Chapter 4: Alpha's Claiming (Devon's POV)
I set my phone, wallet, keys, and watch on the seat as I climbed out of the limo. We had just arrived at the site for the Claiming and I really didn't want to be here. My Beta Jaxson, or Jax for short, joined me as I traveled to the Everglades to try and find my mate. A mate, that I don't want. I lost my parent and was named Alpha of the Elder Watch Pack when I was 14 years old. The day I took the title I shifted into my wolf, and it has been a nonstop party ever since.
I don't even have to try. When I come home from Alpha duties, I have a line of women waiting to please me and it's been that way for nine years now. Why would I want to be tied down to one woman? Why would I want to have to think and worry about someone else, when I already have to do that for my pack. Why would I want someone else to have control over me? When I control everything. Why would I want to have pups, and lose all of my freedom? I ask myself this all the time, but the Elders that I protect, don't care.
The Elders are old fashion. They think I should find my mate, settle down and have some pups. "It's the natural order of things." They say. They want me to give the Alpha title an heir, and I will, in another 5 to 10 years maybe. Right now I am the pull-out king. I have my fun, but I'm careful. I know the ones that are waiting at my door are all gold diggers trying to screw their way to the top. I'm just not into that, at least not now.
Maybe when I'm 30 I'll settle down. Unfortunately, my uncle, Charles is an Elder and former Beta of my pack, and he pushed me into coming. Charles told me, "Go to one Claiming and shut them up for at least a few years. Maybe by then, you will be ready." A few years of them off my case would be nice. So I agreed and here I am.
"I think I'm gonna take a nap while you go search for your mate," Jax said as I stood and stretched in the doorway.
"Yeah, yeah whatever enjoy your break from your annoying ass new mate. Does that girl ever shut up? She has only been around for three months and I don't think she has stopped yet to take a breath. Your phone went off 20 times in the 30 minutes it took us to get here from the boat." I shot back at him. I'm really not in the mood for his shit tonight. Yes, he is my best friend and has been since we were pups still in the crib, but he knows how to press my buttons some days and I think he has fun doing it. "See ya," I shouted as I left for the tent.
I was signed in by Luna Grace of the Palm Moon Pack. I had made some trades over the years with her and her Alpha. They were good people, and they knew the kind of lifestyle that I enjoy.
"Announcements" Grace shouted over the crowd of horny men that were gathered in the tent. "Rules, gentlemen, are expected to be followed this year."
"Rule One: Do NOT touch what isn't yours."
"Rule Two: Fighting is only permitted if you are protecting your mate from another wolf."
"Rule Three: Do NOT try to leave with anyone that is not your mate."
"Rule Four: Try to be gentle with your mate, we don't need any accidents."
"Rule Five: When you do find your mate you are required to take her with you or reject her. Those are the only two choices you have.
"Rule Six: You must bring your mate back to the tent and sign them out before you leave with them."
"Understood?" Everyone kind of mumbled in agreement, and Luna Grace shouted again using her Luna voice this time "I said, am I understood?"
Everyone responded back with a "Yes, Luna Grace" Even me, even though I barely spoke above a whisper.
"There are about 10 minutes left until we release you. We will shoot fireworks and flairs into the sky so your future mates will know that you are on your way. Once the fireworks start you are welcome to start your hunt." Grace informed everyone.
Once she was finished she turned to me. "Surprised to see you here Dev, what brought this on."
"The Elders, mainly my uncle Charlie," I responded.
"Well remember the rules, I know your not one to want to follow them."
"I will be on my best behavior Grace I promise." And that was a promise I intended to keep because I didn't plan on looking for my mate or anyone else's. I planned to walk to my right for about a quarter-mile, find a nice tree, and curl up in my wolf form while taking a nap till morning. That is so not what happened.
As the fireworks shot in the sky everyone started shifting into their wolves. About a hundred howls could be heard. I waited for the masses to clear out and slowly removed my clothes before shifting into my wolf, Dexter. That was my first mistake. What I hadn't taken into consideration was that my wolf wanted his mate. I knew that he was starting to yearn for her, but I thought he was enjoying the party just as much as I was. The moment Dexter took over, he put his nose to the ground and started trying to sniff her out. In the background, I was shocked but figured that it was a lost cause. What were the chances of us finding our mate at our first Claiming? That was my second mistake.
All of a sudden Dex started wagging his tail, as he got excited. He was in hot pursuit of a faint but wonderful smell. It smelled like blueberries, vanilla, and coconut all rolled into one. Our snout watered and we were showing pink down south. The further we moved the stronger the smell got. It was hypnotic and drew me in. For a moment I forgot that I was against this. I was almost to a clearing when I caught a glimpse of a hand as it was running its fingers through the longest white-blonde hair I have ever seen. I stopped in my tracks. I tried to fight against Dex, as he wanted to move forward. She stood up suddenly as if she had heard us, but we weren't the only ones there. There was a rustling coming from the woods on the other side of her.
A grey wolf stalked her from the other side of the tree. I let out a growl, "Mine" Dex thought at me. "He wants what mine, KILL him. NOW!" As we got closer to the clearing the wolf had shifted back to man and launched himself at our mate.
I was not having that shit. I might not want her but no other man will ever touch her. I shifted as I stalked around the backside of them quickly, and grabbed him by his shoulder. Before he even knew what was happening, he was thrown hard into the woods. I heard a sickly satisfying crack and thump as he hit first the trees and then the ground.
My mate got up quickly and backed against the tree.
I only allowed one word to escape my lips "MINE!" My wolf was repeating it over and over and over in my head.
She responded with her own single word "YOURS!"
And I lost it. I closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. I picked her up pressed her into the tree with my hand around her throat. I pushed my way into her before I even knew what I was doing. I almost lost it then. The feel of her wet and tight around me. She screamed in pain.
"Shut the fuck up, I don't want to hear a peep from you little mate. Your gonna take what I have to give you no matter what." I growled into her ear. I didn't mean to be so harsh, but I needed her. I had to have her. My wolf pressed in on me to accept this. The pull of the bond kept me from pulling out that moment and stopping.
I pounded her hard. I knew I had torn things by entering her small luscious body. I loved and hated what she was wearing because if I wasn't already fucking her, it would make me want to. I could feel her perky breasts pressed against me as I rocked her harder into the tree. Her nipples were hard and poking through the thin dress. I couldn't get enough of her. The feel of her was better than any I had ever felt. Her skin was so soft. I held back as much as I could. I would get off and then leave. Yeah, that's the plan. As I was nearing my finish Dex took over again. He dropped my hand from her neck and grabbed her hips. The shift in position felt good, too good. No.... crap, well there goes my pull-out game. He rocked into her hard 3 more times as he filled her with our seed. Then our canines extended. "No Dex" I shouted from the back of my mind. "Mine" was the only thought radiating from him.
He bit into her neck where you are supposed to claim your mate, and she screamed again. I was breathing hard, but I finally regained control. I removed my teeth from her neck and pulled out of her in one swift moment as I stepped backward. She fell to the ground landing on her small little ass crying out in pain.
I was in shock "Dex what the fuck did you just do. We weren't supposed to claim her. We were supposed to leave her. Now we can't fucking do that or you will die!"
"I know that's why I did it. I want my mate. We should hold her now. We weren't very gentle with her. I think we may have hurt her. Do you think she will still love us? "
"Love us? What are you talking about, we don't need anyone to love us." I shouted back to him.
She was still whimpering from the fall when I barked, "Stop crying before I leave you here. My wolf got what he wanted, to feel his mate, and I got my fill. I'm not a repeat lay. I don't do the monogamous thing. So do not think that just because I am your mate that I will not reject you and leave you if you keep crying like a child. I have women throwing themselves at me every night. Any one of them would have loved to have just been you. To feel me, all of me. Have me pump myself into them. Now get up and follow me, quietly."
She flinched as if she was expecting me to hit her. Great my mate has emotional baggage. I'm an asshole, but I could never lay a hand on her in anger. No matter what dumb shit I said. Even if I was that kind of low life my wolf would never let me. Yes, we had hurt our mate, but it truly was not intentional. I didn't know, yeah I didn't care, that she was a virgin, and once I was in, nothing in the world could have stopped me. Not even myself.
I turned to walk to the tent, and I heard her stand. That was then followed by a thump as she hit the ground again. "Shit" She was passed out and my wolf was going crazy because we weren't taking better care of our mate. I walked over and brushed her hair out of her face. I had barely looked at her before. She truly was beautiful. I had caught her pale blue eyes earlier, with her white-blonde hair and pouty peach lips, she looked like an angel in the moonlight. I knelt beside her and gave her a light kiss on the lips. I needed to stop. She was already knocked out and her body could not go another round. I could go another seven rounds, maybe more, but that wasn't going to happen for multiple reasons.
I picked her up and cradled her in my arms as I carried her bridal style to the tent. I let my wolf have his moment to cherish her in his arms. We kissed her forehead, nuzzled our head into her shoulder, and licked her mark clean as we walked. When the tent came into sight I switched her to being draped over my shoulder. That was enough before I start to get too attached. I put back up the mask of a man that didn't want a mate, as I approach Grace to sign her out. So I could take my mate home.