The One He Claimed

The One 119

The One He Betrayed Chapter 3: Calvin’s Proposition

Hunter

Over breakfast the morning after laying Alpha Carter and Luna Amy to rest, I watch the Lunas embrace and circle Sophie with their love and friendship. They include Amelia in the circle, but you can see that it’s not the same. Sophie has built strong, lasting relationships with these women and Amelia has not.

“We need to talk about this pack, Hunter,” Calvin begins as we and the other Alphas keep watch over our mates.

“It’s not just this pack,” I sigh, tuming my attention to the men. “We have Owen’s pack now which is leaderless. I don’t know about you two, but I can’t continue to house that number of people without significantly growing the size of my packhouse or adding houses on my pack lands,” I say to Robin and Kayce.

“Same, and while I’m willing to do that, most of the displaced pack members want to return to the pack that has been their home their entire life,” Robin says.

“And based on your conversation with your mate and what she’s been telling everyone here, I’m guessing we’ll have another leaderless pack once you take Alaric out as well,” Ezra says.

“What about Camden?” I ask, looking at Robin.

“He’ll be eliminated as soon as I hunt down the coward,” he growls.

The One He Betrayed Chapter 3: Calvin’s Proposition

“I’m pretty sure he’s running Alaric’s pack right now. I could be wrong, but I know Alaric isn’t in any shape to be running his pack,” Dutton says.

“And Koden is still out there, somewhere. He’s also going to be a problem,” I say.

“As is Aiden,” Dutton agrees.

“Owen’s pack is the easiest to take over, but none of us live right next to his pack. Who do we get to take that on?” Calvin asks.

I look at the others before sighing. “I think we have to open it up.”

“What do you mean?” Kayce asks.

“Give anyone who wants an opportunity to become the leader of that pack the option to fight for it. It’s how it used to be done. Alphas would fight for their position in the packs. All of us have strong Betas and most of you have strong Gammas. We could give them the chance to earn their right to become an Alpha,” I

say.

“You’re suggesting that we give up our Betas?” Calvin asks, appalled.

“Give up‘ isn’t the term I would use, Calvin. Why wouldn’t you want to give your Beta a chance to rise up. Opportunities like this rarely come along and while I would hate to lose my Beta, l‘ d be thrilled to have another Alpha in our alliance, making it even stronger than it already is,” Robin says.

Calvin looks at me. “Do you really think that Sophie and Amelia

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are going to agree to this? Amelia is technically the heir to this pack as the oldest child of Alpha Carter and Luna Amy.”

“Are YOU going to run this pack?” Ezra asks him. “Are you planning to leave your mate here to run this pack while you go back to yours? Of all of us, your pack is the farthest away. How would that even work?”

I’ll admit, I’m a bit disappointed in Calvin’s thought process. He‘ s thinking like the other Alphas, about gaining power, but not thinking through the ramifications. I’m much closer than he is, and I have no intention of trying to figure out how to manage my pack and this one.

Calvin scrubs his hands over his face. “I’m just saying, they should first right of refusal.”

I turn and look at my mate. ‘Soph, can you come here please? I have a question for you,’ I say in the mind link.

Her head snaps up and she looks at her friends before walking over. I tap my thigh and she curls up in my lap. I wrap my arms around her, kissing her forehead. I hate the sadness I still feel inside her and I know it will be there for a long time to come.

“We’re talking about what to do with your parents‘ pack. Would you or Amelia want to take the Alpha role for this pack?” I ask her. I’m not sure what Amelia would say, but I know my mate.

She sits up and looks at me. “How would that work? Our pack is too far away for us to effectively run this pack. Until Alaric is destroyed and even after that, this pack needs on–site leadership, as does

our pack. We can’t split our time between two packs, Hunter. We would be doing a disservice to both of them. Even if we had strong Betas and Gammas in both packs,

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it would put a strain on us and we’re going to have a pup in a few months. I have no intention of staying in one pack while you go manage the other. No, we need to come up with a better idea, something that will work for the pack members here as well,” she says, turning to the other Alphas. “Don’t you agree?”

“Some do, not all,” I say, pulling her back against me.

“Who doesn’t agree?” she asks, sitting up again. My mate is about to go all Alpha on Calvin. I hope he’s ready for it.

“Your sister is in line to take over this pack now that your parents are gone, Luna Sophie.”

“Amelia? She never wanted to an Alpha. Why would you even think that?” Sophie asks, as if he should know his mate better than she does, which he should.

“It’s not a matter of what she wants, it’s about duty,” he says.

“Duty to whom, Alpha? To you? Because it certainly wouldn’t be dutiful to this pack. Are you planning to leave her here to run things while you go home? Are you going to send her to your pack

while you stay here and manage this one? To keep them safe from Alaric? That makes no sense and if you don’t know it, I can tell you that Amelia wouldn’t want that.”

“I’m pretty sure I know my mate better than you do,” he says, condescendingly.

“It doesn’t appear so,” my mate says angrily.

“This all seems very tense,” Nikki says, walking over and curling up in Robin’s lap.

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“Very tense,” Allison agrees, sitting on Kayce’s lap.

Dutton somehow manages to have both twins sit in his lap, one arm around each of them. Amelia, however, is still the odd one out. Rather than sitting on Calvin’s lap like the others have done, she sits beside him. He takes her hand, but it’s a stark contrast between them and the rest of us.

“What’s all this about, Calvin?” Amelia asks, seeing my mate and hers squaring off.

“If nothing else, our son should be heir to this pack,” Calvin says, still focused on Sophie.

“Luna Amelia,” I say, interrupting whatever Sophie was about to spit out to Calvin. I can feel her anger at Calvin, and I don’t blame her. “We’re discussing what should happen with your parents‘ pack.”

Amelia looks at Calvin and frowns. “You want me to take over as Alpha?” she asks him, catching up quickly.

Sophie sits back and I wrap my arms around her, placing my hands on her growing stomach. She puts her hands over mine, intertwining them.

“It’s your right. Alpha Hunter suggested opening up the packs to allow others to come in and take them over. For a pack like Owen’s, I would agree, but you are the rightful heir to this pack, Amelia. You should take your place here, as Alpha.”

She looks at him like he’s lost his mind. “How would that even work?”

“We’d have to figure that out, Ame, but it’s your right. Our son’s

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right.”

“What son? Your first–born son? Your second? Because right now, all you have is a future daughter,” Sophie says snarkily.

‘Easy, baby. Let Amelia take on her mate. I think both of them have forgotten that she’s an Alpha,‘ I say in the mind link.

“Sophie’s right, Calvin. They’re closer to having an heir for this pack than we are. And what are you even suggesting? That I live here, and you come for conjugal visits from time to time? That I stay here with our pups, and when we someday have a son, I send him to live with you and keep the others here with me to raise? Is that what you want? To live separate lives?”

“Amelia, you’re getting yourself worked up…”

“You’re damn right I am, Calvin,” she says, standing up. “I’ve never wanted to be an Alpha. I certainly never wanted to be mated to a man that didn’t even want to live in the same pack as me,”

she says, tears filling her eyes. My mate sits up, wanting to comfort her sister.

Amelia turns to look at Sophie, holding up her hand. “I think I need to be alone right now. My mate has given me much to think about,” she says, saying mate às if it’s distasteful.

“Amelia, we can talk about this,” Calvin says, standing.

“It sounds like you’ve already made the decision, Calvin, just like always. What more is there to discuss?” she asks, spinning on her heels and walking away before he can answer.

Calvin watches her walk away, looking stunned. When he finally looks around, it’s as if he remembers that he has an audience.

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“Please excuse me,” he says, walking away, and not in the direction that his mate went.

“You’d think after how hard he’s worked to gain her trust, that he wouldn’t do something this stupid to betray it again,” Nikki says thoughtfully.

“I don’t think he’s looking at it from her perspective, my mate. He’s looking at the situation as an Alpha, not as Amelia’s mate. He knew he hadn’t put everything together yet, but I can’t think of a way that this would work, Sophie and Hunter came to the same conclusion almost immediately and they aren’t fighting to keep this pack for one of their pups either.”

Nikki turns to look at Robin. “It’s a good thing you listen to me,” she says.

“WHEN you tell me something,” he clarifies, putting his hands are her still–flat stomach, “I listen. You wouldn’t let me get away with not listening to you.”

“True and I already apologized about not telling you I was pregnant.”

“I’d be more inclined to accept your apology if I thought you meant it,” he growls, leaning forward and nipping at her lip.

“So, what do we do now? About this pack? I’m assuming Dutton would like his Beta back,” Ezra says.

“I would, especially considering that Aiden is still out there and may come for my mates again,” Dutton says, as the twins snuggle closer to him. He purrs helping to settle them.

“Ic.

send Lucas. I don’t have a Gamma yet and most of my

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