Semua Bab Claimed By Four: Bab 1 - Bab 10

AriaThat day, I should have been celebrating and eating cake with my boyfriend for my eighteenth birthday like any other normal girl.But a bullet shot at me that turned my world upside down forever.Earlier that afternoon, I was kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the cream stains left after the party by my stepsister, Sophie.But that was any ordinary day for me. I was always treated as the maid in my own home, mocked by Sophie and her friends. It had been like this for years; pretty much for as long as I could remember.The stain was almost cleaned up now, though. I’d been working at it for ages, trying to keep it from setting into the carpet at the base of the stairs. Soon, I would be able to go out and meet my boyfriend so we could celebrate my eighteenth birthday.Or so I thought.“Oops!”I didn’t have a chance to react before it happened. Sophie and her two friends had just come barreling down the stairs like a typhoon. In their carelessness, one of them violently kicked the buck

Aria“Welcome to Nightclaw.”Ethan pulled through the tall, ivy-covered wrought iron gate that stood between the enormous hedges. The tops of the hedges stretched so high that they were nearly level with the pine trees overhead, and I couldn’t help but let out a tiny gasp of awe at the compound within.The moment we stepped out of the car, I swore I felt something that I could only describe as pure magic wash over me. The air felt purer here, more breathable, as if I were drawing in a full breath for the first time in my life.Ethan’s eyes flickered with humor. “You feel it too, don’t you?” I nodded, and he explained, “Being within the pack for the first time is often described as coming up for air after spending one’s entire life underwater.”“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” I muttered.Ethan smiled faintly and led me deeper into the compound. Buildings ranging from tiny, moss-covered cottages to brick buildings thick with ivy were scattered around a central plaza made of cobbl

Aria“Don’t worry. It was a marriage contract made by our parents, and holds no weight now. I already have a girlfriend. Beth.” Rowan’s green eyes darkened. “I only want Beth.”With that, Rowan turned and began to walk away. Lucas cleared his throat, and as he went to scratch his head, his elbow forcibly nudged me in the spine. I stumbled forward without meaning to and slammed directly into Rowan’s back.Rowan froze, broad shoulders tensing into a straight line. He turned his head and curled his lip. “Don’t touch me.”“I wasn’t—”“I have no intention of following through with the contract our parents created,” Rowan cut me off. “Whether it’s you or your sister.”I blinked. “Sister?”Lucas shot me a glance. “You do know you have a half-sister, right?”I folded my arms and grit my teeth. “Well, now I do.” She was probably the product of my father and his so-called “fated mate”. The one he abandoned me and my mother for. I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to meet her, although I supposed it wa

Aria & EthanAriaI wanted to kiss Ethan so badly. I wanted to kiss him more than I ever wanted to kiss anyone before. I wanted to take his clothes off and—“Aria. Aria!”Ethan gripped my hands and pried them away from his tie before our lips could meet. He held me at arms’ length, gently but firmly, and put some much-needed distance between us.“Mate,” my wolf whined desperately. I could feel her clawing at my insides, trying so hard to get out. The pressure was so intense it was unbearable. Those claws had begun to extend from my fingertips, and in my mouth—yes, those were definitely the sharp points of fangs I felt with my tongue.“Aria.” Ethan’s voice was low and calm, just as it was in the kitchen when he’d helped me retract my claws. “Breathe, Aria. Your wolf is taking over and you need to take back control.”Although every instinct in me was screaming to ignore his command and kiss him and take what was mine, I obeyed. I inhaled deeply, in through my nose and out through my mou

Aria“Mark me?” I pulled back, disentangling myself from Lucas’s embrace. “What are you talking about?”Ava giggled behind her hand, and Lucas smirked. I looked around at them in confusion. “What? Is there some kind of joke I’m missing?”“No joke.” Lucas leaned in so only I could hear as he whispered, “I’m talking about sex, darling. During which I’ll bite you…” He brushed his fingers across the part of my neck that was visible above my shirt, right where my neck met my shoulder. “Right here. Marking you as mine. Forever.”Disgusted, I swatted his hand away. “That’s gross. You’re gross, Lucas.”Lucas pressed his palm to his chest in mock offense. “There’s nothing gross about it, darling. In fact, it’s the most beautiful thing a mated pair can do.”I wrinkled my nose. “As if you’re a shining pillar of what’s ‘beautiful’ or not,” I said, grabbing Ava’s hand and turning away. “After the so-called ‘jokes’ you told me last night, I can’t tell if you’re purposely this obtuse or if you’re ju