Chapter Seven
HIS CLAIM
(Theodore Black's Pov)
––Steele Manor
The Manor of Steele was an imposing structure sprawling estate dripping with centuries of history and power.
As I emerged from the car, a chill from the evening breeze touched my skin, though it did little to chill the simmering inside of me. My mask fit perfectly on my face, well concealing the tension etched within my expression, while my gaze swept along at the mansion that towered over me.
It was a setting fit for the arrival of a king, and I walked into it with no need for great fanfare. My presence was enough.
The guards stationed at the entrance snapped to attention at the sight of me. Their eyes went wide, and they exchanged swift glances before bowing their heads in silent respect.
They didn't need to ask who I was. My reputation precedes me, just as I intended.
A butler came forward, his back ramrod straight, his voice perfectly modulated. "Welcome, Sir Black. Alpha Vamos awaits you inside."
I nodded curtly and followed him into the manor, my boots clinking against the gleaming marble floors. The air inside was thick with the scent of power and wealth, but it wasn't intimidating. I had stood in far grander halls, commanded far greater fear, and broken far stronger men.
The Steele family might have ruled their world, but I ruled mine.
The study was dimly lit, the flicker of a single fireplace casting shadows across the room. Alpha Vamos sat behind an ornate desk, his presence as commanding as the man himself. He looked up as I entered, his green eyes narrowing with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
“Alpha Black," he said, his voice even but cautious. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
I closed the door behind me and took a step forward, removing my gloves slowly and laying them on the edge of his desk, my deliberate, calculated subtle hint that I was not a man to be rushed.
“Let's not waste time, Alpha Vamos," I started coldly, authoritatively. "You know why I'm here."
He lifted an eyebrow but said nothing, just waited for me to continue.
"I've come for Camille," I said simply, my voice clear.
“What do you mean, Alpha Black?!” He looked confused with his aged eyes narrowed.
“She is mine! She Is my mate, and I would love to take her as mine, completely.” I said without any filter.
His face hardened, tension building in the air like a storm cloud gathering. "Camille is my granddaughter," he said edge in his voice. "I have just found her, and I will not turn her over to anyone alone, a man whose only identity to me is by reputation.”
I inclined my head slightly, acknowledging his concern. "I understand your hesitation," I said, softening my tone just enough to show respect. "But Camille is my mate. I've known it from the moment I met her. She belongs with me.”
“Belongs with you?" he repeated, his voice rising. "She's not a piece of property, Alpha Black. She's a Steele, and I will not allow her to be taken away without reason."
I leaned forward, placing my hands on the desk as I met his gaze directly. "She is not a property," I said, my voice low and measured. "But she is mine, in the way that only a mate can be. You may not understand it now, but I tell you this: I'll do everything in my power to protect her. No one is going to touch her, no one is going to hurt her, and no one is going to take her from me."
Alpha Vamos stared at me in silence, his green eyes examining mine for even a drop of weakness or deception. I let him look. He would find neither.
“She's been through enough”, he said finally, after a long moment, his voice so heavy with emotion. “I won't let her be hurt again.”
"Neither will I," I said resolutely. "I'll support her, stand by her, and help her become the woman and leader she is meant to be. Whatever you've started with her training, I will continue. I'm not here to take her away from you, Vamos. I'm here to stand with her.
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might argue further. But then he leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "You make bold promises, Alpha Black," he said. "But I will hold you to them."
"You won't have to," I replied. "My actions will speak for themselves."
He nodded after a long pause. "Very well. But let this serve as a warning—I will not tolerate anything less than absolute respect and care towards her. If you hurt her…"
"You'll have to get in line," I said darkly, straightening. "Because I'd destroy myself before I let her suffer."
There was a beat of silence between us, a shared understanding that went unspoken.
Finally, I asked, "Where is she?"
His face changed, a shadow of discomfort crossing his features. "She's healing," he said. "The shock of awakening her wolf was too much. She's still...unconscious."
Those words felt like a kick in the guts. My mate, Camille, lying in a bed, helpless and injured. It stirred something wild in me, a powerful protectiveness that growled low in my chest.
"I want to see her," I said in an instant, my voice razor-sharp with urgency.
Alpha Vamos hesitated. "She needs rest—"
"I said I want to see her," I repeated, leaving no room for any kind of argument.
He regarded me for a moment, then sighed. "Very well. But before you go… " His gaze hardened a fraction. "You know I've guessed who you are.
I smiled wryly behind my mask. "Then you know it's best for everyone if Camille doesn't."
"She deserves the truth," he replied.
"In time," I said, my tone softening somewhat. "But not yet. Not until she's ready."
He didn't look happy, but he nodded. "I'll keep my silence for now."
"Good." I turned to the door but stopped before I opened it. "Thanks, Vamos." The words were grudging, but sincere.
The maid led me through the manor's twisting halls, her feet quiet on the wood floor. My footsteps echoed softly, yet with each one, a step closer to her was made.
We reached her room, and I dismissed the maid with a curt nod, entering and closing the door behind me.
Warm air wafted inside tinged with the faint scent of lavender. My eyes found her in an instant, lying on the bed like some slumbering goddess. Her dark lashes rested against pale cheeks, and her chest rose and fell in steady cadence.
A moment longer I stood, stock-still, transfixed by the vision of her. My wolf stirred restlessly, the growl low in my chest while I fought to suppress the need to take her right then and there. She was mine. Every fiber of my body yelled it. But I took a step back and willed myself to calm down. She needed care, not dominance.
I moved to her bedside, lowering myself into the chair beside her. My gloved hand hovered over her face, hesitant, before finally brushing a strand of hair away from her forehead.
She was soft beneath my fingers, the warmth of her drawing me closer. My hand traced the delicate curve of her jaw, and the fullness of her lips. My wolf howled in the back of my mind, urging me to taste her, to feel her.
I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against her lips before I could catch myself.
It was supposed to be a quick, tender kiss, but the second my lips touched hers, the second her scent hit my lungs, I was out of control. The kiss turned deeper as my mouth moved against hers in an insatiable hunger I had no control over.
Her lips parted instinctively and I groaned as her tongue met mine. She tasted like she did weeks before, heady, utterly addictive.
Her body stirred faintly beneath me, and for a moment I thought it was just a product of my imagination. Then I felt the subtle press of her lips pressing back against mine.
Joy tore through me, mingling with the desire as our tongues intertwined in some sort of frenzied dance that was both familiar and new in equal parts.
“Mmmh,” A sweet, low moan escaped her, and I growled in a low tone, my control releasing even more.
But then her eyes fluttered open, and I froze.
She stared up at me, her lips still connected with mine, an expression of confusion and surprise written on her face.
"Shoot," I thought, panic lancing through me. "Did I just get caught?!"