Page 8 of Claimed by the Pack

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Ridge

“Chelsea is really pissed.”

“I can't believe you gave me up that easily. I never had you figured for a snitch, Chase.” I felt bad calling him a snitch. I knew as soon as I took Cheyenne that when they pressured him, he would crack. It was his nature to be honest and to be honest myself, I was impressed that it took him two days. I wasn't going to tell him that though.

“Damn it, Ridge! She had it all figured out already. There are posters of this girl's face in the post office in town. She disappeared at the same time you did. You're not answering your phone. Did you think you'd just waltz back in with a mate in a week and no one would notice?”

“Once she's mine there won't be anything anyone can do about it. Once she changes...there's no going back.”

“Do you know for sure that you can even change her?” Chase hit an exposed nerve with that one. We had both lost our pack so young, before we had reached the age of maturity where the elders took us aside and explained it all to us. I'd seen the mating rituals growing up. I'd watched them bite each other underneath the full moon and become as one...but I'd never seen it happen with a human. I'd heard tales of how female humans were taken and bitten and changed, but I honestly had no idea if a bite was all there was to it. That's why I hadn't bitten Cheyenne yet. I wanted to make sure I got it right on the first try.

“I can change her,” I said, more confidently than I felt. “I'm waiting for the moon to be full tomorrow night.”

“Then why didn't you wait and take her tomorrow night?” Chase asked.

“Because she goes to the club on Friday nights. It was the safest place to take her. I'm sure her employer has cameras set up and she lives with a roommate in an apartment complex.”

Chase was pacing and every time he heard a sob come from the other room, he stopped and looked in that direction with a distressed look on his face.

“Is she okay?” he asked. “Is she eating?”

“What kind of monster do you think I am? I've caught a rabbit or fish or squirrel every day and I even cooked it for her. She's eating well, and she's fine. She just doesn't understand yet that this is what she wants, but she will.”

Chase snorted and shook his head. “Sometimes your confidence borders on arrogance. What if she doesn't want this? You're not just talking about changing her. You're talking about changing her and everything she knows to be true, Ridge. What if it makes her miserable? Will you be okay with that?”

“I can sense that she wants me, as much as I want her. She'll come around to it soon, I guarantee you she will.”

“None of that matters. Chelsea will be here in a few minutes, and unless you want to go back to being a lone wolf, you better be ready to do whatever she says to clean up this mess.”

“I'm not giving up my mate,” I said, stubbornly.

Chase started to say something else, but the sound of the pack's Jeep driving up out front, had both of our attention. Chase's eyes were wide. He looked like he was the one about to get kicked out of the pack. If that was the worst that Chelsea had planned for me, I could live with it, as long as I had Cheyenne.

I braced myself as Chelsea stormed inside. She was carrying the baby carrier and I could hear the little guy cooing inside. I almost chuckled at the thought of our fearless alpha, taking her pup to work with her. Luckily for me, I was smart enough not to underestimate our alpha. She was strong and smart and capable enough to lead an entire pack made up mostly of men. She never backed down from a fight, or a challenge and judging from the fire in her eyes now, I knew I had to be ready for both.

“What in the hell are you doing? Have you lost your damned mind?”

She spun on Chase before I had a chance to answer and said, “And you! You tell me where he is and then race up here to warn him? We're you plotting to get him out of here with the girl and I got here too fast?”

“No Chelsea, I...” She was finished with him, for the time being. She turned back on me and said,

“Well? You've got two seconds to explain yourself. This will be your one and only chance before I meet with my mates and we decide what your punishment will be for this. You've put the fate of our entire pack in jeopardy, Ridge...do you even realize that?”

“She's my mate, Chelsea. Once I change her...”

“Change her? You brought her here to change her, against her will?”

“No! I thought after a few days she would warm up to me. I know she has to go into this willingly. I just needed some time to...convince her.”

Chelsea sat the baby carrier down. “I had such high hopes for you, Ridge. Let me talk to her.”

“Chelsea...please understand. She's my mate. I know she is just as clearly as you knew who yours were.”

“None of my mates tried to force anything on me, Ridge. That's the difference. This is our home, or it was. What do you think will happen when this girl goes back and tells everyone you kidnapped her? Our business here will be ruined. Our lives here will be ruined. You made a one-sided decision that affects this entire pack and unless I can think of a way to smooth this over...our down fall is on you. Now, unlock that door and let me talk to her. Chase, take the baby out to the car. There's a pair of emergency sweat pants and a sweatshirt in the back. Get dressed and wait for me there. The keys are in it if he wakes up, he likes to listen to the radio. We don't need the shock of seeing your white ass making things worse.”

Chase put his head down in shame as he picked up the baby carrier and headed outside.

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