Page 22 of Claimed

Hunter and Chase immediately start pushing one of the beds until it’s right against the other. “There!” Chase says with a smile as he turns to me. “Now we can all fit!”

I tilt my head at him, and Hunter sits on the edge of the bed and pats the spot beside him. “We thought you might want to spend some time in your human form, just relaxing for once? We can put on True Blood and lie in bed.”

I press myself against Hunter’s legs in appreciation as he sinks his fingers into the fur along my side. “You like that idea, huh?” he says with a soft smile. I look up at him and bark. “Up you come then,” he says, patting the bed.

“I vote we all strip to our boxers,” Chase says, surprising me. “More skin-to-skin contact.”

“We should get Cherry some real clothes,” Maddox says with a frown. “Even a sports bra and shorts would give us more skin to touch.”

Thank goodness I’m still in fur because I can feel my entire face grow warm from all this mention of them touching me. Not to mention the fact that they are all pulling off their shirts and pants right now. It’s like my own personal strip show. I’m not even sure where to look. My eyes keep bouncing from muscled man to muscled man.

Bain is the first one to climb into the bed in only his boxers, and he crooks a finger at me, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips. I notice his shirt in his hands, and he holds it up then proceeds to rip off the sleeves before holding it up for me. He pulls it down and places my front legs through the large armholes then pulls me into his lap, facing him.

I shift my weight from foot to foot as I stare at him, excitement pooling in my belly.

I’m gonna do it. As soon as I shift, I’m gonna kiss him. He’s been holding me and touching me all day, and it’s been killing me to be stuck in my fur, unable to shift.

The others slowly make their way into the bed surrounding us as my nerves start to grow. I feel Chase and Hunter on my left, their hands touching my back leg. Maddox sits to my right, placing his hand near my shoulder.

I feel the bed dip with Gage’s added weight and hold my breath as I wait for his touch. It comes faster than I expect, and I close my eyes, letting my human form pull forward. When I open my human eyes, they connect with Bain’s beautiful blue ones, and I surge forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and throwing my lips against his a little too hard.

His eyes widen in surprise, and I quickly pull back, a strange squeak of embarrassment escaping me. “I’m sorry!” I blurt out. “ I didn’t mean—I just—I needed—I just wanted to kiss you!”

Chapter 7

Bain

Ijust wanted to kiss you.

Have sweeter words ever been said? Not to me, they haven’t. Most women look at me and see someone hard as stone, not worth the time it takes to get through my gruff exterior. That’s the way I liked it. I’ve never wanted to let anyone in before.

Not until I met her.

Not only is my mate drop-dead gorgeous, but she’s insanely blunt, and it makes me hard listening to her verbally stumble.

Reaching up, I cup her cheeks as I study her face. Her beautiful, bright blue eyes, the curve of her red cheeks, her pouty pink lips.

Desperate for a real kiss from my mate, I pull her face back to mine and kiss her, much gentler than her attempt had been. She lets out a soft gasp of surprise, which makes my dick jerk in response. Fuck. I bet she’ll be very vocal when I’m pleasing her in bed, naked.

I suck a little on her lower lip, which makes her moan, then press my tongue in, demanding submission from her. Her chest collapses against mine, as if she can’t keep herself up any longer. I let one hand slide to the back of her neck as I tilt her just the way I want her. She feels perfect in my arms. Considering she’s only had one kiss before, and it was earlier today with Maddox, she is a very fast learner. And using my mouth and tongue to teach her what to do somehow makes it that much hotter.

I’m all but lost in her deliciousness until Maddox clears his throat. Reminding me that we can’t take this any further right now. I pull back and smile at her before kissing her forehead and pulling her head against my chest, hugging her tightly.

I hear a long sigh leave her, and it calms both my wolf and me to know we’re pleasing our mate. “I’ve been dying to hug you all day,” she whispers.

“What about me?” Chase pouts.

“Fuck off,” I growl at him through the bond.

He smirks at me before quickly changing his face to a pout when she pulls back to look at him.

“I meant all of you.” She glances down at where everyone’s hands are gripping her and sighs, a little sad this time. “I can’t wait until I can do this on my own. Oh! That reminds me, earlier I tried to shift, and I felt a little spark of magic!”

“Really?” Gage asks. “You couldn’t feel it before?”

She shakes her head, her wide eyes looking excited. “No, it wasn’t until seconds before we crossed into Starfall Haven that I tried. So I’m not sure if being here has anything to do with it. I hadn't tried since two days ago.”

“Could be,” Gage says with a nod. “Or could just be because you’re shifting more lately.”