The Defiant Claim - The Claim: Book 2 [LGBTQ+]

Sam didn’t want to be reminded of what Alpha had to do to maintain his position, but he knew Mik was right.

Alpha Noodin could be soft when he needed to be and hard when he needed to be. Imagining him as a ruthless killer was tough when he was everything Sam needed him to be during his darkest hours—caring, considerate, supportive, and firm.

After all, Alpha was giving Mik a chance when he knew very well that Mik was a threat not only to his position and family but the well-being of the pack itself. Mik didn’t deserve a chance, but he was given one for Sam’s sake.

It was a nice day outside, not as hot as the previous few, with a nice breeze and a blue sky. After dropping his dishes off at the kitchen, he hurried over to Alpha and Luna’s house. After getting their permission, he hurried back to his mate with two sets of keys in his pockets.

Busting into the back room, his mate was right where he left him, looking bored but comfortable.

“Hey, want to go out for a drive?”

Confusion tilted Mik’s head and furrowed his brows.

Sam held up one of the two sets of keys. “I know someplace nice we can go that will be easy to push you around in the wheelchair. Change of scenery. Sound good?”

Mik looked away, his shoulders slouching. “I don’t want to be out in public like this.”

Grinning, Sam pushed the wheelchair to the side of his bed. It was interesting to see Mik so self-conscious about his physical state. “Don’t worry. There won’t be too many humans out there and even fewer wolves if any. You’re not scared of a few stares from humans, are you?”

Mik perked up at the challenge. “Of course not. But there’s no way I’m going anywhere in a hospital gown.”

He had a point.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Sam told him before running out the door and to the dorms.

Of the three males on his floor still in their rooms (sleeping in preparation for the night shift), only one answered his door and languidly handed over a worn-out pair of flip-flops and a faded hunter green shirt and cargo shorts. Sam hoped they fit as he sprinted back to his mate because none of his own clothes would fit him.

He made a mental note to himself to keep an eye out for some boxers or briefs at the shops as he helped Mik get dressed and comb his hair back into a ponytail. Mik didn’t even grumble about Sam helping him. Either he was getting used to it, or he’d come to accept that there was no use grumbling over something he couldn’t do on his own.

Sam liked touching Mik and combing his hair. Sparks fired off and made him feel happy and giddy every time. He could tell Mik felt them too but he concealed his reactions now—which was a lot better than the rage and disgust that burst forth from him a few days ago.

Wheeling Mik out of the infirmary and to the garage, he helped him into one of the pack cars and put the folded wheelchair in the trunk before climbing in himself. He couldn’t wipe the massive grin off his face as he turned on the ignition and rolled the windows down. He glanced over at Mik and caught him staring at the line of motorcycles along the one wall.

“Once you’re all healed, we can take a pair out and go for a drive,” Sam suggested as he carefully backed the vehicle out of the garage.

Mik tore his eyes away from them and grunted.

“What?”

“Don’t laugh.”

“What?” Sam pressed his lips together to keep from smirking at Mik’s disgruntled scowl.

“I don’t know how to drive.”

“That’s okay. I can teach you. Another pack-perk over being rogue, huh?”

He wasn’t surprised that Mik didn’t know how to drive. What wild wolf would need a car or motorcycle anyway? They were perks the pack acquired over time just like humans.

Pulling out of the garage, he took his time driving down the narrow lane that led them out of the valley and into the forest before reaching a gravel road and turning onto a paved road. Sam eased his foot down on the gas peddle and peeked at Mik from the corner of his eye as their speed increased. The wind whipped through the open windows as Mik closed his eyes and relaxed in his seat.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” he asked.

“You have no idea,” Mik responded.

Sam let a minute of silence pass between them before he said, “I knew you’d like it. The motorcycles are like this but better.”

Mik hummed before opening his eyes lazily and looking out the window. The forest was behind them now and open fields of wheat and corn lined the road for miles before them.

After driving a few minutes, Mik asked, “Where are we going?”

“The beach.”

Mik shrugged. “Okay.”

“It’s nice,” Sam said. “There’s a boardwalk not too far from the sand, lots of trees, little shops, and it’s not too crowded. I thought it would be nice to get out and away from the mainland for a bit with no other wolves around. Maybe feel the sand between your toes, though I don’t think it’s a good idea to take the wheelchair to the water. Might get stuck in the sand.”

Sam chuckled at the thought and glanced over at Mik. He was still looking out the window, his face serious, but Sam could tell that he was feeling better with the fresh air and wind in his hair.

Pulling into the town of Aspen Beach, he grabbed the last available handicap space in the main lot, which was the only space left. He slapped the wheelchair permit from the infirmary on the dash and jumped out. After getting Mik on the chair, he could tell Mik was on edge. If he had fur, it would be bristling as his furrowed brown eyes surveyed the parking lot around them.

Sam sniffed the air but could sense no reason to be wary. There was another family of wolves here at the beach but they were packmates. “Don’t worry. The only one judging you is yourself.”

Mik huffed but relaxed a little.

He pushed Mik forward. “Let’s hang out at the beach, find a nice shady spot if possible, then go to the shops for a snack and do a bit of shopping. Sound like a plan?”

Mik grunted and Sam ignored him. He’ll relax once Sam pushed him under a shady tree, away from prying eyes.

The boardwalk was covered with people walking around or standing and chatting when they ran into someone they knew. Mik growled softly under his breath, not that anyone heard him over the chatter of people, the squealing of children, the music playing from the shops and pubs, the low waves splashing against the shore, and the squawking seagulls.

Sam walked at a leisurely pace, people giving him plenty of room to move while Mik slouched in his seat, growling lowly every now and then. Once he found a shady spot, he locked the brakes and sat on the grass next to him. He looked up at Mik, still growling under his breath as he scanned the beach around them.

“What is your deal? Chill already.”

“There are too many people here. Too much noise. Too many smells.”

And this guy wanted to be Alpha?

“So your senses are overwhelmed. Understandable. Just relax for a few minutes and adjust. I was really hesitant the first time I came here too. I wasn’t as isolated as you in the wilderness, but I was sheltered.”

Shut-in. Hidden from sight. Made to feel ashamed.

With a grunt, Mik closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

Sam watched his nostrils flare for a minute before they appeared to relax. Turning away, he let his gaze fall on the small crashing waves on the beach, watching three small children running in and out of the water. There were numerous children playing in and out of the water but these three were the closest.

You will never be able to give him pups.

As Mik relaxed, a comfortable silence fell between them as they watched the humans enjoying themselves.

“What is it that you like about this place?” Mik asked after ten minutes.

Sam shrugged. “Cameron always brought me out here. He’s my best friend, the one whose scent you picked up on me the other day.” The one who broke your arm and leg, he left out. “He lost his memories five years ago—in the last attack. He met his mate here right before that happened and his soul kept pulling him to this place. Eventually, he did find her again—here—and I was with him, but for me…” Sam heaved a sigh. “To me, this place is freedom.”

“From what?”

“Everything. My past. I had to let it go so I could move on.” He looked up at the leaves on the trees as the sunlight peeked through the cracks. “To start over again. To be who I was meant to be and not the male my parents wanted me to be.”

He could feel Mik’s eyes on him. Tracing over his jaw and his lips before looking away.

“What happened with them?”

Sam shifted his gaze to Mik. He wasn’t looking directly at Sam, but near him.

“A lot of things, but my brother’s death triggered everything. That was when they told me the truth and I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I would never measure up to their expectations.” Sam lowered his gaze and looked back out over the water, letting the sight, sound, and smell of it relax his mind, body, and soul. “That I was just some runt found crying at the edge of the border, barely a day old. That I’d never be the Samuel they lost a few weeks before.”