Ares’s POV
The ball was pretty energetic and it is clear that Alpha King Harmon spared no expense this year. As you walk into the ballroom you immediately see the dance floor with all the strobe lights and multi-colored lights flashing all around. The music is loud and helps to create an energizing atmosphere. The bar was expansive and stretched across the entire back of the giant room. People were dancing all around but mostly in the center of the room, some were standing around the sides of the ballroom socializing, and others were hanging out towards the back by the bar.
I figured I could walk around the ballroom to scope the place out and see if I could pick up that scent again. It was dark in the ballroom and the fog machine on the dance floor made the air smell musty, but it was at least worth a shot.
I started at the bar, picking up a crown and coke. Just as I left the bar to begin my lap around the song, ‘Search Party’ by Sam Bruno came on and that se
Ares’s POV When I get to my room, I change into some comfortable sweats and go lay in bed. I was in such a daze, so excited about the fact that I met my mate that I don’t think anything could bring me down from my personal high. As I thought about who my mate could be, I started thinking about the ranked wolves and their of-age children, trying to jog my memory to possibly figure out who she was. I remembered that Alpha King Harmon had a daughter - obviously, I couldn’t forget that, my father only reminded me of that fact every day since I was about ten years old; though I have never seen her since I don’t follow the gossip magazines or human television networks that like to blast our personal lives for goddess and everyone to know about. His beta Harold didn’t have any daughters, just sons, but his gamma did have a daughter that would be about 20 years old. I think her name was Anika if I remembered correctly. Was this my mate? That’s when I realized
Ari’s POV I woke up the next day feeling reinvigorated. Today was the claiming. The most important event of the week. This was it. I would meet my mate. The way the claiming worked was pretty straightforward. All the unmated she-wolves were sequestered the morning of the claiming and taken far away from the packhouse into the woods that surround it to an undisclosed location where they house us for the day. All the unmated males were ordered to stay within the packhouse walls and not permitted to go outside for any reason whatsoever. While the unmated wolves paced the floors waiting eagerly to begin the claiming, those not partaking in the claiming were doing all the things needed to get everything ready for the claiming. There was a lot to prepare and get ready for the day of the event. Tents had to be set up all around in the woods in case any couples that mated wanted some privacy. Some don’t care and mate in the woods where they find each other, others are more s
Ares POV The following morning I woke up and eagerly got ready for the day. I knew all the she-wolves would be gone and out of the packhouse before breakfast to ready themselves for the claiming tonight, but I was still excited knowing that I will have my mate in my arms in less than twenty-four hours. At breakfast, I see my father, Alec, and Alessandro all sitting together about to begin eating what looked to be biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and thick-cut bacon. GODDESS everything smelled good! I didn’t realize until that moment that I hadn’t eaten much since we got here. “Hey Ares! Good morning!” Alec shouted, waving me over to their table. I take my plate of food and walk over to their table to the seat next to my father that they saved for me. “So, what is this I hear about you finding your mate?!” My father growled at me, obviously pissed that I didn’t tell him last night. “I saw her at a distance, father. It was the end of the nigh
Ares’s POV The day went by rather quickly. After we worked out and played some basketball it was nearly three in the afternoon. The sun usually sets between six and seven so I knew I had three to four more hours. As the time kept ticking down, I swear I was becoming hornier and hornier. I don’t know how that is possible but with every deep breath I took, I felt a mild tingling sensation course through my chest and through the rest of my body that went straight to my cock. “I’m horny as FUCK dude! What if we don’t find our mate? Do we just get to walk around with a massive boner until we rub one out or is there another party for the unmated wolves so we can hook up with other unmated wolves?” Alessandro questioned rather rhetorically as we all walked over to the billiards tables in the rec room. “Uhh...well, there is the mating ceremony for all the wolves that found their mates at the claiming. Then the celebration parties...those are ongoing throughout the la
Ares’s POV It didn’t take long for me to wash up and come back downstairs. I knew I wasn’t going to be wearing clothes for very long, since Eros was itching to get out and run, not to mention hornier than we’ve ever been. I swear I’d fuck a knot-hole in a tree if it looked like a woman at this point. Alpha King Harmon had to have done something to us all...Did he put some additive in our breakfast or something? He had to have. I make note to ask him after the claiming is over. Everyone was starting to gather outside behind the pack house in front of the Master of Ceremonies, who was sitting on a podium above us all with Alpha King Harmon. “Can I have your attention, gentle wolves?” Master of Ceremonies, better known by his pack mates as Clarence, bellows. Everyone settles down to listen to him, even though testosterone is at an all-time high and every unmated male’s hormones are off the charts. “You will have until dawn to find your mate and c
Ari’s POV “ARI!!!” I begin being jolted around on my bed by someone jumping up and down all over it. I crack open my eyes and cup my ears when the squealing sound of Alexia hits my senses. “WHAAAAAAT?” I shout back. She begins to stop jumping and settles down next to me on the bed, “Nothing, I just wanted to wake you up.” She grins. “You bitch…” I mumble using a pillow near me to swat at her chuckling a little. “So, the Mistress of Ceremonies just announced that we should be getting released anytime now. She said we have 20 minutes before we need to be outside ready.” Anika states nonchalantly changing out of her fuzzy pajama pants and into the sexy exercise outfit she picked out. “OH SHIT!” I bolt upright and jump out of bed. “How do I look? Is my hair messed up? Should I touch up my makeup?” I huff my breath on my cupped hand in an attempt to smell my breath, “Ew...I need to brush my teeth for sure!” I say in a panicked voice.
Ari’s POV When we get outside, I can tell the sun is starting to set, which means we had very little time left. “Ladies!” Mistress of Ceremonies shouts from the podium in front of us outside. We all stop talking and look up to listen. “In just a few minutes, I will light the eternal flame. Once it is lit, you are free to go.” “Yes, Mistress!” We all shout. “Line up, single file across the lawn here,” She points in front of her podium. We all move to line up in preparation for the signal. “You have a fifteen-minute head start on the wolves. Use it wisely! On your mark….get set….” and at that, she lit the eternal flame. I took off, not shifting into my wolf, Sienna. I knew it was going to really slow me down and throw off my plan, but my friends pissed me off a little. Even though they were teasing and it was all fun and games, I was still a little hurt by it so I was damn near determined to not shift to prove them really fucking
Ari’s POV I stood waiting, watching, listening...I could hear screams and moans in the distance. I know I would scream if my mate snuck up on me! That’s probably another reason why I was hiding with my back to something. Maybe it was just my pack training kicking in, who knows? It usually didn’t take all night for the wolves to find their mates so I was nervous after I waited a little while. I started wondering if Alexia found her mate, Lane. Was Anika going to find her mate? What if I found mine, but she didn’t find hers? I hope that wouldn’t put a rift between us since she would be the only one without a mate. As I let my thoughts wander, I was suddenly snapped back to the present when I heard footsteps in the distance. My heart began racing. I’m not sure if I started feeling nervous, scared, excited, or a mix of every emotion including surprisingly...being extremely aroused at that thought. My hands start getting clammy. Suddenly, I don’t feel scar