Free Claiming The Alpha by Adriana Hunter

door and down the
    front stairs, tripping and stumbling down the sidewalk into the pouring rain.
    *
    Jax walked through the room, a hush falling across the pack members. Everyone was in the living
    room, including Bec, standing sullenly in the back of the room, arms folded across his chest. Jax caught his eye and Bec looked away. They’d had almost no conversation since the night before.
    “Most of you already know the thing has been tracked to an apartment, where it’s apparently been
    living, at least for the past few days. It wasn’t there last night…but that doesn’t mean it won’t come back. I think it wants is the girl who lives there, either to kill her or it’s fixated on her as some kind of obsession.
    There’s no way of knowing.”
    There was a murmur through the pack and then Bec stepped forward. “The girl you’ve been sleeping
    with? That girl?”
    Jax clenched his jaw, brows drawing together in a frown, meeting Bec’s disapproving gaze. “Yeah, Bec.
    Nikki’s apartment. You know that, you were there.” Jax looked around the room at the rest of the pack.
    Finn and Angela were the only members not staring open-mouthed at him.
    “This wasn’t where or how I wanted to announce this, but I’ve chosen a mate. Some of you have met
    her.” The murmurs grew louder, a few members smiling at him from around the room. Finn nodded from
    his seat and Angela smiled broadly, giving him a thumbs up. But the mood quickly returned to all business as Jax spoke.
    “And Bec, this is my pack and my meeting. If you can’t keep quiet, then you’re free to leave.”
    Jax looked at Bec, their eyes locked for what seemed an eternity. But Jax wasn’t about to back down
    again. His little brother was out of line and Jax had had enough.
    It was Bec who finally looked away, turning his head and dropping his eyes.
    “Fine. Then here’s what we’re going to do. Tonight a group of us goes back to the apartment, do a
    thorough search for any trace of the thing. And then we track where it’s gone from there. The scent isn’t fresh, but it’s so unmistakable we should be able to find where it’s gone.”
    The members grew animated with the promise of a hunt and a clear directive. It’s what they wanted,
    what they craved and what he’d been lacking in giving them. Especially now, with this creature out there.
    Jax answered questions, keeping an eye on Bec. He remained sullen, standing in the back of the room.
    Jax didn’t want to feel sorry for Bec, but it was hard. He was still his younger brother, no matter what, and he still wanted to look out for him, to protect him. But that wasn’t going to do either of them any good. He had another idea.
    The pack was starting to filter out of the room, guys going off to do whatever they needed to do to get
    ready. They’d head out just after dark, in just under an hour. Jax worked his way through the pack, finding Bec.
    “I want you to come with me tonight.”
    “Checking up on me again? Keeping me under your watchful eye?” Bec’s voice dripped with scorn.
    “Far from it. I want the best with me. You hunt like no other. If we’re going to track this thing and
    corner it, I want you with me.”
    Bec had sometimes been easy to manipulate, but every so foten he saw through the ruse. Tonight, he
    lapped up the praise. It was true, no doubt. Bec was an excellent tracker. But Bec was also right; Jax did want to keep him under close supervision.
    “Meet me here in an hour, okay? I’ve got an errand to run. And then we’ll head out.” Jax slapped Bec
    on the back and strode out of the room.
    Jax wanted to find Nikki, make sure she was back here at the house before they left for the hunt. He’d
    make sure the pack kept her safe. There would be mates left behind and Jax had no doubt they were just as capable as the guys in taking care of Nikki.
    And with any luck, they’d find their prey and this nightmare would end, once and for all.
    *
    Nikki wanted to be with Jax,