Chapter 23
The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Mason
After kissing Jara one more time and watching to make sure she made it inside the contestant housing,
I turned and headed back to the main house. Just as I get there, Alpha Typhon steps out from the
shadows.
“I bet you think you’re special, sneaking around with Alpha Jara.” He says, his voice dripping with
sarcasm.
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“Actually, Typhon, 1 do feel special. 1 wasn’t sneaking, Jara asked me to walk her home.”
I move to pass him. “You know you won’t catch her. She’s mine.” He says.
“Yeah, you nning to kill this Beta too in order to catch her?” I say, stepping up into his space. “I
wonder. Does he know that you killed yourst Beta to catch M? That your Beta was the one that
should have imed her. I wonder what he would think if he found out.”
He snarls at me, his wsing out. “See, the difference between you and me, Typhon, is that I have
nothing to hide. You, on the other hand, have secrets and a history of Alpha females dying while in your
care. You don’t deserve her, and you won’t get her. Not if I have anything to say about it.”
“Well then, I’ll just have to make sure you’re taken out early.” He says.
“I’d be very careful about threatening another Alpha, Typhon.” Sethes up to stand beside me. “I
knew something had happened that made people look at you differently when you imed my sister,
but killing your own Beta? That’s low.”
“There aren’t any rules about injuring or killing other imants. This is about determining who is the
strongest and the most deserving of having a mate.” He points his thumb at his chest. “That’s me.”
“I’m curious, Typhon.” I say, watching him closely. “Who did you have to pay off to be able to be in this
iming? I can’t imagine that anyone would willing to allow you in after killing not just your mate, but an
Alpha female.”
“Jara’s iming is open to anyone. I have every right to be here.” He a*s*serts.
“Well, just remember,” I say, stepping back, “the rules go both ways, Typhon. I’m not the only one that
should watch my back in the iming territory.” I turn and head inside.
“Alpha Mason.” Seth calls as I start to head toward my room.
I turn to look at him, not sure if this is about me walking Jara back to her housing or about the
conversation with Typhon.
“Alpha Seth. If all goes well, we’ll be family in a few weeks. Please, call me Mason.”
He smiles at that. “Call me Seth.” He falls into step beside me.
“I wanted you to know, I’ve requested that my pack watch to make sure that Typhon doesn’t try
anything underhanded with you. They won’t stand back and let you im my sister, but I’ve asked them
to step in, if possible, if there is an issue with Typhon.”
“And your pack is willing to do that?”
“My pack loved M and therefore, they hate Typhon. They’ll do anything to ensure that he doesn’t
catch Jara.”
“As will I.” I tell him.
He nods. “Did you enjoy your walk with Beta Hana?”
His smug smile is instant. “I did. Did you enjoy your walk with my sister?”
“Very much. Have a good night, Seth.
“You too, Mason.”
The next morning, we’re back by the stage. Nearly half of the remaining imants will be pulled for
Hana’s iming.
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As usual, they ask if anyone wants to be removed from the lottery. I turn and walk to the tables to
remove my name. Today, I’m one of only three. Myself, Typhon and one other Alpha.
When I turn back to watch the lottery drawing, 1 see Jara watching me. Maybe she didn’t believe me
when I said I was here for her alone, but I am. When I catch her eye, I wink at her, watching her cheeks
turn a slight shade of pink and her lips twitch. I go to stand beside Elijah as they begin pulling names
for Beta Hana’s lottery.
Seth is pulled first as the automatic contestant. After that, all different ranks are pulled including several
from my pack. When Elijah’s name is pulled, I give him a p on the back. “Good luck.” I tell him.
“I’m going to need it. Several of these Alphas are fast, including Alpha Seth and I heard she asked him
to walk her back to their housingst night.”
“She did.” I tell hun.
“And that Alpha Jara asked you to walk her back as well?” He smirks at me.
I can’t help the smile as I watch her, a*s*sessing the imants pulled for Hana’s lottery. “Yes, I did.”
“Good.”
“Let’s hope so.” I tell him.
For the next four days, we rotate in our social gatherings. Now that all the lotteries have been pulled,
Jara’s pool of imants is small enough that we all get to spend time with her every day. That will
change when the others are imed, the ones left will fall into her pool, but for now, I get time with her
at least once a day and then I get to walk her back to her housing.
There is a lot of grumbling from the others in her pool when they realize she’s giving me special
treatment, but I don’t care. The morefortable she is with me, the more I get to know her, the more
likely it will be that I im her. I have noticed that she is more friendly with a handful of other Alphas,
ones that I also like and think are good Alphas, but none of them gets the attention that I get.
On Sunday night, Elder Carson stands during dinner and gains everyone’s attention.
“Good evening, everyone. Our first week of this year’s iming event hase to a close. Tomorrow,
we will start the first im.” He turns looking at Mignon’s table.
“Mignon was selected first and is, therefore, the first one to enter the iming territory.” A cheer goes
up at her table from her imants. For the first time I can remember all week, Mignon looks shy, timid.
“For those of you who have never done this before, let me exin how the iming works. Our
selected she-wolf will be given 24 hours to go into the iming territory and look around the space.
Most of you males have done this before, and it would give an unfair advantage for our females to not
know the terrain and for you to have the knowledge.”
There is some grumbling, but I think this is more than fair. I remember theyout of the territory from
myst few years. They make small changes each year, but not enough that I won’t know my way
around. These she-wolves have never been inside the territory. For them, they go in once ande
out mated.
“So, at 8am tomorrow morning, Mignon will enter the iming territory. Tuesday morning, at 8am, the
20 imants in her lottery will enter the territory at the same time. You will have seven days to capture
your mate. On Monday, at 8am, if she is not captured, Mignon will walk out of the territory umnated and
able to choose her own mate.”
I watch as the Beta, Asher, winks at her. “Not gonna happen beautiful.” He says to her. She blushes
beautifully and looks down. I hope he does catch her. It’s just another reason this process should be
changed. What if he doesn’t? They’ve obviously created a bond over the past week. Will she be
devastated if someone else ims her? Most likely.
“I would also like to remind you of the rules of the hunt. First, a im is only confirmed when the bite
mark of the male is set into the marking spot of the neck of the contestant. A bite on any other part of
the body will not constitute a iming mark. Second, a im can only be made in the same form as the
contestant, human to human or wolf to wolf. Third, it ismon for the female to ck out during the
marking. It is absolutely prohibited for any female to be mated while she is unconscious. If any male
attempts to mate the female while she is unconscious, his im bes nullified, and he will be
removed from this and all future iming events.”
“Are there any questions?” When no one speaks, the evening winds down, the usual after diner
ceremonies ending early in preparation for the start of the ims tomorrow.