To Claim His Mate by Serena Pettus Page A

bulldoze right through and meet Eva as soon as she could.
    “Mom, I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea,” Adam interrupted.
    “And why wouldn’t it be? She’s your mate. Besides, this will help to take her mind off of her troubles.”
    “Yes, but she doesn’t know about us. I don’t want to spook her. She’s too important.” He spoke softly, knowing that Eva was likely asleep and unwilling to possibly wake her.
    “It’s not like we’ll show up wearing T-shirts advertising our family secrets. Really, Adam, have a little faith. Your brothers will be there too with their mates. And may I remind you that two of them are human, so don’t worry so much,” she chided. Ironically, her words helped. He did have two sisters-in-law who were human and had no qualms with their husband’s second nature. That fact gave him hope, something to cling to.
    A scratching noise drew his gaze to the hall. Lightning stood outside Eva’s door with his hackles raised and a low rumble starting in his chest, while Storm pawed the door as if she could dig her way through. Adam quickly ended the call with his mother and started down the hall to retrieve the wolves, only to growl in unease himself once he reached her room. He tried to focus and faintly felt her emotions. Before he could place them, the scent of her fear reached him.
    Throwing open the door, he rushed inside, ready to face whatever frightened his woman. The room was empty, but a glance at the bed showed him she was in the firm grip of a night terror. Eva was curled on her side tucked tightly into herself, as if fending off blows. The thought chilled him, and he wanted her awake.
    Now .
    Her back was to him as he approached the bed. A wheeze escaped her, and he reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was cold then suddenly, he was suffocating. Somehow, through the still-forming bond, he felt her nightmare while still awake and looking down at her. Someone was choking her. He felt the ghostly fingers squeezing his throat and noticed her straining breaths had stopped. She flailed now and fought the invisible assailant, all the while not breathing. Her face turned crimson then darkened, her lips growing pale, but no amount of shaking and yelling would wake her as her struggles became weaker.
    Adam was in a state of pure panic, his heart pounding in his chest. He’d heard an urban myth once that stated if you died in your dreams, you would die in your sleep. He had no desire to see if it was true. Her eyes flew open, revealing her terror in their emerald depths, and in a moment of desperation, he did the only thing he could think of.
    He kissed her.
    She grabbed his shoulders and pushed weakly against him. “Come back to me, Eva. It’s Adam. Baby, please come back.” Again, he covered her lips with his and felt her begin to breathe in slow, shallow breaths. Then she folded her arms around his neck and tilted her head to give him better access.
    Adam’s only clear thought was, please be awake.
    * * * *
    As it turned out, meeting with Shane to give him a cashier’s check wasn’t such a good idea. He was high.
    “What the hell do you want, you stupid cunt?” he yelled, even as he snatched her inside his home.
    “I want this whole thing over with.” Eva stood up straight and tried for a cool, bored expression. “Here,” she thrust the check at him, “this should help with whatever mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Now, just leave me alone so that I can get on with my life—”
    He punched her right in the side of the head, and she slumped against the wall, pain radiating through her skull in waves. “You dumb bitch! If we were married, I wouldn’t need your fucking handouts. I’d be rich!”
    “You’d be in rehab. I refuse to marry a junkie or a man who gambles everything away.”
    Wham! She probably shouldn’t have said that.
    “You’re mine now. I’ll get someone here to marry us then all my problems will just go away.” Shane