Chapter 6
Monique appeared by Kane’s side a bit later. “I think it’s time to take these youngsters on a hunt, Kane,” she told her fellow Alpha. “Some of them are getting a bit antsy. Too many pheromones in the air right now. Tracking and killing something will take the edge off for them.”
“You’re right,” he agreed, glancing around. “Tell the other Alphas to begin rounding up their clan members, and we’ll all meet at the gate at the far end of the field. But…” he hesitated, turning to look at Benedict. “Would you come with my clan?” he asked hopefully, “Since I’m courting you? Your brother will be okay with your clan, right, Monique?”
The other Alpha looked amused. “Of course, Kane. I’ll keep an eye on young Theodore. You’re free to go with Kane’s group, Benedict. Have fun,” she added rather slyly to him as she walked away to tell the other Alphas to gather their clan members.
Benedict scowled a little after her. Typical of his Alpha to laugh at him over his situation! She must think this was hilarious. He looked at Kane, seeing that the Alpha was smiling at him. “I’m glad that you’re coming with me, Ben,” he said happily.
“It doesn’t seem that I have much of a choice,” he pointed out in faint exasperation.
“Sure you do. You could stay here if you want to. But I’d really like it if you came with me,” Kane said. “And you can’t tell me that you don’t want to go on a hunt. Bet it’s been awhile since you were on one,” he added shrewdly.
Benedict had to admit that he was right. It had been a long while since he’d known the freedom of a hunt, and running in his wolf form with the wind blowing through his fur. “Very well,” he conceded. “I’ll accompany you, Kane. As long as you behave yourself.”
“You have my word…that I’ll try,” Kane replied with a wicked grin.
The clans were mingling near the gate out of the field, the Alphas making assure that all of their people were ready to go. Kane was talking to some of his people, and Benedict was waiting patiently for him to be done. But then he saw his brother, and he hurried over to where Theo was standing. He noticed a small girl in a long leather coat standing next to his brother, and wondered who she was. “Theo!” he called.
His brother sneered at him, but it seemed only a half-hearted effort. “Hey, Benny,” he said.
“I won’t be going with you. I’m going with Kane’s group,” Benedict told him.
Theo shrugged. “Whatever,” he said indifferently.
Benedict sighed, but before he could say anything else the girl remarked: “Theo, do you want me to go with you or with my clan?”
Startled, Benedict stared at her as Theo replied: “Do what you want. You will, anyway.”
Benedict was startled to hear his brother sounding almost teasing, rather than angry or petulant as he normally did. The girl grinned, obviously not put out by his rudeness. “That’s true,” she said. “If your Alpha doesn’t object, I’ll run with you. I’ve got to keep an eye on you, right?”
“Yeah,” Theo said, as Benedict stared at him as though expecting him to sprout a second head.
“Okay,” she turned to Benedict. “Hi, I’m Ariadne Mathews,” she said, holding out her hand to him. “I’m Kane’s niece.”
He gaped at her for a moment, before pulling himself together and taking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said politely. “I’m Benedict Cavanaugh. I didn’t know Kane had a niece.”
“Well, he does. Tell Uncle Kane that I’m doing what he asked me to, and that I’ll see him later.”
“Very well,” a nonplussed Benedict replied.
“Nice to meet you, Benedict. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you from now on,” she added, smiling at him. “Come on, Theo,” she said over her shoulder, and Benedict noticed that his brother appeared to be fuming over their conversation. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that his sibling was jealous of Kane’s niece talking to him. Which was absurd, wasn’t it? He watched as the two of them departed to join the Black Cairn clan, then shook his head as if to clear it. What a very strange day this was turning out to be!
Benedict sat down on his haunches and waited for Kane’s clan to finish their transformations. The Alpha himself was not far away, his wolf form revealed as a huge, powerful-looking creature with a dark-blonde coat and a pair of intense hazel-green eyes. As a man he was very handsome - but as a wolf he was magnificent. Benedict admired him silently. His lust for Kane hadn’t altered in his beast form even the least little bit. It would have been nice to think that it would have disappeared when he’d changed into a wolf, but no such luck. If anything, it was more primal and base in this form. He sighed, wondering dimly how exactly he was supposed to keep fighting against Kane Haley’s insistent attentions.
Not that he had to, not exactly. Even if he slept with the Alpha, giving in to his desire, that didn’t constitute an acceptance of Kane’s assertion that they were supposed to be mates. But Benedict wasn’t stupid enough to think that he could just jump into bed with Kane, have some casual sex with him, and walk away without looking back. He wasn’t the kind of person who could so easily divorce physical attraction from deeper feelings, and if he had sex with the Alpha that would only bring them closer to his accepting Kane as his mate whether he liked it or not.
As though he could hear Benedict’s thoughts, Kane’s head turned. Their eyes met, and the Alpha’s intense stare made the hair rise up in a ridge on his back. Kane looked like he wanted to devour Benedict whole. His mouth opened, and he began to pant rather wildly. Kane’s mouth also opened, but on the wolf equivalent of laughter. His eyes gleamed as he ‘chuckled’ at Benedict, clearly totally aware of his plight. It made him want to tear Kane’s throat out…not that there was any chance of that happening. Kane outweighed him by a good thirty pounds, and muscle rippled under his thick dark-blonde coat. Sure, they might all be basically as strong as one another to start with, but any kind of strenuous work out routine would up a wolf’s strength significantly. And Benedict seldom had time for vigorous work outs, not while he was studying so hard. And of course an Alpha would be in great shape, because they had to fight anyone who challenged them for their position…
He snarled a little, lifting his lips off his teeth to silently tell Kane what he thought of his laughing at Benedict’s expense. The Alpha laid his ears back and ducked his head a little, the Alpha’s equivalent of ’showing throat’. This apologetic gesture might have meant more if he hadn’t already been apologetic more than once today - but that never stopped him from actually doing things to be apologetic for! Benedict sniffed and turned his head away elaborately, conveying his disdain.
A loud bark brought his attention back to Kane. Apparently everyone was in their wolf forms now, and the Alpha was calling them to form a pack for tonight’s hunt. Because he wasn’t of this clan, Benedict hung back and didn’t try to bull his way into the center of the pack. He’d trail after the party a bit, not quite an interloper but not a part of them either.
But Kane had different ideas. Once the clan had formed up into the pack, he loped back to where Benedict was standing and nudged him with his nose. He flattened his ears, but the Alpha wasn’t taking ’no’ for an answer. Kane growled and jerked his head toward the front of the pack, where he would be leading the hunt. Benedict felt exasperation streak through him, but he knew that if he continued to object they’d never get out the gate for the hunt because Kane would stubbornly wait until he changed his mind. He showed his teeth again, knowing it would do no good, but reluctantly walked to the front of the pack. The wolves of Ken’s clan watched him assessingly, but no one objected to his presence beside their Alpha.
If a wolf could look smug, Kane managed. Benedict wanted to bite him. The hazel-green gaze slid his way, and somehow the bastard managed to smirk! Benedict would have lunged for him, but just then Kane yipped and surged forward, telling his folk to follow him to the hunt. Benedict had to run with him, to keep up. The rest of the clan flowed out the gate after them, intent on the night and the things that lived in it.
For awhile, Benedict forgot his ire in the joy of the hunt. He loved to run through the shadows, his nose bringing him the mingled scents of the night flowering plants and the nocturnal animals that moved through the darkness on all sides of them. He was only vaguely aware of Kane loping along beside him, the big wolf surprisingly graceful for his size. They ran down shallow ravines and over low hills, looking for something larger than field mice and the occasional rabbit to hunt. For awhile it seemed that they wouldn’t flush anything worth their time, but then Benedict’s sharp nose brought him the musky scent of a deer. He came to a halt, his head swinging from side-to-side as he sought the source of that scent. When he finally pinpointed it, he threw back his head and howled the news to the rest of the clan. It never occurred to him that he was acting as though he were a member of the clan, but Kane’s mouth opened in a panting grin as Benedict darted away after the deer and the rest of the pack followed.
The deer, flushed out of a tangle of bushes, wasn’t very big. But size wasn’t important; a hunt was a hunt no matter how big or small the prey. They raced after the terrified animal as it bounded away, their lean, furry forms flowing like water through the night. Their eyes gleamed with the excitement of the chase. They were silent for the most part, streaming around heavy brush and the occasional stunted tree as the deer began to slow a little. Its first rush of fear had given it wings, but now that energy was almost gone. It stumbled, then desperately righted itself and bounded on. But the nearest wolf was almost at its flank, and white teeth snapped at it as it squealed in terror.
One wolf, quicker than the others, surged ahead and hurled itself onto the deer’s back. The animal squalled as it went down under the wolf’s weight, and the rest of the clan fell on it eagerly in a roil. Their teeth bit at the beast, which jerked and fought weakly. But then someone buried their teeth in its jugular, and the animal was done for. With a few last spasmodic kicks, it stopped moving. The wolves lapped eagerly at its blood, although they moved out of the way when Kane approached. The Alpha stepped up to the dead deer and began to tear at its belly, freeing the entrails. He ate a little but then stepped back to give the rest of the clan a chance to feed as well. This wasn’t about filling their bellies; they’d done that earlier at the Gathering. This feeding was more symbolic in nature, and tied them together as a wolf clan.
Benedict was waiting for his chance at the kill, but was startled when all of the other wolves refused to approach the kill. Their eyes turned to him as he stood there uncertainly, wondering what was going on. They all waited, just looking at him; and when his eyes fell on Kane he realized why. They all thought of him as being their Alpha’s mate, and so he was supposed to eat second. There was no way for him to argue this point, not in his wolf form; and they might be here all night if he tried. His brown eyes flashed as he came closer to the carcass, promising Kane retribution for getting his entire clan in on this. Kane just lowered his head a little, but his eyes were sparkling. Benedict snarled to himself but took a bite from the deer before stepping back.
The rest of the clan each took a bite, while Benedict retreated as far as he could and sat down on his haunches. But Kane followed him, plopping down beside him and glancing sideways at him. He laid his ears back again, telling Kane what he thought of the conniving Alpha. But Kane ignored his reprobation, and whined a little as he nudged Benedict with his nose. He snuffled at Benedict’s ruff, then began to lick his muzzle. He snapped at Kane, but this didn’t have any effect either. The Alpha laved him with his tongue, and Benedict’s eyes half-closed in spite of his ire. Damn him! Kane Haley was far too seductive for his peace of mind.
His head turned, and suddenly they were nose-to-nose. He stared deep into Kane’s eyes as they shared the wolf form of an intense kiss. He could feel Kane’s breath on his nose, and the Alpha whined softly. Benedict closed his eyes, pulling his head back at last. Fortunately for him, the clan had finished feeding on the deer. They were waiting for their Alpha, and Kane turned away to silently communicate with them. Benedict felt great relief(mingled with a certain amount of disappointment) as the Alpha got his clan formed up again for the return trip to the farm.
Benedict trotted along beside Kane as they headed back to the farm, far too aware of the Alpha’s big form next to his. Now that the hunt was over, his mind had far too much free time to think. And this wasn’t helped by the fact that he could smell Kane’s rich, ripe scent, and it was making him salivate. One part of him just wanted to give in, to offer his haunches to Kane and let the Alpha have him. But the rest of him was determined not to give in at any cost, and those parts kept him moving along in a swift trot with his eyes looking forward, refusing to glance at Kane.
He felt acute relief when they trotted through the open gate of the field, and he could shift back into his human form. Benedict straightened up and shook himself as little, as the clan began to transform around them. Kane looked around. “A good hunt,” he called to them. “I’m proud of all of you. We’ll wait for the others to get back, then we’ll head back to the hotel for the night.”
There were affirmative murmurs all around him. Kane turned to Benedict. “Would you take a walk with me?” he murmured. “There,” he nodded toward a small cluster of trees to one side of the field.
He felt great reluctance, but finally nodded. After all, he’d agreed to let Kane court him for the next few weeks. He had to actually participate whether he liked it or not. So they moved off together, Kane saying nothing as they approached the tiny grove of trees. Once they were out of eyesight of the clan, the Alpha turned to look at him. “You’re a natural,” he told Benedict.
Perplexed, he asked: “What? What do you mean?”
Kane smiled at him whitely. “You’re a natural leader.” he replied. “In the hunt, you not only caught the scent you led the clan in the chase. And they followed you without a qualm. They already accept you as my mate,” he said happily.
Benedict spoke through gritted teeth. “Would that be because you informed them of the fact that you’re courting me, and urged them to treat me as your mate?”
Kane contrived to look innocent, something he simply couldn’t pull off. “Now why would I do that?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.
Benedict sighed. “Because you are a wretched man,” he snapped. “Who doesn’t fight fair.”
Kane cocked his head to the side. “I suppose not,” he mused. “But haven’t you ever heard of the saying ‘all’s fair in love and war?’.”
*****
“That was so fun!” Ari said happily as she stretched her arms above her head.
Theo glanced at her. He couldn’t forget her wolf form, which had turned out to have a dark-blonde coat that reflected her real hair color under the dye. It had been small and almost dainty-looking, with slightly wavy fur. And she was fast - she’d skimmed along beside him like thistledown as his clan had hunted. Theo had spent far more time watching her out of the corner of his eye than he had hunting. “Was it?” he said aloud, making her shake her head at him.
“Oh, come on, Theo. Even you have to admit that you had a good time. But now…” she yawned elaborately. “Back to the hotel and bed. I’m ready to sleep.”
He shrugged. He was used to staying up most nights and sleeping during the day. She cast him a laughing glance. “Let’s go, Theo. You can ride with my clan and we can talk. I’m going to help you find a girl. To do that, I need to know more about you.” she patted his arm with her small hand.
He frowned uneasily. He wasn’t sure that he wanted her to find a girl for him. But he said nothing. At least if he went along with this, he could spend more time with her. He couldn’t really imagine why a girl like her would want to hang around with a guy like him otherwise. So he followed her obediently toward the front of the house where the vans were parked, listening to her chatter and staying silent himself.
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Monique appeared by Kane’s side a bit later. “I think it’s time to take these youngsters on a hunt, Kane,” she told her fellow Alpha. “Some of them are getting a bit antsy. Too many pheromones in the air right now. Tracking and killing something will take the edge off for them.”
“You’re right,” he agreed, glancing around. “Tell the other Alphas to begin rounding up their clan members, and we’ll all meet at the gate at the far end of the field. But…” he hesitated, turning to look at Benedict. “Would you come with my clan?” he asked hopefully, “Since I’m courting you? Your brother will be okay with your clan, right, Monique?”
The other Alpha looked amused. “Of course, Kane. I’ll keep an eye on young Theodore. You’re free to go with Kane’s group, Benedict. Have fun,” she added rather slyly to him as she walked away to tell the other Alphas to gather their clan members.
Benedict scowled a little after her. Typical of his Alpha to laugh at him over his situation! She must think this was hilarious. He looked at Kane, seeing that the Alpha was smiling at him. “I’m glad that you’re coming with me, Ben,” he said happily.
“It doesn’t seem that I have much of a choice,” he pointed out in faint exasperation.
“Sure you do. You could stay here if you want to. But I’d really like it if you came with me,” Kane said. “And you can’t tell me that you don’t want to go on a hunt. Bet it’s been awhile since you were on one,” he added shrewdly.
Benedict had to admit that he was right. It had been a long while since he’d known the freedom of a hunt, and running in his wolf form with the wind blowing through his fur. “Very well,” he conceded. “I’ll accompany you, Kane. As long as you behave yourself.”
“You have my word…that I’ll try,” Kane replied with a wicked grin.
The clans were mingling near the gate out of the field, the Alphas making assure that all of their people were ready to go. Kane was talking to some of his people, and Benedict was waiting patiently for him to be done. But then he saw his brother, and he hurried over to where Theo was standing. He noticed a small girl in a long leather coat standing next to his brother, and wondered who she was. “Theo!” he called.
His brother sneered at him, but it seemed only a half-hearted effort. “Hey, Benny,” he said.
“I won’t be going with you. I’m going with Kane’s group,” Benedict told him.
Theo shrugged. “Whatever,” he said indifferently.
Benedict sighed, but before he could say anything else the girl remarked: “Theo, do you want me to go with you or with my clan?”
Startled, Benedict stared at her as Theo replied: “Do what you want. You will, anyway.”
Benedict was startled to hear his brother sounding almost teasing, rather than angry or petulant as he normally did. The girl grinned, obviously not put out by his rudeness. “That’s true,” she said. “If your Alpha doesn’t object, I’ll run with you. I’ve got to keep an eye on you, right?”
“Yeah,” Theo said, as Benedict stared at him as though expecting him to sprout a second head.
“Okay,” she turned to Benedict. “Hi, I’m Ariadne Mathews,” she said, holding out her hand to him. “I’m Kane’s niece.”
He gaped at her for a moment, before pulling himself together and taking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said politely. “I’m Benedict Cavanaugh. I didn’t know Kane had a niece.”
“Well, he does. Tell Uncle Kane that I’m doing what he asked me to, and that I’ll see him later.”
“Very well,” a nonplussed Benedict replied.
“Nice to meet you, Benedict. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you from now on,” she added, smiling at him. “Come on, Theo,” she said over her shoulder, and Benedict noticed that his brother appeared to be fuming over their conversation. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said that his sibling was jealous of Kane’s niece talking to him. Which was absurd, wasn’t it? He watched as the two of them departed to join the Black Cairn clan, then shook his head as if to clear it. What a very strange day this was turning out to be!
Benedict sat down on his haunches and waited for Kane’s clan to finish their transformations. The Alpha himself was not far away, his wolf form revealed as a huge, powerful-looking creature with a dark-blonde coat and a pair of intense hazel-green eyes. As a man he was very handsome - but as a wolf he was magnificent. Benedict admired him silently. His lust for Kane hadn’t altered in his beast form even the least little bit. It would have been nice to think that it would have disappeared when he’d changed into a wolf, but no such luck. If anything, it was more primal and base in this form. He sighed, wondering dimly how exactly he was supposed to keep fighting against Kane Haley’s insistent attentions.
Not that he had to, not exactly. Even if he slept with the Alpha, giving in to his desire, that didn’t constitute an acceptance of Kane’s assertion that they were supposed to be mates. But Benedict wasn’t stupid enough to think that he could just jump into bed with Kane, have some casual sex with him, and walk away without looking back. He wasn’t the kind of person who could so easily divorce physical attraction from deeper feelings, and if he had sex with the Alpha that would only bring them closer to his accepting Kane as his mate whether he liked it or not.
As though he could hear Benedict’s thoughts, Kane’s head turned. Their eyes met, and the Alpha’s intense stare made the hair rise up in a ridge on his back. Kane looked like he wanted to devour Benedict whole. His mouth opened, and he began to pant rather wildly. Kane’s mouth also opened, but on the wolf equivalent of laughter. His eyes gleamed as he ‘chuckled’ at Benedict, clearly totally aware of his plight. It made him want to tear Kane’s throat out…not that there was any chance of that happening. Kane outweighed him by a good thirty pounds, and muscle rippled under his thick dark-blonde coat. Sure, they might all be basically as strong as one another to start with, but any kind of strenuous work out routine would up a wolf’s strength significantly. And Benedict seldom had time for vigorous work outs, not while he was studying so hard. And of course an Alpha would be in great shape, because they had to fight anyone who challenged them for their position…
He snarled a little, lifting his lips off his teeth to silently tell Kane what he thought of his laughing at Benedict’s expense. The Alpha laid his ears back and ducked his head a little, the Alpha’s equivalent of ’showing throat’. This apologetic gesture might have meant more if he hadn’t already been apologetic more than once today - but that never stopped him from actually doing things to be apologetic for! Benedict sniffed and turned his head away elaborately, conveying his disdain.
A loud bark brought his attention back to Kane. Apparently everyone was in their wolf forms now, and the Alpha was calling them to form a pack for tonight’s hunt. Because he wasn’t of this clan, Benedict hung back and didn’t try to bull his way into the center of the pack. He’d trail after the party a bit, not quite an interloper but not a part of them either.
But Kane had different ideas. Once the clan had formed up into the pack, he loped back to where Benedict was standing and nudged him with his nose. He flattened his ears, but the Alpha wasn’t taking ’no’ for an answer. Kane growled and jerked his head toward the front of the pack, where he would be leading the hunt. Benedict felt exasperation streak through him, but he knew that if he continued to object they’d never get out the gate for the hunt because Kane would stubbornly wait until he changed his mind. He showed his teeth again, knowing it would do no good, but reluctantly walked to the front of the pack. The wolves of Ken’s clan watched him assessingly, but no one objected to his presence beside their Alpha.
If a wolf could look smug, Kane managed. Benedict wanted to bite him. The hazel-green gaze slid his way, and somehow the bastard managed to smirk! Benedict would have lunged for him, but just then Kane yipped and surged forward, telling his folk to follow him to the hunt. Benedict had to run with him, to keep up. The rest of the clan flowed out the gate after them, intent on the night and the things that lived in it.
For awhile, Benedict forgot his ire in the joy of the hunt. He loved to run through the shadows, his nose bringing him the mingled scents of the night flowering plants and the nocturnal animals that moved through the darkness on all sides of them. He was only vaguely aware of Kane loping along beside him, the big wolf surprisingly graceful for his size. They ran down shallow ravines and over low hills, looking for something larger than field mice and the occasional rabbit to hunt. For awhile it seemed that they wouldn’t flush anything worth their time, but then Benedict’s sharp nose brought him the musky scent of a deer. He came to a halt, his head swinging from side-to-side as he sought the source of that scent. When he finally pinpointed it, he threw back his head and howled the news to the rest of the clan. It never occurred to him that he was acting as though he were a member of the clan, but Kane’s mouth opened in a panting grin as Benedict darted away after the deer and the rest of the pack followed.
The deer, flushed out of a tangle of bushes, wasn’t very big. But size wasn’t important; a hunt was a hunt no matter how big or small the prey. They raced after the terrified animal as it bounded away, their lean, furry forms flowing like water through the night. Their eyes gleamed with the excitement of the chase. They were silent for the most part, streaming around heavy brush and the occasional stunted tree as the deer began to slow a little. Its first rush of fear had given it wings, but now that energy was almost gone. It stumbled, then desperately righted itself and bounded on. But the nearest wolf was almost at its flank, and white teeth snapped at it as it squealed in terror.
One wolf, quicker than the others, surged ahead and hurled itself onto the deer’s back. The animal squalled as it went down under the wolf’s weight, and the rest of the clan fell on it eagerly in a roil. Their teeth bit at the beast, which jerked and fought weakly. But then someone buried their teeth in its jugular, and the animal was done for. With a few last spasmodic kicks, it stopped moving. The wolves lapped eagerly at its blood, although they moved out of the way when Kane approached. The Alpha stepped up to the dead deer and began to tear at its belly, freeing the entrails. He ate a little but then stepped back to give the rest of the clan a chance to feed as well. This wasn’t about filling their bellies; they’d done that earlier at the Gathering. This feeding was more symbolic in nature, and tied them together as a wolf clan.
Benedict was waiting for his chance at the kill, but was startled when all of the other wolves refused to approach the kill. Their eyes turned to him as he stood there uncertainly, wondering what was going on. They all waited, just looking at him; and when his eyes fell on Kane he realized why. They all thought of him as being their Alpha’s mate, and so he was supposed to eat second. There was no way for him to argue this point, not in his wolf form; and they might be here all night if he tried. His brown eyes flashed as he came closer to the carcass, promising Kane retribution for getting his entire clan in on this. Kane just lowered his head a little, but his eyes were sparkling. Benedict snarled to himself but took a bite from the deer before stepping back.
The rest of the clan each took a bite, while Benedict retreated as far as he could and sat down on his haunches. But Kane followed him, plopping down beside him and glancing sideways at him. He laid his ears back again, telling Kane what he thought of the conniving Alpha. But Kane ignored his reprobation, and whined a little as he nudged Benedict with his nose. He snuffled at Benedict’s ruff, then began to lick his muzzle. He snapped at Kane, but this didn’t have any effect either. The Alpha laved him with his tongue, and Benedict’s eyes half-closed in spite of his ire. Damn him! Kane Haley was far too seductive for his peace of mind.
His head turned, and suddenly they were nose-to-nose. He stared deep into Kane’s eyes as they shared the wolf form of an intense kiss. He could feel Kane’s breath on his nose, and the Alpha whined softly. Benedict closed his eyes, pulling his head back at last. Fortunately for him, the clan had finished feeding on the deer. They were waiting for their Alpha, and Kane turned away to silently communicate with them. Benedict felt great relief(mingled with a certain amount of disappointment) as the Alpha got his clan formed up again for the return trip to the farm.
Benedict trotted along beside Kane as they headed back to the farm, far too aware of the Alpha’s big form next to his. Now that the hunt was over, his mind had far too much free time to think. And this wasn’t helped by the fact that he could smell Kane’s rich, ripe scent, and it was making him salivate. One part of him just wanted to give in, to offer his haunches to Kane and let the Alpha have him. But the rest of him was determined not to give in at any cost, and those parts kept him moving along in a swift trot with his eyes looking forward, refusing to glance at Kane.
He felt acute relief when they trotted through the open gate of the field, and he could shift back into his human form. Benedict straightened up and shook himself as little, as the clan began to transform around them. Kane looked around. “A good hunt,” he called to them. “I’m proud of all of you. We’ll wait for the others to get back, then we’ll head back to the hotel for the night.”
There were affirmative murmurs all around him. Kane turned to Benedict. “Would you take a walk with me?” he murmured. “There,” he nodded toward a small cluster of trees to one side of the field.
He felt great reluctance, but finally nodded. After all, he’d agreed to let Kane court him for the next few weeks. He had to actually participate whether he liked it or not. So they moved off together, Kane saying nothing as they approached the tiny grove of trees. Once they were out of eyesight of the clan, the Alpha turned to look at him. “You’re a natural,” he told Benedict.
Perplexed, he asked: “What? What do you mean?”
Kane smiled at him whitely. “You’re a natural leader.” he replied. “In the hunt, you not only caught the scent you led the clan in the chase. And they followed you without a qualm. They already accept you as my mate,” he said happily.
Benedict spoke through gritted teeth. “Would that be because you informed them of the fact that you’re courting me, and urged them to treat me as your mate?”
Kane contrived to look innocent, something he simply couldn’t pull off. “Now why would I do that?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.
Benedict sighed. “Because you are a wretched man,” he snapped. “Who doesn’t fight fair.”
Kane cocked his head to the side. “I suppose not,” he mused. “But haven’t you ever heard of the saying ‘all’s fair in love and war?’.”
*****
“That was so fun!” Ari said happily as she stretched her arms above her head.
Theo glanced at her. He couldn’t forget her wolf form, which had turned out to have a dark-blonde coat that reflected her real hair color under the dye. It had been small and almost dainty-looking, with slightly wavy fur. And she was fast - she’d skimmed along beside him like thistledown as his clan had hunted. Theo had spent far more time watching her out of the corner of his eye than he had hunting. “Was it?” he said aloud, making her shake her head at him.
“Oh, come on, Theo. Even you have to admit that you had a good time. But now…” she yawned elaborately. “Back to the hotel and bed. I’m ready to sleep.”
He shrugged. He was used to staying up most nights and sleeping during the day. She cast him a laughing glance. “Let’s go, Theo. You can ride with my clan and we can talk. I’m going to help you find a girl. To do that, I need to know more about you.” she patted his arm with her small hand.
He frowned uneasily. He wasn’t sure that he wanted her to find a girl for him. But he said nothing. At least if he went along with this, he could spend more time with her. He couldn’t really imagine why a girl like her would want to hang around with a guy like him otherwise. So he followed her obediently toward the front of the house where the vans were parked, listening to her chatter and staying silent himself.
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