Hunter Claimed (Dark Wolf Enterprises Book 3)

by A. M. Griffin

  How dare she talk about my family like that?

  She crossed the distance between them with a speed that she didn’t know she had. She gripped Clarissa’s throat and lifted her off the floor. Clarissa wrapped her legs around Ash’s waist and her powerful thighs squeezed her, crunching the bones in Ash’s back.

  But even as the bones crushed, they healed just as quickly.

  She released Clarissa’s neck and pushed her into the wall. Clarissa’s back went through the drywall, crumbling it around her. With a feral look, Clarissa punched Ash in the side of her face and her bones cracked under the assault. The molecules worked fast to repair themselves. She pulled Clarissa from around her body and heaved her across the room. Clarissa screamed as she soared onto the other wall. This time, instead of making a hole in the drywall, Clarissa’s body embedded in it. Ash could see into the other room.

  She was just about to run over to her, to kick Clarissa through to the other side when she heard it. The fast beating of a drum.

  No. A heartbeat.

  Heavy breathing. The rush of air going into and out of lungs.

  Sweat. She could hear it coming out of pores and slipping down skin.

  She inhaled a deep breath for the first time and groaned. Ah, it smells so good.

  What was that most delectable smell?

  Her mouth watered. The pain inside her grew even more. Her mind clouded and jumbled with the only clear thought coming through to her brain—hunger. She was so hungry.

  Clarissa laughed, but she was inconsequential. Ash looked toward the door, where just beyond was the cause of everything she was feeling.

  The door opened and Ash went straight toward the source. A girl. She ran straight into Clarissa who’d beat her there. She tried to push Clarissa out of her way—she needed to feed. She was so very hungry, but Clarissa didn’t budge. She giggled as Ash struggled to move her.

  “’I’m not going to harm anyone,’” Clarissa mocked. “I thought you would feel differently when your dinner arrived.”

  “I’m so hungry,” she said, begging more than anything.

  The girl stared at Ash with wide eyes. “You…you promised that you wouldn’t let her kill me,” the girl whined.

  Clarissa ignored the girl. “Of course you are. But if I feed you then what do I get in return?”

  “Anything. Please, Clarissa. I need to feed.” This time it really sounded like begging. She would’ve dropped to her knees and licked Clarissa’s boots if she would only ask. She wanted that girl. She wanted to end the hunger growing like a festering weed inside her.

  The girl whimpered and she wanted her even more. She could practically see the blood pumping through her body. She wanted it. All of it.

  “Sure, you say that now, but how do I know that you’ll feel this way once you’ve drunk your fill?”

  “I promise. I’ll do anything that you ask. Please,” she whined.

  “I’ll give you one little taste now and you’ll receive more later, depending on how your attitude changes.”

  “I’ll act better,” she promised. Any misgivings that she’d had before were now gone. The Pack bonds no longer held her attention. Her mind was on one thing. Blood.

  The triumphant smile that had been on Clarissa’s face fell. “Adir.”

  Ash knew the name, but she didn’t care who had come to visit. She had eyes for one thing only.

  “Clarissa,” a deep voice said. “Is this how you train your fledglings?”

  “Adir,” Clarissa said again. “I-I was coming to an agreement with Asha. I had some…difficulties with her turning.”

  Ash couldn’t take her eyes away from the girl, but a small part of her willed her to focus on Adir. She had always respected the head of the Vampire House. He’d always been nice and generous when he’d had no need to be. He wasn’t happy—at all. He glared at Clarissa and, for the first time since Ash had known Clarissa, she cowered.

  “Of course you did, especially when she was turned against her will. Andras told me everything.”

  “Asha,” another deep voice said. But this one was unlike the other, this voice was more demanding. But even still, she turned her attention back to the girl with the sweet blood coursing through her veins.

  “Asha,” the voice said again. This time the pull was stronger. She turned toward the voice. She recognized the man—Wolf-Shifter—Andras. Who was he to her?

  I’m your Alpha.

  The voice was loud and commanding in her head, overriding her blood lust.

  “Andras?” Ash whispered.

  Another man pushed forward. Hunter. She remembered him immediately. Her proud and protective mate. He looked at her, shock written across his face.

  Suddenly, she wasn’t so hungry anymore. She was embarrassed and ashamed.

  “Hunter. I’m so sorry.” Her teeth made her voice distorted. She put a hand over her mouth, shielding her teeth from him.

  Clarissa was right. She was a monster. Hunter wouldn’t love her anymore.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  When he’d first entered through the door he’d seen Ash groveling to Clarissa, trying to get the young woman who huddled behind her. Ash had seemed feral, like a wild animal. Unrecognizable sounds had come from her throat. But now her blood-red eyes were focused on him.

  The woman before him wasn’t the Ash that he knew, but his heart sang out to her just the same.

  Her color was vibrant and flawless. The small imperfections that had been on her face before, a pimple here and there, were gone, leaving clear and perfect skin. Although her eyes were the typical red of Vampires, they were framed in dark, lush lashes that were thick and reminded him of butterfly wings. Her cheekbones were well-defined and her lips were plump and full—kissable. Her hair was longer, fuller and shinier, falling in big waves down her back. She was beautiful. And she was his.

  His wolf pressed against the barrier, wanting to get closer to her. His wolf, who would’ve normally been wary around this many Vampires, focused on only Ash, feeling love and companionship.

  “Ash, love.” Hunter tried to maneuver around Andras but, with strong hands, his Alpha held him back.

  “She’s not human anymore,” Andras whispered cautiously to him.

  “I don’t care,” Hunter responded. To him, it wouldn’t have mattered if Ash was a Troll. She was his and she needed him.

  “You’ll care if she rips you apart and drinks you dry,” Adir noted.

  His Ash wouldn’t hurt him. He knew this and felt it with all of his heart. Their mating bonds were stronger than ever.

  She watched him with more clarity now. “Hunter.” She tried to hide the pointy canines that were too long to fit into her delicate mouth. “Don’t look at me. I’m a monster.”

  “Monster?” He shook his head. She was ashamed and scared. He wanted to cry for her. “Never,” he whispered. “You’re my mate, my love. We’re bonded for life.”

  “But…” She glanced down, her gaze sweeping over her body. “I’m a Vampire.”

  He saw only beauty before him. “You’re my Vampire. Can’t you feel our bond?”

  She nodded. “I’m so sorry about this. I told Clarissa that I didn’t want to become a Vampire anymore, but she…she turned me anyway. I know you don’t like—”

  “Shh, I don’t want to hear any more about it. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

  She reached out for him. Andras pulled him back and Lajos inhaled a sharp breath. She glanced at the others then to the floor, dropping her hand to her side. “I’m so hungry,” she whispered.

  “Take from me,” Hunter said.

  “Hunter,” Andras warned. “She’s a new Vampire. She doesn’t know how to control herself yet.”

  “Andras is right,” Adir said. “She’ll drain you dry. It’s best for Clarissa to feed first then let Ash feed from her. It’s the safest way.”

  Never. He would never see his mate dependent on anyone else, especially Clarissa. “No,” Hunter said, his voice rising abo
ve the others. “She’s my mate. She feeds from me and only me.” Hunter pushed Andras, forcing himself around the Alpha. “Do you understand that, Ash?”

  Ash took a deep breath and her body shuddered. Hunter made slow steps toward her. Andras grabbed his arm, but Hunter shrugged him off.

  “I’m here for you, Ash.”

  She turned her head from him. “Not while they watch,” she whispered. “I don’t want Andras, Kristof and Lajos to see me like this.”

  Hunter looked at the others from over his shoulder. “Leave us,” he demanded. He wouldn’t let them judge his mate. She was vulnerable and it was his duty to protect her.

  “No way,” Lajos said. “If this is going down, we’ll be here to help pull her off if needed.”

  Ash whimpered and turned her back to them.

  “I’ll stay,” Adir said. “You can trust me. I won’t let any harm come to either of them. The first feeding is delicate and a fledging should be taught how to correctly feed from a donor without harming him or her.” He glanced at Clarissa, who shrunk away from his piercing eyes. “Every Vampire who sires knows this.”

  “I trust you,” Andras finally said.

  “But—” Kristof started.

  Andras put up a hand, stopping him. “She can’t survive without feeding, and denying it will only make her slip further into blood lust. We’ll be just beyond the door in case we’re needed.”

  “I’ll stay as well,” Clarissa said. “After all, she is my protégé.”

  “She stopped being yours when the Wolf-Shifter bonded with her,” Adir said, his voice exerting power. “Leave us. I will deal with you later.”

  Clarissa opened her mouth as if she would argue but, on another thought, closed it. She was out of the door, taking the human girl with her so quickly that Hunter barely made out her movements.

  “I’ll be fine,” Hunter said to Andras, Kristof and Lajos.

  Andras nodded and all three brothers left the room, shutting the door quietly behind them.

  “It’s best to do this where it’s most comfortable.” Adir led Ash to the bed where she sat down and Hunter slipped to sit by her side. He gave his wrist to Ash willingly. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  “Ash, I’m giving my life source to you. You will receive it knowing that I do this of my own free will and out of love. Do you accept my love?”

  She looked up at him. He immediately recognized the Ash he loved behind the red eyes. Tears were close to the surface. “I do,” she whispered.

  There was a slight pain as her teeth broke through his skin, but the pain ended there. She drank, not hungrily, but savoring each drop. When she’d had enough she sealed his vein with a lick of her tongue and pulled away.

  “Is that it?” she asked. “I thought I would lose control or take too much.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it. You drink as though you’re hundreds of years old. No fledging should have the control that you have,” Adir noted with a slight frown.

  Ash’s teeth receded, her mouth returned to normal. She held Hunter’s hands and stared deeply into his eyes. “I felt our bond. It was stronger than ever. I felt different. I felt calm.”

  “That’s how it was with me, too,” Hunter said. “I was calm and relaxed.”

  “Maybe it was your bond. We haven’t had many Shifter-Vampire matings. I’ll have to find out more about what this means for both of you.”

  “What happens now?” Ash asked. “Clarissa—”

  “Is no longer your concern,” Adir told her. “She not only turned you against your will, but she turned you knowing that she no longer had a claim on you.”

  Ash frowned and glanced from Hunter to Adir. “I don’t understand.”

  “When we mated, she should’ve left you alone and in my care. You are Pack now,” Hunter said.

  “But I’m Vampire. How can I be part of your Pack?”

  The door opened and Andras walked in. “Don’t worry, Asha. We’ll figure out the logistics. We’ve grown to accommodate two humans—I think we can open our arms to a Vampire as well.”

  Ash blinked back tears. “Is he right, Hunter? I’m still Pack?”

  Hunter gathered her into his arms where she molded against his body. His wolf purred at feeling her against him once again. “You’re Pack, my love.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It’d been two weeks since they had returned from New York and two weeks since she’d been free of Clarissa.

  And she had Adir to thank for that, otherwise Clarissa wouldn’t have let her go so easily. She also had the new house, thanks to Adir, too. As compensation for turning her against her will, Clarissa had made her a millionaire. And, for harming a Pack member, Clarissa had also compensated the Pack as a whole.

  The Pack wasn’t hurting for money, now that the embezzlement had stopped, but the extra money that Clarissa had given them was more than enough to expand the search for Erzsebet. She still hadn’t shown up at any other Packs, but there had been a sighting in Northern Canada and Andras and Hunter worked hard to get more leads on her whereabouts.

  Hunter was convinced that if he could just talk to her, he would be able to convince her to come home. He thought that if she knew what the Vampire had done to her hadn’t been her fault at all, that she would forgive herself. Adir had found out that the Vampire who’d preyed on Erzsebet had been one of the two that had escaped from the rogue Vampire group that had attacked and killed their parents. The Vampires had wanted to get back at Andras and his dad for virtually wiping out their clan. Adir, with Andras’ help, searched for the last one, to bring the Vampire to justice.

  “Hm.” Ash leaned on one leg and tapped a finger to the side of her mouth.

  The other Vampires she’d known wouldn’t have stood as she did or even fidgeted. They stood stone still.

  Luckily for her, being human was still ingrained in her. She breathed because she thought she had to and shifted in her seat out of habit. She also groaned, grunted, laughed and talked under her breath, and even had phantom itches on her palms when she knew she couldn’t be feeling any sure thing. And when she thought that she was acting too Vampire, she did something human for Hunter’s sake. He knew what she was doing, because obviously Vampires didn’t need to cough or sneeze and also didn’t need a shoulder rub and back scratches, but he didn’t comment about any of it and obliged her with a smile when needed.

  “I don’t know. It really doesn’t look good over there.” She mulled over the placement of the new sectional that had been delivered while she’d slept.

  “Babe, I’ve moved this couch to just about every corner of the den. I’m tired. It stays here for now until you make up your mind.” Hunter pulled away and twisted from side to side, seeming to relieve the sore muscles in his back. He hadn’t been lying. For the past hour, she’d made him move the couch, recliner and coffee table around the room of their new house.

  “I just want it to look perfect,” she said.

  “Why does it have to be perfect? It’s just furniture. Put it where it makes sense and where we can get a good view of the television and we’ll call it a day…er, night.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that simple. I want people to be comfortable when they come over.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “If they come over.”

  He walked over to her and rubbed her arms. “Is that what has you worried, love?”

  “No one has come to visit,” she whispered. “They’re all afraid of me.”

  “Honey, it’s not that at all. Andras is making everyone stay away to allow us time to get to know each other. It’s a honeymoon of sorts.”

  “That’s just something you’re telling me to make me feel better.” She pouted. “I know everyone is staying away from the ‘blood-sucker’ Pack member.” She bared her small fangs.

  He chuckled. “You’re family.”

  “Not by choice. I’m bound to them because your wolf decided to imprint on me. They didn’t choose to saddle themselves with a Vampire. H
ell, for that matter, you didn’t choose to, either.”

  “You’re right.”

  She inhaled a sharply.

  “Kristof didn’t plan on imprinting on Trudy and Lajos hadn’t planned on imprinting on Meisha,” he continued. Then he shrugged. “But that’s the way of it.”

  “It still doesn’t make it right. To have something as big as bonding for life be left up to a feeling. You should be allowed to choose who you tie yourself to.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “If I had a choice, it would’ve still been you.”

  “You’re just saying that because you want to get lucky tonight.”

  “And tomorrow night, and the next and the next.” She punched him in his stomach. “Oomph!”

  “You have to work on your flattery.” She tilted her head to the side. “Someone is coming up the driveway.”

  He pulled away from her and rubbed his stomach. “I’ll see who it is while you figure out where you want that couch. I want to grab a second plate of steak and potatoes anyway.”

  She watched Hunter leave the room and shook her head. It was a good thing that she had the stamina of a Vampire—had she still been a human he would’ve worn her completely out.

  She’d been getting to know the man and the wolf and found she adored them both.

  She belonged to someone else, and someone belonged to her. It was a triad, much stronger than a single connection. They talked to each other without saying words. She knew how he was feeling and he, her. They made love for hours on end and afterward stayed wrapped in each other’s arms. At night, his wolf stretched his legs by running for miles and, thanks to her new abilities, she had no trouble keeping up with him. Wild and free, they were like teenagers loving life and loving each other.

  She heard Hunter open the door and close it behind him as he went outside. Her hearing was beyond good, but she didn’t want to eavesdrop on his conversation. Andras, Kristof and Lajos came by often to check up on them, but they had never come inside. She didn’t know if it was because of what Hunter had said, or if they were afraid that she would suddenly attack them.