To Be Protected

Chapter 16: Konek

I awoke to soft kisses being pressed to my new mating mark and I giggled as they started to move up until Mathis was peppering my face with kisses. When he was satisfied he bundled me up into his arms and buried his face into my chest where he then started to press light kiss into. Smiling, I ran my fingers through his hair as I just basked in the moment of being together with my new mate. Our bond was still growing and moments like this were necessary for newly bonded mates, at least that's what Susan told Evelyn and me.

Mathis and I laid there for a bit longer before he rolled to his feet and hauled me to mine. I stretched my back as I followed him to the kitchen were we scrounged up some food and sat down to eat. As we ate slowly and just messed around a knock at the door had me on my feet as I rushed to answer it. Pulling open the door with Mathis behind me I squealed in excitement when I saw it was Evelyn. She pushed Den into my arms and he yipped as his tail started to go haywire and he attacked my face with licks.

"Den!" I yelled in happiness as I held the pup to my chest, "Why did you have Den?" I asked Evelyn in confusion, but my eyes went wide as I spun to face Mathis, "You tried to kill him you mongrel!" I snapped at my mate, who raised his hands in surrender and backed up a bit.

"It wasn't my fault!" He defended, "I was in a rut."

Narrowing my eyes at him my look promised him that we would talk about this later, "Edice took care of him," Evelyn told me, "And Jackson, this heat thing is fucking awful!" she whined.

"Really? I didn't think it was that bad," I said as my eyes flicked towards a smug looking Mathis.

Evelyn rolled her eyes at me as she pushed her way into the room where she flopped down on one of the pelts in the front room with me doing the same. Mathis kissed the top of my head before he headed into the kitchen. Evelyn looked at me an excited gleam in her eyes as she leaned towards me with a large smile.

"So I see you have a mark," she remarked with a smirk as she pointed to my mating mark.

I nodded yes and smiled proudly as I ran my hands through Den's fur, "Yep, and get this, Mathis even let me mark him!" I said with utter glee.

Evelyn's eyes nearly popped out of her head at that, "He did? My gods," she covered her mouth with her hand as she shook her head in disbelief. She looked towards the kitchen and leaned in close to me when she didn't see Mathis, "I asked Edice to be with me during my heat, and guess what? He refused!" she said as she threw her hands up in frustration, "Something about him not completing the courting so he couldn't possibly say yes yet. Can you believe that he fucking left me alone like that? So I'm avoiding him right now, kind of giving him the cold shoulder," she said with a harrumph.

Running my fingers over my mating mark I couldn't imagine what my heat would have been like if Mathis wasn't with me. I don't know how I would have survived it. "You still have next heat though, and trust me, the courting isn't anything bad. With Mathis it was really pleasant. It's something like they have to prove that they are worthy of us. Can you imagine that?"

She sighed as she flopped on her back, "We have really entered a strange place. Nice, but strange," she grumbled.

Nodding in agreement at that I looked towards the door as it was knocked on once again. Den started growling as I stood and headed to the door but I ignored him as I continued to hold him in my arms. Opening the door I was faced with a Beta who looked both happy and nervous as our eyes met.

"Good morning Valek," he said briskly as he eyed the still growling Den in my arms, "I was sent by Ral Percy to inform you and Commander Mathis that your presence is asked for in the Head Hut for a meeting. Ral Percy says that it isn't too urgent but needs to be discussed soon," he finished formally.