The Mating by Nicky Charles Page A

This is the voice of experience speaking.” Helen chuckled as she finished with the carrots and set them in a dish.

    “Do you have a large family, Helen?” Elise wondered how old they might be and if they still lived here.

    “I have four girls. Two are married and part of this pack. One moved away to work out west and joined another pack. My baby, Chloe, is in university right now. She’s studying environmental science.”

    “Chloe is one smart girl.” Carrie added as she peered at the roast, checking its temperature. “Kane’s hoping she can give him some advice on what to do about the northern acreage.” Glancing over at Elise, Carrie explained further. “There’s been a big push by an oil company to allow them to do some exploratory drilling in the northern part of our territory. They want to buy a large tract or at the very least, rent it. Of course, we’re all against the idea, but they’ve been lobbying the local government. Kane, and Zack before him, have been busy keeping them away.”

    “But if it’s your territory and you say no, they can’t come in, can they?” Elise furrowed her brow trying to understand the situation.

    “You’d think.” Helen scowled as she dried her hands and then leaned against the kitchen counter. “But the humans want oil and feel that it’s their right to get it, even if it means destroying some of our property. Kane’s probably going over the company’s latest proposal right now. They seem to feel that if they just offer us enough money we’ll give in, which is ridiculous. Werewolves don’t need money; we need space to roam.”

    Elise was nodding in agreement when Carrie spoke. “Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way. A few in the pack like the idea of the money.”

    Helen snorted. “Yes and we all know who they are.” The two women exchanged knowing looks and Elise wondered who they talking about.

Chapter 5

    By the time dinner was ready, Kane still hadn’t put in an appearance. Carrie shook her head in exasperation. “Elise, can you go fetch the men from the office? Knowing them, they’re so involved in what they’re doing, they’ll never come out on their own.”

    “Umm… Okay. Can you point me in the right direction?” She wasn’t too keen on searching out the group—more wandering around on her own in ‘foreign’ territory—but she didn’t want to refuse and seem weak.

    Helen gasped. “You mean Kane hasn’t even shown you around the house yet?”

    Embarrassed, Elise shrugged and shoved her hands in her pocket. “He planned to…”

    “That man! It’s ridiculous how tied up in his work he gets. I’ll have to have a word or two with him about how to treat a mate!” Helen pursed her lips and looked thoroughly put out.

    “It’s all right.” Elise tried to smooth things over. The freedom with which Helen was expressing her feelings about Kane seemed strange; her father would never have tolerated that. Of course, Kane was nowhere about, so maybe that explained things.

    “No, it’s not. He has a mate now and he has obligations to you. Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour and then we’ll collect the men.” Helen took her by the arm and led her from the kitchen. Glancing back over her shoulder, Elise looked at Carrie who just shrugged and rolled her eyes, obviously used to Helen’s ways. As she followed the grey haired woman down the hall, Elise supposed that after years of being the Alpha’s mate, Helen was used to taking charge of certain things around the house. After all, it had been her home for quite a few years, and suddenly being demoted would be a hard mental shift to take.

    Elise saw the laundry room, spare bath, living room, dining room, recreation area and the guest rooms. John and Carrie’s quarters were pointed out, as were Helen’s own suite of rooms. The whole house reflected the pride that Helen took in her role. Every room was immaculate, cheery, and welcoming—if it only smelled right. The