Forbidden Claim

by R. L. Kenderson

  The driver nodded.

  Tegan went through the supermarket at record speed and was back at the car in less than ten minutes. She’d moved so fast, she’d started to sweat.

  She pulled open her door to see Isabelle practically on Zane’s lap. Tegan looked at the driver. From what she could see, his face was beet red.

  “Will you two knock it off? You’re going to give the young man a heart attack.” To the driver, she said, “To the hotel, please. And you’d better get used to stuff like this. You work in Vegas.”

  The driver laughed. “It’s my third week.”

  That made sense.

  Ten minutes later, they were in the hotel and making their way to their room. It seemed to take forever because everyone stopped to stare at the three of them. That wasn’t true. They all stopped to stare at Isabelle.

  Zane finally picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder, and ran toward their room. The bags she was carrying from their shopping trip smacked the backs of his legs the whole way there.

  In the living room, Tegan set her bags down and said hi to the three males watching TV. Isabelle and Zane were nowhere to be seen.

  “You can look in the bags for the clothes I bought you. I left the receipts in there, so you can pay me back.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Tegan,” Reid said, not looking up from the TV.

  She took off her blouse, leaving her in a tank top, because the room was warm. She walked around, so she could see the screen. UFC. That explained why they were television zombies at the moment.

  “I’m going to start dinner,” she said to herself since no one else was listening. “I sure hope no one breaks in or anything,” she said a little lower.

  At least two of them shushed her.

  She was halfway through dinner, sweating her boobs off from all the heat from the stove and oven, when Isabelle came into the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed, and she smelled like she’d just gotten laid.

  “Do you need any help?”

  “I’d love some.”

  Tegan walked past Isabelle to grab the items out of the fridge when Isabelle’s scent made her pause. She turned and looked at the she-wolf. “Isabelle?”

  Isabelle was fanning her face. “Yeah?”

  “When are you supposed to go into heat again?”

  Isabelle shrugged. “Like a week, maybe two.”

  Tegan stepped closer and put her nose in Isabelle’s neck.

  “What are you doing?” She laughed, but then she put her nose in Tegan’s neck. “Man, you smell kind of good, too.”

  Tegan stepped back. “What did you say?”

  “You smell good.” Isabelle frowned. “What’s the big deal?”

  Tegan shrieked and backed away. “No, no, no, no. Not now.” She was on a job. It was hard enough, being a female sentinel without her body betraying her.

  Yet all the signs were there. They’d been talking about mating heat in the fricking car, for God’s sake.

  Reid and Zane came rushing into the kitchen, panic all over their faces.

  “What’s wrong?” Reid asked.

  “Is someone here?” Zane looked around.

  “No,” Isabelle said. “Tegan just started freaking out.”

  “What’s wrong?” Reid asked again, taking a step toward her.

  She moved back. “I don’t know if I’d come any closer if I were you.” She looked over at Isabelle. “Isabelle’s about to go into heat.” She looked back at Reid. “And she’s taking me with her.”

  ISABELLE LOOKED AT Tegan’s panicked face and then over at Zane. “I’m not supposed to go into heat yet.” But then she closed her eyes and shook her head.

  “What?” Zane asked.

  She looked at him and sighed. “It’s the sex. It caused a jump in my hormones, speeding up my heat. Damn it.” She’d known her mating heat was coming. She just wasn’t prepared for it to be this soon. She still didn’t know how she felt about Zane and having sex with him during her heat.

  All the talk about it with Tegan had her very interested, but for Isabelle, it was a big step. She’d heard of human couples who wouldn’t have sex without a condom or who would use birth control until marriage. For her, it was the same thing.

  But she was married and mated to Zane. Yet she still wasn’t sure.

  Zane grinned. “So…you’re saying, I caused you to go into your heat?”

  If he could pat himself on the back and give himself a high five, he probably would. The pride coming off him was unmistakable.

  “Do you not realize the enormity of the situation?” Tegan asked.

  Zane rolled his eyes. “Of course. My mate and I are going to be doing a whole lot of screwing. But what better place than here? Bram is hundreds of miles away.”

  “Oh, yeah. So sexy,” Tegan said sarcastically. “And who’s going to be watching your back when Bram is free from jail? Me? Nope, because I’ll be curled up in a ball, waiting for my own heat to pass.”

  “Shit,” Zane said. “That takes you and Reid out of sentinel duty, doesn’t it?”

  “Why will Reid and Tegan be taken out of sentinel duty?” Chase asked as he and Ranulf came up behind Zane and Reid, pushing the two cats past the doorway.

  The kitchen was probably the smallest room in the suite besides the two bathrooms, and it was getting very crowded in there.

  “Tegan’s going to go into heat soon, so she and Reid won’t be around to help stand guard.”

  Isabelle watched Tegan and Reid exchange looks before Tegan glanced away and blushed. That seemed odd for someone who had been speaking about sex so freely in the car on the way home.

  When Isabelle turned back to Chase and Ranulf, they were sniffing the air.

  “It smells like she’s not the only one,” Ranulf said. “That means, you and Isabelle will be busy, too.”

  “We’re fucked,” Tegan said.

  Zane laughed.

  “Not like that. No pun intended.” She scowled at Zane.

  Reid inched closer to Tegan. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure something out.”

  “We could call for reinforcements,” Zane said. “They could be here in less than half a day.”

  Tegan tilted her head. “Have you ever been around a female in heat?”

  Zane shook his head. “Not really. Maybe for an hour or two but never the whole time.”

  “What about you two?” Tegan asked Ranulf and Chase.

  The two wolves looked at each other and shook their heads.

  “And you?” Tegan said to Reid.

  He uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh…once.” He dropped his arm. “And I know what you’re getting at.”

  Tegan stared at Reid a little longer. Isabelle had no idea what the she-cat was thinking.

  But then she squared her shoulders and addressed the room, “Everyone in this suite is going to be affected, especially with two females in heat. Everyone.” She stressed the last word. “We’re all going to be sitting ducks. Or sitting cats and wolves.”

  Ranulf and Chase looked at each other again.

  Ranulf said, “So…either we leave or—”

  “We get hookers,” Chase finished.

  Tegan made a sound of disgust.

  “What?” Chase said. “Prostitution is legal in the state of Nevada, and those women have to earn a living, too.”

  “I don’t care about that. I’m all for women making money the way they want to. I’m referring to how you two are only thinking about sex at a time like this.”

  “Angel, I’m pretty sure we’re all thinking about sex.”

  “Yeah,” Chase agreed. “Besides, you’re the one going into heat. You’re going to be having way more sex than Ranulf and me, combined.”

  “It’s not my fault,” Tegan said through clenched teeth.

  Isabelle flinched.

  “No, no, Isabelle. I don’t blame you. I know us hanging out together caused mine to come sooner, but it’s our stupid shifter biology to blame.”

  Isab
elle still felt bad even if she hadn’t meant for her hormones to rub off on Tegan.

  “Tegan’s right, guys,” Reid said. “None of us are going to be free from this. And it doesn’t matter how much backup we call. We’ll all be in the same predicament.”

  A lightbulb went off in Isabelle’s head. “What if we hired a human security team to watch over the room for a few days? Humans aren’t as affected as strongly as shifters.”

  Zane put his arm around Isabelle. “My mate is a genius.”

  Isabelle was embarrassed by his praise, but she was proud of herself for thinking of a solution.

  “Good idea, Isabelle,” Tegan said. “There are probably a ton of security firms here with all the famous people who come and visit.” She looked at the two male wolves. “Do you two think you can handle calling around and finding a good one?”

  Chase put his hand on his waist. “And what are you going to be doing?”

  “Trying not to stab your eyes out while I finish making your dinner.”

  “Sheesh. I thought mating heat was supposed to make you horny, not mean.”

  Tegan gave Chase the finger.

  “Just go and do what the lady asked, will ya?” Reid said. “Let me know who you decide on, and I’ll do a quick background check on them.”

  Chase and Ranulf made a few more grumbles but left the room.

  Zane squeezed Isabelle’s shoulder and grinned at her. “So…”

  She pushed him away. “I’m not going through heat yet. Get out of here.” She laughed. “I’m going to help Tegan finish cooking.”

  “Fine, but you know where to find me. Just follow the scent of red-blooded male.”

  “Oh my God. Go.” She gave him another playful shove.

  Zane laughed as he left the room.

  Isabelle looked at Tegan and Reid. Neither of them was smiling.

  “Do you want me to leave?” she asked them.

  “No,” Tegan said as Reid said, “Yes.”

  “Uh…” Isabelle didn’t know what to do.

  Reid clenched his jaw. “We’ll talk later,” he said to Tegan and then left.

  Awkwardness was left in Reid’s wake.

  “Would you still like my help with dinner?” Isabelle asked. “I can go if you’re worried I might have more of an effect on you.”

  Tegan sighed. “No. Stay.”

  Tegan didn’t sound like she wanted Isabelle to stay.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Tegan went to the fridge where she grabbed a couple of vegetables and handed them to Isabelle. “You can cut these up if you’d like.”

  “Sure.”

  The two worked in silence for about five minutes with their backs to one another.

  “I’m sorry if I came across like a bitch,” Tegan said, surprising Isabelle.

  “Oh. Uh…it’s okay.”

  Tegan laughed. “I was hoping you’d say, You weren’t a bitch, but I totally deserve that.” She sighed. “It can be really hard to be a female sentinel. I feel like I have to prove myself a lot just because I don’t have a penis. And my heat is just another reminder that I have a weakness that males don’t.”

  Isabelle spun around. “You are looking at the whole thing all wrong.”

  Tegan smiled and looked over her shoulder at Isabelle. “I am?”

  “You have the ability to give life, Tegan. To a society that doesn’t have enough in the first place. Your heat is not a weakness. It is a strength. And those male sentinels should be singing your praises because you are going to help bring the next generation into this world. They need you to keep the species going. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re weak.”

  Tegan leaned back. “Damn, girl, I didn’t know you were such a feminist.”

  Isabelle laughed. “I have a lot of female students, and I hate when they think they are weaker than boys or not as good as boys. Differences don’t equate weakness. Differences equate diverse strengths.”

  “Wow. Who said that?”

  “Me. I did. I’m glad you like it.”

  Tegan chuckled. “It’s a good quote. You should spread the word. You could be famous.”

  Isabelle laughed, too. “No, thanks.”

  Tegan touched Isabelle’s arm. “Thank you, by the way.”

  “For what?”

  “For what you said about my heat being my strength and not my weakness.”

  Isabelle smiled. “Well, it’s true. What badass male wouldn’t want you to be the mother of his offspring?” She nodded. “Remember that the next time they give you hell.”

  QUENTIN PACED BACK and forth outside Hunter’s bedroom.

  They’d left the Vampire Clinic after sundown and come back to Quentin and the wolves’ home. Quentin had been sure that, with his injury, Hunter would want to go back to the vampires.

  He’d even gone so far as to call Bowden to tell him to come back home. Bowden had taken Hunter’s spot with the vampires, and if Hunter was going to go back there, then Bowden could come back to the wolves. He’d especially be needed because Quentin had planned to go with Hunter. He didn’t care what anyone said.

  Hunter might not want to be with him the way he wanted to be with Hunter, but he couldn’t shut off his feelings for the vampire. He wasn’t going to let Hunter out of his sight until he was better or Bram was caught. Preferably both.

  But, as soon as Quentin had made that phone call, Hunter had stopped him. He had insisted on going back to be with the wolves. He’d claimed he would be up on his feet soon, and he was more determined than any wolf to catch Bram.

  Quentin didn’t know how fast Hunter would really heal, but he couldn’t fault the male for his need for vengeance.

  So here Quentin was. Pacing outside Hunter’s room. The house was quiet. Either everyone was working or in bed, but he was going to make sure no one bothered Hunter, so the vampire could get his rest.

  Quentin reached the end of the hall and turned around to walk back the other way. Just before he walked past the door to Hunter’s room, a pillow came flying out, almost hitting Quentin in the head.

  He stopped and picked up the object that had nearly beaned him.

  “I can hear you pacing,” Hunter whisper-yelled.

  Quentin peeked his head in the doorway. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want anyone bothering you. You need your rest.”

  “You’re bothering me. Every time you walk past, you mumble the same thing under your breath.”

  “Oh.” Quentin hadn’t realized. “Sorry.” He put the pillow down on Hunter’s bed. “No more pacing. I promise.”

  Hunter shoved the pillow under his head. “Thank you.”

  Quentin left the bedroom and walked out of Hunter’s line of sight, but he didn’t go very far. He sat down on the floor and rested his head on the wall. Now that he wasn’t walking back and forth, he was having a hard time not fidgeting.

  He was so full of emotions, and he didn’t know what to do with it. He knew what he wanted to do.

  He wanted to go into Hunter’s room and take off both their clothes, pull Hunter to his knees, and push his cock inside the vampire. Being close to him and making them both come would go a long way in easing Quentin’s raw nerves.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. Hunter had let Quentin know where he stood months ago.

  Quentin rubbed the inside of his wrist where Hunter had fed from him earlier. The two tiny pinpricks were almost completely healed, much to Quentin’s disappointment. But at least his blood was flowing through Hunter’s veins. That was something.

  “Quentin?”

  He perked his head up. “Yeah?”

  “Get your butt in here.”

  He scrambled to his feet. “Is something wrong? Are you okay? Are you in pain?”

  Hunter sighed. “No. I can’t sleep with your emotions going a million miles an hour. I can only block so much.”

  Quentin felt his face heat, much to his chagrin. He’d forgotten about the emotional connection through the blood he’d
provided. He dropped his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll go. Will you please call me if you need anything?”

  “No.”

  That was kind of rude, but maybe he deserved it. “Okay. I understand.”

  Hunter sighed again. “No, you don’t.” He pulled down the covers on his bed.

  It was dark in the room, but Quentin could still make out Hunter’s smooth, muscular chest. And there was a hint of a cast on his lower leg. Quentin wanted to slide in next to him. He was hard, just thinking about it.

  “Get in.”

  Quentin shook his head, trying to clear it. “I must be more tired than I assumed. I just thought you’d said—” He laughed at his own foolishness. “Never mind.”

  He turned to leave when Hunter spoke again, “You didn’t mishear. I told you to get in.”

  Quentin slowly pivoted on the ball of his foot and stepped up to Hunter’s bed. He’d already been able to smell Hunter, of course, but now, the vampire was even closer, and Quentin’s dick was so stiff, it hurt.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He wasn’t one to beat around the bush, so he fisted himself to show Hunter exactly what he meant.

  “I want to see it.”

  That was the last thing he’d expected out of Hunter’s mouth, and his hand froze.

  “Pull off your pants. I want to watch you touch yourself.”

  Quentin couldn’t decide if this was the best idea or the worst idea in the world. Hunter had been given some pain meds at the clinic.

  As if he’d read Quentin’s mind, he said, “I haven’t taken anything more than ibuprofen for over five hours. Now, show me, Quentin. Show me how you touch yourself.”

  Not wanting to think about it any longer and just feel, Quentin quickly locked the door before returning to Hunter’s bedside. He shoved his jeans down and kicked them off. Then, he pulled his T-shirt up and over his head.

  Hunter groaned. “I forgot how beautiful you are. I love the color of your skin.” Then, he said so low that Quentin almost missed it, “I still remember what you taste like.”

  Quentin growled and took his cock in his hand. He began to stroke it. Up and down, slowly so that Hunter didn’t miss a thing. Quentin watched as Hunter’s tongue licked his bottom lip, and his shaft was tenting the front of his nylon shorts.