When she didn’t scurry away, I moved closer and gently set my hands on her shoulders. Mary was silent behind me, likely sharing every detail with Winifred.
I breathed deeply, inhaling her scent, and she trembled. I needed her. And whether she was ready to admit it or not, she needed me. She couldn’t continue to stay here unClaimed without something else happening. The mutt who attacked her was just another sign of how desperate our males were getting. I thought again of the missing female.
“Charlene, let me protect you,” I begged.
She turned her head slightly and met my gaze. Her lips were inches from mine. The need to taste her made my hands shake.
“How? By letting you bite me? That’s not protection. If you wanted to protect me, you’d promise never to bite me or let anyone else try.”
Never bite her? That meant never Claiming her. Her logic made me want to hit something.
I straightened away and let my hands drop. It was time to try a different tactic. She was unwilling to bend and give any of us another chance. We were unwilling to let her stay in seclusion. I turned to Mary, who stood near the door.
“Gregory misses you. He didn’t realize he wouldn’t be able to spend time with you when he agreed to postpone the Claiming.”
A new wave of Charlene’s angry scent washed over me.
“Gregory is welcomed in here any time,” she said. “Just as Paul and Henry are. In fact, any of you who are not interested in biting me are welcome.”
I glanced back at her, feeling victory.
“And I’ll know when someone’s lying,” she said, crossing her arms.
I slowly nodded, doubting she would but understanding what she was telling me. I wasn’t welcome back.
Annoyed, I turned and left.
As soon as I stepped outside, males moved away from the door and window where they’d been listening. Gregory clapped me once on the shoulder in consolation. I appreciated his show of support, but I knew he was anxious to see Mary.
“Go,” I said.
He grinned and quickly knocked on the door. We all heard Mary’s squeal of excitement. Why couldn’t Charlene be more welcoming? Although, if she had, she might already be Claimed.
Perhaps that was the key. Getting her to like me.
I frowned. How in the hell was I supposed to do that? Did I want her to? No. I needed her to like me. With every bone in my body.
“What now?” Grey asked, moving to stand beside me. We stood further away from the door, watching the majority of the males mill about.
“I need to change my approach.”
“You had an approach?”
I shook my head at him.
“We’ve watched humans. Years of observation. Why am I so clueless about her?”
“We were watching for different things. Weaknesses to bring them down, not weaknesses that needed protection. You need to change the way you think, not just your approach.”
Sighing, I scratched my jaw. Inside, the pump screeched.
“Life is easier in our fur.”
“Easier might not be better anymore.”
We have a problem, Gregory sent me.
What is it?
I think she’s going to try to—
The door opened.
Leave.
An invisible hand squeezed my chest as Charlene stepped out into the sunlight, the bag over her shoulder heavy with her belongings.
The men closest to the door, stepped out of her way, surprised by her sudden appearance.
Winifred, she appears to be leaving.
Mary has informed me.
I intend to follow her.
I knew you would. Keeping her safe won’t be easy.
I’m more worried about keeping her quiet.
It wasn’t until Charlene was halfway to the drive that one of the milling males stepped in front of her.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
I moved forward, listening for her answer.
“I’m not sure yet,” she said.
“But you’re leaving?” he asked.
“Yes, I am.”
Growls arose and I knew I wouldn’t be the only one following her.
“Don’t go,” another said. “I know I can Claim you.”
Before I could reach her, the man next to the speaker pushed into him, and they both fell to the ground, fighting. Other males started pushing at their neighbors, each willing to fight for the right to Claim her.
“That’s why I’m leaving,” she yelled.
I pushed someone, trying to get to her, and he turned to snarl at me. Closing my fist, I hit him in the face, never taking my eyes from Charlene.
She’d stepped around the fighting men, but another had caught up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
“I suggest you let go immediately,” she said, without turning.
I hit my opponent again, knocking him out. Just as I was about to step forward, the men standing closest to Charlene flew backward. They landed hard and, stunned, just lay there.
I didn’t move either as I tried to understand what had just happened. She hadn’t moved. With her back to the male, she’d just stood there with her hands clutching her bag. How had she sent them flying backwards?
Fear wanted to push aside the pull. What was she? How much more proof did we need that she could hurt us? I looked at the males on the ground. They weren’t actually hurt, just surprised.
Charlene turned and glared at us. Her hands shook, and I saw fear mixed in with the anger.
The pull won.
“You are not children, and I am not a toy to fight over,” she said, her face flushing.
“We wouldn’t fight if you would allow one of us to Claim you,” I said.
She pivoted to face me.
“It is not my willingness that is preventing you from Claiming me. It’s your kind’s inability to Claim me, the human, that is preventing it from happening.”
I couldn’t believe that. Why would she smell like she did if she wasn’t meant for one of us?
“Perhaps it was your unwillingness that prevented the Claim from taking hold.”
The flush in her cheeks deepened. I knew it was anger, but she never looked prettier.
“Anton,” she said, straightening her shoulders.
The crowd around her parted until a male moved forward. My gaze locked on the tall, lean male. Who was he? Why was she calling for him? I growled low.
“You promised,” she said to him, “that if I allowed you to Claim me, you would be gentle.”
My gut twisted at what I was hearing. She would allow someone else to Claim her?
“Not just in the bite, but for the rest of our lives,” he said.
The thought of his mouth on her shredded my control.
“Then, I willingly give you permission to Claim me,” she said.
“I challenge you for the right,” I said, before the male could step closer to her. She was mine.
I was about to move closer when Grey placed a restraining hand on my shoulder.
“Uh-uh,” she said, shaking her head. “You said it was my willingness preventing it, so your challenge is pointless… unless you’re saying you’re wrong. Because I’m only willing to let Anton try. No one else.”
I snarled. She was twisting my meaning on purpose. It wasn’t her willingness to anyone, just me. She was mine.
She motioned Anton forward.
Grey, she’s mine. It’s my right. I challenged everyone for this.
It’s not your choice. It’s hers. Look at her neck, Thomas. You need to keep in control so the rest do.
I shook as I listened to her quietly ask that he bite the other side of her neck. He didn’t immediately move forward.
“We could wait like Mary and Gregory.”
Holding my breath, I waited for her answer, a second chance.
“No,” she said, ripping me apart. “The others beat you once, already. I don’t trust what they will do if we don’t follow through with this now.”
He nodded and stepped closer. Grey’s grip tightened on me, and I closed my eyes. I waited for the pull to leave me as I listened for a sound from her. A sigh of contentment.
There was nothing but silence.
“Well?” she asked quietly.
I opened my eyes to see the male shake his head. Stunned, I barely felt Grey let go of me. It hadn’t worked. I had a second chance.
Charlene’s pitying look changed to annoyance when one of the males in the crowd said, “He barely bit you.”
She rolled her eyes. “And the one who gave me stitches didn’t bite deep enough?”
“You weren’t willing,” I said.
“Make up your minds. Is it the depth of the bite or the willingness?” she yelled, her frustration clear.
No one answered. She looked around at us and shook her head.
“Fine. I’ll give you two hours to figure out what went wrong. Then, I’ll pick someone else. I think I still have an unmarked spot on my neck somewhere. That will be the last chance any of you will have. After that, I’m done; not because I’m not willing but because it won’t work. Ever.”
She started walking to the door but stopped on the threshold.
“Don’t waste time fighting. Work together. I won’t accept the excuse that something wasn’t done correctly, again.”
She turned and closed the door.
Pick someone? Work together?
I wanted to snarl.