trying to mindlink him, but Jason shut her out, changing position so he was out of her reach. Lobo stirred with a growl. How dare anyone interrupt their fantasies about their mate?

As the party wound down, couples began to disperse. Some simply wandered off while others headed to the packhouse. Jason assumed they were retrieving their pups. His suspicions were confirmed as Luke continued giving him updates. The last pups Phoebe escorted to their own room within the packhouse before she departed, leaving through the back door and disappearing into the night.

Luke followed at a discrete distance, tracking her to a cottage. Jason was on the edge of his seat as Luke described the single-story structure surrounded by a cozy garden with the woods butted up against it. The windows were dark when she arrived and remained that way as she went directly to bed. Luke prowled the perimeter not picking up any strong scents but hers. It seemed she lived alone.

Jason frowned. He certainly didn’t mind the fact his mate was not surrounded by unmated males, but it was unnatural for a she-wolf to live alone. She-wolves generally possessed more gregarious natures than their male counterparts and preferred to live in close proximity with one another.

In all likelihood, the cottage was her parents’ home and where Phoebe grew up. The fact she was living alone meant they had already passed. Lobo whimpered in sympathy, upset they hadn’t found their mate sooner and would have been there for her during what was certainly a trying time. But why would his mate live so far from other wolves? Most in her situation would have moved into the packhouse to be closer to other she-wolves, their support and comfort.

“Looks like she’s gone to bed,” Luke commented. “What do you want to do?”

‘Go to Mate!’ Lobo immediately demanded.

He would give anything to follow through with his instinct, but Jason hesitated. Waking her from slumber by suddenly appearing on her doorstep was sure to be confusing for her. No, he needed to talk to her. They needed time to get to know each other. But…

“I don’t like leaving her out there alone so far away from the pack.”

“Agreed,” Luke answered. His pack’s Luna needed to be protected at all times. It was an instinct he didn’t dare fight. “What about a guard?”

Jason hesitated. Aside from Luke, the rest of his escort were unmated males, a fact that made Lobo bristle. He didn’t doubt the loyalty of his warriors, but he also couldn’t fight his instinct to protect his unmarked mate from interlopers.

“What about Cam?” Luke suggested, knowing his thoughts.

Cameron was a fierce warrior and a skilled fighter. He was also gay. Unmated or not, he would certainly be no threat to the bond slowly forming between Jason and his mate.

“Good. Have Cam meet you.”

“Should I tell him why he’ll be guarding a random she-wolf?”

“He’s smart. He’ll figure it out on his own. But yeah. Tell him to keep it to himself for now…At least until I can speak with her.”

“Got it.”

Chapter 6

Jason escaped the party and Kristie’s amorous overtures as soon as he could, retreating to his room. Double locking his door, he hopped in the shower to try to cool his eagerness to see his mate. His arms itched to hold her, caress her. He was dying to bury his nose in her neck and breathe her scent.

‘Mate!’ Lobo growled, pacing in the back of his mind like a caged animal.

‘I know pal,’ Jason sighed. ‘I want to be with her just as much as you do, but we have to be cautious. There’s something wrong with this pack.’

‘If that Luna touches us again we rip her throat out!’ Lobo snarled.

‘Strange Alpha Graham didn’t react at all,’ Jason suddenly realized something that had been bothering him the whole night.

A chosen bond wasn’t as strong as a fated one, but it still connected one’s wolf spirit to another, allowing them to communicate and sense each other. If one member of the pair betrayed the bond, the other would certainly feel it. Though Kristie had only been flirting, her mate should still have felt her intentions and yet Graham hadn’t flinched despite the fact she was sitting next to him. Then again, he had been drinking quite heavily, so perhaps he couldn’t sense his wolf through the haze. Or was he drinking to deliberately suppress his wolf and dull the ache of his mate’s betrayal?

Jason couldn’t decide which scenario was more disturbing. In either case, his instinct told him it wasn’t safe to announce his fated mate had been found, at least not until he had a chance to speak with her. The sooner they could get his mate back to the safety of his own pack the better.

‘Yes! Take Mate home!’

‘We will. We are not leaving without her.’

Lobo growled assent. No matter what, he had to convince Phoebe to leave with him. Nobody could stop him from claiming what was his. Stepping out of the shower, Jason felt more exhausted than when he entered. Quickly drying himself, he laid out in the large bed. Sleep didn’t come easily.

His mate was etched in his mind and he saw her as soon as he closed his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to curl up with her in his arms, her warm scent wafting around him and filling his nose. Only with that image firmly in place did he finally manage to fall asleep.

* * *

The buzzing of his phone woke him the next morning. With a groan, he reached for it, setting it against his ear without looking at the screen before answering, “Yeah?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. Did I wake you?”

“Mom?” Jason was instantly awake. “Is everything all right?”

“Of course. Ben has the pack running like clockwork,” his mother assured him. “But we did have a pretty serious breach.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rogues breached our southern border. Ben and the warriors drove them out.”

“Causalities?”

“None on our end. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“You know how packs are. They get anxious when their Alpha is away.”

“Yeah. Got it loud and clear,” Jason sighed.

Since he had no Luna tying the pack together, they relied on him to maintain the pack bonds. While loyalty and trust were powerful, they didn’t quite make up for the natural strength of a Luna’s care and love.

“I’m sorry, dear. I know you were counting on this trip.”

“It’s all right, mom…I found her.”

“…You did? Is she there with you? Can I talk to her? What’s her name? What’s she like?” the questions spilled out of his eager mother like a river.

“No, she’s not with me at the moment. I just scented her last night. Her name is Phoebe. Mom, she’s…she’s gorgeous. You should have seen how she interacts with her pack’s pups.”

Just the mention of it had Lobo wagging his tail.

“Oh, sweetie. She sounds wonderful. I’m so happy for you,” his mother gushed. “But you haven’t spoken to her yet?”

“No, not yet. This pack…the Alpha and Luna are…strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m pretty sure they are chosen mates but their bond…it almost seems, well, repressed,” Jason sighed. He couldn’t think of a better word to describe it. “It’s not like your bond with dad and how strained it became. It’s like they are doing everything they can to deliberately weaken it.”

“If that’s true, it means the alpha most likely met his fated mate and rejected her before taking his chosen mate.”

“You think so? He had to know it would be risky.”

Aside from the advantages of a fated mate, there was another danger when it came to rejecting them and that was the possibility of losing one’s wolf entirely. Their wolf spirits hungered for their fated mates. If their human counterpart rejected that mate, it could drive their wolf insane. Their spirits became unpredictable or depressed, refusing to even communicate with their human half. Sometimes they completely lost the ability to shift. Other times they went feral and became a crazed rogue.

For an alpha, the risks were far too great. Why take such a gamble? Just what was the Rimrock Alpha thinking when he rejected his mate for another?

“You’re right to be cautious,” his mother intoned. “If he finds out your fated mate is a member of his pack, it could send his wolf over the edge. There’s no telling how it will react.”

‘Must protect Mate!’ Lobo growled.

“Cam guarded her place last night,” Jason said. “I’ll talk to her today and wrap up my visit as soon as I can.”

“Take your time and don’t rush the bond. Your mate deserves some romance before you sweep her away. Once I tell the pack you’ve found your Luna, they’ll settle down and prepare to welcome her.”

Jason grimaced. His pack had been waiting over thirty years for their Luna. Though his parents were fated mates, their pairing had been strained by his father’s previous indiscretions and his mother was never able to properly bond with the pack. Perhaps that was why it was so easy for Jason to assume control even though his father was still in his prime.

Jason had taken over his pack when he was twenty-one. He had been through warrior training and alpha training since he was twelve, but he was hardly ready for such responsibility. His father tried to deny it, but there was no hiding how even his wolf bowed to his son. Once Jason turned eighteen, his father finally accepted the truth and started preparing to officially hand over control of the pack.

For years, Jason managed his pack on his own, building their confidence and loyalty in stages until they were united under his leadership. Their bonds were strong but still lacking. The final piece was finally within his grasp: his Luna.

“Good luck, sweetheart,” his mother’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“Thanks. I’ll call you later.”

“You do that but don’t interrupt your time with your Luna. Use this time to establish and strengthen your bond. When you come back it is certain to be hectic and it will be more difficult to spend time together.”

“Right.”

“See you soon. And I can’t wait to meet her!”

“Bye mom.”

Jason hung up the phone. Running a hand through his hair, he headed to the bathroom. His mother said to use this time to establish his bond, but how? He had only given this pack a total of three days for a security assessment, so his schedule was tight, and it would look suspicious if he extended it without reason. After breakfast, he was supposed to evaluate their warriors and observe their training methods.

The full schedule hadn’t bothered him at the other packs, but now he realized how little time he had to simply mingle with the rest of the pack. He had to find time to meet his mate and speak with her. Lobo prowled the back of his mind, growling softly. They were both anxious to see their mate again. Which reminded him…

“Cam.”

“I’m here, Alpha.”

“How was last night?”

“Uneventful. Luna was up early though. She’s been awake for an hour already.”

“Is she…And what is she doing now?”

“Right now she’s sitting on her porch swing with a cup of herbal tea reading. I can’t see the book title from here though. Should I get closer?”

“No. Don’t disturb her. I suppose she’ll head to breakfast soon.”

“I don’t think so, Alpha. I smelled eggs and bacon earlier, so I’m pretty sure she made her own.”

Jason frowned. Made her own? It certainly wasn’t out of the ordinary for wolves to enjoy a private meal from time to time, especially if they lived away from the packhouse. However, wolves were social by nature. So far, the only ones his Luna spent time with were the pack’s pups. He wondered why.

Not to mention her scent in the packhouse was virtually non-existent. It seemed she avoided it as much as possible, but why would she do that? Wolves were not solitary by nature. Lobo whimpered at the thought of their mate being lonely. They should be with her.

“All right, Cam. Keep watch. I’ll send Luke to relieve you so you can eat.”

“Actually, if you just send him out with food I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I already know my mate isn’t here and after last night’s party I got a sense my kind wasn’t appreciated.”

Jason grimaced. Wolves generally didn’t hold the same prejudices as humans when it came to sexual orientation. Wolves judged others by their aura and ability rather than their bed partners, but some younger packs did harbor such views, especially if they associated closely with human settlements.

Such prejudice made it difficult for wolves like Cam, though he was more than capable of putting others in their place. For those who lacked pack status or physical strength to defend themselves, staying with their pack could be impossible, and sometimes they were even driven out, forced to become rogues, which was truly cruel.

Packs like Blue Moon worked to help such wolves transfer to other packs. In the day and age of computers and the internet, helping wolves forced out by such circumstances was even easier. In fact, the Strawberry Moon Pack in California made helping such wolves its mission, establishing a network of safe havens ensuring they could find a permanent home and their mates. Though Cam probably never thought about it, visiting the Rimrock Pack was a stark reminder he was lucky to be born in a pack like Blue Moon.

“Very well, I’ll let Luke know. Keep an eye on her.”

“Of course, Alpha. No one will harm our Luna.”

Jason’s lips twitched with a smile. It warmed him to know his pack members were already showing loyalty to their Luna when he hadn’t even spoken to her yet. As his mother said, she would be welcomed with open arms once he took her home. Lobo bristled with pride. Jason dressed and was ready by the time Luke knocked on his door.

“How’d you sleep?” Luke asked with a smirk.

Jason growled warning. His Beta was trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn’t helping. Questions had run through his mind all night and the urge to hold his mate wracked his every thought. He didn’t like she was so far away from the safety of the packhouse. One thing he knew for certain: he could not spend another night without her.

“Okay, bad joke,” Luke held up his hands in surrender.

He was; in fact, impressed by Jason’s self-control. When Luke first scented his mate he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. All night long he held his mate close, nuzzling her, kissing her and rubbing his scent over her before they mated and marked each other that very night, leaving the party early.

“My mother called,” Jason said.

“What happened?” Luke asked, immediately on edge.

“There was a breach. No casualties, but the pack is getting anxious.”

“Without their Alpha present I can understand why,” Luke nodded. Even with Ben, Jason’s sister and mother present, the pack would still be anxious without their Alpha, especially with no Luna to keep them calm. “So…what do you want to do?”

“I’m canceling the rest of the tour,” Jason said. “The one I’ve been looking for is here, so there is no need to continue with the charade. And the pack needs me home. Mom said not to rush, but I plan to head back as soon as possible.”

Luke nodded. Jason took the safety of his pack very seriously. It didn’t surprise him they would drop the rest of their schedule. But he also knew Jason was anxious since he hadn’t even had a conversation with his Luna yet. Somehow he had to introduce himself and convince her to leave her home to go with him. An Alpha could not live without his mate.

Normally, if a newly mated pair came from different packs, they would discuss which pack they wanted to join. But in this case there could be no discussion. Jason couldn’t simply stop being Alpha. It shouldn’t be too difficult with the bond pulling her to stay with her mate, but it was clear she was very attached to her pack, or at least the pups. Luke wasn’t certain how this would fall out.

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