The One He Claimed

The One 59

Chapter 59: Committee of Alphas Hunter I can feel my mate’s tension as we walk into the committee chambers. The Alphas, being pompous a**holes, made sure that their seats sat up much higher than those who were there to be heard. This way, they can literally look down their noses at you. I’ve never liked the practice. We’re Alphas, why do we have to prove that we stand above the others? If those who present themselves in front of the committee don’t realize that just by our aura and presence, then perhaps those in their Alpha positions don’t deserve them. This time, it’s me and Sophie who are on the floor, looking up at the Alpha chairs as the committee members enter. I feel Sophie stiffen beside me and turn to look at her, keeping my eyes on the Alphas. “What is it?” I murmur. “Who is the Alpha that just came in?” “Alpha Zahn, why?” She looks at me. “He was the one who caught his mate in the woods where I was staying. He’s the reason I ran.” I look at Alpha Zahn again. The timing would have been right. He caught his mate and she threw herself off a cliff right around 0.00% 111 12:07 [ Babes & Commoner i Aphae the time that I found Sophie. I nod, acknowledging that I heard her, but continuing to watch as the others enter. Kayce walked in with us, but I nod as Dutton, Carter, and Luna Amy enter the room. I see Sophie. finger wave at her parents and her father winks at her before taking his seat. I notice that they are all sitting on the left

side of the seating, while Zahn, Alaric, and Owen have chosen to sit on the right side. When Ezra walks in, he raises his eyebrow, looking at the seating arrangements. “Choosing sides already, I see,” he says, sitting beside Kayce. “That’s Ezra,” I say in an aside to Sophie. “And that?” she asks about the Alpha who just sat down on the right side of the seating area. “That’s Alpha Aiden,” I whisper. She nods. “He’s the one who was hunting me before I got on the train,” she says and an inadvertent growl escapes. I cut it off, but not before the room goes quiet. Since the meeting hasn’t started, everyone looks at me, then turns back to their own discussions. ‘He’s second after Owen on our list to obliterate,’ Shaw says in my head, seething at the man who hunted for my mate. ‘Yes,’ I say. I’m not going to argue. If he’d caught Sophie, I would never have found my fated mate. She’d have been taken by someone else and she’d be a shell of the person she is today. 12.80% O 12:06 < watch as Alpha Joshua walks in with his mate, Luna Margot. She’s stoic, always has her face well- schooled, and in the three years since she’s been mated to Alpha Joshua, I’ve never once seen her smile. Next to enter is Calvin with Luna Amelia. I knew from our discussions that he didn’t want her here because of her pregnancy, but Amelia, being the Alpha she is, insisted. Calvin sits her in between himself and her father. The safest place in the room by his standards. I watch as the last two enter the room, Alpha Elias and his mate Luna June. June moves to sit beside her daughter, Luna Margot. I watch as she takes the younger woman’s hand and they both face us, as if creating a unified front. Alpha Elias, the oldest Alpha in our Committee, leads these meetings.

He stands in the center of the seating area, looking down at me. “Alpha Hunter, you have been commanded in front of this Committee of Alphas today because it has been brought to our attention that you have broken one of our laws. How do you plead?” “Guilty.” He wasn’t looking at me, obviously expecting me to argue. But I won’t. I’m standing up for Sophie and for what I believe in. His eyes snap back to mine. “You agree that you broke one of our laws?” “It’s a law I don’t agree with, as this committee is aware.” “Whether or not you agree with it, it is still a law Alpha.” 28.22% O ୮ 12:07 “Yes,” I say, standing my ground. Because he’s above us, and because I’m an Alpha, my chin is raised to look him in the eye. I’ m glad and proud to see that Sophie’s is as well Alpha Elias looks at me a moment, obviously restructuring the argument he had already planned “You took this woman as your mate?” he asks. “I believe you know I did. I’m sure that when my previous G**a joined Alpha Owen’s pack, he let Alpha Owen know, who then let you know just who my mate is,” I say, looking at Owen, then back at Elias. I’m not going to let them play games with me. “Yes,” he says growling as he looks at my mate. “Sophie Meyers.” I take a protective step forward and partially in front of Sophie. “She’s Sophie Reynolds now.” “That remains to be seen,” he says, refocusing on me. “You have broken our laws. Do you intend to rectify that here and now?” he asks. “How do you propose that I do that?” “You would need to mark her in this committee chamber, of course,” he says arrogantly.

“Do your noses not work?” I ask innocently. Sophie has placed her hand on my back, whether to keep herself or me grounded I’ m not sure, but my protective Alpha nature is pushing forward. “Excuse me?” he growls, but I see Kayce smiling. He and I 44.14% ||| O r 12:07 Chapter 15 Committee of Aphas discussed this. “Well, as Alphas, I would assume that you can see my mark on Sophie’s neck. As Alphas, I would assume that you can smell my scent on my mate, and hers on me,” I say, stressing her relationship to me. “So, I’ll ask again, do your noses not work?” “Of course our noses work. But that is not the law,” he says banging his fist on the banister of the seating area. “You must claim your mate publicly.” “So, you only need to see Hunter mark me, is that correct?” Sophie asks, moving herself to stand beside me again. Elias looks at my mate-in the condescending way that I’m sure he looks at his mate and his daughter. “That is not the law, young lady. Marking and mating of all ranked females must be public.” I can feel the anger in my mate, feel her Alpha aura pushing out. I want to protect her, but I know my mate is about to put these Alphas in their place. “Why? Because you’re nothing more than lecherous, disgusting men who get off on watching women taken against their will? As my mate said, you can see his mark, very clearly on my neck. You can smell his scent intermingled with mine. I am willing to stand here and allow him to mark me in front of you, even though that can be quite….personal. So, why then must you witness a man having sex with a woman? I can only assume that it’s because you’re all sick, twisted, loathsome

men,” she says, and I have to fight hard to keep from smiling at her spirit. I notice her father ducks his head. I’m assuming he appreciates his daughter’s spirit as well. 58.66% ။ J 12:07 “How dare you?” Alpha Zahn snarls, standing up and glaring down at Sophie. I pull her back, taking a protective stance in front of her again. “How dare 1, Alpha Zahn?” she asks, and I can see his shock that she knows his name. D**n I love this woman. “How dare l? Let me ask you, how many women have to kill themselves before you stop this brutal practice? I saw you, in the woods, claiming that poor girl. She sobbed after you stripped her bare for your pack members to watch while you claimed her. I saw how you slammed your canines into her neck, not even attempting to be gentle. It’s no wonder she threw herself off a cliff. So, I ask you, Alpha Zahn, How! Dare! You?” This time, it’s my mate who snarls. Zahn glares at her, but he sits back down. “You need to get your mate under control, Alpha,” Elias growls. “Why? For speaking the truth? I don’t think so. And while we’re on the subject of Zahn claiming multiple mates who keep killing themselves to get away from him, have those of you who haven’ t been hunting your mates considered what this means for you?” I ask, looking to the ones seated on the left. “If Alpha Zahn caught his fated mate, and she killed herself to get away from him, then who’s mate did he catch this time? Yours Alpha Dutton? Alpha Kayce? Alpha Robin? These men aren’t just hurting our she-wolves, their stealing your mates with no care for them or you. Maybe that’s your mate lying in his pack hospital. Or she would have been, if he hadn’t claimed her. Alpha Owen nearly claimed my mate. If I hadn’t intervened, I may never have found the love and passion that I have with Sophie,” I say, turning to look at her.

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She smiles at me, putting her hand in mine. When I turn back, I can see that all three men look stunned. I knew they hadn’t considered this. They didn’t agree with the practice of hunting for their mates, but they didn’t see the bigger picture that their mates are being stolen from them. Neither did I until it was right in front of my face.