Filed To Story: A Claim of Fortune Book PDF Free by Jaymin Eve
Using the hairdryer attached to the wall, I dried my hair and threw it into a quick braid to match the sporty, racer look I had going on. I finished tying the end as Slade strode into the room. “You ready to go, Snow?” he asked, and I glared at him in the reflection of the mirror.
“I could have been naked,” I said, hands landing on my hips. “You almost saw my tits.”
Maybe a glimpse of me naked would return the old Slade to me. This new, cold version wasn’t my favorite, and I hated the distance he maintained between us.
“I’ve seen you naked a hundred times,” he said in the same flat tone. “Though, seeing it in the flesh does offer another element.”
My mouth dropped open, even though I wasn’t all that surprised he watched me through his security system. Part of me was now wondering if he watched me with Hunter and Kellan, but I was too chickenshit to ask him.
“Yeah, it’s definitely different,” I managed to say. “Your piercings are visually branded in my mind for that very reason.”
He took a step closer. “Makes sense. Touch would bring a whole other element too.”
Holy goddess. Was it hot in here? Did my fire-resistant suit just catch fire?
“There’d definitely be another element involved for you to touch me naked,” I countered weakly.
The room grew even hotter until my reflection in the mirror turned foggy. “If I touched you naked, Emmeline…” Slade murmured, towering over me, and I focused desperately on his dark shadow in the fogged mirror. “…I would never let you go. You’d be naked all day every single day. I would claim your body until you begged me to stop. There’s no middle ground for me or my beast. I’d consume you until there was nothing left, and even then, I wouldn’t stop.”
A throb strummed low in my core, and what the hell was wrong with me that I was instantly soaked by that promise. Or threat. Whatever it was, I wanted more.
“Trust me,” he finished, as he backed up a few feet, “it’s better for you that I keep this distance.” He opened the door to the locker room. “Now, let’s go. We’ve got an appointment.”
On trembling thighs, with my hard nipples brushing against the stiff material of the suit, I managed to stumble toward him. “Maybe don’t use all that bass in your voice when you’re warning me off,” I managed to get out as I passed him by. “My wolf likes the bass.”
And I do too.
Slade threw one long arm out across the doorway to stop me, and I couldn’t help but meet his blazing gaze. “You look fucking magnificent,” he murmured, setting my body on fire again with one stare. “I’m getting you a race suit in every damn color.”
Have mercy on my horny soul.
My voice was a husky rasp as I replied, “You know what, I think I’d like to be consumed by you, big guy.”
The green of his eyes flared as his pupils dilated, until there was no mistaking the beast behind the man. Before all hell broke loose, I ducked under the muscled arm blocking me in and strolled my ass out of there, Slade right on my heels.
I hoped from the back I looked calm and confident, because I was struggling to keep my expression neutral. Thankfully, I knew this place well enough now to navigate through the building without help, so I didn’t have to turn back. When we reached the front desk, the multitude of shifters answering phones and typing on computers reminded me that this was a busy center during the day. They all called out respectful greetings for
Alpha
Slade, and he ignored them as he stalked behind me. Like a good bodyguard.
When we reached the car, he opened my door before I could, and I felt his stare burning into my face, which I ignored as I thanked him and slipped inside. Just because Slade was controlling the trajectory of our mating, didn’t mean I had to play along. I wouldn’t push him, but I didn’t have to make it easier on him either. Eventually, he’d have to choose, and I wanted that choice to be me.
The drive from the training facility was quiet but not uncomfortable.
As the racetrack came into view, I found myself asking, “Is it Sunday? Why are we racing today?”
Slade’s low rumble of laughter hit me like a punch to the gut. A punch that dripped lust straight into my veins. It was a real skill that this alpha could render me stupid and desperate with a single sound. “It’s Thursday,” he replied. “Do you know the date?”
I shook my head. “Nah, I haven’t really paid much attention to days or dates since Texas.”
My phone wasn’t even here, as I’d forgotten it once again.
Slade remained relaxed, his hands loose on the wheel as he sped along the stretch of road that led to their track. “Today is special for two reasons,” he finally said, but cut himself off before he could explain what those reasons were.
The stadium came into view, and I marveled at the sheer size of this facility. It was an oval design, spanning far into the distance, and when we drove through the open main gates, I pressed my face to the window to take it all in.
“You ready for this?” Slade asked as he pulled into a parking lot that could have easily held a hundred cars and switched off the engine.
I nodded, even though I had no idea what this was. As long as it was racing in some form, then I had no complaints. I’d used bikes and the open road to banish my demons before, and I needed that hit more than ever today. “I can’t wait. I’m ready to lose myself in a race.”
Having Slade’s full focus left me breathless. Stupid charismatic asshole. “You’re going to get as much race time and speed as you can handle,” he assured me, “but that’s not the only reason we’re here today.”
When he leaned in closer, I held my breath, wondering if he was about to kiss me. As his sweet breath washed over me, I froze in place, only to hear him say, “Happy Birthday, Snow.”
My brain spasmed as I tried to comprehend what was happening.
Happy Birthday?
Wait, whose birthday? “My birthday was weeks ago.”
When I’d been held captive, if my math was correct. Not that it mattered since I hadn’t celebrated a birthday in… well, ever. Most years I didn’t even remember, let alone expect anyone else to.