I still dug in the bag when Clay walked in without knocking. He didn’t walk past the threshold, though. Concern filled his expression when I looked up. I lifted my hand from the bag and let the bikini I’d found dangle from one finger.
“Really, Clay? You’re killing me. Where are my jeans?”
His lips twitched with a smile as he leaned against the frame, content to watch me dig through the bag some more.
Despite my playful greeting, I felt winded and dizzy again. Shocking both of those girls took more out of me than I’d anticipated. I’d expected to feel much better by now, like I had the last time. The shocks hadn’t seemed as strong as Nicole’s had, but perhaps, because it had split between the two of them, it drained me more.
At least my head didn’t hurt. I took a break from my search to look up at the fading bruises on Clay’s face. He still wore his hair back. I loved seeing his face.
He must have seen something in my gaze because he pushed away from the door and moved closer. He stopped in front of me, and without breaking eye contact, reached into my bag and pulled out a pair of jeans. He held them out to me and tapped his lips.
I smiled widely. “A kiss for the jeans?”
He nodded. I grabbed the jeans from his loose grasp and tossed them on the bed.
He watched me, curious, as I stood and placed my hands on his chest for balance.
“I don’t need bribes to kiss you, Clay. Come here.”
His lips covered mine in a move so fast, my head spun even more. I clutched his shirt in my fists, not sure if it was his kiss or my condition that caused the current wave of dizziness. His arms circled around me. I felt safe. And so desired. I pressed myself closer, and he increased the pressure on my lips. His warm breath fanned my face. One of his hands roamed up to curve around the back of my neck.
My heart skipped a beat, and my breathing became more erratic. I knew he’d hear but I didn’t care. Standing on my tiptoes, I loosened my hold on his shirt and slid my hands up and around his neck. I didn’t want him to let go just yet.
Tentatively, I opened my mouth and ran my tongue across his bottom lip. He growled, and his hold tightened fractionally. A thrill shot through me, heating my limbs and tickling my stomach. I used my tongue again. His mouth opened in response. He took control of the kiss and turned it from tender-sweet to passionately melting. Our tongues touched. I stopped breathing. My world tilted then steadied. He anchored me. How could I doubt this? Us?
My lungs burned for air, and he gently pulled away even though I whined in protest. He kissed my cheek, then my forehead.
It took a minute for the world to right itself again while I caught my breath. Clay placed his chin on my head and held me tight. My head rested on his chest over his thundering heart. The kiss had affected him as much as it had me. It made me smile because now I knew without a doubt; I attracted him, not my strange pull.
I heard the apartment door open and figured it was Sam. With regret, I pulled back, and Clay let me go. I looked up at Clay.
“Can you come with me for this, or will that cause more problems?”
“It would be best if he stayed away, Gabby,” Sam answered from the doorway behind Clay.
I moved around Clay to look at Sam. “I didn’t ask what was best. Best went out the window years ago, Sam, when ‘making do’ moved in. Is he allowed?”
Sam flinched when I repeated his words then ran his hand over his face. The move muffled his sigh.
“It’s allowed. He’s unMated, but he’s considered rejected. He’ll be challenged by everyone for his place in the Introduction order.”
I made a noncommittal noise and looked at Clay. “Do you want to be there?”
He nodded sharply.
“All right then. Sam, please head over and get things ready. Clay will walk me there. Clay, I just need to change then I’m ready.”
Both men stared at me as if I’d grown horns. I knew I looked like hell. I was probably still pale and definitely had a worse tangled mass of hair than I had that morning. But, it didn’t matter. Sam wanted an Introduction, and I wanted peace for Clay. I arched a brow at both of them.
Sam grumbled to himself as he left. Clay followed and closed the door softly behind him, leaving me to dress. I smoothed down my hair, not really caring, and changed into a shirt and jeans. My legs shook by the time I finished, and I had to sit on the bed for a minute.
I took a fortifying breath, stood, and made my way out to the living room. Clay waited for me by the kitchenette. He had a glass of orange juice ready for me. He knew me well. I smiled my thanks and gulped it down. It felt good and gave me a tiny energy boost.
“I need just a minute in the bathroom. Can you find my shoes for me?” I held the wall as I made my way there and leaned on the sink while I brushed my teeth. As I brushed, I dwelled on the fact that Sam had kicked Clay out of my room. If it weren’t for the long drive, I’d insist we leave right after the Introduction. But I knew Clay needed sleep soon, too. I wondered what Sam would do when I insisted that Clay sleep next to me later. He was warm and comforting, and I needed both desperately.
Clay stood right outside the door when I opened it. My slippers waited on the floor by his feet.
“Where are my shoes?”
He shrugged and pointed to the slippers. Hey, he’d packed for me and remembered the jeans. He’d even packed underclothes and a toothbrush. If he forgot the shoes, I really had no complaint. I stepped into the slippers then squeaked when my world spun, and I suddenly found myself in his arms.
“I can walk, Clay.”
He shook his head and carried me to the door. There, he repositioned me to one arm and opened the door while I clung tightly to his neck. I rather liked the feeling. With an arm wrapped around him, I leaned my head against his shoulder and ran my fingers through his hair.
The few people in the hallways stopped and stared as we passed. At the intersection of halls, which led to the Introduction room, I stopped Clay.
“No, go outside and around back. I won’t go in that room ever again.” As childish as it might be, I wanted something about the impending Introduction to be on my own terms.
He grunted in acknowledgment. But, instead of turning to go out the nearby back door, he backtracked to the main entrance. He set me on my feet, snagged a spare jacket from one of the hooks, and carefully buttoned me in. I studied his face as he concentrated on each snap. Always thinking of me. When he finished, he scooped me back into his arms. I didn’t protest.
Bundled warmly in a thick coat, I didn’t cringe when he carried me out into the cold. The sky was dark, and the yard light didn’t reach very far. Clay carried me toward the back of the building. I couldn’t hear the werewolves as we approached, but saw their sparks briefly before a sharp pain not so gently reminded me not to look. I guessed close to seventy-five waited out there. It meant some of them had returned.
“Put me down, Clay,” I said before we rounded the corner of the building. “I’ll walk now.” I didn’t want to give the waiting unMated any reason to believe this wasn’t a fair Introduction, even though it really wasn’t. I still felt the pull for Clay.
Clay hesitated. It’d be safer for both of us if I stayed in his arms. He wouldn’t fight, and I wouldn’t fall. Yet, despite my anger over another forced Introduction, I truly felt sorry for the men who waited. The Introduction was just a false hope. One I couldn’t take away from them.
“It’ll be okay Clay. There are a lot of fast people here. I won’t fall on my face.” I spoke normally so everyone could hear. I really didn’t want to fall on my face.
As soon as he set me on my feet, I walked around the corner with my shoulders back and head held high, determined to look strong. The slippers probably ruined the image, but I pretended otherwise.