Page 27 of Claimed By the Alpha Pack

“The sun rises and sets according to their desires.” Barrett’s wistful tone tugs at my heartstrings.

Ethan comes up behind me and pulls me flush to his solid chest. The heavy thudding of his heart beats against my back. “I would be the weapon at my mate’s disposal. If she wanted someone’s head on a platter, I would ask which one.” His cheek rests against the side of my head above my ear.

A deep shiver moves through my body, hearing the smoky quality of Ethan’s voice so close to my ear. Warmth pools from the dark promise that falls from his lips. Every fiber of my being responds to his tone on a primal level. I want to rub every single inch of me along his body like a feline. A tick develops in the corner of Griffin’s eye as he watches his brother holding me. Turning slowly to face Ethan, I spin in his arms and gaze up into his eyes. The power of his wolf is barely restrained behind those golden eyes. “You would kill for me?” My voice is barely above a whisper as I utter the words I’m almost afraid to get the answer to.

Ethan’s hands slide up my arms and over my shoulders. Golden eyes search my face as his calloused hands caress my cheeks, holding my head in his powerful hands. “Darlin, I would raze the earth for you. I would gladly lay down my life so that you would live. That’s how much you mean to me.” Tears threaten to bubble over as I stare up at him before he closes the distance between us.

Our lips crash together as Ethan angles our heads to his liking. His tongue licks at the seam of my lips until I respond fiercely responding to the desire that seems to course through me. Every inch of skin he touches feels like a live wire is touching it. My heart is pounding in my chest and my breaths are struggling to keep up with the feeling burning within me. My hands roam over his thickly muscled chest, trying to pull me further into him. There’s a wildness to Ethan, an unrestrained power that for the life of me I can’t resist.

It’s like a moth attracted to flames, even though it know’s it will burn. It can’t resist its heat and light. Ethan is the fire I seem to gravitate to, the dangerous triplet. The brother that I know would sacrifice the world to save me. The one that makes me feel alive, and free for the first time in forever.

The clearing of a feminine voice snaps me out of my lust filled haze. Ethan draws back slowly and sips at my lips for several moments before loosening his grip. “I’m glad to see you’re adjusting well, Grace.” The pack’s current Luna addresses me and my cheeks flush pink from embarrassment.

Burying my face in Ethan’s chest, I try to compose myself. Turning to face their mom, I smile sweetly and lower my head slightly. “I’m getting there. Somebody is stubborn.” Glancing at Griffin briefly, I return my gaze to their mom.

Her eyes slide from me, then over towards Griffin, then back over towards me. “Just like his dad … His way or the highway.” A soft motherly smile crosses her lips as she looks at me in Ethan’s arms. “It’s good to see you smile, Ethan.” The Luna’s tone softens as she brushes past us.

Moving in Ethan’s arms, I look past him to where his mother had gone, then back towards the guys. Griffin has left the room and Barrett is leaning against Conrad. Breaking free of Ethan is no simple task, it seems. Grabbing my coffee mug, I take a seat in the breakfast nook and sip slowly.

“What would you like to do today, Gracie?” Barrett practically skips to the nook and sits next to me.

“What can I do? My psycho ex is probably on his way here. Griffin’s psycho ex is more than likely stalking me. Either way, I feel like a lamb tied to a stick in the middle of the field as bait.” Slouching in the seat, I lean over my mug, staring at what’s left at the bottom. My mind is in a thousand places at once and most of it focuses on the fact I’m probably being hunted and who knows if I’m truly safe.

Running his fingers lightly over my spine, Barrett attempts to soothe my fragile nerves. “She has a point.” Conrad’s tone sounds as defeated as I feel.

“Fuck that! If our mate wants to go out, we will take her out. Two Alphas are more than enough to take on a rogue.” Ethan slaps the palms of his hands flat on the tabletop.

“Do you mean it?” Raising my eyebrow, I look up quickly, trying to read that hardened mask that’s slipped over his features.

“I do. Conrad, give Ashina to mom and get Griffin to stay with her to watch over the pup.” Conrad immediately jumps into action, chasing my daughter around the kitchen, trying to catch her. Silly little pup is giving him the slip. It’s amazing that for five months old as a human, she’s just rolling around. As a pup, she’s able to run and play. The growth difference is incredible.

Slipping out of the booth, I head over to the bags that Andrea dropped off last night and dig through for an outfit. Jeans, boots, a comfortable tee-shirt and a hoodie is a perfect outfit for today.

“Go enjoy a day out with the boys. I’ll watch Ashina.” The current Luna says, smiling as she picks my daughter’s puppy up off the floor when she runs by her.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose on you.” Biting my bottom lip, I’m hoping it’s okay for my daughter to stay. It would be good for her to be around other wolves. It would also be good for me to be around the guys that my body craves and that I feel safe with.

“I’m sure. Go enjoy yourselves.” The current Luna says, shooing us out the door. I rush to the closest bathroom and get changed for my adventure. Ethan is standing by the front door with the keys in his hands. I can only imagine what in the world he has planned for us today.

Chapter 19

Ethan

~Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran~

Grace, Conrad and I pile into the truck and head back towards Elinor’s house. It’s time our girl sees who and what we are to her. Humans don’t feel the bond like we do, life’s a bitch and unfair sometimes. Grace seems to feel the pull towards me, but not my brothers, which is concerning. Conrad sends a text to Elinor that we are taking Grace to the pond, and she agrees that it’s time. She’s the last person I would have thought would have supported this idea. We park on the edge of the property and Grace is on high alert.

Her head is on a swivel as she observes everything around her. She was born to be a predator, just given the wrong form. I can only pray to Fenrir that when the time comes, and she asks for one of our bites that she survives the change. Not every human mate survives, and it’s part of the reason Elinor and her mate didn’t bond fully.

Conrad slides out of the truck and assists Grace to the ground. She keeps looking around. “Sweetness, what are you looking for?”

Probably one of the sexy things to watch is seeing Grace turn her nose to the wind and tilt her head. “The rut is starting and there’s a buck or his scrape close to here.” What a magnificent wolf she’ll make one day. Her muted human senses are geared towards hunting.

Clapping, Conrad leans in to kiss Grace’s cheek. “Bravo sweetness. You are absolutely correct. We smell him too, well, his scrape. The buck ran off the moment he smelled Ethan and me.” Conrad’s radiant smile is contagious. The minute Grace looks at him for too long, she’s beaming just as brightly and there’s a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

Brushing past me, she trails her fingers over my abdomen and heads towards the trail leading into the woods. As she walks, I notice that she’s walking on the pads of her feet. Her heels are not contacting the earth and she’s placing one foot in front of the other. The movements of her body scream predator. The human sway of her full hips hardens my cock instantly. All I can think of is getting her to drop to her hands and knees before me. A lust filled smile and the promise in her eyes when she lowers her chest to the ground and has her ass in the air presenting for me. The deep appreciative growl of my wolf makes her stop in her tracks. Grace’s head swivels left, then right, looking for what caused me to growl.

Shaking her head, she pads towards me and rests a palm on my chest, silencing my wolf. Fearlessly, she locks eyes with me and smiles. “I don’t know what set you off.” Her hand slides slowly up my chest and caresses the side of my neck. “I’m okay, and I’m not afraid.” The soft smile that plays upon her lips hits me in the heart like a sledgehammer. In this moment I know there is not a single thing in this life or the next that I won’t do for this woman.

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