4.Claiming the one.

Eros stood aside from everyone else, hidden in the shadows- as usual. He never found crowded places exciting, instead choosing to hide away from society's eyes and judgment. He took a deep breath, sighing in delight, after catching a whiff of her scent- peppermint mixed with a definite hint of freshly made coffee. His eyes roamed all over the crowd until they landed on a tiny feminine frame.

If the silver-haired goddess wasn’t among this year’s chosen females- he wouldn't bother to show up.
Eros overheard males gossiping about the females of choice, he wasn't quite the gentlemen himself, yet he found the men's behaviour rather childish. As soon as one of the humans mentioned the woman he had already silently chosen, Eros growled, making the males jump in surprise.

"Tell me, human," Eros snarled, emphasizing disgust on the word human. "Tell me, do you value your vocal cords greatly?" He spoke slowly, trying to avoid further snarls or growls escaping him, yet making sure that the males had understood who had spoked to them.
Both nodded their heads frantically, way too afraid to piss off the werewolf.

"In that case, I would recommend both of you stay the fuck away from that little silver fox- over there." He kept hidden in the shadows, a hint of a smile showing as both men paled. Eros knew that some human males could be stupid, but he didn't have any idea of how close to death they love to play, because of their lack of intellect.

"You're bluffing," one of the men barely choked out, probably hoping that the werewolf had left just as quietly as he suddenly appeared behind them. He didn't have any idea how long Eros had stood there.

"Of course, I am. Be my guest and chase her. I dare you," he smirked, his mind already building sick scenarios of what he would do if the human were brave enough and try to take what's his.
Before Eros spoke again, his eyes suddenly landed on someone else. Red-haired vixen passed by the group of males, earning catcalls of all sorts and some men whistling at her. She didn't bother to react, instead, her eyes, by some surprise, kept glued on the shifter.

Eros let his eyes roam over the woman's body- she was tall, for a human, fire-red hair, blue eyes, and a dress which barely covered her enlarged ass. He couldn't understand why men could see her as attractive- almost everything about her appearance felt fake.

"You can't compare a good heart to a plastic ass, Eros," Ares, his beast, laughed in the back of his mind. Eros silently agreed with his beast, landing his eyes back on the silver fox, once again sighing in delight.

"It was just a fair warning boy, but I won't hold you two back. I don't play dirty. Just know- I won't hesitate to kill whoever gets in my way. Run, try to get her- I've been dying to rip out some throats. It's rather enjoyable to sit down and watch over the agony of a dying piece of shit.
Try me." He turned around and left his hiding spot before the humans could make a scene.

Human males didn't like to face more reliable or more powerful opponents, even though they were living in a werewolf world- Eros knew that they would try to 'start a fight,' and he had no intention to lose focus on the primary goal. Her.

As the Alpha yelled out an order for women to run, Eros watched how his silver goddess was dragged away by the red-haired vixen. All he needed was to notice the direction they chose, and the rest is up to his beast. They will follow her scent. He stood still, waiting for the moment when Luna will allow males to chase their chosen mates. Or life partners, as humans say.

"Getting a little excited there, aren't you?" His wolf laughed, excitement lacing his words.

"Might say so. Rather eager to find out what she is capable of. I assume that you're the one who's anxious and excited about this." Eros smiled, already picturing the moment when he will hold her in his arms, promising himself never to let go.

"Guilty as charged. I've always loved a good game of chase," Ares paced in the back of his mind like a lost puppy.

"Wolves, males, go!" Luna shouted. The crowd clapped and screamed, encouraging the males from their families- no matter if shifter or human, to run and find their beloved ones. Like a crazy wave in the ocean, they all flew into the forest, leaving Eros walking from behind.

He followed her scent from afar, still keeping in mind that she didn't enter the woods alone, silently hoping the females went different paths.
Eros approached a small clearing, almost instantly noticing the red-haired vixen, laying on the ground and seductively stretching her legs. His wolf gagged, making a laugh escape Eros's lips.

"Who's there?" The vixen shoots up, pursing her lips. Eros didn't dare approach her, the female’s appearance didn't appeal to him, not to mention the scent which reeked of trouble.

"Your husband-to-be, gorgeous. I'm so glad I was first to find you," someone said from her right. At first, she giggled and turned around, waiting for the male to show himself. When he did, she frowned.

"You're human," vixen stated, displeased.

"Of course, I'm a human. Whom did you expect? A dog?" Male laughed, making the woman's frown deepen.

"Not a dog, idiot. I was expecting a shifter. Now leave, before he comes, I don't want him to assume that someone has claimed me. Go, find someone else." She snarled, turning her back to the man. His jaw dropped in shock; the human didn't expect this to happen.

"Wait. Why?" His eyebrows furrowed. Eros chuckled, admiring the silly human. Even though he has been rejected, he still stood his ground and kept trying.

"Because which part of ‘I'm waiting for a shifter’ didn't you understand? You're a weak human, and I want someone strong and powerful by my side. Easy as that," she smirked, throwing death stares at the confused male.

"But you're a weak human too. What makes you think that a shifter will want to claim you then?" the male yelled at the woman, visibly enraged.

"This," she gestured at her breasts and ass, a smile of victory on her lips.

"As if," Ares laughed in the back of Eros' mind, not feeling any sympathy for the greedy woman. Eros had enough; he shook his head in disapproval.
Too bad the woman didn't know that breasts and ass won't get her through life. He sniffed the air and turned to his left, going deeper into the forest. After a couple of minutes, not so far from the clearing, Eros noticed how strongly her scent hit his nostrils.

First, his eyes roamed over his surroundings, looking for anything out of place. He didn't notice anything unusual until his gaze went up. There, almost at the top of an old tree, sat his silver fox. Eros almost drooled over the view. Ares howled loudly at the back of his mind.

She was dressed in simple clothing- pants and hoodie- a tracksuit, maybe? He smirked, “Clever little girl, perfect choice for running activities,” he thought. Eros moved forward quietly, like a predator approaching his prey before reaching the distance safe for an attack.
He ended up in front of the tree faster than he wanted, Eros planned to observe her beauty for a bit longer, yet his beast had another idea. He lifted his hand and knocked on the tree.

"Why are you knocking? This isn't a door, you know. Now she will think that you're a delusional creep. Good game, Eros, good game," Ares growled at Eros displeased that he managed to ruin their first impression.
He noticed a movement; she almost fell, making his heart beat faster. Was he afraid of her possibly falling? After a small conservation, he managed to talk her into climbing down. One wrong move, her ankle twisted, and a yelp of pain left her lips.

Eros noticed how she let go of the branch and fell right into his arms. No words could describe how good she felt, how perfectly moulded she seemed to be for his arms to hold- only his. When Eros asked her if she was hurt and she whined, a pang of pain hit him.
At that exact moment, he knew that he had found something rare, priceless, and unheard of for ages- a real soulmate, a destined mate instead of chosen one.

He could promise her anything, everything even, yet instead he decided to promise her the most important thing he had- his own life.
And with that promise being made, he bit her neck, his canines brutally piercing her delicate skin. She screamed in pain yet didn't try to stop him. Her breathing became shallow, Eros licked her wound, admiring the mark on her neck and smiled at his now sleeping mate.

"You'll be the death of me. And I don't mind- don't mind at all," he whispered to her sleeping form, gently placing his palm on her cheek, enjoying the sparks shooting through his hand.

"Me, I don't mind too. Tell her. If she wants, we die for her. Tell her about me, don't forget me. I'm important too. Don't forget- your wolf, Ares, I love her more," like a toddler, Ares tried to put together somewhat decent sentences, his excitement taking the best of him.

"I will. But now, she needs to rest."