The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 2

Mason

“Alpha! It’s here.” Elijah, my Beta says, coming into my office.

I set aside my paperwork and take the envelope, noticing the significant size difference from any other year’s claiming package. I’m not surprised, every eligible male in my pack signed up. Since everyone will have a chance to hunt a mate this year, it’s our best opportunity knowing that no one will be eliminated from the Alpha female’s pool of claimants.

Title of the document

I open the paperwork, looking over the candidates. Most of my pack members have no expectation of winning the Alpha female, not with me and Elijah in the hunt. But there are four other females this year, the largest pool of females in years. Usually, there is one, maybe two. Five is practically unheard of. Add to that an Alpha and Beta female? It will be a f*uc*king blood bath.

I glance over the list of names. I have sixteen warriors and ten omegas going this year, twenty-eight in total when you add in me and Elijah.

My Gamma is older and was lucky enough to catch his mate ten years ago before the pool of females dwindled to the dangerously low number we are facing today. Elijah and I have both gone every year since we turned 18, and other than the Alpha female three years ago who was also open to all eligible claimants, neither of us have been called in the lottery of claimants.

of other Alphas that I’ll be

me across my desk. I look up

“Typhon.”

an Alpha female and he

that, but his dead mate is also the sister of the Alpha female who is in the claim this

to get her. He’ll

I look up at Elijah. “We’ll be better prepared this year.” Elijah is only a year younger than I am. While I’m

work together, but we both know that if he gets her, it will most likely be less than a year before he’ll have to put me down. I won’t make it to the next claim. If I get her, he has another year, possibly two before he goes feral and may get called for

the leadership of the packs has changed significantly and often. With Alphas going feral every year with no successor, Betas and Gammas have taken over as the next ranked wolves. However, it’s becoming even more common that now those Betas and Gammas that have taken over the Alpha roles are going feral. It’s caused a mess with

of rules for the claiming. Mostly they are related to how you claim the female. However, it’s basically open season on the other contenders. It’s why they limit the other pools. With only 20 claimants, there is a chance that the contenders will be too busy trying to find the female to kill each other off. And, in general, it works. But with over 200 wolves going into the claiming territory at the same time for the Alpha female, most will be lucky to get out

kill each other, but when you’re on the hunt and your wolf has scented the one they intend to claim as their mate, battles to the death happen. It’s how Typhon won. He actually killed his own Beta to get

is life or death for most of us. And if

gone?” I

six years, he knows the drill.” Elijah says, his eyes narrowing.