Emile looked at Jack, who watched his Alpha run into the woods. "That... could have gone better," he said wryly.
Emile sighed and wrapped her arms around Jack, resting her head on his shoulder. It felt strange to be alone in the Alpha's home, but it didn't seem to bother Jack at all. "So what do we do now?"
Jack pulled Emile tight, content to just breathe her in. "This is going to be a nightmare. I suppose I've got to keep the pack and businesses running, while containing Blake without challenging him."
"He's not going to..." Emile couldn't bring herself to finish the question.
"You have nothing to worry about," He reassured Emile. "Blake isn't going to abandon the pack, so he won't turn into a lone wolf, he won't be crazy, just unbearable. Eventually, he will find a balance. His wolf was rejected rather harshly, and is mourning, not that I blame Carly. Blake was being an utter bastard. He'll manage to control his wolf, and then he'll be back, even if I have to go out there and beat some sense into him."
"Is this what I did to you, all those years?" Emile asked quietly, afraid he would answer.
"It wasn't the same. Blake brought this on himself. You, well, I told you before," he said, pulling back so she could read the truth in his eyes, "For you, I would do anything."
"You really would, wouldn't you?" She asked, wondering why it had taken her so long.
"You needed to heal. It wouldn't have been right. I hate what happened to you, and I regret that was how we met. But I don't regret waiting for the time to be right. I'm just happy you're here with me now, love." Jack answered the question she didn't even need to ask. He just knew her that well.
Emile reached up to kiss him. It was gentle and tender, and was everything she couldn't find the words to say. It was promise that her heart and soul were finally healing. It was hope for the future, together. It was love, deep and pure and forever. Jack let it drag on forever, not wanting to lose the connection he could almost feel growing stronger between them. Groaning, Emile finally broke the kiss.
"Carly isn't like us," She said, after taking a moment to collect her thoughts, and snuggle herself comfortably into Jack's embrace. "She holds order and logic as fanatically as a religious ideal. You heard her as well as I. She believes that werewolves cannot exist, so we must be some sort of delusional crazy. She's just stubborn enough to convince herself to stay away from all of us."
Jack considered her words carefully. She knew Carly as well as he knew Blake. "My guess is that she will reach out to someone, probably you. You've known her for a long time, and you can help her process. For now, we'll keep things as they are. Spend your weekdays at your home and work, spend your weekends here with me. You help Carly process, I'll help Blake cope, and maybe see some sense."
"This is really going to suck," Emile said with feeling. "I can hardly deal with myself, how am I supposed to help her?"
Jack smiled, "You're strong, and you love her. You'll figure it out."
There was something else Jack was worrying about, something he was fairly certain no one else had picked up on yet. The boy Jason was only eight, yet he managed to escape from a well-supervised group of werewolf children, elude the best trackers and guides the pack had to offer, and remain hidden from sight, smell, and hearing for hours. It was anything but normal, especially for a human, and especially for one so young. He decided he was going to need to dig deeper. Something was clearly amiss, and the need to protect the pack was strong.
"I'm going after Blake. Will you be alright alone?" Jack asked.
"I'll be waiting in your home when you return," Emile answered. She wanted him to stay. She didn't really feel comfortable in his house or on the pack lands alone. She also knew his duty to the pack, especially when the Alpha was indisposed, could be overpowering. She knew it wasn't abandonment, but that was how it felt. She anchored herself in him, especially when she visited. Yet he believed she was strong, so she would be.
Sensing her insecurities, Jack kissed her, drowning her fears in taste and touch. Passion flared, white hot. He trailed kisses down the column of her throat, nipping lightly at her collarbone, fingers seeking access to the treasures under her skirt. Emile's hands hadn't been idle. She had quickly undone his fly, and was soon wrapped around his manhood, stroking him. Jack backed her into the wall, skirt rucked up to her waist. Pushing her panties to the side, he entered her. Both still mostly clothed, heedless of the fact they were still in the Alpha's home. Emile clung to him, legs wrapped around Jack as he held her ass, keeping them perfectly aligned. Their joining was fast, almost primal. Emile rocking her hips to meet each of Jack's hard thrusts, muffling her moans and cries by biting him hard in the thick muscles where his neck met his shoulder. Jack could feel himself tightening, knew he was close to cumming. He started rubbing and flicking her clit with one hand, wanting to feel her body milking his cock. It was an addicting feeling, and he managed to hold off, just barely, until he felt the first wave of her orgasm ripple through her body. Then he let himself loose, shooting his load deep into her welcoming body.
They stayed connected, gasping for breath, Emile caught between the wall and Jack. She smiled, happy. Yes, she could be strong, she would do anything for Jack, if this was the reward. Sudden realization of where they were washed over her.
"Did we really just fuck in the Alpha's living room?" She asked, horrified.
Jack laughed. "And wasn't it fantastic? I love how your body responds to mine. We could do it again?" He asked. Emile wasn't nearly so amused, but if Jack wasn't worried than she wouldn't, either.
"Although we might want to open the windows before we leave," Jack mused, as an afterthought.
All too soon, the windows were open and Jack was pulling Emile out the door. They headed back to his house, where he quickly shifted and loped off into the woods to find Blake. Emile made herself comfortable, deciding on baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and settle in to wait for her man to return.
Blake ran through the woods as a wolf, not going anywhere but away. If only he could run away from his thoughts. He had given Carly no reason to trust him, but had demanded it from her. She trusted, and he failed. And now she was gone. He had urged her to accept him without letting her know what she was getting into, and yet she gave of herself so willingly. He had expected her to fall in line, never guessing that she wouldn't. She had been feisty, but he had worn her down until she gave up. He played upon her feelings and desires, manipulating her until he got what he wanted. He had messed up, and wasn't sure he could recover. He wasn't sure he deserved to.
So through the woods he ran, losing himself in the rhythm of moving through the forest. He followed the well worn paths, where paws had tread a thousand times before, wearing down the vegetation and packing the earth smooth. He ran, feeling the wind ruffle his fur, carrying the scents of pine and birch, the ripeness of late summer, squirrels and deer and grouse. He let his mind fill with the connections to the pack, the close friends he surrounded himself with, the families that birthed the next generation, the elders that kept the memories alive. He deserved none of it. He had failed his mate, and by extension, the pack.
