The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 13: Wait Hunter

I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep knowing she's out there. Alone. My mate.

I've thought through hundreds of scenarios of how to talk to her, to let her know that I won't force my mark on her, or claim her publicly, but I have no idea how to even get close enough to her in order to have a conversation with her.

Shaw has been no help. He's ready to hunt her down and mark her. He wants to claim his mate so no one else can. He's been pacing in my head, asking me every 15 minutes if we have any updates on where the Alphas are hunting.

When he asks me again, I snap.

'Shaw, it's the middle of the f**k**g night. No one has an update on any of the Alphas!' I bark at him.

"We should go to her, find her, protect her, make sure she's safe.'

'If she's safe and we show up, especially at night, she'll run.'

He growls at me and continues to prowl around in my head.

I sigh, sitting up. There was no use trying to get any sleep. Between me and Shaw, I won't be sleeping tonight.

I feel like a zombie by the time I have to get dressed for warrior

0.00%

21 141

289 Moucherh

training. I trudge down the stairs and I'm almost knocked over by Lucas who is practically sk**g down the stairs.

"Good morning, Alpha!" he sings, causing me to flinch at his much too loud tone.

"What's good about it," I grumble.

'It's good because we can finally go to her," Shaw grumbles in my head. He's as tired as I am, both of us working off of anxious adrenaline.

"Rough night?" Lucas asks me, his tone and demeaner much more muted.

I sigh. I haven't told anyone. I didn't even tell Kinsley yesterday on the way home. I look around, seeing the warriors all heading out back for training.

I take Lucas' arm and pull him into my office, closing my door. "This stays between me and you. For now, you can't even tell Kinsley," I say, turning to look at him. "Do I need to command you?"

He frowns at me. "When have you ever needed to command me to keep a secret, Alpha?" he asks, and I can hear the hurt in his voice.

I huff, running my fingers through my hair. "You're right, I apologize. I'm just..." I sigh and scrub my face roughly, trying to focus. When I look back at Lucas I can see his worry.

"I smelled her. Yesterday when Kinsley and I went to the place where she leaves the food for the she-wolves on the run, I smelled my mate. She was there. Chapter 13: Wait

208 Vouchers

"Oh, f**k. What did you do?"

she's hungry or needed a safe place to sleep,

sleep all night worrying

me.

sigh, running my hand through my

"Go. Go find her. I can take care of training this morning. Go, talk to her. But Alpha, if

at my Beta. "Would you challenge me?" I

Alphas, but also some in our pack. You need to be prepared for that." "If I mark her and she agrees to return with

nods. "Then go, convince her to let you mark her. Kinsley would love to

need, mine, or both of ours, I don't question Lucas' ability to watch

I can think too much about it, Shaw pulls

288 (Vouchers

the scent of local Alphas,

on the run, one of those being my mate. When we cross their trail and smell the scent of only a few wolves,

problems that has arisen with the she-wolves running is that now, ranked members don't only search for their fated mates. If they find a wolf and catch her, they claim her. So, the fact that this she-wolf is mine won't matter to them.

areas where the forested mountain becomes rocky, Shaw slows, lifting his head into the air and sniffing for her scent. Since we know where the opening to the safe area is, we continue to make our way there while he searches

If she caught my scent, it could have scared her off. But I'm hoping that she needed the food

entrance of the hiding spot that Kinsley found and I

way into the space where Kinsley leaves the food. I realize that I should have brought some with me.

Chapter 13 Wat

288 Mouchers

going hungry because of my

finally get inside, my heart drops. While I can smell her scent and the scent of the other she-wolf, neither of them are here. I lift my nose, sniffing the air. Her orchid

is strong. I touch the ground and realize that it is still warmer than the earth around where she was sleeping. She

looked for the secret exit yesterday when Kinsley told me about it, but that must be how they got out. Otherwise, I would have seen them. I see the card sitting on the stone table and s**h it up. I find where the back exit is and I walk over to it, sniffing

scent.

I open my senses, letting him guide me to

several packs. that are close together. You have to be very

288 Vouchers

mate instructs. I know it's my mate by the fluttering my heart makes at the sound of her voice.

while my mate ponders her answer. Is she staying or are

probably safe to go between their pack and the one to the left of them. There's about

Carter's pack. I wonder how she knows that his pack is safe. Alpha Dutton's pack is on the left of theirs from this perspective and it's also safe, although Dutton hasn't found his mate yet. I know he's not out hunting for a mate, but I

Penny say something quietly to my

"Yes," my mate responds.

be hard

is," my

Chapter 13: Wait

288 Vouchers

This close to what?

and then the snapping of bones as

and I hope our paths cross again,"

a soft bark and then I hear her paws running

mate sigh and then I hear the tell-tale scratching of skin and clothing against

feel her getting closer, I

I say, putting my hands up. "I could have captured you, but that's not the type of man I am. Please, I