She stared at me, a frown tugging her brows down. “My ribs are a little bruised, but I’m not truly hurt. It’ll heal up in a matter of minutes.”
“Dammit, Chloe. You know you shouldn’t touch me when I’m having a nightmare. Why didn’t you yell or call my name?”
“I did,” she answered shortly, pushing herself off the floor and to her feet. “You didn’t wake up.”
“Well, turn on the light or throw something at me next time,” I snarled.
She moved to the cabinet next to the sink and took out two glasses, filling them with water from the tap. “Don’t worry, I will,” she growled back, bringing a glass to me and handing it over with a fierce scowl.
I took the water from her, feeling even more like as asshole. “Thank you,” I mumbled.
“You’re welcome.” She moved over to the trunk at the end of the bed and sipped her own water. “Do you want to watch some TV or something?”
I drained the glass and shook my head. “No. Just go back to sleep, Chloe. I’ll be fine.”
She didn’t speak for a long moment, but I could feel her eyes on me. I tensed, waiting for her to say something, to ask me if I would be okay. To my surprise, she sighed and got up, walking around the bed.
There was a rustle of sheets as she slid beneath the covers and settled. She remained silent, the still air stretching until the quiet vibrated with all the unspoken words between us.
I sat on the floor, my back against the couch, and listened to her breathe until I knew she had fallen back asleep. It was only then that I got up and lay on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling until the moonlight gave way to the rising sun.
The whisper ofthe screen door shutting woke me up. It took me a moment to remember where I was and what had happened last night. Grunting in disgust, I sat up on the couch and scrubbed my face with my hands. I saw that there was half a pot of coffee left and the clock said it was just after ten.
I must have fallen asleep after the sun came up, I realized. That surprised me. I usually couldn’t sleep again after a nightmare. If I’d been alone in the cabin, I would have turned on every light in the place and paced the floor until dawn. Or I would have gone for a long, punishing run in wolf form. Unfortunately, I could do neither last night.
Getting to my feet, I walked on silent feet to the front door and looked outside. Then I froze. Chloe stood in the front yard with her back to me, naked. Her long hair gleamed in the sunlight, the dark blonde illuminated by the rays until the strands took on a hue of pure honey. Her long body was curved in all the right places and packed with lean muscle.
Unable to look away, I watched as she lifted her arms above her head and gave a cat-like stretch, which should have looked strange on a wolf shifter, but it didn’t.
No, it was sexy as hell.
I took several steps away from the door then, backing into the kitchen until I could no longer see her. What the fuck was I doing? Staring at Chloe and thinking she was sexy?
My gut twisted with guilt and horror. I had no right to look at a female with lust. Not after what I had with Belinda. Now that I knew the touch of a true mate, nothing else would fill the void left behind.
A streak of brown out the kitchen window caught my eye and I realized Chloe must have shifted and gone for a run.
The guilt inside me morphed into something darker and uglier—anger. Chloe knew that we were being watched, and possibly in danger, yet she went for a run alone, without telling me.
I let that ire build within me until my temper snapped. Snarling, I tore off the pajama pants and briefs I wore and ran out the door. As I bounded off the porch, I felt my body shifting and changing. Within a few strides, I was running on four paws, following the scent of lavender and Chloe.
Chapter Eleven
Chloe
As I ranthrough 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.
