Feral

31

After consummating and taking a dip in the river once more, Damien had left Shae to sleep while he hunted for something small to eat. Waking her to share the rabbit he'd caught.

Afterwards they had spent the night under the stars as their primal halves.

He hadn't craved a mate until he met her, and the last almost year has been difficult for his pack because of it. But now, hopefully, things would be at peace.

She would make a fantastic Alpha with him at her side. She was a more natural leader, and if his pack preferred her rule over his, he would gladly step aside to let her rule.

She was everything he had ever wanted in a mate, and more. Her beauty couldn't compare to any human or shewolf in existence, especially with her wide doe eyes and perfectly symmetrical face.

Damien awoke first the morning after, and found himself and Shae in their human forms, their bodies covered in morning dew and sweat from temperature regulation.

She was so peaceful,  laying curled up next to him, her face inches from his. Long eyelashes brushed against her cheeks and subtle freckles dotted her nose.

Her scarring appeared differently now he had time to look and marvel at her without wanting to devour all she was. He lightly brushed his fingers over the scars covering her, taking note of all the ridges they contained. He had seen the damage done to her throat, and thought it was a miracle she could talk at all.

Her hair fell over her shoulders and neck. Gently, he brushed it away from her neck revealing the skin heneath. Her throat contained very evident bitemarks before it became a mess of ridges. Judging by the way she'd talked yesterday, the wolf responsible had been sent to kill her. He had almost succeeded.

She stirred, eyes opening slightly, before blinking back the light.

"Hello sleepy," he said. She grinned.

"Hi," her voice was raspy.

Shae went to sit up, stretching in the process, and he watched as her muscles shifted under her skin as she moved, joints cracking in protest.

"How are you? Hungry?" He asked, moving to sit up as well. He wasn't hungry himself, but would tend to her needs if she was.

"No, I am still good from yesterday's kill," He nodded. She leaned against him, nuzzling his neck before giving it a slight nip. He jerked back in surprise, catching the  mischievous glint in her eye. She grinned her full tooth grin before getting up and casually walking away.

She was initiating a chase and wanted him to participate.

Once he stood, she was out of sight, but he could smell her scent and the path she took.

He followed after her.

She was toying with him, and had left her scent everywhere, so it was hard for him to pinpoint her exact whereabouts, but it wasn't impossible. He closed his eyes in oder to focus, and was able to get a better idea of her actual scent trail. Grinning like a man possessed he followed it.

Without warning, Shae tackled him from the side. It sent them both toppling into the bushes.

"Got you," she whispered in his ear before laughing.  He liked her laugh. It was a full bodied, bellowing laugh, not a high pitched giggle that a lot of females seemed to have or to use.

Damien had to admit that he wasn't at all prepared for her tackle. And had to join in her laughter at his plight.

"Can I ask a question?"

"You just did," he responded. She playfully slapped his arm.

"That's not what I mean," she said, annoyed at his response.

"I know, but yes, I am all ears,"

"Can I meet your pack today?" She wasn't timid in her question, but it was so soon in her return to him. He wanted to have a party,  and invite other Alphas to let them know he was mated at last

He knew she could see the hesitation in his eyes because she got up, off of him and sat next to him.

"How about tomorrow? Because it will be a celebration, an introduction to the pack as my mate and their other alpha is something we take seriously. We will have to do preparations today so everything will be ready tomorrow. Is that okay?" He asked. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yes! Could Katherine come?"

"No, unfortunately not. Humans aren't supposed to know of our existence," her face fell and he felt bad for saying no, but if his pack knew that a human was aware of werewolf existence Katherine would have to die and Shae would have to suffer consequences of her own for sharing the knowledge.

"Will I ever be able to see her again? She is my friend and I like her baby,"

"Yes, I would never deny you the right to see her, but she could never meet the pack as a human who knows. And before you ask why she couldn't just come like that tomorrow, it's because of the significance of introducing you as my mate, words will be spoken that would give our culture away," he told her. Hopefully what he said made sense to her.

"Oh, okay," it was easy to see she was crestfallen, but he had to tell her those things, because it was already bad enough that Katherine knew about werewolves. He didn't want any harm to befall Shae anymore. She had been through so much already.

"If we have a party to plan, let's head back," he shifted first, and Shae followed, and after grabbing their clothes they made the trek back to the lodge and apartments to break the news to the pack.