The Mating by Nicky Charles Page B

scent of foreign wolves assaulted Elise’s nostrils as she went from room to room and it made her feel edgy, as if danger was lurking just around the corner. She wondered how long it would be before her scent mixed with theirs and she would finally be able to relax.

    Eventually they reached the offices, which turned out to be behind the closed doors that Elise had seen from the front foyer. Helen knocked and then entered without waiting for an invitation, shooing the men out with threats of no dinner if they didn’t hustle. Kane was the last to exit and Helen grabbed him by the arm and began to scold him for his neglect. Elise wondered how the Alpha would take such a dressing down but he listened respectfully and then thanked Helen for her opinion. Surprised, Elise stared at him and then bit back a gasp when he winked at her over Helen’s head, grinning and making a face.

    She puzzled over this as they turned to walk down the hallway to the dining area. Kane pulled her back and whispered conspiratorially in her ear. “Helen thinks she’s everyone’s mother and can’t resist pointing out the error of our ways. She means well and she was right. I got caught up in something but it was no excuse for ignoring you on your first day. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”

    Elise nodded, taken aback at his admission. Her father never would have done that. Kane gave her a quick kiss, grabbed her hand and hurried her down the hall. “Carrie and Helen are great cooks. I can’t wait to see what they’ve concocted for us tonight.”

    The meal was pleasant, with general conversation. Elise mostly listened, trying to absorb as much information about her new pack as possible. It was just the five of them at the table tonight and she wondered if the others had stayed away because of her. At her old home, there’d always been extra people for dinner. She couldn’t remember how many times she’d been sent to count noses, so they’d know how many plates to set out. Possibly, this pack wasn’t as close knit.

    As if reading her mind, John explained. “I told everyone to stay away tonight. Since it’s your first day, I thought you might find it a bit overwhelming to have everyone here. With just our four new faces, you can sort of ease into things.”

    “That was nice of you.” Elise smiled at the tall blonde haired Beta. Everyone was certainly trying to be considerate of her. Maybe it was time to explain some of her own feelings. These people were supposed to be her new family and no doubt could sense the unease coming off of her. “I…I must admit that I’m finding it a bit unsettling to be the new wolf in the pack. I feel like I’m violating your territory by being here. It’s just old instincts kicking in, but there’s this underlying idea that it’s dangerous to be walking around, that I should retreat and get out as fast as possible…” She shrugged hoping she hadn’t made a tactical error.

    Helen nodded in understanding. “This doesn’t feel like your home yet. You’ll be edgy and nervous for awhile and then one day, you’ll find that your scent has blended with ours and you’ll wonder why you ever wanted to be anywhere else.”

    “Changing packs is still a new concept,” John added. “Just a hundred years ago it was almost unheard of. With few exceptions, we lived and died within the same pack. But the world’s changing and we have to change with it. People go away to school, get jobs in new cities; packs have had to adapt if we’re to survive. Some don’t like the new ways; they want to cling to the ancient traditions but our very existence depends on our ability to integrate undetected with the rest of the world.”

    “And it’s even healthy for the packs to have new members.” Carrie chimed in. “New members bring new blood. There was too much inbreeding in the past.”

    Elise was pleasantly surprised with how forward thinking these people seemed to be. Her old pack wasn’t exactly in the