Last of the Lycans

Delilah Draven, known to most as Della, sipped her champagne, sitting elegantly on a red velvet settee strategically placed near the crowded dance floor to present eligible she-wolves to the unmated males.

Despite her beauty, she was left alone, the reputation she had carefully crafted over the years making her an intimidating, unapproachable target.

The Alpha King's parties were the place to be for young, single werewolves who wanted to meet their fated mates.

They were also a place to find one night stands, and notorious breeding grounds for all kinds of drunken debauchery . The Alpha King was single, and a notorious womanizer. Della hadn't seen him yet, and was hoping to keep it that way. He was relentless in his pursuit of her, although she had told him in no uncertain terms that she was not interested.

Della was far from being a fun hater, but she hadn't waited this long only to lose her V card to some hormone crazed werewolf who wouldn't care who he was sticking his dick in to.

She caught her twin brother, Jared, sneaking a glance her way as he danced with a pretty brunette whose mouth had not stopped moving since the dance began. He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out, and she stifled a laugh, maintaining her composure. As a high ranking member of her pack, it would be unacceptable for her to spit her drink all over the floor. She scratched her nose with her middle finger, and it was Jared's turn to fight the urge to laugh.

Della's brother, as the future Alpha of Snow Moon pack, had no shortage of partners throwing themselves at him. She had been watching with amusement all evening, almost pitying him a few times. Almost. She knew his Alpha ego relished the attention, but she also knew Jared would only accept his fated mate as his Luna.

They had been raised to respect the Moon Goddess, and their reverence was unwavering. The she-wolves who went to such great lengths to get his attention didn't realize they were wasting their time. As the song ended, Della observed a pair of gigantic breasts knock her brother's current partner away.

She wolf whistled as the owner of said breasts took the brunette's place. Jared cocked his eyebrow at his sister, who feigned innocence, fiddling with the slit in her gown.

The jilted partner's face reddened with fury as she appeared to consider retaliation, but then she stalked off to shoot daggers at her replacement from the corner of the grand ballroom. She didn't want to make a scene at the Alpha King's mate matching gala.

Della's brother, like her, had golden hair and blue eyes, and a charming smile that could melt the heart of an ice sculpture. He was older than she was, by about two minutes. He loved to remind her of this, as though those two minutes were time enough for him to accumulate a lifetime's worth of wisdom.

The two of them were known for their witty banter, making them quite popular at parties. There was rarely a dull moment with the Draven twins.

She finished her glass of champagne, wishing they had something stronger. She remembered the flask her brother had stashed in his suit coat. Aha! He had casually tossed it on to one of the many couches surrounding the dance floor. She quickly located it, and headed outside for some fresh air and a stronger drink. Some home made werewolf moonshine, crafted by her twin brother.

A moment later, she was regretting her decision. As she dashed out the door and onto the wraparound porch encircling the enormous stone mansion, she ran right in to a wall of solid muscle and arrogance. She landed on her butt in a graceless heap, with her dress now slit all the way to her waist, exposing her long legs and her lacy, black panties.

Furious, she glared up at six feet six inches of Godlike masculinity, finding two ice blue eyes glaring back at her. His eyes took in her face, then wandered lower. He smirked, licking his lips, but made no move to help her to her feet. "Your highness," she said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Leave it to her to collide with the host of the party, the Alpha King himself, Jaden Montgomery. Devastatingly handsome, and he was the type that knew it. Damn her luck!

"Where were you going in such a hurry, Della?" He seemed to enjoy her embarassment, as she covered herself by throwing her brother's suit coat over her lap. Finally, he extended his hand and helped pull her to her feet.

"Just getting some air," she replied, groaning as she realized her dress was ruined. "Fuck," she pointed at the tear. "What am I going to do?"

His blue eyes glinted with amusement. "I believe my sister and you are the same size. Why don't I show you to her room? She will be happy to loan you a dress."

She considered his offer, wishing she could refuse. The last thing she wanted was to be seen going anywhere with him, knowing the gossip that would follow.

"Are you sure it's okay?" She didn't have much of a choice, her dress was ruined.

"Yes. She has more clothes than she could ever wear. Let's go find you a replacement. After all, it's the least I can do for getting in your way." He smiled. "Or, for not getting out of your way."

"Fine." She followed him around to the rear entrance of the mansion, and they crept quietly up the stairs. "Her room is right here," he told her, "go ahead and look through her closet. I will return to escort you back to the party."

Great, she thought, lucky me! She entered the room, and found the closet.

Good Goddess, his sister had a lot of clothes! She grabbed a dress similar to the one she had been wearing and was in the process of pulling it on when the door opened again, and Jaden strode across the room with two drinks in his hands.

"Ever hear of knocking?" She snapped, pulling the dress down and smoothing it over her curves. She glanced in the mirror. It fit her perfectly, and looked so much like the one she had been wearing that she doubted anyone would notice the change.

"Della, why so much hostility?" He smiled, handing her one of the glasses. "Isn't this what you really wanted? Something with a bit more kick?" He gave her a conspiratorial wink. "I found the flask." She eyed him suspiciously, then dismissed her paranoia. Jaden was not the type of Alpha that would care that werewolf moonshine was "not legal."

"I suppose so," she sighed, taking the glass and sipping the contents. "That's delicious!" She exclaimed, quickly downing the rest. Warmth spread through her body, and she began to relax. This was much better. Werewolves had notoriously high tolerance to alcohol. Her brother's concoction both overcame this obstacle and tasted good, and he always carried a flask with him to these kinds of events.

She wondered if he would be mad when he went to find it for himself, but quickly decided she didn't care. He was busy, she was bored. He would understand.

"Shall we return to the party?" He extended his arm. She almost took it, then remembered, the last thing she wanted was to descend the stairs to the main ballroom on the arm of the biggest man slut in the werewolf kingdom.

The gossip it would generate could potentially ruin her reputation, and while it might mean they would leave her alone, what if her true fated mate was there? It was not a chance she wanted to take.

Della Draven was the most sought after she-wolf at this party, and it was no secret that she was untouched, one of the few remaining who was saving herself for her fated mate. She was beautiful, rich, and the twin sister of the next Snow Moon Alpha. She was also undefeated in battle, winning every tournament she entered.

Jaden had once held out hope that she would be his fated mate, and had been more disappointed than he liked to admit when she had come of age and no mate bond had manifested between them. Della Draven was meant for another.

Most she-wolves would have swooned into his arms, but not Della. The Alpha King, however, always got what he wanted. Her eyes pierced through him, like she could see exactly what his intentions were. He saw the fear flash across her face as she stumbled forward. "I don't feel so well," she slurred her words, and he caught her just as she began to fall.

The next morning, she woke up at home, in her own bed, with no memory of the previous evening after their arrival at the mansion. "Oh, love, thank Goddess you are awake," her mother, Luna of Snow Moon, exclaimed. "Everyone was so worried." She tenderly caressed Della's cheek, gazing down at her with motherly concern.

"What happened?" She asked. "I can't remember anything, we got out of the limo to walk inside and then there is just nothing." Della couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened. Her mother was quick to reassure her.

"You had a nasty fall," Luna Leah explained, "the butler found you outside, bleeding from a wound on your head. He saw you head out the door, and heard a crash. You must have fallen down the stairs. He took you to a guest room, called the healer, and came to find us."

"How embarrassing," she groaned, feeling the bump on her head. The wound had closed thanks to her werewolf healing abilities. Any injury to her body would heal quickly, especially if she was asleep. "I hope nobody saw me."

"No need to be embarrassed, dear. Nobody saw a thing." Her mother smiled. "We told everyone you were feeling ill and took you home early."

"Thank Goddess," Della breathed a sigh of relief. No one had witnessed her fall from grace.

Well, almost no one.

A month later, Della and Jared had just finished a sparring session in the woods, and were headed back to the Pack House. Jared's expression was sullen, and he was glad Della had stopped sparring with him in front of the pack a year ago, when they had turned 19 and he began preparing in earnest to become the next Alpha of Snow Moon. He was nearly ready, the only thing holding him up was that he had yet to find his fated mate.

How did Della, a tiny, five foot three, dainty little princess, always manage to kick his ass? His face was already almost healed, but his bruised ego lagged behind.

Della playfully punched him in the arm, seeing the defeated look on her brother's face made her want to gloat. He looked like a scolded puppy. "Oh, stop pouting," she teased. "It's our secret. Nobody has to know your sister can kick your Alpha ass."

"Maybe they should make you the Alpha," he replied, kicking a rock like it had offended him somehow.

"Maybe they should," she said, giggling at the thought. "But they won't." She grabbed his arm, and they walked in amicable silence down the path that led out of the forest surrounding the Pack Lands.

They approached the Pack House, rising tall and magnificent against the lush green backdrop of the forest. Della could smell the beef stew the cooks had been slow roasting all day. She was suddenly starving!

"Something smells delicious," she said, and picked up her pace. Jared knew what was coming. "Last one there is a rotten rogue egg!" Della yelled, pushing herself to run as fast as she could.

Then, out of nowhere, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her like dirty water. She stopped, dry heaving into the grass. She lay down, panting, waiting for it to pass.

"Della!" Her mother had seen her fall to the ground, and came running, followed by her father and his Beta, Joshua. By the time they arrived she had picked herself up, and though she still felt a bit weak, the worst seemed to have passed.

"I must have pushed myself too hard sparring with Jared," she said, shrugging her shoulders. She continued towards the Pack House, hoping they would let it go. She should have known better.

"Della, we are going to see the healer," her mother insisted. Della rolled her eyes, but knew it was useless to argue. Her parents had always been overprotective.

"You go on and get dinner," Della told Jared. "Mom and I can go. You just make sure and save some for me." She was starving, and the smell of beef stew wafting through the kitchen windows was enough to make her mouth water with anticipation.

Sparring took a lot of energy. She made it look easy to defeat someone twice her size, but in reality it was not. "Jared fought valiantly," she said, "but the enemy was just a tad bit stronger and more skillful." She told her family.

She wished she could take her words back, after she saw his face redden with shame and anger flash in his eyes. "I'm just kidding, brother," she told him, reaching for him and giving him an apologetic hug.

Her father, Alpha John Draven, was quick to come to his son's defense. "She's an anomaly," he reminded Jared. "She is small, and quick. Remember, she can take down anyone, including me." They headed for the Pack House, and Della watched enviously, imagining beef stew melting in her mouth along with buttery mashed potatoes.

She and her mother walked hand in hand along the path to the healer's office. "So Jared is ready to be Alpha," she mused, "all except for meeting his fated mate. Do you all have a plan for that?" She knew that her parents wanted it to happen soon. Her father was eager to retire and spend time traveling with his Luna.

"The Moon Goddess will reveal his fated mate when the time is right," Leah said, stopping suddenly and turning to face her daughter. "Della, is there anything you haven't told me? Anything at all?" She leaned forward, as though she had caught a scent. Della pushed her away.

"Mom! You are being weird. Do I stink? I was just sparring with Jared in the woods again."

"No, it's not that." Her mother suddenly looked more worried than before. "Let's get you to the healer."

"You're freaking me out, Mom," Della protested, "there is something you aren't telling me. What's going on?"

Her mother looked at her strangely, an intensity in her eyes Della had never seen before. "Della, are you still a virgin?"

"What? Of course! Why would you even ask me such a thing?" She felt insulted. How could her mother think she would go against the Moon Goddess in that way? A feeling of dread settled over her like a fog as they approached the small office of Trish, the pack healer.

"Luna Leah, Delilah," Trish greeted them with a warm smile and ushered them inside the office. "Glad to see you."

"I hope we can get to the bottom of this." Della said, glaring at her mother and turning her attention to Trish.

Trish looked Della up and down, frowning. "Della, your scent is different. If I didn't know better…."

Della didn't miss the look that passed between the healer and her mother. The dread intensified to pure terror, and she finally lost her ability to be polite.

"Enough of the cryptic bullshit! Tell me what is going on, and tell me now!" Della demanded, furious. She stripped out of her clothing and put on the gown Trish handed her. Trish asked her for a urine sample, and she headed to the small bathroom to pee in the small cup. She brought the sample back out, and watched as Trish performed a test, her face unreadable as she read the results.

"Della, I don't know how to tell you this, as I can see you truly don't know that it is even a possibility." She looked at Della with pity in her eyes. "Della, you are pregnant."

The world spun in circles around her, and she sat back on the exam table to keep from fainting.This had to be a joke. She couldn't be pregnant. She was a virgin! "That's impossible," she said angrily. "I am a virgin."

The healer and her mother both looked at her skeptically. "You can tell us dear, no one will be mad at you." Della's mind reeled. How could they not believe her? She was pretty sure she would know if she had done something that important! "We can do an exam to determine if you are still intact. Would that be okay?"

"Yes," Della said vehemently, certain it would prove she was telling the truth. She had never been with anyone, she couldn't be pregnant! She laid back on the table and waited as the healer gently probed her, and when she looked at Della again her face was grim.

"Della, I believe what you are saying, that you believe you are a virgin. However, my exam shows that you are not. Your lack of memory of the event leads me to the only possible conclusion, that you were drugged, and while you were unconscious, someone took your virginity."

The weight of the healer's words crashed down on her and her legs slammed together, a mix of fear, shock, and disgust washed over her.

Above all of that, however, a fierce protectiveness rose. There was a life inside of her. She felt the bond form, and she knew she had a fight on her hands.

"I was raped?" She whispered, and the walls of the office seemed to close in on her, and coupled with the looks of pity from her mother and Trish it was enough to make the room begin to spin again. She jumped up, dashing for the bathroom, and almost made it. Instead, she vomited all over the floor right outside the bathroom entrance.

"Della, baby, my poor child," her mother crossed the room and held her, rocking her back and forth, trying to soothe her hysterical daughter.

"Della, we should discuss your options," Trish said gently, "I need to do an ultrasound, to help pinpoint the age of the… pregnancy."

"You mean the age of my pup?" She said, and the two older women exchanged a look. This was going to be a lot more difficult than they had imagined.

"Della," her mother reached for her hand, her voice cautious. "No one expects you to bear the burden of a pup forced upon you. It is early, you can take a pill and it will be like nothing ever happened."

Della stared at her mother, her mouth moving, but her voice caught in her throat. Was she serious? She could already feel the life in her womb, the faint connection. How could she even suggest such a thing?

"Don't tell me you want to have a pup grow up knowing he was fathered by a rapist," her mother said, but Della suspected that her real hesitance had a lot more to do with her brother's upcoming transition to Alpha. There were always challengers, those who would use anything they could to tarnish the name of the Alpha family and attempt to claim it for themselves. Fury made Della's blood boil, and she fought not to shift into her wolf.

"Let me be clear about one thing. My pup is innocent. And he will be born, and he will be provided for," she glared at her mother. "We will discuss options, but not one of them will include killing my defenseless pup."

Della sat back on the table. "Shall we have a look at the little guy?" She asked Trish, tears flowing down her cheeks, her anguish made bearable by the love blossoming in her heart, a love she knew was bigger than her hatred for the pig who had put her in this situation.

Trish prepared the ultrasound equipment and rubbed gel all over Della's lower belly. Della wondered how she had missed all of the signs. Her periods had never been regular, but she had been feeling nauseous in the morning, and her pants had seemed a little tighter than usual. She had chalked it up to her tendency to overindulge on sweets, and the cooks had been making more apple pies than usual due to an overabundance of apples this year.

"Of course I missed the signs," she muttered. "I had no reason to even suspect I was pregnant." She wondered how this could be happening to her. "I really don't know when this could have happened," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed at her mother, praying she believed her.

"Were you at any parties, drinking, and not had any memory of what happened?" Her mother asked, and Della shook her head.

"No, never. I've kissed a few times, messed around with clothes on, but never anything that could lead to…. to this." She looked down at her stomach, realizing she even had a slight bump. "Why didn't anyone notice that my scent changed?"

"Well, we did, but we assumed it was due to hormones, perhaps your body calling out to your fated mate?" Leah sighed. "I believe you, Della. We never realized it was due to pregnancy because we know you. Whatever happened, it clearly was not something you agreed to." Anger flashed across the Luna's face. "Who would dare to do this to you! How could they have done it without you knowing?"

Della watched the monitor, her eyes lighting up when she heard the heartbeat. That was her pup, alive, with a strong heartbeat! Trish frowned, and her heart sank. "What is it?" She demanded, panic rising in her voice.

"As you know, werewolf pregnancies progress faster than humans, lasting four months rather than nine. Your pup appears to be about a month along, based on the developmental characteristics. The size, though, is slightly larger than normal."

"What does that mean?" Della asked, alarmed. "Is something wrong with him?"

"What makes you so sure it's a him?" Her mother asked, gazing at the small shape on the monitor, a small smile on her face. "Can you tell at this point?" She asked Trish.

"No, not for sure, but the larger size does suggest a male, and a powerful one at that." Trish looked thoughtful for a moment, before removing the instrument and printing off the readout for Della to keep.

"It's a boy," Della said, "and it is not his fault he was created the way he was. I refuse to hold that against him. I will not have an abortion." She sighed. "I would never judge anyone who did, and I believe there should always be a choice. I am saying, in my case, I choose to keep my pup." She gave a half smile. "I have always dreamed of being a mother. Mom, you should understand, didn't you feel something when you found out you were pregnant with us?"

Leah's face softened. "Of course I did, and I understand, Della. I just, well, there are a lot of hardships you will endure, and you don't deserve them. And your brother, well, this could affect his life too."

Della's anger flared again. "Jared would be on my side on this," she said, "he would give up the title if he knew. Which is why I have some decisions to make about my future." Della had already began forming a plan. She would mask her scent before leaving the pack, so no one would know. She wouldn't let her reputation tarnish her brother's future.

"Trish, do you have a scent masker I could use to hide the scent of my pregnancy?" She asked. I was

"Yes, I can send you with some. Della, I have to tell you, there is only a small window of time for you to change your mind. This pup is growing like a weed. That might help you narrow down who the father could be." Della jumped up and began throwing her clothes back on.

"I don't care who the father is. If I do find out, I will likely kill him myself." The coldness in her voice left no doubt that she was serious.

"Della, don't you see? You will hate the half of your pup that is him!" Her mother cried, "your whole life, Della, this is not your fault yet you will be punished for it!"

"The pup," she said, pointing to the little spot on the ultrasound readout, "is MINE. The Moon Goddess will look after us. This happened for a reason."

"Della, the pup was most likely fathered by an Alpha," Trish said, "they tend to grow faster. You having Alpha blood will make the pregnancy easier, but you will need careful monitoring. The growth rate is unlike anything I have seen." Della nodded. "I will figure it out."

She and her mother took the masking spray, and left the clinic, the silence heavy between them. Finally, Leah asked her, "Do you plan to tell your brother and father?"

"Of course. But don't worry. I will remain hidden away until the pup is born. Tell everyone I went away to visit friends. Once he is born, I will think of something." She looked at her mother hopefully. "Could we pass him off as an orphan? That I adopted?" Her mother shook her head.

"Della, the odds of being able to hide this, even with masking spray, are slim. Even when he is born your scent will change. You will not be able to hide the fact that he is yours."

Her mother's phone rang, and she took the call as they pulled up in front of the Pack House. "What? Well, that's a surprise. Did he state the reason for his visit? Oh, that makes sense. Well, we will be in shortly. Oh, she's okay. I will let her explain in detail." Della stared at her mother, curious after listening to the one sided conversation. They stepped out of the car, and began heading towards the Pack House doors. "Alpha Dustin and his Beta, Marcus stopped over to visit your brother. Dustin is the new Blue Moon Alpha, and he just wanted to see your brother and wish him well, since he happened to be passing through."

Della barely heard the words her mother said. She was sprinting towards the house, like someone possessed. She threw the front door open, and four surprised werewolves stared at her.

Her wolf was jumping up and down in her head, and Della wanted to do the same! She crossed the small space between herself and Dustin, who took her hand. Sparks exploded at the touch, and Della exclaimed, "Mate!" Dustin's eyes met hers, and she was filled with joy, her wolf, Mila, doing a happy dance.

Then his eyes changed, the joy replaced with shock, then anger. He shoved her away, as though disgusted. He quickly turned on his heel and stalked out the door. His Beta looked at her with disgust and followed.

"What the hell? How dare you treat my sister that way?" Jared shouted, following. "Stop! You don't come to my Pack House and disrespect my sister like that! What the fuck is wrong with you?" He demanded an explanation.

"Your sister," Alpha Dustin spat, "is a whore. Do you expect me to raise her bastard pup?" Jared looked at Della, whose tear filled eyes spoke the truth.

"Yes, I am pregnant," Della said, anger making her voice low and dangerous. "It was a surprise to me as well. I believed I was untouched, until I learned of the pup."

"That's what they all say," Dustin snapped. "Just admit it. You spread your legs and got what you deserved. Now no one will ever want you as a mate." He took a deep breath, ready to reject her, but Della cut him off.

"I, Della Draven, of Snow Moon, reject Alpha Dustin Edgewater of Blue Moon as my mate." The pain hit her hard, the tether between them snapped, and it felt as though every bone in her body snapped with it. They both fell to their knees.

"I, Dustin Edgewater, accept your rejection," he growled, and the pain intensified. Della didn't care, the asshole didn't even let her explain, and he called her a whore! Good riddance! Her heart broke, and she panicked, thinking of her pup and praying he was not feeling her pain. Their bond was intact, and she sensed no distress. That was all that mattered, she told herself.

She heard her father commanding Dustin and his Beta to swear a blood oath to tell no one of what had happened, punishable by death. She didn't stick around, she turned and walked back in to the Pack House, to her room, where she crawled in to her bed and cried herself to sleep, ignoring her mother's repeated knocks on the door.

"It's okay, little one," she told the pup growing in her belly. "I will love you to the moon and back, no matter what it costs me." She promised, and Della always kept her promises.

Mila, her wolf, howled a sad song in her head, wishing she could comfort Della and their pup, mourning the cruelty of their fate. She then set to purring softly to soothe the growing pup.

The sad, beautiful howl was heard, by the only one powerful enough to manipulate fate. She quickly got to work, making small adjustments and alterations, patterns emerging that would only be revealed in time.