Page 13 of Claimed

The fact that she burst into tears and cried all the way back to our village was one clue this wasn’t her own agenda. I’d lay down a bet she was coerced by someone to do those ugly things. This isn’t someone acting like an enemy. This timid, pretty she-shifter doesn’t come across as an instigator at all. In fact, when I saw her at the diner the day Riley caught the scent of Erica Young, I suspected she was untouched by how shy she was, how she dropped her gaze every time I looked at her. By the pink hitting her cheeks and by the lack of male scent attached to her.

I definitely noticed her. Even flirted with her. She’s exactly my type. Feminine. Shy. Submissive.

Although it’s now clear she was masking her scent, I’m smelling her true scent now. Whether or not she’s actually a virgin is a mystery for the moment. But from now on, she’ll only be touched by me. Because she belongswithme. She’s about to belongtome.

Our eyes meet and hers are wide. She promptly looks away, glancing everywhere but at me, taking in the foyer, eyes bouncing from the double doors of the coat closet to the powder room, then down the hallway leading to the rec room, which extends to the laundry, storage and the utility room as well asthe garage entrance. Straight ahead is a short staircase to take us up to the level with the living and dining rooms as well as the kitchen. I take us up.

“Welcome home, Blossom,” I say and run my nose across her throat, which draws a shiver from her.

Though she shivers, her fear scent also spikes higher as her eyes pan across the space.

“This is the space I put together waiting for you. I hope you like it.”

She stares blankly at my mouth for a beat, but then her eyes devour the space as I move through it.

“After you settle in, you can make any changes you want. Nothing sentimental here, all bought new so anything you don’t like, we’ll get rid of.”

“It’s beautiful just like this,” she whispers, and I find myself pleased because she seems like she means it.

Bailey and I brainstormed after I bought the place and once I told her about the color scheme I had in mind, she helped me pick out the furniture, the art, even the little things like dishes and linens to match.

Ahead of us is an overstuffed green velvet couch and matching loveseat. The room has polished off-white (Bailey calls them bone-colored) end tables and coffee tables, another shade of off-white (cream to Bailey) walls. A few pieces of nature-inspired art decorate the walls.

There’s a large, white brick fireplace dominating the living room. The living room and dining area are tied together with twin thick, (what my sister called) jewel-toned rugs. The dining area is taken up by an off-white (Bailey calls it ivory and swears it’s vastly different from the cream-colored walls and the bone-colored tables) glossy dining set for eight with a matching sidebar. They’re close in appearance to my coffee and end tables. I never use this table, instead eating at the kitchen island. But I look forward to using it now.

“Not professional decorators, but think we did okay,” I said. “My sister helped. You’ll like her.”

“Green is my second-favorite color,” she says softly.

“What’s your first?” I ask, mouth splitting into a smile.

She said that like a little kid would, with a bit of wide-eyed wonder.

“Red,” she replies, staring at my mouth.

“Got good news, then,” I say, and we move to the next staircase, which leads to the top floor where the bedrooms are.

I wanted red in the master and outfitted the black and white master bathroom with red towels and bathmats. “I’ll show you the kitchen later.”

Mase began to set up his place for a family after we caught Ty’s scent for the first time, knowing that the missing piece of our council wasn’t actually dead.

Feeling like everything would fall into place soon, he dreamt up the plans for his house, drew up those plans and we worked with him to build just what he wanted. After showing pictures to a prospective client, things snowballed and Mase’s house was featured in a design magazine, which did good things for Savage Construction and all our bank balances.

Me and Joel followed not long afterwards by buying our own places, and I find myself glad about it, because I’ve brought her to a home I readied for her instead of taking her to a crash pad like the house I lived in with the guys up until a few years ago.

Riley moved out a while back and bought his folks’ place when they wanted to downsize, so he’s all set, too.

Linc and Jase still live there, though I’m sure now that they’re seeing me identify my mate, they’ll think about carving out their own spaces pronto. If the schedule so far is anything to go by, it won’t likely be long for them either. That big, old house looks like it was decorated by a couple frat boys who fired their cleaning lady years ago. It’s no place to take your mate. But it is on the river near Roxy’s Bar. It’s a big place that could fit a large family, so maybe one of them will hold onto it.

I bought this house from Joel’s ex’s folks when they decided to retire to the mountains a few hours south of here, joining their daughter’s pack to be near her and their four granddaughters.

Rye, Mase, Jase, and Linc helped me with the renovations here, though Joel didn’t come over much at first.

He told me he was fine with me buying it, but it was obvious the place held old ghosts for him from his time with his ex, who was claimed by an alpha while we had to hold Joel back, knowing he couldn’t do a thing about it.

Once I changed just about everything about this house, I had a party to celebrate, and he came. He told me the place looked good. I told him I hoped once he identifies his own mate, it’ll erase whatever old feelings still linger. It’s been over a decade since she mated and left town and Joel still won’t talk about it. We’re all looking forward to him moving on with his fated mate, knowing it’ll help him finally put his ex behind him.

Her parents leaving the village helped; I know he never found it easy to talk to them afterwards and he was always withdrawn for weeks after she visited them here. Joel doesn’t show it to many, but he feels things in a big way.

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