49 Objectified

Carrie

We got back to Glenshadow, and everyone seemed excited to see us, returning home victorious. Everyone but Porter, that was. He had overheard my promise to tell Amanda how she could reject him, and he had awaited our arrival like an execution. I had meant what I said. Just because she was only a human did not mean she didn’t deserve to know that there was a way out if she really didn’t want him. Of course I hoped she would choose Porter in the end, but coercion was not love.

I could see that my friend was also waiting, but she was doing so surprisingly patiently. Once I’d gotten all my urgent business out of the way, I went to her and suggested that we walk together.

“I heard they’re not breaking up your pack. That’s good, right?” Amanda asked me.

“It’s very good.”

“I can see why you like it here.”

“Oh?”

“It’s peaceful, and everyone seems to be a part of the whole, if that makes sense. I kind of envy you werewolves.”

“It was strange not being a part of a pack while I was a rogue. That was mostly why I was so down when you met me.”

“I like the individuality of being human, I really do. This seems nice, too, but it’s not really for me.”

“Understandable. Well, I promised you that I would tell you how you could reject Porter if you still want to, and I intend to keep my word.”

“He’s a controlling possessive jerk. But...”

I waited for her to finish for a moment, but she didn’t. Well, it wasn’t a bad sign. “They all can be a bit possessive, but they’re entirely at the mercy of their mates. I don’t know what sort of jerks you’ve dealt with in the past, but his wolf just wants to keep you with him and keep you safe, and he can control it if he needs to. It’s that constant struggle between the animal and the human. If you want to be with him, lay down the law, and he’ll agree, even if he doesn’t like it. It might be a battle for him though, but he’d fight any battle for a chance to keep you.”

“Is it like that with you and Jason?”

“Jason’s pretty easy-going for a werewolf, especially for an alpha. His wolf is strong, but he’s usually calm and watchful unless threatened.” I hoped Amanda’s curiosity about our nature was a good sign. “If you do choose to accept Porter, he should settle down a lot once his wolf feels secure. They’re always worse at the beginning.”

“This is still surreal. I mean, werewolves? You’re all straight out of fiction.”

I just smiled. I bet it did feel surreal, probably what I would feel like if I found out ghosts or unicorns were hiding in plain sight. “Well, if you decide you really want to end things, you’ll simply say, ‘I, Amanda, reject you, Porter Hansen of Glenshadow’. It’s not an exact formula, but the more specific information you add, the better. And I want to warn you of two things: don’t let him mark you unless you’re sure you’re in it for good because it’ll be even worse if you end it after that, and don’t reject him unless you’re sure because if you do, the bond will likely never be the same, even if you do change your mind later.”

Amanda exhaled shakily. “Not gonna lie, you’re really not making me feel less pressured right now.”

“Sorry, but you need the facts. I was stupid and tried to reject Jason, but thankfully he stopped me before I could do something I would forever regret. I feel like an idiot when I think about that now.” It made my stomach feel sick, or maybe that was just Jason’s baby screwing up my insides.

No, that was definitely the feeling of shame of former stupidity.

“Do you think I should?”

I laughed. “I was a bit of a mate bond skeptic for a while there, but now that I’ve got mine, I’m a believer.”

Amanda looked musingly out towards the forest. “If I say I need more time, can I maybe come visit later?”

“Sure.”

She narrowed her eyes and inspected me. “But not as a prisoner?”

“Of course not. That’s idiot alpha male behaviour. We females are too civilized for that.”

She laughed with me at my words.

—————

With Bluegorge’s challenge out of the way, our lives fell into an easy rhythm over the next couple of months. Pack business was interspersed with time with my mate. My pregnancy wasn’t really that bad other than my ravenous appetite and exhaustion. If I could have spent my days doing nothing but eating and napping I would have loved it.

Our pack drew in new potential members faster than ever now that we’d gained some infamy from going head with an established pack and overcoming. We began encouraging eligible rogues to move and establish lives together in the nearby city until we were able to assimilate them.

And out of all the potential new members, there was one group in particular that I was most excited to welcome.

In spite of my nearly overwhelming desire to do nothing but snack and sleep, I was outside waiting when the car pulled up. The door opened, and Samantha jumped out. I hurried forward and we threw our arms around each other.

“I missed you so much!” she said, excitement in her voice.

“Me too!”

“Thanks for letting us transfer,” she said with a grin.

“Thanks for wanting to come, because it would have been a lot more awkward if I had to send someone to kidnap you.”

We both laughed. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed my friend before I’d actually seen her again.

Over her shoulder I saw Madeline get out of the passenger side. I hurried forward to welcome her to the pack. “I’m so glad you could make it,” I said, hugging her far more gently than I had Samantha.

She smiled warmly at me. “Well, when I offered to let you stay with me that day, I didn’t think I was the one who would get dragged out of my pack.”

“Sorry about that,” I lied. I was glad that Madeline had decided to transfer as well. She’d become dear to me in such a short time, and I wanted her to feel fulfilled, mate or no mate. Glenshadow had given me new purpose, and I hoped it would do that for her as well.

“You know it’s fine. And look at you. Last time I saw you, you were exiled, and now here you are in your own place, and with a little one on the way. I couldn’t be happier for you.” Madeline smiled widely.

Samantha nodded. “Me neither. I can’t believe I’ll be running a clinic rather than just working in one. Speaking of, did you ever see a proper doctor about that flash of light, Carrie?”

I smiled apologetically. “Well...”

“Carrie. You know better! You don’t just get visual hallucinations and ignore them. You need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of Glenshadow, right?”

She was right. Darn Samantha and her unfailing ability to hit the guilt bullseye. “Things were just really busy, you know?”

“They’ll always be busy.” She rolled her eyes. “I can already see what my number one job as clinical director is going to be.”

Well, she could try. I chuckled.

Samantha let the topic go, although I knew she would circle back around to it like a dog with a bone. “Well, at least now I won’t have to watch what I call my alpha. The worst thing you ever did to me was get ‘Asshole Dane’ stuck in my head, Carrie.”

Okay, that was pretty funny. I tried to hide my reaction, but it was hard when even Madeline chuckled at Samantha’s comment. Still, I tried. “Sorry about that. I’ve more or less forgiven him, at least enough to have professional interpack dealings, but the name still amuses me.”

Samantha grinned. “Well, I don’t care about that now that I’m here. Thanks for the transfer, Asshole Dane!”

We giggled like we were immature teens again, but I just didn’t care.

Afterwards, I showed Madeline to a washroom to freshen up and while we waited Samantha updated me on everything she could think of: that Anna planned to come and visit someday soon, how my parents’ preparation to join my sister’s pack was going, the fact that John, our soon to be new delta, wouldn’t arrive driving the moving truck for at least another hour because they’d left him in the dust. While she was talking, my mate walked over.

“Thought I’d come meet our new healer,” he said.

“This is my mate, Jason,” I introduced quickly.

“It’s very nice to meet you, alpha.”

“You too, but Jason is fine.”

She smiled, clearly impressed by him. Pride filled me that he was mine.

Madeline returned and I introduced her. Jason did that thing where he looked effortlessly sexy and Madeline gave me a look of wide-eyed approval and cupped her hand towards me, as if any of the werewolf ears around wouldn’t easily pick up a whisper. “Well now, isn’t he impressively handsome? You sure hit the jackpot, Carrie.”

From anyone else, those words would have aggravated my wolf, but from her it was just too cute.

“Didn’t I, though?” I agreed in a conspiratorial whisper, and Samantha laughed again.

Jason looped his arm across my back to rest his hand on my hip, and I could feel the warm tingles even through my shirt. “I get the feeling I’m being objectified, babe.”

“Oh, you are constantly being objectified, believe me.”

“Hmmm. I think maybe I like it.”

With that appealing smirk I would never, ever admit I loved, he turned to Samantha and Madeline as he suggested, “Why don’t we give our new members a tour, babe?”

I pecked him on the cheek, and then that’s just what we did.

Two bonus chapters and an epilogue left to go, so stick around for tomorrow if you want a peek into the future and a couple of different POVs. 😉