True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves
Chapter 32: A Balance

"Honey, you need to get up." Quincy was saying gently in her ear. "Dinner is ready."

At the mention of food her stomach growled and twisted. She was starving. She was lying on her stomach a light blanket over her. She tried to move but every muscle in her body protested. "I feel like I was hit by a train." She replied softly. Her eyes were open at least.

"Three of them really." Quincy smiled as he squatted next to the bed. "You will feel better after food. You also have your meeting with the mothers." She groaned at the mention of her mother and theirs. He chuckled and lifted his hand to brush his knuckles across her cheek. "You were not complaining at the time, honey."

She closed her eyes and let the memories of the afternoon run free. She opened her eyes again. William was there in place of Quincy. "That is not nice." She said and rose on the bed to her hands and knees then wrapped the blanket around herself to take to the bathroom with her. Her body screaming with each movement.

"What?" He asked though he knew. "Quincy thought you might go back to sleep."

"No. I was thinking." She said. She planted one foot on the floor and then the other. Pushed herself off the bed and tested her legs. Oh fuck. She almost fell. He grabbed her elbow and steadied her.

"Need help?" He asked concern in his voice. She looked up at him and then down to the floor. She would get there on her own.

"No, thank you." She said. He was confused by the way she was acting with him. She was not being mean or using a tone of nastiness with him. But she was putting as little emotion in her voice as possible. Not cold but not warm either. He had been as gentle as he could. Had he misunderstood something? Even took the moment to kiss her and brush the tear from the pain away. What had he done wrong?

"Did I do something?" He asked there was no reason to beat around such things. If he had he needed to know.

"No." She said factually. "I just need to get my muscles to work. I will be down in a few." He gave her a concerned look and then shrugged and walked down the stairs. She made it to the bathroom and started the water for a shower. The oil was crusty and there was something dry between her thighs.

"She is confusing as hell." William said to his brothers already at the table.

"Why?" Quincy asked filling his water glass and taking a sip.

"She was all sweet to you, but as soon as she realized it was me she closed off I guess." William explained as best he could. The looked to Rick. "If she does not act that way toward you then I know I did something and I cannot figure out what the hell it could be."

"Well she did think you took her horseback riding to off her." Quincy chuckled. He still could not believe she would have thought that.

"She wasn't bruised was she?" Rick asked.

"Not that I could tell but she wrapped the blanket around herself like a tortilla to have some modesty." William replied. "I am not sure what to make of that either."

"Hmm. Perhaps modesty is so ingrained into her." Rick thought about that. They fell silent when they heard the door to the bathroom open and her footsteps across the room on the floor. She took the steps gingerly but did not ask for help.

She took her place across from them. "How you feeling, love." Rick asked before he folded his hands for the meal prayer.

"Sore, but better now that I had a shower." She replied her tone the same with him as it had been with William. Hmm. Interesting. Examine that later. All four folded their hands and said the prayer. Then dove in to eat. She was starving so piled her plate with the meat, potatoes and fresh asparagus.

"I hope you don't mind," William started. "I made an appointment for you next week with our pack doctor."

"Why?" She asked. She was not ill. Nor was she to become pregnant. She had noticed the opened boxes on their nightstands as she had come down. Was she unworthy of that then? Would they let their line die rather than get pups by her.

"To start a chart for you." Quincy replied. "And if you recall I did say I was not ready to be a father just yet. We would like to see you get your education done and your career going." She smiled at this. He had said that. She remembered now.

"Okay." She said brightening a little at that. She was not ready for motherhood either so she respected that.

Rick and William exchanged a glance. She was all smiles to Quincy. Sweet as could be. But direct and lukewarm with the other two. Quincy was enjoying the discomfort the other two were feeling. Should have said the words, fuckers. Good luck. He thought.

They finished dinner with little conversation as William and Rick were too deep in their own thoughts. Quincy stood first his plate clean. "You and I have dishes tonight, honey." He informed her. She nodded with a brilliant smile and finished the last of her food. She had cleaned her plate which was good. In the kitchen on the counter was a stack of different chocolate candies and cookies along with five books. All with very interesting pictures of males and females in different poses.

"What's this?" She asked Quincy.

"In our experience next week will be a little rough around here. It is a peace offering not to verbally or physically cut our balls off." William replied from his place at the table. He shot her a grin.

"He is not wrong." Quincy replied.

"My cycles are not that bad." She said though she was not really sure. She was usually too busy to really think about it much. A child did say to her once during that time that she was little crankier than normal.

"Better safe than sorry. You can start that now or wait until next week. Quincy has the run tomorrow so perhaps you should stock up on your products." William replied. He had stood and brought his utensils to the kitchen. Rinsed his plate and cup and placed everything in the sink.

"I do." Quincy said with a huge grin. "You really like the boat?" He asked. He had a plan but he wanted to make sure she would really enjoy it. He opened the dishwasher handed her a rag and indicated the spot in front of the dishes. She would wash tonight he would load the dishwasher.

"I did," she started handing him dishes.

"Good. There is a huge steamboat that goes around the lake. I thought we could take a ride on that. It is off the Branson landing. There are some good restaurants and a little shopping too. Nothing to strenuous after today's exercise." He said.

"That sounds lovely." She replied. A steamboat ride? Well at least with Quincy she did not have worry about being pushed into the water. "Thank you." She said.

"You are welcome, honey." He said and they fell silent. Rick and William had gone up to the second landing to wait for her to leave then they were going to hash out what the hell was up with her.

The kitchen and dining room were done and she still had an hour to kill before she had to be at Margarette's for more training. She sat down at the desk upstairs and opened her laptop to check her emails. She had two emails. One from the GED website that she clicked on. She let out a little squeal. Her classes start Monday. The other was junk mail that Rick had already warned her about opening. Firewalls did not extend to emails.

"What's wrong?" William asked on the stairs looking for a mouse or a snake.

"My registration was accepted. My classes start Monday." She said happily.

"Excellent news, sugar." He said and turned to go back to his drawing board.

She trashed the other email and not having anything else to do she picked up one of the book she had brought up with her and relaxed back in the chair to read it. Checking the time periodically.

William could barely concentrate on the second floor of the new pack house. Little gasps and 'ohs' kept coming from upstairs. He finally threw his pencil into the wall across the room as was his habit. Then stomped down the stairs and out the back door. Quincy and Rick exchanged glances. What the hell was his problem now?

"Is everything alright?" Alexandria asked from the middle steps she was going to be late if she did not get moving. She was pulling the strap of one of the sandals on.

"Yep," The two brothers said and Quincy stood to escort her down to the front door. "Best go out this one. The bear is in the back." She smiled and kissed him softly on the mouth. Then left.

William stomped back into the house. "What the hell did you buy her?"

"Romance novels." Quincy grinned. "The raunchiest ones on the shelf. Read a few scenes myself. Just to make sure."

"Oh for fuck's sake." William growled and pulled his pencil out of the wall. "How is it you get a kiss and Rick and I get lukewarm bullshit?"

"I told her I love her." Quincy said crossing his arms over his chest. "Because I am not an idiot."

William's anger evaporated. Of course. He shot Rick a questioning look. Rick threw his hands in the air. "I have a plan of action to correct the mistake."

"I suggest you come up with one of your own. Copying me will seem cheap and hollow." Quincy said. "I did it while I was making love to her." Then Quincy grinned. "And then cuddled with her after." Quincy ducked the blow that William threw that would have bruised if not broken his jaw. "Not my fault. I felt it was right. I am surprised you did not on the ride."

"Kind of hard to when she thought I was going to push her off the damn horse." William said. Rick sat up straight on his bed with a look of confusion on his face. "Yeah, I kissed that right out of her. Or so I thought."

"Rendering her speechless with a kiss is not the same thing, brother." Quincy replied.

"I see that now." William replied and marched back to his drawing board.

Alexandria listened intently to what Margarette was saying to her about etiquette when at the major meetings that took place annually. As one of the bigger packs the Ozark Pack was looked up to. Respect shown and given. Andrea had already given her lessons on proper attire for each ritual. And which ritual meant what. Margarette finished off by saying that as Luna she would not have much contact with her Alphas during the day. She would be occupied with the other Lunas and females that had accompanied the other Alphas. But the evenings were nice with fancy dinners and dancing.

Marcus was upstairs on the third floor in his study as usual going over his contracts and budgets. "I know you will miss that part, love." He called down.

"We can do the fancy dinners and dancing just as well here, my love." She replied back with a wistful smile. "Any questions?"

"Not about that." Alexandria replied shyly. "The being away from them part will be hard, but the rest will be easier."

"It is a bitch. And remember you are not the only one to feel that separation. The other females will be feeling it too. Remain calm and collected." Margarette replied. "Even if you feel like half your soul is missing. Your wolf will whine a little but then she will quiet."

"What did you have a question on, daughter?" Andrea asked.

"How soon after you spoke the words did you plan your own ritual?" Alexandria asked of Margarette.

"Three weeks. The council was up Marcus's ass to make me Luna as quickly as possible. With there having been no Luna for several years the females were starting to become restless without someone who understood their issues." Margarette smiled. "You said the words then?"

"I did." Alexandria replied. "I did not see any point in waiting. Quincy told me he loves me today. So I suppose I will just have to figure out Rick and William."

"There is nothing to figure out. Rick and William adore you." Andrea replied assuringly.

"I am not so sure." Alexandria replied. "I am sure Rick will when he is ready. But William?" She shook her head.

"William will when he is ready too." Margarette said sitting down next to her. "I know about what happened yesterday." Margarette sighed. "Did you ask him?"

"He took me horseback riding today. I thought it was to push me down a hill. Or off the horse." Alexandria said. Marcus was on the bottom step before she finished.

"Why on earth would you think that?" Marcus asked. Frustration and concern on his face.

"I am not." She started and then the tears started. "I am not worthy of him." Marcus cursed a blue streak kissed Margarette's head and walked out the door in his bare feet. He had a thing or two to say to his son.

"First, daughter. If you saw the way he stared you during your adoption party you would be singing a different tune. And second. To injure you in anyway would hurt them all. He loves you, dear." Andrea said clearly. "Some of them just take longer to say it. But he does."

"He is attentive and protective when I am out with him." Alexandria said.

William had just put the final touch on the nursery room on the blueprint. Deciding the house should be four stories not three. The whole second floor would be a nursery with a second bedroom if she was too tired from midnight feedings to make it to her own bed. Not that one of them would not be with her. The thought made him smile. The front door slammed open and Marcus stood in their doorway.

"I thought I raised sons who understood the workings of a relationship with their female but apparently there were a few lessons I left off." Marcus seethed.

Quincy turned back to his computer since this did not pertain to him. Marcus stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. Then met William's surprised eyes with a hard light blue stare. "Explain what the hell happened to make that female think she is unworthy of you?" Anger replaced the surprise.

"I have no idea. I have done nothing to give her such notions." William defended. Rick raised his hand.

"Actually, brother. You did. Right out of the gates. And yesterday did not help." Rick put in. "As for fixing it. This will take groveling of the highest order." Then Rick added. "Father, she is pmsing so that may play a part in the illogical logic."

"Start groveling, William." Marcus said. "Flowers, movies, chocolates. A car. Whatever her heart desires see it done." Then he turned his gaze to Rick.

"I have a plan. Quincy just beat us to the punch." Rick said throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Really hard not to utter those three little words when she sighs so beautifully when you are inside her." Quincy mused. Marcus's knife buried itself into the wall a hair away from Quincy's computer. "Fuck, Dad." Quincy jumped back from his computer. Then pulled the knife out of the wall.

"You did what?" Marcus thundered. Quincy walked down the steps to hand his father the knife back.

"I meant them." Quincy assured him. "I have never said those words to any other female."

"You three did what?" Marcus asked again. His patience with his offspring hanging by a thread. He thought he had explained to them when they were in their teens emphatically that to do such a thing might in fact break the poor female. Both physically and emotionally.

"She was in complete control of the situation," William said. "How long did it take you before you told Mom?"

"Three days, that is not the point." Marcus said on a sigh. "All three of you at once. On a virgin."

"That had not been the original plan, but it worked." Quincy said. "She did not complain until just before dinner when I woke her. Said she felt like she had been run over by a train."

"I bet she did." Marcus replied he scanned the upstairs room closely. "I assume from the open boxes you are not planning on pups anytime soon."

"You would be correct. I am working on the blueprints for the new pack house and we want to see her start her career in whatever she decides. Her GED classes start Monday." William replied. "I called and made an appointment with Kaitlyn this afternoon for her. Moon only knows if she has ever been examined and she needs to be on the pill, or shot or whatever she wants."

"Fine." Marcus responded a little softer. "I do not want her back over at my house tomorrow night crying on Margarette's shoulder again." He turned and left he house the same way he came in. Door slamming behind him.

"One word and I will slit your throat myself." William growled. "That was not the point I was trying to make."

"Then you had better explain it to her soon." Rick replied. Quincy nodded.