Page 63 of An Unending Claim
I laughed, but the ringing of the doorbell reminded me that someone, likely the “stranger,” was waiting for us.
“Let’s get this over with,” I grunted as I led her into the house, then I pointed at her favorite chair. “Wait over there.”
Peyton’s eyes narrowed to slits and she let go of my hand to cross her arms over her chest.
At times like these, when I was so easily distracted by her generous breasts despite the possible danger at my door, I fervently hoped I’d have more control after we’d completed the mating ritual.
“Stop looking at me like that, Nate,” she growled as her skin flushed. Her gaze was locked so steadily on my face that I knew she was forcing herself to keep her eyes from roaming. “And don’t order me around, dog.”
I inhaled, then mentally cursed when her honey and clove scent filled my lungs, arousing me and my wolf even more.Fucking hell.Lifting my eyes to the ceiling, I found my focus.
Finally feeling more in control, I looked at her again. “Baby, when it comes to the safety of you and our pup, I don’t fuck around. That will never change. So, yeah, I’m not asking. I’m telling. Get your ass in the living room while I vet this guy.”
“Didn’t Jude—?”
I held up a hand to silence her and my voice was hard when I replied, “I don’t care if this guy comes with Jude and Sapphire’s stamp of approval.Idon’t know him and I won’t let him near my family until I’m convinced he’s not a threat.” My wolf bared his teeth, angered by the idea of Peyton in harm’s way.
Peyton huffed and opened her mouth, but stopped when I pointed my finger at her.
“And don’t pretend you weren’t thinking the same thing before I said it out loud.”
Her mouth snapped shut and she glared at me. We both knew I’d won because she couldn’t refute the truth. There was no way she would have endangered our pup by confronting a stranger whom we both knew had to be deadly, or he wouldn’t work for Jude.
“Fine,” she snapped before spinning around and stalking across the room to plop down in her recliner.
Satisfied, I walked through the kitchen and into the entryway of the cabin. Even before I reached the door, I recognized his animal, and I wasn’t sure what to think about the fact that there was a black panther—a jaguar—standing on my porch. I keyed in the code to disarm the security and opened the door.
An older man stood on the doorstep, early sixties, if I had to guess, with short, black hair peppered with gray and green eyes that flashed gold when his panther briefly neared the surface. He looked vaguely familiar, yet I knew we’d never met.
My wolf didn’t like strangers, but this one seemed to set his teeth particularly on edge.
“Alpha.”
I glanced behind the man when I heard Asher’s voice. He was approaching the cabin with Ephraim, Tanner, and Allison, all of them looking at the stranger warily.
“Thought we’d stop by and check on Peyton,” Asher said.
When Asher said my mate’s name, the man seemed to become more alert, though he tried to hide his reaction. I stared him down, but to my begrudging respect, he didn’t back off.
“Why the interest in my mate?” I growled.
“I have information about Xavier Castile and Bane Holmes,” he said in a voice with the barest hint of a French accent.
My brow shot up at his announcement and I almost missed the fact that he hadn’t actually answered my question.
A finger poked me in the shoulder, but I ignored it and continued to block the doorway with my body.
“Nathan King, if you don’t move and let the man in, I will kick your ass,” Peyton said. “He might know something we’ve overlooked that could help us end this whole clusterfuck once and for all.”
She was right, but I didn’t budge. I shot a glare at my enforcers, who’d snickered when Peyton threatened me, even Ephraim. My wolf growled and pushed against my skin, anxious to be set free so he could guard our mate himself.
“Ouch! Fucking hell, Peyton!” I shouted, distracted from my animal when the next poke came from a very sharp claw that sank into my flesh.
“The next one will hurt a fuck of a lot more if you don’t move your giant body, dog,” she snapped.
The stranger seemed quite amused by my interaction with Peyton, which wasn’t a mark in his favor.
A second later, Peyton’s fingers threaded through my hair and her voice was soft when she said, “Please.”