Chapter 28
Chapter 28
While Willam doted on his daughter, Callum watched him closely. The man was an Alpha through and through. Callum had hoped Willam would understand his disinterest wasn’t personal. He simply wasn’t interested in Claire, period.
“He’s being difficult, Claire insisted. It was clear she had decided to change tactics by becoming whiney. “If you talk to him, he’ll change his mind. This could strengthen the pack. It’s time for you to stop being second best.”
Da mn! That had to hurt
Callum’s gaze darted to William, who’d taken one hell of an insult but the Alpha didn’t so much as flinch. Claire, in true Claire fashion, didn’t seem to realize she’d just socked it to her old man in the worst possible way, indicating he wasn’t strong enough to stand on his own. Fortunately, Callum was polite enough to look away and salvage some of the man’s pride.
“Did Mr. Callum indicate he was interested in an arranged mating with you, Claire? Callum’s admiration for Willam increased. The Alpha was handling the situation better than other fathers would have. “Did he say he’d consider your offer? Don’t try to convince me this was his idea. Not unless you want me to take your credit cards for the next few months.”
“He certainly did. Claire wasn’t backing down, feigning hurt.
“I did not,” Callum corrected with a snarl. “Before you try to argue, you should know something. He narrowed his eyes event though he knew Claire wouldn’t heed the warning. You interrupted me while I was introducing my mate to my pack.”
Willam’s gaze darted to Claire before he gawked at Callum. “Your mate?“
“That’s right.” Folding his arms across his chest, he faced the man who’d been s ucker-punched repeatedly. First, his daughter had tricked him into visiting a man who wasn’t interested in her. Then he’d learned she’d been keeping secrets to get what she wanted. Now he knew she hadn’t stood a chance the entire time. He’s lying.” Claire began in a rush. “He’s always lying” William didn’t even glance at his child. Callum almost felt sorry for the wrath that was about to come down on Claire for making a fool of her old man. “When are you introducing her to the packs?”
“Tomorrow. At the hunt.”
Willam met Callum’s gaze and held it. When he read the truth in his words, he snapped, “Get in the car, Claire.
“But-”
“I said get in the car!” William roared, pivoting away from Callum. “Zip your lip and do as you’re told.”
“No,” she retorted, reaching out and placing her hand on Callum’s shoulder.
He shouldn’t have been surprised. The flirty female never listened. That was what she was known for, all body and zero brains. What he didn’t expect was to see her flying back several feet, knocked to the ground as someone barreled out of the building behind him and took the female to the ground
In an instant, he knew who had disobeyed his order to remain inside.
Curly blonde hair Eared around Amber as she wrapped her hands around Claire’s throat and applied pressure. His mate’s words weren’t words at all. More like the snarls of a creature that was out for blood.
He rushed toward the females, intent on the one who was, even without full possession of her wolf, currently beating the hell out of a werewolf with several pounds and a whole lot of inches on her.
Son of a bitc
The woman beneath Amber was covered in a cloud of red, making it impossible to distinguish the color of her eyes or hair.
Not that it mattered.
13:23 Fri, 7 Jul
Chapter 28
The moment she’d heard Claire speaking to Callum, something had snapped. The members of the pack had watched in disbelief as she rose from her seat and walked toward the door. She hadn’t looked back, driven by a force that had taken over. Fury obliterated logic. The moment she’d entered the hallway and saw the strange woman touch him, the wolf had taken control.
Moments in time were blurry. She vaguely recalled bursting from the parlor and tackling the woman to the ground. Now that she had her hands on the bit ch, she wanted to see Simone bleed. This would be a warning to anyone who cared to do the same, a reminder that the man she was fighting for was off-limits.
Callum was hers.
The words “Til kill you didn’t come out right. Instead, her vocalizations echoed as snarls in her ears. She didn’t stop, using the hands wrapped around Claire’s throat to drive the woman’s head into the concrete. The rusty scent of blood filled her nose, making her hungry for more. She wouldn’t stop until there was nothing left of the bit ch’s head or face.
An arm snaked around her midsection to pull her away.
She fought the intruder, knowing she wasn’t done yet, thrashing like a mad thing. Her grip loosened when the arm gave a firm tug and broke her hold on Claire. She screamed when she was lifted into the air and forced away from her prey.
“Stop,” Callum demanded, the word a harsh reprimand in her ear.
His voice was a powerful thing, washing over her like a balm, calming the raging heast inside. She stopped struggling when she looked down and saw she’d clawed his arm, drawing blood. She fought for breath, a level of sanity returning, her memories becoming vague. Two men were helping Claire to her feet, inspecting the back of her head. As the red covering her vision faded, she realized she’d just instigated her very first fight.
Holy s hit.
She had never been physical or violent. That was Jade’s arena. But the mere thought of another woman touching Callum had shattered her control, turning her into someone she didn’t recognize. She couldn’t believe she was responsible for Claire’s busted mouth. A steady stream of red trickled from a split in the woman’s upper lip.
One of the men a**isting the female looked at her. Like Anthony, he seemed to recognize something important about her. Giving Callum an odd look Amber couldn’t decipher, he said, “It appears you have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Not to you,” Callum replied, his growl sending vibrations along her spine. “Take your daughter and leave. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”
The man who hadn’t spoken swept Claire into his arms. He walked to a large SUV and sat her in the backseat. The other man followed suit, waiting until everyone was safely inside the vehicle before he climbed in. He glanced back before he closed the door, his eyes a bright shade of yellow. The vehicle drove from the back lot. Red tail lights flared as they disappeared around the corner of the building.
Callum didn’t release her, standing in the same spol
“If Holden doesn’t know about your mate yet,” Grant said from behind them, “he will before the night’s over.
Callum spun around and faced his Beta.
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