Claiming Clara (2 page)

“You know you can do better, right?” the woman asked with a snap of her chewing gum.

Wall looked at her. She was so different from his auburn-haired, five-foot-nine love of his life. Without a second thought, he picked the lady up and dumped her into another of the pack’s laps and walked out.

He needed to let his wolf run free. The animal was baying for its mate, but it couldn’t have her; neither of them could.

On autopilot, he removed his clothes and dropped them into his car before shifting and heading toward the forest. One of the pack members would make sure the car got back to the house.

He ran for what seemed like miles around the town. The night had passed swiftly when he finally trotted back to the pack house. He shifted back to human as he walked up the porch steps. His wolf was calmer now that he had run off his aggression, but he knew today he would get the answers he wanted, even if it killed him.

With his hand on the door handle, Wall waited. He had scented his Alpha as soon as he hit the porch. He knew the other man waited for him. He’d expected a confrontation for days, if he was honest.

“I love her, you know, dude.” Wall spoke, breaking the silence of the early morning.

“Yet I found her sobbing in my mate’s arms. You have a perfect way of showing it,” Heath told him, flicking on the porch light.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Wall turned to face the man he both feared and respected.

“Explain to me how making my baby sister cry is you doing nothing wrong.” The man sat on one of the wicker chairs, watching him.

Wall wanted to scream out his frustration at his Alpha, but he kept his cool. He’d been trained to do just that and refused to lose that control now.

“I asked her to mate with me.” He looked Heath directly in the eye, watched the other man’s eyes widen in surprise. “She didn’t tell you?”

“No, I just found her crying, saying that it was over. She didn’t give me details, and I didn’t ask.” Some of the anger diminished in the other man. “So why did you break up with her?”

“I didn’t. I asked her, but she went all weird on me and dumped me. I still don’t know why.” Wall shrugged as he dropped into the chair next to his Alpha.

Heath was quiet. Wall could practically hear Heath’s mind working.

“So,” he finally spoke. “Does this mean I don’t get to kick the crap out of you?”

Wall huffed a laugh. “Sorry, dude.”

“Well that ruins my morning.” Heath shook his head and sighed.

Wall smiled. At least he didn’t have to worry his Alpha would hunt him down now.

“You know, most wolves wouldn’t ask. They would just take what they wanted.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to do it right. Now I kinda wish I had done that, taken away the choice.” He wanted Clara so badly. Every second without her was killing him.

“You know she would have cut your throat at the first opportunity if you did do that, right?”

Wall smiled at him. Yep he knew his woman would have done exactly that. It was what made her his, even if she did hate his guts right now.

“I love my sister, but she can be stubborn sometimes. Do what I did with Laney; remind her of what she is missing.”

That had Wall laughing hard. His Alpha had nearly thrown his own happiness away with his short sightedness. He hadn’t shown his mate anything. The woman had finally gotten bored waiting for him to notice her and taken things into her own hands.

Perhaps, I shouldn’t be surprised Clara is being difficult
.
She did come from the same gene pool as Heath, so maybe she was predestined to be that way when her mate showed up.

“Yeah, I will think about it,” Wall said when he stopped laughing.

The door behind them opened, and Duke stepped out, Clara’s scent all over him. Wall didn’t realize he’d moved until he had the other man pinned up against the side doorframe.

“Dead man.” Wall growled low.

“Morning, sunshine.” Duke smiled down at him. Wall was a strong man, six feet tall. Duke was taller by inches, yet Wall still had him off his feet.

“Wall.” Hearing his Alpha’s voice was the only thing stopping Wall from ripping the other man’s throat out.

“Where is she?” Wall asked through gritted teeth.

“I left her sleeping. She’s real tired after last night.” Duke grinned as Wall’s eyes turned to that of his wolf. Wall was finding it harder and harder to hold on to his animal.

“Wall, do you want to face Laney if you kill her brother?” Heath asked as he came to stand next to the pair.

“Aww, is the little puppy scared of my baby sister?” Duke taunted. Wall pulled the other man forward before slamming him back into the building again. He got a small amount of satisfaction at the sound of the man’s head hitting the solid brick.

“If I find out you’ve put your hands on her, I will hunt you down and won’t care who your sister is or who she is married to. Do I make myself clear?” Wall spoke softly into Duke’s ear.

“Trust me, puppy, I put more than just my hands on her.” The reply was spoken just as softly, but both Wall and Heath heard.

Heath was barely able to pull Wall away. Wall didn’t know if it was luck that Jones came out at that moment and helped put him down on the ground or not. Wall heard Heath order Duke off the property, but all he could think about was ripping the bastard apart.

“I can’t let you go if you don’t calm the hell down, man.” Heath said as pack members sat on him.

Wall did nothing but growl low. No, he decided he didn’t want to get to Duke. He had to get to Clara, needed to see her, know she was all right and that this prick was lying.

“Come on, man, seriously,” Jones hissed as he fought to keep Wall on the ground.

The squeak of the porch door didn’t even register with the men until Laney crouched down in front of them and asked casually, “Is there something I need to know?”

“I am going to kill your brother.” Wall growled as he started to fight again.

“What did he do this time?” Laney asked with a bored tone.

“He fucked my woman.” Wall practically howled.

“Err, no he didn’t.” The second voice came from just behind them. As one, the three men turned to see Clara standing there. “Well, assuming you meant me when you said
my woman
that is.” She leaned against the doorframe, arms and legs crossed as she looked down at them.

Wall’s wolf howled in triumph, but the men didn’t let go so quickly. “He dies.” He turned as much as he could with two large strong men sitting on him and looked Clara in the eye.

“Is he the reason you told me no?” he asked.

Clara stared back at him. He could see her wheels turning. “Maybe.” She shrugged.

“Clara!” Heath snapped at his sister.

“What? He wants some answers. He thinks I would have been with him but at the time, I wanted another man? Fine I will give him the answers he wants.” Clara snapped back.

With a feat of strength Wall didn’t know he had, he threw off the two men and was on his feet in front of Clara before anyone could move. With deliberate slowness, he leaned in and sniffed her neck. Duke might have smelled of her, but Clara didn’t hold Duke’s scent. If they’d had sex, the other man’s smell would have been all over her.

“What did I do that was so wrong?” He spoke directly into her ear, soft so the others wouldn’t be able to hear.

“Please.” She breathed the word softly.

Wall didn’t know what she meant. When he leaned back, he could see the sorrow in her eyes. His mate was keeping something from him, and if it killed him, he would find it out.

Chapter 2

Wall was brooding. He knew he was but didn’t care. He sat in the dark and thought about the last two days. Now he gave it some serious consideration.

Clara had been acting strange for the last week or so. Something was bothering her, but he’d been so caught up in his own nervousness about asking her to take his bite that he had dismissed it as nothing. Clearly that was a mistake.

The moon was full, illuminating the room. The soft pastel shades took on an eerie glow in the night light, not that he needed the light. His wolf eyes allowed him to see more than any average human could. A rustling sound brought his attention back to the reason he was here.

Clara turned over in the bed, the covers moving lower down her body. He ground his teeth. If she had been naked, he could have controlled himself more, but she wasn’t. She was wearing one of his T-shirts, a favorite of his she must have stolen from his room. It had to mean something.

His wolf longed to howl at the night, but he couldn’t lose control. She might think she knew him, but Clara had barely scratched the surface. Tonight Miss Clara Marsterson was about to be introduced to the real Harvey “Wall” Wallbanger.

He linked his hands between his spread legs and sat forward. Gaze unblinking, he stared at Clara. He knew his woman well. It barely took a minute before her sense of danger kicked in and her eyes opened. She looked directly at him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked confused.

“You don’t want to take my bite? Fine, but that doesn’t mean you get away from me that easily, my own.” Wall spoke low, his voice deeper than normal and aggression showing through.

She sat up slowly, never breaking eye contact.

Smart girl.
She had to know the second she looked away, she was his.

“And you get to make that decision? I don’t think so, sweet pea.” She sneered at him.

Wall ran his tongue over his teeth. She knew he hated when she called him that. It made him sound like a five-year-old ballerina.

“Where you’re concerned, I get to make all the decisions. You clearly can’t be trusted to think logically. Now be a good girl and bring that hot little ass over here.” Wall sat back in the chair, each hand laid casually on the arms and his jean-covered legs wide apart.

Clara laughed softly at him and stayed put. She leaned on one hand, watching him.

“You know, I think I have been too lenient with you. You just don’t seem to be listening to me. Perhaps I need to remind you who’s boss in this relationship,” he warned her and watched as an eyebrow arched at his little speech. Brushing her long auburn hair off her face, she gave him a smile and said in the sweetest voice she had, “Eat me.”

Wall didn’t blink or look away as he heaved a sigh.

“You only have yourself to blame now, my own,” he said seconds before he shot out of the chair and across the room to the bed. She was lying on her back with him nestled between her thighs before she had time to blink.

He pinned her hands over her head and leaned away from her so only their lower bodies touched.

“Eat you? Oh, my own, I will eat you. You’ll come screaming my name over and over until I think you have learned your lesson.”

“You think you are wolf enough to master me? My brother is the Alpha of this pack and is the only man I bow down to.” Clara hissed at him, allowing her fangs to descend.

“I don’t want you to bow down. I just want answers. I can promise you that before the night’s done, you will give me everything I want.” He kissed his way up the column of her throat. He allowed himself a small smile when Clara moved her head to allow him better access.

They had played rough before, but tonight he was going to take it to a different level. He had no intention to hurt her, but he’d have her begging. Then he would get what he wanted.

Answers.

Wall transferred both her wrists to one hand and reached into his back pocket. He captured her gaze and with slow intent pulled out a length of black velvet ribbon. Wall smiled as her eyes went wide.

“I am going to tie you to this bed, and then I am going to remind you that you belong to me,” he told her softly.

“Do you think you scare me?” Clara asked.

He had felt her body tense at the sight of the ribbon and his words, but he could see the lust in her eyes. Oh yes, he knew his woman better than she realized.

With swift movements, he tied her wrists together and then to her wrought iron bedpost. With her hands secure, Wall moved to lie next to her. Leaning his head on one hand, he looked down the length of her body still covered by his shirt.

“If I thought for a second you were scared of me, I wouldn’t be here,” he told her honestly.

Clara narrowed her eyes at him, and Wall gave her a big grin.

“Untie me and maybe I won’t let my brother kick your ass.” Clara hissed.

Wall gave a soft laugh as he reached down and grabbed hold of the hem of the shirt. “Call for him.”

“What?” Clara frowned up at him.

“Call for Heath. If you really want me to leave, call for your brother. I know he and Laney are still in the house.” He hitched the hem up inch by inch.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, tenderly, on the shell of her ear. “Call him and I’ll leave,” he whispered to her.

Clara took a deep breath, and Wall moved back, waiting. She gazed at him and then let out the breath with a sigh and raised an eyebrow at him.

“You think you can make me scream your name?” she asked him.

“Darlin’, I can get you to scream my name over and over.” He grinned.
Damn, she was sexy as hell when she tried to be dominant.

“Prove it,
dude,”
she teased.

Wall sat back on his heels, and with a low warning growl he reached forward, took hold of the T-shirt she wore, and ripped it in two. With a couple of tugs, he’d stripped the ruined material off her and threw it across the room.

Clara lay before him, tied with a ribbon, naked. His wolf howled for him to lay claim to her, marking her as theirs, his and his wolf’s, alone, but he held the animal back.

Tonight wasn’t about the bite. It was about answers.

With casual movements, Wall slipped off the bed, toed off his boots, and pulled his own T-shirt and jeans off. He stood before her naked, hands on his hips, watching the look of pure desire cross over her face as her gaze ran up and down his body.

Pride welled within his chest. When she made him feel like that with just a look, he couldn’t allow her to throw what they had away without a fight. Lord knows Mrs. Wallbanger knew how to raise fighters.

“Spread,” he said and tapped her ankle as he stood next to the bed. Without argument, Clara spread her legs shoulder-width apart. “Good girl.” With a single finger, Wall traced a path from her ankle, along her calf, over her knee, and up her thigh. He stopped at her apex. Wall caught her gaze before slowly stroking a finger into her wet and waiting pussy.