This time, when his gaze rested on me, it didn’t move away. “The way I hear it, your pack was done with her.”
I shook my head. “It was a misunderstanding, Darrell. I’m afraid that it’s my fault Chloe left and I’m here to get her back.”
“Oh, really?” He sounded skeptical.
Chloe’s hand clamped on my bicep in a warning and I knew I only had seconds to act before she opened her mouth and screwed up the plan that Sophia, Calder, and I had developed.
Moving swiftly, I reached back and wrapped an arm around Chloe, tugging her into my side. “You see, when I realized that she was my mate, well, I didn’t have the best reaction.”
As I suspected, Darrell knew about what happened to Belinda and his face softened. “That seems understandable.”
Beside me, Chloe’s body was as tight as a bowstring and vibrated with her desire to deny everything I was saying. I squeezed her shoulders tightly and quickly continued.
“It took me a while to realize my mistake and I’m here to apologize.”
“Lachlan…” Her voice was low and carried a warning note.
Ignoring her and preparing to protect my balls in case Chloe decided to retaliate, I said, “As you can see, I have a lot of convincing to do before we return to my pack.”
Darrell’s eyes moved over both of us and just when I thought he was going to challenge my words, he smiled a little. “Well, son, you’re going to need all the help you can get. My niece is a handful.”
“One of the reasons I admire her so much,” I replied.
Chloe’s elbow jabbed me sharply in the gut, making me grunt in pain. “Now that the two of you are finished talking about me as though I’m not here, what brings you by, Darrell?”
His smile widened into a huge grin and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I came to invite you to a barbeque. The pack is having a big dinner tonight in town and I thought you might like to get out of this cabin for a while.”
“That sounds great,” Chloe agreed, nudging me again as she tried to step out of the circle of my arm.
For some reason I couldn’t fathom, I didn’t want her to. Instead, I jerked her closer to me. She growled softly and Darrell’s grin morphed into a laugh.
“Damn, this is gonna be fun,” he stated gleefully, rubbing his hands together. “We’re eatin’ at six, but come by early around five or so. We’ll have a beer and I’ll give you some tips for handling a MacArthur woman.”
Before Chloe could react, he turned on his heel and walked out of the cabin, shutting the door behind him.
As his footsteps faded from the porch, Chloe shoved me away and whirled to face me. The earlier pallor of her face was gone, replaced with a bright flush. Her fists were clenched by her side and anger rolled off her in waves.
She waited until Darrell started his truck and drove away before she spoke.
“What the fuck was that?” she growled, her voice barely a low rumble in her chest. Her eyes were changing and I knew she was holding on to her control by a thread.
Without thinking, I reached out and cupped her cheeks, leaning forward. “Please let me help you, Chloe,” I murmured. “Let me repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”
Chapter Seven
Chloe
Lach’s hands werewarm on my face and oh-so-gentle. His touch was muddling my mind, making it difficult to think. The anger that had filled me moments ago drained away.
Let me repay you for everything you’ve done for me.
His words rang in my ears, reminding me that he had no desire for me. He was too broken to realize what I truly was to him. Even if he did, I was certain that his real reaction would mirror his fictional one. He would reject me.
Spurning a mate in our culture was rare. Our very nature urged us to claim our mate, our wolf often pushing us even if our human heart resisted. However, if anyone could master his wolf, it would be Lachlan.
I tore myself away from his hands, putting several feet between us. “I appreciate why you want to help me, Lach, but it’s not necessary. There is no debt to be paid. I did for you what I would have done for anyone in my pack.”
The imploring expression left his face, replaced by determination as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m glad you feel that way, but I’m not leaving. I came to help you and I’m staying.” Then he pulled out the big guns. “Sophia wanted me to tell you that if you don’t accept my help, she’ll be on the next flight out.”
