His Claim

5

Corbin

I had marched to my office. I was frustrated and for good reason. While she had been asleep she looked like an angel. She had this long dark hair that I love braiding over and over, it was so soft. Then her skin, even despite those horrid marks, her skin was beautiful. The color reminded me of carmel. I so desperately wanted to hold her forever, I never wanted to let go. Then she woke up and those fiery eyes looked at me. They were like ruby jewels with a fire ignited in them.

Then her wolf. I had never seen a she wolf that was that large. I knew it shocked everyone that was present. I covered my eyes with my hand as I tried to keep my wolfside at bay. I felt like my heart was beating too fast but my breathing was too slow. Why was this painful?

I turned as I heard a knock at the door.

"Er-" I paused as Lily walked in alone. I had never seen her get angry before, much less angry enough to growl. Now that I think of it, I had thought it impossible for this docile girl to even growl. Now she looked almost ready to rip my throat out.

"Erin went for a run. We need to talk about Ember," she sat in the chair across my desk crossing her arms over her chest, "We are not torturing or killing her."

"I wasn't planning on that anymore," I sighed. Her body instantly relaxed and she sat back in the chair. 

"You have spent the past four days by her side," she raised an eyebrow at me, "You got very protective."

"I am the only one she can't use her powers on, it made sense I be there when she woke up," I said bluntly.

She raised an eyebrow at me. While Lily was a timid little thing that couldn't as much hurt a fly...she was smart and quick thinking. "And what about the whole real mate thing?"

I knew she knew. There was tension in the air, like the moments before the curtain is pulled back. A smiled appeared on her face and I couldn't help but smile like a school boy.

"Splendid. I approve immediately. You may court her," she stood up clapping her hands together. I was surprised by how she talked to me. I didn't need her permission for anything. "But if you hurt her..." a growl rumbled, shaking her small body. Her eyes dared me to challenge her. I would need to talk to her mate about her sudden change. I was a bit worried Ember had tampered with her brain, but at the same time...

"Why do you care so much for her?" I asked.

"She is...I am not sure. But she is special to me." I wanted to push more but she turned and left. I groaned in frustration. If I hadn't been so surprised by her outburst I might have lost my temper. Instead it almost amused me seeing Lily so energetic. When Erin first brought her here she was constantly ill, therefore Erin was especially protective of her. I sat down on my desk flipping through files. We had spent months trying to find Marcel's hideout. He had captured some of our people and then children started to disappear. The rogues in the city used to be less of threat than the rogues in the woods. Now we believed there to be a war soon, from what I mustered their pack had grown.

Then stories of Marcel's Luna spread like wildfire. Mothers told their child tales of the Luna who ate children, hoping to keep the kids out of trouble. She was almost somewhat of a myth since no one had actually seen her. At moments we wondered if she even existed at all due to the dreadful rumors. Erin went in, determined to find out more of the rogues.

Ember did not seem as villainous as I had thought. Maybe after seeing her wolf I thought her quite dangerous, but still....her eyes held a sorrow to them that I couldn't place. I stared down at my hands.

I knew she must be my mate....that would explain the way I felt, why I almost lost control, why I spent every moment I could at her side, helping to heal her. Yet she was Marcels Luna. I believed maybe he lied to her and deceived her. Children born rogues usually didn't know that much of their werewolf heritage, and usually didn't have mates.

I spent more time looking over the information Erin had written down for me. He learned the rogues numbers had indeed grown, but there still seemed to me so much information lacking. They attacked sporadically, managing to enter our territory and leave without being detected. Even the neighboring packs were having issues.

ALPHA COME QUICK Erin screamed in my head. I suddenly felt panic and hatred within the pack. I stood up as I heard a scream.