Chapter 4 CLAIMING
𝙕𝙀𝙋𝙃𝙔𝙍𝘼 𝙋𝙊𝙑
Finally, we're alone
“What exactly is the Proving?” My voice comes out smaller than I intended.
The silence that follows make my stomach drop.
Ronah is the first to speak, his jaw tight.
“Also called The Survival Realm. A place between life and death.” He meets my eyes.
“Wolves who’ve lost their connection to their wolf go there. Priests who’ve lost their power. Anyone seeking to commune with the Wolf Goddess or in desperate need, go there.”
“Time doesn’t work the same there,” Naville adds, her voice uncharacteristically timid.
“A day here could be twenty days there. Or twenty days there could pass in a single night here. There’s no way to know.”
My chest tightened.
“How long does it last?”
“As long as you survive,” Ronah said bluntly.
“There’s no night or day. Just… existence. Sometimes dark, sometimes bright. The realm decides.”
Van’s hand find mine, his grip soothing.
“What should I expect?” I have to understand what I’d agreed to.
Father Arnauld steps forward, his expression grave.
“Three types of threats. First: other wolves. Desperate, half-mad creatures who’ve been trapped there, some for decades, some as recent as you. They’ll kill for food, sport, or simply because they’ve forgotten what it means to be civilized.”
I swallow hard, my palm sweaty
“Second: shadow creatures.” Ronah’s voice drops. “Things with too many limbs. Unsightly, wrong. They lunge for your life the moment they sense you. Their aim is singular: kill you for trespassing in their world or standing in their way”
“Can they be killed?” My voice barely whispered.
“No. Only driven back. Temporarily.”
Van’s wolf growled inside him. I feel it through our bond.
Cat on the other hand, unbelievably absent. Quiet
“And third,” Father Arnauld continues, his green eyes piercing mine
“the realm itself will test you. It takes the form of your deepest fear, challenges you, breaks you down to see if you’re worthy of who you claim to be.”
“What if I want to leave?” The question escaped before I could stop it.
“You can’t quit,” Ronah says, and something haunted flickered across his face.
“Once you enter, you stay until you prove yourself… or die.”
“There is one exception,” Father Arnauld voice out, though his tone suggested it wasn’t much comfort.
“If you can call out your wolf, truly merge with it, your body can be sent out half dead while your wolf continues fighting. Some survive that way. Most don’t.”
Dead. My body could be sent out dead. I gulp.
“How will I survive?” I need something to hold onto.
“Don't fight everything. Run when you had to. Hide when you could. Bargain with other wolves when necessary.” His eyes held mine.
“And when the realm show you your biggest fear.." Naville rubs the back of his palm. My heart is galloping to think on it.
"accept or overcome it"
My throat burn with unshed tears.
“What will my test be?”
“Whatever you’re not ready to face,” Father Arnauld say quietly.
“The realm knows. It always knows.”
"I haven't even met cat"
"Her wolf" Van adds quickly
𝙑𝘼𝙉'𝙎 𝙋𝙊𝙑
“The Proving will bring her out,” Naville says, reaching for Zephyra’s hands.
“It’ll awaken everything. Your wolf, your magic, your memories.”
Zephyra’s heartrate spikes. Her wolf paces restlessly—
I feel it through my own wolf’s awareness. Then something shifts. Hope, fragile and desperate.
She’s actually considering this might work.
“We'll teach you everything you need to know,” I tell her, my voice rough.
“Survival. Fighting. Illusions.” Ronah adds
We head to the car.
It’s 7pm when we finally bid farewell to each other . No one dared ask about the long-awaited miracle that happened before us or the doom that awaits us..... except him. We shouldn’t have escorted him to his car.
“You shifted, Zephyra. Are you hiding something from us?” Zeph’s eyes widen and she bites her lip.
“Father!” I roar but he remains unfazed. His grin mirroring Naville and Ronah’s curious stare.
Great. Now they've a reason to talk about the shift.
“Am I the only one that cares about the fact that my wife faces death in a few days?”
Ronah sits on my father’s car hood, his grin eerie as he pulls Zeph over to himself but I hold her back.
“C’mon brother, did you see that wolf?” Naville mutters with a grin.
“Two heads with a force that upturns the weather,” Naville continues, her hands folded against her chest, pouting but the joy in her loudly visible.
Zeph’s heart pounds so loud I almost clutch my own heart that echoes it. I pull her closer onto my chest and wrap my hands around her.
“It wasn’t scary,” I whisper hoping it calms her a bit.
“Have you shifted before?” My father asks lifting her chin. Zeph shakes her head, before bowing it.
“You’ll survive it, daughter-in-law.”
That’s all my dad says before letting go of her chin. His lips crinkled up as he walks to his car.
“Come with me you two. Leave the couples alone.” They follow him to his car and I watch it fade into the distance.
My hand slides to Zeph's waist, as I lead us to the house. The maids are dispersed, busy cleaning up.
I flick my hands, releasing heavy breeze to pull all the items together for easy work.
They bow their heads in gratitude as I lift Zephyra up into our room.
“That was nice of you.” Her voice is lathered in awe before downturning. She buries her face into my chest.
“You don’t have to worry about the proving,” She exhales then looks up at me ready to speak but I stop her.
“Don’t say anything." I kiss her lips. Moist. I can't wait for more.
"Tonight, you’re a bride. Tonight, everything is perfect. Tonight, there’s no worries or fear for tomorrow.”
Her gaze softens, staring at me with an intensity I can’t ignore as I put her down in our room.
“Wow.” It’s easy to make her happy. Her face brightens up, walking closer to the bed as she takes in the room that has been decorated for us.
The bed covered in roses that’ll be more of a disturbance than beauty. Smell of sandalwood and whipped cream fills the air.
Zeph’s face turns bright red as she rushes over to hide the tiny lingerie Naville definitely displayed for her.
I allow her.
In our room, the sound of everyone has faded, leaving me aware of her presence and scent. Our bed by the window, glowing softly under the full moon peering in.
“You’ve to come out of your dress to wear that.”
“ALPHA VAN!” Her eyes enlarge as she clutches onto the lingerie.
Her cheeks gain colour watching me shed off my outfit
When I lift up my inner vest, she turns around covering her face
I take a moment to look at the person I've searched for amongst wolves, humans.
𝙎𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. 𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚
I step closer
“If you ask me, you don’t need it.” She shudders at the breath of me,against her neck.
I unzip her wedding gown, watching it pool at her feet.
“And I’m your husband, about to fuck, mark and claim you... Alpha Van is too formal now, don’t you think little wolf?”
She tries to speak but all that comes out is a soft moan as my palm graze her tit.
I lift her onto the bed. Her chest heaving beneath me, eyes locked on me as she gulps.
With the wedding gown, I almost broke down in tears but now, having her naked under me is a recipe I didn’t know could be this breathtaking
Her pale skin feels soft against my palm, even closer she smells so intense it makes my wolf howl and cock throb against my brief
Finally, I stare at those two fruits, the temperature around me increases, her gaze is locked on my lips.
"Claim her. Claim our mate.” My wolf chants and my heartbeat quicken.
“Sixteen fucking years without you,” the words break out of me in pieces
Her face lifts up and I claim her lips. She matches the ruthless pace of my hunger.Her soft fingers dig into my neck,holding back the storm raging in me
I pull her closer by the waist. Her soft body crushed against the rigid lines of mine.
The mate bond ignites inside me again, then I hear her wolf, her desire, her breath, every fucking thing about this High Priestess that was stolen from me… I feel them all rush into me in devouring waves.
"Mark me as your Luna" Her wolf snarl with breathy voice
