Dance on the Wilde Side: Cannon Pack, Book 2

by Beverly Rae

  Shit.

  The howl had been for him. And only him. Just like the woman who’d called to him. The woman he was destined to take. The woman who would have his children.

  My mate.

  He couldn’t believe this day had finally come. Yet hadn’t he known all along that it would? Hadn’t he seen others find their mates the same way? All pack members knew that one day their one true mate would call for them. All of them knew and accepted it.

  My mate.

  Taking his shaft out of the female, he rolled off the condom and stroked himself, urging the end to come. The woman—what the hell is her name?—whipped around, wrapped her hand around him and took over his job. He dug into her red hair, holding on to her, forcing her to keep her mouth on him. Fondling one of her large breasts, he ran his gaze over her sexy body, desperately trying not to compare hers to hers.

  What’s-her-name kept glancing up at him, obviously wanting more of a reaction. However, the more she peered at him, the less he liked it. Just do it, Who-ever-you-are, and get it over with. He cringed. When had he grown so cold?

  Pushing the callous thoughts from his mind, he forced himself to concentrate on the warm mouth around his shaft. At last, sweet relief came and he moaned. Now if he could only get relief from the image of the woman in his head. He wiped his cock clean with the sheet. Wanting to make up for his earlier harsh thoughts, he positioned the woman on her back and slipped between her legs to return the favor. Sucking and nipping her clit in rapid succession, he made her writhe and moan. Soon she screamed with her climax.

  With a kiss on What’s-her-name’s cheek, he stepped away from the bed. The memory of her howl ripped through him again, making him unsteady on his feet and he knew. He had to accept what he knew to be true. He couldn’t ignore her call any longer. It was time to find his mate.

  ƒ

  Devlin scanned the valley below him, enjoying the twinkling of the city’s lights. But the smell from the city offended him so he rubbed his nose in the dirt to get rid of the stench. Soon he’d change back into human form, but he traveled faster on four paws than on two feet.

  She was his destiny and she’d called to him. He knew the truth in his heart, in his very soul. Her call had drawn him to the city and, like his father before him, he would find his mate among the humans.

  Some of the pack never ventured into town, preferring the wild—and their wolf forms—to the city. He, too, preferred to conduct as much of his business as he could through associates, leaving the interaction with humans to others. Running his business from a distance had proven surprisingly easy, allowing him to stay in the mountains and have as little contact with the city and its noises as possible. Fortunately, his childhood friend Conrad handled the day-to-day operations, allowing Devlin to oversee the company from their mountain home.

  But now he’d return to claim his mate, the one destined for him. The one he’d trust with his life. The one he’d trust with his heart. Unlike before, he let the vision of her play in his head. Her sparkling eyes now held a welcoming glow and she waved at him, beckoning him to come to her. She swayed, her hair floating over her shoulders, making him long to reach out and touch the silky strands. Lifting her head, she howled.

  The sound no longer jarred him and he grinned with anticipation. She was beautiful and strong. And soon she would be his.

  He loped toward the train yard spreading out below the hills. The satchel he carried on his back held what few supplies he needed. Stretching out his long legs, he lengthened his gait, anxious to reach the city.

  Devlin reached the first track at the same moment the moon reached its zenith in the starlit sky. Ducking behind an empty boxcar, he checked to make sure he’d arrived unnoticed, then let the transformation start. Within seconds his human form materialized and he stood naked, the night breeze spreading goose bumps over his skin.

  After pulling on jeans, a denim shirt, and well-worn boots, Devlin discarded the empty pack and ran a hand through his hair, checking his reflection in the metal of the car. Would his mate consider him handsome? Did it matter? They were soul mates. Their lives were already connected.

  Rotating, he tried to determine which direction to go. He sniffed the air and caught her scent, slight and almost nonexistent, but there. Somewhere in this city of brick and steel, she waited for him.

  Her aroma drew his attention to the left and he sniffed once more. Although he didn’t know her name, her age or her exact location, he knew her smell. No other female could have called to him. Determined to answer her, he sped up, his feet pounding on the concrete surface below.

  Office buildings grew fewer and farther between, while neighborhoods and subdivisions sprang up around him. The barking of a dog protecting his turf slammed him to a dead stop until he realized the dog couldn’t escape from behind his six-foot fence. Uttering a low growl, he met the canine’s gaze and snarled a dare. The dog whined, tucked his tail between his legs, and scampered into his doghouse.

  “Don’t start what you can’t finish, pooch.” Devlin cocked his head and again moved toward his mate’s scent.

  Her heady fragrance, filling his nostrils more with every step he took, drew him forward, bringing him to her as no compass or lighthouse beacon could. The nearer he got to her, the longer his strides became, until he broke into a comfortable run, his panted breaths matching the rhythm of his footfalls.

  He was almost there. Along with her scent came a tug at his heart, an excitement, a thrill of the future with her. Rounding a corner, he jogged up the sidewalk, past the open gates and into an apartment complex.

  Sounds of humans playing, arguing, living in the small dwellings stacked one on top of the other drifted to his ears. Devlin lifted his nose to the air and sniffed. Her spicy fragrance led him along the narrow pathway to the rear of the apartment building.

  The last row of apartments backed up to a wooded lot, keeping the area more secluded than the rest of the complex. One lamppost lit the area behind the apartments, casting a yellow glow over the ground. Another light shone from a second-story window, highlighting a shadow on the blinds. He inhaled, caught wind of her, and smiled.

  The dark form playing across the curtains glided back and forth, arms outstretched, almost as if in flight. Her shape, enticing in silhouette, dipped and weaved, dancing in time with the sensual music coming from inside the apartment. She twirled, sending her hair flowing away from her body, a flag waving an invitation to his heart. Her movements entreated him, sending a primal urge to dance with her flaring within his soul.

  My mate.

  Where once those words had irritated, even angered him, now he welcomed them. How he had changed once he’d accepted his destiny, their destiny to be together!

  After scanning the area for any onlookers, he crouched and jumped, hurling his body onto the side of the balcony rails, and pulled himself up for a good look. Secured with both hands, he paused when she stopped moving, holding his breath as he waited. Had she seen him?

  “What ’cha doing?”

  Devlin dropped in surprise, hanging on with his fingertips, and gaped at the curly-headed girl peeking out of the first-floor apartment’s sliding doors. He grinned, scrunched up his face, and let one hand release its grip. Scratching under his armpit, he uttered noises he hoped sounded like a monkey and prayed the little girl found him funny.

  The child giggled, hopping up and down in delight. “Mommy! Mommy!”

  Devlin stopped the monkey antics and put a finger to his lips. “No, little girl. Don’t tell Mommy or the monkey will go away.”

  “Tracy? What are you doing up at this time of night?”

  Devlin prepared to run, certain the mother would show at any second.

  “There’s a monkey outside, Mommy.”

  Oh, crap. Again, he put his finger to his lips. Please, little girl, hush.

  “Don’t be silly, honey. You go to sleep this instant and stop waking up Mommy.”

  Devlin held his finger to his lips again,
hoping the third time would be the charm. This time, Tracy copied his gesture and brought her finger to her lips. Softly, she whispered, “Shush, Mr. Monkey. Don’t wake up Mommy.” She waved at him, turned and disappeared.

  Devlin let out a relieved sigh and let his body hang loose for a moment. Just as he started to pull himself up again to watch, he heard the swish of curtains sliding open and then a glass door—her door—squeak wide. He grabbed the slatted boards of the balcony floor and slipped underneath the floorboards. The woman’s shadow crossed over him, her feet narrowly missing his fingers as she moved to the railing.

  Taking shallow breaths, he waited, knowing he could keep his hold for hours. He peeked through the slats to see the silky robe she’d wrapped around her body. Suddenly, he wished he could wrap his arms around her, taking the place of her robe.

  She leaned against the rail and sighed.

  Was she thinking of him? Of the mate she longed for? Was she aware that he’d heard her call?

  He listened to her breathing, soft and easy, and dragged in her sweet aroma. Ahhh. Her body’s own fragrance was sweeter than any perfume or flower he’d ever smelled. She needed nothing more to entice him.

  Taking another deep breath of the intoxicating bouquet, he considered moving to the edge of the balcony to pull his body over the railing and meet her. Then decided against it. He had to be careful about their first meeting.

  She pushed away from the railing and moved inside. He heard the click of the sliding door and frowned. Waiting, seconds turning into minutes, but he didn’t hear the slide of the curtains.

  Damn it, man. Be careful. He chastised himself, yet his grin grew wider. Although he wanted their first meeting to be special, what harm could a little pre-meeting snooping do? After all, destiny, instinct and scent told him she was the right one for him, so she’d better get used to his playful side, right? Not that he normally showed that side of himself, but with her he would be different; more open, more fun.

  Devlin swung like a kid on a jungle gym up to the edge of the balcony. Changing his grip to lock his hands around the vertical boards, he did a pull-up and held his head inches above the flooring. With his chin braced on the edge and his arms tense under the strain, he peered into the apartment. He sucked in a breath when he saw that she hadn’t closed the curtains.

  She’s magnificent.

  Swaying to the sultry music, the woman—his woman—turned slowly in a circle, letting go of the robe to stretch her arms outward. The robe fell open, exposing the firm body underneath it. The sight of her clad only in skimpy underwear and bra sent a hum of desire through him. Momentarily forgetting to stay hidden, he started to climb onto the balcony. In the last second, however, he remembered and growled his frustration. Be patient. I’ll meet her when the time is right.

  She flowed in front of him, twirling in a waltz for one. Dipping and swaying, she put on a coquettish show, slipping her robe off one shoulder only to pull it back up, then doing the same with the other, teasing an unseen audience. Was she teasing him? He hoped so. Watching her moves, he drank in each inch of flesh she exposed then covered. What would she do next?

  Take the robe off. Devlin silently pleaded with her, commanding her to obey his wish. As though hearing his request, she tossed her lustrous hair and shrugged the silky material down her back. Her hair, waving against her skin, hid the robe until it dropped to her waist where she caught it. With her arms still in the sleeves, she shimmied the silk against the appealing curve between her spine and the rise of her ass, keeping her bottom covered. He concentrated on the way the material slid over her rounded curves to give him a peek at her tan line, loving the temptress in her while quietly praying to see more. At last, yet in some inexplicable way too soon, she shrugged off the robe and threw it on a nearby chair.

  Had she instinctively heard him? Yet Devlin didn’t care about the why of it as long as she’d dropped the barrier to the treasure lying beneath. She continued to dance, moving her hips in a provocative rhythm. Like a seductress, she skimmed her hands over her body, pausing to press her palms against the curves of her breasts before sliding them down her hips and over her bottom. Grasping her cheeks, she stuck out her buttocks toward him, perfect melons below the slope of her hips. His mouth flooded with saliva while his shaft jerked in response. Long blonde hair rippled like a golden waterfall down her back to kiss the tip of her ass.

  And then she whirled around.

  At the sight of her firm, ripe breasts almost spilling out of her bra, he loosened his hold and dropped, scraping his chin against the edge of the balcony. He dangled, suspended by one hand, and clung on with the other while his head—both heads—rejoiced at what he’d seen. Grunting, he stretched upwards to regain his position and view.

  Bending slightly forward and tilting her head, she spilled her glorious mane down to hang in front of her. Devlin’s palms itched to touch her hair, to run its softness through his fingers. Still swaying to the music, she shook her head, whipping the golden strands across her body, feathering the softness across the tips of her breasts.

  He let his claws grow and dug into the wood, intent upon restraining himself from leaping over the railing, breaking through the glass door and making her his.

  Tossing her hair back, she straightened, her eyes still closed. Devlin licked his lips and watched as lust filled her face. At that moment, he would’ve given anything for her to look at him with the same desire.

  She rotated her hips in a sexy imitation of a hula dance, giving him a good idea of how she would undulate under his body. Sultry and hot, she traced her fingers along one arm, from her elbow upward to her shoulder. She slowly slid her palm along her shoulder to push the bra strap down. Crossing her arms, she slipped the other strap off until the bra inched down to the swell of her breasts to stop, barely covering her nipples. She reached behind her, unhooked her bra and twirled it away. Taking her breasts, she fondled them, running her fingers over the taut buds.

  Devlin swallowed and silently urged her to do what he wanted her to do. When she licked her lips, he nearly lost his grip.

  She lifted one breast and dipped her head to her nipple. Devlin held his breath. Please suck it. Instead, she wickedly teased him, trailing her tongue along her smooth tanned skin and over her nipple. Holy shit! Suck it. Please.

  At last she seemed to hear Devlin and tugged the bud into her mouth. Juices flowed in his mouth as he imagined what she was feeling, tasting at that second. He watched, mesmerized. I bet she tastes like sweet honey. No. She’ll be saucy, spicy, and tangy all rolled into one. When she treated the other tit to the same attention, he groaned and had to use one hand to readjust his dick away from the zipper digging into the expanding flesh.

  She let go of her breasts, nearly breaking his heart until she slipped her hands lower. Lower still until she traced a path along the edge of her panties with her fingertips. Devlin ran his tongue over his lips and tried not to anticipate too much. But he couldn’t help it. He let his imagination wander down that tantalizing path. Is she going to do what I hope she’s going to do? He blew out pent-up air and waited, afraid to hope. Wiggling to the tempo, she granted his fondest wish.

  She pushed her fingers beneath the lacy fabric and, in an excruciatingly slow trek, eased her hand between her legs.

  Yes! Devlin bit his bottom lip to keep from shouting his joy. Come on, baby. Pleasure yourself and please me at the same time. He squinted, unsure if she’d started touching herself or not. Go on. Do it. Show me.

  She lifted her head toward the glass, eyes still closed, and the rapt expression on her face almost knocked him to the ground. This is my mate. The thought of having her as his mate brought a silly grin to his face.

  No longer dancing, she moved her legs apart, making room for her to glide her hand into place. Her actions pushed her panties lower and he quickly prayed that she’d push them all the way down. His prayer was answered, but the real prize remained hidden. His mate found her pleasure spot. Working her hand
up and down, she rubbed herself.

  Damn it, let me see. If I don’t get to see, I don’t know what I’ll do. His breaths came in ragged puffs. He’d wanted women before, lusted after many, but he’d never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her.

  She turned, placing her side to Devlin, but kept her hand in place. Running her other hand over her breast, she pinched her nipple. Gracefully, she lowered herself to the floor. Her hair tumbled around her, slinking over the tops of her breasts and he ached to touch the glossy strands almost as much as he ached to touch the silkiness between her legs. If only he could lie between her legs and give her real satisfaction.

  The need to have her splintered his resolve to stay hidden. Now was not the time to meet, but oh how he needed her under him, squirming with her desire, feeding his every need, bringing to life his every dream, all while he gave everything he had to her. Yet instead of following his instincts, he used all the strength he had, dug his claws into the wood and imagined it was his hand rubbing her instead of her own.

  Tala knew she should close the blinds, yet something primal stirred within her, wanting to turn the animal inside her loose. How often had she dreamed of being totally free, uninhibited like the wolves at the zoo? How often had she imagined breaking the rules of society, running wild in the woods, doing only as her instincts told her.

  Closing her eyes, she let the music fill her, taking her away from her apartment into another world. A world she thought of often. A world where he lived.

  She sighed, letting the image of her animal-man ease into her thoughts.

  His hard body lengthened in the moonlight and he stretched, cat-like yet more compact, more powerful. If she could touch him, she knew granite would feel softer. She knew if she could curve her fingers over his wide shoulders that she would feel nothing less than if she’d clung to the inflexible edges of a mountain. His lean form, all sharp angles and cut diamonds, left her sucking in a breath, surprisingly unprepared for the lust rocketing through her. Surprising only because she’d experienced the yearning so many times before.