Page 21 of Claiming Claire

CHAPTER 12

CLAIRE

I wrapped my arms around Jace’s neck as he carried me, his body slick with blood, sweat, and, dirt. Deep inside, my wolf growled her approval, but outwardly, I worried. They both took some hard hits, and I knew I shouldn’t have interfered, but I couldn’t let him kill my father. It would be within Jace’s rights to punish me for interfering. All rules were against mingling in a fight, especially one between two alphas. But I couldn’t live with myself knowing I was the cause of my own father’s death.

He carried me into the house and sat me down on top of the kitchen table, the jarring movement caused a slight moan to escape as I squeezed my thighs together to try to relieve some of the discomfort. He caged my legs in with his arms, bracing his palms on the table. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he whispered, “Claire.”

“I’m sorry. I know the rules,” I rushed out, “I’ll take whatever punishment you give me, but thank you. Thank you, Jace, for not killing him.”

He shook his head no before he whispered my name under his breath again. He buried his head into my neck, inhaling my scent. His tongue darted out, tasting my skin before he pulled back. “I knew you were close, I shouldn’t have left you this morning.”

“But you came back.” I took one of his hands in my own, pulling it up to my lips and kissed it before licking at the blood that trickled from a battle wound.

A rumble tore from his throat before he pulled his hand away, threaded his fingers in my hair, and pulled me forward, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. His lips were bruising against mine, his teeth nipping at my mouth, until he trailed down my chin, toward my throat, leaving a damp trail from his tongue. He reached my neck and stopped, pulling away from me.

He brought his fingers up to my neck, rubbing his thumb around my sensitive skin. “He hurt you.”

I swallowed, still feeling the burn in my throat. “You saved me.”

“Not soon enough,” he confessed, guilt written all over his face.

I shrugged and rasped out, “I didn’t think you would.”

He took a step back, anger and disgust clouding his expression. “I would always save you, Claire.”

“I just thought. . .” I let the words hang in the air as I gathered my thoughts. “I didn’t think you wanted me very much.”

He was shaking his head in disagreement. “Claire, I’ve always wanted you. From the moment I saw you standing in the middle of that line, I knew I would take you home. Hideous dress be damned, you were always mine. But honestly, I had doubts. A lot of doubts. And . . .” he paused, lowering his head and resting it on my shoulder, allowing my fingers to come up and thread in his hair, “and for that, I’m sorry.”

His voice broke a little when he said the last words, the action so unlike our alpha. I gripped his hair and pulled his head up, holding his locks tightly in my fingers as I leaned forward, stealing a kiss from his lips. He moaned low before his hands found my hip, gripping them tightly as he pulled them forward, placing his body between my thighs. His lips chased my own, his kisses hungry as he delved inside my mouth, his tongue expertly tangling with my own.

My fingers reached for his cock, my hands shaking from want. I wanted Jace ever since he claimed me as his mate, but now, I didn’t just want, I needed. I needed him to accept me, I needed him to want me, and most of all, I needed him inside of me.

His eyes closed and his head fell back as I slowly moved my fingers up his length, caressing the underside. My mate mark was visible from this angle, and I growled with approval at seeing this strong, stubborn alpha so blatantly marked as my own.

He hissed, a sound of pleasure and pain as his hand wrapped around my wrist. “Claire, the way you smell right now, I can’t have you touch me.”

I batted my lashes at him, knowing damn well he was weak with the need to mate, just like I was. “What do you plan to do about it then, Alpha?”

A rumble filled the room seconds before I was yanked off the table, my body spun so fast I was almost dizzy. Jace wrapped his arm around my abdomen as his lips teased along the sensitive skin of my mate mark, his tongue leaving a wet trail behind. His hands slowly moved up my sides, gently caressing the underside of my arms until he reached my wrist, where he grabbed them, and forced my body forward, placing them on the table.

His left hand found the button of my jeans and flicked it open, his fingers slipping inside. My breath caught, and my body stilled. I was torn between seeking out his fingers or trying to get away, my body already so sensitive that even the slightest touch might make me come. His voice whispered low in my ear, “You’re so wet already. Your body is begging me to take you. I don’t think I can wait much longer. Your scent is making me painfully hard.”

I pushed my body back into his, savoring the feel of his hard cock nestled against me. My invitation as loud and clear as he pushed my pants and panties down, pausing long enough for me to kick them off before he kicked my legs wide and held me forward, holding me against the table with a palm to my back.

A finger ran through my slit, and I bucked against the touch, so sensitive that just the tiny graze of my clit caused both pleasure and pain to hit me. It had to be the heat, I knew it, surely it couldn’t be the man alone, but at this moment, the man was the only thing I could think about. Two fingers slid inside my body, and I screamed, the sound echoing off the kitchen walls as my core clenched, an instant orgasm racking my body.

His hand leisurely stroked my back as I came. “They say during the heat, a woman becomes twice as sensitive, their body designed to make them want to mate so bad, they would chase down their mate, would you agree?”

God, yes, fuck, yes. I would do anything to have another orgasm right now. Instead of words, I only nodded, my breathing still choppy from the sudden burst of pleasure. I felt his fingers, still inside of me, widen, stretching and preparing me for his girth.

“Would you chase me down, Claire?” He leaned in, removing his fingers as he whispered the question in my ear and waited for me to nod. “Good. From now on, I want to be the first person to know when you have needs that need to be met, you understand me? Use words, you know I like to hear them.”

“Yes.” My voice cracked, “I’ll tell you first.”

“Good girl.” His free hand wound tightly around my hair, his other hand pulling forcefully against my abdomen before he thrust forward, roughly pushing his cock inside of me.

My body thrashed in his grasp as he held me in place, my fingers trying to grip the table, finding nothing to anchor me in place. He pulled back, his large cock scraping against my inner walls, shooting sparks of pleasure through my limbs before he pushed back in, jolting my body forward.

---