She turned her head to look up at him. “Where? I don't see anything.”
“Some scars you can't see, at least not clearly.” He kissed her forehead. “I thought you’d be better off without me.”
She turned to face him. “And now?”
His grip tightened around her waist. She looked down at his hands and straightened.
“I was wrong.” The dark blue box appeared small in his hands.
Her heart stopped. “What's this?”
He shrugged. “A late Christmas present.” Zach opened the box and pushed it into her hands.
“Zach…”
“Marry me, Chloe.”
Oh no. No no no.
“I'm sorry I left you and didn't call. You deserve better than that. Hell, you deserve better than me. But I'm too selfish to let you go again. I know you want me. And I love you. Stay with me.”
“I can't.”
“I swear I’ll make it up to you.” He closed her hands around the box. “Take it.”
She stared at the ring. It was the same marquise-cut diamond they'd picked out all those years ago. She still remembered when she and Zach went to shop for it. It was so beautiful—and so expensive. They couldn't afford it, but Zach, in all his bravado, promised that it would be on her finger one day.
And here it was. And here he was. Everything she had ever wanted in life.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned away. Looking over the banister, she saw her father talking with her mother. They were arguing about something in low, sharp voices. Her mother stiffened, curled her fingers into a fist, and stormed away. Chloe's heart sank as she watched her father's shoulders slump in defeat. He made his way over to the bar and poured himself a drink.
Love will give you nothing but heartache.
She owed so much to her family. She had loved Zach once, yes, but things were different now. She knew nothing about him. There was still something very wild and feral about him, something that both attracted and frightened her. While it was great pretending to be wild and free, Chloe knew deep down she was too responsible to be that way forever.
She turned away from the balcony. “I'm sorry, Zach. I can't marry you; I can't even see you.”
He lowered his arm. “Why?”
Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them back. The only way to be rid of him was to make a clean break, hurt him before he could hurt her. She focused her gaze at the grandfather clock in the corner of the hall. The hands move painfully slowly, the steady movement of the pendulum reminding her of the metronome on her piano. There was only one lie that would hurt him enough to make him leave her. Chloe's throat went dry.
“Because you're beneath me, Zach.” They were the same words her father had used to kick him out of the house all those years ago. She suppressed a flinch as she saw Zach's jaw harden. “I'm an heiress to Bradford Enterprises. My marriage must be chosen with care to protect the family assets.”
God, she hated herself sometimes. This was necessary, though. She’d never let Zach hurt her like that again. Chloe swallowed and faced him. Zach's features contorted in anger.
She had to get out of here, clear her head. “Good-bye, Zach.”
“Oh no, you don't.” Zach spun her around until she crashed into his chest. “You're lying. I can see it in your eyes.” He leaned over, running his cheek over hers and placing his lips within inches from her ear. “I can smell your desire.” He nipped her lobe, sending shivers through her body.
He leaned back and looked her directly in the eyes. “Look at me, Chloe, and tell me the real reason you're running away.”
Chapter 6
“I'm not running away.”
She was lying. Zach could sense her fear and uncertainty. But why?
Anger surged within him. The full moon was long past. Normally the wolf was dormant during this time, but there was something about this place—no, it was Chloe—that kept his wolf half dangerously close to the edge. He had heard of such things happening when wolves found their mates. The intense emotions touched them on a primal level, bringing out their animal instincts. Only branding the mate—leaving their mark—would calm the beast inside. A mated wolf was different. They didn't feel the moon's pull as strongly and could resist the change. Over time, they became immune to the insanity that tempted them. Or maybe it was something about the sex that kept them sane. Wolves only mated with other wolves, however. Human mates were…dangerous. Their entire society could be exposed. They could be captured, tortured in the name of science. And yet…
The fierce possessiveness that consumed him whenever she was around was unmistakable.
Zach whirled her away from him until she gripped the edge of the balcony with her hands. He leaned closer, her scent surrounding him and penetrating his rage. Desire flowed freely through his body.
Zach leaned over her back. He heard her heart flutter with excitement, smelled the depth of her arousal. What he wouldn't give to plunge himself deep into her center once more.
What if it were possible? What if his kind could mate with humans? Would she really want that kind of life?
No, he couldn’t. His life was the rough life of animals. He couldn’t ask her to be a part of that.
And yet, she had already shown such strength in standing up to her parents, standing up to him. Perhaps he was mistaken and she’d be a good fit after all.
He tightened his grip on her arms as he leaned in close to her ear. “Do you really want to join them, Chloe? Is that where you belong?” He felt her stiffen under his touch. Encouraged, he continued. “You never used to want to be a part of this world. Remember how we’d escape to the roof and talk about the future? Do you remember what you told me?”
His gaze moved to her father, who was talking to a man at the bar. Zach thought he had seen the man before, the night on the roof. What had her father called him? Kevin, Clark…?
Chloe shook her head and returned her gaze to him. “Don't do this, Zach.”
He raised his brow at the tears on her cheeks. She was crying. What was going on? Cradling her face, he wiped them away with his thumbs. “You told me that you didn't like this lifestyle. That you got a scholarship to Juilliard. We were going to move out of here, start a family…”
She grasped his wrists as the tears continued to pour down her face. “Don't, Zach. Please.” Her voice shook, betraying her emotions. She still cared about him. He could feel it.
He let her lower his hands and laced his fingers with hers. “What happened, Chloe?”
“The same could be asked of you.”
Zach sighed and brought her hands to his lips. Turning them palm up, he traced the lines in her palm. “I wanted to contact you. You have to believe that.”
“Why didn't you?”
“I'm…” The words caught in his throat. “I'm not who you think I am. You deserve better.”
She shook her head. “I don't understand.”
“I'm cursed, Chloe.”
She frowned. “You can't be serious.”
“That was no ordinary wolf that attacked us in the woods. It killed Marcus and left me…changed. At the time I couldn't handle it. I had to get the curse under control first. Then, once I had it under control, I found myself bound to a pack. There are rules and protocol that must be followed.”
“A pack? What are you talking about?” He dropped her hand and lifted his gaze to hers. “It doesn’t matter. Just know that I never, not once, stopped thinking about you. Deep down, you were the one who gave me the strength to fight. Knowing you were safe and happy gave me peace.” He lifted her hand and kissed her trembling palm. Zach closed his eyes and let the scent of her arousal surround him. He flicked his tongue along the inside of her wrist, making her gasp. Her wall was shattering, he could feel it. He pulled her to him and rested her arm around his shoulder. Sweeping her up into his arms, he kissed her firmly on the mouth.
She was his. The wolf wanted to claim her, but Zach refrained. He wasn’t sure if such a thing
was possible. Even if it was, he wouldn't claim her until she willingly accepted his mark and knew all the risks. It would mean telling her about his past, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Chloe was worth the risk.
Zach nibbled on her lip, relishing her soft moans of approval. Right then and there, he decided that she was coming back with him to Vegas. He had to go back. Josh would want his report, and he couldn't let his friend down. Josh and his clan had done so much for him, even adopting him as part of the pack. He couldn't turn his back on them.
If he could mark Chloe, the pack would accept her as his mate. She’d have a home. Somewhere she could play piano day and night and pursue her dreams. Zach would make it happen for her. He had saved up enough money from Josh's casino business for both of them to live comfortably.
Chloe whimpered, drawing him back to the present. The urge to mark her overwhelmed him, but she had to be willing. Marking her without consent could kill her. Hell, he wasn’t even entirely sure that a were’s mark on a human would take.
He had to try though.
He stared down at the beautiful yet dazed woman before him. “Tell me why you don't want to see me.”
Chloe opened her mouth and closed it again. Zach suppressed another round of rage. Her father was behind this; he knew it. The man was always driving them apart. Somehow, the man must have found out what was going on. He had never liked Zach. He thought Zach wasn’t good enough for his little girl. He had done all he could during their high school years to drive them apart.
Thanks to the attack in the woods, he almost succeeded. But not anymore. Zach was back, and he wouldn't leave until he had Chloe with him.
“Zach, I—”
His cell phone rang from his jacket pocket.
“Maybe you should—”
“Leave it.” Zach took her hand. “Talk to me, Chloe.”
She opened her mouth but was interrupted by the phone again.
Swearing, he put Chloe down and pulled the phone from his pocket. “Yeah.”
“I need you back here. Now.”
Zach straightened. “Josh.”
“Your trip is done. I expect you on the next plane.”
“What's going on?”
“I'll fill you in when you get here.”
Zach frowned at Chloe and turned to the side. Josh was alpha, and Zach had no choice but to obey. “What happened?”
“Lydia.” The name sent a chill down Zach's spine. Lydia was the sister to Eric, the leader of the rival pack that had moved into town just before Zach left. Josh had suspected that there was going to be a territorial dispute, and he sent Zach out to evaluate Houston as a possible rallying point if they needed a hasty retreat.
“Have things accelerated, then? Where is she?”
Zach saw Chloe frown out of the corner of his eye.
“Last night she and a couple of her minions broke into my office and stole my laptop.”
“Are you sure it was her?”
A low growl came over the phone.
Zach frowned. “Josh? What the hell is going on over there?”
Silence. Zach was about to hang up when Josh finally spoke. “It was Lydia, all right. Her scent is all over everything.”
Zach shifted farther away from Chloe. “I can get you another laptop.”
“This isn't about the damn laptop. It's about the list I keep on there—but I'll handle it. We've got bigger problems right now. She's contacted her brother in Atlantic City. He’s holding some psychic hostage and she’s telling that now is the time to make their move. My sources seem to think that this psychic might be the key to ending the pack feud. If we can get her away from Lydia and Eric, there might be a chance for peace.”
“Shit. I didn't think Lydia had it in her to steal from you.”
“This isn't some game, Zach. They found out I sent you to Houston. You need to get back here before they find you. You're fucking exposed out there by yourself.”
Zach looked at Chloe, who looked about ready to explode. “I have a situation here.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait. This is important.”
“This is important too.” God, Josh was going to kill him for this.
Silence stretched. “It's her, isn't it? Chloe.”
“Some stuff happened. I didn't mean to talk to her.”
Josh swore. “I told you to stay away from her.”
“I know, but you see—”
“Later. Right now I need to focus on getting that list back, and you need to focus on getting your ass out of Houston.”
That list…It had the names of their high rollers. Big-name wolves who wished to keep their wolf halves private and out of the public eye. They paid handsomely for seclusion each and every full moon so that they had somewhere safe to go. Josh's club had been a sanctuary for the wolves, a place where they could be free to gamble and play without fear of being discovered or ridiculed. A place where they could bring out their inner wolves without fear of hurting anyone. A place where they could find soft bodies to quiet the rage.
If those names got out to the other packs, there would be a lot of very angry wolves at their door.
Damn it. For once in his life, he didn't know what to do. Lydia would use those names as leverage to discredit Josh's casinos and have her brother's pack take over. At best, all their casinos would fold. At worst, Lydia and the wolves on the list would expose their pack, and the government would investigate them.
If anyone started digging around their books, then many more packs would be in danger as well.
“Just give me a little more time,” he said.
A muttered curse filtered through the line. “You have twenty-four hours to get the situation under control, Zach. I want you on a plane and heading back to Vegas by tomorrow night.”
“But—”
“Bring her if you must; I don't care. Just make sure she's marked before you do.”
“She'll survive the mating?”
“I've never seen wolves take on human mates, but I've heard of it happening before. You don't have a choice if you want to bring her here. She won't be safe otherwise.”
“Thank you.”
Josh swore again. “I’m sending in Tony and Nico to look for the psychic. Everything hinges on her, I can feel it. With them gone and me going after Lydia, I need someone to stay and get the pack ready in case there is a battle.”
“You don’t think Eric would openly attack us in big city like Vegas, do you?”
“I don’t know. Just get back here before Eric’s wolves find you.”
The line went dead.
Shit.
He put the phone back into his pocket and returned to her. “I have to go, Chloe.”
Chloe pursed her lips together and shifted her stance. “Of course you do. Did Lydia finally get tired of waiting?”
Zach touched her shoulder. “It's not like that.”
She stepped away from him and toward the stairs. Despair filled him as her anger stabbed his gut like a knife. “It's exactly like that. How dumb do you think I am?”
“Don't use Lydia as an excuse for us not to be together. She's nothing to me.”
“Nothing? Is that why you are going back to Vegas? For nothing?”
He sighed. “I want you to come with me.”
She shook her head. “No, Zach. You don't. You are so used to getting your own way. Well, this time, you can't have it all.”
“Chloe…”
“You stayed with her and didn't bother to call me. We're through, Zach.” Her voice hitched, and she spun away from him.
“It's not what you think. She's destroying everything my friends and I have done in Vegas. We're trying to stop her and her brother before…”
But Chloe wasn't listening. He watched her retreating form as she ran down the stairs. She deserved to know the truth, but he couldn't follow her into the party. The risk of being discovered was too great.
Maybe he should just leave. If Josh was right, then within days, he�
�d have a pack of angry wolves after him. The hotel staff had seen him with Chloe. They could be bribed. Would Eric and his pack come after her? He couldn't leave her behind to face those monsters alone.
Zach formed fists at his sides. Josh had given him twenty-four hours. By tomorrow night he’d be going back to Vegas with Chloe by his side. He would prefer it if she went willingly, but he would bind and gag her if he needed to. He wouldn't lose her again.
Not now. Not after everything that had happened.
It would kill him.
Chapter 7
Zach barely suppressed a growl as he watched Chloe speak to the man beside her. Karl. There was a relationship there, but not one of mutual affection. He didn't sense the arousal or possessiveness that would be accustomed with mates. For this, he was grateful. When he first saw them together, his instincts howled in frustration. Even now the man's casual arm around her waist was enough to send him into one of his rages. The only thing that kept him in check was the cool demeanor Chloe held with him. Karl seemed distracted, and Zach's acute hearing picked up enough to know that the man was more interested in the Bradford family business than Chloe Bradford.
Well, Karl could ask as many questions as he wanted. Zach wouldn't let him weasel his way into the family—or into Chloe's life.
The feelings were odd. Never before had the rage been this powerful outside the full moon. It must be Chloe. She was sending his wolf half into a frenzy. With each passing moment, he grew more and more confident that Chloe would need to become part of his life. There were risks with bringing a human into his world, but as long as he marked her before he presented her to the pack, the others would respect her as Zach's mate. If Lydia had Josh's laptop, she might have learned that Zach was sent to Houston to map out a potential escape route. He was out of options. If she saw Zach with Chloe, then Chloe's life could be in danger. The sooner he collected her and kept her by his side, the better.
Zach's eyes swept around the room, assessing each individual for a potential threat. The wolf in him wanted to jump down into the crowd and drag Chloe to safety. Unfortunately he couldn't do that now. There were too many people, and he knew that even though Chloe was attracted to him, she wouldn't go with him without a fight.
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