Chase squeezes my thigh, and I open my eyes to see him staring at me. “Channon Vineyards isn’t going anywhere,” he promises me. “We’re going to figure it all out.”
“Are you two doing that mind link stuff?” Evangeline asks, swiveling her chair around to face us. “You were quiet, and then Chase comes out and makes that random comment.”
Chase chuckles, and it makes me smile at her. “I kind of like it.”
Evangeline shakes her head, but then flourishes her hand for us to continue. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Speaking to Chase without others hearing will be an advantage, but I don’t have anything to hide from Evangeline. “I’m nervous about today,” I confess. Placing a hand over my chest, I can feel my pounding heart. Even my stomach feels like it’s bunched into tight knots.
The Royal pack knows we’re coming, and it just so happens that Colin and Kami are the ones picking us up from the airport. Kami made it known on numerous occasions how much she loathes me. We’re meeting Zayne and Amelie at their house, and I have no doubt they’ll have the rest of the Royal pack there. I don’t expect them to forgive me, but I have to say what I need to say.
Chase rubs his hand soothingly over my leg, and Evangeline reaches over for my hands. “You can do this, Kara.”
I clench her hands. “I hope so. All they’ve seen is the cold-hearted bitch side of me.”
Evangeline’s expression saddens. “That’s because it’s where you felt safe. You’ve been through a lot in your life.”
Chase drapes his arm over my shoulders. “I told them you’re my true mate.”
Gasping, I turn to him. I had no idea he’d told them. “What did they say?”
His lips purse, and he shrugs. “Well, they felt a little sorry for me.” A twinge coils in my gut, but then he winks, and the discomfort disappears. “I’m not sorry at all. You know I’ve always had a thing for you.”
Evangeline lets my hands go so I can turn to Chase. “And it was hard to resist.”
Chase nods toward the window. “We’re almost there, princess. There’s no turning back.”
Inhaling slowly, I look out the window to the Rocky Mountains below. “I don’t want to turn back. I’m ready.”
We land at the private airfield, and off to the side of the runway is Colin and Kami, standing by Kami’s Jeep with their arms crossed. I can already tell Kami’s annoyed by the disgruntled expression on her face.
“She’s not going to do anything to you,” Chase assures me, clearly having listened in on my thoughts.
Once the plane comes to a complete stop, the engines turn off, and Chase stands. I look to Evangeline, and she smiles reassuringly at me. “I guess it’s time to go,” I say to her.
Evangeline bites her lip and casts a side glance at Chase. “I think it might be best that I stay on the plane with James. The Royal pack could see it as a threat with you bringing a witch along. Not that I could do any damage to them, but still. I’ll be there if you need me.”
“She has a point, but it’s up to you,” Chase murmurs.
The last thing I want is to cause more tension. “No. You can stay here. I have to do this alone.”
James comes out of the cockpit and opens the plane door, sending a chilly blast of cold air into the plane. I can feel my wolf with Chase being close, but I still can’t handle the snowy weather without freezing to death.
“Hey, don’t forget your coat,” Evangeline shouts, tossing it to me. “We don’t want you dying of hypothermia.”
Goosebumps prickle every inch of my skin. Chase takes the jacket and holds it out so I can slide my arms inside. My teeth chatter as I zip it up. “Thanks.”
Chase drapes his arm around me, giving me his warmth. “And, of course, we had to pick a day where the high is only twenty degrees.”
I laugh. “It’s just my luck.”
James waves when he sees Colin and Kami out in the distance. “Good afternoon, you two,” he shouts. “It’s good to see you again.”
I can hear Colin and Kami’s voices as they shout back their hellos at him.
Stopping at the exit, Chase stares back at me. “Here we go.”
I nod toward the stairs. “I’ll follow you.”
We get off the plane, and Chase holds my hand as we walk the fifty yards it takes to get to Colin and Kami. It was Colin’s grandparents who killed my family all those years ago. He wasn’t even born at that point, so I don’t hold it against him. But, in all honesty, he’s different from the Storm men. He has the platinum blond hair of a royal, but Colin is a jokester. His mate, however, is the serious one. Kami was born a simple gray wolf, but now she’s a royal. She’s a little shorter than me, with light brown hair and an attitude that surpasses mine. I didn’t think it’d ever be possible to find someone more hardcore than myself.
My throat tightens up, and my stomach is a ball of nerves. Finally, I find the courage to meet Kami’s gaze, and with no surprise, her glare is all I see. Chase lets my hand go when we get close, and he extends it to Colin, only they don’t shake, they hug instead. I can still hear Kami’s voice in my head on the night Laila put me under the sleeping spell; it stings to remember her harsh words. At that time, I deserved it.
My eyes meet Kami’s gray ones. “Hello, Kami.”
Her jaw tenses. “Kara.”
It isn’t a hello, but it’s something. Colin pats Chase on the back and grins wide at me. “Shall we go?” Swallowing hard, I nod, and he flourishes a hand toward the Jeep. “Hop in.”
Chase opens the backseat door and slides in after me, taking my hand as soon as he gets settled. His touch helps, but my stomach is still in knots.
“It won’t take long,” Chase reassures me in my mind. “We’ll do what we have to do and leave.”
I want to look at him, but I keep my gaze straight, watching as the world whips by us. Colin has a lead foot, which means we’ll be at Zayne and Amelie’s house soon.
“What if Laila doesn’t take the bracelet off?” I ask, peeking over at him out of the corner of my eye.
He shrugs. “Then we’ll figure it out … together.”
“So, I heard you two were mates,” Kami blurts out, her body turned so she can gape at Chase and me.
Chase grins at me and answers her. “Yep. It’s about damn time it happened.”
When he focuses on her, she smiles, but it’s forced. “As long as you’re happy.”
The air around us turns electric.
“I am,” Chase replies, his voice deep and authoritative like the alpha he is.
Kami straightens in her seat, and she nods, almost as if hearing the truth lessened the tension.
Colin glances back at us. “Congrats, man. It’s about time you stepped over to the dark side. It’s all downhill from here.”
Kami smacks him on the arm. “Keep it up, asswipe.”
They banter back and forth the rest of the ride, and I find it quite amusing. It reminds me of my past interactions with Chase at the different wine competitions. Sarcasm was my way of fighting off the attraction. It was easier to be a snarky bitch than to give in to Chase’s charms.