Page 79 of Claimed

Within a minute, we’re all back in our wolf forms, following Maddox back to our home. If it wasn’t for the fact that I could feel Maddox’s emotions in my chest, I would have thought he had ulterior motives for keeping us from bonding back there. But I can feel the unease and worry coming from him. It’s mirrored in Bain. And the closer we get to home, the more it increases, only worrying me further.

“It’s him,” Bain suddenly yells through the bond as he takes off at a speed I didn’t realize he was capable of. I’m not sure who him is, but from the raw anger pouring from Bain and Maddox, my mind starts to swirl with possibilities.

Maddox is right on Bain’s heels and they start to pull ahead of us. I push myself to keep up with them, while the other three keep pace with me, but Bain and Maddox move so quickly that I don’t stand a chance. I must not be as fast as I thought I was.

“How the fuck are they moving so fast?” Chase asks through the bond, confusing me.

“Wait—You can’t keep up with them either?” I ask in confusion.

“No,” Gage confirms from behind me. “I’m running at full speed.”

“You’re doing awesome, baby,” Hunter adds from my left. “I can’t believe how fast you are now.”

“Who did Bain scent?” I ask, needing to know what we’re running toward.

“I don’t know, I can’t smell anything,” Hunter answers.

“Me, either,” Gage confirms.

“Maddox, what’s going on?” Chase asks as the four of us follow the path they took, Maddox and Bain nowhere in sight now.

“It’s Blaze. Can’t you scent him?” Maddox replies. The second I hear his name, my stomach drops. Of course I suspected as much but hearing Maddox confirm it makes my fur bristle with unease.

“No,” Gage answers.

“We’re about to break through the treeline,” Maddox says, making me realize they’re even further ahead than I thought.

“Let us know when it’s safe for Cherry,” Hunter tells him.

Everyone goes quiet through the bond. The only thing I can hear is the sound of our paws hitting the ground mixed with our heavy breathing.

“Maddox?” Hunter prods as our backyard comes into sight through the trees.

“He seems to be gone, but stay alert,” Maddox replies. Chase darts in front of me and slows, forcing the rest of us to match his pace.

“Stay close, Cherry,” Chase tells me as we slowly step into the yard.

“I smell him now,” Hunter says from my side as we slowly move to the back door. Maddox appears, trotting around from the side of the house.

“Bain is trying to see if he can pick up the scent anywhere else on the property,” Maddox explains. “Like last time, it’s only around the door, where he left another note, and ends at the end of the driveway. He likely drove here.

“I want to see the note,” I tell him as we approach him at the back door. The twins run around the side of the house as Maddox shifts, giving me a welcome eyeful, before he starts to pull on his clothes. Then he kneels, grabs my panties, and turns to me.

“Can you shift for me, sweetheart?”

My body reacts instantly, wanting to please my mate, and I easily shift to my human form.

“Good girl,” he says as he holds out my thong for me to step into. I grip his shoulder as I lift one foot, then the other, and let him slide them up my legs. Once in place, he grabs my hips and leans forward, placing a kiss right below my belly button.

He smiles up at me as he holds up my bra. I let him continue to dress me, enjoying the attention of his hands and gaze. His eyes definitely linger on certain places, making me bite my lip as I try to calm myself down, remembering I have a note to read and don’t have time for any hanky panky right now.

But seriously, these guys just have to look at me, and I’m ready to jump them.

Maddox’s nose twitches as he finishes pulling my dress on me, and I know he’s scenting my arousal. As he stands, he kisses my forehead and whispers, “Later.”

He grabs my hand and leads me inside and into the living room. He sits and lifts me into his lap and turns to the front door, just as the twins walk in, Chase clutching the rose and note tightly, his face hard with tension as he spots us.

I hear Gage in the kitchen grabbing some water, and soon Bain enters, fully dressed, and everyone makes their way over to us and takes seats close by.