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The Mating Game
The Mating Game
Author: Kylie. G

Prologue

Author: Kylie. G
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

KARA

"Ma, do something," I pleaded with incredulity, hoping she would see the inexplicable amount of betrayal lighting up my eyes like fireworks on the 4th of July.

She narrowed her dark eyes into slits, the brown passing off as onyx as a shadow flickered over her cold gaze, "Kara, I know this is a lot for you but it has to be done. It's time for your father and I to retire—"

"Then retire and let me take over the pack," came my hoarse interjection. Fear and anger twisted into sharp icicles that skewered and ripped away chunks of my reality. What they were asking me to do was insane, "I can handle the pack, Ma. You and Dad just need to trust me."

"It's not that we don't trust you," my father answered in exasperation. He cut his thick fingers through his pepper and salt hair, "it's unheard of. We cannot have a she-wolf as an Alpha and you know it."

"That's the most misogynistic bullshit I've heard from you and I thought you better than that. You always told me that I can achieve anything, and I must achieve everything when I'm told I cannot achieve it," I seethed. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging crescent moon shapes into the palms of my hands—they matched the moon hanging in the inky sky that shone from the window in my father's office.

"There are pack laws for a reason, Kara," my father expelled a sigh.

"And we can rewrite those laws," I challenged.

"Either way, a pack is stronger when a mated pair takes over. Your duty has always been to become Luna of the Blood Wolves. We are a strong pack, it only makes sense to pair you with the strongest Alpha," came my mother's gentle explanation—I loathed when she spoke to me like some wounded animal, "there are two Alphas that are equal in strength. They are both eligible to be wed. Your father's idea of the games will ensure you wed the better of the two. This will align two packs, making the Blood Wolves the biggest pack on this continent."

"At what cost?" My teeth grated like nails against a blackboard, "At the cost of my life? At the cost of my home? Will we even be known at the Blood Wolves after the integration of some other Alpha's pack?"

I felt my wolf bristle at the thought. She paced in my mind restlessly. The thought of mating with someone when neither she nor I were ready had her hackles rising.

"Maybe we could run away?" Lex, my wolf, suggested on a whim. Her guttural voice scratched at the walls of my mind.

"And leave our pack? Never," I thought back with pure determination.

"That's a bridge we will cross when we get there," my father responded to my earlier question.

He wore his age. The wrinkles lining his face and the circles ringing his eyes were earned from countless sleepless nights spent leading this pack. Alpha Killian Sommers had made a name for himself. Everyone expected him to pass on the pack to a worthy heir. However, after an attack, my mother, Vivian Sommers, couldn't bear any more pups from severe injuries sustained along her abdomen.

I was left as his only heir.

"Please Dad," I was on the verge of falling to my knees and pleading, "let me at least wait to find my mate."

A dry laugh spilled from my mother's red-painted lips, "Finding a mate is rare, almost unheard of these days."

Dad had chosen my mother as his mate, a lot like how most werewolves choose their mates.

"Then, I refuse to marry whoever wins," tears pricked the back of my eyes but I willed the torrent not to spill. I wasn't weak, and crying may not have been a sign of weakness, but it was something I refused to do in the presence of both my parents.

Betrayal may have stung with venous fury but I would display my hurt no longer. Not when my feelings were brushed aside with flippant ease.

My mother tucked her thick, platinum waves behind an ear, "I'm afraid you have no choice, darling. This is what has to be done. It's for the betterment of the pack. You've always wanted what's best for this pack."

"That doesn't mean I'm willing to promise my life to a complete stranger."

"You'll have time to get to know each Alpha during their stay here," my father uttered those words as if they were going to be a cooling balm slathered over my blistering heart.

"Each of them will be the picture of perfect because they want to win. It's not like I'll be getting to know their true selves."

"I designed the games to ensure that their characteristics can't be hidden. Trust me, Kara. I love you. You're my pup. I'll never do something that would harm you. I could have picked the most ruthless of the two because I know he could lead this pack, but he wouldn't be what's best for you, not unless he has a balance in his life," my father sat back in his chair and massaged his temples as if this conversation gave him a migraine.

It wasn't his life being chipped away and molded into something tragic.

I couldn't hold the quiver that shook my words or the whimper that crawled up the back of my throat due to Lex's mind-rattling whines.

"You want me to trust you even though you can't even trust me when I tell you I'm fully capable of running this pack. I know how this pack works better than any Alpha you could find for me."

"I'm sorry, Kara," hanging his head, he reiterated, "I'm sorry."

With a huff and this decision set in stone, I stormed out of my Father's office. Lex itched to be set free and I needed to find another way out of this mess because asking my parents to end this bullshit clearly got me nowhere.

One way or another, I wasn't going to get married by the end of this and I'd do just about anything to guarantee that.

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  • The Mating Game   Chapter 01

    (3 weeks later)KARA"I thought I'd find you here," Denver mused as he plopped down beside me at the edge of the cliff overlooking the green plain of the forest sprawled below.The Blood Wolves were located in a small town in Washington. The town of Mystic Valley was founded by my ancestors centuries ago when they settled here to form what was now the Blood Wolves. Humans lived in blissful ignorance among us. We learned over the years how to live with them while maintaining the secret of our kind. It grew more and more difficult with the humans venturing further and further into the woods. I'd heard rumors once, that we had a cult in the woods and that my father was the leader. Humans warned their babes to stay away from the Sommers family as much as they could. It was almost humorous. I swung my legs back and forth, humming a tune under my breath which drifted on the breeze. Denver Rhodes had been my best friend ever since I could remember. With his dark skin which glowed as it caugh

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 02

    KARAAfter taking a shower, I threw on another sweatpants and a black crop top. I gathered my inky hair into a high ponytail, keeping any stray tendrils away from my face. I hardly wore my hair down because of how thick and heavy it was. However, I couldn't bear to part with the length which sat just above my tailbone. My legs were long and my long hair created the illusion of an equally long torso. My body was corded in muscle but still held onto its feminine curves. The strain of growing muscles caused an array of stretch marks to ripple over my skin under my arms and over the twin mounds of my ass. I was proud of my stretch marks. Whereas some might have been ashamed or embarrassed by them, I saw them as natural art displayed on my skin. They were beautiful and added texture to an otherwise soft surface. "You ready?" Denver asked, peeking his head into the room—since I moved most of my things here, it just made sense to get ready here. I gave myself a once-over in the mirror. My

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 03

    KARATwins. Identical in almost every way. I peered at them from beneath my thick eyelashes. They sat side by side, opposite me on the dining table. Orion engaged animatedly in conversation while Miles spoke the bare minimum. Both were corded in muscles and stood easily at 6'2. Whereas Orion's emerald eyes sparked with mirth and warmth, Miles' eyes captured each shadow that flickered across his vision, holding it there until his penetrating gaze darkened. Each had high cheekbones and razor-sharp jawlines peppered in a dark sprinkling of hair but only Miles had a nose that was slightly offset as if he had broken it on more than one occasion. Orion's full lips were constantly hitched up at the corners whereas Miles drew his into a thin line, giving him a grim and brooding demeanor. "It's weird, isn't it?" Denver whispered behind his hand from the seat beside me. The rest of the members who resided in this house had already been served their dinner. At the head of the table sat my

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 04

    KARAI made a conscious effort to avoid the two Alphas today. Keeping myself occupied wasn't as difficult as one would think. I went into town earlier this morning with a few of the other she-wolves so I could help stock up the reserves. Us wolves ate a fair amount of food so we consistently made trips to the town in Mystic Valley. The pups shared a school with the human kids. There was a total of one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. Our pack may have been large but our town was respectively smaller than most so one of each worked well. We supported our local stores and boutiques as well as restaurants as much as we could. It helped build our little economy and most weren't prepared to make the hour-long drive to find a Starbucks or McDonalds. The humans who ventured out here to build a home for themselves and maybe their families came with the notion of idealistic peace and privacy in mind. With that being said, some of the Blood Wolves had chosen human mat

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 05

    KARA"Someone's close," Lex murmured quietly in my mind. I wasn't sure why she whispered when no one but me could hear her but it somehow felt like a sin for my thoughts to be at a volume above that. The forest blanketed in thick shadow had fallen eerily silent over the last thirty minutes as if it waited with bated breath to crown the victor of our first game. We had run laps around the area to throw off the two participants in tonight's game. If they were tracking my prints, they were going nowhere slowly. And, if they were tracking my scent, it would take them a while to realize I had planted my scent in almost every direction I could in thirty minutes with the help of Denver.He had found more pieces of clothing and scattered them around the forest, rubbing the fabric against trees to leave a lingering trail behind at my behest. We had even gotten the wolves running border patrol to spread my scent around which led to us covering more ground. They'd be out here all night and I'd

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 06

    KARA"You've got to be shitting me!" I peered up at the scoreboard perched outside the pack house. Orion: 0Miles: 1"Kara," my father cut me a chastising glare which was more playful than anything else, "don't let your mother hear that."Alpha Killian Sommers might have been a scary, malicious man to the rest of the world but to me, he would always just be my dad. He was the one to tuck me into bed at night. The one to sing to me when the thunder roared too loudly or streaks of lightning lit up my room too brightly. He held me the first time I shifted for as long as my wolf would allow him and trained me as best as he could when he noted my exceptional tracking instincts. I had fond memories of my father so it made sense why this entire situation felt like one hard slap in the face. He had blindsided me and took advantage of the years of trust he built with me. "Of course not, she'd just blame you anyway," I quipped but my tone didn't hold the bite I wanted it to. An exasperated si

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 07

    KARA"He hasn't left my side all day, save me," I begged, grumbling down the mind link between Denver and me. "I wish I could, Kara, but your father has made it a point to keep me extra busy," Denver's annoyance tugged at the link, causing it to grow taut. "He's really making it impossible for me to catch a break," there were about a thousand different things I could have been doing that didn't include Orion in them. Instead, I was stuck making small talk with the guy, "It's okay, I just have to put up with him until I get back.""You've got this, Kara," Denver said reassuringly before breaking the link. Too bad his reassurance didn't inflate my spirits and boost my confidence the way he hoped. During our border patrol, I learned that Orion's wolf, Diesel, had a pure white coat, unlike Miles who had white with black, smoky tendrils. The white of his wolf made it difficult for him to camouflage into the foliage, causing him to be an eye-sore. However, he resorted to muddying his coa

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 08

    KARADenver had left the room before I woke up this morning. He had taken up residence on the floor while I slept soundlessly on his bed. Like the other wolves in this house, he had to use the communal showers. The only rooms with an ensuite were the main bedroom my parents slept in and my room. I grabbed the shower gel Orion had purchased before we could leave town yesterday and a shower bag with my towel slung over the top. He hadn't only purchased the shower gel, but also the set of leather gloves and the dress he desperately wanted to rip off of me. I protested but it was half-assed because I wanted to know if he was a man of his word. I wanted to know if he would make good on his promise. And I wanted to yeet myself out of a window for giving into such a temptation when I vowed to hate Orion and Miles. My body was a traitorous vessel that housed a mind with a weak resolve. I had this sinking feeling that, if Orion did do as he said, I wouldn't stop him and that scared the shit

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  • The Mating Game   Chapter 32

    KARAI awoke to Miles' strong arms snaking around me this morning, head buried deep into the crook of my neck. After having a shower together—which was as platonic as a shower together could be since we weren't intimate in any way—Miles left to take care of pack work and I joined Saylor and Denver who brought me to the pack house. He didn't want me to reciprocate the gesture. All he wanted was to feel me against him, pleasure my body, and then take care of me. It sounded weird. I should have been the one to take care of him but there he was, dragging me under the warm spray, shampooing my hair, and washing my body with his shower products. When he was done, he ushered me out of the shower to change while he completed his shower routine. I now smelled like Alpha Miles Kessler and everyone knew it. Mating would combine our scents but simply being next to him and using his products meant a tinge of his scent lingered on me. Denver had the good sense not to pick on it and so did Saylor

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 31

    KARAI was colossally fucked. Miles' rough palms kneaded my body as if I weren't made of toned muscle. I was putty in his bear-sized hands which left a trail of fire in their wake as they moved up and down my body. Flames licked down my spine, igniting a wild, raging fire between my legs. The wetness that collected between my folds permeated the air with the sweet scent of my arousal. He pried himself away, a growl of longing rumbling in his chest. I had never known a man to gaze upon me the way Miles did at this moment. My heart and stomach did a synchronized flutter and blood rushed to color my cheeks. I wasn't shy but, right now, all my confidence had evacuated my body and I wasn't sure what to do with myself. A cheeky smirk found its way to Miles' rugged face, "I want you, Red Wolf. I want you for who you are. I don't care if you feel like you're inexperienced. I've watched the way you've fought off multiple people. I've watched you take care of your pack with nothing but affe

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 30

    KARAI held onto his hand, making sure he could feel the sparks and the comfort my touch offered all the while wanting to crawl onto his lap so I could crush him in my embrace.So much damage. So much pain and agony. So much hatred.Miles' emotions were a potent blend that tugged onto the bond between us. I felt a ghost of their touch but it was enough for me to wince as the icy sensation froze the blood in my veins. As Miles seethed the words, I couldn't help but ponder what he meant by torture. I was beginning to understand that whatever punishment Miles had doled out, his father and beta most likely deserved. This conversation was offering me the clarity every other conversation evaded. I licked my lips and pulled my seat closer to Miles, giving him space but showing him that I didn't plan on going anywhere. He couldn't scare me away. I planned to glue my ass in this seat and listen to every word roll off his tongue no matter how much they sliced through me like blades. "You don

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 29

    MILES Something was wrong. I felt it in the same way one would feel the change in tide. We agreed to sit down and discuss the possibility of a trade route cutting through our pack with Percy. Kara joined in on the meetings these last few days, quiet and observant. She only spoke when spoken to. I knew she wasn't avoiding Orion or me but she also didn't seem very interested in engaging in a conversation.However, when it came to engaging with the pack, she took to them like a cat to yarn. She spent most of the day assisting in the pack house or running errands with me in town. The she-wolves loved having her around during meal prep but Kara never stayed for dinner. I usually brought her home before then so we could have dinner together with Denver as our constant third-wheel.After dinner, she would promptly tuck herself away in her bedroom, leaving me and Denver alone in what used to be awkward silence. During that time, I made it my duty to get to know the man—not because Kara was

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 28

    ORIONEven if I wanted to, I physically couldn't stop myself from deepening the kiss. Not when Kara made a noise so sensuous, that all I wanted to do was hear it again. I angled her head and glided my tongue against hers with a slow stroke before curling it and licking the roof of her mouth. Another moan fluttered out of her with feather-light wings. I was falling.The mere connection of my lips to hers was enough to weaken my grip on my sanity, forcing me to plummet head-first into the unknown. I wanted to feel every inch of her silken skin, run my palms over every curve as I caressed the swells of her breast. They roamed her body, committing every line, bump, and ridge to memory. I was a cartographer and her body was a map that could lead me to the finest treasures. Peppering kisses along the corner of her sweet-tasting mouth, I nipped and sucked at the skin along her jaw until I left a trail of bruises down the corner of her neck. They would fade in a few hours, however—as I acce

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 27

    KARAJealousy and testosterone lingered in the air like a bad smell. The Kessler brothers assumed the worst about this meeting and I was happy they were proven wrong. I was all the more elated when I realized that Percy Vaughn was the new alpha of the Blue Waters pack. It meant I could let my guard down, even if it was minimally, to enjoy the company of an old friend. Denver and I were always the closest in the Blood Wolves, but I had a good relationship with Percy as well. Being a few years older than me, he managed to climb the ranks quickly. He was on his way to becoming head warrior of the pack when he sent word one day that he would not be returning. It was sad to see him go. On my first shift, it was Percy who stood by me and coached me through the experience. It was Percy who stood by Denver and coached him as well. He took it upon himself to train us—especially when my father wasn't pushing me to my limit. I looked forward to my sparring sessions with Percy. He didn't necess

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 26

    ORION"This past week has been interesting," Jess purred. I leaned back in my chair with a measured inhale. It felt good to be back at home and amongst my pack. Not just good, I felt stronger and calmer, less on edge about being in a strange environment where someone could attack you at any moment. My gaze gravitated to the window as the morning sun peaked out of the thick cloud cover. The paperwork scattered on my desk was meant to be filed two weeks ago and I still hadn't found the time to get around to it. I didn't mind the leadership aspect of being an Alpha. Taking care of my pack came naturally to me. It was the logistics that tripped me up. Running a pack was a lot like running a business. One wrong move and everything would crash and burn. "That's an understatement," I muttered. Jess leaned forward, bracing her tattooed arms on the table between us. Her cropped hair was styled back and the crisp suit she wore made her look like one scary motherfucker. One look at her and t

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 25

    KARAHoly shit, Miles kissed me! Holy shit, I let him kiss me!Holy shit, I kissed him back!Holy shit, I liked it!Those four statements ran laps in my mind even after Miles fled the kitchen to get dressed. Saylor stood awkwardly at the threshold, wringing her fingers as her acute gaze assessed my every movement. I slid down the island and smoothed out my ruffled t-shirt. Then, I redid and tightened my ponytail which Miles had shifted in his lust-driven haze. Saylor was a petite little thing clad in a black turtle neck, blue jeans, and knee-length boots. Her sun-kissed hair cascaded over her shoulders in subtle waves and blue eyes as clear as the ocean served as her most attractive quality. If I didn't know better, a pang of jealousy would have speared my gut. I trusted Miles enough to know that there was no "sweet home Alabama" bullshit taking place here. "It's nice to officially meet you, Kara," her voice was sweeter than honey with a smile to match. She must have made an exc

  • The Mating Game   Chapter 24

    KARAThis bed must have been filled with clouds. It was the only explanation I could conjure for why I had the most peaceful sleep in this last week. Maybe my exhaustion contributed to it but Miles' scent of freshly mowed grass with a hint of spice certainly played no part in why I had the best sleep of my life. His scent permeated the room, from the bed sheets to the clothes that hung in the closet. They were a lot smaller than the clothes he wore now. I quickly deduced that I was staying in what must have been his childhood bedroom. There weren't many remnants left behind to signify it though. The room itself was plain. Gray walls and white cupboards. White curtains with silver embellishments hung over the windows. A desk sat opposite the bed, a cushioned chair tucked into it. Otherwise, there was nothing in the room to signify it was Miles' childhood bedroom—bar the few clothes in the closet. If he had me in his room, then he had to have put Denver in Orion's, and Miles was now s

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