The Alpha's Temporary Mate (Fated Match) (14 page)

“One track mind,” she said. “This is what happens when you’re without a lover for too long.”

He shook his head. “No, my witch. You’re just special.”

Her heart twisted at the simple phrase. How many times had she wanted to hear those words since they’d met? Even though she’d heard it straight from his mouth, it still seemed unbelievable. The powerful alpha and the orphan witch? It sounded like a fairytale, a perfect fantasy.

One that would hurt when it shattered.

“What?” he asked, his smile sliding from his face.

She shook her head, not willing to offer up that particular confession. “Time. Promise we’ll have more than just the retreat.”

He pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. “We’ll have more than the retreat, witchling. I might not know much, but I know that.”

It wasn’t the promise she’d hoped for, but for now, it was enough.

Chloe closed her eyes, breathing in his earthy scent as she tried to forget the fact that the days that separated them from their future would be the hardest of their whole charade.

Chapter Fourteen

L
eaving the confines of the city never failed to excite his wolf. This time, though, his inner animal was practically doing back flips the closer they got to pack territory. Even his human half had to admit he was excited. The retreat was something they all looked forward to, and this year was no different.

What’s more, he was eager to see Chloe’s reaction to his people. No doubt a tough road lay ahead of her, but she had the mettle to face it.

“Wow, you guys have a lot of space,” she said, pressing her nose to the window as they drove across the Clearwater land.

Pride swelled within him. The pack property had been in the family for as long as he could remember. Though acres of forest stretched out all around them, it was the heart of the property they were driving through.

Cabins appeared along the main road, signaling their journey was almost over.

“If you look to the left you’ll see the dining hall,” he told her as they drove through the center of the retreat. “It doubles as a meeting lodge, and as a day care for younger cubs.”

Continuing the drive, they passed a lake equipped with canoes and kayaks on the shores, a fire pit with bleachers for dozens of people, and paths leading into the dense forest ringing the retreat.

“We’re getting farther and farther away from everything,” she commented.

“The alpha’s lodge,” he replied. “It’s the farthest from the others.”

“Why?” she asked, looking back at him.

He bit back a grin. “Privacy, sweetheart. Everyone around us has supernatural hearing, remember?”

Her cheeks glowed red as they pulled to a stop before the last cabin on the road. He couldn’t help chuckling as Chloe practically threw herself from the car.

Following suit, he stepped out on to pack land and drew in a deep breath. Part of him loved the city and the elegance and vibrancy it offered, but another side craved open spaces just like this. He couldn’t wait to let his wolf run free without having to worry about observers.

“It’s beautiful here,” she commented as she pulled her duffle from the trunk.

“Just wait till you see more of the land.” He grabbed his own bags and followed her up the cabin steps.

“Is there anything else I need to be on guard for?” she asked as he fished for his keys. “What if I forget something?”

He smiled at her nerves. She’d demanded a list of all the major players in his pack and spent hours each day memorizing each and every one. If Chloe was one thing, it was thorough when she set her mind to a task.

“You’ll be fine,” he assured her. Though she might be a jumble of nerves, he was remarkably calm. Logically, he should be worried about any slips, but he couldn’t help think his pack would love this witch once they came to know her.

Unlocking the door, he pushed it open. “Welcome to Camp Clearwater.”

Inside the cabin was a charming, if rustic, living space. Looking around the familiar room he knew the fey Chloe had tried to set him up with would have had kittens if forced to stay here. The woman at his side merely examined the place with a smile.

There was a small sitting area to the side of the door. It boasted a wood-burning fireplace able to make the cabin warm and cozy on even the coldest days. Though there were no electronics such as computers or TVs in the building, there was a kitchenette in the corner, with a stove and fridge. Chloe walked across the colorful throw rug to reach one of two doors in the far wall, one opening to the washroom and the other to the only bedroom.

She turned back to him and crossed her arms. “So I take it you’re sleeping on that tiny chaise in the sitting room?”

“No, sweetheart,” he said, crossing the room to her. “I’m sleeping next to you.” He entered the bedroom and tossed his bag on the far side of the bed. “Unless, of course,
you
want to sleep on the chaise.”

He sat on the bed as he watched her glance around for an alternative sleeping option. As he’d planned, she found none.

“I could have brought a sleeping bag had you warned me,” she said at last.

His grin was unrepentant. “Exactly.”

Rolling her eyes, she dragged her duffle to her side of the bed. “You better not be a cover hog.”

“You can always kick me if I steal them. Or better yet, cuddle up closer.”

“Shameless,” she murmured, perching next to him on the bed.

There wasn’t much space in the room beyond the mattress and two chests of drawers. A wide window was cut into the far wall, with light curtains hanging on either side.

“This is rather cozy,” she said.

“Very.” Unable to keep from touching her, he let his hand drift to her nape, toying with the lose tendrils of hair falling free of her bun.

A soft smile curved her lips as she allowed the caress, but it was quickly chased away by her worries. “What if I screw up?” she whispered to him.

A curious tenderness gripped him. “Has it not occurred to you, Chloe, that the lie we are telling gets smaller with each passing day?”

She shook her head. “You don’t love me,” she denied. “And we haven’t been dating as long as we’ve claimed.”

He shrugged. “I agree it would be far better they never discover the truth, but wolves don’t place the same emphasis on time as you do. I’ve seen couples declare themselves under a mating moon having known each other for far fewer days than we have. When our wolves know, they know. We’re trained from childhood to listen to their voices.”

“What’s it like?” she asked. “Is it a voice in your head?”

He’d never tried to describe the animal that was his constant companion in life. How did one explain a presence that was as natural to him as breathing was to her? “More like…feelings, sounds,” he tried. “My wolf doesn’t speak as you or I would, but I understand him all the same.”

“Another way in which you’re never alone.”

He fell back on the bed, his arms cast out on either side of him. “Trust me, after a few days with my pack you’ll be wishing for solitude.”

“Spoken like someone who has never been abandoned,” she quipped.

Though the words were teasing, the sentiment underlying them was real and painful. Grabbing her arm, he dragged her down onto the bed with him.

For a moment she lay stiffly by his side, then her body started to relax into his. Wrapping an arm around her seemed to be the most natural thing in the world.

“While you’re here, you’ll never be alone,” he said.

“I’ll have to enjoy it while I can.” He frowned at the words, but she’d already moved on to another thought. “Your whole clan is here for the retreat?”

Allowing her to change the subject, he nodded. “Most of them. Some members are abroad or too far away to make it, but the majority try to come when they can. It’s the only time in the year we’re all together, after all.”

“Are you really okay with this?” she said, tilting her head up to see him. “Lying to your friends, your advisors?”

He was silent for a long moment. “They didn’t give me much choice,” he said at last. “The last three women they pushed me toward were unacceptable.”

“Why?”

He exhaled. “Their candidates housed very submissive wolves, which in theory makes sense. It’s widely believed a larger gap between dominance levels in wolves leads to a happier mating. Two alphas or two submissive wolves don’t balance each other out. They are constantly hampered by the similarity of their inner animals. It’s what tore me and Lisette apart.”

Her small hand pressed against his chest, over his heart, and he reached up to tangle his fingers with hers.

“Having watched that train wreck,” he went on, “my advisors decided I needed a docile mate. They keep sending women after me who have far less dominant wolves.”

She snorted. “That would bore you silly in a month. You need someone who can go toe-to-toe with you.”

His arm tightened on her. “Exactly. But I also need someone who doesn’t raise the hackles on my wolf.”

“You should have looked to the rest of the supernatural world earlier if that was your criteria. You need someone strong without an inner animal chained to the dominance hierarchy of a pack.”

“Perhaps,” he agreed, his fingers stroking up her arm. “Outsiders are rarely welcomed into a pack. And almost never into a ruling pair.”

“So you’re telling me I’m in for a hell of a ride while I’m here.”

“Yes.” He turned to look at her. “When we made this bargain I didn’t really care about how hard this time would be on my fake mate.”

“I’m tough,” she replied. “That’s why you picked me, isn’t it? I can hold my own.”

With her so close, smiling so widely, he had no choice but to lean over and kiss her. Need pulled at him, but he did his best to keep himself in check. This was neither the time nor the place to give in to his baser instincts. Not with his pack waiting for them. Even so, he allowed his lips to trail over hers, enjoying a brief taste before he had to pull back.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he told her, meaning the words more than he should.

Her cheeks were a rosy pink as she smiled at him. “Because I’ll be able to play this part convincingly?”

“No,” he replied. “Not just because of that.”

Her lips parted silently as she stared up at him. He drew his thumb over the smooth skin of her cheek, marveling at how perfect she looked lying next to him here. No other woman would have fit so easily.

“We should go,” she whispered. “Let the others know we’re here. Right?”

The question sounded as if she were hoping he’d disagree with her. If only he could.

With a sigh he pulled them both up. “Yes. They will have seen the car. No use hiding.”

She nodded, drawing in a deep breath. “Then let’s go get started.”

Time to put their ruse to the test and see if his pack really would believe he’d fallen head over heels for a witch.

I
n her teenage years, Chloe used to have nightmares that she’d walk into a room of her peers and silence would fall, all eyes on her, as if they knew the secret she was trying to hide.

Today she lived that fear.

When she entered the main hall, her hand clasped in Kieran’s, a room full of werewolves eating dinner were stunned to silence. Chloe stared at the rows of tables, packed full of people who had been laughing and talking when they’d walked in. Now she could have heard a pin drop.

Undaunted, Kieran pulled her forward to the head of the hall. As she followed him, the weight of dozens of eyes landed on her.

Show them your mettle,
she instructed herself. He’d had picked her because he needed a woman who could stand up for herself, even against a room full of disapproving wolves.

Lengthening her stride, she caught up to Kieran so that he was no longer pulling her along but instead walking shoulder to shoulder. Lifting her chin, she tightened her grip on his hand and strode with purpose. She’d spent years living from meal to meal, sleeping in doorsteps and clawing for any scrap of safety. Werewolves were nothing compared to that fear.

Together they halted before the assembly.

“Thank you all for coming,” Kieran said, raising his voice so that it carried to every corner of the hall without needing a microphone. “The Clearwater pack has had another successful year with pack revenues rising nine percent. We’ve also welcomed fourteen of our young into adulthood this year. I’m also happy to report, all twelve couples who declared themselves at the last mating moon are doing very well. I hear there is even a babe on the way for the Larsens.”

A tentative round of applause followed what Chloe assumed to be the annual recap.

“I am pleased to see so many of us have managed to make it this year,” he continued when the applause died down. “This is a sacred time when we can come together as a pack. Relationships can be reforged, new love cemented by ties of mating, and our community strengthened by our time together.” He glanced her way before continuing. “You all know I am not one to share private details of my life, but I am going to make an exception tonight. You have a right to know why a non-wolf is present at our gathering. Chloe Donovan is a witch, it’s true, but she’d also the love of my life.”

She fought to keep her face impassive and not flinch at the false declaration. If he’d meant the words, she would have been beaming with pride.

“Though we will not be participating in this year’s mating moon due to our cultural differences and beliefs, I am hoping to woo her into staying by my side. I trust each of you will help me in my quest and welcome her. I know if you do, you will come to love her as I do.”

Chloe was so focused on the crowd that she didn’t notice Kieran reaching for her until he bent her backward, his mouth on hers. Feeling herself falling, she automatically wrapped her arms around him, responding instinctively to the hunger in his kiss.

Thunder pounded in her ears as his mouth slanted over hers. It took several seconds to realize it wasn’t in her head, but the roar of the pack pounding on the tables.

Pulling her back to her feet, he called out, “Let the retreat begin!”

More cheers. She pasted a smile on her face even as she made careful note who was applauding and who was stonily silent. Most of the howls came from what she assumed to be younger wolves. One table in the corner was silent, their disapproving eyes on her. There she noticed Julie and Darrel from the art gallery.

The senior wolves
. Obviously they did not approve of a witch trying to win their alpha. She’d known going in not everyone would want her here. At least now she saw where her opposition lay.

By the direction of Kieran’s gaze, the wolf was picking up on the same thing she was.

“Ready?” he said to her.

“Always,” she replied.

Tossing her a grin, he led her toward the senior table while the noise levels in the cabin returned to where they’d been before her surprise appearance.

“Alpha,” the wolves murmured when they approached.

“It’s good to see you all,” he said. “Chloe, allow me to introduce you to my advisors. They help keep the pack stable.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

One chair had been set at the end of the table, obviously for Kieran. She glanced around to see where she could sit but the benches were completely full. Before she could wonder where she’d be eating dinner, Kieran gestured to one of the wolves who seemed to be on serving duty.