Claimed by the Pack

Goddamn it, Damien.

I’d been suppressing the feelings as best I could. Tamping down the compulsions, shoving them back inside me as strong as they were. Being this near her made it hard. Maintaining control was becomin

g nearly impossible.

I’d have to, though. If we wanted to succeed, we couldn’t have any distractions.

“If these were your brethren,” Serena went on, “and you weren’t excommunicated… why would they keep these things?”

“Out of spite,” I said. “Out of a false sense of betrayal.”

“And you didn’t betray them?”

The question was infuriating. I wanted to shove it back down her beautiful throat.

But I knew it was the compulsion talking.

“No. If anything, they betrayed us.”

She glanced to Damien for confirmation, and his body language backed me up. I was grateful for it. In that regard, we were both on the same page.

“So what’s next?”

I looked out the window. The sun was finally almost up.

“We go tonight,” I said. “After dark. After the pack has left the grounds, and gone into the woods to hunt. It’s our best chance of getting in, without being seen.”

Getting seen wasn’t the problem, really. But if we got the timing wrong, one of them would sniff us out long before we got there. She still didn’t believe that though. And I wasn’t about to confuse her further.

“You’ve got abilities,” Damien said. “Powers that can Xiomara said can help us.” She looked uncomfortable. I got that. We both did. “We’re allies now,” Damien went on. “So don’t hold back.”

Serena looked like she was about to say something, but didn’t. I couldn’t tell, really. I couldn’t even look directly at her.

“Help us retrieve what’s ours, and we’ll show you the vault,” I said. “The library of books left behind by your Order. We’ll help you retrieve anything you need, once we…” My throat began closing. I hated myself for it.

“Once we’ve dealt with Karessa,” I growled.

A long silence settled over the kitchen before she finally spoke again.

“And what do we do from now until dusk?”

“We rest,” I said quickly. “It’s too dangerous to go out, especially for you.” I threw Damien a dirty look. “And besides, none of us got much sleep last night.”

I enjoyed it as the two of them shuffled nervously for a bit. Rest was the very last thing I wanted. What I wanted was her. I knew she’d be wanting the same thing too, whether she realized it or not. It would happen soon if it wasn’t already. And it would be hard for her as well.

“Where exactly—”

I cut off her question the second as she began asking it.

“You in there,” I told Serena, pointing to Damien’s bedroom. “And the two of us in mine.”

14

SERENA

Sleeping during the day sucked.

I wasn’t sure if it was a ‘wolf’ thing, or a nocturnal thing, or whatever their reasoning for waiting. I actually was tired. Exhausted, to be honest. And even without Damien there this time, I was actually looking forward to his bed. He even had blackout curtains.