Factors of Change

You guys.

Your reaction to this story surpasses everything I ever hoped. Thank you so much! I hope I keep up with your expectations.

Once again, oodles of merci to Doctime for reading, editing, encouraging, questioning and all around doing a great job of helping me become a better writer. I changed quite a few things after he sent the chapter back to me. I anxiously read it until I couldn't see it anymore, but I might have let slip a few things.

Enjoy!

*****

The air was fresh and cool, a typical May night. I ran, feeling the cool air through my fur. All sorts of scents assaulted my sense of smell: the freshness of newly grown leaves and the dry, slightly bitter tang of fir sap; the earthy smell of the ground beneath my feet and the sudden scent of a startled doe I crossed in my hurry. I tried to ignore all these wonderful new scents. I needed to focus my attention on running, but also on the distinctive spicy scent of nutmeg and cinnamon that would warn me of Gabriel's presence.

I climbed all the way up the steep mountain that towered over the Lake compound. It wasn't very high up, but the trees were becoming sparser at the top of the nearly bald mountain. I reached the stony summit panting with relief, and turned around to look down at the compound far below.

I could see the entire lake. It was a rather small, narrow lake, at least five times as long as it was wide. My Alpha had been right across the lake from me when he answered my challenge. It would take him quite a long time to run the whole way around, so I had a good head start.

Unless he swims across

, my wolf let out smugly.

Oh he wouldn't. Would he?

I eyed the calm, dark surface of the lake. I didn't

think

he would swim across; he probably could, but it was still quite a way to go, in the dark and in pretty cold water. I wasn't sure what to put above Gabriel's wolf, though. While our human forms preferred a smart, charismatic Alpha to an overly muscled one, our wolves still relied on strength and usually acted by sheer stubbornness. I sat down and sniffed the air. I couldn't smell him yet, but his earthy smell was so similar to that of the forest around me that I wasn't sure if I really would be able to pick it up until he was too close.

But wasn't the whole point of this chase in getting caught?

He has to work for it

, my wolf explained as I turned to pad down the hill, still heading east.

He needs to know he deserves you. And you need to be strong, to deserve HIM.

I snorted softly as I started running again. I wasn't going to try and understand males and their ego tonight.

A sudden howl broke through my concentration and I slowly stopped, surprised, to look back up the hill behind me. He sounded much closer than I had expected him to be. He had found my tracks. My heart raced with excitement, and I turned to run faster.

I nearly tumbled down the rest of the hill, and stumbled loudly, in a crash of broken branches and crushed leaves, into a clearing. I startled a small group of Weres in their human forms who had been sitting and chatting there, in front of a small cabin by the water. I froze as they stared at me.

One of the men suddenly gave me a bright smile and stood up before he turned towards the forest and cupped his hands around his mouth. "She's here!" he shouted loudly towards the mountain. I hesitated only a second, torn between the urge to tackle the young Were into the water and the more visceral need to run. Sadly, I didn't have enough time for the first idea, so I went with the latter and dashed right through them and towards the trees on the other side of the clearing. I heard the women's encouragements and the group's amused laughter, and cursed myself mentally for letting myself be seen; they would obviously point the Alpha in the right direction if he stumbled upon them as well, which would happen if he was following my tracks. I wasn't aware of how long I had been running, but my wolf was getting tired and restless, and the Alpha's patience was probably waning.

But... where was he?

Appearing out of nowhere without a sound, a large, dark shape suddenly leaped at me and tackled me from the side. Together, we rolled between the trees and further down the hill in a snarling tangle of dark fur and limbs. We landed hard on the gravelled bank and he rolled on top of me, growling and pinning me down on my back, lunging for my throat. I snarled and struggled, but froze when his teeth lightly closed on my throat, his chest rumbling with a warning growl. A single word broke through my thoughts, pushed upon my conscience in a tone of command.

"SUBMIT."

And I suddenly really wanted to submit. With all my rapidly beating heart.

I felt myself go limp as I responded to the order for a few moments, but instantly rebelled against it.

You said you wouldn't command me, Gabriel,

I thought furiously, and struggled against him again. I folded my hind legs and pushed my paws as hard as I could against his stomach, throwing him off of me. The big black wolf backed up in surprise, obviously taken off guard. I got to my feet to face him, and barely had enough time to notice how large - how much larger than

me -

he really was before he growled at me, his hackles rising in warning.

Oops.

I'd gotten him upset, but God, he was a beautiful beast, a huge wolf and yet a graceful one as he stood his ground, his glowing amber eyes bright and piercing as he glared at me. And all of a sudden, I saw him brace himself to jump.

I took a single step back towards the water just before he lunged at me. He tackled me again, but we were too close to the lake and we both rolled straight into it with a loud splash.

I shifted back to human form by reflex from the sheer shock of the cold water and surfaced with a loud gasp. Shivering, I quickly stumbled out of the water and collapsed onto the grass above the bank. I heard a booming laugh behind me and turned around, outraged, to find Gabriel standing in the shallow water, stark naked. "G-glad to s-see

you're

having f-fun," I hissed at him between clattering teeth as I crossed my arms over my bare chest in a futile effort to warm myself.

"I am," he laughed. He grinned wickedly and moved closer, the water rippling around him. I watched him silently, all my anger fading as I let my gaze travel across and down his body. He really was beautifully made: tall and lean like an athlete, with wide shoulders and a strong, defined torso that narrowed down to a lean waist. The dark water only reached to his knees, and I appreciated his strong, muscular thighs for a moment as my gaze latched onto his groin, where his large cock stood up to attention. Obviously

he

wasn't bothered by the cold water, I though wryly, and I looked back up to his face to see his smile completely gone as he stared at me with a heated gaze.

I stood up and turned to face him and pure, hot desire suddenly pooled in my groin as he slowly waded his way towards me. He easily climbed onto the bank and reached out for me without a word. His hands wrapped around my arms and I let him pull me firmly to his chest as he leaned down and slanted his mouth over mine in a deep, crushing kiss.

I moaned, melting instantly, parting my lips for his forceful tongue. It pushed against mine and I pushed back, demanding, wanting to taste him as he tasted me. My heart was thumping madly in my chest and I felt as if all my boiling blood had left my head to rush down lower. I let out a muffled groan of frustration and wrenched my arms out of his grip to reach up and roughly dig my fingers through his hair, pulling his mouth harder against mine as I kissed him back. My wolf was close to the surface, much too close for me to be patient. The chase had me so turned on and ready for him that I knew he could probably smell my arousal above everything else.

Gabriel growled deep in his throat in response, his hands moving down to my thighs to lift me up and carry me into the woods. Not once did he break the kiss as he walked between the trees and lowered me to a soft bed of grass and leaves. He pressed me into the ground, his hands desperately roaming across my bare skin. I moaned as he cupped my breasts and broke the kiss to lean down and close his mouth over one of my erect nipples. A loud gasp escaped my lips and I tugged hard on his hair as he sucked the sensitive bud into his mouth, his teeth grazing my skin and sending pure pleasure straight to my core.

His other hand had travelled down my abdomen and between my legs. "Oh, Gab..." I let out shakily as his fingers slipped between my wet folds to find my warm entrance and slowly slide inside of me. My legs wrapped themselves around his hips and I pushed against his hand as his fingers thrust more forcefully. "Gabriel!" I gasped. "Please..." My wolf simmered at the surface of my conscience, begging for more. I was more than ready; I had been for a week, and I could tell he was just as impatient as I was. "Baby, don't tease me!"

He leaned back over me and kissed me hard, his fingers moving in and out of me, bringing me closer and closer to my release. I slid my hand down across his chest to reach down and brush my fingers against his long, hard cock; he let out a muffled, pained groan as my fingers wrapped tightly around him. His fingers left me and he hooked his arm under my thigh to push it up, spreading me open for him. I angled his hard member against my entrance and he broke the kiss to look down at me, his gaze intense and darkened by desire. I shut my eyes with a moan, arching my back desperately to press my hips against his, but his other hand moved up to my chin to tilt it up. "Open your eyes," he whispered. "Leah.

Regarde-moi

."

I looked up at him, only to get lost in his hazel eyes while he moved on top of me, sheathing himself almost all the way in one thrust. He pulled out and thrust forward until he was finally nestled all the way in. Unable to hold his gaze, I moaned loudly and shut my eyes as my blood rushed through my veins to thunder in my ears, and I dug my fingers deep in his hair to pull his mouth to mine again.

He kissed me deeply, rocking his hips against mine in a slow, persistent motion. I felt every inch of him as he slid in; I had never felt so full, so complete in my whole life. I slid my hands down to his shoulders and held on tight, not caring that my nails were digging into his flesh. He groaned against my lips and broke the kiss with a gasp as he increased his speed, grinding his cock firmly against my clit. My orgasm took me completely by surprise, bursting in my groin to roll across my body like a tidal wave. I arched my back even more and cried out as he rode me through it, before his rhythm faltered and I felt him shatter in my embrace. He pressed his lips against my neck to muffle his shout as he came and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, completely overwhelmed by pleasure and tenderness.

My wolf was howling in my mind, pushing to come forward. I could feel the skin of Gabriel's neck against my lips and fought down the suddenly irresistible urge to sink my teeth in it.

Not now,

I thought frantically, clinging to him.

Not now!

He collapsed on top of me with a final shiver. We were both breathing heavily and I could feel his heart thunder in his chest, in cohort with mine. I hugged him closer and he rolled to his side in a crunch of broken leaves, pulling me with him as we caught our breaths. "Oh my God," I whispered after a long, silent moment, leaning back slightly to look at his face. "Promise we'll do that again."

He laughed breathlessly, his face splitting into a grin. "I certainly intend to. The air is getting cold, though." His hand moved down my back to my rear and squeezed gently. "The house is very close, Leah." I glanced up at him, just as he lowered his head to kiss my lips. "Will you come to bed with me?"

***

An hour later, I tucked my face into Gabriel's neck, nuzzling the soft skin there with a sigh. I felt my muscles relax into a languid after-sex daze as we lay in the soft blankets of his bed. It had only taken us a few minutes to make our way towards the large lake house a while earlier, but Gabriel hadn't let me look around the house much, urgently ushering me upstairs to his bedroom.

Everything was silent around us, both inside and outside the house; everyone had probably gone to bed by then. "Do you think the pack knows about me?" I asked.

He chuckled. "They all heard your call. I really cannot see how they could

not

," he said in an amused tone. "We were not exactly discreet, either," he added, a smile in his voice.

I bit my lower lip and looked back at him. "So they heard everything?" I asked, and he nodded. I could feel myself blushing deeply and laughed, hiding my face into his neck. "That's very embarrassing," I mumbled against his skin.

He laughed and tightened his arms around me. "No, it is not. They will be curious, though," he said softly. "This... this is the first time it has happened."

I heard his hesitation, and knew what he meant by 'it'. Even though I pulled myself closer to him in answer, I didn't dare look up at him, afraid that he would expect me to respond, explain or put words on what I thought '

it'

was. We still hadn't named what was between us, although after tonight we would have been fools not to recognize it for what it apparently was.

A mate bond. It was somehow comforting to know that even though he recognized it as well, he was as hesitant to name it as I was. I knew we had to blame our stubborn human sides for it. Committing to a lifetime relationship after knowing each other for barely six days would have been a trifle extreme for anyone, even for a Were with a wolf pacing impatiently in their minds.

Gabriel didn't press for an answer; he simply let out a sigh and rolled onto his back. I cuddled close to his side, draping one bare leg over his and watching my hand as I lightly moved it over his skin. I marvelled at his warmth as I ran the tip of my fingers through the soft, thin blond hairs on his chest. I inhaled deeply to breathe him in, to bask in his wonderful scent of forest and earth, of the spices only I could smell, and of the underlying scent of sex and sweat that clung to his skin and made me feel quite dizzy with love.

I blinked and laid my hand slowly over his beating heart. Love? What was I thinking? I knew nothing about him, nothing but his name and a small list of various interests. I didn't even know his age, though he didn't look much older than I did. I moved a bit to rest my chin on his chest while looking up at his face.

He looks so beautiful

, I thought. He had closed his eyes and his handsome mouth was relaxed, the corners slightly curving up. I smiled and reached up to gently let my forefinger trace the line of his jaw and down his neck. "You smell so good," I blurted out.

He snorted softly and ran his hand up my side, brushing the side of my breast. "So do you. I completely lose all control whenever you get close to me," he admitted, and opened his eyes to smile down at me. "What

do

I smell like?"

"Hmm," I let out thoughtfully, and smiled as I dropped a kiss against the line of his jaw. "Like the earth, with fresh leaves and pine. And spices. Nutmeg. Cinnamon, mostly. You just smell delicious, both to me and my wolf."

"You make it sound like I smell like a cookie," he said in a snort, sounding mildly affronted.

I laughed and shook my head, leaning back to look at his face. "You smell like the forest. Does it matter? I'm the only one who can smell it, apparently." I bit my lower lip. "What do I smell like?" I asked, curious as well. "Please don't say roses."

He laughed and shook his head, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "Not a rose lover?"

"It

is

a bit cliché."

"Vanilla," he claimed. His hand pulled my head down to him and he gently nibbled on my earlobe. "A hint of citrus, and a sweet bit of honey under it all. No roses."

I smiled, very pleased. I hesitated a bit but finally leaned back to look up at him. "Gabriel?"

He laid his head back down against the pillow and looked at me. "Mmm?"

"Why was Cedric parked in front of my home this morning?"

To his credit, if the question surprised him, his facial expression showed nothing of it. I wondered if his beta had already talked to him about our brief conversation. "I am just being overly cautious," he replied carefully. Too carefully.

"Why?" I asked with a frown. "I went up to the SUV to ask him, but he just said he said he wasn't watching me. If not me, then who?"

He sighed softly and, after a brief hesitation, sat up. I kneeled, sitting back on my feet and keeping my eyes on his expression, but his poker face didn't give away anything at all. "When you were in London," he started slowly, "what did other Weres say when I won my election?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "They were... surprised, to say the least. It was on everyone's lips. Only Born Weres had ever become Alpha until you."

"Just surprised?" He tilted his head slightly. "Be honest. I already know the answer, in any case."

"Most of them were curious about you. But... well yeah, a lot of them were appalled that the pack had chosen you. They thought it was... a mistake, and that you would eventually prove unfit for the task. That Turned Weres are omegas and should stay that way." I shook my head, frowning deeply. "They were just being discriminating assholes. They don't even know you, and you've been doing fine. It's why I left, Gab. It was always like that, everywhere I went. Everywhere but here."

He nodded sympathetically and reached out for me. I moved closer and curled up against him as he pulled me close to sit across his lap, laying my head down on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me. "I was elected by almost ninety percent of my pack. It was an indisputable victory," he said softly, pressing his lips against my hair. "But that still leaves one wolf out of ten who has

not

voted for me."

"Is that a lot?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Out of those who did not, not all of them were terribly upset. Most of them simply cheered for another candidate and accepted me with respect. But some others were ferociously against my election. They campaigned against me, never recognized me as Alpha. They almost all disappeared one after the other in the weeks following the election, too, claiming to want to move to another pack."

"Well good riddance."

"Hmmph. However they never petitioned to join the pack in Québec City," he pointed out. "And we got no questions from other packs close by, either. It would seem they never even

tried

to join another pack."

I was silent a few moments as I processed this strange bit of information, and glanced up at him. "Well, where are they, then?"

"I have no idea," he said with a sigh. "But I have to admit that I am worried at the thought of a rogue group of 'lone wolves' blaming me for what they clearly consider decadence in the pack, living somewhere in my pack lands and probably plotting for a quick end to my mandate. It has kept me on edge for the past three years."

I could understand that, and fear coiled in my stomach at the idea. "Do you honestly think that's what they're doing? You didn't even press them into exile. They left on their own."

"A few weeks ago, they started contacting some of the Weres who had in the past supported my opponents. Some, who have been contacted, alerted me about it... but I cannot be sure if they all did."

I leaned back from him and frowned. "What are you saying? You mean you think there's some sort of... a plot against you?"