All Is Fair

This is the final installment of "All is Fair" and sort of a set up for my next story. Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you enjoy!

*****

The room was filled with strangers, but Helena had never felt more at home. Her red dress clung to her body in a way that made her appear much more filled out than she was. Brooks twirled her around the dance floor leading her through dances she wasn't familiar with. She appreciated the way he managed to make it look like she knew what she was doing.

His eyes glanced away from hers and she felt a sting. Everyone kept telling Helena this night was all about her, but part of it was about Brooks too. He was her mate, and since the transformation she had become more and more aware of the fact that it was in his nature to want the best for the Benson pack. Being surrounded by the Alphas of the neighboring packs made him want to discuss business, but instead he was stuck with her. Tonight would be easier if she was still human and not so in-tune with this fact.

"So who is the man with the blue shirt?" Helena asked.

Brooks responded with a low growl, one Helena wouldn't have been able to hear a few weeks ago. He was still a little territorial over her. It was a little annoying and something she hoped the mating ceremony would wipe away. She wanted to comfort him again, tell him that he had nothing to worry about but he already started to answer.

"Jack," Brooks said. "He's the Alpha of the Gommel pack. They're in the Dakotas. We don't see him very often."

"Do you want to talk to him?"

"Tonight is all about you," Brooks said.

Helena stopped dancing. She grabbed Brooks' hand and led him off of the dance floor.

"I know you," Helena said. "If there is something you need to talk with him about I will be fine."

"No," Brooks said. "It's our mating ceremony tonight. You are my number one priority."

"And you are mine," Helena said. "You've managed to keep me completely in the dark about what happens during the ceremonial part of tonight, but for right now I can tell how nervous you are. Go talk to him. We have the rest of our lives together."

Helena brought her hand up and touched Brooks' cheek. He dipped his head into her touch. She knew he was teetering on accepting her request. Helena's eyes glanced around the room. She spotted Andrew leaning against the wall.

"I want to speak with Andrew anyway," Helena said.

Brooks looked away from her. She knew he was looking for his Beta.

"I haven't had the chance to speak with him one-on-one since Rebecca," Helena said.

Saying her sister's name still made Helena's tongue burn. She knew killing Rebecca was the right thing, but it wasn't an event Helena liked focusing on.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Brooks asked.

"I want the exact opposite," Helena said.

"What time is it?"

"A little after eleven," Helena said.

"The official ceremony starts at midnight," Brooks said.

"We have forty five minutes," Helena said. "Trust me, I will be fine. I think I could use some time with a familiar face."

"Don't leave Andrew's side?" Brooks asked.

"I promise," Helena said.

She wanted to tell Brooks he was being silly. They were surrounded by friends and family, but Helena was still making up for abandoning him. After everything they had been through she knew that was her biggest mistake. If only she had let him know she was going after a vampire by herself none of the anguish she had caused would have happened. Brooks would have helped her.

Helena went on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. She was surprised when he dropped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening their connection. She returned his passion and the entire ballroom erupted in applause.

"Cool it till Midnight you two!" someone from the crowd yelled.

Brooks pulled away first and Helena started to blush. He turned around and signaled for the crowd to die down. The whole room returned to what they were doing and Helena was in awe at Brooks' ability to control them.

"Go," Helena said. "I won't be far."

Brooks picked up her hand and gave it a kiss before walking away. She turned around and saw Andrew was still in the same spot. Helena made a beeline to him.

"Having a good time?" Helena asked.

"It's the perfect party," Andrew responded.

"That's not what I asked."

"Sorry," Andrew said. "I'm just a Beta, but I can't help drawing comparisons to my mating ceremony. I remember what I was feeling, how excited I was."

"Rebecca wasn't your real mate," Helena said. "She tricked you. Someday you will have that feeling again, only this time it will be real."

Andrew leaned back against the wall. He put on a smile, but Helena knew it was forced.

"Do you miss her?" Andrew asked.

"I miss the idea of her," Helena said. "I was alone for so long. I missed having a family, but I have one here now. "

"Exactly," Andrew said.

"What do you mean?" Helena asked.

"I had a mate," Andrew said. "It was fake, but I had a feeling. I can't describe it, I'm sure it's what you feel with Brooks. Now Rebecca's gone and there is a hole. I would do anything to fill it, but I can't force my mate to find me. It's terrible and I can't stop thinking about it."

"You'll find..."

"My true mate," Andrew finished. "Someday, but it could take another hundred years. I need something to occupy my time until then."

Helena watched as his brown eyes narrowed. They normally were warm and caring, but it seemed they had darkened and grown cold. He wasn't a man contemplating something. Andrew was a man with a plan.

"What are you thinking?" Helena asked.

"Madame Alpha," Andrew said. "Don't ask me questions I can't answer."

Helena was even more intrigued. She knew better than to dive right in though.

"Then ask me a question," Helena said. "I promised Brooks I wouldn't leave your side."

"Are you enjoying your party?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't deserve this," Helena said. "After everything I put the pack through. My decisions risked their lives. Yours included."

"Spoken like a true Alpha," Andrew said. "Putting others above yourself. You weren't a wolf when you went after the vampire. There is no way you could have thought this way."

That wasn't the response Helena was after.

"I don't have the same inkling as Brooks," Helena said. "I am supposed to mingle with all these wolves. Meet the other packs, but my mind is somewhere else. I'm not even nervous about the mating ceremony, and I should be since I have no clue what it is."

"I'll tell you what it is," Andrew said. "If you really want to know."

Helena paused before responding. Part of her wanted him to tell her every detail, but she knew Brooks wanted it as a surprise. She leaned against the wall next to Andrew, crossing her arms over her chest in the process.

"Why is everyone leaving me alone?" Helena asked. "I'm the newbie, the mate of the next-in-line Alpha. Why aren't I being swarmed with questions?"

"Brooks told them to let you relax? That's my best guess," Andrew said. "I've been to two of these before. The "bride" is always the center of attention. Are you upset with your lack of attention?"

"No," Helena said.

She spotted Brooks in the middle of a huddle of men. His back was towards her.

"Tell me," Helena said. "What is going to happen in half an hour?"

"The two of you will cement your bond," Andrew said.

"I already knew that," Helena said. "I want details."

Suddenly the nerves Helena had buried came rushing back to the surface. A chill made its way through her body.

"Don't worry about the details. It will feel amazing. I didn't mean to frighten you," Andrew said.

"What's so amazing about it?" Helena asked.

"Again," Andrew said. "I can't describe it with words. Normally it happens in the same night. All mates find each other under the full moon, whether one of them is human or not. You're a unique case. Brooks had to turn you, but you were too weak to mate with."

"The first night we met it wasn't a full moon," Helena said.

"No," Andrew said. "But the night Brooks smelled you it was. If Victor the vampire hadn't bitten you all of it would have happened that night. Trust me when I say you would have been so love struck none of the details would have mattered."

"I wish I hadn't brought this up," Helena said. "It's making me more nervous."

"I guess I owe you one then," Andrew said. "Ask away."

"What are you planning?"

Helena turned to look at Andrew. He let out a breath before responding.

"I'm leaving," Andrew said. "I am going to find vampires like Victor and witches like Rebecca. Then I'm going to end them."

The room suddenly felt empty. Helena stared at Andrew without speaking he looked down at her and neither broke away. She wanted to grab Andrew by the shoulders and shake the nonsense out of him. This idea was insane. Wolves strength came from the pack. If he went off on his own he would be no match for any danger. There were a million questions she wanted to ask and statements she wanted to make about his stupidity, but all she could do was stare back at him. The trance was only broke when Helena felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around to see Brooks. He was glowing with happiness.

"Are you ready?"

Helena had no clue how to respond. First she went back to Andrew.

"Not tonight?" She asked.

"Not tonight," Andrew replied.

He gave her a warm brotherly smile and Helena relaxed a little. She would talk to Brooks about this later and together they would talk some sense into Andrew. Helena turned back towards Brooks and placed her hand in his, ready to be led to the next step of her journey.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Brooks walked Helena through the halls of the Lodge. There wasn't a single soul around since they were all at the party. This was the only home Brooks had ever known and even in its emptiness his heart still felt full.

"Is there going to be a minister?" Helena asked.

"Nope," Brooks said.

"Then a judge? A justice of the peace?"

Brooks stopped walking. He turned around and put his hands over Helena's waist. She brought her arms up over his neck. Brooks felt her body tense, she was putting on a good show, but he could see through it.

"Relax," Brooks said. "I promise this will be fun."

He put his arm around her shoulder and continued walking her through the lodge. They made it to the backdoor and kept going into the night. It was the perfect temperature even with the humidity that hung in the air.

"Do you remember when you punched me?" Brooks asked.

"You mean when you were trying to profess your undying love to a complete stranger?" Helena asked.

"You've never been a stranger to me," Brooks said. "You've been the one person I've spent my entire life waiting for and will spend the rest of it making happy."

"I'm sorry," Helena said.

"Don't apologize," Brooks said. "It's a great story to tell our children someday."

Helena let out a small laugh.

"The point I was going to make, was on that day I had some doubts," Brooks said. "That we would make it here, but you are so strong and proved me wrong. I will always regret feeling that little bit of doubt."

"That's a stupid thing to feel bad about," Helena said.

This time Brooks let out a loud laugh.

"One of the reasons I love you so much," Brooks said. "You're sweetly blunt."

Helena stopped walking. Her eyes went wide and Brooks could feel the fear radiating off of her. He had expected this and was hoping to distract her until they arrived.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I died there," Helena said.

"You were reborn there," Brooks said.

They were in the clearing with the large rock in the middle. Helena envisioned herself laying on top of it, her body just an empty casing, with Brooks by her side with tears starting to form in his eyes. Helena had avoided this spot since that night. Even her wolf wanted to run away.

"Trust me," Brooks said. "It will be fine."

"There's memories," Helena said. "I'd rather not relive."

"Then let's make some new ones," Brooks said.

He kept ahold of her hand and brought her closer towards the rock. The air smelled like death and she wanted to turn and run. Brooks stopped walking and grabbed her waist again. He didn't say anything but instead brought his mouth down to hers. There was no light kisses, just a deep hard movement of his lips. Helena loved it when he was so aggressive. She returned his passion and brought her hands over his neck. Brooks' scent was all around her, it was intoxicating. Soon Helena's feet were taken out from under her. Brooks didn't stop kissing her and Helena wasn't sure if she was standing or just imagining floating.

Suddenly there was something cold on her back. Helena brought her hands down and touched the rock. She knew Brooks had carried her over to this place and her heartbeat started to quicken.

"Focus on me," Brooks said through their mental link. "We're the only two people in the world. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible."

Helena let his words sink in and started to relax. Brooks broke their kiss and leaned down over her. He brushed the hair away from her face.

"So beautiful," Brooks said.

The moon was huge behind him, illuminating his eyes which were growing amber. Helena reached up and pulled his tie down. She unbuttoned the top of his shirt and he pulled it over his head. He stood up and removed his pants. Helena loved the way his body looked. His trim figure was so surprisingly strong and she couldn't wait to feel it on top of her.

Brooks knelt on the stone slab and brought his face to hers again. She moved her lips to touch his, but he pulled back.

"Your turn," Brooks said. He gave her a wicked smile.

Helena returned his grin and sat up on the rock. She felt his fingers grab the zipper on the back of her dress and didn't move until he brought it all the way down.

"You're not wearing anything under here are you?" Brooks asked.

Helena stood up and turned around. She let go of the strapless dress and it fell to her feet. Brooks let out a low growl at the sight of her naked body. Helena knew this one meant get over here, but instead she stood staring at him. He propped himself up on his knees, so his head was level with her chest.

His arm stretched out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. She let out a moan as his mouth met her nipple. He started to alternating nipping with his teeth and running his tongue over her small buds. She wanted him to go harder, but before she could make a request she felt his other hand slide up between her legs. He spread her folds and pressed his thumb against her most sensitive spot while using a finger to circle her entrance. She tried to bend her knees, wanting him to penetrate her, but he lowered his hand with her body.

"Too much," Helena said.

"Too much what?" Brooks asked before moving to her other nipple.

He started to rub his thumb in a circular motion and Helena let out a cry. Her body was on over drive from all the stimulation.

"I need you," Helena asked.

"Need me what?" Brooks asked.

He let his fingertip enter her and Helena let out a gasp when he pulled it out right away. Helena couldn't take it anymore. She brought her hands up and shoved Brooks backwards. He went on his back and Helena crawled on top of him. She gripped onto his cock and ran the head up and down her slit, coating it in her juices. She began to lower herself onto him and he brought his hips up to meet her. This was what she needed.

Helena started to rock her hips back and forth. The moonlight radiated down on them and it really felt like they were the only two people in the world. Brooks sat up and started to meet her movements. He brought his hand back down and continued to rub her with his thumb. The sensation was causing an orgasm to coil in her stomach. Helena tried her harderst to angle her hips downward and press herself against Brooks' hand while feeling his member filling her from the inside.

She wasn't sure if she was making any noises at all or being completely silent, but the orgasm was fast approaching and Helena was going to ride it out. She felt her vision start to go fuzzy and her heart tighten. Then the release came and she was certain a scream came with it. Brooks grabbed her chin and brought her in for a deep kiss. The orgasm was still making it's way through her and Helena didn't think she could concentrate enough to control the kiss. She let her head drop to his neck and brought her arms around her shoulders, pressing their bodies together.

Helena was acting on pure emotion now. She'd never felt this good in her life. For whatever reason her instinct made her open her mouth, bare her teeth, and bit down hard on Brooks' shoulder. She tasted copper, but Brooks let out a groan that sounded more pleasurable than painful. As soon as she lifted her mouth Brooks spun her around and repositioned them so she was on all fours and he was behind her.

He kept one hand on the small of her back, guiding her as he slammed in and out of her. His other hand made its way underneath her and started to massage her clit again. She let out a moan, unsure if she could handle another orgasm. Whether or not her mind wanted one was irrelevant though. Her body started to respond to Brooks' touch and the familiar coil began to rebuild itself.

"I can't...I can't...," Helena said.

"You can and you will," Brooks said.

His voice was so stern and powerful Helena almost came again on the spot.

"Tell me when," Brooks said.

He pressed down on her back, forcing her to arch and Helena felt him ram into her G-spot.

"Now," Helena said. "Now. Now. Now."

She felt the explosion in her body and was surprised it came with some pain. She started to crawl forward, but Brooks held on to her. He leaned down and put his head next to her ear.

"Focus on the pleasure," Brooks said.

Helena closed her eyes and let the orgasm continue to radiate through her, soon the sharp sting was nothing but a dull ache. Brooks stopped moving and guided them down so they were lying on their sides, he was still inside of her.

"I don't understand," Helena said.

"You have my knot," Brooks said. "It won't go down for a while. Try to relax."

Brooks kissed her shoulder and Helena felt like her breathing would never return to normal.

"I bit you," Helena said.

"You marked me," Brooks said. "I've wanted you to do that from the moment I saw you."

"I'm sorry it took me so long," Helena said.

"I'm not," Brooks said. "It was worth the wait."

Helena smiled. She grabbed ahold of Brooks' hand that was draped around her.

"That was the mating ceremony. You're now officially mine."

Helena started to move her hips.

"The more you move the longer it will take to go down," Brooks said.

"Maybe I want us to be connected forever," Helena said.

Helena brought Brooks' hand between her legs and started moving up and down against him. He let out a moan and started kissing her neck. She hoped they would be like this forever. Brooks was her mate and nothing could change that. Helena started moving her hips faster. Brooks rolled her onto her stomach and moved with her so he was on top of her from behind. Helena smiled. If they couldn't stay like this forever she would make sure they did for the rest of the night.