Page 36 of Dual Nature

"Yes, alpha," I whispered. With a purr, Zander started to thrust into me again. It would seem he liked being called alpha. I would have to store that away for later. Right now, my brain was taken over by yet another orgasm.

Twenty minutes later, I was cleaned up and dressed in the clothes that Zander had brought me. I had to admit his taste wasn't bad; he kept things functional, warm, and stylish, which was more than I could say for my previous wardrobe. Being an assassin meant going undercover so often I’d never quite figured out what my style was. Growing up, we had been given a uniform to wear for training, and many times we defaulted to black because it showed less of the stains we acquired during our jobs. Not to mention it made you less noticeable, which was the number one priority of an assassin.

“Is it normal for werewolves to heal this fast? My ankle is fully healed like nothing even happened,” I shared as we walked hand in hand to the pack gathering.

Zander scowled at the mention of me being hurt, but he did answer my question. “Us shifters can heal incredibly fast, even more so if we shift. You have to add in the fact that you’re an elf, too. That brings their healing abilities into the equation. Many elves have healing magic, which is likely why you feel so rested and rejuvenated after taking that nap.”

“Is that something you learned from your meeting?” I pressed, hoping he would give me more.

“Yes and no,” was the vague answer I received.

The night was cold enough that I could see my breath, but it was still pleasant. A massive bonfire lit up the space as we approached, adding its own heat along with the space heaters under the pavilion where the picnic tables were set up. Lane was working one of the grills while another person helped him with the burgers and hotdogs. Noah and Mason manned the table with all the condiments and sides, keeping the kids from stealing bags of chips. Colt was chatting with a few members of the pack, but when we caught his eye, he stopped talking, and a smile lit up his face. Excusing himself, he headed right over to us, scooped me up into his arms, and twirled me around.

"Little one, I don't know what magic you used during that nap we took, but I feel better than I've felt in ages!" he announced, kissing me soundly before setting me down. "Are you ready to meet everyone?"

I gave him a half-hearted smile. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. I've never been a fan of being the center of attention; it goes against everything I've been taught."

"Everything will be fine, I promise, and you have the six of us backing you up. You won't be doing this alone," Colt reassured as he took my hand and headed for the pavilion.

Jumping onto one of the tables, he released a shrill whistle that caught everyone's attention, bringing an immediate silence to the gathering. I stood next to the table with Zander at my back as my other mates and soon-to-be mates joined us.

"I know you've all been wondering what the occasion is for this pack dinner and about the events of earlier today. Well, now is the time you all get to be filled in. Questions will be answered, but first, I would like to introduce our newest pack member." Reaching down, Colt extended a hand to me, easily pulling me up, and Lane and Zander joined us as well. "This is Finley. Through a tragic turn of events, she was bitten by a lost wolf from our pack, making her ours to claim. When we left four days ago to retrieve her from New York, I also discovered that she’s my mate, along with Lane and Zander's as well."

This caused the whole crowd to gasp before murmurs started to flutter throughout the silence.

"Believe me, I was just as shocked as you all when it happened. We’re still investigating what has brought on this occurrence, but for now it doesn't really make a difference. Finley is also an omega. For those of you who don't know what that means, our pack is truly blessed to have such a gift. Omegas are the lynch pin of a pack, having the ability to see the pack in ways that an alpha or average wolf cannot. I hope you’ll make Finley feel as welcome as you have every other new member that has come to our pack. Just know that anything less than the respect she deserves as mate to your alphas will not be tolerated," Colt stated, making sure he put alpha command behind those words. "Zander has been a lone alpha on our pack lands, and we have not yet determined how things will go with sharing a mate, but we ask that you respect his rank while we figure out what is best for this pack and the mate that we share."

The pack was divided in their reactions to all that Colt shared, but none seemed to be of the mindset of Craig, so that was a plus. I was helped off the table, and the gathering started up again as Colt led me into the crowd near the bonfire. Many of the pack members came up to greet me, shaking my hand or giving me a hug. Then three ladies approached us, and a smile grew on Colt’s face.

"Good evening, Katie, Peggy, Milly," Colt greeted. "Allow me to personally introduce you to my mate Finley. As you heard, she is brand new to our pack."

They had to be sisters; the resemblance between them was too strong to not be related in some way. They all had the same blonde hair in different lengths and styles, along with similar face shapes. Milly seemed to be the oldest, with soft wrinkles around her hazel eyes, but I wouldn't say by much. Granted, when you could easily live to be two hundred, telling someone's age was tough. Katie had bright green eyes that watched me with excitement, a smile tugging at her lips, while Peggy narrowed her chocolate brown eyes at me with a slight frown.

“I hope that you three might show her the ropes of pack life while she adjusts?” Colt encouraged, turning to me to watch my reaction.

"Of course, alpha, it would be an honor to assist your mate in transitioning into pack life," Katie answered, giving in to the smile she'd been fighting. “Finley, would you like to join us so we can introduce you to a few other ladies?”

With her standing this close, I got a warm and friendly energy from her, while others got lost in the flurry of people, much like a bunch of conversations melding in a crowd. Even still, part of me hesitated at the idea of going off with them, but I knew this would be part of my life now. I needed to stand on my own two feet. Having my mates around me all the time wouldn’t give me a chance to do that. “Sounds good to me.”

“Don’t worry, Alpha Colt. We’ll make sure to keep an eye on her.” Katie beamed as she took my arm in hers.

"I would expect nothing less from the McAlister sisters." Colt smiled and kissed my temple before giving my hand a squeeze. "You sure you’re alright to hang with them without me?"

Nodding, I looked back at the sisters with a tentative smile. The life of an assassin didn't breed friendships, and I had always been one to prefer working alone, so the concept of 'girlfriends' was one I was not practiced in. Sure, I could fake it and play the role, but I'd never had the need to develop real friends.

"Go on, Alpha Colt. We'll look after her," Milly assured, waving him off when he lingered, not confident in my response.

He flicked his gaze over to the sister then back to me. "Elias is around if you need him."

"I'll be fine," I sighed, knowing he wouldn't leave until I gave him an answer.

After one more kiss and a nuzzle, he left to go help, leaving me to face off with three sisters whose attention was focused solely on me.

twenty-four

"Come, let's find a spot by the bonfire. It's only going to get cooler as the night goes on," Milly said, waving for me to follow after them.

I could tell by their scent that Milly was a beta, while Katie and Peggy were both gammas or typical middle-of-the-pack wolves. Peggy might not be my biggest fan at the moment, but when her arm brushed up against me, I discovered it was more out of concern for the pack. It made me wonder what had happened in the past or what my mates might not know about going on under their noses. We found a table near the fire that was available, and when I tried to sit on the end, Milly coaxed me toward the middle.