The werewolf population is dying out. She-wolves have become exceedingly rare. Male werewolves are going feral in increasing numbers because there are not enough females for everyone to have a mate. Fated mates are a thing of the past and the privilege of having a mate is based on the male’s ability to prove that he is the strongest, fastest and most intelligent werewolf to ensure a stronger generation in the future. Unmated males do this during the annual claiming where they battle against other males to be the first to catch and claim a she-wolf as their mate. Jara is the last unmated Alpha female and will enter the claiming this year, having just come of age. She is furious that she must fight for her freedom simply because she’s a female. She has no intention of being claimed after seeing the savagery her sister suffered after her claim. If she can hold out for seven days, she will be given the option of choosing her own mate. Mason is an unmated Alpha who wants a strong and powerful Luna to be his partner and strengthen his pack. Mason intends to capture the last remaining Alpha female before he turns feral. Then, together, they can create a new generation of Alphas, hopefully with several Alpha females. Because she is the last Alpha female, Jara’s claiming is not limited to a maximum number of 20 suitors. Every unmated male will be allowed entry to her claiming. If Jara is going to remain free, she will have to outsmart every male in her claiming, including Mason and her dead sister’s claimant, Typhon. Will Jara find a way to escape the Alphas who want her, or will she fall to one of them, forced to become their mate and Luna?

Chapter 1: Jara

Jara

“This entire process is archaic and barbaric!” I say for the hundredth time.

“Sweetheart, we agree with you. But there’s nothing we can do. Your father and I have tried everything. After Mila….”

I sigh. I know my parents tried everything. After the death of my sister by her mate’s mistreatment, they tried to have me removed from the claiming pool. But the elders wouldn’t hear of it. They insisted that, as the last unmated Alpha female, I had to participate in the annual claiming.

“We won’t let what happened to Mila, happen to you, Jara.” Seth, my brother, says to me. He is going into the claiming this year as well. Since he is not eligible to hunt for me, he is guaranteed a spot for the Beta female that is in the running this year. He could choose to be in a claim for one of the omegas, but we all know he chose the Beta’s claiming.

Of all the years for me to turn 18, it had to be a year where there are more than double the normal contestants AND a Beta female