Page 56 of Campfires & Canines
"Gladly." Ferris turns. I spot Jasper ducking into the group. How could he be the charming friend from town and also stand with the family threatening me? It doesn’t matter - I'll never see him again, I reason. Especially if I never set foot in that coffee shop again.
Fisher and Hawthorne escort our visitors away, and Heath turns to us with an unreadable expression. "Meeting, now."
Slate
Hazel pulls her knees up and hugs herself, perched in a rolling office chair. I settle beside her, my hand gripping the arm of her seat. I hold my expression neutral, although inside I'm a swirl of chaos.
Heath sits across from us. Hawthorne paces along one wall.
"What are our options?" Heath asks.
"We have about twenty hours. We could transport her away. Or Slate can claim her," Hawthorne muses, "I don't think a deception is likely to work."
Heath nods. "I think getting her out of the area is our best choice."
Hazel digs her nails into her arms hard enough to leave a mark. No one is considering what she wants, nor do they seem to be taking my offer seriously. I clench my jaw. I can't take it any longer. They aren't being reasonable.
"They'll hunt her." My voice is hoarse.
"And they'll try to take sanctions against us for letting her go," Hawthorne adds.
Heath narrows his eyes and I realize how angry he is. "Hazel does not have to be claimed and have her life upended just because of some rogue wolves and Ferris making threats." He says Ferris like someone would discuss rotting garbage.
"Don't I have a say in this?" she says, her voice shaking, "I've said all along that I want to stay."
I've heard her echo over and over how much she loves it here, how much she wants to belong. And now I can't imagine this pack without her in it. I can provide that. She might only be agreeing to my proposal so she can stay or to keep herself safe. Whatever her reasoning, I'd still offer it to her.
"This is exactly why I didn't want you staying very long. In case something like this happened. All it took was one mistake and your life is now forfeit," Heath growls at her and she shrinks in her seat.
I want to launch myself across the table at him. I've never gone against my Alpha before, but Hazel is worth it. "I am ready to claim her. I will keep her safe," I say, looking directly into Heath's eyes.
"I want to stay with Slate," Hazel murmurs.
"You don't know-" Heath argues.
She interrupts him, her voice rising, "Then tell me!"
Hawthorne slumps into the seat beside Heath with a rough sigh. "Claiming is what mates do. It's our version of marriage. And it's permanent. No divorce."
Hazel glances at me. Did she understand it's essentially marriage? I'm waiting for her to change her mind, but she's studying me as if trying to read my mind. Resolute, I keep my face neutral. This will be her decision; I am already committed.
"What's involved?" she asks Hawthorne.
"A bite. It leaves a permanent mark."
"A bite where?"
"Here." I press my thumb to her shoulder muscle right where it connects to her neck, above her clavicle. My voice is soft, just for her. "I'll be as gentle as I can, but it'll scar. That’s kind of the point."
My fingers rub circles at the base of her neck, trying to comfort her. I can see a thousand thoughts and emotions in those honey eyes. It's so intimate, we could be the only two people in the world.
Fidgeting with her ring again, she opens her mouth. "Okay."
Okay? Like okay she understands? Or okay she wants to be with me? "Do you want to be mated to me?" I ask.
She squints. “It’s like being partners? Permanently?”
“For us, yes. But I don’t want to chain you down. I want to protect you.”
