Chapter 43

Rachel

Sam and Megan, Jennifer and Jonathan, Sam’s parents, Austin, Sarah, Cade, Raven, Rev, and George Carmichael were invited to our Claiming. It was a rushed affair, quickly making calls and getting everyone to the clearing just beyond Sam and Megan’s cabin, but everyone was assembled just as the sun set the tops of the trees on fire as it slowly sank behind them.

Wolf was anxious—in a good way for the moment. This was the pinnacle of romance in the werewolf world. Megan nudged me from the side. We stood just inside the tree line, both in fur, waiting. I rubbed my head against her shoulder in a wolfy hug. We watched as the invited wolves filtered into the clearing and took seats on their haunches in a semi-circle. Jennifer helped Grandpa into the clearing and onto a stump where he settled himself with a smile on his weathered face, his hands clasped lightly on top of his cane.

Then Kyp came out of his side of the clearing. The last rays of the sun caught on his black fur and made the reddish ends fairly glow. My heart lurched. I was completely in love with him. He stood proudly, chest out, head erect, looking every inch the Alpha in the middle of the semi-circle of our friends. Then it was my turn.

I stepped out of the trees, Megan just behind me. I came to stand before Kyp as Megan melted into the semi-circle next to Sam.

Kyp found my eyes, his chocolatey ones smiling down. Gently he touched his nose to mine in a sweet sign of affection. Pulling back, his wolf eyes searched my face once more. My face was stretched into the wolf equivalent of a smile.

Slowly and carefully, he opened his mouth and gently bit down over my muzzle. Happiness zinged through me as Wolf’s tail wagged furiously. We were Claimed. We were bound to Kyp now. As more than just a pack mate. As more than a girl he’d changed. We were his. He stepped back and I repeated the gesture, taking care that my canines didn’t come down too hard on his sensitive snout. A shiver of pleasure ran down my limbs as I paced back. Claiming was the ultimate show of belonging together. We were married in the eyes of the packs. The only thing more we could do was complete our mate bond. And we’d do that as soon as Victor was dealt with and my parents came to terms with our getting properly and humanly married.

A chorus of howls rose around us from our friends and Jennifer and Grandpa clapped. I nudged his cheek with my nose and then we howled, too.

****

As darkness stole over the land, Kyp and I stood inside the copse of trees again, just the two of us. I clutched my robe tighter around me, dread mixing with my earlier euphoria. Kyp was leaving…to infiltrate the enemy. Wolf whined inside me.

“I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again.” His fingers tucked an errant curl behind my ear.

“Will it be safe to use our link?”

“I hope so. I hope it will still work. It should be stronger now, too, since we’re Claimed.” His hands framed my face. “I love you.”

“I love you back.”

He kissed me once more on the forehead and then he disappeared into the trees.