Territory - Prequel (7 page)

Unable to stand any longer, he sat.  His amber wolfs eyes staring unseeingly into the forest.  He couldn’t get over how beautiful she’d been.  Dropped in the mud covered in earth
, sweat, and tears, and he hadn’t been able to tear his eyes from her. 

Has she always been so
beautiful
?
  Why hadn’t he
remembered
?  Surely, he should have
remember
ed
just how unbelievably b
reathtaking
she was
.  Maybe it was the witchcraft she’d been using on him. 
Mates? 
He quickly discarded the thought as quickly as it was taken up. 
Love spell?  But why?  She’d have no desire to bind herself to her enemies in any intimate manner.
   

Dell sobered then, rising quickly. 
Unless she wants me to suffer as
she feels her brother
had suffered.  To be bound to a mate that would never be mine
, a mate that would never allow a claiming
.
  Dell’s jaw began to work as he gnashed his teeth. 
Deceitful
little
…
  He turned then and raced back to the Blackbird compound. 

Chapter
6

Shuffling down the isle of the local supermarket, Chloe picked up a can of artichoke hearts and eyed it unseeingly before she slid it back on the shelf.  Her mother had demanded to go to the market even though Chloe protested.  “It’s too soon,” she’d argued to her mother who in turn snatched up her coat and said, “Too soon for groceries?  That doesn’t make sense.”

Tired of waiting for her mother who’d disappeared to retrieve a pound of jalapenos, Chloe
abandoned her position in the canned veggies aisle and set off in pursuit of her mother.

She searched aisle after aisle until her mother’s familiar voice could
be heard from nearby.  Chloe followed the sound, turning into the produce aisle and locking eyes with Dell Blackbird.  He was standing in front of her mother, smiling pleasantly.  Chloe noted how his smile faltered when he saw her.  How had he known she was coming?  He
wasn’t
surprised to see
her.  His eyes were already locked on the spot she’d stepped into before she’d stepped into it.  I
t was
as if
he was,
W
aiting
for me?
 

Frowning at him, she couldn’t explain the warmth that seeped into her bones.  She felt like she’d just eased herself into a steaming hot bath.  She blinked then realized she’d let her eyes linger closed for just a fraction too long.  When she opened her eyes again Dell was staring at her strangely. 
For a moment
she
considered retreating, but when her mother’s eyes followed Dell’s gaze she lifted a hand to Chloe.

“Chloe, come say hello to Dell.”

Fuck!
  Chloe didn’t bother plastering on a fake smile.  Dell knew how she felt about him, pretense wasn’t necessary.  Approaching her mother’s side, Chloe said nothing.

Dell extended his hand, “We haven’t been formerly introduced.  I’m Dell Blackbird.”

Chloe simply stared
at him for several tense moments before her mother’s elbow in her ribs had her reaching out to shake Dell’s hand.

When his fingers closed solidly around hers, Chloe thought she caught a wince flash across his stern features, but the thought was only momentary when her own buckling knees had her reaching out for something solid to steady herself.

“Chloe!” her mother gasped.

Dell reached out,
enfolding
her in his strong arms as he pulled her close.

Shocked, Chloe held his gaze as she struggled to regain her legs.  For some inexplicable reason, her muscles felt like melted butter.  Struggling to right herself, her legs and arms began to tremble with the effort.  “I’m fine,” she ground out trying to pull from Dell’s embrace.  “Let me go.”

“Should I call someone?” Her mother was near hysterical.

“No ma!” Chloe pushed against the wall of Dell’s chest and tore her eyes from his even as she saw the muscle in his jaw twitch.  “I’m fine.  I’m…” she couldn’t explain it so she grabbed the first logical excuse that sprang to mind, “just exhausted.  I think I ran too far this morning.”
  She could feel Dell’s eyes on her.  Without looking up she pushed at the solid wall of his chest again.  “
You can l
et
me go.”

Dell extended his arms, holding her from him but keeping his hands firmly locked on her upper arms.  “Are you okay?”

Annoyed now she jerked out of his grasp, “Fine!
  Thanks!”  Her eyes flicked up to her mothers, “I’m going to the car.  Take your time.”

Even as she stalked toward the exit she could hear her mother’s concern, “Chloe wait!”

“
It’s
fine Ms.
Lott, I’ll make sure she gets safely to the car.”

Chloe quickened her step at Dell’s words.

“Oh thank you Dell.  I’ll just check out and be right there.”

Chloe squeezed through the automatic doors before they had even fully opened.  When the brisk Montana air hit her, she inhaled deeply unaware that the air in the store had become so stifling.  She didn’t look behind her as s
he eyed the parking lot searching for her car.  She stepped off the curb and heard a horn sound loudly before she was jerked back.

“What in the hell is wrong with you!” Dell growled at her ear.

With his arms wrapped around her, her knees once again gave out. 
What in the fuck is happening?
  Perspiration dotted her nose as her body suddenly ignited in a flood of warmth.  Something was definitely wrong. 
The flu?
 

When Dell spun her and swept her up into his arms, she wanted to struggle but when her eyes locked with his her vision blurred and sent the world spinning violently around her.

She heard Dell curse and she tried to focus on his face.  He too was
flushed and sweating.  Was she that heavy?  When his eyes locked on hers, there was a bright flash. 
Flooded by light, she squinted, but it only grew brighter and brighter.  The light
was blinding, and when she closed her eyes against it, they didn’t reopen.

***

“You didn’t see it Cindy
.  She fainted right there in my arms and it was literally physically painful for me.  You’re certain it’s not medicine?” Dell demanded.

Cindy shrugged negligently, “There’s no way to be sure.  Best bet is just to stay the hell away from her.”

Dell groaned in annoyance, “I want to, but for some fucking reason I’m drawn to her.  She’s all I think
about.”  He shook his head.  “It’s gotta be medicine
, but if it is I don’t
understand why it would have such a negative effect on her
.”  He stood then, storming fro
m his office.  “Where’s mama?”

Cindy chased after him, “She’s gone to Great Falls to spend a few days with Aunty Connie.”

“Christ!” the word came out as a growl.  “Extremely poor timing.  Get on the phone and get her
back
.”

“She needs this break Briggs.” Cindy’s eyes turned imploring, “She’s still not over the loss of Mace and she just needs a
vacation
.  Let her have some time
with her sister
.”  She knew it was cheap, but she’d do whatever was called for to keep Dell safe.

Dell rolled his shoulders
in an effort to relieve some of the tension that had
been
building there for the past few days.  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “Let her stay. 
It’ll just,
” his brows furrowed, “have to wait.”

Cindy smiled the
n
, “Don’t worry brother, by the time she gets home I’m sure your…
illness
will have passed.”

Dell merely grunted before returning to his desk.
  “What do you know of medicine?  How do I break it?”

Yes!
“Distance,” she answered too eagerly.  “You need to stay as far from her for as long as possible.  Her medicine won’t work if you don’t come in contact with her.”

“And you know this how?”
Dell asked hoisting his hiking-
boot clad feet up onto the desk.

“
I
actually pay attention to the stories Mama tells.”

“
Stories
,” Dell emphasized, “it doesn’t mean any of it is true.”

Cindy let her eyes slide over her brother condescendingly, “True enough to be affecting you.”

***

It had been a few hours and
Chloe’s cheeks still stung with the humiliation of being carried across the parking lot of the local supermarket by Dell.

“Are you sure you’re alright hon?  We could go to the E.R.”

“I’m fine ma!” Chloe snapped a little too rudely before ame
nding, “Look I’m sorry I’m just…i
t was pretty embarrassing.”

“What is there to be embarrassed about?  You fainted.  So what!  You should be thankful that fine young man was there to catch you.”

With the memory Chloe’s cheeks once again flamed.  “God mom, can we please just stop talking about it?  I told you it was just exertion, I
’m not sick.”  Then as an after
thought, “And Dell isn’t a fine young man.”

Her mother pursed her lips, “I am entitled to my opinion.”

“Look, I’m going to lie
down for a while.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Now it was Chloe’s turn to purse her lips, “Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.  I’ll start some dinner and wake you when it’s ready.”

Chloe eased herself up off the couch her mother had been forcing her to
lie on for the past two hours.  She wasn’t tired in the least, but going upstairs and pretending to nap had to be better than being scrutinized by her mother ever
y
ten seconds.

“Hold on to the railing,” her mother’s
chastised
.

Rolling her eyes, Chloe was tempted to take the stairs
two-at-a-time, but inevitably decided against it.  As annoying as her mother could be, she
knew she only
meant well.

In the guest bedroom, Chloe quietly closed the door and crossed to the bed before snagging the remote and plopping down to
channel
surf
. 

The room was quite plain.  White plush carpet covered the floor and the large bed, adorned with a satiny plum comforter
,
rested against the wall under the window.  Onl
y one painting hung on the wall.
I
t was an oil painting her mother had done in an art class she’d taken years ago.  The scene depicted
two quaking aspens reaching u
p
to a blue cloud dotted sky with majestic purple peaks in the background. 

Chloe eyed the painting.  It was quite good really.  When a commercial came blaring onto the screen she cringed and quickly pressed the button to reduce the volume.  She didn’t want her mother racing up to ensure she was actually napping.
  Holding her breath and listening for several tense moments, she only exhaled once she was certain her mother was
n’t
pounding up the stairs to check on her. 

Christ
! 
She clos
ed her eyes and liste
ne
d to the low
murmur of voices coming from the screen.  They were talking about food. 
The cooking network? 
Ever since her spell earlier in the day she’d been unable to concentrate on anything except the mortification of the event.  But now, finally alone and able to actually sit and think about it she couldn’t help but wonder if something were in fact wrong with her. 

She’d been fine earlier in the day.  She’d eaten, slept as well as could be expected, but when she’d gotten near Dell.  It was him!  Something about him triggered her episode and it only worsened when he touched her. 
Maybe it’s my animosity.
  She’d never
hated a
family more in her life
. 
That must be it.
  Her hatred coupled with the recent loss of her brother and being back
home.  It had to be a culmination of
everything.  She sighed heavily, not entirely convinced
she’d
accurately diagnosed the source of her fainting spell.  Regardless, there was little else that made sense. 
It couldn’t have been
triggered by Dell or his touch.
T
hat was ridiculous. 
R
ight?
 
She was still trying to figure it out when her mother finally called her down to dinner nearly an hour later.