One very long chapter for today (just a few paragraphs short of two chapters). I know some of you are expecting more chapters, as I have been out for three days. But I did spend my days with my family out of town and never touched my book to write anything except last night. It was a good break from writing, but I'm back now, and we are approaching the Claiming next week. So prepare your heart for another rollercoaster ride! 💜 Thank you for all the gems that kept coming despite no updates. I appreciate all of you! I also closed the entries for the paperback raffle, and I will announce the winner here before or during the Claiming chapters. Thank you again! 💜
CATHERINE. Tyler and I headed home at the scheduled time, and I couldn’t be happier with the family waiting for us. If I were to look at the expression of our mothers, I knew I had made the right choice in having this Claiming soon. Mom and Aunt Alia had always wanted Tyler and me for each other, and the excitement brewing in their aura as they helped me try the gown I would wear for the Claiming was also pumping up my adrenaline. Two gowns were prepared according to my liking, but I ended up loving both. So I chose both. I told them I would wear one for the ball and change into the other for the arena, with the latter making it easier for me to move or run around. The Claiming would be held at the Green Valley Pack, a territory just near the Council’s main headquarters, which was also great as Green Valley was under Uncle Caleb, one of Dad’s trusted friends, who was also Cameron’s dad. Which meant we could get information on who entered and exited the territory for the Claiming.
YOUNG ALPHA ALONSO. I smelled her, but it seemed Catherine did not, which was not surprising as she didn’t have her wolf at the moment. I knew coming here was a big mistake, but even if I knew it was, I still went here. I will be leaving for my Alpha training in two days, and I want to have a glimpse of Davina before I go because this might be the last time I am free to look at her. But I didn’t see her when I came here and spoke with Amara. So now I had no idea if she was around, as I didn’t want to ask. “When are you leaving, by the way?” Catherine asked. “The day after the Claiming,” I answered a little too fast when I realized she was asking something. And then Davina’s scent fainted. She was walking away. I wanted to see her but didn’t want her to see me or find out I was here. But now that she did, I was bothered that she would leave the packhouse, and I would not see her at all before I left for the North. I knew she would not be allowed to go to the Claiming, as th
THE CLAIMING BALL. FORMER BETA FEMALE ALIA. Amara, Clair, Nadine, and Cassidy were assisting Catherine in the private room assigned to her. Janna and I decided to leave it alone for now so we could look around the ballroom. Gavin came for me and took me away while Janna was in Aaron’s arms. My eyes wandered as we stepped into the ballroom. The decor was elegant and indeed fascinating. There was no doubt that Alpha Caleb and Luna Anya went all out for this event. Although it had been almost twenty-five years since the moment I first stepped into the Claiming Ball, the way this ballroom was designed brought back memories as if it were just yesterday — and I was eighteen, marveling at how many Alpha Females were around and how strong the Alpha pheromones were swirling in the air. My heart beat erratically as the flashbacks of Gavin turning his back on me flooded my head. I had moved on and had the best days of my life with him, but for a moment, the pain crossed my chest once more
(FUTURE) BETA BELLATRIX. “Hammond? Alonso’s future Beta?” My wolf and I perked up at the mention of his name. “Where is he?” Hammond and I had attended Beta training together on many occasions. And he had always caught my attention, although I knew his eyes were set on Amara. But she was off the market already, so maybe his attention could be drawn to another blonde female, which is me. I smirked and chuckled at my own confidence when, all of a sudden, an intoxicating scent of almonds and sandalwood filled my nose, and my wolf began to pant in my head. I swallowed hard before my tongue swiped over my lips. The scent kept getting stronger, and it was too late when I realized my wolf had taken control of my voice. “Mate!” A growl ripped through my throat as my body swiveled around. But it didn’t slip my attention that the faces of the men in front of me warped into surprise before they changed into confusion and disappointment before I was fully able to turn and find where the add
TYLER. Alonso confirmed no other men were listed for Catherine except for me, Cyrus, Joshua, and his Beta. Either Joshua was bluffing, or the Alpha he was in conspiracy with was waiting until the last minute to put his name in. My eyes searched for any Alpha and Beta males I could spot around the ballroom. There were many, as aside from Alphas and Betas, Alpha Males up to third degrees were also considered Alpha Blood, and every one of them was a possible contender. With the ballroom getting thicker with guests, too many things were going on, and too many thoughts were running through my head. I wanted to blame myself for being too lax about this Claiming. The experience from the last one where no one listed for her made me think this would be an easy one as well. I shouldn’t have underestimated how big Jace’s territory and influence were. And Catherine was a sure way to get favors from him. I glanced at the big wall clock overhead and let out a sigh. I wanted the time to go
TYLER. “No!” Catherine screamed The frustration in her voice made me close my eyes and balled my hands into tight fists. I asked the Goddess to give me the willpower not to lunge at Maddox at that moment because all I wanted was to beat the hell out of him and take Catherine away from here. “You have no right to do that! We just rejected each other!” She spoke bravely in a voice full of determination. My eyes snapped open to look at her. She was glaring at Maddox, and Uncle Jake was standing beside her, arms coiled around her to stop her from taking a step forward. If Catherine was angry, Uncle Jake was furious. I had never seen a deadlier expression from my former Alpha than what I was witnessing at the moment. And I knew right here and there that his control over all this Maddox ordeal had finally snapped. Footsteps echoed around the ballroom, and the crowd in between where Catherine stood and Maddox moved away, making way for the Council to stand in the middle of them. I li
YOUNG ALPHA CASSIDY. (A few moments ago). I couldn’t keep a straight face as I looked at Catherine and Uncle Jake. My heart bled not just for Catherine because the maniac Maddox was here but also for what Uncle Jake was feeling. Dad would always tell me that my pain was always his biggest pain, and seeing Uncle Jake proved that. He had always been so tough, like Dad, but he was breaking down tonight. I couldn’t watch them anymore. I quietly turned around and walked toward the empty corridor, back to Catherine’s room. I closed the door behind me and grabbed my phone from my purse. Walker answered the phone after just one ring and talked right away. “I think I will be late. I will be there for more or less one and a half hours.” I closed my eyes and calculated the time. “The arena will open in less than one hour,” I said in a low voice. “I know. I’m driving fast. If they put my name on it, I can rush inside the arena as soon as I arrive.” “Okay… I’ll see you here then,” I said
BETA XANDER. I smelled trouble the moment Luna Charina entered our territory and requested a meeting with Maddox. I was lucky that the Alpha let me stay in the office while she spoke with him so that I could catch what they were planning to do. But as usual, I couldn’t do anything. With no men and no trusted people to work with me, it would be harder to stop him. I didn’t even have any idea if Maddox believed me at all that my loyalty was with him. All I knew was that I had to be careful, or I might end up dead like his former Beta. So I kept playing along, waiting for the right moment to strike while making sure I softened the blow for everyone around us. And this time, he was aiming for Lady Catherine and Lady Zoey at the Claiming. “Make sure to enlist our names under Catherine. Take note of the men under it as well, so we know who to target. I will check the list later to see it for myself, but put my name now, so if they see it, then whoever plans to add himself there will bac
BOOK 3 OF THE ALPHA BLOOD CIRCLE IS NOW SERIALIZING ON THIS APP! (This is a free note, you should not be paying any coins for this) --------------------Title: LET THE GAMMA FALL FOR ME Full Blurb: My name is Alexandria Ricafort.Or call me Lexi for short. My mother was an ordinary she-wolf mated to a human, making me a half-breed. After my father's untimely death when I was fourteen, my mother and I left the human territory and sought shelter in a new pack. But with both of them gone, I struggled to fit into a world full of shifters without a wolf. I already knew from the very beginning that I was more human than a werewolf. So the moment I turned eighteen, I packed my bags, thanked the couple that took me in, and moved out of the Black Shadow Pack to start my own adventure somewhere else. And just when I found my peace and purpose in human territory, the world of shifters came knocking on my door, ready to create havoc in the guise of my hot "so-called stepbrother," Austin.
THREE YEARS FROM THE CLAIMING (continuation of The Betas’ Day Out, Chapter 129 of this book). ALICE. “You are fashionably late!” Catherine said, giggling. She kissed my cheek before she took my almost two-year-old daughter, Ayesha, from my arms and cuddled her, whispering sweet nothings to her as I hugged the rest of the Beta females and Lawrence’s Luna. While my mate went directly to the males huddled on the other side of the room. We were invited to the Dark Crows Pack for Garrett’s third birthday, but we passed by Roan’s territory so we could convoy with them going in here. But he had an urgent thing that needed attention, so Joshua helped him first before driving here. But we notified them ahead of time, so Catherine was just teasing us when we arrived. After Joshua and I got mated, Catherine and Tyler introduced us to the other Betas that were on the same ground as us on the Claiming, which changed all our fates. We met Beta Brandon and Vicky of the Red River Pack, Beta
A YEAR AFTER THE LAST CHAPTER. JOSHUA. I stood beside Gamma Julius as we discussed the final security instructions for Alice’s baby shower tomorrow. We didn’t have many guests, mostly Alphas and their Lunas, so we had to be strict. I didn’t want this event to be the reason for us to be shunned if anything happened to any of the Lunas while they were in our territory. Alice was already in her seventh month of pregnancy, and Nikka insisted on throwing a baby shower for her. It would just be a formal lunch and a small get-together after that. The people she wanted to be here were all invited. Who would have thought that Amara and Jace would be entering our territory tomorrow? It took a while before Amara and Alice became comfortable with each other, but it finally happened. And I could only look back at all the stupid things I did and said to Amara, but I was glad that she and Jace both gave me and Alice a chance to be better and to make up for the way we acted toward them.
JOSHUA. “We did it. We did it, Luna Alice….” I mumbled back at my mate while pecking her forehead. The day we had been waiting for finally came. Dad decided to give me the pack even before my 20th birthday. I guessed my refusal to back down about Eugene, and my ignoring Mom’s tactics opened his eyes to the fact that I was ready to leave this pack anytime. And with no one to pass the title on, it terrified him, especially when he realized the people were more comfortable doing business with me than him. Or simply because he was already tired. The arrogance in his eyes had been long gone. And I seldom hear him raise his voice. Eugene leaving the territory started the spreading of news that he was the Luna’s son but not the Alpha’s. Even in modern society, this is still frowned upon. The Alphas could have many pups, but the Lunas were supposed to be perfect. And if I were not who I was at this point, I would probably be on the side of the people mocking my own father for this. Th
FIVE MONTHS LATER. JOSHUA. The days turned into weeks. And then into months. But we never got the answer we were looking for. River was still nowhere to be found. The CCTV footage of her in the train station showed she went inside a train heading for Atlanta. On the same day, some of my men went to that city. My father didn’t want to spend any dime looking for River, and since I had no jurisdiction to give orders to our trackers, I was not able to seek assistance from them. Cyrus, however, extended his help again and sent his own trackers to do the job. And so did Roan and Kairo since their packs were nearest to Atlanta. But even with them and their friends helping us and using their own resources, we couldn’t find her. Like she just vanished into thin air. Alice had gone to her room the day after she left and checked if she left any clues, but there was nothing telling us where she had gone. She saw Cyrus’ calling cards in the trash bins, and she told him about it. And I
LADY RIVER. I didn’t know I had fallen asleep on the train ride to Bernice City. I was grateful the female from whom I bought the ticket woke me up and told me we were approaching the station where I needed to get off. After making sure everything I had in my bag was still intact, I took my aunt’s address out and asked her if it was a long way from the station. She told me I needed to take a bus to get there. I was left with no choice but to tell her I couldn’t read and that I might end up somewhere far from this place. Her eyes softened as she grabbed a pen from her pocket and ripped a piece of paper from her notepad. She began to draw something out of it before she handed it to me. “When you get out of here, you will see a red building. Cross that street to get there. And in the direction where a colorful rainbow arch is, head in that direction. Follow that sidewalk. Just continue forward. You will pass three corners. On the fourth corner, turn left. Here.” She pointed at the
ALICE. I couldn’t believe it was possible for a pack to hate a future Beta as much as this pack hated Eugene. Joshua put him in the middle of the quadrangle and ordered two whips on his back before he asked his warrior to tie him up on the post. He told him he would remain there all night until he denounced the pack. I knew Joshua could force his father to banish him, but I also knew Joshua wanted to put him there for the whole pack to see. Before we departed, Joshua commanded his men to guard him and inform him once he denounced the pack. But he allowed everyone to throw a punch or two if they wanted. In the beginning, no one was coming near Eugene. Until we were informed by one of the warriors that there were two females, clad in a big hoodie and long black skirt, who came and threw a punch at him. Those females didn’t want to be identified but surely wanted to do that. Joshua told them to just let them and to never block anyone from approaching him. So, aside from these t
ALICE. My coiled fist connected with his jaw. I had punched several men in my lifetime, but I was sure I had never hit anyone as hard as I hit Eugene. After Kenneth told us in what state he found Eugene and River, I knew that there would never come a time when I would forgive him. Ever. Of all the females to assault, he chose River — someone who was too good for anybody. Rage was ruling my whole body, and I acted without thinking. As soon as my fist hit him, a loud growl erupted from his throat, and even though he staggered back, he was able to gather his footing right away. And before I knew it, he was launching at me. “You, mother fucker!” He roared, his arm stretching back with his hand balled into a tight fist. He was planning to hit me back. My eyes widened, and even if I wanted to scream, no sound left my lips. But I saw a figure pass me, and the next thing I saw was Joshua lunging at Eugene. His hand snaked around his neck before he slammed his body to the ground. A lo
RIVER. “Again, who told you that you get to decide?” He growled lowly before I heard him unstrap his belt, and fear coursed through my whole body. He was starting to unzip his pants when I finally had the courage to move myself. My hands pushed his stomach away as my feet kicked his knees. He staggered backward, and I took the opportunity to run, but he was fast. He caught my hair and slammed my body against the hood of his car. In no time, he was hovering over me. His eyes were dilating, and if looks could kill, I would be dead already. “Please let me go!” I shrieked. My hands were on his chest, trying to stop him from leaning closer. “After you fucking flirt with me, you will leave me hanging? Can’t you feel how hard my cock is already? You need to finish what you fucking started, whore!” I tried to push him, but I couldn’t move as my feet were caged in between his thighs, and I could feel his erection against mine, but before he could dip his face into mine, I saw a hand gra