Twin Alphas: Claimed (A BBW Werewolf Romance) (2 page)

Odds of Cedar Heights ever recovering from the earthquake were looking more and more remote.

“It’s hard to imagine,” Amelia conceded.

A half dozen military vehicles passed them on the road, and Amelia gave them a half hearted wave.  A lot of people were afraid that armies of werewolves were going to pour through the breach and kill them all – despite the fact that all of the shifters who’d stumbled through the breach had been just like them. Peaceful, decent people wearing modern clothes with brand name labels on them.

Then, the werewolves had attempted to return home, as had the humans who had found themselves in the werewolves' world.  Everyone had assumed, at that point, that it was the start of a new era, that werewolves and humans would travel to each other’s worlds and learn about each other’s cultures.  

Tragically, after they’d strolled back through the breach, they’d found out that crossing over was a one-way ticket.  Both the werewolves and humans who went back to their own worlds had died within the hour. 

The edict from the werewolves’ world had come through the next day, on a letter that was tossed through the breach.   Stay on your side, and we’ll stay on ours, it had said.

              “Looking good, brother. I’m liking our odds of getting lucky this week,” Clayton grinned at Holt. Holt snorted with amusement, as his fraternal twin looked in the window of his pickup truck and ran his fingers through his thick brown hair to tousle it.  He was freshly shaved and showered, and wearing a splash of cologne, along with his favorite jeans and a black t-shirt.

              “Really. You think? Like, a girl might actually talk to us?” Holt said mockingly. 

              Clayton was joking. It was the Alpha Claiming Festival. Every eligible, unclaimed human female over the age of 21 on the West Coast was swarming to the festival grounds.   Clayton and Holt would be getting lucky again, and again, and again. When the festival was done they’d stagger back home and sleep for an entire day, they’d be so exhausted by their luck.

              “Well, they’ll talk to me.” Clayton winked at him.  “Since I’m the good-looking one.”

              The two of them were physically very similar, actually, with Holt an inch shorter than Clayton’s 6’3”, and both of them had the broad shouldered, muscular build typical of an Alpha.  Clayton did end up with a lot more women, but that’s because he’d always been the flirt, whereas Holt was more the quiet, reserved one. If anything, he frequently sent women his brother’s way if he wasn’t in the mood – and Clayton never said no.

              “Aren’t you confident. I’d love to see some hot little number knock you down a peg or two.”  Holt climbed in to the passenger side of the pickup truck.

              “When Hell freezes over. There’s not a woman alive who doesn’t want a piece of this.” Clayton gestured at himself with his thumb, then slid into the driver’s seat and turned the key. He’d stopped by the Spellectricity Station earlier that morning to make sure that their pickup truck was fully charged.

              Their mother, who was standing outside of their house talking to one of their farm hands, waved at them cheerfully as they drove off.  Clayton and Holt waved back, and Clayton gave the horn a quick honk before heading down the dirt driveway to the main road.

              “I hope the Red River Pack doesn’t try to pull any crap while we’re gone this week.” Holt glanced back over his shoulder.

              The Red River Pack owned the property bordering theirs, and ever since the pack’s old Alpha pair had retired a couple of years ago, their sons had taken over and had been causing nothing but trouble. Trying to challenge the Blue Hills pack’s property lines in court, trespassing, to say nothing of the sheep and cattle who’d been disappearing from the Blue Hill’s flocks and herds…

              “We’ve literally got every available hand on patrol along our property line, for the entire week. Our dads will take care of it if those dickwads try anything,” Clayton shrugged. “Relax. You worry too much.” 

That was true. Clayton was definitely the carefree one out of the pair. That was why Clayton was the one who’d ended up with broken bones and concussions all throughout their childhood.  “What’s the worst that could happen?” was his catchphrase.  Holt was pretty sure that Clayton was responsible for half their mother’s gray hairs.

              “I wonder if we’ll actually really get lucky,” Holt said, as they headed towards the festival.  “I wonder if we’ll finally find her.”

              “Sure we will. Eventually. We’ll know it when it’s the right one. In the meantime, this isn’t exactly a painful chore, is it?”

              Holt grinned at him. “No. It doesn’t suck. Well, sometimes there’s sucking.”

              “And licking. And biting.” Chance smiled, probably reminiscing about last year, and the year before that, and…

              “It’s just that we’ve been coming for five years. I thought we would have found the one by now.”  Holt stifled a sigh.  He loved sex, and the endless sea of willing, eager female flesh had been exciting at first, but now he wanted more.  He’d talked to plenty of Twin Alphas who’d found their Forever Mates at the festival. He’d seen how it changed them in some subtle way, watched the new glow of happiness and contentment spread throughout their bodies.

              He wanted that for himself and his brother. He wanted to feel that sense of completion, that sense of ultimate belonging.

              “Look, Mr. Romantic, it’s not like we can force it. We need to make sure she’s the right one.  Forever is a very long time. It’ll happen, and in the meantime, just enjoy yourself.”

              “Yeah, yeah.” Holt sighed and settled in to his seat.

              It was a two hour drive to the festival. They’d headed out early in the day to beat the crowds, but it looked as if hundreds of other human females and Alpha pairs had the same idea that they had.  Fortunately, the line of cars and trucks and vans was moving pretty quickly, and within minutes, the guards at the festival gate had waved them through.

              They drove down the road to the massive parking lot, which was already about a quarter full.  They waved at some of the shifters who were climbing out of their trucks and cars, and Clayton flashed big, flirtatious smiles at the sea of lovely female humanity who were milling about.

              “Let’s get checked in and get this party started,” Clayton said. Holt nodded.  This was the tedious part; they had to stand in a long line at the check-in, where a row of Mages sat, waiting to ensure that all unclaimed females and all unmated Alphas were at the festival as required.  Hundreds of other Alpha pairs were already there, from all across the West Coast. The same thing was happening in the Northwest, Southwest, Central Region, East Coast…all across the country, Alphas were headed off to the annual Claiming Festival where they’d get their freak on and hopefully meet their Forever Mates.

              After they’d given the Mage their names, and they’d each slapped their hands down on a sheet of paper that glowed to confirm their identity, they finally headed off towards their assigned cabin, number 237. 

              They passed booths and booths of merchandise, and picnic areas, and outdoor bars, and snack shacks, and crowds of eager women and Alphas already mixing and mingling.  The smell of sizzling burgers, cotton candy, and roasting ears of corn tickled Holt’s nostrils. Good thing he’d bought fat wads of cash with him.

Bands were setting up on stages.  Buskers walked through the crowd, hawking their wares. Magic talismans for the ladies! Stamina talisman for the Alphas! Love charms, beauty charms, necklaces, hair ornaments, bouquets of flowers…it was a veritable shopping market out here. The air was thick with the scent of pheromones. Clayton through back his head and let out a long, lusty howl, and a dozen other Alphas joined him, and women simpered and giggled and batted their eyelashes.

              Their log cabin looked pretty much the same as every cabin they’d had assigned to them.  It was a one bedroom, with a small kitchen and it was pretty much set up for mating.  There was a king-sized bed in the bedroom, and even the couch was big and roomy with soft, inviting cushions.  The end table by the couch, and the night stand in the bedroom, would be stocked with lubricants and sex toys. 

              As soon as they got to the cabin, Clayton tossed his bag onto the couch, checked his reflection in the mirror, and grinned at himself in approval.

              “Do you want to hang out on the West side, or the East side?”  Clayton asked.

              Tradition called for all Alpha pairs to separate, and mingle on opposite sides of the Festival grounds.   If either brother met a woman they thought might be their Forever Mate, they’d bring her to the central pavilion area, find their twin and introduce her to see if the Bonding process should begin.

              Holt shrugged. “It’s all the same.”

              “Brother, we’re about to dive into a sea of beautiful, eager, female flesh.  You’d think you’d be a little more excited.”

              “We could walk around together,” Holt suggested. “Might speed up the process.  That way if we find the right one--”

              “I am sincerely hoping we don’t find the right one until the last day of the festival. Or next year, for that matter. What’s wrong with sampling all the wares first?”

              “Ass,” Holt snorted. “Once we find her, we won’t want anyone else’s wares, no matter how tasty they might be.”

              “Exactly. That’s why I don’t need to rush it. I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.”  Clayton headed for the door. “West side it is, then. Try to force yourself to have fun, Captain Buzzkill.” The door banged shut behind him.

              Holt shook his head, watching through the window as his brother strode off towards the festival grounds. He hoped that he could make himself get in the mood. He’d been in an odd state since he’d woken up that morning. He’d felt itchy and restless and impatient, as if he was anticipating something that was going to happen.

              His mother had always told him that he’d been the more sensitive one. He had a sixth sense, knowing when things were going to occur before they did. On many occasions, he’d been able to steer pack members out of danger because of it – or catch the Red River pack attempting to cross over onto their land.

              With a sigh, he tossed his backpack on his bed and walked out to face the day. He really should be more excited, he told himself.

              Hell with it. Maybe a couple of ice cold beers would help. Or something a little harder.Whisky, straight up. Now that he could get excited about.

              As he headed east, a sexy blonde walked up to him, matching his stride.  She wore tight jeans, high heeled boots, and a fringed leather halter top.  He didn’t slow down, and she had to walk fast to keep up with him.

“Hello, handsome,” she purred at him. “Are you ready for a fun week?”

              “I’m here, anyway.” He nodded politely, but without invitation. He wasn’t in the mood yet.

              She kept pace with him. “I saw your brother. He’s soooo hot. I sure could enjoy getting to know the both of you better.”

              Holt glanced at the path that his brother had taken, and pointed at his brother’s retreating back. “Go introduce yourself,” he suggested. “He’s always up for a good time.”

              She pouted, fluttering her long lashes at him. “I’d love to get to know the both of you better at the same time.”

              He suppressed a snort of ridicule at that. Right.The both of them. So that they could start the bonding process, and become psychically linked, and then she’d be their Forever Mate whether they liked it or not.

              Did she think they were both stupid? Or did she think that because she was attractive, he and his brother would fall all over her at the chance to mate with her? It wasn’t as if Alphas had a hard time finding sex partners at the Alpha Claiming Festival.  It was more like they had a hard time choosing who to mate with first.  And he and his brother would never go for a woman who’d try to manipulate herself into being their Forever Mate.

              Although many of the women just came to the Alpha Claiming Festival to have a good time, a lot of them wanted the prestige of being the mate of an Alpha, to say nothing of having twin mates instead of single mates.

              However, the process of selecting a Forever Mate was not something to be taken casually – especially given the consequences of selecting the wrong mate. It was not something that an Alpha could walk away from.

              That was why twins hung out on opposite sides of the Festival until they found someone that they could see forming that permanent bond with. Nobody wanted to risk accidentally psychically bonding with the wrong woman. He’d heard stories. Booze, bad judgment, waking up to find out that you and your twin were stuck for the rest of your natural life with someone you couldn’t stand…

              “Enjoy the festival,” he said firmly, and turned and walked away without looking back.