Page 23 of Claimed

“Don’t know much about it but suspect I’ll find out about that side of my DNA soon enough based on the series of events around here lately.”

She yawns and covers her mouth. “Excuse me. Sorry.”

“Information overload. Just wanted to help you relax. See I’ve bored you halfway to sleeping. Brought your blood pressure down, didn’t I?”

“I’m not bored. I just… I didn’t sleep last night.”

I’m not surprised she didn’t sleep with what she had to do today.

“Want something to eat before we get some rest?”

She gives me a perplexed look. “Rest? Uh… not gonna do the other thing?”

I smile and twirl a lock of her hair around my finger. “Giving you time here, Stacy. I can see you need it. Figure we’ll crash early and tomorrow’s a new day.”

“I’m not hungry,” she says.

But her stomach rumbled, giving away the truth.

“Your belly is sayin’ different.”

“I can’t eat when I’m stressed out. It’ll just come straight back up.”

I touch my lips to her forehead, breathing in her scent, feeling her tense up just a little again. “Last thing I want is to keep stressin’ you out. I’ll give you what you need. We’ll get some rest.”

While I know whatIneed, I also know it’s better to wait. Everything in me tells me that not only is she mine, but also that she needs me to take it slower than I want.

I’m eager to learn her story, to find out who told her to shoot at us and poison our pack. And why. I suspect since she clearly comes from a fucked-up pack it’s likely her alpha looking to take us out. It’s possible it’s just simple greed at play. Her comments about wealth, paying tributes, plus how it sounds like her pack numbers are dwindling has me leaning in that direction.

I know there’s a lot to unpack with this girl. But we’ve got a lifetime ahead of us and though I’d love to show her how good it’ll be with us, she’s afraid of me, she’s traumatized, and a mate’s wellbeing is an alpha’s top priority so it’s down to nurture coming before primal nature that I have the ability to wait. Not long, but I’m thinking for her sake I can keep it at bay for the night.

5

Stacy

My eyes burst open, panic immediately spiking in my body. I’m in the dark, in bed with the alpha who caught me. The dreamy-looking guy who says the right things, who has a gentle touch.

Greyson Blackwood has me feeling like I’ve been in the wrong skin my whole life, because therightskin would mean I’d have been under his body, whether in the shape of a wolf or a female.

Not sleeping a wink last night and after the traumatic events of today, this must be why I was able to fall asleep on top of him.

He stroked my hair and my back until I drifted off in his incredibly warm embrace, and it didn’t take long despite that I felt his erection against me, thick, with heat coming from it, showing me what he wants from me. What every male wants.

I’m not accustomed to being around men who control their carnal urges. Especially not alpha men.

I’m relieved, but suspect it won’t last long. I’ve had men utter sweet words to me before who haven’t really meant them. Or who might have meant them but when it all came down to it, they didn’t keep those words in mind, often because of Wyatt. Wyatt has a knack for ruining absolutely everything.

Also, I’m still not entirely convinced Greyson Blackwood knows what he’s talking about in terms of me being fated to be his. I did mess with my scent. Played with potions. I can’t help but want to believe, though. In fact, I want it to be true so badly I can almosttaste it. Because what it would mean to have a future here, in this place, with this man? It’s beyond anything girls like me wish for.

How strange to fall asleep on top of somebody. I would never have thought I’d like it.

I lift my head from Greyson’s warm chest and look down. The length of my hair falls onto his face, so I move it out of the way. He’s snoring softly, clearly in a deep sleep, and he doesn’t rouse when I roll away from the heat of him.

I miss the feeling as soon as I’m a foot away, so I gaze at his sleeping form for a moment, then manage to drag my eyes away. This is not the time to ogle the sleeping, handsome alpha who says I’m destined to give him babies, be by his side doing whatever I want to do while he provides for me. As awesome as that dream come true sounds, reality is creeping in, and I probably don’t have much time to figure things out.

My belly bottoms out at the magnitude of the mess I’ve found myself in and my eyes dart around the dark, beautiful room as my mind races.

It’s still night, but I have a decent sense of sight, so I’ll easily be able to find my way out of here. No time like now. I only hope I’m not already too late.

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