Theirs to Claim (Under minor editing)

Chapter 9

Trey

Starting today, I'm probationary Alpha. I have already finished my tasks for the morning so I grab breakfast for Belle, informing her brother that she's not feeling well.

"Why isn't she feeling well? She's been feeling unwell more frequently nowadays." He says as his brows furrowed.

"Last night must have overwhelmed her." I shrug.

"I'm getting worried. Is it not related to her lyall being dormant?" He asks rubbing his temples.

"Don't worry, babe." Amanda says, leaving her seat to sit on Brent's lap. "Trey's taking good care of her." She smiles at me before she kisses him.

"I know. I just can't help it." He says, nuzzling her neck. He starts kissing her neck which is my cue to take my leave.

When I reach my room... no, our room, I open the door and see Belle sitting on the bed. I notice that her scent has changed and has become more prevalent than before.

Maybe it's working! Maybe it's just taking its sweet time. I can't help but feel elated.

"Good morning, baby. I brought you breakfast."

As I walk towards her, I can see her crying face. Why is my queen crying?

I rush towards her, place the tray on the side table, and hold her face between my hands. "Why are you crying? Does it still hurt? Do you want me to take you to Amelia?"

She sobs and just looks down on her fingers.

Dammit, she's hurting! She's crying! I can't bear to see my Belle hurting.

I raise her head so she can look at me. "Look at me, baby." Which she does. Her eyes show fear, relief, sadness, and happiness. The mix is all too confusing. "Can you please tell me, what's wrong?"

"Trey." Her voice is shaky. But, nonetheless, her uttering my name will forever be sweet, sweet music in my ears.

She looks so hesitant about what she wants to say, so I give her a reassuring smile and circle my thumbs on her cheeks. But she sobs again.

"I... I c-can't bear y-your m-mark." She stutters then cries more, burying her face on my chest.

I almost purr. My princess is heartbroken because she badly wants to bear my mark.

I grin and pull her on my lap then rub her back. I want to run my hand through her soft hair, but she won't like that.

"Baby, it's all right." I rock her gently, swaying myself from side to side. "It's just because you don't have your lyall. But it's alright. I know you love only me. So even if you do not bear my mark yet, I won't really be worried. With or without the mark, you are mine."

All mine.

She then pulls back and looks me in the eyes – her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. Then she whispers the sentence that cuts a thin thread within me.

***

Rewind

I shoot up, ready for the waves of inferno.

Nothing.

It's gone?

Glancing at the clock, it's 9:53 AM, meaning I had slept. I plop back down on the bed and let out a long sigh of relief. I fucking never want to experience that again.

For some reason I feel different. I look around the room. Everything looks so vivid. Just when did everything become so saturated?

I can sense my surroundings and the pack, meaning I'm connected to the vinclum again!

I can't suppress the tears of happiness that roll from my eyes. The sensations, the connections – it's as if I'm revisiting a distant memory. Except, it is real.

I close my eyes and meditate. Reaching deep down within me, I search for her.

The hairs on my body stand up as I once more feel our connection get stronger. I feel so alive – completely myself.

I really missed this.

I let out a sigh. I feel so happy but restless at the same time. For sure, by this time, the Alpha already knows that I have my lyall back. Trey must be...

Trey.

I remember what happened last night.

An angry snarl escapes my lips. Damn, I missed that... But why? I'm wondering why I'm feeling angry. I feel such repugnance which I have never felt before.

Not my mate.

I realize my lyall is causing my anger.

He tried to mark me. And as a result, my lyall was able to surface for some moment since female lupis normally shift into muto after being marked. Simply, his teeth were like the defibrillator that brought my lyall back. Not to mention that the electric shock was fucking painful.

Trey's not my mate.

Now I know why the marking hurt like hell. It's because Trey tried to rip my connection off from my true mate.

I was almost claimed by someone who was not my mate!

The fact that Trey's not my mate is slowly starting to sink in my brain.

No, no, no! I love Trey! I cry.

"....You might have created a bond with Trey." I remember what Amelia said. "...Trey, losing his sister in a way he could not get over with, and you, losing your mate, could have created a bond because of Martina's loss."

Thinking about Martina, however, brings only cloudy sadness. My lyall tells me she's not my mate.

I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know what to feel. I just don't know any more.

So I just weep – bawling my eyes out, wailing my lungs out.

Suddenly, Trey enters the room.

I am torn between being angry at him and being heart-broken.

"Good morning, baby. I brought you breakfast." He walks towards me.

He seems to have noticed that I'm crying. He rushes towards me, places the tray on the side table and holds my face between his hands. "Why are you crying? Does it still hurt? Do you want me to take you to Amelia?"

I sob and just look down on my fingers. How can I do this to him!

But I know I need to tell him. Only the truth will set the both of us free.

He raises my head so I can look at him. "Look at me, baby." Which I do. When he sees my eyes, his brows furrow. "Can you please tell me, what's wrong?"

"Trey." My voice comes out shaky.

No. I can't do this to him.

I don't want to hurt him. However, I also know that dragging this longer will only hurt the both of us even more.

He gives me a reassuring smile and circles his thumbs on my cheeks which makes me sob again. "I... I c-can't bear y-your m-mark." I stutter then cry before burying my face on his chest.

He pulls me on his lap then rubs my back. "Baby, it's all right." He rocks me gently, swaying from side to side. "It's just because you don't have your lyall. But it's alright. I know you love only me. So even if you do not bear my mark yet, I won't really be worried. With or without the mark, you are mine."

I can never be yours.

I pulls back and look at him in the eyes. My eyes are already filled with tears. Then I whisper the sentence that I know would change everything.

"But we're not mates."