True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

Alexandria dressed and started down the stairs. The smell of the eggs had woken her. She caught sight of William on his bed. Laptop on his thighs he was already dressed. There was a tension there though. A rolling anger beneath his calm exterior. She turned her feet in his direction and approached him. “Good morning, William darling.” she said and touched his shoulder. He looked up at her whatever had been bothering him evaporated from his eyes and the usual emotion was there.

“Good morning, sugar.” He greeted her with a smile. “You slept well.”

“I did.” She smiled back. “What is wrong?”

“Alpha stuff, sugar.” William said shaking his head. “Nothing for you to worry about. Rick has an omelet ready for you.” He took her hand from his shoulder and kissed the palm gently before releasing her.

She gave him a questioning look but continued down the stairs. She stopped by the couch where Quincy was nursing a cup of coffee. He too seemed tense. She paused and kissed his neck her hands slid over his shoulders and stopped just above his diaphragm. “Good morning, Quincy dear.” She said. The tension in him melted at her touch.

“Good morning, honey.” Quincy said. He turned his head and placed a kiss on her lips. Soft and lingering. “Go and get your breakfast.” She smiled at him. He smiled back but there was still something dark in his eyes.

Rick had her plate ready for at the end of the counter. The ketchup and forks were next to her plate. "No sit down breakfast this morning?" she asked surprised.

"Not this morning." Rick replied. His voice was gruffer than usual. More serious. Which was something since William was the more serious of the three. What the hell was going on? "It's going to be a busy day. The sooner we get started."

"Alright." She added a little ketchup to her plate, grabbed a fork and went up to her room. She wanted to listen to music and look at her emails and then navigate the GED website a little to familiarize herself. She paused behind Quincy and asked. "Are we still on for today?"

"Of course, honey." He said looking up at her his head resting on the back of the couch to meet her eyes. "Rick and William have things in hand." She nodded and continued to the stairs to her room. She flashed a questioning glance to William as she passed him. But he just smiled at her and returned his attention to his computer.

At her desk she turned on her computer and put in her earbuds pressed play on the album she had pulled up on her IPOD. The sound of an orchestra and then heavy bass drums filled her ears as a choir rose to a crescendo then the deep growl of a man singing. She hit the tab for her email. Nothing new there.

She spent the rest of the morning running through the website and looking at her class schedule. Nothing new there. Basic stuff. English, math, science, history.

William snuck a peek up the stairs. "She has her earbuds in." He informed his brothers. Rick held out a plate to Quincy who had moved to the partition between the living room and the kitchen.

"Thank the Moon for small favors." Quincy said. "Can you backtrace where the email was sent from?" He asked Rick.

Rick shook his head. "Chaz can. He is better at that stuff." Rick said. "I will take your computer to him while you are out with Alexandria." He had been thinking about that while finishing Quincy's omelet. How in the hell did they get their emails in the first place? It was not public record. Neither were their cellphones. And each had a separate email for their businesses. "Have either of you checked your business emails?"

William cursed and pulled up his. There it was. Or at least there one was. The image next to it was not the same. He figured he was already pissed enough to commit murder let's pour gas on the fire and clicked to open it.

"I do hope she is keeping you well entertained." The male on the screen said. His nasty smile and burning black eyes put William's teeth on edge. "We decided we want her back. Her silence with Father has left him thinking she is dead. Skudd was most informative about her treatment by you before he choked on his own blood. She is ours. As proven by the video we sent earlier. Turn her over and your community will be safe." William deleted the email. They had no idea what they were fucking with. Rick and Quincy were on the stairs staring at him.

"What action do we take?" Quincy asked William.

"Nothing yet. Psychos do not usually threaten first and then attack." Rick answered. "They are scared. I am sure Skudd told them all about us."

"Do not let your guard down while out by yourselves with her." William added. "The ritual needs to be done sooner than we anticipated. I will talk to Mother and Andrea. The next full moon will have to do. We need to finish the binding."

"So you don't think she has been playing us?" Quincy asked.

"No while that thought had crossed my mind. No. Her responses yesterday were too pure. The bond is real. The Moon chose her for us. Because we are the only ones who can protect her from those males." William answered he closed his laptop and set it back under his bed.

Rick handed William his plate. "I see what you are saying brother." Rick agreed. The bond complete she would not be able to leave and those psychos could not get to her again. "I still stand firm though. I am not ready to be a father."

"Agreed," Quincy and Rick said.

Alexandria sat in Quincy's car in the dress that Rick had bought for her. She tried to make conversation with him but he was preoccupied. What was wrong with them today? The drive to their destination did not take long. The parking lot he pulled into was right next to the lake. Shopping centers and restaurants were all around them as well. Residences were visible on the other side of the lake.

He helped her from the car. But he was tense. Watchful. "Please tell me what is wrong." She said for the fourth time since they left the house.

"Nothing for you to worry about, honey," He said. William had said not to say anything to her. Uncertain what her reaction would be.

"I feel it from all of you." She said. "I may not be good at much else, but I can listen." That is one of the key components to being a Luna. Listening to her Alpha and listening to the other females. Solving problems that her Alpha may be stumped on or helping the other households with theirs.

Quincy thought about that. She was right. At least he talked to her perhaps he would feel better. He hated being tense with her. He took a deep breath. "We got disturbing news first thing this morning. That is all." There he felt a little better. "From Kansas City." There that should do it.

"About Skudd?" She asked. Why would this be disturbing? The way they had acted at the initial did not add up.

"Yes." Quincy was already relaxing a little. That was all he would say. He forced the rest out of his mind and smiled down at her. "Thank you. It felt good to say something to someone other than my brothers."

"I am glad." She said as they approached the landing where a beautiful white steam boat with red, white, and blue banners was docked. A small enclosed gangplank was between the dock and the boat. A crew member was taking pictures for fifty dollars a picture. He nodded and they posed together in front of the boat. They would have it delivered to them during the ride. They boarded and ordered drinks from the bar. He needed a beer and she got small Coke. "I have never seen you drink?" She observed.

"Not in excess but it has been a rough morning. We do not keep this in the house. Mom keeps a stock of wine. But even then she has always been one for moderation." Quincy replied. He took a long slug off his bottle. Enjoying the taste as it went down. He felt like he could drink to excess right now. But he would settle for one.

"Rick usually gets two margaritas at the Mexican restaurant he likes in Springfield." She said. "He turned it away when he was with me." She smiled at that. "I am glad one of you can be normal around me."

"Rick refuses to have any alcohol in his system when he drives. After my accident he took that as a lesson. Plus the way Father's first wife was killed did not help matters." He smiled. "I will take a drink once in a while if I know it will wear off quickly. Beer is has about much effect as that Coke. Tequila on the other hand. Yeah I see his point."

"And William?" She asked curiously. Glad that he was starting to relax. He was even touching her. Her blood warming with the graze of each touch.

"Not even with Mother." Quincy replied. "He does not condone us. But he chooses not to partake. I see his point as well."

He finished his drink and stood. Took her hand and led her to the bow of the boat. Slipped her in front of him between him and the railing. His hands on either side of her. Caging her. His front to her back. "This is a sightseeing tour for bald eagles that are making a come back here along the lake." He said low in her ear. "If you look up at the trees that line the lake you can see Mothers or Fathers on the nests." She looked where he told her and saw the heads watchful in the nests. She relaxed back against him and he dropped a hand to her stomach. The entirety of his splayed hand covering her belly.

"Thank you." She said. "For talking to me." She allowed her hips to press back against his groin. He sucked in his breath and growled low in her ear.

"Not nice in public. That dress is driving me crazy." He kissed the back of her neck gently.

"Oh it is the dress that is causing that." She teased softly. She felt the response of his desire for her. She grinned.

"Now that I know everything that is underneath it. And how delicious and tight it is." He replied. "I meant what I said yesterday afternoon. I do love you."

She felt a shot of pleasure enter her blood stream at his words. "I love you too." She said tilting her head back against his chest to look up at him. He smiled with that odd light in his eyes. Was that what that was? She had seen that in William's and Rick's eyes. He bent down and kissed her. Soft and gentle. Nothing demanding. She liked that.

The look in her eyes when she said it. That was all the proof he needed that she was as she said. That everything she wanted was true. That she was their true mate. "We want to up the timetable on the ritual." He said gently. "Is that alright?"

"Mmm. How soon?" She asked. She still had much to learn. Mother and Margarette were doing diligence to teach her as much as possible but there is literally an entire lifetime worth of information she was cramming.

"The next full moon." He said. This was not a question. "William is talking with the mothers now."

"Why the urgency?" She asked. "I am not ready to take over as Luna." Panic shot through her system. She would not even have her high school education yet. What was going on?

"We think that the bond should be solidified sooner rather than later. Mother will still be available if you need her and so will Andrea." Quincy said his hand tightening protectively over her belly. "What is wrong?"

"That is what I asked earlier. What is going on, Quincy?" She asked. "The tension and now this?" She sighed. "I am not saying no. I am simply confused. I thought you wanted me educated first."

"In a perfect world yes. But this is not that, is it?" He asked trying to circumvent the questions.

"So you are not going to tell me anything. Not even the old line of 'this is to protect you'?" She growled. "You love me and yet you think I am an idiot."

He chuckled. "I do not think you are an idiot. There are things at play that we are not ready to tell you yet. We could be overreacting and if so better that than wait and find out." Quincy nuzzled her neck. The boat was turning around to go back the way it had come.

"So it has to do with Malcolm?" She asked trying to understand. She was sure he thought she was dead. Not having contact with her in almost a week.

"Yes." Quincy said. Not lying the trouble did have in part to do with Malcolm. She nodded.

"Fine." She replied. "If this is what my mates want then so be it." He squeezed her tight against him. Feeling overjoyed at the prospect. Completely theirs. No one else could get close to her. And that is all they wanted right now.