Chapter One: Aaric and Shiloh
Five men. I had been given
five
men. Five mates. Never had I thought I would have so many, in fact, I had been operating under the pretense that I would be unlikely to have any at all. Yet here I was, with five sets of eyes searching over me as I stood before them. I was responsible for them as they were responsible for me. They would provide money and protection and I would govern them. They were my pack. They would look to me for leadership. I would also be expected to take care of their sexual needs and birth at least some of their children. The sheer number of the men before me suddenly made me a little dizzy, I had to sexually satisfy each one of them when the time arose and eventually bear their offspring. I have no idea why the Council saw fit to give me five.
Each lycan born an alpha went through a series of tests to determine their aptitude for leadership and their particular skillset. I still bore scars from some of the more viscous fights. Some born alpha didn't cut it and weren't given a mate to start their own pack with. Once in a blue moon a member of a pack would rise high enough in the ranks to lead a pack, but that was rare. Werewolves were either born with dominant or submissive genes. Most alphas were male, but there were several females as well. The testing determined the potential of the alpha. A particularly powerful alpha would often be given multiple mates. They could handle a larger pack and their lineage would be passed on in higher numbers. By the looks of my mates, the Council thought very highly of my capabilities. My mates were handsome, fit men in the peak of life, each as different from the next as night and day. I would have to learn each of them as the individuals they were and balance all of them and their needs. Very few alphas began a pack with so many mates. As nervous as I was I couldn't help the feeling of desire rising up within me.
Aaric was the one who came to me that night. He was the youngest of my mates at eighteen. I opened the door to him after he rapped gently on the door near eleven. He was wearing loose athletic shorts and no top. Even in the dimness of my room I could see the hard flat lines of his stomach, the bulge of slim muscles in just the right places. His hair was dyed blond and ruffled like he had just come from his bed, his eyebrows hung dark over his blue eyes. The slim line of his jaw flexed beneath his smooth skin as he clenched and unclenched his jaw nervously. His dark eyes darted around my room, avoiding me as he shuffled from foot to foot, not leaving his spot just outside my doorway.
"Can I help you with something Aaric?" I asked him softly, leaning against the edge of the door. His eyes finally slid to mine, longing hiding there beneath the nerves. The muscle in his jaw continued its jumpy dance and my heart melted at his boyish nervousness. His eyes flitted over my body with obvious desire and I smiled. I angled my body in one smooth movement, cocking out my hip and emphasizing my breasts in a feigned stretch. With satisfaction I watched the heat build in his eyes as he noticed my every movement. He seemed stuck in his nervous silence. "Would you like to come in?" I ran a hand through my hair, shaking it out around me. He chewed his lip and nodded. I led him in and shut the door behind him.