Page 41 of Claimed By Blood

They all know.

Finn and Silas’s matching groans of completion ring through my ears just as a hand grabs my waistband and tugs, pulling the seam of my jeans hard against my clit.

Detonation.

Stars fly behind my eyes, and I tumble over the edge of rapture. Pleasure makes my toes curl, my muscles clenching and then releasing as my pussy clenches on nothingness. When my eyes fly open, snapping straight to Finn and Silas on the opposite sofa, I can’t even say anything.

Parting my lips doesn’t work, and all I end up doing is licking them to moisten them, drawing matching masculine groans from all around me.

Frost’s touches retreat back to my calves, massaging out the tension, as my body shivers on Vane’s lap.

It’s only when my head lolls back that I catch sight of Gideon.

The alpha is looking at me over the top of his tablet. Branding me with his stare alone. For one second before he blinks it away, I see the vast hunger of the beast beneath the man’s skin, and it almost tips me over again.

When he breaks that connection, it’s like my senses all return in a rush. I almost fall from the sofa in my haste to put distance between myself and what’s just happened. Chucking the ear buds at Finn, I glower at both of them.

“Nice book?” Finn asks, smirking.

“Looks like she definitely enjoyed it… for the plot,” Silas adds.

CHAPTERTWELVE

GIDEON

The souk is just as livelyat night as it is during the day, and dodging the dozens of humans trying to sell me something is becoming almost as aggravating as our lack of progress. We’ve been here for three days, trusting in Morwenna’s magical ability to track down Samuel. She got us to this tourist trap on the edge of the Red Sea, and beyond that… nowhere.

If anything, she and Mia are treating this more like a honeymoon than a serious mission. The two females are almost as vexing as Evelyn, andthatshould be illegal.

I curse them both for the hundredth time as Vane and I canvas the tight alleys crammed with street sellersagain. Searching for anything which might give away the location of an ancient first-generation vampire who apparently has a talent for being invisible.

“You’re in a worse mood than usual,” Vane comments.

Grunting in return—because he isn’t helping matters—I turn yet another corner and head into the souk, ignoring the beautiful geometric architecture and arching corridors in my increasingly futile patrol.

“Tonight is going to be another bust.” Why is my beta suddenly so chatty? And on the day when I’m in the worst mood for it. “Why not go back to the resort with the others? Relax with the pack. Finn misses you, you know.”

Playing the omega card? Low blow, Vane. Low, fucking blow.

“Finley is…”

Complicated.

Our relationship was already strained, but adding Evelyn to the mix has made everything infinitely more difficult.

Vane knows. He’s a quiet bastard, but an observant one. “Want to talk about it?”

“What is there to talk about?”

Yes, I’m being obtuse, but I don’t care.

We probably have more to discuss now than we have in years. For the first time in decades, our entire pack is together and free of Cain’s surveillance. We’re half a world away from his Court. In theory, I should be able to relax at least a little.

But alphas have one fatal flaw. Hyperfocus.

The innate need to keep going without ceasing until their pack is safe and provided for.

Instinct will keep driving me until we have Cain’s head on a platter. Given half a chance, I’ll forget about food and rest. Normally, I keep a strict schedule to ensure this doesn’t happen. Routine and time spent with my omega are the keys to keeping myself functioning.

---