Claimed By Wolves

What’s a girl to do when she’s stuck alone in a hotel suite?

Raid the mini bar?

Watch a movie or two?

Eat as much candy as she can from the mini bar?

Or even call room service?

I’d never had a phone in my room before. We had one in the diner and the house, but one all to myself felt like a luxury. I didn’t realize how out of touch, I’d been with everything. My finger traced the silver vermeil on my wrist with so many different colors from blue topaz to orange sapphire. I didn’t have jewelry any more, so it felt like such a precious gift. A gift from my husband, passed to him from his dead mother. She’d received it from his grandmother. I wished I could meet them.

Husband!

The thought of him brought a tingle inside of me. I’d left SmallHeath, the place where I’d lived all my life to come to Vegas with a man I’d only known for one week. Yes, it was crazy, but love is love, and Keith had captured my heart in such a small amount of time.

Keith’s beat-up car broke down. We could only enter from the boot or we had to manually put the windows down, but it wasn’t so bad. It managed to get us here and we’d driven two hundred miles, before the car finally gave up and we had to hitch-hike the rest of the way.

It was the most exciting and thrilling thing I’d ever done in my life. Well, besides driving to Vegas and getting married. Keith said he’d been on the way to Vegas to play in some underground poker game. He charmed me with his tall physique, emerald eyes, and dark hair. Everyone in SmallHeath looked the same, dark hair and matching eyes. I’d never seen eyes so dark before. They didn’t look real, but I knew they were. I’d seen them on pictures and shows, though never in real life. And Keith was different. He was from out-of-town way down in New Orleans. He’d even been to New York, L.A., Chicago, so many cities I’d dreamed of going one day, and he promised to take me.

He drove a beat-up Ford, only possessed two suits, and was on the road all the time. He couldn’t carry his whole wardrobe with him. Besides, he looked hot. No one in town wore a suit. Men either wore overalls or jeans. They tended to work in the farms, in the mountains chopping up wood, or making paper at the local factory.

“How about now?” I asked, my stomach clenching that he might just laugh at me. Here I was a stranger asking to go on a road trip with him. My dad would freak out. He’d always kept me stuck at home, but today he was on one of his many business trips. He couldn’t stop me from leaving, not that I’d ever tried.

“How old are you?” Keith rubbed the stubble on his chin as he looked me up and down.

“Old enough.”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Don’t get me going to jail now, sweetheart.”

“Twenty-five. I know I look younger than I am, but I promise I’m legal on all counts.” I leaned against his car as he finished changing the tire.

“All right, Fagua.” He stood and tossed the tire iron in the trunk. “I’ll take you with me to Vegas. On the way, we can get to know each other.”

We talked and goofed off the whole way. So when he asked me the truth or dare for the fourth time, I picked dare.

“Have you ever done anything crazy?” he asked.

I didn’t want him to think I was a prude. The craziest thing I’d done in my life was jump in the car and get out of this town. “I thought I was doing a dare, not a truth.”

“Right.” He winked. “I dare you to marry me.”

“Seriously?” My breath sped up, thinking I’d gotten more than I’d bargained for. No man had ever looked at me twice. I was Afi’s daughter, the woman no man could go near without his permission, which was why I was the only one over twenty-one who had never been married. I went to high school, graduated, and just stayed. I knew no one outside of town, and as much as I was curious to find out what lay beyond the mountains which enclosed our town, I never had the funds to find out.

“Bet you never have done anything even close to this in your life.”

Marry a man I just met? No way. But the thought of it thrilled me. Pa would be furious. What did he expect though? I was a grown woman whom he kept practically locked up at home in a small-dink town.

I worked in my parents’ diner. This was my fate until Keith had come into town. I would carry on working there until one of the two eligible men in our town would ask for my hand in marriage. One of them was a drunk, and the other, let's just say, every girl he dated back in high school—and there weren’t many—had a black eye while dating him.

So, I had the option of a woman beater or a drunk? Ma said beggars couldn’t be choosers. I knew she was right, but I didn’t want to break her heart and tell her I wanted out. I didn’t want to have kids and run a diner, or the local paper factory dad owned, for the rest of my life. I wanted so much more. I needed to see the world before I settled down, and if I one day returned to SmallHeath, it would be before knowing what was outside town.

Our first stop was to the chapel to get married. Keith didn’t have money to buy an official wedding ring, so we just used the Coke can ring. He said he would buy me one once he had his official win.

Our second stop was to the Moon Crescent Casino for him to get his big win. Everything felt so surreal like a dream whirlwind, and I hung on for the ride. Using Keith’s phone, I snapped a photo of me and him smiling with a message we were married. Instantly, his phone rang, but I didn’t answer.

After we checked into the hotel, Keith gave me a quick kiss.

“Make yourself at home, sweetheart. Whatever you want.”

“I want you. It’s our honeymoon.”

My gaze shifted across the room. I’d never stayed in a hotel before. Everything about this trip had been a new experience. I ran my fingers on the two-seater leather sofas opposite the bed. I’d squealed like a child the moment we’d walked into the room. Everything perfectly matched from the cream walls to the matching carpet which made me want to take my shoes off so I could sink my toes into the deep threads.

“Soon, baby, soon. Let me go win our millions and then we’ll fly to Paris or wherever the hell we want.” He gave me another kiss.

After he’d gone, I checked out some movies on the TV. A small thunderstorm put off checking out the pool and hot tub. I had a smile on my face. I was a married woman now, not to the town drunk or a wife receiving acts of violence from her husband. Someone I had chosen and not Pa. I felt like a woman, even if I was still a virgin.

The phone rang, and I raced to answer. No more did I worry about what to do in the room, I was sure my husband was on the other side of the line.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Keith.” He sounded out of breath.

“Hi. Are you ok?”

“Everything happened exactly like I said it would. Get ready. Wear the sexy black number you have, and we’re going out to celebrate.”

“Congratulations.” I beamed into the phone. “I’ll be downstairs in twenty minutes.”

Keith hung up, and I did the same.

My hand trembled at the idea of everything falling into place. It was a strange habit I had, like most people who twitch or get nervous when they’re nervous. I do the same thing, but when I’m happy, and excited like I am now. Sometimes, for some crazy reason, it can make the room shake, too. When I was younger it used to do that, but as an adult, I’d managed to keep it under control. Still, the pictures on the wall vibrated slightly. I had to keep my power under control, which meant my emotions, too. I inhaled and let my breath drag out, as Mahad had showed me to do one too many times, and then everything calmed down including my pounding heart.

Keith was my knight in shining armor. The way his lips curled as he smiled, and his eyes lit up, as if he would do anything for me, even though we hadn’t known each other for long. Besides, Ma and Pa hadn’t known each other long before they’d gotten married. Pa’s family had moved to the area. They wanted to get away from the hustle of the city, and they fell in love instantly. Which I reminded them of one of the numerous text messages they’d sent to Keith’s cell.

I stood twisting my imaginary gold earrings, until I remembered that Keith had said that we had to sell them to buy gas on the way. They had been my most expensive possession, a gift from Ma on my twenty-first birthday.

I hesitated thinking about calling them all. I lifted the hotel suite phone, up and down a couple of times, before deciding it was best not to call Ma and Pa yet. Not until I had my wedding ring on and knew exactly how much Keith had won.

He’d sold my phone the moment we got here, so he could buy a suit and go to his game. To make sure he looked the part, he'd said, and he did in a dark blue suit with a matching tie.

I stared back at my reflection as my dark hair was tied up in a loose bun, and my matching dark eyes glowed. I hadn’t been this happy in a long time. It was as if everything I’d ever wished for had come true from the moment Keith’s car had broken down, and he’d stopped in our town.

I’d only eaten once since we’d gotten here. I never had a big appetite, but the plate of pancakes I had this morning lasted me this long as I ignored the rumbling sounds from my stomach. My dress didn’t fit the same way it had when I graduated from high school. It was the only time I’d dressed up for a special occasion, apart from my wedding last night, and my best friend from high school, Rebecca’s wedding four years ago. I didn’t have a reason to have anything of luxury, because nothing really happened in town apart from weddings, which were few and far between, and funerals which occurred even less. I bought a dress in a color suited both occasions. Now, it hung on me, emphasizing once-full breasts that were slowly disappearing, and my jawline was starting to become drawn.

I picked up a purse Rebecca had given me as a parting gift, a gold one she had used at her wedding, and took a deep breath. I was ready, and I didn’t want to keep Keith waiting. I walked over to the door, but checked myself in the mirror one last time to ensure I looked perfect because I didn’t want to disappoint him already.

I smiled with satisfaction, as I hoped he would be as pleased with the effort I’d made.

As I swung open the door, there was a big man in front of it. So big, I gasped with shock. He was super tall and muscular like a football player, with snow-white hair, sapphire eyes, and a smirk on his full lips. He looked like he’d stepped out of one of those fancy magazines I’d seen at the supermarket. He wore a tailor-made black suit not at all like anyone back home.

“Yes?” I quivered as he stared at me.

“Fagua Strong?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Two men standing behind him appeared, and the first thing I remembered was about Ray Hope from town. He said Keith had checked out and not paid his bill when he’d left the hotel. I'd paid it after Keith said he must have forgotten and was keen to get to Vegas. Now an uneasy sensation tangled in my gut.

“Yes,” I whispered, finding it hard to speak.

The frame of this man who must have been at least six-foot-four blocked my clear view of the other two. I backed away from the door into the suite and they followed, uninvited. What could I do against three men? I didn’t have any pepper spray, and my throat closed.

I should have told him he was rude, and my husband was downstairs waiting for me, but every protest I had in mind stayed right there. I found myself unable to speak as one of them had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen, with snow white hair. It was surreal, how the three biggest men I’d ever laid eyes on, all in matching black suits, from the shirts to their tie were crowded in my hotel room. I was too scared to look at their faces, as my eyes became fixated on their feet. Pa has big feet. He’s a size eleven, but these guys must've been like size thirteen, maybe fourteen. Damn, everything was huge about them and for some reason my eyes traced to their pants, wondering what else was huge, too.

Stop it, you’re a married woman! I thought to myself as the aroma of their forest smell took over the room. Yet, my heart hammered out of control, and I clutched my purse to my chest.

“We don’t want to alarm you. There’s no need to be afraid,” the one with the white hair spoke. The crazy part was my heart started to slow down like part of me fully believed this stranger’s words.

“We just want to talk.”

“Yes,” said the one at the back. He moved into the light as my gaze shifted in his direction, but then back to the one with white hair, who didn’t feel like some kind of animal, because he had a soothing voice, unlike the other two.

“We’re the Crescent brothers. I’m Winter, and these are my brothers, Sky and Husk. Keith sent us here to talk to you.”

I shook my head, not quite believing what they were saying. “Keith? My husband?”

The three guys pushed into the room and I rushed backward. One stood between me and the door, while the other two moved to the windows.

Oh god, were they checking the room to make sure there were no escape routes for me? I inched toward the hotel phone on the nightstand, trying not to be too obvious.

“Yes, your husband,” Winter said.

“How long have you been married?” Husk demanded. I thought his name was Husk. I wasn’t quite sure because Winter had said their names, but he didn’t make it clear which one was Husk or Sky.

What weird names.

Shit, then my senses started working overtime.

The names.

Their frames.

Their scents.

It could only mean one thing, they were wolves!

“One night.” My heart raced out of control again. As my gaze flashed to the door, I wondered if I could run out of here fast enough. I had a feeling they would catch me.

“One night,” Husk chuckled, and the glow of his white teeth startled me.

“Yes. One night.”

I threw my purse on the sofa, and the fear that was in me washed away as I drew nearer towards him.

“I told you to let me come alone. You two are never good at this type of thing,” Winter said as he shook his head and stamped his foot. He had my attention, and the wolf I’d thought was the calm one made me quickly change my mind.

“You see, my brother finds it amusing how your so-called husband would get rid of you on the first night of marriage,” Winter explained to me.

I didn’t understand what he was talking about. I lifted my chin. “Keith just called and said I should meet him downstairs.”

Husk, still laughing, said, “Go down and meet him then. We’ll wait.”

I grabbed my purse, thinking not only would I go down to meet him, but bring him back to the room and show these wolves my husband hadn’t gotten rid of me. He wouldn’t do that, even if we’d only known each other for a short time. He loved me. That was what he said as we’d gotten married. When we came up to the room he told me he wanted to be with me for the rest of his life. Unshed tears stung the back of my eyes as the reality of my thoughts started to feel like a dream.

No, I would show them all they were wrong.

Husk continued to laugh as I slammed the door shut. I had a feeling he had a good reason for laughing, the same as I had for wanting to cry right now.

“Why do you always have to alienate everyone? I told you I would come up here and speak to her alone,” I said to my brothers. They were both doing what they did best, ignoring my request and fucking everything up.

“We were curious, brother, and we wanted to see her. We wanted to know if she was as beautiful as we imagined. The seer told us she was the answer to survival. We had to see if it was true.” Sky tore himself away from the window.

I knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to get on the balcony and really freak her out, show off his muscles and dive off the ledge to land unharmed nine floors below.

I hadn’t even told her what had happened tonight. Some part of me knew she wouldn’t be able to handle it with Husk’s deep stare and Sky’s weirdness. I love my two brothers, but when it comes to matters of the heart, they’re as brutal, and as rough, as it comes.

Husk’s idea of a pick-up-line was, “You, me tonight my place.”

Sky’s was a wink.

I’m the one who did all the negotiations, the one who didn't scare away anyone we do business with, because of the other two. Their wolf instincts always took over, and it went bad. Every single time.

“I wonder if she felt it? I felt as if my insides were about to rip from the moment we entered the room. I couldn’t speak. Everything was out of control, a weakness I never knew I possessed until now,” Sky said as he tried to open the balcony.

“Fuck, Sky. You’re not going out.” Husk opened the nightstand drawer, moving stuff around before grunting and closing it back. “Remember the last time you did that? You nearly gave one of the cleaners a heart attack when you jumped off the damn roof.”

“My wolf instinct wanted to take Fagua.” He shook his head. “Claim her, so damn badly I could hardly speak. The only way to calm myself down is to fly.”

Husk snorted. “You don’t see me running around in the casino. You need to control yourself. Seriously, we don’t need our secret coming out, and the way you’ve been reckless lately, it may just happen. But I do understand what you mean. I felt it too. Winter didn’t. He was as calm as always, which reminds me…” He paused to pull out his cigar. There was a no-smoking policy, but we were the owners, and at times, we broke the rules. Husk could complain about Sky feeling the need to fly, but there was no doubt the smoking cigars kept Husk’s wolf urges at bay.

He opened the door. Sky hesitated as he was about to join us outside, and then he went back inside the room. He went to the mini bar to pour himself a drink. I didn’t know which was worse, his newfound love of drinking or flying over the casino?

“How long will you give Fagua downstairs before she figures it out?” Husk lit his cigar, taking a few puffs. He kicked up his cowboy boots onto the metal table. His smoke curled up into the night air. “We could be here all night, and we have work to do.”

I nodded. “I know, but she needs time to process her loser husband who has done a runner and left her with his debt.”

Sky said, “Good news. They never had sex.”

I shook my head as Sky kept sniffing the sheets and concluding Fagua was a virgin. Their wedding may not have been consummated, but Keith had his pleasure with her, even if it was in other ways. Filthy dog. We had a deal, and he had clearly stepped over the line, first by marrying her, and then bringing her here as his wife.

Sky only shifted around three months ago. He knew it was coming, but whereas Husk and I had shifted since we were teens. It took Sky a lot longer, and with it came gifts so strong he hadn’t been able to control. A bottle of JD seemed to have become his new best friend.

“Go. Go talk to her. Before your brother drinks out the mini bar,” Husk commanded.

He was the first to be born and loved to shove it in our faces. Not that he needed to, he was bigger and stronger than us in human form, and even bigger as a wolf.

I didn’t dispute the need to go and see Fagua before Sky lost control and would need to be dragged out of the hotel suite. It wasn’t a pretty sight at the best of times, and even worse when there were guests around. We needed to maintain an image, after all we owned the casino.

“I don’t even know if your silver tongue is gonna help in this case. She looked ready to bolt earlier.”

Sky lifted the mini bottle of booze in a toast. “Good luck.”