Shadow of the Wolf

Hello everyone! Thanks guys for taking the time to read, and hopefully also enjoyed Rance and Alex's story. I'll try to update and post new chapters as soon as I can, since I know how frustrating it is for a reader to not know what happens next in the story. Thanks for all your comments and votes.

I love to hear more from you: whether you like/dislike how the story is going, how the characters are doing, my style of writing, etc. So please don't hesitate to tell me what's on your mind. Good or bad, your comments help me get motivated.

Once more, I specially thank Lunarosa and MythOFreak for editing and help in shaping parts of the story.

CHAPTER THREE

The party was a veritable crush, so no one really caught a clear picture of the

Alpha Regina

when the

Alpha Rex

started stalking his mate. No one had actually seen what she looked like. Everyone was so busy socializing and politicking that they were oblivious to the momentous event. The party thrown for the specific purpose of finding a mate for their alpha actually served its purpose. It was only later on, when the guards upstairs were ordered to vacate the area posthaste, that the

Weres

had inkling that something unusual was happening. The Council members were joyous when they heard of the mating and could not help but take credit for accomplishing the feat of getting their reluctant alpha mated at last. To prevent the different alphas in attendance from taking offense at their host's absence, the betas discreetly informed them of Rance's mating. The humans, while invited, were left ignorant of the occurrence, but they soon noticed a spattering of spontaneous applauses and unusual jubilation in the crowd.

Most of the lupine

Weres

saw their alpha aggressively cut through the crowd, ignoring everyone on either side, or the basic courtesies of a host. Now, they were aware that it was because he was overcome by the

mate rut

. Every

Were

fears and longs for the time they will experience it themselves. The initial mating between couples entails the male wolf locked for hours inside his mate. Their cocks expand from the middle of the shaft to the crown, sealing the female's channel and ensuring their semen mix with their mate's essence. The male

Were's

cock will not soften even after numerous ejaculations, guaranteeing the blending of their DNA. The male can continue to thrust and make love to his mate, but he cannot pull out completely without causing undue damage to her and agonizing pain to both. The

mate rut

would whip both into such a sexual frenzy of need that locking together for hours counts as a blessing. Only after the mated couple's DNA strands mixed would the male's hardness diminish enough for him to pull out.

The wolf shifters had felt the moment their Alpha had locked together with his destined mate. They rejoiced that their alpha had finally found his mate, and each thought, "The goddess Luna be praised!" There would be no more questions as to their alpha's right to reign. The

Alpha Regina

was chosen and mated this night, a night to celebrate and look toward the future, shortly thereafter, they hoped, there would be pups gamboling around.

The hour was creeping toward four in the morning, and although the mansion was still ablaze with lights, the party had finally ended. The stragglers were slowly escorted out of the estate, while the council members and the visiting alphas were shown into their suites and private guesthouses. The caterers hired for the occasion were efficiently cleaning up, while the band tiredly put away their instruments. The staff quietly worked in the background putting everything to right in the mansion. Everything was being done in quiet efficiency adding to the air of excited expectancy in the air.

Pamela, Alex friend, departed earlier after determining that Alex was no longer in the party. She had discreetly searched the mansion earlier of her friend's whereabouts. As she was standing at the grand entrance, debating what to do, a good-looking man approached her and introduced himself as Troy. He noticed her surreptitiously peering at each room and looking at guests earlier, so offered her his assistance. After informing him of her concern, and giving him a description of Alex; he told her that her friend was spending the night with his friend, Rance, the mansion's owner, as he pointed at the portrait on the wall.

He, together with his twin Luc, and Damian, saw earlier the video footage of the security camera of the

Alpha Regina's

flight to Rance's rooms. So he was confident that Pam's friend and the Alpha's mate are one and the same.

Pam was flabbergasted that her virginal friend was finally hooking-up ... and amazingly enough, to none other than the gorgeous man in the portrait! Troy gave her the mansion's number, for her to call and check up on Alex later. He assured her further that her friend was fine. Pam told Troy in no uncertain terms that if she didn't hear from her friend soon, she would come back and raise-up a racket and might even call the police on their ass. To which threat, Troy merely grinned in amusement and nodded his head in assent.

Upstairs, Damian continued to stand guard at the corridor leading to his Alpha's suite. He was happy for his friend. Rance deserved to be happy. Damian knew that a mate would only strengthen his friend's reign as

Alpha Rex

of the North American pack. Rance had ruled for a little over thirty years after his father and mother's death. Theon, the former Alpha had trained his son Rance from birth, pushing his only son hard to become a worthy successor. He was a tough taskmaster: constantly drilling, teaching, and training Rance to become a hard, exacting, decisive and judicious leader of the pack. He also impressed upon his son the magnitude of importance in achieving peace between

Were

species.

Theon believed that greater things could be achieved if the various

Weres

were united and living peacefully together. He believed that in the near future, all of the

Weres

would unite under one leadership. His belief stemmed from one of the teachings of Simeon, an ancient wolf-shifter oracle, who had prophesied thousands of years ago that an Alpha would be born bearing the goddess' Luna's sign, possessing gifts of incomparable power and an unequaled magnitude of authority. The prophesied alpha would be the catalyst that would unite

Weres

of every species and usher forth a time of peace, harmony and strength for the

Were

people

.

It was as a result of Theon's tireless pursuit of peace that the alphas relented enough to talk and cease warring. His press for peace gained him enemies, who ambushed and killed him and his beloved mate on one of their runs. It was heartbreaking that a group of feral wolf shifter rogues who lived for violence, domination and death killed the champion of peace. The pack had annihilated the rogues but it did not bring satisfaction or comfort to the devastated Rance.

Rance took over the mantle of leadership for the North American Pack. On the first year alone, he faced numerous formal challenges for his position. Each encounter was violent and bloody, but Rance always showed mercy after each challenger conceded defeat. He killed only when necessary. He earned the absolute loyalty of his pack by leading the wolf shifters with a fair and firm hand. Justice was swift to those who warranted the wrath of the

Alpha Rex

.

Through it all, Damian remained by Rance's side. He was his friend from the very beginning and so would remain. Now as Rance's Prime Beta and Chief Enforcer, he would ensure that no one could disrupt the mating and bonding of his Alpha to his mate. Until he knew that Rance have successfully imprinted himself on his mate, then there he would remain. From the muffled sounds coming from the closed doors, he was certain that Rance was still locked together with her.

He saw two of the best betas he oversaw clear the landing by the grand staircase. They looked towards him and approached slowly. "Damian," Luc nodded in greeting. "The council was greatly overjoyed by the news of the Alpha's mating and quite keen on meeting her. They wanted to know if the

Alpha Regina

will be presented to the council later today." Luc said.

Luc's twin, Troy, walked quietly next to him as they drew near Damian. "He had been locked with his mate for almost six hours now." He inclined his head towards the closed doors. "Do you know if the their

mate rut

is over yet?"

"I doubt it," Damian replied dryly. "I can clearly hear them still going strong. Can't you?" he asked the twins.

"I have never heard of anyone locking this long with their mate," Troy said. "It usually last between two to three hours or so, as I've heard from the mated males. Why do you think it's taking this long?"

"Hmmm," Luc hummed in contemplation. "I think I've read something important about the duration of a

mate rut

in one of those ancient tomes in the pack library," he paused as he briefly collected his thoughts. "Since a wolf-shifter cannot really control the interval of time we are locked in our mates during

mate rut

, the ancient council, in my knowledge, had conducted a study on the implication of it to the mate bond. They were curious why some

weres

had shorter time and some had longer time locked together."

Troy looked with amusement at his twin brother. "You and your penchant for reading those moldy books," he laughed. "If we didn't look exactly alike, I'd wonder if we're truly related."

"Hey, not all of us live and breathe for sexual gratification, you horn-dog." he said sardonically. "I love the written wisdom and insights buried in those books. You never know when you'll need the arcane information secreted in my brain, brother," Luc replied.

"Well, what do you recall then about the significance of the length of time of one's

mate rut

?" Damian finally asked Luc.

"What I can distinctly remember is that the longer the

mate rut

lasts, the stronger the mate bond will be." Luc said pensively.

"So what does it mean, O Learned One?" Troy laughingly asked his twin. Luc shot a stern look at his twin with furrowed brows. Troy raised his hands in surrender but continued to smile at his twin. Luc really needed to loosen up in his opinion. He pitied the woman/bitch who would be mated with such a staid wolf. He would probably suck the fun out of his mate, he thought with a smirk.

"A mated couple can usually sense each other and mentally communicate even when they're apart, right? This they can do through their mate bond that was initiated by the

mate rut

. Although as far as I know, that mental communication is limited to a couple of miles or so. A stronger bond could only mean one thing: their bond could give them unlimited capability to sense and communicate with their mate, totally unhampered by the limitations of a normal mating," Luc responded.

"Wow. That would be neat. Keeping tabs with each other and not needing a cell phone anymore would be great." Troy said, drolly.

Luc glared at his brother, while Damian just shook his head. The twins might be identical in appearance, but they were total opposites in personality. They both sported russet brown hair, an angular jaw, and hazel eyes. Luc, the older of the two, was serious and intense, while Troy was more carefree and laid back. Both are tall, powerfully built, and fierce and deadly in a fight. Both were staunchly loyal to their Alpha.

"I think that would relieve Rance. With everything going on right now, that is one thing he need not worry about. If he can sense her all the time when he needs to, then he will know right away if the

Alpha Regina

is threatened in anyway. We won't need to worry about him going feral on some unsuspecting

Were's

ass," he laughed.

******

"Aaaaah! Yes! Harder please! Oh yes! Rance! Aaaiieee!" Alex keened aloud as another orgasm rolled over her shuddering body. The added tightness in her passage pushed Rance to a frenzy, hammering her from behind. Then she felt his penis engorged more as he stiffened, howling, as he expelled his powerful ejaculate in her receptive body. His abundant seed overflowed as it dripped from her slit and dribbled into the satin sheets. The bed was a total wreck. They had been going at it for hours now. Alex vaguely wondered if they could ever get the stains cleaned from the sheets. She inwardly giggled.

"Wow, after staying a virgin until the ripe age of twenty five, I do know how to get rid of my virginity with a bang!"

She was slightly sore, but not too bad, considering the immense size of Rance's cock. She felt his shaft slightly soften and slipped out of her, a gush of semen followed, as her vagina was suddenly unplugged.

In the hours that they had indulged in their sexual marathon, this was the first time she recalled that he actually got soft enough for him to slip out of her. She had lost count of how many orgasms she'd already had, or the different positions they'd fucked with him behind her. He was very creative and so strong and able to shift them by picking her up while still coupled. They did it lying on their sides several times, a couple of times with her lying on her front with her head pillowed on her arms. There was a time he lifted her up and down on his kneeling form. He made her get on her hands and knees and took her that way. Rance also bent her over the edge of the bed while he plundered her core from behind. They did it with him standing on the floor and her kneeling on the bed. The best for her was lying flat on her back on top of him, with her legs splayed open and tucked on his sides while he played with her breasts and clit while shuttling in and out of her.

The wild craving to be constantly connected with him was quite mystifying to her; as a human she did not know about

mate rut

and what it had in store. Her body hungered after his. She physically yearned for his lips on her mouth and her body. Her vagina wept unceasingly for his unrelenting possession. Her skin ached for the sweep of his strong caressing hands. She felt complete when he held her steady as his hardness tunneled in and out of her. She should be in pain and should have been screaming cease and desist; after all, even human sex was new to her. She should be suffering from the excess. Surprisingly, her body felt strangely reborn, invigorated, and hypersensitive.

Throughout their copulation, they barely exchanged sentences at all, much less anything resembling a meaningful conversation. Therefore, she was not deluding herself that there was more to this than just physical gratification. All they managed to do was utter one word demands for "more" and appreciation of how "good" the partner was in making the other crazy with pleasure. Rance grunted how wet and tight she was, how perfectly she fit his cock. Nonetheless, she would willingly do it again just to experience this mind-blowing pleasure. She did not know she was mated, or what being mated meant.

The pinkish tinge of the sky outside the big window signified that it was almost dawn and she needed to hightail it out of there. She did not want to overstay her welcome; she had been a virgin before this glorious night, sure, but she knew enough to know that she didn't want the amazing experience diminished by the embarrassment of an awkward 'morning after'. She was not even sure what to do once this encounter was over. Was there a certain protocol for a one-night stand?

Preoccupied with her thoughts, she abstractedly felt Rance lay her on her back and nuzzle her neck. "Stay here, baby, I'll be back." She nodded her head in his direction absentmindedly and watched him saunter off, his amazing body on full display. She took the opportunity to ogle him indiscriminately. She loved his masculine form; there was no fat or jiggle on him. He was so hard, padded with muscles all over. His back was a work of art, finely chiseled and vee-shaped as his broad shoulders tapered into his trim hips. His brawny arms looked strong enough to bench press a small car. His massive legs and thighs were strong and powerful-looking, but not overly muscled like a body builder's. His glutes were firm and tight, and looked very yummy.

Maybe I'll get to lick and bite them later,

she thought, as she continued to run her eyes over him. Rance looked back at her and winked wickedly.

"Hold on to that thought, Alex." She blinked, and wondered if she was so transparent in her desire of him.

No matter,

she thought,

I would squeeze as much experience out of this as I can; I doubt another super-hot studly guy will come my way in the near future.

Besides, she couldn't see herself doing what she did with Rance with some other stranger, because.... from the very beginning, he didn't feel like a stranger: there was like an invisible rope that drew and tied them tighter together. She was inexplicably drawn and attracted to him. No doubt about it, she was hopelessly helpless and weak when it came to Rance and his animalistic sex appeal.

Rance entered the adjoining door on the right side of the room, and then Alex heard water running, so she assumed he must have started a bath. He came back to the bed and scooped her up in his arms. Alex squealed in surprise. "Put me down Rance! You don't need to carry me, I can walk." She was afraid he would realize she was not a lightweight.

"It's faster this way, baby. Besides, I get to hold your luscious body against me." He smiled down at her. "Isn't this better than just walking?" She silently acknowledged the soundness of his reasoning, and the deliciousness of his nakedness rubbing with hers. He ignored her attempts to get down anyway so she wound her arms around his neck. Rance grunted in satisfaction at her acquiescence.

As he carried her, she discreetly took in the lavishness of her surroundings. The bathroom was huge and opulent. Two pedestal sinks complete with fancy looking faucets stood on one side, a bidet, a toilet and an enclosed shower stood on the other corner. A sizeable luxury whirlpool tub dominated the center of the room, with white marble floors that gleamed dully in the dim light. The tiled walls were pure white and edged with accents of gold around. A low mahogany bench held white fluffy looking towels across the room, while potted plants were placed strategically to further enhance the spa-like atmosphere. She was no longer surprised that the bathroom screamed decadence too. What surprised her though was that Rance took the time to light candles around the room, scatter rose petals in the tub and add scented oil in the water.

The gently steaming fragrant water looked so inviting that when Rance slowly lowered her in it she couldn't help but moan in appreciation. Rance immediately got in behind her. He then took a sponge on the lip of the tub and proceeded to tenderly wash her shoulders and back. He rained kisses and nibbles on each area of skin he finished washing. She luxuriated in her surroundings while he continued to minister to her. Finally, itching to have the questions answered buzzing in her brain, she ventured to engage him in conversation.

"So, do all your women get treated to such pampering after sex?" She turned her head and teasingly asked, as she leaned sideways towards him.

He softly growled as if in reprimand and replied, "What gives you the idea that this is the norm for me?"

"Well for one thing where did you get the candles and the rose petals? Not that I do not appreciate the gesture but I do not see you as a metro sexual male. I don't think you stock up on those for your own pleasure do you? For seduction, yes. But not for your own personal use," she frankly said. "So I thought maybe this is your S.O.P. when it comes to women you have sex with."