Ji’lahni’s POV:, Mina! “Where the hell are we? We’re in the middle of nowhere.” I yelled. “We’re about to come up missing out here in these damn woods!” Shawna whined from the back seat. “Ji’lahni, I swear this is where the address you gave me took us. I followed the directions on the GPS exactly.” Mina said, looking confused and a little scared. We had been driving since four A.M this morning and it was now almost seven P.M and we still hadn’t made it to the Crystal Wolf Lake Reserve. I’m pretty sure that my legs are numb, and my a*s died four hours ago. We were supposed to be performing for a mating anniversary and also planning something they called a mating ceremony for our good friend Lateri Crystal., She took our dance class to spruce up her love life six months ago. She was sixty years old, but she aged beautifully. She looked at least forty-five. She had long beautiful curly brown hair, hazel eyes that changed color whenever she was excited, or happy when she got a tough dance move, or a compliment when she remembered the choreography. She had beautiful tanned skin that looked like it had a golden glow. We became her instant daughters. She called us every Wednesday night at the same time, and we would talk for hours. She really has become important to us since we had no family left. It was just the three of us and Lynn. Our entire family died in an accidental fire during Christmas seven years ago. Mina was sixteen, me and Shawna were eighteen and we have been together ever since. It’s weird that they call it a mating ceremony instead of just saying a wedding, but oh well, with the money they’re paying us. They can call it whatever the hell they want., Me and my cousins were the owners and operators of JMS Wedding planning and also owners of JMS dance studio for BBW women like us. We mostly dance to sexy sensual, h*p-hop, r&b, and even some pop music. We each had our own specialty. Mina was h*p hop r Shawna was r&b and pop, and as for me, I do sensual and r&b. We also added self-defense classes with our best friend Lynn who is a bad a*s at everything crossbow, shooting, sword, and martial arts, and yes, she’s BBW as well. We met her in college, and we have been training with her for the past five years. Yes, we can do it all. We have to work twice as hard, and we have our limits, but we always said work smarter not harder. So, we had to learn how to use our skills differently., We train every day and although we’re not as good as Lynn, please UNDERSTAND, we can damn sure make her a*s stumble. And that’s saying a lot since she was black and Asian who has been training since she came out of the womb. She would have been here with us in this damn forest, but she had family stuff to deal with, so she won’t get here until tomorrow. But we do have her toys in the trunk just in case we have to f**k some s**t up out here. We’re supposed to be staying here for the next three weeks until the wedding because we live too far away to make two trips. Again, they paid us so well that we would have stayed longer if they asked. We don’t know much about the bride. Lateri’s son is married. I really don’t think Lateri likes her all that well. Because while she was taking our class she would roll her eyes at the mention of her daughter N law, and I don’t ever think she told us her name until she asked us to do the mating ceremony. But she loved her son and talked about Makahi Crystal every single time we were on the phone with her., She said it was time that he settled down and started a family, since him and the name we cannot mention have been dating for three years it was time they sealed the deal even if she doesn’t like her “uppity a*s,” her words not mine. She was hoping that he would find his Luna. She called it. And don’t ask me what that means, because I don’t know but, given this is a mating ceremony, I just figured it must be a cultural thing, she seemed like an earthy type of person who walks barefoot outside and preferred sleeping outside on the ground and living off the land so to speak., Far different from our southern asses. Don’t get me wrong, we’re country and definitely know how to farm, cook, garden, and build things to survive. We learned that from our grandparents and parents, but that was a different time for them and even though we lived that way, we also evolved as well, so we not doing none of that survival s**t unless we have to, like an apocalypse or some s**t. But about three months ago, Lateri called me and asked that we do her son’s wedding, sorry mating and performed for her anniversary. We essentially declined, due to the fact that she was halfway across the country, and we would be losing money if we tried to plan that at our own rate. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer and offered us damn near what we would make in a year., So here we are. We flew as far as we could and rented a car to travel the rest of the way, which is where we are at the present time, lost as hell. “Look pull over so we can get Lynn’s guns out the trunk, because it’s getting dark and although I’ll be scared as hell even with a gun, hopefully fear will make me pull the trigger and not freeze and be mauled by a bear or a damn mountain lion. That would be some f****d up s**t for three Black women to be killed in a damn forest. You know damn well black folks don’t do forest at night. Hell, not even in daylight if we think big a*s animals are in them.” Mina pulled over and I hopped out to get Lynn’s bags. “Get the knives too, so we are gonna be tomb raiders out here.” Shawna said. Mina looked at Shawna through the rear-view mirror, frowning. “And what the hell you gonna do with those knives? Yeah, you know how to use them, but you know damn well you hate violence of any kind.” Mina teased., Shawna hated conflict. She was quiet, reserved, avoided arguing, and hated drama. Mina, on the other hand, was smart-mouthed and could back it up. As for me, I observe and speak only when spoken to. You get the same energy you give me. I don’t like to fight, but I will if you cross the line, and we always protect each other no matter what. Getting back in the car, handing Shawna the bag of goodies, I said, “Here I just got the whole bag, I’m not standing out there for a long time trying to find that stuff. “Damn that s**t is heavy, Lynn’s planning on working our asses to death. I thought we would catch a short break for three weeks, but she damn near brought everything she has in her studio.” Shawna sighed heavily. “You already know, Lynn’s not giving us no damn break. You do remember what happened last year when we took a week off to vacation in the Bahamas., We damn near died when we got back in the studio, especially because we did our classes, and then we thought we could train with her after that.” I shuddered at the remembered pain in every part of my body, fingernails included. We literally had to crawl into our apartment every day for two weeks straight. I feel like at least two of those nights we just slept at the front door until after two am. I thought to myself. After another half hour, I had dozed off because I was exhausted. We had literally been up for three days straight prepping, planning, and organizing for this trip. Mina hit me saying, “Hey look, I think I see something that looks like some kind of guard shack.” Hopping up on full alert, praying that we had finally made it., “Thank God I hope we’re in the right place or they can tell us where to go. Shawna zip the weapons back up halfway just in case you need to move quickly if they try and kidnap us.” I said half serious, because you never know in these damn woods, but here we f*****g go. I don’t know why, but I feel like this is about to be some weird s**t we’re not used to., I hope we’re not walking into some type of hippy weird stuff, where folk walk around with their a*s, titties, and d***s out and be having s*x with any and everyone. I may be open-minded and respect people’s culture, but don’t think I’m joining in none of that s**t, even though Mina and Shawna would definitely consider it, because they were some damn horny Bitches. But anyway, here goes nothing., Makahi: POV, “KAHI! Are you even listening?!” My mother yelled so loudly on the phone that even my Beta Montego flinched. Sighing, “Yes mom I heard you, but I told you I have a call with the other alphas in this region because of the recent rogue attacks. We’re trying to figure out if they are growing in numbers and are planning an even bigger attack. I asked you to postpone the ceremony until we have this thing sorted out.” I growled into the phone, not happy at all that I couldn’t get her to change her mind about inviting human women to our pack lands because they are far too weak to protect themselves and I will have to command all unmated males to not touch them. As well as make sure the children don’t turn in front of them. God forbid if they saw one of us turn into a Wolf that would be a nightmare to clean up. Some humans know about our kind, but it’s mostly those who do business with us or had a run in with a random rogue but for the most part, humans don’t know about werewolves, and we prefer to keep it that way., Still yelling “Kahi, I told you how important this was to me, and we need to expose our children to humans while they are young and teach them how to act when they encounter them. I realized that we knew very little about humans when your father stepped down as alpha and we went on a yearlong road trip visiting our relatives in other packs and sightseeing, which is how I met my beautiful chocolate drops. Besides, we’re the strongest pack in this damn country. No rogue wolf would dare think of breaching our borders. We became the most feared pack in the country by being smart and also training our pups as soon as they learned to walk. That happened because of your great grandparents, grandparents, your parents and now you, as the Alpha of Crystal Wolf Lake, is why no one is worried about a few rogue attacks hundreds of miles away.” My mother said with confidence., Which was very true we were said to be the strongest and the most feared because of our strength and our ability to stay ten steps ahead of our enemies, which all it really took was to observe and learn your enemy and plan and execute them before they even know we were there. That’s how those before me did it and that’s how I do it, which is why this phone call was so important. I need every piece of information down to what those rogues were wearing. Yes, I’m that thorough.” Hearing my mother sighing again, I snapped out of my thoughts., “Besides Kahi, I really miss my girls. We talk every week. I feel like I know them, just like I know you. They’re so beautiful with their milk chocolate skin and deep, blue-colored eyes except my Lynn. She’s more caramel with dark chocolate eyes, and they are quite curvy as well, not like that skin and bones you’re mating, but they’re big girls who are smart, funny, very light on their feet for being humans, but they’re total sweethearts and we bonded during our stay in South Carolina. They are like the daughters I never had.” My mother said sadly. Rolling my eyes. “You wouldn’t feel that way if you gave Summer a chance, she will be your daughter in a few weeks.” I responded., I smiled because I could literally hear my mother roll her eyes so hard through the phone. “Listen, I told you I’d be civil towards her because you’re going to mate her and have me some grandbabies, but that’s all you’re gonna get. She is very rude, disrespectful, has no empathy or compassion, for none of the women in our pack, she doesn’t spend time with none of the other pack members besides her uppity a*s friends. Do you know she hasn’t started her Luna training yet, and that’s a big job because being a Luna isn’t about having a pretty face. You have to know how to connect with the entire pack and make sure that they’re nurtured because the Luna is the heart of the entire pack.”, My mother finished in a stressful tone. I sighed in frustration because I knew she was right. Summer has been putting off training and is totally focused on herself and her friends’ dresses and what they want the mating ceremony to look like they want a big glamorous mating ceremony. We have argued more times about that in the last few weeks then we’ve ever argued. Summer was easily the prettiest alpha female in our pack, but she was also a skilled fighter and although she doesn’t show it often or hardly ever, she was really smart and kind when she wanted to., Nobody thought that we would last because we are polar opposites. I’m your typical alpha, like a quiet storm reserved, feared, strong and protective of everyone within my borders. I have been known to show compassion on occasions, but I needed my members to respect me as their alpha and not their friend. So, no one was happy about me and summer’s mating ceremony, especially my mother, but once she found out what Summer had in mind for our mating, I thought my mother would blow a gasket, but she took that as the perfect opportunity to invite these human females, which Summer was so shocked at my mother’s excitement that she accepted without thinking twice., She real life thought she had finally softened my mother up and finally got her acceptance, which was far from reality, but she was so happy I couldn’t tell her the truth, so I made a deal with my mother that if she would be civil to Summer until the mating, then she could hire her precious humans. Which she readily agreed. With everything that Summer wanted for our ceremony, we will be flat broke once it’s over., This ceremony is so far out of the realm of the normal, which is usually our pack gathering at our moon goddess’s sacred grounds, which is a magical area surrounded by four big Boulders that were blessed by the moon goddess thousands of years ago with a mating stone in the center of the grounds. It is also where we go. The magic and power on the night of the full moon is when we’re the strongest. Although we are strong even without a full moon, we’re five times stronger during a full moon. During a mating ceremony, we declare our bond to the moon goddess and ask for her blessing. Then we slice our hand and press it against the mating stone in the center of the circle while our elderly performs the mating ritual by speaking the language of old. When the stone glows, we know that the moon goddess has accepted our chosen mate., We then seal the mating ceremony by marking each other in human and then in wolf form. Once the mating is complete, everyone shifts and we go for a pack run in celebration, where we let loose, eat, play, hunt, and on occasion some even have s*x. We do it that way when we choose our mate, which happens at the age of thirty-five. Once, we have visited most packs without ever finding our other half mate, which is a piece of our wolf’s soul that the moon goddess took from each wolf and placed it into someone she has chosen for us. When our mate is near, our wolf feels an instant connection, that piece of our soul that our mate has. Although our wolves are strong and fearless, they always feel incomplete without it’s mate’s soul and its always this ache that we both feel that will be there forever and only get worse as we age. We get angrier and more aggressive, and some wolves have even lost their minds after they hit forty., That is why, as the alpha, I’m required to take a chosen mate if, at thirty-five, I still haven’t mated and claimed my mated half. I’ve loved only Summer for the past three years and we have talked about what we would do if we met our other half before we mate, and she feels that we should reject them immediately before we get consumed with the need to mate and mark them. She believes that she cannot love another as she loves me, and I feel the same, but I also have no idea how it would be if I ever met my other half., Other wolves have rejected their mated half for another, but it is very few but has happened. It’s very painful for a wolf to reject their mated half because it’s said to anger the moon goddess, because she chose your mated half, so she made it painful to go against who she has chosen for you. Which is why I didn’t agree to it, but I didn’t disagree either. I kind of let it float in the air because I didn’t feel like it was important to make that promise when I felt that I would never meet my other half anyway., “I swear, Kahi, I will hang up this phone and send your father to drag your a*s out of there if you don’t show up to our party tonight at the very least. Because my girls will be performing for me and your father.” My mother yelled. “OK Mother, I will do my best to get to your mating anniversary, which isn’t a real thing, by the way. But as soon as I’m done, I will be there to meet my human adopted siblings. You just make sure you put them in the house on the west side at the very end, away from the well-populated area in the back., That is practically deserted except for the older pack members who rarely shift anymore.” I said, trying to end this call with my mother so I can find out what is going on with the sudden random rogue attacks so far I’ve heard, it was a small number of rogue attacks, maybe 20 rogue wolves, but they seem to be excellent fighters like they were being trained which was unusual because rogues tend to be mindless bloodlust beast that thrive on the most basic elements of wolves which was to hunt and kill any and everything., So, regardless of my mother’s confidence, I can’t let our ego make it the reason we lose any of our wolves for being overly cocky. We can’t take these attacks for granted and be unprepared. “OK fine, be there by 10 pm. That’s when my girls are to perform. Ok I gotta go. They should be arriving soon, and I need to get ready and meet them at the main gate to make sure Shadow doesn’t scare them away. I hope he doesn’t scare them half to death. I don’t know why you didn’t put Montego on duty. He’s easier on the eyes than Shadow, who never smiles or shows any kind of human trait. My mother said, snapping me out of my thoughts., “Mother, you know Montego has to be a part of the phone call and Shadow isn’t that bad. I tried to hold in my laughter when Montego nearly spit out the water he was drinking, because I purposely put Shadow on guard at the maingate, hoping the humans would turn tale and runaway. Shadow is the scariest and deadliest wolf out here after me and Montego, of course. He was a man of very few words, and he always sticks to the shadows. He doesn’t like anyone; he has always been a loner since his mate died a few years ago. Some say he used to have a beautiful smile and he was kind, passionate, and talkative. But I’ve never seen it, so I label that as a fairytale., “Ok mother, see you later tonight at the never before mating anniversary party.” I said, before hanging up, with my mother threatening to smack my nose for speaking to her like that. So, are we really letting human women in our pack for three weeks? Are you sure that this is a good idea?” Montego asked, seated across from me at my desk., “Nope, this is a horrible idea, but this is the only way to make sure my mother behaves, until my mating ceremony, and Summer was on top of the world thinking she had finally got my mom’s blessing. She has even started calling her mom. You should have seen my mother trying not to curse her out and tell her don’t ever call her mom. I almost passed out holding in my laugh, when my mom was trying to say something nice to Summer., So, if these human women can keep mom on her best behavior, I’ll have to make sure nothing goes wrong, which is why this call is so important. But remind me to double patrol around the area where the humans will be and tell them to stay out of sight in their wolf form for god’s sake.” I said, already getting a headache because of these humans and they haven’t even gotten here yet. The phone rings, breaking my chain of thoughts. Time to find out what the hell these rogues are up to., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.