True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves
Chapter 15: Sensative Subjects

She sat on a chair on the porch eating the tasty pastries and watching the birds and squirrels in the trees. Quincy sat on the ground next to her feet. He did not make a move to touch her. Though she could feel the tension in him. "William takes charge." She finally stated after her second package of the gooey mess.

"Yes he does." Quincy smiled. "Kind of the natural order of things." He looked up at her then. Concern and something else in his eyes. "Feeling better then?"

"Not really. You try having everything you thought you knew torn to shreds in less than forty-eight hours." She replied with a weak smile.

"Nope. I like my reality just the way it is." He replied with a wry chuckle. "It will get better. I can promise you that."

"I am not sure how. I stay and well." She sighed might as well tell it how it is. "Any hope of freedom I had goes out the window. I leave and I will starve to death in a week."

"Freedom?" Quincy asked. "Did you think that once you did what he sent you here to do that he would just pat you on the head and let you walk out the gates forever?"

"Well when you put it that way." Alexandria sighed and pushed down her tears. So this was to be her life. Captive again. Told what to do and how to do it. An image flashed through her mind but she pushed it aside. She did not want to go there awake. It was bad enough that it haunted her in her sleep but not awake. Her back itched. It did that when things surfaced she did not want. She rubbed her back against the chair.

"Want me to get that?" Quincy asked rising to his feet.

"No. Its fine, thanks." Alexandria replied and stopped. "I got it."

"Alright," He conceded and sat back down. "Are we really that bad?" He picked off a piece of the crust from his blueberry pop-tart and threw it to the ground below for the animals. A squirrel ran up and took it then scampered off in the opposite direction it had come.

"No." Alexandria replied slowly. Then sighed. "I am terrified. Not of any one person or thing. The whole of it. I waited my whole life for this and then to have everything I was taught turned upside down. Every memory I thought was real shown to be false. And the wolves I was told were evil are supposed to be the good guys and I am supposed to just give my trust over to that?" She let out in a rush. "And no, that is not even the start of it."

"I understand." Quincy replied. "I do." He repeated at her incredulous look. "We have gone with our parents to the packs that get children from that place. We sit and talk to them and get to know them. All of them just like you." At her curious look he went on. "Mom and Dad knew that we needed to see first hand and learn to help as they did. As Alphas it is our place to help out those that need homes."

"Nobel." Alexandria replied.

"Most cannot handle the truth. Rick went into psychology because he had one that just did not want to accept the truth. Had been so devoted and was so sure that he was right. The pack that had been tending to his care had to cut him loose. Not even the Main Council would step in to help. He was dead in three days. Shot in the face for a wallet." Quincy hated telling this but it had to be said. "I am not telling you this because we would let that happen to you. But that if you leave here. We have to sever the bond. You will not have us to help you. And it is really hard for a rejected female to be accepted by another pack."

"So my choices are captive or death?" She said on a choking laugh. Just what she had figured.

"Captive?" Quincy asked shocked. "We are not holding you here, little one. You are. Your keys to your car are on the hook with all the other keys in the house." He nodded past the trees to indicate the pack house. "We took none of your clothes." He shook his head. "We want you to stay and learn to be a Luna and our mate but the choice is yours. I thought we made that clear." He stood. "I am done with these, are you?" She nodded and handed the last of the box to him. "We do not take prisoners, little one. Are you comfortable going to town with me?" He asked as an afterthought. If she really did not want to he would forfeit his turn for Rick. That would cut deep. But Rick was better at this stuff than he was.

"I am good." She said and stood. Quincy grinned and bent to grab the milk and glasses. The look of pure pleasure on his face was disconcerting to her. Had she made the wrong choice? She remembered the side roads that pulled into the woods near the highway. William had pulled onto one of them. Scaring her to death.

His face fell. "I will go get Rick then." He said when he saw the fear in her eyes. What the hell had she been through? Perhaps Rick was better for her for now. He could at least enlighten the rest of them. She touched his arm tentatively when he made to walk past her. The warmth of his skin and the hard muscle and tissue of his forearm felt so good under her hand.

"No. Its fine. I told you, it's not one thing or person. I am out of my depth here." She said softly. "I am trying."

"Alright." He said with uncertainty in his voice. "I still need to go put this away. Mother will have my head if I leave it out here." He grinned. She dropped her hand and waited for him to step back outside. He held out his arm to her. "You got the Thunderbird yesterday. Wait til you see my ride."

In the garage around the back of the pack house were two cars with covers on them. He pulled back the cover to reveal a cobalt blue 1968 Mustang Shelby. She was floored. "How in the hell do you have this?" She asked in awe.

"How does a sheltered girl from a compound know what this is?" Quincy asked in shock when she started naming off different facts about the car itself. And the modifications he had made to it.

"There was one at the facility. Black. Shit shape. But damn I could see what she had been when she was in her prime." Alexandria replied. "The car you found was one I finished fixing myself."

"For a fact?" He asked not sure what she said was real or not. Not even sure she did.

"Yes. I did the oil change on her and everything before I left the facility. The sparks were being touchy at first but I had not driven her any further than one bay to the next when needed." Alexandria replied. Then added at his look. "No that I do remember clearly. Everything done to that car I did myself." He opened the passenger side door for her. "Do I have to take my shoes off?" He laughed and shook his head.

"I put good floor mats in it to make sure it was easy to clean." He answered as she got in. The interior was leather and blue as well. Darker than the outside of the car. She whistled.

"If you are a good girl, perhaps I will let you drive it." He adjusted his mirror and found a blue cap with a Q on it in the back seat. "Forgot I left that there." The car smelled like him. More pine than rain. She took a deep breath. She calmed immediately. She could do this. William had not touched her in a way she had been scared of. Surely Quincy would be the same way.

What was she so on edge for? He had not said or done anything that would put her on edge. You know nothing of what she went through growing up, Quince he told himself. But did he really want to? No. Leave that to Rick. He chanced a glance at her. Her hands were folded in her lap. Her eyes were shielded by her long dark lashes. She was a pretty little thing. Of that there was not denying. Smaller than he would have preferred but well formed. She blinked her eyes hard. Oh hell no. "Talk to me, Alexandria." He coaxed gently. "What are you thinking?"

She looked up at him. He had to look at the road but did not miss the lost look in her eyes. The war she was having in her head. "Too many things." She said finally. He pulled into the same shopping center William had yesterday. Right in front of Kenneth's Martial Arts. Dread hit her like a bag of bricks. They were each going to take a turn at showing her how useless she was? She felt tears sting her eyes again. She would not cry. She would not beg. She would do as she was told. She was good at that. That is what they wanted.

"I was kinda peeved that William got to see the grandparents yesterday. Thought I would stop in and at least say hi. Want to come? Grandmother always has fresh cookies." Quincy said. She looked at him for a second confused then nodded. He smiled and got out. Walked around the car and opened her door for her. He noticed the kid on a bicycle a foot away from where he had parked.

"Nice ride, bro," a kid said behind Quincy.

"Thanks." Quincy replied. He held one hand out to Alexandria. The other was on the car door. The kid was just being admiring of a beautiful machine. "She took me three years to restore."

"Hey Quincy, your brothers messaged and said you would be in town." Kenneth stepped out of his Dojo a staff in his hand. "The police are on their way, kids. I suggest you skiddaddle. Or I will press charges for loitering." He looked past Quincy's shoulder. "Hello, Alexandria. Myrtle just pulled out a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. You run inside. Up the stairs and to the right." Quincy let her go while keeping his body between her and the three humans.

"You ain't gonna do shit old man." The older of the three replied and stepped forward.

"Before you do something really stupid let me show you something." Kenneth said calmly he pointed with his staff to the door he had just exited from. "You can read right?" The boys nodded. "Good so before we start I want this real clear in your heads. This is my Dojo. I train. I trained my grandson and his brothers. My son and my daughter-in-law. I can kill you with a finger. My staff will hurt like a bitch and my grandson has a knife at his back. How do you think this will end?" He paused and waited for the math to add up in the three skull capped brains in front of him. The boy who had stepped forward stepped back. "Get out of here and I will take the false reporting charge. But do not come back." He pointed to the overhang. "I have cameras." The boys snickered. "More than one boys. All of them work." The one who had put down his bike picked it back up and pedalled away calling to his friends.

"Thanks. I hate fighting humans." Quincy said as he took his grandfather's hand.

"Your welcome but I have been watching those three all morning. I guess since it is Sunday they think the police have the day off." Kenneth smiled. "How is she today?"

"Fuck if I know." He replied. "She is terrified. Like I am going to do something. I cannot tell if it is something I did or said or if it something from her past." Quincy shrugged. "It is frustrating."

"You have always the been more sensitive of the three of you. Do not take it to heart. She is still struggling with all of this. Did Seth shine any light." Kenneth asked as they walked up a hall and then took a set of stairs to the apartment above.

"Did not know her. Though she swore to know him. He was apprentice I guess to a nasty mechanic. A real piece of work by the name of Quentin." Quincy replied.

"Quentin?" Kenneth stopped. "How nasty?"

"Seth did not go into detail but Mom understood his implications." Quincy replied. "Why?"

"Nevermind." Kenneth replied and stepped into the hall that was filled with the delicious aroma of fresh cookies and feminine laughter. "Leave it to your grandmother to make anyone feel at home."

"My beautiful grandson. How are you, dear?" Myrtle greeted him with a cookie in his mouth and a glass of milk in his hand. He pulled the cookie out of his mouth to reply.

"Good, Grandmother." He smiled around the gooey mess in his mouth.

"Well, I hope that you will spend more time with me than your brother did yesterday." She said gesturing to a chair.

"For your cookies. Always." Quincy grinned and set down his milk on the coaster in front of his place next to Alexandria and picked up another cookie.

"Brat." She laughed. Alexandria smiled and took a nibble out of her cookie. It was so good. But after all the pop-tarts she did not need more sugar. "Do not worry about manners dear."

"We had pop-tarts for breakfast. I do not handle a lot of sugar well. Not a lot of it growing up." Alexandria said. "But they are delicious."

"They better be. Betty Crocker would be sued," Myrtle laughed. "Just kidding. I have won county fairs with those and my snickerdoodles. Perhaps I will make you a batch for tomorrow." She grinned. "They have less sugar and the cinnamon is good for your heart." Alexandria nodded and looked at her plate. That was right. Rick would bring her in tomorrow after the meeting with the council. She felt a little nauseous.

Quincy was watching her closely. Saw a slight panic enter her eyes. "Hey. You alright?" He asked. He moved slowly so as not to frighten her. He touched her back and she jumped.

"Sorry," She apologized. "Excuse me." She left the kitchen and the apartment.

"See what I mean. I even gave her the choice to have Rick bring her today." Quincy replied and then excused himself before she decided to go play in traffic. He found her on the steps leading to the Dojo. "Talk to me, Alexandria. I cannot help you. None of us can until you speak up."

"Stop acting like you care." She snapped. "It's not playing fair." He reached out to touch her again but she pulled away. "Not there. Their not fresh but not healed all the way either." She looked down the hall. "The last rites if you will. Do not ask for details for I will say nothing on it. Did any of your refugees talk about that?"

"No. But none of them were armed to the teeth and in a stolen vehicle either." Quincy replied. "Yeah that car was reported stolen thirty years ago. Good thing you never got pulled over." She laughed though she just wanted to cry.

"And it just gets better. What is the penalty for that?" She asked her voice cracking from unshed tears.

"Jail time. But since we talked to some friends the car is yours and the report just disappeared. It is good to have the right people on your side. We need to get it registered before you can legally take off in it. But there you go." Quincy informed her. "So while I knew something was up I did not know what. I will ask for nothing that you do not want to venture. But know I will listen and not judge. So will William and Rick." He reached slowly for her chin and pulled her eyes to look into his. "And we are not acting. We do care. It is part of the bond. We care for our mates. Devote ourselves more like. You are all we care about." She could not help it. She was tired. Or perhaps it was sugar crash but she put her head on his shoulder and it felt good. To have something solid under her as the world continued to spin out of control around her.

"I need to go and apologize." She said after a few minutes. Her voice clearer.

"Yes and we still have the mall to hit." Quincy replied. "It closes at six." She nodded. The feel of her against him. So soft and close. He had to count his breaths to keep himself under control. One move and she would disappear. She was so fragile. So soft and fragile. Her scent was not helping. Every inhale was a new experience in torture. She lifted her head and moved to stand.