Chapter 2


    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)


    Mason


    “Alpha! It’s here.” Elijah, my Beta says,ing into my office.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I set aside my paperwork and take the envelope, noticing the significant size difference from any other


    year’s iming package. I’m not surprised, every eligible male in my pack signed up. Since everyone


    will have a chance to hunt a mate this year, it’s our best opportunity knowing that no one will be


    eliminated from the Alpha female’s pool of imants.


    Title of the document


    I open the paperwork, looking over the candidates. Most of my pack members have no expectation of


    winning the Alpha female, not with me and Elijah in the hunt. But there are four other females this year,


    thergest pool of females in years. Usually, there is one, maybe two. Five is practically unheard of.


    Add to that an Alpha and Beta female? It will be a f*uc*king blood bath.


    I nce over the list of names. I have sixteen warriors and ten omegas going this year, twenty-eight in


    total when you add in me and Elijah.


    My Gamma is older and was lucky enough to catch his mate ten years ago before the pool of females


    dwindled to the dangerously low number we are facing today. Elijah and I have both gone every year


    since we turned 18, and other than the Alpha female three years ago who was also open to all eligible


    imants, neither of us have been called in the lottery of imants.


    As I continue to look over the list of other Alphas that I’ll bepeting against, I see his name.


    “F*uc*king bastard.”


    “Who?” Elijah asks, watching me across my desk. I look up at him.


    “Typhon.”


    “He’s in the pool again? How is he even eligible? He had an Alpha female and he basically killed her, or


    close enough that it should be illegal for him to evenpete.”


    “Not only that, but his dead mate is also the sister of the Alpha female who is in the im this year.” I


    go back to the first page. “Jara, is her name.”


    “We all know he cheated to get her. He’ll do it again.” Elijah says to me.


    “He can try.” I look up at Elijah. “We’ll be better prepared this year.” Elijah is only a year younger than I


    am. While I’m closer to going feral, he’s not far behind me. “One of us gets the Alpha this year.”


    He nods. We made an agreement. We’ll work together, but we both know that if he gets her, it will most


    likely be less than a year before he’ll have to put me down. I won’t make it to the next im. If I get her,


    he has another year, possibly two before he goes feral and may get called for the lottery in that time.


    For me, this is myst chance and we both know it.


    In thest five years, the leadership of the packs has changed significantly and often. With Alphas


    going feral every year with no sessor, Betas and Gammas have taken over as the next ranked


    wolves. However, it’s bing even moremon that now those Betas and Gammas that have


    taken over the Alpha roles are going feral. It’s caused a mess with pack dynamics, alliances and


    fighting among the packs is increasing.


    In addition, the council and elders are having to kill off more and more males who try to steal mates


    from other males. It’s why I know that this year will be bloody. There aren’t a lot of rules for the


    iming. Mostly they are rted to how you im the female. However, it’s basically open season on


    the other contenders. It’s why they limit the other pools. With only 20 imants, there is a chance that


    the contenders will be too busy trying to find the female to kill each other off. And, in general, it works.


    But with over 200 wolves going into the iming territory at the same time for the Alpha female, most


    will be lucky to get out with their lives.


    We’re not supposed to kill each other, but when you’re on the hunt and your wolf has scented the one


    they intend to im as their mate, battles to the death happen. It’s how Typhon won. He actually killed


    his own Beta to get to M, the Alpha female. He killed others, I did as well, but I would never kill my


    own Beta.


    I toss the pages over to Elijah and sit back, rubbing my hands over my face. I don’t like killing, but this


    is life or death for most of us. And if ites to them or me, it will be them dying and me walking out


    with my mate.


    “Is Joe ready to manage the pack while were gone?” I ask, as Elijah skims through the pages of


    imants.


    “Yeah, he’s done these thest six years, he knows the drill.” Elijah says, his eyes narrowing.


    “Interesting.”


    “What’s that?” I ask.


    “Jara’s brother, Seth, is in the pool this year. He’s being given automatic inclusion to the Beta’s iming


    because he isn’t eligible for the Alpha im.” He whistles low. “Did you see that the Beta’s im is also


    larger this year? They’re going to allow 75 in her im. Her name is Hana, by the way.”


    “Are you going to enter her lottery?” I ask him.


    “Might as well.” He looks up at me, smiling. “I wouldn’t mind snagging a Beta for a mate. What about


    you?”


    I shake my head. “I want the Alpha. I think having a strong female will help keep our males from going


    feral so young.”


    “Why do you say that? Do you know something I don’t” He asks.


    “No. It’s a theory, a guess on my part. Or maybe I’m just trying to find some f*uc*king hope. I’m tired of


    having to kill my pack members because they go feral.”


    “Then, we’ll hope I get a Beta, you get an Alpha, and we never have to put another pack member down


    in our lifetime.”


    “Call Joe. Let’s make sure everything is in order. We only have a week and we’ll be gone awhile. You


    know the Beta and Alpha ims will best and should take a few days each. You and I need to start


    sparring four hours a day. We both need to be in top fighting shape if we’re going to get out of that


    im alive, unscathed and with our mates.”