I Claim Your Love

On the night of the coronation all the elites had joined the celebrations. Dressed up in their fanciest clothes people sparkled like the stars in the night. Everyone was busy doing their own thing. For some it was a chance to meet friends after a long time while for others the night made merriment in the form of dance and feast. One could hear the screams of joy and feet disturbing the ground.

The alpha of the pack was busy welcoming the guests; his beta Peter was handling the arrangements while Justus was tasked with the securities as usual.

Ragnar was mysterious today.

On the outside he was all smiles for the occasion but he was greatly worried for how the night would turn out as it was a blue moon today. He remembered his own coronation when he was entitled the lead of the pack; how he caused chaos and killings of his own pack members. Back then, the people present were from within but tonight there were guests from all around the world.

A tiny mishap could result in a war.

Ragnar brushed aside his thoughts and eagerly waited for elder Odulf to start the procedures. Elder Odulf on the other hand was quite and uncanny himself. Tonight not only was it a big day for Einar but Callan would be put to test as well. He stepped down from the raised platform and frantically searched a certain person wearing a hat. He was startled when a hand tapped his shoulders

“Are you looking for me?” Sabinus smiled curtly.

“I hope you are prepared for what’s to come.” Odulf looked to the sky “The stars will align soon.”

“I have done all the preparations; now it all depends on how both of you perform your respective tasks.”

Elder Odulf sighed and returned to the makeshift dais.

****

Garrick, Arthur and other pack mates were busy dressing the Alpha to be. It was the biggest day of his life. After tonight he would lead the pack and officially represent his people. As it happens, tonight also would be the day when Einar would acknowledge his mate as his other half to the entire world.

The pack will have a new Luna.

Rosaline was a good natured girl. She had all the qualities a Luna must posses. But the fact still remained; she was no Callan. How was Einar supposed to erase all thoughts of Callan when he goes through the procedure later on? His beasts were already revolting against the idea of another seizing the rightful position of his true mate.

Einar just hoped that all turns out well in the end.

****

Tables laden with delicacies lined the trees. Everything one could think of was decorated accordingly. From ocean creatures to roasted cows, pigs and goats. Cheese, breads and vegetables accompanied the liquor which was served to the guest after every short intervals.

Callan was aloof from the scenes and savouring his favorite delicacies. He definitely was wary of the gawking eyes. Looks of want; jealousy; lust and envy engulfed him wherever he went. Every now and then girls from outside the pack flogged him, striving to have a conversation which he was uninterested for. Some even looked at him as if he were a piece of meat. Chagrined with the judgmental stares he finally decided to have some alone time.

His sulky face turned all smiles when someone close to him showed up in front of him. He embraced the person and kissed her cheeks.

“You are late! Do you even know how long I have been waiting for you.”

“I am really sorry.” Fayette’s innocent pout melted Callan’s heart.

“Fine fine.. Where is Bradyn and your father?”

Fayette glanced behind her shoulders and pointed to a middle aged man standing near the podium having conversations with the Alpha. Callan grabbed Fayette’s hand and made his way to join the conversation. Their talk was littered with smiles, cheers and occasional banter from the group. Soon the Alpha excused himself and left the humans with Callan.

Their conversation flowed like river while Callan was happy to finally talk with someone. A stiff growl halted their prattle when Garrick suddenly appeared behind Fayette. His eyes fixated on Callan’s hand on Fayette’s shoulder.

He looked infuriated.

No one but Callan noticed his expressions and slowly removed his hands. Fayette smiled weakly but uninterestingly when she realised who had showed.

“Uncle Tulio, Bradyn; this is Garrick, going to be beta of our pack” Callan pointed at Garrick. “You already know Fayette; this is her brother and her father- the chief of the village.”

The men exchanged pleasantries while Fayette was cautious of Garrick's closeness. The wolf was sad as the lady did not acknowledge his presence. On the contrary she was constantly striving to distance herself from him.

“We could not meet you last time. I hope you are fine.” Bradyn said.

“I am thankful for what your people have done for me and yes I am more than fine.”

They chatted for a few moments more while all this time Fayette was glued to Callan. Drinks were served in the meantime. Fayette’s eyes roamed everywhere except Garrick. Garrick was observant of this behaviour and saddened by it. Callan just made it even more worse when he kissed her cheeks and asked her to get some drinks for both of them.

Garrick growled in annoyance.

He eyed the humans and retorted Callan. “They are our guests Callan. You should not trouble them any which way.”

Tulio and Bradyn just chuckled at Garrick’s concern. “Its absolutely fine Garrick. We don’t mind Callan’s behaviour. He has been friends with Fayette for a long time now. I consider him as a son. In fact he holds a special place in the heart of my princess..”

The glass in Garrick’s hand shattered and its contents spilled. His eyes were flickering while he grinded his teeth.

Garrick was nervous and angry. He left them abruptly. His unusual behaviour took all of them by surprise.

The humans and Callan exchanged glances before parting ways and taking their respective seats.

The ceremony was about to begin.

Soon after Einar arrived at the scene. His torso was naked while he was clothed in his nether garments. He wore a red and black cape which was supported by his neck. His body was covered with mud while his feet were decorated with intricate designs made from burnt wood. The white mascara scaled his eyes from the outside thoroughly while his ears burdened themselves with the long ornaments on display.

Einar took a quick glance to look around the attendees and to his surprise Callan was absent for the procedure. He heaved a sigh of relief thinking that his absence will make this routine feasible and without hassles.

Alpha Ragnar howled and gained everyone’s attention. The chattering stopped at once and people looked at him intently. The Alpha cleared his throat “First of all I would like to thank you all for gathering here and making this event so meaningful. While this is a responsibility filled day for me, it is also an emotional moment as my son will now represent the pack. Ours is a pack which has been blessed by the gods and spirits alike. Our ancestors always strived to maintain peace and hence we have not been in pack wars for ages now. Countless have bled to make this pack what it is today.” He looked at his son with admiration “I have utmost faith in my son. Nothing will come between him and his responsibility towards the pack. He will never put his personal life before his leadership and always chose the pack first. He will take the pack to new heights; I am sure of that.” Ragnar looked proudly at his son and all Einar could do was smile meekly at his father.

Ragnar nodded at elder Odulf to begin the procedures. The elder took his position on the dais and requested Einar to join him. Einar stood at the centre and howled in ecstasy indicating that he was more than ready to move forward in the procedure. His moving steps were cheered and howled by his fellow pack members. Now the only barrier was the absence of their deity- the moon.

It was a special day today. The moon was significant to the wolves and hence its blessings were important. Absence of the moon would have been considered as a bad omen. Finally after long anxious breaths the sliver of moonlight graced the arena.

Elder Odulf began with his enchantments. He handed Einar their ancestral carver and pressed his thumb firmly to the centre of Einar’s eyebrows. The forefathers blessed Einar and the knife in his hands glowed. Odulf then carved the ancestral symbol to the chest of the man during which Einar felt excruciating pain and he screamed. Ragnar was then called upon and both the hands of the father and son were tied with a black satin cloth. Einar was breathing heavily and was a little exhausted. Elder Odulf then slashed their palms and gathered the blood in a bowl. He sprinkled those blood drops back to their knitted hands and suddenly Einar fell to his knees. The veins in his head were throbbing like his mind could explode anytime. It was a test of his endurance as he groaned and grunted but suffered the pain for the pack. Finally the torment was over and Einar could feel connected to every person in the pack. He was overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages he received through his mind link. He stood his ground with a smile and howled with his might expressing his gratitude to the pack. His howls were reciprocated with the howls of the pack members.

He looked everywhere to see happy smiles and faces. Their cheers and claps made a deafening roar throughout the place. However his smile faltered when he saw the face of his father. Ragnar was anxious and he pursed his lips. Einar could not decipher the reason for his fathers odd behavior.

Ragnar smiled weakly and said “The procedure is not over my son.”

Einar furrowed his eyes in confusion. He successfully completed all the rituals and established a link with his pack. What else was there to be done?

Realization struck in.

Einar froze! His eyes widened and his mouth was unable to articulate a single word. His brain could no longer offer any further course of action while his hands trembled a little. His throat felt dry while beads of precipitation sparkled his forehead.

“W-Why didn’t you tell me before.” he whispered to his father.

“You would have not agreed to go with it. Your worries are just but for you to take complete charge the procedure is a must.” Ragnar put his hand on Einar’s shoulder to assure him “Don’t worry. We have it all figured out besides Rosaline will be here with you throughout.”

Einar’s eyes met Rosaline’s who herself was fidgeting with panic. She helplessly looked at Einar and slowly shook her head. Of course she was kept aloof from the knowledge so that she could not spill the beans to her ‘mate’.

Einar contemplated running away but what example would he set for his people if he fled. Moreover the pack would be shamed for life and the people would not respect him.

But if he stays; there might not be a pack at all..!

He then looked at elder Odulf who was calm and composed himself. How could this man be so carefree when he is aware of the entire situation. Unless... He has figured a way out of it.

Odulf sighed and nodded at Einar who reluctantly put his faith to the elder. He was left with no other choice. How was he supposed to explain his father that Rosaline being here would make the matters worse! How was he supposed to tell his father that his soother is not the lady standing with him but a man who at the moment is not even present in the ceremony!

Einar bowed his head and prayed to Luna that everything goes well. He reluctantly stepped down the podium and followed the elder. He was then made to stand in the centre of the open field nearby. The area was circled with white ash and the onlookers were prohibited from trespassing.

Ragnar took his place. “For Einar to be the true Alpha of the pack; his heart, mind and soul should be devoted to his people. His wolf and his spirit should integrate with him and accept him as their vessel. Only then will the powers be combined and they will function as one. Einar will become the true Alpha you all deserve.”

The youngsters were enthusiastic to witness such a site while their parents were mostly wary and unsure if they should even remain in the spot or flee with their families. The pack members did not forget the last time the coronation occurred; people had died.

Einar took deep shallow breaths when he realised that his teenage nightmares had returned to haunt him. Thirteen people wearing long gowns with their head covered throughout made their presence through the woods and surrounded Einar in a circle.

Anguish; fear; curiosity embezzled Einar’s thought right now. His heart beats matched the drum beats which were played in the background. His beasts were showing prominence, trying to crawl their way out through the locket. His eyes were flickering black, red and brown again; indicating that the monsters were ready to unleash. He breathed heavily and looked all around but was helpless in his pleas for he had to endure this till the end of the ceremony.

He was trapped.

The elders began their enchantments revolving around Einar and dusted red colored grime from their sac. Odulf took this opportunity and tossed Einar a piece of cloth. He whispered “This is all I can do for you. Sorry..” Einar picked up the cloth but regretted soon for it was drenched in the sweet smell of his Mate. It would calm his beasts but would also incite him at the same time.

Ragnar made Rosaline stay close to the circle as he believed she was the answer to Einar’s monstrosity. Rosaline on the other hand was afraid for her life. She knew that the beasts would detest her and wont hesitate to kill her for replacing their true mate.

With every passing moments Einar took deep, heavy breaths. He occasionally would sniff the cloth to calm his breathing but the trick was soon getting old. His beasts demanded their mate be with them and no other way.

But then something unthinkable happened.

One of the thirteen elders undressed Einar of his locket. Einar and elder Odulf were terrified, their eyes widened like saucers. Einar closed his eyes and gritted his teeth forcing his beasts to stay within his confines. His legs trembled and soon he fell to his knees. He looked to the moon and cried in agony with all his might. His voice had so strength that all members present, halted their motion. The drums stopped and even the elders ceased their movements.

The scene before them was unusual.

His senses now more alert, Einar lifted his head to look around. Soon his body levitated above the ground when suddenly the dark mist engulfed him completely. His eyes were still and they looked at no one in particular. He thundered a loud roar and a beam of light passed through him to the sky above. The spirit had made its presence felt.

He landed his feet to the ground. The earth trembled when he sat his foot to the ground. People saw him rearing up, pounding the dirt with his hands creating a fog. He bellowed his cries when his legs elongated, he cried when his joints were moving its position, he cried when his bones creaked, he cried when his spine spiked and elongated its length.

He was transforming to his wolf. But why was this so painful for him? Surely he had changed into his wolf countless number of times. What was different tonight?

His transformation was taking more time than usual but finally his torcher was over. The wolf closed his eyes and panted heavily, seemingly trying to bring his breathing in control. The people surrounded were spell bounded by what they saw. Standing in front of them was a huge black wolf. The size of this creature was even bigger than the wolf of Ragnar. Alas! it was huge than any other wolf in the entire world! It stood at twice the height of the current alpha.

The entire arena was in complete absence of sound. The people anxiously waited, wondering what the next move of the wolf would be.

After nerve wracking moments the wolf growled thunderously demanding obedience. His eyes were bloody red while he revealed his blood thirsty canines to everyone. The people around gasped in fear and stepped back on instincts. The wolf smelled their distress and snarled again; this time every member present were on their knees bowing their heads. They were sweating while some were crying even; they were fearful of the wolfs probable actions. It was his yearning to kill. Eliminating the weak and establishing his dominance.

For the current scenario; every member present was puny to him.

The wolf smelled the trepidation of the pack members and his urge to kill grew stronger. He bared his teeth and hissed at everyone around. Just as he was about to attack, elder Odulf bravely but foolishly threw Callan’s shirt before the wolf. The wolf sniffed the faint aroma of his mate which pleased his senses but was aggravated by the audacity of the elder to touch his mates belongings. It was an intimate thing for the wolves, that the things representing their mate’s smell and touch should never be handled by anyone other than the bond inmates.

It was disrespectful and a challenge for claim.

The wolf presumed that the man in front of him was challenging him for a claim to his mate. What on earth was he thinking? A wolf who had been bereaved of his mate for years by his human would go berserk and kill everything in its path. His mate was his and nobody dared lay a finger on him.

The wolf thumped the ground and growled before piercing his canines through elder Odulf's face. Ragnar pushed Rosaline forward to help the wolf calm down; but it was too late. The wolf picked the elder through the brute strength of his jaws and twisted his neck to throw the elders body flying to a considerable distance before smashing a large tree. Screams of shock and horror could be heard all around. People could not contain their emotions and they ran for their lives.

Rosaline disappeared from the spot while Ragnar tried to contain the panic situation.

The wolf turned his attention to the piece of cloth which lay on the ground. He sniffed it once again and followed the trail of the scent which led him to the forests. With a roar he sprinted to the forests, eager to meet his beloved. His primary senses were allured by the thoughts of Callan in his arms. He was eager to devour his mate at the first instance.

He covered a great distance with his speed. His thumping paws made sure no other animal interfered in his way. He had come far away from his pack. The scent of his mate grew stronger while he could also sense something else in him. Desire. After years of longing it was finally the moment to be with his mate and become one.

He slowed his pace and his size shrank to his normal proportion. He pushed past the bushes but witnessed a sight which made him fall to his knees. His heart sank and his pulses dropped. He stood at the end of the clearing with dejected eyes witnessing his soul being ripped apart..

Callan had broken Einar’s heart once again.

********

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