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. She scrambled toward Cindy and Pony but slipped on the broken gla.s.s. 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 gla.s.s that had lodged itself deep in her hip.

Cindy lifted her eyes from Chloe and made it one step as she yelled, "JESUS DELL, DOOOOOOON'T!"

Chloe turned her head just in time to see the large gray wolf she knew to be Dell lock his ma.s.sive 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. "f.u.c.k!" 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 slammed her hard against the wall, pinning her in place with his weight. "What in the h.e.l.l 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. His nose touched hers as he snarled inches 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 impossibly 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 tightly. 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. His 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 once 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 severe. He gnashed his teeth together and his dark eyes had her pinned with his angry gaze.

"Look at her Dell." Cindy continued, "You're hurting her. You're hurting your mate."

Chloe felt Dell carefully peel his hands from her. Slowly, Chloe eased off the wall, noting that Dell had stopped growling. She pulled away from him and inched her way toward Cindy.

Cindy held up a hand indicating that Chloe should stop so Chloe froze in mid-step. She watched Cindy for several tense moments as Cindy spoke to her. "He's not himself right now. He's too fresh from the fight. He was aroused when he found you with another viable male. His wolf a.s.sumed you were trying to mate another. When he scented your blood..." Cindy tore her eyes from Dell to look at Chloe, "Please don't judge him by this. He cannot control his wolf right now. The need to claim you is driving him insane."

Dell growled and Cindy's eyes slid back to him, "Your enemy is dead. You're mate is safe. She's not going anywhere."

The h.e.l.l I'm not. The instant it was safe, Chloe had every intention of running from the compound and never returning. She stared at Cindy and watched as the other woman's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Chloe?"

The regret and pain in Dell's voice was so strong that Chloe nearly turned to look at him. She caught herself before she did. She knew it was finally safe, that Dell had regained control of himself. A sob tore loose as she ran from the room brushing past Cindy. She didn't even return to Dell's room for her things. She dashed out to her car and pulled the keys from where she'd left them tucked in the visor. She raced from the compound without looking back.

Chapter 20.

"So how was your weekend with Captain Yummy?" Marissa stood in the doorway to Chloe's office with her legs crossed at the ankle, a cup of steaming coffee in one hand.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Captain Yummy?" It was Wednesday and she'd successfully avoided Marissa all week long only to be cornered in her own office. She sighed in exasperation, "It was fine."

"It was fine!" Marissa's gray eyes saucered in incredulity. "Come on Chlo. You gotta give me more than that. Please don't be stingy with the details."

Chloe continued to type, her posture stiff. She'd been trying to forget Dell since Sunday and the last thing she needed was her friend hounding her about him, the week had already been long enough. "Look," she stopped typing and turned to face Marissa. "I spent the weekend with Dell Blackbird. Nothing happened."

Marissa uncrossed her ankles, her mouth falling open as she closed the distance to Chloe. "Dell Blackbird?"

"He's Mace's brother. Nothing is happening, and nothing is ever going to happen between us. It was a polite night out as a form of peacekeeping between our families."

Marissa's shoulders visibly slumped. "Oh." She didn't try to hide the disappointment in her tone. "That's a d.a.m.n shame, cuz he's the finest piece of a.s.s I've seen in a really long time."

Chloe rolled her eyes again and turned back to her computer.

"Knock, knock. Special delivery."

Chloe turned to the door and the annoying front desk secretary, who stood beaming at Chloe holding a vase full of two dozen yellow roses.

"Somebody's got a special admirer. Yellow, symbolic of a new beginning." The secretary strolled in and placed the vase on Chloe's desk and winked at her, "What have you been starting?" She didn't wait for an answer as she strolled back out of the office.

As much as she didn't want to, Chloe let her eyes find Marissa who stood gaping at her with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Polite night out my a.s.s! You don't get flowers like that for nothing sister."

Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but when Marissa plucked the card from the flowers Chloe jumped to her feet, b.u.mping her hip that had been wounded during Dell's fight with Hayden. She winced but still managed a shrill, "Give me that!"

Marissa waggled the card at her, "If you've got nothing to hide."

Chloe blanched in horror watching as Marissa tore open the small envelope and pulled out the card. Dear G.o.d please don't let him apologize for attacking me!

Marissa read the card silently, her grin sliding slowly from her face before she peered up at Chloe, "Geez Chlo, what happened?"

Chloe s.n.a.t.c.hed the card and read the two lone words. 'Forgive me.' Tears sprang forth, but she blinked them back. "Nothing," she lied tucking the card back into the flowers and returning to her desk. "He must be apologizing for his family's role in my brother's death."

"It's none of my business," Marissa bent to sniff the flowers, "but it seems to me like he's interested. If he's not a bad guy, you should give him a chance."

Reclaiming her seat and continuing to type with her spine rod straight, Chloe pursed her lips. "Well, for your information he is a bad guy, so no, I'm not giving him a chance."

Marissa sighed heavily and shrugged. "What a waste."

Dell hoisted the axe high over his head and brought it down, using his arm strength to project it through the log that sat on end. The log split in two and fell away.

"We have enough fire wood." Cindy strolled toward Dell and cracked open a can of soda before handing it to him.

He ignored the offered drink and grabbed another log, standing it on end and lifting the axe.

"Seriously bro, we couldn't burn that much wood in six winters." She was hoping levity would open the door to conversation. When it didn't work she did what always seemed to work for her and got right to the point. "Dell, she'll forgive you she just needs time."

Despite the cool air, his coat was tossed aside and his b.u.t.ton up shirt was halfway undone, the sleeves rolled up to reveal corded forearms. "Would you forgive a man that murdered another in front of you then attacked you for nearly being raped?"

Cindy winced. "Well when you put it like that, no."

"There's no other way to put it." Dell continued to chop wood, sweat dripping down his forehead and off the tip of his nose.

"Sure there is." Cindy grabbed an uncut log and set it on end as a make shift seat before sitting on it and taking a sip of her brother's unwanted soda. "We aren't like them Dell. There are rules, protocol. She understands that. You're an Alpha that has yet to a.s.sert dominance over his soon to be claimed mate. It made you temporarily irrational. You wouldn't have hurt her."

With one final chop, Dell let the axe stay embedded in the block he used as he straightened and ran a sleeve over his face. "Clearly she doesn't understand that." He jerked the axe free with one hand, "And in case you missed it, I did hurt her."

"Well, you can't just let her go."

"And what do you suggest I do?"

Cindy shrugged negligently, "I dunno. You want me to bring her back?"

He stopped chopping to frown at his sister. "I thought you said she needed time."

Eyeing him over the rim of the can as she took a healthy drink of the soda, she righted it and shook her head. "I just say that type of s.h.i.t 'cause it's what people expect to hear from a woman, but if I were you I'd hide in her parking lot until she came out then toss her in the trunk and drag her back up here 'till she saw things my way!"

Laughter erupted from Dell and he shook his head, "I have no idea why you're not the Alpha."

Cindy smiled too, "Yeah that makes two of us!"

Chapter 21.

By the end of the week Chloe missed Dell terribly, at least she hoped that was the emotion she was feeling. A steady dull ache had settled itself in the center of her chest, and it was reminiscent of the pain she'd suffered over the loss of her brother. Only this was worse. It was self-inflicted and could be cured at any time. But she didn't want to run back to Dell. She was still afraid of what had happened. She'd replayed the scenario a dozen times in her head and she couldn't help but admit her fault in the whole situation. She should have gone after Dell when Hayden entered the room. She never should have allowed him to get close, to touch her.

She knew what Dell had seen when he entered the room, How humiliating! He'd warned her of the consequences of being near another male, but she had never believed things could go so far.

She shook her head remembering how he'd slammed her into the wall. He'd been in a jealous rage. Over her. She realized now that he'd been attempting to a.s.sert his dominance to make her submit. It was so easy to forget that he was part animal. Wild, virile, uncontrollable.

The most humiliating thing of all wasn't being nearly taken against her will and it wasn't his sister walking in on them and having to talk him down from 'teaching her her place', it was the fact that after all that had happened she still wanted him. It was inexplicable. h.e.l.l, it had taken her a full day to even realize that he'd taken a life for her.

Hayden deserved to die. He'd crossed the line that she'd heard Dell warn him of several times, and he'd paid with his life. She shivered at the memory of his rough hands on her. When he told her Dell wouldn't want her once he'd claimed her, she'd been terrified, which was ridiculous because she'd been more afraid of Dell not wanting her than of Hayden actually raping her. What in the h.e.l.l is wrong with me? She knew something had to be for her to be dying to see Dell, to be near him, to touch him after all that had occurred. No sane woman would ever consider seeing him again. Perhaps it was the mating bond he spoke of, but she couldn't shake him. She actually feared never seeing him again. She also feared the consequences and repercussions of Hayden's death.

She wondered if anyone was looking for Hayden, if they'd trace him to the compound, if Dell would be arrested. The thought was terrifying. She could be implicated, she'd been there. She'd noticed that when Hayden died that he had stayed in his wolf form, which was a relief. It'd be much easier to dispose of the body that way.

Dispose of the body? Listen to me, I sound like a psychopath! She reached for her phone and swiped it on, touching the picture icon that would dial her mother.

"h.e.l.lo?"

"Hey Ma, it's me."

"Chloe, everything alright?"

"Yeah," she lied, "are you free? Do you wanna have dinner?"

There was rustling on the other end of the line. "Well I was just lying down, but sure. Can you give me fifteen to freshen up?"

"Sure. Do you wanna meet at the new steak house by the fairgrounds in thirty-minutes?"

"Okay, see you then."

She had to get out. She needed something to get her mind off Dell. She'd given herself a migraine just thinking about him. Turning to eye the vase of yellow roses on her kitchen table, she ran a hand gingerly over her arm. Over the past few days her skin was starting to become sensitive to anything that touched it. The sensation had started as mere discomfort, but was quickly becoming painful. She remembered Dell had said that it would become physically painful for mates to be apart from each other. She dropped her hand, sickened by the feel of it on her own skin. G.o.d if that's what this is, I'll never be able to stay away.

"Come on son, you'll enjoy it. You need to get out."

Dell frowned at his mother, not wanting to disappoint her but not wanting to accompany the family to dinner either.

"It's the new steak house Dell. How can they f.u.c.k that up?" Pony bounded past and dashed to his turquoise colored pickup with AJ quick on his heels.

"Yeah Uncle, how can they f.u.c.k that up?" AJ mimicked Pony.

"Hey," Dell growled, "watch your mouth."

AJ halted for a second to eye his uncle, unsure of how much trouble he'd just earned himself. When Dell tore his disapproving eyes from his nephew, AJ climbed into the pa.s.senger side seat of Pony's truck and punched Pony in the arm weakly for getting him in trouble.

"Son, come on." Mama waved him to follow as she walked to his truck and climbed in the pa.s.senger side seat. Once inside she sat with her hands crossed over her purse on her lap as she waited for Dell to drive her to dinner.

"s.h.i.t," he mumbled under his breath as he stalked to his truck.