Unclaimed

Chapter One

I giggled as I reached for my glass of wine. Peter's bright smile was so attractive it almost had the power to make me blush. Our first date had been going extremely well so far. He was a werewolf, like me, but from a neighboring pack.

"Should we get dessert?" Peter asked with a jokingly devious look in his eye. He seemed to think this was nearly a sin.

I scrunched up my nose and shook my head. "No, I have ice cream at my house we can have."

His expression changed, and his head lowered so he was peering at me from under his eyelashes. He was trying to figure out if I was inviting him home. He must've figured correctly, because he slid his wallet from his back pocket and left cash on the table. He grabbed my hand and said, "Let's go."

In the car, I said, "That was a good date. You're really funny."

His hand crossed over the center console to rest on my leg just above my knee. "It was a good date," he agreed. His hand started to rub up and down my thigh, and I smirked at him. He snuck a glance at me, then smirked back. "What?"

"You're excited for ice cream," I teased. I was trying to keep my cool, but the worst part of the night had come, yet again. I was hoping with all my heart I had finally found the one that would accept me despite the secret I'd been keeping for five years. "Right here, this is me."

He parked behind my car in the driveway, and ran around the front to open the door for me. His lips brushed mine gently when I got out of the car. He pulled me forward towards my front door.

I had told him I lived farther away from my pack than most, and that I enjoyed the solitude, but I hadn't told him why.

He reached for the doorknob, then realized it was locked and stepped aside. When I unlocked the door, his hand pressed into the small of my back. He kissed me deeply as he urged me backwards.

I directed us into my bedroom, where he pushed me up against the wall. His skin heated as he pressed closer to me. His lips started to trail down the left side of my neck, and I pulled my sweater tighter over my right shoulder. I couldn't hide it forever, but I had a few more seconds.

I sent up a silent prayer that he wouldn't notice the mark on my flesh as he started to kiss the right side of my neck. He lifted his hand to push my shirt down, and I felt when his hand brushed it because it burned like fire. He hit me in the sternum so hard it took my breath away as he backed up, growling. 

"What the hell are you doing?" He shouted. 

I closed my eyes, trying to gather my breath. This was the worst part of every date I'd ever been on.

"You're marked!" He said angrily. "Why are you here? With me? I don't understand." 

I wasn't sure I understood anymore either. I looked up at him, with tears threatening to fall from my eyes. "I don't belong to anyone," I mumbled.

"Clearly someone thinks you do because they claimed you."

When I started crying, I decided I had nothing else to say so I stalked to my bed and waved him away. I collapsed on the bed and curled up in the pillows as sobs wracked my body. 

"Wait, Charli." he whispered. "I still don't understand." 

"I don't either," I shouted back. I had never understood what I had done to deserve the situation I was in.

He sighed after a moment. "Can I take you somewhere? I think there might be someone who you can talk to. He always has solutions. Maybe he can help." 

"There is no help. My only option is to cut it off, but it could kill me." 

"Will you come with me anyway?" His voice didn't suggest he felt any contempt, but sounded concerned.