Rick didn't seem to know anybody. It struck me that was because, unlike his adopted brothers who had new friends, he stayed in the infirmary watching April all the time.
'You make a valid point,' Joel mused. 'Rick spends too much time in this infirmary doting on his mate. He has not taken the time to fully integrate with the pack.'
'I think it would be counterproductive to punish him for protecting April,' I said. 'You are right, he spends all his time with the humans. Rick doesn't know the pack at all.'
'He won't like it, but it is time we changed that,' Joel sent into my head.
"Rick," Joel's voice finally sounded and I could see both Rick and April shiver, "you spend too much time in the infirmary. You have not taken the time necessary to get to know the pack. While we appreciate you protecting our most vulnerable member, you cannot ignore the rest. You will work in the kitchen until we are satisfied you are fully functional in this environment. We will talk about your duties once our concerns are satisfied."
Rick and April looked up obviously relieved as Joel continued. "April needs to be changed at the next full moon. Will you do this?" he addressed her.
"Yes, Alpha Latro, I am ready to change," she whispered still clinging to Rick.
Joel came toward me and planted a kiss on my lips before striding out of the room. He still had much that needed looking after upstairs, so he didn't even glance back. I turned back to the female I had come from treating and started back cleaning her cuts and scratches.
"Madam Alpha," Rick said quietly from beside me, "should I go find the head of the kitchen now?"
"Yes," I answered picking dirt and rock out of the girl's cut in front of me. The wound needed to be flushed so it would close quickly.
"Who would I be looking for Madam?" Rick asked hesitantly.
I stilled my hands for a moment and felt guilty. Rick was a friendly guy and I had been hoarding him down here for my own purposes. He didn't know anything about what went on with the pack that wasn't directly tied to the infirmary or our human guests.
"Go the kitchen and ask for Margaret," I sighed, "tell her what Alpha Latro just said. If she has questions she can call me down here."
April was at Rick's elbow as she asked, "What about me, Madam Alpha? May I work in the kitchen?"
As I thought about her question, I heard Rick almost run out. April was doing well with the pack, having a job might help her do even better. The purpose of moving Rick was so he would meet more wolves, though.
"Rick has to integrate with the pack," I told her. "If you are in the kitchen with him he will spend all his time with you. I want you to work and do something you enjoy, but Rick is going to the kitchens for a purpose."
April fiddled with the blankets at the edge of the bed and I turned back to the girl I had been working on. The deep claw mark I had cleaned on her leg looked like it could use a couple of stitches, so I pulled out a suture needle. I'd just use some absorbable sutures to close the deeper tissue.
"I like to sew," April said quietly from beside me.
"I'm assuming you don't mean this type of sewing," I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, Madam Alpha, I like to sew clothes. It was what I was going to school for," she answered still fiddling with the blanket.
My patient on the bed raised her head and looked at April. "We always need more seamstresses, Madam Alpha," she told me. "I work making clothing they sell at a new business downtown. It's all one of a kind, special order type of things. If the human can sew, she could work with us."
As I stitched the girl's leg she and April talked about the job. April was thrilled when I decided she could work with them. Before being taken April had studied fashion design and was happy that information could be put to use. The conversation also distracted my patient from the pain of the stitches, so I was fine to let them talk.
Eventually everyone was patched up and taken care of. I was exhausted, which Sarah believed was due to my blood loss the day before. My body felt absolutely drained.
Finally finished, I trudged upstairs to our suites to wait for Joel. I stripped and showered quickly. Although I wanted to wait for Joel, I didn't make it. My eyes were shut as soon as my head hit the pillow.
It was near dawn when I pried my eyes open. Joel was laying behind me, definitely not asleep. He had wrapped his arms around me. One hand was carefully tweaking and pulling on a nipple, the other warmly cupping my mons. I felt his pole nestled securely between my buttocks.
"I know you're awake," he whispered in my ear kissing the skin underneath.
"And I'm tired and grumpy," I grumbled trying to wiggle away.
The wiggling did not have the intended effect. I separated my legs slightly and Joel's hand moved further between them. He moaned and thrust his staff between my cheeks, so I assume that I had further riled him.
"Don't you need to sleep?" I groused pressing my breast into his hand.
The tweaking got stronger and it was starting to feel very good. The hand between my legs was also stimulating as it sat there warming my nether regions.
"Not yet, I had a very successful hunt, mate," he answered, "but it left me feeling excited once I was done."
"Once you were done killing rogues?" I asked turning to look at him.
"Oh, yes," he whispered placing kisses along my cheek, "several rogues. The strongest managed to get away from us when we attacked the vehicles. The 'leadership' of the pack must have run."
I took a deep breath as he continued to kiss over to my ear. He didn't smell strongly of blood. He smelled like soap and Joel.
"You don't smell like a man whose been fighting to the death," I blurted out.
A sharp tug on my nipple reminded me he still had me in a very vulnerable position. Moaning, I arched into his hand. I wondered what else I could say to make him repeat that motion.
"I bathed before I crawled in bed with you," he growled low in my ear. "You, love, are very particular about what level of sanitation is acceptable."
"It was a big fight?" I asked turning my head to watch his eyes.
The growl low in Joel's chest rumbled through me. The hand that had been between legs left to run along my thigh. His eyes turned gold as he remembered.
"I went with, Dominick, our best tracker back to the service road," Joel started and I interrupted him.
"I know Dominick, he's not that big as a wolf. You really went with just him."
"Dominick doesn't need to be big, love," Joel growled. "I trained him to fight. He's fast, like you, and he listened to my lessons. He's a lethal warrior and he always finds what he's hunting. Now do you want to know what he found?"
I placed a hand over Joel's naked hip and pulled it closer. "Tell me the whole story," I demanded.
"I was right to think we had missed some. Dominick found the trail right away. There were six of them still on our land. They had set up an ambush," Joel said slowly thrusting his hips against me. "Fools thought they knew the lay of my territory better than I did."
It never struck me to worry about Joel, but I suddenly realized I should. "You were outnumbered," I stated trying to wiggle around and look at him. "Were you hurt?"
The sharp tug at my nipple returned and I realized he was upset with me.
"Of course not," he scoffed rolling me flat on my back. "Do you think they could hurt me? Do I strike you as a man who is injured?"
Joel looked down at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief on his face. Rolling to face him, I kissed his lips.
"I forget how strong you are," I murmured stroking his face with my fingertips. "You are always so gentle with me."
I moved my fingers lower across his chest and belly. The muscles slid smoothly underneath my hands, no scratches even. Continuing to watch his eyes, I traced my fingers up his back.
Quite suddenly I found myself with both hands pinned above my head as Joel towered over me. He settled between my thighs and pressed his length between us. I felt it burning warmly against my stomach.
"Are you checking me for injury?" he growled. "Don't you trust me?"
I raised an eyebrow at the challenge. Using a foot I ran the sole down the side of his leg, inspecting it. He, of course, was not at all injured, but appeared very perturbed.
An idea came to mind and I grinned as I spoke, "You may need healing, mate, my tongue might help ease an ache you are feeling."
Joel liked that idea and rolled off of me onto his back.
"Heal whatever you wish, mate," he said folding his hands behind his head.
Joel is a fine specimen and he seemed to radiate power. Leaning down I brushed my tongue across his lips several times requesting entry. When he opened his mouth I tangled our tongues and didn't release him until we were both breathless.
The beast beneath me groaned as I passed my lips over his neck, actually finding and healing one tiny scratch. That nick did look more like he'd done it with his razor, though. It didn't stop me from tasting the tiny cut completely.
"That isn't where I'm aching, love," Joel rumbled.
Inching down the bed I tasted across his wide chest and took his nipples in my mouth. I grazed him with my sharp teeth and he didn't even wince. Joel just lay still and quiet as I worked. He was being much too non-pulsed so I reached down and stroked his tool with my hand.
"Ah," he groaned, "now that is where I ache my love. Put your mouth there and cure me of that ill."
Allowing myself to brush my lips lower over his stomach he rumbled. When I finally encompassed his smooth heat in my mouth he moaned. The sweet sound made me want to hear it many times over.
Kissing and licking, I worshipped his staff. The wet sound of my lips working over his manhood were the only sound in the room.
"Take me deeply, love," he commanded hoarsely from above me.
He was the perfect picture laid out before me. A thin sheen of sweat was slowly forming over his body. He knew what he wanted, but he was trying to let me get there on my own. I had to admire his control.
Grasping the pulsing shaft I lowered my mouth over it. I moved so I was kneeling between his legs as I bobbed up and down. With every downward stroke I took him deeper and deeper. Soon I didn't need my hand to help so I placed them on his rock solid thighs for leverage.
The feel and taste of him was making me crazy. Wetness was pooling between my thighs and my nipples felt tight. I wanted him badly.
Joel groaned and bucked beneath me. He brushed my hair away from my cheeks to enhance his view, but otherwise didn't interrupt as I attended to him.
The moment the wolf started to take over, I knew. The base of Joel's cock became thicker and the entire thing grew slightly in width. Looking up into Joel's beautiful eyes the gold glow was already there.