Fulfillment 09

Dear Readers,

This is the part where you can't please all of the people. Some of you will appreciate this part of the story and some, from what I've read, will be disappointed.

There are at least two more chapters to follow.

KemMyst

********

It was dark outside the cabin again and Emmett growls, low and threatening.

Lyssa inhales deeply, wakes, and asks, "What?"

"Listen."

Lyssa is quiet, concentrating. Above the beat of Emmett's heart, she hears snuffling at the door. Startled, she looks to her mate. "What is it?"

"A male. He's come the last couple of nights."

"Werewolf?"

Emmett shakes his head. "Then why is he here?"

"For you, sweetheart, he smells you."

She squeaks, "Me?"

He pulls her against him and rubs his nose against hers. "Seems like he's a lone male and looking for a mate. He smelled you in season and came for you."

She'd finished her heat or they wouldn't be having a conversation. It had been short, just over two days, and this was a consequence of her recent injuries. Mostly. Maybe.

He strokes her hair and kisses her. Her eyes are wide with revelation. "I'm starving. If you don't mind, I'd like to get a decent meal together."

She stretches, her lithe body covered in a film of sweat and his scent. As he sits up he glances at the liquid drying on her thighs. He runs a finger lightly up from her belly to her chin and she nips at his fingertip.

He smiles and rises and she watches his backside move away. A groan and she sits up. "Food does sound good." As she stands, fluid runs down her leg. "I'd like to clean up a little."

Emmett turns to her. "Only a little, sweetheart. I want to soap you up thoroughly later."

As she walks to the bathroom, he hears her murmur, "How I can walk straight after all that, I'll never know."

He starts a meal, thawing a couple of chickens and peeling some potatoes. Lyssa emerges from the bathroom, having cleaned most of the stickiness from her thighs. He was happy to see that she still smells strongly of him. She walks over and wraps her arms around her naked mate. "Mmm." Pulling back, she swats him on the ass and he jumps, dropping a potato on the floor.

She grins at him, washing out the chickens, removing giblets, and stuffing and seasoning. In the oven they go and she turns to Emmett, who's loaded a large pot with peeled potatoes. He pulls her close and puts his chin on the top of her head. His hands scrub up and down as he says, "That'll take a while. Why don't we wash up?"

She looks at her hair in the mirror as he starts water in the big claw foot tub. It was sticking out in several spots, screwed into crazy spikes. She turns, hand on her hips, and looks at Emmett, his longish grey hair looking as it always did. "How come your hair doesn't look like this?"

He smiles. "Because, sweetheart, I do drag my fingers through it occasionally."

Lyssa frowns. "What day is it, anyway?"

"Friday."

"Friday?" He sees her counting back. "So, only a couple of days this time?"

He pulls her against him. "Dear heart, your body's been through a lot lately and, so, it wasn't ready to sustain a regular heat cycle."

A normal estrus cycle was 3-5 days and occurred once or twice a year. Although all females were a little different, many were on an essentially annual cycle. Lyssa was settling in at about 7 or 8 months.

Emmett steps into the big tub and pulls her toward him. "C'mon in."

She steps into the tub and Emmett pulls her back against him, kissing her cheek.

She sighs as the warmth of the water envelops her. She was a bit sore from their calisthenics and the water feels good.

They lay in the water, quiet and relaxed. Lyssa finally breaks the silence. "So, I probably won't get pregnant this time either, will I?"

Emmett exhales. "Probably not. We'll think about it next time."

"I'm sorry."

"Lys..." He stops. He was disappointed. Of course he was. But he didn't want to feed into a dark mood.

"We should have been home today. Randall and Ariel have got to be worried."

"Can't we call?"

"No service here. We'll call tomorrow, when we get out of the woods."

Emmett takes a washcloth and soaps it up He takes one of her arms and runs the washcloth over it. Next comes her other arm, her neck, and upper back.

Lyssa murmurs pleasantly as he works. Soaping the washcloth again, he slides it over her front, her breasts, her belly. Now she moans and he nips at the side of her neck. And she feels it, he's grown hard again behind her. Even after the marathon of sex, he was ready again.

The washcloth disappears as his hand, slippery with soap, runs up and down the front of her body. As sore as she thinks she should be, her body responds.

He gauges her responses and, with a little maneuvering, slides back inside her. The pace is slower, the intensity builds more slowly, as he pumps into her from below.

After the past couple of days she's gotten more sensitive and she comes relatively quickly with a groaning cry. Emmett feels the pulsing around him and thrusts a few more times before emptying himself once more.

She lies back against him and he enfolds her in his arms, until he slips back out.

As the water cools, she washes up and drains some of the water. She then replaces the stopper and starts refilling the tub with warmer water so that Emmett can wash up.

Lyssa washes her hair in the sink as he cleans up, then walks out to check on dinner.

Freshly scrubbed, their hair damp, they sit down to the meal.

The rest of the evening is quiet. They stoke the fire, start to tidy the cabin, and begin packing. They sit together on the couch, enjoying their closeness, and watching another movie.

As the curl up together to sleep, Lyssa murmurs, "I wonder what's happened at the house while we've been gone."

"We'll find out soon enough, sweetheart."

Saturday

Morning dawns, warm and foggy.

Michael Ross had heard from his father that the Wyeth Beta pair was out of the den. He learns that they have gone a distance away, alone, and were due to return. The bitch had messed up his life, badly, and he wanted nothing more than to make her suffer.

If they were out of the den, he could get to them. Now, how would he go about it?

Erica was currently riding his morning erection as he considers what he might do.

His mate, and it was so hard to think he had a mate, has grown timid and skittish.

Emmett rolls and glances outside then curls back up with Lyssa, who's still sleeping peacefully. As the sunlight streams more strongly in the window, she stirs. She opens her eyes and lies there, on her back. "Guess we gotta go back, huh?"

He strokes her shoulder and arm. "Don't you want to? Don't you miss them?"

"Well, yeah, but it is nice to get away sometimes."

"I tell you what, we don't have to leave right away, we could go out for a run."

"In daylight?"

He gestures to the window. "The fog is thick enough. If we see anyone, we can come straight back."

She looks at him, it seems a bit reckless. She smiles. "You're on."

Low lying fog blankets the area and they romp through the slush. Lyssa skids to a stop and checks out the smell at a tree, its roots gnarled around a large rock.

Wolf.

Male.

Emmett walks over, sniffs, and growls. In response to the other male's marking, he lifts his leg and covers the other wolf's mark with his own.

Even though it wasn't their range, Emmett feels it necessary to broadcast his presence. Mostly he shows his possession of the female.

Lyssa takes a sniff, drops down on her forepaws, and takes off. Bounding through some deeper snow, she runs along the edge of the slope. A drift overreaching the edge gives way and she goes skidding down the slope. Emmett follows, bounding down after her.

She comes up, half-buried with wet snow. She struggles out, shaking her fur. [OK, now that's just annoying.] She looks down at herself. Most of her lower half is muddy.

Emmett nuzzles her, checking for injury. He gives her a lick then takes off down the stream. She sighs and takes off after him. They run through the water, through the snow, and up the opposite ridge. They both turn at the smell of deer but they were well fed and the deer were skittish in the fog.

After tracking around the top of the rocks for a little while a shout sends them back to the cabin. Lyssa stands in the doorway, muddy up to her knees and elbows as well as across her belly and breasts. Emmett looks at her and smirks, "You could use some cleaning up, sweetheart."

He grabs her, kicks the door closed, and hauls her bodily to the bathroom. He sets Lyssa on her feet in the tub and pulls the curtain around them. Emmett turns the water on to start it warming then pulls her body to his, smooths her hair from her face and kisses her deeply. She melts against him.

They spend time in the humid cocoon soaping each other up, and touching. Finally, with the water starting to cool, he runs his hands down her arms and rests his forehead against hers. "We should head back."

Lyssa reaches behind her and shuts off the water. "Yeah."

The car is packed. The fire is out. The kitchen is clean and the linens are stripped.

Emmett's nostrils flare at the lingering smell of sex and his eyes track the wolf's prints in the yard as he pulls the door closed.

He glances at his mate, sitting in the car, and exhales in relief. He had his mate back and they were returning to the pack.

As they start down the hill, Lyssa says, "I have a question, Em. It's kinda...strange."

Emmett stops the car and looks at her. "OK, Lys, what?"

She looks at her hands, folded in her lap. "What would have happened if I had got away from you and gone into heat out there?"

"You're wondering about him?" Lyssa looks away from him, chewing on her lip. She nods. "Do you really want to know?"

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. He goes on, "You already know the answer. As wolf, you would have stood still for it."

She exhales slowly and he puts a hand on hers. "You never would have gotten away from me."

He takes her hand, kisses it, and puts the car in drive.

They move down from the hill and out of the woods.

She looks out at the landscape moving by, woods, clearings, meadows. The snow was melting and running rivulets down the sides of the hills and along the road. The moisture in the air was condensed into a mid-level fog but the bright sun would burn if off.

***

Calvin was tutoring Erica again while Michael ran off on some errand he didn't elaborate on. Erica was quieter than usual and Calvin wondered why. Her initial happiness at being Alpha female had been severely dampened and his son's own behavior indicated that it wasn't a particularly happy union. The pack was taking notice and it wasn't good.

Erica was distracted and having trouble with some of the basic things she had understood the day before. Cecelia, who was in charge of the kitchens, was showing some impatience.

Calvin's mind wanders and he smiles, thinking of escaping later to visit with Stephanie.

***

Joanna wakes up with Nathan curled around her, an arm over her hip.

He sighs, his breath ruffling her hair. "Morning, Jo."

She twists, looks at him, and smiles. "Morning."

His fingers stroke lightly across her hip and belly. Jo feels her heart flutter. Nathan slowly expels a big breath. "What would you like to do today?"

"Uh. Hadn't really thought about it."

Just then the sounds of a motorcycle coming closer has him rising. "What the..?"

As he heads for his front door Joanna looks for her pants. She follows him as he throws open the front door. A dark blue motorcycle sat behind her car and Nathan's brother Matthew steps forward, a set of keys dangling from his fingers.

"Best we could do on short notice. Uncle is having your bike taken to the shop. She's been totalled but that doesn't mean she can't be repaired."

"She?"

Matthew makes a short bow. "Good morning, Joanna. Most forms of transportation are referred to in the feminine."

Joanna puts her fists on her hips and turns to Nathan. "Does she have a name?"

"Have you named your car?"

"Um. Cricket."

Matthew crushes his lips together trying to hold in the laughter. Nathan chuckles, his merriment leaking out. Joanna rolls her eyes. "OK. Ha, ha. What's her name?"

Nathan sobers. "Nike."

"You named your bike after your sneakers?" Matthew chuckles.

Nathan shoots him a dirty look. "Don't remember your Greek mythology? Or didn't you study it?"

Joanna wilts a little. "Didn't seem real important."

"Nike is the goddess of speed."

"OK." Nathan looks at her. Joanna shrugs and looks away. Matthew looks at the two of them and clears his throat.

Nathan strides down to look over the new bike. He stalks around it, touching the cowling. Matthew speaks. "Triumph Tiger, 1215, 12 valve, 3 cylinder, 121 Nm torque, shaft drive, obviously, fuel injected ride-by-wire. So, whaddya think?"

Nathan stands before the bike, musing. "It'll do." He looks at his brother. "Who do I owe?"

"A bunch of us got together. We'll get it figured out."

Matthew looks at his baby brother looking at the bike. "Well. Go on."

Nathan walks up to Joanna, catching her around the waist. He kisses her cheek. "Breakfast and clean up first. I'll thank everyone later."

"OK, bro. Have fun."

Breakfast consists of pancakes and steak. The pancakes are slathered with butter and covered in maple syrup or jam. Joanna liked strawberry jam on hers. The steaks were just beyond rare. Cooking for two required a bit more coordination.

After clearing the table and washing up, Nathan turns to Joanna and extends his hand. "Our turn."

He leads her into the bathroom. After another quick kiss and his hands go to the hem of her t-shirt and he begins to lift it. She raises her arms as he pulls it over her head and off her body, dropping it on the floor.

Next, he unbuttons the button on her jeans and pulls down the zipper. He pushes them down, pushing her panties down with them.

He's finally got her naked in front of him, alone, with him. She glances at him timidly, hiding her sex behind her hands as he looks her over. He gently takes her hands and pulls them away from her body, so that he can see all of her.

Finally, she gathers her courage and repeats the process with him. She puts her hand on his chest and he pulls her to him and kisses her. Finally, finally, they were completely naked together, skin to skin. She wraps her arms around him and he rubs his arms up and down her back.

Taking a deep breath, he moves away and starts the water. Once it was warm enough, he pulls her into the shower with him. He turns her under the spray, then soaps up his hands. He kneels, and starts with her feet and calves, stopping mid-thigh. Next came her hands and arms, to the shoulder. He turns her away, washing her neck, rubbing her shoulders, then his hands run down. Her back, around her waist. He watches the soap suds slide down her pale skin and closes his eyes, almost disbelieving what was in front of him. Then, his soapy hands slide over her buttocks, firm, smooth, just a bit wider than her waist. She jumps a bit when he ventures into the crack of her ass.

She holds her breath as he washes up her legs, but he stops before he gets there. Her back. She'd never considered that it would be so sensitive, how it would feel to have a male's hands running down it. She hadn't had anyone wash her since she was a pup, except for when she'd been shot. Her mother had helped her clean up that night.

Oh, her butt, his hands were there. And it felt weird having him run his fingers up her buttcrack.

He gets closer behind her and soaps up her boobs. She swallows a moan. He washes her belly next. Then, there's only one place left.

Joanna braces her hands against the side of the shower and spreads her legs somewhat, as he presses up behind her. She feels his warmth on her back as he places his hands over hers and presses a kiss between her shoulder blades. She turns her face to kiss him.

His hands slide up her arms to her shoulders, down her sides. He rests his hands on her hips and splays his fingers over her belly. He strokes them, lightly, closer to her navel, and she inhales. Then, his hands disappear.

He soaps up his hands and slides them over her belly and through her pubic hair. There's a slight twitch in his cock as his fingers probe between her legs, slowly, softly, caressing. This time she gives voice to the moan.

His hands come up, crisscross her body, and he lightly cups her boobs. He whispers to her, "Wash my back?"

The water was starting to cool and he twists her out from under the spray. She puts her hands on his chest and looks up at him. "Water's going cold, love."

She smiles a little timidly at him and soaps up a washcloth. She runs it over his back, his arms. another slide down to his butt and she lightly washes him. He backs her up, turns, and takes the washcloth. She glances down, his cock has shriveled up some. Weird.

Nathan soaps up quickly and rinses off in the tepid water.

He dries her off and she dries him. They dress and he says, "Let's go for a ride."

***

Calvin has slipped his responsibilities. Even with both the Alpha and the Beta of the pack away, he drives to the Wyeth den.

Stephanie awaits him there.

Sampson is accompanying his Alpha on an errand.

They are far from the den and Sampson wonders what they are doing. However, he does not question his Alpha, except within his own mind. Michael Ross was not the leader his father had been. In Sampson's opinion, his 'Alpha' was not a leader at all.

They have driven past the Wyeth territory and were well into Severn.

He has driven through a rural area and then through a small town. His Alpha remains silent beside him, although obviously searching for something.

The usual collection of houses was in the town, something that may have been a hotel at one time, another something that was probably the general store. There's a diner and the local bar. Over the bridge is the main intersection, a flashing red light, and the gas station.

Michael Ross could not believe his eyes. It was them. Fortune had smiled on him and the object of his rage was in his sights. It had been such a long shot.

Two miles away and around a curve, Michael has Sampson stop the truck. He takes the wheel and turns it around.

Going back through the town, he takes particular note of the car.

A couple of miles further, he finds what he wants.

The road comes to a T-intersection there and the side road climbs a small rise, which gives a good view of the road on which they would travel.

He faces the truck towards the intersection and waits, eyes glued to the cross road.

They wait.

He was finally going to be rid of the bitch.

***

They are coming back from their trip away. Lyssa was essentially back to her old self, and Emmett was very thankful for that.

Emmett was belted in. Reluctantly, he let Lyssa take her seat belt off and she scooted over on the seat to nestle up against him.

So, she was snuggled up against him in the car, warm, and soft.

It had been a honeymoon, of sorts.

They were still in a rural area and there were no other cars on the road.

The ride back is quiet. They were simply enjoying each other's company before the return to the den.

Lyssa turns and starts to look up at her mate when a large vehicle looms in the driver's side window. "EM!"

The collision knocks them off the road and into the ditch. The ferocity of a high speed impact from a vehicle almost twice the size and weight of the car they were riding in was almost explosive.

Lyssa was thrown across the car and against the other door as it came to rest at an angle in a ditch full of water and the window shattered into thousands of pieces of glass. She shrieks and tries to cover her head with her arms as she bounces back from the impact. She feels the wetness start creeping in around her shoes as the water comes into the bottom of the ruined door.