Page 79 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

“Mine will be more perfect.” He closed the trunk harder than he needed to.

“Clay…”

He turned to face me, leaning against the back of the car. “I can’t have you living in and driving gifts from my brother. You don’t belong to him.”

“I don’t belong to you, either.”

“Until our arrangement ends, you do. My gifts can be part of the benefits.”

I glared at him. “I am not having sex with you in exchange for a house and a vehicle, Savage. If you’re going to suggest that, I’m ending this now.”

He clenched his jaw.

His wolf flashed in his eyes again as he gritted out, “It’s not an exchange. It’s a way to claim you. If you accept Hunter’s gifts, you’re accepting his claim.”

“It’s an apology!”

“It sends a message to the pack, and you know it.”

“So I should send the message that I’m sleeping with you instead?” I demanded. “Let you claim me?”

“Yeah.”

I scoffed. “Go to hell, Savage.”

Turning away, I managed two steps back toward the Lodge before he grabbed my wrist and tugged me back to him. Turning me around, he pinned me to the back of his car, leaning down until his lips brushed my ear.

“I’m not going to let this go, Gorgeous. While we’re doing this, you’re mine. Whether you like it or not. I’ll take you to the dealership and let you pick your car. I’ll show you the empty cabins and let you choose your house. But you’re not living in and driving my brother’s apology gifts around. He had his chance, and he lost it.”

I wanted to be angry with him. To tell him no again.

But… he was right. Insomeways, at least.

As long as I accepted Hunter’s gifts, I wouldn’t ever really be free of him. If Clay offered me a way to get the space I needed with a little less connection to him and Hunter, I had to agree.

“Alright,” I said.

He licked the shell of my ear. “We’ll pick your stuff up from the cabin and spend the night at my place. First thing in the morning, you can choose a house and a vehicle. We’ll leave for Stray afterward.”

“Cutting it close could lead to a repeat of last time.”

I was pretty damn sure he hadn’t forgotten the way we nearly had sex in his car.

The rumble of his chest proved my theory. “Maybe we should cut it closer, then.”

I snorted, pushing him away. He stepped back, letting me move him.

When he opened the passenger door and gestured for me to step inside, I reluctantly walked over and eyed it.

I was worried the memories would force their way through if I got in the vehicle.

My hand lifted to my throat of its own volition as I remembered what had happened in that car.

Clay gently removed my fingers and lifted them to his chest, so I could feel his heart beating steadily beneath my palm.

I let out a slow breath, and tried to force myself to inhale at the same pace.

My breathing picked up anyway, growing shallower by the moment.

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