Page 10 of Alpha's Claim

“Your dad was a total asshole.” Yari butted in, and I looked back up at her again. “It’s kind of why I’m not super thrilled about this situation either. How am I supposed to trust you when you come from him?” She asked, keeping her eyes on me.

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but I’m not my dad. I’m a woman for one.” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. It was far too heavy in the room right now. “But honestly. I know my dad is tough to deal with. I don’t approve of how he handles pack business.” I said, my voice softer.

“He’s extorting us for money we don’t have.” Yari spoke again, and I nodded once in understanding. I knew he was going to try to pry money out of this clan by the tone of the meeting I had passed yesterday. “Anything to say?” she asked me after a moment of silence on my part.

“That’s what I want to change so badly.” I said softly, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles. “When I’m Alpha I want our clan to be a vessel to help people, not some terroristic monetary conglomerate.” I said, looking back to Weston. “I know he’s horrible. It’s so hard for me because he’s a great dad but a horrible person to the clans who owe him allegiance. Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to change how things are run. I think that’s part of why Preston- my father’s Beta- is such an antagonist to me.” I had thought that for a while. “I’m between a rock and a hard place, you know? I’m stuck in this cycle I can’t change yet. I’ve tried. I’ve begged and bargained and berated my father and nothing has worked. He doesn’t have to listen to me so he doesn’t.” I explained, and Yari lost some of the hardness around her eyes. “I should have stopped that meeting. I should have pushed past Preston and just stopped the meeting.”

“You had no way to know,” Weston started, and I shook my head.

“If anything that kind of makes it worse. I should have stood up for you because you are a person, not because you’re my mate.” I said softly, looking back to Weston. “I was just so angry about everything that I decided to just get away rather than helping you. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It happens when emotions get high.” He shrugged. I kept silent, but I nodded. I could tell that there was no ill will in there, but I resolved silently to do better in the future. Help out other packs where I could. “I guess the thing I wanted to talk about is what we’re supposed to do. You’re close to your father and you’re the future Alpha of the Onyxfang pack. I’m at a loss, here.”

“As usual,” Yari quipped, and he smiled slightly.

“Most people are in the face of my father, in fairness.” I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “He’s a steamroller.”

“Yeah, he is.” Weston agreed.

“He thinks of himself as a mob boss, I think. I can’t believe he pounced on you so soon after you moved here.” I said softly. “He should have given you some time to get established. This is incredibly disrespectful on his part.”

“He doesn’t seem to be all that interested in fairness or respect for those he thinks are beneath him.” Weston said. I nodded at that, resigned to the fact that there was nothing I could have done anyways. Not until I was Alpha, and who knew how long that would be? It just didn’t sit right with me. Any of it. “I just have no idea at all what to do next.”

“That is the question of the hour,” Yari said, looking between myself and my mate. I didn’t know what to do or say to reassure her that I wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t as though we’d had a lot of time to talk or to get to know one another. We were newly mated and we could hardly be expected to talk extensively about who we were and who our friends and allies were when we had had such a short time to get to know one another over brunch. Technically there had been the night before but neither of us were keen to talk then. We had more important matters on our hands.

“I… honestly don’t know.” I replied softly. “I’ll have to talk to him before we do anything else. I’m not sure how much it’ll help but I know if we just show up hand in hand he won’t react well.” I sighed softly. “I need to prep him for this. I don’t know; I’ll figure it out. I just need some time to think about it, because you’re right. Even though we’re equals he will see you as lesser than our family.”

“I know. I know.” Weston said, looking down. I squeezed his hand in an attempt to reassure him. “It doesn’t matter, ultimately. I won’t stay away from you.” He said, and I smiled.

“I wouldn’t let you stay away from me.” I giggled softly, and even Yari smiled a little. Humor seemed to be the language to use in a tense situation. “There may be no hope of merging packs, though. Not until he’s gone. I don’t know if your pack will put up with him for that long- I don’t want anything to come between us, even our families.” I explained. “It’s gonna take a lot of time and patience to change the views of my pack, but the hard part is waiting until I have control. That’s the only way I’ll be able to change anything fundamental. But until then I’m just going to have to explain to my father that you’re my mate, I’m going to be with you, and he has to accept it. It’s the only thing I can do. Well, it’s the only thing I can think of, really. It’s going to be hard at first, I’m not going to lie. It’s going to be a difficult road to travel, but Weston- you’re worth it. I don’t know you well yet but I know that if we’re meant to be together you must be like me in a lot of fundamental ways. You won’t be traveling alone anymore.”

“I mean not that he ever was traveling alone. He’s got me and he’s got the rest of the pack. He had his mom. We’re important in his life too, you know. He’s not some lonely pariah out here just pining for the day he met you.” Yari said, frowning again. I didn’t know what to say to that. It was true. I may have meant the road with my father, but she clearly intended to stay by his side for this road too. It would be at least the three of us.

“Good, because I’ll need backup. We both will.” I said, standing. “I do understand you don’t trust me yet and I do understand why. I really do. It sucks because I deeply wish you could see inside my head because then you’d get how different I am from my father.” I explained, keeping eye contact with her. I didn’t want to get defensive and angry about this because I knew that she and Weston were incredibly close and how I interacted with her would in part dictate how he felt about me. “I just want you to know That I’m going to do everything I can to prove myself to you, but I need you to work with me on this.” I explained.

“I mean I’ll give you a chance, obviously. You can’t be terrible if your mate is my friend and Alpha.” Yari was clearly still wary of me, though.

“Also I do want to get to know you better for another reason, too. I need a Beta.” I explained, crossing my arms over my chest. “My father’s Beta is disgusting. He fawns all over my father and listens to his every whim. It’s disgusting. No Beta should suck up to their Alpha like that. It’s ridiculous. Besides, he’s taken to hitting on me since I confronted him about his little plan to take over the pack as Alpha once my father passes. He’s old enough to be my father! It’s sickening.”

“He’s what?” Weston asked, taking his turn to stand. I could see the look of outrage on his face and I took his hand again, trying to loosen my own stance.

“I’m taken, Weston. I’m only yours.” I answered.

“It’s not about that. It’s about someone trying to manipulate you.” He said, squeezing my hand. “I can’t stand knowing that he’s out there trying to take advantage of you.”

“I’m so sorry I’m interfering with your day like this. It shouldn’t be all about me and my family, I’m sorry. I’ll leave you two alone so you have a chance to process all of this.” I said softly, moving to turn away.

“Please don’t,” Weston said, his voice low. “I need you right now.”

Chapter eleven

Weston

Ikeptmyhandloose around Cora’s so she didn’t feel trapped. I kept my eyes on her and tilted my head slightly. I needed to get some clarity. Some air in my lungs and my heart thumping in my chest. I wanted to think of nothing at all, nothing but her and the euphoria I felt around her.

“Weston?” She asked, moving into me. I could see some concern on her face, but I simply smiled slightly at her. The concern on her face morphed into curiosity and to calm myself I just breathed in the scent of her.

“Wanna get out of here?” I asked Cora, pulling her into me gently. “I could use a good run around the forest.” I suggested, and she finally returned the smile with her own.

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