True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

He was mortified. They were not official yet. No ritual. No bands. He released her hands and gently slid to the side of her. The off the bed to the bathroom. How could he had done that? He only did that when he knew the girl was on the pill. What the hell was he thinking?

Alexandria was still coming down from her high. Then she realized he had used no protection. She felt a slight panic and then remembered that she was all set to start her bleeding as early as the morning or as late as Monday. There was no danger of her conceiving.

She rolled from her stomach to her side. A heavy slickness between her thighs. She faced the bathroom with a very satisfied smile on her lips.

William stared at himself with disgust. How in the hell could he have been so careless? They had agreed. At his insistence. Get out there and face your consequences asshole, he narrowed his eyes at his reflection. He took a deep breath.

He stepped from the bathroom. Head low. Unable to look at her. Angry and sick with himself for putting her future as she deserved on a perilous precipice. Would she hold resent toward him? "William?" She said his name and he squeezed his eyes closed as he reached the bed. Concern for him in her voice. For him? He did not deserve that. Her ire. Her wrath even.

Alexandria sensed the turmoil in him. What was wrong? He should be grinning like a fool. Self-satisfaction and even arrogance in his gait. But he was none of those things. Had she done wrong? "Please talk to me," she pleaded. He was the one who wanted open communication. He could not shut her out now. She reached for his face with her hand and he caught her wrist in a strong grip. His eyes hard in the dim light from the sliver of moon. Tears sprang to her eyes. What had she done?

"Go to sleep, sugar." He said not unkindly. He could not have her touch him. He needed this to remember what he had done and take the consequences.

"No." She said and raised up on her elbow so she could see him more clearly. "Not until you talk to me." She tried to touch him again and he moved fast.

"Dammit, Alexandria. I fucked up. Let me deal with it my way right now." He said harshly on his feet out of her reach.

Confusion shadowed her eyes. "I don't understand." She was hurt by his tone. "The open communication goes both ways. What are you thinking?"

"That I fucked everything the hell up." He snapped. "We just..." he growled and ran a hand through his hair. "Without."

"Yes." She acknowledged following his logic slowly. "And?" She asked because that was where he lost her. There was no chance for conception. "Oh." Then sat up. "No. This was the safest time really."

"What?" He asked trying to understand. His brain refusing to understand.

"I will start that part of my cycle as early as tomorrow or as late as Monday." She shrugged. "You know this. There is no chance. Now come to bed or go be angry for no reason somewhere else." She said calmly. She hoped he calmed and joined her. She did not want to sleep alone. Wanted to feel his body close to hers. But she would not press it. Adjusting the pillow on the side he preferred her on she rolled to face the window and closed her eyes. She would not allow him to upset her.

He was rooted to the spot. No chance? No chance. He had fucked up at the right time. He breathed deep to calm himself. Upset for nothing. Angry for no reason. "I am sorry." He said in a calmer voice.

"Your tone hurt. Not your words, William. I understand. Not a one of us is ready for that stage of life." She said calmly. She would not beg him to join her. Her wolf whimpered though. Because she wanted to. She really did. But she would not.

William's wolf heard the whimper and William's body followed his wolf. He climbed under the blankets. One arm under her head, the other around her. He pulled her close to him. She sighed with contentment and her hand touched his around her waist. "Go to sleep, my darling William." She said on a second sigh as her wolf snuggled next to his.

A knock on the door woke William with a start. His reflexes fast. His knife in his hand as he looked around the room. Forgetting for a second where he was. "Breakfast is ready," Rick's voice filtered through the thick door. "Put the knife down you are in Mom's house."

"Alright. We will be down in a few." William said and sat on the bed. Alexandria stretched and touched his back. He tensed for a split second and then relaxed.

"You alright?" She asked concerned.

"Yes. It has been a long time since I slept that deep is all." William said and sheathed his knife then rose to find his underwear.

"Why?" She asked. "I thought you were always a light sleeper." She cocked her head to the side watching his perfect ass as he walked to where he had dropped his underwear and then his jeans. Her body heating and liquifying. Mmm. Breakfast could wait.

"No. I used to sleep like a corpse when I was young." He replied as he found and pulled his underwear and then his jeans on. He would need to stop by the room across the hall to get a fresh pair of each before going downstairs. "A few good mistakes in trust fixed that."

She did not understand that. "I don't understand." She rose from the bed to get her pajamas off the floor. Her back to him. She heard him growl low from across the room. She smiled. Good she would not be the only one feeling frustrated today.

"To better understand those coming from the facilities Mom and Dad would bring us on trips to other packs. To see if we may be able to help. Acclimation. Some of the refugees were young. Mom and Dad wanted us to understand as we are one of the strongest packs that we have a responsibility to not just our pack but all the other packs. I made the mistake twice of letting my guard down. Both times I would have probably ended up dead. My brothers saved my ass both times. I started sleeping light after that."

He remembered both well. The first time his own knife had been at his throat when Rick snored. Quincy threw his usual pillow. Distracting the assassin enough for Quincy to realize what was going on. The assassin learned quickly why the brothers were a force from hell. His unconscious body was laid at their host pack's Alpha's feet. The second time had involved his own blood being spilled before anyone knew what was happening. That is why his hair was long. He had a nasty scar on the back of his neck where he had been nearly decapitated if again Quincy had not been awakened by Rick. That assassin did not survive. Quincy had just learned to throw knives and had put it through the back of the assassin's skull. As Rick had ran to get their parents. The wound had been deep and had required many stitches. He was lucky that the assassin was stopped when he had been another inch and William would be either dead or a quadriplegic.

She had turned to face him dressed now by the end of his explanation. "How old were you?" She asked.

"Twelve the first time. Sixteen the second time." William replied. "Ready?" He asked wanting to change the subject.

"Why just you?" She asked wondering why he had been the target.

"Because I was the deepest sleeper. Living with Quincy and Rick's routine all my life I had developed a deep sleep pattern. Otherwise I would never have gotten any." He said a little exasperated. "Can we change the subject?"

"Fine." She replied. "Are you still upset about last night?"

He rolled his eyes and walked to the door. "No. I am sorry. I panicked."

"It was unnerving but I am learning." She responded gently. Following in his wake to the door.

"Learning what?" he asked as he opened the door to find Quincy and Rick on the other side.

"That you are more bark than bite." She said and moved past him to greet Rick and Quincy. "Good morning."

"Next time you two decide to have an impromptu session turn on a stereo or something." Quincy teased as he kissed her softly his hands on her hips to pull her close to his. "You look divine."

"Agreed." Rick said as his hands went to her shoulders and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. She was sandwiched between them. "Getting comfortable then?" Rick asked huskily in her ear. She moaned as her body responded to them. What were they thinking?

"Mmhmm." She answered. Her brain oxygen deficient since her lungs stopped working as Rick's hands slid past her shoulders and down her back.

"We have tricks we could teach you." Quincy pulled her gently by the hips to the room across the room.

"Not that one. My clothes are in there. I would like clean drawers and jeans." William said gruffly.

Quincy winked at William and slid to the right so William could go in the room he had indicated. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes. But for what I do not know." Alexandria replied as he led her carefully into the third bedroom. Rick following behind them with a wicked grin on his face. William paused him for a second.

"Be careful." William warned. "She is still sensitive."

"Not even going there. Not after..." Rick let the matter fall. "You know we cannot hurt her or make her uncomfortable."

Rick entered the bedroom and closed the door. Quincy had already started with her. "Trust us, honey. You will love this." Quincy was saying as he pulled her to the bed already undressed.

Quincy and Rick came down about five minutes after William had his coffee and a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns at the table. Quincy and Rick gave him dirty looks and fixed their own plates. "She is in the shower and fine." Quincy replied to his questioning look adjusting his jeans. "She was right on her date. The sheets for that bed are being pretreated." He shuddered.

William laughed. "We are descendants of lycans who tore through countrysides. Devouring animals and human peasants alike and now the sight of feminine blood makes us squirmish. Our ancestors would be so disappointed in us." He took a bite of his bacon and shook his head. He was secretly glad he had gotten last night with her. He felt awful for the aftermath though. She seemed to be over it well. But that just made him feel worse.

"Domesticated house dogs do not eat raw meat." Rick defended. "We like it cooked to perfection." He grinned.

Quincy was about to add his two cents but William's phone that had been left downstairs dinged with a message. "Fuck." William got up to retrieve it.

Call me now. Z. William grinned. He had no idea these idiots had that big of balls.

Having breakfast. Later. W. He sent the message. Checked for other messages from anyone else. Then opened his email.

I want a truce asshole. Z. Flashed across the top of his screen. William laughed out loud. Catching Quincy and Rick's attention.

"What's up?" Quincy asked from the kitchen. His plate half filled. Alexandria was just coming down the stairs.

"Fuckers wanna call a truce. Like hell." William put his phone down and looked up at Alexandria. "Chances are they did some digging on the event that happened twenty three years ago and have decided taking on the Olander clan is not wise." He reached for Alexandria's hand to pull her into his arms. "I am really sorry about my overreaction last night. I love you and want to make it up to you."

She smiled and stopped on the stair so that she was nose to nose with him. "Take me shopping for my garden and some new pajamas. Also some slippers and a robe would be nice." She kissed him gently. "And I forgive you. Four days ago you would have scared the hell out of me. As I said I am learning."

"You got it, sugar." William said with a grin. "Go get breakfast." He slapped her ass gently in her tight jeans he had bought for her to go riding in as she passed him. She giggled.

To Quincy and Rick she asked. "You two okay?" She joined them in the kitchen to pile food on her plate that was pulled down for her from the cupboards since she was too short to reach them.

"Yep." They answered. "Just was not expecting that." They looked very uncomfortable.

"You two were white as sheets." She laughed. "I have never seen two big burly males look so sick over a little blood."

"That was not a little for one and two there is a huge difference between fight blood and feminine blood. So no. You get a reprieve until that ends." Rick informed her crossing his arms over his chest. "How long will that take?"

"Five days." She said and walked away with a bounce to her step. Sashaying her hips as she walked to the dining room. William was snickering as he joined her at the table.

Quincy drove the truck with a trailer so William could play with Alexandria's hair while Rick pouted with her hand on his thigh behind Quincy. Home Depot had most of what she wanted. With the exception of the clothes she had asked for. While the brothers discussed the size of the shed for her tools she wandered through the plants. Picking up selections and putting them in the baskets they had procured so she had plenty of space to put her prizes. She had already purchased her tools. Hoe, trowel, hand rake, large rake, hoses, sprinklers of varying sizes and speeds. Deer and rabbit fencing. Mole repellent.

The brothers had put on vests today over their polo shirts. Along with light jackets despite the warm day. She had seen William put on a set of swords under his jacket and over the vest. She had been curious but had not asked. Quincy and Rick too had added their own favorite shoulder holsters with knives.

Her eyes were bright with excitement over being able to finally do something she had wanted her whole life. A huge smile on her lips of delight as she added rose bushes of different colors. She was being selective. Picking only plants that were perennials. She did not want to have to replant next year. She wanted to tend and watch the garden take on a life of its own.

Her happiness though wore off by the time they finished at the supercenter across the street from the Home Depot. She was tired and though she had done her best to keep it at bay she was in pain. She usually cramped a little but she felt like a knife was being cut into her uterus.

The brothers had noticed her change immediately. Quincy had made a purchase for some adhesive pads for her belly along with a heating pad. They waited outside the restroom while she applied the thermacare patch to her belly. She was smiling a little when she stepped out. The steady stream of heat over her muscles there helped to ease the pain. But did not get rid of it. They insisted on taking her home immediately but she refused. "Life does not stop just because I am dealing with feminine problems," She argued weakly. "Let's just finish this quickly.