by Lexie Davis
“Leave her alone, Deacon,” Max pleaded from the ground.
“Or what? I’m getting threats all the way around, but right now from my point of view, they look pretty empty.” He leaned forward until his breath fanned her face, caressing over her lips. “What are you going to do?”
The next few moments were like a black and white movie in slow motion. A wolf jumped on Deacon’s back, dragging him to the ground. Another wolf came out of the shadows and attacked the other member of Deacon’s team. In a blur of motions, Chloe ran to Max and tried lifting him. He hissed. He cursed. He squeezed her arm almost to the point she screamed in pain, but he finally stood, completely depending on her to keep him from falling on his ass.
The third wolf she saw coming towards them shifted beside her into a man, taking the brunt of Max’s weight. “You need to get him back to the house. Roni is there. She has a healing power that will help with his wounds.”
Over the growling behind them, Chloe said, “But there’s more. Deacon said there were at least two more in the woods looking for me.”
The man continued to walk, helping them both to the woods. “We took care of them. That’s why it took so long for us to get here.”
They walked a few more feet to the edge of the woods. The man deposited Max’s weight back on Chloe’s shoulders, helping her to steady him before he turned. She didn’t know how she’d make it to the house, having never been there before, but surely it couldn’t be that hard to find. Hopefully this Roni person wouldn’t attack her upon arrival.
“Okay, take him home. We’ll take care of Deacon and meet up with you later.” He turned and walked a few feet before shifting again. Chloe watched in awe as he ran across the field to the bloody fighting scene they’d just left.
“Come on, Max. I need your help walking or we’ll both fall on our asses.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Max winced in pain, panting as if he’d run a marathon. With each step, the curses came louder and faster from his lips. “Oh, damn. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.”
They wobbled their way to the path Max mentioned, and Chloe sighed with a bit of relief as she eased Max towards it. “Help me out. Where do we go from here?”
He guided her. Pointing left and then right in between curses. As the darkness folded around them, twilight glowed at the tops of the trees. Chloe relied solely on her senses to find her way, listening to Max as he guided them through the meandering wooded area. Finally, she saw a mansion up ahead, situated deep in the heart of the woods.
“We’re almost there. Just a few more feet, baby.” She steadied him when he nearly fell, surprised she could catch his two-hundred pound body before he knocked them both to the cold ground.
Chloe banged on the massive wooden door then punched the door bell three times. Max’s body turned limp with the blood loss, and without a doubt, he needed immediate medical attention. When no one answered, Chloe banged on the door again with her balled fist. Why wasn’t anyone answering?
“I’m coming, jeez.” A woman opened the door. Her hair was red and pulled back neatly into a ponytail. She wore a simple pair of pyjamas with a teddy bear pattern on the long cotton pants. If Chloe didn’t know better, she would never have guessed the woman was something other than human. “Oh, shit. What happened to him?” She moved in immediately to help Chloe get Max inside.
“Deacon and his gang. Max was fending them off for me.” The thought alone brought tears to Chloe’s eyes. She took a deep breath and refused to break down in front of them. Keeping busy and worrying about Max was what she needed right now. She needed to know he would be okay.
“That stupid— Let’s get him inside.”
“What happened?” Another girl rounded the corner, her eyes wide as tears filled them. “Max, are you okay?”
“Yeah, Sasha. I’m fine.” He gave them all a half-hearted grin as they laid him on the couch.
“He’s lost a lot of blood. I mean you should have seen all the blood back at my house.” So much for not thinking about it. Emotion clogged her throat as everything caught up with her. The adrenaline high was gone. All she could picture was the wolf on his back or Deacon mocking him to the side. Blood splattered everywhere.
“Uh, Sasha, why don’t you take the girl upstairs to get cleaned up. I’ll take care of Max and he’ll be a pain in our asses before we know it.” The redhead nodded towards Chloe and the other girl quickly stepped in.
Max’s house wasn’t anything like what she imagined. It was a two-storey mansion decorated with old art from all periods of time. How many generations made up this pack? she wondered. Antiques filled the rooms, elegant in style and no doubt very expensive. It reminded her somewhat of a museum.
The girl named Sasha stopped in the middle of the long hallway at the top of the stairs. “You can shower in here if you’d like. I’ll get you some fresh clothes to change into.”
Chloe mumbled a thank you and stepped inside the large bathroom. A double vanity took up one wall with two sinks and two mirrors. Opposite the sinks was the large garden tub and separate shower. The single toilet was positioned in its own room, closed off from the rest of the vast bathroom.
“Here you go.” Sasha returned with an armful of clean clothing. “I’ll set them on the vanity for you. Towels are in the closet behind you along with bubble bath and all the other necessities. I’ll be downstairs helping Roni if you need anything.”
Polite enough as she was, Sasha didn’t seem to like having Chloe in her house. Her stiff posture and the frown she couldn’t quite hide said that much. Not that Chloe could really blame her. She was a stranger, and Max nearly died trying to save her. Perhaps Max was her male? All this shit was new to her. She closed the door and leaned against it before remembering she was covered in blood. Max’s blood. Groaning, she stepped away and stared at the red mark her clothes left behind.
Her emotions caught up with her, and she couldn’t hold it back any longer. Tears filled her eyes as she shuddered, completely giving in and surrendering to her fear for Max and everything else they’d been through tonight. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air, trying to calm herself down even though she needed to cry.
It was impossible for her to think of losing him because she loved the man. It was the only way she could explain it. The gut-wrenching feeling when she saw the wolf bite into his leg and immobilise him within seconds nearly killed her. Before that she watched how easy it was for Max to snap their necks. What was to stop the Black Wolf from snapping his?
She moved to the bath, pouring a generous amount of bubbles into the water—her second bubble bath of the night. It was in that moment, right before she first came out to confront Deacon, that she decided what they would do after tonight. She didn’t care what happened, they would live together. If that meant her moving into his house and becoming part of his pack, then so be it. She loved painting but had come to realise she loved Max a hell of a lot more.
Chloe stripped and sank into the hot water, allowing herself to relax. Her body ached from lack of food and sleep. Her mind was numb to any other thoughts that didn’t include Max’s well-being. She was practically good for nothing as far as she could determine and couldn’t wait to check in on Max.
“Chloe?” Max’s knuckles rapped against the bathroom door. “Can I come in?”
“Yes,” she replied.
The door opened and the man of her dreams stumbled in, walking better now than he did before. He had a bandage on his forehead and several on his leg where the wolf had bitten into him. But other than that, he appeared okay. Thankfully, he’d pulled on some clean clothes, a pair of black boxers and nothing else. He hadn’t covered the pink scratches that marked his chest and back, but Chloe knew they were the least of his worries.
“Are you okay?” He edged towards her, stopping beside the bath tub.
“I should be asking you that.”
Max gave her a lopsided grin. “I told you I’d be fine.”
Chloe nodded and forced the tears back as
she recalled the past events. Max didn’t bother saying anything, instead moving to grab the bottle of shampoo she’d found in the closet. He knelt beside the bathtub, a small groan of discomfort leaving his lips. She watched him as he situated himself and motioned for her to turn around. The water inside the bathtub sloshed with her movements then she heard the water cascade from the faucet into the tub. Gently, he guided her back, scooping her hair up to wet the matted mess. He lathered shampoo between his hands and began to wash it.
She knew blood was caked in her hair, from Max resting against her she supposed. His fingers moved in slow motions as he massaged her scalp, easing the tension away. She closed her eyes and revelled in the moment, loving the kind and tender care he gave her. The warm water washed away the suds while Max leaned down to kiss her lips. He was gentle, catching her by surprise. Chloe reached up to cup the back of his head, her bath long forgotten.
She twisted around and nearly climbed into his arms, with their mouths still connected, his tongue still stroking hers. Max wrapped his arms around her and lifted her from the bathtub.
“Wait. What are you doing? Your leg is hurt.” Chloe struggled a little but Max only tightened his iron-like grip. “Put me down.”
“My leg is fine. Roni is a master of healing, and she had me patched up before Sasha brought you clothes.” He leaned in to nuzzle her cheek. “I promise I’m fine.”
“So you’re some supernatural healer?” Chloe leaned back and forced him to look at her.
“Not as quick as vampires, but yes, somewhat I am.” He started kissing her neck and Chloe melted into his arms. “It takes a lot to keep me down.”
“Don’t I know,” she said with a sly grin. “I’ve got a lot to learn, don’t I?”
He chuckled softly against her neck. “Come on. We’ve had an eventful night and both of us could use a little rest.”
She dried off while Max cleaned up her bath mess. He put everything back where it was supposed to go, tossing her soiled garments in the trash. She pulled on the pyjamas, catching a quick glance at his leg. He could laugh all he wanted at her questions, but he did have a lot to teach her. After everything was tidy, they went to Max’s room. Opaque shades covered the windows, blocking out the early morning light. A large wooden bed sat in the centre of the room with black sheets covering the mattress. A night stand, dresser and a chest of drawers were the only other pieces of furniture filling the large bedroom. Candles sat on top of the dresser in a decorative manner, being the only light in the room. The nightstand held a three wick that put off the scent of green apple.
“Sorry it’s dark in here. Sasha took the liberty to remove the lamps and fixtures and replaced them with candles when I came back.”
Chloe turned towards him as he closed the bedroom door. “Why would she do that?”
He crossed the room and sat on the bed. “A few months back, I spent a long time in the dark. Artificial light nearly blinded me when I came back to the house.”
She could see the pain on his face. The sadness and the hurt. “What happen?”
Max licked his lips. “I was supposed to attend to one of our pack members during their first change. I was leader back then, the complete dominant alpha. Quinn was second-in-command. It was my job to take care of my pack and that included a woman named Janie.”
Chloe sat beside him. She kissed his shoulder and laid her cheek against him. “And she died?”
“Yeah. Long story short, when she changed, she went psycho violent. She tried attacking me before running off into the woods. Deacon’s clan found her, fucked her and left her bloody and used. It was stupid on my part to approach a wolf as a human, but I cared for her. She’d been a part of the Gray Wolves since we formed, and I didn’t want to be the cause of her death.”
Chloe rubbed his thigh before taking his hand and folding her fingers with his. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know that. After she attacked me, I shot her. I killed her, and I left town. Quinn became the alpha and still is, really. I spent time in Alaska’s wilderness living as a wolf instead of a man.” Max huffed a breath. “Anyway, I’m back now.”
“Yes, you are.” Chloe wrapped her arms around him. “You guys are protective of each other, aren’t you?”
He kissed her. “Yes.”
“I don’t think Sasha likes me.”
He pulled her on his lap. “Why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she thinks I stole you away. Were you two together?”
“A long time ago.” He pressed his lips against her temple. “Does that bother you?”
Of course they’d been together. “Not as much as it seemed to bother her.”
“I’ll talk to her about it.” He kissed her and moved her to his side. “Okay, enough talking for one night. We both are long overdue for some sleep.”
Chloe scooted to the middle of the bed while he stood to blow out the candles and darkness surrounded them. She smiled at him, loving her new eyesight. It was better than having night vision goggles.
The mattress dipped, then Max’s warm, male body curled around her protectively. He rested his cheek against her hair as his arms came around her, holding her close. She loved how he made her feel. Safe. Protected. Loved. It went beyond simply being there for her during her needing phase or protecting her from the Black Wolves. It was something a lover did when he cared about the one he was with.
“I’m sorry I called you a bitch earlier but you should have listened to me.” He nibbled her earlobe. “You should have left me.”
Chloe laced her fingers with his and brought his hand to her lips. “Never.”
Chapter Seven
The next time Max woke, a warm wet mouth was sucking him. He opened his eyes to find Chloe on her knees bent over him, her tight pink lips sliding the entire length of his shaft. Damn. When had he become so weak? Her eyes closed as she took him in, the look on her face nothing but pleasure. He didn’t have the energy to hold back. With a groan, he came, shooting his seed into her greedy, welcoming mouth.
She lapped up every drop, swirling her tongue along the tip of him before chuckling and crawling up his body. “Good morning.”
He pulled her to him and buried his face against her chest. “You make me weak, you know that?”
She kissed him. “I’m sorry.”
Max stared up at her with droopy eyes. “Don’t apologise. Why are you so damn cheerful?”
He rolled Chloe to her back, his body pinning hers to the mattress. He thanked God that she didn’t sport any battle scars from the previous night and even more that Deacon hadn’t touched her. She was his. To have. To hold. To love and fuck. She was his, and no one would take that away from him.
“I’ve been thinking. I slept a few hours but my mind wouldn’t stop working so I got up and plotted out my life from here on out.”
Max gripped her wrists in each hand and pinned them on each side of her head. “What exactly did you come up with?”
She smiled. “Well, I’m joining your pack if you guys will have me. But, I still want to paint. I completely understand the risk of associating with humans, and I completely vow to stay away from them near the full moon, but I really like painting wolves. It’s something I’m good at, and I enjoy it with all that I am.”
Max’s heart fluttered in his chest. “You’re moving in with me?”
She nodded. “I love you. Why would I want to be separated from you?”
Max kissed her, closing his eyes and simply relishing the moment. Chloe was his. She loved him. She wanted to be with him. He couldn’t think of anything better in this world.
“I want to schedule another showing of my work two weeks from now, and I need some new models.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You up for posing, baby?”
“I love you.” He’d never said those words before. Never felt the need or the emotion until now. “I’ll do anything you want and you know it.”
* * * *
Two weeks later
“Don’t b
e nervous.” Chloe watched Max adjust his bowtie for the third time that night. “I promise we’ll have a fun time. If not at the gallery, then afterward, okay?”
He nodded, saying nothing. Tonight was his first night in human civilisation since he left his parents’ pack ten years ago. Chloe couldn’t imagine what kind of life he’d been through, but knew he most definitely felt out of place. She kissed him. The feel of his lips on hers filled her with eagerness for what would come later. She loved him, both the wolf and the man. Her heart swelled at the thought of how difficult just being here was for him, because she knew he only did it for her. She pulled back and smiled at him, reassuring Max one more time that he would be fine. Then she led him inside the massive building and introduced him to her world.
Her latest collection titled The Gray Wolves was a very popular hit. Each member of the pack agreed to pose for her in wolf form if she painted herself as well, making the collection seven pieces. Each painting had sold for six figures and every bit of the money went into a trust for the pack.
“You know these people?” Max whispered as she reached for a tea cookie.
She shook her head. “No. They are a mixture of fans, clients and critics.”
He nodded, and she took his hand, lacing her fingers with his. They mingled for two hours, greeting fans and potential buyers. She was even approached by an art distributor requesting her contact information so that he could stock her paintings in galleries all over the United States. She couldn’t believe it.
Chloe looked over at Max who found his way to a bench where a few young women sat beside him, admiring his handsome features. She knew he wasn’t enjoying himself, but he didn’t dare complain once about being there. It touched her heart that he wanted to be there for her, to support her and celebrate her talent. The young girls flirted with him. Max did his best to remain polite but the disinterest he showed flashed like a neon sign. A small thrill shot through Chloe’s body as he repeatedly denied their advances, proclaiming time and again that he was with her. He only wanted her, and after a few hours of partying, Chloe decided it was time to go home.
