Page 82 of His to Claim

One heart.

One soul.

One… beast.

We clung to each other, my arms wrapped around him and my head on his chest. There were dozens if not hundreds of questions to ask, including about his anatomy, but I didn’t want to break the beautiful spell. The simple joy of allowing my guard to fall enough to even attempt to trust him was important on several levels.

An intense shiver raced through me, cutting through the passion.

I had an innate sense of foreboding, my instincts screaming that something terrible was about to happen. Perhaps I had opened Pandora’s Box, allowing the true monsters to crawl out on the earth. If I was to blame for the murders that had occurred, I wasn’t certain I could handle the guilt.

Stone remained quiet after he released me, merely lighting several candles then retrieving a bottle of open wine and glasses. He studied me intently as he poured, finally crawling under the covers.

I honestly didn’t expect that he’d wrap his arm around me, pulling me in close. We weren’t an item. We weren’t destined to be together, no matter his proclamations that I was his mate. I knew better than to believe we could share a life. The notion was… preposterous. Still, just the softness as he rubbed his fingers up and down my arm made everything feel safe. For another few minutes, there was nothing but the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.

And the raggedness of our beating hearts.

“Are you afraid of what I am?” he whispered.

I thought about his question. The man deserved the truth. “I’m not afraid of you, Stone. I’m terrified of the fact you’re a wolf.”

“Fair enough. Do you trust me?”

I shifted until I was able to look into his eyes. “You have to understand that it’s difficult for me to trust anyone. It always has been. Even with regard to my career, or I should say my former career, precluded me from getting close to anyone. There’s never been anyone special in my life, friends few and far between. Hell, I’ve never even had many girlfriends. I was determined to work hard.”

“That didn’t answer my question,” he said, sighing.

“No, you’re right. I do trust you. Perhaps I always have, our connection so strong. I just… I hope it’s strong enough.”

“You will be surprised.” He took a sip of his drink, staring off into space.

“Did you know I was your mate all those years ago?”

“I suspected to a point.”

I shifted further away, studying his eyes. “Why didn’t you… tell me then or make me yours or…” I laughed as I shook my head.

He gave me a waning smile as he brushed his knuckle across my face. “I think because I’d reached a point in my life where I wanted to be strictly human and was bound and determined to follow through with defying my heritage. I did it damn well too for a number of years.”

“You were always so dedicated. I’m surprised you aren’t a doctor somewhere.”

“I realized that loyalty to my family and to the pack was just as important, even if I had a huge chip on my shoulder when I returned,” he huffed, closing his eyes. “Maybe I still do, but I made the right decision. I hope that you can truly trust me, Vanessa. I meant what I said. Whoever is doing the murders will strike again.”

“You think that thing that attacked me is taking orders from a human?”

He took a deep breath before answering. “If your theory on Mr. Montenegro is correct, I think it’s a distinct possibility. Who better than to claim the lives of a different species than one who knows? We would smell a human attempting a kill, sensing danger easily.”

“Why couldn’t you sense the wolf?”

“Because he is a different breed, capable of masking his scent.”

“A mark of a good assassin,” I said as I thought about everything he’d told me. I was beginning to believe I’d fallen down a rabbit hole of my own creation, one where the clues I’d been following were wrong. Stone was right. I had to trust someone. “I have evidence of several extortion attempts on some prominent businesses both in Denver and surrounding cities. While Chris Montenegro was careful to cover his tracks, he wasn’t good enough. However, that wasn’t what I was looking for.”

He shifted, lifting his eyebrows. “Where is this evidence?”

I could feel him tensing. “In my car on a jump drive in my purse. I realize I took a huge risk, but I know my way around security systems. I also knew the Montenegro reputation. I wanted it as a bargaining chip in case things got out of hand.”

“Was there anything on your father?” Stone turned his head in my direction.

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