War Claim (The Claim: Book 3)

Chapter 30 - Chloe (Part 1)

The look on his face darkened and his lips tightened into a straight line. "I'll speak to him about it tomorrow. I don't want to hinder your training with him."

She dropped her arms back at her sides and raised her head. Her sense of victory was snuffed out by the fact that he knew her father was still training her. How much he knew, she couldn't be sure, but she didn't want him to know. She didn't want anyone to know. She wanted to surprise her pack when she joined the ranks of the warriors.

"Thank you." She inclined her head in respect before turning on her heels and marching out of the training room.

As soon as the fresh air hit her, her common sense smacked her in the face as well.

Did she just challenge the future alpha again?

And he let her get away with it. Why? Was it because she was still a pup? At least she remembered to incline her head in submission before leaving. Either way, she had to be more careful. She needed to get into the habit of respecting higher authority—even if that would-be higher authority was a bonehead.

Heading home, she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket and tucked her chin into the collar. The wind was picking up and getting colder as she strode home. Winter was coming—she could feel it in her bones.

Cammie and Roxy jumped on her when she got home and soon she was wrestling the pups into submission, her fingers wiggling in haste over their bellies as they both tried to tackle her to the floor. With Roxy coming over after school with Camilla until either Mik or Sam came to get her, the pair were getting to be a handful for her mother. They were as bad as Oliver and Oscar when they were six. The two males were still rambunctious but less demanding for attention now at the ages of twelve and nine.

After playing with the girls for about ten minutes, she headed up to her room to get started on her essay due next week and study for a quiz tomorrow. Her senior year of high school was in full swing. Many of her classmates—both wolf and human alike—were stressing about college applications. Her mother had tried to urge her to apply for various programs at a few colleges, but Chloe was adamant about becoming a warrior.

Her mother was such a worrywart.

***

The last of the leaves on the trees blew away and snow blanketed the land. Winter break came as quickly as the snow with a great blast of arctic air.

True to his word, Animkii ceased training with her father and her training intensified. She didn't know what he was doing after that but he still seemed busy all the time. She saw him more frequently around the packland, overseeing various activities taking place, interacting with packmates—things that Alphas did as his parents took a backseat, overseeing him and his actions and responses to the pack's needs.

She wondered if he was looking outside the pack for a suitable female to become his luna. Her heart twisted at the thought. It had to be hard to move on in life without the one the Goddess made for you. No female would ever measure up to what Madison meant to Animkii. She would always be second-best to him, and vice versa.

Maybe he was looking for his second-chance mate? That was the next best thing to a soulmate. For his sake, she hoped he found her.

The Winter Moon Festival was upon them. For the first time in years, it carried more of a joyous aura. Even Chloe couldn't help smiling at everyone, and that included Animkii.

His dark brown eyes found hers from his position on the stage and he smiled back as he and his parents geared up to begin the Dance of Dedication.

Anwaatin was up on stage with them, doing her best to add her energy to the dance and draw more power from the Moon Goddess' light.