Dance on the Wilde Side: Cannon Pack, Book 2 Page 21

  Skanland knocked Carl in the head and pushed him from the room. “You stay outta here.” Turning to Tala, he jabbed his finger at her. “And you shut the hell up or I’ll shut your fat trap for you.”

  Fat? She tipped her head to study her body. Sure, I’ve shared a lot of pizza with Devlin lately, but I’m not fat. Am I?

  The door slammed closed behind Skanland, leaving Tala wondering what to do next. She shook her head and discarded the idea of howling again. Skanland might do something drastic like stuff a rag in her mouth if she made any more noise. Besides, if it had worked, Devlin would already be on his way.

  So what do I do now? She slumped in the chair and let her mind wander. If only Devlin was here. He could shift and take care of things. The power he exuded when he shifted was twice a normal man’s. If only she could shift, she might grow stronger, too.

  Devlin had said she’d shift when the time was right. And Skanland had called her a shifter. Could the power be lying dormant inside her? Could she shift now if she tried? Deciding it was worth a go, even though she’d failed so many times before, Tala focused on one thought. Shift.

  For several minutes, she chanted the word over and over in her mind. And waited. And waited some more. Tried again and waited. Yet after several attempts, nothing had happened.

  Fighting the frustration boiling inside her, she stomped on the floor, tightening the ropes around her ankles in the effort. Why can’t I do this? Why don’t shifters have a manual or a beginner’s class?

  As her mind thought about devising a workshop—Shifting 101—she remembered another class she’d taken called Anything Is Possible with Visualization. According to the teacher, if she could visualize something happening—like getting a promotion or mastering a physical challenge—then she could make any dream, any ambition come true.

  Shit, I can’t do any worse than offering to sleep with Carl. Tala contemplated what she wanted to happen. She wanted to shift. To do so, according to the visualization class, she’d have to see herself as a werewolf.

  Tala closed her eyes and imagined she was at home. Standing naked in her bathroom, she visualized her body in the bathroom mirror. Whoa, maybe I am getting fat? No more pizza for me. Shaking off the thought, she concentrated harder, forcing her mind to make the changes to her body in her vision. Sweat popped out along her brow, but she pushed harder, wanting the change more than anything else in the world.

  Without warning, the form in her mind’s vision altered. Her torso expanded, doubling the size of her ribcage. Her facial features morphed, elongating, stretching beyond human limits. Hair, golden and shiny, spread across her body and claws replaced her French-tipped nails. Glorious sharp fangs broke through her gums and she opened her mouth in a snarl.

  Tala snapped her eyes open, eager to experience the real transformation. Grinning, she widened her mouth and yearned to feel the fangs she’d formed. Ready to see her claws, she glanced down.

  “Skanland!”

  Skanland appeared in the doorway behind Carl and both of her captors stared at her. Skanland cocked his head in wonder. “Holy crap. What happened to her?”

  Chapter Twelve

  “This is the address George gave us.”

  “Yeah, the rat gave us the path to the trap, dude.”

  Devlin surveyed the decrepit house. What little color was left on the exterior after years of neglect hung in strips of peeling paint. A broken-down picket fence sported the same dismal gray color as the house. The yard, overgrown with weeds, left images of vermin and bugs crawling through its jungle. A beaten-up mailbox was bent at an angle from the dried-hard ground and attached to a rotting piece of wood with yards of duct tape. “What a pit.”

  “Figures.” Conrad spat on the sidewalk.

  Devlin reached for the swinging gate hanging by one hinge. “It’s not like we’re moving in. Let’s go and get Tala.” But his friend’s hand on his arm held him in check.

  “Uh, Dev, we’ve got company.”

  Vicious growls caught Devlin’s attention. Two large Dobermans stood a few feet away, their fangs dripping with saliva, ready to chomp on delicious flesh. Delicious wolf flesh, that is. “Aw, crap. Doggies.”

  “Big mean doggies, dude. The type who’d chew up a tasty wolfie like me in one gulp.”

  “And then eat me as their dessert.” Devlin set his sights on the dog in front of him. “Good doggy. Nice doggy.”

  “Yeah, right. Can’t you just feel the love, Dev?”

  Devlin reached for one of the broken boards lying on the ground near them. Snarls erupted and the dogs lunged forward, stopping a few feet away from the fence.

  “Hey, Dev, don’t make any more sudden moves, okay?”

  Devlin nodded, keeping his arms close to his body. “Agreed. But they’re standing between us and Tala.” He bent down, getting eye level with the dogs.

  “Careful, dude. These aren’t shifters you’re about to introduce yourself to.”

  “I’m getting to know the leader.” Devlin sought out the eyes of the bigger Doberman, searching for the mind behind the angry dark eyes. Yet when fear ripped through his chest, halting his breath, Devlin wasn’t surprised. Fear often hid behind anger.

  He searched the other dog’s mind and came to a similar conclusion. “Someone’s hurt both of them.”

  A snarl came from Conrad, echoing the sentiments squeezing his chest. “Three guesses who.”

  He shook his head, dismayed at the pain he’d picked up from the dogs. “The hunters have them locked up most of the time with very little food or water. Keeps them mean.” He exchanged a glance with his friend. “Even if we didn’t have to get past them to save Tala, I’d have to help them.”

  “I’m with you on that.” Conrad squatted beside him. “Just as long as I don’t lose an arm in the process.”

  “Okay, maybe just a foot instead.”

  “Not funny, dude. Not funny at all.”

  Devlin renewed his focus on the dog. “Okay, boy. Let’s get to know each other.” Going to his knees, Devlin poured his thoughts into the Doberman.

  The dog cocked his head to the side, listening. After a few minutes of the exchange, the dog whimpered, lay down and rested his head on his paws. The other dog, having moved to one side of the leader, squatted down and placed her head on her paws, too.

  Devlin smiled and reached through the fence to pet the bigger dog’s head. “Thanks. I’ll return the favor.” Standing up, he opened the gate and stepped inside the yard. “Coming?”

  “After you, dude.”

  Devlin chuckled at the uncertain expression on his friend’s face and took the lead, stalking toward the house. The dogs rose, following on their heels.

  “You know they’re probably watching, right?”

  Devlin nodded without glancing around. “No doubt about it.”

  Conrad pushed ahead of him to stomp up the broken steps to the front door. “Then let’s quit playing games and get this party going.”

  Leave it to C-man to take the most direct approach. Although this time, Devlin couldn’t argue with his friend’s logic. Together, they stripped off their clothes, piling them in a spot by the door. “Hurry up. I have a feeling some old lady’s spying on us from across the street.”

  “Then it’s her lucky day, huh, dude?”

  Conrad banged on the door for several minutes.

  Finally, the door flung open with two hunters standing in the frame, their guns poised and ready. They glanced down at the men’s private parts, then turned to check each other’s reaction.

  Devlin grinned. “Hi ya, boys. I hope we’re not overdressed for the party.”

  ƒ

  “What?” Tala scowled at Carl and Skanland. “What’re you rejects staring at?” Did they have to gawk at her like she was a three-headed frog?

  “Damn.” Carl stammered another couple of expletives before repeating Skanland’s earlier question. “What happened to her?”

  The other hunters joined them, skidding to a stop when
they saw her. Skanland reluctantly inched forward, acting as though he expected her to be contagious. “I think she’s starting to change.”

  “You mean, like she’s a little bit werewolf?”

  “No, you moron. Being a little bit werewolf is like being a little bit stupid. Not possible. Either you’re stupid or you’re not.” He rolled his eyes at his cohort. “And in case you aren’t sure, you are.”

  Who are these guys? Tweedledee and Tweedledum? Tala squirmed under Skanland’s persistent scrutiny. Other hunters joined them at the door. “How about you goons telling me what you find so fascinating?”

  He squinted at her and leaned closer. Reaching out with his index finger, he slid his finger along her jaw. “Weird. Really weird.”

  Tala whipped her head to the side and snapped at his finger, missing his digit by centimeters. “Don’t touch me, you pervert.”

  “Oh, sure. I’m the preevert.”

  His short bark afterwards made her wince in disgust. “The word’s pervert, not pree-vert, you pervert.”

  He fumbled in the pocket of his pants and brought out a cosmetic compact. “I ain’t the per-vert here. You’re some kind of mutation.” He opened the compact and held it in front of her.

  What is this guy up to? Her stomach flopped, unsure if she wanted to look into the small mirror. But knowing is better than not knowing, right? Skanland snickered and she made her decision.

  With all the dread of a mother checking out her truant child’s report card, Tala dipped her head and stared into the mirror. Shock rocked her body. Slowly, she turned her head to better examine the sight reflected in the glass.

  Soft golden fur covered the left side of her face, running from the curve of her jaw down to the middle of her chin. Fascinated, she moved her head from side to side, comparing the two parts of her face. While the right side was clean and hairless as usual, the left side sported a virtual rug of animal hair. “Oh, my God.”

  “God has nothing to do with monsters like you.” Skanland thrust the mirror closer to the end of her nose. “Take a gander at yourself. You tried going wolf, didn’t you?”

  A spark of excitement sent her heart soaring. But why hadn’t she shifted all the way?

  Skanland saw her smile and whipped the compact back into his pocket. “Just so you know. You go all the way, you die.” He straightened up and headed for the door.

  She coughed a sarcastic laugh. “Hey, Skanland.”

  He turned. “What?”

  “Just in case you aren’t sure…going all the way with you isn’t happening.” His lurch in her direction only deepened her resolve to piss him off. “Oh, Skanland?”

  “Now what?”

  She feigned an expression of interest before asking the question she knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t want to answer. “Why do you carry a ladies’ cosmetic mirror?”

  An immediate stream of red burst up Skanland’s neck and rushed into his face. “Shut up, bitch!”

  Carl was the only hunter bright enough—now there’s a frightening thought—not to snicker at her question. Instead, he covered his laughter by clamping a huge hand over his mouth. But the other two yokels laughed like they’d never heard anything so funny in their whole lives. Then they couldn’t keep their mouths zipped, adding insult to injury.

  “Yeah, Skanland. What’s with the makeup mirror? My momma used to carry one like that.”

  “Gotta put on some lipstick? You gotta hot date tonight? Is he gonna get lucky?

  The chunkier hunter nudged his friend in the arm. “’Course not, Rims. Skanland won’t even kiss goodnight. He wouldn’t want to mess up his makeup.”

  “But, Skanland, sweetie, you can always bend over and take it in the a—”

  Skanland’s hands wrapped around the man’s neck, cutting off his last word. “Shut the fuck up or I’m going to mess up your face. Do you hear me? Shut the fucking shit up!”

  Carl gripped Skanland’s shoulders and pulled him off the choking hunter. “They’re just teasin’, man. They don’t mean nothin’ by it.”

  Skanland, whose complexion was slowly returning to normal, broke free of Carl’s hold. “I carry that thing because…” He paused, unable to finish his sentence.

  The men were as entranced as Tala by his possible reason. In fact, they were so anxious to hear what he had to say that none of them said a single word.

  Skanland glanced around at their rapt attention and stumbled for an explanation. “I, uh, I have it because…” He squirmed a minute longer before tensing up and glaring at them. “It’s none of your damn business. Get back to your posts. Those mutants could arrive any minute now.”

  A loud knock reverberated through the small house, shaking the walls around them. The men stared at each other a few moments, then they raced from the room, leaving Tala alone.

  “Devlin?” Tala strained against her ropes and tried to see into the hallway. Howls changed to growls, snarls, and barks. Shouts from human men mixed with the sounds of fighting and loud bangs, crashes and gunshots came from another part of the house. “Hey, I’m in here!”

  The Doberman who skidded to a stop at the door was not the rescuer she’d hoped for. Uh-oh. Right species. Wrong breed. Long white teeth flashed at her and she held her breath, praying he’d go away. But the dog stood his ground, snarling and dripping saliva.

  “Oh shit.” Tala spoke as softly as she could, not wanting to excite the dog any more than he already was. “Good doggy. You’re a nice doggy, right?” When he didn’t leap and tear her face off, she took a shallow breath and dared to hope she could escape certain death. “Go find your master and leave the nice lady alone, okay?”

  “Okay. But there’s no way in hell I’m calling Devlin my master.”

  Daring to take her eyes off the dog, Tala looked up to see a nude Conrad standing a few feet behind the brute. Keep your eyes on his face.

  Conrad grinned at her. “In fact, Dev’s always been more like a pest. Tagging along on my dates, looking to me for help, having a lap dance with the hooker I just paid for. You know what I mean.” He shrugged. “But I guess someone has to take care of the dude.”

  “Whew, I am so glad to see you!” Next to Devlin, Conrad came in a close second.

  He dropped his gaze down to his penis, then back up to her. “Of course you are. I’m every woman’s dream.”

  She laughed, more out of relief than at his joke. “Can you get rid of him? Then get me outta here?”

  He tilted his head in question and pointed at the dog. “Get rid of him? What for?”

  Was he serious? “So he won’t chew me up and eat me alive.”

  Conrad chuckled, flinched when a terrible crash came from the other room, and snapped his fingers. “Go along, Brutus. I think Devlin could use your help.”

  Brutus snarled in answer, took one last hungry look at Tala, then padded down the hallway toward the noise.

  Tala’s heart skipped a beat. “Devlin’s here? Well, don’t just stand there. Untie me. Let’s go help him.”

  Conrad walked over to work on her bindings. “If you say so. But he seemed to be enjoying his time alone with the boys.”

  Tala pulled the rest of the ropes off her arms, not expecting what happened next. Conrad clasped her chin and examined the fur alongside her jaw. “Hmm. Looks like someone’s tried going wolf. And didn’t quite make it past the cub stage.” Bending forward, he sniffed her, paused, and swiped his coarse tongue over her fur.

  Tala lurched away from him. “Yuck. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “Just welcoming you to the pack, babe.”

  “I thought I already got the rump rub welcome.” She frowned at his smirk. “And don’t call me babe.”

  A loud boom echoed from the fight in the other room. Tala jerked, startled by the intensity of the sound, and ran toward the noises of battle with Conrad on her heels.

  She tore into a larger room containing living room furniture and skidded to a stop. Or, at least, the room had contained li
ving room furniture a few minutes ago. Now the debris of a sofa, chairs, end tables and a television littered the room. Guns, bent and broken, were strewn across the floor and bullet holes decorated the walls. Devlin, in full wolf splendor, stood in the middle of the fray striking out at the three men attacking him. The dog stood next to him, an unflinching comrade in arms.

  Damn. Talk about magnificent. She stared at Devlin, mesmerized as he slashed one hunter while bending the arm of another. She heard the snap of the man’s arm breaking but kept her concentration on his face. Devlin raised his head and saw her. A howl, ferocious yet joyful, erupted from his lips.

  A growl wafted over her from behind and she turned to find Conrad morphing into his wolf form. He flew by her and slammed into a hunter poised to shoot Devlin. The gun went off, hitting Conrad in the leg. With a ferocious roar, he chomped down on the gun, yanked it out of the hunter’s hands and bent the barrel in half. The hunter, too stunned to move, slobbered in fear. With a ferocious roar, Conrad picked him up and hurled him across the room.

  “Conrad, you’re hurt!” Tala stepped over an unconscious hunter but came to an abrupt stop when Conrad shook his head.

  He winked at her, then snapped his jaws down on another hunter’s crotch. The man’s scream sent a shudder down Tala’s spine. Oh, that’s gotta hurt.

  Taking Conrad at his word—er, wink—she searched for the hunters’ leader. Where the hell did Skanland go? A yelp from the other room sent her spinning to the right.

  She raced into the kitchen, stopping when she saw a horrific sight. No! Skanland stood over another, slightly smaller Doberman, a butcher knife white-knuckled in his hand. Blood dripped down his wrist. The dog, whimpering and wild-eyed, locked eyes with her.

  Help me.

  Did I just hear that dog talk? Tala’s mouth dropped open. The Doberman hadn’t barked, but she’d heard her cry for help, nonetheless. Wow. Devlin didn’t tell me about that.

  A ferocious anger grabbed her, making her too furious to think. But no thought was necessary. Instead, she let the power within her build, surging through her veins at an incredible speed. Her breath shortened and fangs grew in her mouth. Claws shot out, replacing nails.