Page 35 of Claimed

“Oh,” I whisper.

“Just how fucked up is the pack you come from, sweetheart?”

“So very fucked up, Greyson,” I say, brokenly.

He gives me a sad expression and pulls me closer. “We’ll figure it out,” he says.

“Greyson,” I whisper.

“Yeah, babe?” he asks, looking into my eyes while gently dashing the tears away with his thumbs.

Is he real? Is this man really for me?

“Talk to me,” he requests.

My heart is racing. He wants to know my truth, but what will happen once I divulge it all?

I hide my face in his chest and continue crying.

“When did I become such a crybaby?” I ask instead of blurting everything on my mind.

“Maybe ‘cuz deep down you know you’re safe to let it out. And you can. I’ve got you. We’ll be okay,” he says.

I sniffle.

“You wanna talk about it?” he asks. “Lay it all on me? Tell me about how you got here, about why, about your pack?”

I exhale hard and rake my hands through my hair. “I don’t know where to start. I don’t know…”how to navigate this situation, how to minimize the damage to my pack, to Greyson’s pack.

I’ve left the sentence hanging, so he finally says, “We’ll have some food and then I’m gonna make you come on my knot. We’ll talk after that.”

I startle in surprise at his bluntness. At the fact that it doesn’t feel gross.

“New toy,” he quips and my eyes widen. “The knot I mean, not you. Who am I kidding? You too, if I’m honest.” His eyes twinkle with mischief. “Don’t worry, I take care of my toys.”

“Oh. Um. Okay.” Instead of feeling gross, he’s making my belly gowhoosh.

His eyes are lit with amusement. “Okay,” he repeats, then adds, “Gonna need you to open up. I promise you’re safe to do it. But let’s have something to eat, spend some time together, and go from there. Yeah?”

Yeah, that sounds amazing. But what if Wyatt has already set more garbage in motion?

I pull my lips tight. He tips my chin up and his face is serious.

“Unless you have something to say now. Should I worry? Do we need to fortify ourselves for what might be next? Obviously, whoever put you up to all that isn’t gonna just give up.”

I frown. “I … don’t know. I mean, yeah but I don’t know?”

I sound like an idiot.

“Nobody’s about to come attack us? Nobody else about to get shot?”

“I don’t know what he has planned next. Honestly. Me not succeeding yesterday would probably mean he has to regroup.”

He stares at me for what feels like a long minute.

And my heart is beating too fast. Greyson needs answers. I don’t know what to tell him. I manage, “He’ll be wondering where I went.”

“Your former pack’s alpha?”

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