Page 4 of Claiming Claire

CHAPTER 2

JACE

The ceremony was quick; thank the fuck for that. I thought for sure that any moment the scared little mouse of a woman would flee and I would have to hunt her down and drag her back just to appease my damn wolf. The thought made him growl his approval. The moment he caught her scent, he was adamant that this female belonged to him, and I’d be damned if I could get him to listen to any sort of reasoning.

My wolf didn’t understand what a risky investment purchasing Claire Blackwell would be. The potential for so much backlash was ginormous. Still, I went against my better judgment and bought her anyway. Partially to make my wolf happy but also waking up to a woman that gorgeous wouldn’t be a hardship.

The boys all agreed that the benefit of having a beauty like Claire outweighed the trouble her ownership would cause. Whatever her father threw our way would be worth it, knowing that she was a part of our pack against his wishes.

I watched from the rearview mirror as she tried to make herself as small as possible in the backseat. She was sandwiched between Laden and Vix, their big frames making it nearly impossible for her not to touch them as their bodies flanked her. It was cute, adorable really that she thought she could avoid our touch. Impossible, not when you married four men at once.

It’s unconventional but not unheard of to have more than one mate. But from the moment I met these boys, I knew they would always be part of the way I ran and functioned throughout my life. Sharing a mate? Creating a family? It just seemed like the next step in our years of running the pack together.

I pulled up the driveway to our place, a two-story farmhouse nestled between thick trees. Our closest neighbor was at least half a mile down the street, giving us the freedom to do what we wanted out here and be as loud as we wanted. Not like we were really that loud, but men can be wild when they get a little alcohol in them, so we have definitely had our moments.

After parking the SUV, I got out, going directly to the trunk to grab her bag. It was a small, light sack, probably carrying just the bare essentials if I had to guess, but I would change that the first chance I got. She may have been bought as a form of payback, but I wouldn’t treat her poorly because of the fact.

After shutting the trunk, I rounded the vehicle to see her standing next to Laden and Gabriel, staring up at our house in awe. I shifted a bit uncomfortable, it was a nice place, but nothing to stare in wonder at. Or maybe she was disgusted? Please don’t let it be disgust. Did Blackwell really treat his daughter like a princess, giving her so much in life that my little house, the house that had been in my family for generations, displeased her?

Before I could ask what she was staring at, she spoke, so quiet I almost didn’t hear her, “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

My chest suddenly felt lighter, but I didn’t dare acknowledge it; instead, I knocked Laden’s shoulder lightly with my own. “Let’s go then, we wouldn’t want the Blackwell princess to be cold, and the sun is setting.”

“Stonewall.”

I turned, looking at her in confusion. “What?”

“I am a Stonewall now, not a Blackwell.”

Fuck, she was right, and the realization had my cock rising, urging me to claim her, own her, making it so official that anyone who passed her would have no doubt who she belonged to. Instead, I turned around and nodded. “Let’s get her inside.”

She followed meekly behind me, the rest of the guys trailing behind her, no doubt watching the sweet curve of her ass flex under that questionable dress she wore. When we reached the front door shaded by the covered porch, I reached into my pockets, grabbed my keys, and inserted them into the door.

I felt the lock click, and as I twisted the knob, I turned to say, “Welcome home, Claire.”

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