The Wolf and the Bobcat: (13 page)

Chapter Thirteen

By the time Deanna arrived home, Dinah and Drake were bouncing up and down with excitement. Tess had brought them numerous toys, and gifts and the two youngest children were thrilled to see her again. Danny was happy but not as happy as he had been the last time she showed up.

As he got older, he was less and less happy to see his mom. It saddened Deanna; it was the same for her and Dennis.
Over the years, the broken promises take their tolls.

Dennis was agitated at her arrival and tried to stay out of her way as much as possible. The same was true for their grandma. Grams was Dennis and Deanna’s biological grandmother, on their father’s side. He had died when they were small. Technically she wasn’t related to the younger siblings, but she didn’t treat them any differently. Since her own bobcat mate had died, she was pleased to have so many family members around her.
But that didn’t quite extend to Tess…

When the two women got together, inevitably there was an argument, and Tess stormed off in a sulk, which then upset the younger kids. Grams was trying to avoid that happening. As much as she disliked Tess, she loved her grandchildren and didn’t want them to be hurt.

Darcy was stuck trying to play peacemaker. Apparently, Tess was promising trips to Disney World, which were never going to happen. Dennis wanted to harangue his mother about this, but Darcy kept him in check.

They shared an early, and slightly tense, dinner together. The younger children asked Tess when she was moving home, and how long she was staying, but she wouldn’t be drawn on either question, and changed the subject.

As for Gary… he had barely said two words since he entered the house, and they were all just trying to forget he existed.

After finishing washing the dishes with Dennis, Deanna hopped from foot to foot.

Dennis flicked a dish towel at her. “What’s wrong with you, squirmy butt?”

“I didn’t realize Mom would turn up today; I’m supposed to have a date tonight…”
And lord knows she didn’t want to stand him up again; her bobcat would never forgive her.

Dennis groaned. “With Casey?”

She tried not to smile. Word got round fast. “Yes, with Casey.”

He pursed his lips but soon softened. He may not like the guy, but he wanted Deanna to be happy.
And apparently that sorry excuse for a wolf made her happy.
“Then go, we’ll be fine here.”

Her bobcat howled in happiness, but Deanna faltered. “Are you sure? I hate to leave you here with Attila the mom.”

“Darcy and I will manage, seriously, have fun.”

“Thank you, baby brother, you’re a star.”

Deanna skipped into the hall and grabbed her purse.

“Are you going out?”

Her bobcat yowled; Tess was standing behind her.

Deanna worried Tess would want her to stay home. “Well, I have a date…”

Tess beamed. “Good for you, pumpkin, I knew you’d manage to find someone. But are you sure you want to go out dressed like that?”

Deanna frowned, looking down at her jeans and sweater. “I look okay.”

Tess shook her head. “If you want to keep him, you’re going to have to do a lot better than that. Otherwise, he’ll find someone else.”

At that moment, Dinah called out for their mom, and Deanna made her escape. She hurried out to the minivan and sped away as quickly as she could. She tried to push the matricidal thoughts out of her mind.

It didn’t matter, nothing her mom said mattered
. She was on her way to see her mate, and everything was going to be okay.

*

Casey asked her to meet him just outside the wooded area, in a popular picnic spot. She was curious as to his plans, but he wouldn’t tell her anything.

When Deanna arrived, he pulled her into a searing kiss. “Hey, I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

“I can tell.” His arousal was mercilessly digging into her stomach; she marveled that she had ever taken anything quite so large.

He chuckled and ran his hands down her back. “I thought we might go for a run tonight.”

Deanna’s eyes lit up. Yes, that was a wonderful idea; it had been so long since she’d shifted and just let herself go. “I’d love that.”

She wriggled out of his grip, and much to Casey’s delight, began stripping out her clothes. He quickly followed suit. While she neatly folded hers and left them on a picnic table, in his haste, he threw them around, letting them rest where they landed.

Deanna clasped her hands together, a little nervously. This was really the first time she had been fully naked in front of him. He caught a brief glance earlier, and he had seen parts of her naked, but this was the real first time.

Casey’s wolf roared in pleasure. God, she was perfect. His eyes dilated as he took in every inch of her small but luscious body. She was petite with a few curves in all the right places. What he wouldn’t give to suckle on these gorgeous, pert breasts…

She giggled at seeing his manhood bobbing and waving at her.
She was definitely having the effect she was hoping for.

He almost started drooling. “Maybe we should forget about the run…”

“No way! You want me; you gotta catch me, wolf.” She winked and shimmered through her shift.

A goofy grin smothered his face when he saw the cute little bobcat. He knelt down and put his hand out to stroke her. The bobcat shook her head, nipped him on the wrist, playfully, and sprinted away.

His wolf howled in delight as he forced the shift and took off after her. There was nothing a male wolf shifter liked more than a chase,
and if he just happened to be chasing his mate… all the better
.

The wolf crashed through the woods, pounding after the delectable little feline. As he watched her run, her tail swishing, he could swear she was almost laughing at him. She was fast, but he was faster.

Within seconds, he would have her, but he had a better idea.

The bobcat could sense the wolf approaching, but then he pulled back. She wondered what he was playing at. She had no doubt that, more than anything, he wanted to catch her. What was he playing at?

Moments later, the wolf came at her from the left. She yelped and veered off course, running in a new direction. The wolf did this, over and over again, continuously changing her course until eventually they came to the edge of the woods.

The bobcat halted, and the wolf hurtled into her. They tumbled over the ground, gleefully rolling over one another. The wolf finally had her beneath him; he towered over the splayed bobcat. He snapped his jaws before swiping his tongue over her face.

Giggling, Deanna shifted back to human and bomped his nose. “Euw! Gross, naughty wolf.”

Chuckling, Casey did the same, until he was on all fours over her naked body. She looked up at him expectantly. Already her nipples had pebbled, and the honey was flowing from her in anticipation. Casey scented her arousal and growled lustfully.

Unexpectedly, he stood up and pulled Deanna with her.

She frowned. She kind of thought… He took her hand and started leading her towards a house at the edge of the woods. She blinked as she surveyed the familiar surrounding.

They were in Rose Hill – the rich side of town. Where the Mayor lived.
They were about to walk naked into the fanciest, and snootiest, cul de sac in the whole of the town.

Deanna tugged on his hand. “Uh, where are we going?”

Casey looked back at her and beamed. “It’s a surprise.”

She worried a little more with every step they took, but Casey just seemed to get more excited. He led her to the back door of one of the houses. Letting go of her hand, he bent down and started looking at the various rocks on the ground.

Deanna shivered and rubbed her arms. “What are we doing here, Casey?”

“A-ha!” Casey appeared to have found the rock he was looking for. He stood up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Don’t worry, kitten, this is gonna be great.”

Her bobcat virtually rolled over to have her tummy rubbed, but Deanna had a sinking feeling.

He retrieved the key from the rock and soon opened the door. He pulled her inside, and she really started to worry.

“Umm, Casey…”

“Ta-da!” Casey waved his arm at the indoor swimming pool. “It’s ours for the entire night. The owners are at the opera in Alexandria. Isn’t this great?”

She couldn’t have been more surprised if Casey had just confessed to being Jack the Ripper. She rubbed her hands over her face. “Are you telling me that you’re the one who has been breaking into people’s houses and using their pools?”

He shrugged. “Well, not exactly breaking in, I used the keys, and I was just borrowing their pools when they weren’t using them.”

Deanna stared at him in disbelief. Good lord, she was in love with a criminal! “Alec’s looking for you, you know. The Mayor went ape-shit when you left a Baby Ruth bar in his pool.”

Casey snickered. “That was a stroke of genius, but I can’t take the credit for that, that was…”

He stopped on seeing Deanna’s horrified expression. Perhaps bringing a Sheriff’s Deputy here wasn’t the best plan. “That was someone who will remain nameless.”

She placed her tiny hands on her slim hips, and his wolf whined in glee. She looked damn good in that pose. “Let me guess. Was it Hunter? Or Jimmy? How about Darryl Tanner?”

Casey winced. “A-ha! So was it just you and Darryl? Or was anyone else involved?”

Truthfully, as well as him, it was, Hunter, Jimmy, Darryl, Eric Tanner and Craig Tanner. They didn’t mean any harm; it was just something to do. It started out as an accident. They were running through the woods and came to Rose Hill. They saw someone’s door ajar, so they went to investigate. The owners weren’t home, so they made sure no one else had broken in; they made use of the pool, and then they made sure the door was locked on the way out. It was better that they found it unlocked than someone else who might actually steal something. Since then, they’d done it a few more times, but even when Craig did make himself a sandwich, he left money behind to cover it.

That thing with the Mayor…
that was perhaps a little spiteful.
But, they had heard that the Mayor was kicking up a bit of fuss about the pack opening up new businesses. The Mayor was apparently worried that the pack was trying to take over the town completely. In truth, he was just worried that Adam wanted his job. Which wasn’t a surprise, everyone preferred Adam to the Mayor, and people were more like to go to the Alpha for help. He was much more approachable. Adam could easily get the job if he wanted it.

Casey hung his head for a few moments as his mate stared at him. He considered just leaving, but his wolf objected. His mate was too tense; she needed loosening up. If their encounters at O’Neill’s had proved anything, it was that she was capable of having a lot of fun, she just need to let herself go…

With that, Casey scooped her up and threw her in the pool. She squealed and thrashed around in the water. He was almost bent over in laughter, but he soon sobered when he noticed her splashes and splutters were becoming increasingly violent.

Fuck, she can’t swim! He dove into the pool and eagerly made his way to her. He clutched her to him. “I’m sorry, kitten; I’m so sorry.”

He stilled as he heard her sniggering. As slippery as a mermaid, she wiggled out of his arms and gracefully swam to the other end of the pool. “Sucker!”

His wolf growled joyously. She was okay and apparently in the mood for another chase. He grinned at her wolfishly and swam after her. She easily avoided him and swam laps around him, splashing him.
Perhaps this was a chase he wasn’t going to win…

“Damn kitten, were you a fish in your former life?”

Her bobcat yowled in disapproval, so she slowed down and allowed him to catch her; it wasn’t like she really wanted to get away.

He pressed her against the edge of the pool, and she wrapped her arms round his shoulders. He took her mouth in a toe-curling kiss, eagerly tasting her sweetness. She moaned into his mouth.
Who knew being with your mate would be so perfect?

When they finally drew apart, she licked her tongue over his cheek. “Mmmm you taste like, well, chlorine, but also pumpkin pie.”

He rubbed a thumb over her jaw. “So, how are you enjoying the pool?”

Deanna pursed her lips. Part of her, the responsible part, was annoyed at how much she was actually enjoying it. She always loved swimming as a child. The thought that they really shouldn’t be there, and that they had broken into someone else’s house niggled her. Yet, she was sort of enjoying being naughty. The way she had at O’Neill’s.
It felt deliciously wicked…

“Welllll… it is kind of nice, but we really shouldn’t be here, we’re violating people’s privacy.”

Casey began flourishing kisses over her neck. “You’re right,” he murmured in between kisses, “I’ve been very bad…”

“Maybe we should go…” she breathed.