Once again, this story is a prequel to the "Wolf's Pet" series. It could stand alone, but I think it would be better to read after "Wolf's Pet."
Although the characters are not speaking English, all dialog will be translated for your reading ease, except for an occasional word or phrase.
Another a huge "thank you" to my new editor, Archangel_M. He is making the writing of this story much more enjoyable for me, and hopefully, for you.
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"Please, Guillame, we must go to meet my sister and grandmother. They are waiting for us." Orsolya pushed herself away from Guillame's tempting embrace, took his hand, and pulled him through the doorway. "There is much to teach you in a short period of time. We must go now."
Guillame noticed the males and females lining their way through the courtyard towards the biggest dwelling in the compound. He could hear muted conversations and laughter. He felt he was the butt of some joke but could not decide if he should be angered, embarrassed, or just laugh along with them.
"Do not mind them, my big brown wolf. They are just jealous. The females all wish you were their mate. And the males wish they were in your place. Now please, do not fight with me. You can walk much faster than that, I am sure." They were a sight, the petite redhead, who barely reached her male's chest, pulling him along like a cub.
She had a set look to her face that made Guillame want to stop just to see her reaction. But he decided he did not want to anger her, and they were surrounded by her pack. They might not take kindly to him making a fool of her. In that moment, he knew he would do nothing to make her look foolish, ever. From now on, she was his life. But in the back of his mind he remembered that he was here to spy on them. As soon as they mated, she would know. She would hate him. What was he to do? He didn't have time to figure it out as they reached the home of Orsolya's grandmother. They stopped at the door as he looked up at a magnificent facade with hand-carved lintels and perfectly formed stone walls. "It looks like a miniature castle."
Orsolya looked at him with a mischievous grin and giggled. "I will ask grandmother to lower the drawbridge." Just then, the door opened, although she had not yet knocked.
Guillame stared open-mouthed at his little red wolf's doppelganger, the only differences being her jet-black hair and somber expression. He remembered to close his mouth but continued to stare.
Orsolya leapt forward and wrapped her arms around her sister, squeezing her tightly. "Zsálya, this is my mate, Guillame." She pulled away, still holding her twin's hand. "Guillame, this is my dear sister, Zsálya."
Guillame did his best to smile, but there was something disconcerting about seeing a dour version of his ebullient mate. "It is a pleasure to meet you Zsálya." He gently reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips in the European fashion. He could see her slight blush and gave her a warm look. "I will be very happy to have a sister. My father sired only males." He could see a hint of a smile and decided it would be his own game to see how much he could make her relax around him.
Orsolya was thrilled to see how Guillame approached her sister. Many of the pack did all they could to avoid her. She had a feeling her big brown wolf would be a positive influence on her precious sister. Their own brothers, being much older and having their own mates and cubs, ignored her completely. Other than her twin, Zsálya spent most of her time with her father and grandmother.
Zsálya spoke so quietly that a human would never have heard her. "It is very nice to meet you Guillame. My sister has been waiting for you for two years. Where have you been?" She looked up shyly.
"Not here I'm afraid, little sister. But I promise, now that I am, I will never leave." He turned his head towards Orsolya and inhaled deeply, her scent making its way to his heart and holding it tightly. All those years alone, and now, he could not imagine a day without her. He pulled her close and bent down to kiss the top of her head. This was where he belonged. He came to a decision. He would send word to the Council that he would not be returning.
A lilting voice carried through to the doorway. "Orsolya, do bring your mate to meet me."
Orsolya clasped Guillame's hand in hers, smiled, and walked with him into the great room where her grandmother sat with a small blond-haired boy in her lap.
Guillame let out an audible gasp when he saw the female sitting in her chair. There was something about her other than her obvious beauty. The simple chair she sat in could just as easily have been a throne. There was an aura of command about her. Her raven black hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and her smile lit up her face.
She leaned down and whispered in the cub's ear. Guillame saw him look up and grin. He jumped off the elder female's lap and strode over to the tall stranger, sticking out his hand in greeting. "My name is Szebasztián. Thank you for saving me from the bear. I should never have run after the butterflies. It was wrong of me. But I learned my lesson and will never do it again, I promise." He tried to hold tight to Guillame's much larger hand.
Guillame smiled down at the brave cub. He could see the healing bite marks on the little male's neck. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Szebasztián. I am glad I could render assistance, although I think, in a few more minutes, you would have bested it."
The cub puffed up his chest. "Yes, I think I would have. Next time. In a few years." He smiled up at the tall were. "I have errands for my mother. I will see you soon?"
"I believe so, Szebasztián. I think you will be seeing much of me." He returned the smile and watched as the cub hugged each of the females before leaving the room.
The regal female arose effortlessly. "Well, I believe you have made quite a good impression on him, Guillame. I am Leona, Orsolya's grandmother." She lifted her hand and waited for Guillame to kiss it as he had Zsálya's. He smiled and grasped it lightly, bending formally at the waist, kissing the back of her hand before releasing her and standing tall.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Grandmother. Or should I call you Leona?"
"Grandmother, please. I trust Orsolya has explained everything to you?" She lifted an eyebrow when she saw Guillame's confused expression. She turned to her granddaughter. "Orsolya, you did not tell him?"
"I thought it best if you were present, Grandmother. I was not sure how to explain." Orsolya blushed as her grandmother laughed.
"It is alright, my dear. Please, Guillame, sit down, there is much to say. Before you join this pack, you should know what is in store for both of you." She sat gracefully, arranging her skirts around her. "Now, where to begin."
Guillame found a seat across the room from Leona. Zsálya sat on the floor to her grandmother's right. Orsolya looked at her normal place to the left of her grandmother but quickly felt Guillame's hand on her wrist. She turned, saw his invitation, and happily found her way into his lap. He held her tightly to his chest. This was where she belonged from now on. He liked the way she felt as she snuggled into position. His arms closed around her protectively. Nothing her grandmother could say would make him relinquish his hold on her.
"I came here eight hundred years ago from my home in Sardinia." She closed her eyes and a wistful smile crossed her beautiful face as she sighed. "Even after all these years, I miss it. The mountains overlooked the sea. It was magnificent." She stopped for a moment and looked at Guillame. "It is hard to be so far from home. You understand." She smiled in a knowing way.
Guillame tilted his head. Did she just guess about how much he had always hated to leave his home? Weres were notoriously territory-bound. Maybe it was just an assumption.
"For millennia there were no humans on the island. Game was plentiful, and the only wars were an occasional territorial dispute between packs. They were usually resolved quickly, and life went back to normal. And then the humans came, and everything changed. They hunted us for trophies and our numbers dwindled. But when they realized what we really were, that is when disaster struck." She stopped for a moment and stroked Zsálya's hair, as black as her own. The younger female clung to her grandmother's legs. She obviously had heard the story before and knew what was to come.
Orsolya held tighter to Guillame. She hated seeing her grandmother sad. She had seen so much pain and suffering in her life, and she wished her only joy for the remainder. She could feel Guillame's arms tighten protectively. Even though they had not bonded yet, he could feel her sadness. He wanted to protect her from everything bad. He would learn soon enough that was impossible.
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Rudolf smiled at the report from his omega. He turned to the other members of the Council. "Guillame has been welcomed into the pack. Now we wait to hear what he finds there." He arose with a flourish. "Our business for now is complete. I will let you know when we will meet again." He had another meeting to attend, and he could not be late.
The scent of humans assaulted his senses as he made his way through the streets of the city. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. It was bad enough when he was inside the walls of the old church and could smell what remained of the former residents. It was another to be walking among them. He made every attempt to make as little physical contact as possible, but that was difficult in this crowded alleyway. He felt something brush against his leg and recoiled in disgust.
He gazed down at the small child who looked up at him with awe. How a human could let such a little thing out alone to fend for itself was beyond him. They were true barbarians.
