by Jaci Burton
“Which means he’s got a captive population, especially in a bar, and if they’ve been drinking, they’re easy marks. Asshole,” Noah said, grimacing.
“So what do we do now?” Chantal asked, focusing her attention on Dylan.
“We stay here and keep our eye on him. When he leaves tonight, we leave. See where he goes.”
“Our wolf from the park didn’t make his kill last night,” Noah added. “That means he’s hungry. If that dude behind the bar is our guy, he’ll want to finish what he started.”
Chapter Seven
Didn’t it just figure that tonight Lance would stay until almost closing? But he finally finished up and left. And one of the women he’d been chatting up at the bar the entire night shot out the door right after him.
Damn good thing too, because if Dylan had to sit there one minute longer he was going to explode. His skin felt like it was prickling with some kind of rash. Every part of his body itched and burned and he was dying to shed his clothes and sit in an ice-cold bathtub.
He was boiling from the inside out.
And irritated. And antsy as hell. He wanted this case over with, wanted to find the killer and tear him to pieces. Food hadn’t calmed him down and this wasn’t exactly the type of place where he could fuck Chantal up against the wall to help ease his tension, so he did his best to ignore her.
Not that he could, with her sitting next to him. Her scent permeated his senses. Primal, earthy, musky, like the sweetest honey, tantalizing him to take a taste of her.
Taste, hell. He wanted to devour her. The urges were growing stronger and he was finding it hard to control them.
“Let’s go.” He stood and pushed the chair back with his legs. It banged against the one behind him.
“Hey, dude, be careful,” the guy behind him said.
Dylan turned and growled at him. One more word and the scrawny little shit was going to go flying through the window. The guy took one look at Dylan, his eyes widened and he held up his hands.
“Sorry,” the kid said. “No harm done.” He sat back down and turned away from Dylan.
“Jesus, Dylan, get a grip,” Noah said, grabbing his arm and leading him toward the exit.
The woman who’d left right after Lance caught up to him. They stopped for a few seconds, talked, then Lance threw his arm around her and they started walking together.
Chantal sidled up next to him. “Is she his next victim?”
Dylan shrugged. “Could be.”
“We need to stop him.”
“We need to make sure he’s our guy first,” Dylan snapped. “Be patient.”
Chantal shot him a glare and moved behind him to walk with Maia. Fine. He couldn’t handle her standing so close anyway. He needed his mind on work and she distracted him in the worst way. His dick was throbbing and he couldn’t chase down a killer werewolf while trying to harbor an erection the size of a giant redwood tree.
They followed Lance as he made his way down the street toward the parking garage. Noah went off to grab their car while the rest of them kept an eye on the parking garage exit. Noah pulled up first and they piled in, then Lance exited the garage and they followed.
Lance headed to the park. Dylan’s gut tightened. “This might be our guy.”
Noah purposely kept far enough back so Lance wouldn’t become aware he was being followed. He cut the lights once they entered the park and pulled over when Lance did.
They waited.
Lance and the woman didn’t get out of his car. Dylan frowned and looked over at Noah. “You think he’d do her in his car?”
Noah shook his head. “Doubtful. Bloody mess and hard to clean up. He’s priming her with foreplay, then he’ll convince her to get out and take a walk in the park. At least that’s my guess.”
“Makes sense.”
After about fifteen minutes, Lance and the woman exited the vehicle. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair mussed up.
“Definitely foreplay,” Dylan said. The thought of it made his balls ache. Primal hunger surged through his bloodstream. Good thing Chantal was in the backseat.
Damn good thing he wasn’t back there with her. He needed her, badly. This whole transition thing was a pain in the ass. His concentration was shot and he was forcing what little clarity he had left. Right now he was operating on instinct and years of experience. He hoped to God they could get this case wrapped up tonight, grab Lance before he did any damage to this woman and end things so he could go back to the mansion and get through this fucking nightmare of becoming a werewolf.
He wanted his old life back. He didn’t want this change, goddammit.
“Okay, they’re out of sight,” Noah said. “Let’s go.”
Dylan popped his door open, and turned around to look at Chantal and Maia. “You two stay here.”
Chantal shot him a look of pure venom. “Like hell. You need—”
“Don’t argue with me,” he shot back, cutting her off. “The more people tramping around leaves and twigs and making noise, the more likely he’ll hear us and run. Noah and I can handle this. Now stay put.”
If looks could kill…
He left her in the car, no doubt fuming and calling him every dirty name in the book. But at least she stayed there. She could cuss him out later.
While she was fucking him.
They circled behind a copse of thick trees, trying to remain out of sight while they followed Lance and the woman into the depth of the park. Lance and the woman were holding hands, stopping every now and then to kiss.
Frustration ate away at the last of Dylan’s patience. He wanted action, dammit. He wanted Lance to make a move, to see him shift into a wolf so he could shoot the sonofabitch and have it be over with.
Lance led the woman to almost the same spot as he had the girl last night. Asshole. Not very careful, was he? Either that or he was supremely confident he wouldn’t get caught.
He pushed her up against the base of a tree and lifted her skirt, then squatted. From their vantage point, he and Noah had a clear view of him eating the woman’s pussy. The girl dug her nails into the tree trunk and moaned, thrusting her cunt against Lance’s face.
Watching Lance pleasuring this girl wasn’t helping the ache in Dylan’s balls. Too reminiscent of what he and Chantal had done that first night in the park. The pain throughout his body was intensifying. He was shaking all over like he had a fever with chills.
“You okay?” Noah whispered.
Dylan raised his hand and gave Noah the okay signal. No way in hell was he going to get pulled off this case or in any way alert Noah about something wrong with him. He could hold it together a little longer. He had to. They were almost at the point they could capture this guy.
All Lance had to do was even look like he was gonna shift, and they had him.
Chantal sat in the backseat of the car thinking of the thousand different ways Dylan was going to suffer for dumping her while he got to run off and play crime solver.
“Pissed, are ya?”
She shot a glare at Maia. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
Maia grinned, the spiky ends of her short, silvery blonde hair glimmering in the moonlight shining in through the back window. “He’s right, you know. All of us out there stomping around would make too much noise.”
“I realize he’s right. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Maybe she’d squeeze his balls in her fist while she was sucking his cock. A little pain with his pleasure. She and Noah and Maia could have shifted and followed Lance. As wolves, they could be deathly silent.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
“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.
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 h
ips.
“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.
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.
