Chapter 59 - Claimed (Part 1)

As Adalyn stormed out everyone turned back to look at Kai. They were all dumbfounded at what they had just witnessed.

He had fucked up royally (pun intended) this time and he knew it. Kai mind-linked Arrow.

*'Can you go after her. It's still not safe for her here'*

*'Yeah...'* Arrow responded and walked out of the club after her.

Everyone was still staring at Kai. With the heat of the moment gone he felt a bit woozy from the earlier blood loss from his fight with Matias. He moved a little unsteadily on his feet.

Dylan picked up on this. It was never a good sign for an alpha to show any form of weakness in front of others. Dylan clapped his hands. "Shows over everyone! Go about your business or leave!"

He used his alpha tone to enforce this feeling relatively confident that most of the patrons were his pack members. Everyone shuffled quickly out of the foyer and back down the hallway.

Once everyone had left, it was just Dylan and Kai standing in the foyer in silence again. Dylan went over to approach him.

"DON'T!" Kai warned him. He didn't look directly behind him, but he could feel Dylan getting closer to him. "I could smell you all over her. If I even have to ask why I'm not going to be able to hold back."

Dylan stopped moving towards him and remained still. Kai still looked a little shaky on his feet. "Are you okay?" Despite his over-the-top aggression it was obvious to Dylan that he didn't look quite well either.

"I'm fine!" Kai lied.

*'Fair enough'* Dylan thought. Even if he wasn't okay, he knew that Kai wasn't going to confess that to him.

"She's your mate, isn't she?"

Kai's silence answered it for him. Considering Adalyn's little dominant display just now, it made sense why she was his mate. They had to be fated. What he couldn't understand was why Kai hadn't claimed her yet.

"Well... for what it's worth. Ady and I are just old school friends. I had no idea I was going to run in to her today. Here of all places. She wanted some information. I agreed to look in to it for her. Going off of your conversation, it seems pretty clear that was at least partly what this was about. I'd be happy to share that with you as well."

Kai was still not in the mood to talk. Just hearing Adalyn's name coming from his mouth was already starting to rile him up again.

"If you don't have a death wish, I'd suggest that we save our little reunion catch-up for later." Kai added.

Dylan smiled. "Okay. Got it loud and clear." Dylan turned to walk back down the hallway. He could sense some of his entourage starting to regain consciousness and they were firing off a million questions on the pack mind link. He knew Kai could have easily killed them if he wanted to, but he was able to hold back in that regard.

"I'd suggest that you go after her Kai. Ady is one of the few really good ones. You're a lucky guy." And with that Dylan disappeared back down the hallway.


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Meanwhile, out front Arrow was still hurriedly trying to catch up to Adalyn.

"Ady wait!" Arrow shouted after her.

"Leave me alone Arrow!" Adalyn was not in the mood to talk to him or anyone for that matter. She just wanted to go home

"Kai didn't mean what he said!"

Adalyn shot Arrow a quick look as he walked up behind her.

"Are you seriously trying to defend him? Defend how he spoke to me and what he called me?!"

"No!"

"Property? Is he fucking serious?! This whole world doesn't revolve around him. I'm not one of his staff that the can boss around like that! If that's what he wants he can go and find somebody else, because it sure as hell isn't me." Adalyn continued storming off down the street with Arrow keeping up with her pace.

"He said the wrong thing Ady, I know. He's not thinking straight."

"I won't have someone publicly humiliate me the way he just did. I might be a bit naive at times but I'm not stupid and I don't deserve to be treated like that. I'm done!"

"Ady! He's an idiot, I get it, but you have to realise that that was all Pax acting out. His emotions go in to overdrive around you where you've not unified your bond."

"That's not my fault!" From what Elias had told her, she knew that what Arrow was saying was true but she still couldn't excuse his behaviour.

"Will you stop for just one second!" Arrow grabbed her arm to stop her from walking so fast. "You're right, it's not your fault. It's been his choice this whole time, but what you two are doing is unprecedented, it's not natural. He's known that you’re his mate, his fated mate for over a year. And to not act on it, is unheard of for shifters. It’s messing with his head and making him act irrationally. He’s holding back for you."

"Well I never asked him to!" Her eyes were starting to glaze over. "He said he can't claim me. What am I supposed to do about that? Doesn't he want me?"

"Of course he does... he's just trying to protect you in his own bull-headed way. He and Pax are terrified that they might lose you. Please don't take what he said in there to heart."

Tears started to run down Adalyn's face. Arrow couldn't help but feel sad looking at her. This didn't seem like an act at all. Whoever she was and for whatever reason that she was hiding her true identity, she quite clearly had strong feelings for Kai. He started to feel guilty for doubting her

"Oh no. Please don't cry."

Crying women was definitely one of Arrow's weaknesses. He didn't know how to comfort her.

"I don't want to cry! I'm annoyed at myself for crying!" She shouted angrily through her pain. "Why does he have to be so stubborn? We can help each other. I don't understand why he has to do everything on his own!"

Arrow pulled her in to his chest for a hug. "Calm down."

Adalyn sagged in to his chest.

"After your little display in there I definitely don't want to get on the wrong side of you either." Arrow continued.

Adalyn couldn't help but chuckle a bit in to his chest. "Don't make me laugh. I'm still angry."

"Not with me I hope. I'm still amazed at how you managed to sneak out of your house without me noticing. I'm impressed." A small smile formed on Adalyn's lips and Arrow looked down at her and smiled back. "That's a bit better, I can work with a smile like that."

Arrow released her and they both continued walking side by side down the street.

"Let me drive you back home, I have my car around the corner."

"And if I say no?" Adalyn was still simmering despite the small smile that she offered Arrow.

"Then I'll just follow you home. Gonna be a long ass walk though." Arrow said with a dry smile

"Ugh...fine" Adalyn conceded.



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Adalyn walked back in to her bedroom. She promised Arrow that she wasn't going to go anywhere else so he agreed to leave her alone for the rest of the evening.

Leona had gone home too. She left a note on her bed saying 'Sorry! x'. Arrow must have rumbled her.

She felt exhausted. The emotional rollercoaster she had been on had clearly taken its toll on her.

Just as she was about to get undressed to get ready for bed, two arms wrapped around her waist from behind and pulled her in close. She felt the warmth of someone’s breath against her as soft kisses traced a line down her neck. It was Kai.

Adalyn instantly pushed him off her and turned around to face him. "Don't you dare! Do you think you can just come in here uninvited after that? I don't think so! We're done!"

Kai stared at her blankly. "We're not done. You and I will never be done."

He started walking back over to her slowly. His eyes were glazed and he was still breathing quite heavily. He must have rushed back over here.

Adalyn started backing up. "Stop!" She could see the lusty look in his eyes. If he started kissing her then she knew that she would be putty in his hands. She was angry and she was determined to stay that way for now.

"I told you before, even if you hate me, I can't stay away from you." Kai replied.

Kai continued walking slowly towards her as she backed up. When she hit the wall, Kai reached out a hand to hold her by the waist.

"Kai stop!" She pushed back against his hard chest but he remained firm. He lowered his head to her face to kiss her. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, her hand came out and she slapped him. The crack sound echoed in the room as his face turned violently to the side. He had seen the slap coming but chose not to avoid it.

Adalyn regretted doing it the moment her hand connected with his face.

Kai remained still. "I deserved that" He turned his face back to look at her. The slap didn't seem to really phase him. He looked painfully broken. Adalyn knew that he had a brutal fight with his brother and had been kicked out of the palace, but Kai had yet to say anything about it. Seeing him in the state that he was in, she didn't know whether to feel angry or sorry for him.

"I'm sorry" Kai continued. "I didn't mean what I said. I know I'm not myself right now."

"Because you've not mated with me?" Adalyn finished.

Kai's eyes grew wide as he took in what she said.

"Then just do it. Make love to me. Claim me. Make me yours Kai. Then you won't be this way."

Adalyn reached up behind her and she started untying the cord of her red halter neck top.

Kai grabbed her hand. "Stop!" The way she was talking about it so methodically had him really unsettled. Everything she said seemed to be solely about making him feel better.

"Kai, it's alright. I'm okay with it."

"I don't want you to be *'okay'* with it. That's not what I want at all. Have you lost your mind?"

"No! But clearly you've lost yours! I want you. Why can't you see that?" Adalyn's eyes burned for him. There was a desire in her that he'd never seen before and he felt like a slave to the pull that she had over him.

Kai slammed her back against the wall and pulled up her hands above her head. His canines had already descended as the desire to claim her felt too overwhelming to fight.

Adalyn flinched apprehensively.

"Don't tell me that you're okay with this when you're not. You're trembling. I don't want you to sleep with me because you feel obliged to."

Adalyn pushed up on to her tip toes and kissed him gently on the lips.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I want to experience more with you. You don't have to fight everyone on your own. You said we’re together forever, aren’t we? The let’s help each other as equals."

Kai's mind played out 100 different reasons why he couldn't claim her but she was right. He had undermined and undervalued her. She had surprised him with her strength and power on so many occasions.

"Mark me Kai!" she called out to him again. This felt like more of a demand this time and Kai's eyes turned black in response. His canines were now protruding past his lips. Adalyn tilted her head to the side to grant him access.

Kai tightened his hold on her arms to keep her in place. Even if she decided to back out now, he didn't think that he'd be able to stop. Kai lowered his head to her neck and started licking softly against her skin where he planned to mark her. The sensation sent tingles all down Adalyn's body. The mate pull felt almost as strong as when she first locked eyes on him. His licks were painfully slow. Each drawn out lick was making her breaths become more ragged. She could feel herself starting to get wet.

Kai could smell her arousal. That smell was the nail in the coffin for him. Satisfied with his prep Kai rested his canines on the crook of her neck. "Mine!" he said with a growl in his voice.

Kai's teeth penetrated her skin like a knife through butter. He slowly pressed down in to her skin and growled as his teeth sunk in to her flesh millimetre by millimetre.

Adalyn threw her head back from both the pleasure and pain.

Kai's grip on her tightened to keep her still. With his teeth now all the way in, he growled again. Adalyn could feel the reverberations traveling throughout her whole body.

Kai's eyes rolled to the back of his head in satisfaction. He could feel Adalyn's knees starting to buckle underneath her. Satisfied with his claim Kai released his hands holding her arms up above her head then caught her as she slumped forward in to his arms.

"Woah. I've got you."

He scooped her up in to his arms and started licking the bloody mark on her neck to seal the bite.

They were both breathing quickly and enjoying the flood of endorphins circulating through their bodies.

Adalyn looked at Kai through hooded lustful eyes. Both her and Tara were keen to move straight on to the second stage. Adalyn pulled Kai's face toward her then she forced her tongue in to his mouth. Kai sat down on the bed with her on his lap and reciprocated the kiss. He and Pax were both keen to consummate their bond too. Adalyn seemed to be taking the lead and started pushing Kai back on to her bed.

"Wait a minute...not here." Kai said through a few gaps in their frenzied kissing. "Come back to mine."

If they were going to have sex Kai needed to have all of her without the risk of interruption and where she could call out his name without any need to restrain herself.

Adalyn nodded silently. Wherever he wanted to go she would blindly follow him.

Kai pulled her up towards her bedroom window to leave. "Come, let’s go."