A Wolf's Claim

CHAPTER 17

*Jace*

When my lips met Stella's, I saw something in her past, a man. She was afraid of him, even as a child, because he would always beat her. This man would berate her, abuse her, and torture her on a daily basis. Fear, that was the biggest sensation from her past. I winced, pulled away like I couldn't get away fast enough. Though that wasn't the case, I was shocked that I saw into her past.

She raised her eyebrows, biting her bottom lip, and I took her back inside.

I've never felt anything like that before, but I knew it was possible to have visions of certain people. As Alpha, I inherited some traits from my father before he died. One of which is being able to see the past of people I touch. He learned to control this gift, only use it when he wanted to, which is something I'll have to conquer myself. I didn't mean to peek into her past, but now that I have, I don't know what to say.

It's almost ten at night by the time we return to the house. I hold the door open for Stella to walk through, as she silently passes by me. I followed her upstairs, to the bedroom that she was given. She walks through the door and leaves it open, which tells me I'm allowed to come in. I stood at the door frame, watching her lazily climb under the covers.

She looks at me with an indescribable expression, patting the empty space beside her. I smiled, walking into the room and shutting the door behind me. I crawled in the bed beside her, as she turned to face toward me. We lay there staring into each other's eyes for a few minutes, before she finally spoke in a light, airy voice.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable..." She whispers, her eyes looking everywhere but at me now.

"When?" I asked, unsure of what she was referring to.

"Outside... when we almost kissed." She mumbled, her cheeks blushing as she tried to bury her face in her chest.

"Yeah... about that..." I muttered and took a deep breath, "I, uh, am sometimes capable of looking into peoples' past. It's new to me, ever since you arrived, and I haven't determined how to control it yet..."

"You saw my past?" She asked, her voice returned to a normal volume.

"Yeah... bits and pieces..." I nodded, ashamed of myself.

"What did you see?" She asked, almost afraid.

"Who is Lincoln?" I asked, remembering that was the name she was screaming.

"My brother," She grunted, "Lincoln was one of the reasons why I moved away."

"There were others that frightened you..." I mentioned, recalling that sensation.

"Plenty. My parents were overbearing, strict in every way you could imagine. I wasn't perfect enough for them and couldn't take it anymore, so I moved away. I moved here." Stella replied, hiding behind a facade of content.

"I'm glad you moved here." I said, as her nearly plum dark eyes peeked up at me.

"I have a question..." Stella lightly murmured.

"Yes?" I asked with amusement.

"Being the Alpha, does that mean you'll be at the center of every battle?" She asked, and I could feel her concern laced through her words.

"Sometimes." I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek with worry of my own.

"I thought so." She nodded, steeling her gorgeous eyes away from my sight.

"Are you worried?" I asked, hoping she was because that meant she felt something for me too.

"I don't want you to get hurt..." She softly murmured, keeping her head down.

"I haven't so far, and now I have a reason to return home." I offered, waiting for those miraculous eyes to return to me.

"What do you mean?" She asked, as her eyebrows knitted together, and sure enough her gaze peered up into mine.

"You." I blatantly stated, cupping the side of her face and stroking her cheek with my thumb.

"Me?" She asked with a perplexed expression.

"Yes. You are the reason I'll fight to return home, the reason I fight to stay alive." I admitted, holding her gaze.

Her lips twitched slightly, tugging upward into a crooked smirk. My eyes danced between her lips and her eyes, wondering if I should try to kiss her again. The pull was almost too overwhelming to fight, and I felt myself leaning closer to her with every second that passed.

She was still waiting for me to close the small gap between us. Her eyes never left mine, as our faces inched closer together. I could hear her breath hitch, and I felt her heart rapidly chase to match the rhythm of mine. Soon, I felt her breath against my lips, her scent traveled up my nostrils, and I was at the mercy of her self-control.

I pulled her face into mine, our lips connected and sparks of electricity surged between us. She released a heavy sigh against my lips, and my hand snaked up the side of her head to the back of her neck. As I held her close, she slowly parted her lips and ran her tongue along the bottom of my lip. I released a low growl, rolling over on top of her. She looked up at me with the most innocent eyes, and something occurred to me: she wasn't ready for this yet.

She needs to know what she's in for if we do this, it isn't just s*x. It solidifies our bond, the mating process, and afterward I'll be able to feel her emotions. She might even be able to sense mine to some degree, even though she's human, we have a strong connection. It wouldn't be fair to her, she has to be aware of everything before she agrees to anything.

"I'm sorry," I breathlessly whispered, "I lost control."

"It's okay... I did too." She nodded, slowly pulling away from me.

"It's not that I don't want this, I definitely do." I chuckled, but she didn't respond. "It's more than just s*x with werewolves, Stella. When we have s*x, I'll mark you on the side of your neck, a sign that you're my mate. After that, we'll have a bond, a bond that allows us to feel each other's emotions. I want to make sure you're ready for that."

"Oh..." She whispered, thinking about what I had just said.

"I promise, I'll try to do better from here on out until you've made a decision. I won't pressure you, either, the decision is completely up to you." I added, hoping I didn't make her uncomfortable.

"Thank you." She said, biting her bottom lip, and slowly pulling out of my arms.

I sighed to myself, already missing her touch. She remained facing me, laying her head against her pillow. We stayed that way until she fell asleep, which didn't take too long. Once she was asleep, I left to find my own room. I couldn't risk sleeping next to her yet, not until I could reason with my desires.

I have to be capable of controlling myself around her, until she makes a decision. In order to do that, I have to train myself. I'll need to stay away from her for a short while, but still remain close. I can't take my eyes off of her for even a second, without my heart racing. I worry about her, constantly, and I know that once the bond is complete, I'll feel much better. That is, if she accepts the bond. She's accepted me, that's the first step, but the second is the hardest.