Even though he said he wasn't an alpha blood that's how he appeared to her. He was intense, dominant as they talked any chance they got and even skyped. He'd told her he was a trainee guard at the palace and had always belonged to the royal pack.

Being part of the royal pack was prestigious in itself and the pack members were known to be strong. It made sense that he'd show such dominant power without being high up in the hierarchy. As much as it made sense that she, a beta blood, would be mated to a royal pack warrior.

Claire though, wouldn't have been okay with that. Maybe she had met him ten years ago and decided against him for being a mere pack warrior. Andre wouldn't have known and it was her sister's nature to hide in the shadows and observe before revealing herself.

How many times had Cari watched her do so before joining her friends? But why lie? Why not talk to Cari and convince her to trade mates? She would've done so. Claire had always been able to sway Cari. His could she have found it so easy to betray the love and devotion Cari had given her all these years?

Cari shrugged that hurt away, at least for the moment. Andre would be arriving soon and she had to concentrate on that. It was daunting how fast one week passed by. It seemed like no time had passed since she'd known about him and now he's be here.

"Look alive cuz." Cari nearly jumped out of her skin as her cousin Dolan grabbed her shoulders as he said that.

"Lan!" She admonished and tried to punch him but he danced out of her reach. "What's your damage?" She demanded of her younger cousin.

He was three years younger than her and Dani, same age as he younger brother Vin and as much of a pain. In the near two weeks she had been there, Lan had managed to bug her into being in shape much as Vin had tried back home. They were a pain but she loved them.

"Your sophisticated European mate is coming soon. You need to be ready to defend him from the family. Your dad and Vin will be here soon so.." He once again grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Look alive!"

This time she was ready and punched him in his gut, not a good idea as he was all muscle. "Ouch. Stupid idiot."

He laughed as he left her room and she heard him running down the stairs. Why had she left her door open anyway? She was already nervous and didn't need his idiocy to make it worse.

Wait! Had he said her brother and father were coming? Oh no! Then her father and uncle would interrogate him while Vin and Lan did everything to embarrass her. And Dani! She cringed as she thought of how her protective cousin would treat Andreas. She had to talk to them, she couldn't let them.

As she made her way down the stairs she met her grandmother coming up. Something about her Nana made her pause and when she looked up and smiled that something solidified to wariness. Cari stopped in her tracks like prey before a wolf. Everything in her wanted to backtrack into her room but she stayed still. After all, she was the wolf and her grandmother the human. At least she believed she was a wolf despite not being able to shift. If someone over six centuries old could still be called human.

"There you are, I was just coming to get you," Nana stated.

"I need to talk to uncle Dan and wait for dad to come." Cari tried to deflect her as she inched around her.

"Your parents are already here," Nana informed.

"They are?"

"Yes, and we need to talk to you."

Apprehension grew inside her. "You do?"

"Yes, you're about to be mated and there're some things you'll need to know."

"There are?" Why was she sounding so brainless?

"Yes." Her grandmother agreed as she took Cari into her private office.

Her aunt Walela was already there, her proud bearing softened by the reassuring smile she sent her way. Besides her was her mother, steady looking as usual but there was a look in her eyes that showed her uncertainty. She was nervous about her welcome with her.

Cari was still a bit hurt by how her mother had treated her over the past ten years. Even understanding where she'd been coming from, the fact that she'd been innocent still hurt. Shouldn't her mother have known her enough to side with her? Still, she wouldn't hurt her for anything so she rushed into her mother's arms.

As her mother held her like she'd never let go Cari fought her tears. This was what she needed. Her grandmother and aunt had been so supportive, knowing when and how much to push. Even then, they were not her mother. Not the one woman she'd always need above all others no matter how old she became.

"My baby." Her mother whispered.

"Mum." She replied and that was all that was needed. They held on for a bit longer, each lost in regrets and rejoicing in coming together again.

As they parted her mother kissed her forehead and smiled at her. "I love you, Cari." She stated.

"I love you too mum." She replied.

"Now," her grandmother said all business. "We need to talk to you Cari about your upcoming mating."

Colour stained her cheeks as she avoided Nana's eyes. This wasn't the kind of talk she wanted with her grandmother let alone her mum. "Nana," she protested. "I know what to expect with mating."

"Not this one," Nana stated.

Cari frowned. "What do you mean? What's so different about this mating?"

"Andre had been suffering just as much as you have from Claire's betrayal," her mother stated. "A male wolf reacts differently. He becomes more aggressive, wanting nothing but to tear into the mate that betrayed him and the male who took her away. A male wolf is more likely to survive this kind of betrayal because of that. And the more time passes the more aggressive he gets. The only way to curb that aggression is to find another mate."

"Yes?" Cari questioned still not understanding why that'd lead to their mating being different. Andre had found her which meant everything would now be okay for him.

"He's going to be fixated on you," Nana explained. "Aggressively so."

Her heart thudded against her ribcage. "You mean...?" She had no idea what they meant, what she was even asking.

"That he's going to want to mate the instant he sees you." Her aunt informed in her matter of fact voice and Cari stared at her with wide eyes. "He won't be able to help himself. Every instinct he has will drive him to claim you before you slip away from him. He'll be afraid to lose you and as long as you're unmarked he'll be volatile."

"But it takes two weeks to claim a mate!" Cari protested.

"Yes. He'll want to keep you secluded for the next two weeks. But what concerns us is the first time."

"Why?" She asked in a small voice, afraid of the answer she might be getting.

"He'll be impatient to have you." Cari gulped, fear washing over her at that. Her aunt continued. "You can't show him any fear, any reason to think you don't want and accept him. He'll want to protect you but his need for you will be all-consuming which means he'll be at war with himself. You'll need to be submissive and if you can, you'll need to pleasure him before he can take you."

Cari wanted to find a deep hole to hide in, especially when her aunt went into details on what she'd need to do. Dear moon! Had anyone ever been this embarrassed by her family? Yet she realized she needed this.

"Why did you take so long to tell me?" She demanded as panic set in.

"You were just coming back to life love." Her grandma said. "We didn't want to derail that."

"And you thought telling me a few hours before he gets here was the best?"

"You'd have had longer to worry over nothing Cari." Her mother soothed or tried to.

Caris was incensed. "Nothing? You just told me he'll basically attack me despite his best efforts!"

"No," her aunt emphasized. "He won't attack you. Regardless of how desperate he will be his core instinct will be to treasure you, to protect you even from himself. If you show him any fear or deny him in any way though, you'll hurt him. He's emotionally fragile right now and you know how well men react when they're in that state."

Cari bit her lip at that. She knew guys had a harder time dealing with their own hurt. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Andre, not after all the pain they'd both endured. Yet it was a lot of pressure. She really was scared right now, even though she understood how he'd be. The question was, could she set aside her fear and give her mate what he needed?

"Don't worry so much," her aunt comforted and she looked at her with worry filled eyes. "When you scent him, all you'll want to do is be with him."

"Yes, but he'd have already scented my fear." She complained, "I doubt I'll have overcome it by them."

"Which is why we set your brother a small task." Her mother said with a secret smile.

.

"What task?" She asked and was met with more secretive smiles. "What task?" She demanded.

"Come," her Nana commanded. "We'll get you ready for your mate."

***

"This' how humans introduce new dogs to each other." Cari complained but the scent that was on the wristband was delicious.

Her mother laughed. "Well, technically. . ."

"Don't even!" She scolded enjoying the freedom with her mother.

Their relationship was still tentative and Cari knew it'd never be the same but maybe that would be a good thing. She'd be leaving with her mate and that might be a way for them to build something else. They did say absence made the heart grow founder.

"Admit it Cari, you're loving his scent."

"Well," she prevaricated. "It's not making me want to bare my behind and wag it."

"Honestly Cari," her grandmother admonished as her mother and aunt joined together in their laughter. "You were raised better than that."

She couldn't place the scent. Couldn't liken it to anything she'd ever scented. It was musky without being overpowering, somehow light and elusive. It denoted strength and had her wanting to purr like a cat and rub herself all over him so it'd be all over her. Despite what she'd just said, she did want to bare herself to him and ask him to take her.

Her body was softening, readying itself for his claim. She wondered if a simple wristband would affect her that much how he would have her feeling. Her breasts were already feeling a bit heavy as her nose seemed to isolate his scent and take it in greedily. Cari swallowed to ease her dry throat and then blushed at the knowing looks the three ladies exchanged.

"This' stupid." She complained even though that was the last thing she meant. Of course, the three knew better. With her grandmother's gift and the other two being werewolves there was no way she could hide her reaction.

How her heart had sped up just a tiny beat, how her skin appeared to dew itself. How her lips seemed to part of their own accord. The heat that seemed to wash over her body. Most of all was the excitement that glowed her eyes no matter how she tried to reign it in.

Was this really happening? Would she really have a mate who wanted her? Could she really escape the pain Xander and Claire had constantly sent her way? In the past two weeks they hadn't made love and Cari didn't know what to think. Knowing how sensual werewolves were she knew how hard it had to be for them. She didn't want her sister hurt despite everything and she still felt something strong for Xander.

Hopefully meeting Andre would make him really pale in comparison. She didn't want to feel for Xander and the thought of Andre feeling something for Claire had her gritting her teeth in jealousy. It was unfair, she knew, but Andre was hers. A secret rush that she held close to her heart and didn't want anyone to know just how much.

"You look beautiful." Her mother complimented, mistaking her comment for a complaint on how she was dressed or undressed.

"Sexy." Her aunt added.

"Irresistible." Her grandmother agreed.

She chewed her lip as she looked at herself critically. She had gained some of her weight back and the training she had done in the past week had a bit of an effect that she looked good and toned. Her stomach had always been flat and with her tiny waist, her hourglass figure was, well sexy? maybe? Not that she'd ever thought of herself in that way.

She'd been too young when she realized Xander was her mate, sixteen and just realizing that boys were actually interesting. She hadn't even had time to evaluate her own looks before everything went to hell.

Her skin looked like cream that had a dash of chocolate thrown in. She had waist-length brown hair that Andre had stated he loved long so her aunt had layered it in front to frame her face. Her high cheekbones were enhanced and the fragility she'd always hated about her looks was enhanced.

Highland women were tall, making her five foot eight height look small and they were built like amazons. Beautiful in a warlike wonder woman kind of way. Her fragile elfin features were one reason everyone had labelled her human from the get-go. Still, she couldn't deny she looked sexy.

Her C, sometimes D cup breasts were encased in a silky, lacy wonderbra that put them on display more than she'd ever done. The matching panties were more lace and a scrap of cloth that covered her core, barely. She had on a garter belt that held up nude silk stockings. Everything was a cream that matched her skin. If she hadn't liked the way she looked she may have been embarrassed the three women had chosen this for her knowing what it'd lead to.

Her hair flowed behind her like a dark brown river, her chocolate eyes looked wide and innocent. She was the proverbial virginal sacrifice, only a very willing one. And she was willing, very much so.

"What if he doesn't want me?" She whispered her fear causing the three to freeze. "What if he takes one look at me and decides I'm too weak for him, too human for a were born?"

Her mother came to wrap her arms around her and Cari melted into them. "Honey, he's going to love you. He knows about your wolf taking her time to show up and he doesn't care."

"How do you know?" She asked in soft anguish.

"Few females have survived what you did for so many years. Most lose their will to live and some take their own lives. But you, my sweet girl, survived and are still as sane as ever. You're not bitter and didn't even try to sabotage Claire. That makes you strong. And if that boy had half a brain he'd know that. Besides, Vin and Lan told us he's close to tearing their throats out if they don't take him to you."

Her heart flipped at that. He really was eager to see her and she could finally let go and be happy, believe that he was going to be hers. "Really?" She asked with all her hope in her voice.

"Really." Her aunt emphasized. "So we're going to leave and let you wait for him before we lose our sons." She smiled and Cari returned it before letting her mother go.

Her Nana came and kissed her forehead in a silent benediction before she walked out. Her aunt embraced her then she too left. Her mother held her cheek for a moment as she stared into her eyes.

"He's a lucky man." She stated. "And according to your brother, a good one." Cari nodded, a lump in her throat stealing her words. Her mother smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. "I love you."

"Love you too." Cari replied then watched her mother leave.

Now she was alone in the mating cabin waiting for her mate to come and start claiming her.