Territory - Prequel

by Susan A Bliler

  She knew the color drained from her face. She tried to regain her composure, but wasn’t quick enough.

  Dell sighed heavily and dropped his eyes to his hands clamped on her arms before he quickly released her and took a step back. “I’d never hurt you Chloe.”

  Afraid her voice would reveal her fear she simply nodded.

  “Fuck!” he closed his eyes a moment then smiled weakly at her. “Stevie’ll take you to your room. Try and get some rest.”

  “What about you?”

  His smile widened, “I’m going to make sure our visitor is secure.”

  Worried, Chloe fidgeted nervously with her slender fingers before asking, “Would he attack during the night?”

  Dell pulled her close and ran large hands over her shoulders then down her back, pressing her body into his. “He wouldn’t dare. But as I said, I don’t trust him. Cindy and Pony will keep guard over him. Our pack hasn’t survived this long by allowing just any wandering wolf into our midst. And you have the least to worry about.” His eyes twinkled as she stared at her, “He’d have to get through me to get to you.” He bent and kissed the top of her head, “Thanks Stevie.”

  Turning, Chloe was startled to see the petite Stevie smiling at her from the hallway. Chloe turned to say goodnight to Dell, but he was already gone.

  Chapter 18

  “How was your ride,” Stevie asked as she led Chloe down the hall then up a set of stairs.

  “Great. I’d never ridden one before today.”

  Stevie turned to smile at her, “Did you meet the Porters?”

  “Yeah,” she nodded, “they seem really nice.”

  “They are. Phyllis really helped my Pony when he was in his young bad boy days.” Stevie stopped at the end of a hall that had doors staggered on either side. One lone door stood at the end of the long hall and was the door that she pushed open. “This is it!”

  The first thing Chloe noticed was the masculinity of the room. Probably the size of her apartment, the walls were painted a dark gun smoke gray. To her left a king sized bed was centered against the wall. The bedding was a darker gray than the walls, but the satiny duvet was folded back to reveal crisp white sheets underneath; while a soft looking white fur was folded neatly across the foot of the bed. A tall black leather headboard with an alligator print pattern rose over the bed. Hung neatly above the headboard were two evenly spaced black and gray photos, one of an all white wolf cub and the other of an all black wolf cub. A large charcoal colored rug lay across the floor in the center of the room; as large as it was, it didn’t cover nearly half the expanse of the floor.

  Shuffling to the black leather bench seat at the foot of the bed, Chloe plopped down and forced her mouth closed. “Wow!”

  Stevie laughed, “It is pretty big isn’t it?”

  “It’s,” Chloe looked around again, “wow!” She cleared her throat, “But I think you brought me to the wrong room. I was in a different one earlier.”

  “That’s just a guest room,” Stevie supplied.

  “Then what’s this?”

  Smiling, Stevie crossed to a door to the right of the bed. “Bathroom’s in here.” She rapped on the door with a knuckle as she passed it then pointed toward the wall of windows that sat to the left of the bed clear across the room. She stalked to them quickly and opened French doors that Chloe hadn’t even realized was there. The long black sheer curtains that fell from the ceiling and covered nearly the entire wall billowed in the cold night breeze. “Balcony’s out here, but you won’t get much use out of it ‘till summer.”

  Chloe smiled, “I won’t be here that long.”

  Stevie either didn’t hear her or ignored the comment as she clicked the doors closed then grabbed something off the small night stand next to the bed before crossing and pressing a remote into Chloe’s hands. “This controls the fireplace in case you get cold.”

  Lifting her head, Chloe was met with a huge hearth that was positioned in the wall at the foot of the bed. It was the largest hearth she’d ever seen, all dark granite that was nearly the length of the wall. Standing, she slowly approached it and realized that the stone mantle was taller than her head. Stepping back she dropped into the lone high back chair that faced the hearth before she lowered her eyes to the remote and hit the button that indicated ignite.

  Gasping, she jumped back as a loud whoosh sounded and the entire floor length of the hearth erupted in flames.

  The once chilly room instantly warmed and she turned to smile at Stevie.

  “I know right!” Stevie smiled back before pointing at a black chest of drawers. “You’re clothes are in there.” Then without another word Stevie turned and left the room.

  Holy shit! Slowly pacing through the room, Chloe tilted her head to read the titles of the books on the night stand before running a hand over the smooth comforter. The room was nicer than any she’d ever stayed in.

  After familiarizing herself with the room she took a quick shower and felt out of place when she returned to the room wrapped only in a towel. Quickly, she jerked open one of the drawers Stevie indicated earlier to see what Dell had bought her.

  She held up a white glossy whisper of satin that was supposed to be a night gown.

  Maybe on my honey moon! She tossed the article back in the drawer and pulled out a plain white t-shirt. She pulled it on and stepped into a fresh pair of panties before taking up a brush to comb out her hair. Loosely braiding it, she flicked off the light and smiled at the still roaring fire place. Girl could get used to this!

  She was crawling across the bed, her ass in the air and her small t-shirt hiked to the middle of her back when the door opened and Dell entered.

  He stilled as Chloe gasped in shock and tore back the covers before rolling to cover her bare legs.

  “What are you doing?”

  Dell still stood motionless by the door, his eyes slowly darkening.

  “Dell!” Chloe barked in annoyance.

  He blinked hard then cleared his throat as a slow smile spread across his lips. “Coming to bed. Sorry I caught you unaware. I thought you’d already be sleeping.”

  “Coming to…” Chloe pulled the covers closer to her chin, “What do you mean coming to bed?”

  Dell lifted his arms and yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor before he bent, unlaced his boots, and toed them off.

  As hard as she tried to fight it, she couldn’t keep from scanning the bronzed expanse of his smooth, well defined, torso.

  Dell’s hands went to the button of his jeans, “This is my room and it’s bed time. I’m coming to bed.”

  Chloe quickly dropped her eyes and sat up, poking one satiny leg out from under the covers to let her toes touch the floor. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be sleeping in here. I didn’t…”

  When she went to pull her other leg free she heard a beep then the fire went out and the room was instantly black. She shrieked when strong arms caught her in a vice-like grip and pulled her body toward the hard body that was suddenly in bed beside her.

  “Don’t touch me! What are you doing?” She tensed, waiting for the fainting spell that typically accompanied Dell’s touch, but none came.

  Dell jerked her lower in the bed, causing her t-shirt to ride up until it was just under her bare breasts. In the dark, she frantically reached up and yanked it back down. “Dell!”

  A deep rumble vibrated from his chest as he nuzzled her neck. “Shhh, just sleep.”

  “I am not sleeping in here with you!” She shoved at his chest before pulling her hands back as if she’d been scalded and he let her go. “What the…” Silence hung between them for a moment as she inched further from his reach. “Why aren’t I fainting?”

  Dell chuckled in the darkness. “It’s fading for you too.”

  “What’s fading?”

  In the dark she heard him take
in a deep breath as the bed creaked. “From what I’ve learned, it’s painful for mates to touch each other at first. Sometimes, as was the case with us, it is also often painful for the male to even lock eyes with the female. This is to prevent them from dismissing each other. The pain and fainting spells make you aware that there is some reaction to your mate.”

  “A negative reaction?”

  “Negative at first,” he amended. “The longer mates are apart without attempting to bond, the more painful it gets. I guess you could say it’s nature’s way of forcing a mating. After the first initial bouts of discomfort, the reactions will lessen for both the male and female over time and change to bouts of discomfort at being apart.”

  Chloe wanted to get up off the bed, but was afraid he’d grab for her again, and she wasn’t sure if the fainting spells had passed completely. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would being hurt by each other attract two people?” She felt the bed shift as Dell sat up.

  “Remember the night I first came to your house?”

  “Yes.”

  “If I hadn’t been affected by you, I would have said my piece and left and that would have probably been the end of it. But when you triggered something in me, I had no choice but to pursue you to discover what it was that you’d done to me. The longer I trailed you and the more I was exposed to you, the less I was able to resist. I was drawn to you Chloe. Your scent, your beauty, hell even your voice. It’s as if you were designed specifically for me. We are a match in every sense, built to be compatible to only each other. Now that I’ve come to terms with what you are to me, the pain is gone. I can look at you and touch you and not only does it not hurt, it actually feels really good.”

  She was thankful for the darkness as a blush stole across her cheeks. “What about me? Am I going to stop fainting now every time we touch?”

  “I guess it depends,” she could hear the amusement in his tone. “Have you accepted what I am to you?”

  She didn’t answer.

  After a few uncomfortable moments of silence the bed shifted again and Dell’s voice was closer to her. “Why don’t you touch me and find out?”

  “No way!” she leaned back and had to catch herself as she nearly tumbled out of bed. “What if it’s still the same? I’ll pass out again.”

  “It’s bed time Chloe and we’re already in bed. What have you got to lose? If anything happens you can just sleep it off.”

  He was right, and she needed to know. Sure they’d kissed earlier, but she’d been too shocked to faint. Not to mention the fact that the kiss hadn’t lasted nearly as long as she’d hoped.

  Tentatively she stuck out a hand, not knowing where he was. Her fingers brushed his warm chest and she pulled back quickly.

  “Go ahead,” he encouraged, “put your hand flat on my chest.”

  She reached out again and laid her palm gently against the hard wall of his chest and held her breath. She braced for the worst, but after a few moments she realized that nothing was happening. No waves of nausea, no draining sensation. The only feel that remained was the overwhelming sense of being safe and protected.

  Timidly she slid her hand over his chest then up onto his shoulder. She lifted her other hand as she got to her knees and faced him. Both hands slid over his warm, smooth muscles. “Nothing’s happening.”

  “Oh, something’s happening.”

  She didn’t miss the rumble in his tone. She jerked her hands back. “Sorry.” She blushed again, humiliated at how she’d been fondling him.

  “Well how’d it feel?”

  “Fine.”

  “Just fine,” he challenged. “Did it hurt?”

  “No. It felt different. It was,” God how did she tell him how good it felt without sounding like an idiot. “nice.”

  “Nice?” he sounded insulted. “I have told you that I can scent a lie right?”

  “That’s not a lie, it did feel nice.”

  “You know what I like about you?” Suddenly his hands snaked out and grabbed her hips, yanking her back to the bed until she was pinned under him.

  She squealed and tried to kick free, but only managed to lodge her legs on either side of him until he was cradled between her thighs. She stopped pushing at the wall of his chest to pull her too short night shirt down, dismayed that the only thing separating him from her was her thin cotton shirt and an even thinner strip of satin that formed her panties.

  “You’re lies have a strong sweet scent, like the first lilacs of spring; almost overpowering, but so sweet that you can’t help but take in a nose full.” He lifted a strong hand to her throat and held her in place as he ran his nose down her forehead, brushed her cheek and buried it in the crook of her neck. “You’re half truths on the other hand might be missed by other shifters. They are just a whisper of rose water, almost unnoticeable to anyone who doesn’t know your scent.” He pulled his nose back and slowly ran his tongue from her collar-bone to the lobe of her ear before he placed a kiss on her throat just behind her ear.

  A soft moan eased past her parted lips before her eyes grew large and she clamped her mouth shut. Oh God!

  Dell growled and the rumbling vibration in his chest had Chloe creaming.

  She held her breath, hoping he couldn’t scent her desire. When he spoke again, she cringed when he confirmed that he could.

  He slid one hand behind her back and clamped her tighter to him, forcing her hips hard into his groin as he growled viciously, “And that scent is what I live for.” He nipped her ear. “When I first scented it, I didn’t know immediately what it was. But when realization dawned, and I knew it was for me and me alone.”

  He rose over her and while she couldn’t see in the dark she knew he was looking directly at her.

  “That scent is mine Chloe!”

  She shivered at the raw possessiveness of his tone.

  “I cannot begin to tell you how hazardous it is for you to even be near an unmated male at this time. Hayden being on this property is extremely dangerous. For everyone’s sake, I ask that you stay away from him.”

  Chloe nodded, forgetting that the room was black. When Dell demanded that she promise she wondered if he had the ability to see in the dark.

  “I’ll stay away from him.”

  Dell drew in another slow breath through his nose then moaned. “I know that I cannot claim you now. As much as I want to,” he growled, “and God Chloe I fucking want to. I’ll give you the time you need to process what is happening.” She felt the bed creak again and then Dell’s voice was over her somewhere. “I’ll sleep in the bathroom. If you need in just get up, I’ll hear the movement.”

  She sat up in the bed, “Won’t that be uncomfortable for you?”

  She heard him chuckle in the dark. “Not even close to the agony it’d be for me to lie in bed with you and not claim you, especially with you smelling like that.”

  Chloe dipped her head to sniff at her night shirt.

  “Not there Chloe. Lower.”

  She was grateful for the darkness when her cheeks again flamed in embarrassment. She’d gotten wet for him and he absolutely knew it. She fell back on the bed and tugged the blankets higher hoping to stifle some of the scent.

  “Putting a blanket between us won’t help. Hell, putting a mile between us wouldn’t help.”

  She didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry. I could sleep elsewhere.”

  “Don’t apologize. Don’t ever apologize. And as for sleeping somewhere else, no you can’t. I’d follow you no matter where you went. My wolf is eager for me to assert my dominance over you. Don’t run from me, it’ll call my wolf forth and the hunt will be on.”

  She shivered at the warning. “Good night then.”

  “Good night,” he growled before she heard the bathroom door click closed.

  God what have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter 19<
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  The next morning, as promised, Mama had prepared a buffet of hot crumbly biscuits, chocolate gravy, sausages, fruit, and coffee.

  Dell filled a mug with steaming coffee before handing a second cup to Chloe. “We’ll eat in the office.”

  Mama winked, “Just as I suspected. There’s a table already set up in there for you two.”

  “Cindy and Pony?” Dell demanded.

  “Right here,” Cindy spoke from the stairs as she slowly descended. “Pon’ll be down in a minute.” She eyed the dining room. “Where’s our guest,” she asked mockingly.

  “Taking his time coming down I’m sure,” Mama pointed her spatula toward the table, “have a seat, I’ll make you a plate.”

  Cindy did as she was told.

  “Good morning Grama,” AJ entered the kitchen wiping sleep from his eyes. Mama crossed the room with spatula still in hand to grab AJ’s shirt, pulling him down so she could kiss the top of his tousled head.

  Dell took Chloe’s hand and smiled at AJ before he led Chloe down the hall to his office.

  “Why aren’t we eating with the others?”

  “Hayden’s not mated,” he answered simply.

  Chloe knew then that Dell wouldn’t be able to handle her in any close proximity to Hayden. Hell, he’d sent his brother away for his own safety. She could only imagine the repercussions to Hayden if he even attempted to push Dell.

  Inside the office, Mama had in fact laid out a feast. The desk had been cleared of paperwork and covered with a white linen that housed two plates of steaming biscuits smothered in chocolate gravy next to piles of hickory smoked sausage. The scent was so enticing that Chloe’s belly rumbled in impatience.

  Dell held out a chair and Chloe took the seat. They ate in silence a few moments when Chloe took a sip of coffee and cleared her throat. “Maybe, with Hayden here and all, it’d be best if I went home today.”

  Dell stopped chewing momentarily before fingering a sausage and shoving it whole into his mouth. “No.”

  “Dell, you have to be reasonable. You have a guest, and my presence here is making the situation volatile.”