Claimed by the Alpha

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chandra

Paige was in pain beside me. I have no idea how much time has passed, but I know that she should have been in heat by now and yet she was still in the stages of pre-heat. Her body ached with all the pains of being in heat, but it seemed like it was just out of reach. I climbed back on the bed with a wet cloth and wiped at the sweat on her forehead as she groaned from her curled up position.

"I'm so sorry, you're going through this," I said and wished that I could bring her some sort of relief.

"It's okay," she gritted out. "At least you're not in heat."

"I would rather be in heat than have you go through this."

"Don't say that," she forced out before she clamped her mouth shut and groaned.

I didn't want to be in heat any more than Paige wanted to be in the pain that she was. We both wanted to protect the other, her as my Beta and me as her best friend. I would gladly let that Rogue Alpha mark me if it ment giving her some relief.

"But it would be short lived because then I'll be marked by his second and then I'll never know who my Fated mate is. That will be worse pain than this," Paige breathed out. It seemed that she had gotten a moment of relief. She rolled onto her back and looked up at me.

While she looked at me like she was trying to convince me that she was okay, I looked at her confused because I had no idea how she had heard my inner monolgue.

"What?" she asked.

"Did you hear what I was thinking?" She looked at me confused before her eyes widened and she jumped up. She groaned at the sudden movement but that didn't stop her. "You heard what I was thinking?" I asked her. I didn't know why my voice came out in a whisper, but I was afraid to talk any louder.

"Yes," Paige said. The thing was her mouth hadn't moved and it wasn't like a regular mind link. My hand gripped her arm. "I can feel Athena." Again, her lips never moved, but I could hear her as clear as day as if she were speaking to me or mindlinking.

Before we got a chance to think further about what had happened, the door opened and we both jumped and spun to see who it was. Katie walked in with a tray of food and a scowl on her face. She dumped the tray on the bed and some of the food spilled off.

"I don't understand what is taking so long. It's been over a month. Why aren't you in heat yet," she growled.

"It's been a month?" I gaped at her. I knew that we had been gone for a long time, but I didn't know how long it was.

"Kai should be mine by now, but he's still busy looking for you. Maybe I should just kill you and then tell him where you are so that he can find your body and finally move on."

"You might want to rethink that plan before I forget the deal I made with you and end you now."

Katie's eyes popped open wide and she dropped her head to a bow. My eyes looked past her to the large male wolf that stood in the doorway of the room. His entire body took up the space where the door belonged. I took a moment to take in the wolf in front of me. I knew right away that he was the Alpha of the rogues. While it was clear that he was a rogue, he gave off a powerful aura that only an Alpha could possess. He was tall, probably taller than Kai. He had dark hair, tan skin, and tattoos down both arms. He wore a tank top, but it was clear that he spent every waking moment working out. I was never one to focus on a person's physical, but even I could admit that he was an attractive man.

"Alpha Dominck," Katie whimpered. "My apologies. I would never harm your Luna. I was just frustrated."

Alpha Dominck stepped further into the room and moved to the side. "Leave. Your job is to bring me any information on if Alpha Kai is getting close." Katie ran from the room without further argument and then Alpha Dominck turned to face us. "I'm sorry this is the first time we are meeting. I've been busy procuring us land. Do not worry about her. You won't be seeing her again." He spoke in such a calm manner. Completely different from how he had spoken to Katie. "I understand that you may be frustrated about the turn of events and now that I'm back I think you should give me equal time to bond with you as you have given Alpha Kai. Afterall you will be my Luna. It doesn't appear that you or our new Beta female will be going into heat any time soon, so I will have you moved to my room."

Just as I was starting to think that he might not be that bad, he had to go and open his mouth.

"What if I go into heat?"

"Then it will be perfect because you'll already be with me so we can mate and mark each other without waiting." I started to open my mouth to say something but he cut me off. "It's nonnegotiable. You have to understand. All I want is my mate."

"I am not your mate," I said as he turned to leave the room. He stopped in the doorway and I waited for him to speak, but he stepped out and closed the door behind him. My shoulders slumped as I stared at the closed door. I didn't know the probability of bonded with another wolf after bonded with Kai, but since Kai and I weren't officially mated, I feared that I would soon want to be with Dominck the way I want to be with Kai. I wish that I could talk to Imara about it all, but I didn't feel her the way Paige could feel Athena.

"Athena says that Imara went to sleep, that's why you haven't gone into heat yet. Athena's fighting off our heat, that's why we're in pain, but Alpha Dominck's wolf is strong and when you're alone with him, he might be able to coax her awake. We need our wolves to bond and since he's also a potential mate, Imara might choose him."

I turned to Paige in surprise. I don't want Imara to choose him. The look on her face let me know that she had heard my thoughts, but I still said them out loud. "I don't want her to choose him."

"I know," she sighed. "I can feel Athena, but I can extract my canines or else I would mark you. We've already bonded."

I slumped back against the headboard. It sucked that we were ruled by the animal side of ourselves. It was one of the reasons in the beginning I wanted to fall in love the way the humans did and I feel like I did, with Kai. I didn't know if it was actual Love, but I knew that if I had to choose who to be with for the rest of my life, it would be him. Knowing that if Dominck's wolf succeeded in waking Imara and I was trapped with him for a week, that she would end up wanting to mate with him, made me sick to my stomach.

I didn't even get much time to mope before the door was opened and two rogues asked me to follow them. I didn't put up much fight and let them lead me out of the room. They led me through their camp which looked like they had been settled for a while, and into a small cabin. I immediately knew that it was where Alpha Dominck lived because his scent was everywhere. The door closed behind me and I looked around at the place that would be my home until either Kai found me or Imara chose a new mate.