Inevitably Yours

MICHAEL

Goddess, I loved everything that was happening with our business, but the time away from Quinn and our family took its toll every time I pulled out of our driveway to leave. I hated it. I tried to keep my mind off home and the pack while I was gone, but it was difficult. Even with Nic stepping up as Beta while I was gone, there was still plenty that needed my attention. It was like having two jobs.

Luckily, I was home from setting up our new office in the city. We were planning for Quinn’s parents to take the kids so I could take her with me to show her next time, but for the moment, I just wanted to be present with my mate. I rolled over to see Quinn’s blue hair shimmering in the light of the dawn, and she pushed her a*s against me. I reached an arm around her and pulled her flush to me so I could spoon her and enjoy her scent. I couldn’t help but notice her pushing back into my morning wood, but whether she wanted it or not, I wasn’t waking her up quite yet. As much as I needed Quinn, I wanted her to sleep as long as possible. She didn’t know, but she had a big day ahead of her. I took in one last breath, savoring her being close to me, and quietly got out of bed. It was hard to resist going under the covers and having Quinn as an appetizer before breakfast; she loved when I woke her up like that.

We’d both been working so hard lately, and I tried to take small moments to take care of her whenever I could. I had a big surprise for her after she woke up, but I thought that before she did, I would get up and make her breakfast. The kids were already gone, her parents having taken them the night before. I still wasn’t their biggest fan, but they’d softened quite a bit. They seemed to be trying, at least.

I peeled potatoes, cracked eggs, and got out the other ingredients to make breakfast burritos. As I got the ingredients cooking, I remembered the most important ingredient for Quinn. I threw an entire pack of bacon on, along with everything else. I knew if Nic woke up, we’d need it. I got everything cooked, mixed it into the scramble, and melted cheese into it before rolling it all into tortillas. I made extra and bundled them up with a note that Judy and Nic were welcome to them.

I could hear Quinn sniffling upstairs, which was the hallmark of her waking up. She’d sneeze a bunch of times and then sniffle. It wasn’t like a normal wolf to have allergies, but it appeared that she could have them somehow. Our doctor still wasn’t sure what caused her atypical tendencies.

“Mmmm,” she hummed from our room as I neared the top of the stairs. “Breakfast?”

“For my love,” I agreed, crossing the distance to our door and then setting a tray down on her lap after letting her sit up.

“This smells wonderful,” she told me, her eyes smoldering. It was adorable how much it turned her on when I cooked for her. I just wanted to do it to take care of her the way she took care of me, but it always gave her other plans. I sat down next to her and enjoyed my food, snuggling into her as we ate in pleasant silence.

Once we finished, I set everything aside and pulled her onto my chest, where she lay facing me as I rubbed her scalp with my fingertips. Her eyes were closed, and I traced her face with my fingers, ending at her mouth. I dipped my fingers under her chin and lifted it to plant a soft k**s there, and she returned it deeply.

“I missed you,” she almost whispered.

“I cannot tell you how much I missed you,” I replied. “I hate every moment I’m gone from you.”

“I just keep myself busy and try not to think about it, but it’s harder when I get into bed alone,” she sighed.

“I know; me too. I’m not really good at distracting myself, though,” I admitted. “Speaking of, is there anything I can help you with in the office while I’m home? I feel like your to-do list never ends.”

“Neither does yours,” she pointed out. “I need you doing your job, and let me do mine. Things are getting better with the new staff, and eventually, I won’t be in school. We’re a team, and you’re doing what you need to do for us.”

“Fine,” I gave in. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she murmured from my chest. “If you really love me, you’d tell me what’s going on today.”

I smiled; she was impossible when she knew a surprise was coming, but I wouldn’t tell her what it was, “You’ll see, my love.”

“Ugh,” she g*****d. “Well, if I have to deal with a surprise day, then I need something first.”

“What would that be?” I asked, knowing what was coming next.

“Dessert,” she purred, reaching behind her and grabbing a handful of what she was demanding. I’d already discarded my shorts when I climbed back into bed for breakfast with her.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “You’re going to need your energy for later.”

“I’ve been saving it the whole time you’ve been gone,” she argued as she stripped and then sat on top of me. I slid my underwear down to give her better access. Her eyes were filled with desire. “Please?”

“Mmmm,” I m****d as I felt her wet slit slide up and down my shaft. “Anything for my Luna.”

–

As we appeared on the training field, Quinn’s eyes widened in surprise to see Nic, Andrea, Adi, and a few other warriors she’d trained with in my absence assembled and filling the space.

“What’s everyone doing here?” she asked. I smiled and stepped to the front of the training ground like I had every time I’d taught a formal class.

“Fall in,” I commanded.

Quinn just looked sideways at me but jumped to her place at the head of the line. She was the highest ranked here; many warriors, like Nic, chose not to formally belt test and just do warrior training overall. Little Adi was beaming with her yellow belt tied sharply around her waist. Andrea was next to Quinn as a mid-ranked student.

“Today, you have been assembled to conduct a special test for a very special student,” I announced. Everyone else knew why we were here. I was honestly surprised Adi didn’t tell Quinn when we walked in; it was part of the reason I started so quickly. “After years of training, showing her attentiveness to the art, and serving as an assistant instructor, Quinn Galbraith will demonstrate why she is worthy of the rank of black belt.”

Quinn’s mouth hung open now that she understood why we were all together. She’d deserved this long ago, but I didn’t want anyone to think I just gave it to her. She needed time in rank, even if her skills exceeded her belt level.

“Ms. Galbraith, will you please step forward?” I asked formally.

She stepped forward ahead of the assembled class and bowed. I returned her gesture and asked her directly, “Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, her face showing her apprehension but a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Thus began an exhaustive day of testing. We started with every conditioning circuit she’d ever been put through: sprints, plyometric exercises, pushups, situps, frog walking, bunny hopping, and so much more. Time passed quickly for me, but I knew from experience that it was moving at a glacial pace on her end. The real test didn’t start until after exhaustion set in, and we were starting to reach it. Each time she moved to a new exercise or got up from the floor, it was visibly more difficult. She was reaching the end of her physical limit, and after several minutes of burpees, she lay on the ground in a puddle.

“Breathe, Quinn,” I instructed, pausing to let her catch her breath. Once it slowed enough that she was in control of herself again, I brought her back to the center of the training ground, “Please demonstrate each Poomsae from Taegeuk 1 to Koryo.”

I watched her close her eyes and steady herself for what was to come before bowing deeply to me and then stepping into a starting stance to begin her first Poomsae.

Her exhaustion was evident, affecting her technique in the first few forms. As she neared the midway point, I could see her starting to catch a second wind. Her technique became crisper, and I could hear the power in her strikes as her uniform snapped with each punch, kick, or block. She finished her black belt form flawlessly, eliciting cheers from Adi. I gave my tiny warrior a look that stopped her to maintain the composure of the test, but I winked to let her know I wasn’t mad when her face fell in disappointment. She perked right back up again, smiling like she’d won the lottery. Goddess, I loved that kid.

I broke the test to let Quinn get water, but it was only a short reprieve. Before she knew it, Andrea was pulling sparring gear onto Quinn and tying it for her as I handed her headgear.

“It’s time for sparring,” I instructed. As another surprise, I’d brought female black belts from other schools within driving distance, and they stepped out onto the training ground already in uniform and ready to go. While some of the schools were in human towns, all of these students were firmly werewolves. “For this portion of the test, we will be using Olympic Taekwondo scoring and rules only. Later, we will do a separate block of self-defense-based sparring without the gear and with minimal rules. Does everyone understand?”

After assenting to the rules, Quinn was placed in the middle along with her first opponent, and I stepped in as referee to have them bow and signal for them to begin.

The girls felt each other out, neither striking at the beginning as they cautiously watched each other. Quinn’s opponent jumped forward, testing Quinn to see if she would jump back into an easy kick. Instead, Quinn stepped in with her, delivering a hard punch to the chest. She’d scored her first point. Her opponent, unfortunately, looked livid. I didn’t want to call attention to it and embarrass her, so I let it play out. They continued, and this time it was Quinn who checked her opponent. They went back and forth, throwing kicks with the other blocking. Quinn threw a roundhouse kick to her opponent’s ribs, and it was caught. The girl wrapped her arm around it, and as Quinn began to protest at this not being allowed in the rule set, the girl stepped in and punched Quinn in the mouth.

I stepped in and broke them up, shooting a look a the woman’s instructor. “I’m sorry; she came from karate first and forgets during sparring sometimes,” he apologized, shrugging.

“Learn the rules, or don’t participate,” Quinn growled, spitting b***d onto the ground. Exhaustion was completely forgotten. She was staring daggers into her opponent.

“There won’t be rules in the real world,” her opponent shot back venomously.

This was getting volatile, but they still had two more periods left. I’d have to let Quinn handle herself unless there was a blatant rule violation again. I wasn’t happy with the other instructor or his student, but pulling her out would probably piss Quinn off. As much as it was my instinct to protect my mate, this was her test to show she didn’t need it.

“Sijak!” I yelled in Korean, signaling them to start the next period of the match. Points were scored back and forth, but I could see the wheels turning in Quinn’s head. Her opponent wasn’t much different; I could tell she wanted b***d. I shook my head. This was only the first match. Quinn’s opponent committed hard to a roundhouse towards Quinn’s ribs, and Quinn turned as it came, landing a back kick right into the girl’s solar plexus. She dropped to her knees, hugging her chest, struggling to take in a breath. Since she couldn’t continue, Quinn won her first match by knockout, and the rest of her sparring rounds went much smoother. Either she’d sent a message to the other girls, or they were already willing to play by the rules. Whatever it was, we had no more rule violations. By the last sparring match, Quinn was only holding herself up with willpower.

This time, I gave her a longer break before moving on to the next test portion. She would demonstrate one steps: self-defense techniques comprised of defending against a specific attack. She had to memorize twenty and develop twenty of her own, which she’d long done. She flew through that portion with ease, albeit struggling to stay upright. Board breaking was next, and she used a forward elbow and a front kick to break her two boards. Humans used pine; we, on the other hand, used a more sturdy wood blessed for the occasion. The last thing she would have to do was spar with five opponents of her choice in an everything goes match. The only rules were no biting, eye gouging, or intentionally injuring your opponent.

She smiled softly and pointed to Nic, “Let’s get you over with before I can’t stand up anymore.”

“I thought you’d never asked,” Nic giggled back, stepping into the center with Quinn.

“You win by verbal submission, tapping out, a knockout, or if your opponent cannot continue. You have five minutes. Begin!”

Nic jumped forward, wrapping her legs around Quinn’s waist, her right arm trying to wrap around Quinn’s neck in a similar fashion. I was surprised Nic was being so aggressive, but she paid for it as Quinn reared back as high as she could muster and then sent Nic plummeting toward the ground with all of her weight coming down on top of Nic. I rushed forward, worried that Nic would split her head open, but luckily, she tucked her head to her chest like she was taught and took the full force of the earth against her back. The sound of every bit of air in her lungs being forced out of her echoed around the clearing, and several of those watching made a face, some with sympathy and some with shared pain. Her legs released from Quinn’s waist, and she stepped through, putting a knee across Nic’s waist. She pulled her fist back as if she were going to start to rain down punches, but as her fist lashed out, she stopped it and lightly tapped Nic’s head.

Nic slapped Quinn’s knee, signaling her defeat, “I… Should… Have… Taken That… More… Seriously.” She was wheezing between each word as Quinn reached out a hand to help her up. She hugged her, and Nic returned to her place on the sideline, plopping herself down on the ground to watch as she tried to catch her breath.

After Nic, Quinn fought Andrea and another one of our warriors. She narrowly won both as she continued to deteriorate into a level of physical fatigue she had most likely never experienced. With a grin on her face, Quinn turned toward our Adi and pointed to her.

“Me?” Adi squealed, jumping up and down before dashing out to Quinn. I knew Quinn would give her a shot.

She couldn’t stop smiling as Quinn bowed to her, and then she remembered she had to return it. As they began, Quinn threw light punches and kicks, but Adi took it seriously and kicked Quinn hard enough that everyone heard it. Quinn just smiled, and that’s when Adi tried to take her down with a single-leg takedown that I’d taught her in the little warrior’s class. Quinn fought against it and let Adi finish it, ending with Adi in full mount straddling Quinn’s h**s with a knee on either side. Quinn looked relieved to be lying down, and I couldn’t blame her. Adi grabbed Quinn’s arm and fell off into an armbar. It was excellent form, even though she was too small to finish it on an adult. I watched my mate pretend to struggle and finally tap to our young warrior, whose face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Did I do it?” she yelled, jumping up. I couldn’t help but smile until it hurt. Everyone clapped, and Andrea pulled her little one aside into a big hug to leave room for Quinn’s last match.

“Last one, Quinn,” I said, looking down at her. Without a word or opening her eyes, she just pointed upward at me. It was what I had been hoping for the whole time. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

A weary smile spread across her beautiful lips, and I ached to k**s them. I was so proud of her. She shook her head yes and forced herself to her feet, “You’re the only one I would ever want it to be.” It shouldn’t have surprised me, but I couldn’t believe she could still make my heart flutter or twist knots in my stomach just by something she did or said. She’d fallen right into my plan, though.

“As you wish,” I answered, stepping toward her and bowing. She returned it, and we began. I threw out a kick and landed solidly on the inside of her thigh, almost dropping her to the ground even with virtually no power in it. Her legs were wobbly, but I wanted her to know I was really going to spar with her, at least a little bit. She kicked toward my head, apparently returning the sentiment. I shot in for a double leg, easily taking her to the ground. Her size and my disparity in wrestling experience made going to the ground unfair, but that was part of my plan. I took her back quickly as she struggled, and she didn’t even realize what I was doing. As I feigned attempts to get my arm around her neck for a rear naked choke, my other hand was at work untying her belt and slowly removing it from her waist. As she fought for air and kept me at bay, I pulled her black belt out from where I’d stashed it in the back of my own and wrapped it twice around her waist. Tying it was challenging, but I was able to get a messy knot made. Her black belt was on, and now it was time to let her know. I fell off to the side of her, into an armbar. Unfortunately for her, I could finish it, and she tapped quickly. As I stood her up, she struggled for breath, but I stepped forward and kissed her forehead.

“Congratulation, my love,” I said low enough for only her to hear me. Her body slackened marginally. Then I stepped back, “Please join me in congratulating our newest black belt, Quinn Galbraith!”

As the training grounds erupted into cheers, I realized most of the warriors had shown up at the end and were cheering their Luna loudly. Quinn looked down and realized what I’d done, and tears of happiness spilled from her eyes as she hugged me. It hit her then, and I was holding her up more than she was standing. She was definitely getting a long shower and a massage that night.

–

Food, friends, and celebration had taken up most of the ensuing evening, and it was late by the time I was able to bring Quinn back to our room to take care of her. I brought her into the shower and helped wash her body, trying to keep myself out of the scalding hot water she preferred. I got her into bed, pulling out the massage oil and warming it before letting my hands work on her back. I was gentle where she wanted me to be, but I also kneaded her muscles from her shoulders all the way down her legs. I’d researched massage techniques before, and it was apparently paying off. As I reached the end, I realized Quinn was moaning in approval, but she was doing so in her sleep. I wiped my hands and tucked her into bed, turning to put the oil away. I realized I had a missed call from Thomas once I finally picked up my phone to catch up on whatever notifications I’d missed all day. It was late, but he’d just called. So, I decided to call him back.

“Hey Michael,” his voice came from the other end. “Where you been?”

I explained what we’d been doing all day, and he was excited for Quinn. We’d grown much closer since I’d met him, and he had quickly become someone I looked at like family. Once I was done talking, I was curious about what he’d wanted.

“Enough about us,” I laughed. “What’d you call for earlier?”

“Well,” he said excitedly. “Have you ever heard anything about Freemasons?”

I tried to think back, and I remembered Marshall and Stary Lodge donating food for our Founder’s Day celebration, “I’ve met some, but that’s about it.”

“So, I’m joining my lodge, and I think it might be something you’re perfect for,” he said.

I didn’t know anything about it, but my interest was piqued. With a warmth spreading down my neck, it felt like a father telling me he was proud of me and wanted to share something, “Tell me more.”