B2/04. Candidate Selections…

It was mate selection night, and the secret committee met in their typical hidden chamber beneath the town.

No one outside the committee and the invited families knew of the underground chambers' existence.

The room was packed with many leaders and pack members eligible to make candidate selections. Certain founders were considered more prestigious than others; they sat in front seats. It wasn't lost on everyone else that they would yet again be heard first for selection claims. It wasn't fair, but who would you voice it to? More founders with a higher rank?

The President hammered down the gavel and called order to the room. It was essential to stay on the scheduled timeline. With this many prominent personalities present, it was easy to start disagreements.

"Everyone, take your assigned seat. Let's get this meeting on point," he announced, and the room settled in. The seats were filled with formally attired males. There were never females present during these meetings. The men were to leave their wives' homes with the younger pups and cubs. Keep up the image for the humans around town.

"I welcome all the Alpha heads among us; I trust we will leave our differences at the door now." It wasn't a question. It was a firm statement. That was how things stayed relatively controlled regardless of the number of Alpha's within the area. The committee leads the territory until a male bears a daughter. Only then will the territory have a genuine leading Alpha. Until then, if you went against the President and the committee panel elected, your eligible son or nephew would lose his chance at candidate selection this year and have to wait until the next. That was the last thing any pack or clan wanted. Procreation was the most valuable thing to any pack or clan.

The agenda of the evening was simple. The Vice-President will display the nineteen candidates selected on the overhead screen. Only three males were permitted to compete for the acceptance of one of the chosen females each term.

"The first candidate is Miss Vivian Clarke. Age nineteen. Parents, deceased. Siblings: one younger sister is being raised by an aunt across the country. Miss Clarke is in her first year of Criminology Studies with a GPA of 3.2. Do we have any suitors?" The Vice President read the status of the first female select.

The room watched as several hands shot up with eagerness. Vivian was a very striking female. Of course, she had several males interested. They didn't care too much about her intellectual stats, but they would provide intellectual pups or cubs in the future.

"I am Bryon, second son of Alpha Ryker. I have spent the most time with her up to this point. She is mine." The large bear alpha stated. His tone was rough and full of challenging energy. This shook a few smaller males, forcing their hands to drop and wait for easier females to claim.

"Anyone else?" the vice president called out. Two other large males stood and stated their interests, and they were accepted.

"Then it is settled. Bryon, Philip and Presley claim Miss Clarke. Good luck, gentlemen. Remember to keep in mind the rules of the game. Any sabotage or rule-breaking will disqualify you. Clear?" The three males sized one another up before nodding in agreement.

"Next, we have Miss Connie Timothy. Age: eighteen. Parents, Divorced. Relationships with either parent are strained. Siblings, one younger brother. Miss Timothy is in her first year of Sociology studies. GPA is 3.0. Miss Timothy lives in the dorms and has two other female roommates. One of which is the next listed candidate. Do we have any suitors interested?"

Again, hands shot up, and several males stood to state their status and lay claims.

"Next is Miss Brittany Price. Age: nineteen. Parents: abroad. The relationship is strained between both parents. Siblings, none. Miss Price is a roommate of Miss Timothy and is also in her first year of Sociology Studies. Her GPA is 2.7. Do we have any suitors?"

The Vice President continues this until they reach the last and final candidate.

"The final candidate selected is Miss Becca Layton. Age: eighteen. Parents: Deceased. Siblings: Twin-Deceased. Miss Layton lives alone among the Millers' residents. Miss Layton is the sole heiress of her family's estate and was actively recruited into the program by the committee. She is in her first year of Computer Studies and is volunteering at the local library under Ms. Rita Fuller. Her GPA is 3.8, and she is on a full scholarship. Do we have--"

Half of the room stood before the Vice President could finish the question. The energy of the room shifted quickly. She was the most desirable candidate this year, and many males were interested in switching between the ones they'd already claimed. The room grew loud with shouting and open challenges from the eligible males. Claiming this specific candidate would increase your hold on the town. Certain members did not wish to announce her; they wanted to keep her hidden for their sons. However, rules were rules. Lesser members were to be given a fair chance to claim.

The President aggressively swung the gavel down, immediately calling the room to order. "Sit down, everyone, or you will be removed from the program this season!" There was no room for argument, and the males took their seats. Many of the males were glaring at each other, trying to assert themselves as the superior males.

"Firstly, anyone who has already claimed a candidate can not switch. You stay with those who have been selected already. Secondly, aggression during this meeting will not be tolerated. We understand the appeal to obtain Miss Layton. However, only the strongest could possibly tame such a pure line of royal blood. Am I Clear?" The room agreed grudgingly.

"I am standing to lay claim. I have spent a great deal of time with Becca already and have already laid the groundwork for our relationship." The young alpha stood and stated. The Vice President wrote his family's names down and waited for two other applicants. Another male stood; he was the President's grandson. He stated that he had also grown accustomed to Miss Layton and would not step back until the decision was made. A few families stood up in anger, noting that the committee wasn't allowed to show favouritism. Again, the gavel crashed down, and an order was demanded.

"There is no favouritism being shown. My family is one of the founding families, and I have eligible males permitted to enter. He is allowed to lay claim, should this be the candidate he wishes to win." The President's voice boomed through the room.

Silence fell upon everyone, and the enraged males sat under the Alpha's commanding aura.

A few of the rejected males joked that he didn't stand a chance anyway. He may have been born an alpha, but it wouldn't interest her because he was undersized and a runt.

The door burst open before anyone else could claim her, and a tall, lean male stepped forward. His face was stone and void of any emotion other than rage. His energy begged everyone to challenge his presence, and it worked. Many males in the room shrank away from the open challenge.

"I pledge my claim to Becca Layton. She will be mine." That was all he stated, but it was enough to silence the remainder of the males in the room.

"That is not fair. He was late for the meeting." The first male to claim Becca hollered out as he pointed accusingly at the dominant male standing in the aisle.

"Do you wish to challenge my claim then, pup?" The beastly male shot back with his aura pushed out.

The President did not appreciate open challenges within the confines of the meeting room and called order again.

"Enough, everyone."

"B-but--" The first male tried again but was silenced by his father's angered glare next to him.

"Sit down, boy!" His father growled and gave a nod to the President.

The President turned to the late male who was trying to claim the grand prize of the evening. "Do you understand your odds, young man?"

"I know where I sit, yes."

"You don't stand a chance against the other two selected. Are you sure you wish to embarrass yourself?"

"I am permitted to lay claim this year." The male growled. His stance was clear; he was not backing down from his claim.

The President paused. He gave a quick glance over to his grandson but eventually conceded and nodded for the Vice President to list the three names for Miss Layton. The candidate's selection was concluded, and the president made one final reminder before dismissing the room.

"I will remind everyone that this is to be a fair game. Any fights or rule-breaking will remove your family from this year's selection and, depending on the offence, potentially next season. I will not tolerate the male ego to unravel all we have established here. Humans should never become aware of this society or the beasts' existence. I am unsure who has been attacking the high school students lately, but it must stop. They are not prey for us. Humans will start to ask too many questions if it continues. Am I clear?"

The room fell silent.

"I trust the Alpha's within this room will address these matters with their sons and nephews. This serious offence will ultimately affect everyone's claims should a town curfew be in effect again. There will be tolerance for a repeat of the last two years."

"Yes, President. Council members." Many of the Alpha's said in unison.

"Then I conclude this meeting to an end. You are all dismissed."