THE COMBINED wolves of Louis Pack and Keanu's gently carried Dough out of the rear of the SUV, he already returned to his human form and resting peacefully. Masha paced at his side until Chris met him at the front porch, and Masha nodded to the older healer wearily, grateful it was over.
"He'll be fine," Chris assured him, and Masha tried to smile, too tired and cold to say anything. He was exhausted, and he swayed, but he stayed, waiting until all the injured wolfkin went past him into Chris cabin.
Warm, powerful arms came around his waist, and pulled him back to a firm chest. Masha sighed at the welcome heat, leaning on Louis in thanks.
"You saved him, my mate," Louis leaned down and whispered in his ear, kissing a sensitive spot on his neck. Masha shivered, though for a different reason. "Thank you, Masha. You saved so many lives today."
"So did you, my love," Masha twisted in Louis arms, and met his mate's dark gaze. "The Alpha King's would have killed the families here without hesitation, and they needed to be stopped. The wolves at the gates wouldn't have made it if you and your team hadn't gotten there in time to stop them."
"Many of our people were hurt," Louis said, frowning, unhappiness clouding the air around them. "This never should have happened. If I prepared my wolves for this instances.. If..."
"Never blame yourself for this! Never," Masha snapped. "This is all on them. The King turning his back on his people, and he is an evil man who will find justice under your fangs. None of this is your fault, and I never want to hear you say anything like that again!"
Louis blinked down at him, and Masha growled softly under his breath until his alpha gave him a small smile and a nod, leaning down to soothe him with a kiss. Masha opened his mouth, letting Louis inside, and he found himself wrapping his legs around Louis lean waist, big hands gripping his ass. He buried his hands in the bigger man's hair, the soft strands delightful to the touch, and the taste of Louis in his mouth made his stomach clench in need.
"Take it somewhere private, younglings," a woman called out, and Masha lifted his head from Louis lush lips to see Josh, Leny, Louis siblings and surprisingly Toni, -glad that he make it; all standing on the front porch smirking at them.
"I'll keep an eye on Dough and the others," Leny said, laughing.
"And The Alpha King isn't going anywhere," Leny added with a deep growl, her blue eyes intense. "The Council and the other Alpha Leaders will be here in a couple of hours; get some time in now, before explanations must be made to them."
Masha nodded, as did Louis, and his alpha carried him up the steps of the cabin and inside. Louis took the stairs, ignoring the werewolves loitering on the steps and in the front foyer.
Louis took them to the room they'd used before, kicking the door shut and lowering Masha to the bed on his back. Louis kept his legs open, and he settled between them. Big hands cupped his ass, kneading the flesh, and Masha all but purred, eager for the touch despite his exhaustion.
"I should let you rest," Louis murmured, placing kisses along his jawline. "You must be tired."
"I want you, my mate," Masha breathed, tilting his head, lifting his hips, needing more. Wanting it, desperately. "Please, I need you."
"Anything for you," Louis said, and he leaned down, and in record time they were both naked. Louis paused when he saw the bulge in Masha's underbelly and softly caress it. His unborn children and mate is finally safe, in his arms..
Then his hand search alongside the bed for his bag. Louis found the lube, and poured some onto his fingers.
Louis gently worked two fingers into Masha's ass, and he sighed, enjoying the sting. Louis fingers spread apart, opening Masha's hole, and he gasped, clutching to his alpha's shoulders and lifting his hips. Louis knelt above him, and Masha grabbed his knees and pulled them up and apart, trying to watch as Louis fingers moved in and out of his ass. The brush of his mate's hand over his rear, the heat of his large body so close was too much for Masha. Exhaustion was dragging at him, and yet his cock wasn't listening to the rest of him. He was hard and he ached, bobbing against his stomach as clear fluid pulsed in sticky streams from the flared head. Louis murmured in appreciation, his other hand coming to grip his hard length in his big hand, fingers expertly stroking. Masha moaned, and lifted to the touch, his cock growing harder and ass loosening with each wonderful thrust of his mate's fingers.
"Fill me, weigh me down and fill me up," Masha begged softly, so tired, but needing Louis inside him. He was ready to erupt, waves of tingling nerves flowing out from the base of his spine, out through his hips and legs, to his toes. His fingers dug at the bedding, and he growled, impatient. Louis never hurried, taking his time, stroking and thrusting, fingers curling, touching a spot inside of Masha that made him snarl in hungry need. "Now, mate."
Louis eyes were dark flames, flickering in the shadows of the bedroom. Every muscle was taut with need and his skin bronzed by sweat, blood still tracing the lean lines of his arms and shoulders. His alpha smiled, fangs dropping, as he twisted his fingers again, and pegged that mysterious spot in Masha's channel. He cried out, and went limp, legs falling from his grasp as Louis did it again.
"You are never leaving my side again, little mate," Louis whispered past his fangs, leaning down over him, blocking out any light left in the room. Louis dark eyes glowed with a light of their own, and Masha couldn't look away. Louis kissed him, lightly, withdrawing his hand and then reaching for the lube again. "You under me, taking me inside, howling my name... that's where you belong."
Louis held himself above Masha, who lifted his legs as Louis slicked himself up. His arms found their way around Louis neck, his alpha positioning himself, holding still for a slow, wet kiss before pushing inside with his long, thick shaft.
Masha tensed before Louis wordlessly begged him to relax, and Masha did, Louis slipping inside deeper. The broad head pushed in, widening Masha muscles, stretching him, and the sting was just there on the edge of too much, and Masha curled into Louis as the alpha lowered his full weight down on him. Louis slid in, fully seated now, and Masha sighed, enjoying the deep ache. The pain was just enough, and the heavy weight of Louis balls pressing to his ass helped make it plain that his mate was on him, inside him, and weighing him down. Masha shuddered, enjoying the sensations, Louis tongue dipping in his mouth, rubbing their tongues together.
Masha whimpered into Louis mouth, and his alpha growled, lifting his hips just a little, and then pressing back down. His cock slid out and in, the gentlest of rhythms, barely moving, shifting inside Masha just enough to put pressure on that special spot that sent lightning shivers through his whole body. Louis kiss went on forever, the pressure building between them, and Mashs let his mate inside his mind and heart, their spirits combining to a whole.
Louis hips surged, pressing Masha down, and teeth found his neck, biting. Masha came, spurting hot seed between them as Louis lost his steady rhythm and rutted hard and deep. Louis growled, a horrible rumble that made Masha shiver, his orgasm chasing itself across his body in a tangled mess of firing nerves. Masha howled, his cry shattering the heavy quiet, and the floor shivered with him. Louis filled his ass with wet heat, flooding him, and Masha held his mate tightly, locking them together mind, body and soul.
"You are glorious, little one," Louis sighed in his ear, and Masha licked his mate's neck, humming happily. Louis was still cumming in him, and the heady scents of sweat and seed filled the room. Masha held his mate through the last waves of his orgasm, and Louis went limp, his bigger frame holding him down on the bed.
Masha closed his eyes, fingers tracing the chiselled muscles on Louis back, enjoying the warmth and weight of his mate. He felt it when Louis slipped into slumber, still hard and buried to the hilt inside his ass, Masha's legs locked tight around his lean hips.
Masha let himself follow his mate into sleep, his eyelids closing, heavy as the rest of his body.
###
KEANU stalked down the hall, pausing only briefly outside the bedroom door where Louis and Masha slumbered, the scent of sex wafting through the air. He smiled, but continued on, glad the younglings were cementing their bond in the face of what was coming. The deeper their connection, the safer they would be.
He took the stairs in a blur, out the front door and along the wet and chilly path. The storm may be over, but the accumulation on the ground was still treacherous. Keanu ran through the cold night, bare feet sinking only briefly on the muddy ground as he ran.
When he reached the cabin he wanted, Keanu saw a flash of pale skin and red hair in the window, and the door opened before he could even knock. He swept in, the human male closing the door behind him, eyeing Keanu with a mixture of trepidation and intense curiosity. The other came out from the restroom, stopping in his path to the kitchen.
"Sir," the human male named Rayne said, tilting his head in a show of respect. "Is it over?"
"Yes," Keanu said, watching the rain drip off his feet to the floor. He gave them a lightning quick grin, but it lacked warmth. "As over as such things can be. Time moves on, and wolves and men all die. Peace is temporary."
"Is Masha okay?" Surprisingly the other asked, Keanu still can't figure out why he cared. He's a complete stranger. To Masha. But to him, not completely. Still, he's not someone who will take time to help and consider anyone he don't know. What is his intention, then? Why he's here? What does he want?
"He is well, but he may not be for much longer." Keanu watched as both of them looked at him with confusion, and fear. They cared for Masha, regardless of the fact that they don't really know him that well.
"What do you mean?" Rayne asked, Andrei's eyes tracking every move that Keanu made. Andrei, if born wolfkin, would have made a fine alpha. He was all solid strength, and calm power radiated out from his spirit. He would perhaps handle the coming decision better than the other.
"Humans are not meant to know our existence and even to mate with our kind. Greater Clan Leaders were coming in a few short hours and they will all think that Masha is not worthy of being Louis mate. You must leave too, your part in this fiasco is over. The Alpha King is in your hands. You can take any action you may see fit. But please don't let him escape again. Because if you failed to subdue him, I'll make sure that you and your group will be held responsible. You may not know me, but I know of you, Andrei Volkov, the last descendant of the Shaman of the East."
Rayne gasped, and Andrei flinched, startled. Andrei never imagined that someone can see through his disguise. The man in front of him is someone he can't fight. He's powerful. With a quick nod, he vanished, leaving Keanu in his thoughts. Now, it's up to Louis and Masha. To make the other Group Leaders accept them as Mates with Goddess Will, they need to show them what it really means to be one.
###
MASHA HELD LOUIS hand, standing beside his mate while the two large black vehicles took the last curve of the gravel drive. Josh, Tony, Keanu, Mickey and Leny waiting behind them, recovered from their assorted wounds and shifting nervously on their feet, their scents saying that these were going to be a few tense minutes once the Great Clan Leaders disembarked.
Masha was nervous, though not as badly as the others. He was going to see the Great Clan Leader for the first time and he didn't know how to feel about that, even when the vehicles came to a full stop in front of them and the doors opened.
A number of werewolves stepped out, and Raul, Clan Leader of Ashland, was easy to pick out; the greater alpha was huge, towering over Josh and even Louis, hair long and braided.
And then Simon McLennan, the Clan Leader of the Shifters Council, a greater alpha unchanged through the years. Still as large, still as formidable. Masha shivered, not because of the cold but from some unknown feeling creeping within him. Louis leaned into his shoulder, snapping him free, and Masha relaxed, his mate's presence enough to ground him. Everyone else's nerves were starting to get to him now, and he pushed it aside, recognizing the worry of how the Council would react to his soul binding to one of their kind. Whether or not they will approved was a moot point: his Goddess blessed them, named them soulmates, and that was more than enough for Masha.
As it should be for every shifters.
Masha was so focused on his thoughts it wasn't until Simon was staring down at him, brows furrowed, that he realized he'd missed the introductions. Louis shifted next to him, and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"Little one, this is Simon McLennan. Alpha, this is Masha Sahani, my mate," Louis said, trying to be diplomatic. Masha sent his mate a wry smile, and before he could restrain himself, kissed Louis on his cheek. Louis blanched, and looked at Simon, but stayed close, letting Masha lean into his side.
"Louis Caine Lexus..." Caius growled, eyes glowing. " Did you have any idea of what you have done, you fool?!"
"Great Clan Leader, Masha is my soulbonded mate," Louis revealed, and he stood strong against their shocked expression, and the exclamations of disbelief from those watching.
***
Louis paced back and forth in front of the door, the big alpha nearly bristling with indignation and anger. His declaration to Simon, in front of Raul and their combined entourage, hadn't gone very well. Louis was listening to the arguments happening in the living room. They were in his study, two greater alphas that Masha did not know outside in the hall, presumably guarding the door. Though how anyone thought to keeping Louie restrained by a single door, or Masha for that matter, left him amused. Louis had gone willingly when Simon ordered him into the room, and Masha shrugged, following his mate. The guards were confused as to why they were being detained, but they said nothing when they locked them in here.
"...how do you expect me to not say anything to the other Clan Leaders?! This is an abomination of our Laws!" Raul yelled, the Clan Leader's opinion hard not to hear at that volume.
"Their bond is Goddess blessed and sacred, you fool!"
Masha sat up from where he was leaning against the desk, brows raised in surprise. That was Keanu, his father out there, defending them, in a wholly unexpected move. Louis stopped pacing, his reaction the same as Masha.
"Yelling at each other solves nothing," Simon said, cool and calm. "Raul, this is a soulbond, not a mating bond performed by ceremony. That means our Goddess bound Louis and Masha, and it is not our place to dispute her actions or to interfere in their bonding."
"He is an Alpha Wolf. He broke our Laws once already when he knocked up the human, claiming his half wolf that's why he can reproduce. Who is to say he didn't do anything underhanded to the youngling he's taken as his mate?" Raul retorted. "I've never seen a soulbond, so for all I know, that is naught but a forced mating bond I can sense between them!"
"No soul bonding can be affected by some cheap tricks," Simon said, his voice emotionless. "I know this fact well."
"There is something wrong here, Simon, and it's not just the abomination of an alpha mating with a human. How can I trust this wasn't just a ruse by the Alpha Louis or his wolves. The human might claim that he's half wolf, but he's still too young to be pregnant, and I see no reason Louis couldn't have used some underhanded means so he can claim the boy as his mate. How sick! How perverted!!!"
Masha grumbled, his eyes glowing dangerously at that insulting idea. Louis would never do that, never try something so evil. Louis shook his head, and walked over to Masha, pulling him along his side, both of them still listening to the argument down the hall. Masha breathed in Louis scent, the heat from his long body warming Masha as they snuggled. He didn't sense any fear or shame from Louis, no worry. Masha gave himself a tiny smile, gladdened again that he was gifted by such a fine alpha.
"That's enough, Raul," Simon said, some heat returning to his voice.
"I want Louis to sit in front of the tribunal, for the violation of entering a mating bond with a human. That's a crime punishable by death," Raul stated. Masha froze, and Louis went still beside him. "And I want shamans here to break the forced bond."
Masha heart thumped once, hard.
There was a whisper in the silence, Raul's declaration stealing everyone's voices. Masha tried to hear it, but it faded away under the sudden cacophony of voices raised in anger from the other room.
Louie gave Masha a slow, easy smile and caressed his jaw with a big hand when Masha turned his head and looked up at his mate. There was no fear, still. Louis was not afraid. Masha wasn't too sure what the clan leader meant by a tribunal, but he was not worried about the validity of their bond. They were gifted to each other by the Great Mother herself, and the lives in his belly is a proof of that. Louis was innocent of breaking that Law.
Masha became lost in Louis eyes, the dark orbs full of affection, desire, and an emotion Masha could not name. It burned in his heart too, fiery and pure, and left him feeling invincible.
Suddenly determined, he stepped to the door, pulling a willing Louis along by his hand. Masha opened the door, and the two greater alphas outside both jumped, peering down at him. Masha ignored them, and pulled Louis out into the hall. The greater alphas tried to stop them, but Masha stilled them with a single glance, knowing somehow his eyes burned like silver fire in warning. The whispering led him down the hall, to the living room.
Everyone abruptly stopped yelling, and turned to look. Masha stood, calm, feeling remarkably centered. Louis was at his side, both of them together, hands clasped.
"Louis has broken no Laws, and I have willingly claimed him as my mate, in front of clan leaders and family," Masha said, he can feel soft thudding down his belly, and he can't help but smile. He knows that the their fight is just starting. But he's not alone. Not anymore.
Masha breath deeply and meet everyone's eyes equally before landing at last on the Ashland clan leader, Raul was glaring, the huge alpha vibrating with insult and anger. "If Louis is to stand in front of the tribunal for giving me the privilege of loving him, then I will stand there with him, always by his side. I will share his fate. As he's with me. I Belong To Him. And He Belong To Me. And that's enough..."
_________________________________THE END________