Kyle stood as a man, eyeing Rosette curiously. The other women who had dragged back their kills were circling their men, eager to celebrate their prowess. Rosette wanted to bathe.
"Can you catch me before I make it to the water, love?" Kyle taunted, backing away.Rosette tilted her head and watched him for a moment. Was he giving her the option to get in the water and wash off first?He bolted for the water as a man, and Rosette took off after him. Chasing him in her wolf form wasn't appealing if he wasn't running in that form, so she shifted.She tackled him as he reached the water's edge, and they splashed into the lake together. They tussled in the shallow water, and Rosette ended up dirtier than when she started. Kyle landed on top of her, pinning her hands."I think I win," he laughed, kissing a less muddy spot on her cheek. "I get to wash you."Kyle picked her up and carried her deeper into the lake. His large hands soothed over every inch of her"Well," Donna said awkwardly, "you said they could...be close, and April really wanted to. Rick took her into the woods to a quieter place. He wanted it to be private, in case she got scared and they had to stop. He thought it would be too much, with everyone around."Anthony interrupted, "I told the kid, Rick, a nice place. It's somewhere not real close to the festivities. Most of us wouldn't go that far, so no one will bother them."Kyle shrugged and motioned for the ball, which they threw to him. They joined the game for several minutes before wandering out of the water and onto the beach.Rosette walked with Kyle, heading towards the cooking fires. The Omegas tending the meat were all sweating and working very hard. She felt bad for them; everyone else was having a good time. She had to ask Kyle about it."Service to the pack, my love," he told her. "They will enjoy the festivities later, but this is their duty to the family."Katrina bounced up beside them, her usual whirlwind of
"Don't call the pack with a howl," Rosette pleaded, her voice a hushed whisper as she remained on her knees. "The rogues are unaware of our knowledge. Let them believe we're in the dark."Kyle, his jaw clenched, responded in a low growl, "Shift. Everyone here, shift now. Spread the word quietly."The pack, a silent audience, watched them intently. Those who understood the command shifted, their forms morphing into wolves, while the rest followed suit, mimicking the actions of their packmates.Rosette heard Kyle's voice, clear and commanding, ordering the warriors to take up strategic positions around the pack. He then reached into her mind, his thoughts merging with hers and with Rick's, a silent telepathic connection."Which way and when?" Kyle inquired."They seemed to be heading north, sir. Last I saw them was about thirty minutes ago," Rick replied."No better directions?" Kyle pressed, his voice laced with urgency."I didn't want to get caught, sir. I wanted to get back to you an
The van was almost to the trees when Kyle made his decision. "Destroy a tire on each van and get back up on the hill. Stay away from them."Rosette struck like a snake, clawing the tires on the driver's side. She moved so fast she was just a white blur with claws. Quickly, she darted up the hill.Anthony and his group joined her near the top, closing ranks around her silently. They had no other reinforcements, so they just waited.The rogues jumped out of the disabled vans. Several tried to bring the Omegas they had kidnapped with them. The girls knew they were close and continued to fight as best they could.Rosette wanted to help them, to run down the hill and slay the monsters that had kidnapped her pack. But she waited for Kyle. He was right; she would lose this fight.Anthony seemed to sense her distress and comforted her softly. "The girls will be fine," he said, "the rest of the pack will get here in time." Rosette hoped he was right.The rogues regrou
Rosette walked beside Kyle, growling at every stray leaf that blew past them. Despite his reassurances, she was still agitated, struggling to regain her composure. The warriors instinctively kept their distance, sensing her unpredictable mood. Kyle noticed her distress but didn't try to force her to calm down."Get Dee's truck," he instructed Ethan. "Have one of the men from the docks drive it down here and pick up the remains. I'm sure one of them knows how to handle a semi. We'll take the remains to the circle and burn them.""Dee doesn't own the trailer," Rosette argued, her voice laced with frustration. "Whoever she was hauling for would own the trailer part. We can't use it to transport dead bodies."Her thoughts were jumbled, her frustration simmering. She felt agitated, craving a release, even if it meant picking a fight with Kyle."Shift," Kyle commanded, turning to face her. "We will speak in our human form."Kyle shifted, standing before her, waiting. R
Rosette walked to the passenger side of the truck and slid into the seat as Dee climbed in on her side. They locked the doors and waited.They sat, feeling the truck shift and sway as the back was loaded. A wolf stood outside Rosette's door, guarding it, and she could see the same arrangement on Dee's side."He's a controlling prick," Dee fumed, staring straight ahead. "I've taken care of myself for a long damn time. I don't need to be treated like a child.""He'll get a little better once you've been changed," Rosette offered, trying to soothe Dee's frustration.Rosette knew how Dee felt. Kyle had initially come across as smothering in his protectiveness. It had taken some getting used to. She decided to change the subject, as this discussion was only going to aggravate Dee further."The boys said you came into money and started trucking. What happened that made you start doing this for a living?" Rosette asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a different di
Rosette delved into Kyle's mind, sifting through his memories and understanding of pack dynamics. Rick was in trouble because he had prioritized his own needs over those of the pack. Kyle felt Rick should have alerted them as soon as he saw the rogues."April is pack," Rosette communicated to Kyle. "She is the most vulnerable member of the pack. If the rogues had found her, we would have lost her for good. He came to us as soon as he could, but he should have been able to call out to someone in their wolf form."Rick seemed to lack any connections within the pack. Rosette realized this was because, unlike his adopted brothers who had made new friends, he stayed in the infirmary watching over April constantly."You make a valid point," Kyle mused. "Rick spends too much time in this infirmary doting on his mate. He has not taken the time to fully integrate with the pack.""I think it would be counterproductive to punish him for protecting April," Rosette suggested. "Yo
"I know Dominick, he's not that big as a wolf. You really went with just him.""Dom doesn't need to be big, love," Kyle growled. "I trained him to fight. He's fast, like you, and he listened to my lessons. He's a lethal warrior and he always finds what he's hunting. Now do you want to know what he found?"Rosette placed a hand over Kyle's naked hip and pulled him closer. "Tell me the whole story," she demanded."I was right to think we had missed some. Dominick found the trail right away. There were six of them still on our land. They had set up an ambush," Kyle said slowly, thrusting his hips against her. "Fools thought they knew the lay of my territory better than I did."It never struck her to worry about Kyle, but she suddenly realized she should. "You were outnumbered," she stated, trying to wiggle around and look at him. "Were you hurt?"The sharp tug at her nipple returned, and she realized he was upset with her."Of course not," he scoffed, rolling he
Rosette was less than ten feet from the bed now. Spreading her knees wide, she sat back on her heels. Her fingertips traced from her knees up the play at the crease at her thighs. Her sensitive ears heard Kyle's breath hitch slightly.The show was working, so she kept going. Lightly, she tickled her belly and up her ribs. Bypassing her breasts, she ran her fingers along her collarbones and up her neck. To top off her performance, she tilted her head back to display her neck submissively. She allowed her hands to fall back down and rest behind her while pressing her chest out.Kyle sat up and threw his legs off the bed. Rosette grinned inwardly. It was a game in her mind, and she was winning. He'd come off the bed and get her any minute."That's a pretty picture to put in front of me, my love," he said softly, "but I see the defiance in your eyes. You don't think you can fool me, do you? I know what it looks like when a wolf submits to me, and you aren't."Bastard. Ro