Maria and the rest of the pack had returned to Vista View. Kelvin hadn’t returned and had been missing for a good ten to fifteen minutes. She paced up and down the parking lot, the gravel crunched under her boots. In fact, she had absolutely no interest in the panoramic view that she could’ve seen if she'd turned her head forty-five degrees to the right. Maria could have cast her eyes over the valley, and to the beautiful large lake where the water shimmered in the afternoon sun. She would have seen the power boats with the water skiers if she’d felt like it. She wanted none of it. Maria only wanted Kelvin to get his ass back to the parking lot, so they could make their way back to the Towers.

Maria kicked her boot into the gravel as a food truck came around the corner and passed her, on her side of the road. The truck driver gave the obligatory hoot of his horn as he fixed his eyes on Maria, and that was usually what truck drivers did when they saw a gorgeous woman. They seemed to think it was their duty to inform the hottie that they'd been spotted —weirdly enough.

Maria raised her head as she looked at the logo and the slogan on the side of the truck. It read, “Killer Griller—The best grill this side of heavenll.” Maria smiled and shook her head at the same time. As she stood and watched the food truck pass her, something caught her eye above the roof of the vehicle. A figure had jumped from the ridge in the forest and flew through the air toward her. Maria looked around as Kelvin cleared the road and his hand ran over the roof of the truck. His body flailed as he landed on the side of Maria. Gravel sprayed away from his boots as his impact brushed it to the side. Kelvin knelt and panted for breath before he stood.

Kelvin looked up at Maria and smiled. “What a fucking rush that was.” He looked at his fingertips, the dirt from the roof had made his fingers black.

Maria grabbed ahold of the hood on Kelvin's sweatshirt and shook him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

“Relax, what’s the worst thing that could’ve happened?” he replied.

“Well, you wouldn’t have been hurt for long, but you could have hit that truck and if he’d driven off the ridge… sweet Jesus, what would you have done then?”

“We would have driven off back to the Towers and said no more about it,” Kelvin replied.

“That would never happen, and you know it!” Maria replied in a tone that Kelvin never really wanted to hear —ever again. She might be hot as hell, but she had the look of thunder on her face as she shouted at him. “Now, get your ass in the car so we can go home.”

Maria pushed her hand in the small of Kelvin's back as he bowed his head in shame. His feet scuffed in the gravel as if he was a school kid who had been reprimanded for chewing gum. He pulled open the passenger door and fastened his seat belt. His hands tugged on his sweatshirt hood as he pulled it over his head and slumped into his seat. Maria placed her hand on the chrome door handle. Her other hand rested on the roof. As she pulled the handle, she heard a rumble pass the log cabin café that sat overlooking the valley. Her head raised just past the roof line of the car as she caught a glimpse of a black and chrome Chopper that rode into view.

Maria ducked as the rider and the girl glanced in her direction. She saw the girl hang onto the rider with one hand as she held the other one in front of her. It looked like she'd hurt herself. Maria pulled open the door and slipped inside. The Chopper roared past with no sign of slowing. Maria looked from her window as the bike rounded the far corner and headed off down the road in the same direction as the “Killer Griller” food truck.

Maria and the other three cars headed back to the Towers, slowly. It had been a good first session, and the pack had performed well. They had split into three. One pack had run directly forward as one flanked to the left and one flanked to the right. The hunters would have a shock when all the pack from the Towers were in their attack formation. The pack members laughed and giggled as they returned to the Towers. It had been a fun day out after all the time they'd stayed at home, and when Gabriel had been in charge.

They ran up the steps and vanished inside as Maria and Kelvin followed last. They entered the lobby and Dustin was there, sitting behind the reception desk. “Have you got a spare room for an hour or two, mister?” Kelvin yelled in a pitiful, Texas accent.

Dustin sniggered to himself as he saw Maria grimace at Kelvin's suggestion. And she’d already spent an hour or two with him. No way sunshine, not after the stunt you pulled, she thought.

“How was it?” Dustin asked.

Maria walked up to the counter and rested on the large, chipped, oak counter. Her fingers ran over the grooves that had been caused by years of use. She looked at Dustin. “They did good, and we didn’t see anyone in the forest,” she replied.

“I did,” Kelvin mentioned.

“Who —who did you see? Was it that dude and girl on the black Chopper?” Maria asked. Kelvin pulled the hood off his head. He frowned a little as he thought for a moment.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see them on the bike. It was a guy and a girl who I bumped into. Twice,” he replied. “I was running ahead of you lot, and just as I was about to leap into the clearing, I changed back to my human form and jogged the last few paces until I saw them.”

“Do you think they were hunters scouting?” Dustin asked as his boots slipped from the far side of the reception counter and thudded onto the floor.

“Nah! They weren't hunters. The guy smelled funny, and not anything I've smelled before, apart from when I met Declan,” Kelvin explained. “Declan’s smell though, was a hell of a lot weaker than this guy.”

“Why would two guys smell similar?” Dustin asked. “I don’t think Declan has a link with anyone.”

“Did they ask where you were from, or ask you your name?” Maria asked.

“Yeah, I told them my name was Drake. There’s no way I was gonna tell them my real name, or where I live.”

“At least you did one thing right,” Maria said with an assertive look.

“That sounds as if something happened,” Dustin said as he walked from behind the counter.

“Kelvin thought he was Wolverine or some other superhero. He only jumped from the forest ridge at Vista View over a passing food truck,” Maria explained.

“At least we know you have some power behind you,” Dustin said as he smiled. Kelvin grinned as Dustin wacked him across the side of his head. “Now, don’t be such a dumb ass in future. Hunters will only need a tiny excuse to spread the word about us.”

“Sorry! I won’t do it again,” he replied. “So, do you want to know what happened with this dude and the girl he had with him?”

Maria and Dustin looked at Kelvin because they both thought he'd already finished talking. “Of course!” added Maria.

“The girl wasn’t there when I first approached. The guy made some stupid remark about her running off and hiding from him. That was complete bullshit; she was a wolf,” Kelvin explained. “I’m not sure if she noticed I was, or if she did, she had doubts.”

“So, where did she come from when you were there?” Maria asked plainly.

“Well, she jumped from the bushes and shouted out as if they were playing hide and seek or something,” he replied. “That’s when they asked who I was. I ran off then, and left them to it.”

“You said you bumped into them twice?”

“Yeah! There is an outcrop of large rocks that have some steps cut into the earth at the side. It’s a great place for a fight,” he replied. “Anyway, the girl slipped on her way down and hurt her wrist. I was in the undergrowth watching and I waited until she'd stood before I appeared again.”

“Keep going, there is more to this,” Dustin pressed.

Kelvin leaned with his back against the counter. He made a weird angle with his wrist to show how the girl had hurt hers. “She screamed like I-don’t-know-what, as you would. I heard the guy say she’d be fine in a couple of hours,” Kelvin added. “And then I appeared and said he should take her to the hospital. The dude said he was gonna take her. But it was bullshit, she didn’t really have to go to the hospital.”

“And that's it, that’s all that happened?” Maria asked. “Did they tell you their names?”

“Oh yeah! I forgot. Her name was…” Kelvin started to say as he closed his eyes and scratched his head to help him remember. “Nah, I've forgotten her name, I must not have been listening properly.”

“What about the guy, the other wolf?” Maria asked.

“He wasn’t a wolf. Did I say he was a wolf? I don’t think I did.” Kelvin laughed. “His name was, hang on —I think I have it, it’s on the tip of my…” he started to reply. “Nope. I didn’t catch his, either. I was looking at the girl, but it sounds like an angel’s name. That much I know.”

“Michael?”

Kelvin shook his head and frowned.

“Raphael?”

Kelvin shook his head again and curled his lips.

“Joshua?”

Kelvin frowned. “Nowhere near. You were closer with Raphael.”

“Samuel?”

Kelvin pointed his finger and then shook his head.

“Names ending in EL?” Dustin asked.

Maria slammed her hand on the counter as if to signal they'd all been a bunch of idiots for not realizing it sooner. “Gabriel?” she asked. “Was his name Gabriel?”

“That’s it, you got it!” Kelvin replied. “Finally.”

* * *

Declan grabbed hold of Noelle's legs and pushed them close to her chest. She sighed and panted as he pushed the head of his hard shaft past the soft folds of her pussy. Declan put Noelle's legs on his shoulders as he pushed his hips forward. Noelle screamed with delight as his manhood filled the depths of her core.

Noelle pulled her fingers hard into the bedsheets. The fabric wrapped and twisted through her fingers as she melted and warmed to the primal thrusting of his hips. Declan let his hips crash against her as she raised her ass, breathing heavily and wanting more.

Declan looked into Noelle's eyes. Her tongue frantically licked her lips as her perfect breasts bounced vivaciously with each thrust of Declan's powerful hips. She could see a glint of the animal inside him. A tinge of silver flickered for a moment as his inner beast drove his want for her.

“Declan,” she murmured.

Declan needed no more introduction. He pushed Noelle's left leg to the side and wrapped his arm around her right. He sat upright and gripped her thigh tightly. He reached forward and cupped Noelle’s breast. Her budded nipple rubbed hard against the palm of his hand as he moved his fingers on her body. Declan watched as Noelle flicked and teased herself. He went harder as Noelle raised her hips to meet each powerful thrust. Her body warmed as her belly ebbed and flowed. Gasps of breath fled from her lungs. She moaned and groaned as her body neared her final moment.

“Declan. Faster-harder, I’m close.”

Noelle sucked in deep and panting breaths as her body neared her climactic moment. Wild waves of pleasure flooded throughout her body in delight. Declan gripped harder on her breast.

As he watched her come, shuddering contractions gripped at Declan's own masculinity. She’d made an uninhibited cry of satisfaction as her body released sensations, so intense that tears of pleasure welled up in her eyes.

Declan groaned in blissful agony as Noelle squirmed under his heaving body. Fires of satisfaction filled his loins and flooded up his spine. Declan closed his eyes as glorious waves of masculine splendor spilled from his loins. This was making love in the purest of forms. She was his mate.

Declan pulled his spent body from Noelle and easily rolled to her side. His fingers stroked the smallness of her belly as he adored her. He leaned in closer and kissed her on the cheek as she smiled.

“You think that’s alpha mate material?” she asked.

“Hell yeah! You could run a pack on your own if that’s anything to go by,” he replied. He gave her a wink and kissed the tip of her nose.

Noelle slapped her hand against Declan’s broad chest and tightened her plump lips into a fine line of pink. “I don’t want to run a pack, I want to be by your side as you do it,” she said.

“I know that. I wanted to let you know how strong you are when you want to be. Times like this though, you’re all woman,” he replied.

“I’m glad you think that way, and I have to say you fu…” she started to say as she heard a bang at the apartment door.

“I what?” Declan asked as he stood up from the bed and pulled on his pants.

Noelle giggled and started to sing…

“I'm makin’ artificial lovers for free,

I start to howl, I'm in heat,

I moan and growl, and the hunt drives me crazy,

I make out like a beast.”

“You drive me wild, Noelle!”

“I know…”

“If you like it you lick it, everyone knows that.”