Wanted: Devils Point Wolves #3 (Mating Season Collection) (6 page)

He glanced over at Rebel and Dante to find them staring at him while continuing to touch each other. "So you two finally did it, huh?" Not that it wasn't obvious. The bonding pheromones cloaking them were still fresh and fucking with his brain.
 

He took a deep breath and focused on the food in front of him. He'd been too busy to eat and he had some catching up to do.

"That's it? You're not going to tell us what happened with her?" Rebel asked.

He shrugged. "Sure. Her name is Allison Fox and she's from Seattle. Her brother Brody was supposedly attacked and bitten by a wolf either here on the island or nearby. Now he's missing and she is hunting him and prepared to take out any shifter who gets in her way. So... Needless to say, I've got her locked up until we can do something about her brother who is our rogue wolf."

Dante's disbelieving eyebrow popped up. "It took you that long to get that little?"

"More or less." What was he supposed to say? He wasn't about to tell them the truth. At least, not all of it. They only had a few hours of mating season to go and then he could wipe this mess clean.
 

No one needed to know he was addicted to a woman trying to find a way to kill him.

“Did you forget something?”

Everyone at the table jumped up at the voice behind them, plates and food clattering to the floor. Dante and Damien started growling, shoving their women behind them.
 

Fear jumped into Allison’s eyes as she realized she’d walked into a sticky situation. She held up her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought Diego would have told you I was here by now.”

She glared at him like venom darts were going to shoot his way any second.
 

“Diego, what the hell is going on?” Dante hissed.
 

“Yes, brother. Tell us what is happening—” Damien’s head shot up. “And why the hell does she smell like—”

“Whoa, there’s no need to get your hackles in a twist. Any of you,” Diego shouted. “Allison and I have come to an agreement. So chill.”

“But she’s a hunter,” Rebel said.
 

“She was. Or is. But more importantly, her brother is one of us. Although he’s on the edge of feral.”

“Then we need to get out there and find him before he hurts someone.”

“Already done. Got him pinned down last night out on Deadman’s Island where he was hiding and turned him over to Creed. He should be safely locked up by now.”

“What?” they all yelled, except for Allison. This situation was about to blow.

“You mind if I grab breakfast while you all work this out?” Allison took a tentative step toward the table.

“Of course.” Faith jumped into motion and Damien had to practically pin her to the wall to stop her.
 

“You can’t be around her right now?”

“Why not?” she asked.
 

“Because she’s a damned hunter and if she comes at you, you’re going to kill her. That’s why.” Damien’s anger came spewing out. “I’m not putting that on you. If she needs to be killed it’s going to be by me.”

Faith must have sensed Damien’s desperation when it came to her safety as she quickly moved away and safely behind his brothers.
 

“I’m not going to do anything, I swear. I just want food. I’m starving.”

“Help yourself,” said Faith, without coming out from behind her mate.
 

“I want answers.” Dante said, looking like he was about to blow.

“Allison, I thought you were staying downstairs.” Diego interrupted.

“Locked up down there you mean?” She shrugged. “Got a phobia about being locked up. Which means there isn’t a door made I can’t find my way around.”

“Girls got skills,” Rebel said.
 

“I’d say.” Damien said, still not sounding thrilled about the turn of events. “Might as well let her eat.”

“Thank you,” Allison said. She grabbed one of the empty plates still sitting on the table and picked some bacon from one of the intact platters.

Diego watched her closely. She seemed normal to the naked eye, but something seemed off. Her foot tapped against the chair leg and he detected a slight tremble in her arms as she ate.
 

“What’s wrong with her?” Faith whispered. Too low for Allison to hear but well within hearing of the rest of them.

Diego didn’t answer. His mate was in some sort of distress and the wolf inside was beginning to complain about it. Fur sprouted along his arms and his hearing and eyesight sharpened. He imagined his eyes changed color as well.

“Diego, what did you do?” Damien asked. “Her scent has changed.” He sniffed the air. “You didn’t bite her, but something happened.”

“All I did was kiss her. She was fine when I left her downstairs.” His words came out rough from the partial change.
 

“You’re playing with fire, brother.”

Diego looked at Dante. “Tell me something I don’t already know.”

“If I didn’t know better I would think your human was in the throes of mating frenzy. She smells ripe.”

Shit.

Damien shook his head. “We’re out of here. I’ve got to get Faith home before this mess triggers her wolf. We don’t need her tearing through the place trying to figure out why she’s out of control.”

Dante shook his head. “We’re out too. I’ll head over to check on the rogue. Find out what his status is. Call us when you get this situation under control. You know what you have to do.”

Diego nodded at his brothers as they filed out of the house. He couldn’t focus on anything but Allison and the source of her distress.

When she looked up at him he saw the pain in her eyes she could no longer hide.
 

“Do you have any aspirin,” she asked, looking around. “Where did everyone go?”

“They left, beautiful. You were scaring them.”

“I told you they weren’t going to be okay with me. No pack wants a hunter in their midst.”

“That’s true. But you’re much more than a hunter now.”

She looked up, the question already in her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

He sighed. There was no getting around telling her now. Her pain was killing him.

“Tell me how you’re feeling?” he asked.

“I’m fine. Just a headache.”

“You’re shaky. I can see it.”

“Low blood sugar. I needed food.”

He frowned knowing it was far more than that. “I don’t doubt you were hungry, but eating isn’t working is it?”

Her fork froze mid air. “I don’t know what you mean.”

He listened to her heart rate increase. “I’m not sure how it happened, but I think we’ve triggered a mating frenzy.” His body was certainly feeling it. He was painfully hard and fighting it continued to make it worse.

“What the hell are you talking about? My being here is doing something to your mating thingy?”

Diego laughed low and slow. “You’re so damned cute it hurts.” He took the fork out of her hand and pulled her out of her seat. “Come on. I’ll get you some aspirin, but I don’t think it’s going to help.”

“Why not? Are you a doctor too?”

“Hardly. But I can recognize the symptoms of mating season. I’ve been through it enough to know. Fortunately, in your case it won’t last long. The moon will begin to wane soon.”

She stopped and pulled free from his hold. “What on earth are you talking about? Are you suggesting I’m in some sort of mating thing? What kind of nonsense is that? I’m not like you, or have you forgotten that I’m one hundred percent human?”

He shook his head. “Nope. That is something I could never forget. You don’t smell anything like a wolf.”

She scrunched up her face. “Do I want to know what I smell like?” She held up her hand. “No, don’t tell me. I want to hear more about this mating nonsense you’ve got in your head.”

For a moment his brain was stuck on the fact she smelled like roses on a warm summer night mixed with the fresh salty air of the ocean. But he’d save that information for another day.
 

“It’s simple really,” he said. “You’re my fated mate and as such and due to proximity it’s triggered a frenzy for not just me but you too.”

Chapter Nine

Allison stared at him like he’d grown a second head. What he was saying made no sense. She remembered what little he’d mentioned about the mating bond, but she couldn’t believe he’d take it so far as to include her.

“I get that you want to have sex with me,” she said. “But you don’t have to take it that far to get it. I was already halfway there.”

He reached up and brushed his thumbs across her temples. “And you have no idea how much I like that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t change the truth. Most of what you’re feeling is because mother nature dictates it.”

“I don’t believe that.” She swayed into his hands, now massaging her head, which felt really really good. “I don’t mean to discount your culture in any way, but I don’t believe it applies to me. If my body and heart craves yours it goes far beyond some easy magical connection. Maybe it’s lust and maybe it’s more. But I’m not going to discount it down to nothing.”

Diego leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a soft and touching kiss. The feather light touch made her stomach somersault.
 

“You’re too sweet for a man like me. Hell, you’re too sweet for the life you lead. Judging others based solely on their species doesn’t suit you.”

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. “I know. But it’s all I’ve ever known. I don’t know if I can learn to be anything else.”

“You can,” he insisted. “I’m certain.”

She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. If she didn’t already want to sleep with him, his tenderness now sealed the deal for her.

“C’mon,” he said. “You need sleep. By tonight things should be a lot less painful.”

“Because the mating thing will be over?”

He nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward his bedroom. They walked into a large room with blinds drawn making the room cool and semi dark.
 

In the center of the room sat a large king sized bed loaded down with big pillows and a comforter still twisted from the last time he used it.
 

It looked so good she wanted to fall down face first. Except she really needed a shower so she could wash some of the stink off of her. Her single-minded focus on finding her brother hadn’t left a lot of time for personal grooming.
 

“Shower?” she asked.
 

“Sure. Bathroom’s through there. Towels are under the sink. I’ll get a t-shirt you can put on after.”

Allison followed his instructions and slipped through the bathroom door. To her surprise she discovered an amazing space worthy of any spa she might imagine. It consisted of a soaker tub in the corner, a double vanity near the door and a spacious custom tiled shower that looked like it could accommodate a lot more than two people.

She wasted no time in getting her clothes off and jumping into the multi head spray of the shower. The hot water sluicing over her skin felt so damn good she almost cried. There was a good chance she was never getting out.
 

She lathered a fresh washcloth with Diego’s spicy soap and breathed deep. It reminded her so much of the man who claimed she was his mate she nearly dropped to her knees. She’d always known scent as a powerful tool, but this wasn’t like that. It was more akin to taking a bottle of kerosene and pouring it over her body just before lighting it on fire.
 

She swayed forward, keening as she moved. How could this be happening to her? Her skin tightened, her breasts ached and the moisture between her legs had nothing to do with shower.
 

The door slammed open. “What’s wrong?”

She screamed, clutching the tiny washcloth to her chest.
 

The door swung open and Diego stepped in fully clothed. “It’s worse?” he asked.

She nodded, unable to speak.
 

He pulled her into his arms and cradled her head to his chest. “Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.” His free hand went to her back and stroked up and down.

“I—I don’t know. I was just trying to wash. But the soap. It smells so much like you. I don’t know, it got to me.”

“I’m sorry, beautiful. I wish I could make this go away.”

She lifted her head and met his gaze. “But you can. Isn’t that the point?”

He nodded. “Yes, it is. But I’m not letting it go down like this. Rational decisions are not made in the heat of the moment.”

She placed her head back on his hard chest, forehead down. “I think rational is overrated.”

He chuckled, soothing his hands down her back. “That’s the heat talking.”

“What if it’s not? What if this is really what I want?” Maybe it was lust and maybe it wasn’t, but for the first time in her life she felt comfortable in her own skin.