Hi everyone. I would like to thank all those that have taken the time to review this fiction. It feels great to know you're enjoying it and also they let me know if people are still reading it. So don't forget to send me a few words so I know you'd like more.

It feels to me that all the chapters, including this one, have been set up chapters to me and those are the toughest for me to get through. But, good new is, now that this chapter is done, the fiction will be getting into some heavier themes and violent times and those I find more fun to write. Hope you enjoy this next one. Let me know!

The Den

"Baby, it looks great. Now can we get something to eat?" Lucas said as Sophia was putting the finishing touches on her mural. Every time she looked at it she would notice more and more that she wanted to add. Tonight was opening night for the club and she wanted it to be perfect.

"Just one… sec," said answered absentmindedly. After dabbing the eyes of one of the wolves, she stood and frowned. "I can't get the color of Ruby's eyes right!"

"It looks right to me," Lucas said, coming up from behind her and wrapping his arms about her waist. "Stop being such a perfectionist. Tyler's got all sorts of colored lights set up anyway, so none of the wolves are going to look the same when it's night."

She bit her bottom lip, still not satisfied.

"Come on," Lucas said as he pulled her towards the door. "If we don't eat and change now, we'll be real late tonight."

On their way out they passed the bar where Tyler was sitting and looking very frustrated at the bartending trials. Tyler had about four skin walker candidates behind the bar, making him drinks that he would test. "No, no, no," Tyler groaned, "that's not right either, too much vodka in this one." Tyler turned his head when Lucas and Sophia came into view.

"All done?" he asked Sophia.

"Yeah, according to Lucas," she said, shooting Lucas a disgruntled look. "Have you narrowed down your choice?" she asked Tyler.

"This is fucking frustrating," Tyler said. "These guys mix martinis at the Rendezvous and they think they know everything about bartending. I don't want to have to do it myself, but it's looking pretty grim."

An idea came to Sophia just then. "You know Tyler, Paulo worked as a bartender for awhile in a club in Florence. Maybe he could fill in until you find someone else."

Both Tyler and Lucas looked at her strangely. "What?" she asked. "If you have a better idea then let me hear it."

Tyler sighed and looked at the four oafs behind the bar arguing with each other about the right way to make a Fuzzy Navel. He wasn't thrilled at having an ungulate here but he didn't want opening night to be ruined by incompetence.

Lucas, however, shook his head and said, "Not a good idea Sophia. Remember what happened last time he was at a clan party?"

"Well, this is a club," Sophia said. "There will be security. Besides, the only one who had a problem with Paulo was Randy. Everyone else loved him. I think he'd make a terrific bartender."

Lucas still didn't feel convinced.

Tyler threw up his hands and shrugged, "What the hell! He couldn't be worse than these clowns. Can you get him here by 7:30? I'll give him a trial run."

"I'll try. First I have to convince him to do it!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Paulo accepted after many reassurances that he'd be safe and now found himself riding in Luke's speedboat across the lake towards the club. Lucas drove while Sean, Sarah, Sophia and Paulo sat talking. The actual club wouldn't be open until 8:30 p.m. but they had to be there early to get Paulo settled behind the bar.

"Finally, someplace more exciting to go than the Rendezvous," Sean said. "Wolf Lake really needs this club. Let the old folks have their lounge music."

"There it is," Sophia pointed so that Paulo could find it.

"The Den?" Paulo said. "That's the name? I suppose it's appropriate."

The boat pulled up to the dock and they all piled out and headed up the path to the front door. Buddy Hooks let them in and then locked up behind them. Tyler sauntered up and said, "Paulo, good to see you again."

Paulo looked surprised, considering the way Tyler treated him at Thanksgiving. But he supposed he'd let bygones be bygones.

Sophia patted Paulo on the back and said, "Show him what you got." Paulo smiled at her and nodded as he followed Tyler to the bar.

"Let's go to my office," Lucas said to the other three and they headed straight across the club and through a door. Behind this door loomed a large room that used to serve as a sort of warehouse. It now contained tables and chairs, sofas and pool tables. This room was considered the 'back room' of the club and a place to hang out when you didn't feel like dancing. Along the one side were rows of doors that opened to private offices. There was a security office, Tyler's office, Ruby's office, Lucas's office, and an employee's lounge area.

When they pushed open the door to Luke's office they were surprised to find Presley sitting on a sofa looking distraught.

"Presley?" Lucas said. "You're an hour early. What are you doing here?"

"Can I talk to you alone?" she asked, a worried expression on her face. All four of them were looking intently at her, trying to read her mind. But she was doing a good job shielding.

"Sophia's my mate. Anything you have to say can be said in front of her," Lucas said sternly.

Presley sniffled and shrugged. It was obvious that she had been crying.

Lucas looked at Sean and Sarah. "We'll wait out here," Sean said as he turned and left with Sarah holding his hand.

Lucas sat at his desk and Sophia sat on one of knees, looking at Presley and waiting for her to speak. "So what's wrong?" Lucas asked.

"I'm pregnant," Presley snapped. "And it's your fault!"

Sophia gasped and jumped out of Lucas's lap, glaring daggers at him.

"What the fuck?" Lucas said in surprise of Sophia's reaction. "I haven't touched her." He whipped a deadly face towards Presley and said, "Do you have a death wish? You better tell Sophia the truth."

Presley looked at Sophia, enjoying her distress a few moments longer and then said, "I didn't mean Lucas was the father. What I meant is that he allowed it to happen!" She said those last words angrily.

Lucas held out his hand to Sophia. "Come back here baby. You know I'll never cheat on you."

Sophia felt foolish for allowing herself to believe otherwise and she went back to his lap, giving him a kiss and then putting her head on his shoulder. With his mate reassured, Lucas now turned back to Presley and said, "How is it my fault?"

"You ordered me to submit! Remember?" Presley snapped.

"If I didn't you might have killed Randy that night," Lucas answered. "What kind of life would you'd of had then Presley? Killing off your true mate?"

"He… is… not… my… mate…" she yelled.

"Don't yell at me again Presley," Lucas warned. "You won't like the consequence."

Presley crossed her arms and settled back on the sofa, still looking angry. Lucas looked at her a moment and then said, "Why haven't you gone to my mother?"

"Because she would force me to marry Randy immediately," Presley said. "I don't want to be married yet. I don't want to be having pups yet."

"There's no other option Presley," Lucas said. "You have to mate with him now." He watched as a growing look of disbelief crossed her face. Then he added, "You've been foolish to reject him. He is your true mate Presley. No one else will make you as happy as he can. If you mate with someone else, you'll never be satisfied."

Presley sprang to her feet. "I won't do it!" she said. "I'll run!" She headed for the door.

Lucas had already warned Sean on his mental pathway and when Presley opened the door, Sean was standing there, blocking her way. She extended her claws and tried to swipe at him but Lucas was now behind her, grabbing her biceps and pulling her back into the office while she struggled.

She was starting to transform but Lucas yelled, "Presley, I order you to stop! Sophia, get a tranquilizer from my drawer."

"But she's pregnant," Sophia said in alarm. "What if it hurts the pups?"

"It won't," Sean said as he lifted Presley's feet off the ground and helped Lucas bring her back to the sofa.

"No! No!" yelled Presley. "I can't do it. I can't do it!" Presley cried, tears streaming from her eyes as Lucas took the tranquilizer needle from Sophia and stuck it in Presley's neck. They waited until she had gone limp.

"Damn it," swore Lucas as he stood back up. "This is just great!" Then he sighed and said to Sophia, "Alright, you and Sarah stay here at the club and Sean and I will take Presley to my mom. Then Sean and I are going to have to shower and change again because Randy will get violent if he smells her on us. Then we need to contact Randy and his parents and get them over to my house along with Presley's parents." He took Sophia in his arms and hugged her, "I'm sorry baby. I might be awhile. Save some dances for me, o.k.?"

Sophia gave him a half smile and replied, "Don't worry, I'm not about to drive you crazy dancing with other males. I'll just dance with Sarah."

The guys gave their mates more kisses and then carried Presley outside to the boat. Sophia and Sarah watch them go with a heavy heart.

Hurry back, Sophia projected to Lucas.

I will. Believe me, I don't want to be there when Presley wakes up," Lucas replied.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I just don't get it," Sarah said. "Why doesn't she accept Randy when it's so obvious they belong together?"

Sophia shrugged. They had been sitting at the bar waiting for the guys to return. At first they talked to Paulo who had seemed to impress Tyler enough to stay, but now Paulo was busy serving drinks to the throng of people that now pressed into the club. The club opened an hour and a half ago and the girls kept checking in on their mental pathways with their mates. It was getting harder and harder to communicate with them however, now that they had managed to put away a few drinks and the music was very loud.

Everyone else seemed to be having such a good time and Sophia felt bummed as she watched the teens on the dance floor. She should be out there with Lucas, she thought. She felt angry that Presley had managed to ruin her evening. But then she felt guilty for feeling that way when she thought about what Presley must be going through.

Finally she reached over and took Sarah's hand. "Come Sarah, let's dance. Why shouldn't we try to enjoy ourselves?" The girls made their way towards the middle of the dance floor and instinctively everyone moved away, careful not to get their scent on the Alpha and Beta females.

There was about four feet of clear space all around them as they danced, which seemed to put them even more in the spotlight. Sarah and Sophia began to feel the music move through them and their bodies became fluid and sensual as the beat drummed around them. Everyone else around them kept glancing at the two sexy females in the center and their own bodies followed suit. Many were embracing, grinding, touching to the rhythms that made their lithe skin walker bodies curl around each other and release breathless sighs.

Tyler was very pleased at how things were going so far. The turnout was big and it seemed that everyone was having a good time. He really enjoyed watching the sensual dances of the teens as it brought back memories of his own younger days. When the teens looked like they were about to have sex, he approached them and told them to take it into the back room.

A commotion at the door drew his attention and he strode over to Buddy's side. Outside, some skin walkers from another territory wanted to enter. "It's alright Buddy. Let them come," Tyler said. Tyler recognized some of them from some of his other dealings and shook their hands in welcome. "Welcome to The Den," Tyler announced.

A guy named Eddie smirked at Tyler, "We heard Wolf Lake was taking the wolf out of the wilderness."

"Ah, but the wilderness is only right outdoors," Tyler indicated, as if he were saying 'If you don't like it, then leave'.

Eddie only stepped in further and looked at the teens on the dance floor.

Tyler knew Eddie's type. In fact, Eddie reminded Tyler of himself at that age. Not a good sign. When he noticed Eddie staring at Sophia and Sarah dancing he said, "Those two are off limits."

"Says who?" Eddie said.

"That would be their mates, the Alpha and Beta," Tyler smirked.

"That's Lucas's female?" Eddie asked.

"That's right," Tyler said in a bored voice.

Eddie shook his head, "That's one prime piece of ass."

"Don't let anyone else hear you say that around here," Tyler warned. "They'll rip you up. Sophia's well liked." Tyler glanced up to the catwalk above and his eyes caught the gaze of Ruby standing up there staring down at him.

Why don't you throw him out for insulting Sophia? Ruby sent to him on their mental pathway.

It was just guy talk, sweetheart. Besides, I wouldn't be a very good business man if I started throwing customers out for something so petty," Tyler replied to her. He felt a twinge of remorse, however, when Ruby turned her back and walked away.

Eddie and his friends walked off to the bar, leaving Tyler free to go smooth his wife's ruffled feathers.

Just then Lucas strode in with Sean behind him. Everyone could feel the power of the Alpha male whenever he stepped into a room and all heads turned in his direction. Lucas and Sean made a beeline for Sarah and Sophia in the middle of the dance floor as everyone scooted away even farther from the powerful couples. They kissed their mates and whispered in their ears, causing looks of surprise on both Sarah and Sophia's faces.

Then Lucas stood tall with his arm around Sophia and signaled for the D.J. to shut off the music. He looked around at everyone with a pleased expression and said, "Everyone, I want to introduce Wolf Lake's newest mated couple, Randy and Presley.

Randy and Presley now walked into the club arm in arm, smiling at all the cheers they were receiving. Sophia and Sarah looked at Presley as if she had just grown horns. Presley looked happy! Sophia and Sarah looked at each and Sophia said, "What happened? Did Sherman alter her mind or something? Either that or she's the biggest wacko I've ever known."

"Well, Sherman didn't do anything to her mind," Sean said.

Then Lucas added, "I think the wacko explanation is closer to the truth. But then again, females are often that way."

Sophia laughed and thumped his chest playfully with her fist. "What really happened?"

"It was strange," Lucas said. "With all the families there and then Randy practically jumping for joy at her pregnancy, she totally changed directions. It did seem wacko to me."

"Well, at least she can feel secure about her future now," Sophia added.

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Hope you enjoyed that chapter. In the next chapter: a tragedy occurs that will throw our happy wolves into shocking times.

Please send a review. They really are encouraging for me. Thanks!