The One He Claimed

Chapter 170: St**d or Stubborn

Hunter

It feels like the pack is about to burst from their pleasure at Sophie’s love and pride. The woman certainly knows how to draw loyalty and love from others. And it’s more than just loyalty, it’s absolute devotion. It almost seems like the more she loves the pack, the more they adore her and want to make her happy, which makes her love them even more and the whole cycle just continues to interweave the bonds of the pack, making all of us stronger.

Because of that, any sour apple stands out like a sore thumb. Currently, Alpha Zahn is our sour apple.

I turn and pull Sophie in to kiss the side of her head, taking the opportunity to slide my hand over her belly to say hi to my pup. “Go check on Jocelyn. I know you won’t be able to rest until you do. I’ll speak to Alpha Zahn,” I tell her.

She turns, lifting up on her toes and cupping my cheek as she kisses me. She hasn’t closed the link to the pack, so they all feel her love and adoration for me. Whether she meant for it to happen or not, the pack’s response is instant, feeling safe and secure in the knowledge that their Luna loves their Alpha. I open my mind to them too, pouring my love for Sophie through the bond. I’ve never been so open with the pack about how I feel about Sophie, but I feel their response instantly. Calm and peace spreads through the pack, knowing that their Luna, the woman they adore, is loved so deeply by her mate.

“I’ll see you soon,” she says when she pulls away.

“Yes,” I say and watch as she walks away, taking Kinsley and Penny with her.

When they walk out, I turn to Zahn. I don’t miss the blatant jealousy on his face.

“Alpha Zahn, come with me.”

“Alpha, do you want us to come too?” Brutus asks. I turn to see him and William flanking Zahn.

“Yes. If he says something s***d, I may need you to pull me off of him,” I say, before turning and walking to my office.

A moment later, Zahn walks in, my warriors stationing themselves by the door.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Have a seat,” I say, gesturing to a chair in front of my desk. Rather than sitting beside him like I would with most individuals, I lean against my desk and cross my arms.

“You don’t seem to be getting it that Jocelyn is in charge of how much or how little time the two of you get to spend together, Alpha Zahn. You are not in control here, she is. You asked for our help and we’re providing it, but you’re not helping yourself and you’re not holding up your end of the bargain,” I say.

“I didn’t think you’d keep my mate from me.”

“I’m not keeping your mate from you. I’m honoring her wishes to stay away from you. Perhaps you should consider doing the same. Perhaps, instead of trying to run roughshod over Jocelyn, you let her have the control she’s so desperately seeking.”

“So she can leave me?”

“She’s already rejected you. Forcing her into close proximity or worse, into an intimate relationship that she doesn’t want, won’t endear her to you. Take my advice, Alpha. Stop trying to force her. Giving her space may not change her mind about you, but continuing to try and force yourself on her, is definitely not going to change her mind about you.”

“It’s so easy for you, isn’t it?” he growls. His jealousy, his desire to have what I have with my mate, is palpable.

“Yes, it is easy,” I say, leaning over and getting in his face. “It was easy for me to decide to do what was right for my mate even though it was against our laws. It was easy for me to stand in front of the Committee of Alphas and refuse to mark her publicly even though I knew I might have to fight my way out of the courtroom. It was easy for me to go to war and kill those who wanted to take what was mine or try to force my mate and I into a situation that would have made my mate bond no better than yours. I would do it all again, fight every single Alpha if necessary to have what I have with my mate. So yeah, it is easy, because I’ve already fought for her and for us. And therein lies the difference between you and I, Alpha Zahn. You’re still fighting for yourself. I have always fought for Sophie.”

I lean back, watching him struggle to remain calm. He has to know I mean what I’m saying. He was there at the Committee of Alphas. He voted against me. His ways don’t work, but he’s either too st*d or** too stubborn to figure that out.

“Jocelyn hasn’t agreed to see you. Until she does, stay away from her or my pack members will continue to beat you black and blue. If you don’t like it, you’re always welcome to leave. But Jocelyn won’t be leaving until she decides that she’s ready to go.” I tell him.

He stands, his hands in fists. Both warriors step forward, ready to jump in if needed.

“You’re a pompous, arrogant son of a **h,” he snarls.

“Takes one to know one, Alpha Zahn,” I say, staying calm. I’m ready if he attacks me, but I continue to look unconcerned as I stare him down.

“I’m not leaving without my mate,” he snarls.

“Suit yourself, Alpha. I hope you brought a lot of work with you. It doesn’t appear that your mate will be leaving any time soon.”

I watch him think about hitting me and intelligently deciding not to do it. Maybe he’s not as st*id as I think he is.

Caspian POV

“Well, Alpha, you know you’re having a girl, right?” I ask Alpha Amelia. She didn’t want to wait for her mate to return before having me examine her.

“Yes, doctor. Is she healthy?” she asks, concerned.

“Her heartbeat is strong and besides being larger than I would expect, it looks like everything is good. Are you sure about the timeframe for her conception?” I ask her.

“Yes. My mate and I…well, we needed time to get to know each other. After getting marked…I wasn’t…”

“I understand. I’m planning to go to Alpha Dutton’s pack tomorrow, but since he’s so close, I should be able to return tomorrow night. Other than maybe needing to go back to check on Jocelyn, I’m planning to remain here until you deliver, Alpha. Based on what I’m seeing, you may deliver earlier than you’re expecting. If not, we may need to consider a c-section,” I tell her.

“Why is that?” she asks.

“Your pup is pretty big, Alpha. We don’t want to put you at risk by trying to force you to deliver a pup who can’t fit in the birthing canal. That’s one of the ways that women die in childbirth.”

“What about recovery time? If I have the c-section, how long will it take for me to recover?”

“That depends on your wolf, Alpha. How strong is she?” I ask her.

“Saige says she’s at full strength.”

“Then I would say one to three days to heal. May I ask what you’ re worried about, Alpha?”

She looks thoughtful for a moment. “I’m in a precarious position, doctor. I’m the first female Alpha to take on a pack, I did it without my mate being here, and I’m pregnant. There is some unrest in my pack about a woman being an Alpha. I want to be able to shut that down quickly if something were to happen, and while I don’t believe that anyone would do something to me while I was pregnant, the pack would never tolerate that, the time immediately after my delivery will be my weakest and most vulnerable time.”

“If you’re truly concerned about that, Alpha, we can induce labor when your daughter gets to the point where I think she’s getting too big to deliver naturally.”

“I think that would be a good option, doctor,” she says

“Do you want to discuss this with your mate before making a final decision?”

“No. Calvin has made his choices, and I am making mine. Is that going to be a problem for you doctor?” she asks me, with no malice. It’s more like she’s trying to figure out who she can trust and who is willing to help her.

“No, Alpha. The choice to include or not include your mate in these decisions, is yours.”

“Thank you, Dr. Caspian,” she says as Brooklyn comes in with the images of the ultrasound we took today.

“Here you go, Alpha. Have you decided on a name yet?” Brooklyn asks her.

“Athena,” she says, smiling at the picture of her daughter. When she looks up, her eyes meet mine before turning to Brooklyn.

“And what about you? What are you planning to name your little one?” she asks.

“How did you…” Brooklyn asks, looking at me, then back at Alpha Amelia.

“I’m an Alpha, but my senses are also a bit heightened now that I’m pregnant. Saige and I can smell the pup on you,” she says.

I pull my mate against me, loving this woman so much. “We just found out a few hours ago. I’m not even sure it’s completely sunk in yet,” I say, smiling at Brooklyn.

My sweet mate’s eyes fill with tears as she turns to Alpha Amelia. “I can’t stop touching my stomach. I just want to feel my little one so desperately. I know it’s too soon, but I’m just so excited to be having Cas’ pup!” she says, smiling up at me.

“Not half as excited as I am that you’re having my pup,” I say, feeling like my heart will burst with my love for this woman.

“Congratulations to both of you,” Alpha Amelia says, but there’s a sadness in her tone.

“Thank you, Alpha. We’ll leave you to get dressed,” I say, leading Brooklyn from the room.

I’m thankful that my life isn’t as complicated as Alpha Amelia’s. I wouldn’t want to have to make a choice between my job and my mate. My decision would always be Brooklyn, but I know that I’d miss my work every day and those types of feelings cause resentment to fester. I have a feeling Alpha Amelia understands that very well.