The Claiming by Cooper

Mason
I hated leaving Jara in the state she was in, but I knew her brother and Hana would help her. I immediately go to the pack hospital letting them know that Layan is coming in and that she is in bad shape. Then, I head to my room and dial the council headquarters.
When the secretary answers the phone, I ask to speak to Lead Elder Theodore.
“May I ask who is calling and what this is in regard to?” The secretary asks me.
“This is Alpha Mason and I want to file a formal complaint against Elder Carson. There has been an incident at this year’s Claiming, and he needs to be removed from the event. Now, put me through to Elder Theodore before I have your job for delaying me.” I bark at the man just as Elijah walks into the room.
“One moment, Alpha Mason.”
I put my hand over the receiver. “Did they get her to the hospital?”
“Yes, they’ve admitted her and taken her in for surgery.”
I nod as I hear the phone being picked up. “This is Elder Theodore. What is this I hear about an incident at the Claiming?”
I proceed to tell him about what just happened with Layan. Then I go on to tell him that I and other Alphas have had concerns about this Alpha but when I tried to express those to Elder Carson, he ignored me and the warning signs.
“Where is this Alpha now?” He asks me.
I look at Elijah who shakes his head. “He’s been put down, Elder.”
I hear him sigh heavily. “Very well. I’ll have a new Elder there in three days.”
“Three days? That long?”
“I assure you, Alpha, it will not feel like a long time for the Elder that needs to drop everything in their life to come attend to the Claiming for the next month.”
“Yes Elder. Thank you for listening and sending someone to replace Elder Carson.”

I hang up and change my clothes. “You’re going to the hospital?” Elijah asks me.
“Yes.”
“I’ll meet you there. I’m going for a run.”
I stop and look at my Beta. I had forgotten he’d put himself in Layan’s lottery. “Are you okay?”
“No. I want to punch something. You warned him that something was wrong with that Alpha. We all knew she was scared and didn’t want that Alpha in her claim. It isn’t right, Alpha. It isn’t right that that sweet girl is lying in surgery because we, the ones sworn to protect them, didn’t do what we should have to protect our most precious pack members, our females.”
“Do you want me to come spar with you? It will give you someone to hit.”
“No, thank you. I’ll run it out and then I’ll meet you at the hospital. Mind link me if something happens that I need to be there for.”
“I will.”
We walk down the stairs and Elijah jogs out the back door, shifting as soon as he’s away from the main house. I turn and head to the hospital. When I arrive, I realize there are more wolves than just Layan admitted to the hospital.
I walk up to Alpha Antonio. “What’s going on?”
“They brought in several of the others in Layan’s claim. The Alpha apparently went on a rampage. They’ve found three dead. Another five are in the hospital being stitched up from their injuries and another three are still missing in the territory.”
I find a nurse and ask for a list of those that are in the hospital. When I see my omegas names, I move to check on them. When I’ m on my way to their rooms, I mind link Elijah.
“Our omegas are in the hospital along with three others and another three are missing in the territory. Finish your run but get here as soon as possible.”
“I’m on my way, Alpha.”
I walk into the room where my first omega is getting treated. He’s bandaged practically from head to toe. Some of my other omegas are there with him.
I walk up to him, putting my hand on the top of his head, one of the only places where he isn’t bandaged. “Josiah, what happened?”
“I found her Alpha. I found her and I was talking to her, letting her know I wouldn’t hurt her, and he came out of nowhere, the Alpha. I don’t even know his name. He attacked me. I told Layan to run. I thought…I thought he was going to kill me, Alpha. He probably would have, but another wolf howled that he found her, and he took off after them.”
Dividing entu pages now
“You’re safe now. You’re only job is to get healthy.”
“Alpha is it true what they say about Layan. Did that Alpha really do those horrible things to that sweet girl?”
“Yeah, he did. But he’s gone now. He can never hurt her or anyone else again.”
He nods. “I found her. She was going to let me mark her. If he hadn’t intervened….”
“I know. I know.” What else can I say. An innocent girl was mauled nearly to death and my omega was nearly killed because he caught and wanted to claim her.
As I’m about to leave, Elijah walks in. “How is he?”
“Not good, but he’ll be better now. Let’s go check on David.”
David’s story is similar to Josiah’s. While he didn’t actually get a chance to talk to Layan, in his excitement that he had found her, he’d howled, alerting the Alpha who had come and attacked him.
When we’re done checking on our omegas, we walk back to the main waiting room where most of the claimants are milling around, waiting to get word on Layan. I look around and don’t see Jara, Hana or Annabel in the room. I lift my nose in the air and follow the scent of her sweet cream with nutmeg.
I find them in their own waiting room, surrounded by their guards. I’m stopped at the door, restricted from entering the room. “Have you heard anything?” I ask Jara.
She looks up and walks over to me.