\u00a0<\/p>\n
<The Claiming Begins\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Claiming Begins\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can run, you can scream, but at the end of the day, you\u2019re still ours. So, fight all you want, My\u00a0<\/p>\n
Love\u2026 we like a challenge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
-Rory Caine\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took Rhea from Rory\u2019s arms the moment Lila and Theo walked by the corner. His jaw tensed, but\u00a0<\/p>\n
he didn\u2019t argue. He knew why.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was too soft, too fragile at this moment, her breath shallow against my chest as she curled\u00a0<\/p>\n
into me, completely unaware of the storm she had just walked into. We couldn\u2019t risk her waking up\u00a0<\/p>\n
to that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t stupid. Ivy, Cassandra, and Aria weren\u2019t just going to leave without making a goddamn\u00a0<\/p>\n
scene. The last thing our mate needed was to open her eyes and see them clawing for us, well,\u00a0<\/p>\n
them, acting like they had any kind of claim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTake care of it,\u201d I ordered, my tone leaving no room for debate. \u201cBefore she wakes up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth smirked, rolling his shoulders as if he\u2019d been waiting for this. Rory cracked his knuckles, the\u00a0<\/p>\n
usual amusement on his face replaced with something deadly. Even Jaxon, who barely\u00a0<\/p>\n
acknowledged his hookups outside of what they could offer in the moment, looked ready to drag\u00a0<\/p>\n
them out by their throats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let them cry about it,\u201d I added, adjusting Rhea\u2019s weight in my arms. \u201cI don\u2019t want a f*****g\u00a0<\/p>\n
mess when she wakes up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon scoffed. \u201cThey\u2019ll cry, but they\u2019ll be gone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, I turned on my heel and took her upstairs away from all of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I stepped into my room, I felt something inside me settle. This was right. This was where she belonged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laid her down carefully on my bed, pulling the blanket over her small frame. Her silver hair fanned out against the dark sheets, and my fingers itched to trace over every inch of her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was ours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The dress she wore clung to her like a second skin, showing off every perfect curve, every dip and rise of her body. It made something primal inside me tighten, but I forced it down. I couldn\u2019t think like that. Not when she was passed out from alcohol, completely vulnerable in my bed. I bent down, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, my fingers tingling from the contact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She smelled too good. Like tuberose and roses, del cate and intoxicating, a scent I needed in my\u00a0<\/p>\n
<The Claiming Begins\u00a0<\/p>\n
lungs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kissed her forehead softly, closing my eyes for just a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re perfect.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And she had no idea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
With a reluctant breath, I straightened and stepped back. She needed to rest. We had time. She\u00a0<\/p>\n
was ours now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But first, I had a few things to handle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see what the big f*****g deal is,\u201d Aria huffed crossing her arms. \u201cShe\u2019s just some random\u00a0<\/p>\n
she-wolf-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon growled, a sound so lethal that it had Cassandra and Ivy shrinking back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s our mate,\u201d Rory said, his voice cold, his gray eyes sharp as a blade. \u201cNot random. Not temporary. Ours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aria scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. \u201cOh please. She doesn\u2019t even know you. Do you think she\u2019s just going to fall into your arms? The whole f*****g pack knows how you guys\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShut the f**k up, Aria,\u201d I cut in, my patience snapping. \u201cSeriously.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She flinched at the sharp edge of my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t in the mood for this s**t. I had a mate upstairs, lying in Callum\u2019s bed while I was stuck here, dealing with this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassandra lifted her chin, her lips curling in disgust. \u201cWhat makes you think she\u2019ll want you? You\u2019re\u00a0<\/p>\n
a pack of f*****g man-whores.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory chuckled darkly. \u201cAnd yet you still wanted us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassandra froze, her mouth snapping shut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ivy let out a small, broken sound, her eyes brimming with tears as she turned to me. \u201cSeth\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw, hating the way her voice shook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I reached for her, pulling her into a hug because out of the three of them, Ivy was the only one who\u00a0<\/p>\n
had ever been realwith me. Even if she was a pain in the ass.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I muttered, pressing a quick kiss to her hair before stepping back. \u201cBut she\u2019s ours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She sniffed. \u201cYou could\u2019ve told me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know until tonight. If we had, we wouldn\u2019t have-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Claiming Begins\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Callum\u2019s voice cut through the room, calm but laced with dominance. The three women turned to him, their expressions shifting from anger to unease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are your Alphas,\u201d he said, his voice measured, firm. \u201cAnd their decision has been made. You\u00a0<\/p>\n
will respect it. Now leave.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ivy hesitated, swallowing hard, but even she knew it was over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aria and Cassandra stormed out, pissed, but they knew better than to push Callum. The moment the door shut behind them, the tension snapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally,\u201d Rory muttered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon exhaled sharply. \u201cLet\u2019s get back to her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jaxon\u2019s POV:\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was waking up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt it before I even reached the stairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her scent-tuberose and roses, thick and heavy in the air-made my wolf snarl with need. We reached Callum\u2019s door just in time to hear her voice small and afraid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLila!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The f*****g panic in her tone sent something sharp through my chest. We burst through the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And there she was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Standing in the middle of the room, her silver hair was a wild mess, and her blue eyes were glassy and unfocused. She was terrified.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even think.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We moved at the same time, surrounding her, cutting off any chance of escape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed against her back, my hands locking onto her hips, while Rory and Seth took her sides. Callum cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek, his expression soft, but this control\u00a0<\/p>\n
was razor-thin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re ours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Horrible start, but f**k, I wouldnt have frayed better myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I buried my nose in her hair, inhaling her scent, my fingers tightening on her bare skin. She trembled, her body responding instinctively, even if her mind hadn\u2019t caught up yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let my lips graze the curve of her neck, just above her marking spot, and she shuddered against\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u104b\u00a0<\/p>\n
<The Claiming Begins\u00a0<\/p>\n
f**k.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She felt it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But then, she jerked away, her voice cracking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears, her hands trembling at her sides.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw, my wolf snarling in protest, but we couldn\u2019t ignore her plea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re our mate,\u201d Callum said, his voice calm, steady. \u201cYou feel it, don\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shook her head, stepping back until she hit the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lila and Theo stood in the doorway, but I barely registered them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her next words were all that mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t feel anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fists clenched. It was a lie. But even knowing that, the sting of it hit like a punch to the ribs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Claim\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rory recovered first, his lips grazing her temple as He whispered, \u201cWe\u2019ve waited five years for you. You\u2019re not getting rid of us that easily.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seth growled low, his gray eyes burning into her. \u201cYou\u2019re ours, Luna. And we\u2019ll protect you. From everyone. Even yourself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She swallowed hard, her pulse hammering against her throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She could fight it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She could lie to herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she was already ours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shadows Of Passing Time \u2013 Carter Hughes 106 \u00a0 <The Claiming Begins\u00a0 The Claiming Begins\u00a0 \u201cYou can run, you can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-melting-the-ice-princess-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29747\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}