Fen’s POV
“The claiming is going to be so lit this year!” Lane shouts as we get ready to gather downstairs for the Master of Ceremonies.
“I think you’re a little biased at this point don’t you Lane?” I roll my eyes adjusting my sweats. I wasn’t planning on actually searching for my mate this season. I never was. I will search for her after I gain my rightful title.
“I dunno...maybe a little,” He smirks.
“So, did Alexia tell you where she will be?” I ask curious. Maybe this would give me a bit of an idea as to where Ari would go?
“Well...not exactly. She was really wishy-washy. At first she said she was going to hide in a tent waiting for me, but then the next day she said I would have to figure out which tent it was. That’s a huge area dude! I can’t go looking into every tent! That’s insane, not to mention super perv-y!”
“Well...good luck man! I’m sure you will find her. You are my best tracker and you should be being my beta!” I said,
Ari’s POV As the morning dawn approaches, I know our time is almost up and the claiming is officially over for the season, but that’s okay because...I found MY MATE! “Are you ready to make our way back?” Ares rolls on his side, swiping a loose strand of hair out of my face. My appearance is shot, my hair is a bird’s nest at this point. We mated countless times tonight in countless places around this waterfall, in the cave, in the water, by the trees...I don’t think there is a spot we missed in this alcove that feels like a private paradise to us. “Mmmm…” I moan as I stretch my sore body. I was a virgin when I walked into these woods for the claiming, but I was far from it as I emerged from the woods to share the happiness I was feeling with my father. I couldn’t wait to tell him. I thought about mind-linking him, but this was something he needed to see for himself in the flesh. This man was absolutely marvelous; a sculpture from the gods, and I have never met
Ares’s POV I look to Arianna and then back to my Beta, Alec. Arianna looks freaked out. Why the fuck did Alec have to call me Alpha? I don’t need his help impressing her! She let go of my hand and stepped away like that scared her. Why would being an alpha scare her? She was an alpha by birthright. I give him a pissed-off look and he immediately mind-links me, ’It’s your father!’ ’What about my father? My father can wait! Can’t you see I’m trying to make introductions with my mate!’ I glare at him as I speak with him through mink-link. I know Arianna can hear our conversation if I really want her to, but I also know how to block everyone out of my head. That might be the one useful thing my father actually did teach me. I coax Arianna inside, even though she won’t take my hand. We shut the door and come inside and everyone begins eyeing us, some jaws drop, some girls begin crying and running off, some men glare at me, clearly pissed
Ares’s POV “No..no no no no...that isn’t possible.” Harmon begins to panic. Alec and Alessandro just sit on the edge of my bed, their mouths gaping as they sit stunned and speechless. I don’t think Alec expected me to be so blunt with Harmon breaking the news that his only daughter was now mine. “What? I thought you would be thrilled? She said you have been freaked out about her not finding her mate for a long time. Well...Here I am! Just in time!” I state with concern and frustration. “You are an alpha! She cannot mate with an alpha or she loses the line of succession and Fenry takes over!” Harmon says in a panic. I stand up quickly, shocked as he explains the “fine print” of the agreement of the council. I didn’t realize they were so technical and detail oriented. “This will not do. I’m sorry son, but you cannot be my daughter’s mate. If you are her true mate, you will do her a favor by rejecting her so she can take a chosen mate before her
Ares’s POV “With as many trained pack warriors as you have and the size of your territory, combined with ours, no one would stand against us,” Ari states clearing up the issue. She wasn’t wrong. I was very proud to boast about the fact that I had the largest number of trained pack warriors in the Wolf Nation, only challenging Harmon’s pack alone. If we combined, we would be unstoppable. “Holy shit-balls, this conversation is getting pretty intense guys...sir...Alphas I mean…” Alessandro states breaking the tenseness of the room. “Wouldn’t that mean that the council would go to war over the technicalities in the agreement?” I bring up. Why couldn’t I just take the win? Why did I have to poke holes in every plan and theory…. just like my father? I now realize. Fuck! “It most certainly WILL.” Harmon chuckled. “So, we’re damned if we do,” I begin when Ari chimes in, “damned if we don’t.” “Precisely,” Harmon confirms. “You k
Ari’s POV I laugh loudly, “My heat?” “Why is that an issue?” Ares asks my father. I can tell he isn’t as amused as I am but rather, excited. “Because my son...she is an Alpha QUEEN now. You are mated and your bodies will begin preparing to succeed me. With the mating, your bodies will continue to transform and the first thing that the Alpha Royals must do is secure an heir,” He smiles and laughs almost like ‘How did ya’ll not realize this already?’ “So, I’m going to stay in heat until my body knows I am pregnant?” Holy shit, I’m starting to freak out. “Precisely.” My father confirms before continuing, “Ares, you will know when she is ready when her scent becomes intoxicating to you and every other unmated wolf around you. In normal circumstances, you would only have to worry about your own pack, but being the Alpha Queen, EVERY unmated wolf from EVERY pack will begin to seek her out.” “Great...just fricken great…” I say. All I need is
Alec’s POV We just left the Alpha and are headed to go help move Arianna’s and his stuff to the room Alpha King Harmon is going to show us. It’s been one hell of a fuckin’ morning, that’s for DAMN sure! Not only did Ares find his mate...he’s gunna be the fuckin’ ALPHA KING! FUCK YEAH! I am so pumped about this, and I’d go to war for Ares. He’s my best friend, like a brother to me, so if the goddess has chosen them to be together, who am I to deny that? If he has to go to war to defend everyone - I will be right next to him the whole way. “It’s just down here…” King Harmon points as he keeps walking down a narrow stone-walled hallway that seems to never end. Geez… where is this room? HOW BIG IS THIS PLACE REALLY? I start to think about a lot of things that could potentially go wrong. “Alpha King Harmon, uhh...how big is this place...like ACTUALLY?” I ask him very point-blank. He smiles and says, “We actually aren’t sure anymore...see, it’s been
Ari’s POV After a long soothing nap in Ares’s arms, we woke up and decided to go outside and get some air. We walked through the gardens in silence for some time before I spoke up. “SO...how do you want to announce this? Tomorrow? What do you think the best plan would be? How many warriors do you have in your pack? How fast could they all get here if they had to?” I start randomly rambling word vomit. He can tell I’m nervous and starts laughing the more questions I ask, the more ridiculous in nature they become. “We can announce this whenever you are ready. If you want me to keep my distance for a while, I will, though I rather not. There is the issue of my father’s death to deal with, so I may be somewhat occupied with that partially while the celebrations go on.” He started to explain. Goddess, I felt so insensitive! Here I was already jumping to war and he hasn’t even processed his father’s death, let alone investigated it or even buried his father!
Ari’s POV “How so?” I was curious. “My father had this obsession that slowly over time drove him a little crazy. Then he started drinking to mask the crazed behaviors. He got aggressive instead and he eventually turned into a raging alcoholic and asshole.” Damn! Ares had a rough go of it with his dad, that is for sure! “I’m sorry to hear that. What did your mother say about his obsession?” I asked showing sympathy. “Nothing, she’s dead. She died during a rogue attack on our pack shortly after my father became Alpha. Our defenses weren’t what they are today and from that point forward, he just grew more and more obsessive with our pack being the strongest and largest to defend ourselves from attacks in the future. That’s how we got into the security industry. It’s a much larger operation now of course but we started out by providing private security for CEOs of corporations and the like in the human business sector.” I looked down again