Gabriel and Tanya had borrowed one of the Choppers from the bar’s parking lot. It belonged to the biker whose arm and leg dropped to the floor; the rest of his body was eaten away by the effects of the silver bullet. There wasn’t much that Gabriel could’ve done. The guy was a goner, and the bikers would’ve been better if they'd left him where he'd fallen. It would’ve saved a lot of mess, and the guy would have been at peace with nature. His ashes could have blown into the wind. He would’ve been free in his final few moments. Settled among the trees and the earth with the birds singing. His ashes would scatter all around the forest. Not only that, but his boot wouldn’t have made the dead thud it did, when his leg hit the floor.

It had been a strange afternoon, and Gabriel wanted a quick look at where the bike gang had been caught, seemingly unaware of the danger. Gabriel made sure the hunters had no chance to spot the bike. He rode for another three miles around to the other side of the mountain. Vista View this wasn’t, actually, it looked out over the valley that had become full of trees. Nothing much there appealed to tourists, just an endless supply of trees. To Gabriel and Tanya, things looked a little different. They could see where they would run. If they wanted to, that was, but not today. Today they’d venture uphill to where the bikers got hit. It was risky for the two of them, but because Gabriel was human, he could draw any attention away from Tanya should they bump into any hunters.

“Now don’t forget, if you hear me shout or you notice anyone, change back to human form. We might throw off anyone’s scent,” Gabriel said. “Apart from that, I’m not in much of a position to help you.”

Tanya caressed Gabriel's cheek. Her soft fingers ran over the stubble that had grown on his chin. “One day we’ll run together,” she said. “As mates, and not just a wolf and a regular human.” And with that, Tanya laughed and called on her inner wolf and vanished into the trees. Gabriel heard her let out a howl and he noticed how quickly he'd become jealous.

He crossed the road, and his foot hit the first pebbles on the track that led into the trees. He could see why the bikers got hit so easily. He faced uphill for the first part of his trek. Tanya had vanished, yet Gabriel had no idea if she watched him at all. Wolves fell silent as they watched and hunted. He walked through the undergrowth and chopped at the bracken with his large knife. He finally made it to a clearing that laid out before him.

Gabriel stood at the foot of a small outcrop of rocks. He had no idea what rock type it was, but he stood and looked at it. His eyes scanned to see if he could climb. He reached the top, and he could see Tanya’s wolf form at the top. He was too far away to stare into her eyes, yet he could tell the color and pattern of her fur. She was almost white, and had a thick, silver streak that ran down the center of her back. Her muzzle was gray up to one eye. This made her look like a panda because the other was white.

Gabriel waved, and Tanya’s wolf nodded to him as she vanished a second time. He walked to the far side of the rocks and found a set of man-made steps that scaled up the edge of the rock. They'd been cut into the earth and had worn from countless use and rainwater. Water that had gushed down them, over time. His boots stuck in the sticky mud as he climbed the steps. His hands clambered at the moist earth as he slipped on a couple of occasions. Gabriel reached the top and sat on a rock and started to scrape the mud from his boot. He looked up as he heard voices.

He shouted the call sign to Tanya. Gabriel stood and started to walk to the main track. He saw a young kid headed his way. “Hey, what are you doing here?” Gabriel asked.

“A trip. I’m with a few others who are way back down the hill,” he said. “What about you?”

“I’m out with my girl, yet she’s vanished, and she might be watching us now, to try and find me,” Gabriel explained.

“BOO!” Tanya screamed as she jumped from the undergrowth.

“Jesus, I wondered where you went,” Gabriel stated. “What’s your name anyway, kid?”

The kid sniffed as if he had a cold. “Drake. And you are?”

“This is Tanya, and I’m Gabriel.”

“Pleased to meet you, but I gotta run. I can’t let a bunch of old people beat me to the top,” Drake replied.

“Be careful around these parts,” Gabriel said.

Drake smiled and ran up the track and vanished. Gabriel sat on the rock and looked around to where the kid had come from. The voices had stopped. He watched as Tanya cocked her head to listen. She sniffed as the wind blew in their direction.

“I can’t smell anything,” she whispered. “Maybe the wind where they are, is blowing into a different direction.”

Gabriel scanned through the woods. All he could see was the trees and the thin beams of sunlight that hit the bracken and the smaller bushes. Birds flew from their roost, but that meant nothing. Further in the sky ravens circled as if something had died, and again, that meant nothing.

“You better stay human for a while. That kid might’ve been a hunter scout, you never know,” he said. He grabbed hold of Tanya’s arm.

“Yeah. I think we should head back, to be honest. I don’t want to risk anything,” Tanya said as she pulled against Gabriel. “It will also get dark in here pretty quickly, especially without the sun going down. Once the light shines from an angle, we aren’t gonna be able to see much.”

Gabriel agreed, and they made their way back to the rocks and descended the slippery steps. Tanya’s foot caught on the root of a tree, and she fell forward. Gabriel heard the sickening snap as she landed on her hands. Her wrist bent at a forty-five-degree angle. Unfortunately, in the wrong direction.

“Motherfucker,” she yelped.

“You’ll be okay in a couple of hours,” he said.

“I know, but it doesn’t stop the thing from fucking hurting,” she replied as they heard a voice behind them.

“Hey, you need help?” Drake said.

Gabriel turned. “Where did you come from?” he asked.

“I heard a scream, so I ran back, are you okay?” he replied. “Damn, that looks painful, you should get her to the hospital.”

Quick on his feet and not to put his foot in it, Gabriel said, “I’m taking her now. My bike is by the road.”

“Just be careful, those tree roots are lethal,” Drake added.

“Drake, how did you know she tripped on a tree root?” Gabriel asked, sensing something was a little off.

Drake looked at Gabriel as to why a simple remark would bother him so much. “I came down those steps and saw the mark, it was too small for your boot, so I guessed it was hers,” he replied.

Gabriel squinted at Drake as if he was still a wolf. “I thought you saw it happen, that’s all,” Gabriel remarked.

“Yeah! As if. You would have seen me,” Drake replied. But you didn't see me, neither of you did. “I gotta go, our group is making their way back to the cars. We’ve seen enough.”

“How come the noise stopped from them? We heard them, and then it fell silent,” Gabriel asked as an afterthought.

“Food. The gang stopped to eat. They don’t talk while they’re eating,” he said, with a smile.

“Did you eat?” Tanya asked.

“Yeah, I grabbed hold of something earlier.”

“Hot dog?”

“Nah, it was a slab of juicy meat.” With that, he made his farewell and ran back along the side of the rocks. He vanished into the thick bracken which hid him from view.

“What a strange kid,” Gabriel surmised.

“I’m not sure if he was strange or just not telling us the whole truth.”

“You think he was a wolf or a hunter?” Gabriel asked.

Tanya shook her head and frowned. “Today, I think he was a bit of both.”

* * *

Noelle ran at Declan and jumped up against him. He staggered back to the bed and crashed against the soft mattress with Noelle still hanging around his neck and waist.

“You’re not much use in a fight, are you? A liddle thing like me can take you down boy,” she squealed. Declan tensed his body and called on his inner wolf, just enough so he stood on his hind legs and dropped Noelle flat on her back.

“Who’s not much use?” he asked as he snapped back into his human form.

“That’s the sign of a cheat if I ever saw one,” she replied as she got to her knees. “So, you think I want to be your alpha mate, huh?”

“It had crossed my mind. That would seal everything, but as a human, I’m not sure you’re up to the task,” he said with a cocky tone. “It takes a special breed to be an alpha or an alpha's mate.”

“So, you don’t think I’m speci—” Noelle started to say as Declan lifted her t-shirt over her head and left her helpless.

His hand pushed the top of her head as she fell backward. Her arms wriggled as she tried to get free from her shirt. Declan knelt on the bed and pulled at the button of her jeans. He tugged the zipper and then dragged her jeans and panties over her slender hips. He giggled to himself as he left her wrapped in a bundle of clothes.

He heard Noelle's muffled screams from inside her shirt. “Declan, don’t be such an ass,” she yelled as she wriggled from side to side. “Get me out of these god-damned clothes!”

Declan pulled at her jeans; Noelle kicked her legs. Her foot planted itself on Declan's chin. She stopped wriggling. “Sorry, I couldn’t see.”

He dropped her jeans into a heap and pulled her arms free from her shirt. Her ruffled hair looked as if she'd just woken up. He smiled as he leaned his muscled torso over her. He stared into her eyes. He'd felt the same way about her since that very first day when he'd met her in the coffee shop.

Declan thought about their whole relationship. He had no chance, really. From that very first moment, she had him. Hook, line, and metaphorical sinker. He bent his arms as he lowered himself toward her. Noelle squirmed in only a half-hearted effort as she “attempted” to escape. Her mouth fumbled, biting her bottom lip, and she started to feel his hot breath fall over her.

Declan leaned closer. His broad chest pushed against the lacy fabric of her bra. His leg pushed between her thighs and rubbed against her womanhood. Noelle wrapped her leg around Declan’s muscled thigh. His head got closer, and his mouth opened. She sucked in a startled breath as their lips touched. The soft, plumpness of her lips pushed hard against Declan’s, as his tongue fumbled and flicked against her delicate skin. Noelle's eyes closed as shallow pants made her chest heave. Her breasts pushed and rubbed against the hard muscles that rippled under his skin. Declan slipped his tongue between her lips, and he swept like wildfire inside the wetness of her mouth. Their tongues touched and intertwined as shivers flooded through Noelle's entire body.

Declan felt her hips; the junction of her thighs gyrated and rubbed against his muscled thigh. The silky touch of Noelle's lips pulled his tongue deeper inside the wetness of her mouth. She took him in and sucked the pureness of what he offered. Her hands caressed the strong jawline on his face. His chiseled features melted under her touch.

Declan felt the eagerness filling his shaft. His heart and pulse raced as his body started to respond to Noelle's readiness for love. He raised his hand and tugged at the strap of her bra. The lace frayed and tore. Noelle gasped again as his hand moved to the side of her body and cupped her breast with fervor. He massaged her softly as his masculine fingers fumbled with her pearled tips. Noelle panted with excitement as she felt Declan's shaft rub its heat against her hips. The heat of his manhood seared into her skin. It crept up her body as it hardened between their entwined bodies.

Noelle reached her arm around Declan's muscled back and sank her nails into his firmed buttocks. His hips pushed forward as the smooth power of his muscled thigh rubbed against her moistness. She tightened her grip as Declan rolled onto his back. Noelle writhed her body against him as he laid on his back. Noelle pushed her hands against the bed. Her shoulder raised as her body arched like a cat. The dampness between her legs slid across the hard muscle of Declan's thigh. She lifted her leg and straddled him. Her head lowered as her breasts rubbed against his bare chest.

She looked down into his eyes. The amazing hint of silver glimmered in the light that shone overhead. Noelle could see the animal that laid deep in Declan's soul. His inner wolf was waiting to make its move. Noelle had turned the tables. She had ended up on top. She had the control. Declan would be at her mercy once she offered herself to him.

“Declan, are you ready? You feel ready —you smell ready, and you look ready,” Noelle murmured.

Declan nodded, signaling that he was ready as Noelle stared deep into his wanting eyes. He was in love with her. He had always been in love with her.

“Guess what, Declan?” she cooed as she rubbed her flesh further up his thighs.

“What?” Declan replied through waiting lips that he licked with anticipation.

Noelle winked and ran her tongue across Declan's perfect lips. “I’m very ready!”

“Don’t let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen.”