Page 55 of Clawless

Principal Bregman was guarding the door, a gray and brown wolf with blood on his muzzle. He stood back as we thundered past, and I headed over to the elevator. As much as I wanted to tear up the stairs in my wolf form, I knew this was the quickest way. We piled in, all disheveled from our shift and grimy with blood and dirt. The sudden silence, broken only by our heaving breaths, was eerie and I clenched my fists against a wave of unease. “She’s up here,” I told my lieutenants. “We don’t know why, or in what state. If they have her, if she’s a hostage, I will lay them flat and get her out. You clean it up.”

They nodded, but Felix pulled a face in the mirrored doors. Reed caught it and eyeballed them both. “I was responsible for Hunter Moon, not Vail. You can take it out on my hide once she’s safe.”

Even though there was no scent of a lie to his claim, my lieutenants exchanged a dubious look. I thumped their shoulders. “She was drugged by someone else. We’ll sort it out, but know that we all fucked up. And we all owe her.”

The doors opened on the alpha floor and I felt Baron and Felix shift behind me. We were at Reed’s room in a flash, but a scent teased from another direction and my head drifted to the left. I flicked a hand towards the next door over, right as Callum opened it and looked out. He didn’t say anything. Just took a step back and waved us through.

My wolf’s hackles began vibrating as we approached his bedroom door. Vail was sitting on the edge of Callum’s bed, her hands in her lap and her chin tilted to the floor. No light in her face. No pain. She looked blank. Wooden. But when she saw us, she flinched. To my surprise, Callum crossed the room and sat beside her. Shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. A grin from ear to ear.

And it was unlike any smile I’d ever seen on his face.

Reed, on the other hand, made a low whining sound in his throat. “Jay. Her wrist.”

My wolves went still around me, but the sight of the claiming mark sent a shudder down my spine. I must have lurched towards her, because she pulled her arm out of reach, covering the mark almost protectively. And when Callum reached for her hand, she didn’t fight him. In fact, she threaded her fingers through his until the knuckles glowed white.

“Clan Alpha, Alphason Reed. Callum Sawyer has claimed me as his mate,” she said, her voice hollow, but also without a hint of a lie. “With your blessing, I’m now the Luna-in-Waiting of the Sawyer Pack.”

TO BE CONTINUED…