The Lycan Wars

Chapter 7

He knew that there was no way in hell, there would ever be any reconciliation between them and her father now. Mooring the boathouse to the dock Victor felt more than just a little nervous about this fishing trip given how Mica's father had reacted at their meeting. However, when he told her, he would stay home, she nearly had a meltdown.
"I packed you boys a lunch." Mica said as she stepped down onto the dock.
"Mmm smells good." Mike said as he took the bag from her and planted a kiss on the top of her head and then ruffled her long locks.
"Really...its only tuna sandwiches!" she said with a smirk. The two had become close and Mica acted like the sister Mike never had.
"Haven't you tried Victor’s cooking?" Mike asked, his face scrunching up in mock disgust.
"At least I don't burn soup!" Victor retorted back as he grabbed his fishing gear and the bag of sandwich's Mica held out for him.
Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her long and hard, she smelled of tuna, mayo and that new perfume she liked to wear.
"Maybe I should stay and—" Mica silenced him by placing a finger over his lips.
"Oh no you're not...you two have been planning this trip for weeks, go have some fun and bring me back a big fat fish to cook for supper!" she told him.
"Mm fried trout!" Mike said as he headed up towards the path they would take to go to the beaver dam.
"We'll be back early; Jenni is still coming out right?" he asked not wanting Mica to be alone.
"Yes she's taking me to get some supplies at Grangers' store" Mica said, and then she was shooing he off the dock.
Walking beside his brother without saying too much, Victor had wondered how much longer he should wait until he told Mica of the plans he and the Alpha to Valtor pack had made. The thought had him nearly cringing.
"Mike...you remember Frank Valtor?" he asked.
"Yeah, he's that shaman from down south right?"
"Sort of, his mates a shaman, he's an Alpha werewolf." Victor grinned.
"Scary none the less, people who make weird potions, charms and spells freak me out." Mike said.
"I made a deal with them." He blurted out.
"You what!" Mike stopped dead in his tracks. The look on his face was more than just shock, there was a bit of horror seeping into his expression as well.
Victor took a deep breath and looked at his Beta; he should have brought Mike in on this from the start, but now it was too late. They needed the Valtor pack as allies.
"How could you do that Victor!"
"We need them or this Accord that Alaric had signed with the Timber pack will end up forcing us from our territory or wiping us out. There are not enough of us to fight off an attack!" he explained.
"But what's in it for them?"
"Mica..."
"WHAT!"
"Not like that!" Victor snapped.
"They want a mating between their youngest son and our first born daughter."
"That's not a certainty; girls are rarely ever born?"
"They can change that." He said his face stony.
"Oh god! Mica's willing to go along with this!"
"She doesn't know yet" he told him and watched his eyes go wide.
"She's fucken gonna kill you!" Mike laughed suddenly.
Mike calmed down after Victor explained everything to him, how they were coming up to meet Mica and create a bond with them first. None of it would be done without her consent; everyone had to be willing to reach this agreement. If Mica didn't like the idea of an arranged mating between the two packs, they could try to come up with a different arrangement.
"So when are you planning on telling her this?" Mike asked.
"I'm not sure. She's stressed out now, and well, I don't know if anytime will really be the right time" Victor said.
"Man I hope for your sake she takes it well!"

* * * ~~~ * * *

Sitting in the kitchen Mica looked at the test again, it was pink...she had known the truth but only now had it really sunk in as she stared at the plastic testing device. This was her third month without a cycle, and now she felt a little light headed. This changed everything.
Jenni sat across from her still babbling on and on about a baby shower and learning to knit booties, buying itsy bitsy baby clothes and as Mica looked up at her friends with her tear streaking down her cheeks Jenni fell silent.
"Oh hun...this is a good thing! Why on earth are you crying?" she asked as she moved to envelop her into her arms.
Mica gripped a hold of her and cried; the stress of the last few months had taken its toll, and now she was going to have a baby. Her father's enemy's pup was growing inside her, and they were very near to going to war with her familial pack. How was she supposed to explain to a child that its own grandfather would want nothing to do with it just because it was a Feral.
After she calmed down Jenni made them both a hot cup of Chi tea, and they sat curled up beside each other on the sofa together.
"Are you going to tell him tonight?" Jenni asked
"No...on his birthday" She had decided to wait to tell Victor, his birthday was coming up, and she figured it would be the best gift a she-wolf could bestow her mate.
"Oh he is going to be so happy...the whole pack will be...oh my god can you picture Mike as a doting Uncle!" Jenni laughed and so did she.
Mike would make a great uncle; Mica knew that he was in a hurry to have his own mate and a family. This baby would be spoiled, and she knew there would be no stopping Mike from giving her child everything it wanted, Victor too, but she also knew that money was tight and he wanted a dozen or so babies. Mica thought three or four would be good enough.
The slight noise of the screen door opening had her shoving the pregnancy test under the cushion of the couch as she looked at Jenni and her friend giggled.
"Hey look what we got!" she heard Victor as he stood just inside the kitchen; all smiles as he held up supper, the large lake trout dangled from his hand while his other was hidden behind his back, and his brother Mike stood beside him laughing at something they had been talking about. How strange she thought that she could come to love this man so much in such a short time, he had stolen her from her home and had mated her without her father's permission. Now all she could think about was how happy he made her. With a smile, she realized it didn't matter if her dad accepted him, she did, and they were going to have a baby.
After Victor put the trout in the sink, he pulled his arm out from behind his back revealing a bright fiery red flower.
"Oh it's so pretty!" she said, and the tears welled in her eyes. The simple gesture told her so much, and as she took it from him; he stole a long passionate kiss.
"Alright you too!" Mike said from behind them.
"Jeeze you need to get a room!" Jenni added her two cents, and they laughed.
"You smell like fish!" Mica said wriggling her nose at him, and everyone laughed.
"I need a shower; I will be out soon." He told them leaving her with a quick peck on her cheek Victor headed for the bathroom.
"So what did you girls do all day?" Mike asked as he started to gut the fish. The smell and sight made her gag, and she ran for the rail outside as Victor was in the bathroom.
"Are you all right?" Mike asked as he and Jenni followed her out.
"She has a touch of the stomach flu!" Jenni told the lie to cover for her.
"Well maybe you should have soup for supper and not fish." He said still looking all concerned.
"I'll be fine!" she told him as Jenni went back to get her a hand towel.
"Are you sure you're alright? I mean I heard you this morning in the bathroom when Victor was tethering the boat." He told her looking at her with a scrutinizing eye.
Mica couldn't look Mike in the face and lie. Her eyes darted to the ground and he gentle took her by the hand.
"Hey what's wrong?"
"Mike...I..."
"Mica are you— "he never got to finish asking as Jenni stepped out.
The look that passed between her, and Jenni must have told him.
"Oh my god...does Victor know yet...he never told me!" Mike exclaimed in shock.
"Victor doesn't know and you can't tell him!" Jenni ordered.
"Why not? What wrong? Is something wrong?" he sounded panicked.
"Mike keep it down!"Jenni snapped at him.
"I want to tell him on his birthday, so you have to keep it a secret!" Mica pleaded.
"Are you sure you should wait?" Mike looked anxious.
"Yes I'm sure." Mica answered and all three of the shot their heads towards the screen door.
"Wait for what?" Victor asked.

* * * ~~~ * * *

Everyone had gotten quiet all of a sudden, and Victor felt as if he walked in on a big secret. Mica looked to Jenni; Jenni looked to Mike and then all three looked at him.
"Way to go Victor!" Mike retorted abruptly "Now your surprise party is ruined!"
"Surprise party?" he asked eyeing them suspiciously.
"Yes we were going to have a surprise party you know the big 30 this year!" Jenni said.
"I don't need a party" Victor said really not needing to be reminded that he was eleven years older than his mate. Now as he looked at Mica, she was clutching a hand towel and looking very pale.
Scenting the air his nose crinkled up, he could smell vomit. Looking right at his mate, she turned red.
"You were sick?"
"Stomach flu." Jenni answered for her.
"Yeah, it's going around." Mike added suddenly.
"Really?" he asked as he put his hand to Mica's forehead.
"Maybe you should go lay down hun, I can cook supper for the boys tonight Jake can fend for himself." Jenni told her as she rested a hand on her arm.
"No it's alright I will be fine." Mica said.
"No, she's right you should go lay down, me and Victor can clean up after supper." Mike volunteered, and Victor shot him a bewildered look.
"WE can, can WE?" Victor retorted.
After supper Mike and he did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen for Mica who didn't touch a bite nor did she look like she was feeling any better as she ate some dry toast and drank some apple juice before retiring for bed. Normally, they sat at the table playing cards and telling one another things about their lives so far.
They were still trying to get to know one another more, and as he learned about her and her life, he felt the bond between them deepen. Now it was him and Mike at the table drinking a few cold beers.
"So did you tell her yet?" Mike asked.
"No, I'm going to tell her in the morning after I make her breakfast"
"You think that will help?" Mike asked with a chuckle.
"No probably not but they will be here shortly afterwards so." He answered with a weak smile on his lips.
"I think I'll leave before they get here." Mike stated.
Looking at the clock, he realized it was late, and he said his goodnights, Jenni had already left and Mike said he was going to watch a movie or two before going to bed. Curling up alone side Mica Victor took a deep inhale of her scent she smelt so good, even with that perfume she wore. As sleep began to sweep him away, Mica murmured and whimpered closely to his chest, and he wrapped an arm protectively over her.
Victor had thought he only just drifted off as his eyes strained to see the clock, it said it was quarter to five in the morning. He heard a slight muffled noise and then a thud; his mind raced to understand the noise as he pulled himself from the warmth of his bed. A low gurgling sound was coming from the living room, and the metallic smell of blood permeated the air. The heavy sounds of boots on deck told him they were being attacked.
He heard the thud near his bedroom door and could smell Mike, his sweat and blood as clear as the scent of the invaders. He hazarded a glance back at his mate, and fear fed his heart. He needed to protect her at all cost. Grabbing his rifle from where it leaned up against the door, he opened it ready to shoot whoever tried to come in.

* * * ~~~ * * *

Mica awoke with a start as the sounds of a struggle pulled her from her sleep. Blurrily, she opened her eyes, and as she struggled with the covers, she could smell blood and wolves...Dickson's wolves. The bed beside her was empty as Victor was already racing towards the door where the sounds and smells of Mike, and another wolf permeated into their room. He looked back at her briefly his eyes looked afraid then he turned and grabbed the rifle.
As he flung the door, open Mike looked in on them, and then she heard the retort of a rifle just before part of Mike's face was exploding outward in a spray of white, grey and crimson. His body fell lifeless to the floor, and she screamed. Victor suddenly staggered back as another retort was heard, and she barely made him as he hit the floor with a heavy thud, the rifle lay near the door where he dropped it. The blood spilling from his chest caused her to panic for a moment as she pressed her hands hard against the wound.
"Please Victor, don't leave me!" she pleaded as his eyes seemed to try to focus on her.
"Run Mica!" he coughed as blood ran from the edge of his mouth.
"No! I'm not leaving you!" she began to feel the tears spill out over her eye lids.
Mica only caught the familiar scent of her dad a second before his powerful arms were hauling her away from Victor. She struggled and screamed to get free as three other Dickson pack members entered the bedroom. Greg walked over to stand beside Victor, and he looked briefly at her before turning his attention to her father.
"He's still alive."
"Finish him!" her dad said in a throaty growl.
"NO!!" she screamed as she flailed in her father's arms, biting and kicking as Greg pulled out his handgun and pointed it at Victor's head. As the loud explosion of the gun reverberated in the room, Mica lost her sanity as her mate was murdered right before her eyes.