THE CLAIMING (The Chosen Series #1)

INTIMATE TOUCH

"Ava, love."

"Do not Ava, love me, Liam," I lace my fingers together, placing my hands firmly on the table. With deliberate emphasis, I speak each word, "I. Want. To. Know. Why. You. Lied. To. Me!"

Pain fills his face. He stands up, moving his chair and walking over to where I'm seated. Gently raising my head to meet his eyes, he pulls me into his embrace. The comforting scent of grass and wood surrounds me, and I allow myself to stay there for a moment, feeling torn.

Liam lowers his arms and places his warm palms over my face, tilting it. His eyes reflect a familiar tenderness as he draws my face closer and kisses me. For a fleeting moment, I wait for that familiar warmth, but instead, I'm struck with a sudden throbbing in my head and an overwhelming sense of guilt.

Before I can pull back the pain intensifies, my heart screaming for me to stop. I raise my hands, pushing Liam away. Gasping, I distance myself, trying to figure out what the absolute F. Before I can figure out where the pain came from it immediately subsides.

"Feck. I shouldn't have done that. I forgot..." Liam apologizes, his voice tinged with regret. He steps back to his chair on the opposite side of the table, sitting down and placing his hands in his lap. Anger flashes in his dark eyes as I rub my temples from the memory of the pain.

"You forgot what, Liam?" I mutter. Why shouldn't he kiss me? Well, aside from the fact that he's not Griffin. Ava, stop! Griffin's a killer. He's hurt people, women.

"Ava," he sighs, avoiding eye contact and speaking haltingly, occasionally growling, as if struggling to articulate his thoughts.

Frustrated, I rise from my seat, move to Liam's side of the table, and stand directly in front of him, trying to catch his eye. He averts his gaze, breathing heavily.

Fed up with whatever game he's playing and determined to uncover the truth, even if it means doing something I don't want to do, I grab his face in my hands and kiss him. Shockingly, his eyes turn a dull yellow, and a sharp pain returns to my head. I release him, stumbling back in confusion.

"What was...?" I start, but before I can finish, Liam stands to steady me, his voice guttural, almost feral.

"You can't touch us like that. I'm not yours; you belong to him now. Pain if you kiss us."

Noticing that the pain subsides while he holds me, I frown. "But you're touching me now. Why doesn't it hurt?"

"Not intimate. You're his. His mate, not mine." Liam replies, his eyes now a brighter yellow. His mouth changes, sharp canines appearing as he speaks heavily. Releasing me, he steps backward, then turns and runs for the door.

"Liam!" I shout, but he's too fast. I follow him, witnessing as he sheds his clothing until he's completely naked, his back to me. I watch in both horror and fascination as his body contorts, bones snap and reshape, hair grows rapidly, until he's no longer a man but a beast—a Wolf!

About to step off the porch to follow, I'm stopped by a surprisingly strong feminine hand. Turning, I see Siobhan, her dark eyes and long auburn hair peering from beneath a thick robe of grey wool and matching slippers.

"Let him go, child. His wolf's in control now, and he wouldn't want to hurt you while in this form. Let him calm down. He'll return," Siobhan says.

"Liam, he changed..."

"Aye, the lad let his wolf get the better of him. This's what can happen when they're unmated, and Liam, he's the strongest among them, yet has less control," Siobhan explains, watching her son run into the forest until he's a mere speck in the distance, hidden by the thick growth.