Claimed by a Stranger

Chapter Three

I crawled through the window and glared at him. “What is your problem?” I growled. Not so sneaky now sandy.

“I don’t have one,” he replied, his voice sent shivers down my spine. When he turned around, I was right, he was built. He had longer blonde hair that fell over his bright hazel eyes, his amazing coloured eyes. I had never seen such entrancing eyes before. It was Samuel Redding and he had quite the reputation.

“You don’t have one? You claimed me,” I said, raising my voice

“Quiet. Someone will hear,” he snapped causing anger to rise in the pit of my stomach.

“Like I care. I don’t even know you,” I said. The house was empty because my dad left after Hannah and I.

“Yes you do. You’re my mate,” he said.

“You don’t own me.” My stomach twisted with anger. Who does he think he was?

“Well, in a way I do,” he said with a small smile.

I began shaking. Breathe, in and out. Calm down Savannah; don’t let him get to you this easily. Tears slowly started to form. I don’t want to cry in front of him.

“Why did you do it? What if I find my actual mate?” Don’t break down in front of him. But for some strange reason I wanted to be closer to him.

“You already have one.”

“No, you’re not my soul mate” Soul mate always sounded funny. “When I find my mate I will make sure he kills you.” He flinched. I looked into his hazel eyes. He was hurt by my words. He bit me. Why do I feel so bad about hurting him? He hurt me more than words can describe.

“You’re so clueless and naïve.”

“I am far from that,” I spat. “You’re not the victim.”

“But neither are you sweetheart” He called me sweetheart. My stomach tightened. Savannah you may have lost your soul mate forever because of him.

“You don’t even realize what you’ve done,” I whispered.

“I do,” he spoke, his voice light. “You don’t get it”

“Get what?”

“You are my mate. My Soul Mate.” He chuckled using my words.

I couldn’t be. That was impossible.

“When I saw you I knew you were mine. I had to claim you and when I growled at you, you backed up. Then I knew you were mine. If I were some other rogue, you wouldn’t have reacted that way,” he said.

I began shaking. Now I get it. The strange way I feel attracted to him, when I clearly shouldn’t was a sign.

“No, no, no.” I backed up hitting the window. “No, you can’t be,” I said. I didn’t want it to be true.

Within seconds he was in front of me. I felt his body heat as he leaned in closer.

“But I am and I have finally found you.” he whispered, running his hand down my arm.

Wherever his fingers lingered, it felt like fire.

“I don’t even know you.” His arm wrapped around my waste holding me from falling out the window. He was too close, I wanted to be in his arms, but it felt wrong at the same time. I knew my father would not be pleased. Summing up my strength, I pushed him away. My hands tingled when I touched him.

“I am sorry about claiming you in wolf form, but my instincts to claim you were too strong for me to control.” That explains the pathetic attack. “You drove me crazy. You still do,” he stepped closer. “But I will not apologize for claiming you, you are mine,” he growled.

“What if I don’t want to be yours?” I growled. I am all mixed up, part of me likes his closeness but the other part hates him. How can I be mated with a rogue? Not just any rogue, him of all rogues. A wanted rogue. The Senate of Wolves would want him to pay for his crimes. How could I be mated with someone like him, someone with no future?

He looked shocked. Yeah I said it.

“You should leave before I warn the others about you trespassing again,” I said. I kind of meant it. “The Senate of Wolves would be particularly interested in you,” I whispered.

“What’s stopping you?” He asked but his voice faltered. Once I mentioned the Senate of Wolves his tune changed.

“I.” I wasn’t sure what to say back to him. He smirked at me. “Why must I give you a reason?” I asked.

He chuckled. “You didn’t think of anything?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” Smooth, real smooth. I looked at his eyes and frowned. “Samuel Redding cannot be my mate.”

“So, you’ve heard of me.” He smiled before saying, “You must be Savannah Livington. I knew your brother.”

“I think you should leave now, Samuel.”

“Really?” Was he toying with me?

“Yes, really.” The thought of him leaving made my chest tighten.

“Fine,” he said growling. I watched him leave. He didn’t even look back. Once outside he shifted into his sandy coloured wolf and headed for the woods.

“Great,” I sighed. His scent was strangely comforting. Stop. Just stop. He was wanted and has no future with me.

“Savannah, I used the door this time,” I heard Jason’s voice through the door before he began twisting the knob.

Running to my perfume, I sprayed everything in my room, including me.

“Come in,” I said, placing the bottle on the counter.

“Sit. Now. We need to talk,” he ordered.

“Who’s going to be the next Alpha?” I joked.

“Real funny,” he pretended to laugh. “Now, why do you smell like th-your room reeks, what did you spray it with?”

“It’s not that bad,” I mumbled.

“Anyway. Why did you smell like that mutt?”

He’s not a mutt, I wanted to say.

“Is he really hated that much?”

“Yes, he is. Pretty much everyone wants him.” He shrugged but I felt there was something deeper, something he wasn’t saying, “Even the Senate.”

“I know he turned people out of season. But what else did he do”? I tried my best to keep my voice from cracking. What was he doing to me? Just being around him makes me feel different.

“Well, after his father lost his pack he went kind of crazy. I don’t blame him though, if my father was Alpha and lost his pack, I probably would have gone mad too.” Whenever Jason mentions his father he usually gets upset.

I felt bad for him now. In a way, I felt like his only family, even though we were not family, or dating, or anything for that matter.

“Anyway, I know he began attacking other packs and humans, trying to form his own,” he said nodding to me. “Being so power hungry. If you ask me, I think he wanted revenge though.” he glanced away from me, but not before I noticed the pain in his eyes. He continued, “The Senate eventually caught up with him and changed the story. They don’t want other packs freaking out, only a handful of us know the truth. The story now is that he was looking for his mate so he could be at peace again, or some crap rumour story like that. But it’s so unbelievable because guys like him don’t go around looking for their mate.”

“Oh,” was all I said. Could that be true? Or was he just power hungry? I am the Alpha’s daughter. If he was truly my mate and I did accept him, that would give him power.

“Yeah. Everyone knows about your fight with him and how you kind of lost.” He trailed off knowing how much I hate to lose.

“Yeah.” Oh and he claimed me too.

“I can still smell him, but why?” he asked.

“I haven’t washed the clothes I changed into after I ran home,” I said, which was a half-truth.

“Yeah, makes sense.” And he fell for it.

Jason was my closest friend. I had known him forever, I could always tell him anything, but this was different. Part of me wanted to tell him but the other half didn’t; I need to tell him. He could maybe, possibly, help me, but the look on his face when he spoke. It was pure pain. Pain I didn’t understand.

“Jason, if I tell you this, you have to promise not to tell anyone.” The words spilled out.

He looked at me and said, “I would never intentionally do anything to betray your trust.”

“No. This isn’t something to mess around with.” He needed to understand how serious this was. How delicate the situation was, well, my feelings about the situation.

“I will not tell or act upon my feelings,” he said crossing his heart.

“You have to mean it when you promise you will not act upon your feelings.”

“I promise I will not tell or act upon my feelings no matter the secret,” he saluted.

I smirked at him. “I have been claimed,” I spoke loud enough only for a wolf to hear.

“What? To whom?” His voice was high and his eyes grew large.

“Samuel.”

“Samuel who?”

“Redding,” I looked down closing my eyes waiting for the yelling. I looked up at Jason shaking. “I didn’t want this. He iss my mate my soul mate, apparently.”

“He can’t be. He is a rogue.” He spoke slowly. “What do you mean by ‘apparently’?” He asked.

“I don’t know how or why, but he is my mate.” I held back the tears that threatened to escape.

“He is a rogue,” He roared.

“I need you,” I croaked before the tears flowed down my face. “I don’t know what to do I’m so confused.”

He wrapped his arms around me, I felt safe in his warm embrace. Why couldn’t I be mated to someone like Jason?