But I didn’t want to say no. I wanted to lean on him for a while, to let him be strong while I could not.
Inching forward, I lined our bodies up so that I faced him, my nose pressed against his chest. He didn’t try to hold me there. Lachlan bent the arm beneath him, resting his head on his bicep. His other draped lightly over my hips. Not pinning me down, just touching me.
As I inhaled his scent, the wild pounding of my heart began to slow and the terrible tightness in my chest loosened. I could feel my muscles relaxing against him, giving in to my heart’s desire to be close to my mate.
His lips brushed my hair tenderly and I bit my lip to keep a sob from escaping. I wondered if this was what he felt all those months ago when our roles had been reversed and he was the weak one that I cared for.
The hurt filled every part of my body, but his proximity was a balm, easing the worst of the pain even if it couldn’t remove it completely.
“I’m here, Chloe,” he whispered. “You can sleep now. I’ll always be here.”
I closed my eyes, shutting out the lie as much as giving in to fatigue, and I slept.
Lachlan’s body lurched,jolting me awake. Then he was out of the bed and across the room, looking out the window.
“Someone’s here,” he whispered.
He put an eye to a crack in the drapes then cursed. “Shit. The cavalry has arrived.”
I rolled out of bed and crossed to the window. He moved to the side to let me look. In the driveway, the doors were thrown open in two SUV’s and I saw familiar wolves climbing out. I was also surprised to see a vampire among them.
Calder drove one of the vehicles and behind the wheel of the other was Finn, the vampire mate of Ricki’s friend, Kerry. Despite Lachlan’s words, I was glad to see them.
Until the passenger stepped out of Calder’s SUV. Her back was straight and rigid, her shoulder-length honey blond hair lifting in the slight breeze. As if she could sense my eyes on her, my grandmother looked up to the window, meeting my gaze.
My father had often joked that my grandmother and I looked more like sisters, despite the one hundred and fifty year age difference. He’d also stated many times that the reason we fought so often was because we were too much alike. It was strange because the reasons we fought usually became the same reasons we got along. Sophia MacArthur was a formidable wolf, regardless of her age or sex.
I didn’t want her to see me in this state, marked by a male I despised. A wolf I’d let go instead of chasing him down and killing him.
Even at this distance, I could see her jaw tighten.
“We’d better go downstairs,” I murmured to Lachlan. “Will you check on Carter?”
He nodded, his hand taking mine for a moment, squeezing gently. Then he left the room.
I stood by the window a few seconds longer and took a deep breath, gathering myself for the conversation to come. Once my shield was in place, I went downstairs and opened the front door for the wolves that had come to help us.
My grandmother was already on the porch, waiting by the door. She looked me over carefully, her eyes lingering on the fresh bite on my shoulder. I knew she could smell Brayden’s scent emanating from the mark when her lips drew into a thin line.
“The Kirkpatrick’s are dead,” she muttered.
To my complete shock, when her eyes lifted to mine, there were tears shimmering on the lower lids. She took a deep breath, blinked, and they disappeared.
Then she hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek, surprising me further. My grandmother could be affectionate, but never in front of other wolves, especially those from another pack. It spoke a great deal to the trust she placed in Calder.
“I love you, Chloe.” The words were whispered so softly that not even the nearby wolves would have been able to hear them.
“I love you too,” I murmured in return, my voice barely audible.
My grandmother’s right hand, Nicholas, came up behind her, his black eyes going directly to the wound on my neck and turning hard. “Chloe,” he rumbled by way of greeting.
Calder, Mason, Shane, and Finn came up the stairs. Two unfamiliar wolves loitered by the cars and I realized they were from Gram’s pack.
Lachlan emerged from the house, shaking hands with everyone. As the ritual of greeting wound down, Finn sidled up to me.
“Hi, Finn,” I said, meeting his beautiful amethyst gaze. He was one of the few vampires that didn’t raise my hackles. I liked Conner, Lex, and Asher well enough, but Finn had something inherently soothing in his manner. I assumed it came from the Druid magic in his blood because I got the same sense of peace from Kerry, his mate.
His eyes swept over my face, taking in every detail, before skimming down to my shoulder, where the fresh scar was partially covered by the t-shirt I wore.
