Claimed by Two Alphas

Chapter 7

I don't see my mom for the next two days, but that's not uncommon. She gets called away for duty a lot. When I finally meet her at the breakfast table on the third day, she looks exhausted and weary.

"Mum!" I rush to hug her. "I've missed you."

"Me too, baby, me too." Her eyes immediately go to the mark on my neck. The swelling has finally subsided, and the bruise is now pale enough for me to skip the scarf.

I don't really want to restart the conversation from a couple of nights ago, so I ask quickly. "What happened? Was it something with your students, or is there a war I am not aware of?" I half joke, totally expecting her absence to be related to the Beta Warrior course she is teaching, but her serious face has my senses perk up.

Is there a war I wasn't aware of?

"Well, there might be if our dickhead of an Alpha doesn't stop provoking the Stormhowl Pack." She rolls her eyes and continues devouring her breakfast, but I quickly glance around to make sure no one has overheard her.

My mom is loyal to our pack, but she is also very honest and has a foul mouth. A trait I also inherited. A trait Darius worked very hard to break in me.

"What does Alaric say about it?" I ask, taking a bite of my plain whole-grain wheat toast.

It tastes like cardboard. Goddess, I hate diets.

Mom looks uncomfortable. "Well, that puts us in a difficult position. He and I have grown quite close, and this... antagonism between our packs is putting a strain on our relationship. If Alpha Cain doesn't stop with the accusations, the Stormhowl Pack will start a war to defend their honor."

I grimace. f**k, I hate Alpha Cain. He is Darius's father and our Alpha, but the guy is a drunken dickhead.

"What is he accusing them of now?" Not that it matters. He always has some excuse to start a fight with our fairly peaceful neighbors.

"Some imaginary border issue. He claims they moved the eastern border and stole seven feet of our land. He had us patroling the area 24 hours straight. Complete idiocy. Anyway," she gets up from the table and puts away the dishes. "I will be working overtime for a couple of days until the Council can resolve this."

I frown. I hate to see her exhausted like that, but I know better than to say something about it. In our family, being a Beta, a pack warrior, is an honor. No matter how much my mom disagrees with our Alpha, I know she would gladly die fighting for the pack. Just like my father did.

"He got the Council involved?" I ask instead. The werewolf council usually stays away. Their attention meant the problem is way more serious than my mom is trying to present.

"No, Alar... Alpha of the Stormhowl pack did. Smart move, if you ask me. Alpha Cain is just trying to start a fight. There's no reasoning with him at this point."

I take a moment to think about this. What would I do if there's a war? Probably nothing. Darius would have me locked in a tower on the first sign of trouble like I was some damsel in distress. But my mum would be out there, fighting...

Suddenly, I find it hard to swallow.

"We still need to finish our conversation from two nights ago," she changes the topic abruptly, turning to leave. "I know you weren't up for it at the time, but we still need to do it, whether you like it or not."

My mood turns sour. On the night of my mating, mom wanted to tell me what I should expect if it turned out Darius wasn't my mate. I wasn't going to stand there and listen to that bullshit. But there was no point in arguing at the moment.

"Okay, mum. Stay safe." I hug her tightly and watch her go.

Why didn't Darius say anything to me about this whole border thing?

***

School is the same as always. I do well in all my classes, and I kinda like being at the top of the social ladder. My group of friends consists of mostly Alpha and Beta wolves and an occasional Gama. Everyone either stays away from us or wants to befriend us. I get that we come across as vain, but honestly, we just enjoy our lives to the fullest, not bothering anyone. Well, at least I try not to.

Briana and Laura are at my side as we walk to the cafeteria during the lunch break. We talk excitedly about my mark and giggle about s*x when I get that prickly feeling at the back of my head as if someone is watching me. Again. It has been happening on and off for the past two days.

I was the future Alpha's girlfriend for a year and now the future Luna of our pack, so I am used to the attention, but this feels different. More focused somehow. I turn around discreetly but, of course, can't pinpoint the person staring at me.

If I had remained in training, I would have been better at this. But, well, I will be Luna instead, so I consider it a fair trade.

I take another salad for lunch—hating every bite of it—and go to sit with Darius and his group of friends. I move to sit next to my mate, but he surprises me by pulling me onto his lap.

Okay, this is new.

I look at him questioningly, but he simply shrugs and says, "You are mine. I can do whatever the hell I want to now."

I catch Briana's confused look, but neither of us knows what to do with this statement. Darius's friends all laugh and joke about wolves and mating.

Honestly, I find the whole situation really embarrassing, but I don't want to come across as prudish, so I don't say anything.

However, the feeling of being watched intensifies, and I drop my fork to really look around this time. It takes me a while, but finally, I lock eyes with a girl across the cafeteria.

She is vaguely familiar, a senior like Darius, I believe, but not someone I know personally. By her submissive stance and her seating place, I know she is one of the Omegas—wolfless werewolves in our packs.

I wonder why she is looking at me. I stare back at her, trying not to come across as irritated by the staring contest but also trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Omegas are usually very careful not to challenge stronger wolves this way.

The whole thing lasts maybe a minute or two before Darius suddenly stills beneath me and growls loudly. Everyone at the table stops talking to look at him, but his focus is solely on the Omega. I turn back toward the girl but find her already picking up her tray, head held low, rushing away from the cafeteria.

What the hell was that all about?

"Do you know her?" I turn to Darius in confusion.

"Of course not!" He scoffs. "Why would I know an Omega? Why do you ask? Did she talk to you? Did she say something about me?!"

Darius looks positively enraged, his muscles tense beneath me as if he is seconds away from storming after the girl.

I feel beads of cold sweat collecting at the back of my neck, so I try to calm him down. I put my hand on his cheek and force him to look at me.

"Hey. I have no idea who she is or what the hell she wants. For all I know, she just likes my outfit," I go for a light laugh, hoping I was fooling him. "No one spoke ill of you, mate, nor would I allow them to."

Darius's brown eyes stay on me for a few seconds longer, and then I feel him relax.

"I don't want you near her," he surprises me by saying. "Promise me you won't go and look for her."

I lean away to look him in the eyes. "Why? She is no threat to me." An Omega is no match for a Beta—even an underage and undertrained one like me.

"I just don't want you to. I don't like the way she looked at you, that's all. Promise me, Ellie." Darius demands, his lips pressed into a thin line.

This doesn't sit well with me, but I nod anyway and give him a quick peck on the cheek.

I mean, I wasn't planning on going after the girl either way, but his insistence just makes me that more curious. It makes me think there's more to the story than just a nosy Omega.