Page 140 of Claimed

“I’m not arguing that; I know he does. If I didn’t do what Wyatt wanted, he held the fate of the women and the elderly, of Halla over my head. But if I did, I’d get taken off rotation here and also get Malachi closer to Wyatt so he could find a way to take over, I hoped.”

Grey jerks back, lips thinning as I keep talking.

“I held back some of the poison herb I was putting on the pies. I’ve got some hidden in the bottom of my suitcase wrapped with catnip. I kept it so that we could… maybe…give it to Wyatt and rise up when he can’t shift. I… I’ve never had a physical relationship with Mal, Grey. Never.”

His jaw muscles clench. “That poison was in our fuckin’ house?”

I’m about to answer, but he snaps, “Another thing you didn’t tell me.”

His tone and body language are both bitter and angry now. And this is my fault.

“There was a lot happening,” I reason, but we both know I’m making an excuse. “And you never told me everything. I don’t know how my suitcase got to your house.”

“Bailey brought it over from the motel.”

“Oh.”

“So this Malachi wasn’t one of the ones who took you on all fours as a reward?” he snaps. “That’s obviously what you mean by being on rotation, right?”

My face drops.

“He’s not one of the ones who made you fear being claimed by me?” His voice gets a little louder.

And everyone that was outside in earshot has moved into the mess hall and I hear the door close. They’re trying to give us privacy.

I shake my head, lowering my voice. “No. And I’ve never had romantic feelings for any male but you. I was only considering the pair-up to help my pack, not that I had a choice. If Wyatt wanted me paired up, it was his choice to do so.”

His eyes work over my face.

“Plenty of other men did use me as a reward, though,” I admit.

He bares his teeth. “Any of them here right now? Any of those guys back there?”

My face clearly gives him his answer because he barks, “Fuck!” thrusting his hand through his hair.

And now he’s on the move, marching away from me.

I follow.

“Where are you going?”

He picks up his pace and his hands are clenching and unclenching.

And I realize he’s about to go into the building the men are currently in.

I wince. “Grey, don’t!”

He spins around to face me, and his eyes are practically on fire.

“I don’t want anyone else to die because of the culture Wyatt created here. Wyatt did that. He turned our pack into this.” I throw my hand out. “He did this, and those men don’t deserve your fire. If they had a chance to be good men, maybe they would be.”

He looks away, pissed off.

“I was insurvivemode,” I tell him. “But so were they. We’ve all been in this mode for a long time. But now, with you, I’m moving tothrivemode instead.”

His fire dims just fractionally. But not enough.

I hug him tightly and press my cheek against his chest. “You’ve changed everything for me, Grey. Everything. I’m so grateful.”

---