Claiming Bite

by Silvia Violet

  I growled at him. “No, not unless he starts it.”

  “You’re no fun.”

  I ignored that. “I want a guard on Emerson.”

  “Do you honestly think I sent him out there without one?” Storm asked.

  I thought about Emerson in the guesthouse, alone and vulnerable, the desperation in his eyes last night, the lust as he’d offered me a taste of his precum. He needed someone to take him in hand.

  My wolf growled. Mine.

  There was no way in hell anyone else was touching him. And yet, how could I keep him safe from me? I needed more time to think about this.

  “I need to go.” As I turned toward the door, I heard Shadow whimper, but I didn’t look back. The last thing I needed was to know my brothers were as worried as I was.

  4

  Emerson

  I had to figure out what the hell I was going to do with myself since despite Storm’s reassurance, once King found out I was there, he would likely send me on my way. I was determined to see him again, though, whether he wanted me to or not. This time I was going after what I wanted, and I wanted King. My interest in him was a hell of a lot more than drunken recklessness. The more I’d thought about King since he’d run off that morning, the more I’d realized how messed up I’d been the night before. How the hell had I decided all I needed was a hot, dangerous fuck? That was never it at all. I needed a chance to finally explore my submissive desires.

  I was so tired from getting very little sleep—and having had way too much to drink the night before—that I fell asleep on the guesthouse couch while pondering how to get King to change his mind.

  When I woke up, I forced myself to get up, because I was only going to fall back asleep if I stayed there. As I headed to the kitchen for some water, I realized all of my things were sitting in suitcases and boxes in the entryway. What the hell? Had I told Storm where I lived? Or had King done this?

  What had they said to Brady to get him to give them my stuff? Had they hurt him? Why did I even care after the way he’d treated me?

  I opened the boxes, and as far as I could tell, everything was there. Clothes, books, all the things I hadn’t grabbed as I’d run out of the place the night before. The few things I had taken with me were sitting in my car, which was in the parking lot of Tooth and Claw.

  I should go get it now since my laptop was in there. Would they let me? Storm had said I wasn’t a prisoner, but I was still a little uncertain about that, because when I looked out the window, I noticed a man standing near the bottom of the porch steps. He had broad shoulders and a crew cut, and he was wearing black jeans, a black T-shirt, and sunglasses, which screamed bodyguard. Was he here to protect me or to make sure I didn’t leave? I quickly downed two glasses of water, then grabbed my keys and my phone and stepped outside.

  “Can I help you, sir?” the man asked.

  “I need to get my car. It’s at King’s club. What are you doing, exactly?”

  “I’m just making sure everything’s all right with you, sir. I work for the Howler family, and it’s my job to make sure everyone here is safe.”

  “Why wouldn’t we be?”

  The man looked down and fiddled with his watch. “That’s not for me to say.”

  Wasn’t that interesting? Who exactly was King, other than the owner of Tooth and Claw? And a very wealthy man. And an annoying older brother. I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered talking to Storm.

  “If I were to call for an Uber and go get my car, what would happen?”

  “You don’t need to call for a ride. King has a driver who will take you wherever you want to go.”

  “And where is King right now? Is he at the club?”

  “I’m not sure, sir. I would have to check with one of his brothers to find that out.”

  “To find out where he is or if you’re allowed to tell me?”

  The man smiled. “Both, sir.” He held out his hand. “I’m Jax.”

  “I suppose you already know this, but I’m Emerson.” I took his hand, and his grip was as strong as I expected. I wasn’t going to get past Jax if he wanted to keep me here.

  “I’d like to go get my car from the club.” I might as well accept a ride if they offered it. I’d just have to hope my instincts were right, and King and his brothers didn’t mean me any harm.

  Jax made a phone call which I guessed was to Storm. The second call he placed was clearly with the driver. “He’ll be here in a few minutes. Are you ready to go, sir?”

  “I am. Will you be going with me or staying here?”

  “I’ve been asked to tag along and make sure there’s not any trouble.”

  What did King and his brothers expect me to do? “Trouble from me or trouble from someone else?”

  He raised his brow. “Should I expect trouble from you?”

  “No. I just want to get my car, and I’d like to see King again.”

  “He’s at the club, so you’ll be able to see him when we get there.”

  That was good news, at least. “Do I understand correctly that you can’t tell me any more about why King has you watching me, exactly who King and his brothers are, or what sort of trouble would arise from someone else?”

  “I’m afraid that’s right, sir. Save your questions until you see King again.”

  A few moments later, an obviously expensive black SUV pulled up in front of the guesthouse. Jax opened the back passenger-side door for me and introduced me to the driver, Denny. Then Jax slid into the passenger seat and we drove off.

  I leaned forward, glad there wasn’t a partition between the front and back seats. “I’m not clear on what I’m allowed to ask, so please don’t be offended, but are you both wolf shifters?”

  Denny laughed. “We are. Everyone who works for the Howlers is a wolf.”

  “So the no-humans rule stands at the house as well as the club?”

  Jax nodded. “As far as I know, you’re the only human who has set foot in this house in a very long time.”

  “What about other shifters?”

  “Only brave ones,” Denny said.

  “What exactly does that mean?”

  “I think we’ve said all we should,” Jax said.

  I caught Denny rolling his eyes in the rearview mirror, and he laughed. “Jax is right, but I’m not good at all the secretive stuff. You can trust the Howlers, if that’s what you’re worried about. King and his brothers are good men. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  “But I’m in danger from someone else?”

  Jax answered. “In my line of work, I’ve learned to assume there’s always danger lurking somewhere.”

  Denny huffed out a laugh. “Always a pessimist.”

  “A pessimist is never disappointed,” Jax said.

  “That came straight from Garrett, didn’t it?”

  Jax shrugged. “Possibly.”

  “Garrett’s one of King’s brothers, right?” I asked.

  Denny looked surprised. “You haven’t met all of King’s brothers?”

  “I’ve only met Storm.”

  “He is the most personable.”

  Jax scowled at Denny. “If you want to keep this job, you’ve got to learn to say less.”

  “You like Storm.”

  Jax looked uncomfortable, and I guessed there was a story there. “He’s one of my employers. Yes, he is easier to talk to than some of the others.”

  I needed to talk to Denny when Jax wasn’t around. I had a feeling I could get a lot more information out of him. Of course, once I saw King again, that might be the end of my association with the Howler family.

  “Are any of the others as scary as King?”

  “No comment,” Jax said.

  I didn’t think I was going to get much more information out of Jax and Denny, so I spent the rest of the ride scrolling through apartment listings on my phone. As I expected, I didn’t find anything I could afford, and the chances of me securing a lease were slim to none anyway. I should be panicking. I shou
ld also be looking for a job instead of running around town chasing a scary-as-fuck werewolf. But apparently, I wasn’t quite done with my self-destructive streak.

  When we pulled up at Tooth and Claw, I pointed to my car, a ten-year-old Corolla. Normally, I didn’t think it looked that bad, but next to the shiny bodyguard car it looked seriously shabby. “I can drive myself back.”

  “We’ll wait for you,” Jax said.

  “That’s really not necessary. I can take myself wherever I need to go after I’m done talking to King.”

  “I’m sure you can,” Denny said. “But we have to wait and see what Storm wants us to do.”

  “Is he the one who told you to watch after me?”

  “He’s our contact,” Jax said.

  “So King doesn’t know I’m here?”

  “Storm thought that was best. King is in his office. Take this and head on inside.”

  I looked down at the key he held out. “You’re giving me a key to the club?”

  “Storm is giving you a key to the club,” Denny said. “It would be best to leave us out of it.”

  I frowned. “What is going on here?”

  “Nothing more than one brother looking out for another,” Jax said.

  “So Storm doesn’t mind humans as much as his older brother?”

  “No comment,” Denny said. Then he grinned at Jax. “Beat you to it.”

  I stepped out of the car. “Thank you both.”

  “It’s our pleasure,” Jax said.

  I still wasn’t sure of all of the dynamics at play, but I could tell Jax and Denny were enjoying themselves. Was it because I’d unsettled King? Would they know that? I didn’t think Storm would gossip about his brother with bodyguards or drivers.

  I went to my car first to make sure my laptop and the other things I’d grabbed leaving my former apartment were still there. Once I saw they were safe, I walked toward the side entrance to the club. I turned the cool metal key over in my hand. Was I really going to let myself in? What would King do when he realized I was there?

  Storm knew where I was. King wasn’t likely to just make me disappear. He could easily have done that last night. I hadn’t been in any shape to defend myself, not that I would ever be able to do much against a shifter who was determined to harm me. I supposed that was exactly the point King was trying to make me see.

  After taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and stepped into the club. I half expected an alarm to go off or a robotic voice to start saying “intruder alert, intruder alert,” but none of that happened. The club was dark and eerily silent. I tried to remember where King had taken me the night before. I was fairly certain we’d been in his private office. I walked toward the bar. I’d been standing near it when the lion shifters had confronted me. I’d been such an idiot to flirt with them. King was right. I might not have survived what they’d wanted to do to me.

  When I saw the stairs heading up to a balcony that overlooked the dance floor, I had a vague memory of having been pulled up them by King’s firm grip on my wrist. His office must be upstairs. My pulse sped up with each step I took. By the time I reached the balcony, my mouth had gone dry and my legs were so shaky they threatened to buckle under me. I saw light coming from under a door to my right. The sign on it said “private” in gold letters. Was that King’s office? I didn’t see or hear anyone. Was he even in there?

  I hadn’t come all this way to turn around. I needed to see King again. The memory of his scent hit me, followed by an image of his eyes when they’d gone wolfish, of the way he’d stared at me the night before, the way he’d sucked my finger like he couldn’t help himself. He wanted me. He might say it was dangerous because I was human, but he felt the same pull I did.

  This wasn’t everyday desire. I no longer simply wanted to do something wild. Not just any shapeshifter would do now. I was being pulled toward King by a force I couldn’t explain, except to say that it was stronger than any shifter.

  I lifted my hand and knocked on the door.

  “Who is it?” King’s voice barked.

  “It’s Emerson.”

  “What?” The word was more of a growl than speech.

  I heard footsteps before the door was wrenched open. King stood there wearing a dark gray suit. The jacket clung to his broad shoulders and tapered perfectly to show off his narrow waist. He was dressed to look powerful, and I wanted to kneel before him.

  “How did you get in here?”

  He was angry. But I wasn’t sure if his anger was directed at me or the person who’d let me in.

  I held up the key, letting the chain dangle from my finger. “By using this.”

  “He gave you a key?”

  I nodded. I wasn’t sure who “he” was, but I didn’t think it was the time to ask. I just assumed he meant Storm, who had apparently been the instigator of this.

  “Who drove you here?”

  I didn’t want to get Denny or Jax in trouble, so I simply said, “Someone who works for you.”

  “They should’ve called me to tell me you were leaving the guesthouse.”

  “I wasn’t allowed to leave on my own, and you have someone watching me.”

  “Yes.”

  He was being intentionally infuriating. “Storm said I wasn’t a prisoner.”

  “You’re not, but you’re under our protection. We take that seriously.”

  “Protection from what?”

  “I want to keep you safe.”

  “I thought you wanted me gone.”

  King turned and walked into his office. I followed and shut the door. He stood by his desk and I could see his body move as he breathed slowly. I would wait as long as I had to. I wasn’t leaving until I’d touched him again, because I had to know what this connection between us was, and whether he could be everything I’d been longing for.

  5

  King

  This was Storm’s doing. I was sure of it. He and I were going to have a long talk later about boundaries and how often he crossed them. I took a deep breath, drawing in Emerson’s scent. I’d smelled him before he’d knocked on the door, probably when he’d entered the building. I’d thought I was imagining it again, like I had earlier that morning. Or maybe my connection to him was so strong I’d actually smelled him all the way from the guesthouse. Rumor had it that in the old days when the pack structure was firmly in place, when we were secretive but our shifter traditions were better preserved, our senses were stronger. It was said that we could track a scent as well in human form as when we were wolves.

  But either way, imagined scent or real, I didn’t understand how Emerson could think I wanted him gone when all I wanted was to rip his clothes off and take him there against the wall of my office or over the back of the couch or on the rug or… That was not where I needed my mind to go. I took one more breath and then turned to face him.

  “I think…” His smell was starting to overwhelm me. Mine. Take what’s mine.

  “What do you think?” He moved closer. I fisted my hands at my side, willing them not to grow claws. “Do you think you want to teach me how to be obedient, how to serve you?”

  Yes! “That’s too dangerous.”

  “So you don’t want to control me?”

  “Do you need to be controlled?” The words came out low and hoarse. I was not in control enough to do this.

  Claim him. You’ll feel better. You can instruct him, train him.

  I wanted to give in to my wolf’s seductive words. A growl escaped, and Emerson’s eyes widened. “You should be scared.”

  “Probably.” But he didn’t back away. He dropped to his knees, put his hands behind his back, and looked down. “I want to know what it’s like to submit to you.” He was so fucking gorgeous like that. “I need discipline. I crave it, but I don’t know how to stop myself from taking risks.”

  “This, right here, is a risk.” My voice was choked.

  He shook his head. “No, this is exactly what I need.”

  My phone buzzed in
my pocket. I welcomed the distraction. It was a text from Storm, confirming my suspicion that he was behind all of this. Don’t fight this, big brother. He’s your mate, and he needs you.

  If Emerson was my mate, then this was inevitable. And if fate had put us together, I wouldn’t be able to hurt him, right? “Look at me.”

  Emerson gazed up at me through his lashes. Outwardly, he was the picture of submission, but I could feel the desire thrumming in him. My wolf urged me on. Give him what he wants. “I’m not an easy master to serve.”

  “I don’t want easy.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  He licked his lips slowly before speaking again, the little minx. “Neither of us will know unless we try.”

  “I should send you away. I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t help myself. Your need calls to me, and it makes me want to own you. I want to make you do things I doubt you’ve even imagined. I want to make you beg. I want to make you cry. I want to make you come harder than you ever thought possible, but only after you’ve shown me that you can obey. Is that really what you want? Because I won’t be able to be gentle with you.”

  Emerson raised his head to look at me more fully. “I’ve fantasized about having someone who would take charge of me, someone who would master me, someone who wouldn’t be afraid to let their animal side out. Someone rough, someone harsh, someone who would make me pay.”

  The impact of his words made me dizzy. How long had it been since a man had the power to weaken my knees? “What do you need to pay for, little human?”

  “For risking myself, for not asking for what I need, for not being willing to go after the things that I could.”

  “You’re right. You were wrong to take the risks you did, and I long to teach you to never devalue yourself like that again, but understand that if you give yourself to me, I’ll demand complete control. I will tell you when you can move, when you can speak, when you’re allowed to come or not. I control everything you do, and you obey me, or you get punished. I expect a lot, and I’m not used to holding back.” I thought maybe I would finally scare him off, but no, the smell of his arousal only increased.