I Claim Your Love novel Chapter 64

A chain of delicacies was spread on the table with the head of the pack chairing it. The occasional laughs and murmurs were a frequent occurring. It was a day of celebration of a new era. Everyone had a bright smile across their face. Everyone except the muscular man.

Einar seemed unaffected by it all. He congratulated Bryce for the ceremony and was almost aloof from every one in the party. He acknowledged people only on occasions while he talked to them when it was necessary.

He sighed with a painful heart when he witnessed people flaunting their other halves. Their display of affection was making Einar dejected and jealous to say the least. He picked a plate full of meat loaf and decided to eat away his apathy, alone from the sickeningly happy people.

"Hello alpha Einar."

The voice sent shivers down the spine of Einar. He rested the plate aside and gritted his teeth. "I am not the alpha anymore."

"For me you are." The stranger chuckled "And a powerful one of course."

Einar sighed in defeat for he knew there was no way to avoid the man anymore. He could see a worried Garrick at a distance who was waiting for a call of help from Einar so that he could jump in the situation and save his best friend. Einar half smiled at Garrick and shook his head much to his displeasure.

He turned his body to witness a smug look on the face of middle aged man. The wrinkles on his face were the only proof that the man was at the end of his prime. His shiny black hair and the scarf on the top of his head complimented his slender but healthy body. He wore robes of uniquely blended red and grey color, which seemed appallingly disturbing to the normal eyes.

He was the priest Einar wished to never see again.

The man gazed at Einar with conviction as if he knew him from the inside out.

Einar stared with a frown "I never expected to see you here."

"I was here to give blessings to alpha Bryce and his sweet little son." He moved his eyes all over Einar's body and smirked "Perhaps my potions are working wonders on you."

"I have stopped taking them." Einar retorted and marched to the deserted place near the end of the forest away from the ceremony. He was wary of the prying eyes and was certainly not interested to be the center of attention. He sighed in frustration when he felt the thuds of the unwanted footsteps following him.

"You are still calm." The priest looked at him with intrigue "Maybe you have come to peace with who you are."

"I have accepted my destiny and I am happy. I don't think I will ever need that potion of yours anymore."

"But I think you do."

"Hmm?" Einar was confused.

"In the centuries that I have lived, I can proudly say that I have witnessed a number of powerful beings on earth... but there was none like you! The doses I gave you were strong enough to kill ten alphas. Yet it hardly had any effect on you."

"You have no idea what hell I went through." Einar spoke in a low threatening voice.

"You are underestimating yourself." The man gazed Einar as a prized possession. The greed in his eyes was now evident "Have you ever wondered what will happen if you just relieve your constraints for a moment? Let the animal in you fulfill his primal desires. Let him satiate his thirst for blood." he bit his lips as his eyes dazzled "Come with me.. I can help you."

Einar did not miss the intense and selfish desire of the priest. He could clearly see through him. He wanted Einar as his puppet. He wanted to own him.

"You are pathetic." Einar spoke through his gritted teeth "If ever my wolf went rogue, just pray to luna that you are at the farthest corner of the earth."

Einar wanted to say more but his attention was diverted to the heavy feeling inside of him. Sweat trickled through his forehead while his palms were clasping his chest. He filled his mouth with air but when he couldn't control himself, he kneeled. His stomach started heaving its contents on the ground.

"The food wasn't nice, I get it." The priest gave a disgusted look to the muscular man "But you cant just throw up and disrespect the alpha. I expect more from you."

"Get out of my sight!" Einar roared in anger.

The man shrugged nonchalantly "Let me know if you want any of my potions." he smirked "Now maybe a good time to have it." He retreated his steps when he saw the beta of the blue moon pack hurriedly making his way to his best friend.

"Einar!" he slapped his back lightly in a repeated motion "Are you alright?

"I am not feeling good."

"Are you sick?"

A sudden itching followed the retching of his stomach. Einar heaved deep sighs but he was not able to control his raging emotions. His palms tickled and he wanted to grab someone and puncture his wind pipe. The murderous flame inside of him was growing for some reason. "It is my wolf. He is bothering me."

The prominent red eyes of Einar were making Garrick wary of touching him. He bit his lips and proposed Einar to head back home "You are right. Lets go back to the pack. Maybe when you are near Callan you would feel fine."

The occurrence of Callan's name sparked something in Einar and his eyes widened in fear. The feeling of insecurity was cutting his soul deeply. The reason for his overwhelming frustration and panic inside of him was clear now. It wasn't for him; it was for his mate!

"No!" Einar whispered in trepidation "No...!" He roared with his might as the veins in his body were popping the red liquid in full force.

"What is wrong?" Garrick asked in confusion.

"We need to hurry.. Something is wrong with Callan "

****

The beating of the large drums was boosting the morale of the crowd. Every wolf present was either growling or grunting, looking at the pathetic state of the handsome man with interest.

Callan was restrained by a heavy metal collared through his neck. His wrists were entangled in a chain and rested on his back. His fragile human body was finding it difficult to consume the torture of the steel. However it was his overwhelmed mind which had now become numb to any thoughts.

A sudden silence alerted the handsome man as he raised his eye lashes. He closed his eyes the very next instant because it was something he wasn't ready to see.

It was the hulk of the man standing right in front of him.

"Didn't I tell you." He snickered "I would wait for the opportune moment." He laughed hysterically. With a dramatic change of his expressions he turned his back and faced the dais. "I request alpha Ragnar to hand over the bastard to our pack."

"Donovan." Ragnar said in a stern voice "You know the rules."

"I know the rules but I don't think you do." He huffed in anger "The perpetrator needs to be punished by the one who he wronged. In this case... It is me!"

"You are right indeed." Ragnar agreed much to his displeasure "But you have to give him a chance to explain himself."

"I knew you would come up with those pathetic excuses to get your little human away." He marched towards the platform with eyes full of rage "My wolf wants to fight him. Show him his place; kill him right now so that the world knows who he messed with."

"Callan is a part of my pack and hence he is under my protection like any other wolf. I wont let you harm him."

The alpha wolf growled in defiance. He stood there in an attacking position as if he wanted to cut open the throat of the host alpha. His misdemeanor was supported by the wolves of his pack who on the very next instant stood right behind their alpha. On the other side the challenge was not taken well by the warriors of blue moon pack. Aldous ordered his men to take position and be ready to defend their honor.

What followed was a series of grunts and growls from both the sides. It was as an exhibition of dominance and strength. Donovan soon changed his stance and sighed a long breath. His mind was pensive. He looked at the human and then at the alpha "Fine." He smirked "As the alpha of the Tarakan pack, I invoke my right to demand a council.."

Ragnar closed his eyes shut because this was the one thing which he was afraid of. It was a privilege shared by the big packs all around the world that they could have a council of their own comprising of their elders. They never had to rely on the kings council for matters related to the pack issues. The downside of it all was that the elders were not supposed to be biased or loyal towards their pack. To be just, they had to always keep the laws above everyone else.

Donovan invoking his right was a big blow to Callan's safety. Ragnar knew that the members of the council would not let the matter slide. He wanted to deny the request but he had no choice. He reluctantly agreed to Donovan's wishes and ordered the thirteen elders from every village to be present before them.