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“Rach?” a familiar, feminine voice called out. “You back there?”

Rachel froze, her body tightening up. The scent of her arousal mixed with the strong peppery smell of fear and anxiety. She tore her mouth from his and squirmed from his grasp. He let her go, gritting his teeth. He watched, furious at the interruption as she shimmied from beneath the car. Her cheeks flamed red and she refused to look at him, as though she’d been caught making out in the back of a car by a curious police officer.

Fucking great.

“Gimme a sec, Chloe!” Rachel screamed, sounding calmer than she looked. “I’ll be right there.”

Damn it. Declan had promised Jackson he’d pursue Rachel but keep Chloe out of it. His Alpha’s mate had been trying to reconcile with her father and didn’t need additional shit to worry about. So far he’d managed to stay off Chloe’s radar but if she saw him she’d start asking questions. He’d known Rachel wouldn’t say anything since she’d have to admit she’d been talking to a werewolf—hell, she’d been making out with one. Now they were both trapped, unable to hide if Chloe walked into the back and saw them together.

He followed Rachel, sliding from beneath the vehicle. She whipped around and glared at him, narrowing her eyes. “The back door is unlocked,” she whispered. “Go out that way.”

“This isn’t over,” he warned, staring her in the eye. “I’ll be paying you a visit tonight. Don’t bother locking your door. It won’t keep me out. We’re finishing what we started.”

Rachel went from pissed to horrified. “Don’t you dare,” she seethed. “Chloe’s coming over tonight. She’ll flip if you show up.”

“Then I’ll wait until she leaves.” He rushed across the distance, brushing off the slaps she delivered to his chest. Yanking her to him, he kissed her quick and hard. Then he lifted his head, meeting her gaze. “I mean it, Just Rachel. When Chloe goes, I’ll be paying you a visit.”

“Rach?” Chloe’s voice sounded closer.

Fuck a duck.

The wolf snarled in his head when he let Rachel go. It didn’t want him to leave—fuck, he didn’t want to leave either—but it was for the best. There wasn’t a lot of time left. If he didn’t claim Rachel soon he’d slowly start losing control. God help her if that happened. He wouldn’t be able to take her like a lover. Rather he’d fuck her like the animal he was, forcing her to bend to his will. She’d never forgive him for it and he wouldn’t blame her. Wolves considered the first union between mated couples an omen of things to come. If they started off on the wrong foot everything would turn to shit.

“I’m on my way!” Rachel yelled and shot him one final look, ordering between clenched teeth, “Get out of here already. Hurry up!”

He loathed the distance between them with each step he took, heading for the door she’d indicated he should leave through. She’d been right there with him on the ground, ready to receive what he had to offer. He’d scented the sweetness of her cunt, watched as her eyes drifted closed in ecstasy. His cock remained hard as a fucking baseball bat. Reaching down, he shifted the damn thing to get comfortable. By now he was used to it. All he had to do was think about Rachel and his dick functioned on autopilot, becoming so stiff he had to stroke himself off several times a day.

Exiting the garage, he strode around the side of the building. The sky had gone dark, the evening overtaking the day. Trying to maintain a low profile, he’d parked a few blocks away. Apparently that hadn’t mattered. He paused when he saw Jackson standing beside the ‘67 Ford Mustang he’d recently started renovating. The Alpha had a grim smile on his face. The son of a bitch had known Declan was inside the garage the whole time.

With no other choice, Declan walked the distance to the Alpha. There wasn’t any use in trying to hide what had happened. Sooner or later Jackson would call for details. So far Declan had told Jackson the truth—he hadn’t gotten anywhere with the dreams and Rachel kept brushing him off when he visited her shop. Now he had to balls-up and grow a fucking set.

“How’d it go?” Jackson asked, glancing down at Declan’s crotch. “Not good, I take it.”

“Actually it was going perfectly until your mate showed up,” Declan growled. When Jackson’s lips thinned he informed the man, “Don’t worry, Chloe didn’t see anything. And believe me, Rachel wasn’t complaining. I could have taken things further if we hadn’t been interrupted.”

Jackson shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s movie night. I’m surprised Rachel didn’t mention it.”

She did mention it, after Chloe showed up. “She was preoccupied.”

“I bet she was.” Jackson glanced around, nostrils flaring. Tension filled the air, the streetlight shining across one side of his face. After several seconds he relaxed and looked at Declan. “Are you calling it a night?”

“I’m not sure.” Declan sensed Jackson’s restlessness. After Declan had made his intention to claim Rachel known, he’d been forced to step down as Beta temporarily. He hadn’t been able to keep up with as much as he normally would have. He’d even had to cancel all his appointments at The Wolf’s Den, the tattoo shop Jackson owned. “Why?”

“After Gavin denounced Desiree as his Lupa, the bitch asked the other packs for sanctuary. She claimed she couldn’t return home shamed and disgraced. Ward Wilson agreed to let her join his pack until she found somewhere to go. Rumor has it she’s settled in and doesn’t want to leave. She’s also been cozying up to Simone.”

Oh shit.

Desiree Benson had been mated to Chloe’s father. Gavin Worthington—a prominent Alpha in the area—had decided it was time to cut her loose. Their arranged mating hadn’t gone smoothly. Everyone knew Gavin and Desiree loathed one another, which was why Gavin had searched for love elsewhere and discovered his mate—a human. Despite his feelings, he hadn’t told the pack. He’d been too afraid of the repercussions and what Desiree would do if she found out about his lover and the child created by their union. Desiree and Gavin didn’t have children, meaning Chloe and her mother would inherit everything Gavin owned.

While shitty on Gavin’s part—considering Chloe hadn’t known she carried the werewolf trait and would eventually shift without understanding what was happening to her—the Alpha’s concerns had been understandable. He’d done what he thought was best, leaving his lover and unborn child. After Chloe’s birth, her mother had withered to nothing and died of a broken heart. Chloe had grown up trying to come to terms with the loss of her parent, raised by her grandparents who had an idea the child in their care might be more than they’d bargained for. They’d known Chloe’s father was a werewolf, having seen him when he’d come to their home to beg Chloe’s mother not to contact him anymore.

Simone, on the other hand, was a power hungry bitch who’d tried to force Jackson to agree to an arranged mating. Her father, Ward Wilson, had put his daughter in her place when he’d learned about Chloe, ordering his child to leave Jackson alone. Due to that Simone loathed Chloe with a passion. She’d made it clear she wanted to tear into Jackson’s mate more than anything. Given the chance she’d do it too.

Two bitches. A shared vendetta. So not fucking good.

“They’re not stupid.” At least Declan hoped they weren’t. If they attacked Chloe they’d face the judgment of the packs. “They won’t try anything.”