When Deke had asked about that last one, Frankie had told him that those who excelled in pack ranks knew how to think beyond their animal's common instincts. They could control their desire to chase after a bunny that bounded across their path. They could employ decoy techniques to make tracking themselves more difficult. Some would show talent for directing other wolves.
Lex stepped up next to Deke and slung his arm over his shoulder. "Quite the production, huh?"
Deke glanced at the vampire, then returned to watching Frankie with the children. He nodded. "Yeah. Do vampires go through this?" he asked, waving at the men giving instruction to the children.
When Deke had asked Lex why he was going with them, the vampire had explained that the group planned to have him, Sebastian, and Caspian create trails that criss-crossed. Carson, Nick, and Cliff MacDougal-the pack's head tracker-would each go with a group of cubs and see how well they worked together as wolves and if they could follow their assigned vampire's convoluted path. Frankie had explained that Deke's job was to wander the woods with him and do his best to disrupt the scent tracks, making the cub's job even more difficult.
A motorcycle pulled into the parking area, the engine roaring, snagging Deke's attention. His jaw sagged open when he spotted Luther pull his helmet from his head and help a teenage girl from the back of his large Harley. Deke snapped his jaw shut and gulped at the sexy sight of the man in jeans and a leather jacket.
"Damn," Deke whispered.
Lex must have followed his line of sight, for he leaned close and purred into his ear, "Oh, he is very sexy, isn't he? I hear he's supposed to be one of the chaperones." Lex rubbed his lips over Deke's neck as he whispered, "Shifters get naked before changing form. Soon, you'll get to see his naked ass."
As Lex spoke, he placed a hand on Deke's back and slid that hand down his spine. He slipped his hand inside Deke's back pocket and palmed his butt cheek.
Deke shivered at the images in his mind, conjured by Lex's words.
"Just think of the firm skin and hard muscles under those jeans and leather jacket. Bet you wanna lick 'em, huh?" Lex continued.
Whimpering at the mental picture of yards of bronzed, naked skin, Deke whined, "Yes. Fuck he's so hot."
Chuckling softly, Lex licked a stripe behind Deke's ear. He squeezed Deke's ass once more. "Hang onto this," he ordered softly. "You're gonna need it."
That's when Deke felt it. Lex had slipped something into Deke's back pocket along with his fingers. Now, he drew away his hand and left whatever it was behind. Turning toward the vampire, who now drew away and put a few steps between them, Deke asked, "What?"
A wicked grin on his face, Lex winked. "Lube."
Deke scowled as he watched the vampire's retreating figure. "What the hell would I need that for?" he shouted.
Lex glanced over his shoulder, mischief gleaming in his light brown eyes. He just laughed.
Shaking his head, Deke made his way toward Frankie where the wolf shifter now stood off to the side watching Cliff and Nick give pointers on tracking. Frankie's nose wrinkled and he turned to look at Deke. "You reek of Lex. What have you been doing?" he asked in what Deke had learned quickly was Frankie's usual blunt fashion.
Deke shrugged. "Nothing. He was just giving me crap," he muttered. "So, when do we start hiking?" he asked, wiggling his toes in his borrowed hiking boots. "And how did you talk me into this again?"
Frankie grinned. "Would you rather be sitting at the house?"
"No," Deke responded, sighing. "I suppose not."
"Oh, the vamps are heading out," Frankie commented, pointing toward Sebastian, Lexington, and Caspian.
As Deke watched, the three vampires grinned at each other and bumped fists. Then, with supernatural speed, their forms almost a blur, they sprinted into the forest and disappeared. Deke's brows shot up. "Wow," he muttered. "Impressive."
"Pretty cool, huh?" Frankie responded. He lifted a hand and motioned. "Let's get moving."
Deke nodded, but couldn't resist peering left and eyeing Luther's masculine form appreciatively one more time. As if sensing someone watching him, Luther turned and met his gaze. The wolf shifter narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze over Deke's body once, twice. A slow, predatory smile spread over the man's face and he slowly licked his lips.
Shivering at the heat in the other male's gaze, Deke swallowed hard. Confused by the sudden change in the man, hell, he certainly hadn't acknowledged any attraction the first time they'd met … or even last night.
Of course, Deke wasn't in very good form last night. After he'd shared his tale with Declan, he'd essentially had a panic attack. Lark had helped him from the room and tucked him in a bedroom until he'd calmed down. By the time he'd rejoined the party, it'd been winding down and Luther had already left.
Pulling his gaze away from Luther's perusal, Deke saw Frankie standing at the edge of the trees smirking at him. He jogged over to the man. Not wanting to discuss it, instead he asked, "How come Vince isn't helping?"
"The pack is too familiar with his scent," Frankie explained, hiking into the forest. "They would be able to track him too easily."
"Oh, and I'm with you because my scent is unfamiliar, too?"
Frankie nodded. He grinned at him. "And I'm with you so you don't get lost."
Deke chuckled. "Thanks, because that wouldn't take long at all." He'd grown up in a city. While he'd occasionally hiked, it'd been on well-used paths in parks. He'd never been in a place like this. With how the trees towered over him and vegetation surrounded him, he found it scary and thrilling all at the same time.
For over an hour, Deke and Frankie hiked. He asked once why they kept changing directions, since it felt like they were going in circles. Frankie had explained that whenever they crossed the trail of one of the vampires, he adjusted their course.
Suddenly, Frankie stopped and tilted his head back. He sniffed the air. Frowning, the wolf shifter slowly turned, seeming to peer through the trees, searching for something.
"What's wrong?" Deke asked, nerves surfacing.
Frankie focused on something in the trees. "Luther, what are you doing here?" he asked, clearly confused. "Aren't you supposed to be chaperoning one of the groups?"
Deke followed Frankie's gaze and gasped. A large dark wolf, his fur a mix of black, brown, with a smattering of blond thrown in, stood fifteen feet away. Ignoring Frankie, the animal's odd blue-eyed gaze appeared fixated on Deke.
"Luther?" Frankie questioned again.
The wolf, Luther, padded forward several steps, then paused in a pine-needle strewn patch between logs. He started to shift.
Watching the fur recede, bones slide beneath hide, and hearing the muscles and tendons pop, Deke couldn't help but cringe.
Frankie glanced at him and waved a hand. "Relax. There must just be a problem."
Deke nodded, unable to take his gaze away from the transforming shifter. Luther? "You, uh-" He paused and swallowed. "You all are aware in wolf form, right? I remember, um, being told that." While his buddy had told him about shifter's existence, seeing it was something else entirely.
Nodding, Frankie smiled. "Oh, yeah. None of us would ever hurt you."
Finally, Luther-having completed the change-slowly rose from his crouch. His blue eyes-just as his wolf's had-burned with some unknown emotion. Deke couldn't help but sweep his gaze over Luther's naked form.
Luther's shoulders were just as broad as his leather coat had hinted. Muscles bunched in his arms as he clenched his fists. A smattering of chest hair led between firm pectorals and over eight-pack abs. His half-hard dick jutted from the thin bush at his groin.
Saliva pooled in Deke's mouth as desire filled him. He wanted to drop to his knees and swallow that dick down. He'd suck it to full mast, then lick and lave the bulbous head like a lollipop. What would his pre-cum taste like? What about his seed?
"Is there a problem, Luther?" Frankie asked.
"Yes," Luther growled throatily.
The irritated tone caused Deke to yank his attention back to Luther's face.
Luther stalked forward slowly, his hands clenching and unclenching, his gaze sweeping over Deke. "You reek of that vampire," he snarled.
Frankie snorted. "I told him the same thing!"
"It is not acceptable," Luther stated, drawing closer. "You are my mate!" he claimed in a low snarl. "You should only smell of me!"