The Soho Claim

I woke up with gold eyes watching me.

Kael Wolfe Blackwood was not in the bed. He was in a black chair beside the bed, wearing black Tom Ford suit pants and a black shirt open at the throat, silver chain glinting, black hair pushed back like he had run his burning hot hands through it all night, 6'3 of carved muscle even sitting. His amber eyes had stayed gold all night. Possessive.

His penthouse on Park Avenue was quiet. Sixty floors up, Manhattan was gray morning. The white sheets were twisted around me, my brown hair messy, my neck throbbing where he had marked me last night.

Two small marks, side of my neck, glowing faint gold in the mirror across the room. Mating marks. Not deep enough to fully bind, deep enough that every Alpha in New York would smell him on me.

"You howled in your sleep," Kael whispered, voice rough from no sleep. His cedar + rain scent filled the room. "Three times. Ghost howled. Kade heard you from the lobby. Luna heard you from the temple."

I sat up. The black titanium moonstone ring was cold on my finger. The Luna circlet Luna Skye Ashford had melted into my skin in Chapter 2 was warm, invisible now, but humming.

Luna knocked once and came in without waiting, silver hair to his waist floating, crescent moon tattoo on his forehead glowing faint blue, blue ice eyes soft, wearing a white silk robe, snow + jasmine scent cold and clean. He carried black coffee and a black Tom Ford box.

"Morning, Ghost," Luna said, looking at my neck marks, then at Kael's gold eyes. "Your eyes stayed gold all night. You didn't shift, but your wolf stood up. That's first time in twenty-eight years. Kael, you did well. You asked before biting. Alpha controlled."

Kael didn't look at Luna. His gold eyes were still on me, on my neck, on my mouth, on the white sheet slipping off my shoulder.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, burning hot hand hovering over my cheek, not touching, asking permission now. Last night he had been on his knees possessive. This morning he was asking.

I leaned into his palm. Furnace hot. Calloused.

"No," I whispered. "It feels warm. Like you."

Luna set the black box on the bed. Inside was a black Tom Ford suit, my size exactly, black shirt, black pants, black jacket, and a thin silver chain like Kael's but thinner, and a note in silver ink: FOR MY LUNA'S FIRST DAY AS CEO'S HUSBAND - K.

"You have a meeting," Luna said, blue ice eyes amused. "SoHo. Prince Street boutique. Ten AM. Your ex-wife. You said yesterday you would show her what she lost. Kael wants to come. I told him no. This is yours to close alone. Ghost needs to close human life alone."

Kael's jaw tightened. Amber to gold flash. "I am coming."

"No," Luna said softly, but with Luna power that made even a 6'3 billionaire Alpha look down. "Ghost needs to face her with Kade. Not with you growling. Kade will guard, not possess. That is the difference between Beta and Alpha."

The intercom crackled. Deep like rocks grinding.

"My Luna," Kade Fang's voice, seven feet of gray-brown fur and leather + steel armor down in the lobby, fangs out, brown loyal eyes even through voice. "Maybach ready. I sniffed SoHo. No Beasts. Only human female Sarah Whitmore and her mother. No Malrik."

Kael stood, 6'3 towering, black shirt open, silver chain, wolf tattoo on collarbone showing. He came to the bed, bent, kissed my forehead mark first, then hovered over my mating marks, hot breath, not touching, scenting.

"You wear my suit. You wear my ring. You wear my marks. You smell like me. Like cedar, rain, and mine," he growled against my neck, gold eyes closed, possessive whisper. "You come back to me. Not to her."

"I wasn't going to her," I said, but my voice shook because his burning hot hands were on my hips through the white sheet.

"I know," he said, gold eyes opening, vulnerable. "That is why I love you. I watched you for two years fix her dress at your engagement party and stay loyal while she cheated. I watched you say yes shaking at City Hall. Go show her what she lost, Ghost. Then come to office. Sit next to me as Luna."

I showered. Put on the black Tom Ford suit. It fit like it was sewn for my body. The black shirt open at throat showed the gold glowing mating marks. The silver chain was cold. The jacket smelled like cedar and rain because it came from Kael's closet. In the mirror, I didn't look like Jace Cole, Ohio accountant in J.Crew, cheap soap. I looked like Jace Cole Blackwood, Luna of Luna's Pack, brown hair styled, gray-gold eyes flashing, black titanium moonstone ring.

Luna Skye Ashford adjusted my jacket, his silver hair brushing my shoulder, blue ice eyes looking at my neck.

"He marked you well," Luna whispered, snow jasmine cold. "Not deep enough to bind your wolf forever, deep enough to warn every Alpha in Manhattan. You smell like Blackwood now. Ready?"

Downstairs, Kade Fang waited by the private elevator, seven feet tall, had to duck to get out, gray-brown fur brushed, leather and steel armor polished, claw hands in black nitrile gloves, fangs clean, holding elevator.

"My Luna," he growled, deep rock, brown eyes down, fist over heart, kneeling even in lobby with tourists watching. "We go to SoHo."

The boutique on Prince Street was still mine on paper. JACE & SARAH BRIDAL - white letters I had paid for with two jobs. Sarah Whitmore was inside, blonde hair, white dress again to play victim, red eyes practicing crying. She saw me through glass and ran out.

"Jace! Oh my God, Jace, you came!"

She stopped one foot away. Because Kade Fang stepped out behind me, seven feet of fur and armor and claws, growled low, deep rock growl that made whole SoHo street turn and stare, phones out.

And she saw me.

Black Tom Ford suit, black shirt open, thin silver chain, black titanium moonstone ring catching sun, gold glowing mating marks side of neck, gray-gold eyes, hair styled, not the shaking accountant in J.Crew from Tribeca loft photo.

"Jace? What... what are you wearing? What is on your neck? Your eyes-"

I walked past her into the boutique I paid for.

Inside, racks of white dresses she loved. Counter where she counted my money. I took the black For Sale sign Kael's lawyers prepared - silver letters: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT - BLACKWOOD PACK PROPERTIES - and placed it on counter.

"This is mine," I said, voice quiet like my father taught me in Ohio. "I paid for it. Two jobs. You cheated in our bed with Malrik Dread in your wedding dress with your ring on and asked for fifteen thousand a month. You get nothing."

Sarah followed, mother behind, both staring at Kade in doorway, seven feet werewolf Beta guarding, claw clicking on wood.

"Jace, please, Malrik made me! He said he would hurt you if I didn't! I love you! That man Kael - he is dangerous, he is-"

"He is my husband," I said. Held up hand, black titanium moonstone ring. Tilted head, showing gold mating marks glowing. "Kael Wolfe Blackwood. Billionaire Alpha. 6'3. Tom Ford. Cedar and rain. Black wolf tattoo. He got on his knees for me last night in Park Avenue penthouse and begged to mark me. You got on your knees for Malrik Dread in Tribeca loft and begged to be broken. Do you see difference, Sarah?"

Her face crumbled. Real crying now.

"Jace, I made a mistake, I-"

"You made a choice. On knees in our loft. In wedding dress. With ring." I took cheap wedding ring I bought her three years ago from pink box and placed on counter next to For Sale sign. "You keep dress. I'm keeping building."

Her mother screamed, "You can't! This is her store!"

Kade Fang stepped forward, seven feet, armor creaking, fangs out, deep rock voice that shook dresses. "My Luna said this is his. This is pack law. Human law also. Papers signed 8 AM. Blackwood Pack Properties owns building now. You have ten minutes to leave."

Sarah looked at me one last time, blonde, white dress, mascara running, seeing what she lost - not just husband, but Luna, Ghost Wolf, Blackwood.

"Jace, please, who is he? What is on neck? Your eyes-"

"Ghost," I said. And for second my eyes flashed full gray-gold, and inside chest huge gray wolf with golden eyes howled, and Kade heard and howled back, windows in SoHo boutique rattled.

Sarah stumbled back, scared for real.

I walked out. Kade behind me, fist over heart, guarding.

Outside, black Maybach waited, Kael Wolfe Blackwood leaning against it, 6'3 in full Tom Ford black suit now, black shirt open, silver chain, black hair pushed back, amber eyes gold and possessive, arms crossed, watching me. He came anyway. Couldn't stay away.

He saw my suit, my marks glowing, my gray-gold eyes, and his gold eyes flared so bright people on Prince stopped.

He pushed off car, came in three strides, burning hot hands cupping my face, ignoring Kade, ignoring Sarah watching from boutique window, ignoring Manhattan.

"You did it," he whispered against my forehead, kissing forehead mark, then mating marks, possessive, hot breath, cedar rain wrapping me. "My Luna. My Ghost. My CEO's husband. You smell like me and look like god in my suit."

"I didn't need you," I whispered, leaning into hot hands.

"I know," he growled, gold eyes on my gold neck marks, on my mouth. "That is why I love you. Luna said not to possess. I am trying. I am failing."

Luna Skye Ashford appeared from nowhere, silver hair waist, white silk, moon tattoo glowing blue, blue ice eyes amused at Kael failing.

"Kael Wolfe Blackwood, you are growling at Luna on public street," Luna said, snow jasmine cold. "Control Alpha."

Kael didn't let go, burning hot arm around waist, pulling against Tom Ford.

"He showed her," Kael said to Luna, gold eyes still on me. "He showed ex-wife what she lost. He claimed building. He let Ghost flash. He is ready for office."

Luna smiled, blue ice soft on me.

"Yes. Tomorrow, Blackwood Tower office. You sit next to Alpha as Luna. Let Manhattan see new Luna. Let Malrik see his Ghost is now CEO's husband."

Behind us, Sarah Whitmore stood in SoHo doorway, holding cheap ring, watching me in black Tom Ford with Kael's arm around me, Kade 7ft guarding, Luna silver hair glowing, and finally understood - I was never weak. I was Ghost sleeping.

And Kael woke me.

Kael opened Maybach door for me, hot hand on lower back, possessive, guiding Luna in.

"Home, Ghost," he whispered, gold eyes on my gold marks. "Then office. Then pack. Forever."

Kade got in front, driving, fist over heart in rearview at me.

And as we pulled away SoHo, my new phone - black titanium like our rings Kael gave me - buzzed with text from unknown number, yellow eye emoji: NICE SUIT, GHOST. SEE YOU AT MIDNIGHT. ROOFTOP. COME ALONE OR I BURN SOHO. - M

Malrik.

Kael saw text over shoulder. Amber eyes turned solid gold, burning hot hand crushing phone again, cedar rain scent turning smoke.

And Luna whispered from back seat, silver hair glowing, "Midnight. Rooftop. Pack war begins."