Page 74 of Claimed

I freeze in the entryway.

He quickly has me in his arms, index finger tipping my chin up, so I have no choice but to look into his angry eyes. “First, never bullshit me. About anything. Hear me?”

I nod. My chin is trembling.

“Second,” he goes on, “people need to get to know you. They get that chance, they won’t only not say negative shit, they also won’t even fuckin’ think it. Okay?”

I’m shaky as I reply, “He’s gonna think that not only should you reject me, also that I’m a snitch.”

Greyson’s eyes roll. “Get that out of your head.”

“The other alpha guy is one of the guys I poisoned. I’m sure he’s not happy about having to keep me safe either.”

“Gus isn’t keeping you safe.I’mkeepin’ you safe.” Greyson thumps his chest with his fist. “Me. Not them. They’re my backup so I don’t have to keep my eyes and ears focused on the perimeter of the house when I wanna be focusin’ on you. They’re here to help make my life a little easier while we have our honeymooning time together, which I don’t like because my instinct tells me to rip the throats out of any male that gets within sniffing distance of you, but thankfully I can see past my urges and accept some backup since it benefits me to be able to focus on you rather than security 24/7. Let’s go.” He tags my hand and we return to the kitchen.

I’ve lost my appetite.

He, of course, tries to reassure me but I’m not only unconvinced that his people will all love me in no time, forgetting my sins, but I’m also a little quaky, still, because I absolutely hate making him angry.

18

Stacy

It's the next day and we’re having sex for the second time today. He spent some time outside with some of the other pack members discussing things to do with their security concerns, concerns because of my presence, my brother. As much as Grey insists that I shouldn’t feel bad about how much my presence here has thrown things into chaos, I can’t help it.

I went through the bag of clothing Bailey sent me and they didn’t seem remotely like old clothes. They’re nicer than anything I’ve ever owned. I spent the morning cleaning the house and alternating between being stressed and imagining a future here. A beautiful life with Grey Blackwood. With things I’ve never allowed myself to imagine having. But every daydream is shadowed by my guilt over the things I’ve done, over my fear that it’ll all be ripped away either by my brother or by fate intervening and giving Grey someone more worthy of him than me.

Beyond that, the guilt of having so much good food to eat, clean water to drink and bathe in – it stings because of those I care about going without. There’s also the worry that those I care for are being punished because I failed at my “mission”.

It’s all so much. But his touch which comes often, makes me temporarily forget. So does his purr.

***

It’s the third time, and a hot spring of sensation erupts from my body, from between my legs, from my breasts, my throat, allat once and this geyser saturates everything, everything in me, around me. I’m flooded by liquid, by heat, by the soul-altering trembling of all the incredible nerve endings Greyson discovered in me. They’re all his. I’m all his. Entirely, completely. And there is his throat. Tan. Muscled. Right here in front of me. And I’m pulled out of the moment because I chicken out.

Guilt hits me but almost immediately, purrs coax me into that ooey-gooey, relaxed state instead.

I’m thinking maybe I’ll work up the nerve to bite him next time and thinking about maybe initiating that ‘next time’ a few minutes after we finish, but he suddenly bolts from beside me telling me there’s an emergency.

19

Grey

“I’m sorry to have to make you do this. Fuckin’ hate it, babe, but–”

“It’s okay,” she softly says and through the phone line I can hear the pain and know I’ll see it blended with the resolve in her expression when she gets here.

I fucking loathe this shit. But she needs to come to the cabin and see if she can identify these bodies. My father is picking her up from the house and bringing her over. It’s not a long drive and I’m sure that fucker Wyatt Meadows has retreated at least temporarily, but I asked Dad to do it despite that Bailey offered to bring her.

I had to rush out ten minutes after sex when I felt the urgent call of the pack connection coming at me. And it came at me with a blaring alarm from Riley because of what he and Erica were enduring. And then Linc and Mase, too. That there was a triple alarm caused an extreme reaction in me that had me running faster than I’ve ever run and faster than I ever thought Icouldrun. I ran my ass off, not even thinking about shifting or getting in my car. I just fucking ran until I caught up with Ty just up the road from his place. All of us felt Riley’s distress call.

I could tell my exit frightened her, could still feel her tension through our connection when I called Bailey to go over there and give her the phone, so I could tell her there was an altercation with more of her pack members including her brother, and that two betas from Silver Hills needed identifying because whilethey were there to take Riley out and steal Erica away, Erica unleashed holy hell on them.

Wyatt Meadows, wherever the fuck this fucker is now, he’s damn lucky to be alive. Ty is chasing, trying to track him down and I asked him to bring him back alive. I could tell it was a big ask because Ty tore off like a bat outta hell.

***

Dad pulls up and Stacy and Bailey get out. My father surveys the smoking bodies as Stacy walks into my outstretched arms. I hold her for a minute, feeling her trembling, wanting to purr for her but needing to know.

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