An Alpha's Claim

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"J."

In surprise, J turned at the sound of Kelsey's voice, carried clearly across the blustery afternoon wind. Kelsey had been waiting for her, one leg bent and leant against the building. The picture of casual, aside from the tenseness in her shoulders.

A headache was burning bright across J's forehead, the packlink from the Wild Mountains pack. She carried it like a heavy load, with her always.

J nodded, not trusting herself to say anything more. She had so many things to say to Kelsey, so many things to yell, shout and beg for... She sighed and dropped her head. She didn't hate Kelsey, she'd missed her – and if Kelsey hated her, than fine, J would have to deal with that – but that didn't mean that J was going to make it easier for her.

The words exploded from J before she could think too much into it. "I'm sorry."

-

She looked different, very different. "Being an alpha suits you," she offered, hurt prickling at her skin. It had been a long time since she'd seen J, the last words they'd spoken had not been pleasant. For a while, Kelsey blamed herself for J leaving, thinking that her mention of her mate had been enough to send her away from them for good.

J appeared lighter than she ever had before. She smiled more often now, Kelsey noted, she seemed to enjoy life a little, as though being an alpha had forced her to live again, but she also carried a sense of loss. A sadness she'd never thought J capable of.

She was used to J being cold, distant...not this.

J shrugged and kicked at the earth beneath her feet, "yeh, it's not so bad."

She was lying. Kelsey nodded awkwardly and looked away. "I'm sorry too." Kelsey offered to the silence between them.

J's head snapped up, relief flooding the woman's eyes. "You're sorry? I'm the one who bit your head off and then-then left." The pain. The pain in that one word nearly made Kelsey's knees bow and break.

She darted forwards, her wolf urging her to help her pack member – even if she didn't belong to them anymore. She'd never seen J like this before, never seen her show her pain. Knowing she was risking her life, Kelsey wrapped J in a large, unrelenting hug.

She felt J tense beneath her, but after a few moments, she relaxed into Kelsey's arms and actually hugged her back. Kelsey rested her head on J's shoulder as she blinked back tears. She took in a deep breath of J's familiar scent and-

-

J sensed the moment that Kelsey realised her wolf was gone. J bit her lip and was glad Kelsey couldn't see her face. She tightened her arms around her and clung onto her, knowing that if Kelsey pulled away – if J saw her face – she would probably start crying. Again.

They stayed as they were, holding on to each other as time ticked past without them. J wasn't even thinking of anything in particular. Her mind joyfully blank.

Kelsey tensed again in her arms, and J figured someone must be nearby. Sure enough, within a few seconds she spotted Cassidy watching them from a distance. She looked sad. Happy, but sad.

J cleared her throat and pushed away from Kelsey, refusing to meet her eyes as Cassidy walked towards them. Leah was there too, she realised, as she turned around. All of her pack – minus Saf – together at last.

J's forehead crinkled, "where is Saf?"

Cassidy's answering growl was clue enough that something wasn't right between them. Though now that J studied the three of them stood together, she couldn't help but notice the distance between Leah and Kelsey. The tension thick in the air.