Page 6 of An Unexpected Claim

As we spiraled down to reality, my wolf finally retreated, satisfied with our actions, and I hastily removed my fangs from her flesh. Peyton tried to move away, but I held her tightly as I stared at the mark I’d created. To my surprise, I felt no regret at breaking my rule…in fact, the idea of it remaining there appealed to me. Not that I was in any way interested in keeping Peyton, but seeing the mark proved that I’d gained a certain level of submission from her. I chalked it up to male pride and all that shit. Besides, with Peyton being a lone shifter and my ambivalence to the idea of a mate, I had no doubt that she wouldn’t accept the mark and start the mating process.

“I can’t believe you bit me,” Peyton snarled.

A wicked grin split my face and I released her, allowing her to scramble away and stand. “Don’t pretend it didn’t get you off even harder, baby.”

Peyton growled, but I smelled the spicy aroma of her arousal. She stomped to the bed and bent down to snatch my clothes off the floor, then tossed them at me.

My eyes narrowed with warning and she looked back at me without a shred of fear. As a powerful alpha, it was rare for anyone to stand up to me, and even more rare for someone to look at me without even the smallest amount of fear. It was incredibly hot, but it also pricked at the darker desires inside me. I wanted her to fear me, to bow for her alpha. In the light of day, she had no pack and therefore no one to answer to. But for this one night, I would own her, make her beg, make her crawl.

Chapter Three

Peyton

“Damn,” I muttered next morning when my body protested as I tried to move over in bed to avoid the sunlight streaming through the window. I kept myself in peak condition, but I’d used muscles I didn’t even know I had the night before. My lips curled up at the memories of some seriously hot fucking.

Nathan was a bastard, but he sure as hell knew what to do in the bedroom. I’d been livid at his forced submission and yet I’d let him dominate me over and over without killing him afterward because…he’d been right.The jerk.

I craved it, but only if the male had earned the right. And he had. Although I’d never given in completely and Nathan had only pushed to a certain point, seeming to respect my hard limits.

Speak of the devil.

I smelled his delicious scent, a mixture of woodsy and spicy. Then a thick, muscular arm curled around me and dragged me back, plastering me up against a hard body. My panther purred and stretched contentedly. “Last night was hot as fuck, Peyton,” Nathan grunted before turning my head by the chin and taking my mouth in a deep, hungry kiss.

“I agree. But you’re still an asshole.”

A low chuckle vibrated in his chest. “Let’s see if I can change your mind.”

Two hours later, I lay in my bed practically boneless and completely satisfied, with my opinion of him somewhat altered. My panther hadn’t needed convincing as she hadn’t agreed with my assessment of him in the first place. She poked me with her nose in an “I told you so” kind of way, but I was too blissed out to care.

He’d proven he could go soft and slow, but he’d still tortured me before allowing me to come. I couldn’t totally blame him though because it meant a harder climax when he finally gave me what I needed.

Nathan appeared at the side of the bed, showered and fully dressed; his long honey-colored strands once again pulled up into a man-bun. It still surprised me how damn sexy he looked with it. He bent over me and pressed his fists into the mattress on both sides of my head. “I need to go. I have work to do, then I’m headed home.”

I nodded and neither of us asked or offered more information.

“Thanks for last night,” I murmured when he leaned down to kiss me.

“My pleasure.” When he pulled back, he stared at me for a minute, his silver eyes contemplating. Then they cleared and he gave me a chin lift. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime. If you’re ever in town again, Sam knows how to get in touch with me.”

My brow creeped up in surprise. I’d never had a repeat performance, mostly because I moved around so much. But breaking that streak with Nathan didn’t sound like such a bad idea. Something else to look forward to the next time I visited Sam and Linette. My panther picked up on the vibe between us and she preened as if it would convince him to come back. “Maybe,” I conceded with a smirk.

He planted one last hard kiss on my mouth then strode from the room and, after a minute, I heard the sound of my front door closing.

I smiled and rolled over in bed, stretching my sore muscles as I checked the clock. Just after eight, which meant I had some time to rest. Spent, I snuggled into my covers and pillow until I was super comfy and fell back asleep.

My alarm went off a couple of hours later and I sighed, feeling no less tired and worn out after my nap. I practically peeled my eyelids back before climbing out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom. My panther snarled at being woken up, then curled up and pouted.Such a diva.

The woman staring back at me in the mirror was a hot mess and yet the corners of her mouth were tilted up because she also looked like she’d been thoroughly fucked. Bed head, swollen lips, and—I raised a brow—a bite mark on her neck. I’d forgotten about that. I knew I should be pissed about it, but honestly, it was kind of hot.

However, my nose wrinkled at the smell of alcohol, sweat, and sex that clung to me. Probably should have showered before I jumped his bones. Not that he had any objections last night,I thought smugly.

I trudged to the shower and twisted the handle to start the spray, then stepped under it without waiting for it to warm up. A shriek escaped when the icy water pelted me, but it did as I intended and jolted me awake. It warmed up quickly and I took my time washing, shaking my head at the increased sensitivity of my breasts. Unusual after-effect of sex, but Nathan had certainly given them plenty of attention last night.

Once I’d finished, I shut off the faucet and slid the shower curtain open before pulling my towel off the rack.Wrapping it around me, I stepped out onto the bathmat, but had to put my hand on the wall to steady myself when a wave of dizziness hit me. My panther yipped and shook her head, trying to find her equilibrium as well. Then my stomach lurched, and I dropped to the ground in front of the toilet just in time to lose what little food was in my stomach. I dry-heaved for another couple of minutes before falling onto my butt and leaning against the cool, tiled wall. The towel had pooled at my feet and I leaned slightly forward—so I wouldn’t aggravate my stomach—and used two fingers to catch hold of it and drag it to me. My face dropped into the damp fabric for a moment before I used it to wipe away the beads of moisture that had formed on my forehead.

What the hell is happening?Shifters weren’t susceptible to bacteria or viral infections. The towel fell into my lap as I considered my circumstances. I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled, trying to relax and think rationally.There has to be a reasonable explanation—My thought process halted, and I drew in another deep breath. When the scent that had given me pause hit me again, my head reared back, slamming into the wall the way reality had just slammed into me.

My scent had changed.

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