Clay's Hope

Fifteen

Clay, time's up.

Sam's unexpected words sent a bolt of panic through me as I stared down at Gabby. She slept peacefully beside me, still recovering from whatever affected her last night.

Several males have approached Elder Joshua and requested permission to Introduce themselves to Gabby. Permission's been granted. Sorry, son.

Had it been that long? I thought back to the Introduction in spring and wanted to growl. It had. I'd been so focused on the progress Gabby and I were making, I hadn't noticed the passing time.

There wasn't much I could do about unMated males asking to meet her. I'd been given six months to win her over; and in their eyes, I'd failed. I knew better, though. Gabby was human. She was taking her sweet time to realize that she didn't just care about me but loved me.

Elder supervised only, I sent back.

I wasn't giving up, just ensuring her safety.

Though werewolf laws forbade us from Claiming a human—only the human could initiate the Claim—I'd already dealt with one unMated who'd challenged me when Gabby was around. She could have been hurt. If they wanted to start Introductions again, she needed to be in a controlled environment. Plus, the Elders would be there to note her disinterest in others and preference to me.

I reached out and gently touched Gabby's cheek. She was so fragile.

I'll see what I can do.

I growled. Not good enough.

Let them all know I'm challenging for the right to keep her.

Gabby shifted in her sleep. I calmed, wrapped my arms around her, and waited for her to wake up. When she did, she seemed better but still not herself. She stayed in her room, studying or napping. As the day wore on, no one bothered us, and I hoped that meant the Elders had agreed to chaperoned Introductions.

While she read, I tried to think of ways to broach the subject of Claiming. Deep down, I knew she wasn't ready yet. She'd let me sleep next to her only because she was sick. I had no doubt, when she felt better, I'd be back to the end of the bed.

Yet, I also knew I was making progress. She talked to me when she wanted to share news that excited her. She chose to have dinner with me instead of going out with Rachel. Whether she realized it or not, we were slowly working up to making things official. Just not fast enough.

* * * *

When Gabby woke Monday morning and started to dress for school, I tried to stop her. She was still weak. However, since Rachel had returned home late Sunday, I'd reverted to my fur. So my efforts were limited to what a dog would do and were easy for Gabby to ignore.

On her way out the door, she patted me on my head and softly said, "Don't worry so much."

How could I not? The rules had changed, and she still didn't know. Frustrated, I sat beside the door and listened to her car pull away. She had no idea just how much I did worry. Not only would she need to contend with human men but, possibly, werewolves, too.

Thankfully, Rachel left soon after. I let myself out and ran my route to campus, scenting as I went.

Though there were no signs of werewolves in the area, it didn't mean it would stay that way. I knew, as wolves, they wouldn't get too close, thanks to the security guards. But, what about as men?

I watched the students walking around campus for several minutes then turned away. Gabby was right. I was worrying too much. The men who wanted to meet her didn't want to hurt her. They wanted to talk to her, convince her that they were a better match for her. It was the Mating challenges that were the danger to her. As long as the challengers approached me when she wasn't near, she would be fine.