Claiming His Chance (6 page)

I
stormed into my room
, sweat-covered and shaking with adrenaline. Fuck, I’d pounded that guy. I hadn’t meant to, not really. I knew I’d win, but not like that. I hadn’t been prepared for Trinity. Hadn’t known what seeing her and Piers—

The snarl I let loose was uncontrollable. It shook the shitty little mirror over the chest of drawers. I grabbed my head, knowing I needed to hold myself together. The anger at seeing my mate with another, the rage from her rejection, the fucking smell of blood and sex always on the air… It was all too much.

Raindrop.

I paced like a caged animal, which I guessed I was. Owned and collared by the powers that be in this place. My handler had told me the bosses were thrilled with my fight. I’d gone in as the underdog, and the bets had rolled in favoring my opponent throughout the match. That was, until I lost control and knocked his ass out with a few well-placed hits. Still, they’d made a lot of money on me, and that thrilled them. It scared me, though. The anger, the violence…I’d had enough of that over the last year. I wanted quiet, I wanted to stop fighting, and I wanted my mate.

I snarled low and deep, again shaking the mirror. I had no control over that last one, a fact that incited my rage instead of calming it. Fuck, what was I supposed to do about Trinity?

Without warning, my door opened. I spun, crouching, ready to attack whoever dared to enter my room without knocking. As if my thoughts had somehow called to her, Trinity slipped inside. She closed the door and pressed herself against it, eyes wide, looking determined but hesitant. My mate was nervous…perhaps even afraid. Of me. That was enough of a jolt to pull me up short, sort of. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her, but it was all too much. My control could only stretch so far, and her walking in the door smelling like another male was definitely not helping the situation.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I eased back a step, retreating from her even though I wanted nothing more than to move closer. The scent of her washed over me, all natural and earthy. It called to me, teased me, made me hard for her. Made it difficult to resist her.

She frowned but didn’t drop her eyes from mine. Instead, she raised her chin, almost challenging me. My brave little warrior. “I came to see if you were okay after the fight.”

Oh, hell.
I stalked closer, unable to stand my ground. Needing to feel her heat, bathe in her fresh scent. Needing her to erase the memories burning in my mind of blood and cheers and pain. And Piers.

“You checking up on me, Trinity?”

She nodded, slow and smooth. Eyes staying locked on mine. Not backing down. When close enough, I extended my arm and placed my fist against the door just above her shoulder. She could still escape, edging out to the other side of me, but my position gave us both the illusion of a trap. A cage. I was boxing her in, and she knew it.

I ducked down and brought my face to her level. “Why?”

“I was…worried.” She stumbled over that last word, her voice suddenly softer.

“Worried.” I cocked my head as my vision sharpened, my wolf side edging forward. “Did it look as if I had a rough fight?”

She shivered and shook her head no.

“So then why are you here…really?”

A lick of her lips, a flash of pink against red. Fuck, that was hot.

“I needed to see you,” she whispered. I leaned closer, letting my body meet hers, pushing her against the door. So warm, so soft. Nothing between us but the sparkly fabric of the dress she wore, the sequins harsh against my bare chest.

Breathing her in, I brushed my nose along the shell of her ear. “Where’s your friend, Piers?”

She froze, her body going completely stiff. “He’s not my friend.”

“Could have fooled me.” I huffed and moved to back away, but her little hands grabbed me. The heat, the draw, the feel of her skin on mine. All of it locked me in place. She had me in her trap, and she knew it.

She stared right into my eyes, not blinking, not looking away as she said fiercely, “He’s not my friend…he’s my cousin.”

I felt my whole world go sideways. “What?”

“He’s my cousin. We were raised together in a pack outside of Denver. When they forced him to leave, I went with him. We pretend to be mates for a lot of reasons, but we’re not. We’re related.”

I shook my head, trying to make sense of her words. “You smell like him.”

“Of course I do—we share some of the same blood. Plus, we spend a lot of time together. No one questions us that way.” She lifted her hand to my face, running one finger down the side of my cheek in a move that made my entire body shiver. “We’re not together, nor have we ever been.”

I swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to press my lips to hers. Words were good, words were fine, but I wasn’t ready yet. I still didn’t understand. “Why do you lie?”

“Partially for my protection while here, but mostly for his. We’ve been pretending to be mates since we were forced out of the pack. It was the only way to keep people away from me and to protect him. If people knew…” She trailed off, her eyes dark and filled with fear.

“If people knew what?”

“Not now, not here.” She leaned closer, her lips brushing my skin. “Too many ears and eyes around this place. But I had to come. I told Piers about us tonight, about you being my…” Closer yet, her cheek fully against mine, her body practically crawling up me to reach my ear so she could breathe, “Mate.”

There it was…the word I’d wanted to say and hear and scream. My mate.

My hands curled into fists, clutching at her, something completely outside of my control. Trinity responded with a soft moan, arching her back to press her body to mine.

“He told me to hurry here so I could talk to you before the next fight ended. We can’t risk the other fighters overhearing. No one can know about any of this. They’ll make me leave if they find out, but they’ll kill Piers. ”

I ran my nose along her cheek, drinking her in, unsure if lying about being mated was worthy of a death penalty but not willing to argue about it. Too thankful not to take advantage of this moment. “Let me help you both.”

She nodded, clinging to me. “Soon. But not now. Not tonight.”

I closed my eyes as her hands came up to cradle my face. Such soft hands, smooth and gentle. I wanted to feel them all over. Wanted to spend hours learning her body as she learned mine. On a sigh, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to my brow.

“You are my mate, Cahill.”

A whiny, whimpering sound escaped my throat. “Why’d you kiss him at the fight?”

“Is that what you thought happened?” She shook her head, running her fingers through my hair. “No kiss, not ever. He leaned in to whisper to me. Like this.”

She turned her head, her lips so very close to mine and yet not. Even being a participant, I could see how such a position would give almost anyone watching the impression of a kiss. It was close, intimate, something others wouldn’t doubt without reason. A move I’d fallen for myself.

“See?” she asked, backing away.

I nodded, my body shaking with restraint. She was still so close, right in front of me.

“You don’t have any reason to be jealous,” she whispered, pulling on me, keeping us pressed together. “I’m yours, Cahill. My wolf is certain of it, and we want to be yours. We just have to be patient.”

I gripped her hips hard. My cock practically wept at the feel of her soft stomach trapping him. I wanted her, needed her, but I knew I couldn’t have her. Not yet, she said. Not yet.

And then she rolled her hips against me, making me see stars.

“Fuck, Trinity,” I hissed, clutching at her flesh with a grip too tight not to hurt. “You’re making this so hard.”

She smiled, pressing a soft, wet kiss to the corner of my mouth. “What would make it better, my mate? What do you need?”

H
is big body
nearly collapsed into mine, pressing me firmly against the door. I had one second to truly feel him, every single inch of him, before his lips were on mine. All thought disappeared, leaving me in a haze of
damn
and
yes
and
want
and
so, so good
. The friction of our lips moving together, his tongue sliding against my own, the weight of him nearly on top of me. Perfection.

He edged back, his nose brushing mine, chuckling as I mewled at the loss of him. “How long do I have you?”

I sighed. “Not long, four of the fights are over. There’re only two more, I think.”

He growled, the sound breaking something within me. Something that felt much like the last shreds of my control. I stretched to meet his lips again, needing another taste of him. He met me halfway. One kiss, small but wet.

“So glad you’re here.”

“Me too. I missed you today.” I pressed my lips to his chin, biting softly for a moment. Teasing him.

“Shit.” He punched the door behind me, an explosive heat blasting between us. “When can I have you for real?”

“What’s your contract? How long are you here?”

“Three fights.” He moaned, pressing his hips into mine, the long, hard ridge of him making me want. Making me yearn to be filled by him, to touch and taste and envelop him in my body. To be ruined by him. “This was my first. I fight tomorrow night. So not long, Trin—”

I kissed him again, silencing the word before moving my lips toward his ear. “Don’t say my name,” I whispered, barely more than a breath. “They might hear you.”

He snarled his unhappiness. That just wouldn’t do, so I bit his bottom lip and hissed, “
Mine
.” He jerked and attacked my mouth, kissing me roughly. Overpowering me completely. Still perfect.

His hands slid down to the backs of my thighs, so I jumped, wrapping my legs around his hips. Giving myself over to him the only way I could. He pressed me into the door again, pushing against me in a way that made me claw at his shoulders and gasp. That made me look forward to when we could finally leave here and be alone. When I could have all of him.

“You like that?” he asked, his voice more grit than not. “You like feeling me so hard between your legs?”

“Yes.” I rocked over him, panting against his lips. “Where will you go when your contract is up?”

He grunted, dropping his head to my shoulder as he kept thrusting, kept teasing, kept driving me mad. “Back to my pack in the mountains. They don’t call me Appalachia for nothing.”

“The pack where women aren’t made to be servants.” I dropped my head against the door, nearly lost in the haze of how much pleasure he was giving me while still dressed. “Will you take me with you?”

“Fuck yes. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go if you’re willing to be by my side.” He groaned, his hands grasping my ass hard.

Eyes closed, body building toward something amazing, I grabbed him around the neck and groaned. He was just so big against me. There wasn’t a single space he didn’t occupy. It was as if he was everywhere all at once. Surrounding me…smothering me in his scent.

And I loved it.

“Want to,” I murmured, running my teeth along the muscle in his neck—something he definitely enjoyed if the harder thrust of his hips was any indication. “But I don’t want to lose my cousin. He needs me.”

“I need you,” Cahill murmured as he twisted his hips, making me melt. Nearly making me scream. “But he can come, too. We don’t kick out adult males like other packs. He can find a home with the rest of us.”

“You might change your mind when you know everything, but I certainly hope not.” I clenched my legs around him, wanting him closer, wanting him inside. “That’s what I want. Someplace safe for us. All of us. I want to stop running and lying and living with so many secrets.”

“No more.” He licked the length of my neck, a gentle warmth that made me shiver. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

I nodded, letting him take over the movements. I couldn’t think, couldn’t make my muscles work properly. All I could focus on was Cahill and heat and the tightening low in my gut. On a slow press up with his hips, one that almost made me see stars, he nipped at my neck. I jumped in response, which made him snarl and shiver. We were feeding the needs we shared, the actions of one a catalyst for the other. And it was so damn hot.

I licked my lips, not wanting to say the words but needing to. Knowing they were a necessity. “You can’t claim me yet. I’ll smell like you, and then—”

“I know.” He pressed harder, his arms shaking, his hips moving faster. “Two more fights. A few more days.”

“Yes,” I hissed, that low burn glowing brighter in the bottom of my gut letting me know how close I was to falling apart. “I have to pretend with Piers still. I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I know. I’ll try to handle it.”

As I hit that ridge between pleasure and pain, I pushed my nails into his shoulder and pulled down, unable to hold back. “We’ll be okay. Gotta be careful.”

He grunted, almost leaning into the claw marks I was surely leaving behind. “Careful, yes. Fuck, Raindrop.”

His teeth touched my neck again, barely more than a shadow of a bite, but I still lost it. I came with a yelp, squeezing him, head back against the door with my mouth hanging open. Fireworks exploded behind my eyes as every muscle in my body seemed to pulse with the pleasure only he could give me. Cahill followed right behind me, thrusting hard and jerkily as he breathed into my neck. As he whispered words like
want
and
raindrop
and
mine
.

Finally, we stilled, the sounds of our heavy breaths loud in the otherwise silent room. Sweaty and disheveled with cramping leg muscles and a burn in my abdomen from the strength needed to hold myself up, I’d never felt better. The fates help me, I was going to explode into a million pieces when he finally got inside me. I could barely wait.

“Raindrop?” I asked once I caught my breath.

He chuckled and kissed my collarbone. “You smell fresh, like rain.”

I pulled him closer, nearly purring. “I like it.”

“Good,” he said, groaning. “When is Piers done fighting?”

I sighed, wiggling against him to ease the ache in my legs. “Two more bouts, but he probably won’t fight for a few days yet.”

“So I’ll be done before him.” His voice was rough, his worry obvious.

I swallowed hard, my stomach knotting. “Maybe…we can meet you somewhere?”

He tucked his face into my neck, rubbing his nose along the length and planting soft kisses. “I won’t be able to leave you behind.”

Clinging tighter, I closed my eyes and wished for things that were beyond my control. For safety and a quick end to the nightmare I was living. “We’ll figure it out.”