The Claiming by Cooper

Mason

"Alpha! It's here." Elijah, my Beta says, coming into my office.

I set aside my paperwork and take the envelope, noticing the significant size difference from any other year's claiming package. I'm not surprised, every eligible male in my pack signed up. Since everyone will have a chance to hunt a mate this year, it's our best opportunity knowing that no one will be eliminated from the Alpha female's pool of claimants.

I open the paperwork, looking over the candidates. Most of my pack members have no expectation of winning the Alpha female, not with me and Elijah in the hunt. But there are four other females this year, the largest pool of females in years. Usually, there is one, maybe two. Five is practically unheard of. Add to that an Alpha and Beta female? It will be a fucking blood bath.

I glance over the list of names. I have sixteen warriors and ten omegas going this year, twenty-eight in total when you add in me and Elijah.

My Gamma is older and was lucky enough to catch his mate ten years ago before the pool of females dwindled to the dangerously low number we are facing today. Elijah and I have both gone every year since we turned 18, and other than the Alpha female three years ago who was also open to all eligible claimants, neither of us have been called in the lottery of claimants.

As I continue to look over the list of other Alphas that I'll be competing against, I see his name. "Fucking bastard."

"Who?" Elijah asks, watching me across my desk. I look up at him.

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"Typhon."

"He's in the pool again? How is he even eligible? He had an Alpha female and he basically killed her, or close enough that it should be illegal for him to even compete."

"Not only that, but his dead mate is also the sister of the Alpha female who is in the claim this year." I go back to the first page. "Jara, is her name."

"We all know he cheated to get her. He'll do it again." Elijah says to

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"He can try." I look up at Elijah. "We'll be better prepared this year." Elijah is only a year younger than I am. While I'm closer to going feral, he's not far behind me. "One of us gets the Alpha this year."

He nods. We made an agreement. We'll work together, but we both know that if he gets her, it will most likely be less than a year before he'll have to put me down. I won't make it to the next claim. If I get her, he has another year, possibly two before he goes feral and may get called for the lottery in that time. For me, this is my last chance and we both know it.

In the last five years, the leadership of the packs has changed significantly and often. With Alphas going feral every year with no successor, Betas and Gammas have taken over as the next ranked wolves. However, it's becoming even more common that now those Betas and Gammas that have taken over the Alpha roles are going feral. It's caused a mess with pack dynamics, alliances and fighting among the packs is increasing.

In addition, the council and elders are having to kill off more and more males who try to steal mates from other males. It's why I know that this year will be bloody. There aren't a lot of rules for the claiming. Mostly they are related to how you claim the female.

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However, it's basically open season on the other contenders. It's why they limit the other pools. With only 20 claimants, there is a chance that the contenders will be too busy trying to find the female to kill each other off. And, in general, it works. But with over 200 wolves going into the claiming territory at the same time for the Alpha female, most will be lucky to get out with their lives.

We're not supposed to kill each other, but when you're on the hunt and your wolf has scented the one they intend to claim as their mate, battles to the death happen. It's how Typhon won. He actually killed his own Beta to get to Mila, the Alpha female. He killed others, I did as well, but I would never kill my own Beta.

I toss the pages over to Elijah and sit back, rubbing my hands over my face. I don't like killing, but this is life or death for most of us. And if it comes to them or me, it will be them dying and me walking out with my mate.

"Is Joe ready to manage the pack while we're gone?" I ask, as Elijah skims through the pages of claimants.

"Yeah, he's done this the last six years, he knows the drill." Elijah says, his eyes narrowing. "Interesting."

"What's that?" I ask.

"Jara's brother, Seth, is in the pool this year. He's being given automatic inclusion to the Beta's claiming because he isn't eligible for the Alpha claim." He whistles low. "Did you see that the Beta's claim is also larger this year? They're going to allow 75 in her claim. Her name is Hana, by the way."

"Are you going to enter her lottery?" I ask him.

"Might as well." He looks up at me, smiling. "I wouldn't mind snagging a Beta for a mate. What about you?"

I shake my head. "I want the Alpha. I think having a strong female will help keep our males from going feral so young."

"Why do you say that? Do you know something I don't?" He asks.

"No. It's a theory, a guess on my part. Or maybe I'm just trying to find some fucking hope. I'm tired of having to kill my pack members because they go feral."

"Then, we'll hope I get a Beta, you get an Alpha, and we never have to put another pack member down in our lifetime."

"Call Joe. Let's make sure everything is in order. We only have a week and we'll be gone awhile. You know the Beta and Alpha claims will be last and should take a few days each. You and I need to start sparring four hours a day. We both need to be in top fighting shape if we're going to get out of that claim alive, unscathed and with our mates."