talked about before. When you’re part of a pack, you submit to its alpha. It’s a ceremony, but there’s also a real bond with real power behind it. You don’t simply promise to obey the alpha; there is a deep compulsion to it. Not impossible to break, but nearly so.”
“Like with the Red wolves—they couldn’t break their submission to you. At least in wolf form.”
“Right.” Lucas took another breath, but this one seemed to be easier for him. “It’s strongest in wolf form, but there is some carry over to human form as well. Just as you feel your wolf inside you, pushing and pulling you, encouraging one action or discouraging another… you’ll feel the submission bond as well. For males, it is a compulsion to serve and protect. It’s the bond that ties the pack together. For females… it’s a little more complicated.”
“Women usually are.”
That drew a tiny smile out of him. “No doubt an ancient truth.” But the humor quickly died on his face, and his gaze dropped to his hands.
Mia waited, watching the muscles in his arms move as he fisted and unfisted his hands.
Finally, he said quietly, “For females, the submission can be the same as males. Every female submits to the alpha just the same as the males of the pack. But submission can also be the first step to mating.” He paused again.
Mia wasn’t sure if he would continue this time. “What are the other steps?” She had to chase the words with a hastily sucked in breath. Her wolf was at full attention.
He nodded, seemingly to himself, still staring at his hands. “First, submission. In wolf form, of course, because that’s where the bond forms. Second, a coupling. This time in human form. Ritually from behind.” He raised his gaze to hers. “And then the bite.”
She had forgotten how to breathe. “Bite?” Her wolf whimpered: a needy, sexual sound that had heat pumping throughout her body.
“The male’s canines will protrude and enable him to bite the female while coupling.” His voice was dead. Leaden by words he wasn’t saying or maybe by the weight of the emotion behind that technical description of what Mia could only imagine was a wildly passionate and, if the whimpering of her wolf was any indication, highly erotic act.
“That seems…” She was definitely laboring to breathe. “…painful.”
He smiled a little. Bitter and sweet, and that tiny movement of his mouth nearly broke her heart.
“I’ve only mated once,” he said, and there was a gentleness in his tone that tore at her. “Afterward, I ask Tila what she thought. I was… well, somewhat caught up in the moment at the time. But I’d been told that females don’t experience the pain as you might expect… that it actually enhanced the…” He broke off, his smile fleeing. “She said it was the best experience of her life. That it made her feel like she belonged to me in a way that could never be broken.” He stopped. His mouth worked but in wordless pain.
Mia was out of her chair before she thought about what she was doing. She flew across the space separating them. He needed her. She knew it. And she didn’t care if he knew it or not.
He seemed surprised by her arms around his neck, but she held him tightly, cradling his head to her. Tears ran down her face, but she didn’t brush them away, too intent on holding him until he held her back. He was breathing heavily, pulling in gasps, but eventually, his arms went around her.
But his hold on her was weak, like he was simply keeping her in place. Like he couldn’t bring himself to hug her back.
She held him that way until his breathing evened out again. Slowly, reluctantly, she released him and eased down to the couch to sit next to him. He wasn’t crying or anything, but there was a tightness around his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“You must have loved her very much,” Mia said softly, searching his face for some sign of what to say or do to ease his pain.
He laughed
“Like with the Red wolves—they couldn’t break their submission to you. At least in wolf form.”
“Right.” Lucas took another breath, but this one seemed to be easier for him. “It’s strongest in wolf form, but there is some carry over to human form as well. Just as you feel your wolf inside you, pushing and pulling you, encouraging one action or discouraging another… you’ll feel the submission bond as well. For males, it is a compulsion to serve and protect. It’s the bond that ties the pack together. For females… it’s a little more complicated.”
“Women usually are.”
That drew a tiny smile out of him. “No doubt an ancient truth.” But the humor quickly died on his face, and his gaze dropped to his hands.
Mia waited, watching the muscles in his arms move as he fisted and unfisted his hands.
Finally, he said quietly, “For females, the submission can be the same as males. Every female submits to the alpha just the same as the males of the pack. But submission can also be the first step to mating.” He paused again.
Mia wasn’t sure if he would continue this time. “What are the other steps?” She had to chase the words with a hastily sucked in breath. Her wolf was at full attention.
He nodded, seemingly to himself, still staring at his hands. “First, submission. In wolf form, of course, because that’s where the bond forms. Second, a coupling. This time in human form. Ritually from behind.” He raised his gaze to hers. “And then the bite.”
She had forgotten how to breathe. “Bite?” Her wolf whimpered: a needy, sexual sound that had heat pumping throughout her body.
“The male’s canines will protrude and enable him to bite the female while coupling.” His voice was dead. Leaden by words he wasn’t saying or maybe by the weight of the emotion behind that technical description of what Mia could only imagine was a wildly passionate and, if the whimpering of her wolf was any indication, highly erotic act.
“That seems…” She was definitely laboring to breathe. “…painful.”
He smiled a little. Bitter and sweet, and that tiny movement of his mouth nearly broke her heart.
“I’ve only mated once,” he said, and there was a gentleness in his tone that tore at her. “Afterward, I ask Tila what she thought. I was… well, somewhat caught up in the moment at the time. But I’d been told that females don’t experience the pain as you might expect… that it actually enhanced the…” He broke off, his smile fleeing. “She said it was the best experience of her life. That it made her feel like she belonged to me in a way that could never be broken.” He stopped. His mouth worked but in wordless pain.
Mia was out of her chair before she thought about what she was doing. She flew across the space separating them. He needed her. She knew it. And she didn’t care if he knew it or not.
He seemed surprised by her arms around his neck, but she held him tightly, cradling his head to her. Tears ran down her face, but she didn’t brush them away, too intent on holding him until he held her back. He was breathing heavily, pulling in gasps, but eventually, his arms went around her.
But his hold on her was weak, like he was simply keeping her in place. Like he couldn’t bring himself to hug her back.
She held him that way until his breathing evened out again. Slowly, reluctantly, she released him and eased down to the couch to sit next to him. He wasn’t crying or anything, but there was a tightness around his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“You must have loved her very much,” Mia said softly, searching his face for some sign of what to say or do to ease his pain.
He laughed
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