Wicked: Devils Point Wolves #2 (Mating Season Collection) (5 page)

What was happening to her? It was just a kiss.

Her toes tingled and scalp prickled from his fingers tugging at the thick strands of her hair. She didn't know how to explain it anymore.
 

When the crowd in the house started howling and cheering, they broke apart gasping for breath. Well, more like she jumped away from him and he slowly eased away as if not affected in the least. She gulped for air while he leaned against the deck railing looking ridiculously sexy.

“Bad timing, huh?” she asked.

“There is no bad time for you to tell me what you need.”

Her stomach flipped. Good answer. She glanced over her shoulder at all the faces watching them through the windows. “I’ll admit I’ve done some pretty crazy things in my life, but public sex isn’t one of them. Maybe we could continue this discussion later after all your friends have gone home.”

“On one condition.” His mouth quirked to a half smile.

“Now I’m nervous.” She licked her lips and waited.
 

A sexy rumble rolled from his chest. “You should be because some of the things I’d like to do to you might not be exactly legal in all fifty states.”

Her body jerked in response and his eyes widened. He was too perceptive for his own good. “Is that a threat or a promise,” she asked.
 

“Come here.”

Feeling compelled to give this man anything he wanted, she stepped forward until he caught the hem of her shirt and pulled her the rest of the way. She smashed into his chest and braced her hands on tight pectorals to steady herself.

“Kiss me again,” he demanded.
 

In the space of those three growled words she forgot about everyone else in the house. Seeing only him and his hazel and gold eyes full of heat, she leaned forward and tentatively pressed her lips to his. From there he took control, biting down on her lower lip and sucking it into his mouth.
 

I’m going to pay for this later
, a part of her mind whined.
I’ll never be the mate he wants.
 

When he let go of her now slightly swollen lip and his tongue swept inside her mouth, the rest of her stupid brain told her to shut up and go with the plan.

Rebel grabbed his shoulder and squeezed as her knees weakened. Because they were plastered together from chest to knees, his hard cock pressed to her abdomen. She was still shocked by how huge he was, but it was the fact he wanted her too that truly empowered her.
 

His hands went from her hips and moved up her sides until his fingers brushed the sides of her breasts.
 

“You’re so damned beautiful, Rebel,” he whispered against her lips. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
 

Her heart hammered from his words as he kissed her again, then bent to her throat. Every spot his lips touched her skin sizzled. Her breath quickened making it hard to breath. His fingers continued to stroke along the sides of her breasts and the under the curve of the front. He was so damned hot and this was no ordinary kiss. It was possessive, broadcasting to every other shifter within a mile that she was marked as his.

It’s what Damien did with Faith…

She pulled back, breaking the kiss and gulped for breath. “You’re dangerous,” she said, not sure whether she was talking to him or reminding herself.
 

“Why? Because I’m considering taking you right here on a balcony? Or because I’d do or say anything just to be inside you?”

Rebel stood there considering the situation and was about to throw caution to the wind when Dante’s head jerked up. Before she could figure out what was happening she heard a pop and he dove for her, yanking her to the ground.

“Get down!” he yelled.
 

No sooner did the words come out of his mouth and the window behind her shattered into a million pieces and rained down on them. Her mouth opened to scream and Dante’s hand roughly covered it.
 

“Stay quiet.”
 

The lights inside the house suddenly winked out and they were enveloped in darkness. Dante moved his head and placed his lips right at her ear and whispered, “Follow my lead and don’t make a sound. I’m going to get you out of here. Nod your head if you’re good.”

She nodded, her heart lodged in her throat as fear seized her.
 

He scooped her into his arms and keeping his back to the open balcony he half crawled half walked inside the house. It was so dark she couldn’t see beyond a few inches in front of her. He could though.
 

Another shot rang out and Rebel flinched at the same time Dante stumbled. Fortunately he righted himself before they fell and he jumped forward. For a few seconds she couldn’t breathe as they flew through the air until Dante landed with an oomph. His grip tightened and he ran downward.
 

Or at least she thought that was happening. It was hard to tell in her disoriented state in the darkness. Still, she was afraid to speak and bit her lip to keep quiet.
 

Seconds later Dante banged something in front of them and then behind them. A moment later bright light flooded the room and she squinted against the harsh glare.
 

“We’re safe. Are you okay?” He set her down on her feet and started touching her. “Are you hit?” he asked.

“I’m fine. But what the hell is going on?”

“Someone’s shooting at us. You’re sure you’re not hit?”

She pushed his hands away. “I’m fine. Seriously? But where is everyone else?”
 

“Hunting and I’ve got to join them.”

“What? No way, you can’t go out there.”
 

“I can and I am. Don’t worry you’ll be safe here.” He started easing away from her.
 

“But what about you? It’s not safe for you out there either. Even a wolf can’t escape a bullet.”

“You’ll be safe here. Just stay put and I’ll be back for you as soon as it’s safe. The pack needs my help.”

Tears were filling her eyes. The thought of Dante going out there to hunt someone with a gun in the dark was more than she could handle. “Please, Dante. Don’t go out there.”

“I have to. You’ll be safe here,” he repeated.

“Stop saying that,” she cried. “Just take me with you.”

“No.”

The growled word left no room for argument. Plus he moved so damned fast she barely saw it. One minute he was standing in front of her and she was clinging to him to keep him safe and the next minute he was gone.

Anger and fear washed over her as she looked around the room. What the hell was she supposed to do alone in this stupid windowless room?

That was when she looked down and found her shirt soaked with blood…

Chapter Five

Dante tore through the woods behind his house, ripping the bloody shirt off as he ran. Anger fueled him as he followed the scent of his pack. They were in pursuit and he planned to find them before they caught their prey. It shook him to his core that Rebel could have been killed tonight. Another inch or two and that bullet would have struck her heart instead of him.
 

He wanted to shift to catch up quicker, but a part of him needed to stay like this to keep control of the instinct to kill that hammered through him. If the wolf took over now he wasn’t sure he could stop himself from killing the culprit. They might seem more human than not, but when it came to certain things like protecting a mate they were pure animal instinct.

In the darkness he saw nothing, but not far ahead a wolf howled and he ran harder. His brother was moving in on the shooter. With nowhere for his eyes to focus on he continued to scan while focusing on speed. The rest of the pack had to be close. Even if they split up, Diego would not be alone.

He burst through the trees and into the clearing on the opposite side of the island and nearly crashed into Diego.
 

“Where is he?” he snarled.

Two others already shifted rushed in from opposite sides, looking as confused as him.

Diego growled. “I can still smell him but I can’t tell in which direction.”

Dante stuck his nose in the air and took in and catalogued every scent he recognized searching for the one he didn’t. The salt in the air, the sand beneath his feet, and the pack filtering through the trees. There was only one other and it was faint. A barely there mint that led down the beach.

“This way.” He turned to run and Diego caught his arm.

“You’re shot.”

“I’ll live. That’s more than I can say for the bastard who shot at my mate.”

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. I thought we talked about this?”

Dante wrenched his arm free from his brother. “I’m done talking about it. What I feel for her isn’t going away just because she isn’t a true mate. Now I’m going to kill the person who tried to take her away from me and you’re either with me or you're not. Your choice.”

A wide smile crossed Diego’s face. “About fucking time.”

Dante’s body jerked. “What?”

“That means I’m with you.” He said nothing more before his bones began to pop and he flowed into a strong brown wolf. He yipped, telling Dante to get on with it.
 

He smiled and followed suit, ignoring the pain from the gunshot wound and the crack of his bones as he let the wolf have some freedom. With the pack by his side, some of the rage making him lose control subsided. If only temporarily.

Together, they bounded down the beach hard and fast as the scent of mint grew stronger. A loud bang sounded and they both hit the ground as a bullet whizzed by them, so close Dante felt the hair on his back part from the force. Shit. He stayed low and moved into the brush. His prey was close. He and Diego split up and soundlessly moved in on the shooter. The scent of mint was so strong it nearly gagged him.
 

His blood thirst rose, the sound of a gun cocking the only thing he heard.
 

Dante opened his senses and allowed the wolf to take the reins. His hearing sharpened and the sudden sound of the hunter breathing slow and steady filled his ears. He controlled his breathing, but not the racing of his heartbeat or the extra flow of adrenalin making his blood rush through his veins.
 

Judging by what he heard, the gunman trying to kill him or his mate stood only a few yards away behind one of the nearby trees.
 

Time to flush this fucker out.

He half growled and half snarled, amping up the volume, making sure his pack heard his claim.
 

He’s mine, it said.

The pulse of his prey sped up. His fight or flight instinct kicked in and the barrel of the rifle came around the tree, firing off a shot a second before he ran. Dante’s own adrenalin spiked and he jumped from the rock he’d climbed on for a better vantage point. A howl broke the night air from in front of the hunter and he stumbled and scrambled back to his feet just in time for Dante to land on his back and take him to the ground, the air whooshing from both their lungs.
 

The wolf didn’t hesitate to wrap his mouth around the man’s neck and clamp down with his teeth.

“No!!”

Through the din of his own blood rushing in his ears, Dante heard his brother screaming at him as he ran into the clearing naked and in human form once again. “You can’t kill him. We need answers.”

Fuck that
. Dante snarled without releasing the human.

“Diego’s right.” Damien entered the fray, approaching him both quickly and cautiously.
 

Dante tried to fight the kill instinct but its talons we’re embedded so deep into his psyche he couldn’t shake it.
 

“Rebel is safe, remember? Locked in the safe room. We have time to get answers before we dispatch this fucker.”
 

Mate
.

“That’s right. You need to get back to her. Show her you’re all right. She’s waiting for you, big guy.”

Damien and Diego were both now touching his neck, lending him their strength and soothing the wolf. Dante finally felt the wolf recede as he conceded to his brothers' wishes. His mouth released the human’s neck and licked the drop of blood from his tooth not at all appeased but willing to give them a little time.

But only a little.

He jumped off the hunter’s back and flowed back to his human body, his muscles coiled tight and ready to attack at the first opportunity.

“All right asshole. If you have any desire to stay alive you better start talking.” Diego grabbed the hunter’s shoulder and jerked him around so he was on his back and yanked off the idiot’s hat that obscured his face.
 

Holy shit.

All three of them took a step back. Their gunman wasn’t a man at all. What they saw was so fucked up they were all too shocked to speak.

Lying on the ground at their feet was a blonde haired, blue-eyed bombshell dressed in flannel and shit kickers, with a handgun aimed squarely between Dante’s eyes.