"It's not my place to police the werewolf world.” Okay, that was a stupid comeback considering we were bounty hunters, but I stuck to my guns. “I'm not handing them over to you."
"You don't have to. We're going after them with or without you.” Dane scooted to the edge of the bench.
"Wait,” I said, clasping his forearm and stopping him. “You can't go after them."
Dane slid back onto the bench and asked, “Why not? That's what we do."
"Because you won't be around to explain to Vaughn's three year old son and his human daughter why their father's dead. Adam is trying to get his life back on track again and do it with a healthy pack. Can't you just give them the benefit of the doubt?"
"Do you think either of them they gave their victims that benefit? I feel sorry for the kids, but their father has human co-conspirators still running loose. Yes, I believe in second chances. But Adam lost his when he chose not to steer clear of his buddies when he walked free."
I shook my head in disbelief. “You've lost your mind. Eight months of wallowing in depression has finally caught up to you. You're so impatient to prove to the supernatural world that the Hunting Club is back on track that you're ready to go after anything with a price tag attached."
Dane reached across the table, taking my hands in his. His thumbs caressed the backs of my knuckles, his dark eyes holding my attention. “I'm doing my job. This has nothing to do with playing catch-up. Riley, Fisk, and the others ... They wanted me to check into the Georgia Pack, but I told them to leave it alone. Now that Decker's brought it to out in the open, I can't ignore it. I can't show favoritism in the Club when we're conducting business."
"It's nice to know that I've been reduced to business. Does that mean I can put in for maternity benefits, too?” I yanked my hands away. “If you go after them, you're inviting a war to your front door. Are you ready to take on an entire pack?"
"No. But if your so-called pack was on the up and up, they should have resolved the situation before it got this far. We're only one of many bounty hunters out there looking for a score."
I didn't want to hear anymore. Slamming my napkin on the table, I stood and walked out.
Chapter 27
My jumbled thoughts left me laughing and crying the whole way back to the den. What else I could do? In less than twenty-four hours, my island paradise had an infestation of headhunters “looking for a score.” I thought I could keep the two worlds from smacking into each other, and yet here I was, standing between them as they faced off.
Dane said he didn't want to intrude on my life because he had plenty of opportunity in the past. However, I do believe morons like Decker and Riley would make things uncomfortable if they thought they stood a chance at losing me to another pack. When he was human, Decker knew he never had a chance with me. Being a werewolf changed all that. I've known Riley for more than ten years, so anything sneaky and underhanded he did wouldn't surprise me. That brought me back to Decker. He was the enigma. I knew nothing about his newfound treachery or any other malign traits he might have picked up during his transmutation. Heck, I didn't even know what his new scent smelled like.
It surprised me to walk through the den's front door and not run into anyone on the spot. There always seemed to be people scattered about and noise in the corridors. That was okay. I needed some alone time to think about how to handle this. Knowing the Club, they would stop just short of burning down the den trying to get to Vaughn and Adam. I dragged my lifeless body upstairs and to my room. Climbing across the mattress, I let everything slip out of my hands and onto the floor.
I rolled over in bed and found a note left on the pillow from Matt. He expressed his love and wanted me to get some sleep, noting that I got a total of three hours last night. I guess he and Stephan had headed out for the office today and taken the rest of the spa crew with them. I curled into a fetal position on the bed and closed my eyes.
Tender kisses massaged the curve of my neck, working their way towards my back. A lift of my hair and they continued. A little tongue and lips suckled at the nape. A body lay so close to my back that I thought we had melded together. Matt's hand slid under my shirt, fingers working their way under my waistband, tugging at the bikini string holding the front and back of my panties together. When had my pants gone missing? How long had I been asleep? I smiled, my body tingling with excitement. His kisses felt so precise and oh, so good. A hand slid across my skin and up to my breasts, kneading them gently, paying close attention to my Hershey's Kisses nipples. I lay my hand on top of his, bringing his fingers up to my face. I kissed them one by one before rubbing my cheek against his palm.
"When did you get home?” I asked.
"Do you realize you just called this place home?” Matt murmured. He planted kiss after kiss around my lobe, suckling when he got to the soft tissue.
Breathing and talking at the same time became difficult. Even thinking was hard. “In ... a way ... it is our home ... isn't it?"
"It is if you want it to be. I still want a house though."
I giggled. “You like playing naked tag around the house, don't you?"
He chuckled. “You guessed it."
Taking his hand out of my blouse, he unbuttoned the last few buttons, one at a time. I pressed my back into him. My rear bumped into his warm, smooth skin. My leg angled backwards, working its way in between his. Matt leaned over, found my lips, and delivered sensual kisses that threatened to suck the life out of me. With my blouse undone, he let his hand rest on my breast. I reached behind, feeling my way across his fleshy thigh muscles, but couldn't get what I wanted out of him. Tired of the game, I rolled over and faced him. Matt smiled, sliding his hand across the spot between ribcage and hipbone, pulling me closer to him. He tugged at the strings holding my underwear together until they bit into my skin and snapped off. Rats! I lost more underwear that way.
"I didn't mean to wake you, but there's something about your body that looks irresistible when you sleep."
"I can say the same about you too."
My legs found their way in between his again. We kissed, keeping it slow and sensuous. Matt tightened his hands around my waist, making sure our lips remained glued to each other before he shifted himself on top of me. The heat from his naked body covered me like a blanket against the cold air of the room. My hands explored his soft back, making their way to his tight buttocks and thighs. I pulled him closer as my heated passions tightened my erogenous zones, waiting for the right moment. It didn't take long. His hardness reacted to me, like a radar detector. I spread my legs, reached down, and invited my husband inside.
* * * *
A knock at the door woke us out of a sound sleep. My eyelids lifted open, and I shuddered in annoyance. This was my nails-on-the-chalkboard moment. Matt stirred as though trying to hang onto every last vestige of his own sleep. Not bothering to get up, I lay halfway across his body with our legs tangled together. Only a sheet covered my backside and his front. Had we been at my parent's house, I would have covered up so fast that heads would have snapped. Werewolves walked the house naked whenever they wanted, so it shouldn't matter to them whether or not we covered up. Neither of us moved to let the person inside. They should have taken the hint and left.
"May I come in?” Seth said. His deep, British voice enriched the echo in the hall.
"Sure,” Matt yawned, “it's not locked."
My eyes went wide and I punched him in the arm. “You idiot! We butt bump in the bed and you forget to lock the door? Anyone could have walked in."
"Uh, honey—"
"Do I look like the kind of person who wants a peepshow audience waiting outside our door?"
"Lex—"
"Why not just send an invitation?"
"Because I doubt anyone would attend,” Seth replied, standing in the doorway.
An embarrassing chill ran across my skin and twisted my stomach. I couldn't bear to look at him. Matt stared at me, grinning so hard that I thought his dimples wo
uld never go away. I slid into the nook of his arm, keeping my bare back to Seth. Judging from his bland expression, seeing one more person au naturel held as much interest for him as channel surfing.
Remembering my manners, I chucked a smile at him. Seth closed his eyes and shook his head before sitting on the edge of the bed. Matt lifted an arm behind his head while cradling me in the other, a finger gliding up and down my spine. He looked so pleased with himself that I wanted to smack him again. I felt like a conquest.
"Hardly anyone locks doors in this house,” Seth said. “We all know that a closed door means keep your nose out."
In that case, I wanted to ask why he was here, but Matt pinched me on the rump before I could get the words out. He knew what I was thinking, all right.
Seth maintained his bland stare. “At least I waited until the moaning stopped."
That did it. I buried my heated face in the cranny of Matt's sweaty arm. His finger continued to dance along my spine, sliding up and down my back, unshaken by any of this. I couldn't look at either one of them. Everything was too candid and casual around these guys. Thank goodness we were buying a home of our own. Next weekend, we'd start looking.
"Don't worry,” Seth sighed, “you weren't that loud."
I threw my hand in the air to stop him. “Okay, enough. Don't go any further. Just tell us what you want and we'll do it."
He blinked in astonishment. While Matt chuckled himself into convulsions, Seth's cheek twitched the tiniest bit, his eyes downcast for a moment. The corner of his mouth even curved a few millimeters before sliding back into its habitual, emotionless state.
Lifting his head up, he said, “Some of us are going on a run tonight and wanted Matt to join in."
"What about Lex?” Matt asked, letting the last of his chuckles dissipate.
I put my hand on his chest. “Honey, if he wanted me to come, then he would have invited me.” Truth be told, I didn't want to go. I'd feel like an intruder stumbling on some pack rite of passage.
"Alexa doesn't change,” Seth replied. “She'll slow us down and antagonize the pack if we have to wait for her."
"You don't understand. We've been running together before we got hitched. She's fast, and the only thing that slows her down is her center of gravity being higher than ours. She generates more friction in the air due to a larger surface mass—"
I covered his mouth with my hand. “Hon, I don't think he cares about the mechanical analysis of why I run a little slower than you.” At least my engineering science degree got some use.
Seth hesitated, crooking an eyebrow. “If you can explain that kind of analysis to him, and he understands it, then you're truly a virtuoso in your field of expertise."
"That's my baby.” Matt grinned in smug pride before turning back to Seth. “Anyway, she's like us in human form. I taught her all the rules about being with a pack in the woods. She can go for a long time without slowing."
"If everything you say about her is true, then I don't have a problem with her tagging along. However, I don't want her near the front of the pack.” He poured his gaze on me. “Matt is fine near the front. But no one is sure where or even how you fit in. I'll be honest with you and please don't take offense; I'm stating a mere fact of pack life. You're only half of what we are. That will never put you high in the ranks. Everyone respects you because you're Matt's mate. However, by yourself, you're the pack omega. The lowest in the hierarchy.” He stood and marched to the door. “We're leaving around nine. Make sure you're both ready.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.
I turned to Matt. “I think I've just been insulted."
So much for making a good impression. Heaven only knows what he'll think of me when he finds out about my double life. With a little luck, that'll never happen.
* * * *
When Matt mentioned my name in the run, everyone laughed. Like Seth, they worried that I might slow them down or get hurt. I appreciated the sentiment, but they doubted my running abilities because they couldn't get passed the human factor. If they ever got the opportunity to see me run full out, minds would change and the apologies would come tenfold. Being labeled as the pack omega gave me reason enough to prove my worth. At least I didn't drag my husband down in the trenches beside me. The debate went on for a while until they condescended enough to let me tag along. Not like it mattered, because Seth had already okayed it. I wanted a sense of belonging to the pack, but I wished there was another way. The only reason I went along with this pack rite of passage was for Matt's sake. The only reason why he fought to see if I could come with them was because he needed to feel as though we were joined as one.
I went outside dressed in my usual black gear: leggings, sports bra, and zip-front sweater. From the number of werewolves changing on the lawn, I'd bet my mother's right breast that word had gotten out about a human hybrid running with the pack. They wanted to be a part of history in the making.
Stepping through a field of pulsating muscles and fur, I took in a dozen distinctive scents. Some of the wolves had completed their change, so they lay on their stomachs, panting from the ordeal, sweat shining their coats. All heads followed me as I finished walking the field and sat in the grass at the end of the line.
One by one they flocked around, sniffing my hair or rubbing their wet noses against my cheek. I couldn't help smiling at the sense of love they showed ... until Evan knocked me on my back and forced his muzzle under my sweater. His hot tongue slicked across my stomach. I laughed so hard that my muscles tightened my gut to excruciating pain. I pushed his brown, furry face away. Aiyana made her approach and forced her black muzzle into the front of my neck, tongue slicking everything it touched. I tried crawling away, but her upper body slumped across my back, pinning me to the ground. A dark blond wolf joined the fun. Danielle slobbered my face with wet kisses.
Being a human hybrid never felt so good.
Another blond wolf made his approach, his long blond body swaying with each careful step. His radiant blue eyes snared my attention. He looked every bit like Danielle, but his size and genital region gave him away.
I wanted to hold my hand out to Adam and welcome him, but one conversation didn't vouch for instant friendship. Instead I sat up, letting Aiyana slide off my back. Adam moved in, nose sniffing my hair, though he was wary enough not to touch my skin. I turned my head into his muzzle and he backed away startled. My body reacted on its own by moving into a crawl position. Adam tilted his head sideways and inched closer. I remained completely still while he loped around rubbing his fur against my side. He glanced back before walking off to do the same with the rest of the pack.
"You're welcome,” I said, smiling.
Seth took the point position and trotted towards the copse at the edge of the yard. His tail swung high in the air, signifying his Alpha position. Isabella fell in step beside him. The rest of us gathered into our hierarchical positions behind the lead couple. I took my rightful—or as I called it, respectable—place near the end of the line. As the only human hybrid who had ever walked among a pack, that should have earned me some sort of respect. For all Matt's nagging about not following him step for step in the woods, I silently thanked him for all the time he had spent teaching me those lessons.
Our trot turned into an occasional sprint over worn paths etched with the pack's scent. I had no problem keeping up, barely breaking into a pant. Every now and then, Matt threw his head over his shoulder and checked on me. Grinning, I threw him a wave to let him know I was okay and having a great time. Well, perhaps good, but not great. Unlike them, I wasn't blessed with a fur coat, and the October nights were nippy.
We caught the scent of freshly worn byways used by raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, and other small creatures. The urinary scent of possum trails and something that could have been armadillo pinched my nose. We crunched through the dead underbrush, heading for something Seth must have had his mind set on because he passed up a few viable meat trails. Then the scent hit me. He wanted d
eer. So much for this being a simple run. It was turning into an outright hunting ritual of the more complicated kind.
There was a big difference between running and hunting. Running implied stretching your legs and getting a good workout. Hunting implied stalking, searching for the most vulnerable prey near the fringes of a herd, separating them from the others, terrorizing them in the chase, then pouncing when they showed signs of slowing. That would be fine and dandy, had I been built like a wolf. Out here, I was about as useful as that “Do Not Remove Under Penalty of Law” tag on a pillow. Matt and I never hunted together, so we never practiced the rules of engagement. He usually tackled that on his own.
I kept up with the pace until everyone stopped. Seth's black, canine head turned to me and the other multicolored heads followed his gaze.
"I get it,” I said, waving a dismissive hand. “You guys go. I'll be here when you get back."
Several heads cocked, others simply stared at me longer than normal. I guess I had forgotten to tell them that their nonverbal language was like second nature to me. Werewolf genes can do that to a person.
I grinned and shook my head.
Like them, my genes have allowed me to interpret the same intrinsic signals and cues that have aided them for centuries. However, that didn't mean I was a perfect fit in the woodlands. Whenever animals sense humans nearby, they dart off. My presence among the pack slimmed their chances of catching anything they prized. The moment Seth's eyes glanced in my direction, the reasoning shuffled through my brain, taking a second to decipher.
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