Moving out of the city was not her idea. Moving to the middle of nowhere in a foreign country was definitely not her idea, and leaving everything she knows and loves behind is the farthest thing from what she wants; since living with a Father, who h...
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So it turns out that werewolves go into heat. It also turns out that when the luna goes into heat, so do all of the other females in the pack, at least, the ones old enough to go into heat. When that happens the males become more aggressive and fights break out over the unmated females. Some of the unmated males even challenging the weaker mated males for their mates. It was as if someone had drugged them all. Despite the fact that her heat was fast approaching just like all the other females, as Luna, she'd had to go around settling disputes with Damien and she remained uncomfortably unsatisfied. It was a feeling that only grew with her impending heat.
The current situation was an unmated male that challenged for a weaker mated male's mate. She and Damien had been about to take care of their mutual discomfort when the defeated male's mate had come pounding on the door. The woman was currently standing behind Lily who had taken a defensive stance in front of her. The mated pair were omegas and no match for the better-bred male who had challenged for mating rights. He was a bull of a man and was normally fairly aggressive. With all the pheromones in the air, he was much worse.
"Lucas, you cannot claim rights to a mated female even if you've bested her mate. Mated pairs are off limits during heats, you know this as well as the rest of us." Her voice came out agitated and confident. In fact, she had only learned that in the last couple of days. "She is under my protection."
Lucas was furious and none too happy with her interference. In his mind, he'd won her by right of combat. Were she an unmated female of proper age and were she consenting, he would be in his rights to claim her, but that wasn't the case here. Damien put a hand on Lucas's shoulder.
"Lucas, you are old and you have lived long without the comforts of a mate. I understand your desire, but this woman is not yours to take. You must accept that." Lucas gestured wildly to the woman's mate who was a bloody pile on the forest floor, barely able to move, groaning in pain. He was lucky to be alive. Amara was tending him with a harried look on her face. She'd been working double time as well in her capacity as the pack's healer.
"I will have her! I earned the right!" Lily stepped more firmly in front of the trembling woman and met Lucas's eyes, letting her wolf show in her gaze.
"She doesn't want you. There is no consent and she is a mated female. You have no rights to her. She is under my protection." Lily growled.
"Then I challenge you!" Lucas roared and charged Lily, shifting mid-run. His eyes were wild and he was foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. Lily just barely managed to whirl around and throw the woman towards Damien and then throw herself to the ground, narrowly avoiding razor sharp claws and teeth. She twisted around so that she was crouching on the forest floor an embraced the wolf, changing forms quickly and avoiding another attack.
Lucas was a bear of a wolf with shaggy reddish fur and yellow eyes. He was a warrior for the pack, all compact muscle and fighting spirit. She'd fought him before and won. What was he thinking? He might be a warrior, but her wolf was an Alpha. Big difference.
She ran at him as he ran at her and they leaped at the same time. The sound of their massive bodies hitting each other resounded throughout the clearing. They both landed, neither one even close to giving up. She rushed him again and at the last second, she went low, clamping her jaw on his front right leg as hard as she could, and using her momentum to twist until with a 'snap' it broke.
Lucas yelped in pain but she wasn't done. He had directly challenged her and she had to show the watching pack members that doing so could only end in blood. She was within her rights to kill him for doing it. She whirled faster than he could compensate for and knocked him over. His vulnerable belly was only exposed for a moment but she dug her claws deep, drawing more yelps of pain from Lucas before he managed to limp away from her.
He was clearly trying to retreat, but he had not submitted. After a direct challenge retreat wasn't good enough. If he didn't submit she was going to have to kill him. She ran after him and he whirled on her snapping his jaw down on her muzzle, cutting off her air. She raked at him with her claws but he had her good. Panic set in, but she managed to reign it back and think. She'd already broken his leg. That was his weak spot and she could reach it. She scuttled her back legs down and fell to her side.
Thinking she was submitting he moved closer and she kicked out with her back paws, hitting his broken front leg. He yelped, releasing her muzzle and she leaped up and latched onto his throat, clamping down for all she was worth. She let a vicious growl rumble through her as he fought to get free. The power of the Alpha wolf. It was something she was still learning to use. It was the same power Damien used when he told her to submit.
Using the mind link established by the pack bonds, she used that same command on Luca.
-Submit!- Between the pain and her Alpha authority he went still and whined, showing his belly, his ruined leg sticking out at an awkward angle. Amara was going to have another patient today. Lily released him and shifted back into her human form.
"Shift." She commanded. He did. It was painful and he barely managed to keep from crying out. His right leg was clearly badly broken, the injury translating through and not healing during the change as most wounds did. That was another thing Lily had learned over the last few days. Wounds left by the Alpha or Luna did not heal at the normal accelerated rate but rather took a human amount of time to heal. Luca would be out of commission for months.
Damien made his way to her, unhurried and seemingly unconcerned but for the way his eyes roamed every inch of her, searching for injury. His jaw was tight and she knew he wanted to kill Luca. But Luca had the right to challenge her and once the challenge had been made only she had the right to answer it. He ran his thumb gently beneath her full bottom lip, wiping away the little bit of blood that had remained after her shift had healed her injuries.
"You did well, little one."
"Thank you. I wish it hadn't been necessary. Is this just going to get worse?" She wondered.
"It is hardest on the older males who have gone so long without finding their mates. It hasn't been a concern in a very long time because without a Luna the heat cannot come, and frankly, nobody expected you to go into heat so soon. Most of us, Therians included cannot go into heat until at least two years after the first shift. No one was prepared."
"Least of all me, "Lily muttered, the irritability reasserting itself. She could feel the changes in her body and it made her uncomfortable. It was like being on your period times ten. "I need this to stop." She murmured. Damien's eyes heated with the promise of passion.
"That is why I am here. Once we get the pack in order, we will ease your discomfort."
"Can't come soon enough for me." She sighed. Lily and Damien shared a heated look and then a resigned one, and went to check on the distressed Omega couple. The pack needed their leaders before any personal satisfaction might be found, and they both knew it.
