“Would you stop looking at me like that?” my voice comes out a little rough.
“Why? You like it, I can tell.” He leans close to me, and I shudder involuntarily. His smile turns into a cocky grin, and I want to smack him for being arrogant.
Damn dragons. Who knew they’d be worse than wolves? I mean, really.
When he sees I mean business, he steps back and finally answers my question, “We have many more males available, and we know you have twenty-one females who can be mated. Based on the numbers we see here, I say we should bring our remaining unmated males. I think we have sixty or so ready for another ceremony. Or if you want, we can have several smaller ceremonies, but since it looks like most of your wolves are choosing three mates, we should prepare for that,” he says while trailing a finger down the skin of my shoulder.
“That works for me, but I think we should hold off and see how … things progress and maybe try this again in a month or two?” I suggest, my voice confident, while my wolf is rolling around in the intoxicating pheromones pouring off of him.
That trip to the bathroom sounds very tempting. I’m pretty sure all I’d need to do is touch my clit, and I’ll explode.
“That’s fine with me,” he says while stepping closer, invading my space and filling my nostrils with his scent. He slides his finger down my arm and continues, “I think you should come back to our table and get to know us, Abigail.”
I growl at the contact and step away from him. “I will. I just want to make sure everyone is settled.” My annoyance is palpable, but I can’t stop myself. The desire to fuck him or fight him is warring inside of me. Shaun and I are going to have it out sooner or later; my wolf wants his submission desperately.
I glance around the room and feel my heart warm.
Well, it looks like my mother was onto something after all.
The women and men who didn’t get matched are all at a table chatting amicably, while the women and men who had successful Claimings are getting better acquainted.
I focus on Chey looking absolutely delighted at the three men vying for her attention. I watch her brown curls bounce as she throws her head back in laughter, her full lips and white teeth only adding to her beauty. I catch her eye and wink. She blushes, returns the gesture, and then glances at the bounty of men at my table and gives me her signature raised eyebrow. I blow her a saucy kiss and return to the guys.
“Okay, boys. Let’s set a few ground rules, shall we? As the future alpha of my pack, I can’t afford any mistakes, so we’re going to do this my way.”
I have never seen men more amused in my life, and even my smutty little wolf’s hackles rise at their looks. She does not like anyone challenging her dominance. The men here, however, were her choice in mates, so unlike most, she is giving them just a bit more leeway. But if they keep it up.
We’ll fight them, then fuck them, my wolf says, and I internally nod my head in agreement.
“After our group date, I want to get to know all of you individually. So I propose we each go on a private date.” I take stock of the guys calm faces before continuing, “We can draw straws or something to decide who goes first because I don’t want to play favorites. But before we get into all of that, I want to give you all the chance now to back out if you, or your dragons, want to reject my Claiming.”
On the outside, I am the picture of confidence, but on the inside, I am crossing my fingers and my toes. They still have an out. They can still reject my claim, and that moody one, Marcus, looks like he’s considering it.
Five sets of eyes stare at me before I hear a throat clearing.
“Princess,” the left dimpled twin interrupts, his low voice sending tingles of pleasure down my spine, “Our dragons have already Claimed you. No one is going anywhere.”
I see Marcus scrunch down in his seat and wonder if everyone is actually in agreement, but my wolf’s ears perk up at the sound of his voice, panting like she’s in heat, and I hiss at her to settle down.
Fucking hell. I’d heard the Claiming was hell on the hormones, but this is out of control.
All five men inhale, and I realize they can smell my arousal, just as I feared. Deciding ignorance is bliss, I tell my wolf, yet again, to pipe down and try to focus.
“Well, we should probably learn more about one another than just our names, so who wants to go first?” I laugh at myself, the words coming out wrong, but choose to ignore it, “What I mean is, why don’t you all tell me about yourselves? I’d love to know more.”
“Well, I’m Kaleb Miller,” the twin with the left dimple says. “I’m the younger, smarter, funnier twin.”
“More modest too, I presume?” I tease. He starts laughing, and his grey eyes twinkle.
Then, the next voice speaks up, “Marcus Doyle. I came from Ireland as a child, hence the slight accent,” he chuckles. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Justin Saunders, and I am definitely the smart one!” says the man with glasses.
Shaun rolls his eyes and looks at me, “He is right, definitely the smart one. Just has a double Ph.D. in Ancient History and Ancient Languages.”
“Now that is impressive,” I look at him, and he blushes to the tops of his ears.
Finally, someone else is feeling the burn.
“I’m Kaden Miller: older, wiser, and a better fuck.” I almost choke, as his gaze literally feels like it’s searing me alive it’s so hot.
“And you?” I fix my eyes on Shaun Lancaster, “what about you?” I ask.
“I’m Alpha Seamus’s son, and the future alpha of Clan Wyvern,” he responds, and the air charges a bit with his power. He’s testing his dominance once again, and my eyes sharpen, my wolf peering back at him, rising to his challenge.
“Okay Shaun, knock it off,” I snap, releasing a burst of my own power, and he looks at me shocked.
I cover my mouth with my hand, surprised at my own outburst.
“Okay, that was a bit abrupt. I didn’t mean it that way, but you have to stop flexing on me. You’re an alpha, and I get that, but so am I, and if you can’t give me the same amount of respect I’m trying to give you by not demanding submission, then we’re going to have a lot of problems.”
I stand up to leave when a hand closes around my wrists. My eyes collide with the soft blue of Justin’s eyes. They’re enhanced by the Buddy Holly glasses that he’s wearing.
He grins and says softly, “Abby, you’re feeling overwhelmed, and Shaun is clearly overstepping, so if you want to take a breather I get that, but I think you should know that our dragons have all Claimed you, and no one is going to back down without fighting hard for the chance to be your mate, your equal.” He stresses that last word, almost like he’s censuring Shaun for his behavior. He’s been rubbing his thumb over the pulse point on my wrist as he speaks, and I can tell he is enjoying hearing my heart rate increase.
Mother of pearl, these men are going to give me a heart attack.
I snatch my hand away and glare at Shaun before walking over to the bar and signaling for another shot. I wish my shifter blood didn’t go through alcohol so quickly as I throw it back and survey my packmates. I’d love to be more buzzed. Instead, I’m sober and seething.
Talking to men has always been hard for me, and being Dama de Noche doesn’t help matters. Yet, I am expected to talk to and date these five men at the same time. I stare over at Jodi’s table; she only has two shifters to deal with.
Why couldn’t that be me? I don’t want this; I was prepared for two or three shifters, not five!
I’m wet, throbbing, and lusting after five men I just met: one who I want to fuck and then kill and another who barely looks at me.
I thought I knew what to expect when the Claiming finally happened for me, but really, I was woefully unprepared for this. In fact, I am pretty confident that if one of the guys staring at me from the table tried to bend me over the bar and fuck me, I’d not only allow them, I ask them to do it harder.
As if he can sense my tra
in of thoughts, I notice Kaden making his way towards me, and I immediately look for an exit. I spy one and make my way towards it, but he intercepts me.
“Let’s dance, princess.” And he has me in his arms before I can object. Twirling me around, he spins me into him, and I land against his chest. He smells amazing, and as he stares down at me, I swear I can literally see a twinkle in his stormy gray eyes.
“You’ll have to forgive Shaun for being an ass. He’s feeling a lot of pressure for this to go right, and for him to be declared alpha of the pack. His dad wants the woman we Claim brought home with us.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen, because I’m not leaving my pack.”
“We can see that. All of us, even him. It’s going to be an adjustment, so you’ll have to excuse him for being a bit of a jerk.”
“And Marcus?”
“Marcus … well he’s under the impression he’s not good enough for a mate, but that’s his story to tell. Break time is over; come on, let’s head back.”
Realizing it’s hopeless to argue, I let him spin me over to the table, but when he plops me in Marcus’s lap, I leap up like he’s scalded me with hot water. It’s a cruel thing to do, but then Marcus’s arms lock around me before I can leap farther away, and I’m stuck. My wolf is rolling around in the scent of him, and I call her a traitor as I settle back into his lap.
Well, if he wants me here, then I’m going to stay.
I squirm in Marcus’s lap as my wolf continues to breathe in his scent, and he groans. I like the sound, so I do it again, enjoying the feeling of him growing hard beneath me. He may be aloof on the surface, but he’s not immune. Perfect.
“So … uh,” he starts, “I need to go do something,” he finishes lamely, and stands up, tossing me into Kaden’s lap.
I have all of two seconds to process what’s happened because the wonder twins have started petting me. Kaden is nuzzling my neck, and Kaleb is stroking the sensitive skin behind my knee. My nerves are frayed, and my mind has gone straight to X-rated thinking, imagining all the naughty things I could do to these men.
Justin’s voice breaks into my thoughts, “princess, I really need you to start thinking about cold showers, or your grandmother, or literally anything else. You are broadcasting your desires loud and clear, and if you keep it up, I will bend you over this table and fuck you just as hard as you’re imagining and prove how right you were in thinking I’m not as sweet as I look.”
“What the fuck?!” I exclaim, and glare at Justin. “You can read my mind? Can all of you read my mind?” I turn my glare to each face at the table.
A chorus of guilty looks and tented pants confirm my question, and I am livid. “No one thought that you should mention that little invasion of privacy?”
Their looks of guilt turn to confusion. Marcus speaks for all of them and says, “Can’t you hear our voices in your mind?”
“I just heard Justin’s? The only voice I’ve ever heard in my head before is my wolf’s. Besides, telepathy between mates usually happens only once a Bonding is official, for it to occur immediately upon a Claiming is extremely rare.”
“Oh, well that explains a lot, but for Dragons, telepathy is very normal among those with a close relationship,” Kaden says. “And these guys and I have been friends for a while, so it never occurred to me you might find it odd.”
Suddenly, my wolf speaks into my head.
You could hear them too, but you locked your mind down after you heard Justin. You should stop blocking them. I chose them; they’re safe, and they’re mine!
I snort out loud, “My wolf has just informed me that I could hear you if I wasn’t blocking all of your voices. So until I’m ready to do that … block me so I can have my thoughts to myself.”
“I dunno, I like seeing your imagination at work personally,” Shaun drawls, “but also we can’t block your thoughts since you’re broadcasting. If you don’t want us to hear them, you’ll have to stop doing that yourself.”
I suddenly feel a sharp nip on my neck and am startled to see Kaden’s sheepish smile.
“You forgot about me, so I wanted to remind you that you’re still on my lap,” he says with a laugh.
“Oh, like I could forget with that massive erection pressed against my ass?” I retort.
Fuck it. I’m too annoyed to be embarrassed anymore. These men have already heard all of my dirty thoughts, so what’s the point of pretending I don’t want them. I’ll let my wolf take charge of this situation because she clearly knows something I don’t.
Giving up, and without another thought, I pull his head down to mine and kiss him. His lips instantly soften from the initial shock, and he opens his delectable mouth for me. I slide my tongue into his mouth, dueling with his own before withdrawing. I end the kiss by nipping him on the lower lip and pulling back with a smile.
My wolf practically purrs in contentment, and my power surges as my lips meet his again, this time gently. When I reluctantly lean for the final time, the looks of shock on the men’s faces makes me laugh out loud.
“What’s wrong, guys?” I say, buzzing with energy.
“Nothing. We just didn’t expect you to stop fighting so quickly, ” Kaleb answers.
“What’s the point? You already know every debauched thought in my head.”
“Am I next? ‘Cause you know, twins share everything,” Kaleb asks and starts to move towards my mouth.
“Is that right?” I laugh and lean over to kiss him. I melt against him, and he thoroughly plunders my mouth. As soon as our lips connect, glass shatters all around us, but I’m unaware. It’s not until the sound of growls from my packmates pierce the veil of lust surrounding us, that I realize something is very wrong.
Men are pouring through the door and windows, and they smell like shifters. Not knowing what the hell is happening has my irritation spiking instantly. No one in their right mind would interrupt a Claiming ceremony; it’s sacred.
Men run into the room and line the perimeter without uttering a word. After a moment, two figures walk in, and the urge to vomit overwhelms me.
Well, I guess that answers that question.
There’s only one pack bold enough to interrupt us, and they are anything but in their right minds.
Chapter Five
Abby
Right away I recognize the symbol on the men’s uniforms.
Of course, why the fuck not?
It’s the symbol of The Death Claws, the most persistent pack to campaign a takeover, disguised as a merging. The Death Claws have a long history of rape, kidnappings, and other nefarious deeds. Rumor has it they weren’t always as awful as they are now, but I don’t know if I believe that. I have never heard a nice word about a Death Claw from anyone, even my Grammy, and she tried to see the good in everyone.
“Okay ladies, who ordered the misogynist with a side of douchebag?” Chey calls out from her table, sounding bored. She’s not; of course. Like most of my pack, she is pissed off and ready to fight.
“Not me. You know I’m allergic to bullshit and assholes,” Cara calls out. I laugh as faces of the Death Claws turn varying shades of red. I guess they were expecting their little show to make us run around screaming in fear, and instead, we’re insulting them where we sit. Just as these guys have yet to figure out forced Bondings are never successful, they haven’t come to accept we’re not afraid of them either.
I notice the alpha’s son sneering at me from behind his father’s shoulder, but ignore him and address his father instead.
“Alpha Nathaniel, you know it’s a huge breach of protocol for the alpha of a pack to be here without the other alphas also in attendance.”
“It’s an unwritten rule to let the betas or future alphas organize events like this, but not a law,” Nathaniel says with a smirk.
Ugh, I cannot stand this man.
“It’s not my fault that your mother decided to leave her pack in your hands, and so unprotected, too,” he continues.
My wol
f growls out in warning before I yank her back. I cannot attack him without a physical attack from his party first, no matter how provocative his words may be, much to my dismay.
I realize a wall of brawn has formed in front of me in my distraction, and I try to step around them. I tap on Shaun’s shoulder and try to nudge him aside, but he won’t move.
“Shaun,” I whisper harshly, “move!”
“Sorry, princess, we’re not letting these men get anywhere near you, any of you, ” he says with a menacing growl erupting from his throat.
Peering over their shoulders, I see that the Wyvern Clan has surrounded each woman in my pack, even those not selected. It is totally adorable of them, but we don’t need their help.
“Boys, move. I mean it!” I say, filling my words with a touch of my alpha power for extra emphasis. I see them fighting not to obey, so I add another dose of my power. I wasn’t sure if my alpha powers would work on them, especially with Shaun here, but I figured it was worth a shot. Reluctantly, they give me enough room to squeeze by, and I stand in front of the guys staring Nathaniel and Kevin down.
Marcus gives me a scathing look as I move to the front of the line.
“We’re only moving because we respect you, princess, and not just because you made us,” Shaun says through gritted teeth.
“Whatever you say, sexy.”
I kiss him on the cheek before returning my attention to my spineless and cowardly prey.
“Look, Dad, these men are already pussy-whipped,” Kevin says with a voice full of malice.
I hear five low, menacing growls, and turn to give the guys a calm down, I’ve got this look.
“Look at you, Abby, disgracing yourself by mating with dragons,” Kevin adds, “I told you all you need is a real man in your life, and I can do that for you.”
He grabs his cock as if drawing my attention to his less than impressive anatomy will somehow make me forget all my senses and fall prostrate at his feet. I swagger over to him, trying not to cringe as the eyes of his pack crawl all over me. Ignoring them, I get into his face.
Blood Moon Magic Page 5
