Claimed│✓

BONUS CHAPTER: THE MAN FROM THE ARENA

[Gideon]

I rubbed the sore spot under my chin.Maybe it was a good thing the Elders stopped the fight, I don't think I had all my composure when that she-wolf nearly suffocated me. How the hell she managed to hear me makes me a little curious and angry at the same time. I make it a mission to stay away from any sort of curiosity that will leave me disabled in the end but then again if I retrieve the information I desire and kill the source I should be fine.

"Please don't scare this one away man,Olivia will have my hide for this." Eric said from beside me.

I wanted to tease him about it but he found my humor dry, total dust, and sometimes disturbing. I was a disturbing person what did he expect.

This mate business was a pain in the ass. I had avoided this thing for years. The Elders saw it as some form of reward,in their opinion, for my good nature.Oh, the irony of their thinking.Somehow ,without intending to do anything for anybody, they found some way to have some sort of misguided gratitude towards my self-control.I wasn't doing it for their benefit. It worked in my favor until now, thanks to Eric. The Elders had discussed the prospect of creating a bloodline. I had hoped to die like the last one, no heir. It was what most of the more reasonable native members of the pack wanted, that is if they weren't trying to wrestle the title from me right now.

I decided to tell Eric about it, see what he thought, surely he would side with me on this. He was annoyed himself when he had to come and claim someone for himself.But no, he ran off to Olivia and she said she knew the perfect she-wolf. I was hoping this perfect mate would never show because if she was anything like the people sitting in front of me I wanted nothing to do with her.

I had completely underestimated the influence she had on him.

I remained quiet ignoring the obvious apprehension of the warrior in front of me with his bald, shiny head. His mate however was a different story, she didn't stare at me like I should be buried six feet under. She chose to stare at the wall as if coming to terms with some profound revelation with it. It was just dry paint, there was nothing interesting about it.The color was a bit drab, they never made any effort to make this place look decent. I liked the space of my home, I made everything myself and no one had ever entered it, not even my mother. It was an unspoken rule to leave me be there. If anyone wanted anything from me, it wasn't until I came out that they could place their request. Not that I had any to fulfill.

If this perfect mate turned out to be suitable or even survive my presence she would be in there with me, invading my space.I'd actually have to make room for her,share a bed.I tossed those thoughts from my mind,I didn't want anyone touching anything in that house.I had no idea how to pray or who to pray to but if I did I'd be praying Olivia's efforts failed.

It was better if I got some fresh air before I personally ripped out that man's throat for staring. It was completely unnecessary, in the grand scheme of things,but I had stopped considering myself responsible for finding other people's worries and fears my problem,other than the one's I was told to. I never asked for them to fear me, it helped, they'd leave me in peace except for my mother. She never feared a damn thing unless it was my apparent state of loneliness.

Eva's antics got annoying. She was a peculiar woman they all were. Olivia used to be afraid now it was more like suspicion. Smart on her part, I would suspect myself too. She made Eric happy though. Good riddance. The bastard hovered a hell of a lot. He never stopped talking just like his mother, poor John, but he didn't see it that way.

The door opened to reveal the first person to ever lay a hand on me in a long while,without my permission. I felt a spark of annoyance but more so intrigue.You always had to find out what made your prey tick first before you killed them, that was the only way my wolf would ever find satisfaction.It helped to stall him too, trick him into prolonging the hunt. So far, I had yet to succeed in keeping the prey in pristine condition or alive in the end.

I wouldn't be getting any fresh air anytime soon, at least not with her in my nostrils.

She had nice legs but I had to refrain from focusing on the most obvious parts of her.I had better manners than that, according to my mother. I watched the exchange between herself and her parents, it seemed forced especially on the father's part.

"Cherish her,Beta." the woman said, staring down at her daughter with a forlorn expression. I nodded in response,I guess I really do have manners.My mind had wandered away but my body remained aware of all in the room. I had no business intruding on their moment. The father obviously had no regard for his daughter if he actually thought she was going to live to see many more years married to someone like me. I was glad I didn't have a father like that but then could I really be all that grateful I killed him and he'd done nothing wrong,nothing to deserve it. Yet this one before me, spewing all the hatred he could muster onto his daughter for all to see, and the girl, Maya, wouldn't even lay a finger on him. She forgave him. It was unnerving and all the more enticing, I wanted to know more about her. Maya, such a sweet name.

THIS IS AN UNEDITED DRAFT.THANK YOU FOR READING.