Clay's Hope (28 page)

I backed out of the driveway and started out
toward the Compound.

Anything I had to say right now would lead
to begging. Females didn’t like begging.

Tapping my fingers against the wheel in
frustration, I tried to think of something, anything, to start a
conversation about what had happened.

It took a moment to realize her breathing
had slowed. I looked over and saw her head tilted loosely to the
side. She was asleep. Great.

For the next hour, I kept going over the
fight. I’d knocked the guy out. He lay on the floor, eyes closed.
Gabby stepped out of her room as if in a trance, her eyes focused
on
him
. I’d scented fear, confusion...but also interest.

I gritted my teeth. My canines poked into my
lips. Nice. I was losing control and Gabby. The steering wheel
crackled beneath my grip.

I went back to tapping. It didn’t help. My
ears itched. Beside me, Gabby shifted in her sleep. Her scent
wasn’t helping.

“Clay...”

I paused my tapping.

“Could you pull over for a minute?”

I glanced at her. Was she sick? She didn’t
look pale, just worried. I braked and slowly pulled over, careful
of the snowy shoulder. Once the car was in park, I turned toward
her.

A sad smile lifted her lips, and then she
tapped them.

My tight grip on the wheel went slack. Was
she saying she wanted a kiss? My heart leapt. I swallowed hard and
tried to pull back the change. I didn’t want to hurt her. It wasn’t
working. I needed to know everything was good between us before I’d
calm down. A kiss would help with that.

She studied me just as I inhaled deeply. Her
scent lacked the confusion it had held earlier. A sweet hint of
interest gave me hope, and I lifted my hands to cup her face. Her
expression softened. This woman...I couldn’t live without her. I
smoothed my fingers over her soft skin as I leaned in. She reached
out and grabbed my shirt, pulling me closer until my lips met hers.
I swallowed a groan. She was still mine.

Her lips parted, and she bit my bottom lip.
It was like a kick to the heart. I opened my mouth for her, and she
made a small noise as our tongues touched. My teeth shrank as I
claimed her mouth, taking what she surrendered.

We steamed the windows before she pulled
back. I wrapped my arms around her, unwilling to let her go yet. I
kissed the top of her head and just held her.

Her fisted hands opened and flattened
against my stomach. It wasn’t a push away. It was a touch, an
acceptance. I kissed her one last time, then straightened in my
seat.

She fell asleep after a few minutes of
driving, but it didn’t matter. Whatever was going on in her head,
she was still with me. That was all that mattered.

* * * *

We arrived at the Compound at dusk. Cars
crowded in front of the building, making it impossible to park
close. And that was fine with me. I turned around and parked near
the drive. Just in case.

Gabby woke as I turned off the car. She gave
me a sleepy smile and started to untangle herself from her blanket
as I got out. I walked around to her side, opened the door for her,
then grabbed her bag.

The buildings were lit up, and few people
milled around outside as we walked to the main door. Jackets and
shoes filled the entry, and I could hear conversations from the
rooms around us. Both signs of a full house.

Gabby led the way to her usual apartment,
but we found there was another family with cubs already occupying
it. She tried other apartments, but they were full, too. It wasn’t
a surprise. The families always came in around the holidays.

Giving up on the apartments, she turned
toward the hall that was usually reserved for the unMated males.
When she went to knock on the first door, I caught her wrist and
shook my head. I knocked. I didn’t want any of them to think she
was looking for an offer. The majority of the dorm quarters were
also occupied. Several men passed us as we searched and gave us
curious looks as they scented the air. Gabby stayed close.

We took the first room we found open and put
her bag on the twin bed. It would be enough to hold the room.

“I need to talk to Sam,” she said, looking
at me.

I’d figured as much and wondered if Sam
would be in a talking mood. Keeping my doubts to myself, I nodded
and led the way to the common room. Decorations were everywhere.
Cornucopias with harvest produce sat on each of the long tables.
Several turkeys with feathers made of construction paper hands hung
on the walls. The air still smelled like glue, laughter, and
pumpkin pie.

Sam sat with his back to us, speaking with
several other men at one of the many sitting arrangements. Gabby
picked up her pace and stepped ahead of me, her gaze focused on
Sam.

She strode up to him and interrupted the
conversation.

“It’s time we talked,” she said.

He turned toward her. There was no surprise
in his expression. Someone must have let him know we were there. He
smiled at her and nodded. The others in his group got up and moved
away.

“Gabby, I didn’t think you’d be up until
tomorrow.”

She glanced at me. The room didn’t afford
privacy with our keen hearing. I wondered what she was going to
say. She glanced around the room, then her gaze became unfocused.
She winced, and I knew what she’d done.

I grunted in annoyance but rubbed her back.
If there were an off switch for her ability, I’d figure out how to
keep it off permanently.

“We came early because two werewolves tried
breaking into my house.” She watched Sam closely as she spoke.

“What?” Sam said, giving me a sharp
look.

Why didn’t you contact me?

I don’t like how you help.

“He’s still not talking,” Gabby said,
unaware of our exchange. She moved to sit in the chair across from
Sam. “I believe their intentions were to kidnap me.”

I sat in the chair next to her. Her scent
changed. Confusion again. Her troubled gaze swung to me, and I knew
what she was thinking. The man on the floor. He didn’t matter if
she didn’t let him matter.

She gave me a small smile as if reading my
mind then turned back to Sam.

“Is there more than one kind of werewolf?”
she asked.

The question surprised Sam, and even though
I’d briefly considered the possibility, it surprised me, too.

Sam frowned and leaned forward. “Not sure
what you mean, exactly.”

Sam watched her closely as she nibbled her
lip.

“When you go fur, what color variations are
possible? Different shades of fur, eyes...what about nose or
nails?”

The double doors opened and a few more
werewolves drifted in, slowly walking toward other groups. Gabby
had everyone’s attention and word was spreading fast.

“What does this have to do with—”

She held up a hand. “Bear with me, Sam. I
need answers to give answers.”

Sam turned to me.

“I already told you,” she said, “he still
isn’t talking. Look, is there another Elder I can talk to? One
willing to answer my questions?”

Sam’s face fell but his expression cleared
after a moment. “Fur is like hair and varies just like a human’s.
Same with the eyes. We are more like dogs when it comes to our
noses. Mostly dark, but we sometimes have unusual markings. Did you
see an identifying mark, Gabby?”

“What about the nails?” she asked, ignoring
his question.

He shrugged. “Shades of grey. Mostly a dark
grey.”

“Black?”

What was she getting at? What had she
noticed that I hadn’t?

“Well, like I said, a dark grey is
possible.”

“No. I mean black. A very glossy black you
could see your reflection in.”

I struggled to recall the color of the nails
of the men I’d fought as Sam remained introspectively quiet.
Nothing came to mind. I’d been busy fighting and worrying about
Gabby.

During the silence, Gabby became aware of
the room and looked around. Everyone was suddenly looking
elsewhere.

“I don’t think I’ve ever paid that much
attention to our claws before. But, no, I don’t believe so.”

Gabby leaned back in her chair, obviously
lost in thought. Everyone in the room watched her, waiting for what
she’d say next.

Her scent changed with the array of emotions
she experienced. Worry, anger, interest. I caught Sam inhaling
slowly and knew he’d noticed, too. After several moments of
silence, Sam cleared his throat. She continued to ignore him, and
he glanced at me. I shrugged. Gabby wasn’t the type to rush into
things. Someone spoke softly further back in the room. Others moved
restlessly.

When she glanced at me with her scent
bleeding confusion, I offered my hand. I couldn’t guess what she
was thinking, but I could offer my support. She had it
unconditionally since the moment I saw her. She looked down at my
hand, hesitated, then reached for me.

As soon as we touched, I felt it. A zing of
energy. Her fingers laced through mine, and her scent faded.

I scowled at her. Had she just used her
power on me? After everything that had just happened, she was going
to knock herself out again and leave me to deal with Sam and a
million questions I couldn’t begin to answer?

Instead of looking even a little sorry about
what she’d just done, she beamed at me. Then, she leaned toward me,
her intent to kiss me obvious. Annoyed or not, I wouldn’t say
no.

Our lips met softly, but she pulled back
with a jerk. Her wide eyes stared at me. Her pulse leapt, and her
scent changed subtly.

I eyed her warily, wondering what had
happened now. Would this be another “catch me, Clay,” moment?

Her fingers twitched in mine, and with speed
I didn’t know she possessed, she was out of her chair and
straddling my lap. Shock didn’t cover what I felt. Though it was
completely unexpected, I loved the contact. In fact, I’d consider
gnawing off my own arm to keep her there. But this physical contact
wasn’t like her. Especially not with the crowd around us.

She breathed in deeply as if scenting me. I
shuddered in response and stared up at her, mesmerized. The room
disappeared as she continued to study me with an intensity I’d
never seen before. The green flecks in her hazel eyes seemed
brighter, more alluring, as she leaned in until her cheek brushed
mine. My lungs stropped working for a moment as she buried her nose
in my hair. I held still, unsure what was happening but liking it.
A lot.

She pulled back to press her lips to the tip
of my nose, and my heart twisted painfully. She’d been so close to
my neck. The skin there tingled with what might have been. I lifted
my free hand and lightly rested it on her waist. Her skin felt warm
beneath my fingers.

She sighed a little and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, she gave me a secret smile that made my
blood boil.

She combed her fingers through my hair,
brushing it back so she could lightly kiss my forehead. Her lips
brushed a path to my cheek where she pressed another kiss. She
moved lower, finding my lips. She nibbled at them until I opened my
mouth for her. The aggressor, her tongue found mine. As much as I
was spinning in my own heaven, I was starting to worry. This wasn’t
like Gabby. There were so many people watching us. It was as if she
wasn’t even aware of them.

She pulled back from me, gave me a quick
frown, then leaned to nudge my jaw with her nose. My heart stopped
and then tripled its efforts. She wanted my neck. Hope gripped me,
warring with the worry. Should I let her? Was this really what she
wanted?

My gut clenched as her lips skimmed my
exposed skin, and my concern vanished. My pulse leapt higher. I let
go of her hand so I could grip her, hold her in place. She had to
keep going.

Her breathing hitched, and with one hand,
she gripped my hair and tugged it hard. I tilted my head, willingly
exposing my neck. She made a sound, almost a growl of satisfaction,
before she set her lips on my neck once more. She kissed me, and I
shuddered. Then her teeth sank into my skin.

There was no pain, only complete bliss.
She’d done it. She’d Claimed me.

I closed my eyes with a sigh and opened
myself for her. Her feelings flooded me. Desire consumed her. The
unbridled need took me by surprise. Why hadn’t I scented that? As
fast as it filled me, it depleted, replaced with a stunned
emotional silence.

She pulled back slightly and eyed my neck. I
watched her expression, unsure of the silence over our connection.
Behind her, someone moved and called attention to the fact that we
still had an audience. Horror drifted over our new link. A Claiming
typically occurred in private.

A deep blush stained her cheeks.
Embarrassment battled horror. She wiped at her mouth with a shaky
hand. Panic bloomed as she stared at me.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Whether she’d
intended to or not, she’d just given me the world. I reached up and
gently touched her hair.

“I’ve been waiting for that since the moment
I saw you,” I said.

She scowled at me, and all the horror,
embarrassment, and panic fled to be replaced by anger. I could
guess why. She’d been after me about talking since she’d first seen
me. I laughed and picked her up.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and hid
her face as the room around us erupted in cheers. I didn’t wait for
congratulations but strode for the door. There was so much more I
wanted to say to her. In private.

As soon as we were in our room, I closed the
door and set her on her feet. I watched the play of emotions on her
face and basked in each one I felt across our link.

“Why?” Her voice came out in a squeak. She
cleared her throat and tried again. “Why wait until now to
talk?”

I studied her and saw her hurt and
confusion. I opened my arms. She didn’t hesitate, but stepped right
into them. Tucking her close, I spoke the truth.