"Could you check that room?" she asked while she and Jaxon continued to check the House. Jax nodded and opened the bedroom door, the bed was clean and made up, the bathroom clean and well prepared for the visitors.
"So Alpha Torie is your mate?" Candace called from another bedroom.
"Yes, but she does not see me as anything more then a means to have children." Jaxon called back as he walked back into the hallway and closed the bedroom door.
"So what will you do?" she asked curiously. Jaxon watched her close the door she had just vacated and they moved to the third bedroom door while he spoke.
"She says she does not mind if I find love with another, but they have to be willing to share during her time of heat." he explained to her. How his mate had sounded so clinical and matter of fact about it, he did not know. But that must be part of how she grew up, he reasoned to himself.
"And how do you feel about that?" Candice asked slowly. Candice could in fact admit to herself she was drawn to this Cat, this man who would stand like a tree in a storm against any and all who would move against him. He had even tried to stand against Alpha Torie, but the fact was no one could stand against her, not for long anyways.
"I don't know, I mean, I grew up differently, more like you and the packs did. Alpha Torie did not have that, maybe that is why she can't quite grasp the concept of mates. All I know is that I belong here, even if it means I can't be a proper mate, I can still be a proper Warrior for the new pack and finally return to my true Home." Jaxon explained to Candice who smiled and nodded.
They walked in silence through the rest of the house and insuring that it was ready for the visitors. Candice considered what it would mean to her to get involved with this man, she did feel a draw to him, but could she share him with her Alpha on those times when she came to heat? For the cats it was different, their heat came every two years and sometimes longer if they are still raising a child. Wolves came to heat much quicker then that. Could she really share him for a week every two or more years with her Alpha? She asked herself and smiled, yes, yes she could, she decided. She yelped as she was grabbed and spun around, lips crashing to her own. She felt herself melt against the big man and kissed Jaxon in return.
"Wow..." Candice gasped as the kiss ended. She stepped back from him and gazed up at him.
"If you can handle this between us, I am all in, believe me. But we need to tell our Alpha about you and I before we move beyond any of this between us." Candice said in a slightly breathless tone.
"She has gone to bed for the night, I guess too many people around her is stressing her a bit." Jaxon replied, he could sense her feelings but only on a very small degree compared to what he was told to expect between mates.
"You may have to properly mate her, before we can be together?" Candace asked. This was all new to her now as she had never expected any of this to happen. In everything she knew about pack life and being a wolf, she had never heard of anything like this, the sharing of mates, no wolf would ever stand for it, they were too possessive.
"No.." a new voice said and they watched as Torie and Clare came in from the shadows. Both Jaxon and Candace looked down at their feet, feeling like they had been caught doing something wrong and against their Alpha.
"We knew you found attraction to each other, that is why we asked Jaxon to join you. Our Warriors would never not listen to Candice, in the structure we have, she out ranks them." Torie explained to Jaxon who just smiled at hearing that about the young Omega. Candice blushed a bit when being reminded of her station.
"And no, we will not be marked by you Jaxon, nor shall we mark you. That honor goes to the one whose heart is your own. All we ask is that you do not fully reject us, so we may enjoy your company during the time of heat so we may possibly conceive an heir one day." Torie said softly.
"So you are not going to claim me as a Luna?" Jaxon asked with a grin. He had secretly hated the idea of being called Luna Jaxon, for him a Luna was a female and cared for the Children of the pack and watched over the pack itself while the Alpha took care of outside affairs and ran off to war to defend the pack. Torie laughed and shook her head.
"You will be First Beta, Chris has already asked if he may retire once this trial is over. He is far older then you and I, he needs his time of peace before Luna calls him home." Torie explained and everyone became somber at those words, then she looked to Clare, "Clare will be Luna, and if you claim Candice as your own, Candice will be Clare's First Beta." she said smiling at Jaxon and Candice who looked a bit shocked.
"Jaxon, kneel and submit.." Torie ordered, Jaxon did not hesitate and did as he was told. He felt her lay her hand on his head and felt the bond snap into place between him and his new pack. He heard the many calls of congratulations and the warm feeling of home return to him, he had missed it a lot.
"Everyone welcome our new Second Beta, Jaxon, and your new Luna, Clare." Torie sent out to the pack, everyone was joyous over the news that they now had a proper pack with both an Alpha and a Luna to guide and hold them together. Jaxon was still at a loss about the whole sharing thing, but his cat seemed quite pleased by the whole prospect. Jaxon just smiled to himself, it had to be a cat thing and sense he did not grow up in a pride or fully with cats, he would just go with the flow so long as he and his cat were able to accept it.
"Thank you Alpha Torie, we will not let you down." Jaxon said finally even as he gently guided Candice to his side. Candice blushed slightly while still feeling quite thrilled to begin a new life in a new pack and with a new... mate? She wasn't sure he was a second chance mate, but she knew she could fall in love with him easily and felt like she was already doing that.
"You two should stay in this house or don't you recognize your parents old house, Jaxon?" Torie asked. She had found out from Chris that Jaxon's parents and Jaxon himself had lived here before the War started.
"I'm sorry Alpha, we were so busy talking, I just didn't even think." Jaxon said quickly while looking at the House for the first time really looking at it.
"It really is Home.." he whispered as he stared at the old structure. It was one of the few that had survived the bombings and the fires that the bombs had created.
"It really is, welcome home Jaxon." Torie whispered and felt Clare swipe away a lone tear then smiled at her for a moment. "No visitor's were assigned to this Home, so go ahead, from what I hear, it's already been restocked with food and drink." Torie added while she and Clare slipped into the shadows and the darkness covered them.
"How she does that is a mystery to me.." Candice admitted while squinting into the darkness, try as she might, she could not see her Alpha or her Luna.
"Cats tend to do that.." Jaxon replied while softly laughing. He led Candice into the house once more.
"What shall you do now?" Candice asked even as Jaxon closed the door and she found herself backed to the wall and stared up into his eyes. She could tell his cat was very much forward in his mind.
"Can you share when your Alpha needs us?" He demanded of her and she nodded quickly.
"Yes, always.." she admitted and found she meant it with all her heart.
"Then we claim what is ours.." his Cat told her and she felt herself respond to his desire for her. Candice had never been or felt so wanted, desired and loved as she did that night in Jaxon's bed, now their bed as she ran her fingers over the mating scar on her shoulder. It sent tingles of pleasure through her body whenever he would touch it or she would, he may just be her second chance mate after all, she thought to herself.
Torie and Clare slipped through the forest enjoying their cat forms and playing tag as they ran through the wilderness. They were not entirely alone either as many of the pack had joined in the game along with several Alpha's with their mates and Beta's. The games went on for several more hours and as time went so did their numbers dwindle until only Torie and Clare were left by themselves at the waterfalls.
Torie took her time in enjoying Clare's body, Clare had never felt anything like what was happening now to her and as she felt her release coming to her she felt her Beloved mark her as her own. Then she took her time with her new mate and as she felt her mate's release come to her she marked Torie as her own. Both lay breathless and panting softly while trying to remember how to breath once more.
"We really are mates, I wasn't sure at first, I mean I felt drawn to you. But I never thought it was like this or that you would ever want me like this." Clare said softly. She felt her cat purr inside her when Torie pulled her closer.
"The Beloved doesn't work like Mates do for wolves, it is different yet the same." Torie whispered and held Clare to her side. Torie frowned a bit as she remembered something.
"You will gain abilities now, we need to get you home as they do come quickly and with out notice." she said and was soon running at full speed towards the pack house with Clare in her arms bridal style.
"Alpha? What's wrong?" Chris asked as Torie stopped just inside the door.
"She accepted the bond and I marked her." Torie said while catching her breath. Chris smiled happily.
"That great!" he nearly shouted then stopped and his smile turned upside down, "Oh shit, couldn't you two of waited until after they all left?" he asked looking around. A low warning rumble stopped him from saying much else.
"Sorry Alpha, but I do see the problem.. the cells, we can make them more comfortable for you both?" he suggested. Torie nodded.
"I still don't see the problem." Clare stated.
"Remember the cell door that had to be replaced?" Chris asked and Clare paled.
"Oh shit.." she exclaimed.
