Lion’s Claim (Shifter Chronicles Book 6)

by Crissy Smith

  “I can’t wait to take them back off.”

  She tossed her hands up in the air. “Really?”

  Logan sat in the chair across from the bed.

  “You’re not going to even sit next to me?”

  “No way I’d be able to keep my hands off you.”

  Well, that was a little better. “What happened?”

  Logan leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. “The division of my office is closing.”

  “They’re moving you?” she asked. “I thought that you said it wasn’t bad news?”

  “I was given two choices. The first was to go to the largest Coalition office as a feline team leader.”

  “In Arizona?” She knew where he was talking about. They’d had a lot of high-profile cases. That would be really good for Logan, but it was so far away.

  “The other is right here,” Logan said.

  “Here? Where?”

  “In Brookside.”

  “We don’t have a Coalition agency in town.”

  “Magnus has been having some issues lately and he spoke to my boss about getting some support here. My commander offered to allow me to office inside the sheriff’s department.”

  “You’d stay here permanently?” Dare I hope? “But what about the other offer?”

  “It would be great for my career,” Logan said. “I won’t lie about that, but it doesn’t have what’s most important to me.”

  “And what’s that?” She was almost afraid to ask.

  “You.”

  “You’d give up a dream job for me?” she questioned. “That only happens in romance novels.”

  “No,” he said. “I’m not giving up anything. By taking the posting here, I’ll get to work with men that I admire. I’ll have the chance to get to know everyone better. Like I told you before, I feel comfortable here and I’ve never had that anywhere else. But the biggest attraction is being in the same place as you.”

  “You sound like you already made your decision.”

  “I have,” Logan said. “This is where I want to be.”

  Brookside was where she wanted him to be, but that wasn’t best for his career. “What if it doesn’t work out between us?” She had to state her real concern.

  “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I would hope that we’d still be friends and I could stay here. It’s a risk, I know. One that I’m not sure will work out in the end, but if I go to Arizona, I know I won’t have what might happen for me here. I want a family and yours seems to be accepting of me. You are who I want to spend my time with. I want to learn every little thing about you.”

  “Wow,” she whispered, trying to hold back her emotions.

  “A good wow?” he asked. “Because I need you to tell me how you feel. This is a big step for us. If you don’t want to go further in our relationship, I need to know.”

  “I want you.” She moved to her knees and shuffled down to the end of the bed so she was right in front of him. “I want us.”

  Logan relaxed his shoulders and he ran his hands over his face then smiled at her. “I didn’t think I was going to be so nervous. I practiced what I would say the entire drive here.”

  “I can’t believe it. It’s like everything that I want is just within my reach.”

  “That’s exactly how I feel. So I’m staying and you’re going to have to help me house hunt.”

  Annabelle looked around her bedroom.

  “I don’t think we should move in together after just one date,” he quipped.

  Annabelle laughed. “Doesn’t it seem like so much longer?”

  He was already nodding before she’d even finished her sentence. “I can’t seem to remember my life before I met you. I don’t ever want to go back to that again.”

  “You don’t have to.” She climbed off the bed and into his lap. “Even if something happened between us, you’ll always have this weird, overly protective, crazy group of shifters that have your back.”

  Logan stood. “Right now I’m more concerned about getting you on your back.”

  “Oh yeah?” She ran her palm over his chest.

  “Yep!” Logan tossed her in the air and she flew to the head of the bed. He quickly covered her body with his as he brought his lips against hers.

  Annabelle gripped the short hair at the back of his head. She wondered briefly if he’d consider growing his hair out but all thought left her when he snaked his hand up her top.

  She ripped her mouth away and rolled him until she was on top. Rocking her hips so that his cock was trapped under her, she pushed at the material over his shoulders. Logan rose briefly to help her get the shirt off him then flopped back down.

  The need to taste him overwhelmed her. She ran her hands over every piece of his flesh before she tugged at his slacks. It was a race to get both of them undressed so she’d feel him buried inside her once again.

  “I want you to ride me just like this.”

  Annabelle reached back and grasped his erection, positioning it at the entrance of her pussy. “I want it hard,” she told him.

  “You control the pace, baby,” he said. “Take what you want.”

  Slowly, she lowered herself down. Logan kept his gaze on hers and she saw the affection and caring in the depths of his eyes. He looked at her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

  Leaning down to kiss him, she lifted up on her knees then slid back down. Logan gripped her hips and bucked up, driving his cock in farther. She moaned into his mouth.

  She braced herself with her hands on his pecs. Annabelle threw her head back and started to ride him the way that they both wanted. Slow and sweet had been great the night before, but this time their lovemaking was full of heat and need.

  Annabelle let her body naturally fall into its rhythm until Logan began to plunge up fast and hard. She was shaking, bouncing around on his cock, and it was marvelous. She glanced down at him and got to witness the pure pleasure on his features. Clamping her inner muscles down on his shaft drew a long, low groan, so she did it again and again.

  Logan clenched his teeth while bracing his feet on the mattress and began to plow into her. Annabelle grasped her breasts, which were shaking with Logan’s hard thrusts, and thumbed at her nipples.

  The zing went down her stomach and all the way to her clit.

  She dropped down, rolled her hips and came. With a cry, she exploded into climax, drawing a series of grunts from Logan.

  He rolled them until he was on top then grabbed her leg, spreading her wide to plunge deep. She was panting, trying to find something to hold on to—anything to hold on to. Logan growled then stilled as he reached orgasm.

  Annabelle watched every second of his release. His cheeks were flushed and sweat beaded his brow. He blinked his open eyes and smiled.

  She lifted, allowing his cock to slip out. Annabelle dropped down beside him to cuddle against his side.

  “It keeps getting better and better,” he murmured.

  “I agree.”

  Logan ran his hand gently over her side while she gazed up at him. An idea began to form and she didn’t know if she should bring it up. Hell, why shouldn’t she?

  “I know of a house you can rent,” she told him.

  “You do?” he asked, propping his head up on a bended arm.

  “It’s halfway between the bar and town. It would be perfect for you. A small two-bedroom, two-bath, but the back yard is gorgeous.”

  “You think the owner would rent it to me?” he asked.

  She turned her head and kissed right above his heart. “Yes. I think she might like you more than just a little bit.”

  “You own a house?” he guessed with a laugh.

  “Yep,” she confirmed. “Mac helped me buy it several years ago. I planned to move in one day, but so far I haven’t had the urge to leave this place. Duffy and Calvin keep talking about moving above the tattoo shop and Kelly is looking for an apartment. Sooner or later, I figure we won’t all live here an
d didn’t want to be left all alone.”

  “You’ll never be alone,” he assured her.

  “I know that in my heart, but sometimes I think too much about how things could change.” She sighed. “I might want my own house eventually, anyway. I really like it. Did I mention the trees in the back yard?”

  “No,” Logan said. “But I get the feeling that was a major buying feature.”

  “It was,” Annabelle admitted. “If I wasn’t afraid to be alone, then I’d have already moved in.”

  Logan rubbed his chin over the top of her head. “Maybe you just needed someone to share it with.”

  Annabelle nodded. “You could stay there and we’ll have sleepovers and fix the place up. It’s been empty a long time.”

  “Then maybe someday you’ll move in with me,” he said.

  “It’s a possibility. That is, if you still want to be associated with me. Once word gets out around town about us, you’ll probably get some weird looks. I’m an oddity even among felines.”

  “Trust me,” Logan told her. “I’ll be very proud to let everyone know that you belong to me and me alone.”

  “Maybe we could shift later?” she asked quietly. “If that would be okay?”

  “Are you kidding?” Logan said with excitement. “I’ve been itching to shift for a while and I’d love you run with you. Although you have to give me a head start if you’re going to be jumping from tree to tree.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Annabelle teased. “It depends on how good a boy you are.”

  Logan rolled her to her back before covering her body with his. He peered down at her with heat in his eyes. “When we’re out in the woods, I’m going to mark our spot from last night. Everyone who passes by will know that I claimed you there.”

  Annabelle grinned. “Claim me here first.”

  Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

  Were Chronicles: Pack Rogue

  Crissy Smith

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Kiley Palmer sat scrunched down inside her SUV, well-hidden by the tinted windows as she held up a camera and snapped pictures. The old man had been right. The fourth Mrs. Douglas had a visitor every morning when her husband left for work. Of course, Kiley had already known the woman was guilty. The first night after Kiley had been hired, she’d shifted into her wolf form and stalked the area.

  The scents of the humans who came and went from the house hadn’t been numerous and she hadn’t been able to separate the older gentleman’s smell from other male odors easily. But she’d still had to get photographic proof for her client, since she couldn’t actually convince a human her nose told her the guy’s wife was cheating.

  Maybe if the shifters went public like the Council wanted, she would be able to use one of her enhanced senses as evidence, but until then, she had to do things the old-fashioned way. So, she’d been stuck inside her vehicle, watching like a peeping Tom until she’d finally gotten the chance to use her camera.

  “Gotcha,” she whispered to empty air, clicking four more pictures before the front door of the large house closed.

  How stupid could this woman be? Not only did she kiss her lover in broad daylight, but he’d only waited ten minutes after the husband had left before he’d shown up. What if Mr. Douglas had been running late?

  It might be possible the young man didn’t realize the woman he was sleeping with was married, but Kiley doubted it. She’d peeked inside the windows and seen the pictures of the couple.

  Disgust made her stomach roll. She’d grown used to seeing spouses cheating by now, but Kiley really hated these cases. However, over sixty percent of her work centered around some sort of infidelity.

  What Kiley really wanted to do full-time was the investigations that led her to reconnecting families. Those were the circumstances Kiley enjoyed. A bare month ago, she’d found a young man who’d moved away from his family and had disappeared right after his eighteenth birthday. The young man, Adam, had run scared because of his sexual orientation. Certain his family would disown him, he had left them before he’d be kicked out.

  His mom and dad had been frightened and desperate. When Kiley had gotten the call for help, she’d put aside another cheating spouse job to locate their son.

  She’d found him. Living in a small apartment without heat and food, struggling to get by. He’d cried when Kiley had told him his parents wanted him to come home. Adam had refused, confessing why he’d left in the first place. Since Adam’s mom had already told Kiley the reason she believed he’d run, Kiley had known that the kid’s parents only wanted him safe. She’d put Adam on the phone with his mom and even though she’d tried to give them privacy, she’d heard both sides of the conversation.

  The sobbing, apologies and heartfelt loving words had had her tearing up, too. She would never have a family reunion like that, but at least she’d gotten to witness something beautiful.

  She’d dropped Adam off at his parents’ house an hour after she’d located him.

  Kiley still smiled every time she thought about that family’s happy ending. She hadn’t wanted to charge the parents, but she had a living to make, so she’d given them a price of half of what she normally made.

  Mr. Douglas’ situation would help pay the rest of her bills this month, anyway. He had enough money to pay her full rate and then some.

  She tipped back her head and closed her eyes, knowing she had plenty of time until Mrs. Douglas would be done with her lover. She squirmed a little in her seat, trying to get comfortable. Spring had finally come, warming up the afternoons, but the morning air still held a chill. Kiley hated being cold. She knew it was because of her childhood, but she couldn’t help it. She often thought about moving someplace where it never grew cold, like Arizona, but she hadn’t gotten up the nerve to seriously consider it. Here, she was safe. The Alpha of the local Pack didn’t expect too much of her and Kiley hardly ever had trouble with other shifters. Kiley might have been an anomaly when it came to wolf shifters, but she had to watch out for herself.

  Fuck, she didn’t want her thoughts to go down that road. Kiley was happy in her little world and rarely let herself dwell on her past. She wouldn’t do it now.

  Kiley reached for her coffee and found the cup empty. Damn, she thought, sitting back with a sigh. She contemplated running to the closest convenience store to grab another cup when a knock on the passenger window startled her.

  She jumped, bringing her hand to her heart. The grin from the man on the other side of the glass annoyed and amused her at the same time.

  It seemed her thoughts had conjured the man. She rolled down her window while scowling at the good-looking shifter. “Detective,” she greeted.

  Detective Gray Mason continued to grin as he leaned against her door. He ran his gaze over her slowly and Kiley almost blushed. It was a very appraising look and made her hot.

  “How’s it going?” he finally asked.

  Kiley shrugged. She ignored the pulse of heat that flared between them. “Fine, until you scared the living daylights out of me.” She made sure to glare at him, although she didn’t mean it. She liked Gray, even when he annoyed her.

  He chuckled in response. “I thought you might be sleeping on the job.”

  Kiley crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her best pout. “So you also thought giving me a heart attack would be okay?”

  Unfazed, he continued to smile. “All done here?” he asked.

  Kiley looked at the house and then at him. With Gray turning serious, she knew it wasn’t so much a question as him telling her she was done. She nodded, because she knew she couldn’t say no.

  He opened her door and held out a hand. “I need you to come with me.”

  She rolled her shoulders and climbed from her vehicle, ignoring his offer of help. He stepped aside, giving her room as another man moved forward, drawing her attention. Kiley frowned at the guard. She didn’t know Wyatt well, but he had a reputation for being a hardcore fi
ghter. Gray finding her wasn’t unusual, but he normally came alone when he collected her.

  “What’s going on?” she asked Gray, snapping her gaze from one man to the other. Dread scrawled up her spine and unease settled in her stomach. This couldn’t be good.

  “He needs to see you,” Gray told her quietly. “At the house.”

  Kiley shook her head and backed toward her SUV. “No.” She knew what this weekend was about. She’d seen the many cars which had driven through town on their way up to the compound. The gathering of Alphas to discuss Council business ensured she would be nowhere near the local Pack.

  Gray’s hand on her elbow stopped her. “It’ll be okay. I’ll stay with you,” he promised.

  Of course Gray knew exactly how she felt. He was one of the few people who knew why she refused to join the Pack. Kiley hated being called a Rogue, but never would she ever put herself in the hands of another. No—she was responsible for herself and no one else got to make decisions concerning her.

  “It’s important,” Gray said. “Please.”

  The please almost got her. Kiley’s heart sank. She hated to refuse but couldn’t be anywhere near the compound with so many dominant male wolves. She’d do anything else for the Alpha who gave her the space she needed while not pressuring her to commit to the Pack. She and Tyler had an understanding and she didn’t want to disappoint or anger him.

  “Come on,” Gray urged with a gentle tug.

  Kiley tried to plant her feet. “I’ll follow you.”

  Gray shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he quipped.

  Kiley bit her bottom lip. Damn, she’d already used that trick.

  “Wyatt will drive your vehicle and follow,” Gray explained. “You won’t be without a way home.”

  Kiley knew she should be grateful. At least they were giving her a way out without depending on one of the Pack members. It was a small thing, but it made her relax a little, just as Gray had probably known it would. In the year the man had lived in her city, he had gotten to know her better than anyone else. Sometimes she hated that fact, like right then.