Wylde (Xi Force Book 3)

by S. C. Mitchell

  He breathed a sigh. “Good. At least one of us will know what we’re doing.”

  In the back seat, Piotr perked up. “Well, at least I’m not the only one confused here? Can I watch?”

  Both Dove and John answered in unison. “No.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Hope died the moment Dove pulled into the parking space in the underground garage at the Xi Force headquarters. Heather was there to greet her, her husband, Chris, at her side.

  Chris had ditched his Z-Bot costume in favor of jeans and a Deadpool T-shirt. Heather was dressed for business in lab coat and scrubs.

  Exiting the SUV, Dove approached. “How did you know when we’d be back?”

  Patting Chris on his chest, Heather smiled. “All the Xi Force vehicles have tracking. I just had Chris put an alert in his internal computer for when you got within a few miles of the compound.”

  “Oh. Great.” Crap. “How’s the work coming on the Red Guard compound data? I’ll bet that’s keeping you busy?”

  Could she sidetrack Heather? Maybe delay the inevitable tests.

  Heather’s eyes narrowed. “You are not getting out of this, young lady. Whatever happened to you is ten times more important than any data we collected on site. Besides, I uploaded everything to the Cray supercomputer fifteen minutes ago. It’s going to be crunching numbers for a couple of hours. So, get your butt up to my lab. Now.”

  Shit.

  She cocked her head at John.

  A wan smile slid across his lips. “I need to go get Piotr introduced to the pack anyway. See you later?”

  Hope glistened in his eyes.

  “I’ll text you when I’m free.”

  Heather had her by the elbow. “Come on.”

  As she was pulled down the hallway, she heard John ask Chris. “So, how does that texting thing work?”

  Poor John.

  ~ ~ ~

  Snow tumbled from the gray skies and crunched under foot as Wylde and Piotr trudged toward his cabin on the top of the Xi Force mountain base. His place away from people, where he could live a life of solitude with his pack.

  Was that a contradiction?

  In any case, he wasn’t sure solitude was what he wanted any more. He certainly wanted to spend more time with Dove. And he had friends now. Joel, Kayla, Mary and the others on his team. Chris had been nice enough to explain what sound to listen for and what thingie to press on his phone, if Dove texted him.

  What a cool concept. People could talk to him without having to talk to him. Except he liked talking to Dove.

  And he couldn’t wait until he heard that ding, ding sound from his phone.

  He took a deep breath to calm his excitement.

  The brisk winter air helped take the edge off the strange tightness in Wylde’s groin. New, different, exciting to be sure, but also somewhat scary. What did he know about sex, relationships . . . love?

  And was this love or something more basic, instinctual?

  Many wolves mated for life. Natasha and Tony had been tight until his death, and that had almost killed her. If it hadn’t been for the pups, who knew what Natasha would have done. But was that love?

  Wanda and Steve had had a different kind of relationship. They mated only after Tony, the pack alpha, had approved. And after Wylde had explained to Tony what the small gene pool in their pack meant to their survival.

  But his pack had always been a little different. Tony had accepted him in a way no other wolf had, elevating him to beta status and often seeking Wylde’s advice.

  Still, how much different was that from a normal wolf pack? Could Piotr fill the rank of alpha? If so, it fixed a lot of the problems Wylde had been wrestling with.

  The cabin door loomed before him. A portal to destiny. “Okay, Piotr, think strong and in charge.”

  Wylde opened the door. A rare occasion, as he and the wolves tended to use the large dog door he’d had installed beside the entrance. Today he was feeling more human for some reason.

  Wanda perked up, eyes widening. She was lying near the fireplace. Barbara, Dick, and Alfred, her pups, lay next to her. Bruce was in Wylde’s recliner, where he wasn’t supposed to be, but always seemed to end up.

  Natasha trotted in from the bedroom with Lois and Kara behind her. Bedsprings creaked before Clark joined them.

  Wylde sighed. His unconventional pack. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so hard to integrate Piotr into this gang.

  Tail wagging strongly, Piotr scanned the room. “Whoa, John. Those are a couple of bodacious bitches.”

  Then again.

  ~ ~ ~

  Even with the ear protection, the whine of the MRI machine had Dove’s nerves on edge as her body passed through it. She’d used an MRI occasionally on animals she’d been studying, but they were always sedated during the process. Now she was the guinea pig, and fully conscious.

  She let her senses filter into the equipment, analyzing how the big piece of medical machinery worked. The physics, the electronics, things that would have baffled her before if she’d read them in a book, all became crystal clear once viewed from inside the machine. She could take this thing apart and put it back together with a mere thought.

  Still, she breathed a sigh of relief when Heather shut it down.

  Climbing out of the machine, Dove puffed a few deep breaths. She’d been just lying there for the past fifteen minutes. Why did it feel like she’d just run a marathon?

  Her mind was a whirl, processing and storing away the information she’d obtained on the MRI.

  Heather’s eyes were wide, her brow furled, as she stared at something on her computer screen. “What the hell? Were you doing something in there?”

  “I think I was analyzing the machine as it was analyzing me.” It had happened so naturally, she hadn’t thought to stop.

  “Look, right here.” Heather pointed to the display. “Your parietal and temporal lobes in particular, are lit up like a neon sign. It’s like your brain is on overdrive.”

  Two hours of testing had culminated with this discovery. Her brain appeared to be the source of her new powers. And that felt right. It wasn’t like she’d gained new powers. It was more like she’d unlocked new knowledge.

  Heather would eventually figure it out, Dove was sure. The woman was ruthless in the pursuit of science. Now that brilliant brain was laser focused on her, which was not necessarily a bad thing.

  Still, she hesitated to ask, “What’s next?”

  “I think I have enough to work with right now, and you’re probably exhausted. Go get some rest.” Her gaze never left the computer monitor. Data was Heather’s porn.

  “Yeah, I could use some time in bed.” That was the truth as far as it went. Dove beat a hasty retreat.

  Out in the hallway, Mary and Kayla waited for her.

  Chuckling, Mary gave her a critical eye. “Well, she’s still in one piece.”

  Kayla rolled her eyes. “For now. We need to find you someplace to hide out. There will always be another test Heather will want to run on you. Take my word for that.”

  From what Dove had gathered, Kayla had also been the subject of Heather’s inquisitive eye after she’d acquired her phasing abilities.

  Mary nodded. “My lab. I’ll keep Jimmy on guard at the door. He’ll smell her coming in time for you to duck into the closet.”

  A broad smile crept across Dove’s face. Her friends. They always had her back, even when she didn’t need it. She’d known Mary for years, and had worked well together on a number of projects. She’d only met Kayla a few weeks ago, but she’d been easy to get to know and like. “I don’t mind, and I really want to know what happened to me and the extent of these new powers. If anyone can that find out, it’s Heather.”

  The way she could now sense and affect
the makeup of things close, like the air molecules around her legs at that moment.

  She increased their density. This allowed them to encase her legs with a gentle hug and lift her off the floor. She could fly. Yeah, that was something that warranted study.

  Still, she had some free time now, and she knew just how she wanted to spend it.

  She pulled out her phone. “Later, ladies. I’ve got a date with a wolf.”

  “Wylde?” Kayla cocked her head as a broad smile spread across her face.

  Mary shooed her away. “It’s about time you two figured that out.”

  Chapter 18

  Snow fell heavier now, whipped by a north wind that at times swirled it into a mini tornado in the clearing outside the cabin. Wylde stared out the window, ignoring everything going on behind him, his mind on Dove.

  The minutes had stretched into hours, as he awaited Dove’s text.

  Piotr was getting to know the pack, and they him. Best to stay out of it unless Natasha decided to rip his head off. Those two weren’t hitting it off very well. But Wanda and the pups seemed to be accepting Piotr.

  At least he was now speaking in wolf instead of human, where words like bodacious had no translation. It was a start. And the others communicated with him. The pups, curious, asking questions, and Wanda already seemed somewhat enamored.

  Still, Natasha remained ambivalent.

  Ding, ding.

  Wylde’s hands shook as he pushed the button to light the screen on his phone.

  The number one, in a red circle, was next to the texting picture button. He tapped it.

  Dove Locklear: I’m on my way up. See you soon.

  The little keyboard display was at the bottom, with the flashy thingie blinking at him from the reply line. Finger trembling, he typed: O k

  His finger slipped adding an l to his word.

  Shit. He’d wanted to type Okay. Now what? He hit the a and y anyway and then pushed send, only at the last moment, the whole word changed on him.

  Why did it change? What had he sent?

  Ding, ding. Dove Locklear: Oklahoma?

  Then a picture of a smiling face appeared below that.

  “Grrrr.” Technology. If it hadn’t been his lifeline to Dove, he’d have thrown the phone against the wall.

  Piotr’s head popped up. “What?”

  He was lying on the couch, Lois and Alfred on one side of him, Wanda on the other, watching Animal Planet.

  “Wait? I have a television?” The display was in a recessed alcove in the wall that used to be a plain panel.

  “I found it while I was sniffing around the place, behind a sliding door.” Piotr beamed like that was an accomplishment. “And dude, we’re gonna need a different remote. These buttons are hard to press.”

  Wylde sighed. He couldn’t work a phone made for human fingers, while Piotr had little problem with a complicated TV remote that had buttons way too small for his big paws. This was so screwed up.

  The temperatures outside remained mild enough, and the pups loved to romp in the snow. He didn’t know how long this would take with Dove, but he wasn’t about to rush it.

  “Everyone out. Go outside and show Piotr our pack’s territory. Hunt, play in the snow, whatever. I’ve got company coming, and I don’t want any of you around.” That should keep the pack occupied for hours.

  He picked up the remote from the couch and hit the off button. At least he could figure out how to do that.

  A couple of the pups sighed, but the pack headed toward the dog door installed next to the front entry.

  Lois growled as she passed. You used to be more fun.

  ~ ~ ~

  Flying without any means of support except the dense particles of air she compacted then jetted out around her legs, was something Dove wondered if she’d ever get used to. She could do it with a mere thought and sustain it as long as she wanted. Would she stay flying even if she fell asleep?

  Not something she wanted to test at this altitude, and she was nowhere near tired anyway. The refreshingly crisp winter air had helped her shake off any residual weariness from the testing.

  She guided currents of denser air ahead of her, blowing aside the snowfall, to increase her visibility, and avoid crashing into anything. She found she could only sense and affect things a short distance around her, so there were some limitations on her powers.

  Gliding among the snowflakes, Dove flew to the top of the mountain toward John’s cabin. She’d been there quite a bit before, hiking up the trail to visit and check on the wolf pups when she’d worked here before.

  This was so different. Her heart beat strongly in her chest. But the thrill of flying paled in comparison to what she planned on happening in that mountaintop cabin.

  As she landed by the front door, she switched her phone to airplane mode, which felt kind of backwards, but she wanted no interruptions. She needed John all to herself and any calls could wait.

  Piotr’s voice filtered up from somewhere below in the forest. “Hey, wait for me.”

  John’s pack was on the prowl. Was he with them?

  The cabin door opened as she approached.

  Sexy man. White T-shirt, faded jeans, barefooted. So yummy.

  Shoulder against the door jamb, he tilted his head to the side. “Hi.”

  He held out his hand and she took it, then he pulled her inside.

  A fire crackled in the fireplace as she shed her coat, sending a wave of warmth her way, but it was nothing compared to the inferno she saw blazing in his eyes. Heat that set her heart hammering.

  “Hi,” was all her muddled mind could conjure up to reply.

  Between them, small particles radiated, and combined. Pheromones, sending out and receiving signals. Desire on a level she’d never experienced in a way she’d never been able to see before her transformation. Attraction in chemical form.

  Her core clenched. Damp heat erupted inside.

  John drew in a deep breath. “We smell very compatible.”

  They were, and she knew it on a quantum level. She could see the chemical reaction of sexual attraction happening around them. His wolf senses told him the same in a completely different way.

  No, I have to stop analyzing. Let this happen organically.

  Heather would have a field day when she found out . . . if she found out.

  Not everything needed to be quantified.

  “Can I kiss you now?” Tentative hope filled John’s expression.

  She slid into his open arms. “Please do.”

  His lips on hers. Such urgency, yet with restraint. He was holding back.

  She deepened the kiss, drawing him in, bit by bit.

  ~ ~ ~

  Lush, pliant, and passionate, Wylde drank in Dove’s essence. Pheromones exploded from both of them, filling the air.

  He’d sensed pheromones around Joel whenever Kayla was near, and between Heather and Chris in the parking ramp just hours earlier, but that had been as an observer, from the outside.

  This, the melding of his pheromones with hers, was amazing. A linking, a combining, a calling of the most basic, urgent need a person can have. His skin tingled every place it touched hers. Awareness heightened throughout his body. His cock hardened in readiness as desire pulsed within. A call so primal, so instinctive, so . . . human.

  Her kiss deepened, becoming more demanding, and he eagerly gave back, opening to her probing tongue. Exploring with his own. His head spun. So wonderful, so incredible.

  So real.

  Dove broke off the kiss, leaving them both gasping for air. “We need,” gasp, “a bed,” gasp, “and a lot fewer clothes.”

  That sounded like an idea he could get behind. He took her hand, drawing her toward the bedroom. “This way.”
/>   As a way of killing time, he’d remade his bed with fresh linens. They were now only slightly ruffled, with Clark’s scent boldly prominent. At least the cub hadn’t peed on them. In any case, another lesson would be needed.

  But not right now.

  Dove was toeing off her boots and working the buttons on her blouse. The hint of black bra underneath drew his gaze and held him breathless. She’d seen him naked on that one occasion, but he’d never even caught a glimpse . . .

  “Are you going to join me?” Humor laced her tone.

  Oh, yeah. Drawing his shirt up over his head, he tossed it to the side. Then he struggled with the zipper of his jeans. He was so hard for her, it didn’t want to open. And the wonderful distraction of Dove stripping in front of him, kept drawing his gaze away from the business of extracting his cock from his jeans.

  Dove was down to scanty black panties and bra by the time he dropped his jeans.

  Stunning. Incredible. So sexy, his breath caught. “Wow.”

  “Wow yourself.” Her gaze dropped down below his waist, as she reached behind and unhooked her bra, then let the straps slide down her arms before the garment dropped to the floor.

  Dark nipples crested tempting globes of light brown. So . . . he couldn’t find the words to describe the feeling that raced between his thundering heart and his pulsing cock, but it felt damn good. “I want to . . .”

  She slid her panties down and stood boldly naked before him. “Touch me in any way you want. I’m all yours.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Dove was determined to make this all about him. Remembering how awkward her first time had been, she wanted John to be as comfortable and as free to explore as he wanted.

  “Here, let me get you started.” She guided his hands to her breasts.

  He cupped and lightly squeezed, as his thumbs grazed her tightly pebbled nipples.