Wolf's Claim (The Royal Heir #3) - Jen L. Grey Page 0,16

"Now, I'm not quite as jealous anymore."

"Oh, that's so sweet." Louis leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Being royal actually means you have everyone telling you what to do. Sometimes even from your own pack members."

"Now, that isn't an understatement." There were times when it got overwhelming. Like right now.

"It's only because we love you." Mona winked at me.

"I get it. Still doesn't mean it's not hard." I took a bite of my food and it was good, but there was an odd taste to it. Sort of bitter. It was probably because my stomach was so messed up. I forced another bite into my mouth.

It wasn't long before I’d cleaned my plate and stood. "I did what you asked, and now I just want to go to bed."

"Okay, let's go." Mason stood and took a large drink of water.

"Don't worry. I'll clean this up." Mona nodded at him. "She looks exhausted. You two go rest."

"And when she says rest, she means sleep." Ella lifted her finger and wagged it from side to side. "That doesn't mean sexy time."

"Now I might have to do it just because you said that." Mason glared at her.

"You should know better." Louis chuckled as he threw an arm around her shoulders.

"They both like to rag on each other." Tommy shook his head. "They'll never change."

"I don't like it when people figure out our secrets." Ella frowned and pouted.

"Hate to tell you, blondie." Kassie rolled her eyes. "It's not a secret."

Come on, let's get you to bed. Mason took my hand and tugged me toward the den. "Good night, everyone."

They all mumbled, “Good night,” in return.

After passing through the den, we made our way back into our bedroom. It was a huge room holding a large sturdy bed with chestnut wooden frames. Not even bothering to remove my clothing, I crawled right in between the soft purple sheets.

Mason removed his suit pants and button-down shirt before crawling into bed next to me in only his underwear.

Normally, I'd be all over him, but tonight, I felt defeated. Not only did I not know who was targeting me, but my aunt had caught me completely off guard. To be honest with myself, I was more pissed that her words still hurt despite everything they'd done. Like, how did that hag still have power over me?

Stop beating yourself up. Mason pulled me against his chest, holding me tight.

How does it still hurt? I felt like I was that six-year-old girl I used to be, who realized some of her family members wanted her dead. It's stupid.

When you love, you love with all your heart. Mason kissed the back of my head. Despite everything, you still love them. You grew up with them as your family and didn't realize the hurt they were going to try to inflict upon you. You let them in, and whether you like it or not, they still have a piece of you. They always will. That's one damn reason why you're so amazing. It's not a flaw; it's something beautiful.

It doesn't feel so beautiful right now. My eyes grew heavy, and I welcomed sleep. I needed to turn my brain off even if it was only for a few hours.

It is. I love you.

His words were what I drifted off too.

"Elena." An unfamiliar scream woke me from my sleep.

I sat straight up and looked around. It took a second for everything to register. There was a bright light and then nothing. It was the exact same place I'd seen my parents when I'd almost died. "Mom? Dad?"

I heard a rustling, and soon they were in front of me. There was a wolf in front of them, baring its teeth.

"Haven't you done enough?" My dad's normal, composed face was lined with worry, and his eyes were filled with hurt. His body sagged in a way I'd never seen before.

"Stop. Don't hurt him." It took a second, but the midnight black fur registered. That wolf was my uncle. How was he now able to torment my parents?

Even though I was standing right there, no one turned toward me. It was as if no one could hear me.

My uncle shifted back into his human form and, thank God, he had clothes on. This had to be some sort of dream; otherwise, none of this was making sense.

"Did you really think that Elena would win?" My uncle's blue eyes that matched both mine and my dad's shone with excitement. "Richard and Debra are already making plans to