Page 52 of Death and Divination
Did she want to be this dude’s mate, or not?
Dallas groaned, stirring in Tink’s arms. As he raised a hand to his forehead and opened his eyes, the female wolf stood, dumping his head unceremoniously to the ground.
“You are a cur, and I’m not going to be your mate,” she declared.
He struggled to rise, then decided to sit instead. “What the hell is wrong with you? You were receptive. You agreed when I proposed. You can’t just go change your mind like that. Once you accept, it’s as good as done.”
“It most certainly is not,” she snapped. “You propose and the moment you’re out the door, it’s like I don’t matter one bit to you. The ceremony isn’t even done, and you’re already ignoring me and screwing around. If you want a mate, you gotta put some effort into it, Dallas. Flowers. Long walks in the moonlight. Poetry. A dead deer as a gift now and then, but only if you take the time to field dress it first.”
She counted these things off her on her fingers while Dallas stared up at her openmouthed.
“You’re crazy. You’re absolutely crazy. I’m the pack alpha. I’m not going to run around like some moon-sick fool bringing you flowers and dead deer.”
Tink stomped her foot. “Well, then you’re not getting me. Understand?”
I held my breath, fully expecting Dallas to read her the riot act, then stomp off to go find another wolf to mate with. As Clinton had said, he probably had his choice of most of the pack females. But instead, he struggled to his feet and towered over Tink. Nash started forward, but I held out a hand to stop him, realizing that the glint in Dallas’ eyes wasn’t murderous rage for the other werewolf’s disrespect. No, it was something far more primal—it was lust.
Which was kinda eww, but given what Tink had said when she was cradling the alpha’s head, I was thinking this might actually bode well for a reasonably peaceful solution to this problem.
“Youagreed. We’re going through with the mating ceremony. You will be mine if I have to drag you back to the compound by your hair.”
He growled a bit with the last sentence and Tink shivered. Not from fear. Yeah, you guessed it. Lust. All my oracle senses were quivering, telling me that this was a good thing. If only we could keep these two from killing each other before the ceremony.
“I’mnot,” she snapped. “I won’t have a mate who cheats on me, or who doesn’t include me in pack decisions. I’m not going to stay at home and spit out pups while you run around sticking your pecker into everything with a skirt.”
Dallas blinked. “You don’t want pups?”
Tink squirmed. “Of course I want pups. But I’m not a baby factory. I’m a modern wolf. I read magazines, I vote, and I’m not some meek submissive thing for you to walk all over. I’m not going to sit in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant while you run the pack and screw around. I want equality. That’s why I went to the Women’s March in DC last year. I wore a pink pussy-hat. I even made a sign and everything.”
In the dim lighting of the park, I could tell Dallas was completely gobsmacked. “I thought you went to a concert in DC last March. Lady Gaga or something.”
Now it was Tink’s turn to blink in surprise. “I did both. You…you knew I went to a concert? That I like Lady Gaga?”
Dallas looked down and kicked at the grass. “Yeah. You were gone a couple days and I asked your mom where you were. Was thinking of getting tickets for your born-day once we were mated.”
Tink caught her breath and took a step closer to the other werewolf. “I love you, Dallas. I’ve always loved you, for as long as I can remember. You’re my fated mate, my one and only. All these years I’ve given other wolves the boot when they’ve come sniffing around because you’re the only one I want. But I’m telling you right now that I’d rather live my whole life without my fated mate than put up with your bullshit.”
Dallas was clearly stunned, and by more than the enchanted golf club. I was pretty sure that no female—heck, no male—werewolf had ever spoken to him like this. And I got the impression that he kind of liked it as far as Tink was concerned.
“Nothing can be secret between us, Dallas,” she continued. “You need to discuss all pack matters with me and take my thoughts and opinions into consideration. We need to decide on pack matters together—as a team.”
“I’m the alpha,” he protested faintly. “I get veto power. I can’t look weak by having my mate call the shots when it comes to pack matters. I’m the one who makes the decisions in the end.”
Tink narrowed her eyes. “Well, you better have a darned good reason if you decide something unilaterally or decide you’re not going to discuss something with me as a partner, or you’re going to find yourself castrated one night.”
Dallas growled. “Watch it, missy. I’m willing to include you in things, but the first time you contradict me in front of the pack or make me look weak, we’re gonna have more than words.”
Tink seemed absolutely unafraid at that prospect. “No pushing me aside,” she insisted. “You want me to support you and make you look strong in front of the pack? Well, the same goes for me. No belittling me or downplaying my influence and contributions. You need to make it clear to every werewolf that I’m an equal partner and that you support me. We might disagree behind closed doors, but I won’t put up with you smacking me down verbally or physically in front of the pack.”
“That’s not how things are done.” He took a step closer, glaring down at her.
She lifted her chin. “Well, that’s how things are done now. Otherwise, you can call off the mating, claim you made a mistake, and go pick some other wolf.”
“I don’t want some other wolf,” he snapped. “I want you.”
Her gaze softened. “Well, good. No screwing around. No groping, no pinching, no kissing, and definitely no having sex with anyone but me.”
“But a man has needs,” he protested.
