Page 14 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

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The last day of mourning had finally arrived, and I was ready with my plan. I would use the challenge ceremony as my opportunity to escape. I had overheard that the sentries and hunters would all be off duty to enjoy the party. It was my one chance to get away without anyone noticing or caring.

But before I could put my escape plan into action, I had to get through the challenge ceremony.

I knew it was childish, but a big part of me wanted to enjoy the event, even if the joy was momentary.

I wanted to dress up like the wolves did.

It was my last night on the compound. I might as well enjoy myself.

I pulled my hair back into one long braid so I wouldn’t have to worry about it.

I wore a pair of jeans, my usual black boots, and a soft, blush-pink blouse with bell sleeves.

It was another inherited piece from my mom’s closet, and it was my favorite.

I liked the way the pink looked against my skin.

The only downside to wearing it was that it would likely get dirty when I escaped, and I would have to keep it hidden under a jacket for the most part.

I met my own gaze in the mirror. I was surprised to see the sadness in my downturned eyebrows and the slight frown on my lips.

Troy’s warning was fresh on my brain. I remembered the way he’d loomed over me like the devil incarnate.

He tormented me even while I slept—I found myself waking in a cold sweat with the memory of his hot breath blowing over my face.

After I finished my braid, I tied it off with a hair tie and tossed it over my shoulder.

The end bounced against my lower back. I turned away from the mirror and rubbed my upper arms. “Make sure you’re ready to ring in your birthday in a way that you won’t forget because it’ll be the last one you see as a free woman. ” That was what he’d told me.

I didn’t want to think about him making good on his threat or about the bulge he’d pressed against my thigh.

After I’d thrown my guts up in the grass, I’d scrubbed myself raw to get the memory of him off my skin.

For all my effort, I hadn’t succeeded. I would see Troy at the ceremony tonight, and the thought of being anywhere near him made me sick to my stomach all over again.

He was the reason I needed to get the hell out of here—I couldn’t let him control my life.

I wanted to forget about Troy entirely and try to enjoy one last night before I ventured out on my own.

At around midnight, the challenge ceremony would begin, and then those closest to Troy would have full run of the compound; but for now, everyone—the elderly, the mothers, the children—could sit down and enjoy each other’s company.

I was looking forward to watching the young wolf pups enjoy the music and celebration. Other than Mom, the children were the best part about living in the pack. The little girls and boys were all so cute and so clumsy, and they weren’t nearly as put off by my humanity as their parents.

Mom and I would get to dance carefree in the moonlight with the other women of the pack and eat delicious meals that neither of us had to prepare.

The idea of being surrounded by such jovial, happy energy caused tears to push at the backs of my eyes.

I tried to push them away, but a few wayward droplets escaped down my cheeks.

I was going to run away from the only home I had ever known.

Hopefully, I would find a new place that suited me, with people who liked me, with friends and community.

I wanted to belong somewhere so badly my heart ached—somewhere that wouldn’t force the women and children to hide while the men ran wild. But I was afraid to hope.

I winced at the knock on my door. I quickly wiped away the tears. “Yeah?”

Mom opened the door. She tilted her head when she saw me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just got something in my eye.”

“Mmhm.” It was obvious I wasn’t telling the truth, but she wasn’t going to push it. Instead, she gave me an encouraging smile. “You look beautiful in that top, hon. It reminds me of the good old days when I was rocking bell-bottom jeans and dancing at human concerts.”

I laughed. “I can’t believe you were so wild when you were my age.”

“You can’t? Why? Is it because I’m too old and boring now?”

“Hardly! It’s because you’re all about gardening and drinking tea.” I smiled, allowing myself to fall into the rhythm of the banter. “It’s not about being old, but…I mean, you can hardly stay up past midnight, Mom.”

She cackled. “Wow. Well, now I see what my daughter really thinks of me! I’ll show you tonight that I can keep up just as well as you young folks.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Let me put on my earrings, and then we’ll head out, okay?”

“Sure.” In better spirits, I looked around at my room—the old, faded blue sheet and the duvet that Mom had crocheted for my sixteenth birthday, the dried flowers, the white walls…

As I implanted the view of my bedroom in my memory, I was struck by the sudden realization that this would be the last time I would see my bedroom.

I immediately shook off the feeling. Stop letting Troy get in your head! Ignore his stupid threat, and let yourself enjoy one night! After all, you really are leaving tonight. I nodded to myself and stepped out, closing the door behind me.

In another few minutes, Mom and I headed outside arm in arm.

It was dusk now, and the sky was a beautiful gradient of bright marigold and fuchsia to violet and royal blue.

Stars glinted throughout and left me feeling breathless and spellbound.

I tightened my hold on Mom’s arm slightly, and she squeezed me back.

If I had to leave right now and grab the pack I’d stashed in the branches of a tree near the dining hall, I would forever feel nostalgic for this moment with my mom and nature.

But it wasn’t time to go. Not yet. I hadn’t experienced the party yet, and I wanted to spend more time with Mom before I left.

We walked toward the dining hall to eat an early dinner.

In a few hours, the challenge ceremony would begin, but the arena had already been set up—there was a large dirt circle within view of the dining hall.

In acknowledgment of the rite, men walked around shirtless, showing off the battle scars they’d earned when they were hunting.

Once the ceremony began, the competitors would shift into their wolf forms. The challengers would step up one by one to fight to the death against either the Alpha or the man in line to become Alpha.

The men who weren’t competing would gather around the circumference to make sure no one tried to escape the circle.

The wolf left standing would become the Alpha, and afterward, an even larger celebration would occur.

The pack would gather to drink and party and vie for the attention of their new Alpha to get in his good graces.

I took a cursory look at the shirtless, muscular wolves and then decided I’d keep my eyes to myself.

I didn’t want to risk spotting Troy. I didn’t know if I could stand to be anywhere near him without dissolving into a puddle of tears.

Instead, I looked at the women. Less of them wore flashy outfits, and there was quite a bit of skin showing.

The women who were mated or claimed wore more muted colors to indicate that they were no longer on the market, and they kept their distance from the ruckus.

A mated pair might stick together at first and then drift apart, while a claimed pair were bound together forever.

It was the single most important bond within a pack, just as strong as the one the Alpha shared with his people.

From what Mom had explained, claiming happened during sex.

The man would bite the woman, which would mark her as his and bond them together as true mates.

As serious as being mated was, it was an even bigger deal for wolves to claim or be claimed because it could only happen once.

I thought the concept of being claimed was a really romantic one, but it was just one more difference between myself and my peers. The closest thing humans had to claiming was something called marriage, but they could separate after marriage. Wolves couldn’t do that.

Mom and I headed inside the dining hall.

Tonight’s food would be the most plentiful and the most succulent because it was the final day of mourning.

I took a deep breath, and my eyes began to slip closed at the savory scents that filled the air.

I didn’t need to have a shifter’s sense of smell to tell that there was deliciousness in my future.

I loaded my plate high with vegetables that had been either simmered with salted meats or roasted over low flame.

Main courses included braised beef, roasted poultry, and steamed fish.

Mashed potatoes and rich, buttery gravy rounded out the meal.

I intended to eat myself into a food coma.

After Mom and I finished assembling our dinners, we looked around the packed dining hall for a place to sit.

Fortunately, there were a couple of empty spots at the table where mothers ate with their children.

Mom and I shared an excited look. We were quite familiar with the younger generations of the pack.

Mom knew them from the agricultural classes that she taught at the schoolhouse, and I often looked after the children in the summer when school wasn’t in session.

We sat down at the end of the table, and the kids squealed happily at getting to sit near their two favorite people. Their mothers looked up at the ruckus and smiled at us.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” one of the mothers said…to me!