Page 81 of Claimed

He sets his phone and keys on the shelf by the door as he kicks his shoes off.

My heart beats faster.

He scratches his jaw and my eyes take in the salt and pepper facial hair that looks really fantastic. He’s wearing a tight black t-shirt with his faded jeans and they fit so good he should come with a warning label.

Yeah. Warning: he’s mine, so every other female on the planet needs to back off.

I moisten my lips with my tongue, noting the scorching look in his eyes, which twinkle with meaning.

Fascinated, I watch the liquid mercury bleed into the irises and clench my thighs as more arousal floods my underwear.

He crooks his finger.

But instead of launching myself at Greyson, which I should do, I’m suddenly, inexplicably throwing my clothing off and shifting to wolf shape.

As soon as my front paws hit the floor, Greyson’s eyes are filled with surprise and he immediately opens the front door for me, as if knowing I need nothing separating me from the moon and the grass.

I sprint straight out there, guided by my nose to the forest behind his house.

***

This. This is what I need. I need the wind in my fur, the moon over my head with nothing in between me and the sky, nothing between my paws and the earth. I’m also getting another thing Ineed – my mate following closely behind, showing me I’m safe to run, safe to beme. Strangely, I suddenly feel moremethan I can recall feeling.

His presence is so prominently behind me, it’s as if we’re in synch. He’s shadowing me in a protective, non-invading way. And as much as I want to run faster and continue to feel the earth beneath my feet, there’s something I want even more.

More liquid arousal courses through my system as I glance over my shoulder and see him in wolf shape directly behind me.

He’s massive. Strong. Silver. Beautiful.

His eyes are filled with purpose. He knows what I need.

I stumble and fall, yelping with pain as my ankle rolls. I shift to human shape, shift back to wolf shape, then back to human again, stretching and turning my ankle to make sure it doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t.

Greyson’s beautiful silver wolf is nearly on top of me, hovering over me, filling my nose with his scent as his eyes glow with meaning. He sniffs my ankle.

“It’s fine,” I tell him. “Shifting helped.”

I reach for him. He shifts to man shape and covers me with his hot, hard body, mouth descending to mine slowly, but then when his lips touch mine things speed up and detonate as he grabs me and impales my body with his hardness.

“Grey,” I groan huskily.

“Fuck, baby. I don’t know what’s gotten into you tonight, but I’m all about it.”

“Me either,” I whisper. “I feel so strange. So… alive. I feel so alive with you on top of me, you inside me. I want to dothisbut alsorun and play and shift and howl and still do this. All at once. I n-need you most of all. All of you.”

“Do exactly what you want. All of that, Stace. All of it. You can have it all. I’m a hundred per cent yours. Maybe you’re finally ready to be all mine?”

I grab his face and attack his mouth, whimpering, “So much.”

I can’t get close enough to him.

“Guess what?” he whispers against my mouth. “Some big things happened tonight with my family, the coven, so I’m also feeling moremethan I’ve ever felt. And gotta say, Blossom, coming home to you like this feels like it’s all connected.”

22

Grey

My mate has got to be in heat. And it is perfect timing, feels like divine timing, because Idofeel more alive than ever. And I’m not someone who walks around numb so feeling more alive than usual is heady. And having the ability to spend some of this new energy feels like kismet.

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