Page 17 of Mated

He smiles, almost pitying me. “At least your job will be easy. She’ll practically train herself. But the pack is not going to like this. There are plenty of pureblooded females who will think they are a better match for you.”

“They’re not compatible, and we all know it. I didn’t feel the mate bond with them, and if they’re honest with themselves, they’ll admit they didn’t feel it with me either.”

Abel nods. “And all that logic won’t mean anything when jealous females decide to take it out on Kira, who won’t be able to defendherself. You won’t always be around. They’ll hunt her. It’s not easy being alpha female.”

I can’t think of a person less like an alpha female than Kira. She’s such a demure little thing.

“Have you come here just to point out obvious problems I’m already very well aware of?”

“I came here to talk to my brother, the alpha of the biggest pack in the country, and the oldest in our nation, to discuss what the ramifications of this event are. Bardo won’t talk to anyone besides me, and he barely mentioned it to me. But sooner or later, this particular shit is going to hit the fan.”

“Just because she’s dilute doesn’t mean she won’t be an excellent mate, and that is all I care about. Nature doesn’t make mistakes. She is supposed to be mine, and nothing anybody says or does will change that. She’s mine today, tomorrow, and all the days following that.”

“Easy, brother,” Abel raises his hands in a show of surrender. “She’s your mate, and there’s no changing that. I’m not trying to suggest you should. I just wanted to understand the situation so we can make a plan to avoid the worst of the pack’s misbehavior.”

“There won’t be any. Anybody who so much as looks at Kira in the wrong way is going to regret it. I will personally see to it.”

A dark smile spreads over Abel’s face. “That sounds like a good threat to you, but I can think of half a dozen females at least who would love for you to personally make them regret something. I think it is time I take on some responsibilities in moderating the pack. You’ve been in charge for years. But Bardo and I have our roles to play, too.”

I see what he’s doing. Asking for permission to take the wheel in more matters than business. I have to remind myself that this isn’t a sign of insubordination. He doesn’t want to fight me for control. He’s not trying to take over. He wants to help. I have to trust that, because if I ever doubt it, I’ll have to kill him.

I let out a long sigh, releasing the breath I was holding. “Do what you deem necessary, brother. I trust you.”

Abel smiles broadly. That is what he wanted to hear, what he came here in the hopes he’d hear me say. He opens his arms to me. “Congratulations, brother. We’ve all waited for this day for you.”

We hug.

I appreciate him supporting me, but every second I am away from Kira makes me feel a unique kind of anxiety that will only be assuaged by getting back into her presence and assuring myself she is well.

This is a normal stage in the mating bond. We will experience suffering when we are apart until weeks or even months have passed. Right now I have no intention of allowing Kira out of my sight ever again. I know logically that is not possible, but there’s nothing logical about my animal mind.

“Stay in touch,” Abel says, knowing full well that I will not be in touch for a while.

I go upstairs, let myself into the apartment, and go straight to the bedroom, only to discover the bed empty. I check the bathroom. She’s not in there. My concern spikes.

“Kira!” There’s a note of panic in my voice.

“Uhm. Here?” Her voice comes back to me almost immediately.

My concern only lasted a minute or two, but that’s long enough to make me feel as though I am losing my mind. I stride through the apartment and find her watching television in the living room.

As far as sins go, it’s not ostensibly a huge one, but I told her what to do, and she immediately disobeyed me. I cannot abide that. One little act of disobedience can swiftly compound into a whole lot more. I don’t want to do what I’m about to do, but I’m going to do it anyway.

She gives me a wide-eyed look as I stride toward her.

I pick her up from the couch, sit down, and put her over my knee. The blanket she had wrapped around her falls away, leaving her naked and vulnerable over my lap. Her ass is so cute and shapely, soft and round and spankable as hell.

“When I tell you what to do, you do it,” I lecture her. “I give orders, not suggestions. In my pack, my word is law.”

“I’m sorry,” she whimpers.

“I’m sure you are. I am also equally sure that you will be a good deal more sorry shortly. Part of being my mate, part of being in my pack, and part of being a wolf, is following orders.”

I smack her ass. Not very hard, but hard enough to sting.

Her yelp is loud and dramatic. Her skin has barely changed color, so I know that there’s no way I have done anything resembling damage. She’s either being dramatic, or doesn’t likehow being corrected feels. I hope it’s the latter. I don’t want to have to do this too often.

It might seem like I’m being a tyrant, that she’s a grown woman who can decide whether or not she goes to bed. But it’s not that simple. We are not mere people. We are wolves. Order is not only essential to the functioning of the pack, it is required for all of us to be mentally healthy and stable. An alpha who cannot maintain order will have a sick mate and a sick pack.

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