“Someone tried to have me killed,” Chloe rasped, regaining Rachel’s attention. “If you hadn’t been there, I could have died. But when you defended me you were bitten. The saliva took hold. I’m so sorry. You were infected, Rachel. You’re changing.”
“Bitten?” she echoed and started to panic. “What do you mean I’m changing?”
Then, like a mental barrier had been lifted, memories of what had taken place came rushing back. She remembered the enormous black wolf that had rushed into her home, recalled how she’d rushed to Chloe’s defense. She brought her hand to her shoulder, expecting to feel a bandage, holding her breath in case there was any pain. Her fingers breezed over a few indented scabs, the rest of her skin unmarred and smooth.
“No,” she breathed, hands trembling. “You’re wrong.”
“I’m so sorry.” The tears Chloe had fought to contain slid from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. “I should have done something. I wasn’t able to shift fast enough to protect you.”
“I am not becoming a werewolf.” Chloe had to be wrong.
Yet even as she denied it, she knew her best friend—the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the world—was telling her the truth. Her body felt different, almost energized. Taking a deep breath, she realized she could smell things she shouldn’t have—the floral fragrance of Chloe’s shampoo, the aroma of pine from what she assumed was a freshly mopped floor. And in the distance she heard voices. Some she recognized, some she didn’t. Her ears homed on the sound of one in particular.
Declan.
A fresh flood of arousal wet her panties, her nipples hardening to points. Her stomach cramped, a flash of heat winding from her abdomen to her pussy. She shoved her fists into her belly, hoping to ease the ache. Right then she wanted him beside her, to see his face, touch his skin. She wanted to feel his mouth traveling over her flesh, his hands roaming over the curves of her body.
Stop it! Get hold of yourself. What’s wrong with you?
She tried not to hyperventilate, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. If she wanted to deal with things she needed time. The best way to maintain control was to stop thinking about what had happened to her and center her attention on Chloe. Someone had tried to hurt her friend. Tried to fucking kill her. For all Rachel knew the wolf that had attacked might have made it out of her house. It could still be around, waiting for another opportunity to strike.
“You said someone tried to have you killed.” Thankfully the sexual urges eased, letting her think clearly. She focused on her thoughts, tuning out her body. “Was it the thing that came to my house? Did it get away?”
“The wolf that attacked us is dead.” Chloe shook her head, as though the confession pained her. “Jackson believes there’s more to it. He thinks a couple of women from another pack are responsible but he doesn’t have proof.”
“Proof?” Her ears had to be deceiving her. “A freaking wolf attacked us last night. How much more proof does he need?”
“The wolf was rogue.” Chloe’s voice hardened. The strange glow Rachel had glimpsed the night before returned to her irises. “He didn’t have identification and no one in the pack recognized him or his scent. There’s no way to know who sent him. They’re loners by nature. That’s why packs hire them to do their dirty work. Even if Jackson confronted the Alpha of the pack the women belong to, he’d need to have evidence to support his theory.”
“Who are these bitches?” Talking about other things kept Rachel from thinking about the changes in her vision and sense of smell. It wasn’t easy though. Someone had started cooking. Her mouth watered when she recognized the delectable aroma of frying bacon. “Why do they have a problem with you?”
“One of them—Simone—wants Jackson. She tried to force him into an arranged mating.” Chloe’s lips thinned, her eyes narrowing. “The other one’s name is Desiree. She was my father’s mate before he denounced her in front of his pack. She knows that everything he possesses will be given to me if anything happens to him.”
Damn. No wonder the women hated Chloe. “What are you going to do?”
“Me? I’m not going to do anything,” she muttered, visibly annoyed. “Jackson’s thinking about arranging a meeting with the packs. Until then I’ll be watched everywhere I go. I won’t be able to do anything unless someone is with me.”
Wasn’t serendipity a bitch? Chloe needed to be protected around the clock. Now bitten by a werewolf—she swallowed thickly, fear rising up—Rachel had nowhere to go. “Guess it’s a good thing I got nipped,” she said under her breath. Despite talking softly she heard the words clearly and when she lifted her eyes she saw Chloe had heard her as well.
“I truly am sorry.” Her friend’s green eyes swam with tears. “If I’d stayed away from you this wouldn’t have happened.”
Stayed away from you.
It wasn’t unheard of for supernatural creatures and humans to maintain friendships but it certainly was rare. From time to time news stations had special reports about strange bonds between mortals and their superior counterparts. But there was a reason humans resided in one area and werewolves, vampires and other things lived in another. Black County consisted of mere humans, the area a safe place to call home. On the flip side, Atrum Hill was primarily a city where all things kooky preferred to dwell. She knew the wooded areas belonged to werewolves, the city streets were a haven for vampires and—if rumors were true—witches.
“I never wanted that.”
Upon learning of Chloe’s lineage, Rachel had been determined to maintain their close relationship. Perhaps she should have been resentful, placing the blame for her predicament on Chloe’s shoulders. But she couldn’t, especially now. She kept forcing aside her fears. A part of her didn’t want to believe it. There was no way she was going to change into a crazed animal. It wasn’t possible.
Things couldn’t get any worse.
“It’s normal to be in denial.” Chloe might as well have been reading her thoughts. The young woman studied her, a knowing light in her eyes. “I was too at first. After Jackson told me what I was I didn’t believe him. I felt so many things but I kept telling myself it couldn’t be true. It’s not a death sentence, Rach. You’ll be amazed at how wonderful it feels to change. You’ll be able to see and do things you’ve never imagined.”
“I’m not ready to deal with this.” The mere thought of changing—of her body doing the things Chloe’s had—terrified her. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I’m afraid you have to.” Glancing at the door, Chloe whispered, “I have to tell you something else. There’s a reason Declan’s been visiting you. I didn’t know about it. I swear. Jackson didn’t tell me. I tore into his ass when I found out he’d been keeping it from me.”
A lead weight settled in Rachel’s gut. “Tell you what?”
“You have to feel it.” Chloe’s eyes swept over her face, searching for something. “When Declan’s near you, do you feel drawn to him? Is there something about him you can’t resist?”
“He’s a nice-looking guy.” There didn’t seem to be a right answer to the question, so she fibbed. “With all those muscles and tattoos, he’s a woman’s wet dream. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him?”