War Claim (The Claim: Book 3)

Chapter 1 - Animkii

"She's not your mate."

Heavy gray clouds glowered back at him through his bedroom window overlooking the valley with her house far off in the distance at the edge of the trees. A few dry brown leaves clung to the skeleton tree outside, curling in on themselves as a north wind threatened to rip them down. The same tree he climbed up and down whenever he wanted to sneak out and spend some time alone in the moonlight, contemplating his future.

And her.

"We don't know that for sure," he grumbled. "She's not of age for me to know yet."

"Anim..." His mother's voice was soft as she stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.

When had she gotten so small? Or rather, him so big? He was only eighteen and his growth spurt was shooting up. Soon he'd be taller than his father—an unfathomable thought to him, but one he knew would happen eventually.

"You know we can't wait five years to find out. Your father and I are growing old and weak. We won't be able to maintain our ground much longer. A few more years, yes, but our time is coming to an end. It is better for you to look for your mate than to hope and pray for something that may never be."

Closing his eyes, he bowed his head. Shoulders slumped under the weight of the truth as a wrench twisted his heart.

He knew she was right. He knew he would love his mate regardless of who she was and his heart would forget her...

As much as it pained him to let Chloe go, he knew he had to do what was best for him and the pack. Chloe didn't know of his affections anyway—she was too young. It wasn't until his eighteenth birthday when his parents began to pressure him to start looking for his mate that he realized his feelings for her.

But he knew it wouldn't be that simple. Chloe was one of his two best friends and chances were, he'd have to give up their friendship when he found his mate. His mate would surely become jealous, and he wouldn't blame her. He'd be jealous of Chloe's mate too if he held on too tight.

He had to let her go. Now was better than later while she was young and not as invested in him as he had become with her.

"I know, Mamaw."

"I know it sucks. You two are really close and when Chloe joined the pack, she needed—more than anything—a friend. You two really took to each other. But this is for the best."

"I know!" he snarled. Just stop talking already!

Wrenching himself away, he grabbed his travel pack from his bed and stomped out of his room.

The last five months since his eighteenth birthday had been the same. He and his Uncle Gekek, the pack's beta, set out for a week to travel to various packs in hopes of finding his mate.

And each time, coming back empty-handed.

Part of him was glad. Part of him hoped that his mate was Chloe and they just had to wait for her to turn eighteen to find out the truth. But he understood his parents' concerns as well. They were getting older and the younger males of the pack could sense it with an increasing thirst for power surging through their veins and driving them to challenge their alpha every chance they got.

His father and uncle were still in the kitchen, packing last-minute items in a cooler full of food for them to eat and some frozen water bottles.

His father lifted his head, his hackles raised as he entered the room in a huff. "Animkii," he said in a tone that used to make Animkii submit... Not anymore.