What Now?

Dear Readers,

Sorry so long in between posting. I know you just want to see the next chapters so, I'll let you know that I've got another 4 or 5 ready to queue up so they will be coming more quickly now.

I hope you enjoy what comes next,

KemMyst

*******

Emmett had dinner brought up to their suite and asked his mate to meet him there. The green gown was laid out on their bed, contrasting against the blues of the room.

Lyssa came in and stopped in the doorway, nostrils flared. She took in the sight of the room. Her mate smiling, a candle, a single taper, lit, on the table. Her eyes flicked to the bed and back to the smile on his face.

"Eat before, or after?"

His smile grew broader. His eyes sparked. [Both.]

Emmett gestured to the chair opposite him. "Shall we start with the food?" He raised the covers and she inhaled the marvelous scents. Warm bloody steak with a mushroom sauce, baked potato with sour cream, broccoli. Warm rolls, with butter.

They fell to, groaning appreciatively around mouthfuls.

He watched his mate, smiling. Her hair had been growing longer. It was about down to her shoulders now and she periodically tucked it behind her ear. Of all the things about her that were marvelous, there was just one thing he would like a bit different. Her hair. He would just love hair that reached down her back.

However, Lyssa's hair had been short for as long as he'd known her. She'd probably get sick of it and cut is soon but he'd enjoy playing with it while he could.

They finished the food and sat back. Emmett watched her, a bemused smile on his face. "What?"

His eyes shifted to the dress, back to her, and his smile again got wider. "I'll clear." Emmett stood, grabbed the plates and silverware, and turned to the door. He inhaled, smelled her, the beginnings of her her arousal, and wondered if he'd be able to walk straight, down to the kitchen and back.

Lyssa felt herself getting wet already and wondered what her mate had planned. He'd pulled out the dress, so it was probably something ... nice. Mmm.

She sat there with a little smile on her own face, thinking of what the evening might hold. Images flitted through her mind. She licked her lips, eyes unfocussed, and shifted in the seat.

Oh, damn, she needed to get ready.

Into the closet, grab a couple of things, though it took a couple of seconds, then the dress. Into the bathroom. Close the door. Start the shower. Strip down.

She looked, briefly, at herself in the mirror. Not bad for having had a baby. Even though things had pretty much come back to normal, she had that one stretch mark. And while her boobs were a bit bigger, they were also a little softer. Legs. Butt. Hm, the color of her red butterfly was starting to fade. The tattoo of Emmett. Yeah. OK.

Oh, hadn't done that in a while... She had just started when she heard him come back in. And stopped, waiting. She didn't need to be startled right now. Nope, he was staying out there.

OK, back to what she was doing.

[Mate?]

[Give me a minute.]

He resolved not to go in there.

It was sweetly agonizing, waiting for her to come out. He was wondering why it was taking so long, should have just been a shower and dressing.

He sat on the edge of the bed, waiting, wondering.

Ah, shower. And he thought back, almost 5 years ago now. It was the first time he'd seen her completely naked. The first time he had tasted her. Ah. Soft, wet skin. Soap suds sliding down her body. He hadn't dared trust himself to take her so he had pleasured her, with his tongue. She had tasted clean, and wonderful. And the sounds she had made...

He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable now as his cock lengthened and stiffened. Ah, he could barely wait to see her.

[Sweetheart?]

[Impatient much?]

Emmett closed his eyes and swallowed. [Just wondering what's taking so long.]

[Someplace else you gotta be?]

He ducked his head, shook it, and chuckled. Then jerked his head up as he heard the door crack open. [Close your eyes.]

He swallowed again and closed his eyes.

Light footsteps as he listened to her walk over. Lyssa stood in front of him. Quietly, "Keep 'em closed."

He so wanted to see her in that dress.

She took his hands and placed them on her hips then pushed them upwards.

His hands slid up her sides, up the soft, slippery material. He found the swell of her breasts, moved his hands inward and palmed them. Her hands were on his arms and he leaned forward, nuzzling between them. Emmett then slid an arm around her upper back, to hold her close, while his other hand slid back down to her hip. Then lower still. He started to pull the skirt up. He head rested against her shoulder. And he took a deep breath. He didn't have to see or touch her to know that she was dripping.

Lyssa put her hands on his shoulders and pushed, gently. He released her and she took two steps back. OK.

Lyssa put her arms out. "Dance with me."

Emmett creased his brow, confused. "C'mon. I got all pretty."

He smiled and stood, taking her into his arms. They stood there, for a moment and, without music, he wasn't quite sure how to start.

But, he felt the soft firmness of her body against his, felt her warmth, inhaled her scent.

She felt his strong arms holding her close and smiled at the feeling of his erection pressing against her. He smelled wild, and masculine, and comforting. She whispered against his shoulder. "I like it here. It feels nice."

He scrubbed his hands up and down her back. "I like how you feel here. And I'm so glad you're here. I love you."

She snuggled closer, wriggled against his stiffened length. He groaned. She kissed his chin. "I love you, too. Dance with me."

He tipped sideways and started a slow, metronomic movement. And they rocked back and forth for a while. She murmured, "I think you're underdressed."

She felt his smile, against the crown of her head. "No, you're overdressed. And we should do something about that."

[Mama! Twoy take my ookie!]

Lyssa put her hand over her mouth, laughing. Emmett looked a little annoyed as she held him back with a hand. [Can't you get another cookie, sweetie?] "Troy took his cookie."

[Aw gone!] "And, apparently, that was the last one."

[Son, I'm sorry but, until you're bigger and can keep it away from them, bigger pups might steal your cookie.]

[Wan' ookie.]

[You'll have to wait until tomorrow, Emmanuel.]

[Mama...]

[No, sweetie, Hannah isn't going to make any more today. You'll have to wait.]

They waited a few moments, but there was nothing further. Emmett said, "Now, about you being overdressed..."

Lyssa's eyes were unfocussed. "Em.."

"What now?"

She turned to look at him, wonder on her face. "He sent to us. Emmanuel sent to us. Omigod."

They looked at each other in disbelief. Then, suddenly, Emmett grabbed her, lifted her, and twirled her, laughing happily. He then allowed her to slide down his body and stopped, as her face aligned with his. She took his face in her hands and they kissed. Joyfully. Deeply.

Emmanuel had been born wolf-deaf, unable to send or receive. But, a little older, he heard Emmaline. He had been able to impress his feelings on others in his vicinity, but this was the first time he was known to have sent. What came naturally and easily to other pups had been denied him. Until now.

They looked at each other, amazed, relieved, overjoyed. They smiled and laughed again, happily. Emmett picked her up and swung her again. When he stopped, he saw the hunger mirrored in her eyes and he tossed her to the bed.

Lyssa leaned back and looked at him. "Know what color this dress is?"

Emmett stepped forward. "Huh, uh. Why?"

She watched as his body showed the first indication that he was ready to pounce on her. As he just barely began the movement, she rolled off the end of the bed and dropped into a crouch. His eyes narrowed as he watched the beginnings of her move to one side. Just as he twisted toward her, she took off [Hunter green.]

He held back, watched her pull open the door and turn right. He counted to 10, set up a howl, and took off after her.

Lyssa ran to the end of the corridor, to the stairwell. Up. Up first.

She had grabbed the skirt with both hands to keep it out of her way as she ran. She hit the top floor and blasted through the door. Others wolves had heard the howl and understood what it signified.

She saw smirks and smiles as they moved out of her way.

She saw that Caroline had come into heat as she ran past her and George in the top floor sitting area. Caroline was bent over the arm of a chair with her mate holding onto her hips and driving into her from behind.

She heard heavy footsteps behind her as she got to the front stairwell.

Down. Don't trip.

She wasn't sure now if the dress would last the night. The stockings were done already.

Down the next corridor. Whoops! Bounce off Alex. Listen to the footsteps. Were they getting closer?

Down again, to their floor. She slowed slightly, and felt the hand close before it grabbed her shoulder. She had just gotten the door cracked when he twisted her into his arms. He pulled her tightly to himself and stuck his nose in her hair. Lyssa could feel Emmett, all of him, against her body. Hard. Strong.

He took her lips in a bruising kiss as he kicked the door shut and hauled her further into the room. She gasped when he came up for air. From her view, over his shoulder, she knew they were near the bed. Before she knew it, she was facedown on the bed and he was flipping the skirt up over her back. He growled as he found her in stockings and a garter belt, sans panties. The rumble continued as his hand slid up her silk-covered leg, flirted with the line where silk met flesh, then farther up, where he slid the knuckle on his thumb up and down her slit.

She was wet, very wet, and she turned her head to watch as he pulled his hand back and sniffed appreciatively. When his eyes opened completely again, he looked at her, as if realizing something. She saw him smile as that hand went back between her legs. Fingers slid all the way forward to caress her mound.

Smooth. Soft.

He then slid the zipper down and pulled the shoulders of the dress down her arms. Picking her up, the dress went down.

Then he had her on her back on the bed as he went to his knees, where he rubbed his cheek against her hairless mound and kissed it. She chuckled, quietly, as he picked up his head and looked at her, eyes twinkling. "Mmm, dessert."

Lyssa laid back, legs dangling over the side, closed her eyes, and relaxed. Emmett's hands slid up and down her legs, raising goose bumps. She shivered, feeling his breath on her lower belly. He laid his head there and she felt the light scratch from the beginnings of the beard he never wore. His hands slid up her body and followed the curves of her breasts. Her hands, meanwhile, had gone to his head, her fingers in his hair.

After a few precious moments like that, he slid his hands back down and picked his head up. A deep breath and he bent his head, and ran his tongue over her outer lips. Soft. Warm. Wet

She sighed.

Then, his tongue went on an exploration of her folds. Inside. Outside. Into the wet depths in between. Around and up to that hard little nub that made her gasp and moan.

He was hard, throbbing, and could feel the blood in his cock beat in time with his heartbeat. And he was waiting for just the right moment to bury himself inside her. In those warm, wet, muscular walls that embraced him fully, held him tightly.

There! She was close; he could hear it in the change in pitch of her breathless moans. A last nibble on her clit, and he rose, and pushed into her inviting depths. She sucked in a big breath and clutched his forearms hard enough to break skin.

Emmett grunted, pulled back, and again sheathed himself. It took only one more stroke for her to break. He gritted his teeth as the orgasm had her walls clenching his turgid member. He held still, waiting for the contractions to lessen slightly, before beginning to pump rapidly. He pressed his knot into the entrance of her still quivering pussy.

Lyssa tipped her head back, arched her back and uttered a long "Aaaaah."

Several short thrusts later and he stilled, groaning, above her. She felt him pulse inside her, filling her with his seed.

They lay together, not that they could part at the moment, murmuring happily.

*******

In order to keep a closer eye on things and assure themselves there was not encroachment on their territory, they had added extra sweeps. The young adults were, therefore, pressed into service. The young males, particularly, would have this as a duty when fully adult.

On this night, the night following the dark moon, it was still, of course, dark. But wolf eyes could still see, could still discern. Though the colors were muted, they could still see branches, rocks. She watched the ripple of his muscles, the fluid movement of his light fur. And their noses, the smells. Scent was important to them, in so many ways. Finding prey, sensing danger, and, in a primal way, in discovering a mate.

And, though performing an official pack function, Mercy was following Jamie, with his enticing scent filling her nose. She was a bit distracted, watching him move. He was so...

They were approaching the second crossing when Jamie slowed. She stopped and started to untie the fabric attached to her rear leg. Annoying, but they had been ordered to cross the roads in human form and needed clothes. While he could get away with a pair of shorts, she needed a light dress. As she got it off and looked up, she saw him poke his nose out and look both ways. [Jamie, c'mon.]

[Seriously? Nothing's happened. Let's just go.] He gave a wolfy grin and turned back to the road. She huffed and prepared to follow as he poked his head back out.

Mercy moved forward, noticing the vehicle and seeing a flash of light as Jamie jerked, yelped, and leapt back.

Blood. Jamie's breath, wheezing. Bubbling noises. Oh, Luna. He was hurt. His send was weak. [Report.] There was pain. She could hear it.

Right, report. She whined, nosing him. [Can you move?]

[Tell them.]

Oh, right. [Jamie shot. Second crossing. Help us.]

[Mercy, run.] It was Alex tonight on relay.

[He can't move.]

Alex relayed the message to the den. [Attack! Jamie shot at second crossing.]

Several in the pack jerked awake. Emmett sat bolt upright and grabbed Lyssa's arm, hard. She blinked at him. "Warn the other packs. Jamie's been shot."

Randall's send came through loud and clear. [Paul, relieve Alex. Females and pups to the bunker. Erich, Samuel to the second crossing to assist. Emmett, Gordon, Simon, Jeremy to guard. Roland, Anthony, check the perimeter. Carefully. Now.]

Lyssa sat upright, eyes unfocussed. Emmett knew she was sending long distance, contacting all the other packs and warning them. The phone did not ring, so none of the other packs apparently had a problem.

He kissed her on the top of the head and took off.

The open door allowed the sounds of the pack in. They were moving. Off to assignments. Kissing mates before separating. Scooping up pups. Heading for the bunker.

***

Her heart was hammering in her chest and she couldn't catch her breath. She could smell his blood, hear him gasping, wetly. He'd tried and failed to rise and lay there, one eye open and looking at her. [Jamie. Jamie. C'mon, we gotta go!]

[Run.] He blinked at her.

She heard footsteps and slunk forward.

[Jamie! Mercy!] Alex was calling for his son.

The footsteps, slow, got closer. Mercy, bristling, growling, stood.

Everyone moved aside for the males sent to various duties. The rest headed for the bunker, crowding in. Lyssa sent Emmanuel in with Emmaline and Cassie. She and Ariel stood outside with Desiree, who was frantic, waiting for news of her son. "Des, where's Justin?"

She looked at them, blankly, on the verge of tears. She shook her head.

[Car, M.] He sounded weak and she looked back and whined. [Color.] Mercy turned back and moved toward the road, to look at the human's car.

There was a flash, a noise, and searing pain.

Justin was running full out, trying to get to his brother. Their father was one of the pack's protectors, one of the warriors. He and Jamie were training, working to be like him. Between the human threat and their pending adulthood, they had been added to the rotations. Sweeps. Relay. Other duties.

And, while they had recognized a certain element of danger in what they did, they never really expected that one of them would be hurt.

Mercy yelped, jumping backward as the bullet entered her shoulder.

[Run.] came Jamie's send.

She moved forward again, whining, as the human, a male, came closer. She had to get him to move. [Jamie, please.] He was gasping.

[Go!]

Whining again, she watched the human raise the gun. She turned and left, limping away as fast as she could. [Jamie?!]

Alex was close.

Another shot.

Mercy fell to the ground knowing Jamie was dead. Devastated.

She heard the car start as Alex reached her. [Mercy? Where's Jamie?]

[He... he... dead.] Alex stiffened, inhaled, and headed the last hundred yards to his son's inert form. He checked, quickly, for further threat then nosed Jamie's body. There was no heartbeat, no breathing, no life. Alex sat back on his haunches and howled his loss.

Erich and Samuel paused briefly when they heard the howl. They weren't positive as to its meaning, but it was mournful, pained. It did not bode well.

[Jamie? Mercy? Alex?]

Misery painted the send. [Killed him.]

[Humans?]

[Gone.]

[Mercy, where's Alex?]

[Here, with, uh, with ... him.]

[Where are you?]

[Nearby. I'm hurt.]

Erich noticed Mercy, smelled her blood as he went by. Then, Alex and the sour, awful smell that marked Jamie. He ran, to the edge of the road, found the trail and tracked it back across the road to where the car had been. He cast about, looking for other traces. The stench of gunpowder, cartridge casings.

Samuel, meanwhile, had stopped to check on Mercy.

She lay, head on her paws, whining piteously. Samuel checked her out; she had been shot in the shoulder. Nothing vital but still painful. [Can you walk?]

[Yea. Hurts.] Mercy stood, then sank down again. [He's dead!]

[Jamie!? Mercy?!] Justin skidded to a stop.

Samuel indicated. [There.]

Justin rounded and ran to his father's side, dropped to his haunches, and howled.

Erich swallowed. He had to tell the pack what had happened. [Paul. Relay to the Alphas. Jamie's dead. Mercy shot. Human gone.]

Ariel set her jaw at the news, flicking her eyes to Lyssa. [Tell Simon and Constance.]

[We need to call the police.]

Ariel looked at her. Lyssa closed her eyes and turned to Mercy's parents. Ariel took Desiree by the shoulders and moved her a bit away. "Mercy's been shot, in the shoulder." Constance covered her face with her hands. Simon looked at her. "Jamie?" He put an arm around his mate and she turned into him. His question was answered as Desiree fell to the ground, wailing.

Randall came over. "Madam Beta, please ask for reports of any further threat."

[Patrols. Please report on any threats.] Lyssa waited. They all did.

Everyone jumped as Ariel's cell phone rang.

"Yes ... Yes, certainly. We have one injured. .... Yes. Yes. ... Is that wise? ... Very well."

Lyssa watched Ariel as she tapped the phone against her lips. Lyssa said, "There's nothing else. What's going on, Ariel?"

"Tell them not to move Jamie. The Severns are coming, with a police commissioner. They will need to talk to Mercy and gather evidence."

Lyssa relayed the message as Emmanuel careened through the throng to get to his mother. She clasped him tightly to her as several of the females sought to comfort Desiree.