“Not everyone will arouse you,” Elena said with a smile. “Your wolf will quickly come to recognize the mated females, and you won’t be drawn to us any longer. You may not find more dominant Weres arousing either.”
Drake immediately thought of her reaction to Sylvan, but didn’t say anything.
As if reading her mind, Elena said, “The Alpha is unmated. Until she forms a mate bond, all of us, even the mated ones, respond to her when her call is strong. It’s the natural response of the Pack to their Alpha.”
Drake shifted restlessly, the sheet suddenly feeling constricting.
The pain between her legs increased and she winced. She was terribly aroused but she didn’t really think Elena was the object of her arousal.
She was attractive, but Drake wasn’t drawn to her. Not the way she had been to Sylvan. Sylvan. Another spasm shot from between her legs.
“Jesus, what’s going on?”
“Your body has undergone a drastic, rapid transformation. You’re being flooded with potent neurotransmitters. You’re sexually aroused. It’s normal.”
“Something doesn’t feel right. There’s…pain.”
“Lie down.” Elena reached behind her and grasped the doorknob in case Drake lost control. “I need to answer your questions.” Drake stretched out on her back. Even the sheet made her skin ache and she kicked it away.
“Touch yourself,” Elena said gently.
“You want me to masturbate?” Drake turned her head to look at Elena.“Your body needs to release.”
“Is it safe…with you here? What if I…are you sure I won’t become rabid?”
“You smell like a normal dominant. I’m not afraid of dominant Weres—even when we’re not dominant we can reject a partner if we choose.” Elena smiled. “It’s why the dominants fight over us when we’re in heat.”
“Are you sure?” Drake trembled with the primal need to take, to claim. The urge was so strong she could barely think.
“Go ahead,” Elena said softly. “You want to, don’t you?” Drake smoothed her hand down the center of her abdomen, getting used to the tightly packed muscles. Her curiosity helped her contain her excitement and she cautiously explored. When she reached the space between her thighs she cupped herself. She felt the same, only not quite. Her clitoris was positioned slightly higher, leaving it more exposed. She tentatively traced its length with her thumb and finger, retracting the thickened sheath to uncover the firm head. The shaft was thicker, harder than she was used to even when she was fully aroused.
She massaged it from side to side and felt resistance, as if the central core was nearly rigid.
“What’s inside?”
“Early in the development of our species, all Weres, including females, had a cartilaginous core in the phallus,” Elena said. “The dominant females still have a very thin remnant. Feel lower, at the base. You’ll have to press hard.”
Drake palpitated two olive-sized oval masses buried deep beneath her clitoris. When she touched them her hips jerked. Exquisitely tender and pleasurable. “What are they?”
“Sex glands,” Elena said. “They produce victus, secretions of pheromones, kinins, and other chemicals, when we are aroused. They empty when we tangle—have sex—if suitably stimulated. The emissions are unique to each Were and help identify us to potential mates. Once mated, the chemical transmitters intermingle, identifying the mated pair to other Weres.”
Drake squeezed harder and her clitoris abruptly extended. The pain was sharp and swift. She sucked in her breath and yanked her hand away. The pain in her clitoris increased, piercing deep into her sex. “Is it supposed to hurt?”
“You need a release to trigger the emission of the chemicals that built up during your transition. You’re overloaded with them.” Drake clenched her teeth. Her excitement was building again and she wanted sex so much her reason was slipping.
“Elena. You should leave.”
“Stimulate your clitoris until it’s completely erect. Go ahead, it’s all right.”
Drake closed her eyes and grasped her clitoris, running the shaft between her fingers the way she usually did when she masturbated. She was already harder than she’d ever been but she’d never hurt like this.
She felt the sheath pull back and tighten beneath the crown that ringed the tip of her clitoris. She massaged the head with her thumb and felt her sex clench inside. “I feel like I have to come, but I can’t.”
“Now the glands,” Elena whispered.
Drake fingered the swellings, and immediately her stomach tightened. She heard a growl start in her chest. Her hips flexed and she manipulated herself faster. Her shoulders came off the bed and she gritted her teeth, the pressure was so intense. “I really have to come.”
“Massage your clitoris and the glands at the same time.” Drake felt a pinprick of pain and looked down. Short dark claws extended from her fingertips. A feathery line of dark pelt shimmered down the center of her lower abdomen into her sex. “Jesus. What’s happening?”
“Those are signs you’re almost there. Press harder, down against the bone.”
The glands turned to stone and Drake’s clitoris shot upright, twitching violently between her fingers. A bolt of heat shot from her sex down her legs and deep into her stomach. She rolled onto her side and doubled up, her hips thrusting in a series of wrenching spasms.
Sweat soaked the sheets under her as she moaned and writhed. When the spasms subsided, she was weak and exhausted.
“God,” Drake panted. “Is it supposed to be like that?” She cupped herself. “I’m still…it’s not…subsiding.”
“That was only a partial release,” Elena explained. “Weres need the pheromones from another Were—from a bite—to trigger a complete orgasm. Self-relief is only a stopgap. Our drive for sex is very high—second only to our instinct to protect our mates—probably because our fertility rates are low.” She smiled ruefully. “Aggression and danger heighten the urge. Dominants have the highest drive of all and are always semi-aroused. They’ll often require a series of releases before the drive subsides.”
“I don’t feel right.” Drake shivered.
“I wish this could have helped more.” Elena crossed the room and covered Drake with the sheet. “It needed to be this way so you’d know what to expect from your body when you tangle for the first time. You’re getting a crash course in Were physiology.”
“Crash is a good word for it.”
Elena brushed her fingers through Drake’s hair. Drake’s call had been strong, and had Elena not already been mated, it would have been hard to resist her. She wouldn’t have wanted to resist her. Drake might be dangerous if the full force of her sex frenzy was unleashed without warning. She was dominant, very dominant. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it easier for you.”
Drake rubbed her cheek in Elena’s palm. “It’s okay. I understand.” She laughed tremulously. “Thanks for the walk-through.”
“Move over,” Elena said.
“Why?” Drake frowned.
“You’re shivering, and I want to hold you. You’re a Were now. You need physical contact.” She removed her clothes and leaned down to kiss Drake’s cheek. “I’m going to call Roger. You need the Pack. It’s not sexual.”
“Am I safe?” Drake’s whole body longed for a touch, but she didn’t trust herself. “I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t seem to have any kind of control.”
“Roger won’t arouse you, and I’m mated, so I won’t either.”
“It didn’t feel like that a few minutes ago.”
“You need to sleep and heal. This will help.” Elena lay down with her head on Drake’s chest, wrapped her arm around Drake’s waist, and draped her thigh over Drake’s. Roger slipped into the room and settled with his front to Elena’s back. He extended his arm along her hip and lightly brushed Drake’s thigh.