Page 19 of An Unexpected Claim

I nudged my wolf to let me through and quickly shifted into my human form. I knelt beside her, eyeing her sharp claws and hoping she didn’t wake up swinging.

First, I put my hand on her left side, just behind her front leg, and checked her pulse. It was on the low end, but still considered normal.

“Peyton,” I murmured. I received no response, so I tried again a little louder. Still nothing.

Careful to avoid any injuries I couldn’t see; I nudged her and called her name again. “Peyton. Baby, wake up.”

Her cat stirred, emitting a little moan, before going still again.

Progress.

This time, I shouted her name at the top of my lungs and her panther let out a hiss as she opened her eyes into slits and stared at me with hostility.

My wolf pushed near to the surface and Peyton’s animal seemed to get caught in his gaze. Something passed between them and the panther lost some of her tension. Then she sniffed and her ears perked up as she rolled over and rested on all four limbs. She sniffed again before chuffing and dropping her head onto my lap.

I realized then that once she’d calmed down, she’d recognized my scent and apparently, Peyton’s panther was a fan. Slowly, I ran a few fingers from her forehead to her nose and she purred. When her golden eyes met mine, there was no sign of Peyton’s emerald irises.

I petted her again before asking, “Can I talk to Peyton?”

She lifted her head and stared at me for a long moment, then began to retreat into herself. Fur became skin and bones cracked as they moved to accommodate another shape. After a few seconds, Peyton lay naked on the ground in front of me. Since she was still unconscious, her head had fallen into my lap and her warm breath bathed the skin of my thigh. My body tightened and I firmly gripped my control, commanding it to behave.

Putting a finger under Peyton’s chin, I tilted her head back an inch so I could see her face. My lips curled down at the sight of her sunken eyes and the deep purple skin underneath. She looked exhausted and her expression held hints of the fear I smelled on her.

Something inside me roared to life, a desperate need to track down whoever she was running from and rip their throats out. I reared back, physically reacting to the unexpected surge of violent energy. I cared deeply for the people and creatures I protected, but I’d never experienced anything like this. My wolf was gnashing his teeth and growling, his desire to hunt and kill anyone who’d ever hurt her seeping into my own emotional well. I focused on calm and control as I encouraged him to settle down. We needed to take care of Peyton first.

I gently shook her again. “Peyton. Wake up.” My jaw hardened in frustration when she didn’t do as I’d ordered, but I took it as a good sign that her heart rate sped up a couple of beats per minute. I tapped her cheeks before lifting one of her eyelids. Gold stared back at me. “I don’t suppose you’re willing to help me out here?” I asked her cat. The gold turned molten before green began to bleed into it.

Finally, Peyton gasped, and her eyes flew open. She looked around wildly before scrambling backwards in a crab walk. “Who the hell are you? Don’t come any closer.”

“Relax, Peyton,” I said in a low tone. I’d been going for soothing, but soft and cuddly wasn’t really my nature, so it came out sounding like a demand.Yeah, this is going to go well,I thought dryly.

She reacted as I expected and bristled at my tone, her eyes filling with fire.

I kept my eyes averted from her chest as much as I could, ignoring the way her breasts bounced with each angry breath. I couldn’t exactly hide her effect on me while kneeling on the ground without a stitch of clothing. The last thing we needed was for her to see my large, hard shaft and run away screaming because she came to the wrong conclusion. Granted, she’d had my cock between her legs several times before, but it seemed as if she was a little foggy from being unconscious.

“Who are you?” she growled as she altered her position into a low crouch, her claws extended slightly and molten gold seeping into her eyes, showing me flashes of her panther.

I remained still, trying not to spook her, and calmly answered her question. “Nathan King. We only had one night together, but I have to say, it’s a hit to my ego that you’ve forgotten me already.”

She cocked her head to the side and studied the features of my face. Recognition flared in her eyes and I slowly rose to my feet. “How did you find me?” she asked as she mimicked my actions.

“I think that’s my question, Peyton.” I stood with my feet braced apart and my arms crossed over my chest. It was my natural stance, but the fact that it was an intimidating one came in handy. I was pleased when Peyton didn’t seem affected by my aggressive, alpha vibes and “don’t fuck with me or I’ll end you” stance. Her strength had impressed me when we first met, and I liked that she didn’t cower before me now either. I’d seen glimpses of that backbone when we fought for control in bed, but the full force of it was unbelievably alluring.

“Pardon?” Peyton queried as she put her hands on her hips, drawing my gaze down before I could stop myself. I quickly averted my eyes by returning them to her face to find her glaring at me with narrowed eyes. I shrugged. She was naked and fucking gorgeous, what did she expect?

“This is my land, sweetheart.”

Peyton frowned and glanced around. “Your…?”

I nodded. “Mine.” The word felt heavy with meaning that I didn’t understand. A low purr rumbled in my chest and I raised a mental eyebrow at my wolf, wondering at his strange reaction. He was ignoring me, focused on Peyton, so I did the same.

“How did I end up here?” Her tone indicated that the question was rhetorical, so I countered with one of my own.

“What are you running from, Peyton?” Not one to play games, I went straight to the point.

“What makes you think I’m running from someone?” she snapped defensively. “Maybe I just needed a change of scenery.” She almost succeeded in disguising the tremble in her voice.

“The desire for a change of scenery put those dark circles under your eyes and left you unconscious on my property?”

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