Territory - Prequel (13 page)

Anger flared to life high on Cindy’s cheeks and she
moved to stand behind Mama, placing a
hand reassuringly on her mother’s shoulder.

Mama
spoke calmly
, “
Mace was supposed to live a long and full life.  We all thought this. 
You refused to learn our stories, learn our rituals because you assumed you didn’t need to
.  L
ike the rest of us you assumed he’d always be there
.  Now, you need to know.  Once a mate has b
een chosen, your wolf will not
deny her.  It will become more and more painful for you the longer you keep from her.  Until then it’ll be just as physically painful for you to touch her.  You
will not be allowed to have her until you
’
r
e
prepared to accept her as you
r
mate. 
We are design
ed this way so you can’t try to
get her out of your system.  She’ll not leave your thoughts son, you can’t out run her.”

“Enough!” Dell
commanded
angrily.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” Briggs stopped with the door to the office half opened as he eyed first Dell then his mother and sister.

“Nothing
!
”
Dell snapped.

Briggs stepped back to allow his brother to stomp past.

Briggs turned to his mother.  “What did I miss?”

***

Having quickly been apprised of the situation, Briggs raced out of the house to catch up with Dell. 
As he typically did when he was stressed, Dell had stomped off into the forest. 

When Briggs finally caught up to him he said nothing, but simply kept pace at his brother’s side.

“I think you
r mother’s senile!”

Briggs smiled.  He knew Dell would talk if he was just given time. 
“
My
mother?” he scoffed
.
“How come every time she says or does something you don’t agree with she becomes
my
mother?”

Dell snorted, a light smile lifting a corner of his mouth.  “Because I find it hard to believe that any relation of mine would believe something so
idiotic
.”

Briggs trie
d to hide his smile.  “You know she’s been around long enough to know what she’s talking about here right?”

Dell growled, “It can’t work!”

“How do you know?”

“How do I know?” Dell spun on his brother in incredulity
grabbing both of his arms roughly
, “We killed her brother and she fucking hates me!  That’s how I know!”

“
First of all,
we
didn’t kill her brother.  Second, g
ive
her some credi
t.  She might not hold a grudge.
”

Dell rolled his eyes and
shoved Briggs back.  “Clearly, you haven’t met her.”

Briggs shrugged, “I could seek her out.”

Dell stopped.  T
he
flash
of jealousy that s
hot
through him felt like a punch to the gut.
  “Don’t!” he growled the warning.

“I’ll just have a talk with her,” Briggs feet halted
when
Dell pulled to a standstill, “if she’s not agreeable to a meeting with you, I’ll just throw her in the trunk and haul her ass up here.”

Dell knew Briggs was baiting him, trying to draw him into a physical confrontation. The three brothers had done it for each other often over the years.  When one was stressed or under great pressure the other two volunteered as punching bags.  Now though
was the first time Mace wouldn’t be present, and
his absence
hurt.  Compounding matters was the fact that Dell didn’t want to just hurt Briggs for threatening
Chloe;
he wanted to literally rip him apart.  The swell of violence was startling and Dell couldn’t help but wonder if there was something to the mating thing between
him
and Chloe after all.

“Don’t talk about her Briggs.  It
angers me.”

“Good,” Briggs punched Dell in the bicep, “that’s what I was trying for.  You need to get out some stress.”  Briggs reached up and pushed Dell hard in the chest, “Let’s go.”

Dell dipped his head and growled menacingly, “Don’t.”

“Aw, what’s wrong?”  Briggs quickly pulled his shirt over his
head and tossed it aside before kicking of
f
his shoes, “You don’t want this big bad wolf hunting your little red riding hood?”

Dell didn’t move, but his hands balled into tight fists as he continued to growl.  He was trying to restrain himself, as he often had, but something about the way Briggs was referencing Chloe had his blood boiling.

“You just don’t want me around her because you don’t want her to think I’m the better specimen.”  Briggs rolled his shoulders and grinned at his brother, “I am viable you kn
ow, maybe I’ll just go over and
sniff
around.
 
If I like what I scent, I’ll take a little taste.  Let you know if she’s worth the hassle.”

That was all it took.  Dell
launched himself at Briggs, hitting his brother solidly in the chest.  The two rolled and Briggs didn’t get the chance to recover before a large fist connected with his jaw.  His head snapped to the side and he
was surprised at the power behind it.  He threw his own punch that Dell
swiftly
ducked. 

Grabbing Brigg’s extended arm, Dell fell back and trapped the arm between his legs and pulled back in what he knew had to be a painful arm-bar.  It was one thing for a shifter to get his ass kicked in a fight, but to make one submit was quite an achievement.  None of the three brother’s had ever submitted to each other
in battle,
or
to
anyone
else
for that matter.  It
didn’t stop them from trying.

Briggs howled before he shifted.  Dell lost his grip and
also
shifted
as he rolled
.  The brothers went at each other and fur flew.  Vicious snarling rent the air and twenty minutes later the two brothers lay laughing on the forest floor.
  Blood trickled from Briggs’ nose and Dell’s lip
was cracked.  Each bore bruises and scratches and when Brigg’s picked part of a dry leaf off his tongue the brothers erupted into laughter again.

“Christ, you
like to cheat in your old age!”

“Old age?
”
Dell laughed, “I’m a spring chicken.”

“Yeah,” Briggs lifted a hand to rub his sore bicep, “a chicken at least.”

Dell sat up
then hauled himself to his feet before
extending a hand to help his brother up
.
“What’s wrong?  Did this big bad wolf hurt more than just your body?”

Briggs frowned at his brother, but accepted his hand.  “I assure you my pride is intact.”  He dusted leaves off himself when he stood.  “Besides, I had to let you win.  You’re the Alpha.”

Dell winked at his brother then rolled his head from side to side.  “I needed that.”

Briggs slapped him on the back, “Anytime.”

“Same time tomorrow?”
Dell challenged.

“Hell no,” Briggs rubbed his lower back gingerly.  “You better call Pony he’s younger and has more to prove. 
I’m getting to
o
old for this shit!”

The brothers both laughed as the
y
headed
back toward the compound.

Chapter
12

Chloe
had just
finished showering and dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and t-shirt
.  She’d spent the morning at the local rec center gymnasium.  While the facility was cramped and dingy, it was suitable for her needs, plus she didn’t have to worry about any more wolf encounters. 

She was descending the stairs when the
door
bell rang.  She paused
at the landing
wondering who could be calling
.  When the
bell
sounded
again
,
she
descended the last few steps to jerk
the door open
.
Shock froze
her
in
place as she stared at the woman she knew to be Dell Blackbird’s mother.

Chloe simply stood and stared slack-jawed at the elderly woman before she finally found her tongue. 
“
Uhh
,
forgive me.”  Chloe stood back holding the door wide, “Please come in.”

Mama smiled but remained outside.  “You know who I am?”

Chloe nodded, “Yes.”

“And you know my son Dell?”

Chloe stiffened and bit out a
nother
clipped, “Yes.”

“Good,” the older woman’s dark eyes crinkled in the corners when she smiled, “I’m too old to futz around
, s
o I’ll just
say
what needs to be said.”  She lifted her head and pursed her lips a mome
nt before she began, “My people,
my family, we’re descendents of wolves.  Shape shifters.  Some call us skin walkers. 
You’ve heard the rumors?”

Chloe merely nodded.

“
We live in packs and e
ach pack has a leader, an Alpha
,
and it is this Alpha’s responsibility to act in a manner that will both protect and strengthen his people.
”
  

“All due respect Mrs. Blackbird
, but why are you telling me
this?”

Mama sobered then, seemingly drawing to her full height
, slight as it was
.  “Because Dell is the le
ader to our people.  My son is A
lpha
to our clan
.  They are not rumors.  We are shifters,
” Mama
leveled her eyes on Chloe, “and you are my son’s
mate.”

Chloe’s eyes
widened
and she took a cautious step back, “
Look, I don’t want any trouble.
”  Chloe peeked over the woman’s shoulder wondering if she were alone. 
This has to be a joke. 
“You should go
.”

“I’ll go, but I want you to know
that his claiming is going to b
e stron
ger with you because he is the A
lpha.”  Mama let her eyes slide up and down Chloe’s lithe frame.  “You must be very strong to have resisted to this point.”  Mama began to turn then, “But it cannot last young la
dy.  No matter how much you pray it to the contrary, your hate will give way to love.”  Mama stopped to eye Chloe suspiciously, “I suspect it’s begun already.”

Chloe’s blush was telling even as she lifted her chin with more confidence than she actually fe
lt.  “Good night Mrs. Blackbird,
”
she offered dismissively.

The older woman smiled, “
It’s
Mama.”  She winked
.
“Least it will be.
  The longer he stays from you the more painful it becomes.  I thought it only fair to warn you now that he won’t be able to stay away much longer.”  She reached out and patted Chloe’s hand.  “Prepare yourself.  Prepare your heart.  Your mate is coming for you.
”  Then she turned and left.

Chloe waited until the old woman was
out of sight before she closed the door
and then fell back against it. 
Shifter?
 
Mates?
  It was now official.  The Blackbird’s were certifiably nuts! 

She lifted a hand to her lips and realized she was trembling
.  She’d instantly denied Mrs. Blackbird’s words, but alone now she was staggered by the implications
. 
What if it’s true?
It can’t be.  Can it? 
Even just considering that the stories were true was terrifying, but the old woman had seemed so truthful, almost proud of the fact.  Still, Chloe wouldn’t accept the
woman’s claim.  If she did in fact believe that the Blackbirds were shifters then she’d have to believe the res
t of their mother’s statement and she
had no intention of being anything with Dell Blackbird, especially his mate
.  She drew in a shaky breath.  F
or some odd reason she couldn’t slow her heart as it
thundered
in her ches
t as she remembered Mrs. Blackbird’s warning. 
‘
His claiming is going to be stronger with you because
he’s the A
lpha.
’
 
What
in
the hell does that mean?