War Claim (The Claim: Book 3)

Chapter 34 - Chloe (Part 2)

Ditching her school bag at home, Chloe changed into her workout clothes and headed to the fitness center to train.

Stupid Animkii's scent was driving her crazy these past two weeks. It saturated the fitness center and the combat training room. She couldn't get away from it. It made training difficult because she struggled to focus.

She couldn't wait for the weather to warm up so the new adults could do their training outside. There were only a dozen of them so far. All those who turned eighteen-years-old were required to start fitness training whether they were to sign up and become warriors or not. It was to teach them basic survival skills.

Chloe was well ahead of the bunch, even when it came to taking on the strongest of the eighteen-year-old males. Leo was no match for her and while she knew she was stronger, faster, and more capable than him, it still lifted her confidence in knowing that all these years of training with her father were paying off.

As she approached the main pack house, she saw two males in her training class ahead of her. They were the best two in their class—after her—Leo and Brent. She couldn't wait for Kayla to join them. It would be so much better to have her best friend at her side, especially with these males always ogling her chest, glutes, legs, and toned stomach. When they finally did make eye-contact she made sure to give them a less than impressed glare to let them know that she caught them eye-raping her.

One of these days, you'll have to put them in their place, she told herself. It's getting annoying!

When she reached for the door to let herself in a minute after the males, she heard a snarl and a commotion inside. Yanking it open, she was shocked to find Animkii pinning the two males against the wall in the middle of the staircase. Animkii had lifted them off the steps, their feet kicking out from under them and their claws digging into Animkii's hands around their throats. The stink of urine penetrated the air as it dripped down Brent's legs.

Rage mounted within her. "What the hell are you doing?"

The males whimpered and cried like injured animals as she climbed the stairs.

"Get off them! What the fuck is your problem?" she demanded.

Animkii released them with a flash of teeth. When she reached him, Chloe shoved him with all her might as the two males stumbled down the stairs and fled from the building.

She could smell the anger and hostility pouring off of him as he turned his attention to her and thrust her up against the wall. His canines were bared, his pupils dilated. His aura was one of dominance that demanded submission but she stared him down in defiance. Her heart pounded in her chest and she squeezed her legs together when a tingling sensation drifted up from her intimate place. His scent was powerful and overwhelming and she struggled to focus on what was happening.

What was happening?

She stared back into those black swirling pools of emotion. Rage burned within them but she could tell with the shifting of his scent that there was more than rage rising to the surface of him now. He was burning up with another emotion, one that she found herself inhaling in big greedy breaths.

"You," he declared in a harsh whisper, his nostrils flaring. "You're my problem."

Releasing her, he stepped back against the handrail and gripped it tightly. Blood oozed from the ripped flesh Leo and Brent's claws sliced open and dripped down the wooden handrail.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from his as she leaned against the wall for support. Why did she feel so weak?

And yet, his words ignited a fury within her.