Chapter 9: Chapter 9

MYRA

~I should be ashamed, because I’ve only known Sloan for three days, but our mated connection is so magnetic.~

She pulled away from his ear and gazed down into his mesmerizing gray eyes. She expected them to be glazed over with lust. But to her surprise, his arousal made his gaze brighter, almost white.

He was staring at her like she was the brightest star he’d ever seen.

She moaned in desperation, wanting to get lost in those eyes forever. Then she went in for a kiss. She opened her mouth to him and felt his tongue snake in and take control.

His rough fingers gripped the globes of her ass, and she felt her sex throb in anticipation of what was to come.

~KNOCK KNOCK~

Myra jumped in surprise onto Sloan’s lap.

~Nooooooo. Just five minutes…or twenty.~

“WHAT?!” Sloan barked, spinning them around so that his back was to the door.

“If you are both ~quite~ finished, you have company,” Tristan called out from behind the closed door.

Myra looked at Sloan, and his face shifted from a look of lust to one of anger.

She felt her heart sink. This was her fault. She’d come on to him when she knew they were supposed to be waiting. He had every right to be furious with her.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, not making eye contact. She slid off his lap and sloped toward the bathroom.

But a moment later, she heard rushing footsteps behind her, and she turned around just as Sloan picked her up and hugged her to his chest.

He whispered in her ear, “I’m not angry at you. I’ll never be angry at you. I’m the one who should have known better.”

She shivered at the sound of his husky voice, felt warmth spread through her body, and let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Don’t you worry,” he continued, a trace of a smile playing across his face. “Sunday will come soon enough. And then I’ll ravish you for real.”

Then he set her down on the floor. She felt flustered and warm.

“The bathroom is through there. You can get cleaned up.”

He gave her another soft peck on the lips. She felt him pull away quickly, but she knew he was just as scared of what would happen if they let the kiss linger.

She entered the bathroom and leaned against the closed door, trying to catch her breath. A ridiculous smile spread across her face.

Once her breathing slowed to normal, Myra walked over to the shower to wash off her sweat. She was still desperately horny.

~Another cold shower it is~, she thought to herself as she turned the faucet all the way to the right.

***

“Myra.”

Myra looked at herself in the mirror. Sloan had provided her with a beautiful little maxi dress and a thong to wear for their meeting with the elders, and she had to admit she looked sexy.

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore her undying arousal, and opened the bathroom door.

The moment she saw Sloan, she licked her lips, soaking in his new attire.

He was wearing white sneakers, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a skin-tight black shirt that showcased every muscular ridge of his upper body.

From his sharp intake of breath, she could tell he felt the same way seeing her new dress.

“You look gorgeous. From now on, only dresses for you,” he smirked.

Myra smiled and accepted his arm when he held it out to her. Together, they walked down to the common room. It was vast and open, with one wall of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the gardens.

Beyond the view were the preparations for the claiming ceremony, which would be taking place on Sunday night. There were couches and chairs all over the room and a fully stocked bar along another wall.

When they entered, Myra glanced over the gathering. Their parents were already there, chatting with the elders, while Tristan, Declan, and Megan were seated near the windows.

Though Declan looked extra stone-cold and uncomfortable with Megan close by, she was completely ignoring him while she scrolled through her phone.

Tristan was chatting with someone else, but her body was hidden behind his. Megan smiled brightly and jumped up for a hug when she saw Myra.

“I am ~so~ raiding your closet. You look fabulous, b—”

Sloan growled as Megan was about to call Myra a bitch, and Megan hastily amended her statement.

“…Babe. You look fabulous, babe.”

Suddenly a deafening squeal echoed through the room as the girl talking to Tristan noticed Sloan and Myra’s arrival.

The pretty brunette raced across the room with her arms open wide, and she tackled him with a hug.

“Slo-lo,” she greeted and smiled brightly up at him.

Myra already knew she wasn’t a threat, because her vixen didn’t even stir from its slumber.

“Look what the wolf dragged in,” Sloane teased, patting her lovingly on the head.

“Well, it’s not every day that my big bro gets claimed. Hi, you must be Myra.” She smiled and surprised Myra by pulling her in for a hug. “I’m Bryn, these two dingdongs’ little sister.”

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Same here. I’ll give you all the major dirt on this big guy later.” She winked and walked back over to Tristan. Her bubbly, sunny personality was magnetic. It was almost impossible to dislike the girl.

An older gentleman who was speaking to Theo stood up and crossed the room. Sloan bowed to him, and the man mimicked Sloan’s greeting.

Myra was nervous. She wasn’t sure how to greet, let alone speak to a council member.

“Elder Reagan.”

“Young Alpha Jamison. And this must be your mate, Myra.”

“Hello,” she said shyly.

“Shall we get started?”

Everyone took their seats except for Myra, Sloan, and the elder.

“The entire formal claiming ceremony is about fifteen minutes long. Theo and Sian will present Sloan to the congregation, followed by Mr. Gallagher, who will present Myra to Sloan.

“Once presented, I will ask you both to hold onto each other’s left hand, and I will drape the claiming shawl over your joined hands.

“I’ll bore everyone with some opening remarks. Afterward, you’ll repeat some phrases. At this point, you do have a choice to either stake your claim publicly or privately.”

“Privately,” Myra and Sloan said as one, before smiling at each other. Myra’s blush brightened when everyone else laughed at how in sync their response was.

“Privately it is. Though…um…never mind. You’ll say your claiming vows, then I’ll present you as Alpha and Omega.”

“I have a question. My sister’s claiming event wasn’t this elaborate,” she asked innocently.

“Myrielle isn’t mated to an alpha,” Sloan answered.

“Oh…”

Suddenly, the doors to the common room burst open, and a stunning blonde strolled into the room. Sloan tensed at Myra’s side while the woman smirked at him.

Tristan growled at her. “Elizabeth, this is a private affair.”

“Calm down, lap dog. I’m not here for you. Or you,” she said, pointing at both Tristan and Sloan. Her icy cold blue eyes landed on Myra, who found herself sinking deeper into Sloan’s side.

“I’m here for her. A little birdie told me you’ve found your mate. A vixen shifter, no less.”

“It isn’t a full moon yet. So…”

She laughed, but there wasn’t any humor in it. She folded her arms across her chest, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

“That challenge rule only applies to wolf shifters, and she’s no wolf. So it’s a free-for-all, regardless of whether it’s a full moon or not.”

She stared directly at Myra with hatred and disgust shining brightly in her eyes.

“Therefore, sweetheart, I’m challenging you.”