Part 6
"So who is this Gertie and her husband you mentioned?" asked Hotch. "I figured out that they're werewolves and they helped you and your brothers out in some way, but other than that..."
"Gertie or Gertrude, how she hated that name and her husband Leo were lifesavers," said Spencer remembering them fondly. "Dylan suggested that we contact the local pack as soon as we arrived at MIT. It was better he said to approach them then it was for them to find out about us and he was right of course. It was better to contact the local pack then it would have been for them to just discover us as it wasn't like we were just passing through as we were going to be there for years getting our education.
"I won't say I wasn't nervous when we met the Alpha of the pack, whose name is Travis by the way, but unlike Mack, Travis welcomed us and when he heard our story he was extremely enraged. I and my brothers had thought that we'd be staying in the dorm and that one of us would be by ourselves or with a roommate who wasn't a werewolf on the full moon, and so we decided that when it came upon us that we'd be staying together and not leaving our dorm room making sure we locked it, of course.
"It would've been nice if we didn't have to change every full moon, but we didn't know a single place where moonlight wouldn't penetrate that we could do that, and we also didn't know about that particular trick back then. Well, once Travis had welcomed us, but saw how young we were, Gertie and Leo stepped forward and offered us room and board at their house.
"The two of them were an older couple at least in their 50s when we first met them and all their children were grown and out on their own. You can imagine I was kind of leery about taking them up on it considering that they might not be what they seemed to be, but we decided to give it a try on a trial basis at Travis's urging as he definitely approved and it was the best decision that the three of us ever made.
"Gertie and Leo were two of the most compassionate and kind people werewolf or human that the three of us had ever met at that time and started treating us as their own sons from the first. It took all three of us awhile to really trust them, me in particular, but because of their generosity we didn't have to stay in the dorm, which was a good thing as I have a pretty good idea of what would've happened if we'd had no other choice."
Likely bullying as young people and some older ones as well didn't like to be shown up by several someones that they would consider a bunch of snotnosed kids who did not belong there no matter how intelligent they were, Hotch thought although he didn't say it out loud as he listened to his mate's story.
"Leo bought us bikes and taught us to ride so that we could peddle them to classes, since we were too young to drive and even if we hadn't been we couldn't've afforded a car or the gas that goes in it. We protested that it was too much but Leo and Gertie insisted and in the face of their stubbornness what choice did we have, but to give in?
"The two of them did everything that good parents are supposed to do for their children and made sure we knew the way to the college, which was only a couple miles from where they lived and they didn't want us to ride the subway or a bus as both of those could be dangerous, especially at night. Of course, riding bikes could also be dangerous, but still it seemed like the safest option and the cheaper one to, since it didn't require fuel, or money to pay for the bus or the subway. All of us had agreed to a kind of trial basis to stay with them for two months and if things worked out we would stay there until we graduated.
"As you can tell we accepted as things more then worked out. It was them that convinced me that not all werewolves or humans were bad, or at least uncaring, as they always made sure that we got home safely, and even bought us laptops so we could do our homework quickly and effectively. When we graduated they were as proud as if they were our parents at our accomplishments and by that point we were starting to think of them as honorary grandparents. When it was time for us to be out on our own after we had gotten our diplomas they gave us seed money even though we protested, because they had done so much for us already.
"They gave us enough to be able to buy food and to travel to our destination as we already had jobs or in my case, a place at the Academy. I told both of them that I would pay them back, even if it was a little bit at a time and they told me not to worry about it that they were glad to do it. I still plan on paying them back for all they did for me and my brothers, because without them who knows what would have happened us?"
Hotch turned his mate's story over and over in his head and he knew that he would have to find someway to thank the older couple for all they had done for his mate and Travis the Alpha of the pack in Massachusetts too. Well, technically, Travis had just been doing his duty by them, which was more than Burke had ever done, but still he owed Gertie and Leo a lot and he would find some way to a repay them for their kindness.
"Well, I'm glad the pack in Massachusetts were so kind to you, which is how all Alpha's are supposed to be no matter where they are located," Hotch said. "Because you and your brothers approached the pack in that area and didn't leave it to them to come across the three of you accidentally and were polite, Travis went out of his way to help, which is the way it should be. If you hadn't introduced yourselves and had just come onto another pack's territory without letting them know you were there than they would have had a right to rip you apart legally or at least run you out of their territory, which probably would have been the case, since you were so young."
"I know that now, but I didn't back then," Spencer admitted. "It was Dylan that had read up on regular wolves at that time and since our two species are similar in many ways we figured we'd better act accordingly. I know I was the oldest and the one that usually led the three of us, but I always listened to my brothers opinions. One of the things that made me and my brothers accept Gertie and Leo's offer was that they didn't smell bad, you know like they had bad intentions."
"Yes, a werewolf nose is very sensitive and if someone had bad intentions, well, it seems to exude from their very skin," Hotch admitted. "People sweat when they are very nervous for whatever reason and they're also other bodily reactions, like a speeded up heartbeat that are easier to detect with a wolf's keen hearing and as had already been stated their sense of smell. Of course, sometimes people sweat for an honest reason, so it's not a perfect way to tell if somebody has ill intentions, but still a good one so long as you don't depend on only that."
"Still, the wolf in me seemed to like them and that was a good indication that their offer was genuine and Dylan and Trev agreed, so we accepted. The wolf in me is certainly a much better judge of character than the human part of me despite my good observational skills that helps me tell a person's intentions, so I've learned to trust it."
"Yes, that part of you is much better at detecting if someone is telling the truth and being honest," Hotch agreed. "I certainly use it a lot in my work and people have always been amazed that I'm so good at detecting when somebody is lying or at least not being completely truthful, even when their body language doesn't give them away."
"It's one of the reasons that I decided to trust you so easily, mate bond or not," Spencer told him and Hotch who nodded, for he had suspected as much.
"As we get to know each other you'll know without having to use your instincts that I am completely trustworthy because to betray you would be to betray myself and trust me, neither one of us would live through the experience of us separating on a permanent basis," Hotch explained.
"I know," Spencer admitted softly. "I instinctively trusted you beyond any reasonable measure from the moment we met and I know in my heart that to leave you would be like ripping out half my own soul and I told my two brothers as much to."
"Good, I'm glad you're listening to the wolf in you, as in this case, it knows better than the human part of you. It is your wolf after all who is the mate of mine and the humans in us are just along for the ride," Hotch said. "I'm glad you know in the wolfish part of you that I will never betray or leave you, so now we just have to work on convincing your human half of that, just because you've always gone by that part of you instead of your wolf instincts, although I can understand why you did."
"Well, before now the wolf part of me was just an inconvenience, although I have to admit it was better at sensing peoples intentions and I did use it for that. I doubt very much that the three of us ever would have approached the Alpha of the pack or agreed to living with Gertie and Leo was probably the best thing for us, if the wolves in all of us hadn't sensed that they had no ill intentions. Human instincts and observational skills after all can be fooled, no matter how good or finely tuned they both are."
"The wolf can be fooled too, although it's a lot harder," Hotch admitted. "Really all werewolves use both the wolf and their own observational skills and instinct to sense somebody's intentions, since really we are the perfect blend of wolf and human and as I told your brothers the two are so intertwined that it's impossible to separate the two. The wolf is a part of me, even in my human form, although you'll learn that I transform often and not just on the full moon. I hope you'll join me when I do transform and learn to love that part of you just like most werewolves do that were raised in a pack."
"I always considered that part of me an inconvenience as I said a few minutes ago, but now that I have someone to share it with, well, besides, my brothers..." Spencer paused as if thinking deeply and then added, "Perhaps, I will learn to love my wolf form just as much as you do."
"I hope you do and I'll be happy to show you the good side of being what we are whenever we have free time, although I realize that we don't get as much of that as we might like," Hotch said.
"Well, I do know some good things," Spencer admitted thoughtfully. "I know unlike werewolves portrayed in books and movies, we're not uncontrollable beasts, even when we are forced to change on the full moon. I remember simply laying quietly on the couch or the bed of wherever I was and just kind of snoozing. Of course, when we were in Massachusetts going to college me and Dylan and Trev ran with the pack, every full moon, although there would've been no way we could do that if we had actually been in the dorms that were part of the college, since there is a curfew. We could have chosen to sneak out sometime, but the odds of us not getting caught, eventually... Really getting free room and board from Gertie and her husband was the best possible thing that could've happened to us."
"I agree," Hotch said. "You are lucky to find such a sympathetic Alpha, although most of them who run their own packs should feel that way, after you and your brothers told them your story, because most Alphas that run packs are good ones, but as you know from personal experience there is an occasional bad one. The pack I grew up in never would have thrown three pups out of it, and their behavior would have just been gently corrected if they had done something wrong. Also bullying is not allowed within the pack and just because say you're an Omega and the other pup is an Alpha does not mean that the Alpha is allowed to bully someone that they see as weaker then they are. Your pack from what you have told me seems poorly mismanaged. I'm actually surprised that Travis didn't teach you how to hunt, track, to move silently and other wolfish skills, since he allowed the three of you to run with the pack in Massachusetts on the full moon."
"I believe that he expected us to ask him, even if he just assumed at first that we did know these things, though I'm sure he guessed that we did not, after we'd been running with the pack a few times. I'm sure the three of us seemed like bulls in a China shop compared to the other wolves of the pack, but we were never picked on if that was the case."
"The Alpha probably told the other werewolves of the pack not to pick on you because you had never learned things that all pups are taught, due to a bad Alpha," Hotch suggested. "If I was an Alpha of my own pack, which I have no desire to be, that's what I would've done. Travis wouldn't have had to go into any details as most werewolves know precisely what can happen when a bad Alpha has control over a pack and so I'm sure they came up with multiple scenarios on their own, because we are taught as pups as it is part of our history."
"I've learned a few things over the years mostly thanks to Gertie and Leo about werewolves and how we came to be, but it's not like we had time for history lessons with our courseload and all the tutoring we did in order to have some money of our own as we couldn't just depend on the couple we were staying with. Even at 13 all three of us were pretty independent, but then we'd had to be. All three of us felt that Gertie and Leo were doing too much for us already and we didn't want them to give us even more money. I mean they'd already bought us bikes and taught us to ride, checked up on us, bought us cell phones and laptops, so they could keep in touch with us and we could call them if we were going to be extra late, because of a tutoring session or something else. They even gave us money for emergencies in case we were late so that we could take a cab, as riding a bike at say 10 o'clock at night was not safe. I am so grateful to them because without them..."
"Hey! Think of the positive instead of what could have happened," Hotch suggested, before Spencer could continue. "Think of the fact that because of your intelligence you got yourself into a very good situation. All three of you were more intelligent at seven or eight then most adults are at 30, even though I realize that you had to be. However, most children aren't as intelligent as you and definitely wouldn't have known what to do if the same situation with one of their parents leaving had occurred, especially if their other parent had some kind of disease that incapacitated them most of the time like your mother's did. In any case, I owe Gertie and Leo a lot and I'm going to find someway to repay them, for their kindness, compassion and generosity."
"You don't have to do that," Spencer protested.
"You are my mate and it is an Alpha's responsibility to take care of their weaker partner and that's not a snub against you at all, it's just the way it is in a werewolf pack. I won't deny that in most situations you are able to take care of yourself, but you don't have an Alpha's strength or their rather forceful personality and there's nothing wrong with that. Just think of how I bathed and fed you after we had mated and you'll get an idea of what I mean. The wolf in you made you not protest and say you could do it yourself because your instincts were telling you it was only right."
Spencer thought back to just a week ago and how he had been startled when the warm water had touched his skin and how he had been startled awake afraid until he had spotted the face of Aaron Hotchner hovering above him. He still couldn't explain, even to himself why he had immediately relaxed or why the protests that he had been about to utter about him being able to take care of himself had never left his lips. He remembered that the wolf in him had been extremely happy at the gentle touch and attention of his mate and how it had felt so right, so utterly perfect that the wolf in him was practically panting in happiness.
He remembered the wolf in him convincing him not to protest and that Aaron taking care of him like this was only natural and that this was what every Alpha mate did for their weaker and more submissive partner and his Alpha would be insulted if he did protest. Spencer remembered how Aaron had gently washed him from head to toe even washing his hair and after that was done how he had been tenderly carried and laid on one side of the bed, the side that had now become his. He remembered being patted dry by a soft towel and how Aaron had gently pulled the light sheet over him kissing him on the cheek before disappearing somewhere.
He remembered being woken up, he wasn't sure how long later and being gently encouraged to eat, although all he had wanted was to curl back up and go back to sleep because he had been so exhausted. He only vaguely remembered Aaron climbing into bed with him a few minutes after that as he had been sleeping rather deeply and had only woken up a little when he felt the other side of the bed compress, although he had immediately gone back to sleep.
He had woken up with Aaron curled against his back and his arm protectively slung over his side and he remembered never being so happy and contented in his life.
"So the reason you did that was because it's an Alpha's responsibility to take care of their weaker mate," Spencer summarized trying to figure out how he felt about that.
"Only when they're in need of it like when they're really exhausted," Hotch explained. "No matter how shaky an Alpha's legs are or how exhausted they feel it's up to them to prove that they are strong enough to take care of their spouse or partner, even when they feel like all they want to do is sleep for a week. I know how independent you are, and considering your upbringing I really can't blame you, but this is just something that only happens between mates, Lifemates, not just two werewolves who get married and have a few children. The urge to take care of your partner, only comes upon an Alpha when they have discovered the other half of their soul and it doesn't apply if they're married to a human or even another werewolf, if that werewolf is not the Alpha's Lifemate."
"So it's an instinct then," Spencer said, as that made sense once he had thought about it.
"It is. I enjoyed every moment of taking care of you and I always will," Hotch said, kissing his mate gently.
"Well, far be it for me to go against your instincts," Spencer finally said and Hotch relaxed knowing that was Spencer's way of accepting the situation which meant he wouldn't protest when he took care of him when he was truly exhausted or injured. "I just hope the rest of the team never finds out about it or I'll be teased forever, by Morgan in particular. I can already tell that Morgan is going to enjoy teasing me about just about everything, even if he doesn't mean it maliciously."
"It will be something private just between us," Hotch promised. "The rest of the team wouldn't understand anyway my urge to take care of you like that as they don't know about the werewolf thing and mustn't ever to find out, since it is against pack laws, unless of course, they marry into a werewolf family."
"You know as much as I hate to admit it I missed sleeping with you when we were on that case the other day. I don't know how I could get so used to sleeping with someone so fast, but if I hadn't been so exhausted at the end of the day I just know I would have tossed and turned and I actually did one night when I wasn't as tired as the rest of them."
"Yeah, I know, I didn't sleep well either," Hotch admitted, "as I missed cuddling up against you and also waking you up in the middle of the night to make love to you. The wolf in me craved your presence and it was very hard to calm down enough for me to be able to sleep."
Spencer blushed, as he remembered his and Aaron's mating very well, but now with his mate's words he knew it was going to be a regular occurrence for him to be woken up at least once in the middle of the night to make love. Spencer admitted if only to himself that he wouldn't mind that in the least and that he was looking forward to it
"I'm afraid though, it's just going to be that way until the rest of the team finds out about our relationship as me and Gideon have always shared a room usually one that has two double beds and believe me, when I say I'd much rather share a room with you, then with Gideon, even if the two of us sleep separately.
"So that means JJ as the only female that travel with us has a room to herself and so did Morgan or at least he did before I joined the team," Spencer said.
"In a year or two it will be different and we'll be sharing a room once the team learns about our relationship, but until then we'll just have to put up with the tossing and turning," said Hotch. "I don't like this situation either, but there's no changing it, so we'll just have to accept it until the time comes. The wolf in me doesn't like to be denied access to his mate, but I am well practiced in controlling that part of me, for if I wasn't I could never do what I do, because I would tear some of our unsubs to shreds, particularly pedophiles."
"Well, really a year or two isn't too bad, although I know it is still going to be hard," said Spencer. "I'm sure it will pass quickly. Gideon is not going to like it though, when he does find out if everything you've told me about him is accurate. Don't worry I believe it, as you know him much better than I do," Spencer added hastily.
"Don't worry I'm not insulted," Hotch said with a smile. "You're a lot like me and don't want to accept anybody else's impression of someone and want to come up with your own and there is nothing wrong with that, because the other person's impressions of someone might not be accurate as they are colored by a lot of things."
"Yes, a person's attitude and outlook on life, their emotions, whether they are good at reading people accurately..." Spencer said.
"And in order to do that you need to be calm and not emotional," Hotch added. "If you take an instant dislike to a someone, it doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't a good person, just that you don't like the person's attitude or are jealous of their popularity or for some other reason."
"Humans don't really need a reason to hate or dislike someone," Spencer said knowing this from experience. "Werewolves either for that matter."
"So the full moon is tomorrow night are you looking forward to it?" asked Hotch. "Well, if we don't catch a case tomorrow," Hotch amended.
"Well, kind of," Spencer said slowly. "I'm really nervous about meeting the Alpha of the local pack, even if you have assured me that Rolf will accept me. I suppose I will always be nervous about meeting new werewolves until I actually get to know them. It would be nice to have some werewolves, even as casual friends or even close ones, besides, my brothers, Gertie, Leo and now you. Still, I'm not holding my breath that any of them, besides, the Alpha are going to accept me."
"I have a lot of friends among the werewolves and while they might be surprised that my mate is male, they won't think anything of it really and once they get to know you they will love you just in a different way then I do."
"If you say so," Spencer said with doubt in his voice.
"You'll see," Hotch said knowing that there was no way he could convince his mate that the werewolves that gathered on the full moon to run together would accept him. Not all of them of course, but those within his close circle of acquaintances certainly would and also the Alpha and his mate and their word was law within the pack. Hotch couldn't really blame his mate for his doubt considering his childhood upbringing. If only…
Hotch cut that thought off, because he had been thinking similar things ever since he had met his mate and he was sure he would continue do so for quite awhile. However, the lack of his mate growing up within a pack due to the Alpha and also Reid's father just made him want to go to Las Vegas and tear the Alpha to shreds and William Reid as well.
"Spencer, there is something I need to tell you before we go for the full moon tomorrow," Hotch began having been trying to figure out a way to tell his mate about the unattached females that swarmed around him as soon as he went to one of these things. He didn't want to make Spencer believe that he would prefer one of those females to him, which was nowhere near the truth. Still, that was likely what Spencer would believe that at least until they got to know each other better. Finally Hotch decided there was no way to be gentle about it and being blunt was likely not the best way, but the only way.
"What's that?" Spencer asked curiously seeing that Hotch was nervous and in the short time he had known the man he knew that his mate normally didn't get nervous, so in other words, whatever Aaron had to say couldn't be good.
"I just wanted to warn you that when we go for the full moon tomorrow, that there will be some females that have been trying to get my attention for several years. I didn't want you to be caught by surprise and think that I prefer one of them over you, because that couldn't be any farther from the truth. A lot of them have gotten discouraged or have found mates or partners of their own and now leave me alone, but they're still two or three that are being very persistent no matter how often I turn them down."
"Does this happen to any of the other male werewolves?" asked Spencer carefully.
"Yes, it does, but eventually most of the males that the females follow around get tired of it and so go out of their way to avoid them or a eventually picks one of them in order to have a relationship with them for awhile anyway and in that way we're really no different from humans. I'm not really sure if the females that have been persistent in trying to get my attention ever since I moved into this area, will stop bothering me once I tell them that I'm officially taken or will keep it up."
"I thought you told me that nobody messes with a mated couple?" Spencer asked.
"And what I told you was nothing but the absolute truth," Hotch promised him. "However, many werewolves are of the opinion that two men cannot be officially mated and that no such bond can exist between those of the same-sex. However, what those werewolves believe and what is actually true are two totally different things."
Spencer considered that quietly his keen mind working rapidly through every scenario he could think of, but he believed what Aaron was telling him because what his mate said was true, because people could think two different things and what one person believed was true wasn't necessarily correct and vice versa of course.
"I'm afraid that a lot of parents don't teach their pups that their mates can be the same-sex they are because they don't like to think of them with someone that isn't of the opposite sex. Even if the parents do teach them that liking your own sex is okay, sometimes pups don't believe it," Hotch said.
"Yes, I can see that happening very easily," Spencer said after moment. "It happens in human families after all, so why not in werewolf families as well?"
"Especially since we are just as much human as we are wolf," Hotch added, thinking that his mate was accepting this pretty easily considering. But then he knew Spencer was an intelligent man and also a calm one, as he wasn't going to lose his temper, just because Hotch told him about the females that he had chasing after him. In fact, Spencer wasn't surprised at all, because it was just the way that the human race was programed and that was to go after any unattached handsome male or beautiful female and Spencer would know that and sometimes females would go after attached ones as well not caring if they were off the market.
"What we need to do is declare it," Hotch suggested just having thought of it.
"What do you mean declare it?" asked Spencer with a raised eyebrow wondering if Hotch meant what he thought he did.
Hotch again cursed Spencer's lack of upbringing in his head, but replied calmly, "Well, we announce it, when there are a lot of other werewolves around, which is almost always on the full moon. It's only happened a few times, because not many werewolves find their Lifemate at least in this area, but it is tradition to announce that we are officially off the market permanently in front of a bunch of other werewolves. Since we usually only get together on the full moon where there is like a hundred or more of us, that's usually when it's done, because word will then spread and we'll be thought of as nothing other than friends or associates after that. Declaring it should make even those persistent females back off and I curse myself for not thinking of it sooner. If they don't back off after we declare that our relationship is a permanent one, since that only happens when a wolf has found their Lifemate and if they persist in their pursuit of me, we can complain to Rolf the Alpha and they can be thrown out of the pack. At the least the Alpha could use his voice on them to make them obey and they wouldn't like that at all. The Alpha of the pack as you know has authority to make sure his orders are obeyed and if somebody still persists in their behavior, even after they've been warned a few times then they can be thrown out of the pack."
"That seems rather harsh," Spencer commented, "especially for what seemed like such a minor offence."
"Well, think of a declaration like an announcement of marriage. If you were married in the human way would you want some female or even another man to continue to pursue the person you were married to even if you or your spouse had made it more than obvious that they weren't interested in cheating by having a relationship outside the marriage?" asked Hotch.
"No, definitely not," Spencer answered immediately not even having to think about it.
"Well, in a way, being mated is like being married in the human world, except with the difference that there is no divorce as such, as it's not possible between two Lifemates," Hotch said. "Lifemate's never cheat on each other and no matter how many females continue to pursue me, although most of those will be human, they aren't about to get what they want. The reason I am telling you this now is I wanted you to be aware that I have had several female werewolves trying to get me into their clutches for several years, but even if you and I hadn't met I have absolutely no interest in pursuing a relationship with any of them and have told them so on multiple occasions."
Spencer considered that for a moment seeming deep in thought then came to a decision, one that immediately felt right and the wolf in him definitely approved, while Hotch waited anxiously.
"As I told you a week ago I trust you unless you prove to me that you can't be and therefore, that extends to these circumstances," Spencer told the older man causing him to relax. "I suggest that we declare it as soon as possible, because I will not have any female trying to take what is mine!"
The last word was said in an almost threatening tone that actually caused Hotch to chuckle a little mostly from relief.
"I am yours, heart, body and soul," Hotch swore firmly, kissing Spencer firmly on the mouth.
"I know," Spencer said more calmly. "If you had not told me about those females that have been chasing you before the full moon tomorrow night, then my reaction would likely have been very different, but since you did warn me, well, I'll be aware and watch very closely any females that approach you. I need to be aware of which ones to watch out for after all."
"You think they might try to scare you off," Hotch said with certainty in his tone.
"It's just a possibility and if you hadn't thought of it, I'm surprised, because you know more about werewolf customs and traditions than I do," Spencer said.
"I would have," Hotch admitted, "but I have been distracted for the last week or so. I really don't think the females that have been chasing me will go that far, because whether they believe in Lifemates or not. Once we declare it we are both off limits to anyone who wants more than friendship and there are serious consequences if they do continue trying to get me to sleep with them. If one of them puts their hands on me without my permission for instance and tried to kiss me, which has happened a few times with other females that finally gave up, after they were firmly rebuffed one too many times. Well, on those occasions I was a lot less polite than I normally am and actually made one of them cry. I was sorry, that I had made the woman in question cry, but if she hadn't kissed me like that well then I wouldn't have been so rough. After all I am not the only handsome man out there."
"I see there are some silly females among werewolves just like they are humans," Spencer said trying not to chuckle at the scene that caused to form in his head. Of course, the scene Aaron had described had happened before they had met and mated and if it happened when he was standing close by he would make sure that that female knew that Aaron was his and she would regret ever having tried as he could cut her down with a few words.
"I'm afraid that silliness or lack intelligence or at least common sense is not exclusive to humans as some werewolves suffer from it as well. We are partly human after all and some females or men for that matter just enjoy the chase and don't want to make a commitment to a specific person. I've always had females trying to get my attention, but most of them backed off when I firmly rebuffed them. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule as you know. I'm not saying that the females that keep chasing me aren't intelligence, just that they want to bed me and if I had given in that would've been the end of it for most of them."
"So they take your rebuffs as playing hard to get," Spencer summarized.
"More or less, although you would think as many times as I've rebuffed some of them by now they would get the point," Hotch said with a shake of his head. "There are plenty of fish in the sea after all, and I'm not the only handsome man out there, not even in the werewolf pack."
"So you believe that declaring it will get those few females that are still chasing you to give up?"
"It should," Hotch said shrugged, "and if it doesn't then those females aren't as intelligent as I believe them to be, because after all they know our laws and traditions, just as well as most other werewolves because all of them were raised in packs. It is a very rare occurrence for a wolf to not be raised in a pack like what happened to you and your brothers and if they aren't then they usually don't live very long."
"You can be perfectly intelligent and still be incredibly silly," Spencer said and Hotch nodded in wholehearted agreement.
"Some women take the men's rebuff as if a challenge has been issued," Hotch agreed. "At least with so many people there it is easier to avoid them for the most part as they're usually at least 100 or 150 people are there every full moon, and sometimes considerably more, it's usually quite the crowd."
Spencer gulped nervously.
"There's no reason to be nervous you will be accepted for if they do not accept you, then they do not accept me, as that's the way it works in a pack. If one mate is rejected so is the other one. Besides, the Alpha's word is law as you know and so as long as Rolf accepts you then the rest of the werewolves will to. Really, our laws are pretty simple compared to the human ones and there are certain things that are just not acceptable, bullying being one of them. The punishment for it could be quite severe depending on the situation," Hotch soothed his mate, though he couldn't really blame his mate for his apprehension.
"I sincerely hope you're right," Spencer said.
"I am and there are several other Omegas that are part of the pack in this area and they are accepted and that's just as it should be," Hotch said.
"Those Omegas you mentioned probably aren't going after something another werewolf wants," Spencer pointed out grimly. "I know enough about human nature to realize that when somebody intensely wants something they're capable of murder. Humans obsess about things all the time, even another human and that's led to murder before. I doubt very much that werewolves are different in that regard."
"No, they're not," Hotch said his voice a growl, "but if they dare lay one unwanted finger on you they will regret the day they were born."
"So why don't we just not leave the side of the other at least until I get to know some people," Spencer suggested logically. "I doubt very much that those females will dare try anything with you standing beside me and glaring at them. I've seen how people react when you glare at them enough times over the last week to know that it makes people very nervous at the very least."
"I've tried that before and while it makes those females very nervous they are always coming back for more, even if that's not until the next full moon," Hotch said.
"Which just proves that they're not very intelligent because your glare makes me nervous and it has never been directed my way. The way you glared at that police officer several days ago, because he was being deliberately obtuse and uncooperative made him extremely nervous and me to, even though I knew it wasn't directed at me. You have the most terrifying glare I have ever seen, which I know is just an extension of your rather forceful personality."
"What can I say it has come in useful over the years," Hotch chuckled wickedly causing Spencer to feel heat spread between his legs in his groin area making him desperate to relieve himself. Whoever knew that somebody's chuckle could do that to a person, but his mate's sure did. "I developed it after I came to work at the BAU several years ago and it has come in handy a few times."
"Well, I can certainly understand why it makes people nervous at the very least, even me and it wasn't even directed my way," Spencer said.
"It shouldn't make you nervous you know, because I'll never use it on you like I will on other people. The only reason I used it on that police officer a few days ago was because he was being deliberately annoying by acting as if he didn't understand the orders he was given or the request that was made and over the years I've learned that some officers of the law, do that just because they resent our presence. It's their way of making our lives as difficult as possible without being openly defiant, which could get them written up and that would be a permanent black mark on their records."
"I can understand why some police officers act like that," Spencer said. "As I'm sure you know some FBI agents have a arrogant attitudes and they push the local cops aside and take over. I'm not saying that all FBI agents are like that, not even most of them, but the ones that do give the whole agency a bad name and word spreads. I know, because of the bad apples in the agency, the team has to prove themselves almost every single time, just so they can get the job done."
"You're right of course," Hotch agreed amazed yet again at how intelligent his mate was.
The two of them fell silent for the rest of the ride back to Hotch's house, which was pretty far from where the two of them along with Spencer's brothers had had dinner.
~~~The Alpha Werewolf and his Mate~~~