Wednesday, June 22, 2011

SIW Chris Whelan ch 11

Saint Ives - Whelan Chrinicles : Christopher Saint Ives – Whelan.

Chapter Eleven : Confrontations and a Battle Won.

Chris looked down at Mia, who was snuggled up cozily against the side of his body. He smiled knowing how these last hours had passed. He had searched, pushed and conquered her limits time and again, and not once did she disappoint him. She was a sight to behold as she lay there sleeping next to him. Her cheeks carrying a faint pink shade, her long locks in disarray, yet she was relaxed and sound asleep.

He hated to wake her up, but he had to. In two hours they were meant to meet up with everybody else and settle everything once and for all.

Turning on his side, Chris pulled her closer. His lips started a light trail from her temple to her cheeks and ended on her lips. He felt her stir once he deepened his probing and she allowed him entrance.  She moaned softly as their tongues started a lazy dance, exploring each other once more. A brief touch here and there was all both of them needed to take that next step.

Gently Chris rolled Mia onto her back, bracing himself on his elbows, he parted her legs with his own. His moan was muffled because their lips never parted. Slowly he rubbed himself against her swollen lips and now it was his turn to capture the moan escaping from her lips.

Pulling back a bit more, his throbbing cock positioned itself at her awaiting opening. Nudging gently he slipped inside of her and in the same lazy rhythm he started making love to her. His arms snaked around her shoulders, one of his hands cupping her head tenderly. She kept amazing him with how she made him feel.

She gave herself to him unconditionally the past hours, no matter how far he had pushed her, she had trusted him, knowing he would never do anything to hurt her, no matter where their thirsts took them. As much as he was able to torment her sexually, he also relished in the fact that this new found lovemaking completed their bonding.

He enjoyed this silent intimacy. Reading each other's feelings without having to use words or their mental bond. Accepting each other's touch without reservation or hesitation. Sure, his past conquests gave themselves willingly, but never unconditionally.

Thrusting deep, he waited a few seconds each time before pulling pack. His free hand started traveling her soft curves, tweaking a nipple as he passed it, caressing her sides softly before he moved his hand between them. His thumb found her clit and he applied a bit of pressure, rubbing in little circles around and over the stiff little nubbin that protruded from between her swollen labia.

This last move was all Mia needed to lose herself in the overwhelming feelings as her orgasm crashed over her, delicious wave after delicious wave. She felt the tension in Chris' muscles, who was trying his best to keep the same pace. She wanted him with her in this moment and she upped the pressure of her contracting muscles around his hard shaft.

Two, three more thrusts he lasted before the pressure proved to be his undoing and with a muffled groan he shot ropes of cum in her slick insides. Panting heavily, he finally released her lips, gloating when he saw how swollen they were, and wet and a deep red from what seemed to be the longest kiss he’s ever given in his long life so far.

Cradling her close, he turned them sideways. With a hint of regret he knew they couldn't stay like this, at least not today.

"Sweetheart, we really should get up and get ready. We're supposed to be at Ed's in an hour and a half to meet up with the others," he gently reminded her.

"I know, I'm just not sure if I can walk yet," Mia said as she grinned. "You'll probably have to carry me to the shower and give me a sponge bath."

"Then that is just what I'll do. We can't be late, at least not today," he said, repositioning himself so he was able to sit upright and have Mia sitting in his lap. He had guided her legs around his waist before standing up and walking towards the bathroom as Mia clung to him like a little monkey.

Making haste, they showered and dressed in easy fitting clothes that could easily be discarded or wouldn't be missed should they have to shift suddenly. Much to his surprise they had more time left than he thought they had, so when he drove over to Ed's place they stopped at a diner and ordered some sandwiches to take away and two cups filled with strong java to kick start them for the moment.

* * * *

They were all standing around Ed's big mahogany desk, taking a look at the MacLachlan territory. They had circled a few areas that should be safe for Mia to stay once they had safely removed the women from their houses. Merlin had been scouting up front and with a mere touch he imprinted the areas in Mia's mind, so she would be able to use them when it was time.

Suddenly they all perked up at an unfamiliar smell in the room. Looking around searchingly they saw Merlin smiling through his teeth.

"I thought it best to give myself a scent, that way they won't pick up on me not being a were," he explained.

The others nodded in agreement.

Looking at them all, Chris hoped that everything would go smooth and that Richard's father wouldn't put up too much of a fight. His hopes might have been in vain, but one could try nonetheless. All of them gathered on the dance floor of the club. Ed had made sure that it was empty and all personnel that were normally around in the morning cleaning up were sent home for the day. This gave them a perfect spot to depart now and arrive back to later on.

"Everybody ready to get this show on the road?" Chris asked them all, looking at them once more as they stood in a circle.

"Let me have the honor of taking us there. It's the easiest for me to move a large group in one go, and we’ll be less likely to draw attention to ourselves," Merlin said.

Adam nodded in agreement. He had donned his old army attire and looked like he‘d just stepped off the battlefield. He was going into combat mode. Aware that he probably wouldn't have to do much didn't lessen his need to be prepared for everything. The only thing missing was a rifle and the camouflage striped on his face.

The others, just as Mia and Chris, had put on easy clothes, even Gwen and Merlin though they most likely would stand out if a battle started.

"Come on, give each other a hand and I'll have us there in a heartbeat," Merlin spoke up again.

Doing what he asked they all reached out to the people standing on either side of them and true to his words, not a second later they found themselves surrounded by trees, standing in the middle of a large clearing. Ed and Adam shook their heads to orientate themselves. Being the only two who hadn't been ported so far, this first time disorientated them slightly.

Chris and Jack checked their surroundings, making sure they were safe and undetected. Then Mia joined them and Jack led them to where the women were housed. The rest of them waited until either Chris or Mia sent back news they were in a safe spot and they were ok.

As Jack approached the tiny houses that looked more like derelict shacks, he could see one or two sticking out their heads to see what was going on. Much to their relief they recognized Jack and stepped into full view. Then they stepped back in surprise as both women noticed the two people following behind Jack.

"It's ok, they’re here to help. Our time has finally come to get out of this mess. This is Chris Whelan and his mate Mia. They have a few special abilities they're going to use to help us. Others are waiting for us to get to a safe place first and then my brother will go take care of the Alpha," Jack explained.

Both women gasped when they heard him mention his brother, they all assumed Richard was dead.

A smile crept over Jack's face. "Trust me, he's very much alive. Mia is his daughter."

The women's surprise turned into curiosity now.

"We don't have too much time now, we have to get all of you together and then we're going to get you out of here the same way as we came. Can you two help gather everyone else and explain we're going to move you all?"

The shorter of the two women replied, "It would be my pleasure! Come on, Ariadna, let's get moving. The sooner we're outta here, the better!"

With Jack and the women going from shack to shack it only took a few minutes to round them all up. Most, if not all, wore a surprised look on their face, but that quickly changed when they heard in more detail what was going on. Mia and Chris urged them to stay quiet so as not to draw attention to them.

Mia explained in a hushed tone what the plan was. Some of the women became frightened but with enough coaxing she managed to calm them down. She told them to hold on to each other and close their eyes. Not used to moving a group this large she mentally reached out to Chris and tapped into his slumbering powers to add to her own.

Without a problem they all appeared at the designated location. To the side were the others waiting. The large group fell apart as most of them fought some dizziness but once they cleared their heads they looked around them.

They recognized their surroundings, knowing it was one of the few areas they all considered safe. This knowledge calmed them even more. It was then that some of them noticed the bystanders, a few of the older women recognizing Richard.

Their faces brightened up as they walked towards him, touching him briefly and taking a sniff to make sure it really was him. Richard let it all happen, he understood the shock it must have been to hear he was still alive after all this time. Once their initial curiosity was satisfied, things went back to normal, the women gathering in small groups.

Richard addressed them all when he explained what their basic plan was, without revealing the true heritage of his mate and her father. He made it seem that the tall blond man was just another from the Whelan pack. He was surprised when Merlin stepped forward and spoke to them.

"Can I have a quick word with all of you in private?" he asked the women. Merlin turned around to his companions, hoping they wouldn't act too shocked at his request. They wore a puzzled look, but he gave them a pleading expression as if asking silently to trust him. Richard gave his consent and with that Merlin turned back to the women and escorted them just a small distance away.

All gathered close, he looked over them in silence.

"Who of you went through a forced mating?" Merlin wanted to know.

He was surprised to easily see three quarters of the women raising their hand. The reality of the Alpha's action became an even harsher reality now he saw how many women had been kidnapped over the years and were forced to mate.

"Do you wish that bond to stay or would you prefer to be free of it? Possibly finding your true mate?" Merlin asked again.

Hope appeared on all the faces as one by one they all nodded, speechless to what the blond man was implying.

"One by one touch my hand. That way I can learn who you are. When the time is right you'll be free to look for your true mates," he said in a hushed voice. "You'll know when it happens."

One after the other stepped forward to touch him. They all had a stunned look on their face. They didn't know how this man was going to be able to do what he hinted at, but they were hopeful. The women knew they couldn't contact their own human families, not after being turned into a werewolf. Their best shot at some kind of happiness was to find their true mates, not those Neanderthals that called themselves their mates now.

"I know it's difficult to grasp what or how I'm going to do this, but trust me, I already know how, I just need to wait a bit for the when. You won't feel any discomfort when the bond goes away, that's all I'll say. Just trust me and be patient," Merlin spoke to the group.

Ariadna stepped forward. "We'll be patient, we trust Jack, if he says our day has come to be free, then it shall be so. If you, in some way, can give us back our freedom, we'll extend that trust. Personally I prefer a lifetime of searching for my true mate, instead of having to endure the one I was forced to have, any longer. I trust you know what you're doing and suggesting otherwise you wouldn't have done so in the first place."

"That is true, young one," Merlin said. Reaching out he touched her temples and closed his eyes. Concentrating briefly, he looked at the future of this woman and smiled. "You, my child will find happiness again, maybe closer to home than you ever thought possible. Just give it time," he cryptically told her. "It will take a few decades, but use that time to grow and learn, and all will turn out fine."

He broke their contact as he stepped back, leaving behind a stunned Ariadna, who was still mulling over what he'd told her.

"Come let's get back to the others before they start thinking I'm forming my personal harem here," he said as he winked mischievously at them which made many of them burst out in genuine laughter.

"We're all set now?" Richard asked as he looked at the others for confirmation.

Ed, Chris and Adam nodded, Gwen took hold of Richard's hand as confirmation. Merlin just smiled.

As was discussed Mia would stay with the women. Realizing how many there were, they decided it might be best for Jack to remain with them. This leveled the way for them with the Alpha, so they wouldn't anger him with having Jack in their presence when they confronted him.

They split up, but they weren't that far gone when Chris came back, grabbed hold of Jack and whispered close to his ear, "You better make sure nothing happens here, and none, specially Mia, doesn't get hurt, you understand? Because if you don't, then that little tussle we had in the woods is nothing compared to what I'll do with you then, family or not."

Taken aback by the fierceness of the words Jack could only nod. Chris released him and stalked over to where Mia was standing, she hadn't even tried to stop him. Pulling her to him, he slanted his lips over hers in a bruising kiss.

I know you're strong, but whatever happens, don't be the heroine, I need both of you to stay safe he told her.

I won't. Trust those with you, everything will be all right she replied.

Releasing her lips he planted a tender one on her forehead before turning around and rejoining the group. Ed swung an arm over Chris' shoulder and probably said something through their brother bond because not a second later he got pushed away and slapped on the back of his head. Ed clearly tried to hold back his laughter. His baby brother was well and truly tamed now and he couldn't help but tease him, just to break a bit of his tension.

Slowly they made their way towards the center of the pack land. They exchanged several questing looks. They had the wind in their face, so their scent wouldn't alert them. They were being silent, to avoid detection. What puzzled them was that there was no guard patrolling the grounds. No matter how good or bad a pack was doing, there were always some people on guard duty.

Were their resources so dwindled or was the Alpha really that confident thinking that his pack had no need of guards?

"Why don't you all stay hidden for now? I'll go make an early morning call. Should the patrols be hidden, which I doubt, we have the element of surprise on our side," Richard whispered.

"Ok, seems fair. Adam will scout the right side of here, then I'll take the left," Ed added his own suggestion.

"I'll cover the back side. I can drop the scent so should they be up and about, they can't smell me either way," Merlin added quickly. He didn't even wait for a reply but simply vanished.

Chris and Gwen were the only ones left. They sought out a good hiding place to have a good view of their surroundings. Together they watched Richard walking up to the bigger house that stood amongst the smaller ones.

Still nobody had noticed a stranger was present on their pack land. Richard knocked on the door, waited several moments before knocking again. Still there was no reply.

I'm going to check inside. Stay put unless I say otherwise. Ok? Richard told Gwen.

Ok  was her quick reply. She passed on this little update to Chris who was able to relay it to the others.

Anxiously they kept on waiting, not knowing what was going on inside.

Inside the small mansion Richard sniffed and almost coughed as the irritating smell of marijuana and other illegal substances reached his sensitive nose. What in heaven's name did my father turn this pack into? This looks like a bordello and smells like a drug lord's private get-a-way. He shook his head trying to get rid of the awful odors invading his nostrils once more.

Silently he walked further inside. The first door stood open and he peeked inside. Several forms lay all over the place. Some in human form, others in their wolf form, all snoring away the day, unaware they were being looked upon.

Stalking backwards, he carefully closed the door. Calling in a bit of his magic he melted the door handle and the lock, effectively locking them in. Though he knew the door wouldn't hold them back, it was easier to hear a door being broken instead of giving them a chance to sneak up on him.

Every room he encountered presented him with a similar scene as the first one. And every time he left the room silently, locking them in the same way. Making his way up the stairs, he noticed that here things at least looked a bit more kept up.

Not that it really mattered. He never liked this place when he grew up here, he couldn't care less in what state it was now. Sadly the state it was  in was just another indication of how poorly his father was managing the pack. Taking note he stayed silent, he inspected the closed rooms on the first floor. All of them were empty.

Creeping towards the last room he had still to check, he was unsure of what scene awaited him there. Needing a few seconds of his own he regained his calm nature. He made a mental connection to his mate and told her of what he found inside. That all the people were out cold from drinking and drug abuse. He also told her he had sealed all the rooms so should some of them decide to wake up and grace them with their presence they wouldn't be able to sneak up on them, they would make enough noise to alert them all.

His hand on the door handle, he took another breather before turning the doorknob and pushing open the door. There, in the middle of an oversized circular bed, lay his father, the almighty Alpha, completely knocked out from drugs and alcohol. He was almost tempted to just walk up to him, slit his throat and have this over and done with.

Richard wouldn't do that, he wanted his father to know who took over his pack. He wanted him to know who ended his reign as tyrant and dictator of this pack. Walking around the bed his nose cringed at the smell coming towards him. Though the man on the bed was still of an impressive size and build, he didn't feel anything for him.

All he wanted now was to see the look on that man's face when he realized he’d lost his pack. Not caring if he hurt him or not, he grabbed hold of one of his father's ankles and pulled him out of the bed. With a loud thud he fell on the ground, grunting a little then just turning on his side as if nothing happened and continued to snore as if his life depended on it.

Richard prodded him with his booted foot. Still no movement. Sighing audibly he went to the en-suite, looked around and found a half filled trash can. He emptied it in the tub then filled it with cold water. Walking over to his dad he turned the trash can and poured the cold contents over the snoring man.

Startled, confused and soaking wet, the almighty Alpha looked around. His eyes were unfocused from all the drugs still coursing through his veins.

"Get up, you pathetic excuse of a father," Richard said in a tone devoid of any emotion, "It's time we settle a few things."

Getting his bearings he looked around him. He pulled at his wet clothes and then managed to focus on the large man standing in front of him. His wolf growled, there was another Alpha standing in front of him and he hadn’t even sensed him getting close or even entering. Maybe I had a bit much to drink he thought to himself as he made a feeble attempt at standing up.

"Are you going to grace me with your presence today or do you need more water to wake up, Harry," Richard said, deliberately using his father‘s name, not his title.

Hearing his name spoken cleared up part of the fogginess in his brain. Trying to focus, he took a wrong step and stumbled onto his bed. Sitting down Harry was glad the room was now not spinning as much. Again he tried to focus on the other Alpha standing in front of him.

Richard snapped his fingers in front of Harry's face, trying to get his attention.

"The party is here," Richard said in that same bored tone now. He shook his head. "So this is what has become of the mighty MacLachlan Alpha? A drug addicted drunk, that can't even defend his own pack, let alone stand up without the help of someone else? And for the record, I won't be the one doing any helping."

"Who the fuck are you? How dare you trespass into my territory?" Harry said in an unaccomplished attempt in sounding the strong Alpha he normally was, when sober.

Richard just stood there. If it wasn't for the severity of the things that had come out into the open, he would laugh at what his father had become.

"Take a good look, Harry, I'm the one that will be taking over here and putting things right. Something I should have done ages ago," Richard all but growled in his father's face.

Finally able to zero in on the man standing in front of him Harry let out a loud gasp.

"You're dead, you can't be standing here. I'm imagining this. I ordered you killed!" Harry shouted.

"Maybe your Betas didn't do their job right, trust me I'm very much alive, 'father'." Richard used that one word with so much venom it sounded more like an insult than a fond endearment.

"But how…?" Harry managed to say.

"Maybe you should start paying attention to what is being said around you. They aren't rumors, they're facts. True I almost died, but my mate found me in time and saved me. We've been living far away from everyone and everything. There were a few happy occasions lately and we decided we're done hiding. Much to my surprise, well can't say surprise really, dismay, that sounds better, I was told a few things about what you've been up too. Starting to ring a few bells?" Richard replied.

"Or do you want a reminder of what you ordered your pack to do? Kidnapping human females, forcing a mating and a shift on them? If the Council were to hear of this you would be executed on the spot!" Richard went on.

"Lucky for you my new son-in-law is a Whelan and I have a very stubborn daughter who made sure I could handle this my way. So the tables are turned this time. Now you're at my mercy. Believe me when I say there will only be one Alpha walking away in charge here and it won't be you! Now get your sorry ass up and go outside. I want this over and done with," Richard spoke with authority.

"How dare you come into my house and talk to me like that? Who do you think you are? Just because I fathered you doesn't give you any rights whatsoever," Harry tried to verbally fight back.

"We'll see about that. Outside and we'll take care of that the proper way. Consider this my official challenge for taking over this pack!" Richard shot back.

Right after he sent a mental message to his mate asking if she would be able to clear Harry's clouded mind, that he would be truly sober and no ill effects of the drugs. He wanted this to be an equal battle so nobody could contest his right of leadership.

As he waited for Harry to get his wits about, Gwen poked back saying that Merlin would move in closer once they were outside, he would take away any effects that were left behind because of the drugs and alcohol.

Content with what he was told, he turned to Harry again. "Five minutes, then I'm dragging your ass outside whether you want to or not. I'll be waiting." With that said he turned around and walked outside. All the doors were still locked, sensing his surroundings he knew they were all still out of it. He shook his head dejectedly, what had become of this pack? He’d have to do a major cleanup once he was in charge.

Outside he started pacing in front of the mansion. A light breeze passed him and he heard Merlin whisper that he would take care of things once the man in question made it out of the door. He ended with wishing him good luck and to stay alert, telling that old dogs never unlearn their tricks. A small nod showed he acknowledged what he'd been told.

He pulled his wolf to the forefront to have him ready as he heard Harry making his way down and then to the front door of the mansion.

Cracking open the door Harry stumbled outside. He looked pale with bloodshot eyes.

"You know what is going to happen now?" Richard asked.

"I'm gonna teach you a lesson boy!" Harry growled back, "Nobody takes over the pack as long as I'm alive!"

"We have enough room. Let's start your lesson. I'm curious as to who will bite the dust as I'm quite sure it won't be me," Richard shot back.

Eyeing up Harry, Richard noticed that suddenly the bloodshot eyes were gone and he gained a healthier complexion. At the same time both men shifted into their wolf form, tearing up their clothes and jumping each other.

Both managed to evade the other one and they started circling each other, trying to measure up their opponent. Harry was snarling at Richard who towered over him by size. Not wanting to back down he charged him, expecting to bite Richard's flank, but he got dodged.

Harry felt a hot searing pain in his own hind leg. Stepping away he inspected himself quickly, he was bleeding hard. His fury only grew, never had another wolf been able to touch him during a fight, let alone harm him. Growling loudly, he charged Richard again. All he felt in his mouth were hairs, telling him he had missed him again.

In turn his other leg hurt now in the same way as his other flank and he walked away with a limp. He was bristling with anger and a fury he had never felt before. How was it possible that this pitiful excuse of a son wasn't even catching his breath and here he was panting like an old man and limping around.

Is that all you can show me 'father'? Richard taunted him mentally. Come on, this isn't even play time. Are you going to hand over your pack so easily?

Harry roared viciously, white foam appearing around his mouth as he salivated out of eagerness to best his son. Blinded by his ever growing fury he charged in, only to find himself on his back. Kicking back his hind paws, he only hit thin air. He felt the lock Richard had on his throat.

Not wanting to give up, he turned dirty and sent a mental command to all the other wolves nearby. Sadly almost none of them heard his command as they were all out cold from their drug and alcohol abuse. Just the odd one made it to the clearing, but they weren't clear headed to really grasp what was going on.

As they got closer it didn't take long for them to be held back by Ed and Adam who put them in a submissive position. Not sure what was happening they submitted with ease. Scooting back they focused on the battle of wills that currently was happening between their current Alpha and an even bigger wolf towering over him, his jaws clutching the Alpha's throat.

Yield! Richard demanded.

Never! Harry shot back.

Tightening his grip he demanded the other man's submission again, to no avail.

Suddenly Richard felt Gwen reaching out to him I know you would prefer him to stay alive so he can see for himself what is going to change, but if he doesn't yield, so be it. It may be for the best and the rest of the pack will accept you as their Alpha a lot easier. Just think of all the things he did and ordered. Think of the state all these male wolves are in, this isn't normal pack behavior. If he's alive who's to say he wouldn't try again?

Giving her words some thought, he had to agree with her. He had hoped his father would prove to be a better contestant, that he would fight back as the Alpha he was supposed to be. Richard knew he was only fooling himself by thinking killing him during a good fight would be more justified instead of ending his life as he had him pinned down now.

Making up his mind he gave his father one last chance Yield or your life shall be forfeit!

I'll never yield to a worthless excuse of a wolf like you!

Then you leave me no choice. I am sorry for what you have turned into father.  With those parting words he bit down and snapped his father neck making it a merciful kill. Dropping the lifeless body Richard sat down on his haunches and howled mournfully for the loss of his father. His next howl was one filled with all his power, urging the inherited pack members to come, greet and accept their new Alpha.

Some of them managed to stagger outside of the mansion. At the same time Ed and Adam came closer as the others emerged from their hidden spots as well. Gwen shifted to her wolf form and joined her mate. Walking up close she soothingly rubbed his flanks and butted against his chin, wanting his attention, if only for a second to let her know he was ok.

Richard stood up again and gave her nuzzle a few licks, reassuring her he was fine. Together they stood, waiting for the males to arrive. As Merlin approached most heads turned. Though he had given himself a scent, they somehow all picked up there was more to him, that he wasn't just a were. Little did they know he was so much more.

Tapping into Richard's mind he let him know he'd clear the minds of all of them so they were sober and clear headed. So they would understand what had happened. Richard nodded thankfully. One of his lips twitched, in human form he would be seen as smiling, it was a handy little trick, one he didn't master himself but was thankful for.

Suddenly a lot more men appeared, some in human form, others in wolf form, snarling and growling, cursing and angry. They all came to a sudden stop as they saw the lifeless body of their former Alpha lying on the ground. Then they turned towards the other big wolf standing right behind the body.

Yield to your new Alpha Richard commanded them all.

It resulted in more growling and snorting and more men switching to their wolf form. Only one or two came forward and showed their submission to their new Alpha. From the sideline Merlin made a mental note of whom did this right away.

Richard shifted back to his human form, standing tall and naked before them he again ordered them to yield to him and then added, "This is the one and only second chance you get. I urge you to take it, if you don't you will not leave these grounds alive."

Richard didn't like speaking these words, but he had to, he needed them to know he wasn't kidding and secondly he wouldn't want any of these males unleashed onto the world and possibly other packs. So they had two choices: yield to him or be killed.

It seemed his warning had woken them up, finally. One by one they came forward, submitting to him. He let out a mental sigh of relief at not having to kill a single one. He would have done it, but it would have pained him just the same.

"Glad you all came to your senses. Let's start with a few new rules…" Richard started.

He told them there would be no more forced matings or turnings, if they did they would be killed on the spot. Drugs would be forbidden and alcohol would be cut down drastically. They would have access to some but only on certain occasions, and certainly not in unlimited amounts. A new training regime would be introduced, but before they were allowed to start all that, all the males were commanded to clean up the pack lands and start building more spacious huts for the rest of the pack to live in.

As he was telling this he could hear a snort or a growl here and there. He was aware things wouldn't go smoothly from the second he took over, but he wanted them to know the old regime was over. When he was done informing them he saw Merlin coming over to him.

"I have a little gift for the women, those that wanted their forced mating bond gone, will have their wish granted. They'll be free to mate again with their true mate. I know of the side effects of losing one's mate and I'll take care of that, they will not be burdened by that. All I need to know now is how much do you want their former mates to be affected?" Merlin explained.

"You can do that?" Richard asked with a surprised tone in his voice.

"You're mated to my daughter, you should not act so surprised," he said as he winked at Richard.

"I’ll give them a choice, those willingly giving up the bond can have the same as the women. Those acting up will still have the bond revoked but will endure part of losing their mate. They still have to be able to function, I don't want a group of wolves going rogue because of this," Richard answered.

"I know just what to do then. Those willingly giving it up can act normally, those that aren't so willing will find their attachment won't be so willing either," Merlin said as he bent his pinky finger a few times in a droopy manner.

"Honestly Merlin, I'm glad I have you on my side. There is an evil streak about you, but I like it. It will certainly prevent them doing the same once more."

"They sure will, only when they find their true mate will they be able to perform again. Ask the men and then I'll take care of everything," Merlin spoke in a soft voice now before stepping back again.

With a smile Richard turned and faced the men before him. He gave them all a thorough look before addressing them again. "I know of the forced matings and turnings. Sadly I can't fix the turnings, but luckily the women have made peace with that. However they haven't done that with the forced matings. Lucky for us we have someone here who can take care of that.

"The only question is to those of you who have forced a mating, are you willing to give up the bond, freeing your mate and letting her have a chance in finding her, and most likely your own, true mate? Heed my words, what you decide now will reflect on how the breaking of the bond will affect you. Again the choice is yours, just think carefully about it."

He gave the men a few moments to think about his proposal before talking to them again. "Those willing to set their mate free, you can go up to that man, he'll take care of it." He stretched out his arms towards Merlin.

"What will happen if we don't want this bond gone?" one asked.

"You have no choice in that matter, all forced mating bonds will be broken. The only choice I'm giving you all is how that loss will affect you. You won't be in pain either way, but you'll probably regret not giving it up freely. But as I said, the choice is yours, I'm no dictator, I'm not my father," Richard replied.

It dawned on a few of the men who exactly stood before them and without much thought most of them stepped up to Merlin.

"I see some still have a working brain," the tall blonde man said as one by one he touched the approaching men, at the same time severing their links with their former mates, doing the same for their female counterparts.

There were only a handful left who didn't come up to him. Merlin looked towards Richard, who only gave a small nod.

"So you think you know better? You've made your choice, now live with it," Richard said.

At the same time Merlin waved his hand towards the few men and the bond for them was gone as well, little did they know they were cursed in return.

Going back into command mode Richard went about ordering the men what had to be done.

Seeing them all respond without hesitation calmed him down a bit. Only then did he notice that during the whole time he had been naked as the day he was born and he had Gwen's hand tightly gripped into his own. He gave her an apologetic look. She only replied with a smile.

Thank me later when we're alone, my sweet, she told him.

Count on it! he told her in return.

A little while later Chris, Mia and Jack all came onto the wide open space, accompanied by the women. They all had a cautious look on their face, also curious at how things turned out. Sure Jack had told them Richard killed their Alpha and had taken over, but they still weren't sure how the rest of the male pack members responded to it. Looking at them they saw many angry glares, as well as some of compassion and resignation.

Suddenly one of the males sprinted towards the women but was stopped by Chris.

"Don't even think about going near them," Chris told the man.

"You don't understand! My mate, I need my mate!" the man pleaded.

"It's ok," said a soft voice behind Chris. As he turned around he saw a petite female standing behind him. "He won't hurt me. He is my mate," she acknowledged the male's words as she stepped around Chris, right into the arms of the man.

"Finally I can have you," he told his mate as his voice broke and his eyes watered slightly.

"Forever," the petite woman replied.

Hand in hand they approached Richard. Bowing gracefully, the male asked, "Alpha, I, we would forever be in your debt if we would be allowed to fulfill our mating. I had been forced to mate another, when she was brought into the pack I knew the grave error I made. Yet I still tried to claim her, but she was given to another. We both fought the pull hard. But no longer, we waited for years and now this? Please Alpha, I beg of you, let us seal our bond? I couldn't bear spending one more minute without her."

"Stand up children. You can show respect to me as your Alpha, but you don't have to stay bent over like that. It hurts my own back seeing you standing like that," he tried to ease the situation with a bit of humor. "I know you can't fight a true bond, so by all means, go claim your mate. Just know it won't get you out of your duties, you will help rebuild this pack, understood?"

"Of course my Alpha. We owe you so much," both of them said at the same time, their faces brightening up.

"Come on, off you go," Richard dismissed them.

The pair of them turned and quickly ran away.

Richard smiled. At least something good happened today too. Now he hoped the others in his new pack would start seeing things his way and wouldn't act up too much.

They had all watched this little display with a lot of amusement. Mia had cuddled close to Chris, reminding him silently how they were once Chris knew. Ed rolled his eyes and Adam looked tormented, being reminded that his own mate wasn't even talking to him at the moment.

The male members of the pack seemed to have resigned quickly to their new situation. For now the situation seemed to have been contained without really having to have it result in fighting other than father and son settling their score from so many years ago.

Jack looked around, then went up to his brother and patted him on the shoulder.

"New times have arrived. I'll do whatever it takes, you name it, I'll make it happen. We've waited long enough for this."

2 comments:

  1. excellent chapter glad Richard has his pack am patient (umm that what call it ok. even though we both know i am climbing the walls) for your next chapter

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  2. I agree. Awesome chapter. Can not wait for more.
    Thank u

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