The Red Cloud Pack Pt. 05

Almost a month had passed since I was abducted.

We found out, just my bad luck, that my attacker had actually worked for the hotel we were staying at. He did live on the other side of the river but his work place was so close to my old apartment that he could slip out during his breaks to go and post his filth through my mail slot.

The night I was abducted, the wolves had come back to check on me at the hotel, where they had found the room empty. They had tracked my attacker to his home, earlier that evening, but he wasn't there. He was at the hotel kidnapping me! They immediately headed back to his house, after checking with the front desk to see if I had gone out. They heard my screams as they approached the house again and thankfully made it in time to rescue me.

The police found his body about a week after the incident. Someone had reported him missing from work. There was a small article about it in the local paper and it appeared that he was wanted in two other cities for indecent acts against women and attempted rape. I didn't condone murder but the world was better off with him being gone. I had no doubt in my mind that he would have ended up killing me after he got tired of torturing me first. The police also said to be on the look out for a rabid dog, which they thought was responsible for the attack. Sky actually pretended to take offense to being referred to as a rabid dog.

Black Claw had been a huge help while I was recovering. I had just accepted an offer on my old apartment and the deal was set to close as soon as all the paperwork had been signed.

He even went to view other properties he thought I might like and myself and Grey had narrowed it down to three. We were going to view them when we headed back to town tomorrow. This would be the first time I had been back there since the attack and I was feeling rather nervous.

Sky was helping me wrap up all my art for the upcoming exhibition. She had taken an interest in what I was doing and I set up a space for her in my studio so she could learn from me and start creating her own pieces. I taught her how to mix her colours, different brush stroke techniques and how to mark out her canvases. She was a quick study. She liked working with her hands. She loved digging around in the soil when she tended to the plants. I suggested we get a pottery wheel and she jumped at the idea, smiling from ear to ear.

She asked if she could attend the exhibition and I told her she was more than welcome to. I could tell she was genuinely excited about this new experience and not just because she wanted to act as my body guard. She was finding it hard not to shadow me everywhere I went, just to make sure I was safe. Several of the others had mentioned that she was too protective over me but she didn't seem to care.

Grey was grumpy at times because his sister refused to move back into her own cabin and every time he mentioned that to her she'd just brush it off.

I loved having her around but I was looking forward to spending a few days alone with Grey. Sky had gone off to sulk when her brother informed her that it would just be the two of us going. I wasn't going to get involved in that argument, so I left it up to them to sort it out.

Black Claw invited her on a hunt with himself and Running Wolf. That would help take her mind off not being invited on this trip. I was relieved she'd have something to keep her busy while we were away.

I was watching Black Claw closely when he was around Sky. Ever since the attack, he had been watching her with more than just passing interest. Every time she was carrying something or tending to the new vegetable gardens, he would race over to offer his assistance. I would often find him hanging around our cabin and I was sure it was to catch a glimpse of Sky. She seemed totally oblivious to the whole thing. Poor Black Claw, someone would have to take the job of pack matchmaker soon. He and Sky would be good together. I was silently rooting for them because they both deserved to find happiness.

I decided that I would approach the subject of changing from human to werewolf with Grey while we were alone together on this trip. I hadn't brought it up before but with our mating ceremony about to take place, now was the time to do it. There wasn't much time left, my art exhibition was scheduled for next week and a few days after that I would formally become the pack's Alpha female.

I was looking forward to it. We had put off the ceremony while I recovered from my ordeal and I didn't want anything else postponing our big day.

We arrived in town and headed to a charming bed and breakfast that Grey had booked us into for our stay. The elderly owner of the place, named Alice, showed us to our room. She was a bubbly, round little lady and I instantly warmed to her. She was the type of person that instantly brightened up your day and one couldn't help but smile in her presence. She was fussing over Grey already, plying him with homemade cookies as she poured us both a cup of tea. I giggled and told Grey we may have to stay here every time we came to town. Grey told me, with a mouth full of cookies, that he didn't think that would be wise because he'd likely end up getting fat. Alice beamed at him as he polished off the remainder of the treats.

By the end of the day we had gone to see the three houses on our list. They were all well maintained and suitable for our needs. One stood out from the rest. It had a lovely sunroom that looked out onto a secluded courtyard with a Grecian style fountain and beautiful flower garden. It was rather perfect, with three good sized bedrooms and a lovely large kitchen that opened out into the living area. I could already visualize where I would put everything and I turned to find Grey smiling at me, as he dialed the realtor's office to arrange the sale. He could tell I was sold on the place, he didn't even need to ask me if this was what I wanted.

I liked that he took charge and anticipated my needs. I was used to relying on no one but myself and having someone I could finally depend on was like a weight lifted from my shoulders. Grey was going to be a very good life partner and I was very much looking forward to our future together.

We had an appointment the following day to arrange all the paperwork for the new house.

We spent the rest of the day buying art supplies and we went to a few galleries.

Alice made us a delicious dinner and we spent the evening chatting with her. She had three children and had recently become a grandmother. She showed us pictures of her family and spoke fondly of her late husband. You could see how much she missed him and my heart ached for her. I could only imagine how great the pain of losing someone, that you've spent half a century loving, must be like.

Later that night, I lay in bed with Grey's arms wrapped around me. He made love to me and I was still blissfully floating on a cloud of pleasurable sensations. His touch still awoke a wildness within me like no one else ever had. I've heard so many people say that the passion you feel for your lover dwindles over time and you settle into a comfortable sense of contentment and friendship. I had come to feel that sense of contentment but the passion we shared was still there and I didn't see that fading away in the future. I was head over heals in love with Grey and his touch always ignited a fire within me that I had only felt with him.

I turned around till I faced him.

"Grey there is something I have been meaning to discuss with you."

He opened his eyes and smiled.

"You ready for round two already sweetheart?" He grinned at me. "Give me five minutes to recover and I will be happy to oblige you."

I giggled at him. "Well I won't say no to that darling but this is a totally different subject. I want you to keep an open mind about this and listen to my reasons for wanting to change.

When I was alone in that hotel room with Sky, she brought something to my attention that I never knew was an option for me. She said that she had read in a few werewolf texts that it was possible for a human to become like you. I have been thinking about it and I would like you to consider changing me."

He sat up and a dark look came over his features.

"Elizabeth there is no way in hell I would even consider risking your life like that. Sky never should have brought that up.

You have no idea how terrified I was when you were abducted. I thought I might lose you and I never want to feel that way again. I've read those texts myself and the chances of you surviving the change are slim. Only two human females have been recorded, in the texts I've read, to have survived the change."

"I'm strong Grey. You also told me you had never heard of a werewolf mating with a human but here we are. If anyone is going to survive the change, it will be me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you but my human life is significantly shorter than yours and in a couple of decades I will look more like your mother and less like your wife. I want to age with you, not ahead of you. I have also spoken to Sky about the mating ceremony. She said wolves mark each other as part of the ritual. Our mating ceremony will not be complete if you do not mark me. Your bite will bring on the change."

"Elizabeth I cannot, please don't ask me to risk your life. I would rather spend a human lifespan with you as my mate than mourn your loss for the rest of my life. Our marriage will be as binding to me even if I don't mark you. I want to, damn its hard every time we make love not to mark you but I control myself."

I looked at him sadly. "I need you to think about changing your mind Grey because this is what I want and I would rather have your support. At least lets look into the possibility and get as much information as we can before you refuse to do this."

He nodded his head and gathered me back in his arms. I wanted to enjoy the next couple of days with him so I wouldn't bring this up again until we were back at Red Cloud.

We spent the next couple of days enjoying each other's company. We went to the theatre and saw a play, it was a first for Grey and I spent as much time watching his facial expressions as I did watching the show. Although I had gone to the theatre numerous times, it was a whole new experience watching a show with Grey. He took everything in with an almost childlike inquisitiveness. It dawned on me just how different our lives had been before we met. Although we were living in the same time period our cultural differences and experiences were vastly different. Things I had taken for granted were utterly new and fascinating to my werewolf. I was going to enjoy introducing the best of my world to him, just as I enjoyed learning and experiencing the ways of the wolf pack at Red Cloud.

The time had come for us to head back. I hugged Alice and promised to stay in touch. I was going to miss her infectious laughter first thing in the morning. She had already all but adopted Grey and he enjoyed her maternal fussing. You could see he missed his mother when he was in her company. I would have loved to invite her to our wedding but there was no way I could explain away the wolves and the ceremony. It would be hard to have to exclude all the humans in our lives from important ceremonies in the future but the potential risk to the pack wasn't worth taking such chances.

When we arrived back, we smelt the delicious aromas of food cooking. Sky was laughing in the kitchen. We popped our heads in and saw Black Claw stirring a pot of venison stew on the stove. Sky blushed when she saw us. I giggled and looked up at Grey after we greeted them. He was clueless about his friend's feelings towards his sister. I grabbed his hand and lead him to our room.

"He's smitten with her Grey." I opened the suitcase and started unpacking our things. He had a clueless expression on his face.

"Please tell me you're not that blind!" I giggled again.

He sat on the bed, looking perplexed.

"You cannot seriously think Black Claw is into my sister. They grew up together, if anything he sees her as a family member."

"Seriously Grey go and watch them together. He may as well being wearing a neon sign round his neck saying 'I've got a crush on Sky.' It's so obvious darling. I think it would be great if they ended up together. I couldn't think of a better match for Sky than Black Claw. Don't ruin it for them by playing the big brother card."

Grey muttered something that I couldn't make out as he stood up and walked out of our bedroom. I followed him to act as a mediator should he act out against his friend. I knew by now how protective male werewolves were towards their female kin.

Grey stood in the kitchen and watched Sky and Black Claw to check for the signs I had mentioned to him. Black Claw held a spoon up to Sky to taste his stew. As she tasted it, he placed his hand on the small of her back and she leaned up against him. It was subtle yet undeniably intimate.

Grey turned to me and nodded his head. There was no denying the bond between the two had changed.

"Black Claw can I have a word with you please." Grey lead his friend out into the living room while I went to stand next to Sky. I hoped my mate would behave himself.

Grey Wolf

I turned and looked at my friend, my brother. This was a man I trusted with my life.

"Black Claw I want an honest answer from you. What are your intentions towards my sister?"

He looked at me with a guilty expression, like I had somehow discovered a secret that he wasn't yet ready to divulge.

"Grey I promise you I have done nothing to dishonor Sky nor you. I have been spending more time with her during the last couple of months. I'm not going to lie to you, I have developed feelings for her. I didn't intend for this to happen and I have only started to let her know how I feel. I am taking it slow because I want her to make up her own mind about how she feels about me without her feeling pressured. I'm hoping you will give me your blessing to continue and see if she wants me as a prospective mate. I want to make her happy Grey."

"Black Claw you are a good man and I trust you. I will warn you though, if you hurt my sister you will answer to me. She is my blood, my responsibility. I want only the best for her. If she returns your feelings then you have my blessing. You can thank Elizabeth that I didn't punch you first for keeping this from me."

He ran a hand through his hair and grinned at me.

"The female intuition, hey. I should have known it was Elizabeth that figured this out. Your mate is very perceptive Grey."

"Yes she is, I doubt I could hide anything from her for too long. There is another matter I wish to discuss with you. Sky told her about the humans that were turned into werewolves. She has decided she wants to take the risk and become like us. I do not want her to risk her life but I also don't want to push her into finding a wolf who is willing to help her change behind my back. I mentioned to her that there is a rule amongst werewolf packs that willfully changing a human is forbidden. She thinks that we should forgo this rule because we are to be mated and I promised her I would look further into the matter. Will you help me find more information? I'm hoping that we can prove to her that the odds are not in her favour and that it will convince her not to pursue this any further."

"Grey that is the whole reason the rule not to bite humans was put into place all those years ago. I only know of rogues biting humans. The rate of survival is slim and the chance of being detected by humans increased when those that survived the change tried to make contact with their loved ones. I haven't heard of any recent human changes amongst the packs that we keep in contact with. There is a pack about three hours from here that has a Shaman. I will contact him and see if he has any knowledge he can share. Be careful who you speak to regarding this. We could face a tribunal and end up paying a terrible price."

Black Claw had arranged for the Shaman to come and visit us at Red Cloud. He hadn't gone into too much detail but he had given enough information to peek the man's interest.

I hadn't mentioned any of this to Elizabeth yet. I wanted to get as much information as possible before getting her hopes up or destroying her dream of becoming a werewolf. Tonight we were going to her second exhibition and I wanted her to enjoy the event. I didn't want any negativity to ruin this for her.

I needed to see her before we left and I found her wrapping up the last of her art and loading it carefully into padded crates.

The fading sunlight streamed through the window and lit her auburn tresses like the deep embers of a crackling fire. I still felt my heart race when I looked at her. She was my undoing, she had me completely captivated and there was nothing I wouldn't do to make her happy. I now understood the love my parents shared, the connection they had. There was one thing I needed before we left. She lifted her head and gazed at me, a soft smile curling upon her pretty mouth.

Elizabeth

Grey looked at me with a consuming intensity that meant only one thing. He walked slowly towards me, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved closer to me.

He lifted me up onto my work table and brushed aside the supplies that were in the way.

"Grey someone is bound to come in here." I giggled as he nibbled my neck and ran his hand under my dress.

"I don't care baby. I need you."

He ripped my underwear into shreds and stood in between my legs as he loosened his jeans to free himself. His tongue was hot and wet as he slowly tasted my neck.

He lined his cock with my entrance and thrust forward, burying his full length inside me. I felt my head tip back and I let out a gasp as I felt his hardness spear me. He freed my breasts and sucked on one hard nipple as he thrust long and deep into my wet heat. I couldn't help but moan wantonly as I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him closer to my breast.

My hips met his and the table thumped against the wall with the force of his thrusts.

I grabbed his ass and pulled his closer, deeper inside me. I was breathing hard and I felt him quicken his thrusts as he rode me like his life depended on it.

I opened my eyes and stared into his liquid, passion crazed gaze.

"God don't stop Grey, I'm close."

He feverishly rubbed my clit and I could feel myself reaching the edge fast.

"Cum for me sweetheart." He said as he pushed himself as deep as he could within me.

I screamed with the intensity of my orgasm and it was only prolonged when I felt him erupting and his knot growing inside me, stretching me and trapping his length within my walls.

His head dropped on my chest and I cradled him as we both came back to our senses again.

The exhibition was a tremendous success. The owners of the gallery were just fantastic and extended an open invitation for me to come back and exhibit with them again. Sky was having a wonderful time and she was mingling with the clients, who were totally taken with her. She came and found me at one point and said that she had met with a lady who collected tribal art and would be very interested in viewing Sky's own pieces in the future.

Grey came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"So is there anything left or have the vultures picked the bones clean?"

I turned around and faced him with a mock scowl on my face.

"Those vultures are our meal ticket Mr Wolf and don't you forget it."

"I'm just kidding sweetheart. I think this exhibition is even more successful than the last one. You really are a sensation in the art world Elizabeth. You're a sensation when you have your legs wrapped around me too, come to think of it."

He chuckled as he watched my cheeks glow red.