As quickly as tension filled the air, it dissipated. The wolves relaxed and the growls stopped. The arm Jackson used to shield her from harm disappeared. Gramps shifted his attention to her. There was so much adoration in his face—so much concern.
“Chloe Bean?” he inquired softly.
She knew then that her grandfather was sacrificing his happiness for hers. Even though he wanted to confront Gavin, he was willing to walk away if that’s what she wanted. Despite everything he’d been through, his love for her was stronger than the hate he’d held on to over the years. Her eyes burned with tears, stinging like needles. She forced a smile, unable to see him clearly as her vision blurred.
The roar of an engine ripped through the air, destroying the moment. Jackson spun around and Chloe did the same. A sleek, white BMW approached. A resonating snarl had her head snapping to the side. She looked over her shoulder at Gavin, who’d lost any semblance of calm.
“Does she know about her?” Jackson asked, catching Chloe off guard.
Before she could ask who “she” and “her” were, Gavin growled, “Yes.”
“Is she the reason you left your child?” Jackson snaked his arm around Chloe’s waist and tugged her close. For the second time she felt his wolf rise. “Does she pose a threat?”
“Yes.”
Gavin strode over to them, reaching into his back pocket. His irises shone a vivid yellow-gold, accentuating the blond curls on his head. He didn’t dawdle when he removed a thick folded envelope and handed it to Chloe.
“Everything you need to know is inside. When you’re ready to talk, I’m only a phone call away.” He stared, as though framing the moment in time, his green gaze taking in the contours of her face. Finally—though it seemed to take effort—he ripped his eyes from her and looked at Jackson. “You shouldn’t stay for the hunt. Things are bound to get messy.”
“I won’t let my female lose face by running from your bitch of a Lupa,” Jackson replied levelly.
“Former Lupa,” Gavin corrected, staring into the distance, a surge of wind sweeping through the random locks of hair at his nape. “I’m renouncing our mating.” With a parting look at Chloe, he started walking toward the car, calling over his shoulder, “Don’t make me regret trusting you, Jackson Donovan.”
“Shit,” Jackson muttered and then yelled, “Fletcher, start the truck. We’re leaving.”
“Whoa, hold up,” she gasped, trying to speak despite the arm that hoisted her from the ground. Clutching the envelope Gavin had given her, she fought to stay upright. “What are you doing? What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you just as soon as we’re off the hunting grounds. We need to go.”
Jackson reached the truck, opened the door and placed her inside the cabin. He moved away just long enough to instruct the pack to stay then slid into the seat beside her. In the short time she’d known the man, he had never backed down from anything.
What the hell has him so shaken?
Gramps tossed his gun into the bed of the truck and climbed in. One flick of his wrist and the engine came to life. Chloe managed to turn in time to see the BMW come to a screeching halt beside them. The driver’s side door flew open and a leggy brunette jumped out. Her furious blue eyes drifted to the truck and fixated on Chloe.
“Go,” Jackson snarled, his head turned in the glaring woman’s direction.
Gramps didn’t bother putting the truck in reverse. He rotated the wheel and skirted past the vehicles in front of them. Gavin intercepted the female—his Lupa, Chloe assumed—as she screamed something that was too garbled to understand and started striking him in the chest.
As they drove into the fading dusk, she lowered her head.
The envelope in her hand felt heavy—too heavy.
Everything you need to know is inside.
Jackson released a jagged breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to explain. Desiree might have—”
“I don’t want to know,” she whispered, knowing he would hear. “Not yet.”
Lifting her hand, she groped at the truck’s headliner. It wasn’t entirely dark out but she couldn’t read if she couldn’t see. When she found the button to turn on the interior light, she pushed it on and encased the area in a soft glow.
Jackson and her grandfather didn’t say a word when she took a deep breath, unfolded the envelope and slid it open. Nestled inside were pieces of paper.
Letters.
Her fingers trembled when her eyes skimmed over the first one.
Gavin, I don’t know where to start.
She kept reading, confirming her suspicions when she reached the end of the note.
It was from her mother.
She had obviously been infatuated with Gavin, putting her feelings to paper even though it was apparent she’d felt uncomfortable and awkward doing so. Chloe shuffled the note to the back of the stack. The second letter was written by someone else.
Dearest Sylvie…
She felt dizzy when she thought about what she held in her hands. There were many things Gavin could tell her about the past but she’d never know how her mother had felt. At least, she’d thought she’d never know.
Everything you need to know is inside.
The man she’d hated had given her a gift beyond measure, one that allowed her to get a glimpse into the mind of the one person she’d always wanted to know—her mother.
Forcing aside tears, she settled back and started reading.
Chapter Twelve
Jackson watched Chloe step into the cabin. She’d refused to put away the envelope full of letters Gavin had given her, clutching them like a lifeline. The trip to her grandparents’ property had been a quiet one. After they’d arrived, she’d exchanged a tearful farewell with her grandparents, climbed into his car, turned on the light and continued reading. The few times he’d been able to sense her emotions—fear, hurt and despair—he’d touched her, alleviating her distress in the only manner he could. Now that they’d arrived at the cabin and she’d finished reading, it was time to talk to her about the past and their future.
The heat of the moon beckoned but he forced his wolf back. He could scent Chloe’s desire to change, noted the way she’d fidgeted when she’d slid out of his car. Time wasn’t on their side but he was determined find out what she’d learned.
Surprisingly, she relinquished her tight grip on the letters, placing them on the counter as she strode toward the kitchen. Then she pivoted to face him. Her skin was flushed, her green eyes changing to a breathtaking shade of emerald. She rubbed her hands over her arms.
“My skin won’t stop itching.”
He closed the distance and put his arms around her. Drawing her close, he breathed in her luscious scent. The wolf was there, waiting to answer the call of the moon.
“I’ll take care of that shortly. Tell me about the letters.”
She trembled, resting her face against his chest. “He tried to warn her,” she murmured. He could tell she was struggling not to cry. “He told her they couldn’t be together.” Her hands came around his waist, tiny fingers digging into his jacket. “She wouldn’t listen.” She took a deep breath and slowly released it. “She didn’t listen.”
“Did he talk about the packs?”
Her head bobbed as she nodded, wisps of her curly hair brushing his chin. “He said he was mated to someone but he didn’t love her. He never loved her.”