The Wolf's Den

      Alpha Peter stared at the hybrid, a delighted look on his face. Claire had noticed his malevolent grin and would not look up. She simply stared at the seat, where Colin's hand sat just next to hers. He was fighting to stay awake, drifting in and out of consciousness. But each time he closed his eyes, she would brush her fingers against his, jolting him back. He knew that it was out of fear, that she did not wish to be left alone, but he relished the contact wholeheartedly. 

      Peter leaned back in his seat, sipping from a glass tumbler. They had a nearly two-hour drive ahead of them. He had time to do this. But he was an impatient man. 

      "You shall stay in the pack house, of course." 

      Claire stiffened, turning to Colin instinctually. Perhaps it was his father's words, or maybe the knowledge that his mate may not be coming back with him, but he was suddenly fully awake. Physically weak, but awake. "No, she will not." 

      Alpha Peter narrowed his eyes as they flashed golden. "What did you just say to me, boy?" he hissed. 

      Claire sucked in a deep breath and nestled into Colin, who had sat himself fully upright. He wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Sir, she will not stay in the pack house." 

      Peter's lip lifted as he snarled. "As a guest on my land-" he began.

      But Colin cut him off, "My mate is not a guest." 

      Peter took a calming breath, letting his eyes flicker back to their natural dark brown. He looked out the window of the car and took another sip of his drink. Colin knew that this was the end of the conversation for now, so he slumped back into his own seat with a pained sigh. He kept his arms wrapped around Claire, who did not fight the action. She liked the way his heartbeat sounded. With his mate safely in his arms, Colin finally was able to pass out.

      Claire watched Colin as he got his much-needed rest. Bit by bit, his color returned from its sickly pallor to his natural tan, the dark under his eyes faded away, and his straw-like auburn hair softened. But beyond all the physical changes, Claire could finally feel another presence within him; his wolf. 

      While Colin never lost the connection to his beast, the wolf had become trapped within him from the wolfsbane. His pack could not contact him, and his father could not control him. But now, as Colin drifted in and out of dreams, he could feel his body reconnecting to his pack, and the familiar thrum of the mind-link returned to the back of his mind. He smiled slightly. 

Without thinking, Claire reached down and traced his lower lip with the tip of her finger. The action surprised her as she did it, but not as much as when Colin abruptly opened his eyes and gently held her wrist. He kissed her hand before intertwining it with his own. His eyes fluttered shut again, content.

As they finally pulled into the driveway to the pack house, Colin woke up. Burying his face into the side of her head, he whispered, "Don't worry, it will be alright." 

Claire nodded, still nestled into his warm embrace. She did not want to leave it because the moment she did, it would be real. She would really have left Elias. She would be living with werewolves. She would have to wait until whatever Jocelyn did to her finally took place, and she got her connections back. And then, they would come and kill her. So, while nothing would be alright for long, she decided to stay in her comfortable position, where it would be alright at that moment. 

As soon as the car stopped, Alpha Peter held a hand up, stopping the wolf at the car door from opening it. "About Miss Green's accommodations," he said calmly, although there was a dangerous look in his eyes. 

"If she were to stay in the pack house," Colin began, squeezing her hand when he felt her tense underneath him. "I assume space would be made for me as well?" 

Peter narrowed his eyes. Curtly, he said, "You know your presence in the pack house is not ideal." 

Claire was visibly confused; why wouldn't the Alpha's son be wanted in the pack house? She thought that the Alpha's family always lived in the house, even after they had mated. Often until they had children. But it only reaffirmed one thing in her mind; that Peter was not to be trusted. 

"If I am not welcome there, then you can understand my hesitance at leaving my mate there, especially when she is unfamiliar with her surroundings," Colin replied, matching the eerie calm his father had. 

The air in the car had become dangerously tense. Tense and stifling. Though she had no magical connection to the Half-Moon Pack, Claire could still feel the anger radiate from Alpha Peter. It was almost as if she saw the darkened aura hit Colin, soaking into his skin. 

"I would prefer not to be around too many people," Claire finally spoke. "At least, until I'm more settled. I haven't been around a lot of people in a very long time." 

Colin nodded in agreement. "She will stay with me," he paused, looking down at her for approval. "If that's alright with you?" 

Suddenly, Claire wasn't sure if that was alright. Would they share a bed? She imagined him walking out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist, his bare chest dripping with water…

She swallowed as blush dusted her cheeks. Glancing back at Colin, who was smirking as if he knew every thought in her head, she nodded. 

"Then you can let us out here, and we will walk back to my home, sir," Colin added the last word with a bit of venom. 

Alpha Peter only smiled, which Claire decided she did not like. She preferred it when he was openly aggressive. "She must come and meet the Pack leaders. They want to know about the vampire on our lands. You will join us for dinner." 

There was no good response to that, so Peter simply allowed the door to be opened and got out of the car.