An Alpha's Claim

Fire

They sat in silence, though J wasn't sure what she was waiting for. She should go; leave this broken wolf to his broken life and leave.

Instead, instead she was sat metres away from him, watching him pull apart a leaf that he'd torn from the tree overhead. She didn't even know why they were both still here, though maybe he was too weak to travel. Was she waiting for him? She shook her head, that was ridiculous.

Occasionally, her attention would slide to the forest where humans milled, she should have put more distance between her and the pack, but at least Caine's pack had followed and hopefully the invading alphas would too.

Caine's pack lingered not far from them, hidden in the trees. Watching. Waiting.

They'd sat in silence for a long time. Avoiding each other's gaze, but the day was turning to afternoon and soon she'd have to make a decision to press on or stay for the night.

A flicker of movement in the distance alerted her to the presence of something else, something dangerous. They melted into the shadows, hunting her. Trying to catch her by surprise.

They clearly didn't know their target, and had underestimated J's skills of observation. She sighed and stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing her legs at the ankles.

The approaching wolves changed direction, trying to remain hidden, trying to hide their scent from the gathering wind. Irritation ticked in the base of her throat.

"I'm going to take a leak." The stalker wolf announced out of nowhere. It only just occurred to J that she hadn't asked his name.

"'K," J mumbled as she picked up a stick and carved patterns into the mud beside her.

She feigned no interest but watched him from beneath her eyes lashes as he ambled off into the denser part of the forest in the clear direction of the wolves. Whatever had caused him to fall earlier had clearly passed, you'd never know there was anything wrong with him if it wasn't for the scent of sickness carried in the wind.

He disappeared into the tree line and she watched where he'd gone.

He must have sensed them.

Rather than telling her, he'd run off to do it himself.

He was trying to protect her.

A smile played on the corner of J's lips. Fool. She needed no protection, but...part of her was....pleased. She'd spent so long protecting everyone else - when had someone last protected her?

A rustling in the undergrowth behind her, alerted her to two more creatures making their way towards her. They were smarter, trying to creep around behind her to catch her out. She smiled, almost impressed.

Almost

With a shrug she stood up and headed off in their direction, whistling a tune that her mother used to sing to her.

*

Stalker-wolf reappeared from the trees with a self satisfied smirk on his face. He walked casually, though a speck of blood soaking through the fabric of his shirt on his arm suggested he hadn't come out unscathed.

J sat in a neat pile, leaning against a tree, using her knife to carve a piece of wood into a makeshift fork. She'd built a small fire over which a pigeon was roasting.

He eyed the fire, the pigeon and her, before warming his hands over the flames. He took another glance at her before looking away again and rubbing his hands together.

It seemed like he wanted to say something, probably brag about his kills, but was reluctant.

She let the silence stretch, watching him bounce on the balls of his feet. Waiting until he was dying to tell her, before she spoke. "You missed two," she offered after the third time he'd turned around. "Over there," she directed with a sharp flick of her blade.

Startled, he looked over at the mangled pile of limbs, before looking back to her. He shook his head and let out a slow breath, "you knew they were there before I did, didn't you?"

She shrugged and nodded once.

Something passed through those icy eyes of his.

He walked to where she sat and quietly stared until she paused and looked up at him. She glared at him expectantly.

"Do you have any idea how rare your wolf is? How powerful she is?"

J laughed a cruel laugh as her head tilted back. "Yup."

"How do you do it?" He whispered as he crouched down beside her, "how do you control her?"

J watched him carefully, watched the wolf hidden in his gaze, eager for her answer. She tilted her head and waited, "I don't. We work together. I give her what she wants."

His gaze tightened and he growled low in his throat, "what about if she wants too much? Wants something she can't have?"

The air around them changed, J's breath coming out in short, sharp gasps. His wolf filled his eyes, snarling deep in his throat.

J's wolf jumped to the surface in response, watching him as intensely as he watched her. He leaned forward, slowly, his wolf scenting her. He rubbed his cheek against hers, the stubble grazing her skin.

Their lips evaded each other, cheeks rubbing against each other and under their chins, tongues tracing flesh and teeth grazing the soft skin on the side of her neck, yet still their lips didn't meet. Their wolves getting to know each other, even from within their human skin.

His hand traced her cheek and locked around the back of her neck as she reached out towards him.

His teeth caught on her ear lobe. When she gave a soft, breathy moan, he paused. He growled loudly as, with a vicious snarl, he stalked away, his back heaving in the distance as he fought to control his wolf.

She felt cold, a chill sweeping through her. Rejection flushed her face, lust pooling deep in her. It was such a foreign feeling to J, one she hadn't felt in so long.

Her wolf watched the man before her with a calculating stare. Any other creature would be terrified of the hulking predator struggling to contain himself or his wolf.

His wolf was uncontrollable. She should be scared.

Yet instead, she wanted him. She actually wanted him. She hasn't felt like this since....since...J swallowed, guilt suffocating her mind.

The muscles flexed in his back, her heart fluttered in her chest. It was more than just looks, he was power and strength. She felt...giddy almost, as though drunk by the overwhelming force of his wolf. She'd never met another beast like it.

A word was pounding through J's chest, one she tried her hardest to ignore, but with every elevated heartbeat, it echoed through her. Repulsed her.

'He's ours,' J and her wolf realised in unison.

**
A/N

Hello There!

This week I will be updating An Alpha's Claim every few days, in celebration of me finally finishing the plot/story plan! There is so much in store for J...keep your eyes peeled...