Chapter 16: Tensions of Claim (Cole's POV)

Hawk, my wolf, was restless as we moved through the pack's territory. He was alert, a low hum of excitement running beneath his skin. There was something else, though—something I couldn't shake. A deep-rooted sense of frustration, a possessiveness that gnawed at me. I knew what it was, even if Hawk was reluctant to acknowledge it.

She's ours, Cole, Hawk growled, the words laced with possessiveness. She belongs to us, not him.

I tried to push the feeling aside, but it clung to me, digging its claws into my chest. Sabine wasn't mine yet. Not fully. Not yet. The truth stung even more now that I knew how deeply she was tied to Owen, my Beta. The moment I'd realized she had agreed to come here for Owen's sake, the fact that she didn't want to be anywhere near me—it hit me harder than I'd expected.

She's still yours, Hawk insisted, his tone softening with the words. She will be. Just wait. We'll prove it to her.

But there was no ignoring the reality. Owen had found Sabine first. It was Owen who had brought her into the pack, coaxed her with promises of safety. Owen had convinced her to come.

I clenched my fists, walking a little faster, as if by sheer force of will, I could change the situation. I didn't like this. The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became.

She's ours, Hawk. She should have come to us first.

Hawk growled again, but it was faint. I could feel his restraint, the undercurrent of patience that tempered my own frustration. We both knew that pushing her—rushing her—wasn't going to make her our mate any faster.

Owen had done what I couldn't. He had reached her, gotten through to her in a way I hadn't. The moment she stepped into the pack's territory, it was clear that she wasn't just another rogue. She was special. She was the one. But despite that bond, Sabine had hesitated.

The pack had all but whispered about her. Some saw her as a threat. Others saw an opportunity. I didn't care about their opinions. But Sabine, she wasn't interested in being just another part of the pack. And that was what hurt the most.

We arrived at the cabin, where Sabine had agreed to stay. The small, secluded building was far from the rest of the pack's territory, tucked into the woods where no one would bother her. It was clear she didn't want to be near us, near me, and that was hard to swallow.

Owen, on the other hand, had already spent time with her. He had found her first. The moment he'd met her, I could see the spark in his eyes. That same spark that had ignited between Sabine and me—when we had looked at each other for the first time and known. But for her, it had been different. For her, the bond had been harder to accept. She wasn't ready to embrace it, not in the way I wanted.

I could feel Hawk growling, his frustration echoing in my chest. We both wanted her to belong to us. We both wanted to claim her as our mate. But Owen's presence, his connection to her, kept me at a distance.

Let her come to us, Hawk said, his voice quiet but firm. She will. In her own time. We just need to give her space.

I knew he was right. I had to respect her.

When we stepped into the clearing, Sabine was standing in front of the cabin, her posture tense, her body alert. Her scent, wild and untamed, filled the air around us, mixing with the natural musk of the forest. She was a rogue, no doubt about it, and everything about her screamed independence.

Owen, walking beside me, seemed unbothered by the silence. His movements were calm, his presence steady. He had been the one to get her here, after all. He had convinced her, earned her trust, even if she still didn't completely trust him.

"She's strong," Owen said quietly, watching Sabine.

I nodded, but the words didn't ease the tightness in my chest. "She is," I agreed. "But I wonder if she's strong enough to accept what's happening."

Owen gave me a quick, sidelong glance, his face unreadable. "She'll come around, Cole. But we need to let her breathe first. We can't force her into anything."

I wanted to argue, to demand more, but I couldn't. Owen had always been the steady one, the one who kept the pack together. And maybe he was right about this. Maybe Sabine wasn't ready to accept everything yet. She had just come into our world, and everything about this—the bond, the pack, everything—was foreign to her.

"Let's get this settled," I said after a long pause, my voice tight with the weight of everything unsaid. "She's here now. We need to respect her wishes."

Owen nodded, but I could see the same frustration in his eyes that I felt.

Sabine had agreed to come, but it was only for Owen. She wasn't ready to accept me, not yet. I could feel it—the distance between us, the barrier she had placed in her mind. And it was something I wasn't sure how to break through.

As Sabine stepped into the cabin, the door closing behind her with a soft click, I stood still for a moment, my gaze fixed on the door.

She was here. For now.

But the question that kept burning in my mind was: How long would she stay?

Hawk rumbled softly in agreement. We'll make her ours, Cole. We just need time.

But time was something I didn't know if we had.

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