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

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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

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

she's hungry or needed a safe place to sleep, I didn't want

night worrying about

me.

huff out a sigh, running my

me a moment. "Go. Go find her. I can take care of training this morning. Go, talk

forward, feel anger at my Beta. "Would you challenge me?" I growl

some in our pack. You need

go, convince her to let you mark her. Kinsley

Shaw's need, mine, or both of ours, I don't question

can think too much about it,

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our mate. As we run, I catch the scent of local Alphas, but we also catch the

only reason ranked wolves would be in these woods is because they are hunting she-wolves on the run, one of those being my mate. When

to get back to our mate before one of these Alphas finds her first. One of the 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. And if they claim her first,

and sniffing for her scent. Since we know where the opening to the safe

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

hiding spot that Kinsley found and I smile. If nothing else, I know my

the space where Kinsley leaves the food. I

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figure out how to get more here. I don't want hopeful she-wolves going hungry because of my distraction with my mate. I've made a commitment to help. these she-wolves and I need to fulfill that. I'll just have to figure

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

and I left yesterday is gone. It also looks like both women slept here last night. I walk around sniffing the ground until I find the spot where my mate slept. Her scent is strong. I touch the ground and realize that it is still warmer than the earth around where she was sleeping. She hasn't been gone long. Then I

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

scent.

my mind and I open my senses, letting him

are several packs. that are close

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

her answer. Is she staying

hadn't heard the sounds of wolves nearby last night, I'd say go the other way, but since we did, I think you should head toward the packs. See the one in the middle there? That one is safe, and you are probably safe

Alpha 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 mate,

"Yes," my mate responds.

must be hard to be this

it is," my mate

Chapter 13: Wait

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This close to what?

hear the rustling of clothing and then

and I hope our paths cross

then I hear her paws

hear the tell-tale scratching of skin and clothing against the rocky surface of what must be the exit. She's coming

entrance. As I feel her getting closer, I take a deep breath of her scent. The moment she steps back into the space she

you, but that's not the type of man I am. Please, I just want to talk to you," I say to