Saffron knew her heat was coming. In a pack, the mature females often synced heat cycles within a couple days of their close family and friends. It made raising pups easier and gave them a better chance of having packmates to play and grow with. Gracie was already on her fourth day of her heat. Saffron knew hers would come at any time even though she was a little more than a month early. She eyed her boyfriend speculatively as he poured over a journal about some genetic research or another. She wondered how terrible it would be to have someone who she could have sex with during her heat while still not being able to have him to keep from getting pregnant. Did they have turtle birth control? She chuckled at the thought and Donnie looked up, pushing his glasses up as they had slid down while he read.
"Something funny?" He asked.
"Turtle sized condoms." She replied. His face went blank and she knew she had taken him by surprise.
"Sorry?" He asked, confused.
"My heat will probably start in the next few days. Gracie's heat will have triggered it. I was just thinking it would be nice if we had condoms so you could help me scratch that itch without impregnating me."
Donnie closed the book and contemplated for a second. "I'm sure I could find a way to make that happen. It can't be that hard. I've built a lot of sophisticated things in my life. A condom seems pretty straight forward."
Saffron saw the wheels turning in his mind and a rush of pride and excitement washed through her. He was really working on how to get it made. "You amaze me." She told him and he smiled at her with all the warmth of the sun.
"I'll do anything so you won't have to suffer. I know how hard it was on Gabby and now Gracie."
"It's not easy." Saffron agreed. "I'll be glad to have you with me if you can figure out how to make it on time."
Donnie gave her a cocky grin. "Watch and learn." He said and he whipped out his notebook.
Donnie wasn't joking. He did a little research, made some plans and then put together a rather slow and primitive condom maker in under twenty-four hours. All he needed was the latex solution. He had to ask Jayden for help there, sending him out into the world he would never be able to fit in to. Jayden went and returned and then Donnie was ready.
"Want to test it out?" He asked Saffron suggestively. She grinned.
"We have to make sure they're up for the challenge I suppose." She said and so she led him off to a side lounge in the lab and locked the door. They were going to test as many as they could before her heat started.
"You made what?" Raph asked in amazement.
Donnie grinned sheepishly. "Condoms." He answered. "It'll benefit Ronnie when she goes into heat. I'll be able to, well you know, help her out without having to worry about getting her pregnant. We can't exactly use human ones like the Weres can."
"That. Is. Insane." Mikey said, his eyes wide.
"It's really not. It's useful." Donnie defended. "Ronnie is thrilled about it."
"I bet she is." Leo answered, punching his arm. "Leave it to Donnie to find a way to have sex when it'll be the hottest."
"Brainiac." Raph grinned. He was proud of his little brother. His genius never failed to amaze.
"I thought it might be useful to you guys as well. I figure eventually you would find someone to settle with and they would have heats too and you probably wouldn't want a family within the first six months so this way you can still be together without worrying." Donnie said in a rush.
"Ya did good Don." Leo said. "When do you think Ronnie will start her heat?"
"Soon." Donnie said. "She was restless this morning. Everything bores her and she keeps wandering. Gabby feels bad about not being close when Gracie's started so she's been sticking close to Ronnie. She'll call when she needs us am sure." He seemed a little on edge himself.
"You good?" Raph asked.
Donnie let out a nervous chuckle. "Just waiting for a storm to break. Nothing to be nervous about.
"You won't have time to be nervous once it starts." Gabby said as she walked in.
"I thought you were with Ronnie." Donnie said.
"She's denning." Gabby said. "As soon as she's arranged everything she'll want you in there Donnie. Get what you need and let's go."
Raph had never seen Gabby so tense or demanding and he wanted to know what was bothering her but she brushed off his mind when he attempted to link to hers. She didn't want to talk just then. She hurried Donnie out of the room and left the other three staring after her.
"What's her deal?" Mikey asked Raph.
"Why you askin' me?" Raph asked.
"Cuz you guys are always together. Duh." Mikey replied.
"Well I've hardly seen her all day. How am I s'posed to know what's goin on with her?" Raph groused.
"She talks to you, Raph. More so than any of us. She didn't say anything to you?" Leo asked.
"She wouldn't let me in." Raph replied, frowning. He was bothered now and again reached for her bond, trying to link to her. Again he was denied access.
"She'll come around." Mikey shrugged.
"She better." Raph grumbled.
Gabby brought Donnie to the denning room Saffron had chosen. She supplied him with some blankets and pillows.
"Do not get her pregnant." Gabby warned, her command enough to make Donnie flinch a little.
"I won't." He promised.
"I'll bring food and water four or five times a day. Make sure she eats." She instructed. He nodded. "This denning room has a bathroom in it. She was really interested in the bathtub for some odd reason. Try not to make too big of a mess if she wants to do it in there okay? There won't be anyone to clean it up til her heat is over. Other than that, I'll be keeping tabs on you two." She tapped her head to indicate their bonds. "If you need anything let me know."
"Thanks, Gabby." Donnie said. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
A worried look came over her face. "She might try to mate you, Donnie. I'm worried you're not ready for it."
"I know how a mating works. I'll keep it from happening even if she tries." He promised. Gabby frowned, not convinced but she knew he would have to go at it himself. Her being there would only agitate Saffron.
"Good luck." She said. He nodded and then entered the large and bright denning room.
Saffron immediately went to Donnie, ripping pillows and blankets from him and arranging them into two separate nests. One was on the bed and one was on the floor. She opened the shades and threw the window open, letting the early spring air in. She pulled at her clothes as she worked, as though they were irritating her skin. When she was finally satisfied with her work she turned glowing eyes on her chosen mate. He didn't need their pack bond to tell him what she wanted. He removed his clothes, laying them in a pile by the door. Saffron lunged for him, trying to immediately initiate breeding but Donnie was having none of that. He fought her for a second and then pinned her down on the ground. She growled but he went to work relaxing her. He nibbled over her collar bone and up her neck to her ear. One hand held her wrists above her head while the other lifted the hem of her spaghetti strap and stroked her smooth skin. She lifted her hips, grinding her center against his hard thigh and gasping at the delicious pressure. Donnie stroked and kissed and nibbled until she was putty in his hands. Only then did he release her long enough to remove her clothes and lift her on to the bed where he laid her back and kissed down her body until his lips and tongue found her wet and waiting pussy. He devoured her like she was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted until she was crying out her release but he didn't give her time to recover. He slid on a condom and rose over her, lining himself up and thrusting deep. The scent of her heat was all around him and it awoke a part of him that he hadn't often felt. The beast in him rose and he thrust hard and fast, giving her what she so desperately needed. They mated furiously, over and over, until exhaustion drove them to sleep. It was going to be a long week.
Raph sat cross-legged in the play pen with the children who were engaged in a rambunctious game of duck, duck, goose. They loved to pick on him because most of the time he let them win and even when he did decide to catch them, he swung them through the air until they were howling with laughter. Gabby came in just as he was catching a young boy and spinning him around. Her heart clenched and she frowned. She couldn't shake this melancholy that had started with Saffron's heat. Everything was making her moody. Maybe it was the fact that she had to keep a close eye on the pair that was on their fifth day of glorious and heated sex and she could feel the pleasure flowing from their bonds. It was frustrating. She watched Raph set down the kid and ruffle his hair affectionately. As though he sensed her, he looked up and their eyes connected. Almost simultaneously she felt a sharp stab of pleasure from Saffron who wasn't bothering to keep her bond tight. Raph saw her body tense and heard the little gasp that exited her mouth as though he were standing right next to her. He knew what happened. He had also felt Saffron's passion through the bond she wasn't bothering to keep closed. It had been a hard week for him as well. He dismissed himself from the children and walked over to his agitated she-alpha.
"You gonna talk to me or you gonna ignore me for the rest of our lives?" He asked bluntly, unhappy with her for being so moody and unreasonable for the last five days.
"You've been hooking up with someone again haven't you?" She accused.
"More than one person." Raph replied. Throwing it in her face. "No relationships though so you should be okay with that." Raph knew he didn't want to settle down. The way Saffron had been throwing her pleasure down her bonds had set him on edge and he had found a few girls who didn't mind the whole 'only in it for a good time' kind of thing. He wondered how Gabby had found out. Not that he needed her permission.
"Why are you such a pig?" She snapped.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her back away from the prying eyes and ears of the children. He pushed her against the wall and held her there. "Don't take it out on me, little girl." He said quietly, his voice dangerous. "You want an outlet all you gotta do is ask. The number of guys here that would love to go a few rounds between the sheets with you would surprise you."
Gabby flushed. Raph knew she was a virgin and he wondered why she hadn't done anything to change that. Wolves weren't shy about their sexuality and exploration was common in a pack.
"It's not all about sex, Raph." She glowered at him like it was his fault she was mad.
"Then what is it about?" He asked. She zipped her lips up tight and looked away. He took her chin in his hand and turned her face to look at him. "I don't want you to be upset. Talk to me. Let me help you."
"I… I just….I don't know." She said. "I'm lost, Raph. I can't figure out why her being so happy makes me so sad."
Raph contemplated what to say. He had been privy to her every dream and desire the night Leo kissed her and he had seen every reason she would not pursue those dreams. She was jealous that Saffron didn't have the restrictions she placed on herself. How do you say that without causing some big blow up?
"It'll be okay." He promised, tugging at her hair. "When her heat is done it will feel a lot better."
Gabby groaned. "Another two days at least. Ronnie's known for having a long heat too. She could go for a week and a half. Maybe even two."
"I'll figure something out to keep your mind off of it." He promised.
That night, Gabby was soaking in her tub, fighting off waves of pleasure Ronnie was broadcasting from her latest frantic coupling with Donnie. She heard a knock on her door but didn't answer. She wasn't in the mood to be around people. That didn't stop Raph from barging into her room and setting up shop on her bed.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"The same thing you do." He replied. She froze. He wanted to have sex? With her? "To keep my mind off of things." He finished and she visably relaxed.
"How do you propose we do that?" She asked.
"Get dressed and I'll show you." He said. She rose from the bath and this time he didn't look away. He ran his eyes up and down her naked form, bold as brass. She blushed and hurried into a towel. He seemed different lately. More brazen and pushy. She wondered what his deal was.
She quickly dressed and he brought her outside into the brisk spring air. "We're gonna play a game." He said.
"What game?" She replied.
"Hide and Seek." He said with a grin.
She looked at him skeptically. "That's supposed to keep my mind off of things?" She asked.
"Well it's more like a mix between hide and seek and tag. Once you find me, you have to catch me." He grinned at the challenge.
"You're on." She said with a smile. "You have to the count of thirty before I come for you. One… Two….. Three."
Raph was off like a shot. He went into the forest and used every trick he could think of to lose her but he was smart and he knew his Gabby. She wasn't joking when she said she had yet to find a better tracker than her. She would find him. It was only a matter of time. It was after she found him that the interesting part would begin.
Gabby raced along in her wolf form. She caught every one of his tricks without hardly having to slow down at all. The only one that stumped her for a little while was when he was moving through the trees instead of over the ground. Then she had to track his scent through the air which was harder than it would be over the ground. Still, after about twenty minutes of him moving around, she had finally caught up. He was facing her, crouched low and ready as she bound around a tree. With a grin that was almost feral he said. "Come and get me." Then he took off running. He had massive agility for his size and though she was faster on her four legs than he was on his two, he always managed to turn or leap at just the right moment. She shifted to hybrid, knowing now that she would need her hands if she were going to be able to catch him. Finally she gave one mighty leap and she managed to lock herself onto his shell. He stumbled a little and slowed to a stop, panting and laughing.
"Gotcha." Gabby said after she had hopped down and shifted back. Raph looked down at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Feeling better?" He asked.
"Yeah, yeah. You know everything. Whatever." She laughed. She looked around at the moonlit bathed forest. It was pretty and reminded her of home. "I don't want to go back yet."
"We can stay out here." Raph offered. He went and found a spot they could sit free of the snow and Gabby settled in next to him. They didn't talk at first, just looked up into the clear sky. A sharp burst of pleasure shot down her bond to Ronnie and she gasped. Raph looked at her, his expression unreadable as he took in the sudden aroused flush in her cheeks and the tension in her body. She glanced at him and then looked away, embarrassed.
"Why do you react so strongly to that?" Raph asked. "I don't feel it like you seem to."
"She's not keeping her bond tight." Gabby said. "That coupled with the fact that I'm keeping a close eye on things makes me feel more of what she's feeling."
"And why are you keeping close tabs on them? You into watching?" He teased.
She snorted. "As if. I'm just trying to make sure they don't mate."
"Does it matter if they do?" Raph asked.
"Donnie's not ready." She replied.
"How do you know?" Raph asked.
"They just started dating." Gabby said.
"Don't you think they can figure it out for themselves?" He asked.
"I'm just worried." She said.
"You worry too much." He growled, a rough timbre in his voice that she hadn't heard before. She turned to look at him and found his face only inches from hers. She froze in surprise and then his lips came down on hers in a strong, unyielding kiss. Her kiss with Leo had been nice, but this was something else entirely. Her stomach seemed to have disappeared and she no longer had a pair of lungs. Heat seared through her as his tongue stroked in to her mouth, tasting, taking anything she would give. And good God did she want to give. She clung to him, allowing him to drag her into his lap and hold her tight to his hard body. Her eyes were closed, focusing all of her attention on the fiery kiss. Joy bubbled up inside of her and then, unbidden and unwanted, the darkly handsome face of Aiden flashed through her mind. She tore away from Raph with a desperate cry that shocked him into releasing her. She stumbled backwards, panting, her eyes wild and wide like a panicked horse.
"Gabby." Raph called to her gently, trying to calm her. To bring her back to him.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, furious, tears welling up in her eyes. She was terrified. She knew what that kiss was. It was her every dream, and her ultimate doom should Aiden succeed in his endeavors.
"Cause you're beautiful." Raph said, almost pleading for her to understand.
"Don't!" Gabby said, raising an accusing finger. "Don't talk to me like that."
"Come on Gabby." Raph said, standing to approach her and draw her into his arms. It was killing him seeing her like this. There was a spark between them and he wanted to chase it but she was running scared. She backed away as though scared of him.
"You know, Raph. You know better. I can't believe you." Her fear was turning into anger.
"We don't have to date." He said quickly. "It was just a kiss."
Now she was the one advancing and he was the one giving ground. "Just a kiss huh?" She growled. "That was NOT just a kiss. That was the best kiss I've ever had and on the heels of whatever Ronnie's doing to me. Are you stupid?!" She was yelling now. "What is wrong with you? You've been running around with half a dozen girls. Are you trying to add me to your collection?"
"What? No!" Raph said. "I just couldn't help it. Okay?"
"You couldn't help it?!" She was as close to being in his face as their height difference would allow. "I'm pretty sure you decide whether you're going to kiss someone or not."
"I wasn't thinking straight." Raph defended.
"Yeah, no shit." Gabby said, spinning as if to storm off. Raph lashed out and grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"You're not the only one who has to deal with urges." He said in a hard voice. She stilled and looked back at him, her eyes weary.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Mating season is starting for us." He replied. "In case you've forgotten, we're turtles."
She gaped at him for a second, not believing what she was hearing. A mating season? Could this get any worse?
"How bad?" She asked tersely.
"Never been through one around a girl before." He admitted. "We all handle it different.."
"You, Raph. How bad for you?" She demanded.
"That's why I been runnin' around with the girls 'round here." He said. "It helps. Otherwise I get aggressive. You know, testosterone."
"And that's why you kissed me?" She asked.
"Yeah." He lied. Seeing how she reacted, he would never in a million years tell her that he wanted her well before mating season started.
"How long will it last?" She asked.
"Til June." He replied. "It doesn't usually affect our daily lives. Just makes us a little rougher during training and stuff. Maybe we're a little distracted. Actually bein' able to be with a woman helps."
Gabby seemed to relax a little as she contemplated this latest reveal. No wonder Donnie and Saffron were going at it so hard. Just happens that their mating seasons lined up just right.
"That's not going to happen again." She eyed Raph distrustfully.
"Never." Raph agreed and though that was the answer she wanted to hear, she couldn't help but hurt for it. The best kiss of her life had been ruined by Aiden. Would he ever stop ruining her life?