Chapter Thirty-Six
Lachlan
My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the leather creaked ominously and the hard plastic beneath it compressed in my grip.
Chloe stared out the window without speaking. Her skin was still paler than normal and despite all the food her grandmother and I had been shoving at her the past few days, she’d lost weight. All her energy had been directed toward healing the wound that Brayden Kirkpatrick inflicted.
Last night I hadn’t been able to take it any longer. She moved and whimpered in her sleep and I knew she was having nightmares. I’d climbed into bed with her, wrapping her in my arms.
I’d done it for selfish reasons as well. I needed her close to remind myself that she was really here, within reach. The past three days seemed surreal.
I had a mate. Another mate.
Finding one’s true mate over the course of a lifetime was amazing. Surviving their death even more difficult. But to have a second mate, it was a blessing beyond comprehension. It was rare. I’d only heard of a handful of wolves that had found a second mate after losing their first.
Now I could count myself among them.
I pulled down the drive that led to Darrell’s cabin. At my request, Calder and Mason had come to remove all the cameras, leave our bags, and fill the fridge. I fully intended to keep Chloe here with me until she was healed and acknowledged me as her mate. I wanted time with her, just the two of us. I also had her grandmother’s blessing.
When I’d mentioned the idea, she said, “Don’t make any plans for a few weeks. That she-wolf is more stubborn than anyone I’ve ever met in my life.” Then she eyed me. “You know how to make pancakes? Because that’s one way to soften her up. She loves ’em.”
Her eyes widened when my cheeks heated and I realized I was blushing for the first time in fifty years.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” she commented. “Don’t worry. I won’t come rescue her if that’s what you’re wondering.” Then she stared at me, her green eyes narrowing. “However, you will treat my granddaughter like a queen or you’ll answer to me.”
I knew enough of Sophia MacArthur’s reputation to understand that she meant what she said. And that she was a damn sight scarier than her granddaughter.
“I love her,” I stated. “All I want is for her to be happy.”
“Then we’ll never have to have this conversation again,” Sophia said. “Because that means you’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
Then she surprised me by giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, Ian Lachlan. I couldn’t have picked a better mate for my Chloe.”
With her approval, I’d gone about making my plans.
Though, now that we were here, I wasn’t sure where to start or what to say.
“Let’s take a walk,” I invited Chloe. “Sophia mentioned you’ve been antsy today. Then maybe you’ll sleep better when you take your nap.”
She studied me for a long moment and I wondered what she was thinking. Since she’d woken up after nearly dying, Chloe had been different. Quiet and distant, as if part of her remained on the other side of the veil. It made something in my chest twist painfully.
“Okay,” she finally agreed.
I jumped out of the truck and rushed around to the other side before she even unbuckled her seatbelt. The look she gave me when I opened the door and helped her down clearly said that she thought I was nuts.
I took her hand and led her around the cabin toward the trees, walking slowly so she wouldn’t push herself too hard to keep up.
We didn’t speak, but she did leave her hand in mine, loosely gripping my fingers. I wanted to tighten my hold, to lace our fingers together, but I sensed that she would only withdraw if I tried to hold on too tightly.
When we reached the clearing where we’d practiced sparring and made love only a week ago, I stopped. Somehow, it seemed right.
I turned toward her. “How are you feeling?”
Her eyes flicked up to mine. “Better,” she answered honestly. “I’m still tired a lot and hungry all the time, but the pain is almost completely gone. Just a twinge every now and then if I move too quickly or stretch too far.”
I squeezed her hand gently. “I’m glad.” I hesitated before I asked, “Do you remember anything from when Finn and I found you?”
She shook her head, her eyes gaining a faraway look. “No. I don’t remember anything after I passed out.”
I sucked in a deep breath, my heart picking up speed in my chest. It seemed so much easier to say what I felt when I thought it would be my last chance.
Then I realized that this still might be. My mark was gone from Chloe’s neck, the scar healed. She could reject me and move on. It would be over.
My stomach felt hollow at the thought. I couldn’t lose her.
I cupped her cheeks in my hands and laid my lips on hers, a light, nearly reverent kiss. Loose tendrils of her hair tickled my face and neck as the breeze blew through them. I’d grown to crave the peaches and honey scent that emanated from her skin under the warmth of the sun.
Chloe’s hands came up to my wrists, holding me but not tightly. It was almost as if she felt the same fear I did—that the harder I tried to hold on, the faster she would slip through my fingers.
I lifted my mouth from hers and looked down at her face. Her eyes were still closed and her cheeks finally had some color in them. Slowly, her lashes lifted until our eyes met.
When she looked at me, all my fear vanished. This was right.
“I love you, Chloe,” I murmured, brushing my lips against hers once again.
Her eyes were dazed when I raised my head again, but they sharpened far quicker than I liked.
“What did you say?” she breathed, her hands gripping my wrists tighter.
“I love you, Chloe MacArthur, and you’re my mate.”
She swayed against me and, for just a moment, I thought it was going to be that simple.
Unfortunately, Chloe MacArthur was as unpredictable as I thought.
She straightened her spine, backed out of my grasp, and stared up at me. Her eyes were level and nearly accusatory. “Why are you saying this?”
“Because it’s true,” I replied.
She shook her head. “You’re confused.”
I took a step toward her and she retreated once more, keeping the distance between us the same. “No, I’m not, Chloe. For the first time in nearly two years, I’m seeing things clearly.” When I moved forward again, she repeated her withdrawal. “Why are you backing away from me?”
“Because I don’t want you to touch me right now,” she shot back.
Her words hurt at first until I looked at her hands. Chloe’s face might not give much away, but her hands were clenched in tight fists, the knuckles white, and tucked against her hips. She was distressed.
“Why don’t you want me to touch you, Chloe?” I asked softly. “Is it because you’ll want to touch me back?” I lunged quickly, taking her hand in mine, and flattened her palm against my chest. “It’s okay. I want you to touch. I’ll always want your hands on me.”
Her breathing grew rapid as her eyes stared at her palm against my sternum. “Don’t do this, Lachlan.”
I could see the cracks in her composure. Something told me that I had to break through now before she had a chance to shore up her defenses.
“When you’re touching me, you call me Ian,” I murmured.
This brought her eyes to mine. “You hate it when people use your first name.”
I inched closer. “I do.” Brushing the hair back from her face, I leaned closer. “Except when the person is you.”
She stood perfectly still as I took another step forward, close enough that her hand was sandwiched between our chests, her palm still pressed to my heart.
Chloe licked her bottom lip but didn’t take her eyes from mine. “You love me?” she asked.
I nodded, lowering my head so my cheek brushed hers. “I do.”
“But you didn’t want another mate—” she began.
I sensed the tension creeping back into her body. “I changed my mind,” I interrupted. “But only if it’s you.”
Her body shook against mine, as though she were fighting the urge to run or draw closer. I couldn’t tell which. “But Brayden’s mark—”
Once again, I stopped her. “Is gone. Finn removed all traces. I can’t smell him on you any longer. Or me.” I ran the tip of my nose down her neck and felt her tremble again. “But I would like to change the last part.”
“Lachlan,” she began.
I kissed her then, not a gentle touch of my lips to hers, but a merging of mouths full of longing. My tongue slid into her mouth and she responded. Her fingernails dug into my chest and her other hand lifted to my shoulder, clutching hard.
The more I kissed her, the more she gave me. Chloe’s body softened against mine, allowing me to gather her closer. I lifted her off her feet, still kissing her as her legs wound around my hips.
Somehow I managed to carry her back to the cabin without walking into a tree or falling into a hole. I barely noticed the steps as I took them two at a time. The screen door banged against the wall as I fought to open the interior door, and then we were inside the cool, shadowed room.
Without breaking the kiss, I moved straight to the bed and laid her down on the mattress.
Only when my body pinned hers did I lift my mouth. The pink was back in her cheeks and her eyes sparkled in the familiar way I’d grown to love.
“Please don’t make me live without you, Chloe MacArthur,” I pleaded. “I’m begging you.”