Grayson tensed, his muscles building beneath her small hands and for that reason, she held on to him harder.
“Hey, Mom.” The man grunted.
Beth doted over him, the embrace ending and he acknowledged Roger next, “Dad.”
“Son, how are you?” Roger got up and gave him a quick hug. Something appeared off though, and Chloe couldn't place it.
Grayson's brother turned to them, “Hey, Gray.”
A tight lipped hey is all Grayson gave him.
His eyes were on Chloe next, a smile flickering, “I'm Darcy Holtz.”
Chloe nodded, “Chloe.”
One more look over of her and he turned towards his father, “So, what's going on?”
Roger sat, “Not much. And you?”
Chloe heard Grayson growl and she wished she understood more.
Darcy sat, “Some things.”
“Why don't you just say it, Darcy?” Grayson snarled.
Chloe looked to him and bit her lip, “Gray?”
He glanced at her, not saying a word.
Beth clasped her hands, breaking the tension, “Oh, Dar, it's almost been six months. We've missed you so much!” She smiled, “Do you want some cookies?”
And just liked that, Grayson and Chloe, were swept under the rug.
Darcy smiled at his mother, “Sure, Mom.”
Grayson slipped Chloe to his side and big hands crushed into her. To her, it felt like more than a need to protect her.
Darcy looked around as Beth left, “What's going on? Seems a bit tense in here.”
Roger snorted, “Nothing important.”
Grayson growled, “Dad.”
Darcy's eyes became fixed on them and then, he burst into laughter, “Do you have a human hanging off you!”
“Oh, just stay out of it, Darcy.” Grayson snapped, “Dad?”
Roger looked to him and shook his head, “Not now, Gray.”
Darcy smiled as Beth walked back in with cookies in hand.
“This is interesting, Gray,” Darcy continued, “Very interesting.”
Roger looked to his son, “Where is your mate, Darcy?”
Darcy rolled his eyes, “It's a long story. I'm here for what's mine, though.”
“No!” Grayson shot and moved forward. With her heart now in her chest, she gripped his shirt to hold him back. There was no way she'd stop him, if it came down to it, but he did relax from the contact with her.
Making fierce eye contact with his father, Darcy's smile faltered, “It's mine.”
Roger nodded, “Yes, but where is she?”
“No, Dad!” Grayson argued.
Roger looked to him, “Enough, Gray.”
“Yeah, enough, Gray-Gray.” Darcy patronized.
“You idiot.” Grayson snapped.
Roger grumbled, “Grayson, sit down. Show your brother some respect.”
“You mean, the new Alpha.” Grayson filled in the blanks and Chloe's eyes widened. That much had happened, all in front of her and she'd been oblivious to it.
“Yeah, Gray, that's what he means, so sit down.” Darcy snapped.
Darcy and Grayson stared at each other, neither breaking eye contact.
“Must suck, having a human as your mate,” Darcy shot.
“Where's your mate!” Grayson shouted.
“Grayson!” Roger stood, “Sit down.”
“No!” He argued.
Darcy sneered, “What was going on her.”
Beth looked to her son, her eyes sad, “Grayson wants permission for him and Chloe.”
With amusement lit eyes, Darcy burst into a big laugh, “I don't think so!”
Grayson tensed again and Chloe gripped him, she didn't want to see them fight. She really didn't want to see that. Not wolves, it'd frightened her enough the first time.
“Grayson.” Chloe tried to soothe him.
Beth sighed, “Darcy.”
“No. No humans.” Without an ounce of mercy, he ate a cookie.
“Oh, Darcy!” Beth snapped. “It's not fair to either of them!”
“They're not mates.” Roger interjected.
“Yes, we are!” Grayson argued.
“Funny.” Darcy snorted some more, “Pity, I guess, Gray, but you know the rules.”
“Darcy-” Beth tried.
Darcy snapped at his mother, “Sit down, Mother. This is Alpha business.”
“I'm your mother and that's your brother,” she shot at him. “Don't you act like this, Darcy.”
Darcy smirked, “No humans.” His set of dark eyes met his brother's, “If you change and mate her, you'll regret it.”
Grayson snarled, “You're a dick.”
“Watch your mouth, I'm your Alpha. Or do you need a reminder?” Darcy got up, stalking up them.
Chloe cowered behind Grayson, clutching the back of his shirt.
Grayson lower his chin, “I'll challenge that.”
Darcy laughed, “You never were that smart, Gray.”
Grayson growled and not his human growl either, “I'm serious.”
Darcy's eyes flashed over him, “Outside then.”
With Beth there in seconds, she stepped between them, “No more!” she snapped. “Roger, do something.”
Darcy sneered, “He obviously needs to be put in his place, Mother, don't save him.”
Beth argued, “Darcy, no.”
Grayson ripped himself from Chloe and she reached out in the process, but he was already out of her grasp, “Let's go!”
Darcy nodded and walked for the front door.
“No!” Beth screamed, “Roger!”
Roger stood, “Beth, what do you expect me to do?”
Beth shot around, “Gray, sit down. You know Darcy is much stronger than you, especially now, mated.”
Darcy laughed, “I won't kill him. I'll just knock some sense into him.”
Grayson stepped forward to leave the room, but Chloe grabbed him again, “Grayson, don't get hurt over me. It's stupid.”
Grayson sighed and turned his attention back to fighting his brother.
“Darcy!” Beth shot. “You come here, take Alpha, and you haven't even introduced your mate. And now you want to fight your little brother!”
Darcy looked to her, stiffening at the topic of his mate, “We were together a few months. We mated but she rejected the relationship. I searched for her but I haven’t found any trace. After looking for so long, I decided to move on.”
Beth's face saddened, “Darcy...”
He shrugged, “Stupid little bi-... At least she gave me one thing; my pack.”
Grayson growled, “Get outside.”
Darcy sneered, “Let's go.”
“No!” Chloe shrieked. She couldn't take it anymore, not with knowing that Darcy would beat Grayson to oblivion.
Grayson shook her off, “No more, Little.”
“Grayson,” she breathed, bringing him against her. Not caring if Beth and Roger were watching, she figured the only way to calm him down, would be to touch him.
And it worked, for a moment.
“How can you come here and want Tribune, if you don't even have your mate anymore to run the pack with?”
Darcy stared at his brother, “That's none of your concern and I don't need a female to help me run this pack.”
Grayson rolled his eyes, “Of course not.”
“Shut up, Grayson.”
“You shut up.” Grayson shot back.
“Alright,” Darcy snarled and walked straight for him, “I warned you.”
Grayson lunged on him and grabbed his neck, but Darcy threw him off and sent him straight into the near wall.
Chloe yelped and ran to Grayson. She lifted his chin as he bent over trying to recover from the blow. She inspected his scraped, bleeding cheek. It made her mad, furious even, to see him hurt.
She ran her hands over his shoulders, “Grayson, are you okay?”
He looked at the blood on his hand and went to lunge towards Darcy again.
“Enough!” Roger interjected and Chloe thanked god.
Darcy backed off, growling, and stalked across the room. He appeared done with the fight, rolling his shoulders and picking up a few cookies to shove in his mouth.
Chloe took Grayson's hand, “Can we go clean up your face?”
Grayson walked her from the living room and up the stairs.
“I'm sorry, Chloe.” He spoke, once they were alone in the bathroom.
“It's okay.”
“No, it's not,” he shut the door, “My brother's a dick. He's always been one.”
Chloe grabbed a clean face cloth from the countertop and ran it under warm water. She didn't know what to say though.
He leaned into the counter and watched her.
She turned to him, “I don't really understand what happened downstairs.”
“Darcy walked in, somehow mated and took Tribune from my dad. That's basically it, oh, and said no to us.”
She swallowed, “You were brave.”
Grayson smiled, “Sure, he just stronger because he mated or else I would have won that.”
“D-do you think you could be Alpha,” choking on what she wanted to say, “I-if we mate?”
He stared at her in silence.
Nervous, she gripped his chin and pulled it down, wiping the blood.
He took her hand, “If I change you and mate you, Darcy will have the pack outcast me and maybe worse...”
“Worse?” Chloe didn't want to know the rest of that sentence, “So, in other words, we're back to not together?”
He took in a sharp breath, “I don't know.”
“Yes!” she stepped back from him, trying to hold back her emotion. It actually made her emotionally hysterical to think about it, “You're saying, they'll kill you if you go against Darcy?”
He winced, “I might stand a chance against Darcy mated, but I won't against the pack.”
Her eyes began to water, “You really think your pack would... kill you?”
“They have to listen to Darcy. They'll always be more followers than members willing to go against an Alpha. Darcy will always have the upper hand in the situation.”
“Your parents!” Chloe cried.
“Did you see them?” He smiled, “My father doesn’t even think we're mates.”
Chloe choked, “Grayson.”
“My parents will do what Darcy says,” he finished. “It's done.”
“But I love you.” She breathed.
Stunned by her words, he fell silent.
“N-no!” She caught herself, “No, I...”
“You love me?” He questioned.
“N-no... well,” She stumbled, waving her hand at her face, “I don't know, anymore!”
He winced.
Her shoulders slumped, knowing she'd spoke the truth, but confused by it.
“I love you, Chloe.” He swallowed, “I know how you feel. I feel it too. We're mates.”
She stared at him, her tears returning.
“Don't cry.” He tried.
She shook him off, “This is literally, the weirdest shit of my life but you... you're...”
He dropped his chin, “An idiot?”
“No!” She rolled her eyes, “We could run!” Knowing it a bad suggestion, her dad would never forgive her.
“It's a death sentence, eventually one day, they'll find us,” He said in a soft voice, “Darcy will always keep me from being happy and now that he can take away my potential to even challenge him...” he shook his head in defeat.
Chloe tried to get it together, walking over to clean the blood dripping his smooth chin. She picked up the face cloth, ran it under some warm water, and lifted it back to his face, “I guess life isn't always fair.”
He watched her, “You're a strong girl, Chloe. You'll be fine.”
She smiled, “No. I'm not. I'm just good at shutting out my feelings and being angry...”
He sighed, “Little.”
She dropped the cloth in the sink and washed it out, “So, we're back to not together?”
Their eyes met and he didn't reply.
She rung out the cloth, trying to not let her thoughts obsess, “Shit.”
He reached for her arm, once she finished, “I'll take you home. Let's go.”
“God, no!” she ripped herself from him. “This has been stupid, we shouldn't give up!”
“There's nothing left to fight!” he yelled, shutting her up.
And that was it, she felt it and saw it in him. He wasn't going to fight or figure something out. She couldn't understand why but he was so good and loyal.
She'd had Grayson Holtz for a whole two and a bit hours and now she had to move on? She swallowed her anger and tried to not start bawling.
Grabbing her arm, he led her back down the hall, almost making her run to keep up with him.
She knew, he wanted her out of the house, maybe even away from him. It killed her inside.
“Stop...” she whimpered.
And he did, turning towards her with a softened face, “Chloe.”
“I want to be with you,” she swallowed as her eyes pooled with tears, none of what was happening seemed fair or just.
“Chloe, stop.” he grabbed her around the waist and she buried her face in his chest.
“There must be something.”
He took a long deep breath and stayed quiet.
She lifted her chin, “I do love you.”
He grabbed her hips and lifted her around him, kissing her.
Her body wracked with butterflies, warmth, and uncontrollable need for him.
His nose rubbed along hers as he drew back from her small mouth, “Little.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she dropped her mouth to his ear, “Please, make me yours.”
He nuzzled her cheek and finally took her mouth in his.
She could feel her hormones bursting, burning. They wanted so much more than presented.
His grip tightened, squeezing her tight like what he'd do if she really was his.
She gasped for air, “Ow.”
Realizing what was happening, he dropped her to her feet.
She stumbled back and caught her balance on the near wall, “Grayson.”
He paced away from her and dropped his forehead to his palms, regaining control of his feelings, or so she guessed.
She walked to him and grabbed his arm, “Grayson.”
“Please don't,” he pulled his arm from her and paced more.
Chloe watched him.
He swallowed and rolled his shoulders, “See why we would need to mate as soon as possible. I can kill you.”
She closed her eyes and tried to push her feelings that were screaming at her to jump on him and force him to do what he had to make her his.
“You need to go home.”
She snapped her eyes open and stared at him.
He didn't give her a chance to respond, stalking away and leaving her to walk after him.
She trailed behind, confused, sad, wanting...
Once downstairs, Beth said goodbye, but Darcy was nowhere to be found and Roger didn't get up from the living room couch, he didn't seem too interested in them.
Grayson led her out of the house and over to the truck. Into the deep snow, he picked her up in his arms and lifted her to the passenger seat.
A gust of wind caught her dress and pushed it up her parted thighs.
He tensed, his hands gripping and digging in her.
She watched his eyes darken; just liked Darcy’s had in the house.
He growled and pushed her inside the truck, slamming the door.
She shuddered, things were getting intense and she had no idea what to do anymore. Her mind started reeling with the possible outcomes, but she only thought about one. She wanted Grayson Holtz.
He walked around the truck, taking a minute or more before he got inside.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked in a soft voice.
He grunted, “No.” Something had set him off and it wasn't Darcy or their fighting, it was something else.
She crossed her cool legs, to keep herself warm, knowing she couldn't cuddle against him. They drove in silence. She wanted to question him more, but he was in a mood. It screamed don't question me, human! That feeling alone kept her quiet.
Her dark, empty house wasn't a greeting and once his truck had been turned off, it became eerie. Nervous to be alone all night, she hesitated in the cab of the truck.
Grayson looked to her and swallowed, “See you at school, Monday.”
“Oh right, the bus. Don't worry about it, pick me up.”
“No,” he shook his head. “I'll see you later.”
She stared at him, “Gray, what's wrong? You won't pick me up?”
He sighed.
“Grayson.”
“What isn't wrong, Chloe?” he snapped.
She took in a sharp breath, “Grayson...”
He groaned and looked away, “I can't do this.”
“Can't do what!” afraid this was turning into his rejection of her.
He spun towards her and growled. She sunk against the passenger door and swallowed.
“Please, go in the house now.”
She wasn't going to back down and give into him. She figured she had to fight for them, if he wouldn't, “No!”
“Chloe, get in the house!”
She whimpered, “Why are you mad at me?”
“Why are you wet!” he shouted.
They both silenced, even their breathing stopped.
She figured it out. Obviously, he had gotten a good whiff of her when he'd put her in the truck.
His eyes burned with anger.
She gripped the door and tried to get it open. Her eyes pooling with tears, “I-I'm sorry.”
He sighed, leaning back in the bench seat and flipping the locks open on the doors for her, after she kept struggling.
She stopped as the lock popped open, “I'm sorry, Grayson.” Her eyes pulled to him.
He stared out the windshield, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles cracking and turning bright white.
She let out a soft sigh. He wasn't going to respond to her, she knew that. Her fingers reached for the door handle and she went to pull it open, “So, that's it? Officially?” Now angry as well, she wanted him to say it. Tell her it.
He looked to her – about to cry. It broke her heart.
“I love you, Chloe.”
She couldn't take it anymore. It was ridiculous what was happening, what had happened! She didn't care about the ramifications of being his girlfriend or not being his girlfriend. She lunged towards him, smashing her mouth against his.
He grabbed her and sunk her down along the bench, crushing her under him. His strength getting the better of the situation. She gasped for breath and he let up, pulling away.
“I told you, Chloe!” he shouted at her.
“Grayson...”
“Get in the house.”
She shook her head in protest.
He slammed his palm to the dashboard and it cracked the plastic, “Crap!”
Chloe held her breath, “Gray.”
“Stop it!” he turned to her, his eyes watering. “Go in your house. Please, Little. Before I hurt you or worse!”
She cried, buckling over her lap.
“Chloe...”
“Why can't you just do it!” she screamed at him. “Don't you see what sort of pain I'm in!”
“Think of me, Chloe!” he moved forward “Do you know how hard you are to resist! Do you have any idea, how hard this instinct is to fight, to not bite into your neck and claim you!”
Her eyes widened and she stared at him, swallowing.
He lowered his chin and growled at her, “Think about that graphic image. It should scare the living crap out of you, especially since I'm considering it, even with you not being a wolf.”
It didn't scare her though, because she'd been thinking a similar situation.
“Now, please go.”
She took a long breath, “Come in the house, please. I don't want to be alone. You can leave, after I fall asleep.”
He rolled his eyes, “I can't.”
“Please, Gray. I don't want to be alone, not after Bruce tonight and, during the week there was two wolves outside my house fighting. I'm freaked out, okay?”
“What?” He shot, “Who? Why didn't you tell me?”
She tried to process his questions, “W-we weren't really talking.”
He grunted, taking a moment to talk, “Let's go.” He flicked the key off in the ignition and the truck shut off. Jumping out, he came around to her and opened the door. She slipped out onto the step-up bar, and he caught her before her bare legs dropped into the snow.
He gripped her around the waist and held her close.
She wanted to kiss him, touch him, and she wanted it to escalate and it didn't matter if they weren't the same anymore.
His hand went under her jacket and caressed her lower back, “You're a beautiful girl.”
She smiled and dropped her nose against his.
He slammed the truck door and carried her to the house. His lips were moist from his constant licking of them and she watched his tongue wet them again.
Taking her against the door, his mouth bit into her and they enjoyed the paused, dark moment in time.