A/N: Okay guys, time for a little in-story promo of my new story: The Pack House. It's also a werewolf book. Please give a look and vote if you want or comment on how you could see it being improved. Or if you want to make it a new cover. Aaaannnddddd I've reached 5 votes and 500 reads which means early update! Thank you!
Peace Out, Girl Scouts
~Kate~
Pic: Denisse
Liam led me to his house which laid across the clearing.
I had a rhubarb pie in my hands I'd cooked this afternoon so I could contribute. Liam had put up a fuss, claiming that I wasn't supposed to do any work but I had grown up cooking and cleaning so watching others do it for me was weird. "You're so tense," Liam commented softly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. It's just...it's the first time I've seen them since...'it' happened."
"Oh." Liam was quiet a moment. "It hasn't changed what they think of you, Colton. They still love you; just like me."
"You're sweet but I'm still nervous."
"Don't be." He kissed my cheek, stepping onto the porch.
The leather was still lying out, drying so he could add it to his stockpile for when his family went to the market. A pile of deer and moose antlers lying in a heap on a table Liam's father had fashioned.
Antlers were primary decorations for wolves. Every young male wolf hung the set of antlers from the first buck he took down. It was like a right of passage. As for the extras, they had plenty of use for us. They were carved into toys for the pups, buttons for clothing, and Thomas was good at making them into knives. But there was usually quite an excess that they traded them to villages that didn't have all the antlered prey roaming around who also utilized them. Some even sold them to humans--at least that's what Thomas told me.
Inside Marie was already setting up the table. She was serving a beef skirt steak. A rarity but one of Liam's favorite meals. Bill smiled warmly at me, setting down some leather he was examining in the corner of the cabin. "Colton. It's been too long."
I hugged him. He was like my second father. We used to be so close and then...
"I know. I'm sorry."
Liam just softly squeezed my shoulder, steering me to the table. "Sit, darling."
"I made a pie," I stated feebly, holding up the pan.
"You weren't supposed to do any work, mister," Marie stated playfully. Her russet colored hair was tied back out of her face. She had aged very gracefully, wrinkles only beginning at the corner of her eyes.
"I don't consider cooking to be work. I like it." I replied shyly, setting it on a free space on the table.
Marie rolled her eyes, setting out a plate of corn on the cob, and ooohhh potatoes... "What'd you do today?" Liam asked, drawing me away from the heap of starches attracting me.
"Uhm...I made a pie. I fixed some of Jeffery's pants and dyed some cotton material so Xena could have something to look at while she decided what she wanted her mother and my mother to wear, as well as he younger sister, she decided on lilac."
"Do you have to wear lilac?" He asked playfully.
I rolled my eyes. "No silly. You and I have to wear wear white."
Liam's nose crinkled. "White? Are you sure?"
Xena had been at the house all day, discussing and deciding about the wedding that was going to take place in a few months. Only a month before Jeffery was leaving. "Positive. She wants dress shirts and nice, tan colored pants."
His bottom lip protruded with a pout but he didn't say anything else about it. It was Xena's day and he knew that. He would do whatever the woman told him to do. "I don't know if I have anything white but--"
"Don't worry," I cut him off. "I'm making you one. I just need to take some measurements soon."
"You're the best, hon," he murmured, pressing his lips to my cheek.
I just blushed at his compliment and his mother called Bill over for dinner. An extra chair appeared and the family sat down, beginning to pass around the food. While all I wanted to eat was potatoes, I didn't want o seem disrespectful so I took some of the meat from the plate. Liam piled it on, looking giddy. The skirt steak was simply the cow's diaphragm; something usually sold for cheap (for beef anyway) at the market. But in human world, according to Liam, they paid good money for it. He couldn't tell me why though. He said he didn't know.
I ate my potatoes first, loving them more and more each time I ate them. Yesterday for lunch I had peeled and boiled and mashed them, simply so I could enjoy them without having to share. I couldn't believe how much I'd eaten but... They were just so good! "So, are you looking forward to your brother's wedding?" Marie asked looking curiously at me.
I swallowed my mouthful of potatoes and nodded my head. "Oh yes. We're preparing a stockpile of game to prepare of post-ceremony feast right now. Every day my father and brothers go out and bring in new game. Our house is practically overflowing with half-tanned leather right now."
Bill smiled and nodded his head. "If you need any help with that, come and get me. Liam and I would love to help out."
I smiled and waved my hand dismissively. "Thank you but you know my father. He doesn't take help easily."
Bill nodded his head with a laugh.
"Still liking potatoes, Little Wolf?"
My face went thermonuclear as I realized that I had in fact neglected everything else on the plate. "No. Maybe. Sorry," I mumbled, cutting a piece of the cake.
"Darling if you don't like it--" began Marie being the sweet woman she was.
I quickly cut her off with a hurried, "No. It's great Marie, really. I just tend it start with potatoes. A bit of a weird quirk of mine that Liam so kindly pointed pointed out."
Liam rolled his eyes with a chuckle and our meal continued without flaw.
At ten thirty, the latest my father permitted me to stay out, Liam walked me dutifully back to my porch, pausing in front of the door. "I had a great time Liam. Thanks for pushing me to go. I missed your parents."
He hugged me tightly to his body lowering his mouth so he could capture mine. And he did so, lips connecting with an almost bruising force, moving against each other but also with each other. His tongue swept into my mouth boldly, hands resting low on my hips. The kiss grew more heated and I began to feel...something...stirring inside of me when the smell of Liam's arousal drifted into my nose.
Suddenly I could feel the forest floor under my back and hear the heavy breathing of the monster above me as he prepared to defile me.
I reeled back--or rather attempted to. Liam clung to me, pressing his body even closer to me. I panicked, chest constricting and bit down, hard, on Liam's lip. The taste of blood filled my mouth and Liam staggered back, eyes wide with both pain and shock as the heavy smell of arousal saturated the air around me. I was shaking, arms wrapped around me as a bit of Liam's blood ran from the corner of my mouth. "Little Wolf--Colton, I--"
The door flew open as the smell no doubt reached my father who was strict enough as it was without, gasp, Liam taking advantage of his son. "What's going on here?"
His eyes were narrowed into untrusting slits as he took in the space between us and the fear I was portraying. "Nothing, er, Colton--"
"Leave." My voice was thick with tears, arms wrapped around my body. "You're no different from Him."
"Colton," he said, seeming astonished.
I ignored him, slipping past my father into the house, past my two brothers who were on their feet in an instant demanding to know what happened. I didn't say...couldn't say. My trust in him had been broken.
Maybe I was just overreacting but... I closed my eyes, feeling tears running down my face. I changed into my sleeping clothes, climbing into bed. I flicked off the lamp, hearing my father growling something I couldn't quite make out, but shortly after I heard Liam stumbling off the porch, no doubt from a push, and trudge off home. I pulled the covers over my head, knowing my father would come in here and demand the whole story.
But I couldn't deal with it. Not tonight at least.
~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~
Next morning was ackward.
Everyone trying to hard to pretend last night didn't happen until my father and brothers went out to hunt before lunch, I was busy fighting the urge to vomit to do much more than worry about what existed between Liam and I--if anything--and if it was salvageable. And clean. I wiped down the table of morning crumbs, scrubbing and rescrubbing dishes. Sweeping the floors and stripping all four beds of sheets and blankets and taking them to the back porch to wash and then hang to dry them.
My mother didn't try to stop me. If anything she gave me space. She was letting me make the first move to speak which I appreciated. She came out while I was hanging the laundry and I finally spoke. "Did I overreact last night?" I asked, refusing to look away from the white sheets I was clipping to the line tethered between the porch posts.
"You tell me, Colton. I wasn't there."
"It all happened so...fast." I breathed, feeling my throat tighten with emotion. "He was k-kissing me and...I went to pull back but he didn't let me and I...bit him and then... I said he was like the wolf who raped me. That wasn't fair of me."
"Sounds to me like you two haven't touch about boundaries." She lifted a pillow case, shaking it sharply to free it of wrinkles. "I'm not defending what he did but maybe he didn't realize you weren't ready."
"Ready?" I repeated incrediously. "I'm not mated to him yet. What exactly would I be 'ready' to do?"
"It's not always about sex, Colton. He doesn't know where he can touch you, how long he can kiss you, and in what ways he can intimate with you." She clipped it up, tucking a free strand of hair behind her ear. "He also doesn't know what set you off last night."
I didn't respond for a moment. I watched the leaves shiver in a light breeze, saw a crow flying overhead, and watched a doe leap out of view in the brush a few yards away. "It was the smell," I admitted, feeling small and embarrassed. "It just...reminds me of it."
"Again I'm not taking sides, nor am I defending him, but...how would he know that unless you've told him?
I hung my head in shame. She was right. I hadn't told him about my problems with the smell of arousal, due to the simple fact I was worried it may impact our relationship. But I'd already impacted our relationship enough that maybe being honest could finally sort things out once and fall. A sort of take me as I am or not at all.
So I retired my time in laundry and boldly left the house, going right it Liam's door.
I was fighting to find the courage to knock on it when Liam tore it open. There were dark bags under his eyes and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like hell but more than that, he looked sorry. "I overreacted," I blurted out. "I didn't mean what I said. I was just... We weren't on the same page about some things and it wasn't fair of me to expect you to just know."
"You...you pulled back and I didn't let you--" his voice shook as he fought tears in front of my eyes.
Seeing my mate, my strong mate so fragile was heartbreaking. I let myself in, glad to see that his parents were absent. Probably out hunting. It was a foggy morning, good for small prey like mink or foxes and their pelts were worth more than a deer's. "It's not all your fault. It's partially my mine. I never did talk to you about what I was comfortable with before. And I think that now is a good time to finally address it. Now that conflict has arisen due to it."
Liam pressed me down into a chair, offering me coffee, as if forgetting contempt for the bitter liquid. He sat down, anxiously tousling his already messy hair. "What-what made you uncomfortable last night?"
"The smell," I admitted, voice soft with shame. "A-arousal. It just... It's too soon, I suppose I could say. I'm not ready to smell it. My wolf...it goes into a defensive mode when it smells it. It reminds him....it reminds us."
Liam's amber eyes smothered mine with a look of regret and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Little Wolf. I try so hard to keep myself in check but sometimes it's just so hard and... Your fear last night...its smelled sort of like arousal too. And I was so...into it that I didn't bother to sniff further into it."
I leaned in, kissing him hesitantly. His lip had healed seconds after my own teeth had punctured it. He didn't lean into it for a moment and when he did I could tell he was hesitant. He didn't want to hurt me again. But that was okay because I didn't want to be hurt again.
Maybe taking it slow was what was the best for us?
At least for now.
~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~
My mother's hand rested on my back as I vomited noisily into the toilet bowl.
Sitting back on my haunches I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my oversized sweater, handed down from Thomas. "Oh honey... Another day like this and we're taking you to the next village to get checked out."
"No...no please." I looked up at her, pleading in my eyes. These last four weeks have been hell.
My weird abdominal situation had just gotten bigger and bigger (literally) and hiding it was getting harder and harder. "I'm serious Colton. Your father and I are very worried. Between your sickness and the fact you're wearing sweaters in eighty degree weather...you're sick Colton. And it's not going away."
I fought to think up a reason, an excuse to why these things were happening but I had none. So I sat back on my haunches, fighting the urge to curl up right there and sob my eyes my eyes out. "Claire?"
To make matters even worse my father showed up then, standing in the doorway, face showing surprise and worry. "Did he get sick again today?"
"His second time vomiting this morning," she whimpered in response. "I'm scared, James. I don't know what to do."
"I'm fine," I objected feebly, fighting to get to my feet.
My feet were killing me, swollen so much they were straining against the leather of my slippers. My hand unknowingly went under my stomach, as if heaving that up first would make my standing easier. "What are you doing? What's wrong with your stomach?" my father demanded, brow furrowing in confusion.
I removed my hand quickly, shaking my head. "I'm fine. Just a bit nauseous when I stood up."
"Don't lie to me Colton. I saw the way you were holding it." My father took a step into the bathroom, reaching for my sweater. "Let me see."
"No," I argued weakly, stepping back. Tears hazed my vision. My secret was so close to being exposed and there was nothing could do.
"Do not disobey me, Colton. You know better. Take off your sweater. Don't make me do it for you."
"Please don't," I sobbed pathetically. "I'm cold is all. My stomach hurts. Just leave me be!"
"James," my mother began but he held up his hand.
"Colton, you will do as I say. Now I saw something under that sweater of yours. If it's nothing you can put it right back on and go to bed."
I shook my head, hands trembling I gripped the dark blue shower curtains beside my. "Colton, you're not old for me to get out the gravel. Off. Now."
Memories of my bleeding and bruised knees came back to me; back from the times when I used to misbehave. My body hurt enough as it was... "I'm sorry," I whined, lifting the sweater to expose what'd hid so desperately the last few months. "I don't know what's happening."
I watched confusion etch itself into my father's face while my mother just put her hand over her mouth. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, looking at my swollen stomach with a sense of awe. "Do you have a parasite?"
"No," my mother whispered voice trembling almost as badly as she is. "He's pregnant."
-unedited-
Next Update: Wednesday (4/1/2015)