“No guessing. And no more food either, until we get to our secret destination,” he said mysteriously.
“Meanie,” she jested, wondering what was in store for her next. A myriad of emotions stirred. She was already nervous about meeting his pack. How would people react to a hybrid that hadn’t shifted in two years? A hybrid who’d created the drug that prevented Toby from shifting? Would they blame her for his death? And then there was the mark, his claim on her body and soul. How would they feel about their Alpha, who’d marked her as his female? Her mind raced trying to figure out what he possibly could have cooked up as a surprise. In the recesses of her mind, she considered the enlightening, very sensual lessons Tristan had given her. Trust. She took a deep breath as she attempted to put her education to good use.
“This! Is! Awesome!” Kalli squealed while trying not to frighten the horse or fall off it, both of which seemed like possibilities. “I love it! Really. I can’t believe this was my surprise. Thank you so much!”
“Easy, chérie. Snowflake is very relaxed, but you gotta watch where you’re going,” Tristan warned. He’d made her cover her eyes on the way over to the stables. When she saw the dressed horses, she jumped up and down like a kid at Christmas. Such a basic way to get in touch with nature - a ride through the woods. But for Kalli, he could tell it had been a first. He wished he could create many firsts for her as they built their life together. Struggling not to move too quickly, he’d sworn to himself that he’d patiently let her adjust to being a wolf again, and then tell her that she was his mate.
At this rate, Tristan honestly couldn’t understand how she didn’t know. Though they’d only known each other for days, his wolf could recognize the soul for whom he’d been waiting for over one hundred years. It was the human part of Tristan who’d resisted. First he’d fought through the cloudy confusion, unsure of how he could possibly want to mark a female. But now his primary concern was ensuring that her shift was pleasurable, and ultimately, that she was accepted by the pack. Acceptance was something she’d have to earn herself. But she was exceedingly strong, despite her hybrid status. If given the chance, he was quite certain she’d attain both their respect and trust.
As they approached the lake on horseback, Tristan eyed one of his favorite spots to rest. Whether in human or wolf form, he loved lying in the soft grass, listening to the sounds of nature, relaxing by the water.
“Whoa. Pull back on your reins, Kal. We’ll stop here,” he instructed. Dismounting his horse, he gave it an appreciative pet. Pulling off the bridle, he slid on a halter, which he’d kept in his backpack, and then tied the leather lead around a low tree branch. As wolf, he was considerate of the horse’s comfort, since he planned a leisurely late lunch that might take several hours. Kalli followed his example and also dismounted. He repeated the procedure with her horse, ensuring that both the mare and stallion were secure and content.
“This is the best surprise anyone has ever given me, you know. Okay, maybe it is the only time anyone has ever done something like this for me. It’s just so…I don’t know. It’s special. Amazing. The horses. The mountains. The lake. And you,” she marveled. It was Tristan who’d changed her perceptions about pack life and what it meant to be Alpha.
Tristan came up behind Kalli, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her ear and for a long while just held her, while they both stared out toward the water.
“Tristan,” she whispered.
“Yeah, baby.
“No one’s ever done anything like this for me,” she croaked, trying not to cry. “Don’t say it’s no big deal, because it is.”
“I want to do this for you. Even if there wasn’t this thing…this connection between us. I just want to see you be happy, not locked up in a human’s body, denying your wolf her due.”
“As usual, you are right,” she joked lightly.
“See, I knew you’d start seeing things my way.” He smiled broadly. “Come on, let’s eat lunch, then we’ll talk. I’d say ‘I’m so hungry I could eat a horse’, but I don’t want to offend our rides.”
Tristan proceeded to spread a thin blanket onto the soft knoll while Kalli set out the food and drinks. After enjoying a leisurely picnic in the sun, they laid back on the warm fabric, taking in the sun.
“You’re too far away,” Tristan complained. “I need you next to me.”
Kalli complied by rolling from her back onto her stomach, resting her head on his chest. She lazily draped her jean-clad thigh across his legs.
“Much better, mon amour.”
“Hmm…yes,” she replied.
“We need to talk about tonight. Toby’s funeral. It’s probably going to last several hours. To be honest, I haven’t attended too many wolf burials. You know that whole immortal thing. But it happens from time to time.”
“What’s going to happen?” Kalli inquired, rubbing her hand on his chest.
“The first part is not all that different than some human rituals. We gather around the gravesite; talk about our experiences with that person, what made them special. It takes a while because there are many of us. Then we run, and mourn. We celebrate Toby’s life, comfort each other.”
“I can’t run,” she commented.
“I know, baby. That’s why I wanted to talk.”
“I’ll go to the human part and skip the other. I mean, I can’t shift, and to be honest, I’m a little worried about how the pack will react to me being there at all.”
“They’ll be fine. You’re mine. Trust me.” He pinned her with his eyes.
“Okay,” she sighed, knowing he was probably right but that that wouldn’t stop her from worrying.
“We won’t be gone long, though. I’ll be home right after the run.” Tristan squeezed her tight, wishing she could run with him. “But then tomorrow night…we will run together. It’s the full moon.”
“Yes it is.” She breathed in a deep breath and blew it out.
“That’s the other reason we need to talk. You’ve never shifted with other wolves. It…it can be overwhelming…Things can happen.”
“Things? What things?” Kalli sat straight up in worry, looking down into Tristan’s warm amber eyes. She tried not to panic but ‘things’ did not sound good.
“Come back here and relax,” he ordered, pulling her back into his arms. “It’s not bad. It’s just that sometimes when we shift in a pack, all your senses are enhanced. And at the same time, you’re in touch with others.”
“Yeah.” That didn’t sound so bad, she thought.
“You know that we are very sexual, chérie. Not that we can’t control our urges, because we can. But the temptation is there; wolves can partake or refuse. It’s up to each and every wolf how far they want to go. And of course, no means no, even to wolves. Most wolves have great restraint and control. But often on a full moon, they, for lack of a better word, ‘indulge’ in their impulses.”
Kalli tensed in his arms. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?
“Okay, here’s the thing. Tomorrow, your hormones, your libido is going to react strongly to the pull of the pack. Before you run, after you run…you’re going to want…well, you know, a release.”
“Sex?”
“Well, yes, but it can be overwhelming. But, I’ll be there for you. In fact, I think that tomorrow, when you change, maybe just you and I should run together. I don’t want you getting lost or hurt.”
“Or getting screwed?” she blurted out, on the verge of freaking out.
“No, chérie. It won’t happen as wolf. But after…”
“What, Tristan? What’s going to happen after?” She heard her voice rising as her anxiety worsened.
“After, we’re going to go home. You and me. And I’m going to fuck you senseless, baby,” he teased. “But remember the other night at the gala?”