Page 60 of An Uncertain Claim

Apparently, I didn’t answer fast enough for her because she spoke before I could formulate an answer. “No coddling, Nathan.”

One corner of my mouth kicked up because her fire and attitude were so damn sexy. “Stop trying to turn me on, Peyton. I can’t be distracted by your sexy ass tonight.”

“I’m not going to be put off by your husky bedroom voice and compliments.” Her words and her breathy tone didn’t match.

“Shall we test your resolve, baby?”

“Just tell me what’s going on, Nate.”

After running it through my mind a few times, I figured what could it hurt? “We think we have the location of one of the missing Council members. We’re going to check out the information and if it’s accurate, we’ll get him out.”

“Holy shit. He’s alive?”

“That’s what we’ve been told,” I replied. She’d thrown me a little when she hadn’t freaked out about me heading into a potentially dangerous situation.

“Honestly, I’d given up hope that you would find any of them alive. If we’re lucky, he’ll stay that way long enough for you to rescue him.”

“Me too. You’re not worried about me?” I inquired curiously.

“Why would I be?” she asked, sounding exasperated. “You wouldn’t have survived this long if you didn’t know what you were doing and take precautions to protect yourself.”

“I’m not sure whether to be happy that you have such confidence in me or annoyed that you aren’t even a little worried for your mate’s safety.”

Peyton laughed. “Go with the first one. Don’t you know confidence is rewarded?”

“Really? Why don’t you share all the ways you intend to reward me?”

“You’ll just have to use your imagination, lover.”

Her sultry tone almost brought me to my knees. Damn, I needed to get off the phone with her before I was so hard I couldn’t walk.

“You’ll be good?” I asked. I trusted her to keep her word, but I still needed her to reassure me by actually giving it.

“Of course. I’m going to chill for the evening. In the morning, I’m going for a run, but Sabrina and…the new guy, Lincoln? Yeah, Sabrina and Lincoln are going with me.”

“Thank you.” I reached the door to the storage room, and everyone was already there. “I need to go, baby.” I didn’t want to leave our call on a negative note, but I also wanted to make sure she made use of this time to prepare herself. “Peyton, I suggest you think long and hard while I’m gone because ready or not, when I get back, we are going to talk about us.”

I was met with tense silence, and I raised my eyes to the ceiling, begging whoever was up there for patience.

“Be safe, Nate,” she finally said. “And just so you know…I will worry about you. See you tomorrow.” Then she hung up and I shoved my phone back in my pocket.

I didn’t know what to make of her last words, but I could analyze them later. Right now, I needed to focus on the mission.

My wolf finally recognized my mood and the tense atmosphere. After so many years, he knew what it meant and he went on alert, leaving everything to the back so his only thought was aiding me if needed and keeping us safe.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Peyton

I’d felt a little guilty leaving things where I had during my phone call with Nathan the night before, but I’d felt cornered and that was never a good place for me to be. If I couldn’t get rid of constrictions, I left the situation to find my freedom.

When I thought about it, I was a little surprised to realize that it had been a while since I’d felt that tightness, that claustrophobia, that longing for freedom. My panther tilted her head and her ears perked up, as if she were coming to the same realization.

So why was I so reluctant to hash out the future with Nathan? To figure out what I felt for him and what it meant?

As my wolf ran through the woods in the morning—the enforcers in front and behind me but giving me plenty of space—I gave her complete control, choosing to think rather than pay any attention.

There was one hangup that I could admit to myself. It wasn’t possible to have an honest conversation about being mates without telling Nathan everything about me. From my experiences with the pack so far, I believed our child—whether she was a panther or a wolf—would be loved and respected by her pack. And I believed that the pack wouldn’t have a problem with me being a half-breed. And it wasn’t as if I were worried that Nathan would share my secrets.

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