Chapter Eleven
Chloe
As I ran through the woods in wolf form, I let the human part of my brain wander back to last night. Remembering things I had no business thinking about.
After Lachlan had calmed down, he’d lain on top of me, just holding me. I’d relished his weight and his heat as his breathing slowed and his trembling subsided.
Then I’d felt it growing against my core. His cock. Whether his mind agreed, his body wanted me.
Part of me wanted to howl in triumph, but I was also terrified. He was still off balance and learning to live once more. His body coming to life again would only make it more difficult for him to cope. He needed more time to come to terms with the fact that his body hadn’t died along with his mate before dealing with the demands of his libido.
The furious pounding of paws behind me had me whirling, a snarl peeling my lips away from my fangs.
I relaxed slightly when I saw the familiar figure of a chestnut brown wolf bearing down on me, but it was short-lived. He was growling and baring his own teeth at me, clearly enraged.
Without waiting for him, I shifted back to my human form and put my hands on my hips. “What the hell is your problem?” I yelled.
Lachlan slowed his approach, his ears turning back as he growled at me again.
“Stop with the growling bullshit, shift, and tell me what the problem is or I’m leaving.”
Smoothly, Lach’s body began to twist and move, the bones lengthening and the fur receding, but he didn’t pause in his charge. He leapt in the air, still mostly wolf, but landed in front of me in fully human form.
I often marveled at the ease of his change. While it was painful during the first transition in adolescence, our bodies grew accustomed and it became easier. Alphas found the shift easier than most and some, like Lach, were able to achieve it within a blink of an eye.
“What the fuck are you thinking?” he roared. “You know that it’s not safe here but you go out for a run alone or without even telling me where you’re going?”
“Lower your voice,” I hissed. “I don’t think anyone is watching or listening, but even if they aren’t, they probably heard you all the way in town.”
“Fuck that, Chloe. You put yourself in danger and that is unacceptable. I know you can fight, but you can’t take on a bullet.”
I wanted to fight, to wrap myself in righteous anger and stand toe-to-toe with him, but I couldn’t. Because he was right. After getting that note last night, I shouldn’t be running in the woods alone. Especially when no one knew where I was.
“You’re right,” I sighed. “I should have woken you or waited until you were awake and able to come with me.”
“Goddammit, Chloe!” he yelled, shoving his hands through his hair as he turned away from me, pacing wildly.
“What, Lachlan?” I spat back. “You’re right. I fucked up. I admitted it. What more do you want from me?”
He turned back toward me. “I’m pissed as hell, Chloe. I can’t take it out on you when you fucking apologize,” he stated.
If he had been anyone other than my mate, I would have thrown a punch. A good fight would let off enough steam for both of us to calm down. Violence was common in the shifter world, an outlet for our aggressive tendencies or a way to assert our dominance, but I couldn’t bring myself to hit Lachlan. I didn’t want to hurt him.
Another option would be a hard, fast fuck, but I wouldn’t suggest that either. If I had sex with him, I would bite him, mark him as mine, and he would hate me for it.
“What do you want me to do, Lach?” I asked, pitching my voice low in an effort to soothe his ragged temper.
His eyes flashed, the blue turning brighter, and they moved down my body.
I glanced down as well and saw he was fully erect. Aggressively so.
I tore my eyes away from his cock and met his gaze. “I’m heading back. When you’ve calmed down, we’ll talk.”
Without waiting for his answer, I shifted back to wolf form and ran back toward the cabin as if the Devil himself were on my tail.
A few moments later, I heard his paws striking the ground behind me, but he stayed several feet back all the way there.
When I reached the cabin, I shifted and walked past my clothes, straight into the house. My body tingled all over and I felt as though I were about to come out of my skin.
If I thought being close to Lachlan at the MacIntire compound was torture, it was nothing compared to this.
I went straight into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. Even though I’d taken a bath the night before, I turned on the shower and stepped inside. I bit back a curse at the cold temperature of the water but didn’t touch the taps. My blood still burned hot, full of lust and frustration.
I scrubbed my skin roughly with a washcloth, trying to dispel the prickling sensation. I gasped when the nubby fabric brushed my nipples, shooting arcs of heat from my breasts to my pussy. Determined to ignore the wild tension within me, I washed myself quickly, standing beneath the chilling spray until I shivered.
Finally, the clamor of my body subsided, leaving me hollow. It was more than a physical feeling of emptiness. After finding my mate in Lachlan, I realized there was a void in my soul. A place waiting within me, aching from the need to be filled. Every day I was in his presence, the throb intensified, demanding action from me.
After I turned off the water, I realized that I hadn’t brought any clothes into the bathroom with me. Any other time, I wouldn’t have felt the least bit reticent about my nudity. It was just a part of pack life.
But with Lach’s presence in the other room and the tension between us, I needed the illusion of protection that my jeans and tank top would afford me. Biting back a sigh, I dried off with a towel and wrapped it around my body. I would just have to suck it up. I’d been doing it for months now, I could continue for a while longer.
I exited the bathroom, glad to see the cabin was empty and the clothes I’d been wearing before I shifted were neatly folded on the bed. Lachlan must have brought them inside. Walking over to the mattress, I turned my back to the open front door and dropped the towel.
I was just shimmying into my jeans when I heard the screen door creak open. I didn’t look over my shoulder and bent to pick up my olive green tank top, tugging it over my head. When the fabric was in place, I turned to face Lach.
He looked sheepish and sad, a combination that pierced my heart and made me want to go to him and give him a hug. I resisted the urge and stood my ground.
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” he said. “I shouldn’t have…” he trailed off as if he wasn’t sure what to say.
“Yelled at me? Gotten angry?” I asked, shaking my head. “I understand, Lach. You don’t have to beat yourself up for telling me the truth. I know better than to go for a run alone when there’s the possibility of danger. I would have done the same if our positions were reversed.” Actually, I probably would have been angrier. Especially with him.
He shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “It doesn’t excuse it. I am…was, an alpha. If I can’t control myself, how can I control the wolves I lead?”
My grandmother often said something to that effect, which only made my desire to walk over and comfort Lach even stronger. “It’s fine. We’re good.”
God, having a mate was making me soft. If any other male wolf had yelled at me like he had, I would have handed him his balls on a platter.
He studied me for a long moment. The sun poured in through the door at his back, throwing his face in partial shadow. I couldn’t read his expression, but I could feel the weight of his stare on my skin.
“Look, about earlier…” he began.
Instinctively I knew he was referring to the erection he’d been sporting during our argument and lifted my hand. “Don’t worry about it. I know it didn’t mean anything.”
He fell silent but the tautness in his body raised a chill on my skin. Finally, he spoke, “Of course not.” Lach’s eyes never wavered from me. “Have you had breakfast?”
I shook my head.
“I’ll make something,” he stated, taking his hands out of his pockets and moving toward the stove. “Why don’t you call Sophia and give her an update?”
Grateful for a chance to put some space between us, I nodded and grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand. I stepped out of the cabin into the bright light outside and released a long breath.
Just a few more weeks, then this torture would end. I would endure it because I had no other choice.