Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above
Bo grasped Lauren's arm and pulled her down the hall and outside the infirmary. "What's happening in there?"
Lauren wrapped her arms tightly around her middle and leaned against one of the porch columns. "I think you should ask the Alpha."
"I'm asking you." Bo crowded close behind Lauren, her mouth nearly brushing Lauren's neck. Lauren shivered, and Bo sensed need and fear and confusion. Instantly protective, she gripped Lauren's shoulders and pulled her back against her chest. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"
Sighing, Lauren relaxed against Bo, as if welcoming the support. "No. Nothing like that. It was just…hard."
"What did Spencer do to you?" Bo remembered her caution to Spencer. Find someone else to mate. Spencer had coupled with the Alpha just a short while ago, but she could easily be in frenzy again and looking for release. Release with an unmated female like Lauren. Bo rumbled with an unexpected rush of territorial hormones and her sex surged to readiness. She wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist and whispered hotly in her ear. "Did she tempt you with her call?"
Lauren arched in Bo's arms and tilted her head back, whimpering softly when Bo licked her neck. "You know who she wants."
"Who do you want?" Bo tugged Lauren's earlobe with her teeth and rocked her pelvis against Lauren's ass. "Who do you want, Lauren?"
"Please."
Lauren rubbed against her, her plaintive cries of need forcing Bo's claws and canines and clitoris to throb. Bo tried to think. She was harder than she should have been so soon, almost as if she'd been running with the Alpha for hours and absorbing her powerful pheromones. Lauren, always so careful not to be caught in a frenzy, even when she ran and hunted with the Pack, was ready. Too ready.
"It's the Alpha." Bo sucked in a breath, understanding why they were both on the verge of full-fledged sex frenzy. Ashley was broadcasting sex and fury. Every Were in the vicinity was probably feeling the call. "Is she all right?"
Lauren pulled away abruptly, her chest heaving. "Is she all that matters to you? Don't you even care what Spencer is going through? How much pain she's in?"
"No, I don't care about a Were with the power to hurt the Alpha," Bo snarled, incensed by Lauren's need and knowing she couldn't take her. "I only care about the Alpha, and so should you."
"That's not fair," Lauren said softly, rubbing her arms as if she were cold when she had to be on fire. "I would do anything for her. All of us would, you know that." She reached out, but stopped herself before she touched Bo's cheek. "I know that you would die for her. But maybe that's not enough."
Bo growled. "It's the best I have to give her."
"No," Lauren said with a gentle shake of her head. "No, it's not."
"Don't mistake me for someone else," Bo said darkly. "I wasn't born for tenderness."
Lauren started to protest when the front door slammed open and Ashley stormed out, shirtless, blood welling from shallow gouges on her shoulders, her face and body in mid-shift.
"The Rover," Ashley ordered, the muscles in her throat and chest straining. "Get it."
"Right away," Bo said, signaling across the Compound to Alex, who stood at wary attention by the side of the vehicle.
Ashley rounded on Lauren. "Spencer. See to her. Take care of her."
"Of course," Lauren said. "I'm sorry if I hurt—"
"No," Ashley said. "You did nothing wrong."
"Wait." Bo grasped Lauren's arm, preventing her from going back inside. "If Spencer is in frenzy—"
"She isn't," Ashley snarled. The lacerations on her shoulders had already closed, but the purplish bruise above her left breast remained dark and angry. She threw off Bo's arm and said to Lauren, "Go to her."
"She'll ask for you," Lauren said quietly. "What shall I say?"
Ashley strode down the stairs as Lara pulled the Rover in front of the building. She yanked open the rear door and Bo jumped in after her. "Tell her I'm gone."
"Home," Ashley said from the back of the Rover. She needed to shower and change and leave the Compound until both she and Spencer were more in control. With effort, she reversed her shift enough to retract her claws and canines. The thin band of obsidian pelt persisted down the center of her abdomen; her clitoris and glands remained full and hard. She closed her eyes, ignoring Bo's worried rumblings, while the Rover tore through the woods. When they reached her cabin, she leapt out and vaulted onto the porch, tearing off her pants as soon as she was inside.
She groaned as she stepped into the shower. Even the water beating against the bite on her chest was agonizing. The pain of the uncompleted bonding was so excruciating she finally gave in and curled up on the shower floor, her arms wrapped around her middle, knees drawn up to her chest. Her sex was too tense and swollen to even attempt temporary relief. Her body screamed out for Spencer, and Spencer alone, to finish her. Spencer's bite would force her to release every unique chemical and hormone that defined her. She would flood Spencer's mouth, her skin, her body until they were linked physically as powerfully as they were emotionally.
But Spencer didn't want that. Don't let me bite you!
She'd almost let Spencer take her. Another touch, another scrape of Spencer's teeth on her skin, and she would have.
Forcing herself into a sitting position, Ashley leaned back against the hard tiles, the cooling water sluicing over her chest and abdomen. Eventually the pain relented enough for her to stand, and she methodically dressed in a dark silk shirt and summer-weight raw linen jacket and trousers.
Aiden and Dyson waited with Alex and Bo by the Rover. Both Aiden and Dyson had fresh bite marks on their necks. Bo and Alex looked anxious and agitated.
"Are you all right?" Ashley asked them quietly.
"Yes, Alpha," they both said immediately.
Ashley nodded curtly and climbed into the back of the Rover. "Take me to my office."
Spencer heard the door open and close quietly. She was lying on the treatment table again, covered with the sheet Ashley had placed over her when she left.
"Is she all right?" Spencer asked.
"Spencer, I…" Lauren sighed. "It's not something for me to discuss."
Spencer sat up, tucking the sheet around her waist. "I'm hurting her, aren't I?"
Lauren leaned back, her hands flat against the door. She bit her lip, conflicted. "Ashley's mother ruled for generations. Many of us don't remember the last time we had an unmated Alpha. I'm not sure, but I think everything about mating is stronger, fiercer, for the Alpha. Her…" She closed her eyes. "She gives us everything, and we take everything. She asks only for our loyalty. It's hard for me to talk about her this way."
"You love her," Spencer said gently. "So do I."
"I know."
"Do you?"
Lauren smiled. "We all would fight for her. But I've never seen anyone, even Bo, who could gentle her. She needs that."
"What she needs is a mate who will make her life easier, not harder." Spencer gripped the cold edges of the steel table until they cut into her palms. "I can't seem to be around her without…arousal seems too mild a word for it."
"That's why we call it frenzy," Lauren said. "It's more than desire, more even than need—it's a biological imperative for us."
"But we could bond with others, couldn't we?" Spencer knew she wouldn't. Couldn't. She wouldn't be able to bear it if Ashley did, but she didn't want her to be alone, either. Lauren was right—the Pack demanded everything from her and Ashley needed to give it. But she couldn't give forever without someone to protect and care for her. Spencer swallowed around the pain in her throat. "Ashley could bond with someone else?"
"I don't know," Lauren said. "Even if a Were survives the death of a mate, they never mate again. And I don't know of anyone who didn't complete a mate bond once the mating frenzy had begun. Why would they?"
"Surely some pairings aren't welcome?"
"Mating isn't random. It's not accidental. The mate bond is only possible when your heart and your mind and your body need only the one." Lauren shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "Sometimes we go unmated because our wolves can't recognize each other—because we've been injured or damaged somehow or unconsciously block out the call. But when each recognizes the other, no one ever denies the bond. We are born to be mated. It's the natural way for us."
"She'll be all right if I stay away from her, won't she?"
"Will you?"
Spencer didn't answer, but she didn't think so. Roger had said she might not be strong enough to deny her need for release, her need to mate. She might lose control completely. At least if she did, she was confident Bo would execute her. Bo would not let her hurt Ashley or anyone else. But as long as she could think and reason, she had work to do. "I'd like to meet your parents. Will you take me to the lab?"
Lauren hesitated.
"Please. I might not know anything about Were physiology, but I do about human. I might be able to help them interpret the results of my tests."
Lauren nodded. "I was going to send the specimens by courier, but we can take them ourselves. My car's outside. I'll get you something to eat while you get ready."
"Thank you," Spencer said. "Thank you for trusting me."
"Of course I trust you. You're the Alpha's…" Lauren's expression softened with sympathy. "You are Pack now."
"Come," Ashley said when a knock sounded on her door. Bo entered and closed the door behind her. "You have visitors."
"Who?"
"Councilors Foster and Marquise."
Ashley grumbled and got to her feet, turning to look out the window. A visit from her Vampire and Fae coalition counterparts was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Her temper was too frayed for diplomacy and her wolf too close to ascending for safety. All she could think about was Spencer. She wanted her again. She wanted to be inside her. She ached for Spencer to suck her, make her come completely, take all she was. Her glands pumped out pheromones and kinins at a furious rate and her skin was slick with the potent combination.
"I'll tell them you can't see them," Bo whispered.
Ashley spun and leapt over her desk, landing in front of Bo. Bo automatically ducked her head and Ashley grasped the back of her neck, tilting her face up until they were almost nose to nose. Bo's eyes glazed deep hazel, and her canines gleamed like white spikes against her blood-red lower lip. She shuddered in Ashley's grip, her breath shallow and fast.
"And what will you tell them?" Ashley asked, her voice low and dangerous. "Will you tell them the wolf Alpha is on the edge of frenzy? That she can't control her beast?"
"It's not true." Bo rubbed her palms over Ashley's chest, hoping to soothe her.
Ashley growled when Bo inadvertently caressed the bite above her breast. The bruise was exquisitely tender and all she wanted was Spencer to bury her canines in it. "Open my shirt."
Trembling, Bo obeyed. The muscles in Ashley's chest and abdomen stood out as if etched in stone and were just as hard. With a small whimper, Bo trailed her fingertips down the center of Ashley's torso, the back of her fingers skimming the inner curve of Ashley's breast. A fine dusting of black marked a path to the top of her pants and would be thicker inside, framing her sex.
"You still think I have control?" Ashley growled.
"You do," Bo said, rubbing Ashley's stomach. "If you didn't, you would have taken me right here by now."
Groaning, Ashley pulled Bo into her arms and cradled Bo's head on her shoulder. She rubbed her chin in Bo's hair, breathing her in, grounding herself in Pack and family. Her agony was not Bo's fault, nor Bo's burden to ease.
"I'm sorry," Ashley said.
"No need." Bo nuzzled Ashley's neck. "But you need to mate. You can't go on like this."
"My wolf wants a mate," Ashley said. "I don't."
Bo took a slow breath. "You at least need to stay away from Spencer. She's driving you too clos—"
"You think I don't know that?" Ashley snarled. "You think I want to force this on her?"
"Then let me remove her from the Compound."
Ashley gripped Bo's shoulders and stepped back, lowering her head until they were eye to eye."You won't touch her. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Alpha," Bo said.
After a moment, Ashley released her and returned to her desk. She sat down and ruthlessly caged her furious wolf. Then she picked up a pen and pulled a file folder in front of her. "Send in the Councilors."
A moment later Frank Foster strode in with the Fae Queen by his side. Evony Fleurette Marquise was a voluptuous brunette with huge brown eyes, a delicate face, a sinful mouth, and a quick, calculating mind. In her Prada suit, she looked every inch the CEO of the Fifth Avenue marketing powerhouse that she was. When she sat on the Fae throne she traded in her designer suits for gossamer gowns or sleek, body-hugging leathers. Ashley wasn't certain the full extent of Evony's power, but she'd seen her reduce a traitorous subject brought before her court to an unrecognizable mass of quivering jelly—literally—with a nonchalant flick of her hand. Like all absolute monarchs, Evony craved power and guarded it jealously.
"Evony, I thought you were in Washington." Ashley gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. "Please. Sit down."
Ever the gentleman, Frank waited until Evony was seated before sitting himself. He wore his Armani well, giving the appearance of a modern-day corporate raider. Which he was. He leaned forward with an unctuous smile. "Forgive this unscheduled visit, Alpha. Since Evony arrived unexpectedly for business, it seemed a perfect opportunity to meet with you privately."
Evony crossed her legs and folded her lovely manicured hands in her lap. "Especially since you seem too busy to schedule time for the full coalition board."
"The next meeting isn't until late next month," Ashley pointed out, wondering what Frank would do if she took him down with her teeth in his neck, which she'd had the urge to do since he walked in the room.
"True," Evony said, smiling as her eyes slid over Ashley's face. "But in light of recent events—"
"Recent events?" Ashley said.
"The delay in moving PR-15 out of Healy's committee has some of us concerned," Frank said. "The bill has substantial economic repercussions—and until we can assure our stockholders that our corporations are solid and secure, our margins are at risk."
Ashley narrowed her eyes and barely suppressed a growl. "I wasn't aware that the primary goal of the legislation was to preserve your portfolio. We get reports every day of attacks on Praeterns, including homicides—because humans don't fear prosecution."
"Of course," Evony said, "those things are important too, but without an economic advantage, it will be far more difficult for us to convince the humans that it's important to recognize our place in the world trade structure."
"And what about the sanctity of our territories, protection for our young, our right to governing autonomy?" Ashley shot back.
"We don't need the humans' help to preserve our societies." Evony shrugged. "We'll let the humans know what we want them to know. That's always been our way."
"That presumes keeping a great many secrets," Ashley said.
"Exactly," Frank said. "The less we call attention to our…differences…the better it will be." He glanced at Evony, who nodded almost imperceptibly, then turned back to Ashley. "You might consider whether you really want to remain as visible as you have been."
"It sounds suspiciously as if you'd like to replace me," Ashley remarked, leaning back in her chair. She decided that she didn't really want to tear Frank's throat out. It would be messy and unsatisfying in the long run. Parrying Frank and Evony 's mind games actually helped her distract her wolf from her singular goal, which was to find Spencer and claim her.
"Your opinions, of course, are invaluable," Frank said, "but I think we all know that the public has the hardest time embracing the concept of others who are…part animal."
Ashley laughed. "And you think they don't have trouble with bloodsucking Vampires?"
Frank's eyes flared crimson for a moment, and then he smiled thinly. "On the contrary, they seem to like the side effects of blood-hosting quite a lot. As I think you're aware."
"I appreciate the concerns of the coalition," Ashley said, although she was fairly certain that Frank and Evony were jockeying for more power and didn't represent the entire board. If she were replaced by a Were who didn't have the ability to dictate policy—and no one did, other than her—Frank and Evony would steamroll the coalition into going along with their own agendas. She had no intention of allowing that to happen. "But there's really nothing to worry about. Weres have coexisted with humans for millennia without being detected, and we'll have no problem continuing to coexist now that they know of us."
"Even when the humans discover that you're capable of transferring a lethal infection to them?" Frank asked.
Evony sat back, a placid expression on her face, as if she were watching a mildly entertaining tennis match.
Ashley growled. "What are you talking about?"
Frank spread his hands. "Just a…rumor…that a number of humans have contracted a fatal condition from Weres. We all know how the humans deal with a threat of that nature—the next thing you know, they'll want to isolate you in camps, regulate your breeding, experiment on your offspr—"
"How exactly were you made aware of this rumor?"
"A phone call," Frank said. "Actually, several of them. Of course, I immediately sought to bring this to your attention."
"And I certainly appreciate that." Ashley stood, waging a fierce internal battle to keep her claws and her canines retracted. Frank was threatening her Pack and she wanted to scatter pieces of him around the room. "Your solidarity…and Evony 's"—she tipped her head to Evony, who gave her a slow, indolent smile—"is very much appreciated, but I can assure you, rumor is all there is to this."
Frank rose and extended his hand to Evony, who rested her fingers delicately on his arm as if he were a royal consort.
"That's very comforting, Alpha," Evony said. "Please do keep us informed."
"Of course," Ashley said as the pair walked out. When the door closed behind them, she snarled in frustration. Her chest throbbed and she rubbed the bite. Very few individuals knew about the human females who had contracted Were fever. Spencer knew, but Spencer would never betray her and the Pack. Lauren, who was loyal unto death. Someone else had alerted the Vampire—someone who was not Pack. An enemy.
Bo knocked and edged inside the room. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but while you were engaged a call came in—one I think you'll want to address."
"What is it?"
"A request for an urgent meeting with you tonight. From Detective Stef Foster."
"Frank's daughter."
Bo nodded.
"I wonder if she's finally decided to do her father's bidding."
"The timing is suspicious," Bo agreed.
"Well, let's see what she has to say. Set up the meeting."
"Yes, Alpha." Bo hesitated, then quietly left.
Ashley returned to the window. The sun had set, but the night sky was hazy and the city lights obscured the stars. She ached for the taste of pure mountain air in her lungs, for the feel of pine needles under her feet, for a glimpse of an endless midnight sky. She longed for the comfort of another running close by her side, their shoulders touching, their breath mingling.
She picked up her cell and called Chelsea. "How is she doing?"
"As far as I know, she's not showing any signs of decompensation. She's very strong."
"Where is she?"
Chelsea hesitated.
"Where is she?" Ashley demanded.
"She left with Lauren this morning. They haven't returned."
"They've been gone half a day?"
"Yes, Alpha."
Ashley cursed and broke off the call. "Bo!"
Bo burst in. "Alpha?"
"Find Lauren. I need to speak with her."
"Is something wrong?"
Ashley leaned on her desk, her claws scraping the surface. "I hope not. She and Spencer left the Compound together this morning."
Bo's eyes narrowed and she rumbled. "Lauren is with her? With an uncontrolled dominant who's likely to frenzy at any time?" She snarled and her claws shot out. "If Spencer touches her, I'll kill her."
"You forget, neither of them is mated. You have nothing to say about it." Ashley grimaced bitterly. Nor do I.
