Chapter 37 - This is just the beginning

She breathed in deeply as if scenting me. I shuddered in response and stared up at her, mesmerized. The room disappeared as she continued to study me with an intensity I'd never seen before. The green flecks in her hazel eyes seemed brighter, more alluring, as she leaned in until her cheek brushed mine. My lungs stopped working for a moment as she buried her nose in my hair. I held still, unsure what was happening but liking it. A lot.

She pulled back to press her lips to the tip of my nose, and my heart twisted painfully. She'd been so close to my neck. The skin there tingled with what might have been. I lifted my free hand and lightly rested it on her waist. Her skin felt warm beneath my fingers.

She sighed a little and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she gave me a secret smile that made my blood boil.

She combed her fingers through my hair, brushing it back so she could lightly kiss my forehead. Her lips brushed a path to my cheek where she pressed another kiss. She moved lower, finding my lips. She nibbled at them until I opened my mouth for her. The aggressor, her tongue found mine. As much as I was spinning in my own heaven, I was starting to worry. This wasn't like Gabby. There were so many people watching us. It was as if she wasn't even aware of them.

She pulled back from me, gave me a quick frown, then leaned to nudge my jaw with her nose. My heart stopped and then tripled its efforts. She wanted my neck. Hope gripped me, warring with the worry. Should I let her? Was this really what she wanted?

My gut clenched as her lips skimmed my exposed skin, and my concern vanished. My pulse leapt higher. I let go of her hand so I could grip her, hold her in place. She had to keep going.

Her breathing hitched, and with one hand, she gripped my hair and tugged it hard. I tilted my head, willingly exposing my neck. She made a sound, almost a growl of satisfaction, before she set her lips on my neck once more. She kissed me, and I shuddered. Then her teeth sank into my skin.

There was no pain, only complete bliss. She'd done it. She'd Claimed me.

I closed my eyes with a sigh and opened myself for her. Her feelings flooded me. Desire consumed her. The unbridled need took me by surprise. Why hadn't I scented that? As fast as it filled me, it depleted, replaced with a stunned emotional silence.

She pulled back slightly and eyed my neck. I watched her expression, unsure of the silence over our connection. Behind her, someone moved and called attention to the fact that we still had an audience. Horror drifted over our new link. A Claiming typically occurred in private.

A deep blush stained her cheeks. Embarrassment battled horror. She wiped at her mouth with a shaky hand. Panic bloomed as she stared at me.

I couldn't take it anymore. Whether she'd intended to or not, she'd just given me the world. I reached up and gently touched her hair.

"I've been waiting for that since the moment I saw you," I said.

She scowled at me, and all the horror, embarrassment, and panic fled to be replaced by anger. I could guess why. She'd been after me about talking since she'd first seen me. I laughed and picked her up.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and hid her face as the room around us erupted in cheers. I didn't wait for congratulations but strode for the door. There was so much more I wanted to say to her. In private.

As soon as we were in our room, I closed the door and set her on her feet. I watched the play of emotions on her face and basked in each one I felt across our link.

"Why?" Her voice came out in a squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Why wait until now to talk?"

I studied her and saw her hurt and confusion. I opened my arms. She didn't hesitate, but stepped right into them. Tucking her close, I spoke the truth.

"If I'd spoken, even just one word, I would have never been able to hold back what I felt for you. You would have run." And I would have chased you, scaring you even more, I thought to myself.

She pulled back and met my gaze.

"Can I finally get answers from you now? You'll keep talking?"

I smiled at her excitement and nodded.

"Do you think I'm right about the—"

"Now's not the time," I said, glancing at the door. "We'll talk later." I could smell Sam waiting out there. His heart beat steadily with his patience. If I could hear his heart, he was hearing every word we shared.

"No way. We're talking now. If not about that, then something else. I've waited over six months to hear your voice. You owe me. I bit you."

She made me want to keep smiling. This crazy, adorable, intelligent, and gifted person was mine. Thinking of her gift had me frowning. She'd just used it back there. I was sure of it. Yet, she seemed fine.

"How are you feeling?"

She frowned and seemed to do a self-assessment.

"Good, actually." Her gaze became unfocused, but she didn't wince or pale. "It's weird, but I don't feel sick." After a moment, she came back to me. "I think we need a safe place to talk."

I nodded and glanced at the door again. As soon as we left the room, Sam would want answers. Gabby had asked some pretty crazy questions. I had questions of my own, now.

She slipped from my arms and yanked the door open. Sam leaned against the wall opposite the door.

"Sam, since we don't have any privacy, we'd like to use the conference room. It's soundproofed, and there are a few things we need to discuss."

"I couldn't agree more," Sam said, motioning for her to lead.

"Clay and I, Sam," she said as she stepped from the room. "I don't have any answers for you."

"Gabby—"

"No. Now it's your turn to be bossed around and told what to do. I did what you wanted and Claimed one of you. Lay off."

I didn't need our link to know just how pissed she was. But she was also afraid. Of Sam. Still, she turned her back on him and started walking. Sam glanced at me. I arched a brow. He sighed and started to follow her. I followed him.

She opened the door to the conference room and turned to face Sam.

"Sam, I'm trying to do what's best for me, Clay, and the pack. There's a lot I haven't told you and things I haven't told Clay. Give me some time to sort everything out. I need to make sure your goals mesh with mine before I can fully confide in you."

I stood behind Sam as he considered what she'd said. Then, he stepped back and motioned me in with her.

"I'll be out here," he said.

She nodded, gently closed the door, then turned to me. She brushed a hand through her hair.

"I'm not sure where to start."

"Anywhere. I'll listen," I said as I pulled her into my arms.

I felt her smile. "I can see everything, Clay. Without pain." She pulled out of my arms so I could see her unfocused gaze. "Even without touching you, there's no pain. I can see so much more than before. Why?"

"It's our link."

"Wait. I thought the link happened when..."

Her immediate blush gave away her thoughts. I smiled.

"The full link happens after the Mating is completed. With the Claiming we have a more limited version of that connection." My smile faded, and I looked at her more closely. "It can still be broken, though. If there's another potential Mate out there... by biting him, you can break our bond and create one with him."

"Don't use up your word quota for the day," she said with a slight shake of her head.

I grinned at her sass, and she stuck out her tongue. Then she grew serious again.

"Clay, I won't be biting anyone else. Ever. But I do have something to tell you. When those wolves attacked... the second one..."

Her hurt came back, and I nudged her, falling back on my quiet ways.

"I felt the same pull with him as I do with you. I don't understand why that would happen. Sam said just one. Experiencing that with someone else confused me and made me feel horrible, like I cheated on you."

I sighed, then gave her a reassuring smile.

"I saw what happened. It concerned me, but the kiss in the car helped me understand how you feel. Don't worry about it."

She gave me a radiant smile. Then I felt something over our link. It was warm and full and everything I'd dreamed of.

"I love you," she said.

In a blur, I wrapped my arms around her, picked her up, and spun her around. Now she was mine. My Mate in truth. My family. My place to belong.

She looked at me and laughed.

"Oh!" She squirmed to get down. "Please can we get rid of the beard?"

I set her on her feet, and she hopped from foot to foot in excitement.

I nodded and laughed.

"And I still want to get my degree. Can we stay where we are until then?"

I wanted to say yes, but two men had tried to take her, and she'd just hinted to an Elder that she thought they weren't werewolves but something else. Sam might try to change her mind about going back to school. I glanced at the door.

She saw the look and her resentment toward Sam drifted over our link. She stepped close to lay her head against my chest and wrap her arms around my waist.

"Everyone I've ever loved this way I've lost," she said, hugging me close. "Don't let me down."

She was talking about Sam. He'd shaken her trust. I would never do that to her.

"I won't. You're stuck with me forever," I said against her hair.

She pulled back and kissed me again. Her love wrapped around me, and I never wanted to let go. For as long as it took, I would wait patiently for the next step of our relationship. And the next phase, our Mating, wouldn't be decided by her gift or some other outside influence. It would be her choice, no matter how her sweet lips might tempt me.

Her phone chirped from her back pocket. She groaned and broke away from the kiss. But I saw promise in her eyes. I glanced at the number with her and recognized Luke's number.

As soon as she hit "talk," Luke spoke in a rush.

"Gabby, I have a problem," he shouted over the roar of an engine. Something popped loudly in the background, and Luke swore just before the phone went dead.

Gabby looked up at me with a frown. Then her gaze went vacant, and I knew she was using her special sight again.

"Clay, I don't think I have a choice anymore. Something's happening to Luke. The other werewolves are all around him. We need to get Sam." She turned to look at the door. "I don't know who to trust."

I didn't trust Sam either. As an Elder, he had to put the pack first. He would rush to help any potential Mate for our kind. But at what cost to those women? Charlene, Gabby, this new one who Luke had with him, and the one who Charlene's son had mentioned... Michelle. So many being found at once along with a new kind of werewolf; it all had to mean something. A shiver of trepidation ran through me.

I nodded and leaned my forehead against hers.

"I'll stand with you, always."

****

Thank you for reading Clay's Hope, the first companion book to the Judgement of the Six series. The companion series continues with Emmitt's Treasure.

Don't worry! We aren't done with Clay and Gabby yet!