Victoria's POV
The knock on the door is soft, almost subdued.
With one final look in the mirror smoothing down the black dress, fixing any perceived wrinkles that might have formed from the last time I checked. The light tapping of my high heels across the wooden floor alerts my handler that I'm coming.
Fin decided it was better if we just meet at the reception, watching him gather some of his things leaving me to get ready alone in the quite of his clean bedroom.
Opening the door, smiling towards me is his mother looking elegant, her true smile crinkling the edges of her eyes.
"Victoria..." she says it breathlessly as her eyes take in my appearance, "you're beautiful." Waving her words off like it's not a big deal what she says to me but inside she's making me feel good. Giving her my true smile that I hardly give to anyone, my wolf perks up, yipping in the air with the closeness of her den mate.
Confused, backing away from his mother slightly, really looking at her, feeling that paralysis again that threatens to overtake me.
"What's the matter?" His mother is looking confused at my flip flop mood. Her hand running along my bare arm providing comfort for some unknown anxiety that she can't understand.
"My wolf likes you." Saying it in a low secret whisper only for her ears, because if people found out that my wolf actually liked something then they could take it away from her and she really has even less than what I have.
She closes her eyes, taking in deep breaths and the anxiety in me starts to grow, I shouldn't have said anything to this female that I hardly know.
"Victoria..." another breath is brought into her lungs, "feel safe with me." Her lips trembling with a force of emotion that's rolling through her.
"You're like my daughter now, think of me as your mother. I won't hurt you, I promise you." No words can be spoken in this moment because everything I want to say is spilling from my eyes.
"It's okay Victoria," She's saying low-toned words while wiping my eyes carefully trying not to mess my makeup. Composing myself underneath her soft eyes, once again smoothing out my imagined wrinkles in my dress, taking a deep cleansing breath.
"Thank you." That's all I can say no greater words come to mind, everything else seems inadequate.
Taking my hand she leads me through the house into the crisp early night air. Soft light music is playing in the background as the voices of many hit my ears. Laughter floating in the air, with the smell of many different wolves that are unknown to me. A reassuring hand is on my forearm, as she weaves us throughout the crowd. Introductions are made, I do my part smiling politely, trying my best not to embarrass my new found light.
The feel of many males eyes upon me has the wolf bristling slightly, she does not want any of their attention. Searching the crowd, I find eyes that have already found mine.
He's in the middle, the wolves around him in a heated discussion. I can't help the way I let my eyes slide from the top of him to the bottom, like he is an offering from the moon herself. This magnificent specimen of a male looking like a sculpture of tight muscles that his fitted grey pants show off perfectly. A clean white shirt buttoned up high enough to allow a slight peek at a promise of a chisel chest that is hidden underneath the rest of the material. I can feel his gaze penetrate my skin, burning a line of fire as his eyes descend down over my chest, hitting my hips, it lingers on my exposed lower thighs, trailing down my calves.
Wondering if this is how he feels when my eyes covet his body? I can't look away from this male, I want to turn my back on him, but he holds me in my spot, watching as the top predator gracefully approaches me.
He is no ripple in the water, he's the whole ocean, drowning me in his torrent.
The suction of air gets pulled out of my lungs once his hand touches my lower bare back, bringing me closer to him until I'm firmly pressed up against his chest. A sigh escapes my lips the moment his lips brush against the mark on my neck. I'm uncomfortably aware of the maleness pressing into me, his distinct scent wrapping me in a blanket of comfort from all these curious eyes. He growls low in his chest full of possessiveness as dark eyes scan the crowd for any threat to his claim. His insecurities so strong I can actual feel his thoughts pouring out of him in unguarded waves of emotions that I think he wasn't ready to feel.
This action takes me off guard, I didn't predict this behavior from him. His mother smiles at this with a knowing smirk. Letting me go, his hand continue to stay on my lower back, thumb drawing small little circles creating swirling heat that's threatening to overwhelm me.
"What are you doing?" Hissing the words out, trying to pull away from him.
"Showing these males that you"re mine." Letting him paw me for a few minutes more until his fur is no longer raised.
"Why don't you guys start, go get some food, start eating because the pups are getting hungry." I can see the little ones running around, eyeing the food in want. This Western pack has an abundance of young. I nod my head to his mother obeying her command.
Fin goes first taking what he wants from the heaping trays of food, while I take my share as second. Sitting beside him at the head table, his mother takes my left as we're joined by several other high ranking pack members. All of them are mated, evidence in the marks they carry on their necks.
Glancing at his neck I realize he's the only one at this table that doesn't have a claim on him. Pushing the plate away from me I decided I should just drink instead of eating, grabbing the bottle of wine, pouring myself a full glass of white. Not my first choice but I can make due with what's available.
Fin's glass of honeyed liquid is half finished, the ice cubes just starting to peek out of the liquid. Whiskey for me in large quantities is a no go, affects me differently makes me cry, then it makes me angry. I've learned early on to try and avoid it at all costs.
Taking this opportunity, regarding the many faces of this Western Pack, I'm shocked at what's greeting me back. Feeling as if the teeth of every unmated female here is turned against me. His mother understands their looks, squeezing my hand over top of the table.
Turning towards Fin with a hard stare, finally comprehending the enormity of what he has done. There is not enough whiskey to ever wipe the images swirling around in my head of what he has done.
Physically trying not to vomit all over the table, getting up I smile towards the wolves at the table.
"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well, please excuse me." Saying it through the tightness of vocal cords, while standing up.
Fin's hand to stops my movement.
"What's wrong?" Fin's confused not really understanding what's rolling around in my mind. His mother looks out into the nameless faces of the females.
"I think Victoria just found out why your room needed to be gutted Finian." His gaze hits the eyes of all his females that want to be his Queen. It's a large number he really doesn't have the time to see them all in his vision before I pull from his grip.
They must be laughing at me, thinking I've turned tail, running away from their combined hatred of me. What they don't understand is that my whole life I have been fighting, struggling just to survive it's second nature to fight for what's mine.
They must think I'm to weak to fight for my claim but they don't understand that I'm to strong to accept something so weak.
Looking at Fin with new eyes, the pull to him so very strong, yet the disgust even stronger. So I turn away from the only fight I willingly want to lose.
Walking away with grace and dignity, my head held high, shoulders back, a face of impassiveness greets all that look upon it.
One step forward then the next one away from Finian has the night air hitting my face while going out the door.
"I didn't raise him like that Victoria, he changed after what happened. It's not an excuse, there is no excuse for this and Finian has to live with this for the rest of his life." The look of defeat rolls through her body, shoulders slumped, head bowed to me. I actually feel worse for her than me, the wolf whimpering inside my head.
Putting my hand on her shoulder I squeeze it the way she comforted me. "I really never understood until this moment, I knew it was a lot...but I never expected..." I can't even finish the sentence. She just provides a comfort for me, walking in silence to my room she hugs me without any needed words.
Getting into comfortable joggers and a tank top, picking up a pillow from the bed along with the duvet. Fin enters the bedroom cautiously.
"You stay I'll sleep somewhere else." His fingers work the fabric over his buttons, tossing his shirt away he still is a magnificent dirty sight.
"Fin, you need to stay here tonight!" His puzzled look meets my resolve.
"You need to lock the door behind me, it will be your only defense against my wolf if she decides to rip your throat out during the night." Walking away from him I shut the door heading to the couch I saw downstairs, but tonight I won't find any sleep. Grabbing a drink of water in the kitchen his mother greets me with a sad smile.
"Do you want to run with me Victoria? Sometimes I find it good to run when..." she doesn't finish the sentence. "Yes," it's all I can say. The night is clear, and still, the only thing moving it is our paws thundering across the trail. My wolf is so much more than this she-wolf, but she slows herself down for her picking the easiest trail, so she doesn't have to exert herself too much.
Her age is telling in her run, she favors her right hip, and already she is winded with the effort of the wild. My wolf will pause on occasion only to nuzzle her, and rub herself against her in an affectionate way. Pouncing around her like a new pup with a new playmate. Her tail wagging in outward happiness.
That's how the pack of females find us, playing with each other like pups in the grass. They stop and regard us, circling...tails raised in aggression. His mother snarls back at these young females. If they choose to attack her they will commit and act of war between the two packs.
Scenting a few females in their heat, making them very aggressive, willing to fight for the most prized male. They start to posture to my wolf, intent obvious with lips peeled away to reveal sharpened teeth that can inflict great hurt. Taking on a stiff-legged stance, growling lowly in their chests. I feel sorry for these females, they have no history with this wolf, they have absolutely no idea what they're antagonizing. Hackles rise along my wolf's spine with the challenge to her hierarchy.
Their continued posturing is swelling my wolf's rage, sending her to the brink of madness.
The darkness seeps out, curling around her, weighing her down heavily with it's desire to drink from the throat of life... So the dance of dominance begins, except instead of a single wolf's challenge my wolf will receive a challenge from a pack of she-wolves trying to dethrone a Queen.
The leaders who are no cowards push themselves forward in a tight line towards our wolves.
Bristling and posturing, muscles quivering ready to spring at any moment. His mother flanks my wolfs right shoulder in a show of solidarity. Her lips peel back revealing a promise of pain to whoever comes crosses the imagined line she has set up. The wolf in me feels Fin's mother is our territory that needs to be protected.
These wolves don't understand their own physical limitations against mine but they will when they feel her teeth. Taking the offensive, my wolf strikes first sinking teeth into flesh trying to inflict the most amount of damage in the shortest period of time. Turning sideways she meets another wolf's shoulder biting down releasing and spinning her body around to face the next challenge.
This is nothing new to my wolf, growing up she had to face the teeth of the pack until individually they couldn't rise up to meet her anymore. So instead of one on one, they got smarter and hunted her in groups. Still, she managed to hold her own, learning lesson after lesson in self-preservation. These little beast are relentless, tearing into my wolf's shoulders, blood spilling down her legs staining the ground in blood. The whimpering from his mother's wolf draws her eye. Two wolves have teeth buried deep into her haunches, trying to roll her onto her stomach to gain access to her soft underbelly. Enraged at this sight, her growl is one that stops all the other wolves for a split second, enough time to attack the first wolf throat killing it instantly, the second wolf is taken by the back of the neck, with one quick shake it's neck snaps for all to hear.
Taking a protective stance over his mother, they need to come through teeth now stained in blood to get to her. Small whimpers are heard from underneath, her pain is my wolfs pain.
Crouching low to the ground, ears pulled back against her head, teeth dripping saliva, fur puffed out along her spine, head fur raised to it's full height she gives them a show, she gives them a promise that this won't be easy if they come for more.
Yet they still come, my wolf takes bite after bite protecting the female on the ground, every time a female gets within striking distance, my wolf goes for the back of the neck, with one swift hard shake, necks snap as if they are dry sticks in steel jaws.
They attack underneath my legs biting into his mother who no longer whimpers or moves, my wolf growing weaker and weaker with the combined effort of all these females.
Still she remains standing fighting tooth and claw protecting what she believes is her territory. She doesn't rest until the last female's neck is broken, they are not killing wounds, but it is enough to incapacitate the enemy until they heal.
Shaking on legs that refuse to bend, he finds us that way over top his mother swaying with the effort of standing.
Somehow she understands he will not harm her territory, so she lies down on her side nose pressed against nose of the only female that was her friend without wanting something from her in return.
Whimpering her wolf song to the Moon, she finally lays her head down for a much-needed rest.