Free Claiming His Fire by Ellis Leigh

that is. Before my mother died. Though they’re both dead now. Not that it matters.” Her eyes went wide as I cocked my head. “Oh God, not that it matters to you. It totally matters to me and my sisters. But you…probably not so much.”
    I pulled up one side of my mouth in a smile, fighting back my laughter as she blanched and scrunched up her nose.
    “Damn it,” she hissed before taking a deep breath and giving me a very strong stare. “It’s a sort of Cuban stew, and it’s delicious. Zuri makes it better than any I’ve ever had. You just have to heat it up.”
    I looked down at the dish, completely in shock that she’d bring me food. That she was, in some small way, taking care of me. It was such a mate thing to do. “Why?”
    When my eyes met hers, I almost rocked back on my heels. So much emotion laced through the green. Confusion, reluctance, something that looked a lot like fear. I wanted to protect her, to help her, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t know what I could do other than leave her alone, but with her standing at my door offering me food, that option took a major dive into the backseat. The cracks in her walls were showing, and I wanted to explore every one of them.
    Scarlett shrugged, focusing on the doorjamb instead of me. “Because you’ve been helpful. Phoenix and Zuri couldn’t have laid all that flooring on their own, and it makes my sister happy to have one more thing ready for when the baby comes.” Her voice dropped almost to a whisper and she finally graced me with her eyes again. “It’s our way of saying thank you.”
    I nodded, not knowing what to say. No one had ever brought me food like this. And though there was no need for Phoenix and Zuri to thank me, their kindness brought Scarlett to my door. Something I hadn’t thought would ever happen.
    “How?” I lifted the dish a little and raised an eyebrow.
    She smirked a bit, obviously regaining some of her confidence. “How, what…to eat it? With a spoon…or maybe a fork. And definitely with some bread. I brought a loaf from the bakery for you.”
    I grinned. “Thank you, but that wasn’t what I meant. How do I heat it up?”
    “Oh, you’re one of those guys who can’t cook. Of course.” Scarlett rolled her eyes and took the dish from my hands. “Are you hungry?”
    “Always.”
    She walked past me, looking as if she belonged in my apartment, swaying her hips through my entryway and into the living room. I watched her go, practically hunting her with just my eyes. Jesus, she was in my den…my space…her scent mingling with mine. If she knew what that meant to the beasts within me, she’d probably run. My wolf howled in my mind with the excitement of getting our mate alone in our space. My tiger growled and stalked forward, ready to claim.
    Scarlett looked back over her shoulder, almost catching me as I watched her walk away. She had a great ass; I couldn’t be the only man who’d been unable to keep his eyes off it.
    “I’ll take care of this. Zuri would be pissed if you didn’t like it because it was cold or you burned it. She went to a lot of trouble.”
    “I’ll make sure to thank her,” I said, closing the door. Scarlett hurried to my kitchen, which set off a ton of very inappropriate thoughts. Like her naked on my counters, ready for me to feast on her. The cabinets were the perfect height for me to kneel and—
    “You like it hot?”
    I jumped, my hand automatically moving in front of my groin, my palm brushing my hard cock and making me bite back a moan. Fucking sweat pants offered little in the way of support.
    “Pardon?”
    “Hot, as in spicy.” She cocked her head as if knowing where my mind had been. “Do you like your food spicy or not?”
    “Yeah,” I replied, my voice rougher than normal, my eyes locked on hers so I didn’t stare at her…other parts. “Spice is good. I like heat.”
    With a smirk and a shake of her head, she turned and started messing with the controls of the