The Mating Chase (Werewolves of Montana)

by Bonnie Vanak

“I’m not a child.”

  “Yeah, but you do have a very sweet ass.” With calculating deliberation, he let his gaze linger on her breasts. “I’m sure I could make the experience pleasurable for both of us. Want to try?”

  Fury crackled in her brown eyes as she breached the distance between them. Emotions boiled inside him as they locked gazes, two Lupines in silent sexual challenge. Finally. This was the old Beth, who never backed down, who gave taunts as good as she got. C’mon sweetheart, do it.

  The violent heat between suddenly chilled. Raw vulnerability on her face, Beth took a step back. Aw, sheesh. Bitter disappointment stabbed him.

  “I never took you for a coward. Guess the Skins taught you more than biology,” he muttered, hoping to force a response.

  The doorbell rang. Beth threw him a withering glare and headed down the sweeping staircase.

  At least she’d stopped looking at him like a wounded puppy. He followed, and then vaulted over the railing to the first floor, landing on his feet in a heavy thud. Beth halted midway down.

  “Short cut. You can do it, too.” Anger tightened his voice. “If you remembered you’re a wolf, not a damn human.”

  “Right. Any excuse to watch my dress fly up.”

  Dale gave a cold smile. “No reason. Not when I’ve seen you naked in the shower.”

  Sputtering, she raced down the stairs, and flung open the door before he could check out the visitor. Damnit. Didn’t she remember anything?

  A short, balding man stood on the doormat. Some joker, maybe Darius, had erased the “L” in “Welcome” so the mat now read, “We Come.”

  And you go, he thought, recognizing the visitor’s scent.

  “Bobby?” Beth looked uncertain. “I thought you weren’t in town until tomorrow.”

  The man thrust a bouquet of wilted daisies at her. “My plans changed. Thanks for responding to my email and inviting me over. Here, I brought you these. I came to ask you out to dinner.”

  Incisors lengthened and sharpened in Dale’s mouth as he stepped forward, blocking Beth as she took the flowers. “Get the hell out of here.”

  “He’s a friend,” she told him.

  “Not of yours.” Claws emerged from Dale’s fingers as a growl rose in his throat.

  Beth grabbed his arm. “Stop it! He’ll see.”

  “Good. Maybe it’ll change his mind about sniffing around you.” Dale scowled at Bobby. “Then again, Earthers like ogres are notoriously stupid.”

  “Watch the insults. I’m a troll, not a stupid ogre,” Bobby spat out.

  The daisies spilled from her opened fingers. Realizing his mistake, Bobby stepped back, his mouth turning down. “Beth, c’mon, it’s me. I’m your friend from school.”

  “You were.” With a stricken expression, Beth stepped in front of Dale. He fought the Lupine instinct to protect and shield.

  “I thought you were a Skin. You acted like a Skin.”

  “Because that’s what you wanted.” The troll curled his lip. “You really are blind for a wolf.”

  “What do you want?” she asked in a trembling voice.

  Itching to send a fist smashing into Bobby’s smug face, Dale clenched his hands. Damn Beth, you’re Lupine. You used to chase dirt diggers like this for fun, remember? Stop acting like a Skin who’s terrified of the monster hiding in the closet.

  Seemingly encouraged by her timidity, Bobby inched forward. “What every man wants. A good fuck.”

  Beth gasped. The troll’s eyes narrowed. “Unless your uncle pays me off, I’ll shove my cock into his precious niece.”

  Dale laughed. “Hard to do when it’s microscopic.”

  The troll lunged for him, halting when Dale snarled, showing his teeth. “Take a step closer, dickwad, and I’ll turn you into troll shish kebob. You’re on my turf now.”

  Bobby glanced at the shaken Beth. “I’ll leave. For now. Maybe I’ll wait for you, Bethy-Beth. One day when you’re out shoe shopping, I’ll pounce and you’ll never see me coming.”

  His nasty smile widened. “Until I do come inside you. Make you pregnant. Wouldn’t that make your uncle proud, contaminating the bloodlines of his precious family with a bastard troll?”

  Beth glared at Bobby. “Hard to do, like Dale said, when your cock’s microscopic. Get the hell off our land.”

  A surge of intense joy filled Dale. Atta girl, he silently cheered. If he could trust her Lupine instinct, he’d let her handle this ass. But for now...

  Fisting a hand in Bobby’s shirt collar, Dale picked up the startled Earther and threw him. The troll sailed through the air like a football. He landed in a fresh pile of steaming manure. With a scream of rage, Bobby stood, shapeshifting into his true form.

  The troll’s skin purpled and warts sprang up all over his naked body. A penis the size of a baby’s fist poked out from a nest of green hair. Pointed teeth showed in a snarl.

  “Oh gross,” Beth cried out. “That’s what I was studying with in the library all that time?”

  Dale whistled. From all over the ranch, male ears pricked at the high-pitched call.

  Lupines on horseback, tending to cattle or repairing fencing ceased activity. Nearby, three cowboys shifted into wolf. They raced forward, targeting Bobby in answer to Dale’s command. Satisfied, he watched the horror dawn on the troll’s face. Fast as his little legs could carry him, Bobby ran for his Corvette. As he fumbled with the door handle, a wolf struck him, fangs sinking into the troll’s fat ass.

  Dale laughed as the wolf retreated, allowing Bobby to climb inside and close the door. Shifting back to Skin form, the troll started the engine and drove off in a cloud of dust.

  Dale slammed the front door and leaned against it.

  “He won’t be back.” He watched Beth’s incredulous expression turn doubtful. “He knows if he dares to try, I’ll be waiting. And you’re not to venture out alone again, not without an escort.”

  “I don’t understand. He was never that aggressive in school. He didn’t even kiss me goodnight.”

  “It’s why you need a mate, Beth.” Unable to resist, Dale dragged her fragrant scent into his lungs. “You need protection.”

  Tensing, she shook her head. “I don’t need anyone defending me.”

  “Not if you were Lupine. You’d turn him into shredded beef. But you didn’t recognize him for an Earther.”

  Dale removed his hat, rubbed his sweating forehead. “How many other classmates were trolls, ogres or gnomes, Earthers you didn’t recognize? Or other Wyldings like us, only bears or cougars? Or Glythen, Fae or dragons? Let alone Seekers, and their type like Mages or psychic Skins are damn hard to detect even for someone as experienced as me. Do you know how dangerous that is, inviting a troll onto our territory?”

  “I never would have done it if I’d known who Bobby was.”

  Sighing, he replaced his hat. “And you never would have gone near him if you hadn’t sacrificed all your Lupine instincts to act human. What’s the deal, Beth? Weren’t we good enough for you?”

  “That’s not it. I needed freedom to experience the world, see what else is out there. I thought if I became a biologist, I could help the pack with sickness and disease. I have a brain, you know.”

  Dale softened his voice. “I know how smart you are. Never doubted it for a moment.”

  “Then why is everyone on my case?” Eyes huge in her face, she hugged herself.

  Frustration filled him. Beth didn’t get it. Lupines possessed sensual, earthy natures. Their biological urges kept the pack solid and strong. And their instincts kept them sharp and aware of enemies.

  Studying in the city among Skins, Beth had forgotten this. She’d forgotten how sexual Lupines were. And he was more Lupine than most, curbing his feral instinct and sexual needs only out of sheer will.

  Hard to do with her so close, Beth’s intoxicating fragrance teasing his senses.

  He wanted her naked and sprawled beneath him. He wanted her trapped in his solitary cabin for days, fucking her into ecst
atic oblivion until her Lupine instincts surged. He wanted to lock into her and make her pregnant with his babies. Dale closed his eyes, envisioning Beth rocking their son as she suckled him, a contented look on her face.

  That was his dream. Not hers.

  He wanted her Lupine.

  But he wanted her happy, too.

  “We’re not on your case,” he finally said. “You know we’re a pack, Beth. And pack rules must be obeyed. Aiden has dictated no unmated females will remain. You have to choose what you want with your life.”

  If she decided to leave, his world would feel cold and empty. For four years he’d eagerly anticipated her return, curbing his basic instincts to chase after her, watch from a distance to ensure her safety. Doing so would violate their friendship and her trust. So he’d remained on the ranch and waited.

  I can’t let her leave now, he realized, his blood surging hot and thick, twining with male possessiveness. I have to find a way to keep her tied to me.

  “What’s your answer?” he asked, muscles tightening in his neck.

  She went to the painting of wild wolves Aiden had hung in the hallway, a reminder of their origins. Beth touched the gilded frame. “I’m not leaving. And I’d never agree to a challenge match. It’s too violent and brutal. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

  Dale released the breath he’d held. He’d offered to champion her. He couldn’t stand the idea of another male claiming her, a younger male who lacked control and might brutalize her. If necessary, he’d fight his brethren, though the thought nauseated him.

  “I suppose my only choice is the mating chase. Maybe being chased by a group of sex-starved males will force my wolf out.”

  Something inside him seized up at her woebegone look. “Sex-starved, no. Eager for the chase, and to find a mate, yes. There’s a big difference.” Dale stroked a thumb down her cheek, feeling her quiver beneath his touch. “Maybe your wolf needs passion to coax her out.”

  Beth gave a throaty, bitter laugh as he dropped his hand. “Passion? I doubt it. Sex is sex. It’ll be the same, no matter who wins. I’ll be the loser.”

  Resisting the urge to prove her wrong by kissing her until she surrendered to her own desires, he tapped her pert nose. “Tonight, under the moon. Fifty-seven males waiting to chase and claim you. I’ll be among them.”

  Relief flickered in her gaze. Then her expression shuttered as she nodded, her posture as regal as their alpha’s.

  “And Beth? One other thing you forgot about me.”

  As she tilted her head, Dale gave a slow smile. “I always win.”

  Chapter 3

  THE WAXING MOON hung like a polished nickel in the cloudless sky.

  Outside the ranch lodge, Beth paced back and forth, kicking up small clouds of dust. She’d worn dark clothing and her favorite running shoes. Every advantage was needed when trying to outlast a pack of male Lupines eager for the chase and the prize.

  Me, she thought a little desperately.

  Inside the lodge, Aiden met with the challengers to outline terms of the chase. He’d coached her earlier. She could run up the mountain, in any direction she chose, as long as it was on foot or paw. Her choice.

  If she reached the lakeside cabin in the mountains, she’d win. But if a male caught and straddled her before she did, biting her neck to mark her as his intended mate, the chase was over. The losers would return to the lodge, and Beth would accompany the winner to his room to consummate their union.

  So romantic, she’d told her uncle with a sarcastic smile.

  All afternoon, she’d hoped fear of the impending event would force a Change. But her wolf lay as dormant as on that day of science lab when her professor had dissected a deer. Beth had watched the procedure with ennui, while the other girls turned green. And then the professor talked of the deer’s natural predators, like wolves. He mentioned some hunters liked to shoot wolves, thinking they were a nuisance.

  Beth had growled.

  All her classmates stared. From that moment, she’d kept her wolf silent and threw herself into her studies.

  But curbing Lupine instincts proved a daily challenge. Beth disguised her wolf by mimicking other girls, much as an attractive woman wore a wedding ring to discourage single men. Gradually the wolf’s call became less insistent and had finally faded away.

  Tonight, when she needed her the most, her wolf remained silent. Her Skin suit must suffice.Beth rubbed her sweating palms against the fleece pants.

  A shadow slipped out of the lodge. She recognized Dale’s unique scent: leather, sage and spices, a strong and powerful smell of an equally strong and powerful male.

  Her wolf senses were returning, she realized. Her hearing, sight, smell had sharpened. If only she could shift.

  Moonlight silhouetted his chiseled features, glinted in his dark blond hair. He closed the distance between them until she could see the feral heat in his blue gaze. He was barefoot.

  “Is the meeting over?” Beth asked, heart banging hard against her chest.

  “No. I slipped out to give you a fifteen minute head start. Aiden doesn’t know, and neither do the others.”

  Dale glanced at the sky. “It’s not enough, but it’ll help.”

  “Why?” she whispered.

  He lifted his hand, caressing her chilled cheek in a lingering stroke. “Because I don’t want your wolf emerging from fear. She’ll return when the time is right.”

  A shudder raced through her, born from earthy and powerful instinct. Pulling his shirt over his head, he dropped it to the ground. Sleek muscles framed his powerful chest, his flat belly and roped his long, strong arms. Fascinated, she stared.

  Dale unfastened his jeans, sliding them past narrow hips, and kicked them free. Naked, he stood before her, clad in shadow and moonlight. Pure female need arrowed through her, her breath coming in little whistling gasps.

  “You don’t need to strip to shapeshift,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, but I thought I’d give you a sample of what you’re getting.” Dropping his arms to his sides, he stood motionless, letting her observe her fill.

  Dark blond hair on his chest marched down his flat belly and abdomen to a thick nest at his groin. At rest, his penis was long, the mushroom knob slightly pointed. Lupine, she realized. But close enough to a human penis that most couldn’t tell the difference.

  Except when a female was in heat, or during the full moon. Then things changed. A male’s shaft naturally thickened and lengthened, and the knob resembled a rounded barb.

  Beneath her fascinated scrutiny, his penis twitched. She moistened her dry lips.

  “Run, Beth,” Dale said, his husky voice deepening until it became a guttural growl. “Now.”

  Then he vanished. Standing in his place was a thickly muscled gray wolf, eyes shining blue in the moonlight. The wolf lifted its nose and sniffed the air, pawing at the ground.

  Eager for the chase, and the prize.

  Beth ran.

  Chapter 4

  FIFTEEN MINUTES WASN’T enough.

  Beth climbed up the narrow mountain path, her sturdy sneakers providing traction on the slippery slope. The ancient ritual pumped in her blood. She reached deep inside for her wolf, hoping she’d emerge. She saw a reflection of a gray wolf with deep brown eyes staring back.

  But her wolf did not surface.

  In her human Skin, she couldn’t hope to outrun the wolves. Conserve your strength.

  Breath wheezing out of her lungs, Beth pushed on. If she could make it to the cabin by the lake, she’d be safe. At the least, she must find a tree to climb. Being surrounded by a bunch of lusty wolves was not how she anticipated her homecoming.

  A short time later, she collapsed on a flat boulder, gasping for breath.

  In the distance, a haunting howl echoed through the mountains.

  Hair sprung up on Beth’s arms. It had begun. The pack males would chase her until she dropped from exhaustion, and if she were lucky, they would not all jump on her at once in a m
ating frenzy.

  It could happen, Arianna had warned as they had combed through Beth’s wardrobe earlier to select clothing. An orphan, Arianna Sanders was Beth’s closest friend. She was a purebred alpha Lupine with heightened senses, and irresistible to males during her heat.

  “Once another pack held a mating chase, and the males got so sexually aroused, two of them lost control.” Arianna’s blue eyes had narrowed. “They were both about to violate the female when the alpha appeared, and stopped them.”

  “What happened to her?” Beth asked, horrified.

  “The alpha chose one and forced her to mate. She didn’t fight it. I’d have scratched his eyes out. No one’s ever going to do that to me.”

  Arianna refused to talk about her past. Beth suspected her friend had been abused before Kyle found her and brought her home to live with the pack.

  “Be careful, Beth.” Arianna’s gaze grew solemn. “Lupines can be a little crazy when they cave into their wild sides. Especially males.”

  “My uncle’s trying to find mates for them. It’s not easy. Most packs won’t release their daughters and nieces.”

  Her friend’s mouth turned down. “After tonight, I’m the last available female. How long before it’s my turn?”

  Unsure of what to say, she’d given Arianna a comforting hug.

  Standing and shaking away the memory, Beth brushed at her pants. From down the mountain came a series of long, eager howls.

  Panic surged within her. Beth ran up the trail, stumbling over rocks and roots, her feet scrambling for purchase. A gust of wind blew hard, nearly sending her off-balance. Craning her neck, she saw a blur of shadows against the night, heard their panting breaths as they surged up the mountain. Hunting not solo, but as a pack. When the pack hunted together, nothing could outrun or outlast them.

  Branches snapped beneath heavy paws. Rough grunts drifted on the wind, some laced with possessive snarls. They battled for dominance, striving to reach her first. Fully Lupine, nothing remained of the calm, well-mannered cowboys who’d treated her with the quiet respect due their leader’s niece. The males were driven by the ancient impulse to mate.