CHAPTER SIX: BLOOD CLAIM
1106 Words
JASMINE
" Blood claim?"
My stomach drops to the floor as I ask.
" Yes" Lucien says
" What?!" I exclaim still trying to process my situation.
" A blood claim is when..."
" I Know what a blood claim is" I interrupt him.
"I'm asking why would it work when I've already found you" I continue.
Lucien looks at me annoyed at my rude interruption but answers. "The blood claim is the only way they could have you, even if it's for a period of time because we haven't had our mating ceremony." his voice sounding a bit frustrated at the loophole.
A blood claim is an old custom of the wolf shifter community where a clan or family has the right to retrieve or take back a particular member of their clan.
It's normally used for heirs that have been missing and found in another clan. Sometimes it's used for daughters that are mistreated by their mate's clan.
But since Lucien and I just met and haven't even consider mating or even a mating ceremony, I am Still eligible to be taken by a blood claim.
But on the bright side, if they take me, they can't force me to mate with someone else as I've already found my mate. And they can't make me reject the mate bond as I would be crippled or die in the worse case. They must want me whole and in one piece.
" Can we schedule a mating ceremony" I ask.
Lucien scoffs and looks at me like I am an illiterate, which in this case I might be.
" For the five houses, the mating takes longer as there are procedures that we should go through, and we would have to talk with the council and schedule a mating ceremony with them as witnesses.
if we are mated outside those lengthy procedures, the mating ceremony is illegal and would be considered null and void."
I inwardly smack my forehead in frustration. I forgot that Alpha wolves have a more sophisticated mating ceremony than other wolves. some wolves won't even have a mating ceremony and just mark each other on sight.
" these procedures are done to make sure that the Alpha is mating with his rightful mate. Some witches have found a was to weaken the mate bond to make the curse placed on the unwilling mate and backlash of mate rejection dull.
Because of a famous case years ago, the mating rites was made longer to make sure the wolves getting mated have not been using magic " Lucien continues.
The Alpha who rejected his mate and used magic to dull the rejection curse and rejection backlash. Even rogue wolves know of the story.
Alpha Alexander fell in love his stepsister, He rejected his mate and used magic to weaken the mating bond, dulling the rejection curse which is the repercussion for breaking the bond.
he bonded his stepsister as soon as possible and exiled his mate, turning her into a rogue wolf, she was rejected by neighboring parks.
Within six months, the spell was broken and the curse came in full force, alerting the whole shifter community of his crime.
Unfortunately for Alpha Alexander, his mate had moved on. She was a half witch so she protected herself from the backlash.
" If we are not mates and are using a spell to break the bond, within six months the spell would be weakened and the repercussions would come in full force.
The council wants to make sure that non of the houses would make that stupid mistake all in the name of strengthening the bloodline" Lucien's narration brought me out of my thoughts.
" So that means we can't rely on the mating ceremony to save me from the blood claim" I say almost in despair.
" yes"
"So that leaves us to hiding me until the day of the ceremony" I continue .
" Not really, just until you are needed to be presented to the council which is one month to the ceremony. Just long enough to leave no time to the D'Arvenzi wolves to claim you" Lucien says.
Keeping me hidden from the world?, It sounds crazy that it might actually work. If Sloane was here she would turn this into a melodramatic comedy.
"What about Sloane" I ask
" she's in the bed next to you, she was going crazy on how we almost killed you and won't let you go to the hospital" Lucien scoffs like that was a joke.
I look beside me and truly there was a bed covered by a curtain. I noticed that there were only two beds in this room.
" When we tried separating you, she went crazy and your wolf kept taking over your body, not allowing you to heal properly" Lucien provided answers to my unspoken questions, almost like he could read my mind.
My wolf kept taking over, so that's why she's still out cold. Not even moving in the sight of her mate.
I pulled a rope which opened the curtain allowing me to see my friend. she was healing quickly but not as good as us shifters.
she still had some blue and green bruises around her eyes and lips, the dark circles under her eyes speaks volumes on how she's been taking care of her self.
" why is she still sleeping" I asked.
" we had to sedate her, she also kept attacking anyone who went to you and her"
My heart melts and at the same time aches for her. She was always carefree but she had to unfortunately be kidnapped together with me, which put her in a lot of danger. It's my fault that she is in this condition.
even if Xavier us her mate, it doesn't mean that he would be good her and take her as the human that she is.
" Your friend is quite strong for a half-ling " Lucien says suddenly.
" Half-ling?, No! Sloane is a human" I say.
" Your friend is half a werewolf and half human, You have been poisoning yourself for years, it would be a miracle if you knew. But your Daisy might have known" Lucien spits out the name Daisy like it was poison.
I inwardly cringe but remind myself that Lucien might protect me, but that doesn't mean he is not hostile to Daisy.
knock knock
both Lucien and I look up. Xavier walks in looking stressed out and panicked.
" we have a problem" Xavier says
" The House of D'Arvenzi just contacted us, they demand their heir"
- Writer
