A scratching noise reached her ears. Turning, she saw a white wolf trotting out of the woods.
“Hello,” she called as the beautiful creature moved closer.
She’d seen most of the pack in their wolf forms, and while there were some with white patches, none were the pure snow white of this wolf.
“Who would you be?” she asked as it stopped before her. “I don’t think we’ve met yet.”
Even as she said the words, she remembered seeing a flash of white the night Kieran had chased her through the woods. Had this wolf been there?
“You’re welcome to my coat if you’d like to change,” she offered. Not that weres had much of an issue with nudity. Still, she shrugged out of the coat and held it out.
The wolf tilted its head before it began to transform.
She could see the process a thousand times and still never get bored with it. Seeing a wolf change into a human was like watching an optical illusion you couldn’t quite explain. Her eyes tried to reconcile two forms overlapping each other, but her brain didn’t have the capacity to explain the phenomena. Instead she just watched in appreciation as the white wolf faded away, leaving a naked woman in its place.
“Thank you,” the woman said, rising to her feet.
As she held out her coat, Chloe had to admit the woman was just as stunning as her wolf form had been. Long black hair hung to her trim waist. Every inch of her body was lithe and honed, with legs that seemed impossibly long. The woman took the coat and tossed it around her perfect body. It fell to mid-thigh and Chloe couldn’t help but think it added another layer of sex appeal to a woman who looked like she’d stepped out of some lucky man’s fantasy.
“I haven’t seen you around,” she said.
Clear blue eyes flicked to her. “I’ve kept to myself. It’s been a while since I attended a gathering such as this.”
“Well, you’re welcome to join me,” she said, shifting to the side.
Inclining her head, the woman climbed onto the tabletop with her.
“I’ve missed this place,” she said. “I stayed away too long.”
“It’s beautiful,” Chloe agreed. “I wasn’t sure about coming here, but I’m glad I was able to see the Clearwater land.”
“The alpha brought you.”
She nodded. “We thought it was time his people met me.”
“Because he’s serious about you.”
A soft smile curved her lips. “I hope so.”
The nameless woman studied her for a long moment before sighing. “It’s been a long time since he was happy.”
“Yes.”
“So he told you his tale, has he?”
“Enough of it,” she replied. “It’s taken him a long time to get to the point where he can let someone else in.”
“It was her fault,” the woman said. “She was too young to be what Kieran needed. Selfish and undisciplined, she didn’t understand what it meant for an alpha to rule.”
“Did you know her?” Chloe asked. “Lisette, that is?”
“Oh yes. I knew her.” She tilted her face up to the sun. “She’s been traveling the world, you know. Trying to figure out what went wrong. She thought if she could fix herself, maybe she could fix their relationship.”
A shiver ran down her spine. Lisette always seemed like a phantom presence. One she’d never come across in real life. She was a ghost from the past that Chloe had never expected to reemerge. If Lisette had spent decades trying to become what Kieran and the pack needed, she’d be a formidable opponent indeed.
One you couldn’t best, her inner voice whispered. Kieran had loved the wolf to distraction for over forty years. A fake girlfriend couldn’t compare to that kind of devotion in any way.
Not fake. Not anymore. He cares about me.
But he didn’t love her.
“I hope she’s had luck with her self-discovery,” Chloe said, choking out the words. “Everyone deserves to find their happiness.”
Blue eyes met hers. “Aren’t you sweet?”
“Not sweet. Hopeful.”
A smile touched the woman’s rosy lips. “I can see why he is drawn to you. Your youth, your naïveté… It’s like he found the anti-Lisette.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t mistake kindness for weakness,” she said. “Just because I choose to see the good in people doesn’t mean I won’t fight for those I care about.”
“And what would you do if someone tried to take Kieran from you?”
Magic coiled through her. While this wolf didn’t appear to be a threat, she certainly wasn’t a friend.
“I’d make them regret it,” she replied.