The Dark Alpha's Claim

Chapter3

That morning, Alpha Kaiden woke up feeling restless. It was the day of the mating ceremony and he felt his wolf stir within him.

He looked down at Jessica, the woman he loved, sleeping beside him. A soft looked passed through his eyes and he gently brushed his thumb over her cheek.

He hoped when the mating ceremony began, she would be mated to him. He had loved her for too long to leave her for another. He didn't want another woman. He wanted her.

He rolled away from the bed and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He frowned as he felt his wolf stir restlessly within him again. He wasn't settled. Something was troubling him yet he couldn't put a finger on it.

Maybe a run would clear his head. It was still morning and the entire pack house was silent. Without letting anyone know, he slipped out of the house, shifted into his wolf and took off into the forest.

He hadn't planned on staying out for so long. He had felt a strange longing within him, like something pulling him away from the pack.

Night fell and he finally decided to return. He knew Jessica would be waiting for him. The mating ceremony had begun and soon he would find his mate.

As he returned to the pack, a sweet intoxicating scent slammed into him. He paused, raising his head to the sky, sniffing the scent. He felt his wolf growl in excitement as the mate bond called to him.

He had found her.

He changed directions and followed the scent, tearing through the forest and leaping over tree roots.

Suddenly he felt something change in the air. It was his mate. She was in danger.

...

Annika ran like her life depended on it. Because it did. The more she ran, the more the thought of her getting caught pushed her to run faster.

Tree branches and roots scratched at her skin, cutting her as she pushed through. Still she didn't stop.

A few shifters stared at her in confusion as she ran past them. Though they didn't stop her, they wondered where she was headed in such a rush, and why she looked so terrified.

Annika didn't stop running until she was miles away from her home. She was terrified that if she so much as slowed down to look back, she would see Odessa coming after her like a furious maddened woman.

So she kept running. Even when she left the thick forest behind and entered a barren land, when she got tired and out of breath and when she got lost, she kept running.

By the time she slowed down, it was heading to dusk. She collapsed on the ground and lay still, breathing heavily. Her chest heaved and she could feel her heart slamming hard against her chest.

It was extremely cold but she felt sweaty and for a long time, she lay there on the ground. Unmoving.

After what seemed like ages, she sat up, wincing from the ache in her entire body. She looked around, wondering where she was. She couldn't even remember the path she took. One thing she knew was that she was a long way from mountain pack.

She picked herself from the ground and started walking. She had no idea where she was going, but she had a plan. She would wait till nightfall, until the mating ceremony began. Hopefully, she would find her mate and he would save her from Odessa's wrath.

And if she didn't find her mate, she would leave the pack and never return. She was done letting others control her life.

As she walked, she thought back to the moment she decided to escape. It had been so easy.

Finding the hammer at the corner of the room and using it to break the lock open was something she never thought she could do. If she had known, she would have escaped a long time ago.

After successfully breaking the lock, she had tiptoed outside, terrified of getting caught but determined to leave. The house had been so quiet with no sign of Odessa and Lupa.

Leaving through the back door had been easier than she expected and no one had seen her.

A deep sigh escaped her. She was getting tired. She needed to find a place to rest, and wait till night fall.

She spotted an abandoned building a few meters away from her. Walking quickly towards it, she peeked around to make sure it was empty.

When she was convinced no one would find her, she m stepped inside and curled into a ball in a corner, waiting for night fall.

...

Hours later, night fell. A full moon appeared in the sky, sending its silver rays to the earth.

Annika opened her eyes and looked around. It was totally dark, and the weather was extremely chilly. She felt the pull of the moon, and the urge to step outside surged within her.

She stepped out of the building, breathing in the clean crisp air. Her spine tingled as she began to walk back the way she came. She wouldn't go back to maintain pack. She would find a place to hide and wait until she felt the pull of the mate bond.

She arrived at the forest surrounding her pack and began to look for a place to hide. From the distance, she heard the howl of several wolves. The mating ceremony had begun.

Suddenly she paused when she heard a twig snap in the darkness. She whirled around, searching through the bushes. The feeling of being watched came over her and she began to panic.

She turned and was about to continue walking when a brown wolf burst out of the bushes and lunged at her.

She screamed and fell back, lifting her hands to shield her face. But the wolf didn't attack. Instead it shifted, the crunching sound of bones filling the air. She stared in horror at Odessa standing before her, her face twisted into a dark scowl.

"You thought you could escape, didn't you?" She snarled. She grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. Without another word, she began to drag her back to the house.

Annika knew better than to struggle. Tears spilled down her eyes as she followed Odessa back. She had tried her best, but it seemed fate had other plans.

Suddenly a ferocious roar echoed round the forest. Odessa stopped, her face going from furious to panic.

Before either of them could understand what was happening, a large grey wolf stormed out of the forest. Its eyes gleamed in the dark and it slowly stopped in front of them.

Annika reared back in shock when the wolf shifted and Alpha Kaiden stood there, staring furiously at them.

"Let go of my mate." He ordered coldly.