Claimed by the Pack

“Wow. That’s some story.”

I whirled, and there was Damien, standing in the doorway. I had no clue how long he’d been there, how much he’d heard. But for some strange reason, his presence didn’t seem an intrusion at all.

“I knew you’d get away,” said Broderick, without looking up.

“Oh I did more than get away.”

He held something up, something that dangled on a leather thong. In the dim light I could barely make it out: a carved jade pendant, in the shape of a wave.

I gasped. “Your totem!”

Damien nodded, his long hair bouncing against his shoulders. “Christophe was wearing it. The asshole.”

Broderick sat up abruptly, and the little blanket we’d been sharing between us fell off. He didn’t seem to even notice his nakedness. “And what about Christophe?”

“He got away,” said Damien. “Or rather, I got away. From the two of them.”

I noticed he was scratched up also, but not badly. And he had some clothes on too. Not the same ones he’d been wearing before though.

“Wanna hear even better news?”

Broderick nodded.

“I got here without returning to the surface.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but Broderick seemed pretty excited about it. His eyes widened visibly. “So there was a connection? And you found it?”

“Yes. I even remembered to mark the tunnels, too.”

Broderick stood and practically hugged him, pulling the rest of the blanket off me in the process. Damien looked down at me knowingly.

“I see you finally mated her,” he smirked.

Broderick said nothing. He really didn’t have to. I on the other hand, rolled my eyes.

“You guys and this mated stuff!” I sighed. “I still don’t get it.”

“Fine,” Damien allowed. “You had sex.”

“We fucked, if that’s what you’re asking.”

He shrugged and crossed his arms, still grinning. “The point is, I’m off the hook now.” He smacked Broderick in the shoulder. “Right?”

Broderick winced at the contact. “We’ll see.” He grabbed his shorts again, then began tossing me my clothes. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

I stood up, and both men’s eyes went immediately to my naked body. Humorously, I found that I didn’t even care. They could look at me all they wanted. It wasn’t anything they hadn’t seen before.

Damien’s eyes in particular crawled down my legs. When they reached my feet however, his expression changed to one of grave disappointment.

“Oh man,” he groaned. “You had to do it in my bed?”

This time it was Broderick’s turn to laugh. “Fine,” he winked at me. “Maybe I was wrong about him being mad.”

22

DAMIEN

The truck was right where we left it, and