“How do you even know that? I was at the Serbian pack mansion when I had my moment,” Jen growled.

“Your mate put you on speaker phone,” Sally said trying not to laugh.

“In his defense, he was panicked when he called because you were freaking out. When I asked him to clarify he simply said listen for yourself and then he put you on speaker.”

“It had been a rough night,” Jen admitted. “Nobody prepared me for how rough motherhood could be. Crap, nobody prepared me for how rough being mated slashed married can be.”

The three girls all nodded, each pondering their own relationships and their own difficulties. A clearing throat brought them back to the present.

“That is why I suggested this weekend,” Alina spoke up. “You three have become like daughters to me. You have each been brought into the Canis lupis world for different reasons, but the outcome has been the same. You are now mated. Not only are you mated but you are mated to very dominant men who are used to getting their way.”

“You forgot to mention old,” Jen tossed out there. There was a ripple of laughter.

“True,” Alina smiled. “Some of them are older, though they look only as old as you, and with that comes an entirely different set of issues. Things seem to have quieted down, at least for this brief moment in time. So I thought we could steal away this weekend and I could share with you my story, which naturally includes Vasile. I think you might find yourself encouraged to know that we did not always have it all together.”

“Let me guess,” Sally smiled. “Vasile was not super happy about you wanting to tell us y’all’s story.”

Alina laughed and the musical sound danced around the room. The twinkle in her eyes as she thought about her mate and his reaction betrayed all the love she felt for him. “Oh, he was definitely not super happy. Men, especially Alphas, never want their failures, or what they perceive as their failures, aired for all to see. What he does not realize, and what I tried to explain to him, is that it is when we are weak that we can be made strong. It is when we realize that we cannot do it on our own that we will finally truly understand the value of a mate.”

“Please tell me you brought popcorn, and―for the love of all things carnal―please tell me we are going to get some yummy details because it is your job to educate us younger chickadees,” Jen purred.

“All you have to do is ask, Alina, and I’ll use some of my magic on her,” Sally said smiling sweetly. “I’ll knock her right out.”

“Uh, Sally dear, you do remember that thing you were asking me about? That certain position…,” Jen asked as her eyes narrowed.

“You wouldn’t,” Sally warned.

“You know me better than that,” Jensmiled. “I most definitely would.”

“Crap, sorry Alina, you’re on your own,” Sally said absently as she leaned back into the chair she had commandeered.

“Why don’t we all get settled down for the night? Go wash your faces, shower if you need to, and then meet back in front of the fireplace. Though we don’t need it for warmth, I’m sure Sally can conjure us up one simply for ambience,” Alina suggested.

Once the girls were back gathered around the unnecessary, yet somehow appropriate, fire― surprise! hot chocolate in hand―Alina took her place on the floor by the hearth. She took in their eager faces and then let her mind wander back to a time long ago, a time when Canis lupis packs were still recovering from the great werewolf wars. Their magic was growing weaker because the fae had retreated to their realm, no longer offering aide to the supernaturals in the human realm. Children born to their race were few and far between and most did not survive because there were no healers to ensure the birth went smoothly. It was a trying time, a scary time with the future of their species uncertain. The Great Luna, their Creator, seemed to have turned them over to themselves as they warred with other packs instead of working together and building unity between themselves. But though it had been a time of uncertainty, Alina had hope for the canis lupis. Something inside of her told her that if she would just be patient, just not give up, they would someday soon see their race restored. But she had no idea just how pivotal her role in such a change would be.

“I will begin with the year I met him; it was 1800,” she began. “I lived on a farm in the hillsides of the Transylvania Mountains with my parents. My village was called Solca. We were a poor outer Provence of the Eastern Romanian pack. My father was not dominant enough to be in the Alpha’s top group, so he fought only when called upon. The rest of the time he was a blacksmith.” 

“Alina, it is time for bed.” Alina heard her mother’s warm voice from where she lay in the forest only meters from her home. Fifteen years old and her mother still felt the need to treat her like a child. She endured it because she did live in their home, ate their food, and used their things, but she was more than ready to find her mate so she could have a home of her own to tend and pups of her own to put to bed. Her mother, of course, reminded her constantly that she was not of age, and even if she did find her mate, he could not claim her―not yet. Most girls if they found their mates young would be claimed at eighteen, but her father had said that was still too young, especially if her mate was a dominate. He told her twenty was the magic number. When she was confident in who she was as a female and could hold her ground with a dominant, then she would be ready for her true mate.