Claiming Shayla

Chapter Six

The thing she knew to be the wolf, what Kiesha had warned her about, stirred inside. Instead of fighting it or freaking, Shayla encouraged its presence. “Make him give us what we want. I know you know how.”

It came forth in a rush, and Shay sensed its anger, its hurt. Its mate—their mate—had tried to send them away. Their mate considered them weak, unworthy of standing at his side. They had to prove him wrong. If they failed, others would know. Their pup would be unprotected, fair game. They had to prove they were alpha enough to handle and hold him, or another would be chosen.

Strength shot through her body. Shay’s mouth tingled, and her jaw felt funny. Her fingers, which were digging into Rory’s thighs, grew claws. Using the power of the wolf, Shay jerked away and twisted free, landing on her hands and knees. Her vision faded to gray, and when she raised her head, the world looked different. Crouching low, ears pointed, she growled—showing plenty of fang. Deep inside herself, Shay gave control over to her wolf, her analytical mind documenting and cataloging every sensation and reaction for future study.

Despite her now black-and-white vision, Shay knew the eyes that focused on her were pure gold, not a hint of pupil remaining.

“Don’t do this, Shay.”

The she-wolf snarled again, the sound deep and vicious, and gave a minilunge, snapping her teeth before returning to her crouched position. Oh yeah, we are so doing this.

Rory dropped down on all fours. His wolf came in a rush of power that swept over the she-wolf, making her fur stick out on end. While he was still off balance, she darted forward and tried to clamp down on Rory’s overly large muzzle with her much smaller mouth, drawing first blood.

The wolf easily twisted free, and in the process his massive hindquarters slammed into the she-wolf’s right flank, sending her skidding into the chest of drawers as she scrambled for purchase on the wood floor. Something crashed, and there was the sound of breaking glass as the wood shuddered from the impact.

“Shay, don’t make me hurt you.”

“You can try.” She was unsure if her thought would carry to him the way his did to her.

The she-wolf found her balance, spun around on her paws, and quickly went on the offensive again. She charged the wolf, mouth open, fangs bared. The wolf met her, and they both went up on their hind legs. The she-wolf leaned in, trying to lock fangs around any portion of the wolf she could reach. The wolf, using his superior size and strength, body slammed her and stepped back, his posture aggressive.

The she-wolf came to her feet and attacked again and again and again. Each time, Rory’s wolf flicked her off, tossing her with the ease a mastiff would use routing a pesky little terrier. The she-wolf slid into the dresser, the nightstand, the closet, the bathroom…all over the room, but still she rose onto four paws and came charging back full of snarling fury.

The scent of blood was in the air. Rory’s, not the she-wolf. He was so obviously careful of her that it made the she-wolf even angrier and out for more blood than the little she’d managed to nip here and there. By God, he would treat her as an equal.

“Shayla, control your wolf!”

Shay snorted. “I’m not the one that dissed her.” Apparently the maxim about hell having no fury like a woman scorned applied to all females, no matter the species. Shay could say one thing about her beast: what she lacked in skill, she made up for in sheer determination. The outcome of this battle may have been predetermined, but Rory would have to fight for his victory.

Tired of going for the throat, the she-wolf switched tactics. Taking advantage of her shorter stature and smaller size, she aimed for the legs. Attacking from behind, she finally managed to get a good grip on one of Rory’s hind legs and bit down hard, shaking her head and worrying it like a dog with a chew toy.

Rory let out a howl of pain. Finally she had his attention. His muzzle whipped around, fangs bared. The she-wolf let loose and danced out of the way. Rory lunged, and they met in a snarling tangle of biting teeth, grappling like two furry sumo wrestlers.

With a menacing growl that spoke of his waning patience, Rory caught the she-wolf by the throat and took her to the ground on her back, standing over her braced on all fours, fur bristling. The she-wolf twisted from side to side, bringing her hind paws up to scratch at his tender underbelly and hopefully break free. He was having none of it.

“Enough!” The thought blasted through Shay’s mind, and she winced.

His jaws tightened; his fangs pierced the skin. No fool, the she-wolf ceased her struggles and relaxed her neck, baring it in surrender as she whimpered. For a long moment Rory didn’t move, and his bite didn’t lessen. Then the she-wolf whined.

Finally the wolf loosened his grip and licked the bites on her neck and then her jaw and mouth. With his muzzle, he nudged her until she stood. She licked his face, showing her submission. As the wolf walked around her, he rubbed his body along hers, sharing his scent and showing his affection.

He came to a halt at her rear and sniffed her sex. The she-wolf stood still, waiting eagerly for him to mount her. The weight of his larger body settled against her, his penis penetrated her sheath, and he began to hump. The whole thing took less than a minute before the hot wash of his seed splashed against her innards.

Deep in the she-wolf, Shay found the whole thing fascinating in a freaky kind of way. I have to tell Kee about this.

Finished, the wolf backed away. There was another brief flare of power. The wolf shimmered and disappeared; an angry and aroused Rory took his place.

“Shift back to human,” he commanded. With his face blotchy and eyes still glowing, Rory might be in human form, but his beast was clearly in charge.

Uh-oh. Confess that I don’t know how to change back or let him think I’m defying him? Hmm…

Shay glanced again at his furious countenance and decided on the latter. She plopped down on her haunches, tilted her head to the side, and let her tongue hang out.

Rory’s eyes narrowed in stunned disbelief. A growl rose up out of his throat. “Mate, shift now!”

There was such force to his command that Shay felt a dizzying rush; then found herself naked on the floor, on her side, huddled in the fetal position, shivering. Damn, I should have picked option one. That hurt! Now that she was human, her whole body was one big ache.

RORY PLANTED HIS hands on his hips, looked down at his quivering mate, and sighed. “Woman, I swear, I don’t know if you’re a blessing or a curse,” he muttered as he reached down and scooped her into his arms.

He laid her gently on the bed and came down behind her, curling his body protectively around her own.

“What the hell did you do?” she asked through teeth that chattered.

“Forced a change,” he murmured, more interested in getting her warm than conversing.

“How?”

“I’m alpha. It’s one of the perks.” He chafed her skin, rubbing her arms and legs to get the blood circulating. Forced changes were painful and not something he liked to do.

“And the thought projection thingy?”

He had to think about that one for a minute before he understood. “It’s how we communicate in shifted form.”

“So when I shift, everyone can hear my thoughts?” She sounded a bit horrified by the idea. He couldn’t help but smile.

“No, only when you project them.”

“Sooo…you couldn’t hear what I was thinking earlier?”

He fell silent. While he hadn’t heard actual thoughts, through their still developing mate bond he could feel what she was feeling and had a pretty good idea of the thoughts rolling through her head. But he wasn’t about to tell her that. With Shay he needed every advantage he could get. No doubt, the woman kept him on his toes. She was constantly testing him, keeping him off balance. He never knew what to expect next.

If his ma had challenged Da the way Shay had him, instead of bending over backward trying to please the man, maybe she would have gained his respect—and love. Rory froze at the disloyal thought.

Shay rolled over. “Before you get angry again, most of that wasn’t me. It was her,” she defensively denied.

Rory blinked. “Huh? What?”

“Uh, never mind. What were you thinking about? That’s a strange expression on your face.” She studied him intently.

“My parents.”

“Oh.” She looked like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Shay, holding back?

“What?” he asked again, this time suspiciously.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. That’s woman code for ‘beg me long enough and I’ll finally spit out what I was dying to say all along,’” he grumbled, glaring at her.

“Fine,” she bit out. “Shannon told me about your parents, and what I don’t understand is how they ever hooked up to begin with. They sound totally mismatched. I mean, here’s Shannon telling me how you guys value and respect strength, and there’s your mother barely able to stand up to your father. What was the attraction? And how’d she end up pregnant? Can’t you guys tell when someone’s in heat? Don’t condoms work for shifters like they do humans? And who the hell told them to get married? Statistics show that marriages that begin because of an unplanned pregnancy rarely work and end up making all parties miserable, even the children.” Shay’s eyes rounded, and her mouth snapped shut. She laid a hesitant hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business. I didn’t mean to criticize.”

He stared at her, not saying anything while his mind raced. Shay brought up things he’d never considered. Silently he rolled off the bed, went into the bathroom, and began filling the tub with water. He’d always known his father took his mother as mate because it was the only way to claim him. In the shifter world, the only way for a father to claim his pup was to mark the mother as his mate. Bastard sons weren’t recognized by the pack and couldn’t inherit, no matter how exalted his parentage. And above all Rory’s father had wanted an heir to succeed him.

But for the first time Rory wondered just how his mother had ended up pregnant. He knew Shannon had and quite a few of the pack still believed him to be infertile, but the truth was he stayed well clear of any female bearing the slightest whiff of being in heat. With his sensitive nose, he could always tell. It simply wasn’t possible to trap a shifter male through unplanned pregnancy, which, coupled with their immunity to most diseases, was why they didn’t use birth control. All pregnancies were planned and highly anticipated by both parties.

“Rory?”

Shay’s feelings blasted through the mate bond, the strongest he’d ever felt them outside of when they’d both been in wolf form. She thought she’d offended him or hurt his feelings and wasn’t sure how to approach him.

“Come get in the tub, Shay,” he said as he reached down to turn off the faucet.

“Rory,” she said his name again, standing hesitantly in the doorway. “I…”

His beast became agitated. His mate was unsettled, uneasy, and he was the cause. It was unacceptable.

Rory crossed over to Shay and kissed her lingeringly. When he finished, his penis prodded her tender belly. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m simply thinking, and you’re bruised and sore. Come get into the tub.”

He caught her by the hand and led her over to it. Casting her a sweeping glance that noted every mar and red spot, he added Epsom salts to the water before lifting her by the waist and into the tub.

She hissed, and her nails dug into his forearms. “It’s hot,” she complained, looking ready to climb back out.

“It will feel good once you adjust,” he informed her as he stepped into the oversize claw-foot bathtub behind her, arm outstretched to prevent her from escaping.

He settled against the back of the tub, one hand gripping her ankle. When she made no move to sit, he gave a jab to the bends in her knees and caught her as she fell, shrieking and cussing a blue streak. He maneuvered her into the V of his thighs and held her securely by the waist until she quit fighting.

He was ready to hold her head under water before she finally ceased acting like a cat thrown in the bath. She gave a great big huff and, relaxing against his chest, sarcastically asked, “Happy now?”

He merely grunted. She’d splashed out a great deal of the water. With his foot he nudged the hot water spigot, much to his mate’s dismay. She drew her legs up to her chest and turned sideways on his lap to escape the encroaching heat, squealing.

He sighed deeply. “You are such a girlie girl.”

Shay growled and sank her teeth into his chest.

Grinning because he knew it would infuriate her, he said, “I know you want my cock, but you can’t have it until some of these wounds heal.”

As she was sputtering, he abruptly slid down, leg extended to turn off the faucet. Shay gasped and clutched him around the neck. Rory’s grin grew as he chuckled aloud.

“Evil bastard,” Shay muttered into his throat.

“Your evil bastard,” he agreed, running soothing hands over her body.

“Hmph.”

After a few minutes she finally stretched out and relaxed with her body lying on his, her head on his shoulder. Rory closed his eyes, enjoying the soothing heat and his mate’s nearness. Warm, moist air filled the room like a sauna.

He thought Shay was asleep before her voice broke the quiet. “What were you thinking about earlier?”

Once again his mind plunged back into the past. “My parents,” he murmured. “Their story doesn’t make sense. I never really thought about it before. Simply believed what I was told.”

“By whom?”

As Rory reflected, he realized no one had ever told him how his parents ended up together. What he knew was speculation and conjecture gleaned from comments made over the years. “Random comments,” he admitted. “I thought I knew, but now I’m not so sure.”

Shay tilted her head, and he could feel the weight of her stare. Looking down, he met her concerned gaze. “Does it really matter? You’re not your father, and I’m nothing like your mother. Besides, they’re both gone now. Their answers died with them.”

No, it shouldn’t matter, Rory thought to himself, but somehow it did. His thoughts fragmented when Shay rose and straddled him, reaching for the soap. Her slit nestled right along his cock, and he had to remind himself that now was not the time. Shay was hurting and weak from her first shift, which she’d handled like a pro. He’d have to warn her about the dangers of giving her wolf too much control.

“Let me.” He took the bar from her and lathered his hands. Though he wasn’t able to do as his libido demanded, he could still satisfy his need to touch.

“I can…” she sputtered, reaching for the soap.

“Shay.” That’s all he said, and she instantly subsided. Good. She was learning.

He washed her from head to toe, and every luscious inch in between, making no attempt to keep his actions practical and impersonal. He desired her and wanted her to know, so he stroked and fingered and lingered until she cried out her release. Satiated, her body went limp, and she fell into his waiting arms.

Rory hauled her out of the water, dried her quickly, and tucked her into bed. She’d expended a lot of energy. A nap to recharge and food to refuel were in order. While she slept, he’d handle the food part of the equation.

Someone poked her—repeatedly.

“Get up! You’re in the alpha’s bed. He doesn’t let anyone sleep here but himself,” the female hissed.

Tired, still more asleep than awake, Shay rolled away from the irritant.

The poking commenced again. “Move it! You have to leave.”

Shay opened bleary eyes to find a young, petite, obviously fake blonde with dark brown eyes and naturally olive-toned skin leaning over her. She hated blondes, even dyed blondes, she mused. Especially ones that looked like this one, all cute and perky, even when she had a fierce frown on her face. With her hair in a high, bobbing ponytail, she looked like an escapee from summer cheerleading camp.

Never at her best when first awakened, Shay snarled, “What is your problem?” Then, as her vision cleared and she got a better look, she added, “And where the hell are your clothes?” Damn, she did not need proof that Skipper’s blonde hair was dyed.

Skipper frowned. Before she could answer, Rory spoke from the doorway. “Ashley, what are you doing here?”

Ashley? It figures. A cutesy name for a cutesy girl.

Ashley immediately dropped to her knees and, after crawling over to where Rory stood, rubbed her nude, nubile young body on his leg. “I came to clean, alpha,” she stated softly, her hands rising to clutch Rory’s upper thigh.

Shay’s eyes narrowed at the location of said hands and found herself watching in angry disbelief as Rory patted the woman on the head as one would a puppy. “You should have been instructed not to come. Go home. Caleb will inform you when it’s time to return,” he said in a gentle tone of voice.

“Yes, alpha,” she responded meekly. Ashley rose to her feet, managing to rub the entire length of her body against Rory’s in the process. As she turned to leave the room, she made certain her pebbled breast brushed his equally bare chest. The only reason Shay was still lying in bed and not tossing the bitch out on her ass was because although she could smell the chick’s lust from where she sat, she knew Rory barely noticed. His focus was on Shay.

When she stepped past him, her trailing hand lightly brushed the front of his zippered jeans. Oh. Hell. No. Did that bitch just cop a feel? And had he allowed it? Shay heard growling and realized it was coming from her.

“Since you’re awake, are you ready to eat? Breakfast is almost done. Everything’s finished but the eggs,” he asked.

“She touched you.”

“What?” From his expression it was evident he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“That bitch. She rubbed all over you like a cat,” she expounded since he seemed to be clueless.

“Ashley? She’s just a child.” He shrugged dismissively. “It didn’t mean anything. I’m her alpha. She’s a shifter. It’s what we do. Get dressed and come downstairs. You need to eat.” He turned and left the room.

That easily, he dismissed her concern. Shay stared at the spot where he’d stood, face blank, mind racing. How Rory could have missed the smell of Ashley’s desire, she didn’t know, unless as Shannon had stated, he was so used to women throwing themselves at him it no longer registered. According to Shannon, he’d slept with half the women of the pack already. Ms. Young Thing obviously wanted to be included on that list.

At least he’d never brought them to this bed. That’s what some women would be thinking. Shayla wasn’t inclined to be as generous. The man was a dog, and the problem with having a dog was that you never knew when you’d step in leftover shit.

Despite her ever-increasing hunger, Shayla sat on the side of the bed pondering her situation. She was mated to and pregnant by a man she was sure she would eventually come to love, but…

She sighed. Mated didn’t mean married. According to Kiesha and Mary Elizabeth, the true mate bond was more binding than marriage vows and more permanent than a marriage certificate. She’d thought it must be true when, just two nights ago, Rory’d declared, “I won’t let you go. You’re mine.” But twenty-four hours later he’d shown his statement for the lie it was by trying to get rid of her.

Where was the security or permanence in that?

She thought about her parents’ relationship. Her mother was a geek of the highest order. Not only that, she was manipulative and controlling. But her dad loved her. Thought the sun rose and set on her mother. That didn’t mean he took her shit. He put his foot down when necessary, and her mother allowed it because she knew, to the depths of her soul, that there was nothing Shay’s father wouldn’t do for her. They were in it for the long haul.

Shay wanted the same thing for herself even though she doubted she’d ever find it. Men like her father were rare. Then along came Rory and this true mates crap and for a while, Shay had allowed herself to believe.

“He loves you, Shay,” Shannon had told her. So had Conor. But was it love?

Maybe Rory did love her. But was he committed to her the way Alex was to Kiesha and Hugh to Mary Elizabeth? That’s what she needed to find out.

Ashley eased down the stairs and stood quietly at the bottom, out of sight but listening. As soon as she heard Rory heading her way, she crept out the back door, shifted seamlessly to wolf, and took off running. Cutting through the backyard, she entered the woods and kept running full-out until she reached her destination.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she made sure she wasn’t seen before approaching the door. The knob pushed down under the weight of her paw, and the door opened easily.

“Well?” he asked, one brow lifted expectantly.

She changed back to her human form and pushed the door closed with her foot before walking over to where he stood, a cup of coffee cradled in his hands. “The rumors are true. The human female was in his bed.”

He studied her, his gaze dropping to her taut nipples before flicking back to her face. “Did Rory see you?”

Ashley slowly glided her wet tongue around her lips, smiling inwardly as his eyes followed. “He caught me in his room.”

His gaze sharpened. “Did he suspect?”

“No, alpha. I told him I was there to clean. He believed me.” She shifted her balance from one leg to the other, and the scent of her arousal rose. His nostrils flared.

“You did good. Ready for your reward?”

“Oh yes,” she moaned.

“Get on the table. Let me see how ready you are.”

Ashley stepped backward until the edge of the table hit the back of her thighs. She hopped on top and scooted so that she was no longer balanced on its rim, then lowered her body to its surface. Slowly, teasingly, she drew her knees up, exposing her needy snatch.

“My, you are ready.” He rubbed his cock from balls to head as his gaze centered on her slit. “Hungry for me, my sweet?”

“Yes, alpha.” She reached a hand between her legs and parted her nether lips enticingly.

“Is that where you want me?” His hand continued its stroking. “Does your greedy little pussy want my big, thick cock?”

He was big, and thick. His penis slanted up at the tip, capable of doing magnificent things when plunged inside her body. “Please,” she responded, ready to beg.

“You want me to ram this thick piece of meat into your sopping pussy, don’t you? Look how wet you are for me. I’m the only one that knows how to fuck this cunt properly, give it to you nasty, the way you like, aren’t I?”

“Yes, alpha. Just you. Give it to me, please.”

He approached where she lay and ran his finger down her center from clit to anus. She arched into it with a hiss. “You are needy, aren’t you? Here, let me give you what you want.”

Lining the bulbous head with her opening, he rammed it inside, not stopping until he was fully embedded. She let out a keening cry at the delicious pleasure-pain of it. “You like that, don’t you? Take more.”

He withdrew and slammed home again, and again, until he was pounding inside her. It still wasn’t enough. He lifted her legs and instantly went an inch deeper.

“Harder. Fuck me harder, please,” she demanded.

He gave her what she asked for, plunging rapidly inside her with the full force of his body. Ashley screamed and clawed the table as she came. He kept battering at her, wringing out another orgasm.

As she came down from her high, she felt his body tense as his cock expanded. “Pull out,” she quickly reminded.

Another two pumps of his hips and then he pulled away, shooting his seed on the floor. She rose onto her elbows. “Did you get any cum inside of me?” They couldn’t afford for his scent to be recognized on her.

He stood there shuddering as he jerked on his erection, loosing the last of his release. Gazing at her through slitted eyes, he admitted, “I’m not sure. But just to be on the safe side…” He went to his knees and buried his face in her cunt.

Shay clumped down the stairs sporting a red T-shirt and red and black cammies, mind still troubled. If their relationship was to work, Rory would have to learn not to disregard her insights and to respect her opinions. Simply because she was a novice at being a shifter didn’t make her an imbecile. She was highly intelligent and had good instincts. She knew what she saw and what she smelled. Ashley’s actions weren’t simply that of one shifter seeking ordinary affection from another.

Shay had watched enough nature documentaries to know that wolves in the wild often rubbed against other pack members for affection, belonging, and as a means of identification. Pack had a smell. What she’d seen was none of that.

She thought back to Conor’s statement about treachery surrounding them and that they’d have to stick together in order to be victorious. Hard to do when your mate thought you were a naive twit.

Earlier this morning her furry counterpart had taken a stand and earned Rory’s respect. The woman could do no less. While her wolf relied on sheer dogged determination, Shayla would use the one thing that had never failed her—her brain.

She needed a plan, but before she could come up with a course of action, she needed information. In a sense, Rory was right. There was a lot she didn’t know about being a shifter or being a Sparrowhawk, but she would learn. She would watch, take notes, and not take anything at face value. She didn’t know who the enemy or enemies were, but when the time came, she’d be ready.

In the meantime she was here to do a job. It was time to get busy on it.

“There you are,” Rory said as she entered the kitchen. “I was getting ready to come and get you.”

She took a seat at the table and waited until he’d placed a plate in front of her to say, “Where’s the equipment you set up? I’m ready to begin work.”

“You need to rest,” he stated as he set a glass of juice and another of milk in front of her before sitting across from her.

“I’ve rested,” she said around a mouth full of bacon. “That’s all I did yesterday and this morning. Now it’s time to do what you contracted me for."

“Your work doesn’t officially begin until Monday. If you’re feeling energetic, why don’t you take today to settle in? Unpack and I’ll throw your suitcases in the attic, then give you a tour of the house.”

She thought about it for a moment, not telling him she’d seen every room in the house yesterday when she searched for him. “And where do you suggest I put my clothes?”

He stared at her, nonplussed. “In our room, where else?”

“So it’s our room?”

His eyes narrowed. “You try sleeping somewhere else…” He shook his head. “What’s wrong with you? What happened to the woman who calmly announced that she lived here and wasn’t leaving?”

“Last night you were being stupid, and I was mad.”

He crossed his arms and settled back in his chair, rocking on its two hind legs. “And today?”

Shay shrugged one shoulder. “Today I’m wondering if you were right.”

His chair landed on all fours with a bang. “So you do think I’d hurt you.”

She glared at him for being dense. “No, asshole, I don’t.”

Now he just appeared confused. “Then what’s the problem?”

Shay took a deep breath and set her fork to the side. “No problem. I simply think we should take one day at a time, one step at a time. At least until we see where this is going.”

Rory studied her while she played with her toast. “Finish eating. Shifting consumes a lot of energy. With the babe, you don’t have any to spare.”

So no protestations of dying devotion, Shay thought cynically as she resumed eating. Figures. Get a grip. Shannon already told you the man has issues. Between his issues and your hang-ups it’s a wonder you two have made it this far. With a sigh, Shayla conceded that this was true. If they didn’t get their act together, this was going to be one messed-up child, she mused.

When she finished, Rory took her plate and utensil and loaded them into the dishwasher. “Drink your milk,” he commanded.

Shay screwed up her face and did as he commanded without complaint, something that would have shocked everyone who knew her.

“I need to call the pack’s midwife and have her check you out. You haven’t seen a doctor yet, have you? Prompt medical attention is essential for a healthy pregnancy.”

Shayla’s temporary obedient streak came to a halt. “No.”

“What do you mean no?” he asked, his eyebrows scrunched.

“Just what I said. N. O. You need it in another language? Nein. Nyet.” She crossed her arms over her chest and settled more firmly into her seat.

His mouth opened to say something, closed, and then he shut his eyes and appeared to be counting under his breath. “Why, Shay?”

“I’m not opposed to medical treatment, but when it comes to my health and the welfare of this child, it will be handled by someone with a string of letters behind their name, preferably OB-GYN.” Her set gaze dared him to state differently.

“Shay, our midwife has lots of experience. She’s been delivering pack babies for over twenty years. She knows what she’s doing. You think I would trust you or our child to simply anyone?”

She shook her head. “Not happening. I don’t care what you say. You want me to see someone, take me to Alex. I know he’s certified. Checked him out myself.”

“Fine,” he growled. “I’ll take you to go see Alex. Get ready. We roll in five.” He stalked out of the kitchen.