Claiming Kate

Episode 3

I held my head up high and walked over to the guys. I could tell that Damian was just as disappointed as I was. He smiled at me and gave me a tight hug. He tried to play it off like everything was fine, but the look in his eyes told a different story.

Even Kain and Gavin looked confused, but neither one of them said a word. We all made our dinner plates and sat down to eat together. Damian was quiet, but kept looking at me like there was something he wanted to say. After we ate, we walked around the party and greeted as many people as we could.

It was hard to keep smiling and acting like everything was fine. My heart was broken but I couldn't let it show. No one besides the four of us knew that Damian and I liked each other. It was starting to get late, and Damian grabbed my hand. He took me by surprise and I spun around to face him.

"I know you have heard it all night, but I haven't told you yet." He paused for a moment, "You look beautiful tonight. Will you dance with me?"

I smiled and tried to calm down my racing heart. Now that I knew we weren't mates, I didn't know what to do. I still had feelings for him, but I was scared. I didn't know what the future was going to bring. What will happen if one of us meets our mate? I knew it was risky to pursue him, but a dance is just a dance right.

I was wrong, way wrong. The way he held on to me was like nothing I had ever felt before. I could feel the love he had for me. There was pride in his eyes, like he was the luckiest man in the room. When his eyes met mine, all I could feel was pure desire. His desire for me was just as strong as my desire for him.

He was taller than me, but he kept lowering his head, so his face was close to mine. We must have been thinking the same thing. I knew we had to get off the dance floor before everyone could smell our arousal.

Damian leaned down close to my ear, "Can we go somewhere alone and talk? There's something I have to tell you. It's not easy for me, but I have to get this off my chest."

I nodded and let him lead me off the dance floor. We snuck around the side of the house, and headed over to a park that was near the center of our pack. We were close enough to hear the music and see the party, but far enough away to be alone.

We walked over and stood in the gazebo.We spent some time reminiscing about playing in the park when we were little. Neither one of us knew where to start. The small talk helped to lighten the mood.

I could tell Damian was nervous, and it was making me nervous to hear what he had to say. He sat on the bench and I sat next to him. He grabbed my hand and turned slightly, so he was fully facing me.

"Kate, you have to know how much I like you. Actually, it's more than just like. You're the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thing on my mind when I go to bed. Every day I'm nervous. I can't think straight until I see your smile and I know that your OK. My wolf and I both have a need to protect you. I thought for sure we were mates. Even now that I know we're not, I want to be with you more than anything. I couldn't take my eyes off of you tonight. Please tell me I still have even a small chance. Atleast until you find your mate."

I just stared at him for a minute. He was pouring his heart out to me and I had no idea what to say. I felt the same way about him, but he wasn't my mate.

"I've liked you for as long as I can remember. I don't know what I'm going to do when you find your mate." I didn't know what else to say. I was trying not to cry. I had to stay strong and get through the night.

Damian must have noticed the tears in my eyes. He pulled me closer to him, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Let's not think about fated mates right now. Tonight it's just me and you. Let's make the best of it. I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, you will always be my girl. The only girl that can put a smile on my face, and also kick my ass." He tickled my side to cheer me up.

I let out a small giggle, "You say always, but we both know it's only until you meet your mate."

He released me from his arms and lifted my chin up so he was looking into my eyes. His face was only inches from mine.

"No Kate, I mean forever. If you haven't noticed, I'm completely in love with you. Nothing or nobody will take my love away from you. When I say forever, I mean it."

He leaned in closer to me and brushed his lips against mine. He put his hands on my hips and lifted me up on his lap, so I was straddling him. He had one hand still on my hip, but brought his other hand slowly up my back until it was resting behind my neck.

"I've waited years for this moment. Can I kiss you?" He asked me as he was already pulling my head down closer to his.

I lowered my face to his, and crashed our lips together. I parted my lips slightly, allowing his tongue to enter. I let him take control. He gently squeezed my side and kissed me like he needed me to survive. I could feel his passion and his desire flowing into me.

We may not have been fated mates, but the connection between us was real. It was so intense I didn't think I would ever come down from this high. My heart was pounding, my head was spinning, and I needed him like I needed air.

I uncontrollably started grinding slowly on his lap. There was no space between us, but I felt like I needed to get closer. He broke our kiss for a moment so we could catch our breath. He put his forehead up against mine. We were both panting, and I let out a small moan. I needed his touch.

I put my hands on the side of his face and lifted his head back up. I needed more. I began kissing him again. He tasted incredible. I had to quickly pull away and jump off his lap when I felt a strange pressure in my head.

"Something is wrong," I said as I grabbed the side of my head.

"No, everything is perfect." Damian said as he scooped me up in his arms, and carried me bridal style. He had a huge smile on his face, and looked at me like I was his whole world.

"Your wolf is ready, beautiful. It's time to shift. I'm taking you back to the party, so your family can be with you." I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my head into his chest. The pain was starting to get intense.

"Dont worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be with you every step of the way. We're gonna do this together." I wasn't sure if Damian was talking to me, or trying to ease his own mind.

We got back to the party and Damian found my parents. He handed me off to my father, while he went to find Kain and Gavin. He was only gone for a minute, but it felt like an eternity.

There was a blanket hung up and ready for me to shift behind. Nudity is normal for wolves, but it takes some getting used to. The first shift is always the hardest.

My father laid me down behind the blanket and walked around to the other side. I quickly removed my clothes. The pain was getting unbearable. I started screaming. I could hear everyone trying to talk me through it. I blocked them all out until all I could hear was Damian's voice.

"Listen to me Kate. You have to calm down and give your wolf control. Dont fight it, relax your muscles. Close your eyes and imagine your wolf. Picture your paws."

I listened to him and did what he said. When I started to relax, I could feel my wolf taking over, and my body changing. A few minutes later, the pain was gone. I was standing on four legs. The crowd was quiet, waiting for me to come out from behind the blanket.

I slowly emerged, and standing on all fours right in front of everyone, were my three favorite wolves. Damian, Kain, and Gavin. My wolf looked around at the crowd for a few minutes, taking in her surroundings. My mother was crying happy tears, and my father had a proud smile on his face.

Then my wolf locked eyes with Damian's large black wolf. In his wolf form his eyes were as black as night. You could barely see them. He was an amazing guy, but I also knew there was danger behind his eyes.

My wolf took off running toward the woods, and Damian came up beside me. We ran together and let our wolves play for at least an hour. Half the pack went on the run with us, and half the pack stayed in their human form at the party.

The run was amazing. We were surrounded by pack members, but every time Damian's Wolf looked into my eyes, it felt like we were alone in the world.

My wolf was brave. She even rubbed her head up against Damian's wolf a few times. He seemed to enjoy it just as much as she did.

Everytime he looked at me I could feel the love and desire our wolves had for each other. The attraction between them was just as strong as the attraction between Damian and I in our human forms.

This confused me even more. The kiss we shared was the most incredible thing I had ever felt in my life. How can there be so much love and passion between us if we were not meant to be together?

I wanted to scream at the moon goddess to explain herself, but instead I decided to just enjoy the time I had with Damian. I wanted to find out if the connection we had with each other was just lust, or a love worth fighting for.