Chapter Four: The Claiming

Axel

The moment she opened her eyes, my wolf went crazy.

Those big brown eyes, still foggy with sleep, locked onto mine. My hands gripped the arms of the chair so hard I thought the wood might snap. Everything in me screamed to cross the room, press her into that mattress, and make her mine.

"You're finally awake," I managed to say, my voice rougher than I intended.

She turned to face me, fear and confusion written all over her face. But there was something else there too. Something that made my body tighten with need.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And where am I?"

I studied her, taking in the smooth skin, the soft curves barely hidden by the thin tank top she wore. Someone had stripped her down to her underwear...Stitch, our medic, had done it to check for injuries. But now I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight of her long legs, the delicate slope of her neck, the way her perky breasts rose and fell with each quick breath.

Damn it. What was wrong with me?

"I think I should be asking you that," I replied, forcing my tone to stay even. "What's a woman like you doing crossing into Ravenridge in the middle of the night?"

Everything about her screamed money and class. The expensive watch on the bedside table. The way she held herself, even while sitting on a stranger's bed half-dressed. She was the type of woman I usually couldn't stand, privileged, sheltered, probably never had to fight for a damn thing in her life.

So why did my wolf see her and think mine?

"Ravenridge... I remember seeing the sign before my car broke down."

Her voice was soft and cultured. She pulled the sheet tighter around herself, and I caught the flash of a wedding ring on her finger. Something dark and possessive coiled in my gut at the sight of it.

"Do you know what you are?" I asked, needing to know if she understood what was happening to her.

Confusion clouded her features. "I don't understand."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and I bit back a groan. Even that simple movement was graceful.

"Look, thanks for helping me, but I need to go," she said.

I stayed in my chair, but let my presence fill the room the way only an Alpha can. "Go where? Back to whoever you're running from?"

Her breath caught. "How did you...?"

"Your scent." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Fear has a smell. So does desperation."

She stood on shaky legs, looking around until she spotted her jeans folded on a nearby table.

"My name is Calla," she said, trying to sound brave. "And I appreciate the help, but I'm leaving now."

Calla. Even her name felt right on my tongue. I moved before thinking, blocking her path. Up close, her scent hit me even harder, she smelled like honey and something uniquely her that made my mouth water.

"I'm Axel," I told her, purposely lowering my voice. "And you're not going anywhere until we figure out what's happening to you."

She backed up, bumping against the bed. "Nothing's happening to me. I'm fine."

"Lie." The word came out almost as a growl. My wolf stirred, pressing against the edges of my control. "Your scent is changing by the hour. You crossed our border during a partial shift. And that shouldn't be possible for someone your age."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she insisted, but there was doubt in her eyes.

I stepped closer, drawn to her heat. I towered over her, my bare chest just inches from her body. I should have put on a shirt, but some primal part of me wanted her to see me, to feel the heat of my skin.

Her eyes darted down to my chest, lingering on the scar that ran from my shoulder across my ribs. A flush spread across her cheeks, and the scent of her arousal hit me like a physical blow. My jeans suddenly felt too tight.

She wanted me too. The thought sent fire racing through my veins.

"Your husband," I said, glancing at her ring. "Did he know?"

She flinched. "Know what?"

"What you are."

"Stop talking in riddles!" Her frustration sparked something in me. This fancy woman had fire. "Just let me leave."

"You have nowhere to go," I said, softening my tone slightly. "And you're not safe out there. Not now."

Something in her eyes told me she wanted to believe me, even though she didn't want to. "Safe from what?"

Instead of answering, I gave in to the urge that had been plaguing me since she woke. I leaned closer, dipping my head toward her neck. Her scent was strongest there, where her pulse hammered beneath delicate skin.

I breathed her in, letting her fill my lungs. My lips hovered just above her skin, not quite touching, but close enough that I could feel her warmth.

She didn't push me away. Instead, she swayed toward me slightly, her head tilting to expose more of her neck. The gesture, probably unconscious, shot straight to my already hardened dick. My wolf howled in triumph, a submissive gesture from our mate.

Not our mate, I reminded myself harshly. Just a woman. A married woman. An outsider older than me.

"I want to know that too," I whispered against her skin, barely holding myself back from tasting her with my tongue.

I forced myself to step back before I did something I couldn't take back. Like press her against the wall and claim that soft mouth with mine. Like tear away the thin fabric separating me from her body. Like show an older woman exactly what a twenty-year-old Alpha could do to make her scream my name.

The age gap didn't bother me. In wolf years, I was far older than her. But the ring on her finger did. I'd never wanted something that belonged to someone else before.

A knock at the door broke the tension.

"Axel." It was Jace. "Need to talk. Now."

I cleared my throat, trying to get my body under control. "Wait here," I told Calla. "I'll be back."

She nodded, looking as shaken as I felt.

Outside in the hall, Jace's expression was grim.

"We've got trouble," he said quietly. "The Broken Howl gang has visitors. Bounty hunters asking about a woman. A senator's wife who went missing last night."

My blood ran cold. "Senator who?"

"Hart. Blake Hart." Jace watched my face carefully. "Ring any bells?"

Blake Hart. The name was familiar, a rising-star politician rumored to be in the Crimson Order's pocket. And apparently, Calla's husband.

"How much are they offering?" I asked.

"Fifty grand. Dead or alive."

I growled, the sound rumbling up from my chest. The thought of anyone hunting Calla, hurting her, made my vision blur red.

"Get the pack together," I ordered. "Main hall. Five minutes."

Jace raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning?"

"Something stupid," I muttered, turning back to the door.

Inside, Calla stood exactly where I'd left her, looking lost and beautiful and completely out of place in my rough quarters.

"You're in danger," I told her bluntly. "Your husband has bounty hunters looking for you."

Her face went pale. "Blake?" Her voice trembled. "How did he find me so fast?"

"He hasn't. Not yet. But he will, unless..." The idea forming in my head was insane. My pack would hate it. I might regret it. But my wolf wasn't giving me a choice.

"Unless what?" she asked.

"Unless you're mine."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Not like that," I said quickly, though my body ached at the thought. "I mean under my protection. Part of my pack."

"Your pack? I don't understand."

I stepped closer again, unable to help myself. "I can mark you with my scent. Make it clear you're under Alpha protection. No one in Ravenridge would dare touch you."

"Mark me?" She sounded uncertain, but not afraid.

"It's just scent," I explained, though it would be so much more to my wolf. "But I need your permission."

She hesitated, those brown eyes searching mine. "Will whatever this is keep me safe from Blake?"

"Yes."

She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Do it."

I moved slowly, giving her time to change her mind. I raised my hands to her shoulders, feeling her warmth through the thin fabric of her tank top. Sliding my palms down her arms, I felt her shiver.

"I need to touch your neck," I said, my voice hoarse with restraint. "It's the strongest way to leave my scent."

She tilted her head, offering her throat to me. The gesture nearly broke me.

I leaned in, pressing my face to her neck. My nose traced along her pulse, breathing her in. My hands moved to her waist, holding her steady.

"Axel," she whispered, my name on her lips sending a shock through me.

I couldn't help myself, I pressed my lips to her skin, tasting her. Salt and sweetness and something uniquely Calla. My wolf surged, demanding more. Demanding everything.

A small sound escaped her, somewhere between a gasp and a moan. Her hands came up to grip my arms, her nails digging into my skin.

It took everything I had to pull back. Every instinct screamed to push her onto the bed, to strip away the little clothing she wore, to take her completely. To show her what it meant to belong to an Alpha.

But she wasn't mine to take. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"Get dressed," I told her, my voice rough with need. "We need to go."

She nodded, her cheeks flushed, pupils dilated. The scent of her arousal hung heavy in the air, torturing me.

I turned away to give her privacy, using every ounce of control I possessed not to look back.

Five minutes later, we walked into the main hall of the compound. Every member of my pack was gathered, over thirty wolves watching with curious, suspicious eyes as I led Calla to the center of the room.

"This is Calla," I announced, my Alpha voice filling the space. "She's under my protection now. Anyone who challenges that answers to me."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. I could feel the tension, the questions, the doubt.

"She's not one of us," someone called out. Malachai, one of my enforcers. "She's human."

"No," I said firmly. "She's not. And she's mine to protect."

I turned to meet Calla's wide eyes, wondering if she understood what I'd just done. What I'd just claimed.

The room fell silent, all eyes on us, waiting for what would happen next.