Free Animal Secrets: A Paranormal Romance (The Animal Sagas) by Susan G. Charles Page B

they did not always get much free time due to the responsibilities of their posts. Moments alone could be scarce when there were duties to fulfill and runs to plan, and feasts to prepare, and activities to create….
    “Mmmmmm,” Lynda purred as he turned her to face him and met her lips with a sensual kiss.
    “Are you too tired?” he asked as he met her eyes once more.
    “No,” she said quickly. “No not too tired at all,” she insisted.
    He chuckled low in his throat and swept her up easily into his arms. Despite her growing belly, he had no difficulty whisking her away when he wanted to. She was still light as a feather to him.
    They had nearly made their way back to the bedroom when Sonya came bounding in the front door without knocking. “Lynda! Lynda!” she cried out enthusiastically. She skidded to a stop when she spotted her sister and Ben in the hallway, right in front of their bedroom door.
    “Oh, sorry,” she gasped and started to back away. “Bad timing.”
    “No, actually,” Ben cleared his throat and reluctantly lowered Lynda to the ground. “It’s perfect timing. Lynda has something she needs to talk to you about,” Ben gave Lynda a  knowing look, kissed her lightly and went back to the map he left minutes earlier. He wanted her to take a more active role as an Alpha in the pack, even if she was currently pregnant.
    Lynda sighed, trying to control the desires that had just flooded through her before Sonya’s unexpected entrance. “Sonya, I really don’t feel well enough to take the females on the upcoming run. Do you think you could do it for me?”
    Sonya smirked a little as she looked from her sister to Ben, and then back again. “Oh so that’s why Ben was carrying you, because you’re soooo very tired,” she teased and offered a heavy wink. Ben blushed and glanced away. Lynda folded her arms over her round belly and arched a brow at her sister.
    “So, will you do it, or not?” Lynda asked again, with a hint of exhaustion in her voice but not unexpected at all in her conversations with Sonya. As the older sister, Lynda was used to having to ask several times for something before Sonya would agree to it.
    “What exactly is it? What is it for? What would I have to do?” Sonya asked. She was new to the pack and had never led a run before.
    “It’s just an opportunity for the females to really let their hair down – it’s a release, to go on a pack run, it’s a kind of tradition we have mainly,” he explained to Sonya casually. “Plus, it lets younger females get to know the full range of our territory which is a really very important thing to know. And you need to be aware of it too.”
    “Hmmmm,” Sonya eyed him curiously. She crossed her arms waiting for more details – it felt as if there might be something that he wasn’t telling her.
    “So, what do you males do while all the females are out running?” she asked Ben point blank.
    Lynda’s eyes instantly widened, she had never thought to ask Ben that question. Still when she saw the glare that instantly flickered across Ben’s features she stood up for her mate.
    “Sonya, Ben doesn’t have to answer to you. Just say yes or no. If you don’t want to do it just let me know right now and we’ll just ask somebody else,” she encouraged quickly. She didn’t want any resentment breeding between the two.
    “It’s okay,” Ben sighed, he had become accustomed to the less than traditional behavior of the sisters since they joined the pack, and he didn’t want them to feel imprisoned, inhibited or held back in any way.  He wanted them to feel comfortable and he knew this transition was not an easy one for either of them.
    “Well, while the females are away the males engage in their own kind of tradition. Then at the end of the run, those who are mated join together, and those who are not can select a mate if they so desire.”
    “Oh! Okay, sounds like fun!” Sonya chirped out. “Guess you two were getting a head