Chapter 168


    The iming by Cooper Book 3


    Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)


    Jara


    The difference between this year’s iming andst year’s is evident on the first night. Likest year,


    we have a wee dinner where everyone attends. However, rather than wearing their finest gowns,


    this year is a more casual affair. Everyone still dresses up, but not to the level that we didst year.


    This isn’t a pageantry.


    Title of the document


    Layan had been terrified of walking into the dining room alone, so Mignon and I had held her hands


    and walked in with her. Unlike Katerina and McKenna who decided to sit at a table with a bunch of


    imants and begin to get to know their possible contenders. Layan chose to sit with us. ‘Us’ just


    happened to include Elijah and Davis.


    Annabel arrived earlier, but being very pregnant, she decided to skip the dinner tonight and rest in their


    room.


    I look over at Layan and Mignon. “I heard from Seth. Hana had her little girl a few hours ago. They


    named her Harper. Momma and baby are healthy and doing well.” I tell them.


    That gets the expected ‘ahhhs’ from both Mignon and Layan “I hope we get to meet her.” Mignon says,


    gently rocking the baby carrier in the chair beside her.


    “You guys should all start nning y dates for your daughters to y together. They will all be


    around the same ages. They should grow up as friends.” Layan says.


    “That’s a great idea.” Mignon says.


    “We should build a multi-pack school.” Davis says, leaning over and joining our conversation. He had


    been talking to Asher, but he got distracted by a dirty diaper and had to leave for a moment.


    “What do you mean?” Mason asks him, joining in the conversation as well. “Well, now that we have six


    pups, not including the roughly 20 juvenile females and several hundred juvenile males in all of our


    combined packs, maybe we should start considering amunity education program. Most of us live


    within an hour or so drive from each other. We could find a ce somewhere centralized to most, if not


    all of the packs and build one.”


    “That is a great idea. The pups in our pack are all different ages. Trying to educate them all at their


    different levels is really hard. If we had a centralized school, we could probably find enough teachers to


    have real *s*srooms and educational courses.” Mignon says.


    “We just went through a buying phase, rebuilding my packhouse. It doesn’t seem like it would be a


    stretch to build a school. We could figure out transportation, especially from the packs that are farther


    away, to make sure all pups have ess to an education.” Davis says.


    “We should talk to the council. They can put together the project, interview staff interested in bing


    teachers, it could be a good alternative for omegas that aren’t strong enough to be warriors but want to


    do something other than cook and clean.” Asher says, rejoining us.


    “I could lead the project.” Layan says and we all stop and look at her. She shrugs. “All of you have


    pups, and/or you’re busy running packs. I have time and it would be something positive for me. Tessa


    says I need something positive to keep me busy.


    “I thought you liked cooking.” Davis says, frowning.


    “Oh, I do. But there’s only so many different ways that you can make chicken.” She says.


    “Are you sure about that?” Mignon says, smiling. “My mother was a cook. She found all sorts of ways to


    make variations on food. If she didn’t have a name for it, she called it a h-h. So, if she mixed


    whatever was in the kitchen together using chicken, her pack would rant and rave about it and ask


    what it was. ‘Chicken h-h.’ She’d tell them.”


    “I’m not sure I’m that creative.” Layan says.


    “Of course, you are.” Elijah says, watching her intently. “But, if you feel passionately about helping to


    build a school, then you should do that.” He says.


    “Absolutely. You should definitely follow your heart, find what you want to do in this life and make it


    happen.” Davis adds.


    I’m not sure Layan feels it, but there is an underlying current ofpetition in the words being spoken


    by Elijah and Davis. It’s almost as if they are trying to prove that they are more supportive of her than


    the other.


    “So, tonight there is dancing.” I say, cutting off whatever they were going to say next.


    “Is there?” Mason says, looking at me.


    “Yes, maybe even a tango.” I tell him, thinking of our first dance together. His eyes get dark and he


    takes my hand, kissing my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Do you dance, Layan?” Mignon


    asks. “I was so preupied by Asherst year that I don’t really remember.”


    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    “I wasying my im on you early, my love.” He says, smiling at her.


    “Yes, you were.” She says, smiling prettily.


    “So, Layan, do you dance?” Elijah returns the conversation back to Layan.


    She looks at Davis. “Alpha Davis has been teaching me.”


    I see the muscle in Elijah’s jaw tick. “Has he?” He says and I can see that it’s taking every bit of effort


    he has to keep the smile on his face.


    “I have. I promised to teach Layan how to dance if she promised me the first dance while we’re here.


    Isn’t that right, Layan?”


    “Yes. I’m not sure I’m any good…”


    “You’re an excellent dancer.” He says, watching her as intently as Elijah.


    “I hope you’ll save me a dance as well, Layan.” Elijah says to her.


    She nods, blushing.


    We hearughter at another table and I look up, seeing that McKenna and the table of men that she’s


    sitting with are allughing. She has their undivided attention, and she seems to be enjoying herself


    immensely.


    I look over at Katerina and see a simr situation at the table where she’s sitting. The males around her


    areughing and joking, their attention solely focused on her. I look around the room, seeing that while


    the other imants are looking on as if they wish it was them at the table, there isn’t the feeling that


    their emotions are out of control this year. There is definitely a feeling ofpetition, but there isn’t an


    underlying feeling of danger or of overexcitement.


    Mason wraps his arms around me. “What a difference a year makes.” He kisses the side of my head.


    “We had a hand in this. In making this year better for them than it was for us.” I say, looking around the


    room. Even the camaraderie among the men is better than it wasst year.


    “Yes, we did, but mostly, it was you and the other Lunas. You all made this happen. I’m so proud of


    you, baby.”


    I’m proud too. Proud that I have been part of this important change and knowing that it will only get


    better with time.