Claimed

Chapter 44: Control

Sophia's POV:

If a certain Beta wasn't the object of every thought, fantasy and desire I had, Arden could've swept me off my feet. And not just because he was attractive. He was a charming motherfucker.

There was awkwardness in every interaction at the beginning. Out of respect for whatever the hell was up with Ben tonight, I tried to keep my distance. The last time Arden and I saw each other was when his face was buried between my legs, and although we both tried to act normal, there was no denying the uncomfortableness.

While I was trying to figure out a way to make it normal, Arden acted first and pulled me aside while his Beta—Lela—talked logistics of an alliance with Darius, Tess and Kane.

Body flushed from that heated moment with Ben and also the tension of being locked in a room with an almost one-night stand made me open the window for some air. Arden leaned on the wall across from me while I welcome the breeze of the window cooling off my dampened skin.

"So," Arden crossed his arms. "I take it what almost happened the other night isn't something you're interested in today."

I clasped my hands together. "That obvious?"

He lifted his hand and held his thumb and pointer fingers so close together, they were almost touching.

I let out a breathy laugh. "Sorry, I'm um...

"You're with someone. I can smell it."

Yeah, thanks for that little claim you made, Benedict.

"I kinda am." I leaned my hip against the windowsill. "I wasn't when I saw you that night, but things changed real fast after."

He shrugged. "You don't owe me an explanation, Luna. I only wanted to confront it because I can't stand the awkward avoidance thing."

My shoulders dropped. "Me either."

"Well, good, then I think we can get to know each other as friends." He stepped forward and opened his arms. "What do you say?"

"That'd be great." I let him come in for the hug and returned it. "Maybe even allies."

He let out a low whistle and backed away. "Shameless. We barely even adjusted to friendship."

"I don't move slow."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I got that. Thing is, I don't see how it could be bad to get involved with one of the strongest packs out there." He inclined his head to Kane and Tess. "And I have a feeling I don't want to be on your bad side." His gaze shifted to Darius. "Or his."

I laughed. "You won't be on our bad side if we're not allies. We just think it's good to have each other's back, especially now humans know about us. I think supernaturals uniting together is more important than ever."

"I agree." He rubbed his chin and pushed off the wall, gazing out the window. "My only problem is in the protectiveness of my pack. We've got kind of a mixed bag and I'm a little tired of hearing that aerial shifters aren't real shifters, but it's something we get a lot. More than half my pack is made up of aerial shifters, whether hybrid or otherwise."

My brows furrowed. "Who the fuck says that to you?"

He let out a bitter laugh. "Lots of people, Luna. Enough my hackles rise any time someone suggests an alliance. Hasn't always gone great for us."

"What made you willing to come today, then?"

"Alana and I knew each other as kids." He tugged on his lower lip and shrugged. "There was never a time I asked her if someone was good or not and she wasn't upfront with me. The fact Kane's kept such a good tight wall around her to keep her safe tells me he may not have a problem with us supernatural that aren't the kind you envision when someone says shifter. Most people's minds jump to wolves first."