No Laughing Matter.

Chapter 9

(back to Casius P.O.V)

I looked down at my little girl that was now in her human form. Aria was a beautiful toddler and I was so happy to be her mother. I smiled as I felt a fuzzy face nuzzle my left hand, I glanced down to my other cub that was unable to shift today and I picked him up gently cuddling him to my chest. I was now back in my room as Thatcher had to deal with some paperwork and I wanted some time with just my cubs.

I was trying to reassure him, through our link I would not care if he never changed. He could stay a hyena forever. I felt love and gratefulness through the link with my youngest. He wasn't confident with words yet, but I could tell he was trying to convey his thanks for me not pressuring him into forcing a shift his body may not handle.

This was the first time I was really grateful that we weren't back in our old clan they may have left the young one out in the desert to fend for himself thinking it was a curse on the clan, a shifter who couldn't shift was a dead shifter.

I had heard once of a shifter who couldn't find their human form and went to live with the real animals of their shift and never returned to the shifter way of life. They remained with a human conscious just not a human body. I would not care if my son ended up like that, I just hoped he would not leave, I don't think we are near the hyena clans anymore so he would be alone.

I was now back in the other room with a sleeping Zar and a tired Aria, shifting took it out of her and as I placed her under the blankets as well, she drifted off to sleep. It was just myself and my youngest who still did not have a name that I knew of. I sat on the floor in the shine of the moon with my youngest in my lap.

"You know, I'm really proud of you, I hope you know that I don't care if you never shift, you'll still be my soon no matter what." I spoke directly to the little cub I was holding up to the light of the moon. I nuzzled his face and just had a moment of peace with my youngest.

'Thank ma' said a tiny voice through my family link, tears sprung to my eyes and I was overwhelmed that he had put so much effort into speaking to me.

I held him closer, before getting up and placing him into bed with his siblings and leaving the room. I scent marked the door to try and deter anyone from entering the room. I was less suspicious of the other pack members, but my motherly instincts were strong.

I walked over to Thatchers room and knocked on the door. I heard him say come in and slowly opened the dark wooden door and looked around the large room.

"Hey Cas, the kids all asleep?"

"Yes, are you busy?"

"I'm never too busy for you dear, what's up?"

I walked closer to the tall man and glanced over his shoulder at the mess of words I couldn't decipher. He was sitting in his office chair in front of a large wooden desk at the side of his bedroom.

"Can I see your wolf?" I blurted out. My hyena had wanted a chance to connect with our mate for a while now. He was excited to see our strong mate again and longed for the big wolf to overpower him. Thatcher looked at me clear shock written on his face, I doubt that's what he had been expecting me to say in this moment. I looked at the ground shyly still not 100 percent confident in the role I was to play around my mate.

"Of course. He has been eager to meet you. Shall we go outside? I can keep an ear out for the young ones but by the sounds of their heartbeats they are sound asleep." The smile on his faith was breathtaking and the amount of power he held to be able to hear the cub's heartbeat from here was fascinating. Many shifters had heightened senses but his were on another level perhaps because of his alpha status.

I informed my hyena that soon he will be able to meet his mate and the laughter that fell from my lips was a dead giveaway of my animal soul's excitement. I was going to shift and let my hyena meet his mate, I was nervous because of my small size as a hyena and my limited knowledge of alpha wolves, I knew they were extremely large and dominant, however.

We were now walking into the large backyard that bordered onto the forest I was transported to when first arriving here. The grass was soft and wet under my bare feet and the moon shone down on us like an old friend greeting. It was beautiful out here at night, I had not left the pack house at night due to having the cubs and them still being young. Thatcher stopped walking and turned to me, he asked if I was ready and I nodded before he began to strip, I squeaked and averted my eyes. A little warning would have been nice I thought with my face on fire.

Within seconds there was a wolf like chuckle before a furry face rubbed against my chest. That is how tall this werewolf was. Thatcher was huge even for werewolf standards, he was a glossy black colour that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, I was shocked at how beautiful his wolf was and wasn't hesitant to inform him of the fact.

"You're beautiful Thatcher, your wolf is so pretty." I said in awe, the moonlight seemed to cause silver shimmers to dance on his fur. The was a deep rumble from within his chest that seemed almost like a purr. I ran my hands through his soft fur and just spent time with him before my hyena begged to be let out and spend time with his mate. I readily agreed and bent down after taking off my clothes changing into my preferred form. My hyena was cackling and rubbing against his mate who was basking in the attention.

We played for several hours before my hyena and myself ran out of stamina and needed to rest. Thatcher however seemed to be full of live and want to play, I laid down and tried to catch my breath after running around the pack territory with Thatchers wolf when I felt a large warm body stand over me and lower themselves down. Thatcher was laying on top of me in wolf form licking at the side of my neck where the mating mark would go. I shivered and released a small whining sound encouraging his dominant wolf to continue the exploration of my neck. This went on for several lust filled minutes before my hyena released control of my body and suddenly, I was laying underneath Thatchers wolf naked as the day I was born.

I squeaked and attempted to cover my private areas before the wolf on top of me could look down. The was a brief awkward moment before the wolf turned back into a man. Who was also naked? On top of me. I blushed and cackled very loudly before trying to wiggle away from Thatcher. He growled at me as I pressed our hips together grabbing my hands and holding them above me.

"Do not move Cas, I am barley in control right now and I want our first time to at least be inside if not in a bed okay?" his voice was deep and demanded submission I mewled and bared my neck. The universal submissive sign. I nodded meekly and half curled in on myself as he took a deep breath and slowly stood up. I breathed a sigh of relief, believe me I do want to sleep with him just not yet.

I slowly stood up as well not letting my eyes leave the dirt and grass beneath me. I felt highly embarrassed of my naked form which was rather unusual for a shifter. We were known in the community as being more in touch with the natural side of things and were constantly naked when shifting so we were supposed to be carefree with nudity. I was not. I felt like I wasn't as nice looking as Thatchers sun kissed form and that caused me a level of anxiety.

"Look at me, it's okay nothing happened yeah? You're safe." I felt a finger under my chin, lifting my head until my eyes were on the tall beautiful man in front of me. I nodded but could not bring myself to speak it was like my throat was enclosed in ice.

Thatcher suggested we head back to the pack house and try to get some sleep and I could not agree more. The walk back was quiet consisting of me two steps behind the alpha male and keeping my eyes on the ground. Thatcher sighed at my lack of engagement after we had just spent hours playing and bonding and it felt like all of that had been reversed in one moment of embarrassment. As if sensing my thoughts Thatcher turned to me and drew me into his arms.

"Baby, look at me, whatever horrible thoughts you're thinking in your pretty little head stop it right now and just enjoy this." He said before leaning down and claiming my lips with his own. All the thoughts left my head and I gasped allowing his tongue to begin to mingle with my mouth as his personal territory. I loved it.

This was our first kiss, it melted me to the core, and I knew that everything would be okay.