After an exhausting day of phone calls about war and rumors of war, Charlie and I had spoken to nearly all of the packs on the East Coast. We had alliances with several of them and several owed us favors. These packs held strong to their promise to us. My Goddess given gifts of negotiation had helped many and they wanted to help if they could. 

The difficulty was in convincing the ones who we hadn’t been involved with. We are a fairly well-known pack and I have at least a passing acquaintance with all of the Alphas on the East Coast. But that doesn’t mean that they are willing to help without knowing who the threat was or why.

Even if you had the golden tongue of Hermes, how do you call someone that you barely know and ask for help in a rumored war, but you can’t provide any details?

“Hi, this is Alpha Zak of the Artemis Pack.  I know that we don’t really know each other, but would you fight alongside my pack in a war?  I can’t tell you who it will be with or why it’s happening.  Just trust me.”

You’d sound at best, paranoid, and at worst, insane.

So Charlie and I did what we could.  We called saying that we were about to induct our new Gamma and Beta for our pack (true), leaving the post of Delta unclaimed (small lie) as an attempt to engender a sense of sympathy.  Did their pack have any unmated female warriors that they would be willing to send to our pack to see if they found their mates among us?  We would do the same in return.  This was a common practice among friendly packs.  The fact that we were reaching out to packs that we were less friendly with showed a certain level of desperation to fill the role, but not an unbearable one.

This allowed us to do a few things: 1) find out if the Alpha was willing to help others at a slight inconvenience to himself, 2) were they friendly with the Blue Crescent Pack, 3) how far from both packs they were, and 4) an estimate of their warrior numbers.  The ploy worked well.  Nearly all the packs accepted the proposal, saying that they would be happy to send some unmated females over the next month.  This could be helpful, as a mated pair have more strength than a single wolf alone.  Although they wouldn’t be trying out for the Delta position, most wolves would just be happy to find their mates.  The ones that weren’t, well, they could take their mate back to their pack.

The few packs that did not agree to send warriors did so for a variety of innocuous reasons: too far from our pack, no unmated female warriors, no female warriors period…  None outright refused, which appeared to be a good sign.

There were many packs that knew the Blue Crescent Pack and some who had alliances, but none of them seemed to be too happy about it.  

Alpha Mathias of the Blue Crescent Pack is known to be emotional and, frankly, an asshole.  He often reneged on deals, demanded more than he was due, or just out-and-out refused to listen to the other side.  It was the reason that he was coming to our pack in the first place.  He had a large deal with a neighboring pack and needed help with the negotiation.  Even he knew that he would screw it up.

Needless to say, by calling and offering a fair trade, we had built up more credibility among these packs than Mathias had in years of “friendship.”

Though the number of warriors of each pack and the distance from them to us was important, it wasn’t anything that we couldn’t have learned from a simple database search.  All packs in good standing were categorized in a common database to help in a myriad of ways: stopping territory disputes, sending aid as needed for poorer packs, even census information.  This initial contact and agreement, which we would honor, was the main reason for our call.  It was fruitful, but exhausting.  And just because we had a temporary alliance didn’t mean that these packs wouldn’t turn on us as soon as they found out about our mate trio.  It was a delicate balance.  One that we didn’t have an answer for right now.

By 3:30, both Charlie and I were tired, but hopeful.  We wrapped up for the day and headed to our suite to shower and dress for the Gamma and Delta ceremony.  Charlie also mindlinked Lucille to see if she needed help getting to the pack house.  As it turns out, the omega who went to help Lucille yesterday had come back to help her.  Lucille stated that the girl, by the name of Meredith, was destined to become an Oracle.  Lucille had wanted to talk to us about having Meredith moved to her cabin so that her training could begin.  Seems like Lady Selene had been busy with setting up relationships lately.

Charlie gave our blessing and thanked Lucille for all of her help.  With that squared away, Charlie hopped into the shower.

I mindlinked with Devin’s mom, as well as mine. As Former-Luna, it was my mother’s job to plan and host ceremonies, such as this one.  She was extremely stressed with a Delta and Gamma ceremony today, a Beta ceremony later this week, and the Blue Crescent arrival a week later.  But after that she would get a long break.  Well, at least she thought she would. But no need to stress Mom out even more.

By the time Charlie was done in the shower, I had just finished calming Mom down from the crisis of the wrong canapé and helped come up with a solution that she seemed happy with.  I hopped in the shower and was drying off when I felt a large gust of lust coming down the mate bond. I turn to see Charlie, dressed in a barely there black lingerie set. She was staring at the water beading and dripping down my body, her tongue licking her lips. Instantly, lust ignites in me and my dick begins to harden.

“What are you thinking, Luna?” I ask, my voice husky and confident.

“That I want to lick the water off of you, Alpha. I want to lick from your neck, down your pecs, your abs, and to your rock hard shaft,” Charlie says, her gray eyes turned the color of a storm cloud with her desire.  That’s my Charlie. Always one for subtlety.

I smell her arousal, a scent spicy and earthy, like rosemary. My cock bobs at her words and I drop my towel to the floor, an arrogant smirk on my lips. 

“We had better hurry, then. There isn’t much time before the ceremony,” I say.

“They can’t start without us. We can take as long as we want,” she says, pushing her bra straps from her shoulders and unclamping it. My mouth waters at the sight of her full, round breasts, bouncing slightly from being let free.

I pull her to me, one hand playing with a nipple.  My fingers roll it between them and she moans, her mouth against my skin.

“Charlie, we can’t be late for this particular ceremony.  It’s too important.”  Though my tone is firm, I can’t help but reach into her panties.  I rub a finger over her slit, feeling her juices cover my finger.  Pushing through her lower lips, I stick a finger directly into her entrance, earning a sharp yip from her.

Immediately, she wraps a hand around my cock, stroking it quickly.  Her tongue shoots out of her mouth as it licks from my shoulder to my pecs and nipple.  She sucks the nipple into her mouth, biting on it gently.  I moan.  

Looking up at me, she grins and says, “A quickie, then?”

I growl and pick her up.  She wraps her legs around my waist, her mouth finding mine and her hands tangling in my hair.

I walk into the bedroom, throwing her on the bed.  She giggles as she bounces on the bed once.  I quickly flip her over, pulling her body so that her feet are on the floor and her ass is up in the air.  I smack her ass and she moans for me.

“Quick and hard,” I say, grabbing the lube from the bedside table.  I rub some on my cock and pull her panties off of her.  I rub lube over her sweet pussy, pushing two fingers in and out of her.  She moans my name as I touch her and I’m so turned on that precum leaks from my head.

I toss the lube onto the bed in front of her and slowly push into her.  We really don’t have time for foreplay, so I’ve got to start out slow.  Once I reach the end of her, I pause, breathing heavily.  Soon after, she begins to move her hips and I let go.

Grabbing her hips tightly, I slam in and out of her, feeling her clench around me.

“Zak!  Holy fuck!  YES! FUCK ME!” she screams, unable to move her hips in my vice-like grip.  Charlie is at my complete mercy and she fucking loves it.

I speed up, the feeling of her tight, slick pussy clenching around my dick as she cums.  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I say to myself, my words nonsensical as I give into the pleasure of being inside of her.

“ZAK!”

I pull her to standing, back against my front.  Propping one of her legs on the bed, I reach around her thigh and finger her clit.  I wrap one hand around her slender throat, squeezing slightly.  My cock continues to thrust in and out of her hard and fast.

“Shit, baby, you feel so good,” I whisper into her ear.

Her hands cling to the arm of my hand on her throat and her nails dig into my skin.

“I’m gonna cum again!” she says, voice slightly hoarse.

“Fuck, Charlie, me, too!” I yell.  Her walls clamp around my dick and I scream my release inside of her.  Distantly, I hear her screaming my name as well.

We both collapse on the bed and breathe heavily for a few minutes.

“Come on, Babe,” I say, pulling her up off of the bed with me.  “We have to shower again really quickly and get going.

We end up walking to the great hall just as the ceremony was set to start.  My mother has been mindlinking me like crazy, demanding to know where we were, why we weren’t there to help her, were we trying to make her look bad.

She finally let up when I told her that we had attempted to make her a grandmother.  I just got a meek “Ok, well...Don’t take too long.”  Then she stopped the link.

It was odd that we hadn’t conceived yet.  Normally, newly mated wolves get pregnant within the first two months.  It was almost guaranteed that a Luna and an Alpha would within that time frame.  I wonder if it had something to do with not having our third mate yet.  Maybe Charlie was pregnant now?  The idea made my heart light and a smile plaster itself on my face.

I mean, we hadn’t used any protection with Brandon.  Once a female wolf was mated, only her mate would be able to make her pregnant.  Her body rejected anything else.  Condoms would be redundant and, honestly, it wouldn’t feel as good.  But, since Brandon was also her mate, he could make her pregnant, too.  My mood was light and I was excited at the prospect of having a pup.  Lucille was right, Charlie would be an amazing mother and Brandon and I would be proud and doting fathers and mates.

“What’s got you so excited?” Charlie asks, linking her arm with mine as we walk into the great hall.  My mother has done a wonderful job, decorating the great hall in the colors of Artemis, our pack’s namesake, and our Lady Selene.  Beautiful silver, white, and turquoise cloth drapes the walls.  The banquet tables and chairs are adorned with silver.  Beautiful wide and turquoise flower arrangements are on the tables.  It looks like a wintery, moonlit night.  Beautiful and stark, yet comfortable.

On the dias at the back of the hall is a large table for the pack leadership, both past and present.  Just in front of the table is a large round, white pedestal, a silver painted chalice, and a gilded knife on top of it.  

Behind the dias is a beautiful and ancient floor to ceiling painting of our goddesses, Artemis and Selene.  The two are standing in a glen in a forest, moonlight filtering through their hair.  Though Artemis’s myth has long faded from human memory, she lives on as a helper, a friend, to our Lady Selene.  In the painting, her youthful beauty shines, her face caressed by her long auburn hair, her creamy complexion glowing.  She wears a short green toga, leaving her legs bare.  Artemis carries her silver bow and quiver filled with arrows.  Selene, our silver lady, stands tall and proud, her wings floating out at her sides.  Her face is pale, having never been exposed to the sun.  Her eyes are black, the irises shining like moons.  Her glowing white hair flows down her body, brushing the ground.  A crescent crown adorns her forehead, glowing silver and turquoise in the moonlight.  She wears a blue floor-length flowing toga.  The painting never fails to take my breath away.  Mother has done a beautiful job tying in the colors of the painting and still keeping our goddesses as the focal point.

Turning to Charlie, I mindlink her my thoughts.  She stops in her tracks, her eyes lost in thought as her breathing increases.  Charlie looks at me, a smile breaking out on her face.

“A pup?  Truly?” She mindlinks me.  Her face is glowing and I see hope spark in her eyes.

“I mean, it makes sense, right?  We’ll have to ask Lucille...after all the craziness is over,” I link back.

“I’ll make an appointment with her after the Beta ceremony.”  She kisses me on the lips, then practically skips to the high table to help my mother.

“Hey, Buttercup,” I hear close behind me.  Turning, I see the smiling face of my other mate.  He looks amazing in a cornflower blue button down and tan suit.

I roll my eyes, but smile at him.  “Sweetcheeks, you have really got to step up your nickname game.”

He gives me a shit eating grin, coming to stand close to me.  He leans in, grabbing hold of my hand as he hides it with his body.  Whispering, he says, “I missed you.  You have no idea how badly I want to bend you over the high table and fuck you until you pass out.”

My reaction is strong and instant.  My irises flood my eyes, filling them with the potency of my desire.  I inhale sharply and lean into him further, my arm pressing into his chest.

“We can make that happen after the ceremony,” I whisper back.  “I’m sure our Luna would love to watch.”

Brandon’s hand grips my hip, his breath caressing my ear.  “Don’t tempt me, Alpha.  I will drag you into the broom closet and fuck you senseless.”

I’m about to reply when my father walks up to us.  I have to turn away to get my emotions under control.  The last thing I need right now is for my father to see that my Beta has turned me on so much that my eyes have completely shifted.

“Zak.  Brandon.  Are you ready to get the ceremony started?” my father asks.

“Just a sec, Dad.  I have to grab a tissue,” I call over my shoulder, hurrying to the bathroom.

I hear Brandon chuckle as I round the corner.