I Claim Your Love
Where He Belongs

The aroma of lilacs tantalized Einar’s senses. His chest expanded as he slowly opened his eyes in a daze. He could feel the throbbing veins on his forehead while his body ached from head to toe. A moment of weakness caused his vision to be blurred as in the next instant he shed the sleep from his brain and willed his body to wake up. He pressed one hand on his forehead as his head exploded by the dull pain. He groaned and slowly sat up with his arched back rising from the bed.

Einar was muddled by a vigorous embrace as a soft voice spoke in his ears “I was so worried for you!”

Einar narrowed his gaze and intently looked all around. He was surprised to see that a number of people had joined him in his room. He looked at all the worried and relieved faces. Though at this moment he was puzzled about the situation, he gave them an assuring smile. He then got hold of Rosaline’s arm and leaned her back.

Rosaline had been a crying mess. Her puffed eyes could not control her sad emotions as water flew continuously from them. Einar stared at the Luna in confusion while Rosaline lowered her gaze to hide her feelings. Einar sighed and held Rosaline’s chin with his fingers to make her look up “Why are you crying?”

Rosaline pursed her lips as she could not utter any more words. Einar than looked around to station his gaze at his best friend who was standing not far away from the bed. Garrick weakly smiled at him and gestured through his eyes to address the people around. Einar briefly nodded before clearing his throat “I am really humbled by your concern but I believe I am fine now. Thank you all.”

The members of the pack bowed one final time and made a beeline out of the room. Einar focused his attention to Rosaline “I think you should take some rest too. You look stressed.”

“But you are...”

“I will be fine.” Einar interjected “Besides Garrick will be there with me for now. You should go.”

Rosaline nodded at once and gave Einar a quick hug before heading to the door.

Garrick closed the doors and quickly turned around to sit near the alpha. “Tell me what had happened?” he asked with curiosity.

“What do you mean?” The alpha looked surprised.

Garrick squeezed his brows in realization as he whispered to Einar “You don’t remember anything..”

Einar in that moment closed his eyes as the muscles in his jaws were tightened. His knitted brows relaxed and tensed in a continuous manner as he spoke “I remember returning from the human village and then instructing Aldous and the other warriors. I also remember talking to you.”

“After that..” Garrick asked with hopeful eyes.

“My head started spinning and I felt dizzy.” Einar opened his eyes and pursed his lips “I tried to connect with someone but nobody answered and then.. I don’t recall anything.”

Garrick took a deep breath and looked to his left behind his shoulders. He was formulating a way to tell Einar what all had happened in his absence. On the other hand the alpha was being impatient. The pregnant pause was causing his veins to rush its flow. He was visibly scared of the unknown, about what possibly could have had happened “Your scaring me Garrick. Tell me!”

Garrick relaxed his composure and tickled his index finger to one of his brows “The pack was under attack as we presumed.” he gulped and exhaled “However Lothar was clever enough to barge in from multiple fronts and cripple our army, our men. His original plan was to attack every village separately so that we could not get any time to save our people. He wanted to seize the alpha house in the meantime.”

Einar was left completely astounded by the account from his friend. He had anticipated the attack and had made full proof arrangements accordingly. He knew that the alpha would not back down from his initial disposition and head for the attack as planned. He was constantly in touch with Bryce as he kept Einar informed about his alpha’s every move.

“But we had ample of men stationed at the boundaries. How was he able to infiltrate?”

“He had an army of thousands ferals; may be more.”

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Einar’s thoughts were dysfunctional for a moment as he was trying to soak in the information. A tiny pack like that of the Idris with a meagre population and a weak alpha, had actually managed to gather an army of thousand ferals! It was amazing and yet at the same time it was alarming. This confirmed Einar’s assumptions that Lothar was drawing some outside support. That he was being the puppet who was working on instructions from someone else.. A master mind.

“I cant believe this... !” Einar’s eyes widened in shock but he retracted them quickly as he recalled that the battle was over and he was in his own place “Wait.. We won right.. How?”

“The shedim spirit unexpectedly showed itself on that night. When we were on the watch at the cliff it appeared out of nowhere and startled all of us. It killed the entire feral army of thousands at a time; all on its own..!”

The heart in Einar’s rib cage fastened its pace. His eyelids were refusing to flip as the naked eye was staring into nothingness. His mouth was left ajar while his lips trembled, trying to touch each other but failed every time.

The demon had killed a thousand beings all at once. How was this even possible!

Even the most strongest of the wolves can’t eliminate more than ten ferals at a time. Einar was flabbergasted and at the same time he was overwhelmed for now he knew that the spirit in him was not something to be messed around. He now knew why the people around the world were terrified of the demons dwelling inside the alphas of the blue moon pack.

Einar took his own time to come out of the shock. He calmed his shivering while he took heavy breaths to relax himself. He looked at a perplexed Garrick and intently asked “How long was I out?”

“Today is the fourth day..”

Einar nodded. The spark of confidence he showed outside was nothing compared to the fear that rooted itself within him at the moment “Our casualties?”

“No one is dead. Only injured.”

Einar visibly relaxed for a moment before his heartbeat raced again. He remembered the unwilling penchant for a certain green eyed man. It unnerved Einar to even think of Callan in danger. He wanted to be sure about his safety “What about Callan?”

Garrick was taken by surprise with the sudden question. He looked intently at his friend and pursed his lips. He took a deep breath before lowering his head.

Einar was becoming more and more restless as the time passed by “Just be out with it Garrick!” There was a hint of desperation and fear in his eyes.

Garrick sighed “Nobody has seen him since the day of the attack.”

****

It had been twelve days since the attack. Einar had been scrutinising the discrepancies in their defences. He considered the victory over the ferals a fluke. Had it not been his demon, the entire pack would have been perished. He held meetings with the concerned people and reprimanded them for their shortcomings. As also, he made Aldous in charge to recruit more people as warriors. Einar’s instinct navigated his thoughts on a bigger conspiracy. He was framing his mindset for a larger attack and this time he wanted to be ready.

The other thing which bothered Einar greatly was the absence of his mate.

Callan had been missing from the pack for more than ten days now. He wasn’t seen by any of the wolves in the past several days. The last he saw him was at the carnival in the human settlement. To avoid suspicion, Einar tried to examine the Ashtons and even the healer but none of them had any clue where the handsome man was. Einar tried to find out more about the man but remained clueless about his whereabouts. It was frustrating; it was heart breaking.

Einar was missing Callan.

There was an ache that came and left; always returning in the quiet moments. Einar would suddenly wake up from his sleep and shift in his wolf only to wander from forest to forest, from village to village in search of the alluring aroma of the significant someone. He would howl his agony of bereavement. It was hurting too much..

Meanwhile it was becoming difficult to explain the pack members about this unusual ardour of their alpha. Garrick tried his best to deviate the matter by saying that these were the after affects of the medicine. That their alpha was relieving his pain. However he knew that the pack members could not be fooled for long. He had to find another way soon or the façade would soon be broken..

****

The big rectangular table was filled with papers and inks. A large map of the pack village and the adjoining boundaries was laid in the middle of the wooden counter whereas the table was surrounded by men of importance. Einar keenly listened to the various thought patterns which were put forward by his men. The myriad conversation contained topics from internal security to food conservation for the pack.

When it was Marden’s turn to speak, Einar clutched his chest as a twinge of pain throbbed his veins. The meeting came to a sudden halt as everyone focused their attention to the hurt alpha. The worried expressions of his companions compelled Einar to keep his pain aside and concentrate on the work in hand. He waved his hand indicating that he was fine and ordered the congregation to continue.

Einar was trying to focus but his newly generated pain was proving to be an inconvenience for him. Though he was physically present in the room, his mental state directed its trajectory to the numbing pain which was gradually increasing. His thought process was interrupted when Garrick tried to connect with him.

EINAR!

The alpha scrunched his nose in irritation Not so loud Garrick! I can hear you.

He is back!

Einar did not had to be quick witted to discern who Garrick was referring to. His breaths quickened and his heart drummed at a faster pace as the one he was longing for all these days was finally here. He could care less about the people standing in front of him. His lips trembled while he smiled in between long breaths. The fluttering of emotions and the glee in his eyes was all too much to handle. Without thinking any further he turned to his right and smashed the window to jump from a considerable height, leaving behind puzzled faces.

Feet kissing the land, Einar ran as fast as he could. His clothes and hair slick with perspiration, clung to his skin. His thunderous steps made the animals of the jungle wary of him. There was an urgency within him to reach the destination in a flick of a moment. In no mean time he reached the edge of the opening before halting his speed abruptly and stumbling to the ground. This sudden obstruction caused him to fall flat on his face. With harsh breaths and a soaked body he got hold of himself as he composed his figure and hid behind a tree.

There was an explosion of excitement when Einar saw Callan standing in his balcony measuring some clothes. Einar had seen Callan a number of times but every time it felt like he was moulded through the creation of the gods themselves. The breathtaking beauty of the man was making it hard for the alpha to divert his eyes or station himself for long. He wanted to jolt his way and jump to his balcony. He desperately wanted to embrace Callan and contain him within his arms forever.

But he knew better..

Einar could watch Callan from afar but could not cross the boundary of the forest. He had to kill his heart and let go of the thoughts of even approaching the man cause he had created this distance himself. He saw him some more before unwillingly retreating his steps to the alpha house.

Unbeknownst to the alpha, Callan was alert of the situation as he saw the fall of the pack leader coincidentally. He quickly made his way out to the balcony and pretended to line in some of the fabric, as if he was measuring it to prepare clothes for him. From the corner of his eye Callan could see the desperation and happiness in the alpha who was unsuccessfully trying to hide himself behind a tree. A knowing smile formed on Callan’s face.

He stationed himself in the place until the pretence was done for.

****

In the Alpha office..

The resolve in Einar was corrupting bit by bit. He stared at a smiling Callan in complete shock. The temptation to cross the table and embrace his mate was overwhelming. It was to the point that Einar was actually thinking about binding Callan with metal shackles so that he could never escape.

Callan leaving the place was not a good news.

He thought he would be alright with his mates departure but the days after the birthday when Einar spend his time searching, regretting and almost killing everyone around him were a burden to his soul. He had barely survived the tormenting tenure. He could not comprehend the amount of strength it took to withhold his wolf to held back even after seeing his mate after such a long time; even after seeing the handsome man in front of him right now..

No! Callan could not leave..

Einar squeezed his palm and the envelope in his hands was being crumbled. He crushed the paper with a force before tearing it to multiple pieces.

Einar’s nostrils flared. His eyes were full of fury “I reject your plea.”

Callan kept a stoic face “Why..?”

Einar stuttered for a moment than he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He was trying hard to find a plausible reason to fit into the situation and make an excuse believable enough for Callan “Because.. because.. ” He looked around for any visible support as he strained his brain. His eyes enlarged a bit when he finally found something to say “You haven’t given any prior intimation.”

Callan crossed his arms to his chest and leaned back with a pout smile. Not evident enough to be noticed by the bewildered being in front of him “I’m asking you now..”

Einar gasped in short breaths as he stole glances from his mate. He was running out of any more reasons to deny the valid request of his mate. He clearly panicked “Y-You h-have to take proper a-approval.” he uttered the first thing that came out of his mouth.

Callan sighed and leaned forward “I cant do that.” he mockingly scratched his chin and narrowed his eyes while his gaze bore into the alpha “There are people out there eagerly waiting for me. I promised to be with them.”

Einar felt the surge within him ready to explode at any time. It had been there for a while now; the anger buried deep down rising into flames when sparks of jealousy hit him. He wasn’t sharing Callan with anyone. Not with the pack, not with his friends and not even with his parents.

Just as he was about to blow up, his mind was distracted by the abrupt entrance by two females. The luna of the pack was joined by an enthralled Mrs Ashton.

Callan saw the distracted look on Einar’s face and looked behind. An innocent smile colored his face as he saw his mother approaching him. She embraced him with a short hug and took out a metallic triangular hollow bar. She carefully handed over the item to Callan “You forgot your dream catcher.”

Callan kissed her cheeks much to the chagrin of Einar’s wolf “Thank you so much mother. I don’t know what I would do without you..”

Mary giggled as she caressed the cheeks of her beloved son “I wont be far Cally.”

“Yes but it wont be the same.”

The alpha was watching the scene unfold. It was evident that the mother was ready to part ways with her son. She wasn’t bothered that her only son was leaving them to stay at an unknown place forever. He clasped the wooden top with his hands but soon his strength was proving too much for the poor table. The wood cracked through the parts which Einar was holding and detached itself from the table.

Einar stood from his place in a jiffy and roared “HE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE! I wont let him leave the pack.”

The atmosphere became tensed all of a sudden. Mary bowed her head in fear while Rosaline was scared for the strange behaviour of the alpha. All this while Callan had a smug look on his face. Like he was happy to see the reaction.

There were a series of anxious breaths before Einar calmed himself. He bowed his head with a sigh and supported his body weight through the table. Rosaline took the charge “Relax Einar. Callan is not leaving the pack. He has accepted the offer to be the luna’s guard.”

With his mouth hung open Einar slowly lifted his head to look at the Luna. His eyes did not blink while he looked accusingly at his mate “But he gave a formal request to... What was in it?”

“What.. ” Callan looked at the alpha as if he was not understanding the question. He slowly put his attention on the torn pieces of paper and chuckled “Ohh..! That was my mothers grocery list for the month.”

Einar gritted his teeth when he looked at the handsome man fiercely “Do you think it is funny Ashton?” He hissed in annoyance.

“It was funny to me.” Callan whispered to himself “I don’t understand why my leaving is baffling you. Don’t you want me to stay?”

“No.” Einar said with distaste.

“Then do you want me to leave the..”

“I never said that.” Einar answered even before Callan could complete his sentence.

“Enough already Cally. You promised to behave.” Mary chided her son. Einar was thankful for Mary’s interjection as he was feeling out of place. Like a few conversation more could expose him soon.

Mary bowed to Einar “I really apologise alpha.”

Einar nodded awkwardly as he seemed visibly relaxed. He was happy that Callan was not leaving the place. That he had decided to stay in the pack. In this way things would be back to normal, they could continue with their everyday routine as if nothing happened..

However his assumptions went for a toss when Callan all of sudden asked him “So where would I be staying?”

The air in Einar was constricting his jugular. His eyes were wide as he was rendered speechless. Callan was contemplating to shift to the alpha house. This wasn’t how things would go back to normal! A brief presence of his mate caused havoc to Einar’s senses. What would happen when he stayed in the same house where the tantalising aroma would assault him every now and then? It wont be long before he loses his control.

“There are plenty of rooms” Rosaline answered for a mute Einar.

“How about the one next to yours?”

“NO!” Einar said in a jiffy. He pursed his lips when he saw the shocked faces in front of them. He gulped and exhaled in a slow steady motion. His lips moved as he was trying to utter something meaningful. On the other hand the two ladies were puzzled by Einar’s behaviour while Callan was smirking all along.

“The room has... s-some i-issues.” Einar stuttered.

Rosaline gave a questioning look to the alpha for as far as she knew the room next to them was ready to be occupied. There were no issues whatsoever. She did not go against the wishes of the alpha and awkwardly smiled at Callan who was waiting for an answer “How about you chose the room you want to stay in. Come, I'll show the place.”

Callan nodded and turned his attention to Einar “I guess we will see each other around then.” Callan grinned from ear to ear before making an exit with the two ladies.

Einar was dumbstruck for what just transpired. Up until now he was assured of a den where there was no Callan; where he could keep his sanity intact. Callan staying in the alpha house would put everything on the line. The distance; the resistance; the resolve which Einar strengthened through the years would all be squashed with the mere presence of that handsome man.

Einar felt his control slipping as the locket in his neck was intensifying its glow..

********

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