My Husband and My Mate

Chapter Twenty-One

"Hello hooker" came a warm voice. We've quickly bonded, and it is taking me time to get used to her comments. She means nothing by them. She is just...her.

"Hey Lucy." My voice sounded tired even to me. She tutted over the line and asked me the inevitable question every wolf in the pack was wanting to know.

"Please tell me your voice is tired because you spent the morning screaming Damon's name?" I laughed at her question. Really. I did.

"If I was, would I be calling you?" She gave a snort at that.

"Yes! To give me all the juicy details!" She shouted hopefully.

"Well, the answer is no. We havent ... you know.." She giggled. I was beginning to like her a lot.

"You do realize you are an adult with two children..you can say sex." She sighed.

"Sex. There I said it. Can you come by and keep an ear out for the baby? She's napping, so it will be easy. I just need to go for a walk. Clear my head." I rushed the words out before I could chicken out. I don't normally like to take time for myself. I needed to think though. Without distraction.

"Be there in five." She said hanging up on me. Was she mad? I have seen Lucy mad once, and it wasn't pretty. Sure enough five minutes later she came in the door. I hugged her and she squeezed me back.

"Are you mad?" I had to know. No way was I leaving her alone in my house with my baby if she were. She might do something like turn my clothes into rags, or give the baby a mohawk.

"Of course I'm not. Now go, think! Come back and mark your man. I know that's what this is all about. So go." She shooed me out the door. Have you ever met a person you have clicked with so well, it's like you have known them forever? She was that for me. I left, not even bothering to acknowledge her comment. She was right. What would be the point?

I set off for the woods in the direction of the path Damon and I like to walk. This place is still so new, I'm afraid to get lost. The woods calmed me with their scents. Pine and earth and most of all peace. I made it to the clearing Damon had taken me to and sat in the grass. I could hear other members of the pack in the distance and the wildlife around me. This was perfect. A place to think and let the earth rejuvinate me.

I'm not sure how long I sat there hugging my knees, pondering my future. It must have been a while as the sun has changed positions. I grabbed for my phone, only to realize I had left it at home. Typical move for me. All this thinking though has helped. I have made up my mind. The next time my heat comes, I will do it. I will cement our bond, saving our wolves, and maybe just maybe bring about something extraordinary. My decision made, and a little anxious over being gone so long, I headed home. At least one perk of bonding with Damon would be the pack link. I could "check in" with anyone at anytime.

I sat up, brushing the grass from the seat of my pants and meandered on home. Yes, I could run, but sitting for so long as made me lazy, and it was so warm. I mean really warm. I peeled off my sweater, leaving me in a tank top. I wrapped my sweater around my hips and tied it off all without pausing in my journey. Still, I was so hot. As I wiped the sweat off my forehead and chest, it hit. A spasm that made me fall to my knees. A horrible burning that seemed to spread out from my stomach and into every inch of me! Like someone had set my insides on fire and closed me back up! I crouched there, trying to breathe through it, when I realized what was going on. The earlier "fits" were warnings, like sporadic cramps before your period. This was Heat with a capital H. This was the big one. There wouldn't be enough cold showers in Alaska type of heat.

My head flew up when I heard the howling. Howling from behind me, I or Snow answered the howls, but I didn't know what the question was or what my answer was.