I hope you enjoy this story. I am not sure whether this will stand on its own or will be a continuing series. It all depends on my time, commitment, my attention span and whether the drunken leprechaun that runs my brain makes his AA meetings or not...fucking lush. Either way enjoy! The first of this is slow and includes back story and character building. It gets good later...trust me!
Chapter 1 -- Beginnings
September 20
th
, 2006
James Wolfe sat in the cafeteria of Copper Hills High School lost within the vision that sat 43 feet away from him. He knew it was exactly 43 feet because she sat at the same table, the same seat, at exactly the same time of day...that and he had measured out the approximate distance with his cousin Marcus two weeks after beginning their sophomore year. She was predictable and fastidious to the point of anal retention. This only strengthened his longing for her...his future mate. This presented two distinct problems...well three if you consider her track record with trouble and the statistical inevitability that she would be waist deep in it until they were properly mated. The first problem was she didn't know she was his mate, that they were destined with the blessing of the Fates and Mother Luna to spend the rest of eternity together and bear many, many children. The thought alone of her round belly filled with his pups and full round breasts laden with sweet milk was enough to make him instantly hard and his inner wolf howl with need and want.
The second problem was infinitely more troublesome and frustrating. She had absolutely no clue who or what he was...zip...zilch...zero. It didn't help that she was part of the social elite and a rising star in varsity cheerleading. It also didn't help that he was a nerd. Not the stereotypical nerd with pocket protector and coke bottle glasses, but a nerd nevertheless. He was also painfully shy and socially awkward. He was skinny and pale but surprisingly toned and strong despite his outward appearance. He had long black hair that fell to his shoulders and deep emerald green eyes that grayed depending on his mood. He was a mathematical and computer science genius with the intellect and propensity for all things electrical. It didn't hurt having the higher intellect and instinct of his wolf to help further his scholastic endeavors though. He and Marcus had built their first PC when they were only seven years old. Last year they had built their own server farm with several terabytes of storage through a RAID 5 controller and three redundant hot swappable drives. They had successfully integrated with the current pack network and increased throughput by 50% including a more robust firewall and IDS. His father had been so impressed he had tasked him and his cousin plus some friends to help update the network at the corporate offices and improve data security and efficiency. Not bad for a bunch of seventeen year old geeks.
So far his school and professional life were shaping up very nicely...but his love life was completely in the shitter. But that was the way the way it had to be. Pack law decreed that outside of casual acquaintances and friendships, future mates were not to be told of their destiny until the Rites of Ascension which fell on their 18th birthday. It was not only to help protect mates and pack members from potential attacks and retribution but to allow the natural flow of a relationship to blossom and bear fruit as prophesied by Mother Luna and the three Fates. But so far things were not looking towards his favor. He understood the importance of discretion and the secret nature of their courtship and it was not like he was totally in the dark. He received regular updates from her parents per the contracts of mating. His wolf guided him and provided intuitive and insightful glimpses into her psyche. He knew where she was at all times instinctively. He knew what she was feeling by thought or smell if he was close enough...whether she was happy, angry, sad, or...aroused.
Arousal was by far his most favorite. During a particular rousing and exciting homecoming game he had been sitting near the bleachers watching her during her routine. She was a flyer...one of the cheerleaders they threw up in the air to catch again like a human beach ball. Thunderstorms had passed before the game and the field where they had been performing their routine was still damp in many areas. Suddenly the thrower lost her balance, slipped and fell, while Rachel...that is her name by the way...Rachel Merchant...the most beautiful name in any language...um...anyway...she was still mid air and was heading back to Earth head first. Without thinking James jumped over the rail and ran the twenty feet to where she was going to land, catching her securely in his arms. For the briefest of moments their eyes met and the world around them faded to blackness. His emerald eyes connected with her pale green eyes...yes pale green... for the love of Luna...like the finest cuts of Jade. The electricity passed between them and the smell of her sex made its way to his sensitive nostrils...she smelled of freshly cut Cedar. The smell buckled his knees nearly making him drop her. His wolf was howling with wanton lust and desire. It was practically demanding that he take her then and there on the field in front of the Gods, Mother Luna, and about 3,000 spectators. The moment passed and his brain was again able to send electrical impulses to the rest of his body. He panicked. He gently placed her on the ground mumbling an apology and a hope she was okay, then bolted. James ran straight past the visitor uprights into the forest clearing beyond ripping and clawing his clothes as he descended deeper into the tree line. Yep! His love life was off to a Cracker Jack start. Fuck!
He shifted immediately after his underwear hit the forest floor and raced back to the pack compound. Here he is a powerful, supernatural, near immortal being and he pusses out first chance he gets speaking to Rachel. Back in his room James opened up the detailed journal he kept on Rachel with all of her pertinent information. They included bio, likes, dislikes, allergies, etc. -- these came with many thanks from Brian and Natalie Merchant -- Rachel's parents. They were a wonderful, loving couple who were ecstatic to be bound to the Wolfe clan; they were very fond of James and couldn't wait for the two to start popping out grandchildren. They were also loyal employees in his father's corporation and powerful allies when it came to werewolf and human relations in High Council meetings. Wolfe and Merchant were bound in both blood and purpose; it had been this way for the last two millennia. And Gods help them it will last another two. James let his mind wonder to the beginning, willing his thoughts to focus on anything to relieve his current bout of social anxiety...
After the final battle was fought and the dead counted during the last Blood War, the opposing sides were sickened of all the death and chaos. They were tired of war. They wanted peace. They wanted a chance for mutual prosperity and happiness to take root in the soil that had been soaked with a thousand years of blood, betrayal, and distrust. A delegation was formed from all the major factions...the werewolves, vampires, the elves, the dwarves, and finally the humans. The Articles of Council were written and sworn to by all parties at the First Council of Nicaea in Bithynia, Turkey in 325 AD. The Roman Emperor Charlemagne chaired the Council, bless his Pagan soul. A need was seen to marry and breed between the species to strengthen and solidify the fragile peace treaties. Charlemagne agreed with the heads of each clan that the Human species was the most likely candidate for successful mating. The three Fates of legend (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) decreed that direct Alpha blood lines in each Family tree would mix blood with a particular line of Humans. These blood ties would not only extend to mating but trade and commerce as well. This would allow for stronger familial ties but also bring economic and social stability to the war ridden nations of every species. The motion was ratified unanimously and was very popular among all.
The Fates decreed they would place sacred marks on newborns that signified their intended mate and claim by an Alpha bloodline. The marks were specific to each individual clan but all hold a basic emblem that distinguishes each species. A vampire's emblem is a fang, a Dwarf's is a hammer, an Elf's is a sword, and for the Wolf the mark of Luna, a full moon. These emblems are only visible to the bearer, his or her family or pack, and their intended mate. This would allow intended mates to recognize each other immediately. When the mates were in close proximity the marks would glow brightly according to species markers. For the Wolfe Clan our mark burns with a deep blue lunar glow.
The Fates, bless their gentle souls, also placed spiritual locks on mates to prevent rogue members of species from taking and breeding with Alpha mates to force bloodline disputes. Mates were essentially sterile to all except their intended lovers and not only were they sterile, but becoming sexually aroused was impossible under duress. The Fates went as far as to make a mate physically ill if any but their love was trying to initiate sexual intercourse. Rogue encounters and rape were extremely rare the countermeasures were that effective. The only problems occurred among the humans. If another human attacked an Alpha's mate, it was up to the Alpha or clan guard unit to stop any potential harm from befalling them. Alpha's had learned very quickly after some mates were lost to be very, very protective of their intended mates. The loss was too terrible to not be just a little paranoid about this. So far no Alpha has lost a mate in the last 223 years. But it hasn't been easy. It can be difficult to keep one step ahead of disaster. Especially if your mate has no clue who or what you are and has an uncanny ability for being in the wrong place when the shit hits the fan...
James sighed heavily. He was prepared to do anything to see that he and Rachel were properly mated. Even if she would not acknowledge his existence, he would protect her to his dying breath until it was time to properly reveal himself. But James had always been proactive in his pursuits and he was always one to think outside the box. If he could not be with Rachel in a romantic or social sense until after the Rites of Ascension, he would be with her in spirit. He would be her protector and guardian angel...scratch that...he would be her guardian wolf.
Chapter Two -- The Birth of Lovers
October 3
rd
, 1988
