Chapter 70


    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)


    “Aren’t you worried about going feral?” I ask, truly interested in his reasons for not wanting to im me.


    “Yes and no. If Mason is right, you will be the key to keeping most, if not all of us from going feral in the


    pack. Besides that,” he looks up at me, “I want Layan. I wanted her this year and….well, next year I


    have another chance to im her.”


    I don’t think I could be more surprised by this statement. Most ranked members would consider her


    damaged, mentally and physically. I had even wondered if anyone would enter her im next year.


    “Why Layan?” I ask him quietly. There’s something about the way he’s speaking of her that makes me


    want to help him.


    Title of the document


    “I don’t know how else to say it, other than she’s mine, Luna.” He says shrugging. “I felt it the moment I


    saw her on that stage for the first time.”


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    “And you purred at her, to help her rx.” I say, remembering that moment.


    He smiles at the memory. “And she responded. It made my heart feel so full. I felt powerful in a way


    that I never had before, having the ability to calm her like that.” He looks up at me and I can see the


    sincerity in his eyes.


    “Alpha Mason said that you and he want to change the iming process. I have hope that when” he


    stresses the word, “he catches you, that you will make this process something better. Something all of


    us can live with and live through.”


    “I intend to. But your Alpha has to catch me first.” I say, giving him a sa*s*sy smile. “Speaking of, where


    is Mason. You two have been together this entire time, or so it seemed on the couple of times I’ve seen


    you.”


    He looks at me a moment. “It’s Day 4, Luna. He knows the iming haze will take him before the end


    of the day. When that happens, he won’t recognize me as anything other than a threat to im you. He


    sent me away to protect me from himself.”


    I sit down and Elijah makes himself morefortable. “Is it really that bad?” I ask. Females don’t go


    through the haze. I saw it with Seth when he came out with Hana, but I a*s*sumed that was because


    they had fought him after he imed her.


    “I went through it three years ago, in your sister’s iming. The need to im our mate overtakes our


    wolves. Everyone bes a threat and your scent, the scent of the female we intend to im,


    bes addictive. The only thing you see is your mate, and the threats to you iming your mate.”


    “So, if he ims me, he won’t really be in his right mind?” I ask, now even more concerned about


    getting imed by anyone.


    “He’ll recognize you as his mate. He won’t hurt you. But he’ll kill anyone that he feels is in his way,


    including me or any of our pack members.” I nod, it’s basically what Luke told me.


    “So, howe you don’t seem to be effected by this haze?” I ask curiously.


    He gives me a sheepish smile. “I’m not actually here to im you, Luna. If anything, I’m here to protect


    you now. Which sounds ridiculous since you just saved my life.”


    I have tough at that. If I make it out of here, and choose Mason as my mate, I can see that Elijah and


    I will get along well together.


    “I’m going to get back to the safety of the trees now. And I need to find some water to wash off this


    blood.” I say, lifting my hand in the air. The blood has started to dry and it’s making my hand itch.


    He nods. “Me too. Oh! I can’ t believe I almost forgot.”


    He reaches into a zippered pocket of his shorts. “Mason and I ran into Alpha Luke yesterday after your


    battle. He mentioned that you were hungry, so we made extra food today in case one of us ran into


    you.” He says and extends his hand to me. It’s full of cooked meat and my stomach immediately


    responds, growling loudly.


    When I don’t immediately move to take it, he looks at me, raising an eyebrow. “No offense, Luna, but if


    I was going to try to im you, I would have done it the minute you sat down.”


    I give him a self-deprecating smile. He read my mind. I was wondering if it was a trap.


    I stand, moving to take the


    food. “Thank you.” I say, before immediately eating two strips of meat. I want to save the rest forter.


    “Is Alpha Luke okay? He was still healing when I left him.”


    “He was still healing when we found him too, but his wounds were shallow, and he was washing


    himself in theke.” He looks at me for a long moment.


    “What?” I finally ask.


    “He said you told him your heart belongs to Mason.”


    I nod shyly. I didn’t think he’ d tell anyone that, especially Mason.


    Elijah moves to stand. “Another reason I wouldn’t want to im you, Luna. I would hate to have a mate


    that was in love with my Alpha. It would cause too much of a rift between us.”


    I’m not sure if he means himself and his mate, or himself and Mason. But either way, he’s right, it would


    cause a problem. As I’ve been pondering this, he has moved closer to me. He leans in, kissing the side


    of my head.


    “Be careful, Luna. I’ll try to a*s*sist wherever I can. But the haze may end up taking me as well, I’m not


    sure.”


    “Thank you, Elijah. Go wash that nasty Beta’s scent off of you. And you be safe too. If the haze is


    taking everyone, you’ll be a target as well. There are still several Alphas in this im.”


    “I will, thanks Luna.”


    He watches as I leap back to my tree, making sure I’m safe before he begins climbing back down the


    cliff.