“It's been awhile, hey?” Chloe sat to the kitchen table.
“You're always so worried, little.” Grayson grumbled, his head was on the table in his arms.
She sighed, “You drank way too much.”
“Thanks for the memo. Got it a while ago.”
She rolled her eyes, “Does he have a cell phone?”
“I don't know.” He lifted his head, “Why are you trying to ruin his groove? They're probably just, you know.”
“She's not even a wolf yet.” Chloe told him, stopping his words before he could really get his thought out.
Grayson smiled, “Maybe this chick can take it.”
She stared at him and lifted her eyebrow, “You were a mess too, don't even go there.”
He laughed and dropped his head back to the table, groaning.
“Why did you drink so much?”
“Colten's pack is fun, not a bunch of old grandpas like Tribune.”
She shook her head at her mate, “My alpha is a reject.”
“I really want to bite you.” He warned, “Be careful.”
She giggled and looked up as Alma walked into the kitchen.
“Well, how did you enjoy that?” She asked Chloe.
Chloe smiled at her, “I thought everyone was really nice.”
“Yes, we're okay for the most part.” Alma smiled, “Try to be friendly.”
Grayson groaned and Alma looked him over.
“Is he alright?”
“Drunk.” Chloe told her in a short voice.
“Well, that's not surprising. Colten usually ends up drunk too.”
Grayson lifted his head, “Colten started this.” He pointed at his luna.
Chloe lifted an eyebrow, “Really, Grayson?”
He thought a moment and put his head back down, “I can't remember.”
“What a mess you are, Gray.” Chloe huffed.
“Well,” Alma breathed, “It's a bit late. Think I will head out. Though, I can stay if you-”
“Oh, Ella.” Chloe shook her head, “I'll look after her. I'm sure Colten will be home soon.”
“He better.” Grayson snapped back to life, “I ain't looking after that baby.”
“Grayson.” Chloe stared at him.
He stood, grumbling, “I need to use the washroom. ” Brushing past Alma in the process, “Sorry.”
Alma nodded him off, smiling like her usual self.
“We can totally take care of Ella, Alma. It's not an issue.” Chloe rambled.
The woman nodded, “Thank you, I've been here all day and I'm a bit tired. I've cleaned up everything and there's a bottle in the fridge you just need to warm for her.”
“Sure thing.” Chloe smiled with a nod, “Oh, does Colten have a cell phone?”
“Yes, of course. The number is there by the phone.” She pointed out a small piece of note paper tucked against the phone on the wall.
“Oh, awesome.” Chloe smiled at her.
“Have a good night.” Alma waved and left Chloe to sit and enjoy the silence of Colten's old farm house.
The peace disturbed as Grayson reappeared minutes later.
“Bed?” He asked her.
Chloe cocked her head, “Where's Mike?”
Grayson then seemed to think the question through, “Asleep on the couch in living room?”
“Oh, maybe.” Chloe nodded, getting up and picking up a few empty glasses from the table.
Grayson watched her, “You're pretty, Little.”
She looked to him, “Don't.”
“Don't what?” He smiled at her innocently.
She walked to the sink and dropped the cups in it as she ignored his questioning, then looked the counters over, “Look at what Alma does, there's no crumbs on this counter. Maybe we should get a nanny.”
Grayson grunted, “We don't need a nanny, Chloe.”
She spun to him on her foot and put a hand on her tummy, “Right here.” Her fingers tapped her stomach, “Maybe?”
He wrinkled his nose and stared at her hand, “Why, Chloe, do you insist on doing this to me?”
“What do you mean, why?” She snapped, “It's your fault anyway, if I am.”
He moved towards her, “Don't get so huffy, luna.”
She dropped her chin in a pout and watched him step up to her.
He leaned into the counter next to her, “You get so paranoid about everything.”
She looked up to him, “You spent the whole night getting drunk.”
“I was socializing. It's a key part of being an alpha.”
“Grayson.” She scolded.
He smiled at her, “You shouldn't spend so much time being mad at me.”
She wrinkled her nose and her lips pursed because of it, “I don't spend that much time, Grayson, don't think you're that special.”
He laughed as she stepped up to him and he put his hands on her waist.
“How do you think Abigail took it all?” She wondering aloud.
“What?” Grayson asked.
She rolled her eyes at him, “Like the whole mate and wolf issue?”
He smiled, “Hopefully better then you did.”
She lifted, “That's not funny.”
“Ah, Grayson, no don't touch me you turn into a huge wolf! I reject you, no I love you, no I hate you!” He laughed as he made fun of her.
She slapped his shoulder and he growled deep in his chest.
A smile took over her face, “That shut you up, Alpha.”
“Don't start that play fighting thing.” He leaned into her and grabbed around her waist, pulling her up off the ground, “You never win.”
“Grayson.” She grumbled as her hands gripped his neck, she kicked her feet though to try and get down, “Let me down.”
He kissed her but she pulled back.
“We're in Colten's kitchen.”
“He's not here.” Grayson told her, “So, we're fine.” He ducked his head back to her mouth.
“Gray.”
He adjusted his grip and lifted her higher, shutting her up by kissing her again.
She mumbled something but it was inaudible, her hands pulling his brown hair.
“You're a teenage hormone.” Chloe finally got away from his mouth but didn't come close to breaking his grip, “And drunk.”
He smiled and went to kiss her again, “Shut up, Chloe. Don't make me go alpha on you.”
“Such a mute threat.” She breathed at him.
He turned and crushed her to the countertops.
Her giggling started as he bit into her neck, chomping down on the mark that had been there the past nine months.
Her fingers pulled at the fabric of his shirt, “Grayson, let's at least go upstairs if you want to do this... with any luck, you'll just pass out.”
His hand cupped her mouth, “You're making me angry.”
She grabbed his hand with both of her's and pulled him away, “Oh no. Scary, mate.” She teased.
He growled again, kissing her rough.
She kept giggling.
“Chloe Pryce, shut up.”
She huffed, “I wouldn't be Chloe Pryce anymore if you'd just propose already.”
He groaned and planted his hands on each side of her, “Little, stop.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back in, “Please, if I'm pregnant will you do it?”
He let out a sigh and stared at the cupboards above her head as her mouth bit into his neck playfully.
She pulled at him, “Please, Gray-gray.”
He huffed, “These alpha female hormones are driving me crazy...”
She purred into his ear and he became distracted as her hands grabbed his belt.
He kissed her cheek and started to bite at her neck, pulling off her shirt to expose one pale shoulder.
She giggled as he bit into her but then his mouth paused and her grip on him also paused.
He lifted his head and listened, “What is that?”
Chloe waited, “What?”
He pulled away from her and she watched him.
“Grayson?”
“Shh.” He snapped at her, his head tilting, “Do you smell that?”
She smelled the air, “No... what?”
“It's that other pack.” Grayson's face hardened, “Mike!”
Chloe bustled off the counters, swallowing, “I don't smell anything, Gray.”
He grumbled, “No, it's there. It's coming in from the east.”
Chloe swallowed, “We should call, Colten.” She moved to the phone in the kitchen fast.
“Mike!” Grayson walked out leaving her to dial Colten's number.
Grayson walked back in with Mike a few steps behind him. The blonde was rubbing his face and grumbling.
“I don't smell it, you're just drunk.” Mike snapped at him.
Grayson walked to the sink and grabbed a glass, filling it with water and started drinking.
Chloe waited but the phone just kept ringing. She hung it up, “Nothing. He's not answering.”
Mike looked to her, “Huh?”
“Colten's not answering his phone.” Chloe informed them.
Grayson continued to drink.
“What are you doing?” Mike stared at him.
“Trying to get a bit sober.”
Chloe swallowed, “Is it really there, Grayson? I'm worried now.”
“It's fine. We'll go look.” Grayson told her, “It's just blowing in but that means they were on the territory.”
“What if it's just blowing up from the border?” Mike suggested.
“No.” Grayson shut that thought down, “It's new. Smell.”
“I don't have an alpha nose. The party tonight has thickened the air a lot.” Mike told him.
Chloe nodded, “It's all I smell too.”
Grayson looked to his mate, “Go to bed, Little. If there's a problem, call me.”
She nodded as he walked to her and kissed her. She caught his shirt before he walked away, “Be careful, you're drunk.”
“We'll be fine.” Grayson assured her.
Chloe let him go, her face mushing up as her mate walked out the back door with his beta. She stood still a moment and waited. Moving into the hall, a tad paranoid, she jogged the stairs to the guest bedroom.
***
“Chloe!”
She shot out of bed in her pyjamas and stared into the darkness of the room, glancing at the alarm clock that read close to three in the morning. She bustled out of bed as heavy steps resonated through the old house.
“Grayson!” Chloe called as she rushed the stairs.
“In here.” Grayson called to her and she didn't pause from jumping off the last step, into the living room.
She could smell the blood and Colten's scent, “Did you find him?” Her voice began to shake.
Grayson stepped away from the couch and revealed the unmated alpha.
“Oh my god!” Chloe moved quick, “Is he alive!”
“Yeah.” Grayson told her, “He's just out.”
She studied Colten. His face covered in his blood but otherwise, there was no signs of other injuries.
“What happened!” She demanded, looking over her shoulder at her mate, then to Mike, “Get some warm water and cloth, now.”
Mike nodded and walked from the room.
“What happened, Grayson!” She demanded again.
Grayson sighed, “We found him like this.”
She was almost in tears as her emotion started to flood out.
“Chloe, calm down.” Grayson said to her, “Just calm down.”
“Where's Abigail!” Actual tears were forming in her eyes.
“Little, enough.” Grayson took her arm and pulled her away from Colten.
She wiped her streaming cheeks, “Where is she?”
Mike walked back in and Grayson lowered his chin, “I'm not too sure.”
She let out whine, “Was the other pack there?”
“Not when we got there.” Mike passed her the bowl and her shaking hands barely took it, “They'd already cleared out.”
Chloe choked again and stared at Grayson.
“Clean him up.” He told her.
She sat next to Colten and started to wash the blood from his face as Mike and Grayson shared a few moments of silence.
“We can go back out and look for her.” Mike suggested.
“Colten will know more of where to look.” Grayson told him, “Plus we don't know if she was with him.”
“Of course, she was!” Chloe practically shouted.
“Chloe!” Grayson shot.
She shut her mouth and returned to cleaning the blood from Colten's brow.
Mike thought, “They attacked them. They must have.”
“I would assume so.” Grayson said to him, “We need to get Colten awake.”
“He hit his head hard.” Chloe breathed, “Look.” She pointed to the large bump on the side of his head.
Grayson looked him over, “Jeez.”
“You need to call in Fornone. They'll help us track down the pack that did this.” Mike told him.
“It's called Oscuro.” Chloe corrected.
Grayson glanced at her then back to Mike, “It's three in the morning.”
“What if they kill her!” Chloe cut him off, her emotion getting the best of her again.
“Chloe, if they haven't killed her already, then she'll be alive when we find her.” Grayson was short and getting agitated, “Work on getting him to wake up.” He walked out of the living room, leaving his beta with Chloe.
Mike sighed, “He's pissed. Really pissed.”
“I don't care.” Chloe wiped the tears along her cheeks, “Mike, what happened? Tell me.”
He swallowed, “We were following the scent and it was stronger on the border but then we found another trail, Grayson saw Colten's truck and... He was just on the ground outside it, passed out like this.”
“This is awful!” Chloe exclaimed, “You need to tell Grayson to go now.”
“Grayson wants a plan.” Mike told her.
“He's wasting time. You're his beta. Tell him!” Chloe snapped.
Mike stared at her, “You have more power over an alpha then I do, Luna.”
She swallowed and looked back to Colten, “Why won't he wake up?”
“Looks like he took a hard blow.”
“He shouldn't be out like this, it makes no sense.” Chloe snapped, “This must have just happened!”
Mike shrugged, “He's breathing fine. Maybe he wasn't expecting the fight.”
“Obviously not, they probably just ambushed them. I'm worried about Abigail. Please Mike, go talk to Grayson, now. Get some other males to help you.”
“Yeah.” Mike nodded and left her, giving into his luna.
She then looked to Colten and sighed, “Damn. Come on, Colten.”