Page 11 of Claiming Claire

CHAPTER 6

CLAIRE

I woke up slowly, stretching my body and wincing at all of my sore muscles. Memories of last night floated in my mind, and my whole body heated with a blush. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I would be able to stand today, let alone walk. How could I? Not with all the ways my mates took me last night, waking me up throughout the night to each claim me in their own way. A shiver ran through my body at the thought.

My mates.

Each one so vastly different, something I’d already learned in such a short time. Vix, my sweet mate. He’s quiet and caring and so considerate. Laden, so full of fun and jokes, but when he didn’t know I was looking, I could see he’s always deep in thought, thinking about something of importance. Gabriel was definitely the biggest of my mates, and I could tell that to anyone outside of our room, he could be terrifying. But with me, he was gentle and treated me like a porcelain doll, holding me gingerly in his large hands.

But Jace, well, he confused me. He bought me, he mated with me, but the moment he removed his body from mine, he left. Like the mere thought of lying with the other mates and me disgusted him. Did he regret it? Did he regret tying his life to mine now that the mating was permanent? We couldn’t change it now. We each wore each other’s bites and even years from now when the bite has healed, the telling scar would remain.

I was alone in bed when I woke, and for that, I was thankful. I wasn’t positive I would be able to look any of the men in the eyes now that the night had faded, replaced by day. But I did know, sooner or later I would have no choice. I needed to leave this bed before one of them searched me out.

I stood, my legs wobbling a bit, still exhausted from last night’s activities, then walked into the bathroom to shower. I was a mess, I knew it without even looking at myself in the mirror. The thought of facing anyone like this, let alone four practical strangers, made me cringe. As if they knew I would head to the shower first, a fluffy towel and my bag sat on the wooden bench next to the row of sinks.

The scorching shower felt amazing on my sore muscles, and I found it hard to tear myself away from the water. I stood there until the water ran cold before I switched it off and got dressed. I put on my favorite pair of jeans, something familiar and comforting. Then grabbed a solid black tank top. After running a brush through my hair, fighting all the tangles caused by the night’s activities, I tied my hair in a bun, knowing full well it was the least sexy hairstyle I could have picked.

I followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen, where I found Vix standing barefoot, wearing only a pair of jeans, cooking breakfast. As if he sensed me, he looked up as I approached, a broad smile taking over his serious expression. “I see you found your bag.”

Of course, it would be Vix who left it, always the thoughtful one.

“I did, thank you.” I nibbled at my bottom lip, feeling nervous in the light of day.

He turned his back to me, reaching for the coffee pot and . . . oh my god. The scratch marks that grooved into his back. Shit. I did that, the vivid memory of my time with Vix reeled in my head and my body heated from both want and mortification. I saw him inhale deeply as he poured a cup of coffee.

Passing the cup to me, his warm brown eyes rimmed with the gold of his wolf. God, he knew, he knew that just the sight of my markings on him was making my center squeeze with want. “It was my favorite part, you know, when you were so crazy for me that you latched on to my body without care.” He cleared his throat, and his eyes turned solid again. “I’ll remember in the future, but I’m not exactly sure how you take your coffee.”

I blew out a breath, still trying to slow my heart rate from his confession. “Cream and sugar. Two spoons.”

He grabbed the cream from the fridge and poured some in, then scooped two spoonfuls of sugar and stirred while I stood there holding the mug. “Laden and Gabriel went for a run, Jace had some work to do with the elders.”

At the mention of Jace’s name, I could see in Vix’s face that what he said wasn’t entirely true, but he wasn’t going to hurt my feelings. “You stayed back to babysit me?”

He grabbed a plate and put on a stack of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and eggs then placed it on the table, gesturing for me to sit. “I could have gone with them, but I decided not to. My wolf would rather make sure his mate is well fed, then run.”

“I could go with you guys next time. I mean, is that okay? I never got to go further than my father’s property back home. My wolf is itching to get out.” I picked up a piece of bacon and bit off the corner, eating it nervously under his gaze.

“I think the boys would all agree that it would be amazing to have you to chase,” he said with a smirk.

“Wait, who said there will be chasing?”

He leaned down, placing one hand on the table, the other on the back of my chair. “Claire, our wolves will always chase you.”

He tilted his head to the side as his eyes gazed down at my lips and back up to my eyes like he was having an internal battle. As if one side of the battle finally won, he leaned down, capturing my lips in his for a slow, sensual kiss.

A whining came from the left, right before a large body covered in fur wiggled its way between us, pushing Vix back. I laughed, reaching down to thread my fingers into the thick black hair of the jealous wolf. “I don’t think someone wants to share.”

In a blink, the fur under my hands disappeared and Gabriel’s naked body formed under my touch. “Someone doesn’t want things getting carried away without himself present.”

He leaned over, taking over where Vix left off, kissing me slowly. His skin was fire and granite under my touch, and when he pulled away, I was squirming in my seat. “Eat your breakfast, sweetheart. You need the energy.”

He grabbed a pair of pants off a chair and slid them up his thigh, knowing I was watching his movements thoroughly. He smirked and grabbed a plate, filling it with food before taking a seat at the table. Gabriel had just begun eating when Laden’s wolf strolled in. One look in my direction and he was drawn to me, rolling over and waiting for me to rub his stomach as he laid at my feet.

I bent over, running my hands through the fur on his stomach. He was grey in coloring, with blue eyes that sparkled with the gold of his wolf. “You’re much more submissive than you are in the man form, aren’t you, sweet little guy?” Gabriel snorted from his spot beside me, and I tilted my head toward him. “What?”

“If anyone else but you tried to rub his stomach, his wolf would have drawn blood already.”

“No, he’s a sweet baby, aren’t you?” I gave his stomach an extra rough rubbing.

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