Territory - Prequel (23 page)

Feeling her cheeks flame, Chl
oe rolled her eyes, “Okay, well
you guys have a good time tonight.”

“Oh, we will, but more importantly
you
have a good time tonight.”

Then the line went dead.  Slowly turning, Chloe was met with Dell’s smile, and kn
ew instantly that he’d heard every word
. 

“Proper fucked?”

Her cheeks grew hotter, “My
friend Marissa, she’s a little,
uhh
,
brusque.”

Dell crossed his arms over his chest.  “Blackbird bashing?”

Mortification seared her and Chloe’s mouth fell open.  She didn’t have a response.  “I-We…”  She looked down at her phone, “It’s a long story.”

Nodding once, Dell smiled wider, “Well I’ll just take the dishes to the kitchen and when I get back you can start from the beginning.”  He grabbed the dishes from the desk top and winked at her before he left the room.

“Christ!” Chloe turned her back on the door
, lifting her phone to quickly silence the ringer.  She checked to make sure she hadn’t missed any texts before she turned to smile innocently at Dell as he’d returned.

Her smiled faded when instead of turning to greet Dell, Hayden stood in the doorway.

“Morning beautiful.”
  He casually entered the room.

Chloe eyed the empty doorway.  “I-I don’t think you should be here.”

Hayden
flashed a
smiled at her,
slowly approaching. 

Chloe eyed the door again hoping Dell would r
eturn.  When she looked back
to
Hayden
, he
was already beside her, l
ifting a hand to brush a loose strand of her hair back.
  “You know Dell’s right.  You’re scent is so intoxicating that any wolf would die
to bury his face between your legs
.”
 

Shock registered and Chloe instinctively
took a step back
her m
outh dropping wide in offense.  When he could have heard any part of her and Dell’s conversations, she didn’t know.

“Careful
love,” Hayden crooned advancing on her, “keep
those sweet lips parted like that and a man is apt to
take it as an invitation to put
something
in there.”

Angry now, Chloe clamped her mouth shut and took another step back, but this time her foot caught on something and
she tripped.  She gasped and reached out
in an attempt to catch herself
. 

Hayden swiftly caught her, hauling
her up
and wrapping her
securely in his strong arms. 
Chloe shoved at him, but he didn’t release her.

“Stop!” Chloe shoved harder, garnering a chuckle from Hayden.

He didn’t stop, instead he dipped his head to nuzzle her neck and moan.

“Dell’s coming right back,” she threatened hoping to scare Hayden off.

“No,” he laughed against her throat as his arms snaked about her, turning her more fully into him.  “Seems there’s a fire out in the barn.”

Her heart
hammered
in her chest.  She knew
by his nonchalance that
Hayden had started the fire.  She had to escape.  “STOP!” she shrieked, attempting to lift a knee and drive it into his groin.  It was a mistake.  He caught her knee and slid his fingers under it, pulling her leg wide t
o position his hips between her thighs.

She
slapped at the hand that
s
lid
up her
thigh and under her skirt.
W
hen she felt the whisper
of lace that
was her underwear being ripped away fear coursed through her. 
He wouldn’t.
 
“STOP!  DON’T!  DEEEEEEEEELLL!”
 

Hayden ignored her scream, keeping
his eyes locked on hers
. 

W
hen she heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper she began to fight.  She slapped at him with one hand and he easily caught it, using her own momentum to turn her until both wrists were captured in his vice-like grip.  He took a step and lifted her effortlessly. 

When Chloe came down, she was facing the back of the couch.  Seconds later
Hayden
releas
ed her hands and put one of his
behind her neck forcing her down while the other lifted her
skirt.  His knee spread her legs and in the flash of two seconds, Chloe was bent over the back of the couch, her bare ass in the air with
Hayden
behind her.

“STOOOOP!”  She screamed as tears sprang forth and she struggled to right herself.

“Once I enter you, he’ll no longer want you.  You’ll belong to me.
” 

She felt him use one foot to kick her legs wider.

“I claim you as
my
mate.
  Let’s hope you last longer than the last one.
”

Chloe jerked her hips and screamed louder, “STOOOOOOOOP!”

Everything happened so quickly that Chloe barely had a chance to register what was happening.  O
ne minute Hayden had her bent over the couch about to enter her, then the next there was a
fierce growl and a
rush of air swooshing over her
,
and then
she was free
.

Quickly righting herself she locked her eyes on the fierce battle that r
aged in the center of the room.
 
Two large wolves were battling
ferociously
.  The large gray wolf was slightly bigger than the white wolf that tore at the gray wolf’s fur.  She remembered the gray wolf from the woods and knew it was Dell.  The wolves were snarling and snapping as the
y
ripped
each other apart
.

Chloe
jerked her skirt down and
scrambled backward until she hit the wall.  Viscous snarls rent the air as furniture was shoved back and lamps were sent crashing to the ground.  In the distance she could hear the thunder of approaching feet that indicated the pack was coming.  She didn’t know what to do.  Part of her wanted to try and intervene, to stop the melee, but
the
fighting was so ferocious that she could do nothing but stare wide eyed and wait for the pack
to come to the rescue
. 

Relief rushed her when Cindy entered the room followed closely by Pony.  Pony shifted instantly and Cindy reached out just in time to grab the scruff of his neck and haul him back. 
“No Pony. 
You can’t interfere.  They are battling for dominance.
”  Cindy’s face paled.  “
The winner will claim the pack
...”  She turned to frown at Chloe as she stared back in shock, “
and Chloe
.”

Chloe’s hopes that the pack would break up the fight were
demolished
.
  Tears flooded her eyes. 
Fighting for dominance?  Whoever wins will
claim
me
!
  She knew that’s how it worked in the wild, outsiders had the opportunity to fight the Alpha and claim his pack
, his territory
, but she’d had no idea it was the same with shifters. 

Suddenly the fight
carried
an all new
severity
that stifled the room with its weight.  Dell could lose, and if he did, he’d lose his pack.
  But what of her?  She wouldn’t allow Hayden to claim her.

As the fight drew closer to her, Chloe stood on trembling knees and jumped out of the way. 
Certain she had a clear shot
.  S
he scrambled toward Cindy and Pony but slipped on the broken glass. 
She hit the floor with a heavy thud and felt a searing pain in her hip
that stole her breath
.  Rolling to her side she
saw an expanding stain of crimson blooming on her white gown.  Reaching down with trembling fingers, she
pulled out a jagged piece of glass that had lodged itself deep in her hip. 

Cindy lifted her eyes from Chloe and made it one step as she yelled,
“JESUS DELL, DO
OOOOOO
N’T!”

Chloe turned her head just in time to see
the large gray wolf she knew to be Dell lock his massive jaws on the throat of the pale wolf.  In one fluid movement he lifted, jerked back and rolled, then the white wolf
fell limply to the floor and
was still. 

Cindy had to jump over
Chloe’s still sprawled form
to get to Dell. 
Chloe
watched as Cindy
bent and put a hand on the white wolf’s throat, when she pulled her hand back it was
covered in blood.  “Fuck!” 
Dell stood over the wolf, part of Hayden’s throat still clamped between his teeth. 

Cindy frowned sadly at Dell as she stood and retrieved
a throw blanket from one of the overturned chairs and
laid it
over the dead wolf.  She looked up at Pony, “Get him out of here.  Now!”

Pony too jumped over Chloe and helped Cindy wrap the wolf in the blanket before he hoisted the great beast into his arms and disappeared with him down the hall.
 

Chloe’s was struggling to her feet, one hand clamped over the gash in her hip when Dell shifted and advanced on her.  She didn’t even have time to speak before he
grabbed her by the arms and
s
lammed
her hard against the wall, pinning her in place with his weight.  “What in the hell were you doing?”

“Dell, I didn’t
…
I wasn’t…”

“If you think I’ll let you play games with me Chloe, you’re dead wrong.”
His eyes were dark with
rage,
flashing dangerously.  H
is nose touched hers as he snarled in
ches from
her face.

“I’m not playing, I was…
”
she blanched, aghast at his unwarranted accusation.

“You belong to me Chloe.  I won’t allow you to mate with another.”

Angry
now
, Chloe lifted her hands and shoved Dell hard.  He didn’t move, only leaned in closer.  “Let me?” Chloe scoffed.  “You have absolutely zero say in any choice I make.”

A growl tore loose and Dell slammed a fist into the wall
next to her head
causing Chloe to flinch.  When he withdrew his fist, a large gaping hole remained and bits of dusty white dry wall crumpled onto Chloe’s shoulder then floor.  “I’d see you dead before I’d see you with another.”

“You think I’m afraid of dying,” Chloe challenged through gritted teeth.  “I’d have joined my brother already if it wouldn’t leave an irreparable hole in my mother.”

Dell’s pallor turned ashen
and his impossibl
y
black eyes darkened further
.  “
That
is the only means by which you’ll leave me! 
You need to learn your place.” 

Seething herself, Chloe didn’t wince when for an instant he squeezed
her arms
too tight
ly
.  Instead she glared at him
,
“Let me go Dell.  I belong to no man.”

“No, you belong to
this
wolf.”
  He pulled her off the wall, jerking her roughly into him.

“DELL, DON’T!”

Chloe recognized Cindy’s voice and was relieved when she felt Dell still.
  She glared furiously back
at him
.  H
is
crushing grip on her was bruising and had tears flooding her eyes.

“Brother, she’s your mate.  You don’t want to hurt her.  You can’t claim her like this.”  Cindy’s tone was soothing, calming.  “She wasn’t being unfaithful.  The scent of her desire that still lingers is from wanting you, not him.”

Chloe
blinked
on
c
e
and her tears fell.  She felt Dell’s hands
relax
, his scowl faltered but he
continued to growl
.  She
recalled
Dell’s warning about
how an unmated male in any close proximity to her could call forth his wolf.  He’d warned that he wouldn’t be able to control himself, and Chloe knew now that it was exactly what was happening.
  She didn’t recognize him.  His features had darkened, were more sever
e
.  He gnashed his teeth together and his dark eyes had her pinned with his angry gaze.