Claiming His Mate (10 page)

“I’m staying with Max.” There was no room for argument in her voice.

Max wanted to order her out with her parents because he didn’t want her in harm’s way, but he wouldn’t embarrass her or treat her like a child. If she was going to be his mate, he wanted someone who stood next to him no matter what. He had to treat her as an equal. “She stays. We’ll figure this out.”

After shooting his daughter a look that promised they would talk later, Lawrence Hayes left with his wife, neither saying a word. It was as if the other shifters understood any unnecessary words would only enrage the writhing female on the ground.

Once the door shut behind them, Max looked back at Wade. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing is wrong with me!” Naomi screamed. “Your stupid whore had to come along and ruin everything.”

“Naomi, did you steal the jewels?” Wade asked, his expression tense as he struggled with her.

Max thought about intervening, but Wade looked as if he had her under control and Max still wasn’t certain what the hell was going on.

The blond wolf’s body slumped, going lax as she started crying. “That bitch ruined everything. I’m tired of being at the bottom of the pack. I didn’t care about that stupid human you were fucking,” she spat in Max’s direction, the words difficult to understand through her tears and screeching. “Then
she
came along.”

Max blinked in confusion. He looked at Wade with eyebrows raised in a silent question, not wanting to anger Naomi while she was finally still and semi-calm. Her sobs were growing stronger, but at least she wasn’t fighting her brother.

“She’s been fixated on you the past six months. We…” Wade sighed and suddenly looked exhausted and decades older than he was. “This has happened before,” he said, his voice rising above his sister’s cries. “It’s why we had to leave our last pack. After your mom died, she just got fixated on you, said she could help heal your pain. I truly didn’t know she’d taken the jewels until she showed up bloody with the brooch and a story about Lauren attacking her. I…I’ve seen Naomi claw herself up before and her story didn’t make sense.”

“Liar!” Naomi screamed.

Wade continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “A few years ago she was shot with silver by a vampire from a coven our old pack had a feud with. Some of it got into her system and while it’s out now, she hasn’t been the same since. She became fixated on a mated male from our former pack and tried to hurt his mate. By law they could have killed her, but let us go instead.”

This was all news to Max. He wondered if Grant knew, but guessed not or he would have warned him. “Why take the jewels then?”

Wade looked down at his sister who didn’t say anything, but her sniffling and crying had stopped.

When she didn’t respond, Max growled low in his throat. “Explain yourself, wolf.” He put all the strength and dominance of his animal in his words.

She swallowed hard, the sound audible in the big room. “I heard about how you acted with her at the bar and thought if…thought if you knew she took the jewels a second time, then attacked one of your packmates, that you’d let her go.
I’m
one of your packmates.
She’s
nothing, just a stupid jaguar. But you didn’t even believe me, didn’t want to protect me when I told you what she’d done.”

Except, Lauren hadn’t actually done anything. Max glanced at Lauren who just had pity in her dark eyes, no anger. It was rare for shifters to suffer from mental instability, but if Naomi had her brain or nervous system damaged with silver in the past, it was more than possible.

“My pride knows a healer out in Nevada. He’s ancient and helps all species if he can. I don’t want her punished. She needs help,” Lauren said softly.

Max heard Wade’s sigh of relief even as Naomi shouted that she didn’t need help. He didn’t want to punish the female wolf either, not when she was clearly unstable. But he frowned as another thought occurred to him. “Why can’t I smell her lies, Wade?”

Her brother shook his head. “Because she can’t tell reality from fiction half the time. I never know when she’s telling the truth because she doesn’t either.”

And if she didn’t think she was lying, her body wouldn’t produce the metallic scent. “What did you do to Lauren?” Max asked Naomi this time, his wolf clawing under the surface at the thought of his female being hurt. He wanted to ask Lauren in private but they needed answers now.

As if sensing his need for comfort, Lauren stepped even closer and wrapped her arm around his waist. He tightened his arm around her shoulders, savoring the feel of her against him. She was soft and compact, and the way she twisted against him, pressing her breasts into his side made him shudder. This was where Lauren belonged. Next to him.

For a moment Max could practically smell the defeat rolling off Naomi. “I just shot her with a tranquilizer dart. After you searched our place and told Charlie and Sapphire to take over watching Grant’s house, Wade went for a run but I headed back to our place. It was just chance that I saw her and…I had to take the opportunity. It was
fate
that she was on my floor so I shot her and carried her to an abandoned house along the beach. I never planned to kill her, just prove how untrustworthy she was.” Even though Naomi was still being restrained, she shrugged again in that way Max had seen her do before.

As if her actions didn’t matter. As if nothing did. “You two leave now. You can pack suitcases and send for your things later, but you’ll be gone in one hour. I’m spreading word to all packs I know about your sister so go see that healer if you know what’s good for you. We’ll get you the information, but if either of you ever set foot in Kincaid territory again, you’re both dead.” Max knew Grant would back him up and if for some reason he didn’t, it was the only time Max would defy his alpha. If Naomi came near Lauren again, she forfeited the right to live. He had no way of knowing if she’d planned to kill Lauren or not. For all he knew, her statement about not planning to kill his future mate was another lie.

The fear he’d scented rolling off Wade lessened, but not by much as he dragged his sister to her feet. Max felt pity for the guy, but he should have come to someone in the pack before something like this happened. Especially since it had happened before.

Max swiftly moved and put his body in front of Lauren’s as the two left. He knew the others outside would have heard everything and while he wanted to order one of his wolves to escort them out, this was something he had to do. For Lauren, for himself, for his pack.

He’d contact Wade later with the healer’s information but first, he had to get Naomi off pack property and as far away from Lauren as possible.

Once the door shut, he turned to Lauren who immediately cupped his face in between her long, elegant fingers. Her expression was soft. “Go take care of pack business. I swear I’m unhurt. She just tranqued me. My jaguar took over and protected me.”

“You’ll be here when I get back?” He felt vulnerable even asking the question. Couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving him now.

She smiled. “I don’t care what my pride says, I’m not leaving. You and I have some unfinished business.” There was a wicked note in her voice that told him exactly what she was referring to.

It relieved him, but he didn’t mean short term. “This thing between us…I know we still have a lot to learn about each other, but I don’t want you to leave when the week is up. Hell, I’m releasing you from your punishment. You can have the brooch now.” He nodded to the table behind her. “I want you to stay because you want to.”

She leaned up on her tip toes and brushed her lips against his. That one action had the ability to bring him to his knees. “I’ll be here when you get back and we’ll talk about the future. Go take care of pack business. I’m not going anywhere.”

It wasn’t exactly the answer he wanted, but it would have to do. Once he got her naked and under him, he knew he could convince her to stay long term. Sure they had a lot to discover about each other, but everything he already knew, he loved.

Crushing his mouth over hers, he kissed her hard, his tongue invaded her mouth, tasting and teasing. After he walked out that door, he wanted her to taste him for the rest of the day.

Chapter 10

Max closed his condo door behind him, locking it immediately. After escorting Wade and Naomi from the property, he’d assigned two packmates to tail them out of the state. Normally he would have handled that task himself, but he needed to be with Lauren. He’d already been away from her for too long as it was. For the past couple hours he’d been dealing with the entire pack, answering questions about what had happened and why two of their packmates were now gone. No one seemed to mind that Naomi was gone, but he could tell many would miss Wade. It was a tough situation, but they were lucky to be alive. Naomi had basically attacked Max’s mate. Didn’t matter that it wasn’t official yet, the whole pack knew what his intentions were.

He’d heard from Derrick that the jaguars had all left—minus Lauren. That news, he hadn’t been expecting at all. He’d assumed he and Lawrence Hayes would be getting into it as soon as Wade and Naomi were gone.

Lauren must have been pretty damn convincing to get them to leave. He wanted to ask her how she’d managed it, but more than that, he wanted to kiss her, to mark her as his.

The need building inside him was so raw it was hard to wrap his head around it. Max stripped off his shirt as he headed for the guest bedroom, but stopped in the doorway. The bed was made and all Lauren’s stuff was gone. He could still scent her, strongly, though.

In his bedroom.

He hardly remembered moving as he made his way to the end of the hallway. His throat tightened as he saw her stretched out in the middle of his giant bed, the covers kicked almost all the way to the end of it. She had a book open on her chest as she slept. Her breathing was light, barely audible—and she wore only panties. His cock instantly hardened, pressing against the zipper of his pants with insistency. Clearly she’d been waiting for him and fallen asleep.

Max didn’t want to disturb her after the day she’d had. He just wanted to hold her, to comfort her. Okay, that was a lie. He still wanted to bury himself inside her, to cover her with his body and scent.

Her honey brown hair was spread out over the pillow, just begging for him to run his fingers through it. Unfortunately the hardcover book covered her nipples.

But he’d seen the light brown, tightly beaded tips and the image was seared—Lauren’s eyes flew open as if she knew he was watching her.

For a moment she tensed, her entire body going bowstring tight, but then all her muscles relaxed as she stretched her arms over her head. “Hey, didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Her voice was raspy.

Watching her intently, Max tossed the shirt to the ground then started unbuttoning his jeans.

Lauren chuckled and sat up, but still clutched the book to her chest even as her gaze roved over his body with barely concealed need. “Not wasting any time, huh?”

“I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable being the only one naked.” He shucked his socks, shoes and jeans in seconds. No boxers for him. Not with Lauren around. He had a feeling he’d be going commando forever.

She snorted as he sat on the edge of the bed, but made an almost strangled sound as her gaze zeroed in on his hard length. She licked her lips and he knew it wasn’t because she was trying to tease him. Her swallow was audible as she finally met his gaze, her pupils dilated. “How did everything go?” she finally asked before glancing at the clock on his nightstand. “Did they just get out of here?”

More than a few hours had passed so he understood the question. It was already past dark. “No, they were gone within the hour, but I had to field a hundred questions from pack members about their departure, then I had to deal with regular pack stuff at one of the bars and the hotel.” Max seriously wished Grant would get back to town. Being in charge was a pain in the ass. He’d never realized how whiny some of his packmates could be.

She watched him for a long moment, her eyes filled with a mix of hunger and something he couldn’t define. “Do you guys have any pack owned day spas in town?”

He was confused by the change of subject, but shook his head. “Not really. There’s a spa with limited amenities at the hotel, but that’s it. Why?” He still sat on the edge of the mattress, his cock aching between his legs. He wanted to take her right then, but more than that he wanted to discuss what had happened and to make sure she was truly okay. And she seemed a little hesitant so he figured pouncing wasn’t the smartest options.

She shrugged and after a brief hesitation tossed her book aside, drawing his gaze right to her breasts. “I’ve been thinking about expanding my business and opening up another location.”

It was hard to focus on anything but her luscious body, but at her words he remembered she owned a high end day spa. “Where?”

She shrugged again, her mouth quirking up mischievously and his heart rate went into overdrive.

Okay, he’d go back to that later. For now, he had questions. “How’d you get your pridemates to leave?”

“It took some convincing, but after I gave them the brooch and assured them I was staying of my own free will, they had no choice to leave.” Her expression was smug.

“Your father is alpha. He can do whatever he wants.” His voice was wry.