True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

They entered the lingerie store and Marissa beelined to them. Her smile got bigger when she noticed Quincy's hat. "Didn't you have a 'W' yesterday?" She asked without even greeting Alexandria.

"He did." Alexandria replied and put herself between the stupid human and Quincy. "When your boyfriend asks you to have a polyamorous relationship. And you realize he means his brothers. I know what I am needing you can go drool over there." Alexandria dismissed the woman to the other side of the store. Marissa looked to Quincy. He was busying himself with the sale sign.

"Let me know if you need any help then." Marissa said disappointedly. Then wandered off to help someone else. But she did in fact keep an eye on the huge hunk following the little girl around with his eyes.

"And to think I actually felt sorry for her when William was being an ass yesterday." Alexandria said as she stepped to a display case to select what she wanted. A yellow racerback sport like bra caught her eye. She looked for a matching set of cheeky panties. "Quincy do you see?" She turned to ask him if he saw what she was looking for but he was still at the entrance. His eyes were on her but he was leaning against the glass by his shoulder his ankles crossed looking relaxed. He smiled at her and gestured for her to find what she was looking for.

"That color suits your skin tone." A male said behind her.

"It does." Quincy agreed. "Having problems, honey?" He asked and stepped with his mass and height around the human man and right at her back.

"Yes. I am looking for the cheeky in the same color and I am not about to ask Marissa for it." She had already opened all the drawers below the display table.

"Over there." He pointed to a table with the exact kind she was looking for. She smiled excitedly and walked over. Him at her back. "You would find the one pervert in this place." He growled behind her.

"Go back to being eye candy." She returned. He stopped. He thought he was being polite. She did not need to be coddled. He was not her bodyguard or her jailer.

"I was giving you space. But alright." He turned to walk away but she grabbed his hand.

"I'm sorry." She said softly. "I have my items." She had lowered her eyes. He lifted her chin and pressed a small kiss to the side of her mouth. Just a peck really.

"Good. This place makes me uncomfortable." He said with a grin.

"Why?" She asked. "I thought guys loved this stuff. On the floor in their bedrooms for a night."

He laughed and it was so rich and smooth. "Well that is true for most I suppose. I prefer fresh from the shower or just risen from bed."

"In nothing but a nightshirt?" She asked with a peek under her lashes as they took their place in line. He turned a little pink at the tips of his ears. She giggled. "Yes I saw that. Not nice."

"I was in a very prone position." He smiled.

She handed her items to the cashier who was staring at Quincy. "Yes he is very handsome. Focus please." She said trying to be gentle. "Thank you." She took her bag as Quincy paid. His shoulders shaking with laughter.

"You are possessive now," he teased as they walked to the next store.

"I am not." She gritted out.

"It's cool. I have never been seen that way. Girls flirt but then they sleep with me and walk away. A feather in their cap I guess." He said though there was a note of sadness in his voice. "Gave me lots of practice."

"That is not how you should be treated." She said quietly. "I thought men were supposed to do that kind of stuff."

"It goes both ways, honey." He replied. He looked at his watch. Identical to the one William wore. Why had she not noticed that before? "We'll get the outfit and then stop for lunch." She nodded. He took her hand and laced their fingers together.

Back at the pack house William was listening to the band he had introduced Alexandria to the night before and working on his blueprint. Rick was setting up his website for his counselling. William abruptly threw the pencil he had across the room just below the other sixteen thousand holes from other pencils.

"What's eating you?" Rick asked from his place on his bed. The laptop cradled on his bent legs.

"He hasn't even checked in since the Dojo." William grumbled.

"You know he was looking forward to this time with her." Rick replied. "The same as yourself if you would relax around her."

"How can I?" William asked. "Even the scared rabbit routine has got to be grating on your nerves." He retrieved his pencil.

"Her reaction this morning, coupled with the nightmares. No. It is not a routine. She is not like our mother. She wants to be, but that is not who she is. We cannot tell her what to be either. All that any of us can do is teach her. Teach her and let her find her own way."

"I know she is not like Mother. I saw that plain enough yesterday. And for that I am thankful. I love our mother but she is a bitch." William replied with a smile.

"I appreciate that, my son." Margarette said from the front door. William flashed a hateful look to Rick who was grinning maliciously.

He attempted to backpedal but she put up her hand. "I am not offended, son. Many have called me that. And they are right." She sighed. "But if we are being honest. You are an asshole so there its all out in the open." She smiled. "No word from your brother?"

"No and asshole is getting more uptight," Rick continued to grin and then dodged when William threw his knife at him.

Margarette just shook her head at the two. "I brought some staples if you need them." She said and checked the calendar. "You haven't added her name yet?"

"No, Mother." William replied. "Assuming she does not run screaming for the hills we are not even sure what she is."

"She is an omega through and through. You know that. As a Luna that will give her good listening and problem solving skills. As a mate she will take patience. From what Kenneth and Myrtle phoned me over. It's going to take a shit ton of patience." She sighed set the box of items they really did not need. And sat on the couch. "Come and sit down. You both need to be prepared for what is coming." She said with a sad look in her eye. She patted the spaces on either side of her. William and Rick looked at each other and then joined her. William first being on the ground floor. Rick pulled the knife William had launched out of the headboard. She began slowly. Then hit the finer points then ended with. "I suspected it as soon as we caught her but I had to wait and really see for sure. You three have a hard road ahead with her. She is not as strong as she appears."

"We already gathered that." William replied with a note of uneasiness to his voice. "What else is there other than what you have explained?"

"We kept the harder cases we dealt with from the incoming refugees from you guys. Not because we did not think you could handle it. But because you did not need that in your heads. You are young still. There are things there that would disturb others. Your father and I have a strong enough bond and a healthy respect for each other that we can discuss such things openingly between us. Take it slow and do not be surprised by anything. There are no rules of conduct. No common decency. No nothing there. The stories would make your hair curl." Margarette said gently. William and Rick looked at each other. Then at their mother. William said not a word. Got up and stormed out of the pack house. Rick just looked sad.

"I get the day with her tomorrow. A walk in the park while in town might do her good. The mall is so crowded." Margarette cupped his face affectionately.

"I think she would enjoy that." She said and kissed his forehead. "Let me know how William is when he gets back." They heard the roar of his car and the tires squeal on the asphalt. "Oh dear. I am glad he is a good driver and would not intentionally hurt himself."

"I hope he took his wallet. He will get halfway to K.C. before he runs out of gas and wiring money is a bitch." Rick added. "He will be fine. So will the rest of us."

Alexandria found another outfit she liked of almost a gold shirt and blue jeans. Unlike when with William yesterday. Quincy hung back and let her have space. Literally and figuratively. Offering insight only when she asked for it. Keeping whole aisles between them. He had seen an earring and necklace set that he thought she would like. But passed on the purchase. Next time. When she was more comfortable. When gifts would not be so foreign to her. As it was she looked at price tags and had put several pretty shirts away. He was so tempted to go and pull them off the rack and purchase them. His brothers would have a fit though. Once the purchases she had chosen were made they headed to the food court for food.

"What you in the mood for, honey?" He asked as they stepped up to the row of restaurants.

"Tacos sound good. I can't even remember the last time I had one." Alexandria replied pointing to a local taco joint. He nodded and led the way to it.

"Quincy?" A female shrieked. "My God it is you." He briefly closed his eyes and turned to greet Anna. A fling from a few months ago.

"Hello, Anna." He said cordially though his posture said he wanted to just walk away.

The girl stepped right up to him like Alexandria was not even there. She was getting really sick and tired of being overlooked. She was short not invisible. "Quincy, dear, aren't you going to introduce me?" She asked softly. Shyly.

"Anna, Alexandria my girlfriend." Quincy replied looking relieved. "Anna is a friend of mine from college."

"Friend?" Anna asked. Then looked at Alexandria. "Girlfriend?" She laughed. "You don't date." Alexandria accidentally on purpose stepped on the girl's sandalled foot with the heel of her hiker. She squealed.

"I am so sorry. Perhaps you just weren't worth the energy." Alexandria replied sweetly to her comment. "Dear I have lost my appetite for this stuff. Perhaps we could go somewhere else?" She took his arm and said just loud enough. "I know you wanted to surprise me with a nice steak dinner tonight but we could do it now and then cuddle tonight on the couch with take out and a movie?" She did not have to tug him along. He was happy to get away from Anna.

"Alright, honey. That sounds wonderful." He kissed the top of her head. "Thank you." He breathed into her hair.

"She had tramp stamped all over her." Alexandria replied as they turned on the walkway that led back out to the main halls. It turned them enough to where she could see the over accessorized barbie fuming. "She seemed confused when you introduced me as your girlfriend. Like you dating was a serious concern for your mental health."

"I called that bitch twice and she never returned the gesture. She had already started dating someone else the next night." Quincy replied. Alexandria was shocked. He was a sweet male. Sensitive and knew what a girl needed when she needed it. She had not been in his company that long but she had picked up all that.

"I'm sorry, Quincy. Were they all like that?" Alexandria asked softly.

"Yep. Even females of other packs." He replied on a sigh. "I talked to a guy friend who ended up dating one of the girls I slept with about it. Just to get feedback of some kind. He said she sang my praises. Even gave him pointers. So I never understood." Quincy looked down at his shoes. He never did that.

She stopped and pulled his arm around her. "I may not have dating experience but I can read people pretty well. They used you. That is the end of it. That bitch used you. Is probably between toys and thought you might be another easy score." She shrugged. "Females do it too. They are just not as open about it with themselves or each other."

"How do you know this?" He asked walking again.

"Talk radio. I needed something to keep me occupied while I drove from Virginia. It helped me to learn the phrases and mannerisms." Alexandria replied. "I am sorry that they played you like that. You are too sweet to be treated like that."

"Thank you." Quincy replied though he really wasn't sure how he should take that. Sweet? So he was a nice guy and women saw that as an easy target? Wonderful. Did Alexandria see him that way? "So if we met in a bar?"

She shrugged. "I don't know." She thought about it for a few minutes. They reached the entrance closest to his parked car. "I think that I would be cautious. A drink perhaps. One I purchased myself. Sipping slowly to keep myself occupied but not wanting to get drunk. We would discuss the weather. Our work. Relationships if there were any currently pending or just dissolved. But go to bed with you? I think not. I would want that steak dinner and the movie. I would want the dates and the romantic gestures." She looked up at him. "But I also have never had such things."

"No couples in the facility then?" He asked trying to understand how she did not know.

"No. With no real adults around it was nothing so soft and sweet as that. Feral I guess would be a good word for it." She dropped her eyes. Hiding the feelings from the memories that kept her from sleeping soundly.

"Did you really want that steak?" He asked changing the subject when he saw she was retreating.

"I have never had one." She replied. "If that is alright?" She asked. They reached his car and he put her bags in the trunk then opened her door for her.

"Your wish is my command." He said with a grin. He messaged his brothers in the group chat on his phone to let them know what was up.

What?! was William's response.

Relax. She has never had one. It was her idea. Quincy messaged back.

Thumbs up emoji from Rick.

A frustrated emoji from William.

Quincy sighed. Taking this a little personally? You did pretty much kick her ass all over Grandfather's sparring room. Perhaps a different approach on Tuesday?

Nothing. William did need to take it down a notch. She said she was terrified of nothing in particular. But he would put money on it was them and William had a good hand in that yesterday. He opened his door and pulled out his keys.

"Alright?" She asked looking at his face. "You seem upset?"

"William is. He is being his usual moody self." Quincy replied with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. He really is all bark and no bite. Most of the time."

"That is what I am afraid of." She replied softly. "If it is getting to late you can take me home." She did not want to cause conflict amongst them.

"That is not the issue, honey." Quincy responded. He reached slowly for her chin and raised her eyes back to his. "William is upset because he did not think of it first." He moved his hand slowly up her soft cheek and then to her hair. "He is intense. But he would never do anything to hurt you. None of us would."

"I don't want to be a source of contention between you." Alexandria admitted. Why was it so easy to talk to him? So easy to admit her fears and needs?

He dropped his hand and laughed. The rich sound sent warmth through her blood stream. She was becoming familiar with the feeling. She had started feeling it yesterday with William and his protective intensity. Quincy with his rich laugh and easy smile. How would it be with Rick tomorrow? Would there even be a tomorrow? "Don't worry about that at all. William got his chance and will get another with you on Tuesday. After Rick and I have set the pace a bit better."

She looked at him confused. "Set the pace?" Was she a horse now? Trotting in the corral throwing her tail.

"For wooing you into staying." Quincy replied. They pulled into another parking lot. The building looked fancy with lights around the eaves and a large rustic sign that said "Steak House."