Authors: Jaci Burton
She stared out the side window at the darkness, wishing she could be out there now. She really wasn’t good about following directions. If they shifted and snuck behind them…
Movement caught her eye. Through the trees to her left, she caught sight of something gray flashing by.
“Maia, did you see that?”
“See what?”
“Look there,” she pointed.
Maia stared, then her eyes widened. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah.” She looked to Maia. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yes.”
They began to undress, wrapping their clothes into cords to wear around their necks.
“Hurry,” Chantal urged.
Dylan groaned. Lance was into foreplay. He’d licked the poor girl’s pussy raw.
Now he was finger-fucking her while he sucked on her clit. Hell, he could have gotten off with Chantal in the backseat of the car, smoked a couple cigarettes and been back watching them again during the time period this dude had been pleasuring the woman.
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He began to have his doubts about Lance being the wolf they were looking for.
Unless he was into well satisfying his victims before he tore them apart.
He shot a glance at Noah, who shrugged and rolled his eyes.
After another screaming orgasm from the dark-haired woman, Lance stood and unbuckled his pants, shucking them to the ground. He stood in front of her and stroked his cock. Smiling at him, she sank to her knees.
Turnabout.
Sighing in disgust, Dylan realized they were wasting their time here.
He’d wanted this finished tonight.
“Let’s go,” he whispered to Noah.
They headed back to the car. His pulse was racing, his body warming to the point of great discomfort. He needed Chantal. And she was pissed. Maybe a walk home, just the two of them. They could talk.
But when they reached the car, dread dropped his heart to his feet.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Where are they?”
“Knowing my sister, they walked home,” Noah said. “She’s not one for cooling her heels, especially when she’s pissed off.”
Great. “I guess we should search the area for them before we drive away and leave them.”
“I think we should leave. If she decided to take a walk instead of staying put like you told her, it’s her own damn fault if she gets left. She can walk home.” Dylan crossed his arms. “There’s a killer wolf out here somewhere, Noah.”
“Who targets humans, not other werewolves,” Noah reminded him. “Chantal can take care of herself, and I’m sure Maia can too.” So maybe he was over worrying. And maybe his plans to take a long walk home with Chantal and fuck her on the way had just been screwed.
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Still, a Southern gentleman didn’t leave a lady out wandering. Some things were just ingrained. “I’m gonna look for her. You take the car and head on back to the house.
I’ll just walk back. I need the air anyway.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Fine. Call me if you need a ride.” Dylan nodded and headed north into the dense brush, figuring he was probably wasting his time. Noah was right—Chantal had been so irritated she’d decided they’d just walk back to the house. But he’d at least search a bit.
He pushed through the bushes, cursing when a thorn jabbed into the skin of his upper arm. By the time he threaded his way through the brambles he was pretty scratched up.
Damn woman. No way would she have gone through here.
He was about to turn back when a dark flash sprang across his field of vision. Shit!
He tore off after it, but as soon as he’d no more launched into a full run than he started to sweat, hard. Then he began to shake, violently. So badly that he had to stop and drop to his knees.
What the hell?
Racking pain shot up his spine, white-hot and unbearable. He screamed as it burned like someone had a lit a torch inside him.
His vision blurred. He couldn’t see anything but shadows now. Every sound around him was magnified, including his own blood rushing in his ears. His heart pounded and panic set in.
And he was hot. So goddamned hot he couldn’t stand it. He tore at his clothes, stripping them from his body in a hurry, desperate for any cool air to wash away the heat incinerating him from the inside out.
Even his bones were on fire.
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He dropped forward, slapping his hands to the ground as he felt the first crack of his bones. His skull was splitting apart and he screamed in agony, tilting his head to the sky.
He was dying.
Chantal circled back toward their origination point, having long ago lost sight of the wolf.
And of Maia, who’d gone off in another direction. They were hoping they could cut off the wolf and meet him head-on, but no such luck. But they decided if they got separated and didn’t find the wolf, they’d just meet back at the car, or at the house.
As she headed that way, she heard a half howl, half cry of pain, so mournful and piercing it made her pause and shudder.
God, it was awful. She hurried in that direction, praying the wolf hadn’t attacked someone.
Her heart thudded when she came upon a naked Dylan, crouched over and clearly in agony. She shifted to human, tossed aside the rope of clothing and hurried over to him.
“Dylan, can you hear me?”
He was bent forward, his head touching the ground, his body curled up so tight she couldn’t shake him loose.
“Dylan! It’s Chantal. Answer me!
“It hurts. Goddammit, it hurts.”
His voice was low, strained, a guttural whisper filled with agony.
Shit. It wasn’t full moon yet. Why was he going through transition? She smoothed her fingers over his back, feeling the bones there. They were starting to move.
“Baby, listen to me. Try to roll over onto your back.”
“Can’t. Hurts.”
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“Yeah, you can. Just try. I can make this easier on you if you let me.” She moved him, slow and easy, onto his side. He grimaced with every movement.
“I’m sorry. I promise to make it better. Now onto your back.”
“Christ, Chantal. I know you’re pissed off, but are you trying to kill me?” She smiled. At least he had a little sense of humor left. “The reward will be worth it, trust me. On your back, stud.”
He finally rolled with a loud grunt of pain. Success! His cock was thick, erect, and she didn’t waste any time. She knew what he needed to make the transition easier.
“Dylan, open your eyes and look at me.”
He pulled his eyes open, squinting. They were golden, shimmering.
“Okay, you’re going through transition a little early.”
“No shit.”
She smiled and threaded her fingers through his hair as she straddled him. “Fuck me, baby. It’ll make this easier.”
“’Bout damn time you showed up. I need you.”
She knew he needed her for this, not for any other reason, but just the words tumbling from his lips made her wet and ready for him. Oh, who was she kidding? She was always wet and ready for him.
He gripped her hips and thrust inside her, sheathing himself to the hilt. Sweet pleasure burst inside her at his invasion. Her pussy gripped him in welcome. She settled on him, moving against him in tandem rhythm, placing her palms on his chest while she leaned over and captured his lips with her mouth.
His mouth was blazing heat, his tongue liquid fire as he slid inside her mouth with desperation. She sucked his tongue while she lifted up and down on his cock, feeling it lengthen and thicken inside her, filling her walls, stretching her until her juices poured over his balls.
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She pulled away and sat up, grinding against him, rubbing her clit against his skin.
She was lost in sensation, in the need for him that superseded any sense of duty. She fucked him because she wanted to, not because of any requirement. Because being close to him had become a necessity, a joy in her life that made each day complete.
His skin glistened under the moonlight, the tight strain he was under visible in the lines furrowing his brow.
“Don’t fight it,” she said, reaching forward to smooth her hand across his face.
“Accept it and it’ll be easier to bear.”
She rocked against him, absorbing the sensations, wishing she could take away his pain. But she felt him relax as she moved, his fingers lessening their tight grip on her hips.
“That’s it, baby,” she said. “Relax. It’s your time. Breathe in and out deeply.
Concentrate on fucking me, on how good my pussy feels gripping your cock, squeezing it, milking the cum right out of it.”
His eyes widened and he lifted his head, reaching for her hands as he began to buck his hips against her, driving his cock upward. Strong contractions pulsed inside her as she reached the edge and flew over, crying out with her climax. She squeezed his hands and rode him hard. He groaned, then howled, coming in shuddering bursts.
The sounds he made were more wolfen than human.
Finally, he relaxed. She lifted off and kneeled beside him and he made the full physical transition to wolf. God, he was beautiful, his silvery coat sleek and shiny under the moon’s light. She shifted alongside him so she could teach him how to communicate in their lupine language, with psychic thought, the human part of them remaining even though they were fully wolf.
Dylan explored the sensations of being a wolf. Every sight, sound and sensation magnified in incredible ways. And he could hear Chantal talking to him, though they weren’t speaking. And the speed he could run—incredible. Not even winded, either. He felt…invincible.
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He stopped, sniffed the air, scenting another wolf. He turned to Chantal, who nodded.
Maia and I saw a wolf flash by the car earlier
.
That
’
s where we were
,
out trying to find him
.
That
’
s our guy
. They followed the scent upwind, catching sight of the wolf where Lance and the girl were still entwined and going at it.
The wolf growled. Lance and the girl were fucking and panting so hot and heavy they didn’t even hear it.
No way was he going to hurt anyone else. Dylan howled and Lance leapt off the girl. The girl screamed and stood, grabbing frantically for her clothes as she spotted the wolf approaching. Dylan and Chantal circled in front of the wolf, getting between it and the humans so he couldn’t attack. Lance at least had the presence of mind to start backing away from all of them.
They ran like hell. Dylan heard the slamming of their car doors and the roar of the engine. They peeled away in a hurry.
Good. No witnesses.
They
’
re mine
, the wolf said, raising his lip and showing his sharp canines.
I don
’
t think so
, Dylan replied.
Your game is over
.
He wished he had his gun. Fighting a wolf was new to him. But he felt powerful.
He could handle this.
The wolf lunged for him, teeth bared. Dylan braced for the attack and sidestepped him, then jumped, biting down on the back of his neck. Instinct roared to life and the battle was fierce. He drew blood, tasted it flowing into his mouth, feeling it increase the surging need for battle inside him. He wanted more. He wanted death, to tear this creature apart.
Chantal entered the fray, snapping at the wolf’s hindquarters, pulling him off balance. The wolf turned on Chantal and bit her. She yelped.
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Goddammit! Dylan lunged at him, and at the same time Noah showed up, jumping into the battle, leaping onto the back of the wolf.
Outnumbered, the wolf went down and Dylan grabbed him by the throat. Without hesitation, he bit down and ended the wolf’s life.
Instinct. Part of him couldn’t believe he’d made a kill, but the wolf side of him knew there was no other choice.
He returned to human form, as did Chantal and Noah.
So did the wolf.
Obviously, it wasn’t Lance as they’d suspected.
It was Joe, the waiter from The Joint.
“Holy shit,” Chantal said.
“We need to get out of here and fast,” Noah said. “Lance has probably already called the police. I’ll get the car. Get your clothes and get dressed.” Dylan nodded. As they hurried to get their clothes, Dylan grabbed Chantal’s arm.
There was a bite mark there and it was bleeding. He reached for her wrist.
She smiled. “I’m fine. It’s already healing. Werewolves have amazing recuperative powers, remember?”
“You shouldn’t have jumped in the middle of that. You could have been seriously hurt.”
She frowned. “I can take care of myself, Dylan. And you’re welcome.” She stalked ahead of him, obviously irritated.
Well, damn. He had a lot to learn about this werewolf thing. And about Chantal.
She had no fear. She’d taken up position and had his back like a seasoned agent.
Or like his mate would do.
His mate. His woman.
God, he wanted her. Needed her. In a few days she’d become ingrained, a part of him.
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She was saucy, annoying, opinionated and hardheaded. And beautiful, sexy, intelligent, warm-hearted…the kind of woman he’d been looking for his entire life.
He was in love with her.
He couldn’t let her go.
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“Joe took frequent breaks from his job at The Joint. Not long enough that anyone grew suspicious. He claimed to have family obligations and trips to take. But the NCA has placed him at the scene of every murder,” Dylan said. “And his death has been pinned on another series of wolf attacks, which will now cease completely without explanation. It’s the best we can do under the circumstances.”
“At least he’s been killed and the wolf murders will stop,” Lamont said, nodding his head. “This is good for all the packs involved.”
“Did you ever figure out who the woman informant was?” Noah asked.
“No. It could have been a false lead, but I doubt it. My guess is someone knew about Joe. Maybe a girlfriend or something. Either way, we never heard from her again so he either found out she was going to inform on him and took care of her or she was too scared and decided not to come forward.”