“I got you some long underwear too,” his eyes dropped to her bare legs and stayed there, “I don’t think you’d be able to…uh…”
“Dell?”
A flush singed his cheekbones as his eyes found hers, “Sorry. I was…what was I saying?”
She grabbed the clothing out of his hand, “I
honestly
have no idea.”
S
he used her hip to
close the door then quickly dressed.
When she came out of the bathroom Dell was waiting on her. He too was dressed in
cold
weather ge
ar, but while she felt like a bulky snowman
he was sleek and sexy as hell. Black leather combat boots peeked out from under
form fitting jeans.
He wore a thick black coat,
matching skull
cap, and leather gloves.
“Ready?” He smiled eagerly.
“For what
?
A
n avalanche?
”
She slowly shuffled out of the bathroom.
A gloved hand reached for hers and she jerked back.
“It’s okay,” Dell held up a hand and wiggled the thick fingers. “We’ve
gotta touch
skin
to
skin
to be afflicted.
When he reached for her hand a second time she allowed him to close a gloved hand around her slender fingers and draw her down the hall. They crossed through the kitchen where Mama, working some dough on a board, didn’t look up as she ordered, “Be careful.”
“We will.”
Chloe’s belly somersaulted.
Why would
we
need to be careful?
Outside, Dell led her to the side of the house where two four-wheelers
were
parked.
“Take your pick.” He motioned toward the vehicles.
“Uhh…I…uh.”
“They’re both basically
operated
the same so it doesn’t matter which one you take.”
He turned to point at the larger four-wheeler, “Mine’s just got a larger motor is all. It’s faster, stronger.”
Taking a step backward, she frowned apologetically at him, “
I’m sorry. I don’t know how to drive one of these things.
”
His eyes grew wide. “You’ve never driven a four-wheeler?”
“No,” she responded sadly. She hadn’t experienced much in life. She was always too busy being responsible and playing things safe. Over the course of her young life she’d turned down more offers for exciting adventures
than she’d care to ever admit.
He reached out and grabbed her elbow pulling her closer, “It’s okay. I’ll show you. Climb on.” He didn’t wait for her to move before he lifte
d her effortlessly from the grou
n
d
and placed her on the four-wheeler
then
began explaining the basics of operation.
After ten minutes he finally quieted and smiled, “So you think you can handle it?”
Chloe winced pulling her
gloved fingers from the handle
bars and turned to eye his four-wheeler.
When she spoke her voice was so low that any other person would have missed it.
“Can’t I just ride with you?”
As if he hadn’t even considered the prospect, Dell sobered momentarily before moving quickly. He jerked the keys out of the ignition and pocketed them before bending and lifting her off the machine to c
arry her to his.
“You’re right,” he responded eagerly.
These things are pretty difficult to get the hang of. Besides, the terrain’ll be rough so it’s best you ride instead of drive. I should have suggested it.
I apologize.
”
Smiling to herself, Chloe bit the inside of her cheek to keep from informing him that after his tutorial she was confident that she’d be able to sufficiently operate the machine
. The only reason she wanted to ride with him was out of fear that she’d get lost somehow in the unfamiliar area.
She scooted back to give him room to mount the four-wheeler and when he started it and began to pull away, she locked her arms tightly around his waist. She felt vibrations in his back indicating his laughter and
,
assuming he was laughing at her, she loosened her hold.
Dell drove past the barn and Chloe watched as Briggs and several other males loaded into a black truck similar to Dell
’
s.
“Boys night out?”
Dell
slowed to a stop
. “They are all unmated males that
are viable candidates for your
affection. My wolf won’t tolerate their proximity to you without having to assert dominance. It’s best for everyone if they
steer clear of you
.”
Chloe paled, “Would they…”
Dell smiled, “No. They know better, but I won’t tolerate prospective candidates in your presence. It can’t be helped. Something in our wolf DNA that forces me to protect you, fight for you.”
“Bri
g
gs is mated.”
Dell shook his head, “No. Briggs is dating. There’s a huge difference. While we all like Jessika, she isn’t his mate.”
“How do you know? Couldn’t they learn to love each other?”
“They think they love each other now. But that’s not enough
. Like I said before, mates are pre-destined. Someone doesn’t become your mate simply because you want them to, they either are or aren’t.”
“What if your selected mate denies you? Would you ever find a replacement
?
”
Dell heaved a reluctant sigh, “Not that I’ve heard of.”
Chloe smiled snidely, “So I’m your only shot?
”
He shrugged once, staring straight ahead. “Looks like it.”
Her smile slowly faded, “I’m sorry about that, I wish…”
“I’m not,” he cut her off then revved the engine and the four-wheeler pulled away from the compound.
Almost a half mile from the front door of the compound Chloe’s eyes snagged on what appeared to be a
huge fire pit. Large boulders encircled the pit and it looked as though full trees had been used as the fodder.
“What’s that?”
Dell slowed the four-wheeler to a stop. “That’s the stronghold.” He smiled over his shoulder. “It’s where the pack holds ceremony, where we meet.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry,” he revved the engine, “you’ll find out what it’s for soon enough.”
She wanted to ask what he meant, but bit her tongue instead. They’d never get anywhere if she kept making him stop to answer questions.
“
They drove for a long time. Chloe had been forced to wrap her arms tightly around his waist when they’d traversed a particularly steep patch of road and when the road leveled out she simply kept her arms where they were.
The scenery was breathtaking. She’d always loved the rugged beauty of Montana and
viewing it now with Dell, she knew memories were being created that would imprint themselves on her heart and mind forever.
The
early Montana
rains
gave way to mountain snows that
crusted the
earth in
sparkling
crystalline
flakes that smelled crisp and fresh, reminding Chloe of
Dell
’s scent
. It was strong, masculine, and distinctly Montana.
They traversed higher than she’d ever been on the mountain. The road tapered to a thin strip that crested an extremely narrow pass. Looking down she saw that the ledge was a sheer
cliff of around
three hundred
feet straight down. She buried her face in the back of Dell’s coat and felt his body rumble with laughter.
A few moments later she pulled her face back to see that they’d successfully navigated the
pass.
Finally as the four-wheeler crested a slight hill she saw an
adorable cottage nestled
under a stand of trees. A dark-
skinned couple
worked together in front of the cottage, the man chopping wood with an axe while the petite woman stacked the logs against the home
.
As Dell and Chloe drew closer, the couple
turned
and approached.
By the time Dell turned off the four-wheeler’s ignition, the couple w
as
s
tepping through the gate of a worn post and rail fence that encircled the cottage.
“Hi Lloyd!” Dell shouted before embracing the man in a massive hug. He turned and lavished the same on the woman. “So good to see you both.”
He turned to Chloe.
“Chloe, this is Lloyd Porter and his wife Phyllis.”
Chloe extended her hand to accept Lloyds
as he beamed at her, “So nice to meet you Chloe.” Lloyd looked from her to Dell a bit mischievously, “And how do you all know each other?”
Chloe opened her mouth. “We’re…uh…” she turned to eyed Dell, “We’re…”
“She’s mine.” Dell supplied proudly.
Unable to stop
the
warmth that seeped through her
at his claim,
Chloe
blushed and smiled at Phyllis before shaking her hand.
“Well congratulations!” Lloyd patted Dell on the back, “That’s just wonderful. Have you had ceremony?”
Confused Chloe looked at Dell.
“Not yet, but soon.”
She made a mental note to ask about this ceremony before Phyllis grabbed her hand and tugged her away, “Let’s have some coffee while
Lloyd bores your Dell with
golf gab
.”
It was dark by the time the
y left the Porter’s cozy cabin. Phyllis had done more than supply coffee. They were treated to the best cinnamon rolls Chloe had ever eaten. The delicious rolls, steaming coffee and warm conversation created an exceptional trifecta that had Chloe reluctant to leave.
But Dell insisted that if they didn’t leave soon they risked drawing out the pack.
“God loves you and so do we!” Lloyd shouted as Dell and Chloe drove away.
“Bye!
It was nice to meet you.
” Chloe yelled and waved over her shoulder until the couple and the c
ottage
were out of sight.
The four-wheeler whined quietly as they eased their way back down the mountain road.
She couldn’t help but ask,
“Are the
y
shifters too?”
“No,” Dell smiled
over his shoulder
, “just long time friends of the family. Phyllis helped Pony graduate when he was determined to drop out.”
Chloe
grinned
, “That’s nice.”
“Yes,
they’re a rare breed of genuinely kind people.”
“They live up there?”
“They come home for the spring and summer. Winters are spent at their home in Oregon.”
“What do they consider winter? It’s freezing now?”
“They’ll leave in a few days. It’s why I wanted to introduce you now while I still have the chance.”
Chloe wrapped her arms tightly around Dell and rested her cheek against his back as she enjoyed the ride down the mountain and back to the compound.
Chapter
17
Back at the compound, Dell maneuvered the four-wheeler
across the property and back to its designated parking spot.
Chloe climbed from the vehicle and Dell followed
, removing his gloves
before turning to smile at her, “Well, how was it for your first time?”
“Couldn’t have been better.” She smiled shyly.
Dell watched as Chloe bit her bottom lip, drawing it in between even white teeth as she stared at him. Her lashes lowered and when the wind picked up, Dell was slammed with a familiar scent. He’d s
cente
d it the day he’d confronted her in the supermarket parking lot. It had
been faint then, barely there, but now it was so strong that his gut clenched. He took in a deep
steadying
breath and
it was a mistake. T
he scent
was
drawn deep into h
im, threatening to buckle his knees and
send his wolf surging forth. When he’d first scented it at the supermarket, it had been too subtle for him to pinpoint, but now it was stronger.
Desire!
He took another deep breath, this time through his mouth in hopes that he’d be able to keep the scent from tempting the wolf that was already close to surfacing.
He
couldn’t deny the
overwhelming relie
f that swamped him when he
discover
ed
that she was attracted to him
.
His balls drew tighter and he was startled to realize that he had hardened, prepared to claim her.