Of Doms & Subs

Tomorrow's Tuesday, Too

"I-I suppose I have," I stammered. Evidently, somewhere in the whirlwind of the past three days I'd subconsciously made a decision.

"Good," Angus flashed his brilliant, movie-star worthy smile. "I was hoping for a chance to court you."

"Uh, wait, what?" I stuttered as wolves began pouring out of the woods. At first, I wasn't sure if I was grateful for the interruption or not, but after my wonderfully eloquent reaction I decided to go with grateful.

The gravelled parking area soon filled with people in various stages of changing. Angus stepped aside to call Bran. Thankfully they agreed that there was no need for the Marrock's two-person team to come to Seattle now that John had been "taken care of." Their words, not mine. I had no desire to meet the werewolf equivalent of Judge Dredd. For some inexplicable reason, the Alpha still extended an invitation for the pair, Charles and Anna, to visit. It must have been manners or politics. You couldn't imagine any other possibility.

My wolf snarled at the idea of a strange female in our territory, near Angus. That thought brought me up short. Conversations with Mickayla and Moira swirled in my mind, their advice ultimately boiling down to figuring out what I, and my wolf, wanted. There was still a bit of time before the rest of the pack switched over to two legs. I sat on the back bumper of the SUV and turned my attention inward. Ok, girl. I felt like I was talking to Lassie. Do you just like him because he's an Alpha or do you want him for a... mate? For once, thinking of the word didn't make me want to shudder.

Several realizations cascaded over me simultaneously. What I had attributed to revulsion at the first time hearing the term "mate" was actually a gut twinge like highly concentrated stomach butterflies, or perhaps a hook drawing me to Angus. My wolf wanted to rub all over him until we were coated in each other's scents, to run with him through the woods again, the two of us alone in the moonlight, then curl up nose to the other's tail to sleep. And from both of us, tender possessiveness.

The object of our musings was keeping watch over his people while directing Tom and Ian, both still in wolf form, about what to do with John's body. I was confident that Angus was uninjured, but I wanted to run my hands all over to confirm, to give and receive comfort. The pieces inside that had been tumbling in confusion since Tom pulled me over fell into their final places with a sense of rightness that was staggering.

Managing the clean up and ensuring that everyone returned to the trailhead was an internal struggle when I wanted nothing more than to find a den to hole up in with Ellie until my wolf was convinced that she was fine. And, more importantly, not leaving. I might have been in agreement. Even after a dip in the river, I could still smell that disgusting lone all over me, which was not helping my agitation. I could taste his blood still, though that I didn't mind.

Shane cast me a questioning look when I requested that he find another ride back, he could probably see that my wolf was close to the surface, though he didn't argue the issue other than suggesting that Ellie drive the Escalade instead. Perhaps he had a point since I barely noted the trip back I was so focused on her and calming myself down.

"Tomorrow is Tuesday." I stared at Ellie's back in bewilderment at the non-sequitur as she toed off her shoes. "I assume you have to go to work." Where was she headed with these observations? "Now that John is... no longer a threat, I don't need a babysitter. I figure I'll start looking for a job tomorrow. My car keys would make that easier." Oh, her attempts at manipulation were cute.