The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 5: On the Run

Sophie

Nearly two years later

"Sophia! Get your head out of your a** and come get this food for table six!" my boss, and I use that term lightly, yells from the back.

I've been on my own for almost two years. I tried changing my name, but it became obvious quickly that I didn't answer to the fake names that I made up, so I had to go with something close enough that I'd actually realize they were talking to me. Sophia.

area.

When I left my pack, I had run for weeks, barely stopping and skirting around the pack lands that I knew were in my Once I was out of our area, I had to be more careful. It wouldn't be good for me to end up on someone else's pack lands. They might just hold me until my 18th birthday and force their mark

on me.

I finally stopped running in a small town full of humans. In the time I've lived here, I've only stumbled across two lone wolves passing through. They had asked if I was okay, recognizing me as a pup, but because they were also running, they didn't argue when I said I was fine.

When I got here, I found a small apartment, or rather, an efficiency. The entire place is smaller than my bedroom back home. But I don't care. Here, I'm free. There's no chance that any Alpha or ranked member will claim me publicly. I still wake

Chapter 5: On the Run

up with nightmares about what happened to my sister.

"Coming Josephine." It's not her real name. Her real name is Jane, but she hates it, saying it's boring and plain. We live in a town that is boring and plain, so I'm not sure what she thinks changing her name is going to do for her.

I grab the food and head to table six. I lift my nose, identifying which one of them is the shifter. I smelled him when he walked in, but I didn't make eye contact, choosing to watch him subtly. When I walk to the table, his eyes lock on mine, and I look at the others at the table. They are all human. He's hiding as much as I

am.

"Patty melt?" I ask, waiting for them to point me to the person who ordered the food.

"Reuben?" I ask, again waiting for them to tell me which one.

I sniff the next one. "Burger, rare?" I already know this one is going to the shifter.

"He likes it bl**dy, miss. I hope they didn't overcook it," one of the humans says, laughing at the shifter.

I look at the plate. "There's blood running off the burger, so I hope that works for you," I say, handing him the plate. He nods. and I hand out the rest of their plates and ask if they need anything else. When they don't, I go back to my other tables and it's not long afterward that table six heads out.

"Sophia, break!" my boss yells at me. I don't need a break, but I'm required to take one by human standards.

Chapter 5: On the Run

288 Vouchers

most of the humans go to smoke. I'm about to step out of the alleyway when the shifter from earlier steps

"Hey, Sophia, right?"

alert, Hedda's canines

trouble," he says, his hands up in front of him. "I just wanted to say thank you for not saying

you were hiding since you were among so many humans. They didn't

I just wanted to say thanks and see if you're okay or need anything. Us lone wolves

tell anyone that you saw me

I'm Jethro," he says

eyebrow at him, and

Jaime. James. You smell like an Alpha. You running from the claiming

to

it. I've seen several ranked females, several of them Alpha females on

still say that if you

28.31%

2055

On

288 Mouche

sisters, one older and one younger. I have no desire to see either of them treated like that, especially if it meant that my friends got to see her in that position. What kind of standard does that set, especially if she's the Luna of her pack. Not everyone agrees with me, but if they don't figure it out, there won't be a lot of ranked females left in the packs. Take care of yourself and watch your back. I've heard that Alphas have started hunting for the missing females, specifically Alpha females, to bring them

head's up,"

both hear someone

better go,"

"Remember what I said, be

night, I think about what Jaime told me. I haven't come across any Alphas or Alpha females, but in the forest where I let Hedda out on the weekends, I've found faint trails that smelled like ranked females. Over the next couple of days, I worry about whether or not it's time for me

back to a different forest this weekend, one that I don't go to often. The terrain is rockier than the one

283 Mouchers

sniff the air, making sure there are no Alphas or other ranked werewolves in the area. I listen, making sure I can't hear any sounds of wolves running or people whispering in the forest around me. All I hear are birds and the creek that runs through this

where I can tuck my clothes away and I shift. Hedda is a big wolf, and we have to be careful not to run up on any hunters. She's been shot at before, but she's faster than

that she can only come out a couple days a week,

has to focus to climb up the rocky terrain to find open land

pretty good and has been running for hours when

'Hedda, what is that?'

says, turning to head

scream.

like crying from a female and what sounds like encouragement from several males. Hedda gets on her stomach

284 Vouchers

and knees. She's sobbing as a male, most likely an Alpha pins her head to the ground while he pumps into her from behind while three other men cheer him on. The Alpha, or whatever he is, has

extend and he grabs her by the hair, pulling her up to him. "Never run

her