So thirty days with the vamps, and she’d figured she knew enough about them and werewolves to get the job done. It wasn’t like she had forever to plan and execute. The doc hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly how long she had to keep breathing. Three months, if you’re lucky, he’d said. I’m sorry.
Now, that meant two months. Maybe. Probably less.
She’d go somewhere with a beach, gorgeous men in Speedos, and fruity umbrella-laden drinks. Definitely someplace where sunshine was so plentiful, no vampire would even think of hanging out there. She’d soak in every moment until her heart gave out.
She’d wasted enough time, damn it.
The rental car was parked all the way down the hilly drive, and around the corner, tucked into a fast food lot. It seemed a hundred miles away, especially with the werewolves tracking her.
Maybe they weren’t. She’d injured the big dude badly. And his lover, angry as he was at her, seemed like the loyal type. He wouldn’t leave his bedmate to chase after her.
At least she hoped so.
She’d stick to the trees until she got to the road. Then she’d run for it. Despite the doc’s advice about exercising, she’d kept up her workouts. Her heart had survived the weight training and runs up till now, right?
Rain burst from the thick morass of gray clouds, and she grinned. That would definitely help mask her scent. She climbed out on the branch, gauged the distance, and leapt.
* * *
CHRIS LOPED BACK to the tree where Leo still rested, and shifted into his human form. “Fucking rain.”
“You’re not a pup,” rasped Leo. “You know how to find prey during storms.”
“Yeah, if they’re on the ground. She’s in the goddamned trees.” Despite Leo’s protests, Chris helped the older man to his feet. “She’s some kind of ninja gymnast.”
Leo chuckled. “We need to find her.”
“We’re going to the rental car and back to the hotel,” said Chris. He was mad. Mad that some chick had gotten the drop on them. Mad that Leo had gotten hurt. Mad that he hadn’t been able to find Miss Stab-and-Run. “Don’t give me any shit about it.”
They’d wrapped their clothes in plastic, but still had to get dressed in the pouring rain. They were soaked to the skin by the time they’d made it to the road.
“Why’d we park at McDonald’s?” Leo asked. He’d kept up the hurried pace Chris set, but it was obvious he was still dragging ass.
“Can you make it, grandpa?” asked Chris.
Leo’s dark eyebrows winged upward. “Grandpa?”
“The way you’re moving? Yeah. You kinda remind me of my gramps.” He glanced over. “You want me to go get you a walker? Maybe a cane?”
“Fuck you.” Leo started to run.
Chris caught up easily. He knew that Leo was still in pain; he was running to prove he could. Good. Chris needed his partner strong because they were going to find ninja girl… and deliver some payback.
When they jogged into the parking lot, Chris grabbed the car keys from Leo and slid into the driver’s seat. It said a lot about how his lover was feeling that he didn’t even offer a token protest. The storm had definitely cooled things off, but the mix of heat and wet was making him itch for a shower and a beer.
“Do you think she contacted March?” he asked, half-hoping she had so that they could drop this insane mission.
“We won’t know her purpose for being there, or for trying to kill us, until we catch her.” Leo took Chris’s hand.
Chris blinked at the rare sign of affection.
“There’s something I must tell you.”
Shit, shit, shit. Here was the moment when Leo finally told him what was going on. The big something he’d been grappling with for the last week. Chris’s stomach cramped. He had a feeling he wasn’t gonna like the news.
“The Tribunal has chosen a mate for us.”
“What?” Chris sucked in a steadying breath. “Who?”
Leo shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I went to Leona.”
“The mumbo jumbo lady? She’s crazy.”
“She’s our pack’s shaman, and she has the sight. She told me you and I would find our mate when we went to kill the outcast.”
Chris felt like he’d been punched. “You knew? Even before the Tribunal made the decree?”
Leo’s eyes begged for understanding. That was so weird, Chris could barely fathom it. He never asked Chris to understand anything. He just did whatever, and Chris followed along because he’d learned Leo was nearly always right. He trusted him without question. Then a few pieces of this whole strange puzzle clicked into place. “You asked them for the job, didn’t you?”
Leo nodded. “The Tribunal knew none of us would willingly kill March. But I agreed only on the condition that you and I could choose our own mate.”
“This mystery woman?” Chris tried to yank his hand out of Leo’s, but his lover held on, refusing to release his grip. No wonder he’d been so moody. The motherfucker felt guilty. “We’re supposed to be partners. Mates. You shouldn’t have made this decision without me. You should’ve told me. Damn it, Leo! We could’ve come up with a plan together.”
“I know. I didn’t want…” Leo swallowed. “I was afraid you would leave.”
Shock blasted through Chris’s anger. “Leave? You thought I would leave you, and the pack, because the Tribunal assigned us a mate?” He gaped at him. “Are you on crack?”
“You admired what March did,” he said softly. “You said you were glad he told the Tribunal to go fuck themselves. You’ve made it clear that you hate the idea of bringing a female into our relationship, even though it’s pack law. We must breed.”
“I’m not March,” said Chris. Had he really made Leo feel insecure? He’d just been mouthing off, which he did all the time about everything, for fuck’s sake. Maybe this time, he’d somehow struck a nerve. He’d never thought in a million years Leo would be afraid of losing him.
Of the two of them, Chris was the one who needed affection and reassurance. He wasn’t a wimp; he just liked to know he was loved. Leo never seemed to need confirmation about Chris’s feelings. And because the jackass had feared the worst, he’d gone off and made the decision he thought would make Chris happy.
Chris was caught between being really pissed off, and utterly amazed. He turned in the seat and looked at Leo. “I love you, you stupid prick. I wouldn’t leave you. I never want to leave you.”
“Okay.” Leo looked relieved. “I suck, all right? But I didn’t want us to marry Hannah.”
“Hannah? They paired us with her?” Chris blanched. Hannah was the black widow of the pack. She’d had three husbands, all of whom had died. No one would mate with her, though some had taken her into their beds.
Chris never considered himself the superstitious kind, but she still gave him the heebie-jeebies. Aside from the propensity of her husbands to kick the bucket, Hannah also seemed to be barren. She’d never gotten pregnant, either within a marriage or during her bedroom romps.
“She can have kids,” said Leo, apparently following Chris’s line of thinking. “She admitted to the Tribunal she used several birth control methods to prevent conception.”
“So, they want her to have two husbands? That way at least one of us will live and she’ll have double the chance of breeding?” Disgust edged his voice. Hannah was the last living child of the Delgato wolves. The warrior blood of her father flowing through her veins in combo with another warrior’s bloodline would make strong children. And strong children meant a strong pack. Her bloodline, not to mention her beauty, was the reason three men had married her.
“Had you asked me, I would’ve agreed that she’s not our mate.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve consulted you.”
Chris’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline. “Did you just apologize? You never apologize.”
Leo struggled to respond. Finally, he offered, “I’m sorry. Really damned sorry.”
“Shut up, pu
ssy.” He leaned forward and kissed Leo.
“I know I don’t say it, but you’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been.”
“Okay. You’re freaking me out. Enough with mush.” But he kissed Leo again, and his whole body caught fire with need. He wanted to fuck him again, and then they’d both know for sure who loved whom.
“Get in the back,” growled Leo.
Chris wasted no time climbing over the console and into the SUV’s huge bench seat, but as he ripped off his T-shirt, he asked, “What about your injuries?”
“Gone,” said Leo as he settled next to Chris and took off his own T-shirt.
Chris didn’t have a chance to say another word. Now that Leo had confessed his sins, his guilt -- and his sexual reluctance -- was gone. He shoved Chris down and covered him, kissing him roughly as he unbuttoned his jeans and freed his cock. Chris wriggled down his pants, not so easy since they were wet, and his damp ass squeaked across the leather seat.
They laughed.
“I missed you,” Chris breathed against Leo’s throat. He kissed his warm skin, flicking his tongue along the rough underside of his jaw.
“I missed you, too.” Leo tried to adjust his position. “God, this is uncomfortable.”
“You wanna go to the hotel to finish?”
“Hell, no.”
Chris snorted. He ran his hands over the taut muscles of Leo’s back. Desire burned through him. It was so good to be in Leo’s arms, to feel his mouth raining kisses on his neck. “By the way, how are we supposed to meet this mate of ours? Do you think March will introduce us before we rip out his throat?”
“Don’t be facetious. We’ve already met her.”
“Impossible. We haven’t--” Chris grabbed Leo’s head and lifted it. Leo’s eyes narrowed. “The woman who tried to murder us? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I THINK SHE’S our mate.” Leo sighed, loosening his grip on Chris’s cock.
“She’s human,” said Chris, wishing he could let it go and get back to the business of fucking. But damn, Leo had lost his mind. He wanted to mate with the chick who’d tried to kill him.
“We’ll bring her to Leona.”
Chris’s cock was totally flaccid now, and the mood had all but fizzled. Why had he opened his fat mouth? “Leona has the bite?”
“It’s not common knowledge,” said Leo. “Not many wolves have the ability, and females are almost never born with the gift.”
“So. You want to track down our would-be murderer. Talk her into mating with both of us. Then take her to Looney Leona and turn her into a werewolf.”
Leo nodded. “Yeah. That about sums it up.”
Chris stared at him for so long, he made Leo uncomfortable enough to look away. His lover’s gaze flickered toward the window; his eyes widened and he flattened against Chris.
“Hey!” With Leo’s full weight on him it was hard to take a breath.
“It’s her,” Leo whispered. “She’s unlocking that green car a few spaces away.” He lifted his head and peered out the window again. “It’s a Prius.”
“Quit digging your elbows into my chest.” Chris paused. “Prius? One of those hybrid cars? Our killer has an eco-conscience?”
“Apparently.” Leo looked down at Chris. “We’ll go out on the left, circle our car from the back, and surprise her.”
Chris was all in. He hoped they were able to freak her the way she’d freaked them. He was a trained warrior, a fucking werewolf, and it chapped his fur that a human female had gotten the drop on him. Frankly, if Leo hadn’t been so caught up in his own emotional angst, he would’ve never let Chris distract him. Chris was awesome in battle so long as someone else took the lead, and Leo was a born leader.
Leo quietly popped open the door and slid out to the ground, crouching as he used the SUV for cover. Chris followed, shutting the door, and meeting Leo at the bumper. They peered around. Three spaces down he saw the back end of the Prius. Only one car was parked between theirs and hers. It was a rusted Toyota, and not exactly big enough to hide them.
“What’s she doing?”
Leo shot an annoyed look over his shoulder. “Putting on lipstick? Shining her silver daggers? How the fuck do I know?”
Chris rolled his eyes. “She should’ve taken off by now.”
“Let’s take advantage of it. We’ll go in fast,” said Leo. “I’ll take the back. You take the front.”
“She has a gun,” warned Chris. “Probably silver bullets, too.”
“Noted.” Leo sent Chris one last look. “Go!”
They took off. Leo ran behind the parked cars, and Chris rounded the Toyota, and skidded to the side of the Prius. The woman looked up at him, her mouth rounded in an “O” of surprise.
Naturally the doors were locked, so he bashed in the window. Glass shattered; his knuckles bloodied. He bared his teeth and growled. “Remember me?”
He reached in and unlocked the passenger side door. He moved to restrain her, but she wasn’t trying to fight. He realized then something was wrong. Her face was gray. Her shaking hand clenched a prescription bottle.
“Chris!” Leo waited on the driver’s side, his gaze impatient. Chris unlocked the door. Leo threw it open, reached in and pulled out the woman.
“What the hell is wrong with her?” asked Chris. This wasn’t the way he’d expected for things to go down.
“I don’t know.” Leo pried the bottle from her hand and read the label. Then he opened the cap and poured out a pill, sticking it between the woman’s blue lips.
“Swallow,” commanded Leo.
Her eyes went wide, rolling into the back of her head, and she convulsed once before going limp.
“That went well.” Chris exited the car. “Is she dead?” He squatted on the other side of her and looked down, more surprised than worried. He hadn’t forgotten she’d stabbed Leo and tried to slice open his own throat.
“Unconscious.” Leo pried her mouth open and looked inside. “She managed to swallow the meds before she passed out.”
“What now?”
“I’ll put her in the SUV. You follow me back to the motel in the Prius.”
“Why do I have to drive the pussy car?”
Leo slanted him a look, but obviously decided the insult was too easy. He scooped up the girl and stood. “Get going, princess. Your sparkly green chariot awaits.”
“Oh, fuck you.”
* * *
Raven felt like she was swimming in black gelatin. From far away, she heard voices. Snatches of conversation filtered through the viscous darkness.
“We should drop her off at the emergency room.”
“This is our woman, Chris. The gods won’t take her from us.”
“Come on!” A pause. “How bad can Hannah be?”
“Shut up.”
* * *
RAVEN AWOKE IN a cave. What the hell? She felt strange, as if she were as substantive as shadows. Lounging by the pit fire were two wolves. One was big and black, its dark eyes serious. The other was gray, its blue eyes filled with mischief.
“They are yours,” intoned an elderly female voice. It bounced off the craggy walls, straight into Raven. Of course, she thought, I’ve been waiting for them.
The wolves got up and padded to her, one settling on each side of her. She lay with them, their soft fur tickling her naked flesh. She sank her hands into their luxurious coats. Her body rippled with sensual awareness.
Then each wolf gave a low, possessive growl, and licked her breasts.
“No,” said Raven. But they wouldn’t be denied. The black one put his paw on her rib cage, and his companion followed suit.
Their broad, flat tongues tortured her breasts and nipples, making her tingle and ache.
Then she felt a tongue lick up her neck, to her ear, and a male voice said, “You’re beautiful.”
The black wolf was no more. Deliciously naked, the man’s long, thick cock pressed against her thigh. His skin was the color of coffee with too much cream, and
his tousled hair was black, as dark as his eyes.
“Hmm,” said another male voice. “She tastes good, too.”
This man, as corded with muscle as his friend, had the mischievous gaze of the gray wolf.
They took turns kissing her, their hands stroking every inch of her heated skin. And when one of them parted the slick inner folds of her pussy and stroked her clit, she moaned, and closed her eyes, and fell down, down, down…
* * *
RAVEN SUCKED IN a breath, and tried to shake off the miasma. “W-what happened?”
“She survived,” said a male voice, laden with sarcasm. “Yay.”
She pried open her eyes and had barely realized she was laying in the middle of a comfortable bed when she felt the mattress dip. She looked at the man sitting inches from her.
Fuck.
It was Hottie No. 1, the dude she’d tried to off. Her gaze flicked beyond him, to the guy leaning against the hotel room wall. His glare clearly indicated that he wished she’d explode. Yeah. He’d been the one attempting to track her. Hard to do when she was in the trees with the battering rain washing away her scent and masking her movements.
She smirked.
He pushed himself off the wall and stalked toward the bed.
“Relax, Chris.”
Blue Eyes stopped, pivoted, and threw himself into a chair tucked into the corner of the room. He crossed his arms and glared at her some more. Nice.
“I’m Leo.” He studied her face. “We’ve got you. So cooperate.”
“Or what?” Her voice sounded like rusty hinges. She tried to clear her throat, but the effort hurt. It felt like she’d swallowed a whole bag of cotton balls. Leo helped her to a sitting position and handed her a glass of water. It had the metallic taste of tap water. What? She didn’t rate the ten-dollar bottled water? Still, she sucked down every drop. She toyed with the idea of slamming the glass against Leo’s gorgeous head, but he plucked it out of her hands. Oh well, it wasn’t like she could take them both down, not without weapons or in her weakened state.
Her traitorous heart beat steadily, not revealing its weakness. She’d been so close to getting on that beach. Now, she was gonna bite it in a hotel room. Heh. Bite it. Yeah, that was probably the literal interpretation of how she would breathe her last. What a way to end an otherwise stellar career.
Going Wild: Wolves on the Prowl: The Complete Collection Page 4