War Claim (The Claim: Book 3)

Chapter 26 - Animkii (Part 2)

He spent the rest of that summer and fall knocking males around and asserting his dominance over them. Mik and Ethan had his back, never backing down from the power-hungry males that threatened to take what wasn't theirs.

Cameron was losing control over the warriors that tried to hassle Animkii and Mik during their morning training session, while they were better behaved with Ethan also at his side in the afternoon training session. They would purposely bump roughly into Animkii's shoulder, attempt to trip him, or smack him in the face in a fake yawning stretch. Animkii launched himself at any male who displayed such disrespect and pounded his fists into him as the male tried to fight him off. Mik would stand there stoically or grab anyone who tried to intervene except for Cameron. When Cameron tore them apart, that was usually the end of it... until some time later.

Males with bruised egos would always hunt Animkii down while he was at the gym, combat training center, or out for a run. Mik was always at his side and when Ethan wasn't also with him, the two of them would fight off the five, six, sometimes seven males at once. Often they got their asses kicked, but they won scuffles many other times too.

Every day was plagued with the same bullshit. One after another. Animkii couldn't catch a break until the first snowflake fell. Then the males settled down a little. The cold demanded more energy be spent in keeping the body warm.

Much of the training was moved indoors and his father frequently oversaw much of it.

No one dared to challenge Animkii's father that winter.

At the next Winter Moon Festival, Animkii took part in it like he had when Madison was at his side. His connection to the Moon Goddess would always be present within him and he sought to bring it forth to the pack with his parents. He could feel Her energy stirring within him as he moved in the dance. He tried to remain focused on Her but he caught his mind flickering briefly to Madison, how she should be at his side at his moment with their pup strapped to her back and her movements mirroring his in the Dance of Dedication.

When he thrust the image from his mind with an upward motion of his hand, his eyes beheld the full moon overhead. Its light filled his sight. Its power fueled his soul, pumping through his veins and into his heart and lungs. He breathed out the negative energy within him as he drew his hand down in a sweeping motion to the wolves before him.

His eyes caught hold of Chloe's in the crowd, watching him among the hundreds gathered. Her soul, and hers alone, called out to him. He could feel it for the split-second that time slowed before she looked away and he too looked away, pulling air into his lungs as his body swept to the right.

She neither approached him nor came over to his parents' house if he was there. A few times, he slipped out the back door so she could come inside and he'd busy himself at the gym or go hang out with Ethan for a couple of hours.

Anwaatin said she had tried to soften things with Chloe by telling her that he had been in a bad mood and was stressed. Usually, Chloe was understanding but she didn't budge this time.

He thought her anger would dissipate after a few days or a week at most, but it didn't. He was still busy with training and fighting off rebellious males that, more often than not, he forgot all about trying to "casually" run into her.

He could see now, as he looked out over the crowds of wolves as they threw their heads back in a howl of praise to the Moon Goddess, that things hadn't changed. The Dance of Dedication came to an end and those green eyes of hers never glanced back at him again.

***

Anwaatin shifted for the first time at the beginning of February. Her wolf was a lovely silver-white like his and their parents'. Animkii was so proud of her and affectionately licked her face with their parents in their backyard before howling their joy out for the whole pack to hear.

He ran alongside her with their father ahead of them and their mother behind them and they spent hours together playing in the snow and throwing her tiny little wolf into big piles of snow and laughing as she tried to dig her way out.

Newly shifted wolves looked like four-week-old puppies and grew bigger and stronger every day until they reached their full-size at eighteen.

When she grew tired, she had to be carried back home but joy now filled their house for the first time in years.

***

Time continued to pass and soon it was Chloe's birthday, but Anwaatin hesitated about inviting him or Animkii inviting himself. As the future Alpha, he should attend but Chloe still wanted nothing to do with him.

He shrugged his shoulders, pretending it didn't hurt when it did. He didn't blame her; he had been an asshole and had no place in her life right now. She made that very clear with her avoidance of him and his parents' house.

"Let her know that I'll be moving to the pack house soon with the other single wolves," he told Anwaatin before she left for the party. "I'm too old to be living at home now. She can come over as often as she wants without running into me."

Sad eyes regarded him as Anwaatin nodded in understanding before giving him a hug. "I'll miss you and your sweaty-smelly butt."

He smirked as he pulled away. "Yeah, I know. But it's time this miserable old miser moved out and took his misery with him."

She grimaced. "I don't even know what that is but it's okay. I still love you. And you better come to my birthday party."

He ruffled her hair and she shoved his hand away. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

***

When Anwaatin's eleventh birthday arrived, Chloe was present at the party but avoided him.

So much time had passed now and he still hadn't spoken to her. Guilt gnawed at his heart and he cowered away from approaching her with all of these wolves filling the Hall to the brim.

Not wanting to infringe on her good time, he stayed next to Mik, leaning against the wall and observing everyone else enjoying themselves.

"Ever feel like you don't belong anywhere?" Animkii murmured under his breath to Mik.

"All the time," Mik answered, watching his pup Roxy running around with the other young pups.

"Does it get easier?"

Mik peeked at him from the corner of his eye. "I never belonged anywhere. But you..." He turned his attention back to his pup. "You belong in this pack. You got dealt a shitty hand, but your current feelings of alienation are self-imposed. It's circumstantial. Soon, you'll have things figured out and you'll be right where you're supposed to be."

He scratched the beard along his chin. "As for me... I'm a lone wolf. Took me a long time to figure that out. My alpha instincts were beaten out of me before they ever had the chance to flourish. You'll be fine. Be patient. You'll get there when you get there."

Animkii mumbled his thanks as he turned his attention back on his sister—having a grand time with Chloe at her side.

He tried not to let his eyes linger too long on Chloe. The way her face lit up when she smiled. The way her eyes crinkled in the corners. The way her body moved in jeans, accentuating her curves as she grew into her strong feminine physique. The sight of her awakened a longing ache within his heart and a stirring in his pants that aggravated him.

Just two more years, he told himself as he tore his eyes away from her.

---- Author's Note ----

Happy 4th of July to all of you in the USA! We will return to our normal Tuesday and Friday scheduled updates from now on.

Next chapter will be up on the 7th or you can get the next 7 installments now on Inkitt! Link is in my profile.

Dedicated to HeartStone Packmate: cate3wheeler - Join us on Facebook!

Copyright Jo Lee Hunt ( Joflower ) 2020