Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Matthew Claiborne had never been one to be at a loss for words. As the future Alpha in training and then finally official Alpha of Colorado Pack, he had always been confident and popular, a deadly combination both in high school and now. He was well respected by his pack members and most importantly, by surrounding packs as he was known for his easy-going personality, but also his ability to run a pack like a well-oiled machine. His father had been a good Alpha, as everyone felt free to admit, but Matthew, Matthew was a great one.

Confident in his ability but not one to brag, Matt spent most of his time buried in his office, allowing his beta James to deal with most pack issues, dealing with the wolves one on one. So, when James had told him that pack members had smelled a human close to the boarders, Matt took immediate action. He could not allow anyone to get close, best case scenario it was a lost hiker, but worse was the possibility of hunters – humans that thought the world would be a better place if the wolves could just up and disappear entirely.

Ordering more frequent patrols and sending runners out to canvas the surrounding areas, Matt’s heart had sunk when he heard of signs of dead animals, but no sign of the human. It could have only meant one thing; a hunter was nearby. Finally after weeks of no sign of the hunter, Matt had grown restless, he would head out with the patrols and they would find the hunter together, and kill him or her for good.

The day before he was set to set out with the patrols, James had come bursting into his office,

“You can’t kill her.” His eyes were frantic, and he looked like he had run his hands through his hair a million times.

“Calm yourself James, tell me what’s going on.”

“She’s my mate,” a growl tore through Matt’s clenched teeth, “I ran into her in the forest, I don’t think she’s a hunter, I swear.” James’ voice had taken on a pleading tone and seeing the conflict in Matt’s eyes he dropped to his knees before him,

“Please Matt, I’ve waited for so long, I’ve finally found her. She deserves a chance at least, a chance to prove herself.” Tears were beginning to pool in James’ eyes, Matt had never seen his Beta so broken, never seen him beg or plead for anything.

“A chance James, that’s all I can promise.” James gasped in relief, finally allowing a few tears to spill over, wiping them away as soon as they hit his cheeks, “If she’s a hunter you know ill have no choice.” Heart full of worry but glad to have a glimmer of hope, James nodded, he knew he could not ask more of his Alpha, he could not bring potential danger to the pack.

The next day Matt had gotten to lay his own eyes on the wild beauty that was James’ mate. He got to watch as she threatened him with a bow, back steeled to the possibility of death. One thing Matt could admit was that she had gumption, he could not decide if she was brave or just stupid, but more often than not, they went hand in hand. Her hair was blonde and tangled, hanging in a waterfall of knots down her back. She must have been stick thin, but all Matt and his patrols could see were the furs that engulfed her form. Growling under his breath he could not help but feel relieved at the lack of wolf fur on her back, she was not a hunter. Hunters wore wolves proudly, every kill a trophy to show off.

Looking at her Matt knew that James was going to have his hands full with the pride filled creature before them.

“Are you not going to run or scream, Little One?” Matthew asked, cocking his head in waiting for her reply. She had not run or even flinched at his transformation, he knew himself and the wolves behind him were more than impressed with the human that had been destined for their Beta. She would make a great addition for the pack he was sure, at least once she had learned some table manners.

Matt snorted internally, how ironic that a pack of wolves would have to help a little human become more civilized,

“It will take more than you to scare me Wolf Man.” The little one’s chin tilted upwards, making eye contact with him, in wolf world, a challenge and for some reason Matt suspected she knew just what she was doing.

“I can’t tell if you’re brave or merely stupid, Little Human. You should be scared, very scared.” She acted as if she were the predator, not the prey, and that bugged him, the human inside her should recognize his feral nature, should bend before his Alpha aura, but she did not. She seemed to be immune to his authority, instead choosing to defy it.

“You won’t hurt me.”

He didn’t know what possessed her to say it, or why she thought it at all, but she was right, she was not a hunter and she was James’ destined, she was safe from them no question about it.

“You’re an odd little thing that’s for sure, James is going to have his hands full figuring you out.” He held a hand out towards her, “My name is Alpha Matthew Claiborne, you may call me Matt.”

He waited expectantly for her response, but none came, no head nod, no bow, no acknowledging his position what so ever. Weirder even still was that his wolf did not seem to mind the blatant disrespect, he felt a kin ship with the small thing, the feral side of him almost related to her. It was confusing at disconcerting, but Matt knew that he would get to the bottom of it, once she was mated to James she wouldn’t want to leave, and he’d be free to figure her out.

“You’ve been giving our trackers a run for their money, I must say I’m impressed that someone so small could evade us for so long. Glad James finally found you though, he’s been alone for so long and we were starting to think he might never find the one.” He was being honest, James deserved a mate, him above everyone needed someone to stand beside him and support him. Matt himself did not know how he had even bared to live before Margot had come into his life. Finally, James would know that the moon had not forgotten about him, that he was not a lesser wolf.

This little human stood before him was the key to James’ happiness and Matt was more than excited on behalf of his packmate and best friend,

“Ah finally! He’s here. Took you long enough, man could you run any slower? Sarah could do better than that and she shifted two weeks ago!” James was finally here and Matt and his fellow patrolmen would get to witness the moment in every wolf’s life where their souls become whole and they can finally feel at peace.

James’ moment was ruined however when the human snuck backwards, she was stealthy for being part of such a blundering species, but Matt heard he when she inhaled a sharp breath. His eyes went wide, and his throat jumped up into his throat as he watched her plummet backwards into the water, it would be a miracle if she survived the jump, let alone the ice-cold waters below. Before he even had registered what had happened Matt watched as his only friend threw himself over the edge after her, knowing he would not survive if something happened to his heart and soul.

Staring at her now on James’ beat up brown couch he could not help but replay the scene of her falling over and over in his head, watching her wide eyes disappear from view. Those crystal blue eyes now locked with his, only a few feet away as he stood by the mantle. James was next to her in wolf form, his head in her lap, her fingers running through his fur.

After announcing she had brought them dinner, James had set the bloody carcasses in the sink and sent her upstairs to clean herself up, assuring her they’d wait on the main floor for her to return. She had come back down wearing a pair of James’ sweatpants, rolled at the waist and cuffed at the ankles, as well as another one of his signature navy blue long sleeves. Matt knew James had to be brimming with happiness at the sight of his mate swallowed by his clothes and bathed in his scent. It was as close to being marked as she was going to get any time soon.

Before sitting down to begin her interrogation, she had walked up to James and got closer to him than she had ever been expressly. Matt watched as James pulled his arms behind his back, clenching his fists so as to not wrap them around her and pull her in tight. Despite being conscious of the bond, the human still did not feel it to the extent James did, and it was obvious. Placing a small pale hand on his chest she had stood on her tip toes to whisper in his ear. Matt tuned out so as not to hear their private conversation and looked out the window to the woods where she had been not so long ago.

With a surprised expression Matt had watched as James left the room, knowing he would want to be with his mate during the questioning process just in case Matt were to upset her. The significantly cleaner but still unbearably dirty girl had sat on the couch and waited patiently, before James had returned as his large chocolate wolf. It seemed the girl was more at ease with James’ wild counterpart, and it made sense seeing as she had spent the whole winter with him.

Finally settled in and ready to get started, Matt cleared his throat,

“Let’s get started, shall we?”