The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 183

Layans Retum Chapter 28

McKenna

I have been so excited to go into the claiming territory, to be claimed, to find my mate. Of course, finding out what really happened to Layan gave me pause, but I felt better after speaking to Alpha Davis. I had spent some additional time with Alpha Quinton, Alpha Luke and Alpha Jonas as well. Which had also made me feel better.

Of course, Alpha Luke is no longer eligible for my claim, since he caught Katerina. And now, I'll be entering the territory tomorrow morning.

I'm laying awake on this, my last night in this bed before entering the territory. I've been staring at the ceiling for hours and I know I won't get a wink of sleep tonight.

The idea of being claimed was great, in theory. I realized that I had a romanticized notion of what being hunted meant. I saw it as a fun, flirtation between me and a bunch of males. But now that it's my turn, now that it's here, all I can think about is how alone I'll be. Tomorrow, I'll be alone for the first time in my life when I walk into that territory. And the hunt, that once seemed like a flirtation, now feels like, well, a hunt. And I'm the prey.

I'll be alone, hunted, claimed, maybe by someone I really want to claim me and maybe not. I had to choose 50 men. The idea seemed crazy at first. How would I only choose 50 out of nearly 400. Now, I wish I had only had to choose a few. I mean, what do I really know about any of them?

Alpha Davis is a good dancer. Super, so what? Although he did talk to me and help me see that things are different than they were for Layan last year. So, he's patient and kind. And he is a great kisser. Those are good things.

Alpha Quinton is funny, although he takes his job as Alpha very seriously. He's the youngest of the three and while he's not a great dancer like Alpha Davis, he also seems patient and kind.

Alpha Jonas is the oldest of the Alphas. I know about his relationship with Katerina's mother, and I asked him whether he intended to continue that relationship when he was mated. He said he did not. So, that's good. He's a bit more broody than the other two, and while I'm sure he would be a good mate and everyone. says he's a great Alpha, I don't think he'd be very patient with me and my fun-loving personality.

There's Beta Jared, too. Jonas's brother. He's less broody than his brother, a bit more relaxed. But he too has had a relationship with. Isabella and accidentally let it slip that he and his brother have. been with her at the same time. He insisted that he would never want that with his mate, but the bad feeling it left in me never went

away.

There are others, warriors who seem very nice and are very attractive, but now that I've spent more time with them, thought about them more closely, I realized they aren't smart and witty. Things that I want in a mate.

What if it's one of them at that catches me? I won't have a choice. I'll wake up, marked by my mate. In our world, once I'm caught, that's it, that's your mate for life.

I haven't been taking this claiming as seriously as I should have. I've been thinking of it as a dating game rather than a battle for the rest of my life. And now my time is up. When the sun finally begins to break over the horizon, I get up, getting dressed in my hunting clothes. I saw Katerina and the guys.

come out of the territory. Their legs and arms were scratched, some even had cuts on their faces or other parts of their bodies from running in the woods. Many were limping and they all looked exhausted.

I think that's when it dawned on me. They won't stop until someone catches me. I will be hunted non-stop for a week. I will have nowhere to go, no one to help me escape. I will truly be alone.

When I get downstairs, the Lunas are there to have breakfast with me. That is something else I didn't appreciate until now. They are here to support us, this year's claiming contestants, and I didn't. take advantage of their kindness, their support.

When they talked to us about the claiming territory, I wasn't even really paying attention. I didn't think I'd need to know where all the hiding spots and caves and watering holes were. I was going to be the flirty girl that no one could capture.

Now, I'm regretting everything that I've done, or haven't done up to this point. I've set myself up for failure and I'll be lucky to last more than a day in the territory.

"McKenna? Do you want to come have some breakfast with us?" Luna Jara asks me.

I shake my head. "No, thank you. I don't think I'd be able to keep it down."

The four of them look at each other and as one, they come to me and wrap their arms around me. I begin to shake, fear gripping me and wrapping its ugly fingers in my gut. "I'm so scared." I say on a sob.

"Shhhh. You're okay. You'll be fine." I hear their voices as they hug me, hold me and help to calm me.

The tears come and I reach out, grabbing onto them, holding on in my last morning before my entire life changes.

"Hey." Hana takes my face in her hands, wiping my tears away. "It's going to be okay. Yes, it's scary. Yes, it's a hunt. But you're a smart, clever girl. You can do this."

"And in the end, you can choose to give yourself to someone if you know who you want. Find that person, or when they find you, let them mark you. It doesn't have to be violent or scary. Look at Katerina. Her neck wasn't even bruised." Annabel says.

"But I don't know how to climb trees. I've never done that."

"I didn't either." Mignon says. "I found hiding spots and waited them out, moving when it was safe to go to a new spot. We have faith in you.

"Use the water. Use the cliffs. Double back on your scent trails to confuse them. You can do this, McKenna." Hana says.

Inod, pulling away from them. "I should get going." I say.

"Oh, we're coming with you."

I look up at them.

"Unless you don't want us to?" Jara says.

"No, I'd like that."

"Then let's go." Hana says.

When we get there and my claim is announced, I can't even look at the men who will start hunting me in 24 hours. I'm terrified of what I might see in their faces. Instead, I ask Jara to walk me to the entrance of the territory.

"Do you remember what we told you?" She asks, pushing my hair out of my face.

"No." I say, trying with everything in me not to cry and show my fear.

She takes my face in her hands. "You have one day to look through the territory and learn what is where. Use that time today. It will go by faster than you know. Then tonight go to the cave. Sign your name on the wall. Leave your mark. But make a plan, decide how you want this hunt to go. You are in charge McKenna." She says to

1.

"It doesn't feel like it."

"But you are. They only have the power if you give it to them. And we'll all be right here when you come out."

"McKenna, it's time." Councilman Phillip says from the stage.

I nod, stepping back and turning toward the claiming territory. I take a deep breath and when the shot rings out for me to enter, I begin running into the territory.

When I get deep enough into the territory, I stop and listen. Listen to the absolute and complete silence. The fear that started earlier begins to grow in my chest and I feel like I can't breathe. I don't want to be alone. I begin to panic, and everything goes black.

I wake in an unfamiliar area, surrounded by darkness. I sit up, looking around, trying to figure out where I am.

I listen and when I hear nothing, I remember that I'm in the claiming territory. Did I faint? I look around quickly. I have no idea what time it is, but I lost the entire day and now, I have no idea where I am, where to go.

The cave. Jara said to get to the cave and write my name on the wall.

I have a general idea of where the cave is, so I head that way, giddy with relief when I hear the sounds of the lake. I drink some water before beginning to climb to the top of the cliff. When I get there, I see the firepit and some wood beside it. I make a fire and look around. I see the wall and read the notes from the others before me. It helps me, to know that they've all been here before and they have all survived. I don't know what to write, so I go outside and look at the night. sky. The tears come again, and I feel so alone, I lift my head up and cry the sad mournful howl that is coming from my heart.

In an instant, I hear the sound of howls responding to me, echoing through the territory. I can tell the Alphas and the ranked members from the others, their howls strong in the quiet night. I lay my head. down on the ground, closing my eyes and listening to their howls.

They continue howling into the night, letting me know that I'm not alone, they are here, nearby, waiting to come find me. Several hours go by and my breathing calms, my heart settles. I go back. into the cave and sign my name.

'You are not alone. We are with you. McKenna'.

As the sun rises, I listen to the sounds of the last few wolves, still letting me know I'm okay, that they are here for me. I send one. final howl, stronger this morning than it was last night before climbing down the cliff.

Just as I'm about to head out, I hear the shot go off indicating the start of my claim and I begin to run.

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