Hello,
In She Wolf and the stories that followed, both Elise and Javon alluded to their beginning as a couple as being not so smooth. I wondered, what really happened. So after thinking, I decided to flashback and tell their short tale.
A special thanks to Andi for taking time to edit this story. You are a Godsend.
All sexual acts are between consenting adults.
Read and share your thoughts.
MATING MEMORIES
Javon Loess was out for a stroll. His older children had mated and were now starting their own families. His younger three were just discovering the joys of the opposite sex. Javon paused and stopped to stare over the vast plains.
Love, are you alright?
His mate sent.
I'm fine love, I'm just woolgathering.
He replied.
Elise sighed,
Come home soon. I miss you.
She sent him a strong shaft of love and Javon smiled. They were as in love as any couple could ever be. It wasn't always that way. Javon sat on the ground, beneath a canopy of trees as he recalled meeting his mate many decades ago. He was not expecting to meet her. He certainly wasn't expecting her to reject him like she did. But he was patient and persistent.
Remembering the past made Javon think about his father. In his mind and heart, his father was the greatest alpha of all. He swore when he had to take over that he would model his rule after the legacy his father had left.
In the Past
His father founded the pack over a century ago. It was a hard time. Disease ravaged the land. Some Weres fell victim and revealed themselves to unsuspecting humans. Usually the humans were declared insane or witches. They were so barbaric that killing each other was something common amongst the human. Vampires hunted freely. Wolves were their natural enemy and many of each species died in conflict. The wolves suffered. Some were captured and domesticated and a few ran wild. Jake Loess was smart. He and his mate learned to mix with the humans and thereby created a safe haven for Weres. They ruled the land and over time even with human progress, the Loess Falls pack thrived.
One cold winter day, the pack had been dealt a fatal blow. The females and the kids were restless. They needed to go out and Madam Alpha wanted to exercise. Alpha Madam Clara was carrying twins. One day, she was on an outing with the packs' young. They were teaching them how to hunt small game. A rogue pack of wolves descended on them. The women corralled the young, sending a distress call to their males. This was their land, and these wolves did not belong. The males were angry and jeered at the women. They wanted to send a clear message to the local pack. The wolves attacked, and ripped the women and children apart.
Although Madam Alpha Clara fought with everything she had in her, being heavy with cubs, she was no match for the stronger males. A distress call reached the males and they rushed in stopping the rogues, but the attack was so swift, so vicious that they were too late. Facing a pack of wild animals that had just attacked their women and children, the men were furious and ripped the rogue wolves into thousands of pieces.
Alpha Jake searched for Clara and found her laying in a pile. He rushed to his mate. She was bleeding and he knew their children perished. He held her begging her to hold on, healers were coming. She lost the battle. Alpha Jake looked at the bodies of the women and young that had fallen and he screamed. Javon, Thaddeus, and Blaine were with the men and seeing their mother mangled and destroyed crushed them.
We should have made sure someone was with them. This is our fault.
Each young man claimed.
Father was inconsolable. He just held his mate screaming. His sons shifted and lay with him and the family wept at the lost of their mother.
Soon, Javon stood and he and Thaddeus helped father to stand. They carried him home and the betas removed and burned the bodies of the dead. Javon never forgot, and secretly he never forgave himself.
The entire pack mourned. Not only for alpha madam but the women and children who died so needlessly as well. The mothers and fathers demanded answers.
How could rogues be in their area and no one know?
They asked. Alpha Jake could not answer.
Alpha Jake was hurt. He literally shut down and his three sons stayed with him. Blaine wanted to hurt someone, but the rogues were killed. He started attacking anyone that opposed him. Jake commanded him to stand down. Being so young, Blaine did not think things through.
Several years passed, and Alpha Jake led his people with compassion and ruthlessness. He was tough on all three boys. However, he was hardest on his oldest son, Javon. Javon would one day be alpha, and as alpha he had to learn to be tough, to fight, to rule. Jake was so hard on his son, that most felt he was simply cruel to him. Thaddeus often tried to cover for his brother, but father never let the smallest mistake slide.
One day, Javon had enough and ran. His father was unreasonable. He was not like Thaddeus or Blaine. Father allowed them freedom to make mistakes, but if he erred in the slightest, father jumped down his throat.
Jake was furious at his oldest son.
How dare he run.
He fumed. Thaddeus pleaded with him to let him go search for his brother. Jake refused for the first few days no one searched. Jake sent scouts and they had no luck finding the young man. Three months later, he returned injured. After he was settled, Jake demanded him to report to his private office. Javon no longer cared. His father did not scare him anymore. What he survived was worse than anything his Dad could throw at him. He walked into his Dad's private space and waited to be told to sit.
Javon glared at his father. He knew he was probably disappointed. Since losing mother that was the one thing he seemed to be good at doing. His mother was gone, and the pack suffered. Father had become a cruel, callous leader. "Where did you go?" Jake asked.
Javon took a deep breath. He remembered the vampire brothers. They were worse than father could ever be. They also made him realize he was stronger than he ever knew he was. "I was traveling east and living in the forest. I met many creatures. A few nights go, I was attacked by a pit. I barely survived, and that was why I came back home." He concluded.
Jake inhaled,
VAMPIRES!
Javon reeked of them.
"Son, be honest. I need the truth. Did someone hurt you?" Jake demanded. Vampires were evil creatures, never to be trusted. He might not survive, but if they damaged his son he would go after them.
"Father, I am stronger than I look. I killed the dog. I apologize for disrespecting your rule and I am ready to be given my punishment." Javon dropped his head in submission.
Jake took a deep breath. "You are not telling me everything, Javon. I know you think you are protecting me in some way. You have been punished enough. Report to the betas for your duties." Jake dismissed him. He closed his eyes and wished Clara was here. It was hard. He failed as a father and his sons no longer trusted him. He was the type of leader he never wanted to become.
Javon stood outside of his father's chambers and listened as his Dad wept. He too cried silent tears, but he vowed that he would do everything he could to make father's job less difficult. That started with taking up his duties. Standing as tall as his frame would allow, Javon reported to the Head Beta for his duties.
Javon walked into the Beta's office and was reinstated immediately. His brother, Thaddeus and Thaddeus's friend, Christopher, met him. The three men walked out and Thaddeus demanded the truth. Thaddeus talked to Javon and demanded to know who really hurt him. Javon stuck with his story and would not veer from it. He feared if he told his brother the truth, Thaddeus would run into his death. He did not want to lose his brother.
Several pack members saw that the young Beta had returned and welcomed him home. Jake sat in his office staring into space.
If Clara was here...
He thought. But she wasn't and secretly, he blamed himself. Alpha Jake missed his mate, Clara. At night, the pack wept as he often howled his sorrow to the heavens. His three sons wanted to help, but there was nothing that they could do to relieve their father's suffering.
The pack loved Alpha Jake, and each day they watched as he slipped farther and farther away. He was lonely and they realized that he needed a new mate. Several of the elder members met and knew if he did not get a new mate, they'd lose their alpha. So they sought out eligible females within the pack.
Several females stepped forward, but they wanted someone that could deal with the alpha's moods. Someone mature enough not to react , but young enough to spark life within hm. They narrowed the women down to two young ladies. Jake's best friend, and beta had a daughter that was not mated and available. So he chose her. Jane was nice enough. She wasn't as beautiful as Clara but she was honest and compassionate. Those two traits were needed in a pack leader. Jane was a decent woman, but Jake did not love her. He treated her respectfully and presented her as the new Madam Alpha. His three sons treated the girl with respect and over time, the pack eventually acknowledged her as their new Madam Alpha.
Javon missed his mother. She was the sweetest most compassionate woman. He recalled the moment she departed from this life. He had no ill feelings toward Jane, but she would never replace his mother.
One day, Madam Alpha, Jane had an idea. The pack needed new blood. They were stagnant. In order to ensure their lively hood, they needed new matings. Alpha Jake agreed to send his two older sons to work with a neighboring pack into eh area of the Appalachian Mountains. Javon didn't want to go. He feared traveling east. He recalled the encounter with the vampires. He'd never forget and was terrified of confronting them again. Thaddeus knew something happened to his older brother, but Poppa said they needed to search for their mates. They had no choice. Blaine wanted to go. He could tell Javon was hesitant and he needed to go protect him, but the night before the young men left, Blaine got into an altercation with several young males and all of them were banned from going by Jake. So the next morning, a small group of ten males headed to meet with the Monsoon pack of Munstrat.
In Munstrat, Elise Monsoon was annoyed. Two of her siblings had mated and the alpha declared that she and her sister, Abby needed to mate, as well. He even stated that a small pack from near the desert was sending over some males. In exchange for allowing those to seek a mate that pack would become allies and align with them at anytime they were needed.
Elise was furious, but the Alpha had spoken. The next morning, she went straight to the alpha home. Alpha Monsoon, greeted her with a smile. This was his youngest granddaughter and if anyone would have a problem it would be his little Elise.
"Grandfather, why? I don't want a mate right now. Mother and father need me here to help them." She explained.
Her grandfather smiled, "Elise, you are too willful. It's my fault. I indulged you and your sisters. However, Kelly and Valarie are mated and happy. You have convinced Abby that she does not need a mate, and you flat out refuse the males that are available here. You are of age now and you need to settle down. Just meet them, OK, for me, for your grandmother." The Alpha chuckled, "Who knows, you might meet the one." He teased. Then he hugged his granddaughter and sent her on her way.
