“Yeah, Grayson found me last night.”
“Are you crazy, Chloe!” Henry roared at her.
She blanched, stepping back from him.
“Do you know what you've done!”
She really didn't know, because, she hadn't done anything. She swallowed and tried to think of the right answer, “I'm sorry, Dad. I was being dumb.”
Henry pressed his hand to his forehead, “Damn it, Chloe!”
She tried to calm herself, but it wasn't working, “I'm sorry. Don't make me leave.” This was the big issue she had to get him past.
He dropped his hand, “I don't know where to start, Chloe. This is messed up.”
She swallowed, “Maybe, I need a therapist?”
Henry raised an eyebrow and sighed, “Just... I'm speechless, Chloe. I'm speechless... and I've seen a lot of things.”
She swallowed, “I'm sorry.”
“Alright,” he put his hands on his hips and looked to her, “I'll take care of this. We're not going to say you ran away.I'm going to tell them you crawled out of the wreck and I don't know... I don't know. Damn it, Chloe!”
She nodded, “People are going to ask questions.”
“I know!” he shot.
This could actually work in her favour, either way she was being brought back to life, it needed to be done.
“You... got picked up by a trucker and they drove you to the hospital, you had amnesia.”
She swallowed, “They won't know it's all lies?”
Henry looked to her, “Chloe, I'm a cop.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
He rolled his eyes, “I can't believe this.” He shook his boots off as his radio went off on his belt, “I better call the station.”
“What should I do?”
Henry looked to her, “I don't know, Loe. Go to your room or something, while I deal with this mess,” he walked into the kitchen and left her.
She stayed still though. It was odd and normal. Had she really just brought herself back to life? No, Henry was bringing her back to life.
She swallowed and then it hit her, the strong scent of...
“Grayson!” She jogged the stairs two at time, which for her short legs should have been impossible, but it no longer wasn't. Whether leaving her father downstairs was the right thing to do, her mind wasn't in control against her need for her mate.
She scurried into her room and closed the door behind herself, scanning the small area, but he wasn't there and it bothered her. She growled, pouting about it, it made her feel weird; hoping for Grayson Holtz to be in her room came off obsessive.
A sharp knock at her window snapped her out of her thoughts. She hurried over, a wave of relief washing over her as she saw Grayson on the other side.
She unlocked the window and threw it up, “Hi, Gray.”
He climbed into her room with a pair of jeans and a shirt in hand. Happy he had at least taken the time to put on boxers.
He straightened and pulled his shirt over his head, “Chloe, I'm going to be honest. That pissed me off!”
She swallowed, “I didn't know what else to do.”
“How about you listen to me next time? What the hell is Henry doing?” he snapped in a hushed voice.
“He's bringing me back to life.”
Grayson raised his eyebrow, “Chloe.”
She didn't like the deep growl in his voice, it freaked her out. She ran her hands threw her bangs and looked up at him, “I'm sorry, Gray.”
He grumbled, “If you had just done what I said and not gone to him, this would be a lot easier right now.”
Chloe watched him and his agitated step, “What and my dad would still be suffering, thinking I'm dead! Great plan.”
He stepped up to her, “Don't start, Chloe. I'm not in the mood for this. What don't you seem to understand about you being my mate? We need to work together! You don't though; you just do whatever you want. You don't seem to care about me... at all.”
Chloe swallowed, “Why are you so pissed, this had to happen. He had to know at some point that I'm here!”
Grayson titled his head, “Well, what exactly does he know?”
Chloe whined, knowing he wouldn't like the answer to that question. She chose not to speak further.
He grabbed her elbow and pulled her against his chest, “What did you tell him? Did you tell him you're a wolf? Did you tell him I'm your mate? Did you tell him I need to sleep next to you every night or I may go insane!”
She cringed, “Okay, no! I didn't say that but I'll get there.”
Grayson growled, “What the hell? What exactly did you tell him?”
“Well,” she swallowed, knowing he wasn't going to act favourably after they got past this point of the conversation, “He sort of seems to think that, I ran away and crashed his truck.”
“Your blood was in the snow.” Grayson pointed out.
Chloe shrugged, “I didn't ask.”
Grayson groaned, “He's in denial or something and for a cop, this should not be happening.”
“I didn't start it. It was him! I just went with it. Would you have preferred I told him I was a wolf!”
“No,” Grayson turned to her, “I don't know!”
Chloe huffed, “It is what it is.”
“I wonder if he even saw the truck. Once they found out you were involved, it was likely a conflict of interest. This is just, great!” He paced away from her, “We need to tell him the truth...”
Chloe stared at him and shook her head, “He'll freak! What about Roger! They're friends!”
Grayson stopped and looked at her like she was dumber than a tree, “Chloe, do you really think Henry is going to be my father's best friend anymore?”
Chloe shrugged, “Look, this is perfect. He thinks I'm human, you know I'm not...”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him again, “Chloe! This is not fair to us. You can't expect me to live without my mate!”
The wolf stuff was freaking her out, “We're still in high school! You didn't actually think I was going to live with you, did you?”
Grayson growled.
She stepped back, he smelt off and it bugged her wolf senses out. Another flashing sign appeared in her head; Mate extremely angry!
“I need you to tell Henry.”
Chloe's face a mangle expression; to tell Henry the truth, it scared her, “I don't think that's a good idea. He's fragile, right now.”
Grayson's nostrils flared, “I don't care!”
“Don't be selfish!” Chloe pointed at him. “We can play this out till we find Savannah!”
He sneered, “Why are you so concerned about everyone else! You should be concerned about us, Chloe!”
She creased her brow, “Grayson, Colten needs our help!”
Grayson threw his palm to his face and walked away from her, “Knowing my brother, she's probably dead by now!”
Chloe paled, “Grayson!”
He tilted his head and shrugged, “It's true. Darcy is ruthless and she's been missing a long time.”
She needed to change the subject back to Henry, just to drive the point home to her mate, “Look, my dad thought I was dead and now I'm alive. You have to let it sink in at the very least.”
“Let what sink in!” he snapped in a hushed voice. “A lie? That's what you're letting him believe, a big huge lie. Now,” he lowered his chin, his shoulders squaring off to her, “Tell him.”
Chloe's eyes flashed up to him, “No.”
He growled deep in his chest, “Chloe.”
“No!” she snapped at him.
“Fine,” his deep wolf growl erupted in his chest, filling her ears, and making her want to cower under him. “I'm going to teach you a lesson then.”
“What?” she whimpered.
He stepped back from her, “I'm going now.”
“Why?” her voice broke.
His shoulders dropped with his sigh and he lost his edge, “Because, maybe if I leave you, you'll get it. You will understand, after one night without me, what our bond does to us.”
Her throat closed over, “Gray, I already know what it's like without you.”
“No, you don't!” he snapped. “You think you do, we're mated now. You don't even know the beginning of it.”
“I'm just trying to help my dad.”
“You're not helping him, Chloe. You didn't help him. You're not helping us. You're just being dumb!”
She creased her brow, “I am not.”
Grayson tilted his head, “We're on Tribune's territory. I'm not supposed to be here and on top of it, no one knows where Darcy or my dad is. You now cannot leave this house because of what you've done because you're back in Henry's care. Which means, if Darcy gets pissed at me, he's going to turn potentially thirty-nine pack members on me and you will not have a mate, because I can't run from you. I will die. So no, you are being a tad dumb, because you can't seem to listen to a damn thing I say to you! You're not a human anymore. You're a wolf and, you're mated!”
She fell silent, not knowing what to say to that. His words scared her and she realized she'd never even taken a moment to really think about the consequences of doing what she'd done half an hour before.
“Now, lie in bed and suffer a bit or something, I don't know.” He rambled in displeasure.
She stared at him, “Gray.”
He paused before he went to step towards the window, “Damn it, Chloe.” he grabbed her chin, kissing her. Her body warmed and she melted into him, gripping his cotton shirt. The instinctual pull towards him, painful. It upset her wolf at the mere thought of him about to leave.
His hands grabbed her and pulled her up around him, wrapping her legs around his midsection.
She let out a soft moan; his mouth on hers intoxicating, his taste, his hot tongue. She grabbed his shirt collar; starting to feel a deep want, her wolf side chomping at the bit to come out.
He crushed her against the wall, growling deep in his thick chest.
She melted, her knees loosening on him, “Gray, don't go.”
He groaned and pulled back, his brow and nose creased, “Try to be a good girl for one night, Little. Don't leave this house.”
She staggered once placed on the floor, really was feeling the bond at that moment, “You did that to me on purpose.”
Grayson raised his eyebrow, “See you tomorrow morning, Chloe. Be good.” He walked to the window and jumped out, allowing gravity to do the rest of the work.
She rushed after him and looked down out the open window, as the big grey wolf disappeared into the surrounding forest.
She gripped the frame, “Damn you, Wolfboy!” Her stomach lurched and she swallowed the sharp pain taking over her insides.
She moved to her bed and sat, “Oh man.” She curled up in the bed and pulled the blankets around her. The wolf in her was chewing the ropes she had around her. She needed to figure out a way of balancing both the human and wolf side without hurting Grayson and her father again.
However, that could be easier said than done.
***
She heard the sound of wool socks on the wooden floors approach her door about an hour later.
“Chloe?” the door creaked open, Henry entering her room.
He looked to her open window and made a face, but he didn't touch the subject, “I thought I heard some voices.”
She looked up to him, tucking the blankets under her chin, “I was talking to myself.”
He sighed, “I don't want anyone in this room, Chloe.”
She sunk into her blankets and nodded, but she had a feeling he knew Grayson had been in the room.
“Good,” Henry continued on with conversation, “It's done.”
Chloe swallowed, her revival from the depths of hell. Her reawakening, she was the living dead.
“Okay.”
Henry grunted, “So, do you need to see a doctor?”
“No,” she shook her head.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” she pulled the blankets over her head, “Let me sleep, please.”
Henry didn't leave though, “I want you to go back to school, Chloe.”
“Tomorrow?” she sat up in some panic. She didn't want to see all those kids, not after everything that had happened... was happening.
Henry sighed, “No. Later. A few days. You need to graduate, Loe. You need to just stop screwing up.”
His words hurt. Almost like he'd taken his gun and shot her in the heart several times. Now very tempted to tell him the truth, just so Grayson would come back to her.
“We're not moving then?”
Henry walked to her window and slammed it closed, “No.” The open breeze had obviously been bothering him, “Keep this closed.”
A wave a relief washed over her and she sunk back into the bed as her father turned back towards her, “I need to deal with a few things still, so I'll be down stairs.”
“Okay.”
He left her room and she wallowed in her self-stupidness. Right now, she could have been with Grayson, but she had made her bed and now she had to lie in it. Or at least, that was the point she had gathered from her mate.
She pulled the covers over her face and shut her eyes, only to convulse and suffer. It burned and in fact, it was much more uncomfortable then even the whole process of becoming mates had been.
Sure the further he got from her, the more it would pull at their bond, exhausting her heart, and making her sweat.
She buried her face in a pillow and whimpered. Minutes ticked to hours and soon her sweat drenched body found relief with sleep, which she was grateful for, even if she could feel her heart being chipped away at.
Mate. Mate. Mate. It called to her and she sunk lower into a black sea of sleep.
Her body would convulse, but her limbs were paralyzed. The dream she was in was excruciating, she wanted relief. She wanted to wake up, but at the same time, it would be easier to just stay in the pain. The time would go faster.
The sharp sound of howling woke her, sending her from lying down to her feet in seconds. She rushed the window, not out of her own doing, but because her other side didn't like the call. She stared out, her nerves on edge.
Then it stopped, her body's instincts towards the howling and she snapped back to her human brain. Her breathing slowed and in the silence, she heard the guttural sounds of her stomach as it begged her for food.
She shivered and turned, walking to her door. The house was dark, silent, and she was sure it was well past midnight, which meant she had slept for a long time.
She padded her way down the hall and hurried the stairs, almost jogging to the fridge.
“Meat... Meat... Meat...” she ripped open the cold box's door and searched, pulling out a large roll of sausage and a block of cheese. Her fingers snapped up a knife from the cutting block and she sliced through the items, making herself a plate as her mouth watered from the pleasant smells.
While she did, it gave her ample amount of time to think about Grayson. Where he was and what he was doing and how much he was right. Henry had to know the truth and he'd just have to suck it up. Come morning, she'd bite the bullet and tell her father, she was a Wolfgirl or at least, she would try to tell him.
She looked up out the widow, at the glistening snow as it basked in the freezing night air. Her finger slipped under the blade as she cut the last piece of sausage. It sunk through her skin and sliced her open.
Letting out a whine, she sucked on her fingertip, “Great.” Looking down to inspect the damage, but there was none.
“What the-” she stared at her perfectly healed finger. “Are you kidding me? This is awesome!” She picked up the knife about to stab herself again, but then decided that was a bit weird. So, she put it back down and picked up her plate of sausage and cheese instead.
Chewing on some cheese, she turned away from the kitchen, just as there was a loud crash outside the house.
She spun around, pushed the plate on the counter, and rush to the back door, “Grayson!”
She swallowed, searching the back of the house, and the valley below. Nothing. Then pensively, she waited. She brought her finger nails to her teeth and chomped down, “Damn, Grayson. He's got to be out there!” She knew he wouldn't leave her, so that meant she had to at least go out there and call him. She was done with the no-mate torture, he'd made his point.
Weighing her options, the wolf side told her to get her butt out the door. She groaned and ran to get her boots and jacket, then with a hesitant step. She moved out into the darkness, inching across the wooden deck, sinking into the snow as she did.
Her eyes darted across the forest line, “Grayson!” Her voice was a whisper, since her human side was afraid.
“Gray,” she went to step down off the deck, but slipped instead and tumbled into the snow below.
“Darn!” she brushed the ice and snow from her face and stood, her nose and cheeks bright red now.
“Gray! Come on. This is dumb. I get it, alright! I'll tell my dad in the morning. Come on, Wolfboy.” She stepped towards the forest line, “I'll make you a deal. I'll go with you to the bedroom right now. If you please,” she whined, “Please come out, Grayson.” Her mind turned on her, “Okay, Chloe, just go back in the house. You're losing it,” she spun around.
Her wolf protested her next moves as the soft scent of Grayson hit her, it was old and that upset the auburn wolf inside her.
He wasn't directly near. She felt her body starting to burn, her eyes watering, but not because she was about to cry; because her heart was starting to push blood through her at an intense pace.
She wavered and tried to figure out the problem. This was a different issue all in itself. Almost like an instinctual warning to an ... alpha? Her wolf sigh flashed the word big and bright in her head.
“Chloe Pryce, actually alive? I didn't believe it, had to come see it myself.”
Her eyes hurt, like she was staring at blaring light, but she still spun around to the voice, “Damn.” She had great luck, she made a note of that now.
Bruce stood in front of her, shorts on. He smiled, “Wow.”
Chloe swallowed, “Kind of.”
He moved towards her and her insides crushed in on themselves.
“What do you want?” she pushed out the words.
Bruce grabbed her wrist and she yelled, the feeling of boiling water all over her skin took over, “Tonight is my lucky night, it seems.”
He pulled her in tight, pressing his mouth to ear, “I'd love to hear the story, but you can tell me later.”
She shrieked, using all her strength to shove him off her.
He stumbled back and sneered, “Lucky move.”
“Don't touch me!” she snapped, “You'll regret it.”
“Yeah, I'm sure,” Bruce smiled. “Mute threats. We all know Holtz is still missing.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow, “You shouldn't be on Tribune's territory.”
“See,” he moved towards her and grabbed her by her neck, hauling her to her feet. He pressed his mouth to ear, “Me and Darcy have a little deal, so I have every right to be on this territory and always will. You, on the other hand, he'll appreciate my discovery.”
Trying with her might to shift, she didn't. The mind-numbing pain had blinded all her senses. She wouldn't stand a chance against the alpha blooded male of Balant.
She had only one thing left she could do. Scream.
“Dad! Grayson! Help! Help! Help!”
Bruce slammed her into a near tree. She gasped, the wind knocked from her. Bruce cupped her mouth, pressing his hand up into her nose to stop her from regaining her breath.
“Shut up, Chloe,” he threw to her hands and knees.
The snow and cold got the best of her exposed skin and she started to shiver. Her vision blurring and then she felt a sharp pain, a pair of teeth sinking into her neck, indefinably.
She screamed and tried to crawl away, but she was shook back and forth like a rag doll till her body became limp.
His slimy voice was the last thing she heard.
Oh, Darcy is going to love this.
***
“Okay, I'm sorry, Little. I can't do it. Though, I think twelve hours has definitely made the point clear. For both of us.”
Grayson pulled himself inside the small window and dropped to his feet. With his hands on his hips, he squinted through the darkness, “Chloe?”
The blankets didn't move. The room stayed in silence.
“Chloe!” he walked towards the bed and ripped back the covers to reveal an empty bed, “Oh, damn it, Chloe!” He rushed towards her door and threw it open. Not caring about waking Henry, he thundered the stairs and searched the living room, “Chloe!”
The sound of shuffling could be heard and Henry was down the stairs quicker than lightening. He stopped at the bottom, stark in just his boxers and dishevelled hair.
He stared at Grayson as the seventeen year old turned towards him, “What are you doing in my house!”
Grayson creased his brow, “Please, tell me you know where she is!”
Henry dropped his index finger from Grayson's direction and stared at him, “Excuse me!”
Grayson snorted and walked to the kitchen, where he found the back door unlocked, “Damn it!”
Henry followed him, “What are you doing in my house?”
“Did you not hear me!” Grayson yelled at him. “Your daughter is missing! And there's another scent... ” He took a big breath of the air and grunted, “Collins.”
Henry shook his head, “She's upstairs sleeping. I just checked on her an hour ago.”
Grayson growled and Henry blanched stepping back from him.
“My daughters missing, again?” his voice attempted to gain his gumption towards the teenage werewolf.
“It's Bruce Collins.” Grayson snapped.
“Who?” Henry started to panic.
“He took her.”
“What?” Henry stared at him.
“Henry, find Bruce Collins!” Grayson ran out the backdoor, “And your daughter, she's not really like you anymore but she was saved because of it.” He shifted into the big grey wolf and left Henry to stare.
He swallowed, “What the-”
Grayson snapped his teeth at him and Henry got it together.
“I knew this town was messed up. Go look for her, I'll call the station!”
With that, Grayson turned and ran off into the darkness.