Page 90 of Claimed

I grab the washcloth and soap up his back for him while he shampoos his hair, but it doesn’t take long for him to decide he’s done washing and prefers to focus on moving his mouth over my wet skin.

We wind up tangled up together first in the shower, then in the bed.

I don’t want to take anything for granted, but I’m feeling less shy with him, like things have turned a corner. Like we’re more connected day by day to one another in both shapes.

I’ve spent a lot of time today daydreaming about the future, about possibilities.

The lovemaking is quicker than usual, but just as pleasurable, and Grey holds me afterwards, telling me about his night.

My blood runs cold as he describes how the witch from the SCC sought to siphon Erica’s powers for herself, about the sight he ran to, seeing all those women unconscious, how worried he is about what could happen when the magical knife is pulled from his great aunt’s body because of how the magic link between them might work. He tells me that although he felt an abundance of magic last night when his aunt spoke words over him, tonight it feels like it has grown, and he said twice now, he’s been able to run faster than he thought was possible when first his council and then his coven needed him. He hopes to know more tomorrow about the impact of the magic knife.

“Your eyes are still silver. Not glowing as much as they do sometimes, but they haven’t gone brown since you’ve been home.”

“Maybe it’s this link.” He shrugs.

He also casually informs me that tomorrow I’ll meet much of his pack, the rest of his council, and the Young side of his family.

And I’m not casual or comfortable about it, not any of it, but at his urging, at his promises to look after me, promises that it’ll all be okay, and frankly at the determined look on his face, I feel like I’ve got no choice but to agree.

He wants to integrate me fully into his world. I know I can’t keep hiding in his house while he lives his life. I should feel happythat he wants me to be part of his life. His pack, his people, and his family are important to him. And it seems like it’s even more about how much he wants me to be part of it, to have the bounty of goodness this pack provides. I can’t not try.

I have difficulty finding sleep. Until Grey, who is already exhausted after the night he’s had, ever in tune with my emotions, does his best to comfort me by purring for me until I start to drift off.

I try to shake off the sleep when I feel him shift, burying my face in his soft fur.

I say, “I love you” before I shift to be in wolf shape like him and his wolf’s tongue swipes across my jaw as his purring resumes.

27

Grey

Two alphas guard Stacy for me while I spent a few hours at Riley’s, having breakfast with the Young clan, relieved Mimi is okay, that the blade in her gut was magical rather than lethal, meaning that as soon as it was pulled, the wound closed, there was no pain, and she opened her eyes. She’s conscious and she’s both looking and feeling years younger, but I’m surprised by the fact that although I seem to have all the power she bestowed upon me, she hasn’t lost hers.

Aviva Starling’s drowned corpse was recovered just before dawn and is now in the basement of the town hall, which hasn’t ever housed four corpses at once.

I’ve had just about enough dealing with death. But my gut tells me more is coming and I hate this feeling. There’s a sense of foreboding in me that has me feeling like I’m jacked up on caffeine. Is that the extra magic? The link with Mimi? Is that my instinct telling me to get ready for more drama? I think it’s all of it.

Everyone got notified that technically, as the oldest of my generation, I’m now the head of the coven and Mimi will be stepping back, enjoying herself, letting us deal with the day-to-day.

I explained that with my responsibilities here along with the fact I don’t know much about witchcraft yet, I’ll defer to my cousins, that I’m happy to be a figurehead and have no desire to step on any toes. The Young sisters looked surprised by all of it, but Isensed nothing but support from all of them. Everyone is just relieved that things didn’t go worse last night, that we’re all here to learn from the experience.

I’ve been assured I’ll be brought up to speed fast enough and because last night’s magic shaved years off Mimi, it’s looking like she’ll be around for a good, long time to help with the transition. I suggested she keep the role. She insisted things are happening as they’re supposed to do and part of that is with me where I’m destined to be.

I had a good talk with my cousins, am going to be sent some literature to start reading about our coven’s history, about our code of conduct, and the Youngs will take turns coming back and forth between the coast and here, so I’ll have guidance not just from Erica, but also from the others who all have different strengths. They tell me that there are skills all in the coven have but differing specialties. They tell me as coven head, I’ve got access to all their strengths, their magic, though unlike Erica I could be denied or on the hook if I don’t ensure I strive for balance. It’s a lot to process. I have a lot to learn, and I feel like I have to do it fast despite their assurances.

When I got a quiet moment with Mimi, I asked her why my mother’s magic was stripped. She advised that my mother was closely tied to the elements and was, like Erica, a spell writer and also a rulebreaker, though Soleil didn’t grow out of breaking rules despite being reprimanded many times for it. Mimi told me that when my father requested their severing, the public record stated it was down to my mother’s practice of dark magic.

“What did she do?” I asked.

Mimi sidestepped my question and told me that when a witch gets caught breaking the rules and repeatedly dabbles with black magic, they will have their powers suppressed, eithertemporarily or permanently. So my mother not only lost her mate, after the severing ceremony Mimi said she went directly to trial for her practice of dark magic. She lost her magic and it was put into a temporary trust to be given to me upon one of two life events. Either my completion of training as a witch or to be transferred upon my mating due to being wolf shifter.

I don’t push with more questions about Soleil, surmising I’ll just have to get those answers from my father.

Mimi asks for patience and tells me more will be revealed in the right timing.

I feel like I’ve got unused muscles. New ones, even. And I want to protect my mate, my pack, and the coven from any potential threats and to do that I’ll need to know how to best use these new muscles. I’m eager to learn.

She told me it’s possible my eyes won’t return to brown again; she’s unsure. She also told me because of the link and coming into powers of my ancestors, I’ll likely have intuition about my own magic, that while I should still get training, I won’t have to start from scratch. Some things will become second nature easily.

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