by C. C. Wood
“No, though I worry that’s the next step. They will beat them until they agree. Or threaten to go after their mothers and sisters.”
“And the mated females?” Lachlan interjected.
Miss Emma shook her head. “They haven’t messed with the mated females yet, but I know it’s coming. Things are going to get much worse before they get better.”
“No, they’re not,” I stated. “Because I’m going to put a stop to this bullshit as soon as possible.” I studied her for a moment. “What about Carter?”
Emma shook her head. “He doesn’t do the…things his father and his cronies do, but he’s weak. There’s no way he can wrest control of the pack from his daddy and he knows it.”
“What about Chloe’s parents?” Lachlan asked. “Do you know what happened to them?”
A change came over Miss Emma’s face, one that caught my attention and held it. It was agony, but also guilt.
“Miss Emma?” My voice shook. I wanted to believe it was from sadness rather than fear, but I was lying to myself. Her expression made me afraid. Very afraid.
She cleared her throat before taking a sip of tea. “That’s long done,” she murmured.
“Not that long,” I argued. “Why didn’t you tell me what you knew before Darrell became the leader of the pack?”
Her eyes shimmered with tears once again. “Trina was still living at home two years ago, Chloe. Darrell knew he couldn’t trust me not to go straight to you or your grandmother. He made it very clear that he could get to her at any time. He also explained, in great d-detail, what he would do to her when he did.” Miss Emma stuttered over that single word, betraying how afraid she’d been for her youngest child.
As much as it angered me, I also understood. Miss Emma had to protect her daughter. From what she’d told me of Darrell just moments ago, I couldn’t blame her for doing whatever it took to keep the leader of the pack away from Trina.
“Can you tell us what happened now?” Lachlan prodded.
Though his tone was light and gentle, the hand he’d curved over my shoulder gripped me so tightly I knew I would bruise. Without thinking, I laid my hand on this knee and squeezed lightly. The muscles in his thigh grew hard as a rock before they gradually relaxed beneath my touch. His hold on my shoulder eased as well.
Miss Emma nodded. I knew Trina was off at school, over a thousand miles away, a distance that was likely intended to protect her from Darrell.
“If you promise me that you’ll stop him before he hurts anyone else,” she muttered.
“You know I will.”
She took a deep breath and began. “Your parents weren’t killed by rogues. They weren’t even killed with the claws and fangs of the wolves that betrayed them,” she explained. “That coward shot them in cold blood.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lachlan
Chloe’s hand clutched my leg, her nails digging into the flesh beneath the denim of my jeans.
I barely even noticed, too shocked by Miss Emma’s words.
“Sh-sh-shot?” Chloe stuttered. “Darrell shot them?”
The older she-wolf nodded, sniffling into a tissue she tugged out of her pocket. “Yes, child. Shot with a hunting rifle. He knew he was too weak to win a challenge against your father. Even if he got lucky, your mother would have turned right back around, challenged him, and torn him limb from limb. So he killed them as a human would.”
In the shifter world, if a wolf used any weapon against another, it was the gravest insult. Claws and fangs, the weapons nature bestowed upon us, were the only acceptable way to fight one another. Guns and knives might be used when fighting vampires or other supernatural creatures, but not against other shifters.
“Do you have proof?” Chloe asked, her words barely a growl in the back of her throat.
Miss Emma shook her head, tears trickling down her cheeks, dripping onto her shirt.
If she had been able to offer physical evidence, we could have taken it to the Tribunal and Darrell would be removed as leader of the pack and imprisoned.
“But I know who does,” she whispered.
“Carter,” Chloe breathed.
Miss Emma nodded. “He knows everything his daddy does. And he watches more than Darrell thinks. I’m not sure what his plan is but I know that he has one.”
“But will he talk to us?” I asked when Chloe fell silent.
Emma’s eyes shifted to me. “I think so, but there are eyes and ears everywhere in this town. If you’re not very, very careful, word will get back to Darrell and he’ll snatch up Carter before you can get what you need.”
“I thought the pack members hated Darrell?” Chloe questioned. “Why would they turn us in?”
“Fear,” I answered for Emma. “They’re afraid of what he’ll do to them or to their children. They wouldn’t dare go against him in case he found out.”
Chloe snarled. “Then how do we convince Carter to give us what we need?”
“He’ll come to you,” Emma interrupted. “When the time is right. He and I talked last night at the picnic.”
“I wish I could trust your word, Emma, but I’m not sure I can,” Chloe stated.
It was the first time I’d heard her drop the prefix from Emma’s name. The older she-wolf noticed it too and winced.
“Who do you think contacted your grandmother, Chloe MacArthur?” Emma asked indignantly.
“You were the anonymous tip?” Chloe seemed incredulous.
Emma shook her head. “No, not back then. I was still too scared. It was Carter. He wasn’t in the position to challenge Darrell at the time, but he knew what was happening and hoped your grandmother could stop it. Unfortunately, that business with the Faction prevented you from investigating and Sophia couldn’t leave her pack.”
Chloe’s head bowed. “I’m sorry, Miss Emma. This situation has thrown me for a loop. I’m beginning to wonder who I can trust.”
“You’d be stupid not to wonder,” Miss Emma replied. “And I know you’re not.”
Chloe’s eyes snapped up and Miss Emma froze. “Yes, but I’ve known Darrell all my life. As did my parents. Just like I’ve known you all my life.”
“I would never harm you, Chloe,” the older she-wolf stated. I could smell the truth in her words and I knew Chloe could as well.
“Thank you, Miss Emma,” Chloe murmured.
“Tell Carter we wish to speak to him,” I instructed Emma, getting to my feet and bringing Chloe with me. “As soon as possible.”
Emma rose from her chair, nodding as she did. “Of course.”
“Lach, I want to talk with Miss Emma a little more,” Chloe began.
“No. We’ve been here long enough for a pleasant visit with an old friend. They’re watching us and they’ll get suspicious if we stay too much longer.”
“He’s right,” Emma agreed.
Chloe exhaled, but didn’t argue, probably because she knew I was right. “Fine, but I would like to see you again soon, Miss Emma,” she insisted.
The older wolf came forward and hugged Chloe tightly. “I would like that too, Chloe.”
I gritted my teeth over what I was about to say because I hated to keep the women separated when they obviously cared so much for each other. But it still had to be said.
“I’m sorry, Emma, but I think you and Tom need to leave the town for a little while. A few weeks at least. You’ll be safer if you aren’t in immediate reach.”
Chloe shot me a sharp glance out of the corner of her eye but still kept her mouth shut, a first since I’d known her.
But Emma wasn’t going to let it go. “Lachlan, I think Tom and I will be perfectly safe here—”
“Like Nadine and Matthew MacArthur were?” I asked.
She fell silent and didn’t respond.
“Is there somewhere you can go that won’t make them suspicious?”
“My oldest daughter is about to have her third pup. It’s been a complicated pregnancy. They’ll understand if we have to leave t
o help her,” Emma answered.
“Then make your calls and arrangements. Tell Carter to find a way to get in touch with us.”
Chloe and the older she-wolf hugged again, and then they both plastered bright smiles on their faces and made a big show of saying good-bye on Miss Emma’s front porch. Chloe managed to keep her expression chipper until we left the city limits, and then she scowled fiercely.
Before she could cut loose and call Darrell Whelby every foul name she could think of, I asked, “Do you think Carter was the wolf that left that note?”
She stared out the window as the open fields whizzed by. “I think it’s very likely,” she stated cryptically.
“What will you do if he gives you proof that his father killed your parents?”
Her head swiveled slowly toward me, the expression on her face one I’d seen just before we battled the Faction. She looked fierce, cold, and frighteningly beautiful. An angel of death waiting for her moment to claim those who she deemed worthy of punishment.
“I’ll send it to the Tribunal,” she replied. Just as I began to relax, she continued, “Then I’ll rip Darrell’s fucking heart out.”
Chapter Fifteen
Chloe
The next day, I received a call from Miss Emma. She apologized that she wouldn’t be able to spend any more time with me while I was in town, but she had to leave because her daughter needed her.
Before she hung up, she said, “Carter will be in touch in a few days to see if you need anything. I’m afraid he’s too tied up to call you right now, but you’ll hear from him soon.”
It was clear that the call was to cover her tracks. I wondered if Darrell had gone so far as to bug pack member’s phones. If he had, he would only hear old friends saying good-bye to one another and the promise that someone in the pack would be contacting us.
I wanted Miss Emma to stay safe. She’d risked a lot in sharing what she knew with us.
Even though I believed her completely, I was having difficulty reconciling the Darrell Whelby she described with the man I’d known my entire life. Darrell had always been quick to smile, generous with his time, and always snuck me candy when I was a child. I’d never sensed darkness within him, which was unusual for me. My parents worked hard to teach me how to look beyond the surface of what people wanted me to see, to sniff out lies of omission or evasions.
The idea that we’d all been utterly fooled rubbed me the wrong way.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Lachlan stated, breaking me out of my reverie. “Then we need to talk with your grandmother and Calder.”
I nodded. We wanted to call the night before, but neither of them was available.
Lachlan disappeared into the bathroom and a few moments later I heard the water come on. Immediately, the sound conjured up images in my mind that I shouldn’t entertain. Visions of water pouring down over naked skin and sculpted muscles.
Shaking my head, I stood up and carried the coffee I’d been drinking out on to the front porch. I needed to put distance between us. As I settled on a rickety chair, propping my feet on the railing that surrounded the porch, my cell phone rang.
When I saw the name on the caller ID, I smiled and answered, “I knew you missed me.”
“Yeah, you and my sanity,” Ricki snarked. “You both left at the same time.”
I chuckled. “How are the pups?”
“They’re trying to kill each other on a daily basis, but other than that, they’re good.” Ricki’s tone was indulgent and affectionate, as if spending time with three homicidal shifter toddlers was her favorite thing to do.
I couldn’t blame her for thinking that because the little devils were adorable. I still remembered the look of shock on her face, and Calder’s, when they realized they weren’t having one baby, but triplets. As soon as they’d arrived back at the compound, Calder had hidden in Lach’s house because Ricki was pissed at him for “knocking her up with a litter.”
“How are things going with you?” she asked. “Have you learned anything?”
“More than I bargained for,” I sighed. “We found out that Darrell did kill my parents.”
“What? Why?” Ricki had heard of Darrell, though she’d never met him. I’d told her all about my childhood.
“I don’t know why,” I replied. “But I intend to find out.”
Ricki was silent for a long moment. Finally, she spoke, “How’s Lach doing?”
“He seems better than he’s been in over a year. He’s eating more and gaining weight.”
“He was really upset when you left,” Ricki stated softly. “Especially since you didn’t say good-bye.”
Grateful she wasn’t close enough to smell the lie, I answered, “I didn’t think he’d notice I was gone.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” she retorted. “You ran away because he’s your mate.”
Every muscle in my body froze, locking into place. “What did you say?”
“Lachlan is your mate, isn’t he?”
There was no way I was answering that question. “Why do you think that?”
“Don’t do that,” Ricki snapped. “Don’t answer my question with a question. Calder and I both noticed how you reacted to him. Well, I noticed and mentioned to Calder that I thought you had a crush on Lach. He started paying attention then and told me that you were acting like a she-wolf with her mate.”
I couldn’t say anything. All these months I thought I’d been hiding my feelings, but Calder and Ricki both knew.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Chloe?” Ricki asked.
I stared blindly into the trees that surrounded the cabin, unable to answer. If I started speaking, it would all come out in a flood and now wasn’t the time.
“Chloe?”
“Because it wouldn’t make any difference,” I stated. The words hurt as they escaped my tight throat. “He’ll never see me that way.”
“You don’t know that,” Ricki replied. Her voice was so gentle that tears pricked the backs of my eyelids.
“I do. Even if he recovers enough to want a female, it won’t be me. He’s never been interested in me sexually. Hell, he treats me like a little sister.”
Ricki was quiet for a few moments. “I think you’re wrong.”
“I know I’m not.”
The silence stretched between us for a long time before she finally said, “I just want you both to be happy.”
The tears that threatened moments before returned, spilling out onto my cheeks. I sucked in a ragged breath. “I want to be happy, Ricki, but I don’t think it will be with him.”
“We’ll see,” she said cryptically. I heard a loud crash in the background and three little voices calling out for their mama. “Shit. I gotta go. I love you, Chloe. Be safe.”
“I love you too, darlin’. Call me again soon.”
When she disconnected, I got to my feet and turned to go back into the cabin, freezing when I saw Lachlan watching me from the other side of the screen door. He wore nothing but a pair of jeans and a few stray droplets of water. I’d been so distracted by my conversation with Ricki, I hadn’t been paying attention to my surroundings, which was a good way to get killed considering the danger we were in.
“Hey, I didn’t hear you,” I commented, moving toward him.
I opened the screen door and squeezed by him, trying to ignore the way my breasts tingled when they brushed his naked chest. I carried my coffee mug to the kitchen and set it in the sink.
Lachlan stood only a few feet from me when I turned, his expression concerned. “You’ve been crying,” he declared, the sentence sounding more like an accusation than a statement of fact. “Who were you talking to?”
His tone made my hackles rise. “A friend,” I answered. “And it wasn’t their fault I was crying.”
Lach’s expression softened. “What’s bothering you?”
Shit, I couldn’t tell him the truth. I’d faced down my own death several times in the last thirty-five years. I’d been afraid
more times than I could count, but nothing struck bone-deep terror in my heart as much as the thought of telling Lachlan he was my mate. Despite Ricki’s beliefs, I knew that his response would be one of shock, gentle rejection, and very likely, pity.
Instead, I told a half-truth and prayed he wouldn’t be able to smell it. “It’s just being here and seeing people from my childhood…it brings back old memories. It reminds me of what I’ve lost.”
When I said the words, I suddenly realized they weren’t a lie. They were true. However, having him here somehow made it bearable.
Before I realized what was happening, Lach’s arms closed around me, pulling me against his chest. In my bare feet, my forehead fit against the curve of his neck as though the spot were created just for me. He held me close, one hand cupping the back of my head and the other wound around my waist.
The sensation of his bare torso against my body was overwhelming. I’d never allowed myself to imagine that he might hold me like this one day—as if he truly cared about me. Cherished me.
“It’s okay, Chloe,” he murmured against my temple. “Let me take the burden. Just let go.”
My arms went around his waist and I closed my eyes, feeling another tear trickle down my cheek. Then I did as he said.
I let go.
I let myself feel the heat of his body against mine. I relished it. When I relaxed, giving him more of my weight, he did exactly as he said he would. He took the burden, holding me up. With each inhale, I drew in his scent, knowing that it would permeate my clothes and stay with me the rest of the day.
I let myself imagine what it would be like if he held me like this every day for the rest of my life.
That was when reality returned. There would be no embraces in the kitchen every day. No kisses or declarations of love from Lachlan. Because he still loved his mate, a woman who died protecting him.
There was no future for me with Lach and though I thought I’d accepted it, I realized a small seed of hope was still there.
But with this embrace, he’d managed to achieve what I had not. He shattered that seed.