Chosen Mates

Chapter 1

Trotting through the woods listening to the crunch of leaves and twigs getting crushed under my paws. My lungs expand with the crisp cool air. My brown eyes take in the bright colors painted in the trees and watch the squirrel scampering about with nuts and berries in their mouths. My ears pick up the sound of gurgling of a nearby brook. Smacking my lips at the sudden dryness in my mouth, I turn to follow the sound of running water. The last drink I had was from a stagnant pool of water the smelled like animal urine, but beggars can be choosers, unless they want to end up dead.

I walk for a few miles before finding the water source. My pink nose with small speckles of black rises into the air trying to catch any marking scents from another lone or tribe wolf. Confident there are no other wolves staking a claim to the brook I splash my way in. After soaking my fur thoroughly to cool from the afternoon heat, I use my tongue to lap up the cool water satisfying my thirst. Exiting the water, I flop heavily onto the ground and lap the excess wet from my pelt. My limbs get heavy with exhaustion as I rest my head on my paw. I have been traveling alone for three moons, and while being a lone wolf is not a crime, the saying 'there is safety in numbers' rings true. Also, it is lonely but not as lonely as being mateless surrounded by newly mated couples. It was not my tribe's fault that I did not find a mate there, mates are chosen by mutual attraction then the bond is completed on blue moons that occur every six moons. There were just no Alpha males in my tribe that suited me. I could not respect a male that was all talk with no action.

The next blue moon is approaching quickly. Maybe this was a mistake. I am no closer to having a mate than when I was back home. I haven't even run into another shifter since I left, I think whining out loud, being in my wolf form this long is not healthy either. I need to shift back soon. Our wolf form makes us stronger to hunt and survive in the wild, however, it is not our true form, and it is a dangerous habit to stay shifted for long periods of time. I can feel my bones aching due to the strain of being shifted so long, but to be in human form in the wild is not a risk I am willing to take. We are hunted and killed like common beasts and while they cannot easily distinguish us from wild wolves, our human forms are a dead giveaway. We have angular facial features, toned muscular bodies even when old, our eyes shimmer like glitter in the sun, and our hair is the same color as our wolf's pelts. What human has hair the color of a stormy day while only being twenty summers in age? None. It is a dead giveaway to them that I am not fully human. I scent the air again and once certain there is nothing but a few vermin scurrying under the brush, I let my eyes drop closed and my breath grow shallower. My body needs rest, and this place is as safe as any for rest now.

***

Deep, rumbling growls pulled me from my sleep. Jerking my head up, my vision took moment to adjust to the dim lighting. Blinking slowly, I notice three things; I slept too long, I was surrounded by other shifters, and I was in human form... naked. Scrambling to my feet I used my arms to cover my body and my hair fell in deep chocolate waves around me. A squeak left my lips when I tried to speak. Clearing my throat roughly I managed to get out the word, "clothes." I have not spoken in months and the first word out of my mouth felt alien and more like a growl than English. My skin turned pink, and I dropped my eyes from those of the wolves in front of me. I hear the crunching of leaves and then watch as black paws fall in front of me of feet. Glancing up through the curtain of my hair and seeing the wolf holding clothes in its mouth. Dropping its head, the soft clothes were placed on my feet, then soft brown eyes met mine with a hard look in them, daring me to challenge it. 

Definitely an Alpha, I thought never breaking eye contact I bend low to grab the clothing and quickly turn my back on the wolves. The soft material of a large, white shirt fell softly covering the curves of my body. It felt good to be in my human form and even better not to be naked in front of strangers. A musky scent filled my nose, I allowed myself to lift the collar to my nose. Inhaling deeply, I sighed as the scent of a powerful Alpha male consumed me and made my Omega heart and hormones go crazy. There was a deep growl behind me, making me whip around. Standing where the auburn wolf just was is a man with a chiseled body. I had to close my mouth for fear that I would actually start drooling over him. My little hormone bubble burst when he rolled his eyes and spoke deeply, "Whenever you are done taking in my scent let me know. I would like to get back to my tribe by nightfall and we cannot very well leave a defenseless Omega out here." He stood tall with his arms crossed over his chest. Every bit of the Alpha to match the scent surrounding me. My fuzzy head cleared and instantly annoyance replaced my stupor.

Clearing my throat harshly and stepped closer to him, so we are toe-to-toe, "I don't remember asking you to stop for me or take me back to your tribe."

The male before me leaned down into my face and growled. "Watch it little wolf. You are an Omega against two Alphas and a Beta. Don't think we won't drag you back."

I touch my forehead to him. While this could be a sweet thing among mates, outside of mating it is considered a challenge. "You may be an Alpha, but you are not my Alpha. Don't try to command me." I had to ignore the spark of excitement that ran through me when I challenged him. My smirk dropped and I let out a scream as my world tipped upside down. Soon all I could see was the ground and feet.

A growl ripped from my throat, "Put. Me. Down!"

"You lost your choice to come nicely when you thought you could challenge me. Let me make one thing very clear, little wolf. I am Alpha and you are Omega. You do not challenge me."

A female voice cut him off and I remembered the other wolves, "Terran, don't get carried away. Let's just get her back and then the two of you can play your little game."

Terran shrugged his shoulders, "No game. Just a reminder of her place verses mine."

I struggled against his hold, "My place? I may be an Omega, but I am not inferior. I said it before, you are not my Alpha. I will never submit to you." A growl ripped through him at my words. Apparently, this male doesn't appreciate me pushing back against his authority. He didn't say anything else but started walking. He crossed the stream, soaking the tips of my hair, and continued heading West.