Terry Spear’s Wolf Bundle

by Terry Spear

  She glanced back at the entrance. No police, no more sirens.

  Before she could respond, Devlyn kissed her lips and then left her with Nicol.

  Disheartened, she held Nicol apart from her while Devlyn made his way to the table where Ross and Alfred sat.

  “You must know, Bella, you’re about to give our pack leader a stroke the way you dance with the gray. I’ve never seen his face redder.”

  “We can’t help it. We’re in love.”

  “It’s evident.” He studied her for a moment, swallowed hard, and switched topics. “Another gray arrived here earlier. He spoke with us and then left. He appeared to be pretty angry he missed you.”

  Her heart pumped in overdrive.

  “Something wrong? You look like you’re getting ready to faint. We’ll eliminate the gray, Bella, if he’s a problem. You don’t have to worry about him. He said you arranged to meet him here, but we told him you left with another gray. He didn’t seem pleased. After he left, Alfred said you had told him an older man planned to see you. Not someone who appeared to be in his thirties.”

  “Argos. The man you saw wasn’t him. Volan serves as the gray pack leader and intended to have me as his mate.”

  Nicol stiffened. “He’s the one.”

  “Yes. He sent a message to me pretending to be Argos. We didn’t learn of the deception until we returned to my apartment.” She noticed the flicker of interest in his brown eyes. If the red wolf pack searched for her themselves, they wouldn’t be looking for a house, but an apartment complex instead. Still, she clenched her fists, irritated that Alfred hadn’t used his men to eliminate Volan when they had the chance. Then she wouldn’t be in the hellacious bind she was in now.

  “Alfred still wants you.” Nicol stated the words matter-of-factly.

  It was as though she had no choice in the matter. She’d selected a mate, and it should have been a done deal, but the reds wouldn’t allow her to choose the gray. “But I’ve chosen Devlyn for my mate.”

  “He’s not from here and he’s a gray. As far as Alfred’s concerned, the gray has no legitimate claim to you. You know, ancient law of the pack.”

  When she didn’t respond, he took it that she didn’t know about it. “The ancient law, you know. Where an unmated pack leader can take a lone red wolf for his own if she enters the reds’ territory. Of course, the same applies if he has a mate already and one of his pack members needs one.”

  She took a steadying breath. The sooner she and Devlyn left the red lupus garou territory and the sooner they got out of the club, the better. “What about you?”

  Nicol smiled. “A pack leader can lose his position if a new alpha male emerges.”

  She raised her brows. He didn’t seem to be the emergent leader type. A follower, like Ross—that’s how she had both of them pegged. “Like you?”

  He shrugged. “There’s been no incentive…until now.”

  That definitely could capsize the boat.

  “And Ross?”

  “He’s been brooding of late. No telling what’s going on in that dark mind of his.”

  “He and Alfred were dancing with human females when we first arrived. They both looked happy enough.”

  “That was before you showed up with the gray. As soon as you reappeared, they quit dancing and joined me at the table to watch.” Nicol tightened his grip on her hand. “I want you to dance close to me like you did with the gray.”

  “I’m Devlyn’s mate, no other’s.”

  He shook his head. “A red belongs with a red…not a gray. No one here will sanctify your choice. As far as Ross goes, he puts on a good show. But, frankly, I wouldn’t trust him.”

  “If you’re thinking of ousting Alfred as the leader of the pack and taking over, it seems to me you’re the one who can’t be trusted.”

  He gave her a sardonic smile. “No one is to be trusted, Bella, with a rare red female in our midst, who looks good enough to eat. No one.” Taking a deep breath, his eyes darkened.

  She assumed he could smell how Devlyn had aroused her, and Nicol’s own hormones would be thrown into turmoil. She glanced back at Devlyn, who sat speaking to Alfred and Ross but kept his gaze focused on her and Nicol. Devlyn’s face looked red and hard. If Nicol got too fresh with her, Devlyn would be at her side in a flash.

  Right before the dance ended, Ross made his move. Fearing she would have to dance with every one of the reds, each trying to see if they could stir the same kind of interest in her that Devlyn did, she knew the police would stalk in any minute and arrest her, as guilty as she must look.

  Nicol kept hold of her hand, reluctant to give her up.

  “Will you dance with me?” Ross asked her, ignoring Nicol.

  “Of course, but remember, I’m Devlyn’s mate.” Glancing over at Devlyn, she frowned.

  Ross’s nostrils flared slightly as his eyes burned with hatred at the mention of Devlyn’s name. Nicol snorted at her comment and then joined the others at the table.

  “I thought the brunette you danced with was quite attractive. Have you known her long?” she asked.

  Ross’s thin lips tightened and his brown eyes darkened to nearly black. “You have no business taking up with a gray.”

  Her stomach constricted. Instinct compelled her to shove him away and tell him where he could go. She had every right to select a mate, and if he were agreeable, she and Devlyn would consummate the relationship, thereby making it a mating for life. Squashing her more violent wolf nature, she attempted instead to learn whether Ross was the killer. “I’m sorry there aren’t more reds around for—”

  “You won’t be a gray’s bitch, Bella.”

  She didn’t care for his tone, ominous and threatening, but she fought telling him off. She already had enough problems with zoo man Thompson, the police, and one dead gray pack leader. Plus the notion of finding and stopping the killer. No way did she need three horny reds compounding her troubles.

  Devlyn sat on the edge of his stool, ready to pounce on any of the reds should they take their actions with Bella too far. Although neither Ross nor Nicol had treated Bella other than with great caution, he still didn’t like them touching her. They desired her, just as he did. As any of their kind would. Touching that soft, warm body, even with the faintest of brushes, forced his loins to react. He knew the same thing happened to them when they drew close to her. Yet he had every intention of learning who the killer was as soon as he could so that he could take Bella home to the pack.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t make a move for her earlier. She’s lived here for three years. Or didn’t you know?”

  Alfred’s eyes rounded, and his face reddened. “Shit,” he said under his breath. “I thought…” He shook his head.

  “She’s pretty good at keeping inconspicuous, mainly from dodging Volan all these years.”

  “She should have been mine all this time.” Alfred rose from the seat. “My turn.” He didn’t ask if it was all right with Devlyn. He strode from the table like a pack leader does, knowing that everyone had better follow his lead.

  Struggling to keep his seat, Devlyn clenched his fists.

  “Man, is Alfred pissed now!” Nicol chugged his beer and then grinned. “To think she’d been in the area all that time and no one knew it. We thought she’d been here only a couple of weeks.” He shook his head in disbelief. “She’s sure fine.”

  “What do you think about Alfred wanting her so badly?” Devlyn asked, trying to take his mind off Alfred’s hands on Bella’s hips.

  When she moved them back to her waist, Devlyn smiled at her tenacity.

  Nicol faced Devlyn. “I’d say you’ve got a hell of a lot of competition and a big fight coming if you want to keep her.”

  The truth was out. “You’d fight for him so he could have Bella?”

  Ross finally returned to the table, his face crimson.

  Devlyn glanced back at Alfred, dancing super slowly to the music.

  “I’d fight any to have a chance to
have her,” Nicol said.

  Ross glared at Nicol but quickly shifted his attention back to Bella and Alfred.

  Steeling his composure, Devlyn watched every move Alfred made toward Bella, intent on ripping him apart if he did one thing that she didn’t like…or that he didn’t care for.

  “Hey, Ross, guess how long the little lady’s been in the area.”

  Ross looked at Nicol, waiting for him to answer. Devlyn could sense the tension building.

  “Three years. Can you believe it? Alfred’s really steamed over it.”

  “Shit,” Ross said.

  Nicol finished his beer and set the bottle on the table with a clunk. “I told Bella that Volan looked for her here. We didn’t know he was the gray leader who wanted her, though, or we would have done something about it.”

  Hell, Devlyn must have just missed Volan.

  “We’re not through with him yet,” Devlyn said. “He won’t want to give her up.”

  Ross faced Devlyn. “Did you bring the hair sample with you?”

  Devlyn hadn’t even considered doing so. He shook his head. “We’ll rendezvous at the ice cream shop tomorrow.”

  “We could follow you home tonight,” Nicol offered, with a sideways glance at Ross.

  “Thanks, but no. Zoo man Thompson’s hot on our trail. The more of us there are, the more likely we’ll all be caught.”

  “Maybe you ought to stay with one of our pack. We have several widowed females, if you’d prefer to reside with one of them,” Nicol said.

  “We’re making other arrangements.”

  Ross growled.

  Devlyn turned to see what Ross was watching. Two uniformed policemen. The same ones Devlyn had knocked out at the hospital. And both were showing sketches to club patrons.

  Chapter Eleven

  TRYING NOT TO CATCH THE POLICEMEN’S ATTENTION, Devlyn eased his way across the dance floor and reached for Bella’s wrist. He attempted not to make a scene and quickly said to Alfred and Bella, “The policemen from the hospital incident are here. Got to go.”

  Bella’s peach skin blanched and her eyes turned nearly black.

  Alfred motioned for Ross and Nicol to watch their backs.

  “Tomorrow, the ice cream shop,” Devlyn said to Alfred; then he pulled Bella toward the rear of the establishment, not waiting for him to respond.

  When they reached the back door, Alfred followed on their heels. “Tomorrow night.” He looked at Bella with such longing—his dark eyes clouded over as if he were totally moonstruck—Devlyn could have slugged him.

  Devlyn yanked Bella out of the building, ran down a street parallel to their vehicle, and then dashed in front of the shops lining the street. Once at the SUV, Bella finally took a breath.

  He hurried her into the car, jumped into the driver’s seat, and they were off. Driving down the main road, he headed in the opposite direction of her home, just in case anyone tried to follow them. “Are you all right, Bella?”

  She nodded, her hands trembling to fasten her seatbelt. “Did…did you find out anything from the reds about the murderer?”

  He snorted. The notion that they stirred up a hornet’s nest came to mind. “Only that Volan had arrived, and the reds all want me dead.”

  She ran her hand over his thigh and immediately he became aroused. “We can’t let that happen.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t intend to.” He could handle any red. Even the three at once, as long as Bella wasn’t there to worry about.

  The farther away they got from the club, the calmer she seemed.

  “Both Ross and Nicol intend to become the pack leader so they could have me. Now that they know Volan is the gray leader who’s after me, they might attempt to gang up on him.” Her voice still sounded strained, and he figured she’d balk about becoming his mate while Volan still lived, but he had every intention of persuading her again.

  “Better him than me.” He glanced at Bella, whose lips rose in a small smile. It wasn’t a pack leader kind of comment to make, but she seemed to sense that he was joking.

  Doubling back, he headed for her place.

  “I told them I lived in an apartment. Just sort of let it slip naturally so they wouldn’t be on to us,” she said; her voice seemed more even now. “Even so, they probably figure I live in Portland, not Tigard.”

  “Good. If they speak to Volan, maybe they’ll let him know this, too.” He was glad he hadn’t said anything about her house to the reds and ruined her ploy.

  “I was wondering,” Bella said, sliding her hand up and down his thigh in a slow, sensual caress, forcing his blood to pump faster, “if you’d cooled down too much since the dance club. We might put some slow music on at home and warm things up. I was thinking about your comment concerning dancing…au naturel.”

  Reaching over, he slid his hand down her dress. With little effort, his fingers slipped down the lace cupping one of her breasts, exposing one already hardened nipple. Rubbing his thumb over the protruding nub, he smiled when she moaned in ecstasy. “I’d say we’re heating up just fine.” He grinned at her to see the devilishly wicked smile on her lips. “Bad Bella.”

  “Hmm, don’t take any more detours on the way home, unless you want to park out here somewhere.”

  He raised his brows at her suggestion. When she’d torn into the club and said she’d wanted to mate with him, he considered she’d done so only to get him away from Volan. Hell, whatever her reasons, if she said yes, he was game. “I would park somewhere out here, only zoo man Thompson, Volan, or the reds might catch up to us.”

  She growled low with amusement. “Here I thought you were my wild wolf companion, afraid of nothing.”

  “I’m not afraid of anything. Well, except that I won’t risk your safety, no matter how much I desire to have you.”

  She began to unbutton his shirt. “Speed it up, stud, while I’m still hot. You’re going much too slow.”

  He’d show her slow, when he had her naked body pinned beneath his…slow and hard.

  When they pulled into Bella’s housing development, they kept a lookout for any cars parked in the street that appeared suspicious. Not seeing anything to concern them, he drove into her garage and shut the door.

  Now that everything appeared safe, Bella wanted Devlyn—before anything else prevented them from finishing the moves they had started on the dance floor. Volan was dead, but she didn’t want to think about that. The police had no idea where she lived, and even the pain in the back of her head had nearly subsided. No one would stop her from having her mate.

  Immediately, she unfastened her seatbelt and grabbed Devlyn’s.

  Chuckling, he pulled his seatbelt free. “I thought we were going to play some slow music and work up the—”

  Tugging at his shirt, she yanked it free from his trousers. She had no intention of wasting any more precious time to set the mood right. “The loud music from the club’s still ringing in my ears. I don’t need it to get me in the mood. Do you?”

  His low sensual laugh pushed her to work faster. Their lips touched with heated passion when his fingers struggled with her buttons and she worked on his belt.

  “Hmm, fewer clothes next time, stud.”

  “I’d have to say the same for you, Bella honey.” Devlyn unfastened her bra and slid the straps down her arms, kissing her skin from her shoulder to her fingertips.

  They moved to the middle bench seat, where there was no console to hamper their progress. The soft velour fabric against her bare back sent a tingling through her body while he knelt between her legs. For a moment, he looked her over, his eyes smoky with blinding desire. “The thought of the reds touching you…”

  “But only your touch drives me wild.” She ran her hands down his naked thighs, the well-developed quadriceps tightening with her stroke. Already he was fully aroused and her eyes shifted from his washboard stomach to the full erection readied for her.

  He tangled his fingers in the short curls between her legs, and a smile curved his li
ps upward. “Been ready a while, eh, Bella?” His voice was husky, filled with wolfsized craving.

  “I told you I wanted you some time ago.” She moved her hand to touch him, but he shifted out of reach.

  “You touch me, and I’ll never make it.”

  She growled. “You’ll have to learn better control, my mate.”

  “Not with the way you arouse me, Bella. Maybe not until we’re both old and gray.”

  She chuckled. “No way am I waiting to touch you until we’re old and gray.”

  Bella’s skin was velvet against Devlyn’s mouth and tasted sweet and wild. He nestled his lips against her abdomen. Almost with a purring catlike quality, she growled softly.

  Threading her fingers through his hair, she arched her pelvis toward him. She was ready to mate and she’d chosen him over anyone else…over both the gray and red pack leaders, human males, everyone.

  Leaning his naked body against hers, he enjoyed her soft curves, fitting nicely against his hard muscles. She mewed her satisfaction. He growled his.

  He wanted to take it slow, to enjoy every inch of her and to prove to her she’d made the right choice. Still, her touch heated a fire in his belly that couldn’t be quenched until he had his fill of her and she of him. Taking it unhurriedly would test his resolve more than anything else he had ever done.

  He cupped the swell of her breast, the darkened nipple taut. When he licked the tip, she closed her eyes, stopped breathing, and stilled her fingers that were buried in his hair. “Breathe, honey.”

  She chuckled. “Quit talking and get to business.”

  “Pleasure, woman.”

  “Hmm, you don’t have to tell me.” Her fingers massaged his back muscles, kneading and stroking.

  Shifting his body higher, he moved his mouth over her heated skin, across the collarbone, higher, to the hollow of her throat.

  “Oh, Devlyn,” she said, her voice washing over him like a heated spring, filling the emptiness. She arched her body against his, parting her legs, urging him on. Offering herself to him like a siren of the sea.