Queen's Awakening

Love Hate

Nikki's POV

We plan to leave for a few days tomorrow. I have business in LA. Can't really tell my manager hey one of my wives is close to giving birth can this wait, without shining a big spot light on my pack. I'm not sure who I can safely tell. I trust Kovac and my band mates, but would they accept me or be afraid. So I'm going, I'm trying to keep things looking normal. Nicole is handling it well. Unlike the first time she knows I plan to return. She sits drinking hot tea with us in the kitchen. It's been a week since I joined Yennefer's heat. Courtney has a love hate relationship with the other woman in my life. She is quietly talking with Nicole about tonight's dinner. They are very affectionate with each other when I'm not involved. I don't blame my wife for her attitude. This isn't what I promised when we married. Damn when I woke to find Jason getting friendly with her I wanted to tear him a new one. The weird thing is as soon as the rage came it drained away. The power of the mate bond we all share. If it had been anyone else. I'm certain I would have caused some damage.

Sometimes I think I have a duel personality. My Inner wolf speaks his mind quite a bit. When it comes to Courtney. He says you allowed them to claim one another. Now we must share. He grunts. As for Nicole and Yennefer, You Claimed the females now you must love, breed, and protect. We are family. We are pack. Obligated to one another. When I worry over my wife's feelings. She is only a human female, she needs to get over it he grumbles. My inner wolf has a slight attitude. I think we both need an attitude adjustment. Our women are sexy they can adjust me anytime they like. The wolf chuckles amused. Shut up you asshole I groan. He just laughs more.

I glance at Jason. He's smirking at me.

"You will get use to him. He is you after all, just more primitive. We all argue with the beast on occasion." He chuckles inside my head.

"I'm glad I'm not going crazy." I answer.

Jason chuckles amused and puts his paper down and gets serious.

"If Courtney was wolf. Her she wolf would be telling her the same thing as yours tells you. You committed deal with it. Play, love, breed, protect each other and be happy. As a human she will never feel the bond as strongly as you do. We Wolves are simple sometimes. We live in the moment. We do plan ahead a little, but it's mostly. Do we have enough money to care for our mates and young? Are our homes well cared for? Do we have enough food?" He smiles softly.

"I know you are still having dreams. You shouldn't completely ignore your gut feelings. Your wolf might be trying to tell you something that he can't express in words." He comments out loud. Grabbing everyone's attention. They had known we were having a private conversation and blocked it out.

"Really." I groan.

"You're not the only one feeling unease. Jake and his brothers, Tom and I are all walking on eggshells. There is something going on. A panther wouldn't come near us without being forced. Hunters normally just kill, not kidnap cubs. Those hunters lead him here by the scent of his nieces. Something is up." Jason explains.

"I really did hate sending that cat out on his own like that. I was just concerned for you all. Having him in our home would have painted a bullseye on this house. You're all the closest I've ever come to having family." Tom admits. I feel the love for Tom from everyone. I love the old brute too.

"You are family." Nicole says softly. Tom blushes some. He's not very good at sentimental moments.

"I didn't like it either." Jason continues the subject at hand. "I hope he gets help from his own kind. It's hard for them to call for it without their matriarch. They are deaf to each other without her. Those hunters knew that. That had been a shifter secret. How did they know? Who would spill their guts like that? We shifters would die first. Even if it is a secret of a shifter faction we are waring with."

A loud crash and growling interrupts our discussion and draws us all out on the porch. A male and female wolf I don't recognize are ferociously going at it. They must have come with one of the visiting packs.

"Is anyone going to stop them?" I ask it's getting fucking violent.

"Nope. Well if he gets an upper paw. Her brothers will step in. She is annulling their relationship. " Nicole sighs and continues to watch. "Witness." She whispers mentally.

"I didn't realize wolves divorce. What can be the grounds?" Courtney asks.

"We don't this is an annulment. They claimed each other during a full moon. They decided to give it a try by handfasting on August Eve. It's a trial period. She's obviously decided to end it early. As for reasons cheating, abuse verbal or physical, and not keeping their mate obligations." She answers.

"Tara has definitely gotten tired of his shit. Texas is a lazy obnoxious fucker can't keep a job. She's been supporting him. I'm not saying a woman can't support herself. He just needs to be helping somehow." He corrects himself realizing he standing in the mist of some very independent women. Then continues his rant. "He's also known for using his fist with women. He's getting what he deserves, Some public humiliation. He's going to lose some status over this." Tom laughs.

We all witness him go down. He stumbles to his feet and slouches away his head hung low He heads into the forest. The shewolf howls and stomps her paws. Then she returns to her family.

"You want Nikki, Yennefer and, I to have an annulment? What have I done?" Nicole moans. "You'll have to wait till I give birth. The year won't be up. The fight will have to look real. I'll fight as a human. I won't hurt you, I'll submit." Her voice cracks several times. She takes off inside the house weeping her sister in tow.

"I've come to understand your jealousy with Yennefer's help. This is your right as an Alpha mate. You can even do this without your husband's consent. But before you push this Courtney consider before you do the reasons for the separation of our family. Some reasons come with more shame than others." Jason sighs. Him and Tom follow the women into the house. Tom's emotions are boiling.

I stand stock still in shock. I don't know what to do. Court must have been thinking it. Sucks to be able hear each other sometimes.

"Why don't you go to them it's what you want to do." She hisses. Her emotions are a reck. I don't know who she's more pissed at herself or us.

I stay and pull her to me. She begins to weep too. I bury my face against her neck. Court may be the one in my arms, but my heart aches with Yennefer and pounds painfully in rhythm with Nicole's.