One thing was for certain; he wouldn't leave her here. She was miserable, and he was concerned about what this Karl character would do in his absence.
Chloe and Karl moved across the room, talking to each guest in their path. They were making their way to her parents, who stood off to one side. Zach followed, keeping to the shadows. His physical appearance had changed somewhat since the night of the wolf attack, but not enough to make him unrecognizable to Chloe's parents. He would have to remain out of sight until he could get her back by his side.
His jaw hardened as he watched the couple move to the side of the room. They were leaning into each other, speaking in urgent, hushed tones. Zach attempted to focus his hearing, blocking out the background chatter and focusing on the conversation.
It was difficult. There was too much noise around him. He would have to move closer. Carefully, Zach inched his way around the room until the voices were clearer.
“Would you like a drink, sir?”
A growl slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
“Oh.” The waitress took a step back. “There's going to be a toast.”
Zach checked his growl. He had to blend in long enough to get close to Chloe. He took a champagne glass. “Thanks.” Steeling his emotions, he returned his gaze to the couple in the corner. He was close enough now to hear a part of the conversation.
“Your father thought it would be better if we went together,” Karl said.
Zach straightened as Chloe's hands formed fists at her sides. “I don't need anyone to help me. I've been doing these trips for years.”
Zach's eyes narrowed on Karl. Just what, exactly, did he think he was doing?
“I only thought it would be nice if we could take the trip together. I hear Paris is very nice this time of year. I could go to all those boring meetings for you while you explore the city. Then we could meet for dinner.”
Zach took a step forward as Karl ran his finger over Chloe's shoulder. The wolf inside him sprang to life, ready to tear apart the intruder who dared to touch its mate.
Chloe pulled away. “I'm going to have a talk with my father about this. He shouldn't interfere…”
Zach continued to advance. He could feel Chloe's tension—and her anger. It was obvious Karl was going to try to take over the family business. The question was, did her father approve?
The wolf in him wanted a fight. It wanted to dominate. This time he wouldn't hold it back.
A waitress reached the couple before Zach could get close enough. “It's time.”
Karl held out his arm. Chloe sighed as she followed him to the front of the room where her parents were waiting.
Zach wanted to follow but held himself in check. Something wasn't right. Karl appeared too confident for someone who was just refused. There was a certain swagger, the way he held his head high, that suggested he had something up his sleeve.
Zach pulled back on the wolf and slipped up to the rear balcony so he could keep his eye on Karl and Chloe's father. From this vantage point he could keep the entire room under his vision. A cold chill rippled up his spine. They were up to something. Zach knew, now more than ever, that he had to get Chloe out of there tonight. The sooner they left this mess behind, the better.
Glasses clinked, and the conversation in the hall hushed as guests turned to the Bradfords assembled at the front of the room.
“Good evening, and welcome to our annual New Year's Eve party. This has become sort of a tradition…”
Zach focused on Karl as Chloe's father dragged on. The man stood straighter, his head higher. What was he up to?
“And tonight's extra special, since we have an announcement.” Chloe's father continued.
Murmurs spread throughout the crowd as Chloe turned to her father in confusion.
“Tonight, I'd like to announce a new addition to Bradford Enterprises and to our family.” Chloe's father looked fondly at Karl and his daughter before continuing. “I was informed earlier tonight that my daughter, Chloe, has become engaged to Karl Radcliffe. A spring wedding is planned.”
“What?” Chloe stumbled back a step and pulled her hand from Karl's grasp. She never agreed to this. She had told her father that she was considering the offer, not accepting it. What was going on? Chloe stared at her father in shock.
He moved over to stand next to Karl. His smile was genuine and wide, which only added to the confusion. How could her father betray her like this? How could he not care about her feelings?
Karl placed his hand on Chloe’s back. “I'll explain later,” Karl whispered.
So, Karl was behind this. Chloe suspected that he had taken the liberty of telling her father that she had accepted. Her father would have no reason to suspect that Karl was lying. What a mess.
A glass was shoved into her hand. She looked to her mother, who seemed more enamored with her latest lover than anything that was going on in her family. Never in her entire life had Chloe felt so defeated, so utterly used.
So hopeless.
“To Chloe and Karl.” Her father raised his glass. “May they have a long and beautiful life together.” He took a long sip
Some glass shattered in the back of the room. Chloe looked around in shock as everyone did the same.
No. No no no.
A loud, inhuman cry rang out around her. The catering table knocked over, spilling food everywhere. Next a sculpture toppled, cracking into pieces and scattering over the floor.
The room was in chaos. People were screaming and running all over the place. Chloe flicked her gaze across the room.
Zach.
But it wasn't Zach, not really. He looked larger than before, more feral. His intense yellow eyes stared at her. He was pushing aside the sea of people, knocking structures over in his wake. A delicate sculpture here, a food tray there.
“What the…?” Her father motioned to security. “Stop that…thing.”
“No.” Chloe tugged on his arm, but it was no use. Uniformed men melted from the shadows and surrounded Zach.
That was when things really got bad.
Chloe cringed as the group attacked Zach. “Daddy, please, stop.”
Zach didn't look right. He flexed his fingers at his sides and then ran his long nails across a security guard's chest.
He cried out as another guard attacked him from behind. The sound was more dog than man, and it sounded furious.
Her father put her hand in Karl's arm. “Get her out of here. I'll deal with this.”
She felt Karl's gentle tug. Every instinct inside her told Chloe to turn away, yet she couldn't. All she could do was to sit and watch in stunned horror.
Zach's teeth were longer, and soft hairs broke out on his skin. What the hell…?
“Come on.” Karl pulled her toward the exit. “I promised your father I'd get you to safety.”
Zach was trying to get to her. Flashing his sharp teeth, he made a trail of terror through the sea of people. Only she could stop this madness. Chloe broke from Karl's grasp and took a step forward.
“Are you mad, woman?” Karl reached for her, but she avoided his hands.
She moistened her lips as she watched Zach. She wasn't sure why, but there was something about him, something about the way he fought, that touched something deep inside her.
He was trying to save her from her family.
And if there was any time Chloe wanted someone to save her from her family, it was now.
“Come on.” Karl's touch was no longer gentle, and Chloe had no choice but to move away.
“No!” Karl reached for her again, but missed. Chloe ran to the middle of the room.
Zach had cut down the last of the guards, jumped up onto a nearby table, and locked his gaze on her.
A shiver ran down her spine. Chloe knew she should be afraid of this man, very afraid. Yet, he was still Zach. Her eyes raced over his body, taking in the blood and cuts. He was hurting.
He needed her.
With a primal yell, Zach leaped o
ff the table and landed next to her.
No one should have been able to jump that high. Or that far.
“You're coming with me.”
“Zach…” Chloe put her hand on his chest. She could feel the ferocity churning inside him. His skin felt warm, his features hard.
“Oh no you don't, you freak.” Karl pulled him away. “I know your kind.” He turned to Chloe. “He's nothing but a thug, sweetheart. He'll never be anything. Forget you ever saw this creep.” His eyes met Zach's. “Let the authorities handle him.”
“Fuck off, Radcliffe,” Zach said.
Karl's whole body shook, but to his credit, the man stood his ground. “She's mine now, freak. There's nothing you can do about it.”
Chaos broke out around them as people scrambled out of the way. Zach's jaw flexed, and for a moment, Chloe thought he would attack. Then he disappeared.
What the…?
A loud crack sounded behind her, and she whirled around. Karl was sprawled out on the floor, his lip bleeding. Zach flexed his fingers and gave her a hard stare. “Don't worry; your fiancé is just unconscious.”
Before she could speak, he lifted her in the air and threw her over his shoulder.
“Zach, wait.”
He wasn't listening.
“Zach! Put me down.”
He leaped up to the balcony. Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat as they went flying through the air. Once on the upper level, she beat his back. “Let me down this instant!”
“Look! It's got Chloe!”
Zach didn't stop. She felt dizzy as he started to run through the halls. They climbed another stairwell, her head bobbing and hitting his back with every step. She felt sick, although she couldn't tell if it was from the jarring motion or the thought of explaining all this to her father.
Down they went again, first through one stairwell, then another. She could hear shouting in the distance. “Zach, please, listen to me. They're going to catch you.”
He didn't answer. Instead he paused on the landing before the back door.
“What's going on?” She twisted her body to see in front of them. It was hard to tell, but it looked like people were rushing the stairs.
Good God.
Zach turned, giving her a better view of the armed men.
“Oh my God. Don't shoot!”
It was too late. Guns fired, shots echoing around her. Chloe closed her eyes and prayed for her life as Zach took cover behind the large banister. Blood pumped into her head, clouding her thoughts. If Zach would just put her down, she could think of a way to get them out of this.
“Hang on, darlin'.”
“What?” Chloe opened her eyes as Zach flipped her over his shoulder and cradled her in his arms. Instinctively she clutched his neck. He kissed her quick and hard, sending heat and desire bursting through her body. Then he took off at a run away from the stairs.
He wasn't serious…
Chloe screamed and hid her head on his chest as he propelled them both through the second-story window.
Chapter 8
“Zach, stop.” Chloe dug her nails into his sides. “Stop!”
Oh God, this wasn't good. How long had they been running? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had to stop this madness.
“Please, my head hurts.”
Zach's gait hitched and began to slow.
“I need to rest.”
They had run through the streets until Chloe could no longer tell where they were going. Cuts stung her arms, and she felt dizzy. She needed air, and maybe some water. They had made it to the outskirts of town, she thought. Either that or they were in some kind of park.
“Zach…”
Finally, he lowered her on the ground and turned away. Chloe waited until her head stopped spinning. “You didn't have to do that.”
Zach placed his palms against the nearest tree trunk and rested his forehead on the bark.
“You okay?” she asked.
“You have to go back.”
She frowned and stood. “After you just put on that show back there? I don't think so. You wanted me with you, and for better or worse, here I am.”
He curled his fingers into the tree. Small pieces of bark broke off and fell to the ground. “Run, Chloe,” he whispered.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Not until you tell me what's going on. What the hell happened back there?”
He turned around, slowly. Chloe gasped. Zach looked like he was struggling with something. His yellow eyes looked pained. At some point tonight, his features had become more angular.
“Are those fangs?” she asked.
He closed his eyes and formed fists at his sides. “I'm not well, Chloe. Leave, before I hurt you.”
Chloe took one cautious step forward, then another.
His eyes flew open. “I'm warning you.”
“I'm not afraid of you, Zach.” She wasn't afraid, just curious. His eyes were hypnotic, and they drew her closer. She touched him. He flinched but didn't attack her. She ran her fingers down his cheek. There was no denying it—Zach was there, just different. It seemed like he had grown a few days' worth of beard in a matter of hours. His muscles had grown bigger, his nails longer.
But that couldn't be possible…
She traced a line down his neck and shoulders in wonder. The steady rise and fall of his chest under her fingers was comforting, if not a little confusing. Surely after the fight and all the running he should be at least a little bit tired.
Zach didn't seem tired at all. In fact he seemed…energized. Powerful. Raw emotion burned in the air around him, and she found her body responding to it. Her breathing quickened as her skin tingled in anticipation.
Zach swallowed and flexed his fingers. “If you don't leave now, I…I can't be responsible for what happens.”
She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I won't leave you. I want to help.” She pressed her lips against his.
He stiffened, then snaked his arms around her back. The kiss deepened, and Chloe's senses spiraled out of control. She rubbed herself against him as her need rose within her. Zach's grip tightened, his fingers digging into her skin. With a growl he pushed her away.
“Zach…”
He turned her around and slammed her back into his chest. “Is this what you want?” He wrapped his arms around her middle and inched his hands over the curve of her stomach. She gasped, pressing her belly into his hands as he slid his fingers down to the ache between her thighs. He pulled up her skirt, bunching the thin cloth around her hips. “Stupid girl, don't you have any idea how dangerous this is?”
She moaned and raised her arms above her head. He kissed her neck as she drove her fingers into his thick hair.
She was a little frightened. Not of Zach, but of being caught. She didn't delude herself that they were completely alone. The trees provided a buffer, but they were still out in the open. Anyone could walk by. It was…exciting.
He pushed her thong aside and ran the tip of his finger around her opening. “You're so wet. Tell me, are you wet for me or the beast?”
His words were filled with such pain, such longing, that she couldn't help but respond. “You. It's always been you.”
His teeth scraped against her neck as his finger plunged deep inside. Chloe gasped as desire swirled through her body. He stroked her, each thrust of his fingers sending a new ripple of pleasure into her bloodstream. Soon she was moving her hips, urging him deeper.
He pulled out and pushed her toward a nearby rock.
“Zach?”
She heard him undo the zipper of his pants. Before she could think, her skirt was around her waist, and his knee was nudging her legs apart. His cock pressed up against her opening. “I need you, Chloe.”
She turned her head and looked back at him. He appeared to be fighting something, and she felt touched. Need burned through her. In this position she felt so primal and wanton. It felt freeing and right. She was meant to be here, meant to soothe h
is pain. He needed her.
And she needed him. “Then take me.” She pushed her hips back into his waiting cock.
He growled and then, with one hard thrust, buried himself to the hilt.
She groaned as her body adjusted. He leaned over her, covering her hands with his. “You're mine, Chloe. Don't ever forget that.” He pulled out and thrust with such force that she fell forward into the rock. “Mine.”
His quick, desperate movements caught Chloe up in the moment. Her spirit soared. Again and again he thrust into her, sending a myriad of sensations through her body. She curled her fingers into the rock and hung on. Her moans mingled with his growls as their bodies became one. She reached and stretched, her desire burning every inch of her skin. She felt alive and wild, just like the first time on the rooftop. The muscles in his forearms tightened, and his fingers curled around her own. He scraped his teeth over her neck. The act was so fierce, so possessive, that it triggered something deep inside her. She cried out as her orgasm crashed through her body. Pleasure rolled through her again and again, bringing tears of joy to her eyes. Zach's voice mingled with her own as he spilled his seed deep inside her.
When it was over, he collapsed on top of her, pressing her body against the cool rock beneath. For a moment, they both just lay there, catching her breath.
“Fuck, Chloe. I'm sorry.”
“Don't be.”
He pushed himself off her. Chloe let her skirt fall while he adjusted himself.
“You look better,” she said.
He stiffened, his hands on his zipper. Muttering a curse, he ran his fingers through his hair and then lifted her into his arms. Before she could ask what he was doing, he sat underneath a nearby tree and settled her in his lap.
“Zach?”
He nudged her head onto his shoulder. “You can rest here for a few minutes, but then we have to go.”
“Why?”
“We're both in danger.”
“I don't understand.” She sat up and studied the lines of his face. Was his beard disappearing? “What happened?”
He reached out and brushed a stray hair from her temple. “I don’t think I was the only cursed one at the party.”
Alphas for the Holidays Page 184