ã€ŠThe Claiming By Cooperã€‹


 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    Jara

    ¡°This entire process is archaic and barbaric!¡± I say for the hundredth time.

    ¡°Sweetheart, we agree with you. But there¡¯s nothing we can do. Your father and I have tried everything.

    After M¡­,¡±

    I sigh. I know my parents tried everything. After the death of my sister by her mate¡¯s mistreatment, they

    tried to have me removed from the iming pool. But the elders wouldn¡¯t hear of it. They insisted that,

    as thest unmated Alpha female, I had to participate in the annual iming.

    Title of the document

    ¡°We won¡¯t let what happened to M, happen to you, Jara.¡± Seth, my brother, says to me. He is going

    into the iming this year as well. Since he is not eligible to hunt for me, he is guaranteed a spot for the

    Beta female that is in the running this year. He could choose to be in a im for one of the omegas, but

    we all know he chose the Beta¡¯s iming.

    Of all the years for me to turn 18, it had to be a year where there are more than double the normal

    contestants and a Beta female as well as myself. Every unmated male in the country will be at this

    year¡¯s iming.

    While all she-wolves are ced in the first iming after they reach adulthood, males entering the

    annual iming are generally between 18-25 years of age. After that, a male werewolf, especially an

    Alpha who hasn¡¯t taken a mate, will go feral and have to be put down. However, any werewolf who has

    lost their mate, is also eligible to enter the iming.

    Because there are so few females, hundreds of malese to the iming event every¡¯ year. It is the

    only legal way to im a mate. Any male, regardless of rank, that tries to im a female outside of the

    iming will be put to death or, if he marked the female, he will be imprisoned, and the female will be

    ced in the next year¡¯s iming. Since my im will be open to everyone, it has the potential for over

    200 savage wolves to try and hunt me down.

    The only positive is that not all of those will be Alphas. My im will be open to any eligible male. And

    while they may try to catch and im me. my Alpha aura will make it easier for me to fight any male

    who isn¡¯t an Alpha.

    ¡°And how do you n to keep it from happening to me, Seth. Not every Alpha is like you. They don¡¯t all

    want a mate to love and cherish, like I know you will. Some of them will only see me as a breeding

    machine and a way for them to look good if I pop out a lot of pups for them.¡±

    He puts his hands on my shoulders, looking into my amber colored eyes with his sage green ones.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way, Jara. I promise. My word as an Alpha, if you are imed by someone that will

    mistreat you, I¡¯ll get you out.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    I sigh. It¡¯s a nice sentiment and one I know he means, but it¡¯s not possible. The werewolfws in this

    matter are absolute. If a male legitimately ims a mate during the annual iming, then she is his.

    My father walks in from getting the mail.

    ¡°It came.¡± He says, holding up an envelope. Today I will see exactly who and how many males will he

    entering my im. This gives me a short amount of time to n for how many Alphas I will have to

    outmaneuver during my im.

    I can already tell that the envelope isrger than it has been for thest three years. Larger than it has

    been since my sister went into the iming pool. That means that I was right, every eligible male has

    entered this year¡¯s event.

    ¡°How many?¡± I ask as I sit down at our dining room table. My mother and brothere to sit on either

    side of me as my father sits across, opening the

    ¡°Two hundred and thirty-six.¡± I s*uck in a breath.

    ¡°Eliminate Seth and three more, a*s*suming Seth ims his mate, and that leaves me with two

    hundred and thirty-two. How many of those are Alphas?¡± I ask. This is already more than my sister had

    at her iming. She only had 175 males to contend with, and I thought that was a lot.

    My father looks at the stats before looking up at me. ¡°Fifty-three.¡± My stomach clenches. Fifty-three?

    My only possible chance of getting out unimed is if they kill each other.

    ¡°Does that include Seth?¡± I don¡¯t know why I bother to ask. Fifty-three or fifty-two, it¡¯s still too many for

    me to take on. I was hoping for five.

    ¡°Yes, so fifty-two.¡± He hands the papers to my mother, and he puts his head in his hands, nibbing his

    face.

    ¡°Maybe we could run.¡± He says, looking up at me.

    ¡°Dad, if we did, Seth would suffer. He¡¯d lose the pack, lose his title and not be eligible as a imant. I

    can¡¯t do that to him. I¡¯ll just have to be better than every male in the hunt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll spar with you, every day, twice a day until it¡¯s time to go in, Jara. I¡¯ll do anything I can to help you

    get out unimed.¡± Seth says to me.

    I reach over and put my hand on top of my brother¡¯s hand. I hope he gets his mate. He¡¯s older than I

    am, but he¡¯s still a few years from worrying about going feral. However, this year is his best opportunity

    to get a mate. He is automatically eligible for the Beta¡¯s iming because he¡¯s not eligible for mine.

    ¡°Many of these Alphas are older. I recognize their names. They have lost their mates and areing in

    for another chance for a mate.¡± My mother says, looking up from the papers and looking at me. ¡°I see

    ten so far that are mine and your father¡¯s age. You could easily oust them, Jara. You¡¯re a powerful

    she-wolf and you have a strong aura.¡±

    ¡°Well, that drops it down to forty-two, so at least it¡¯s moving in the right direction to be manageable.¡±

    I¡¯m running through the contenders in my head when my mother s*ucks in a breath.

    ¡°No.¡± She whispers. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±

    All of us turn our focus on her. ¡°What, mother? What is it?¡± I ask, scared to know what has my mother

    reacting like this. Her eyes are wide, and she looks up at me, terrified.

    ¡°Alpha Typhon is in this year¡¯s pool of imants.¡±

    Alpha Typhon. The Alpha that imed my sister. Then he bred her and bred her until it ultimately killed

    her. We knew from our conversations with her that the doctors told him to wait, to give her time to heal,

    but he wouldn¡¯t listen. He insisted on having an heir, on beginning the repoption of our race.

    In the end, my sister lived less than two years before dying in childbirth. We were told afterward that

    Alpha Typhon had her child cut from her body in an effort to save him. But he was toote.

    He lost both my sister and his child and now, he wants to im me as well.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    ¡°Alpha! It¡¯s here.¡± Elijah, my Beta says,ing into my office.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I set aside my paperwork and take the envelope, noticing the significant size difference from any other

    year¡¯s iming package. I¡¯m not surprised, every eligible male in my pack signed up. Since everyone

    will have a chance to hunt a mate this year, it¡¯s our best opportunity knowing that no one will be

    eliminated from the Alpha female¡¯s pool of imants.

    Title of the document

    I open the paperwork, looking over the candidates. Most of my pack members have no expectation of

    winning the Alpha female, not with me and Elijah in the hunt. But there are four other females this year,

    thergest pool of females in years. Usually, there is one, maybe two. Five is practically unheard of.

    Add to that an Alpha and Beta female? It will be a f*uc*king blood bath.

    I nce over the list of names. I have sixteen warriors and ten omegas going this year, twenty-eight in

    total when you add in me and Elijah.

    My Gamma is older and was lucky enough to catch his mate ten years ago before the pool of females

    dwindled to the dangerously low number we are facing today. Elijah and I have both gone every year

    since we turned 18, and other than the Alpha female three years ago who was also open to all eligible

    imants, neither of us have been called in the lottery of imants.

    As I continue to look over the list of other Alphas that I¡¯ll bepeting against, I see his name.

    ¡°F*uc*king bastard.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Elijah asks, watching me across my desk. I look up at him.

    ¡°Typhon.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in the pool again? How is he even eligible? He had an Alpha female and he basically killed her, or

    close enough that it should be illegal for him to evenpete.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, but his dead mate is also the sister of the Alpha female who is in the im this year.¡± I

    go back to the first page. ¡°Jara, is her name.¡±

    ¡°We all know he cheated to get her. He¡¯ll do it again.¡± Elijah says to me.

    ¡°He can try.¡± I look up at Elijah. ¡°We¡¯ll be better prepared this year.¡± Elijah is only a year younger than I

    am. While I¡¯m closer to going feral, he¡¯s not far behind me. ¡°One of us gets the Alpha this year.¡±

    He nods. We made an agreement. We¡¯ll work together, but we both know that if he gets her, it will most

    likely be less than a year before he¡¯ll have to put me down. I won¡¯t make it to the next im. If I get her,

    he has another year, possibly two before he goes feral and may get called for the lottery in that time.

    For me, this is myst chance and we both know it.

    In thest five years, the leadership of the packs has changed significantly and often. With Alphas

    going feral every year with no sessor, Betas and Gammas have taken over as the next ranked

    wolves. However, it¡¯s bing even moremon that now those Betas and Gammas that have

    taken over the Alpha roles are going feral. It¡¯s caused a mess with pack dynamics, alliances and

    fighting among the packs is increasing.

    In addition, the council and elders are having to kill off more and more males who try to steal mates

    from other males. It¡¯s why I know that this year will be bloody. There aren¡¯t a lot of rules for the

    iming. Mostly they are rted to how you im the female. However, it¡¯s basically open season on

    the other contenders. It¡¯s why they limit the other pools. With only 20 imants, there is a chance that

    the contenders will be too busy trying to find the female to kill each other off. And, in general, it works.

    But with over 200 wolves going into the iming territory at the same time for the Alpha female, most

    will be lucky to get out with their lives.

    We¡¯re not supposed to kill each other, but when you¡¯re on the hunt and your wolf has scented the one

    they intend to im as their mate, battles to the death happen. It¡¯s how Typhon won. He actually killed

    his own Beta to get to M, the Alpha female. He killed others, I did as well, but I would never kill my

    own Beta.

    I toss the pages over to Elijah and sit back, rubbing my hands over my face. I don¡¯t like killing, but this

    is life or death for most of us. And if ites to them or me, it will be them dying and me walking out

    with my mate.

    ¡°Is Joe ready to manage the pack while were gone?¡± I ask, as Elijah skims through the pages of

    imants.

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s done these thest six years, he knows the drill.¡± Elijah says, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Jara¡¯s brother, Seth, is in the pool this year. He¡¯s being given automatic inclusion to the Beta¡¯s iming

    because he isn¡¯t eligible for the Alpha im.¡± He whistles low. ¡°Did you see that the Beta¡¯s im is also

    larger this year? They¡¯re going to allow 75 in her im. Her name is Hana, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to enter her lottery?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Might as well.¡± He looks up at me, smiling. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind snagging a Beta for a mate. What about

    you?¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°I want the Alpha. I think having a strong female will help keep our males from going

    feral so young.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that? Do you know something I don¡¯t¡± He asks.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s a theory, a guess on my part. Or maybe I¡¯m just trying to find some f*uc*king hope. I¡¯m tired of

    having to kill my pack members because they go feral.¡±

    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll hope I get a Beta, you get an Alpha, and we never have to put another pack member down

    in our lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Call Joe. Let¡¯s make sure everything is in order. We only have a week and we¡¯ll be gone awhile. You

    know the Beta and Alpha ims will best and should take a few days each. You and I need to start

    sparring four hours a day. We both need to be in top fighting shape if we¡¯re going to get out of that

    im alive, unscathed and with our mates.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I¡¯ve packed my things. I won¡¯t being back here unless I¡¯m extremely lucky. Seth, on the other

    hand, is packing for six weeks. There is a week before the iming begins where the imants can get

    to know the females eligible for the im. It¡¯s also the tune where the rules are announced and agreed

    to by all contenders, and the lotteries are drawn. This year, only the first four lotteries will be pulled.

    Everyone left after the first four ims will be eligible to join my im.

    I hug my parents¡¯ goodbye. I told them they didn¡¯t have toe this year. They had such high hopes

    for M. Going back to the iming would only traumatize them, having to remember thest time they

    ever saw their daughter. I want ourst time together to be positive, and I have to hope that I¡¯

    Title of the document

    I¡¯ll being home with Seth. If not, this may be thest time I ever see my parents. It will be

    dependent on the one who ims me and if he allows me to visit. Alpha Typhon never let my sister out

    of his sight.

    My mother is hugging me and sobbing, terrified that I¡¯ll end up like my sister.

    My father finally has toe and force her to let me go. She then hugs Seth, knowing she¡¯ll see him

    soon. He¡¯ll be back one way or the other, only the females are forced to move to the male¡¯s packs.

    My father hugs me tightly. ¡°Remember everything I¡¯ve taught you, Jara. You¡¯re strong, smart and fast.

    Use everything you know to stay safe. And if it gets to the point where you won¡¯t get out unimed, you

    make the choice. You choose who gets to mark you.¡±

    ¡°I will dad. Thank you, for everything. I love you both and I hope to see you soon.¡±

    As Seth and I pull away, I wave to my parents. My father has his arm wrapped around my mother¡¯s

    shoulders, standing stoically as she sobs against his chest. Just before we turn down the road to the

    iming, I see him wipe a tear from his face. I look away, I have to stay strong, and seeing my father

    break down will break me. He¡¯s an Alpha male, they don¡¯t cry or show any weakness. My father has

    always been the strength of our family and our pack. I hate that this is breaking him.

    ¡°I heard they had to expand the apartments and the territory this year because of therge number of

    imants.¡± Seth says as we drive.

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. I bet they have guards for us too. With this many males and so many of them Alpha

    males, they¡¯ll need to make sure that none of us are imed before we make it to the ceremony.¡±

    Seth gives me a side eye nce, a smile twitching at his lips. ¡°I¡¯d like to see any one of them try to

    mark you outside the im.¡±

    ¡°Most of them will be lucky to mark me inside the im.¡± I say snarkily, earning a full-on smile from my

    brother.

    We spend our trip going over the biggestpetitors for Seth which also makes them my biggest

    concerns.

    ¡°Alpha Mason and his Beta, Elijah, are in thepetition again this year.¡±

    ¡°I saw that.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem so bad.¡± Seth says.

    I turn and look at him. ¡°Why does that matter?¡±

    ¡°I heard what dad said to you. I¡¯m just saying, both of them and their pack have a good reputation.¡±

    ¡°Have you met either of them?¡±

    ¡°They were both at thest two iming¡¯s, and I think they might have been at M¡¯s too. I spoke to

    them briefly, but I could tell that neither of them was happy that Typhon imed her.¡±

    ¡°Of course, they weren¡¯t. It meant that they didn¡¯t im her.¡±

    ¡°No, it was more than that. It was like they had no respect for him. I wasn¡¯t in her im, obviously, so I

    don¡¯t know exactly what happened, but it apparently wasn¡¯t something that was illegal. Otherwise, his

    im would have been contested.¡±

    ¡°Well, we know he¡¯s an a*s*shole that doesn¡¯t care that our female poption is nearly depleted. All he

    cares about is getting an heir.¡±

    I mull over what Seth said as we pull into the iming territory. There¡¯s a line to get into the territory. It

    looks like there is a gate and guards checking people in.

    ¡°Is it always like this?¡± I ask Seth.

    ¡°No, this is new. I guess you were right about the guards.¡± It¡¯s nearly a half an hour before we get to the

    gate. Seth rolls his window down.

    ¡°Name?¡±

    ¡°Seth and Jara Lykos.¡±

    The guard¡¯s eyes immediately look up and lock onto me. I watch as he sniffs the air before he leans his

    head to a radio on his shoulder.

    ¡°I need an escort.¡± He says, turning to the guard behind him.

    ¡°Alpha female.¡± He whispers to the guy. I look at Seth.

    ¡°What is this about?¡± Seth asks him.

    Hees back to the car. ¡°We are responsible for making sure that none of the females are forcibly

    marked before their iming. As the Alpha female, you are our highest priority.¡±

    Oh great, I get to arrive with tons of fanfare.

    ¡°The female rooms are in a separate building from the males. You¡®re going to follow the escort to the

    female apartments. Once her bags are unpacked, you must leave the area immediately. The only

    reason you are allowed in there is because you are her brother. But you are not allowed to linger.

    Understood?¡± The guard says to Seth.

    ¡°Understood.¡± He says as six cars pull up, two putting themselves right in front of us.

    ¡°Pull up slowly, Mr. Lykos. Once the escort has surrounded your vehicle, they will direct you to the

    female apartments.¡±

    Seth does as he¡¯s told, not that he has a choice. We¡¯re surrounded quickly and escorted to a building

    separated from the mam building. It looks new, like the paint might still be drying.

    When we get there, I get out and a guard from every car also gets out. Onees over to Seth and

    tells him to remain in the car. Another goes to the front of the building and grabs a rolling cart for my

    luggage, the others take a protective stance around me. I notice that they are all carrying guns. I¡¯m

    guessing they are tilled with silver bullets.

    I go to the back of the car and open the trunk, beginning to pull out my bags. When the guard with the

    rolling cartes over, he begins loading them onto the cart. When it¡¯s done, he pulls my luggage

    toward the front of the building where I¡¯ll apparently be living for the next month or so.

    I turn to go say goodbye to Seth. A guard moves to stand in my way.

    ¡°Ms. Lykos, I must ask you to head inside the building.¡±

    ¡°I will, once I say goodbye to my brother.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss, that is not allowed.¡±

    I give him my best fake smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to say goodbye to my brother and if you, or anyone else gets

    in my way, I¡¯ll remove you. Am I clear?¡± I push out my aura. None of these guards are Alphas, so their

    wolves will feel the need to submit to mine. Maybe this is why there are so many of them. If an Alpha

    tried tomand them, there are enough to overpower him.

    His lips thin, but he steps back. ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    I walk up to the driver¡¯s side door and knock on the window. When the windowes down, I can see

    that Seth is trying hard to hide hisughter.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡± I snarl.

    ¡°It sort of is. Give me a hug.¡± I lean in and hug him.

    ¡°Text me and let me know you are okay. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, probably.¡± He says before rolling up his

    window and driving toward the main building.

    When I get to the top of the stairs of the building, there¡¯s a female standing there, watching me.

    ¡°It looks like you enjoyed your pomp and circumstance as much as I did.¡± She says before holding out

    her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Hana, the Beta.¡±

    I shake her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Jara, the Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Wee to hell, Alpha.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When we arrive at the iming territory, it¡¯s a madhouse. The line to get in was ridiculous, made longer

    as we had to wait while a car in front of us was surrounded by an escort and taken away.

    ¡°Which one do you think that was?¡± Elijah asks beside me.

    Title of the document

    ¡°The Alpha or the Beta, if I had to guess.¡±

    We finally make our way through, getting the exnation that if we were to go into the sectioned off

    area for the females without prior approval, we will be shot on sight. The penalty, if you survived the

    silver bullet, is disqualification from this and all future iming¡¯s.

    ¡°They mean business. The security has never been like this before.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve never had a iming like this before, at least not in recent years.¡±

    As we turn toward the main house, we can see the driveway to the females temporary housing. We¡¯ve

    been given a map and the clearly identified ¡®off- limits¡¯ areas. I¡¯m guessing that they are not only

    marked on the map, but also around their building as well.

    When we get to the main house, we wait to get our parking spot, then we wait in line to check in.

    Housing is limited and rather than housing the females in the same building as some of the males, they

    have them in their own building and are doubling us up. Thankfully, Elijah and I are in the same room.

    When we¡¯re finally checked in, we grab out bags and get to our room. Tonight, we won¡¯t see the

    contestants for this year¡¯s iming. However, starting tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll get my first look at my

    future mate.

    Once we¡¯ve gotten settled in our room, Elijah and I agree to go back downstairs and begin to meet our

    competition. I know not everyone here is a ranked werewolf, so I¡¯ll be interested to get a feel for the

    general energy of the wolves in attendance.

    When we get downstairs, there is a buzz of excitement in the air. It¡¯s magnifying as more wolves join

    the group. If the elders aren¡¯t careful, this energy could get out of control very easily. There are too

    many of us and everyone wants to find their mate. Knowing they are within reach, only makes it that

    much more tantalizing.

    As Elijah and I watch, a fight breaks out, the two fighters shifting. One is obviously a ranked wolf and

    the other an omega. Omegas are not built to handle this level of masculine energy and it¡¯s possible that

    he mouthed off to the wrong wolf. The battle is over quickly as the ranked wolf snaps the neck of the

    omega, leaving him dead on the floor.

    I check to make sure my omegas are all safe and notice that they are subtly moving toward me and

    Elijah. If this turns into an all-out battle, they are safest beside the two of us.

    ¡°Someone needs to get this shitshow under control before it bes a melee of teeth and ws.¡±

    Elijah says just as someone walks in with an airhorn. The sound is loud to humans, it¡¯s practically

    unbearable to shifters.

    ¡°The ceremony hasn¡¯t even officially started, and we¡¯ve already lost a wolf. I would suggest that you get

    yourselves under control, or you will find yourselves disqualified.¡± An older werewolf says, moving to

    the front of the room.

    A couple of imants snarl at this and the airhorn goes off, all of us clutching our ears.

    ¡°Make no mistake!¡± He says loudly and I feel his Alpha aura pushing off him to every imant in the

    room. ¡°I am in charge here, not you. This is my domain, and I will not have our females threatened in

    any way. If you cannot maintainposure during thepetition, you will be disqualified and asked

    to leave the territory, by force if necessary.¡±

    That gets everyone¡¯s attention. The testosterone level doesn¡¯t decrease, but everyone does a better

    job of holding themselves together for the rest of the evening.

    Dinner is an interesting affair. Most of the packs sit together, but there are notable differences. Some

    packs obviously only allow ranked members to sit together, while others allow anyone to sit with them,

    including other packs. I fall into thetter category and that¡¯s how I end up sitting with Alpha Seth.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    He¡¯s younger than both Elijah and I, at only twenty years old. But there¡¯s something about him that I

    like. I can tell he¡¯s intelligent and not the kind of Alpha that rules with fear like some of the others here. I

    knew his father, as Seth only became Alpha a couple of years ago. If he¡¯s anything like his father.

    He¡¯ll be a good Alpha. That is, if he doesn¡¯t go feral.

    I see him taking inventory of his omegas around the room beforeing and finding a seat at my table.

    When he sits, he looks at me.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, I hope it¡¯s okay if I join you.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Seth, have a seat. I have to admit, I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re not sitting with your pack members.¡±

    He looks at me for a moment before turning to his food. ¡°They all intend to try and im my sister.

    While I understand their desire for a mate, I don¡¯t appreciate it being Jara. It makes for a bit of unease,

    as you might imagine.¡±

    ¡°Understood. But you must know that everyone at this table also ns to try and im your sister.¡±

    His smile may be full of malice, but his eyes are full of pride. ¡°You can try.¡±

    I¡¯m intrigued. ¡°You think she¡¯ll make it out unimed?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of testosterone in this room already. I figure most of you will do her job for her,

    killing each other off. All she has to do is wait you out and stay smart.¡± He leans in as he¡¯s going to

    impart some sort of secret. ¡°And believe me, my sister is very smart. Alpha.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s like adding fuel to the fire, right Alpha?¡± Elijah says to Seth. It¡¯s like dropping a

    gauntlet and my wolf is ready to pick it up and ept the challenge. Wolves like a challenge, especially

    if it includes a hunt.

    ¡°It would be, if I didn¡¯t have absolute faith in my sister¡¯s ability.¡±

    Elijah and I look at each other. I can feel the shift in my pack members. If she¡¯s as good as Seth says,

    there¡¯s no way my omegas will catch her, and my warriors will struggle as well. But now I want her even

    more. If she¡¯s that strong, that intelligent, she¡¯d be a perfect mate.

    I¡¯m about to see what other tidbits Seth is willing to drop about his sister, when I hear his vicious snarl. I

    turn, looking in the direction he is looking.

    The entire room has gone silent as Alpha Typhon struts into the room.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I like Hana immediately. She and I are obviously in the same situation, not wanting to be a part of this

    ridiculous pageantry put into ce by the Elders to ensure a ¡®stronger generation¡¯.

    I follow the guard who is pushing my luggage. ¡°Do you mind if I join you?¡± Hana asks me.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Not at all. When did you get here?¡± I ask her, as we move through a kitchen to a hallway.

    ¡°A couple of hours ago. Just long enough to realize that it¡¯s terribly boring here, super quiet and heavily

    guarded.¡±

    As she says that, we turn down a corridor that has two guards at every door. ¡°Our rooms. Each one is

    guarded by two guards at all times. They don¡¯t say much.¡± She tells me.

    ¡°So, ten guards at all times?¡± I ask. That¡¯s almost as much as my escort here.

    ¡°Oh. that¡¯s just in this hallway. I¡¯ve counted another 20 in the main part of the house, and I haven¡¯t had

    a chance to check yet, but I¡¯ve seen some others guarding the perimeter outside.¡± ¡°Are they hying to

    keep us in, or the guys out?¡± I ask as the guard stops at a room and opens the door. He holds his arm

    out, keeping me from stepping inside. Instead, he walks in, checking everything before allowing me to

    enter. I look at Hana and she just shrugs. ¡°I guess they¡¯re very serious about keeping us safe until our

    iming.¡±

    ¡°To answer your question. Alpha,¡± the guard says as he pushes my luggage into my room, ¡°we are here

    to keep the five of you safe. While it is not our intent to make you feel like a prisoner, we do ask that

    you stay within the confines of the house and perimeter so that we are better able to ensure your safety

    at all times.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Luke, Alpha. And Beta, there will always be a total of 50 guards inside the house and around the

    perimeter. We will be rotating shifts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re all mated males?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes Alpha. Elder Carson made sure that we all have living mates, and we were all put through

    rigorous testing to guarantee that we would be able to keep all of this year¡¯s contestants safe, but

    specifically the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Have the three omegas arrived?¡± I ask, looking between Luke and Hana. Hana looks at Luke.

    ¡°Yes Alpha. They all arrived before Beta Hana.¡±

    ¡°Where are they?¡± She asks.

    He leans over to the radio on his shoulder and asks the location of the three omegas.

    We both hear that they are outside looking around the perimeter trying to see the males as they arrive.

    Hana and I roll our eyes at that. We couldn¡¯t care less.

    ¡°Thank you, Luke. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will. Alpha.¡± He nods at Hana. ¡°Beta.¡±

    We watch as he leaves, pulling the door closed behind him ¡°Do you mind if I stay while you unpack?¡±

    Hana asks.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡± I tell her, gesturing to a desk and chair on one side of the room.

    ¡°If you¡¯re room is like mine, that will be the walk-in closet.¡± She points to a closed door on the opposite

    side of the room. ¡°And that will be the bathroom.¡± She points to another closed door right next to it. ¡°It¡¯s

    actually not a bad set up, if we weren¡¯t here for the iming.¡± She states, making at face at thest

    part.

    We chat as I unpack, getting myself settled for the next few weeks. I learn that she is the oldest of two

    children born to her parents. Her brother is younger and not eligible to be a imant in the iming yet.

    ¡°Did your parentse with you?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°My dad dropped me off, but I told him he didn¡¯t have to stay. He is still the acting Beta until my brother

    turns 18, so it¡¯s not like he has time to sit here for a month or more. And I knew my mother wouldn¡¯t be

    able to stay with me, so what¡¯s the point? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to go home unless I¡¯m lucky enough to

    walk out unimed. So, I said my goodbyes before I left and drove here with some of my packmates.¡±

    I turn and look at her. ¡°Are any of your packmates going to try to im you?¡±

    She makes a face. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not sure which is worse, getting imed by someone you don¡¯t know, or

    being imed by someone you grew up with and know¡¯ really well.¡±

    ¡°After what happened to my sister, I guess I¡¯d rather know the person. Although, if I think about who is

    here from my pack, it is kind of gross to think about having to mate with one of them.¡±

    ¡°Exactly! And I¡¯m sorry about your sister. I heard that a*s*shole Alpha is back in the imant pool

    again. How is that even legal?¡±

    ¡°No idea. You¡¯d think we¡¯d be treated better, more reverently since we¡¯re the only possible future

    werewolves have. But instead, it just feels like we¡¯re chattel getting imed.¡±

    We begin to hear the sounds of the others as I finish unpacking.

    ¡°It¡¯s nearly dinner time. I hear it¡¯s being brought in from the main house and our guards have to taste it

    first to make sure it¡¯s not drugged. Crazy, right?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? If they are that concerned about these guys acting crazy, why didn¡¯t they screen them

    better?¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Hana says as we walk into the hallway.

    It¡¯s a bit creepy walking down the hall with guards stationed at every door. They don¡¯t watch us, but

    they nod in acknowledgement as we pass. I sniff and none of them are Alphas.

    ¡°Is it weird that none of our guards are Alphas?¡± I whisper to Hana as we leave the hallway.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    She shrugs. ¡°They¡¯re all older I a*s*sumed the iming¡¯s they attended were back in the days when the

    pool of she-wolves wasrger Maybe Alphas don¡¯t have time to dedicate to this process or maybe

    there aren¡¯t enough left? Who knows.¡±

    When we get to the dining room, the three omegas are already there.

    ¡°Oh hi! You must be the Alpha and Beta.¡± One of the girls says. She has long, straight ck hair. ¡°I¡¯m

    Mignon. This is Layan.¡± She says, pointing to a gentle looking blond girl. ¡°And this is Annabel.¡± She

    says pointing thest girl whose hair is dark blond, verging on brown.

    ¡°Hello, Alpha. Hello, Beta.¡± The girls say together.

    I step forward. ¡°Hello. My name is Jara, and this is Hana.¡± I introduce us.

    Hana says hi, but I can tell that the omegas are hesitant to sit with us. Both Hana and I have no

    problem with them sitting with us and we do our best to make them feelfortable.

    Over dinner, the girls begin chatting excitedly about the next week.

    ¡°Who do you think will im you?¡± Annabel asks the group.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think I could get an Alpha, but a Beta or Gamma would be great.¡± Mignon says excitedly.

    ¡°Did you see how many of them are big and strong.¡± Layan says, sping her hands together.

    ¡°And handsome, don¡¯t forget that.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about handsome. I¡¯m just excited to have someone who will love and cherish me.¡± Layan

    says, her eyes glowing in her excitement.

    Hana and I look at each other. These idealistic thoughts don¡¯t align with our knowledge and beliefs

    which makes me wonder what experience these omegas have with others from their packs that have

    been imed.

    ¡°Have you known many she-wolves that have a loving rtionship with their mate?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ve just seen what it is like for my parents.¡± Layan says. Hana and I look at each other again.

    ¡°But that was before the iming started, wasn¡¯t it Layan?¡± Annabel asks.

    ¡°Well. yes. But isn¡¯t that what the iming is all about? Having the strongest, most eligible and capable

    male catch you and im you?¡± She asks, her eyes dreamy again. I¡¯m honestly terrified for this omega.

    I hope she is caught by someone that will truly cherish her. She seems sweet, but very naive.

    ¡°Well. I don¡¯t intend to make it easy. If someone is worthy enough to catch me, they¡¯ll have to work for

    it.¡± Mignon says, with a smug smile.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    To say that things were tense after Alpha Typhon walked into the dining room would be the

    understatement of the century. The smug smile fell off his face as he felt the animosity from nearly

    everyone in the room. No one thinks that he should be allowed to participate. He mistreated one of the

    few remaining Alpha females and now she¡¯s dead. None of us can afford to lose any of our remaining

    females, especially not Alphas.

    He had gotten some food, but he didn¡¯tst long in the dining room. I can¡¯t say I me him. The hatred

    pouring off Seth was palpable, causing everyone at my table except me and Elijah to leave. When

    Typhon had finally looked up and saw the raw furying from Seth, he intelligently decided to leave.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Looks like he got himself a new Beta.¡± Elijah says quietly to me as we watch Typhon and another

    ranked member leaving the dining hall.

    ¡°Hope this one knows to watch his back.¡± I reply.

    The next morning over breakfast, the excitement is back. Today we get our first glimpse of the females

    in this year¡¯s im. Not only that, but they¡¯ll be also interviewed on stage for us today and will answer

    basic questions about themselves and their positions in their packs.

    Personally, I only care about Jara. I am. however, interested in the other females as potential pack

    mates should one of my pack members im them. Today we¡¯ll find out who the first female is that will

    be up for iming. They will also pull her lottery of 20 which will give them time to get to know each

    other this week before she goes into the iming territory.

    Today we¡¯ll also find out which of the Alphas is here solely for one of the ranked members. I expect that

    arge majority will exclude themselves from the other lotteries in the hope of catching thest Alpha

    female. Of course, if they are pulled in the lottery and don¡¯t im the female, they are still eligible to join

    Jara¡¯s iming.

    It¡¯s a risk for me. If I¡¯m pulled for a lottery for one of the omegas, the likelihood of me catching her is

    high. But I truly believe that having a strong female, an Alpha female, as my Luna will strengthen my

    pack and keep my pack members from going feral.

    After breakfast, we head over to the pavilion set aside for this week. There¡¯s a fence with a line of

    guards that will keep us separated from the females along with a separate area set aside for the

    imants pulled in the lottery. While the omegas will only spend time with the males in their lottery,

    Jara will have to split her time with the rest of us. The Beta, Hana, will also probably have to divide her

    time among therge majority of us as her lottery¡¯ won¡¯t be pulled for a few more days.

    Once we are all in ce, the Elder fromst night takes his ce on the stage in front of a microphone.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. Wee to this year¡¯s iming. I am Elder Carson and as you are aware, I

    am in charge of making sure this year is a fair and safe iming event for not only our eligible pool of

    females, but also you as this year¡¯s imants.¡±

    There¡¯s a round of apuse. ¡°Let me reiterate that if you do not follow the rules set aside for The

    iming, you will be disqualified at best, put down at worst. Rest a*s*sured I am absolutely serious

    about this. Neither I, nor mv team of guards, will hesitate to put you down if you threaten to or actually

    cause harm to one of the females in this year¡¯s im.¡±

    He pauses a moment to let that sink in. ¡°Now, let me introduce you to our Master of Ceremonies for this

    year¡¯s iming, Beta Michael.¡± Another man walks onto the stage. He¡¯s as old as and rugged looking

    as Elder Carson. We all p again.

    ¡°Let the festivities begin!¡± We all begin howling and stomping our feet.

    Elder Carson steps back and Beta Michael steps forward.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. How about we get started with the real reason we¡¯re all here!¡±

    As he¡¯s talking two SUVs pull up, surrounded by another eight vehicles. As we watch, a guard gets out

    of the passenger side of the first SUV and opens the back door. An omega exits. She¡¯s beautiful and

    has raven ck hair and dark green eyes. There¡¯s a moment where you can see that she¡¯s

    overwhelmed by the sheer number of wolves that are here before she pastes a smile on her face and

    waves at the crowd.

    She is instantly surrounded by guards as a chorus of wolf whistles vibrate through the air. As she

    moves out of the way, a second omega steps out. This one has dark blond hair and even from here her

    eyes are stunning. They are almost the color ofpis. Another beauty. She smiles shyly, raising a hand

    in greeting as more wolf whistles ring out.

    The third omega emerges as the second is escorted to stand beside the stage with the first. This one

    instantly pulls on my instinct to protect. As an Alpha, I feel the need to protect all my wolves, but

    omegas in particr as they are the weakest of the pack. While I felt the pull to the first two, this female

    looks particrly delicate. She has light blond hair and hazel eyes. I¡¯m not surprised when her eyes dip

    to the ground and she blushes bright enough that I can see it from here.

    ¡°Is it me, or do you have the intense desire to protect thatst omega?¡± Elijah asks me.

    ¡°Very much so. I hope whoever ims her is gentle with her.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll keep myself in her lottery.¡± Elijah says, surprising me.

    I turn to look at him. ¡°Really?¡±

    He continues watching her. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s something about her¡­¡±

    He trails off as the guard from the second SUV gets out and opens the back door. While the omegas

    were beautiful, there is a difference between them and the Beta as she steps out, her head held high

    her light brown hair blowing in the breeze. Her eyes are startling in their color. They are brown with

    yellow rings that shift to green. There is an elegance and grace that conies with ranked wolves. She

    ignores us as if we aren¡¯t even here. I like her immediately. The increase in the whistles, growls and

    howls is obvious as the males see one of the top prizes of this event.

    I see a leg step out of the SUV and tear my eyes from the Beta. The gorgeous beauty that steps out

    takes my breath away. She¡¯s stunning with her dark brown hair and amber colored eyes. And she is all

    Alpha. I have to smile as she makes a point to look over us as if we are vermin and she is a queen.

    ¡°Holy goddess above.¡± Elijah says reverently.

    My sentiments exactly She¡¯s perfect.

    This time, there¡¯s a lot of growling and purring as the males in the crowd see their top prize.

    There¡¯s a shift as the males all start to push forward, wanting to get to these two females. The guards

    growl loudly, aiming their guns into the crowd, forcing us to stop our forward motion.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    As we pull into the area, I can see the ma*s*s of males pushing to see this year¡¯s trophies.

    ¡°Savages.¡± Hana says.

    Title of the document

    ¡°May they choke on their excitement.¡± I say as we watch the omegas get out, listening to the wolf

    whistles.

    ¡°I have no intention of acknowledging them.¡± Hana says. I can¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°You ignore them, and I¡¯ll basically challenge them, daring them to try and capture me.¡± She chuckles.

    ¡°That should get them going.¡±

    When Hana steps out of the car, I can feel the intensity of the energy increase. When I step out, it¡¯s

    almost overwhelming. But I am an Alpha, and I will not be cowed by these a*s*sholes who think I¡¯m

    nothing more than a trophy to be won.

    ¡°Let¡¯s remember everyone, our top priority is the safety and protection of our females.¡± The Master of

    Ceremonies says into the microphone as we climb the stairs to the stage.

    When I get to the top, I see that the guards are aiming their guns into the crowd. The energy tames

    somewhat, but as I watch, a fight breaks out and several men shift and begin fighting.

    Hana leans over to whisper in my ear. ¡°Omegas?¡±

    Omegas are generally calm and deferential to ranked members. However, they are not as adept at

    managing strong emotions and the amount of testosterone in the air is suffocating.

    I lift my nose, trying to decipher between the multiple scents in the area. ¡°And a Gamma, I think.¡±

    As we watch, the one I think is a Gamma tears into another wolf as a second wolf jumps on his back,

    biting down on his spine. Shots ring out, followed by the yelping of wolves. As we watch, two omegas

    are forced to shift back. The one I think is a Gamma, shifts, but doesn¡¯t move. He¡¯s either paralyzed or

    dead.

    ¡°Four fewer for us to deal with.¡± Hana says quietly beside me. I turn and see our female omegas, their

    eyes wide with fear.

    ¡°Hey. It¡¯s okay. They won¡¯t get to you and sadly, this probably isn¡¯t thest time a fight will break out.¡±

    They nod but don¡¯t look away.

    ¡°Look at us.¡± Hana demands and they do. ¡°You¡¯re safe up here. If any of them get past the guards, we

    won¡¯t let them get you.¡±

    ¡°Hana is right. We won¡¯t let them hurt you.¡± I add.

    Elder Carsones up to the stage. ¡°Please remove the offending parties and escort them out of the

    territory. They are eliminated from the imant pool.¡±

    Several guards rush up, dragging the four wolves away. I still can¡¯t tell if the Gamma, or whatever he

    was, is dead, but I guess it doesn¡¯t matter now.

    ¡°Anyone else want to test mymitment to keeping the peace?¡± Elder Carson challenges the group. I

    like this guy.

    ¡°If not, then let¡¯s continue.¡± He says and gestures Beta Michael back to the microphone.

    He steps up and begins again. ¡°As you all know, this year¡¯s pool of females is higher than it has been in

    years. Not only that, but we also have a Beta and ourst remaining Alpha female up for iming this

    year.¡±

    I can¡¯t help the snarl that curls my lip. I feel like livestock on parade for those interested. It makes me

    sick. As I stare into the crowd, I catch the eye of a man who is obviously an Alpha. His eyes are locked

    on mine and there¡¯s a smile on his face, something akin to pride. He¡¯s good looking as all Alphas are,

    muscr, tall, with longer ck hair that brushes his shoulders and grey eyes that look kind.

    I pull my gaze from his and continue perusing the crowd. When I see him, the snarl on my face erupts

    from my mouth, causing the entire gathering to quiet down. Alpha Typhon¡¯s look is smug as he stares

    at me with leering possessiveness. The f*uc*king bastard.

    Everyone in the crowd turns to see who has caused such a response from me. The sound of low

    growling begins echoing in the crowd and the smug look drops from his face.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s meet this year¡¯s pool of contestants. First up, Annabel.¡± Beta Michael says.

    I watch as he gestures for Annabel toe to the microphone. As she steps up, there is pping and

    cheering. She waves shyly and looks at the Beta.

    ¡°So, Annabel, tell us about yourself.¡± He encourages her.

    She looks out over the crowd. A couple of people whistle at her. She blushes and looks at the

    microphone. ¡°My name is Annabel. I¡¯m an omega at Chelsea Hills pack. I¡¯m 18.¡±

    She turns and looks at Beta Michael. ¡°What do you do in your pack, Annabel?¡± He coaches her along.

    ¡°I work in the kitchens.¡± She pauses a moment then looks up smiling brightly. ¡°I can cook really well.¡±

    A cheer goes up and she smiles even brighter. She¡¯s very sweet.

    ¡°Thank you, Annabel.¡± Beta Michael gestures for her to step back before turning to the group.

    ¡°A round of apuse for Annabel!¡± He says and everyone ps for her.

    ¡°Next up, Mignon.¡± He turns, gesturing for Mignon to step forward.

    ¡°Tell us about yourself, Mignon.¡±

    She¡¯s got a lot of confidence for an omega. ¡°My name is Mignon. I turned 18 over six months ago, and

    I¡¯m very excited to be here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re excited to have you here, Mignon. A round of apuse for Mignon.¡±

    ¡°Next up, please wee Layan.¡±

    I¡¯ve been watching the crowd, trying to divert my attention from the Alpha that caught my eye earlier.

    Because I¡¯ve be hyper aware of him, I notice his pack mate¡¯s attention focus in on Layan.

    Interesting. There is something about her that would pull on a ranked wolf¡¯s need to protect. She¡¯s

    sweet and gentle and even I feel the need to watch over her.

    She¡¯s blushing brightly as she walks to the microphone. I can tell that even Beta Michael feels the need

    to protect her. His arm twitches as if he wants to wrap it around her protectively.

    When she gets there, she looks up at him. ¡°Tell us your name, sweetheart.¡± He says gently.

    ¡°My name is Layan.¡± She looks at him for approval. He nods and encourages her to continue. The guy

    who was focused on her begins purring and others soon join in, encouraging her.

    Her response to the encouragement is instant. ¡°I just turned 18st week. And I help my parents in

    taking care of the packhouse in New Springs pack.¡±

    I look back at the guy who started purring, sniffing the air. Beta. Beside him, the Alpha who caught my

    attention is focused on me. When he catches my eye, he winks at me. I roll my eyes and look away, but

    not before I see him chuckling.

    ¡°A round of apuse for Layan.¡± Beta Michael says. There are a lot of whistles and some purring

    encouragement as she steps back, blushing again.

    ¡°Next up, this year¡¯s Beta female, Hana.¡±

    He turns, gesturing for Hana to join him at the microphone. She walks confidently to the microphone

    and leans in.

    ¡°My name is Hana. I¡¯m a Beta. And I don¡¯t want to be here.¡± She says before turning and walking back

    to stand beside me.

    My lips twitch and I see Seth¡¯s broad smile. He likes her attitude. I hope he ims her. She¡¯d be good

    for our pack, and he¡¯d be good to her.

    ¡°Uhhh, a round of apuse for our Beta, Hana.¡± Beta Michael says. The crowd erupts in pping and

    howling. They like her defiance. If they like her, they¡¯re going to love me.

    ¡°And finally, this year¡¯s Alpha female, Jara.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    I walk up to the microphone, my head held high. ¡°My name is Jara. I¡¯m an Alpha. And if any of you think

    you are going to im me,¡± I turn and stare right at Alpha Typhon, ¡°I¡¯ll rip your f*uc*king balls off.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    She¡¯s magnificent. I already love her fire. To threaten arge group of males, half of us Alphas and

    Betas takes some grit. She didn¡¯t even flinch, however, I think it probably had the opposite affect that

    she was going for. Now, most of us want her, some to tame, some to possess and some like me, to

    stoke her fire.

    The Master of Ceremonies really doesn¡¯t know what to do with these two ranked females. They refuse

    to submit to this process. I love it.

    Title of the document

    ¡°And a round of apuse for Alpha Jara.¡± The growling and howling are deafening. Yeah, that little

    stunt might have backfired on you, Jara.

    ¡°Before we pull the name of the first contestant, let¡¯s make sure we¡¯ve all heard and agreed to the rules

    of thepetition.¡±

    ¡°Rule # 1: Only imants pulled from the lottery are eligible to im the identified female. The only

    exception is for the Alpha female¡¯s iming.¡±

    ¡°Jara.¡± I hear a shout behind me. I turn and see Alpha Seth.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Beta Michael asks, putting a hand over his eyes and trying to see who spoke out.

    ¡°The Alpha female has a name Beta, it¡¯s Jara. She¡¯s a person, not an object.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I meant the only exception is for Alpha Jara¡¯s iming where everyone who has not

    imed a female will be eligible to enter the imant pool.¡±

    He waits a moment, I guess to see if Seth is going to say anything else before continuing.

    ¡°Rule #2: You will all have time to meet the contestant whose im you¡¯ve been drawn for. In the case

    of Alpha Jara,¡± he nods in the direction of Seth and I see Jara roll her eyes, ¡°you will be split into

    groups of 20 and will be able to spend time with her during your allocated timeframe. During these

    social gatherings, you may attempt to draw the attention of the females, but it is up to them if they

    choose to spend time getting to know you. If you attempt to force any of the females into an unwanted

    interaction, you will be removed from the social gathering and potentially the entire iming.¡±

    There is some grumbling about this. It¡¯s a new rule and I have to wonder if it¡¯s because there are

    ranked members in the iming this year.

    ¡°Rule #3: A im is only confirmed when the bite mark of the male is set into the marking spot of the

    neck of the contestant. A bite on any other part of the body will not constitute a iming mark.¡±

    ¡°Rule #4: A im can only be made in the same form as the contestant. For instance, if she is in

    human form, the male can only mark her in human form. If she is in wolf form, the male can only mark

    her in wolf form. Any mixed breed markings will be excluded, and the imant will be removed from the

    competition.¡±

    ¡°Rule #5: In most instances, the imant will be of equal or greater rank than the female. When that

    happens, it ismon for the female to ck out during the marking. It is absolutely prohibited for any

    female to be mated while she is unconscious. If any male attempts to mate the female while she is

    unconscious, his im bes nullified, and he will be removed from this and all future iming

    events.¡±

    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t ck out? We do have two ranked females this year?¡± Some a*s*shole behind me

    asks.

    ¡°Because your mate would want you to pound into her in front of a field of yourpetitors?¡± I ask,

    turning to look at the a*s*shole Alpha who asked the question.

    ¡°Best way to prove she¡¯s mine and not yours.¡± He snarls at me.

    ¡°The mark is sufficient on the iming field.¡± Elder Carson says, stepping up to the microphone.

    I see the Alpha pucker his lips, like he¡¯s blowing a kiss to Jara and/or Hana. I turn just in time to see

    their matching snarls.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, Alpha?¡± Jara asks him.

    ¡°Alpha Terrance, gorgeous.¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Alpha Terrance. Your ballse off second, right after my sister¡¯s murderer.¡±

    I snort at that, seeing the smirk drop off his face at Jara¡¯s feral smile. There¡¯s a lot of murmuring after

    Jara¡¯s statement. No one has ever outwardly called Typhon a murderer. Not until today.

    Goddess, I think I¡¯m in love. This s*e*xy female is something else.

    Beta Michael clears his throat before continuing. ¡°Anyone who does not follow the rules asid out, will

    be removed from this and all future iming¡¯s. Anyone who does not agree with all five of these rules is

    able to leave the iming now.¡±

    Not surprisingly, no one moves.

    ¡°All right then. Let¡¯s find out who our first contestant will be.¡± A bowl with the names of the three

    omegas is brought out. Beta Michael reaches his hand into the bowl and pulls out a name.

    ¡°Mignon!¡±

    There are cheers from the crowd, and she blows a kiss to everyone. She¡¯s a sa*s*sy omega. She

    should be a good mate for someone.

    ¡°Before we begin our lottery, if anyone wants to be removed from the lottery for Mignon, please go to

    the tables to my left. Once we have all of the eligible, willing names, we¡¯ll draw for today¡¯s lottery.¡±

    Elijah and I immediately begin to move toward the tables. I¡¯m surprised there aren¡¯t more Alphas and

    Betas removing themselves from the omega pools.

    Maybe I¡¯m just stupid to hope that I¡¯ll catch Jara, but more and more, she¡¯s all I want.

    An hourter, we¡¯re all back in front of the stage. Mignon¡¯s group of imants is called and there is only

    one ranked member, a Beta. He¡¯s got a really good chance of iming her, unless the other 19 omegas

    all work together to take him out.

    When thest name is called. Mignon waves to her group of contestants. The Beta looks up at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine now ma jolie petite chose.¡± My pretty little thing.

    I¡¯m wondering if she knows French when she responds to him. ¡°You have to catch me first, Beta.¡± She

    says, winking at him. His answering growl is all pleasure at her challenge.

    ¡°Tomorrow, we will pull the next contestant and her lottery of imants. However, don¡¯t go anywhere,

    we still need to draw the first 20 imants for each of the four contestants for this afternoon¡¯s social

    gathering.¡±

    The two omegas are first, then the Beta. Surprisingly, I get called for the Beta. While I¡¯m not intending

    to enter her im, it¡¯s a good opportunity to get to know her.

    However, I few momentster. I¡¯m more jealous than I think I¡¯ve ever been in my life, when Elijah is

    pulled for Jara¡¯s group.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Contestants? They call us contestants as if we chose to be here. As if this is some beauty pageant that

    we applied to participate in.

    I don¡¯t bother to pay any attention to the ones that are pulled for my ¡°social gathering¡±. I have no

    interest in getting to know any of these a*s*sholes.

    Title of the document

    They pack us back into our SUVs and we return to our temporary7 housing. Mignon, Layan and

    Annabel arrived before us, and they are already inside chittering about the events of today.

    ¡°Hey, do you know who that man was that stood up for you today?¡± Hana asks as we walk inside.

    I throw myself on the couch in the living area. ¡°You mean Seth? He¡¯s my brother.¡±

    ¡°You have a brother in the iming?¡± Mignon says,ing to sit beside me.

    ¡°He would be eligible for any of our iming¡¯s, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Annabel asks.

    I look at them. ¡°Yes, he is.¡± I say, looking at Hana, whoes to sit with us. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s

    chosen to be in Hana¡¯s im.¡± I say, giving her a ¡®sorry¡¯ look.

    She looks at me a moment. ¡°Is he a good man?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a great Alpha, a better brother and I¡¯m guessing an even better mate. You heard him today. He

    doesn¡¯t think of us as objects. And he loves my spirit.¡±

    Hana thinks this over a minute. ¡°Maybe you could introduce me after dinner tonight?¡±

    I smirk at her. ¡°That would make his night.¡±

    ¡°So, who got pulled for your social gathering tonight?¡± Mignon asks and the omegas begin chittering

    again about tonight¡¯s event. First, there will be a social gathering. Then there will be a dinner where we

    will sit with a different group of males, forced to interact. And finally, there will be free time where we

    are expected to interact with all the imants. There will be dancing and socializing, but all of us will

    have an a*s*signed guard as well as a full entourage of guards at the event.

    I had already nned to weed out thepetition in these forced socializing events and tonight starts

    my elimination. Since there will be dancing, only someone that knows the Argentinian Tango will be

    allowed to dance with me. It¡¯s rare enough that werewolves learn how to dance, that I¡¯m hoping I can

    deny all of them my time. And in an effort to push the wolves into a testosterone induced fight, I¡¯m

    wearing a practically sheer ckce dress. The dress is off the shoulder but has sleeves that go to

    my wrists with a piece that hooks over my middle finger, holding it in ce. The dress falls just below

    my knees but has a slit on the right side that is high enough that I will have no problem with the tango

    kicks and will also give the males the possibility of catching a glimpse of the forbidden fruit.

    I pull my hair into a bun, with pieces falling around my face. I add bright red lipstick and dark makeup to

    my eyes. I finish the look with fat dangly earrings and ck high heels with a strap across my ankle to

    make dancing easier.

    When I step out of my room to head to the waiting cars, I see that Hana has a simr idea. I can¡¯t help

    but smile as I see her. Her dress is a daring red, also off the shoulder with long sleeves. It¡¯s about the

    same length as mine with a slit high enough to have the males slobbering over themselves. She¡¯s

    finished her look with red heels simr in design to mine and a red chocker that will definitely cause

    chaos among the unmated wolves.

    Her smile is as feral as mine when she sees me. ¡°If we don¡¯t cause mayhem tonight, then we¡¯ve

    definitely done something wrong.¡± She says, linking her arm in mine as we walk down to meet up with

    the omegas.

    Their dresses are considerably different than ours. They aren¡¯t nning to incite a not and I have a

    moment of guilt before I push it away. These omegas are excited about finding their mates. I wish I

    could share their joy and excitement, but I¡¯ve seen the darker side of this process.

    Mignon is wearing a ck, floor length, off the shoulder dress with sequins on the bodice and hips

    ending in ck chiffon that drapes to the floor. Annabel is wearing a pink, sequined, spaghetti strap

    dress that is floor length but has a slit up to her thigh. Layan, on the other hand, has a pure white dress

    with spaghetti straps that falls inyers to the floor. It¡¯s perfect for her, capturing her image of

    sweetness and innocence.

    We get into the cars and head to the first event of the evening. I turn to Luke, the guard specifically

    a*s*signed to me tonight. ¡°Can I get a drink at this event?¡±

    His lips twitch. ¡®No, Alpha. There is no alcohol allowed until dinner.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s depressing.¡± Hana says.

    I turn and look at her, giving her an evil grin. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to outwardly ignore them all.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to ignore them?¡± Sweet Layan asks me.

    I shrug, feeling bad. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe.¡¯¡¯

    ¡°And you?¡± She asks Hana.

    I can see that Hana feels guilty about spoiling their fun as well. ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯s in my group.¡± She

    says.

    When we arrive, we are taken to the rooms with our ¡°social males¡±.

    ¡°Are you ready, Alpha?¡± Luke asks me. ¡°You¡¯ll be with me all night, Luke?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be surprised if I spend more time talking to you than to anyone else.¡± His lips twitch again

    as he opens the door to the room. Immediately, 20 pairs of eyes turn to look at me.

    I walk into the room, my head held high. I intend to look at all of them with disdain and then proceed to

    ignore them, but the Beta from this morning catches mv eye.

    I walk over to him. ¡°What is your name, Beta?¡±

    He holds out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Beta Elijah. Alpha Jara.¡±

    I put my hand in his and he pulls it to his lips, kissing it. His eyes never leave mine.

    ¡°Beta Elijah?¡± I remember Seth mentioning him and his Alpha. ¡°Are you Beta to Alpha Mason?¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    He stands, looking at me more intently. ¡°I am.¡±

    So, what Seth said was urate. This Beta helped Layan earlier because he is kind¡­or seems kind.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that helped Layan earlier today. You started the purring that calmed her and helped her

    finish her interview.¡±

    ¡°Layan seems like a sweet, innocent omega. She was obviously scared, and I just wanted to help her

    feel safe. I¡¯m sure you felt the pull as much or more strongly than I did. Alpha.¡±

    Yep, I like this Beta.

    ¡°Would you like to sit and talk with me, Beta Elijah?¡± His smile is radiant. ¡°I would love that?

    We move to a corner of the room, and he tells me all about his pack and his Alpha. The hour flies by

    and before I know it, it¡¯s time for us to go to dinner.

    ¡°Would you mind escorting me to dinner. Beta Elijah?¡±

    ¡°It would be my honor, Alpha Jara.¡±

    I have to admit, this Beta is easy to talk to. It¡¯s obvious that he is kind, caring and wants to ensure the

    safety of his pack by finding a mate. While he wants a mate for himself, he also sees it as an important

    step to maintaining the strength and security of his pack by ensuring that there won¡¯t be a significant

    change in the ranked leadership. It¡¯s admirable and his respect for his Alpha is obvious.

    As we are walking to our table, we bump into Hana and surprisingly, she is also on the arm of a male.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± Elijah says and bows his head in submission. I turn to look at Elijah¡¯s Alpha, as this is the only

    reason Elijah would submit to another Alpha. I instantly realize that this is the Alpha that caught my

    attention earlier today. His grey eyes pierce mine with his intense gaze.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, may I introduce you to Alpha Jara.¡± Elijah says.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    After spending an hour with Beta Hana, I¡¯m tempted to rethink my desire to enter her iming. That is

    until we nearly walk into Elijah and Jara. He is escorting her to dinner, just as I am escorting na,

    although I doubt the reason he was chosen was the same.

    Hana hade right out and asked if there was anyone in the room who did not intend to be in her

    iming. I was the only one to raise my hand and therefore, I was the only one that she spent any time

    with during her social hour.

    Title of the document

    If I thought that Hana¡¯s outfit tonight was meant to cause the males to drool with lust, Jara¡¯s is

    downright riot-inducing. I can¡¯t help it as my eyes drift down her practically see-through dress. The

    nude color underneath barely covers her and since it¡¯s the same color as her skin, it¡¯s nearly

    impossible to see where heryer of material ends, and her actual skins begins. If these two don¡¯t

    cause a rut, it¡¯ll be a f*uc*king miracle.

    And as I see the smug look on Jara¡¯s face, the same one I saw on Hana¡¯s when she walked into her

    social gathering tonight, I know that¡¯s exactly what they are hoping. They want us to kill each other off,

    so they don¡¯t have to go through their iming. I make a mental note to never underestimate either of

    these women.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. You look¡­. breath-taking. And since you seem to be dressed for dancing, may I put in my

    request now for a dance?¡±

    She takes a moment to look me over. ¡°Alpha Mason, my brother spoke highly of you.¡± She turns to look

    at Elijah. ¡°Both of you.¡±

    That surprises me, and I can see Elijah¡¯s shock as it quickly crosses his face before being reced

    with his usual calm demeanor. I didn¡¯t know Seth would speak highly of anyone wanting to im his

    sister. I¡¯m hopeful that will give me an in with her.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Your Beta also spoke highly of you during our conversation. So, I¡¯ll save you a dance. Don¡¯t disappoint

    me. Alpha.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it¡­. Alpha.¡± I say, making her lips twitch.

    She gestures for us to precede her into the room. The minute Hana and I walk in, the entire room goes

    deathly quiet. I catch Seth¡¯s eye and nod my head as

    Elijah and Jara step up beside us. When they do, the animosity in the room ratchets up significantly.

    Not only were we given special attention during their social gathering, but the two most eligible women

    in this year¡¯s iming are on our arms. Add to that, they are dressed to cause pandemonium and

    chaos and it looks like their n is working.

    Seth walks over as the guards take a more protective stance around all the females.

    ¡°What the f*uc*k are you wearing, Jara?¡± He asks quietly so only those of us in her immediate vicinity

    can hear.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a dress, Seth.¡± I can see the muscle in his face ticking as he clenches his jaw.

    ¡°Is there a reason you chose this particr dress for tonight?¡±

    ¡°Of course, brother. I want these pompous, arrogant, haughty males to see what they are going to be

    missing out on when they are unable to im me. If they are incapable of maintaining a level of

    decorum in a room with five females dressed for an evening out, then they are unworthy of me or any

    of us, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Goddess this woman will be the death of me. And given the atmosphere in the room, that may not even

    be a figurative statement.

    Seth puts his hands on his hips, looking down a moment before shaking his head and sighing. ¡°I love

    you, Jara.¡±

    ¡°And I thank the goddess every day that you¡¯re my brother, Seth.¡± She says, leaning in to kiss his

    cheek.

    ¡°Oh, and speaking of, may I introduce you to Beta Hana.¡± Jara expertly steps away from Elijah, linking

    her arm with her brother before turning toward us.

    ¡°Alpha Seth. Your sister speaks highly of you, and I can see that her praise is not unwarranted.¡±

    ¡°Beta Hana.¡± Seth says, taking her hand and kissing it. The look he gives her is just possessive enough

    to have me stepping away, but not so possessive that Hana dismisses him.

    Instead, I turn to Jara. ¡°May I escort you to your table, Alpha Jara?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you Alpha Mason.¡± She turns and looks at Elijah. ¡°Thank you again for the conversation.

    Beta Elijah.¡± He nods, heading toward our a*s*signed table. Since we were in the pool for the social

    gatherings, we were not eligible for the pool of individuals that get to have dinner with one of the

    contestants this evening.

    I escort Jara to her table and before she sits, she turns to me. ¡°I look forward to our danceter, Alpha

    Mason.¡± I pull her seat out and wait while she sits, her guardsing to sit on either side of her.

    ¡°It will be my honor. Alpha Jara.¡± I notice the enraged looks the others at her table give me before I

    head to my table. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s intentionally putting a target on my back, or if she really is

    interested in spending more time with me. Either way, I¡¯m getting more time with her than most.

    I go sit beside Elijah. ¡°So, you got to spend the entire hour with her?¡± I ask as soon as I sit down. I had

    put us on the side of the table so we could watch both Hana and Jara during dinner.

    ¡°I did. She recognized that I was the one that started purring for Layan, and she came to thank me.

    Afterward, we talked, and the hour went by very quickly.¡±

    I turn and look at my Beta. ¡°And you put in a good word for me? That was generous.¡±

    ¡°She knew us, knew I was your Beta.¡± I turn back and look at where Seth is sitting with Annabel.

    ¡°That must be because of Seth.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but whatever he said, she knew both of our names and wasfortable enough to ignore

    everyone else in our room for the entire hour.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°It seems like you and Beta Hana hit it off well.¡±

    I snort. ¡°She walked in asking if there was anyone in the room who wasn¡¯t intending to im her. I was

    the only one that raised my hand. So, she spent the entire hour with me, ignoring everyone else.¡±

    Elijah bursts outughing at that. ¡°They are both something else, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Definitely worthy mates.¡±

    ¡°Have you changed your mind about iming Beta Hana?¡± He asks me. I know he¡¯s hoping to not have

    topete against me.

    ¡°Honestly, I considered it until I saw Jara again. She¡¯s the one for me. I want her.¡±

    Over dinner, I notice Elijah watching Layan. I can tell he wants her. I¡¯m not sure what the draw is.

    Maybe because he¡¯s a Beta, he doesn¡¯t feel the need for as powerful a mate as I do. The girl is sweet,

    but not Luna material.

    ¡°Are you going to ask her to dance?¡±

    ¡°You know I am. Tonight may be my only night. Her lottery will be pulled tomorrow and if I¡¯m not in it, I

    won¡¯t have another chance.¡±

    After dinner, the tables are being moved aside and the live band they brought in gets set up while most

    of us mill around, waiting for a chance to speak to one of the contestants. Because I¡¯m watching Jara

    so closely, I see when Typhon moves in on her.

    I¡¯m instantly moving toward her. She¡¯s been very clear that she does not want him anywhere near her

    and if I know Typhon, he¡¯ll try to use his Alpha aura on her guards to get closer to her. Before I have a

    chance to get to her, Seth is beside her.

    ¡°Typhon. I think my sister has been very clear about her feelings for you. Get the f*uc*k away from her.¡±

    Seth says.

    ¡°Jara, don¡¯t be like this. I just want to get to know you.¡±

    ¡°Funny, if you¡¯d ever have allowed my sister to visit, or us to visit her, you wouldn¡¯t need to get to know

    me now, would you?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d kept M away from them. He¡¯s more of a prick than I realized. Who keeps someone

    from their family? A murderer, I guess.

    Just as he takes another step forward and Seth looks like he¡¯s about to attack him, I step up on Jara¡¯s

    other side. ¡°I believe everyone here is aware of Alpha Jara¡¯s dislike of you Typhon. And if you need me

    to remind you of Rule #2, it is the female¡¯s discretion to spend time with us, not the other way around.¡±

    His lip curls in a snarl. ¡°You can¡¯t ignore me forever, Jara.¡± He says as he lets his gaze drift slowly down

    her body before turning and walking away.

    I can feel the tension in her body rxing beside me.

    ¡°Are you okay, Jara?¡± Seth says, not looking at her. I can only imagine that he wants to pull her into a

    hug, but it would make her look weak, and she can¡¯t afford that in this environment. My respect for Seth

    increases even more.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says, just as quietly.

    As the music starts to y, I have to smile. It¡¯s perfect for an Argentinian Tango, and based on how

    Jara is dressed, this is exactly the dance she was hoping for. I turn to stand in front of her, holding out

    my hand.

    ¡°May I have this dance. Alpha Jara?¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I look into Mason¡¯s eyes before reaching down and taking his hand. This Alpha better know how to

    dance, or he will not only embarra*s*s himself in front of all his peers, but he¡¯ll ¡®identally¡¯ get kicked

    in his crotch. I love a good tango, but if your partner isn¡¯t any good, getting kicked is a definite

    possibility.

    Since there are only five females, there isn¡¯t a lot of concern about bumping into anyone. However, as

    we walk out onto the dance floor, I see Seth asking Hana to dance as well. None of the male omegas

    will know how to dance. It¡¯s not something they are taught, mostly being the workers in the pack. And

    there are those ranked members who think dancing is a waste of time and energy. So, the fact that

    Alpha Mason knows how to dance, let¡¯s me know even more about this Alpha. And, of course, my

    brother is adept at dancing.

    Title of the document

    I specifically chose this dance because it takes a higher level of practice and effort than most ranked

    members are willing to exert to learn. As soon as we start, I realize my error. This man, who is radiating

    raw masculinity, knows exactly how to dance a tango. This dance requires you to be physically close

    and trust your partner. I can feel the heat of his body as I lean against him, flicking my leg around his as

    we move through the dance. This tango has you moving fast and then slowing down, giving the

    impression of a seduction as you go through the moves. Add to that the way our bodies connect and

    move together, and I hear the jealous growls of the other males in the room.

    Alpha Mason surprises me by lifting me and spinning me around. Thankfully, I¡¯m well trained and I¡¯m

    able to keep up. I¡¯m ready when he spins me around his shoulders, holding me as I slide to the floor for

    a half split. You¡¯re supposed to be demure during this type of dancing, looking away from your partner,

    but I¡¯m caught in a trance as his intense gaze holds mine. As the song ends, he pulls on my arm, easily

    lifting me off the floor and into his arms. My arms instinctively go around his neck as he catches me,

    our lips only a breath away from each other.

    I can feel rather than hear the pleased rumbling in his chest as I slide against him until my feet hit the

    floor. He holds my gaze for another moment before stepping back and taking my hand pulling it to his

    lips and kissing my knuckles as he holds my gaze.

    ¡°Thank you. Alpha Jara, for a very¡­.intriguing dance.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Mason.¡±

    ¡°Mason, Alpha. Please call me Mason.¡±

    I raise my eyebrow at that. ¡°Well, Mason,¡± I stress Ins name without the title, ¡°if you¡¯re okay with me not

    letting you im me, then you¡¯re wee to call me Jara.¡±

    ¡°Jara. I would be offended if you let.¡± he stresses the word, ¡°me im you. Only a worthy male

    deserves an incredible woman such as yourself.¡±

    ¡°tten will get you nowhere, Alpha.¡±

    He smiles again. ¡°Mason. And its only ttery if it isn¡¯t true.¡±

    I¡¯m caught in his gaze again, when I see his eyes flicker over my shoulder. He stands straight, squaring

    his shoulders. I feel them before I hear them.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Alpha Jara, would you do me the honor of dancing with me.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jara, would you like to take a walk with me.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jara. Alpha Jara. Alpha Jara¡­,¡±

    Mason watches as I pull myself upright before turning to the group. ¡°Gentlemen. I certainly cannot

    entertain all of you at once. Do any of you know how to dance an Argentinian tango?¡±

    Not surprisingly, no one immediately responds.

    ¡°I do not know the tango, Argentine or otherwise, Alpha, but if you would be interested. I do know how

    to salsa.¡±

    ¡°Are you any good. Alpha¡­.¡±

    ¡°Antonio. And I don¡¯t know how good I am, but my mother taught me. She is from Cuba where is it said

    that salsa dancing originated.¡±

    I turn to Mason. While I feel a pull to him, it¡¯s probably better if I distance myself from him. I have no

    intention of being caught during my im, and I don¡¯t want to give him, or anyone, false hope.

    ¡°Mason, I¡¯m sure I will see you again.¡±

    ¡°Jara, you can count on it.¡± He says, bowing his head to me before walking off the dance floor.

    I turn back to Alpha Antonio. He is actually a good dancer. The salsa is a fun and fast dance. So, while

    there are moments where our bodies connect, he isn¡¯t inappropriate or pushy. I decide that I actually

    like this, Alpha. Dammit, that¡¯s two that I like.

    The rest of the evening goes by. There are only a few ranked members that can actually dance or

    dance in a way that I¡¯m interested in dancing. I have no desire to slow dance so some male can mb his

    body against me, or grope me, calling it dancing.

    By the end of the evening, I realize Hana and I have basically danced with the same group of men.

    There are only a handful of them that have warranted either of our attention.

    I kept an eye on the others, noticing that Mignon was enjoying all the attention her imants were

    giving her. Lay an seemed overwhelmed but Beta Elijah convinced her to dance with him and rather

    than having her feel embarra*s*sed at not knowing how to dance, he had her step on his feet as he

    moved them around the dance floor. She seemed to really enjoy herself,ughing through most of the

    song. Beta Elijah wasn¡¯t inappropriate as I had seen some ranked members act when dancing with

    Annabel, and she was able to rx and enjoy herself.

    As Hana and I were driven back to our temporary housing, wepared notes and agreed that there

    were five Alphas that weren¡¯t terrible, Seth and Mason included, and another two Betas that we would

    be willing to speak to again. Seven out of over two hundred, and one of those was my brother.

    No wonder the female poption was dying out at an rming rate.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I watched Jara throughout the night. I watched as she kept an eye on the omega females. I watched

    while she basically cut most of the males during the evening. I did notice that if the male omegas were

    polite, she was kinder to them than she was to the ranked members, but if they tried to act tough or

    self- important, she was just as harsh with them as she was with the others.

    When we got back to our room, Elijah couldn¡¯t stop talking about Layan. He¡¯s really hoping he gets

    pulled for her lottery. I hope for both their sakes that he does get pulled.

    Title of the document

    The next morning, we all congregate at the pavilion. The Master of Ceremonies, Beta Michael, takes

    the stage and announces that it is time to pull the second contestant.

    He makes a point of putting his hand into a bowl with only two contestants.

    When he finally pulls out the name, he takes his time opening the paper before looking out at all of us.

    ¡°Layan is our next contestant.¡± She will be second to enter the iming territory.

    1 feel Elijah¡¯s excitement beside me. ¡°Anyone who does not want to be in Layan¡¯s lottery, please go to

    the tables set to my left and have your name removed from the pool.¡±

    I immediately move to have my name removed, not surprised when Elijah doesn¡¯t follow me. I know

    Elijah is hoping to he called. As they prepare to draw for the lottery, I focus on Jara. I can tell, like all

    Alphas should, she feels a protectiveness for Layan. Unfortunately, not all Alphas recognize the need

    to protect the weaker members of the pack. But Jara does, and it¡¯s just one more reason why she¡¯s

    perfect to be my Luna.

    Layanes to the front of the stage as her imants are called. I listen, hut I¡¯ m watching Jara and

    her response to the names. When an Alpha is called, I watch as Jara¡¯s eyes narrow on him. Then I

    watch as she makes eye contact with Beta Hana. They are not happy with this Alpha being pulled into

    the lottery.

    At the end, Elijah isn¡¯t called, and I can feel his disappointment. ¡°Hey man. there¡¯s still Beta Hana.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± He says.

    Beta Michael thenes back to the microphone. ¡°Gentlemen. Beta Hana and Alpha Jara are going to

    be sparring for the next two hours. Anyone who would like to be in the pool to spar with them should

    move to the tables and have their name entered into the contest.¡±

    I turn and immediately head to the table. A chance to spar with my girl. Hell yeah.

    When they are ready, Beta Michaeles back to the microphone. ¡°Okay, we hope that all of you, but

    especially our ranked members will take the time to spar. There is a lot of testosterone in this group, so

    this will give everyone a chance to burn off their tension.¡±

    Beta Michael stutters over his words, trying to say that this group of males is s*e*xually frustrated being

    around these she-wolves without outwardly being offensive to the contestants.

    ¡°There will only be four males identified for each of the two contestants. Each individual pulled into the

    sparring lottery will have 30 minutes to spar with their allotted female.¡±

    They pull the names and I¡¯m not one of the names in the lottery for either Jara or Hana. I notice Seth is

    pulled for Hana¡¯s sparring.

    Rather than sparring with Elijah. I stand aside and watch Jara spar. Her first opponent is a Beta and

    she overpowers him easily. She doesn¡¯t even break a sweat. Her second opponent is another Alpha

    and now I really get to see her skill. She¡¯s good. Really good. She will be difficult to defeat in her

    iming.

    As I watch, I see her a*s*sessing and testing the Alpha before finally bringing him down. He¡¯s ready to

    jump up and take her down, but his time is up. She taunts him by giving him a finger wave as the

    guards escort him away from her. As she¡¯s waiting for her next contestant, I see her checking on the

    other four she-wolves. She watches Beta Hana a moment, seeing her fighting her opponent before

    turning to find each of the omegas.

    Ill this moment, I know I have to win her. I wanted her before, but now, I know she will only strengthen

    whatever pack she ends up in. She is loving, caring and watchful. She¡¯s a perfect Luna, a perfect

    companion to any Alpha. To me.

    I watch her next two sparring sessions, beginning to see a pattern in her fighting. It¡¯s to my benefit to

    know her strengths and weaknesses when we get to her iming, so I make notes of the ways in which

    she takes her opponents down.

    When she¡¯s done, I watch her take a towel and dry her face. As she does, she begins searching for the

    omega females again, checking on them. I step up behind her.

    ¡°You¡¯re watching out for them.¡± It¡¯s a statement, not a question. I know she is. ¡°It¡¯s what any good Alpha

    would do.¡± She says, turning to look at me.

    ¡°I agree. Anyone who cares about their pack watches to ensure that their weaker pack members are

    safe at all times.¡±

    She looks at me more intently. ¡°Not all Alphas feel that way.¡±

    ¡°I do. It¡¯s why I have even¡¯ intention of making you mine in your iming.¡±

    She looks at me a moment. ¡°So, you weren¡¯t lying when you told Hana that you weren¡¯t nning to be

    in her im? We weren¡¯t sure about your honesty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Jara. Only you.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m an Alpha female?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not for the reason you think.¡±

    ¡°Why then?¡±

    I nod my head, asking her to step away from the group so we can speak more privately. She looks at

    her guard before stepping aside with me, away from the others.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asks again.

    ¡°I believe that having a strong mate, a strong Luna will help my pack. I could be wrong. It may be

    wishful thinking. But I believe that if I take a strong mate, then my pack members will be less likely to

    go feral. I think there is something valuable to having a strong Luna leading the pack with the Alpha.¡±

    ¡°With the Alpha? You mean, you want a partner, not a bed warmer?¡±

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes. Someone to lead my pack at my side. That¡¯s not to say I don¡¯t want pups. Of course, I do, as

    many as my mate can and is willing to give me. But mostly, I want someone at my side who is willing to

    fight for our pack, ensure their safety as much as I will and who I know will always put the pack first.¡±

    She looks at me for a long moment. ¡°You remind me of Seth.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± I ask, hoping that it is.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a very good thing.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The more I get to know Alpha Mason, the more 1 think that if I¡¯m forced to choose a mate, he wouldn¡¯t

    be so bad.

    After sparring and lunch, we head back to our house to rest and prepare for tonight¡¯s events, another

    ¡®social gathering¡¯. At least tonight. Alpha Antonio got pulled for my social event. Poor Hana got Typhon.

    Title of the document

    When we walk into the house, the omegas are all sitting around in the living room. They go quiet when

    we walk in, looking at us.

    ¡°Just ask her.¡± Mignon says, nudging Layan. Annabel is watching us carefully.

    ¡°Ask us what?¡± Hana asks, moving into the living room. I¡¯m right behind her.

    Layan blushes a deep shade of pink. It only adds to her look of innocence.

    She looks down at her dress, plucking at imaginary lint ¡°Well, you saw that an Alpha got pulled for my

    iming.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± 1 say gently, trying to coax her into feelingfortable in talking to me.

    ¡°Well, I figured, it¡¯s a good possibility that he¡¯ll catch me, since he¡¯s the only Alpha in my im.¡± I look

    at Hana. Neither of us particrly like the Alpha that was pulled in Layan¡¯s lottery. There¡¯s something

    off about him. He hasn¡¯t done anything, it¡¯s more that he makes the hair on the back of my neck stand

    on end.

    ¡°And, umm¡­.¡±

    ¡°She wants to know about the Alpha¡¯s knot.¡± Annabel blurts out.

    I look at Hana and she shrugs She has no idea either.

    ¡°Well¡­.¡± I begin. ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot, let me just say that up front. But I do know that it¡¯s not just Alphas

    that can knot now. I¡¯ve heard rumors of Betas and even Gammas knotting recently, probably because

    so many are bing Alphas.¡±

    ¡°Really? So, my Beta might be able to knot me too?¡± Mignon looks horrified, and rightfully so.

    Knotting is a term used when a male¡¯s penis, previously only Alphas, but more recently any ranked

    member, swells during s*e*x. The knot basically locks behind the pubic bone of the female causing

    their bodies into a forced connection until the knot diminishes. This could take anywhere from 20

    minutes to an hour. During that time, the female is literally stuck with the male¡¯s penis inside her,

    unable to move away.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible.¡± I say to Mignon.

    ¡°This is what 1 learned from my parents. The knot can be ufortable and even painful if the male

    isn¡¯t careful. You should never be knotted the first time you have s*e*x with your mate. You¡¯ll already be

    stretching to an ufortable level and the knot could tear you, causing permanent damage.

    Depending on how badly you are torn, you could bleed to death while waiting for the knot to fade. 1

    don¡¯t know what it would be like with someone you don¡¯t know well, obviously I have the same concern

    as you all do But my mother says that if it¡¯s done right, with someone that loves and cares for you, it

    can make the s*e*xual experience even more enjoyable.¡±

    ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t mind being knotted?¡±

    ¡°No. She says she prefers it now. She likes being connected to my father in a way that only she can

    be.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s how they ensure that we get pregnant, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± I say. ¡°But, again, I don¡¯t know a lot, but the impression I got from my mother is that it

    can be because your mate is so attracted to you and is enjoying the mating.¡±

    They all look at each other as if this is new information. Because there are so few females, knotting has

    be something specific to ensuring pregnancy. But ording to my mother, it wasn¡¯t always that

    way.

    ¡°Any other questions?¡± I ask them.

    ¡°What if we don¡¯t w ant to be caught by the one that ims us9¡±

    I look at Hana. This, we both understand very well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what my father told me before I came here. If it looks like you won¡¯t be getting out

    unimed, then you make the choice. You have time to get to know all of your imants. Start

    spending individual time with them. Ask them questions that you want answered If you feel more

    comfortable with one or two versus others, make sure they are the ones that im you. You can¡¯t

    choosepletely who you get for a mate, but you can make a choice based on the selection of males

    provided to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Layan says, jumping up and hugging me.

    ¡°Are there any males that you and Beta Hana could rmend?¡± Annabel asks. ¡°I won¡¯t know who is

    in my lottery until tomorrow, but if there are any males that you think are potentially good mates, I¡¯d love

    to know.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, me too.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t get a chance to spend any time with your group,¡± Hana says to Mignon. ¡°So, I can¡¯t

    speak to them. Although the Beta seems like he would be a good catch.¡± Mignon smiles at that. I can

    tell she likes his flirtation.

    She looks at me ¡°In truth, Alpha Jara and I have already spoken of this and there are very few that we

    like.¡± She lists them off.

    ¡°Wow, that isn¡¯t very many, is it?¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°No, but hopefully one of them will get called for you tomorrow.¡±

    We¡¯re all thoughtful, thinking of the choices that are avable to us.

    ¡°I saw you sparring today. You ¡®re really good. Both of you.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Have you ever sparred before?¡± 1 ask them. It¡¯s notmon for omegas to be taught to spar, but if

    these women are going to be mated to ranked members, it can only help them.

    They all shake their heads, no.

    ¡°Want to learn?¡± I ask.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    For the next hour, Hana and I start training the girls. Then bodies are weak and unused to training, so

    we take it easy on them, but push them past their limits

    ¡°We can do this every day until you go into your iming¡¯s if you¡¯d like.¡± Hana offers. They all agree.

    Mignon may only have a couple of days, but any strength and stamina that we can help her gain before

    then will a*s*sist her in her iming.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I asked Hana what she was wearing tonight. And, once again, she and I are thinking along the same

    lines. Total m tonight. Tt takes hours to get ready, but when I¡¯m done, I will definitely be intimidating

    unworthy males.

    Tonight, I decide on a strapless, hunter green floor length dress. This one has a ck-beaded applique

    on the left side of the torso from b*reas*t to waist, and a ck sheer V between the b*reas*ts with

    additional beads. The rest of the dress looks like it is wrapped around my torso and hips inyers

    before falling straight in crepe skirt with a slit to mid-thigh. I¡¯ve matched it with a v-shaped diamond

    ne and dangle earrings.

    Title of the document

    When I meet up with Hana, she¡¯s wearing a strapless floor-length light taupe dress. Her dress also has

    a beaded torso, but her beads are silver and cover the entire top of her dress, dipping down below her

    waist on the left side to connect with the top of the slit whiches to mid-thigh. Her top will cause

    some turmoil among the males again tonight as it is sheer between her b*reas*ts and waist.

    Where I have my hair up again to show off¡¯ my jewels, hers is down, showing off her glorious, thick,

    light-brown locks. We¡¯re both sporting stilettos to make us as tall as possible, again to intimidate as

    many of our suitors as we can.

    Tonight, there is definitely more tension in the air. Two of the females have had their lotteries pulled,

    leaving only one more before Hana¡¯s. Hana¡¯s lottery will berge but won¡¯t epass all of the

    imants. There are those that haven¡¯t been pulled into a lottery, haven¡¯t been pulled for sparring or a

    social event and the frustration is palpable in the air when we walk into the main house.

    We¡¯re separated into our groups and our ¡®social gathering¡¯ begins. I say hello to the omegas and

    warriors in my group tonight, thinking of Annabel¡¯s request to know which males Hana and I like. 1

    make note that there is only one warrior that I would give a second chance before I move toward

    Alpha Antonio.

    ¡°Good evening. Alpha,¡± I say to him.

    ¡°Good evening.¡± He says, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles. It¡¯s strange that every male I spend

    any time with gives me the same possessive look. As if they have already won my iming.

    We haven¡¯t been talking long when we hear a scuffle outside the door to our room. Luke is instantly by

    my side and the guards in the room move toward the door. Surprisingly, Alpha Antonio pushes me

    behind him, ready to protect me. The door bursts open and two malese rushing in, throwing

    punches as they m through the door. There are two more behind them and I realize it¡¯s mayhem out

    in the main room.

    My first thought is to protect the omegas. I move to go find them when Alpha Antonio¡¯s arm sweeps

    behind him, pressing me to his back, keeping me in ce. ¡°The omegas¡­.¡±

    ¡°Will be protected by other Alphas, but for now, you are my responsibility. Stay where I can protect you

    I wouldn¡¯t want you getting marked by one of these wolves.¡± Just as he finishes speaking, one of the

    males leaps at me He¡¯s in mid-shift and before I can react. Alpha Antonio has extended his ws and

    ripped the man¡¯s throat out.

    I hear him curse low. ¡°This whole f*uc*king process is sending these wolves into rut. We¡¯ll eliminate our

    entire species at this rate.¡±

    I look at Alpha Antonio with a new respect He¡¯s right and while I hate that I¡¯m being auctioned off like

    livestock and was perfectly happy to let these males kill each other off, I hadn¡¯t taken the overall state

    of our species into ount from the perspective of an Alpha, a true leader of a pack and not just

    someone that wants the title, this entire process is just as terrible for them. They run the risk of losing

    pack members to a rut or even in the iming process No good Alpha would want their pack members

    to die needlessly.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    It reminds me of my conversation with Alpha Mason earlier. He believes that having a strong mate will

    strengthen Ins pack and keep his pack members from going feral. It could be true. Alpha Typhon¡¯s pack

    has suffered significantly since my sister¡¯s death. 1 didn¡¯t pay close attention, but I don¡¯t remember her

    telling us that his pack members were going feral while she was there. How-ever, once she died, his

    pack began going feral at an rming rate, almost as if losing their Luna triggered the pack¡¯s shift to

    bing savage.

    As the fighting settles down, the guards having killed or subdued the attackers, 1 realize that if 1 want

    to be the kind of Alpha I intend to be, the kind of Luna that a pack needs, then I have to choose one of

    these Alphas as my mate. I don¡¯t n to be imed, but 1 will still need to pick one of these males

    before 1 leave the iming tins year.

    When I finally walk out of the room where my social gathering was happening, I see that Hana¡¯s room

    was also attacked Seth has pushed his way through the crowd. He checks on Hana first before pulling

    me into a hug.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±

    ¡°I tried to get to you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Alpha Antonio made sure 1 was safe.¡± 1 tell him.

    He looks over my shoulder. ¡°Thank you. Alpha.¡±

    Alpha Antonio nods at him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than any of us should be doing.¡±

    Seth wraps his arm around my shoulders, turning to guide me to the dining room.

    ¡°I need to check on the others.¡± I say, as I see Hana walking out of her room.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I ask her. She looks over her shoulder and 1 see Typhon watching us ¡°Yes. You?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I can feel Seth¡¯s need to wrap his other arm around Hana.

    ¡°I was going to check on the others, would you like to walk with us?¡±

    She looks at Seth, but I can see her shoulders rx. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that.¡±

    Seth moves his arm from around my shoulder and takes her arm ¡°I can escort you, Jara.¡±

    I look up into stormy blue eyes. Alpha Mason. And based on his wolfs presence in his eyes, he was

    worried about me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When we gather the second night before dinner, the air is crackling with frustrated energy. I don¡¯t think

    anyone really thought through the idea of having so many unmated males in one ce. Add to that,

    what amounts to arge number of females together in this small space and it¡¯s bing a recipe for

    disaster.

    Elijah and I are standing on one side of the room, watching as the atmosphere continues to be

    more and more tense. The omegas and warriors are impacted the most, making it worse, but I can see

    that some of the ranked members, even some Alphas that are starting to feel the effects of all the

    testosterone in the air and the smell of the females so close, but currently unattainable.

    Title of the document

    When all hell breaks loose, I snarl in the mind link to my pack members to sit their a*s*ses down. It¡¯ s

    what every ranked member here should be doing, but it¡¯s bing more obvious as time goes on that

    many of the ¡®Alphas¡¯ don¡¯t deserve their titles or have gotten their titles because there was no one else

    in their pack who was able to take on the role. I don¡¯t know what their packs look like, but it¡¯s causing

    mayhem here. There aren¡¯t enough leaders to control this mess. At this rate, we¡¯ll all be dead before

    anyone can im a mate.

    When 1 see a group make an aggressive move to the rooms where the social gatherings are urring,

    1 rush forward, intent to make sure the females are safe, but also wanting to ensure that no one

    forcibly marks one of them.

    I hear the snarling and growling before I hear the shots start to ring out and my anxiety ratchets up.

    There is a push of bodies trying to get into the rooms, whether it is to take advantage of the chaos or to

    help protect the females, 1 don¡¯t know. Probably some of both.

    1 watch as Seth forces his way forward, checking the rooms and continuing. I begin to follow him,

    a*s*suming that he will be looking for Jara. When I see her, something in me rxes. I watch as Seth

    thanks the Alpha that was in her social gathering Based on the look of her door and Beta Hana¡¯s, they

    had the most aggressive attacks.

    When Seth offers to escort Beta Hana out of the chaos, I step up, seizing an opportunity to escort Jara.

    I want to touch her. No, I need to touch her. 1 need to know that she is unharmed.

    ¡°Thank you. Mason. I¡¯d like to check on the others.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Based on my quick a*s*sessment as I made my way here, they are fine But let¡¯s check on

    them. They may need your Alpha aura to feel calm and safe again.¡±

    We get to Mignon¡¯s room first. She has had the most time with her group, since her lottery was picked

    yesterday. When we arrive, she is allowing the one ranked member in her group, a Beta, to console

    her.

    ¡°Mignon? Are you alright?¡± Jara rushes to her. She is in thep of the Beta tucked up against his chest.

    She is holding on to him and crying while he attempts to calm her. When he sees me, bares his teeth in

    warning and a low growl rumbling in his chest.

    ¡°Easy. I¡¯m here escorting Alpha Jara. She wanted to check on the others.¡± I say to him.

    ¡°Alpha Jara.¡± Mignon turns and sees her. pulling her into a hug. It¡¯s awkward as the Beta hasn¡¯t let

    Mignon go.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay Beta Asher protected me when those others came in. They were awful, attacking and trying

    to get to me. I think¡­¡± She sniffles. ¡°I think they killed one of the men in my lottery.¡±

    I turn and see that there are several dead werewolves in this room. I look at the door again, seeing that

    it isn¡¯t as damaged as the ones for

    Jara and Hana. I turn back to Beta Asher.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°We heard themotion and one of the warriors went to look. When he did, several wolves rushed in,

    some in partial shift.¡±

    Jara turns to look at me as if she is about to say something but changes her mind. She looks back at

    Mignon. ¡°Do you want me to get your guards to take you back to our housing?¡± Jara asks her.

    Mignon looks up at her Beta, her eyes full of adoration, before shaking her head.

    ¡°Good girl.¡± He coos at her. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt to you.¡±

    This is how a iming should be. Two wolves getting to know each other and choosing each other, not

    this circus that¡¯s causing anarchy.

    Jara stands and walks to me before turning back. ¡°Beta Asher, if anything happens to Mignon while she

    is in your care, I will hold you personally responsible. Are we clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal clear. Alpha. Neither you nor Mignon have anything to worry about. I will keep her safe.¡±

    Jara nods and we walk out of the room. As we do, she leans into me, lowering her voice. ¡°There were

    wolves in my room in mid-shift as well. Why do you think that¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°This entire process is throwing the group into a rut. It¡¯s possible that some of them are trying to fight

    their baser instincts but they only have so much control Before these attacks broke out, I could feel the

    change in the atmosphere The stronger the testosterone m the air, the more wolves will respond. There

    were several ranked members who also seemed to be affected by the frustration ¡°

    She looks up at me with those beautiful amber eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± I say as we get to Layan¡¯s room. The scene here is very different. While there is an

    Alpha in the room, rather than having Layan on hispforting her, he has her behind him, snarling

    and growling at everyone else in the room. Layan is curled into a ball, shaking and sobbing hysterically.

    The guards in the room have their guns aimed at him. Whether they are afraid of hurting Layan. or just

    unwilling to kill an Alpha, I¡¯m not sure, but either way, they haven¡¯t shot him.

    Jara¡¯s response is instantaneous. She is moving before 1 have a chance to warn her. The Alpha turns

    on her, baring his teeth.

    ¡°Stand down!¡± She orders him. I feel her impressive aura seeping out and I can tell the Alpha feels it

    too. He looks like he mightply for a moment before lunging at her. A shot rings out behind me, but

    I¡¯m only concerned for Jara. 1 jump in front of her, shing the other Alpha across his face.

    He shifts into a wolf, turning to attack me. ¡°Stand down!¡± I say, my aura ovepping with Jara¡¯s. That

    finally seems to impact him, and he stops, his wolf looking to Layan and whimpering.

    Jara rushes to her and pulls her into her arms, rocking her as Layan cries. My gaze never leaves the

    wolf in front of me.

    ¡°Go get yourself together Alpha. You nearly cost yourself your life today and you put Alpha Jara at risk.

    She will take care of Layan. You need to leave.¡± Imand.

    He turns to look at Layan, taking a step in her direction. A fierce snarl rips from Jara¡¯s mouth ¡°Leave!¡±

    She orders and the timber of her voice has changed, her wolf s oveying with her own, her amber

    eyes darkening to a chocte brown.

    He whimpers again before turning and racing out of the room. I hear the collective sigh behind me as

    the guards rx.

    ¡°Thank you. Alphas.¡± One of the guards says.

    ¡°Why did no one call for a*s*sistance?¡± I ask them.

    They look at each other. ¡°We ARE the a*s*sistance. Who else can we trust Alpha? Everyone else is

    here for thepetition.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°And none of the guards are Alphas?¡± I ask, already knowing the answer There aren¡¯t enough Alphas

    and even if there were, the Alphas that are coining into power aren¡¯t true Alphas, they don¡¯t have Alpha

    blood.

    It¡¯s obvious that Layan doesn¡¯t want Jara to leave her. She looks up at me. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on Annabel.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± When I do, Seth and Hana are walking out of Annabel¡¯s room.

    ¡°Is she okay?¡± I ask them.

    ¡°Yes, and the others?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°Mignon is fine, Layan¡­.¡± I look at Seth. ¡°The Alpha in her lottery became possessive. He wouldn¡¯t let

    Jara or anyone get to her.¡± I turn to Hana. ¡°Jara¡¯s helping to calm her.¡±

    She¡¯s moving past me before I even finish.

    ¡°Tell me more about the Alpha.¡± Seth says quietlying to stand beside me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know his name. 1 can¡¯t keep up anymore with the constant changes that happen. He was able

    to withstand Jara¡¯s aura, though notpletely.¡±

    Seth frowns. ¡°So, he has Alpha blood then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my take. I¡¯m going to find Elder Carson. I want to make sure they have sufficiently screened this

    year¡¯s imants. He was acting erratically.¡±

    ¡°He might be close to going feral.¡±

    ¡°He might be too close to going feral.¡±

    The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Hana and I were finally able to get Layan calmed. She decided she didn¡¯t want to go back to our house,

    but she asked if we would stay near her for the rest of the evening. I have every intention ofplying

    with her request.

    I go to find Elder C arson to let him know of the change of ns. If he wants Layan at dinner, then he

    needs to acquiesce. When I arrive at his door, I hear arguing.

    Title of the document

    ¡°He was out of control. You need to re-evaluate him!¡± ¡°You are not in charge here, Alpha. He passed

    a*s*sessment, he stays.¡±

    I hear a snarl before the door is ripped open and Ie face to face with Mason. As soon as he sees

    me, his furious re changes to a look of surprise.

    ¡°Jara?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Elder Carson.¡±

    He steps back, and I realize that it was Mason who was arguing with

    Elder Carson. Interesting.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. Please,e in. I hope you were not injured during the unfortunate events of earlier.¡±

    I hear Mason growl behind me. ¡°That will be all, Alpha Mason.¡± Elder Carson snaps, dismissing him.

    I turn to look at him and he waits for me to nod before leaving and closing the door behind him.

    ¡°Elder Carson, the omega, Layan is shaken up because of the attack

    and the possessive treatment of the Alpha after her attack. She is willing to remain for dinner and the

    activities afterward, but she has requested that myself or Beta Hana be at her side all night.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible, Alpha Jara. This time is meant to be spent with the imants. She will

    need to spend time with the other imants in her lottery during dinner and afterward.¡± The pompous

    a*s*shole says.

    ¡°And she will. As long as either myself or Hana are by her side.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jara, you will have your well Beta Hana. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not possible.¡±

    I give my best fake smile to the Elder. ¡°Fine. Then none of us will be attending tonight¡¯s dinner or the

    festivities afterward. I will let you feeling and if she¡¯s still notfortable being alone with her

    imants, then we¡¯ll cancel tomorrow night as well.¡±

    I turn to leave. This a*s*shole Elder, like every other male, still thinks he

    holds the power. They still don¡¯t seem to realize that we, the females, don¡¯t need them. But they are

    desperate for us.

    ¡°Wait, Alpha Jara.¡± I can hear the nervousness in his voice. Yeah, I¡¯d like to see you tell a room full of

    near-rutting males that you are the reason none of them get to spend time with us this evening.

    1 turn, looking at him. I will not give, not even a little on this one. Layan was terrified. I won¡¯t allow it.

    ¡°Perhaps we cane to an agreement?¡±

    ¡°The only agreement we cane to is if you agree to my terms. I won¡¯t negotiate on this. Lay an is

    traumatized by one of her imants. Allow this, or we¡¯re leaving. It¡¯s your choice, Elder.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t like it, it¡¯s obvious in the way he clenches his jaw. It¡¯s probably worse for him because I¡¯ m a

    female. As an Elder, he¡¯s used to being in charge, giving the orders. But now, here I am, a female who

    has barely reached adulthood challenging him and forcing his hand.

    ¡°Fine.¡± He finally gives.

    ¡°Thank you, Elder Carson.¡± I say as I leave the room.

    Mason is waiting for me outside. ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Mason. Are you waiting for me?¡±

    He smiles. ¡°Yes. Elder Carson was a prick to me, I wanted to make sure that he wasn¡¯t to you.¡±

    I snicker, leaning against the wall

    to talk to Mason. ¡°I have a more leverage than you do.¡±

    ¡°No doubt.¡± He says, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind my ear.

    ¡°So what did you ask for?¡± He asks me, his voice low, his eyes intent on mine. There¡¯s something about

    his voice that makes my body want to arch for him.

    ¡°I told him that Layan wanted either me or Hana with her al I night. At first he refused, but I convinced

    him that it was in his best interest to agree.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± He says, moving closer to me.

    ¡°Yes.¡± My voice sounds breathy, even to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re a very good Alpha, Jara. You¡¯ll make an exceptional Luna.¡±

    He¡¯s still moving closer, his eyes never leaving mine.

    ¡°I want to kiss you, Jara.¡±

    He moves in closer, his face a hair¡¯ s breadth from mine. ¡°Tell me I can kiss you.¡±

    Here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯ve never been kissed. When you¡¯re an Alpha, one of the veryst females of your

    species, you don¡¯t put yourself in situations where you can get kissed. That¡¯s how you get forcibly

    marked. At least I had never been in that sort of position until 1 came to my iming. I¡¯m certainly in

    that position now.

    I look at his lips, then back up to his eyes before nodding my head.

    That¡¯s all it takes, and his warm, soft lips are moving against mine. His musky, masculine scent

    overwhelms me and before I know what¡¯s happening, his arms are around me, holding me to him and

    I¡¯m moaning softly at his gentle a*s*sault on my mouth.

    His tongue slides against my lips and my eyes fly open. I look at his closed eyes, his darkshes falling

    over his cheeks before I rx back into his embrace, letting my eyes fall shut and giving him control of

    this moment. When his tongue swipes my lips a second time, I open them slightly and he slides his

    tongue into my mouth. I¡¯m not sure what to do, so I follow his lead and when his tongue begins dancing

    with mine, I follow the steps of his dance.

    When he finally pulls away, he nuzzles my nose with his. ¡°You taste just as delicious as I knew you

    would.¡± He says, before kissing my nose, and leaning back to look at me.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me kiss you.¡±

    I suddenly feel terribly shy and a bit dazed. ¡°Thank you.¡± I say.

    He takes my hand, leading me back into the group. It doesn¡¯t go unnoticed by the others that we¡¯re not

    only holding hands, but we are returning together after being alone. I wouldn¡¯t think anything of it,

    except for that kiss. The kiss that still has my lips tingling.

    I pull my hand out of his and rush to Layan and Hana. ¡°Elder Carson agreed. You can stay with either

    me or Hana throughout the evening, Layan. We¡¯ll take turns because Elder Carson wants you to still

    spend time with the imants have to spend time with ours as well.¡±

    Hana looks at me. ¡°He agreed?¡±

    ¡°I told him he could agree, or we¡¯d all be going back to our house for the rest of the evening.¡±

    She snickers at me. ¡°I like you more and more.¡±

    I smile at her. ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m so pissed that Elder Carson won¡¯t listen to me about the Alpha in Layan¡¯s lottery. He thinks I want to

    get him out with the possibility of getting in. He couldn¡¯t be more wrong. He should be just as

    concerned as I am, but he seems more concerned about making sure everyone gets ¡®their chance¡¯ to

    catch a female.

    I¡¯m ready to punch something until I see Jara. Something about her immediately calms my inner beast,

    so I decide to wait for her while she talks to Elder Carson.

    Title of the document

    I want to kiss her so desperately that it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s be the air I need to breathe and when

    my lips touch hers, I know instantly that she¡¯s never kissed anyone before. This strong, powerful

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Alpha bes shy and reserved under my gentle guidance. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m all that experienced either.

    There aren¡¯t enough she-wolves left for the male wolves to date or even have short-term affairs.

    However, as an Alpha, when a female loses her mate, they havee to me forfort. So, I¡¯ve been

    with more she-wolves than most werewolves, but not like I¡¯ve heard it used to be when she- wolves

    would throw themselves at ranked members. Those days are long gone.

    I can tell when I end the kiss that Jara is dazed and I take advantage of the moment to sp her hand

    in mine, so we walk into the main room together, holding hands. It¡¯s a power y on my part. I¡¯m

    staking my im for Jara. It¡¯s not that any other male wouldn¡¯t do the same if given the opportunity, but

    she hasn¡¯t given any of them the opportunity.

    When she pulls away, I let her go, but I watch her the rest of the evening. Because I¡¯m watching, I see

    her search me out and at one point, I even watch her touch her lips briefly and I know she¡¯s thinking of

    our kiss, especially when I see a blush blossom across her cheeks. When I finally catch her gaze, I

    wink at her, letting her know I¡¯m thinking of her too.

    ¡°Do you really think you stand a chance against me this time, Alpha Mason?¡± Alpha Typhones to

    stand next to me, his frustration radiating off of him like a bad cologne.

    ¡°I¡¯d say my chances are considerably better than yours, Alpha Typhon. Who did you have to bribe to be

    eligible for the iming event this year? I would think that killing one of our most precious pack

    members, an Alpha female, would be enough to have you disqualified from any future events.¡±

    ¡°You should read the rule book,

    Alpha. Any unmated male is eligible to attend the iming event, and because Jara¡¯s im will be

    open to anyone, I am automatically entered, as are you and every other wolf here.¡± He says arrogantly.

    ¡°You make a very good point,

    Alpha. Why should a male who has lost his mate be eligible again for the iming. He already had his

    chance and has proven that he isn¡¯t a worthy mate if he can¡¯t keep his previous mate safe and alive.¡± I

    turn to look at him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take that into consideration at the

    next council meeting and make sure thatw is changed before next year.¡±

    ¡°You do that. It won¡¯t make a difference for this year¡¯s im. By then, Jara will be mine.¡±

    I chuckle at his egotism. ¡°Good luck with that, Alpha. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you catch her. And

    even if you did get past me, you¡¯ll never get past her.¡± I say smugly before walking away

    I know that Jara would love nothing more than to kill Typhon for what he did to her sister.

    ¡°What did Typhon want?¡± Elijah asks, as I walk up beside him. ¡°The usual. He¡¯s an a*s*s who thinks he

    can intimidate me.¡± Elijah snorts.

    ¡°How¡¯s Layan?¡± He asks me. I know he didn¡¯t follow me into the hallway to check on the contestants.

    He stayed in the main room to keep our pack members in line. Since I didn¡¯t feel any of their tether¡¯s

    snap, I know he did his job well, as he always does.

    ¡°She¡¯s shaken. Not only was her room attacked, but the Alpha in her lottery became possessive,

    guarding her and not letting her pass.¡±

    He turns to look at me, as shocked as I was.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already tried to talk to Elder Carson, but he refuses to listen. Thankfully, Jara insisted that

    either she or Beta Hana be at her side all night.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised he agreed to that.¡±

    I have to smile. ¡°Apparently, his choices were to allow it, or they would all leave.¡±

    He turns to look at Jara. ¡°She¡¯ll make a great Luna.¡±

    It hurts to say it, but I know I¡¯d rather have Elijah catch her than anyone other than me. ¡°Or a Beta.¡±

    He shakes his head. ¡°More and more I realize she is meant to be a Luna.¡±

    ¡°Well, if I don¡¯t catch her, you¡¯ll be Alpha and she will be a Luna, so¡­.¡± We leave the rest unsaid.

    He knows what that means, just as much as I do.

    The next morning, Beta Michael starts the day by announcing that the dead who were previously pulled

    in the lottery will be reced today. Any who have not yet been pulled for a lottery who would like to be

    entered into

    Mignon and Layan¡¯s lottery could sign up. Apparently two of Mignon¡¯s and one of Layan¡¯s imants

    were killed in the events ofst night, in addition to another five whose names had not been pulled in

    the lottery.

    Two warriors are chosen for Mignon¡¯s im and a Gamma is chosen for Layan¡¯s. Elijah had entered his

    name again for Layan but wasn¡¯t chosen.

    Next up is the lottery for Annabel. I walk to the tables to remove my name from her pool of imants. I

    notice fewer males are removing their names now. As more imants die each day, the tension is

    increasing and the need to im a mate is putting pressure on each male here, particrly the Alphas.

    I watch as the males are drawn for Annabel¡¯s lottery and when Alpha Antonio¡¯s name is pulled,

    Annabel turns to look at Jara and Hana. Jara gives her a nod. Interesting. I remember Seth thanking

    himst night as he was in the room with Jara. Jara must be giving him her stamp of approval.

    I stay for lunch, keeping an eye on Jara. Seth has be a standard fixture at our table. I know he

    wants Hana, and if it weren¡¯t for Elijah, I¡¯d be rooting for him to catch her. I think she will also make

    someone a great Luna. Just not me.

    At lunch, Elder Carson stands to tell us that anyone that is not chosen for tonight¡¯s social gathering will

    not be allowed into the main hall until dinner time. He admonishes everyone for the events ofst night,

    as if this entire process isn¡¯t to me, before bringing Beta Michael to the stage to call the groups for

    Hana and Jara¡¯s social gatherings.

    When my name is called for Jara¡¯s social gathering, I can¡¯t help the covetous smile that spreads across

    my face, or the rumbling growl in my chest when she looks at me, her eyes darkening in anticipation.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I shouldn¡¯t be excited about seeing Mason again, but I am.

    Every time I think about that kiss, my lips tingle. I had even dreamed about it. His warm, soft lips

    pressing against mine¡­.

    Title of the document

    I shake my head, getting my mind back on the current conversation.

    ¡°So, you think Alpha Antonio would make a good mate?¡± Annabel asks. He was the only Alpha called

    for her lottery, so it¡¯s a good chance that he¡¯ll catch her.

    ¡°I do. He protected mest night when the fight broke out. And he¡¯s been very kind in our

    conversations, and he was very appropriate during our dance. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s faking it. I think he

    would be a good mate.¡±

    ¡°I really like Beta Asher.¡± Mignon says. ¡°He was so kind to me and made sure I was safe. I really hope

    he catches me.

    ¡°Remember what my father said. If you can¡¯t get out unimed, make sure you decide who catches

    you.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡± Layan asks. ¡°How can I make sure that Alpha doesn¡¯t catch me, and a warrior does?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. I know we each get one day in the territory before they let our imants in. We all

    need to take that time to search the territory for hiding ces, water to wash off our scent and ces

    that maybe we can fit, and they can¡¯t if you need to get away. Also, depending on how their start goes,

    some of them may get injured or killed. If that happens, then there will be even fewer contenders to

    catch you.¡± I say.

    ¡°Asher says there is a cave near ake. He asked me to meet him there.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Asher, is it?¡± Annabel teases her.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t make it too easy for him.¡± Hana tells her. ¡°Werewolves, especially ranked members, like a

    good hunt.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Jara?¡± Layan asks me. ¡°Everyone saw youe back in the roomst night holding

    hand s with that Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Mason.¡± I say, and I can¡¯t help but smile. I look at them before blushing. ¡°He kissed me.¡±

    There¡¯s a lot of squealing and pping. ¡°Tell us everything.¡±

    ¡°What was it like?¡±

    ¡°Was it wonderful?¡±

    ¡°It was wonderful. His lips were warm and soft, and he was so sweet.¡± I can¡¯t help the smile that

    spreads across my face. ¡°Of all the imants I¡¯ve met, he¡¯s one I wouldn¡¯t mind catching me. Although

    I¡¯d prefer to make my own choice, if I were mated to him,

    I think it would be okay. Seth basically said the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Seth, where did you and Alpha Seth wander off to earlier today, Beta Hana?¡±

    My attention immediately turns to Hana whose own blush is turning her cheeks a lovely shade of pink.

    ¡°Your brother may have kissed me.¡±

    She says, looking at me.

    I smile at her, reaching out to take her hand. I want her to know that I would be happy if Seth caught

    her. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, but I¡¯ll say it again. He¡¯ s a good man, a great Alpha and the best brother in the

    world.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She says, but then the smile falls from her face, and she looks down.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask her, squeezing her hand.

    She looks back up at me. ¡°Alpha Typhon told mest night that he¡¯s going to enter my lottery. That way,

    if he doesn¡¯t catch me, he has two chances to get a ranked female.¡±

    A low growl rumbles in my chest. ¡°Make sure, if it conies down to him or my brother, that it¡¯s my brother

    that catches vou.¡±

    We chat a bit longer about the other males in each of the omega¡¯s lotteries. I give them my impressions

    of the ones I¡¯ve met, and Hana does the same.

    As we head up to our rooms, Hana slides her arm through mine. ¡°What are you going to wear tonight?¡±

    ¡°1 don¡¯t know yet. But, since

    Mason will be there, I was thinking maybe I¡¯d wear something more in line with what a Luna would

    wear.¡± I turn and look at her. ¡°Is that ridiculous?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect. And I know that Seth isn¡¯t in my social gathering tonight, but I was thinking the

    same, hoping he¡¯ll get pulled to sit with me for dinner. Even if he doesn¡¯t,

    I can always spend time with him afterward.¡±

    Tonight, I leave my hair down, wearing dangle diamond earrings, and a diamond bracelet with a floor

    length ck dress that is elegant in its simplicity. The satin material drapes across my

    body, one strap made with a string of rhinestones and the other in the satin material of the dress,

    dipping into a low

    V-neck, enting my cleavage. This dress has a slit a bit higher than the others, coining about three

    quarters of the way up my thigh. I pair it with strappy ck heels toplete the look.

    When I look in the mirror, I know that I¡¯m dressing for one person tonight. Mason.

    Hana and I leave together, as usual. Her red dress is also elegant and makes her look like a perfect

    Luna. I know Seth is going to swallow his tongue when he sees her.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    When we arrive, it¡¯s much quieter than it wasst night. Since there are only 100 imants allowed in

    the hall until after the social gathering, 20 for each of us, we head to our a*s*signed rooms.

    As soon as I walk into my a*s*signed room, my eyes meet Mason¡¯s. His instantly darken and I know

    that my choice of dress was perfect. His gaze drifts over my body appreciatively, unlike some of the

    other wolves in the room who literally lick their lips as if I¡¯m tonight¡¯s dessert.

    I nce around the room, seeing if there is anyone that 1 want to spend even a minute amount of time

    with. When I see no one of interest, I make my way toward Mason. A Beta makes the mistake of

    getting in my way.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. There are several of us here that would like to spend time with you. This might be your

    only opportunity to get to know us.¡±

    ¡°What is your name, Beta?¡±

    ¡°Jason, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°And what is it you think I need to know about you, Beta Jason?¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± I give him a moment, watching as he struggles to find something interesting to tell me

    about himself.

    ¡°Let me exin to you why I dismissed you from spending time with me this evening.

    First, when I walked in, you grabbed your crotch, like seeing a woman or maybe an Alpha gets your

    rocks off.

    Second, you licked your lips like you were going to eat me for dessert. Rest a*s*sured, you won¡¯t be

    dining on me tonight or any night. And finally, rather than acknowledging me with a polite nod of your

    head, you chose to step in front of me and basically challenge

    me. As a Beta, I can understand that need. But I¡¯m an Alpha and the fact that you are disrespecting me

    simply because I¡¯m a female and you don¡¯t think you need to treat me like the Alpha I am, is exactly the

    reason you have gotten more time with me this evening than you deserve. So, Jason, get out of my

    way before I remove you.¡±

    I watch as he considers his options before moving out of my way.

    I walk up to Mason. ¡°That was s*e*xy as hell.¡± He says before wrapping one hand behind my head, the

    other around my waist and dipping me. His lipstch on to mine and he¡¯s kissing me like his life

    depends on it.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯ve been waiting all afternoon to spend time with Jara. I am fairly confident afterst night¡¯s kiss and

    the looks I got all morning that she will be willing to spend at least some time with me during tonight¡¯s

    social gathering.

    As soon as she walks in, I know my wolf pushes forward. She¡¯s gone from I¡¯m-s*e*xy-deal-with-it to

    I¡¯m-elegant-and-I-own-it to tonight.

    Title of the document

    Tonight¡¯s dress says I¡¯m-the- perfect-Luna. If I hadn¡¯t wanted her before, tonight would have changed

    that.

    While I am making long-term ns in my mind with this beautiful woman, the others in the room are too

    stupid to be subtle and apparently, my intelligent future-

    Luna not only realizes it, but also knows exactly how to put them in their ce.

    I¡¯m so turned on, I can¡¯t help myself, I have to taste her sweet mouth. Since I know she¡¯s a dancer,

    when she walks up to me, I take the opportunity to put her at a disadvantage and dip her, capturing her

    lips in a scorching kiss.

    This woman. I want her. I want my mark on her neck. I want her mark on my neck. I want her beside

    me in my bed and in my life.

    When I pull her back up, I can see she¡¯s dazed again. Perfect.

    I sense, rather than hear the others in the room making an approach. Without taking my eyes off Jara, I

    give them all a warning growl, pushing out my aura. I¡¯m pleased to see that she¡¯s not even remotely

    bothered by it. Everyone else in the room takes a seat away from us.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± She asks me breathily.

    ¡°The kiss or the growl?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I smile at her still dazed answer.

    ¡°The kiss is because you are so damn s*e*xy that I couldn¡¯t resist and the growl was to warn everyone

    else in this room that if they dare toe near you, they¡¯ll answer to me.

    One of the guards steps up beside her. ¡°Alpha Jara, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luke. Thank you. Alpha Mason didn¡¯t do anything I didn¡¯t want him to do.¡±

    The guard, Luke, nods, and steps back, giving us some space.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°So, you did want me to kiss you?¡±

    I watch as she looks down, biting her lower lip. I low growl rumbles in my chest. ¡°If you keep biting that

    lip Jara, I¡¯m going to have to kiss it and make it better.¡±

    Her eyes shoot back up to mine and now she licks her lips. She¡¯s s*e*xy without trying and my body is

    responding in a way that¡¯s bing increasingly ufortable in these pants. I can guarantee that if

    she looked down, she¡¯d see just how much of an impact she¡¯s having on me.

    Thankfully, she doesn¡¯t look down.

    I lean in closer. ¡°Would you like it if I kissed you again?¡± I ask her quietly.

    She looks down again before nodding. ¡°But not here. Not now, in front of everyone.¡±

    I slide a finger across her cheek and under her chin, lifting her face so she¡¯s looking at me. ¡°Later then.¡±

    She looks up at me for a moment longer. I need to redirect us or I¡¯m going to pull her into another kiss,

    and she said she didn¡¯t want that.

    ¡°Would you like to sit and talk?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± She says and I watch as she transforms herself, bing theposed Alpha she

    is in moments.

    I turn, taking her arm and escorting her to the side of the room that will allow us what little bit of privacy

    we can get while the others stare angrily at us, or at me specifically. Let them stare, she chose me.

    ¡°What do you want to know about me?¡± I ask her. I want her to want me to catch her. I want her to be

    happy when I do finally catch her, because I have every intention of leaving this iming with this

    woman as my mate.

    ¡°I spoke to your Beta a couple nights ago. You have a fairlyrge pack with close to 200 werewolves?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sadly, it¡¯s one of thergest in the country now.¡±

    ¡°And only your Gamma has a mate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. He got his mate in a iming nearly 10 years

    ago.¡± ¡°And do they have any children?¡±

    ¡°One boy.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how she feels being the only female in such arge pack.¡± ¡°Lonely, I¡¯d guess. Although she

    never says so. She neverins.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that you thought having me as your Luna would impact your pack overall, help them to

    not go feral. But, if you already have a female in your pack, that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an omega or was before she mated to my Gamma. I think having an Alpha female will impact

    the pack. As I mentioned, I think that a strong female, one that can help lead and guide my pack will

    keep our males from going feral.¡±

    ¡°So, you you¡¯re not intimidated by my strength?¡±

    I pull her hand to mine, holding her gaze as I kiss her knuckles. ¡°I adore your strength. I crave it. I have

    no problem being challenged by a strong mate. I think it¡¯s exactly what the packs are missing. Too

    many still fall into the old mindset that females are for mating only. I¡¯ m looking for a partner, not a

    breeder.¡±

    ¡°And what if you were to catch me?¡± She looks up at me but doesn¡¯t pull her hand away from my lips.

    ¡°Or if I choose you when I walk out a free woman.¡± She smiles at me smugly, and I know

    my eyes darken again with her challenge. I nip at her knuckles, watching as her mouth drops open, and

    her eyes widen a moment before she collects herself. ¡°What if I can only have sons9¡±

    1 shrug, leaning in and crooking my finger at her to do the same. When she leans in, I brush my nose

    against her cheek before whispering in her ear. ¡°I¡¯m fine practicing to have a female as many times as

    you would want. Practice makes perfect, after all.¡± I say before gently nipping at her earlobe, loving the

    feeling of her body shivering in response.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Alpha Mason will be the death of me. After our social gathering, I couldn¡¯t focus on anyone else over

    dinner. Several times I had to have the imants at my table repeat what they had said to me.

    The more I get to know him, the more I think I¡¯d be willing to take him as a mate. He is intelligent,

    s*e*xy, powerful and isn¡¯t intimidated by my strength. I love his idea that maybe having a strong mate

    like me could make his pack stronger and keep his pack members from going feral.

    Title of the document

    After dinner, it¡¯s what I¡¯ve begun to call ¡®open season¡¯ social time where the imants vie for our

    attention. Thankfully, the omegas have their group and only the 20 in their lotteries are able to spend

    time with them. Hana and I are stuck with the rest which, after losing several through the fighting over

    thest few days, still leaves Hana and I with roughly 150 split between us trying to gain our attention.

    I¡¯m thankful for Luke who is constantly by my side.

    It feels enough like a tug-of-war with them all fighting over me, but Luke stops it when it gets to be too

    much.

    When the evening begins to wind down, I lean closer to Luke. ¡°Is there a rule that I am not allowed to

    have one of the imants walk me back to our house?¡±

    Luke gives me a knowing look but has the decency to not say anything. ¡°To my knowledge, there is no

    rule about you being escorted back to your housing by a imant of your choice as long as that

    imant is not in another¡¯s lottery and as long as you agree that I stay close enough that I can see you.

    Your safety is my primary concern until you go into the iming territory.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to request his presence?¡±

    I turn to give Luke my full attention. He¡¯s been nothing but fantastic during this entire process. ¡°What

    would you rmend?¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Better to have him meet us outside than to have you go to him or call him over and have the two of

    you leave together. Walking in together earlier already put him on some of the Alpha¡¯s radar to take out

    early in your iming.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask him, mortified.

    He raises an eyebrow. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s concerned about that? It didn¡¯t look like it to me during your

    social gathering tonight. I¡¯m sure he knows, doesn¡¯t care, and isn¡¯t concerned.¡±

    I narrow my eyes at Luke. ¡°Do you know anything about him?¡±

    He shrugs, not wanting to sway my decision one way or the other.

    ¡°Luke, I trust your opinion. I wouldn¡¯t ask you if I didn¡¯t want it.¡±

    He looks around, lowering his voice even more. ¡°From everything I hear, Alpha Mason is the real deal.

    His pack members like him and even some that are in your iming are hoping that he catches you.

    His Beta is top-notch and even he seems to be hoping to catch Beta Hana to leave you open for his

    Alpha.¡±

    I think about that for a minute. ¡°Thank you, Luke. I appreciate your honesty and insights. Can you let

    him know to meet me outside in 30 minutes.¡±

    He waves over one of the guards and goes to speak to Mason. I¡¯m barely listening to the conversation

    around me, watching to see his reaction. It¡¯s instantaneous. He looks up at me and his eyes darken

    almost to ck. He and his wolf are pleased with my request.

    I focus in on the conversation around me, trying my hardest to determine if there is anyone here that

    I¡¯m even remotely interested in.

    ¡°Excuse me, Alpha Jara.¡± A warrior approaches me. It¡¯s daring, I¡¯ll give him that. I¡¯m surrounded by

    ranked pack members, but anyone is wee to approach me as long as I agree. ¡°May I have a

    private word?¡±

    This is not umon. Most of the imants here have asked to speak with me privately at one point

    or another. However, there is something about this man that makes me want to agree. I look to my

    guard, Luke hasn¡¯t yet returned, and nod.

    We step aside, much to the grumblings of the ranked members who have not been given this privilege.

    ¡°What did you want to speak to me about?¡± I ask. If he just wants to try to sell me on why he¡¯s the best

    candidate, I underestimated him.

    He looks over to where Mason is standing and I notice that he¡¯s standing straighter, watching the

    interaction. ¡°My name is Callum. I am a warrior in the Winter¡¯s Bite pack.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Warrior Callum.¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Callum.¡± He says, smiling. ¡°Anyone who is familiar enough to call my Alpha by his

    name, should also call his pack members by their name, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Alpha?¡±

    I raise my eyebrow at him. ¡°Winter¡¯s Bite is Alpha Mason¡¯s pack?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Alpha.¡± He stops, looking over at Mason and I see Mason narrowing his eyes, watching

    this interaction intently. He did not put Callum up to this conversation, that much is obvious.

    ¡°The thing is Alpha Jara, you seem to have taken a liking to our Alpha. I wanted to tell you, as his pack

    member, that he is a wonderful Alpha. Any of us would say the same.¡±

    ¡°Okaaaaay.¡± I say, stretching out the word. I have no idea where he¡¯s going with this conversation.

    He looks down before giving a side-eye nce in Mason¡¯s direction. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m not sure you

    know that this is probably our Alpha¡¯sst chance to catch a mate. He is twenty-five and no one

    expects that he¡¯ll be around next year if he doesn¡¯t get his mate this year. I know you have a lot of

    choices, and no one ever knows what will happen in a iming, but I wanted you to know that our

    Alpha is a good man. He¡¯ s a good Alpha and while I can¡¯t guarantee it, I¡¯ d wager my life¡¯s savings that

    he would be a good mate. He¡¯s been clear that he only wants you. He¡¯s removed himself from every

    other lottery. I know that¡¯s partially because he has taken a fancy to you.¡± He smiles as he says this

    and this young, cute warrior actually blushes.

    ¡°But¡± he continues, ¡°I also know that he thinks you can save our pack. He¡¯s had to put too many of our

    pack members down for going feral. He hates it every time, but he does his duty as a good Alpha

    should, unlike some Alphas that let their feral wolves go rogue. Just,¡± he pauses again, looking down.

    ¡°If you have any thoughts that you may be willing to have our Alpha as your mate, I wanted you to

    know that you wouldn¡¯t be making a bad decision.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Callum. I will certainly take what you have said into consideration.¡± I had no idea that

    Mason was removing himself from every other lottery. He had said he was here for me, but I didn¡¯t

    realize he was metaphorically and literally putting all his eggs in one basket. My basket. Luke¡¯s

    comment from earlieres back to me.

    ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alpha. Anything.¡±

    ¡°There are many in your pack that are in my iming. What would happen if it came down to you and

    your Alpha? Would you defer to him, or would you im me if you could?¡±

    I watch as he struggles with his answer. ¡°I would love nothing more than to im you, Alpha Jara,

    make no mistake about that. But, if it came to me or my Alpha, I believe my Alpha is the better mate for

    you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Callum.¡± I say, schooling my face. This warrior would be willing to give up his mate for his

    Alpha. That tells me everything I need to know about how Alpha Mason runs his pack. He is a man

    honorable enough that his pack members would give up something as precious as a mate, and Alpha

    mate at that, for their Alpha.

    My eyes connect with Mason¡¯s once again as I feel Lukee up behind me. ¡°Time for us to head

    back to your housing, Alpha Jara.¡±

    Oh yes, yes it is.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The frission of excitement I felt when Jara¡¯s guard came to tell me she wanted me to walk her home

    tonight was quickly reced with apprehension when I saw one of my pack members talking to her.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what it meant that he kept looking over at me as he was talking to her. The reality is, I

    would rmend any member of my pack members to her. I ensure that my pack members are good

    men, good wolves. He¡¯s vying for her attention and surprisingly, she gives it to him. My curiosity is

    nearly eating me alive when I see her guard inform Jara loudly that it¡¯s time to head back. While they

    are all saying goodnight, I slip out the back door, moving around the side of the house. Her guard had

    told me to meet them off to the side of where the cars are waiting for them. After they leave, he said he

    would have Jara join me.

    Title of the document

    I watch the omegas pile into their car, chittering away at the discussions they had with their imants

    this evening. I smile at their excitement. That¡¯s how it should be. Unfortunately, Jara and Hana are

    smart to be reticent about the process. It doesn¡¯t always work to the female¡¯s benefit. Jara¡¯s sister, M,

    is a perfect example.

    I watch as Hana and Jarae out next. When they get to the car, I step out of the shadows. I see

    Hana¡¯s eyes widen before she looks at Jara.

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked Alpha Mason to walk me back to our housing.¡± She tells Hana.

    ¡°That¡¯s allowed?¡± Hana asks her.

    ¡°Apparently. There are a couple of rules, but nothing impeding you from doing the same. At least not

    until tomorrow.¡± Jara says to her.

    ¡°It would have to be one of my imants.¡± Hana guesses.

    ¡°Or for me, someone not in another¡¯s lottery.¡± Jara tells her.

    I see Hana thinking it over before looking at the main house behind her.

    ¡°See youter.¡± Jara sings out to her before walking over to me.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± I ask her, watching as Hana sends one of her guards back into the main house.

    ¡°Hana is interested in getting to know Seth better.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯d be sad for my Beta, but your brother is a good Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is. I¡¯m d you agree with that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± I ask her, taking her arm in mine and beginning a slow stroll toward their housing.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t agree that my brother was a good Alpha, this date would be over.¡±

    I stop, turning to face her and taking her hands, pulling her to face me. ¡°Is that what this is? A date?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°Well, it¡¯s the closest thing to a date we¡¯re going to get at the iming. Wouldn¡¯t you

    agree?¡±

    I feel jealousy rearing its ugly head. ¡°But you¡¯ve been on dates back home? Real dates?¡± I ask her, not

    sure I want to know the answer.

    She shakes her head. ¡°No.¡± She shrugs again. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for any of us, but definitely not me as an

    Alpha female, to go on a date alone with an unmated male.¡±

    ¡°Would it upset you to know that I¡¯m d to hear that?¡± I ask her.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°You¡¯re d I¡¯ve never dated anyone?¡±

    ¡°Very d. Now, when I catch you, I can be your first everything. First kiss.¡± I run my index finger over

    her luscious lips. ¡°First date.¡± I slide my finger down her chin to her throat. ¡°First and only mate.¡± I say,

    sliding my finger over her mate mark, watching as her body shivers at my touch.

    I look up to see Seth jogging in Hana¡¯s direction. ¡°Come on. We should give them some privacy and

    have some for ourselves. I don¡¯t want your brother wasting his valuable time with Hana trying to beat

    me up for spending time with his sister.¡±

    We turn and begin walking. When her guard let me know that Jara wanted me to walk her home, I

    wondered if she had something specific to talk about, or if she¡¯d just wanted to get to know me better.

    Part of me, arge part of me, was hoping she wanted me to kiss her again. Her lips taste like sweet

    cream sprinkled with nutmeg. They¡¯re delicious.

    ¡°So, Jara. What do you want in a mate? If you could choose your own mate, what would you want?¡±

    I wish I could see her face more clearly because I swear she frowns at my question. ¡°No one has ever

    asked me that before.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m asking you now.¡± I tell her.

    I watch as she pulls her shoulders back, ready for a fight that isn¡¯t going to happen. I want her, and I

    want her to be happy as my mate. Unless she has a ridiculous request, I¡¯m willing to give her almost

    anything.

    ¡°I want a mate who sees me as their equal. I want to be a partner in my pack, not a baby-making

    machine. I want a voice.¡± She thinks for a moment, and I stay quiet. ¡°I want to see my family. I don¡¯t

    want to be cut off from them.¡± She gives me a side-eye nce and I nod, staying silent. ¡°And I want to

    continue to train. I want to be able to protect myself, my pack and my children when my mate and I

    decide to have them.¡±

    ¡°All of that sounds very reasonable.¡± I say to her.

    She stops, turning toward me. ¡°It does?¡±

    I graze the back of my fingers over her cheek. ¡°It does to me.¡±

    ¡°You would let me continue sparring?¡±

    ¡°I would want you to, for the same reasons you just mentioned. What¡¯s the point of having a strong

    mate if I force her to be the exact opposite of what I wanted for me and my pack.¡±

    ¡°And you would give me a voice?¡±

    I slide my finger under her chin, lifting it so she¡¯ s looking directly at me. ¡°I am now, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I want

    kisses, too.¡± She blurts out and even in the darkness of the night, I can see her blush, feel the heat on

    her cheeks.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even need to ask me if you were my mate. You could steal as many kisses as you want

    from me. Whenever, wherever you want them.¡± I tell her, hoping that I can encourage her to initiate a

    kiss with me.

    ¡°What if I want you to kiss me right now?¡± She asks, defiantly.

    ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, Jara.¡± I crook my finger at her. ¡°Come take what you want.¡±

    I see the innocence, then the determination in her eyes before she leans in, her eyes never leaving

    mine. I lean in, only just enough for her to reach my lips. I want her to know that she is free to initiate

    any intimacy with me that she wants.

    When her lips touch mine, I close my eyes and follow her lead, kissing her gently, tentatively. When her

    hands grip the front of my shirt and she deepens the kiss, I respond in kind, wrapping my arms around

    her waist and holding her as we kiss.

    When I hear her soft moan, I slide a hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head, tilting her

    head just a bit before I slide my tongue across the seam of her lips. This time, she doesn¡¯t hesitate.

    She opens her mouth and her eptance has me losing control. I growl and take control, dominating

    her mouth, tasting her while I pull her body tight against mine.

    Her arms go around my neck her soft moans turning to whimpers, her arousal begins scenting the air

    around us and my wolf rumbles in pleasure at her response to us.

    I kiss her until we both need air. I pull away, leaning my forehead against hers. ¡°Any time you want a

    kiss from me, feel free toe and get it.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Is this what it¡¯s supposed to be like? What it used to be like? Meeting someone, getting to know them,

    and starting to really like them? I¡¯m finding that the more time I spend with Mason the more time I want

    to spend with him.

    I also find that I really enjoy kissing Mason. I was embarra*s*sed when I blurted out that 1 wanted

    kisses. But there¡¯s something intimate about it that doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s moving toward s*e*x. I¡¯m sure it

    could and does sometimes, but it¡¯s also its own intimate interaction, and I really like it. Apparently, he

    likes kissing me too, since he gave me free reign to kiss him anytime.

    Title of the document

    The more I speak to him, the more he seems like Seth, and that is a good thing. I could easily see

    myself falling for Mason. We have easy conversation the rest of the walk. I enjoy talking to him. He

    doesn¡¯te across as pompous or arrogant.

    ¡°I saw you speaking to one of my pack members earlier this evening.¡± He says, and I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s

    happy about that or upset that I was speaking to one of his pack members.

    ¡°Yes, Callum. He asked to speak to me.¡±

    He nods, before speaking. ¡°He¡¯s a good warrior, a good man. He would make a good mate and he

    would treat you well.¡± He says. I¡¯m guessing he thinks I¡¯m interested in his pack member because I

    spoke to him.

    ¡°Interesting. He said the same thing about you.¡± I say and get an instant reaction. Mason stops and

    turns to look at me.

    ¡°He did?¡± ¡°Are you surprised by this?¡±

    He thinks about this for a moment. ¡°Well, yes, actually. You¡¯re an Alpha female, the biggest ¡®prize¡¯,¡¯¡¯ he

    uses air quotes, ¡°of the year. I¡¯m surprised he would be willing to tell you anything positive about any of

    your other imants.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he didn¡¯t say anything about anyone but you. I guess it would really surprise you then to know that

    when I asked him, he said that if it came down to you or him, he would defer to you, allow you to catch

    me.¡±

    I watch the emotions y out over his face. Disbelief, awe, sadness then finally appreciation. ¡°My pack

    members know this is myst chance, Jara. They worry about me, about the future of the pack,

    understandably so. Many of them have another year, two, maybe more to have a chance to find a

    mate, but this is myst year.¡±

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    I cup his face in my hand. ¡°Then tell me why, Alpha Mason, you are removing yourself from every other

    lottery. Why, if this is yourst chance, are you only giving yourself the one chance with me?¡±

    He takes my face in both his hands. ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized it yet, Jara. I¡¯m drawn to you. Not because

    you¡¯re an Alpha, although, as we¡¯ve discussed that is part of it. But I¡¯m attracted to you for more than

    your rank. You are intelligent, protective, and fierce. Do I think you would be a great Luna for my pack?

    Absolutely. But I also think you would be a great partner for me, someone that I could enjoy talking to,

    spending time with,¡± he smiles before leaning in to me, ¡°kissing frequently.¡±

    His lips touch mine and I¡¯m lost again in the sensations that his warm, soft lips give me. If s almost as if

    my lips are tingling at his touch.

    When he pulls away, I don¡¯t open my eyes immediately. ¡°Kissing is good,¡± I say and even to my own

    ears, my voice is breathy.

    He chuckles and I open my eyes. ¡°As I said, Jara. You are wee to kiss me any time the urge

    strikes you.¡±

    That reminds me of something else Luke said earlier. I frown. ¡°Is it true that the time you are spending

    with me is causing other Alphas to put a target on your back?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m concerned?¡±

    I frown. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to get injured or¡­or worse because of me.¡±

    ¡°Is it only me that you are concerned about Jara, or are you equally concerned about everyone in your

    iming?¡± ¡°Well, of course, 1 don¡¯t want the omegas and warriors injured or killed just because they

    are hopeful of catching me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked, and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Do you want my honest answer?¡±

    ¡°Always.

    ¡°Well.¡± I hesitate. I¡¯m not sure if this will change Mason¡¯s mind about me making a good Luna.

    ¡°I have to admit, I was perfectly happy for all of you to kill each other off before my iming, keeping

    me from being forced into this freak show because I¡¯m a female.¡±

    He looks at me curiously. ¡°And now?¡±

    ¡°Well, something Alpha Antonio said when our rooms were attackedst night made me see things a

    bit differently.¡±

    His hands are on my hips, his thumbs rubbing across my hip bones. It¡¯s very distracting.

    ¡°And what was that?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I realized that not all of you agree with this process. That some of the Alphas, the good ones, realize

    that this process is a problem, not just for the she-wolves, but also for the pack members you may lose

    because of the infighting and aggression caused by thepetition.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Antonio is correct. This entire process needs to be overhauled. I¡¯ve tried on my end, but with so

    many changes in leadership, it¡¯s nearly impossible to get anything passed.¡± He looks at me a moment.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s not only me. I guess I was being hopeful.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. It¡¯s just, now I have an understanding of the bigger picture from your perspective.

    But¡­.¡±

    ¡°But¡­?¡± He leans in, gently tugging my hips against his, running his nose across my jawline.

    ¡°But, while I understand and would be concerned if someone else was injured or killed during my

    iming, I would be very upset if something happened to you, Mason.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, I¡¯m d to know you care.¡±

    1 look him straight in the eye. ¡°I do. Please be careful Mason. I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°I promise. And, unless my Beta catches

    Hana, he¡¯ll be there with me. We have a n to make sure one of us ims you.¡± He says, an arrogant

    smile on his face.

    My answering smile is just as arrogant.

    ¡°Good luck catching me, Alpha.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    After kissing Jara one more time and watching to make sure she made it inside the contestant housing,

    I turned and headed back to the main house. Just as I get there, Alpha Typhon steps out from the

    shadows.

    ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re special, sneaking around with Alpha Jara.¡± He says, his voice dripping with

    sarcasm.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Actually, Typhon, 1 do feel special. 1 wasn¡¯t sneaking, Jara asked me to walk her home.¡±

    I move to pass him. ¡°You know you won¡¯t catch her. She¡¯s mine.¡± He says.

    ¡°Yeah, you nning to kill this Beta too in order to catch her?¡± I say, stepping up into his space. ¡°I

    wonder. Does he know that you killed yourst Beta to catch M? That your Beta was the one that

    should have imed her. I wonder what he would think if he found out.¡±

    He snarls at me, his wsing out. ¡°See, the difference between you and me, Typhon, is that I have

    nothing to hide. You, on the other hand, have secrets and a history of Alpha females dying while in your

    care. You don¡¯t deserve her, and you won¡¯t get her. Not if I have anything to say about it.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll just have to make sure you¡¯re taken out early.¡± He says.

    ¡°I¡¯d be very careful about threatening another Alpha, Typhon.¡± Sethes up to stand beside me. ¡°I

    knew something had happened that made people look at you differently when you imed my sister,

    but killing your own Beta? That¡¯s low.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any rules about injuring or killing other imants. This is about determining who is the

    strongest and the most deserving of having a mate.¡± He points his thumb at his chest. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious, Typhon.¡± I say, watching him closely. ¡°Who did you have to pay off to be able to be in this

    iming? I can¡¯t imagine that anyone would willing to allow you in after killing not just your mate, but an

    Alpha female.¡±

    ¡°Jara¡¯s iming is open to anyone. I have every right to be here.¡± He a*s*serts.

    ¡°Well, just remember,¡± I say, stepping back, ¡°the rules go both ways, Typhon. I¡¯m not the only one that

    should watch my back in the iming territory.¡± I turn and head inside.

    ¡°Alpha Mason.¡± Seth calls as I start to head toward my room.

    I turn to look at him, not sure if this is about me walking Jara back to her housing or about the

    conversation with Typhon.

    ¡°Alpha Seth. If all goes well, we¡¯ll be family in a few weeks. Please, call me Mason.¡±

    He smiles at that. ¡°Call me Seth.¡± He falls into step beside me.

    ¡°I wanted you to know, I¡¯ve requested that my pack watch to make sure that Typhon doesn¡¯t try

    anything underhanded with you. They won¡¯t stand back and let you im my sister, but I¡¯ve asked them

    to step in, if possible, if there is an issue with Typhon.¡±

    ¡°And your pack is willing to do that?¡±

    ¡°My pack loved M and therefore, they hate Typhon. They¡¯ll do anything to ensure that he doesn¡¯t

    catch Jara.¡±

    ¡°As will I.¡± I tell him.

    He nods. ¡°Did you enjoy your walk with Beta Hana?¡±

    His smug smile is instant. ¡°I did. Did you enjoy your walk with my sister?¡±

    ¡°Very much. Have a good night, Seth.

    ¡°You too, Mason.¡±

    The next morning, we¡¯re back by the stage. Nearly half of the remaining imants will be pulled for

    Hana¡¯s iming.

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    As usual, they ask if anyone wants to be removed from the lottery. I turn and walk to the tables to

    remove my name. Today, I¡¯m one of only three. Myself, Typhon and one other Alpha.

    When I turn back to watch the lottery drawing, 1 see Jara watching me. Maybe she didn¡¯t believe me

    when I said I was here for her alone, but I am. When I catch her eye, I wink at her, watching her cheeks

    turn a slight shade of pink and her lips twitch. I go to stand beside Elijah as they begin pulling names

    for Beta Hana¡¯s lottery.

    Seth is pulled first as the automatic contestant. After that, all different ranks are pulled including several

    from my pack. When Elijah¡¯s name is pulled, I give him a p on the back. ¡°Good luck.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to need it. Several of these Alphas are fast, including Alpha Seth and I heard she asked him

    to walk her back to their housingst night.¡±

    ¡°She did.¡± I tell hun.

    ¡°And that Alpha Jara asked you to walk her back as well?¡± He smirks at me.

    I can¡¯t help the smile as I watch her, a*s*sessing the imants pulled for Hana¡¯s lottery. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± I tell him.

    For the next four days, we rotate in our social gatherings. Now that all the lotteries have been pulled,

    Jara¡¯s pool of imants is small enough that we all get to spend time with her every day. That will

    change when the others are imed, the ones left will fall into her pool, but for now, I get time with her

    at least once a day and then I get to walk her back to her housing.

    There is a lot of grumbling from the others in her pool when they realize she¡¯s giving me special

    treatment, but I don¡¯t care. The morefortable she is with me, the more I get to know her, the more

    likely it will be that I im her. I have noticed that she is more friendly with a handful of other Alphas,

    ones that I also like and think are good Alphas, but none of them gets the attention that I get.

    On Sunday night, Elder Carson stands during dinner and gains everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone. Our first week of this year¡¯s iming event hase to a close. Tomorrow,

    we will start the first im.¡± He turns looking at Mignon¡¯s table.

    ¡°Mignon was selected first and is, therefore, the first one to enter the iming territory.¡± A cheer goes

    up at her table from her imants. For the first time I can remember all week, Mignon looks shy, timid.

    ¡°For those of you who have never done this before, let me exin how the iming works. Our

    selected she-wolf will be given 24 hours to go into the iming territory and look around the space.

    Most of you males have done this before, and it would give an unfair advantage for our females to not

    know the terrain and for you to have the knowledge.¡±

    There is some grumbling, but I think this is more than fair. I remember theyout of the territory from

    myst few years. They make small changes each year, but not enough that I won¡¯t know my way

    around. These she-wolves have never been inside the territory. For them, they go in once ande

    out mated.

    ¡°So, at 8am tomorrow morning, Mignon will enter the iming territory. Tuesday morning, at 8am, the

    20 imants in her lottery will enter the territory at the same time. You will have seven days to capture

    your mate. On Monday, at 8am, if she is not captured, Mignon will walk out of the territory umnated and

    able to choose her own mate.¡±

    I watch as the Beta, Asher, winks at her. ¡°Not gonna happen beautiful.¡± He says to her. She blushes

    beautifully and looks down. I hope he does catch her. It¡¯s just another reason this process should be

    changed. What if he doesn¡¯t? They¡¯ve obviously created a bond over the past week. Will she be

    devastated if someone else ims her? Most likely.

    ¡°I would also like to remind you of the rules of the hunt. First, a im is only confirmed when the bite

    mark of the male is set into the marking spot of the neck of the contestant. A bite on any other part of

    the body will not constitute a iming mark. Second, a im can only be made in the same form as the

    contestant, human to human or wolf to wolf. Third, it ismon for the female to ck out during the

    marking. It is absolutely prohibited for any female to be mated while she is unconscious. If any male

    attempts to mate the female while she is unconscious, his im bes nullified, and he will be

    removed from this and all future iming events.¡±

    ¡°Are there any questions?¡± When no one speaks, the evening winds down, the usual after diner

    ceremonies ending early in preparation for the start of the ims tomorrow.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The night before Mignon enters the iming territory, we all sit around in our living space. I decided to

    make some popcorn and try to bring a festiveness to the event. I could tell that now that it had be

    a reality, the girls were starting to get nervous, especially Mignon.

    So, we put on our pajamas and sat around eating popcorn untilte into the night. While 1 didn¡¯t think

    Mignon would sleep, I didn¡¯t want to keep her up unnecessarily. She needed to be awake enough to

    check out the territory tomorrow.

    Title of the document

    The next morning, I can see that someone helped Mignon choose her attire. It¡¯s perfect for running

    through rocky, forest-like terrain. Since none of us knows what to expect, it¡¯s better to be prepared for

    running through undergrowth that could cut you or trip you up.

    ¡°Should I have an outfit like that?¡± Layan asks, looking at Mignon¡¯s clothing before we leave.

    Hana and I look at her. ¡°I would say yes.

    What do you have for your iming?¡± Hana asks her.

    Her eyes are wide and look terrified. ¡°A dress.¡±

    Hana and I look at each other. ¡°We have some time to figure something else out.¡±

    When we arrive at the main house, the energy and tension in the air is palpable. Mignon, Layan and

    Annabel all move closer to me and Hana. As ranked members, it is natural for omegas to seek our

    protection when they are frightened.

    Our guards surround us as we walk into the main hall. Every imant is here. They have created two

    walls with a narrow pathway for us to walk through to get to the back of the building. Our guards push

    them back, making room for us to pass.

    The entrance to the territory is about a mile behind the stage that we¡¯ve been using as a meeting ce

    for thest week. Only Mignon and her imants are allowed to pass beyond that point. 1 ignore this.

    Hana and I had already discussed having one of us with

    Layan and Annabel and one of us with Mignon until she enters her territory. As soon as we walked into

    the room and felt the testosterone pumping through the air, 1 knew we were right. I leave Hana with

    Layan, Annabel and their guards and continue on with Mignon.

    Elder Carson rushes up to me. ¡°Alpha Jara, you cannot go up there with Mignon. It is forbidden.¡±

    ¡°Says who, Elder? You? You don¡¯t seem to have control of this circus you call a iming so I¡¯m not

    leaving Mignon on her own until she¡¯s in the iming territory. Did you want to fight it out? Let¡¯s see

    who wins.¡± I challenge him.

    His teeth clench, but I don¡¯t care. Guards or no, the energy here is too much. At any moment, omegas

    are going to start rushing to get to one of us. As soon as the thought enters my mind, it starts.

    I hear the snarls and 1 push Mignon behind the same with Layan and Annabel.

    I have three males rushing toward me. The guards with us raise their weapons. From theer of my

    eye, 1 see Beta Asher rushing toward us too. Maybe I should be more concerned about him, being that

    he¡¯s a Beta, but I feel like his only n is to protect Mignon, not mark her. That thought is confirmed

    when he steps up beside me in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you, baby girl.¡± He says in a soothing voice to her, but he never takes his eyes off the three

    that areing straight for us.

    When they are close enough, I take a step forward and using every bit of my Alpha aura, I shout at

    them. ¡°STAND DOWN!¡±

    As one, the three yelp and fall to the ground.

    1 snarl as I approach them. ¡°Cahn yourselves.¡± I say, pushing more of my aura over them.

    ¡°Careful Jara.¡± I hear Mason¡¯s quiet voice from nearby I¡¯m not surprised that he is here to try and

    protect me.

    As I get closer, I see that one is an omega and two are warriors. ¡°SUBMIT!¡±

    The omega immediatelyplies, showing me his throat, but the warriors fight mymand.

    ¡°I said SUBMIT!¡± Both of the warriors yelp before showing me their throats.

    ¡°Calm.¡± I say and push a soothing aura over them, needing them to rx. I have no intention of killing

    them. It¡¯s not their fault that they are in this testosterone induced mess.

    I watch as their panting slows to a more manageable breathing. And I see when their sanity returns,

    their wild, ck eyes returning to a normal color.

    One of the warriors drops to his hands. ¡°Sorry Alpha.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± I say walking over and

    squatting down in front of them. ¡°Are you alright? All of you?¡± I look from one to the other and they nod.

    ¡°Go let your wolves out. Go for a run. Get rid of some of this energy. You ¡®11 be okay.¡± I tell them.

    When I stand, I realize that everyone is watching me. The entire area has gone so quiet that you could

    hear a pin drop. I look to where Hana, Layan and Annabel were attacked. Several wolves lie dead at

    their feet. I feel Masone up behind me as the three males get up and begin walking back to the

    main house.

    ¡°That was quite an impressive show of strength, Alpha.¡± He says as we watch them walk away.

    ¡°It was nothing more than any Alpha worthy of their title would do.¡±

    ¡°Except there are very few Alphas that are strong enough tomand another Alpha¡¯s pack

    members.¡±

    I turn to look at him. ¡°1 didn¡¯t want to kill them.¡±

    ¡°And that is just one of the many things that makes you an amazing Alpha.¡±

    1 look over to where I left Mignon. Beta Asher was whispering in her ear as he holds her to his chest.

    Elder Carson gets the dead werewolves removed and then he¡¯s back, announcing that it¡¯s time for

    Mignon to enter the territory. We¡¯ re only an hour behind but I make sure that he announces that

    tomorrow the imants won¡¯t enter until 9am.

    1 walk Mignon to the entrance of the territory.

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    She turns to look at me. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Alpha.¡±

    I take her hands and look into her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t Beta Asher tell you where to meet him?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, here¡¯s what you do. Find the ce he wants to meet you. It¡¯s near water, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, find the ce, then start creating trails in all different directions away from the water. Make sure

    you cross the water if you can and exit farther up from where you entered. That way if others find your

    scent, they won¡¯t know exactly where to go to find you. Make them really work for it. Then, find a ce

    to hide where only you or your wolf can fit. If the worst happens, and someone else gets to you before

    Beta Asher, get to your hiding ce. He¡¯ll find you, I know he will.¡±

    She reaches out to hug me. ¡°Thank you, Alpha. For everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side Mignon.¡±

    She pulls away and turns, ready to enter the iming territory. As the gun fires for the beginning of the

    iming, she takes off running. 1 watch her until she disappears into the forest.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    1 don¡¯t know if Jara truly understands what she just did, but everyone else does. There isn¡¯t another

    Alpha that could have done what she did. At least, not an Alpha male. It reinforces to me that I¡¯m right.

    If she mates with an Alpha, she will strengthen their pack. She could bring calm to the violent and feral

    nature of our species. Or at least, to her pack.

    I watch her as she talks to Mignon before she heads into the iming territory. The atmosphere is still

    tense in the field, but I also know that the stakes just went up for Jara¡¯s iming. She just inadvertently

    showed everyone how powerful she is. Now that the iming¡¯s have started, it¡¯s only a matter of time

    before it¡¯s her turn. And it will be me, hunting my mate as I battle against 200 other wolves to im her

    first while battling against her and time to get to her before she makes it out without my mark.

    Title of the document

    When Mignon is one of sight, Jara turns, every bit the Alpha female she is and begins walking toward

    Hana, Layan and Annabel. 1 watch as she checks on them before turning to Elder Carson.

    Other than Mignon¡¯s imants, our activities are supposed to continue today as normal. We will rotate

    through our contestant, spending time with them in groups.

    It¡¯s only because I¡¯m watching her that I see her turn and look past me. 1 follow her gaze and see Beta

    Asher is sitting as close to the starting line as possible. He¡¯s looking to where Mignon disappeared into

    the forest. His hands are absently stroking the gra*s*s in front of him as he tries to listen in the direction

    she went. When I look back, Jara¡¯s lips are twitching. She likes him. It seems like Mignon does as well.

    Jara catches me watching her and quickly looks away.

    The rest of the day goes much the same as the others. That night Luke, Jara¡¯s guard, finds me and

    asks me to meet Jara. As we walk back to her housing, I ask her about what she said to Mignon before

    she went into the iming territory.

    ¡°I told her what I thought she should do.¡±

    ¡°And what was that?¡± I ask her.

    She stops and looks at me. ¡°Now, why would I tell you my secrets, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Because you want me to catch you?¡± I smile at her.

    ¡°If I made it easy for you, it wouldn¡¯t give you the challenge you and your wolf expect.¡± She says, giving

    me a sa*s*sy smile.

    ¡°True.¡± I say, putting my hands on her hips and pulling her closer to me. She¡¯s be more

    comfortable with our kisses over the past week. ¡°I expect that you will give not only me, but every other

    male in your quite a challenge.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the goal.¡±

    I rub my nose against hers before kissing the side of her mouth, then moving to her neck. I kiss my way

    down her neck to her mate mark, licking the spot where 1 intend to sink my teeth very soon. Her shiver

    of pleasure has my wolf rumbling in pride at her response to us.

    ¡°Careful Mason, no marking.¡±

    ¡°No marking. Just teasing.¡± I say as my caninese out and I scrape them over her mate mark.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Her gasp of pleasure is almost as satisfying as her leaning her head back, giving me better ess. I

    take advantage and nip my way up her throat before pulling my canines back and taking her mouth in a

    passionate kiss.

    When I pull away, 1 lean my forehead against hers. ¡°You, Alpha Jara, are one hell of a woman.¡±

    We stand like that a moment more before 1 step back and take her hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you home

    before they send out an army to search for you. ¡°

    ¡°How long do you think it will take for Mignon to get imed?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Well, depending on how good your advice was, it would be several days. Although that also implies

    that Beta Asher isn¡¯t going to be hunting her day and night.¡±

    She chuckles at that. ¡°It was sweet that he was sitting, waiting to get into the territory.¡±

    ¡°Sweet, huh?¡± I say as we arrive at the border of her housing.

    She shrugs. ¡°I thought so.¡±

    I tuck a stray hair behind her ear. ¡°Should 1 n to sit at the entrance of the territory after you go in?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t help you. I¡¯ll be long gone by the time the group of youe in.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Before she can answer, I take her face in my hands and kiss her deeply. I wrap an arm around her

    waist, pulling her to me. This time, her lips part for me and I slide my tongue into her mouth, tasting her,

    drawing the kiss even deeper until she¡¯s clinging to me, her body pressed tightly against mine.

    When I finally pull away, we¡¯re both panting. I kiss her nose, smiling when she doesn¡¯t immediately

    open her eyes.

    ¡°Get inside, I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± I turn her toward the house and swat her behind, making her

    jump.

    I wait until she¡¯s inside before 1 turn and head back to the main house.

    The next morning, the tension in the air is much calmer. Everyone knows that only the 20 imants

    chosen for today get to go into the iming territory.

    The group is a mix of those in their human form and those in their wolf form. Beta Asher is in his human

    form, as are several warriors. All of the omegas are in wolf form. Their only chance to find Mignon is

    with their wolf. Beta Asher doesn¡¯t need the wolf advantage right away. Starting in his human form is

    smart. Once the human side gets tired, he can shift and let the wolf take over, extending the time that

    he can search for Mignon.

    When the gun goes off, Beta Asher takes off like a shot. Several of those in wolf form, obviously

    excited and unable to control their wolves fully, howl as they take off, the howl of the hunt. As we

    watch, the group breaks out in different directions, noses in the air, hunting for their prey.

    Elijahes up beside me. ¡°Think she¡¯llst longer than one day?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± I say, watching as the group disappears into the forest.

    ¡°Seriously? Why?¡±

    I turn to him. ¡°Because Jara gave her some pointers.¡±

    He snorts. ¡°Then, they¡¯ll be lucky to catch her at all.¡± He says, and we turn to head into the main house.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Over the next couple of days, we periodically hear the imants for Mignon howling in the iming

    territory. Sometimes, it¡¯s the howl of the hunt, sometimes it¡¯s a howl of frustration, and asionally,

    we¡¯ll hear the yelp of pain.

    Hana and I have made a point to be at the main house every day. I¡¯ve requested that my social

    gatherings be outside, so I can keep track of Mignon¡¯s im.

    It¡¯s the third day after the imants went into the territory when I hear an excited yip followed by the

    howl of the hunt. This time, it¡¯s different. This person hasn¡¯t just picked up her scent, they¡¯ve found her.

    As one, we all stop to listen to the sounds inside the iming territory.

    Title of the document

    Instinctively, Hana and 1 move closer to each other. I see Layan and Annabel also move closer

    together. It¡¯s quiet for nearly 20 minutes, then we hear it. The howl of victory. Mignon has been caught.

    I look at Lay an and see that she has gone pale. She¡¯s up next. If everything has gone well with

    Mignon, Layan will enter the iming territory tomorrow.

    I hear him before I see him. He¡¯s snarling at the other imants, threatening them if they get too close

    to his mate. As soon as he breaks from the forest line, I have to smile. Beta Asher caught her.

    He¡¯s carrying her in his arms. She¡¯s unconscious, her hair falling nearly to the ground. He¡¯s nipping and

    snarling at the other males that have followed him out. I jog up to him, ready to check on Mignon. He

    stops, snarling at me.

    ¡°Stand down, Beta. I¡¯m going to check her.¡±

    ¡°I would never hurt her.¡± He tells me.

    ¡°But she¡¯s been in the iming territory for four days. She could be injured, hungry, dehydrated. Let me

    check her.¡±

    He nods and let¡¯s me approach. I walk up and move Mignon¡¯s hair from her face. I nce at Beta

    Asher and see the look of total adoration on his face.

    ¡°She gave me a good run.¡± He tells me and his pride in his new mate is obvious.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be a good mate to you.¡± I tell him as I finish checking her over, feeling her pulse and finding it

    strong.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll be a good mate to her.¡± He says and I step back, letting him pass.

    As he begins walking her to the main house, the rest of the group begins pping, howling and

    stomping their feet at him catching his mate. Because I am standing so close to him, 1 feel the change

    in him. There are too many unmated, excited males around his newly marked, unconscious mate.

    His snarl is vicious, and the area goes quiet. Elder Carson steps up.

    ¡°Beta Asher, feel free to take your mate to your quarters. We¡¯ll find alternate arrangements for your

    a*s*signed roommate.¡±

    I already know this is not going to be sufficient. He can¡¯t keep her safe from all these males and that¡¯s

    exactly what he¡¯s thinking. Until hepletes the bond by mating with Mignon, he¡¯ll be extremely

    protective of her.

    ¡°Elder Carson, why don¡¯t you let Beta Asher take Mignon to our house. She has her own room there

    and it¡¯s only us and the guards.¡±

    ¡°That is highly improper.¡± He says, puffing himself up importantly.

    ¡°Why? He¡¯s got his mate. He doesn¡¯t need another one. Your main house is filled with unmated males,

    but our house is not. After Mignon wakes and theyplete the bond, if they want to move back here,

    fine. But for now, it will save fighting and keep Mignon from being put at risk.¡±

    Elder Carson looks from Beta Asher to me and then to the group of males milling around waiting for his

    final word. The excitement in the air is still tangible.

    ¡°Fine. But if you step out of line in any way,

    Beta, my guards will have orders to take you out.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± He says to Elder Carson before turning to me.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Be a good mate to Mignon and that¡¯s all the thanks I need.¡± I tell him before leading the way back to

    our house.

    When we arrive, I show him her room. I watch as he gently ces her on the bed, covering her before

    looking around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have some food and water sent up for both of you. Make sure she gets both before youplete

    your bond, Beta.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. And thank you again.¡±

    I nod before closing the door. I turn and nearly run into Luke. ¡°That was well done, Alpha Jara.¡± ¡°Thank

    you, Luke. Now, can you help me figure out how we¡¯re going to get them food and water for the next

    couple of days?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± He says and we head to the kitchen.

    It isn¡¯t long before Lay an, Annabel and Hana alle in.

    ¡°Did you get them settled?¡± Hana asks me.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just getting some food and water to send up there for them.¡±

    ¡°I told Elder Carson that we needed the evening to ourselves, knowing Layan would be going into the

    iming territory tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I look over to where Annabel and Layan are sitting in the living room.

    ¡°How is she?¡± I whisper to Hana.

    ¡°Terrified.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°Sounds like we need another girl¡¯s night.¡± I say smiling.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Pizza!¡± Hana says excitedly.

    I turn and look at Luke. ¡°I can make that happen.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Luke.¡± 1 say and he shes me one of his rare, genuine smiles.

    For the rest of the night, we pile on the couch, surrounding Layan and supporting her. Unlike Mignon,

    she isn¡¯t thrilled with her ranked member, the Alpha that was aggressively guarding her a week ago.

    And he is the one most likely to catch her.

    It¡¯ste at night and Lay an and Annabel have fallen asleep on the couch. Hana and I pulled nkets

    from the closet to cover us up and we¡¯re having a pajama party sleepover on the couches tonight.

    As wey there, we hear it. I look over at Hana and I can¡¯t help the snicker that begins bubbling up.

    ¡°Is that¡­¡±

    Just as she asks, we hear Mignon begin moaning Asher¡¯s name, the bed in the room thumping against

    the wall. We can hear Beta Asher¡¯s growling and the pace increases until Mignon is screaming his

    name. Then everything goes quiet.

    ¡°Well, I guess theypleted the bond.¡±

    Hana says and we both burst into giggles, trying to stay quiet so we don¡¯t wake Layan and Annabel.

    Tomorrow is going to be another big day.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    We all watched the way Jara managed Beta

    Asher and Elder Carson. The energy among the group was racing at levels higher than it should be.

    Again. We¡¯ve already had too many outbursts from omegas and even some ranked members that can¡¯t

    handle this level of intensity. I was d Jara pushed to have Beta Asher and Mignon stay at the

    female¡¯s housing. It¡¯s the safest option.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m really beginning to question Elder Carson¡¯ s ability to lead this process. While he says that his

    primary goal is the safety of the females in this year¡¯s iming, he has done nothing that I can tell to

    keep them safe. Instead, he chose to a*s*sume that the Alpha in Layan¡¯s im is fine. And now, he

    wants a newly mated male to bring his unconscious mate into a house with over 200 other wolves all

    looking for their mate? The man isn¡¯t making good choices in my opinion.

    When it is announced that the females will be spending a quiet evening in their own house, there is a

    lot of grumbling amongst the males. The ones from Mignon¡¯s im were set to spend time with Jara

    tonight. Their first chance to get to know her. The group that is set to im Layan is also unhappy, as

    they were going to spend theirst night with her before she goes into the territory tomorrow.

    Because I have been keeping an eye on the Alpha from Layan¡¯s im, I can see that the energy of the

    day is affecting him. He¡¯s holding it together, but just barely. For her sake, I hope he doesn¡¯t catch

    Layan. I have a couple warriors in my pack that were pulled for her im. Any one of them would be a

    better mate than this Alpha who is too close to going feral.

    ¡°You know, just because you are spending extra time with her, it doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯ll let you catch

    her.¡± Alpha Typhones up to stand beside me.

    ¡°I would never expect an Alpha female to let anyone catch her. She¡¯s an Alpha and I think she¡¯s shown

    just how Alpha-like she is in the short time we¡¯ve been here. If I were you, Typhon, I¡¯d be more worried

    about myself, not about others. There isn¡¯t a chance in hell that she¡¯ll let you catch her.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯ve done it once, I can do it again.¡±

    ¡°And that is your first mistake.¡± Seth says,ing up to stand with us. ¡°You a*s*sume that Jara is just

    like M. She¡¯s not. Losing a sister changes you, makes you harder. The only way you¡¯ll ever get Jara

    is if you cheat. And there are enough of my pack members in this iming, that I know they won¡¯t let

    you cheat to catch her. You¡¯ve made too many enemies, Typhon.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see about that, won¡¯t we.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will.¡± I say, turning my back on Typhon and basically cutting him from our conversation. I hear

    him snort before he walks off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care who ims my sister, as long as it¡¯s not that piece of shit.¡± Seth says, watching him walk

    away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I intend to catch your sister, even if she doesn¡¯t want to be caught.¡± His gaze turns to me,

    and he smiles.

    ¡°She seems to be showing you quite a bit of attentiontely.¡±

    ¡°Your sister is an amazing woman, and an amazing Alpha. Anyone would be lucky to im her, but I

    intend to be the one that walks out carrying her, my mark on her neck.¡±

    ¡°From everything I¡¯ve heard of you and your pack, you¡¯d be a good mate to my sister.¡±

    ¡°I intend to be. And what about you? It seems Beta Hana is spending as much time with you as Jara is

    with me.¡±

    Now it¡¯s his turn to smile and his eyes drift off in the direction of their housing. ¡°She¡¯s pretty incredible.

    My im won¡¯t be as difficult as yours, since there are only 75 in her pool, but I still n to be the one

    carrying her out with my mark on her neck at the end of her im.¡±

    I extend my hand. ¡°Good luck to both of us then.¡±

    He shakes my hand. ¡°Yes, now we just have to get through these other two, then we can im our

    mates and go home.¡±

    Without anything to do, the rest of us spend the evening wandering around. Eventually, I head to my

    room and begin thinking of the best strategy to catch Jara. I fall asleep and dream of chasing her all

    over the territory. It¡¯s probably not far from how it will be when she¡¯s in the territory.

    The next morning, it¡¯s the same as it was with Mignon. Beta Hana stays with Annabel while Jara walks

    Layan to the edge of the territory. I¡¯m slightly surprised that Asher and Mignon aren¡¯t here to wish her

    well. I¡¯ll have to ask Jara about it.

    We all watch as Jara obviously has to calm Layan. 1 see Layan wipe her eyes before hugging Jara

    tightly.

    ¡°I f*uc*king hate this.¡± Elijah says, coining up beside me. ¡°That sweet girl is terrified. At least if I was in

    her im, I could make sure that she was okay.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope one of our pack members ims her. She would do fine in our pack. We would look after

    her.¡±

    We watch as Layan finally pulls away from Jara, turns to the territory and straightens her shoulders.

    The gun is fired, and she jogs into the territory. I watch Jara, who waits until she can¡¯t see her any

    longer. The rest of the crowd begins moving inside. So, it¡¯s only me that sees Jara quickly swipe her

    eyes.

    She turns, heading back inside. She¡¯s not paying attention, so I step into her path causing her to stop.

    She looks up at me and I can see the tears wanting to fall from her eyes. I don¡¯t say a word, I just pull

    her in for a hug, wrapping my arms around her.

    Her hands fist in my shirt and I feel her body trembling with her internal battle. ¡°I hate this.¡± She

    mumbles against my chest.

    ¡°Me too. She¡¯s too gentle for this type of iming.¡±

    She nods then wipes her face on my shirt before pulling back. ¡°I have to get inside. The show must go

    on.¡±

    I take my thumbs and wipe the tears from her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡± I tell her, kissing her forehead

    before letting her go.

    I watch her walk toward the main house. Hana and Annabel catch up to her and they wrap their arms

    around each other, walking inside as a wall of solidarity.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    After sending Layan into the iming territory, I felt numb. This whole process needs to change. She¡¯s

    terrified and there¡¯s nothing I, or anyone can do for her. Well, there is, but just not today. Not in time to

    help her.

    I decide to make a more concerted effort to get to know the males that will be in my iming. If I have

    to be imed by one of them, I need to know which ones I¡¯m willing to have im me. Typhon is

    definitely out. Mason is definitely in. Other than that, 1 really haven¡¯t given too much consideration to

    the others in my iming.

    Title of the document

    The rest of the day is one social gathering after another. It¡¯s exhausting, but I put some effort into

    getting to know the males that will be in my iming. At the end of the day, I have probably eight males

    I¡¯d be okay iming me other than Mason. None of them are Alphas. The only other Alpha I liked is

    now in Annabel¡¯s iming, Alpha Antonio. The other ones in my iming are all arrogant and not

    worthy of their title.

    At the end of the day, I¡¯m exhausted, but I want to spend my usual time with Mason. There¡¯s something

    about him that rejuvenates me. Talking with him is easy and I can rx and be myself without having to

    worry that he¡¯ll think I¡¯m trying to get him to im me.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    He¡¯s very clear on my stance that I don¡¯t want to be imed. Just like I¡¯m clear on his that he has every

    intention of iming me.

    When he meets me, he walks up, tipping my chin up so he can look into my eyes. ¡°You look exhausted.

    How are you holding up?¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile. This is why I like spending time with him. He sees more than the others. He sees

    me, not just a female to im.

    ¡°I am exhausted, but the day is done.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow will be another day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, another day, just like today.¡± I snort.

    We turn and start heading toward my housing. ¡°I was wondering. I thought I¡¯d see Beta Asher and

    Mignon this morning when Layan went into the territory. And then I thought we might see them at

    dinner tonight, but they never showed up.¡± He asks me.

    ¡°They left first thing this morning. Theypleted their bondst night and Beta Asher wanted to get

    her to his pack where he felt it would be safer for her.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. I¡¯d want my mate away from this craziness too.¡± Mason says.

    ¡°I think they¡¯ll do well together. He seems to really care about her.¡±

    ¡°That was my take too.¡± He says.

    We¡¯re both quiet for a moment. I get the feeling he¡¯s letting me lead the conversation tonight.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Layan.¡± I say. It¡¯s been eating at me all day. Her fear. She doesn¡¯t want to be chased

    all over a territory. She doesn¡¯t want to have to outsmart and outfight the males in her im.

    Did you give her the same advice you gave Mignon?¡± He asks me.

    1 can¡¯t help but smile at that. ¡°Not exactly the same. They are different people, so Layan¡¯s advice was

    more for her.¡±

    ¡°Then, I would think she¡¯d do well.¡±

    ¡°As long as her fear doesn¡¯t get the better of her. We can all smell fear a mile away.¡±

    Mason looks thoughtful for a moment. ¡°She would do well to walk around most of the territory today,

    leaving her fear scent in as many ces as possible before the others go in tomorrow.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile. That¡¯s exactly what I told her to do. He sees my smile. ¡°And a good Alpha would

    have given her that advice so she would have a better chance of getting through her im.¡±

    He pulls me to him. ¡°And you¡¯re a good Alpha, Jara.¡±

    ¡°So are you, Mason.¡± I think for a moment, not sure I want to tell him what I¡¯ve been thinking about

    today, but I decide to be honest.

    ¡°You know,¡± I say, running my fingers over the open V in his button-down shirt, ¡°I decided today that I

    would look at every candidate seriously and see which of them I was willing to have catch me in my

    im.¡±

    His warm hands are holding my hips, his thumbs rubbing over my hips bones like he does when we¡¯re

    standing this close together. There¡¯s somethingforting but also exciting about the feeling.

    ¡°And what did you think when you finally decided to give everyone a chance to prove their worth to

    you?¡±

    ¡°There are less than 10 individuals that I¡¯d be willing to have catch me in that im.¡±

    ¡°Ten out of 200. That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°Well, closer to 100. The ones in Layan¡¯s, Annabel¡¯s and Hana¡¯s ims aren¡¯t included in those

    numbers. There¡¯s at least one in that bunch that I¡¯d add to my list if he doesn¡¯t catch his mate.¡±

    One of his hands slides behind my waist, pulling me closer, his face leaning into mine. ¡°And did I make

    the cut?¡±

    Feeling bold, I reach up, running my fingers over his cheek and smiling at the way his eyes close, and

    he leans into my touch. ¡°Yes. You are the only Alpha to make the cut, at least so far.¡±

    Without opening his eyes, he asks his next question. ¡°Anyone else I know on your list?¡±

    ¡°A couple warriors from your pack, a couple from my pack. And while I appreciate the omegas and their

    desire for a mate, my choice is to have a strong mate at my side.¡±

    His eyes open and the smoky grey of his eyes meets the amber of mine. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree with you

    more.¡± He closes the distance between us, and his warm lips cover mine. His hand slides up into my

    hair as his tongue slides across his lips requesting entrance.

    1 open my mouth and his tongue slides inside, out tongues dancing together in a rhythm that is

    bing natural for me. As with every time he kisses me, his taste, his scent overwhelms me and I

    feel myself leaning into him, holding on to him desperately as he makes my body feel things that I am

    unustomed to feeling.

    The kiss goes on, longer than usual and I feel heat begin to pool in my core and a wetness form

    between my legs. I feel an ufortable itch, something that needs friction to relieve the pressure. I

    begin nibbing myself against Mason, trying to find a relief to this pressure, to this itchy feeling that¡¯s

    only increasing as we kiss.

    Mason pulls away, both of us breathless. ¡°We should stop, Jara.¡± He says, panting as he puts his

    forehead against mine. His eyes are closed as he tries to regain hisposure.

    ¡°I¡­.I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    He moans, before taking my mouth in a fiery kiss. This is different from the other kisses. This is

    dominant, possessive and it mes the fire growing deep in my core. I moan against his mouth, feeling

    something hard and long against my stomach. I wrap my arms around him, pulling him to me, trying to

    get closer to him, wanting more.

    1 vaguely hear a throat clearing from somewhere nearby. Mason rips his mouth away from mine,

    turning to growl at the intrusion.

    ¡°Alpha Jara is scenting the air. It¡¯s not safe for her to be outside the confines of the females¡¯ housing.¡±

    Luke says.

    I watch Mason¡¯s stormy eyes clear, as realityes back to him. He shakes his head before turning

    back to me. ¡°Your guard is right. It wasn¡¯t my intention to get so carried away. I don¡¯t want to put you at

    risk, and I don¡¯t want to have to kill any more males that catch the scent of your arousal ande

    looking for you.¡±

    I can only nod at him. I feel dazed, like I¡¯m in a fog and¡­iplete. I felt like we were moving to

    something that would alleviate this ache in my core but now I¡¯m left feeling unfulfilled.

    Alpha Mason smiles at me. ¡°When I catch you, beautiful, we¡¯ll finish this, and you won¡¯t have this pretty

    little pout on your face when I¡¯m done with you.¡±

    He reaches down for one more quick, scorching kiss before turning me toward my housing. ¡°Go, before

    I change my mind and take you right here.¡±

    I walk unsteadily toward the gates, stepping inside and walking to the front of the house. When I turn,

    he¡¯s there, watching me. He raises his hand in farewell before turning, shifting on the spot and racing

    off into the forest.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    After leaving Jara, I run for hours. I need to get my hormones back under control. And I had nearly lost

    control. I became intoxicated in Jara¡¯s taste and her scent, the sweet, sweet scent of her arousal. My

    mouth watered just thinking of it. I had lost all sense of where I was, and who was around us. Shit, I

    had nearly attacked her guard for trying to keep her safe because I wasn¡¯t doing it myself. If he hadn¡¯t

    intervened, I might have stripped her down and taken her right there in the middle of the walkway.

    There¡¯s enough craziness here, I need to stay in control. I need to be able to help when needed, not

    be the hinderance that so many others are bing in this circus sideshow they call a iming.

    When I arrive back at our room, Elijah looks at me for a long moment. ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±

    Title of the document

    I run my fingers through my disheveled hair. ¡°I have to catch her Elijah. I have to. I¡¯ve never wanted

    someone so much in my entire life. I don¡¯t know what it is about her, but I feel like she was made for

    me.¡±

    I sit on the edge of my bed and put my head in my hands. ¡°Did your family ever talk to you about how it

    used to be? Before we started going extinct?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Yeah. They said there were plenty of she- wolves to go around and everyone got to choose their

    mates. Or, rather, fate chose for them, or something like that. It didn¡¯t really make sense to me.¡±

    ¡°Fated mates. That¡¯s what my great-grandfather called them. Mates given to you by the Moon

    Goddess. He said you could feel the connection and it was like nothing you¡¯d ever felt before. There

    would never be anyone for you other than her when you finally met her.¡± I look up at Elijah.

    ¡°That¡¯s how I feel. There could never be anyone else for me but her. She¡¯ s mine. I feel it deep in my

    bones. She¡¯s mine and I HAVE to catch her.¡±

    ¡°Then, we make sure you catch her. If I don¡¯t catch Beta Hana, I¡¯ll be there to help you catch her.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you to do that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not asking, and for the record, the entire pack feels this way. We all want her as our Luna. I

    think we all see what you see now. We¡¯ve watched her strength, her ability tomand those around

    her, even though they aren¡¯t part of her pack. She will make our pack stronger, help to keep us all from

    going feral, but only if you catch her, Alpha. It has to be you, and we all know it.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what to say. The sacrifice that Elijah is talking about is monumental. These men, my pack

    members, are willing to risk never having their own mate so that I can have mine and we can have a

    Luna for our pack.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything, Alpha. I just thought you should know. We¡¯d all be proud to be her

    mate, but Alpha Jara was meant to be caught by an Alpha. An Alpha that will love and cherish her the

    way she deserves. That Alpha is you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Elijah.¡±

    ¡°You can thank me by making sure you catch her, Alpha.¡±

    The next morning, we all gather around the iming territory. The group of 20 in Layan¡¯s iming are

    ready to enter. I thought it was odd that the Alpha was already in his wolf¡¯s form. The only reason I

    could think that he¡¯d be in his wolf form is because he expects to catch Layan quickly. And maybe he

    does, but hopefully, he won¡¯t.

    As soon as the gun fires, they take off. I have one warrior and two omegas in her im. My warrior

    remained in human form, but the omegas are already in their wolf form. The rest of her imants are in

    a mix of human and wolf forms.

    Jara and Hana had requested that their social gatherings be outside again. I know Jara wants to listen

    to hear what is happening inside the iming territory. It was hours before we heard the first howl of the

    hunt. We all stopped for a moment to listen, then returned to our day.

    As the day winds down, we hear more howls and even more yelps from inside the territory. Already in

    one day, we¡¯ve heard more yelps than we did from Mignon¡¯s entire im. I¡¯m concerned about my pack

    members, but there is nothing I can do to help them.

    The next day is much the same. However, today, the yelping increases and several Alphas, myself

    included, begin wandering closer to the entry way of the iming.

    Something isn¡¯t right. I know wolves can and will be killed in this type of environment, but there are only

    20 of them inside the territory. It¡¯s one thing to have nearly 200 wolves fighting for one prize. Twenty

    wolves shouldn¡¯t be causing the kind of fighting that we are hearing.

    I¡¯m so focused on listening to what¡¯s going on inside the territory, that I don¡¯t hear here up beside

    me. ¡°What do you think is going on in there?¡± Jara says quietly beside me.

    Just then, we hear another yelp, and I feel Jara¡¯s hand reach to take mine. I wrap my hand around

    hers, giving her thefort, she¡¯s requesting. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it doesn¡¯t sound good.¡±

    ¡°Have you heard the wolves from your pack?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my omegas. I haven¡¯t felt their tethers break, but I¡¯m pretty sure both are injured severely. I

    haven¡¯t heard my warrior.¡±

    ¡°I could hear them all nightst night.¡± Jara says quietly, still looking out at the territory.

    I wrap my arm around her shoulders. I don¡¯t care who sees or what kind of target this puts on my back.

    She¡¯s here, asking for my rea*s*surance, and I¡¯m going to give it to her.

    ¡°Did you hear Layan?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Just once, I think. I thought I heard her yelp, but not in pain, in fright. But I haven¡¯t heard her since.¡±

    ¡°So, maybe someone nearly caught her but then another wolf caught up and they fought, and she got

    away.¡±

    ¡°I hope so, for her sake. All this fighting has got to be scaring her even more.¡±

    ¡°Which will make it easier for them to find her. Her fear will be potent. Perhaps that¡¯s why we¡¯re

    hearing so much more fighting this time.¡±

    She turns to look at me. ¡°Will you walk me home tonight?¡±

    ¡°I would love to.¡± I desperately want to touch her, want to kiss her. But I know if I do that here, in front of

    every other male that wants her, it¡¯s a fight waiting to happen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in our usual spot.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­.maybe we can find a spot to sit and listen to the what¡¯s going on in the territory, if you don¡¯t

    mind?¡±

    I smile down at her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 30

    <strong>The iming By Cooper Chapter 30</strong>

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I''m not sure why being close to Mason makes me feel better, but it does. Hisforting touch and his presence are soothing. I''ve be more and more concerned about Layan. The howling and yelping that have beening from the territory seems extreme. I''m thankful he''s willing to sit with me. Last night, I sat by my window, alone, listening to the soundsing from the iming territory. I know poor Layan didn''t get a wink of sleep.

    I get Luke to give Mason permission toe into the gates of our housing. He isn''t allowed inside the house, but we walk to a ce where we can sit outside and listen to the soundsing from the territory. Mason and I sit for hours, not talking, just listening. He has his arm. wrapped around me and it makes me feel safe. It''s not a feeling I''m used to wanting or needing, but I like it and I curl up against him, taking thefort he''s offering me.

    It''s not until I feel him lifting me that I realize I''ve fallen asleep. "Come on, your guard said I could put you to bed."

    I''m surprised, but I don''t argue. I''m exhausted and content in Mason''s arms. I hear him murmuring to someone and he finds his way to my room. Heys me down in bed, taking off my shoes and pulling my nket over top of me before kissing the side of my head. "Sleep well, Jara. I''ll see you in the morning."

    The next day, I wake up tired, but ready to face the day. When we get to the main house, I have them set me up outside again. I want to keep an ear out for what''s happening in the iming territory. The soundsing from inside the territory have gotten even

    Greiding inti, pages how more frantic. There''s a lot of howling and yelping, snarling and growling. Even from here I can tell that it''s be fierce inside the territory. I''m not the only one effected. Even the males in my social gathering seem to realize something is wrong.

    When I hear Layan scream, I race to the edge of the territory entrance. "No Jara." Seth says, grabbing me before I can go inside.

    "Something''s wrong Seth! Let me go!"

    "One of them will try to im you, Jara. It''s not safe for you."

    "I''d like to see them f*cking try." I snarl at him.

    Masones to stand in front of me. "Jara, your brother is right. You can''t go in there. But I can."

    "No! No one enters the iming territory except those that were pulled in the lottery." Elder Carson saysing up to us.

    "Don''t you realize something is wrong, Elder?" Hana says,ing to join us.

    "Something is very wrong!" Mason says, starting to walk inside the territory.

    "Any male that walks into the territory will be disqualified from any future imings. You are not allowed to enter the event unless you were pulled for the contestant''s lottery."

    Mason turns, snarling at the Elder. He takes two menacing steps before he''s standing in front of Elder Carson, towering over him. "You had better hope that nothing happens to that girl, Elder. Because if she is not safe and in the same condition she entered that iming when she emerges, I''ll have your job."

    "You can''t do that!" He says to Mason.

    "Maybe not alone, but when there is more than one Alpha standing together, the council can''t ignore us." Seth says, still holding on to me.

    "And if there are a group of us, they will definitely not ignore us." Alpha Antonio says,ing to join our group.

    I can see Elder Carson''s anger oveid by his concern that these Alphas might actually overthrow him from his position of power. A position that he doesn''t seem to deserve.

    The group stands around, waiting and it''s nearly an hour before see someone carrying Layan out. But what I see has my heart dropping into my chest. It''s Alpha Mason''s warrior carrying Layan, but something is obviously wrong. She is naked and there is blood dripping from between her thighs.

    I race up to him, ripping her from his arms and snarling at him. He puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "It wasn''t me, Alpha. I swear."

    I pull Layan away from the others, Hana rushing over to look at her. "Oh goddess, Jara, what happened to her."

    Mason has stepped up to his warrior. "Warrior Grayson, what is the meaning of this." Even from here, I can feel Mason''s impressive aura and his anger pulsing out of him.

    "As I said to Alpha Jara, it wasn''t me. It was that Alpha. He......" He stops, gulping and looking over at Layan. I''m standing in front of her, not letting anyone past me. Hana is checking her over behind me.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    "He what, Warrior? Spit it out."

    Just then, we see several other warriors dragging the Alpha in Layan''s im out. He''s snarling and snapping at everyone around him. He''s in a state of partial shift, his ws and canines extended. It''s obvious that he''s gone feral.

    "The Alpha has been acting erratically, attacking everyone that came close to catching Layan. He finally caught her, but she was in human form and he was in his wolf form. He marked her as a wolf, then...." He gulps, his fists clenching. "While still in his wolf form, he began mating her. He shifted while mating her and then....then he f*cking knotted her, Alpha. We all had to wait until his knot went down before we could pull him off of her."

    I hear Hana gasp behind me. I feel so sick I think I might vomit all over the ground. He not only mated her, but in his wolf form and then he knotted her, a virgin. No wonder she''s bleeding so profusely. As one, the group of males begins snarling and growling at this tant disregard for one of the few females left in our society. Several of the males turn and start walking in our direction. I snarl viciously, my wsing out. Elder Carson walks up to me as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. "Alpha Jara, let us pass. The girl needs medical attention."

    "This is your fault. You stay the f*ck away from her." I snarl, shing my ws across the Elder''s face, leaving w marks from his scalp to his neck. "Come near me or her again and I''l remove your head from your body." His handes up to his b*oody face and he looks at me like he can''t believe I just attacked him.

    I can feel my anger raging in my body and my aura. This sweet girl is a casualty of this hideous process and I''ve had as much as I''m willing to take. Several omegas and some warriors are showing me their throats, many are on their knees at the force of my aura.

    "Jara." Seth says, walking up to me slowly. "Let me through. You

    know I won''t hurt her. But if you don''t let someone treat her, she''s going to bleed out."

    He holds my gaze until I nod, and he races past me. Others move to join him, and I stand in their way, snarling at them to stay back.

    "Elder Carson. I believe I warned you of the consequences if something bad happened to Layan. I''ll be speaking to the council about your ineptitude. But for now, deal with this Alpha who has obviously gone feral. If you won''t, I will."

    "I''ve got this." Alpha Antonio says to Mason, walking up to the feral Alpha. "You deal with the council and let me know if they need to speak to me."

    Mason walks over to me, but he keeps his distance. "I''m going to alert the medical team, Jara. Have Seth take Layan to the medical wing. I''ll make sure they are ready for you."

    It takes me a moment to respond. "Okay, Mason."

    He nods before turning and heading off. I turn to look at Seth who is already picking Layan up. "I''ve got her Hana. You lead the way, I''ll be right behind you." He says.

    They begin walking toward the medical facility. I follow, walking backward making sure no one tries to get to Layan. She''s already been marked, but it won''t stand, especially since the Alpha that marked her has now officially gone feral. But even if he hadn''t, it is against the rules to mark someone in your wolf form when the contestant is in their human form.

    As we''re nearing the medical facility, I hear the shot of a gun and I know that the feral Alpha has been put down.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 31

    <strong>The iming By Cooper Chapter 31</strong>

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I hated leaving Jara in the state she was in, but I knew her brother and Hana would help her. I immediately go to the pack hospital letting them know that Layan ising in and that she is in bad shape. Then, I head to my room and dial the council headquarters.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    When the secretary answers the phone, I ask to speak to Lead Elder Theodore.

    Title of the document

    ¡°May I ask who is calling and what this is in regard to?¡± The secretary asks me.

    ¡°This is Alpha Mason and I want to file a formalint against Elder Carson. There has been an incident at this year¡¯s iming, and he needs to be removed from the event. Now, put me through to Elder Theodore before I have your job for dying me.¡± I bark at the man just as Elijah walks into the room.

    ¡°One moment, Alpha Mason.¡±

    I put my hand over the receiver. ¡°Did they get her to the hospital?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯ve admitted her and taken her in for surgery.¡±

    I nod as I hear the phone being picked up. ¡°This is Elder Theodore. What is this I hear about an incident at the iming?¡±

    I proceed to tell him about what just happened with Lay an. Then 1 go on to tell him that 1 and other Alphas have had concerns about this Alpha but when I tried to express those to Elder Carson, he ignored me and the warning signs.

    ¡°Where is this Alpha now?¡± He asks me.

    1 look at Elijah who shakes his head. ¡°He¡¯s been put down, Elder.¡±

    I hear him sigh heavily. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll have a new Elder there in three days.¡± ¡°Three days? That long?¡±

    ¡°I a*s*sure you, Alpha, it will not feel like a long time for the Elder that needs to drop everything in their life toe attend to the iming for the next month.¡±

    ¡°Yes Elder. Thank you for listening and sending someone to rece Elder Carson.¡±

    I hang up and change my clothes. ¡°You¡¯re going to the hospital?¡± Elijah asks me. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there. I¡¯m going for a run.¡± 1 stop and look at my Beta. I had forgotten he¡¯ d put himself in Layan¡¯s lottery. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No. I want to punch something. You warned him that something was wrong with that Alpha. We all knew she was scared and didn¡¯t want that Alpha in her im. It isn¡¯t right, Alpha. It isn¡¯t right that that sweet girl is lying in surgery because we, the ones sworn to protect them, didn¡¯t do what we should have to protect our most precious pack members, our females.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me toe spar with you? It will give you someone to hit.

    ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll run it out and then I¡¯ll meet you at the hospital. Mind link me if something happens that I need to be there for.¡±

    We walk down the stairs and Elijah jogs out the back door, shifting as soon as he¡¯s away from the main house. I turn and head to the hospital. When I arrive, I realize there are more wolves than just Layan admitted to the hospital.

    I walk up to Alpha Antonio. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°They brought in several of the others in Layan¡¯s im. The Alpha apparently went on a rampage. They¡¯ve found three dead.

    Another five are in the hospital being stitched up from their injuries and another three are still missing in the territory.¡±

    I find a nurse and ask for a list of those that are in the hospital. When I see my omegas names, 1 move to check on them. When I¡¯m on my way to their rooms, I mind link Elijah. ¡°Our omegas are in the hospital along with three others and another three are missing in the territory. Finish your run but get here as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way, Alpha.¡±

    I walk into the room where my first omega is getting treated. He¡¯s bandaged practically from head to toe. Some of my other omegas are there with him.

    I walk up to him, putting my hand on the top of his head, one of the only ces where he isn¡¯t bandaged. ¡°Josiah, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I found her Alpha. I found her and I was talking to her, letting her know I wouldn¡¯t hurt her, and he came out of nowhere, the Alpha. 1 don¡¯t even know his name. He attacked me. I told Layan to run. I thought..! thought he was going to kill me, Alpha. He probably would have, but another wolf howled that he found her, and he took off after them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re safe now. You¡¯re only job is to get healthy.¡±

    ¡°Alpha is it true what they say about Layan. Did that Alpha really do those horrible things to that sweet girl?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he did. But he¡¯s gone now. He can never hurt her or anyone else again.¡±

    He nods. ¡°I found her. She was going to let me mark her. If he hadn¡¯t intervened¡­.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know.¡± What else can I say. An innocent girl was mauled nearly to death and my omega was nearly killed because he caught and wanted to im her.

    As I¡¯m about to leave, Elijah walks in. ¡°How is he?¡±

    ¡°Not good, but he¡¯ll be better now. Let¡¯s go check on David.¡±

    David¡¯s story is simr to Josiah¡¯s. While he didn¡¯t actually get a chance to talk to Layan, in his excitement that he had found her, he¡¯d howled, alerting the Alpha who hade and attacked him.

    When we¡¯re done checking on our omegas, we walk back to the main waiting room where most of the imants are milling around, waiting to get word on Layan. I look around and don¡¯t see Jara, Hana or Annabel in the room. I lift my nose in the air and follow the scent of her sweet cream with nutmeg.

    1 find them in their own waiting room, surrounded by their guards. I¡¯m stopped at the door, restricted from entering the room.

    ¡°Have you heard anything?¡± I ask Jara.

    She looks up and walks over to me.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± One of the guards warns her about getting too close to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Louis. Thank you.¡± She tells him.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard anything. I take you haven¡¯ t either?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been checking on my omegas. They are in the hospital as well. They were both attacked by the Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Are they alright?¡± She asks, concerned.

    ¡°They will be.¡± I tell her. I look at her a long moment, then open my arms. She doesn¡¯t hesitate, she walks in, and I wrap my arms around her.

    ¡°She¡¯s strong, Jara. She¡¯ll pull through.¡± She nods against my chest, just as the doctor steps up behind me.

    ¡°Excuse me, Alpha.¡±

    I step aside and let him pass. He walks into the room and Jara turns to face him. ¡°The omega, Layan, is out of surgery. We did our best to clean the Alpha¡¯s sperm from her body and she required extensive internal stitches to stop the bleeding and repair the tearing, but she is stable and will recover.¡±

    ¡°When can we see her?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°It might be good for her to see familiar faces when she wakes. I understand her family has been called, but she will most likely wake before they arrive. If you don¡¯t mind waiting¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± Hana says, standing up.

    ¡°Then, follow me. I¡¯ll show you where she is staying.¡±

    Jara turns to me. ¡°Go, I¡¯ll check in with youter.¡±

    She nods and she, Hana and Annabel follow the doctor to Layan¡¯s room.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    It was hours before Layan finally woke.

    When she did, she looked around and immediately broke into tears. We all moved around her, hugging

    her and letting her know that she¡¯s safe here.

    ¡°Your parents are on their way.¡± I say, because I don¡¯t know what else to say. I¡¯m angry that 1 couldn¡¯t

    keep her safe, that she and the rest of us are being forced into this entire process.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Will¡­ will you stay with me until they get here?¡± She asks quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here as long as you want me, we all will. iming be damned. That pack of savages can go

    hang for all I care.¡±

    A ghost of a smile crosses her face before she turns her face away and I see tears dripping from her

    eyes to the pillow.

    ¡°How about, Iy here with you, so you know, even in your sleep, that you¡¯re safe?¡±

    She turns and looks at me, before nodding. I crawl into the bed beside her.

    ¡°And I cany on your other side, so you¡¯re wrapped in love and protection.¡± Hana says, crawling into

    her bed on the other side.

    ¡°Come on, Annabel. You can join us too.¡± I make space between myself and Layan and Annabel crawls

    in between us. I wrap my arm around the two of them and feel Hanay her arm across them, holding

    on to me. We¡¯ve wrapped them in our embrace.

    Layan falls asleep first, then Annabel. Hana looks up at me. ¡°What are they going to do with her?¡± She

    asks quietly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but 1 have no intention of letting them put her back into the iming territory. She needs

    to go home with her parents.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stand with you. No matter what it takes, we make sure she goes home.¡±

    ¡°No matter what it takes.¡± I say to her.

    Two dayster, we found out what they nned for Layan. She was released from the hospital in the

    morning, and Elder Carson called a meeting in the early afternoon. ording to Mason, he¡¯s been

    reced, but his recement won¡¯t be here until tomorrow. Apparently, he intends to continue acting

    like he¡¯s in charge until they arrive.

    Elder Carson calls Layan to the stage. She gives me a terrified look and Hana and I take one of her

    hands and walk her onto the stage. I turn and nod for Annabel to join us. We will be presenting a

    unified front to these males. They do not get to choose what happens to Layan.

    ¡°We are all aware of what has happened to the Omega Layan. And while these unfortunate events

    have caused a dy in the iming process, the im will go on.¡±

    Unfortunate events? This man is delusional. An unfortunate event is breaking a leg, not being mauled.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning, Layan will go back into the iming territory.¡± I hear Layan whimper behind me as

    she breaks down into tears. Annabel rushes to her, holding her as she crumbles to the ground.

    ¡°No.¡± I say, my voice ringing out over the crowd, causing them all to go silent.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Elder Carson says, turning to me.

    ¡°I said no. Layan is in no condition to go back into the iming territory. She will be allowed to go home

    with her family.¡± I point to where her parents are standing and only now see that Layan¡¯s father is

    supporting her mother who looks horrified with this announcement.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. You have no jurisdiction here. The iming process¡­¡±

    ¡°I. SAID. NO! And I have more authority here than you do, Elder. Believe me when I say, that girl will go

    back into the iming territory over my dead body.¡± I hear a collective gasp from every male in the

    crowd at my deration.

    ¡°And any of you savage beasts that think you can get to her, will have go through me.¡± I snarl at them.

    Hanaes to stand next to me. ¡°And, you¡¯ll have to go through me. I¡¯d rather die than let any one of

    you lot im her. None of you deserve her.¡±

    Sethes to stand in front of the stage where we are standing. ¡°And you¡¯ll have to go through me. I

    believe the omega deserves to go home with her family. Let her heal.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll have to go through me.¡± Mason says, making eye contact with me before turning to stand

    beside Seth.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°And me.¡± Alpha Antonioes to stand beside them. One after another, the true ranked members

    come to stand side by side, willing to protect Layan.

    Elder Carson snarls at me. ¡°Fine! We will wait until my recement shows up tomorrow. He can

    decide. Good luck if he decides to put her back into the iming territory.¡± He says before stomping off.

    I wave Layan¡¯s parents over and her motheres and wraps her arms around her. Layan looks at

    me. ¡°Will they really put me back in there? I can¡¯t, Jara. I can¡¯t¡­¡± She breaks down sobbing.

    1 squat down next to her, stroking her hair while her mother tries tofort her. ¡°I was serious, Layan.

    You¡¯re going back in there over my dead body. I won¡¯t allow it, no matter who deres it. Go with your

    parents back to your room. Hana and 1 will be there soon.¡± I turn and look at Annabel. ¡°Will you¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± She says and begins walking back with Layan and her mother, her father walking

    protectively behind them, watching the males in the iming.

    I walk up to Seth and Mason. ¡°Thank you, all of you.¡± I look at the others that stood for Layan. ¡°I

    appreciate all of you standing up for Layan.¡±

    A chorus of ¡®You¡¯re wee, Alpha¡¯ and ¡®she deserves to go home¡¯ answer me. They all start to walk

    off and I turn to Seth and Mason. ¡°I really appreciate both of you standing up for her. I¡¯m not sure the

    others would have done it if you hadn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Do me a favor, Jara.¡± Mason says, taking my hands. ¡°Don¡¯t threaten to fight to the death.¡±

    I pull my hands out of his. ¡°I meant what I said, Mason. I wasn¡¯t today, nor will I tomorrow, allow them to

    hurt that sweet girl more than she already has been.¡±

    He takes my hands again, holding them as I try to pull them away again. ¡°I know that. But it won¡¯te

    to that. I won¡¯t allow it either.

    But my stomach felt like it dropped to my feet when you threatened to give your life for her. I know you

    would, but please, know you won¡¯t have to. I will stand for you and her. I swear.

    ¡°Same goes for you, Hana.¡± Seth says to her.

    ¡°You¡¯re both too important to risk your lives.¡±

    ¡°Our life isn¡¯t any more valuable than hers.¡± Hana tells Seth.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Seth says, pulling her against him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see any of you injured or hurt. But I

    definitely don¡¯t want to see any of you dying of fighting to the death either. I¡¯m with Mason, I¡¯ll fight, you

    stay alive. Promise me, Hana?¡±

    ¡°And you promise me, Jara. Let us fight for her. You be the strong woman you are, but no giving your

    life for Layan or anyone else. Deal?¡±

    ¡°Mason¡­¡±

    He pulls me in for a fierce kiss. ¡°Promise me, Jara.¡± ¡°Okay, Mason, I promise. If you stand for her, then I

    won¡¯t fight.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I made sure Jara was back in her housing before heading back to the main house. We are all on hold

    until the new Elder arrives tomorrow.

    Dinner is a somber affair. We¡¯re all used to sitting around tables with a bunch of males and no females.

    But now, there is the possibility that this year¡¯s iming will be cancelled. At best, one of the imants

    will be sent home.

    I can hear the wolves around me talking about Layan. While we all want a mate, no one wants a

    damaged mate. She could already be pregnant with the Alpha¡¯s child. So, anyone that imed her

    would have to raise another man¡¯s child. And given the state she was in when my warrior brought her

    out of the iming territory, it¡¯s possible she¡¯ll never have another child. It¡¯s a lot to ask of most males,

    but especially ranked members.

    Title of the document

    No Alpha will want her now. Most other ranked members will give her a pass if she does go back into

    the territory. She could save a warrior or omega from going feral, but that may be all the use she has.

    Or at least, that¡¯s how most will see her now, damaged and not worth the effort of iming.

    I can feel Elijah getting more and more angry beside me as the conversations go on. Finally, he¡¯s had

    enough. He stands, addressing the room.

    ¡°She¡¯s a f*uc*king person. Goddess, no wonder Alpha Jara and Beta Hana call us savages. Listen to

    yourselves. That poor girl is in this state because one of US put her there. And now, she¡¯s not worth

    your time or energy? Maybe the females are right. Maybe we¡¯d all be better off if our species died out.

    It seems we¡¯ve forgotten what¡¯s important. WE were supposed to protect HER. Yeah, it¡¯s nice that she

    will save one us, that makes one of us a lucky bastard, but it¡¯s not her job. As ranked members and

    warriors, it IS our job to protect those that need our protection. And we failed. Everyone in this room

    failed that girl.¡±

    I reach out and put my hand on his arm. He turns, snarling at my touch before collecting himself. ¡°I¡¯m

    going for a run.¡± He turns and stalks out of the room. A room that is so quiet you can barely hear

    anyone breathing. No one says anything more about Layan.

    I finished eating and head to my room. Iy in my bed thinking of earlier. I meant what said to Jara. I

    will protect Layan with my life and by doing so. I¡¯ll protect Jara. While I love and appreciate her

    willingness to do whatever it takes to protect Layan, I can¡¯t let her risk her life. I won¡¯t. She¡¯s too

    valuable, too important.

    The next morning, the new Elder arrives.

    Elijah didn¡¯te back until early in the morning and it shows on his exhausted face as the Elder calls

    all the males to the meeting area.

    ¡°You good?¡± I ask Elijah as we walk out to the stage.

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean it. We¡¯re good.¡±

    Once we¡¯re all a*s*sembled, the Elder takes the stage. ¡°I am Elder Jason. I am here to rece Elder

    Carson. I have been briefed on the events that urred with Omega Layan but I believe there are

    some of you that also have information that you would like to share.¡±

    He is an Alpha from a long line of Alphas. I can tell by the absolute power and authority in his voice. I

    feel better knowing that this Elder is a true Alpha, like me. Too many Alphas are Alpha in title only,

    never have descended from an Alpha line. Too many true Alphas have gone feral leaving weaker

    wolves to run the packs.

    Elder Jason looks down at a piece of paper in his hand. ¡°Would Alphas Mason, Seth and Antonio

    please join me after this meeting?¡± He looks up, finding each of us in the crowd and we nod.

    ¡°Good. The iming is currently under review. No additional ims will take ce until I have

    completed my a*s*sessment and made my judgement of what is to ur. For now, the rules still apply.

    Stay away from the females unless approached by them. Social gatherings are on hold. Feel free to

    contact your packs,plete work, spar, or go for runs, but there will be no more iming activities

    until I reach my verdict.¡±

    ¡°Any questions?¡±

    ¡°Can you ask the females if they would like to have social gatherings? I mean, we¡¯re all here for them. I

    know the omega, Layan, is probably not interested, but maybe the others are?¡±

    The Elder looks out over the crowd. ¡°1 will ask them, but their decision is final until my verdict is

    reached.¡±

    When no more questions are asked, he looks out at us again. ¡°Elder Carson, you are asked to leave

    the iming territory immediately. We appreciate your time in this iming, dismissed.

    Alphas Mason, Seth and Antonio, with me, please.¡± He says it as if it¡¯s a request, but the aura and

    authority in his voice let us know it¡¯s amand. Yeah, 1 like this guy already.

    The three of us follow Elder Jason into the main house and an office that looks like it was hastily set

    aside for him. He pulls three chairs in front of a desk covered in papers before sitting down and makingN?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    a space on the desk, huffing loudly at the mess in front of him.

    When he finally looks up, he takes a deep breath. ¡°So, all three of you are true Alphas.¡± It¡¯s more a

    statement than a question, but we all agree with him anyway.

    ¡°Good, that makes this easier. Let¡¯s start at the beginning, one at a time and tell me what you

    experienced with this Alpha, your concerns, and then what you witnessed when the Omega Layan was

    brought out of the iming territory.

    I start, giving all the details of what I witnessed and my discussion with Elder Carson. Seth goes next,

    also indicating that he saw the Alpha acting erratically and had approached Elder Carson. Alpha

    Antonio finishes up with his recollections of the Alpha, ending with him putting the Alpha down.

    ¡°You put the Alpha down? Not Elder Carson?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Elder Carson was suffering from being wed by Alpha Jara when he tried to approach

    Layan. He didn¡¯t seem to understand the severity of the situation, as we¡¯ve said, and she wed him

    down his face. I¡¯m sure you saw the scars.¡±

    ¡°I did. So, he left his post, leaving you to deal with the Alpha?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°He tried to send her back into the territory. She was released from the hospital yesterday morning and

    later that day, he brought everyone together saying he was sending her back into the territory this

    morning.¡± Seth tells him.

    ¡°And yet, that didn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jara and Beta Hana threatened to fight the entire group of males, including the Elder to keep

    her from going in.¡± I say.

    His eyes go wide. He turns to Seth. ¡°Alpha Jara is your sister, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Would she do it? Would she fight to the death to protect the omega?¡±

    ¡°Without a moment¡¯s hesitation.¡± Seth confirms my worst fear.

    The Elder nods, pulling a folder in front of him. ¡°The omega has suffered quite a bit. She may have

    been released, but her wounds will run deeper than the tears on her body.¡± He stands.

    ¡°You are dismissed. I need to speak to the omega. I¡¯m a*s*suming her family is here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are.¡± Alpha Antonio says.

    We follow Elder Jason out and 1 begin walking with him to the female housing. ¡°What are you going to

    do?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Alpha, I appreciate your input, but my decision is none of your business until I¡¯ve spoken to the

    omega, Layan, and her family.¡±

    We get to the gate around the female¡¯s housing. ¡°Alpha Mason, need I remind you that you are not able

    to enter the females¡¯ territory?¡±

    ¡°No Elder, I¡¯m aware.¡± I say, worried about what is going to happen and what this Elder will decide. If

    I¡¯m not there to protect her, Jara will fight if he tries to send her back into the territory. And while 1 know

    she can hold her own, this Alpha will give her a good fight, I¡¯m sure of it.

    1 begin pacing at the gate while I watch the Elder walk into the house. I turn, looking at one of the

    guards. ¡°Will you please tell Alpha Jara that I¡¯m here, outside, if she needs me?¡±

    He looks at me a long moment. ¡°Yes, Alpha, I¡¯ll tell her.¡±

    He goes inside, returning to his post a few minutester. I pace, watching the house, my wolf on edge

    and wanting to be inside so I know what¡¯s going on.

    Nearly 30 minutester, Jaraes jogging out of the house. She runs straight into my arms.

    ¡°He¡¯s sending her home. Elder Jason is letting Layan go home with her family.¡±

    Relief floods my system as I pull Jara in tight, holding her like I¡¯ll never let her go. And I don¡¯t n to.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When Elder Jason arrived at our housing to meet with Layan, she asked for me to stay for his interview.

    He agreed, but I could see that he was hesitant about having me there.

    However, 1 liked him as soon as he started talking to Layan. He gently pushed his Alpha aura over her,

    calming her so he could talk to her. Omegas respond to Alphas, and this is a true Alpha. He knows just

    how to handle her. He was gentle in his questioning of her, paternal even, and she responded well to

    him.

    Title of the document

    In the end, he asked her what she wanted. She tearfully told him that she wanted to go home with her

    family.

    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that you won¡¯t be required toe back next year, but I can and will allow you to go

    home with your family this year.¡±

    Layan jumped up and hugged Elder Jason, crying against his chest. He held her while she cried,

    stroking her hair. When she pulled away, he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

    ¡°Do me a favor, though?¡± He asked her kindly. He couldmand her, but he was being very careful

    and gentle with her.

    She nods at him.

    ¡°Get some counseling. If you need the name of someone, let me know. The Elder council will pay for it.¡±

    He says, looking at her parents. They are both omegas and would never be able to afford it on their

    own.

    ¡°If you need anything at all, you let me know. Here is my card.¡± He says, handing his card to Layan.

    ¡°Thank you, Elder Jason.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very wee. Your job this year is to heal, youngdy, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Elder.¡±

    While they were talking, I slipped outside. One of the guards had told me that Mason was here if I

    needed him. 1 wanted to share the good news with him more than anyone. 1 rushed outside and into

    him arms.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    When I told him Elder Jason was going to let her go home, I felt him rx. His strong arms wrapped

    around me, making me feel safe and cared for. I wrapped mine around him, holding on to him as the

    stress of thest few days washed over me.

    ¡°Alpha Jara.¡± I tense as I hear Elder Jason behind me.

    I pull away from Mason and turn to him. ¡°Thank you for your help with Layan. She is a sweet girl.¡± He

    says, turning to look behind him back at the house. He nibs his hands over his face, scrubbing it like he

    wants to wipe away what happened to Layan.

    ¡°I need to speak with you, Beta Hana and thest omega, Annabel. You seem to be leading this group

    of females. I thought it best to speak with you about a time to meet. Also, the males have asked if you

    and the others would be willing to continue your social gatherings until things are finalized with the

    iming.¡±

    I look at Mason then back at Elder Jason. ¡°Annabel has a small group, but I believe she is showing

    some favoritism toward a few on her imants. Hana and I have a muchrger group to meet with.

    Would you be willing to let us decide who we are willing to have in our social gatherings? If so, I think I

    could convince the others to continue the social gatherings while you make your decision.¡±

    He sighs, thinking over my request. ¡°You seem to have all the power in this process, Alpha Jara. If

    that¡¯s how you want it, that¡¯s how it will be. At least until my decision is announced.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder. And how about you join us for lunch today and we can discuss what is

    on your mind? I¡¯ll have a definitive answer for you then about our social gatherings and maybe we can

    have one this evening.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll see you in a couple of hours.¡±

    He turns and begins walking away. ¡°Not too much longer, Alpha Mason.¡± He says, as he walks off.

    I turn and look at Mason. ¡°He¡¯s right, but I needed to know that you were okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. And hopefully, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± 1 tell him.

    ¡°I make the cut for your social gathering?¡± He asks, pulling me against him.

    ¡°You, Alpha Mason, are at the top of the list.¡±

    ¡°Good to know.¡± He says before kissing me lightly. I want more, but it¡¯s the middle of the morning and I

    know there are wolves milling around nearby, I can hear them, and so can Mason.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡± He says, before turning and walking back toward the main house.

    I help Layan pack her things and we say our tearful goodbyes as her family helps her into the car.

    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough, Alpha Jara. I know you and Beta Hana protected my daughter when she

    needed it most. I can never repay you for that.¡± Her father tells me as he hugs me goodbye.

    ¡°It¡¯s what any good Alpha would do. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡± I tell him.

    He pulls back, looking at me. ¡°You are a good Alpha. You¡¯ll make one hell of a Luna. I can¡¯t wait to see

    all the good things thate to the pack where you end up.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± I tell him.

    After they leave, I sit down with Annabel and Hana. I exin what Elder Jason asked and that he will

    be here at lunch time to discuss next steps.

    ¡°Do you think the iming will continue?¡± Annabel asks me.

    ¡°Yes, I do. There are still three of us. Too many of the ranked members are close to going feral. They

    can¡¯t afford to send us home.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Hana says. ¡°They need us, especially the Alphas.¡± imants in our social gathering?¡±

    Annabel asks.

    ¡°I think we can ask for whatever we want. It¡¯s that or they get nothing.¡±

    ¡°I only want three in mine. But if Elder Jason agrees, I¡¯ll have my social gathering with those three.¡±

    ¡°Would one of those three be Alpha Antonio?¡± Hana teases her.

    Annabel smiles. ¡°Of course, just like Alpha Seth will be one of yours, right?¡±

    Now it¡¯s Hana¡¯s turn to blush and she looks at me through hershes.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If he wasn¡¯t my brother, I¡¯d want him in my social gathering too.¡± I tell her. ¡°I wish there was a

    way for us to choose our mates, or at least who is in our iming. I know they did it this way to ensure

    omegas have as equal an opportunity as Alphas, but I¡¯ m sure Layan would never have chosen that

    Alpha for her iming.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Hana. Maybe after all this is done, we can start pushing for change. We¡¯ll have a

    year to try to and enact some sort of change. We could do that for Layan and every other female who

    comes up for the iming.¡± I say.

    When Elder Jason joins us for lunch, he is clear that the iming must continue.

    ¡°I know the three of you must be nervous about your own personal iming¡¯s. I want you to know that I

    intend to have every male here rea*s*sessed before any of you go back into the iming territory.¡±

    He looks at Annabel. ¡°I know you are next, and this must feel very scary for you, but 1 will do

    everything in my power to ensure your safety.¡±

    Once again, his Alpha auraes out, rolling over Annabel and helping to soothe her fears. Even

    Hana seems impacted by his aura. I notice his surprise that I am not.

    ¡°The males in your lottery will be re-a*s*sessed tomorrow. Any of them that do not pass will be

    eliminated from your iming and new males will be selected. But everyone entering your im will

    have passed evaluation within thest 24 hours.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder Jason.¡± Annabel says to him.

    He nods before turning to Hana. ¡°Once Omega Annabel¡¯s males are screened, then we¡¯ll move to

    yours. Once those males are a*s*sessed, we will a*s*sess the rest and ensure everyone in the final

    iming passes a*s*sessment.¡±

    He looks at all of us one at a time. ¡°If, at any point, you have concerns about someone in your iming,

    please bring it to my attention. I will happily have them re-a*s*sessed and, if necessary, removed from

    the iming process.¡±

    We finish our lunch and Elder Jason lets us know that he¡¯d like us there tomorrow when he announces

    to the males that Layan has left and that they will all be re-evaluated before the imings reconvene.

    I walk Elder Jason to the door. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Alpha?¡± He says as soon as we walk outside, and

    the door closes behind us.

    ¡°Elder, are you aware that the male that imed my sister is here, wanting to im me as well?¡±

    ¡°I am. Alpha Typhon petitioned the Elder council to participate in this iming.¡±

    ¡°So, unless he is found to be feral, there is nothing that I can do to keep him out of my iming?¡± I ask.

    He puts a hand on my shoulder. ¡°No, Alpha Jara. I¡¯m afraid there is nothing that I can do. However, I

    will let you know, my vote was no when we cast our votes to allow him in. But I was overruled.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Elder.¡±

    I watch him as he walks back to the main house, before I turn and head back inside.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    It is announced at dinner that the contestants have agreed to a social gathering but only with a select

    few of us. Annabel only chose three imants for her social gathering, while Hana and Jara both chose

    five each.

    Elder Jason stated that the social gatherings would not be held in the main house this evening, as

    there were too many males that were not chosen, and he was not going to allow any more fighting and

    dying outside the iming territory.

    Title of the document

    The three missing wolves from Layan¡¯s im had been found, torn to shreds. If Elder Jason didn¡¯t

    believe us before, he did when he saw the remains of the three wolves the Alpha had killed.

    ¡°Tomorrow there will be an announcement for my verdict on the rest of this year¡¯s iming process.

    Tonight, if you were not selected for the social gathering, please feel free to rx, work, spar or go for a

    run. The thirteen of you that were selected for the social gathering will be meeting in the females¡¯

    housing area this evening. This does not mean that you have free rein over the ce. If you are found

    wandering outside of your social gathering alone, you will be removed from the premises and your time

    with the contestant will be over for the evening.¡±

    ¡°What about the rest of us? When do we get our time with the females?¡± Someone asks behind me.

    The Elder gives him a hard look. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, my verdict will be announced tomorrow

    morning. The contestants have been informed and are in agreement with my decision. Once

    boundaries are re-established, social gatherings will be reinstated.¡±

    ¡°The thirteen selected, please join me up front.¡± Elijah and I stand, as does Seth. Hana selected both of

    them for her social gathering. One of my warriors and two of Seth¡¯s warriors were selected for Jara¡¯s

    social gathering, along with a Beta from another pack. I was the only Alpha selected for her social

    gathering.

    I can¡¯t help giving Typhon a smug smile as I pass him. I hear his low growl of frustration at consistently

    being overlooked for social gatherings. You should have taken better care of your mate, a*s*shole, then

    you wouldn¡¯t even be here.

    Elder Jason walks us outside where five guards are waiting to escort our group. ¡°You have been hand-

    picked by the contestants for tonight¡¯s social gathering. I suggest you take advantage of this gift that

    has been given to you. If any of you think that this is a chance for you to make a move, find a hidden

    way into the female¡¯s housing or otherwise do anything that makes these contestants or their guards

    ufortable, you will be removed immediately and banned from all further social gatherings, possibly

    from the iming itself.¡± He gives us all a hard look.

    ¡°Gentlemen, you have been warned. Enjoy your evening.¡±

    The guards escort us to the females¡¯ housing. It has been set up so that there are three rooms for

    meeting, but the main living space is open to all and looks more like a party than a social gathering.

    There are food and drinks set out and music ying in the background. The girls have made tonight

    special for us, their chosen few.

    Without needing to say anything, we break off into our small groups, joining our females. We¡¯re all in

    the main living room and the atmosphere is more rxed than any so far. It¡¯s nice to actually see what

    it could be like if I were to im Jara. She is easily managing the conversation with those around her

    while still keeping an eye on Annabel. I¡¯m guessing the main room was mostly for her, giving her a

    chance to feelfortable before breaking off into a smaller room.

    Jara¡¯sughter brings me back to our little group.

    ¡°Stop telling my secrets, Joshua.¡± She says, yfully smacking him on the chest with the back of her

    hand.

    ¡°Is it a secret, Alpha Jara, when everyone in our pack knows about it?¡± He replies, giving her a flirty

    smile.

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Okay, I didn¡¯t think through how this small gathering might make me feel this level of intense jealousy. 1

    know I¡¯ve been given more time with Jara than anyone, but this small group of males are my direct

    competition. These are the ones she is willing to have im her. These are the males she currently

    favors.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a pack secret, then.¡± She says, watching him over the rim of her ss as she takes a sip of

    her drink.

    ¡°My apologies, Alpha Jara, for telling your secrets.¡± He takes her hand and kisses it, his eyes never

    leaving hers.

    The Beta, Luke, clears his throat. ¡°If I may be so bold, Alpha Jara, how did we,¡± he gestures to the five

    of us, ¡°get selected for this evening out of so many.¡±

    She pulls her hand away from Joshua, turning her full attention to Luke. ¡°Beta Luke, you and this small

    group are the only ones that have interested me enough to spend more time with you.¡± She looks at all

    of us.

    ¡°Every one of you has spoken to me as if I were a person, not a female to be imed. Each of you, in

    our conversations, made me feel as if you see me for me, not as some trophy to win. If I am to be

    imed, I want it to be by someone that wants to me, Jara, not me, thest female Alpha or even me,

    the contestant.¡± She turns her attention back to him.

    ¡°So that is why you are all here. You have piqued my interest enough that I want to get to know all of

    you better. And what better way to get to know each other than to spend a quiet evening together.¡±

    ¡°At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I wish we had more than an hour with you tonight, Alpha Jara.¡± The

    warrior from my pack says.

    ¡°Please, for tonight, all of you call me Jara. And tonight, you¡¯re here as long as 1 choose for you to be.

    If we¡¯re all having a good time, then we can stay and enjoy our time together for hours.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± One of her pack¡¯s warriors asks. I have to admit, I¡¯m shocked too. We¡¯ve only ever been

    given an hour during our social gatherings. To know that we have all night, even if 1 have to share her

    time and attention with four other males, is definitely the gift Elder Jason imed it would be.

    ¡°Really. And I do hope that we all have an enjoyable time together. I would like to spend as much time

    as possible with you while you¡¯ re here.¡±

    She turns her attention to me. ¡°Mason, are youfortable that the other two females are settled and

    safe?¡±

    She smiles at me. She caught me making sure everyone wasfortable. After the events with Layan,

    I couldn¡¯t help myself. I needed to know that Hana and Annabel were okay with this social gathering. I

    noticed Seth and Antonio doing the same. It¡¯s the Alpha in us. The need to protect and ensure our

    ¡®pack¡¯ is safe is not something we can deny. Tonight, my pack includes all three of the females here.

    I give her a brilliant smile in return. ¡°Yes, Jara. My a*s*sessment is that everyone is going to have a

    wonderful evening and even Annabel has rxed and is enjoying herpany.¡± The others in the

    group turn to look at where Annabel isughing at something Alpha Antonio just said. He¡¯s doing a

    good job of not being overbearing, but also taking a protective stance around her.

    ¡°Then we are in agreement. Rx and join our group, Mason.¡±

    I incline my head at her and turn my attention fully to her and the group. The rest of the evening goes

    by quickly. The conversation is rxed and fun. There is a lot ofughter, teasing and yful bantering.

    It feels like a party. No one oversteps, no one pushes too hard. We all just enjoy the time we¡¯ve been

    given with Jara.

    It¡¯s early in the morning when she reluctantly says she needs to head to bed. Annabel fell asleep

    awhile ago, the three males sitting around her and just enjoying being close to her. Hana looks like

    she¡¯s as tired as Jara and is saying goodnight to her group as well.

    Jara walks us all outside to the gate. ¡°Thank you all. I had a very nice evening with all of you.¡±

    One by one, the males kiss her cheek. I desperately want to pull her into the type of kiss I usually give

    her, but now is not the time. So, to be different, instead of kissing her cheek, I take her hand. Leaning

    over I gently suck on her knuckle while keeping my eyes on hers. I watch them go dark, as my tongue

    grazes her knuckle. It¡¯s the closest I can get to kissing her, and she seems to understand that.

    ¡°Goodnight, Mason.¡± She says breathily.

    ¡°Goodnight, Jara.¡± I say standing and turning.

    Walking away from her has never been so hard.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The next morning, we all wake up a bitter than usual. Over breakfast, Annabel is chatting happily.

    She had a really great timest night and Alpha Antonio had been given permission to cany her to her

    bed, under the surveince of a guard. When he hadid her down and removed her shoes, she had

    woken up and he had gently kissed her goodnight.

    ¡°It was my first kiss.¡± She says, her eyes zing over with the memory and her fingers touching her

    lips.

    Title of the document

    She refocuses on us. ¡°Are their lips always so warm and soft?¡± She asks us.

    ¡°No.¡± Hana says and we both turn to look at her. I¡¯ve only ever kissed Mason and his lips are always

    warm and soft.

    She grimaces at us. ¡°Some warrior in my pack kissed me in school one day. His lips were cold and

    cracked. It wasn¡¯t a nice experience.¡± I watch as her eyes ze over. ¡°But Seth¡¯s lips are always warm

    and soft.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because they are Alpha¡¯s? Mason¡¯s are the same.¡± I say shyly.

    We all get lost in our thoughts for a moment. ¡°How do you think they will feel about getting re-

    evaluated?¡± Annabel asks.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t like it, I think Elder Jason will have them removed. He seems very intent on making sure

    we¡¯re safe. If they refuse, they¡¯ll be out.¡± I say.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure Alpha Antonio will be willing to get re-evaluated so he can catch you, Annabel.¡±

    Hana teases and Annabel blushes beautifully, making her blue eyes shine brightly.

    After breakfast, we walk to the stage. Elder Jason asked us to join him while he announces to the

    group what the next steps are. I¡¯m wondering if he¡¯s nning to surround the stage with guards and

    when we arrive, I see that I¡¯m right. Every avable guard is around the stage. We walk onto the stage

    and our individual guardse to stand right behind us. Elder Jason isn¡¯t taking any chances.

    As I look out over the group, I make eye contact with the ones fromst night. They either smile, wink

    or one blows a kiss. While I like them all, Alpha Mason is still at the top of my list.

    1 feel a prickle at the back of my neck, and I look out over the crowd again. Alpha Typhon is staring at

    me with hard eyes. He¡¯s not happy aboutst night. I give my shoulders a slight shrug as if to say ¡®too

    bad¡¯ before turning my attention back to Elder Jason who is walking up to the microphone.

    ¡°Good morning, gentlemen.¡¯¡¯ He turns and looks at us. ¡°Good morning,dies.¡± A chorus of ¡®good

    mornings¡¯ echoes over the crowd.

    ¡°As I mentioned yesterday, I have a couple of announcements this morning and my verdict for the

    remaining contestants. First, the omega, Layan, has been sent home.¡± He stops and while no one

    actively expresses anger at this, there is a lot of shifting in the crowd. One less female to im this

    year.

    When the chatter dies down, Elder Jason continues. ¡°Second, every male imant will be

    rea*s*sessed before entering the iming territory.¡±

    This causes an immediate reaction. Many of the males begin activelyining, saying they¡¯ve

    already been a*s*sessed, calling this outrageous, and verbally refusing additional testing.

    ¡°QUIET!¡± Elder Jason bellows and the crowd quiets down.

    ¡°Anyone who refuses to submit to re-evaluation may leave the iming territory today. I will not require

    you to be rea*s*sessed, but if you want to enter the iming territory to im one of this year¡¯s

    contestants, you will do so. That is your choice.¡± There is a lot of grumbling, but I see several males

    nodding their head in agreement. Mason being one of them. He catches me watching him and he winks

    at me again. I try to hide my smile at his flirtation.

    ¡°For anyone willing to submit to re-evaluation, those of you in Omega Annabel¡¯s lottery will be

    evaluated today. Once all of you are clear, Annabel will be scheduled to enter the iming territory. If,

    for any reason, one of her imants does not pass their evaluation, you will be excluded from this

    year¡¯s events and another male will be pulled from the lottery.¡±

    Elder Jason turns to look at us. ¡°The iming territory will be thoroughly cleaned before you enter,

    Annabel. I will be checking over the territory been washed clean.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡± Annabel says quietly. We all know what that means. All the blood from Layan and

    the mutted wolves has to be washed away. Elder Jason seems to understand that if Annabel smells

    what happened during Layan¡¯s iming, she may be terrified and unable to proceed with her

    iming.

    He turns back to the group. ¡°In addition to the a*s*sessments, social gatherings will begin again today,

    but only for those that have been re-evaluated. Annabel will have a social gathering with her group this

    evening. Those that choose to submit to evaluation from Beta Hana¡¯s group will be allowed to attend

    her social gatherings this evening as well. Alpha Jara will be allowed to choose the members of her

    social gathering again this evening.¡¯¡¯ There is a lot of grumbling over this.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    However, I¡¯m excited. I want the same group asst night. Last night was the best time I¡¯ve had since

    I¡¯ve been here.

    ¡°Tomorrow, we willplete the rea*s*sessment of Beta Hana¡¯s lottery imants and begin

    a*s*sessment of Alpha Jara¡¯s imants. The a*s*sessors will be arriving in the next hour. If you are in

    Annabel¡¯s lottery, please step forward. The rest of you are dismissed for now. If you choose to exclude

    yourself from re-evaluation, please pack your bags and leave the territory before lunch time.¡±

    Only neen of Annabel¡¯s imants step forward. Thest one walks away, conceivably to leave the

    iming. I step down, looking for Seth, but find Mason.

    ¡°Why would they leave without being re-a*s*sessed?¡± I ask, seeing other imants debating.

    ¡°Have you ever seen the a*s*sessment process?¡±

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s intense, especially for omegas and non-ranked members. It¡¯s intrusive and it pushes you to ensure

    you¡¯re not on the verge of going feral. I understand why some would drop out. It can be grueling.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re willing to do it again?¡±

    He turns, giving me his full attention. ¡°I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to im you, Jara. I thought

    we¡¯d established that already.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say, quickly kissing his cheek before stepping back. There are too many prying eyes for

    me to do more.

    Before I can turn away, he grabs my hand. ¡°Will I be seeing you again this evening?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one of very few here that I would agree to iming me. I thought we had established that

    already.¡± I say, repeating his words back to him.

    He smiles, taking my hand, leaning over it and sucking on my knuckle like he didst night, his gaze

    holding mine. I feel my body responding to his unspoken flirtation.

    It isn¡¯t long before he stands, his eyes still on mine. ¡°d we¡¯re on the same page.¡± He says, before

    releasing my hand.

    I know I¡¯m blushing when I turn and run to catch up with Hana and Annabel.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m d that Elder Jason is rea*s*sessing the imants, but I¡¯m not looking forward to it. I wasn¡¯t

    kidding when I told Jara it¡¯s a grueling process. Last time, if left me with a zing headache for days.

    However, the a*s*sessments can ur up to six months before the iming, so it¡¯s possible there are

    more wolves that are going feral. It¡¯s the right call, even if it¡¯s a hard one.

    At lunch, Elder Jason informs us that those in Beta Hana¡¯s lottery that are willing to begin their

    rea*s*sessment today can step forward. Elijah and Seth are the first to stand and move to the front.

    Several others join them.

    Title of the document

    I look across the dining hall and see Alpha Antonio rubbing his head. He¡¯s already been through

    rea*s*sessment. I¡¯m not surprised, he has his eye on Annabel, just as Seth has his on Hana and I have

    mine on Jara.

    Over the course of the day, the wolves from Annabel¡¯s iming make it through. Most look like they¡¯ve

    been put through the ringer. 1 can¡¯t imagine their social gathering tonight will be very exciting. They are

    all hurting.

    After his rea*s*sessment, Elijah goes to our room andys down before his social gathering with Hana.

    Less than 20 of her imants will be a*s*sessed today, so they will all be in her social gathering, if they

    can manage to attend.

    Word spreads quickly that two more wolves were disqualified because they couldn¡¯t pass

    rea*s*sessment today, both were ranked members. One was from Annabel¡¯s lottery, and one was from

    Hana¡¯s. Tomorrow, there will be another drawing for both of their lotteries and that¡¯s just what has

    happened today. I¡¯m sure there will be more tomorrow.

    While Annabel and Hana have their social gathering at the main house, Jara¡¯s is back at the female¡¯s

    housing. There is a much smaller number of guards here this evening and the feeling, with only six is

    us, is much more intimate, even though Jara has set up food and drink along with music again.

    This evening, we take advantage of our time and begin discussing ourselves, our packs and asking

    Jara questions about herself. During the evening, Annabel returns. She spends a few minutes speaking

    with us, checking in with Jara, before retiring to her room.

    Hanaes in a bitter. She alsoes in to join us. ¡°So, the a*s*sessment process is really terrible

    for all of you?¡± She asks. ¡°It is.¡± We all agree.

    ¡°The few in my social gathering tried hard to pretend all was well, but I could tell, especially from those

    that were herest night, that they were struggling. How long does it take for the effects of the

    a*s*sessment to wear off?¡± She asks.

    ¡°A couple of days.¡± Beta Luke replies.

    ¡°So, maybe tomorrow, those who submitted to rea*s*sessment today will be feeling better?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Hopefully.¡± One of Seth¡¯s warriorsments. ¡°Some of us take longer than others to recover.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true, omegas take the longest, not being as strong as ranked members. However, it helps if their

    Alpha is here. He can help relieve some of their pain.¡± I tell them. ¡°You¡¯ll  see tomorrow, many omegas

    will be huddling around their Alphas. Some warriors too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be near Seth. It helped me a lot when I was a*s*sessed earlier this year. He was great,

    always willing to let us be close to him while we were healing.¡±

    Jara looks at me. ¡°What about Alphas like Typhon? I can¡¯t imagine him giving his time to his omegas

    and warriors so they can heal?¡± She asks.

    ¡°They will suffer longer and have more intense pain. Also, Alphas who are not true Alphas, those not

    born from Alpha blood, will not have as much of an impact on their pack as those of us that are true

    Alphas. If they have a true Beta, they can also help, but a true Alpha is the best medicine for a hurting

    pack member. That, or a Luna.¡± I say. I can see her surprise at my statement, but it¡¯s true.

    A Luna not only strengthens the pack by being the glue that holds us together, but their kind and gentle

    ways soothe the aches and pains of battle and things like a*s*sessment for both ranked and non-

    ranked members.

    Beta Luke turns to look at me. ¡°So, I could help my pack? I¡¯m a true Beta.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t your Alpha a true Alpha as well?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    I ask him. I think there are five true Alphas in this year¡¯s iming.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He presses his lips together but doesn¡¯t say more. I make a note to speak to him on our way

    back this evening.

    Hana spends a little more time with us before heading to her room. It¡¯s early morning again before Jara

    tells us she needs to go to sleep. She walks us all out again. The warriors all kiss her cheek and begin

    heading back to the main house. Beta Luke sneaks a peck on her lips before smirking at her and

    turning to walk away.

    I kiss her hand again, just as I didst night, but as I turn to walk away she calls to me. ¡°Mason, did you

    mean what you said about a Luna being able to help those that have been through a*s*sessment?¡±

    ¡°Jara, I never lie, especially when ites to protecting pack members.¡±

    She looks down for a moment, then back up at me. ¡°So, if I were to go around and see those who were

    in a*s*sessment today and those that are in a*s*sessment tomorrow, it could help them to heal?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, Jara. A true Alpha. It will definitely help them to heal. And for some reason, you being

    a female seems to surpass pack lines. So, I¡¯d a*s*sume that you could help anyone that needs it, not

    just Seth¡¯s pack members.¡¯¡¯

    I watch her thinking it through. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to try, Jara. What¡¯s the worst that can happen? Nothing,

    and then they are no better off than they are now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. I bet Hana would help too. She¡¯s a true Beta.¡±

    I turn, seeing that the others are out of sight I pull Jara to me and kiss her like I¡¯ve been wanting to for

    days. I put one hand in her hair, the other wrapped around her waist and

    I slide my tongue into her mouth, moaning at her taste.

    Before I get too carried away, I pull away. ¡°If I haven¡¯t told you recently, Jara, you are one amazing

    woman.¡±

    She¡¯s panting with our kiss, but she cups my cheek with her hand. ¡°You¡¯re pretty¡¯ amazing too, Mason.¡±

    I kiss her nose. ¡°Goodnight, Jara.¡±

    She looks in my eyes for a long moment. ¡°Goodnight, Mason.¡±

    I pull away, turning to leave before I give in to temptation and kiss her again. I jog to catch up to Beta

    Luke.

    ¡°Beta. A moment.¡±

    He stops, turning to look at me. ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°What didn¡¯t you say earlier about your Alpha?¡± He presses his lips together, looking toward the main

    house.

    ¡°I won¡¯t speak ill of my Alpha. He¡¯s a good Alpha, or, he was.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going feral?¡±

    He looks at me and 1 see the pain in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll pass rea*s*sessment. I hope he does,

    and I hope he catches Beta Hana because if he doesn¡¯t¡­.¡±

    He leaves the rest unfinished. ¡°I understand.¡± I tell him. And I do. I¡¯m in the same boat. I¡¯m not at risk of

    failing rea*s*sessment, but if I don¡¯t catch Jara, I¡¯ll be feral before next year¡¯s iming.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The next morning, they hold another lottery for Annabel. Three of her imants have either left or failed

    rea*s*sessment. In a twist from the norm, Elder Jason allows anyone from Hana¡¯s or my im to enter

    into the lottery. He is clear that rea*s*sessment today if they are chosen. I notice arge number of

    omegas and warriors putting their names in for her lottery. She¡¯s their best chance at catching a mate.

    Hana and I have too many ranked members in our iming¡¯s.

    When it¡¯s done, one warrior and two omegas are pulled for Annabel¡¯s lottery. They are immediately

    taken for rea*s*sessment.

    Title of the document

    ¡°By the end of today, all 20 lottery imants for Omega Annabel¡¯s lottery. They are pulled for Annabel¡¯s

    lottery. They are immediately taken for rea*s*sessment.

    ¡°By the end of today, all 20 lottery imants for Omega Annabel¡¯s lottery will be chosen.

    Tomorrow, Annabel will go into the iming territory and the following day, her imants will enter to

    begin the hunt for their mate. In addition, the rest of you who have not submitted for rea*s*sessment

    from Beta Hana¡¯s im, must submit today or leave the iming territory by lunchtime. Volunteers for

    rea*s*sessment for those in Alpha Jara¡¯s iming will be put on the roster and, as time permits, will be

    rea*s*sessed this evening. Any questions?¡±

    There are none and the imants for Hana¡¯s lottery go to sign up for rea*s*sessment. Hana and

    Annabel begin to head back to our housing.

    ¡°Jara, are you joining us?¡± Hana asks me.

    ¡°No. Mason mentioned that as a true Alpha and future Luna, I might be able to help ease some of the

    pain for pack members getting rea*s*sessed. I want to give it a try, especially for those who are in

    packs where their Alphas and Betas don¡¯t have true blood lines or aren¡¯t willing to a*s*sist.¡±

    Hana stops, turning to me. ¡°Do you think I could help too?¡±

    I look at her. ¡°You¡¯re a tine Beta, so I think so.¡±

    She looks at Annabel. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up to youter, Annabel.¡± Annabel waves at us and Hana and I

    follow the group back into the main house, our guards close behind.

    I turn to look at Luke, my guard. ¡°Do you know where they arepleting the a*s*sessments?¡±

    ¡°No, but we can ask Elder Jason.¡± He points in the direction that I¡¯m guessing Elder Jason is.

    I lift my nose in the air and follow the Elder¡¯s leather and pipe scent to an office that looks like it¡¯s in a

    state of mid-cleaning.

    ¡°Elder Jason.¡± I say, knocking on the door frame.

    He looks up, surprised. ¡°Alpha Jara.¡± He looks behind me and sees Hana. ¡°Beta Hana. Come in. Is

    there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, but after speaking with my imants yesterday, I was wondering if I could be here, to see if my

    presence, our presence,¡± I say, including Hana, ¡°would help those being rea*s*sessed ovee their

    pain more quickly.¡±

    He looks at both of us, his eyes going from calcting to warm, darkening with his wolf s presence.

    ¡°You want to help the imants ovee their pain of rea*s*sessment? I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea.

    Thank you both. I¡¯ll set you up in an office near the a*s*sessment rooms and we¡¯ll send any imants

    in who are willing to spend some time with you. I¡¯ll also put some food and drinks in the room as well,

    although many may feel too nauseous at first to eat or drink.¡±

    He calls out to a man I haven¡¯t yet seen. ¡°Andrew, please set up a room for Alpha Jara and Beta Hana.

    They will be seeing any imants who want to spend time with them after rea*s*sessment. Make sure

    the imants know that this time is to help them heal, not a social gathering, so they understand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder. Ladies, please follow me.¡±

    We follow him to a room near the a*s*sessments. We can hear howling and mming against the walls

    in a room near us. Hana and I look at each other, our eyes going wide.

    ¡°Is that¡­.is that normal?¡± Hana asks Andrew.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so, especially for the non-ranked members. Omegas especially have it hard. They

    aren¡¯t generally capable of handling such intense emotions. You¡¯ve seen what happens when the

    tensions here get high?¡± We both nod, we¡¯re seen omegas losing it and going after all five of us when

    the tensions got too high.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same in a*s*sessment. They must control themselves and their wolves. It¡¯s much harder for

    them and they suffer the most from a*s*sessment. It¡¯s why several have left, unwilling to resubmit for

    a*s*sessment.¡±

    ¡°Please, make sure they know we¡¯re here to help when they are done.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± He turns to walk out of the room, before turning back. ¡°Thank you both, this will be very helpful.¡±

    ¡°If there are others who are still suffering from their a*s*sessment yesterday, were willing to spend time

    with them as well.¡± Hana tells him.

    He smiles at us. ¡°I¡¯ll let them know.¡±

    It¡¯s less than 10 minutes before the first omega is brought in. He¡¯s being half carried by his a*s*sessor.

    ¡°I understand you are willing to sit with those who have been rea*s*sessed, is that correct?¡± The

    a*s*sessor asks us.

    We rash to him, both of us taking one of the omegas arms and helping him to a couch. ¡°Yes, thank you.

    Please bring anyone willing to see us when they are done.¡±

    Andrew returns with food and water, and a couple of buckets. He puts one at the omega¡¯s feet just as

    he lurches forward and vomits. I nib his back, looking across at Hana. 1 feel horrible for these people.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alpha, Beta.¡± He says when he¡¯ s done.

    ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡± I tell him as Andrew takes the bucket into an attached bathroom, and I

    hear the toilet flushing and water running before he returns with a clean bucket.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave these in case you need them. Holler if you need my help.¡±

    The omega sits back, leaning his head on the back of the couch. Just then, an omega who was

    a*s*sessed yesterdayes to stand at the door. ¡°I understand we cane spend time with you if

    we¡¯re still hurting from our a*s*sessment?¡± He says tentatively.

    Hana jumps up, moving to walk the new omega into the room. ¡°Yes,e sit with me. We don¡¯t know if

    time with us will work¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it does. I¡¯m already feeling better.¡± The first omega says, lifting his head and looking at the new

    one that came in.

    He leans his head back and I put my hand on his forehead, watching as his body rxes.

    Eventually, news of our involvement spreads and Mason, Seth, Antonio and a couple of Betas,

    including Luke,e to our room to a*s*sist with the aftermath of the a*s*sessment. The males focus

    on their pack members while Hana and I focus on the ones whose Alphas and Betas either aren¡¯t

    helping them or aren¡¯t giving them the relief that we can.

    The rest of our day is about the same. Several new malese in each hour and those that are feeling

    better leave to make room for those that need us more.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    At one point, Mason and Seth bring us sandwiches and water. ¡°Jara, you need to eat.¡± Mason says to

    me. I¡¯ve been avoiding food, even though my stomach is rumbling because I know if it¡¯s too soon after

    their a*s*sessment, it makes the imants vomit.

    ¡°Please, Alpha Jara. I¡¯m okay. You need to eat, your stomach is loud enough that everyone in the room

    can hear it.¡± The warrior I¡¯m sitting with says to me, a small smile on his face. They tend to recover

    faster than the omegas and rarely vomit, but they still have terrible headaches. I can see the pain in his

    eyes.

    1 eat quickly, trying to get the sandwich down before another omegaes in. 1 see Hana doing the

    same, Seth watching over her to make sure she eats. I down my water and hand everything back to

    Mason. While the other ranked members have gone, their pack memberspleting rea*s*sessment,

    Mason, Seth and Antonio have stayed.

    Just as he throws everything away, we hear loud snarling, and vicious growlinging from a room

    nearby. As one, Mason, Seth and Antonio move to block the doorway. I hear a crash, more snarling

    and a lot of swearing. There is a rush of feet and I feel more than see the pushing and shoving

    happening right outside our door.

    A momentter, I see a dark brown wolf leaps at the Alpha wall that Mason, Seth and Antonio have

    created. Mason catches the wolf mid-air, Seth and Antonio helping to tackle him to the ground. The

    warrior that was beside me has moved in front of me.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone feral. Alpha. He¡¯sing for you and Beta Hana.¡± I turn and see several of the omegas,

    some still looking green from their a*s*sessment, have moved in front of Hana, protecting her.

    As I watch, I see one of the a*s*sessors m a giant needle into the hindquarters of the wolf. His howl

    of pain breaks my heart and as I watch, his eyes lock onto mine.

    ¡°Let me through.¡± I say, standing and moving to him. I know what the needle is. They are putting him

    down. He¡¯s dying, and his eyes are begging me to save him. I can¡¯t, but I can ease his passing.

    ¡°Jara¡­¡± Mason warns me, but I ignore him.

    The three of them have the wolf securely pinned to the floor and I can see the light starting to dim in his

    eyes.

    I take the wolfs face in my hands. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry this happened to you. I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t save you.¡±

    He licks my face once before he is forced to shift back to his human form. I realize instantly that this is

    Alpha Cameron, Beta Luke¡¯s Alpha.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Jara.¡± He says to me, his body going limp, the light in his eyes dying out.

    I drop my head, letting the tears fall. It shouldn¡¯t be like this. This shouldn¡¯t be happening, but there

    aren¡¯t enough of us, aren¡¯t enough females to save all the werewolf packs.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I feel sick as I watch the Alpha wolf shift to his human form. Alpha Cameron. Beta Luke knew it wasn¡¯t

    likely that he¡¯d make it through rea*s*sessment, and he was right.

    I see him from theer of my eye, standing in the hallway. His face is a mask of the pain he¡¯s feeling

    at the loss of his Alpha. He throws his head back and howls his pain. The rest of the pack answering

    him as they feel the tether to their Alpha snap.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Beta Luke, is there an heir for the Alpha position in your pack?¡± Elder Jason asks him.

    He shakes his head. ¡°No, just me.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Elder Jason nods. ¡°We¡¯ll need to perform an Alpha ceremony today. Your pack needs an Alpha.¡±

    Jara looks up at Beta Luke. ¡°We can have a burial ceremony this evening for Alpha Cameron, allowing

    your pack to grieve.¡±

    I see Elder Jason look at Jara. He hadn¡¯t nned to have an official funeral, but I agree with Jara. It¡¯s

    the right thing to do. His pack needs to grieve him and then they need to submit to their new Alpha,

    even if this postpones Annabel¡¯s im by another day.

    After they remove Alpha Cameron, Jara stands, wiping her eyes and the group of men in the room

    settle, all of us more somber than before. Some of the omegas that were protecting Beta Hana have

    now vomited from moving too quickly. Jara goes to a*s*sist Hana in helping them feel better. None of

    them are my pack members, so I can¡¯t help them.

    As I stand there, waiting for more of my pack toe in, grieving the loss of another good Alpha, Elder

    Jasones to the door. ¡°Alpha Mason, you volunteered to be re-evaluated today. There is a slot

    avable now.¡±

    I nod, looking at Jara. ¡°I¡¯ll look after any of  your pack mates thate in while you¡¯re being

    rea*s*sessed.¡± She says, before standing anding to me.

    Without regard for anyone else in the room, she takes my face in her hands. ¡°You pass a*s*sessment

    ande back here. To me. I¡¯ll help you heal. Do you hear me. Alpha Mason? I expect you to pass

    and return to me.¡± Her eyes are wild with her fear for me and her need for me to pass rea*s*sessment.

    I gently put my hands on her wrists. ¡°Yes, Alpha Jara. I hear you. I will return to you as soon as I can.¡±

    She pulls my face to hers, kissing me fiercely.

    I pull her against me, taking her mouth, drawing strength from her before I hear a throat clearing behind

    me.

    ¡°This way, Alpha Mason.¡± Elder Jason says.

    I pull away from Jara, walking backward, my eyes not leaving hers until I get to the door. When I do, I

    turn, and follow Elder Jason to my a*s*sessment room.

    a*s*sessment is as brutal as I remember. I¡¯ve had to go through it every year since I stalleding to

    the imings. The a*s*sessors get into your head. They force different scenarios into your mind,

    pushing emotions at you, a*s*sessing your ability to control yourself and your wolf. As an Alpha, the

    push is harder than others. We¡¯re put through simtions where we are forced to submit to another

    Alpha, to give up our pack and once we feel destitute, we are forced to watch as our mate, or the one

    we want as our mate, chooses another.

    The a*s*sessment leaves you with nothing, nothing but a useless title. No pack, no mate, no ce to

    live and no ce to belong. As a werewolf and definitely as an Alpha wolf, it¡¯s the worst possible

    feeling you can have. Our wolves fight against it, but we have to control them, not letting them attack

    during the a*s*sessment. As I feel the destion try to pull me under, I remember Jara. The feel of her

    hands on my face, her lips on mine, her request to return to her, and I hold steady.

    When I¡¯m done, my head feels like it¡¯s going to explode. The pain is so severe, it¡¯s hard to see. I¡¯m light

    sensitive and although I¡¯ve never vomited after an a*s*sessment, I feel nauseous. I walk out, heading

    back to the room, intending to help my pack mates and let Jara know I passed.

    The moment I enter, she¡¯s there. Her cool hands go to either side of my face and I can¡¯t help the sigh of

    relief. It¡¯s as if her hands are drawing the pain out of my head.

    ¡°Come sit down, Mason.¡± She leaves one hand on my forehead and takes my hand, guiding me to a

    couch. 1 sit, leaning my head back.

    ¡°Are any of my pack members here?¡± I ask, wanting to know if 1 need to suck it up and help my non-

    ranked members.

    ¡°Beta Elijah is here. He¡¯s helping the couple of pack members who havee in since you left. Rx.

    If you feel better, you¡¯ll be better able to help your pack.¡± She says to me quietly.

    So, I stay still, letting her touch soothe the ache in my head. I¡¯m not sure, but I think I drift off to sleep.

    When 1 wake, I hear quiet voices around me.

    ¡°Come sit on my other side. I can help two at once.¡± I hear Jara say.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Jara.¡± The authority in the voice lets me know it¡¯s a ranked member that she¡¯s

    helping.

    ¡°Does this tire you out, Jara?¡± I ask her, keeping my eyes closed.

    ¡°Not any more than the a*s*sessments wear you out.¡± She replies.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re exhausted?¡± I ask, opening my eyes and looking at her. I can see the fatigue on her face. I

    look over at Hana and see the same exhaustion in her face as well.

    ¡°You two are overdoing it.¡± I say, starting to sit up.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mason. Give it a few more minutes.

    An hour seems to be the key.¡± She says.

    ¡°How long has it been?¡± I ask, not having any sense of time, but realizing that the pain in my head has

    be a dull ache rather than the stabbing pain it felt at first.

    ¡°About 50 minutes. Ten more minutes and you¡¯re free of me.¡±

    1 take her hand, bringing it to my mouth, kissing her palm. ¡°I hope I¡¯m never free of you, Jara.¡±

    When the hour is up, 1 don¡¯t feel great, but 1 feel much better than I have before. I know by tomorrow

    I¡¯ll be back to normal.

    a*s*sessments are for the day arepleted by dinner time, and Hana and Jara join the imants for

    dinner. Most of them have been treated by these two today and are gracious and happy to just enjoy

    some additional time with them. The feeling tonight at dinner is less aggressive, more appreciative. It¡¯s

    good that most everyone is feeling better because we still have a funeral to attend this evening.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Hana and I decide to have dinner in the main dining hall, knowing that if we spend more time with those

    a*s*sessed today, it will make them feel better physically. It is apparent, though that many wolves are

    missing. I would a*s*sume that they are all from Alpha Cameron¡¯s pack.

    Annabel joins us for dinner and afterward, I go to see Elder Jason. ¡°Do you need my a*s*sistance to

    prepare for Alpha Cameron¡¯ s funeral?¡± I ask him. I should have asked earlier when I said the funeral

    would be tonight, but I was distraught and then Mason was going into his a*s*sessment and my mind

    was clouded with the possibility of losing him.

    Title of the document

    However, now, my focus is fully on making sure that Alpha Cameron¡¯s pack is given proper time to

    grieve the loss of their Alpha.

    ¡°No, Alpha Jara. You¡¯ve been plenty busy today and based on the interactions I saw at dinner, your

    a*s*sistance and that of Beta Hana greatly helped to heal the imants who were a*s*sessed.¡±

    He looks out to where the back of the main packhouse is, his eyes zing over. ¡°I have set up a pyre

    for this evening. I n to give anyone from Alpha Cameron¡¯s pack who wishes to speak, time to say

    whatever they want to say.¡±

    I nod. It¡¯s how it should be done. ¡°While it¡¯ s notmon to have an Alpha ceremony immediately after

    a funeral, I believe it is necessary this evening. There has been enough chaos during this iming, and

    I don¡¯t want any more wolves to feel lost or bereft without their Alpha. Between the rea*s*sessment and

    the loss of their Alpha, many omegas and warriors from Alpha Cameron¡¯s pack might be close to losing

    their minds or going feral.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± I tell him. While it is unusual, these men are away from their packs, they have been through

    rea*s*sessment which I now understand is a horrible, grueling process and they¡¯ve lost their Alpha. The

    possibility of what¡¯s left of Alpha Cameron¡¯s pack going feral is high until there is a new Alpha. And I

    know Beta Luke will be a good Alpha. He obviously cares about his pack a great deal.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯d like you to lead the ceremony.¡± I whip my head around to look at Elder Jason.

    ¡°Me? Why me?¡±

    ¡°You are a true Alpha. And while I am as well, you being an Alpha female seems to impact males from

    every pack, not just your own. I think you being there, leading the ceremony will ensure that Alpha

    Cameron¡¯s pack pledges their allegiance to Beta Luke as their new Alpha and will give them some

    peace during this evening¡¯s events.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure I agree with Elder Jason, but I¡¯m willing to do anything needed to ensure the safety and

    peacefulness of Alpha Cameron¡¯s pack. ¡°I¡¯ve never led an Alpha ceremony before.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fairly straightforward, but I took the liberty of writing out the instructions for you, just in case.¡±

    I look over the document Elder Jason hands me and realize it¡¯s exactly what urred when Seth took

    over as Alpha from my father.

    ¡°I can do this.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be there in case something happens, but this will be better.¡±

    An hourter, we¡¯re all standing in front of the pyre where Alpha Cameron¡¯s body is lying. His entire

    pack is here, but so are many others, wanting to pay their respects.

    Elder Jason stands on the stage, addressing the group.

    ¡°Today, we lost one of our good Alphas. He was a man known not only to his pack, but to other packs

    as well as the Elders. He was a true Alpha, and his loss will impact us for years toe. This evening,

    before we light the fire and send our Alpha to the Moon Goddess, I offer everyone the opportunity to

    say something about Alpha Cameron.¡±

    He steps back and Beta Luke immediately moves to the stage. He speaks of what a strong and

    powerful Alpha Cameron was, how he loved and cherished his pack and how terrible it is that he went

    feral just before this year¡¯s iming. He goes on to discuss how he will be missed and how no one can

    ever fill his shoes.

    One after another, his pack members go up on stage to talk about something their Alpha did for them,

    whether it was to protect them,fort them or bring them peace in a time of loss, Alpha Cameron was

    definitely one of the good ones. I can¡¯t help but wonder why our Moon Goddess chose to take him

    instead of someone like Typhon who doesn¡¯t deserve to be an Alpha.

    I watch as even Seth and Mason go up on stage to discuss their interactions with Alpha Cameron and

    what a good Alpha he was. I know I have tears running down my face. And while I know I need to

    present as a strong Alpha, I can¡¯t help but cry over the loss of someone so good, so deserving of their

    title.

    When everyone has spoken, Elder Jason lights the pyre and we watch as the fire ignites, burning into

    the night, taking Alpha Cameron¡¯s ashes with it.

    When the fire finally starts to die out,

    Elder Jason returns to the podium. ¡°I know that those of you in Alpha Cameron¡¯ s pack are grieving and

    that this is unusual, but we are in an unusual situation. Tonight, your Beta, Beta Luke, will stand and

    take his oath as your new Alpha. Is there anyone here that would contest this?¡±

    He waits, ensuring that no one from their pack disagrees with Beta Luke taking

    Over as their new Alpha.

    ¡°Alpha Jara, will you join me on stage please.¡± Elder Jason looks at me, as I make my way to the stage.

    As I walk onto the stage, I see Mason and Seth¡¯s looks of confusion. I¡¯m still not exactly sure why Elder

    Jason wants me to lead the ceremony, but I¡¯m willing to do it.

    He hands me the ceremonial knife and cup before beckoning Beta Luke over to me. ¡°Alpha Jara will be

    presiding over the Alpha ceremony this evening.¡± He announces to the crowd.

    I look out over the crowd. ¡°Before we begin, I just want to say, I didn¡¯t know Alpha Cameron, but from

    everything I heard this evening, it sounds like he was a wonderful Alpha, a great man. There is a hole

    in your pack that may never be filled. But I do know Beta Luke. He is in my iming, and he is one of

    the few that I¡¯ve chosen to spend extra time with during this event. I¡¯ve gotten to know Beta Luke, and I

    believe he will be a strong and good Alpha to your pack. I believe that he has the ability and willingness

    to protect and love all of you as a good Alpha should.¡±

    From the corner of my eye, I see Elder Jason smiling. Perhaps this is what he was hoping I would do.

    Confirm to the members of this pack that I believe in their new Alpha and trust that he will be good at

    his new role.

    I turn to Luke. ¡°Beta Luke, please step forward.¡±

    When he does, I take his hand, palm facing upward. He unwavering eyes meet mine.

    ¡°Do you ept the role of Alpha of Lunar Eclipse Pack?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Will you, as Alpha, put your pack above yourself, above your own needs and lead them with love,

    consideration and strength.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Will you protect them with your life, allowing no other toe and take them from you?¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°Do you swear to treat every member of your pack as your family, for that is what they are. They are

    your family. Swear that you will care for and love your pack as a father loves his children.¡±

    He turns, looking out over his pack members. ¡°I swear that I will treat every member of my pack as if

    they are my family. I will love every one of you as a father loves his children.¡±

    ¡°Then, by the power vested in me, Alpha Jara of Silver Crest Pack, I present the new Alpha, Alpha

    Luke of Lunar Eclipse Pack.¡± I slice the de down the center of Luke¡¯s palm, letting his blood drip into

    the ceremonial cup.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Before his hand heals, I slice it again, allowing enough blood to drip into the cup for all of his pack

    members to drink and swear their loyalty to him. I stand at his side as one by one, his pack members

    come, swear their loyalty and drink his blood, sealing the connection to him as their new Alpha and re-

    creating a pack mind link.

    When it¡¯s finally done, Alpha Luke calls to his pack to go for their first run together with their new Alpha.

    They all shift and begin running for the forest. This is thest part of sealing the bond between them.

    I step off the stage, exhausted with the day¡¯s events and wanting nothing more than my bed.

    As soon as my feet touch the ground, I¡¯m scooped into Mason¡¯s arms. ¡°I got Elder Jason to agree to let

    me carry you home. You¡¯re dead on your feet, Jara. Let me take care of you.¡±

    I just nod, leaning my head against his chest and drifting off to sleep, knowing Mason will make sure I

    get back to my room safely.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I wasn¡¯t happy that Elder Jason asked Jara to run the Alpha ceremony. It was obvious to anyone

    paying attention that she was exhausted and had pushed herself beyond her limits. But in true Alpha

    fashion, she would keep pushing herself until she fell over.

    I made sure I was there to catch her when she did. I had spoken to Elder Jason during the ceremony

    and while I understood that he wanted Jara to give her stamp of approval of Alpha Luke, it still didn¡¯t

    change that she shouldn¡¯t have been pushed so far.

    Title of the document

    I was thankful he agreed to let me take her home. Even if he hadn¡¯t, I would have anyway, but it was

    easier to get through the crowd of people still milling around with his approval.

    Jara was asleep before I took my first step away from the stage. I can¡¯t help but feel smug that she

    trusts me enough to ensure her safety. There are very few of us that she would feelfortable

    enough to fall asleep in their arms, but I¡¯m one of them.

    Sethes jogging up to me. ¡°Is she alright?¡± He asks, moving her hair from her face to see her better.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s just dead on her feet. I¡¯m taking her back to her room.¡±

    He nods. ¡°I just got back from taking Hana.

    She insisted on being here for the funeral, but when she started swaying, 1 knew she couldn¡¯t take

    anymore.¡±

    As we¡¯re talking, I feel another presencee up behind me. ¡°Alpha Mason, you overstep. You are not

    allowed to manhandle Alpha Jara this way.¡±

    Typhon.

    I turn and look at him, giving him a smug smile. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, take it up with Elder Jason.¡± I watch

    his eyes go wide before turning and beginning to walk Jara back to the female housing.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    As tall and strong as she is, she feels light as a feather in my arms. I take full advantage of the time I¡¯m

    carrying her to look over her features. Seth generously moved her hair out of her face, so now 1 can

    see the dark circles under her eyes, the creases by her lips and between her eyebrows that weren¡¯t

    there this morning. They will be gone tomorrow, but it¡¯ s telling of how much energy she expended

    today. Too much.

    Her guard lets me take her to her bedroom. He stands watching while I pull her sheet back andy her

    down. Her room is filled with her scent of sweet cream and nutmeg. My mouth begins to water, and I

    feel my canines extending. I stand, turning away from her, trying to collect myself.

    ¡°Alpha, are you alright?¡± Her guard enters the room, taking a couple of steps toward me, his hand on

    his gun.

    ¡°Yes. I went through rea*s*sessment today, so my wolf is more on edge than normal and Alpha Jara¡¯s

    scent is very strong in this room. Give me a moment. I want to finish making sure she¡¯s asfortable

    as I can make her before I leave.¡± I look him in the eye.

    ¡°I have no intention of being disqualified because I couldn¡¯t control my wolf. I just need a moment.¡± He

    nods but doesn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Mason?¡± I hear her soft voice behind me.

    1 look at her over my shoulder. ¡°Come sit beside me.¡± She says, scooting over to make room for me.

    ¡°Alpha Jara¡­¡± Her guard begins.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luke. He won¡¯t try to mark me here. He wants to im me properly.¡±

    I turn and sit beside her on the bed. I brush her hair away from her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to

    wake you.¡±

    She lifts her hand, sliding her thumb over one of my canines, slicing it. I take her hand quickly and lick

    the wound, closing and healing it.

    ¡°Do I really smell that good to you?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°My canines are out, Jara. Your scent to me is mouthwatering and all I want to do right now is sink my

    teeth into your neck, marking you as mine.¡±

    ¡°I wish we could choose each other Mason. I wish things were different.¡± Her eyes are filled with

    sorrow.

    ¡°Maybe, when all of this is done, you and 1 can push for that change. Things can¡¯t continue as they

    are. They aren¡¯t working. Typhon and your sister are perfect examples of that. So is Layan.¡± The

    conversation is helping to subdue my need for her, and my canines begin to retract.

    When they do, I reach down, kissing her forehead. ¡°Let me take your shoes off. You should really get

    some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I need to get out of these clothes. I¡¯ve been in them all day and there are too many werewolf

    scents on them. It¡¯s overwhelming my senses.¡±

    ¡°Tell me where your clothes are, and I¡¯ll get them for you.¡±

    She looks at me for a long moment. ¡°Could I wear your shirt, Mason? Your scent calms me.

    1 can¡¯t help the huge smile that spreads across my face. ¡°You want to sleep in my shirt?¡±

    She nods, her eyes showing her shyness, her sweet blush just adding to it.

    I stand, unbuttoning my shirt for her. 1 watch as her eyes darken.

    ¡°Jara, if you don¡¯t stop looking at me like that, my canines are going toe out again.¡± I warn her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­. you¡¯re magnificent.¡± She says as I slide my shirt off my arms. I¡¯m instantly hard at her

    a*s*sessment of my body. My d*ic*k only gets harder as I watch her eyes slide down my chest to my

    abs, her eyes getting darker the longer she looks. She absently licks her lips and that¡¯s all it takes for

    my canines toe sliding out again.

    ¡°Jara.¡± I growl at her, but ites out as a lisp as my canines impede my speech. Her eyes snap back

    to mine.

    ¡°Sorry. Turn around.¡± She says to me before looking at her guard. ¡°You too.¡±

    We both turn and I hear her removing her clothes behind me. It does nothing to rx my current state.

    I¡¯m so ready to bury myself inside her, sink my teeth into her that my entire body aches with the need

    for her.

    I hear her get back into her bed, pulling her nket up. ¡°Okay, you can turn around.¡±

    Both of us do and I know my eyes go dark seeing her in my shirt. It¡¯s open at the top, giving me a

    glimpse of the top of her rounded b*reas*ts. She¡¯s rolled up the sleeves that are too long and she looks

    s*ex*y as hell.

    ¡°I like seeing you in my shirt.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me wear it.¡± She says.

    ¡°I should go. You need your sleep.¡±

    ¡°Do I get a goodnight kiss, Mason?¡±

    ¡°Not tonight, Jara. I¡¯m afraid my control will snap. You smell too delicious, and you look so f*uc*king

    good in my shirt, I just want to rip if off of you and spend the night making you mine.

    Her eyes go wide with my honest statement, then they go dark again. Her wolf likes the idea of me

    making her mine.

    ¡°I expect you to make up for it tomorrow, then, Alpha.¡± She says, giving me a sa*s*sy smile.

    ¡°Count on it, Jara.¡± I say before turning and leaving her room. As soon as I hit the gra*s*s outside, I

    shift, shredding the rest of my clothes and run. I have way too much pent-up energy to sleep tonight.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next morning, Hana, Annabel and I head to the stage. Even with the changes that have gone on,

    the loss of the Alpha, and ascension of a new Alpha, Elder Jason wants Annabel to enter the iming

    territory today.

    1 can tell she¡¯s nervous. She, like the others, will have 24 hours to adjust to the territory. As Elder

    Jason takes the stage, hees to stand in front of Annabel.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I have ensured that the iming territory has been sufficiently cleaned, Annabel. If, at any point,

    something goes wrong in the territory, I want you to howl for help. I¡¯ll be listening and have trusted men

    listening to make sure that you are safe. We¡¯ll find you and bring you out of the territory ¡°Thank you,

    Elder.¡±

    He moves to the podium and addresses the imants. ¡°Omega Annabel will be entering the iming

    territory today. She will have 24 hours before the imants are able to enter the territory. I have already

    informed Annabel that if she fears for her life, she can alert us and unlike in previous imings,

    someone wille for her. All of you in her iming have been rea*s*sessed but if you do not follow

    the rules, you will be eliminated. Any questions?¡±

    When none are asked, he turns and escorts Annabel to the territory. At her request, I join her, holding

    her hand. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, Annabel. We knew something was wrong with the Alpha in Layan¡¯s im

    before he ever went in. No one in your im is showing any signs of going feral. Plus,¡± I say, giving a

    side eye to Alpha Antonio who is already pacing, wanting to im Annabel, ¡°you have a good Alpha

    intent on catching you.¡±

    She turns to look at him and from the corner of my eye, I see him wink at her. She blushes and looks

    away as a soft smile graces her face. ¡°Make him work for it, Annabel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She says, hugging me before turning to face the iming territory. She jogs into the

    territory and as with Mignon and Layan, I stand and watch until I can¡¯t see her any longer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been very impressed with you, Alpha Jara.¡± Elder Jason says as we walk back to the stage. ¡°I¡¯ll be

    very interested to see who ims you and what great things you do once you are in your own pack.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Elder.¡± I say, as he goes to step back on the stage.

    ¡°Would you join me? I need to announce that the rest of those who haven¡¯t been rea*s*sessed need to

    sign up today. Only your iming is left.

    ¡°Of course.¡± I tell him and move to stand beside him on the stage.

    He announces that those who are left must submit to a*s*sessment today or remove themselves from

    the iming.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Will Alpha Jara and Beta Hana be helping us recover today like they did for the others yesterday?¡± An

    omega asks.

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡± I say and Hana speaks out from the front of the stage. ¡°As will I.¡±

    No one declines rea*s*sessment and the rest of the day is much like yesterday, with Hana and I

    a*s*sisting others as they finish rea*s*sessment.

    However, at one point, Alpha Typhones in, requesting that I help him. I really have no interest in

    helping him and I was hoping that he would fail, but we don¡¯t always get what we wish for.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it.¡± Hana says to me,ing over to sit with Typhon.

    ¡°Beta Hana, I requested Alpha Jara¡¯s a*s*sistance.¡± He tells her.

    ¡°And she¡¯s busy, Alpha Typhon. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s me or no one.¡± Hana holds firm.

    He starts to growl, but it cuts off quickly as he reaches up to hold his head. When Hana touches his

    head, he noticeably rxes.

    I take the next two thate in, and Seth and Mason are back to a*s*sist us with their pack members.

    Alpha Antonio is on the field in front of the iming territory, listening for sounds from Annabel, much

    like Beta Asher did before Mignon¡¯s iming. I told him I would look after his pack if he wanted to stay.

    When a third persones into the room, not from Seth¡¯s or Mason¡¯s pack, Hana beckons them over.

    Alpha Typhon growls, wanting all her attention.

    ¡°Suck it up, Alpha. If you can¡¯t share like everyone else, get out.¡± Mason says to him, having no

    sympathy for his selfish ways.

    Typhonys his head back and Hana puts her hand back on his head, reaching out to help the warrior

    that just came in. When the next persones in, it¡¯s time for Typhon to leave. Yet, he refuses.

    ¡°I need more time.¡± Heins as Hana tells him his time is up.

    ¡°You get the same amount of time as everyone else, Alpha. And your time is up.¡± When Typhon refuses

    to move, Seth and Masone to the couch where he is sitting, our guards surrounding him from

    behind.

    ¡°Did you need a*s*sistance leaving, Typhon? We¡¯d be happy to help you out.¡± Seth says to him. The

    two of them standing menacingly over him.

    He growls again before standing and stomping out of the room.

    When the day finallyes to a close, we join the males in their dining hall for dinner. We sit with

    Mason, Seth, Elijah and a couple other warriors from Mason¡¯s pack. The atmosphere at our table is fun

    and easy.

    When we¡¯re done, I subtly remind Mason that he has something to make up for.

    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in our usual ce?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you there in a few minutes.¡± 1 tell him.

    I notice Hana and Seth making simr ns. I turn, intending to follow Mason, when I nearly walk into

    someone.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. A word.¡±

    1 look up into Alpha Typhon¡¯s angry eyes. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°In private.¡± He takes my arm and attempts to steer me away from the others. 1 snarl loudly at him and

    a momentter, Seth is beside me, gripping Typhon¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°Let go of my sister, before I break your arm.¡± Seth snarls at him.

    ¡°Alpha Typhon.¡± Elder Jason calls loudly. We all stop and look at him.

    ¡°I understand you barely passed rea*s*sessment. Don¡¯t give me a reason to remove you from the

    iming. The rules are clear. You may not attempt to force a contestant into having any type of

    interaction with you. Remove your hand from Alpha Jara immediately or I will have you removed from

    the iming.¡±

    Typhon turns to me, and I make a point to continue to hold his angry gaze. He finally releases me.

    ¡°Your time with Alpha Jara is over this evening, Alpha Typhon. If there is another incident, you will be

    removed from the iming altogether.¡±

    He turns, pushing his way out of the dining hall, snarling all the way.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seth asks, pulling me into a hug.

    ¡°Yes, thank you. Go spend time with Hana.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out. I know you¡¯re meeting up with Mason.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Seth.¡± He walks me out and watches until I join Alpha Mason, before turning to go find Hana.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I watch Seth walking Jara out and I know something happened. I begin jogging over to her and the

    moment I¡¯m close enough, I can smell him on her. Typhon.

    I snarl, pulling her into my arms. ¡°What did he do to you? Are you okay?¡±

    Title of the document

    I take her by the shoulders and push her back, looking her over. I lean forward and sniff her arm where

    he obviously grabbed her.

    ¡°He wanted to speak to me privately. I refused. Seth and Elder Jason supported that decision.¡±

    ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± I ask, pulling her to my chest again.

    Her arms wrap around my back. ¡°No Mason. I¡¯m fine, really.¡±

    I hold her until I feel my heart rate slow, and my anger subside. She stands there, holding me, never

    trying to pull out of my arms.

    When I feel like I can breathe again, I pull back, taking her face in my hands. I lean in without warning

    and take her mouth in a possessive, passionate kiss. She¡¯s mine and that a*s*shole touched what is

    mine. Me and my wolf want to im her, showing everyone she¡¯s mine, but this kiss will have to do for

    now.

    When I finally release her lips, we¡¯re both panting.

    ¡°Damn Mason, I love how you make things up to me.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but chuckle, leaning in to kiss her more gently. I feel her smile against my lips. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll

    walk you home.¡± I say, turning and wrapping my arm around her waist.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not done with you making it up to me, Alpha.¡± She says, and I can hear the taunting in her

    voice.

    I turn, looking around us and find a darkened area in the forest off the main path. I tug her into the dark

    and against a tree, pressing against her, feeing her strong body aligning perfectly against mine.

    ¡°And how can I make it up to you sufficiently, Alpha?¡± I ask her.

    Never taking my eyes off of hers, I reach down and begin unbuttoning her blouse. 1 slide my thigh

    between her legs, feeling her damp heat.

    When her shirt is unbuttoned to her pants, I slide my hand inside her blouse, rubbing my thumb over

    her nipple. Her body instantly tenses, her back arching. I watch as her mouth drops open slightly and

    her head falls back. I take advantage of her submission and begin nibbing my way over her throat,

    nipping at the side of her neck as I pluck her n*ipp*le in between my finger and thumb over hercy

    b*ra.

    When she begins whimpering, I pull the shirt out of her pants and finish unbuttoning it. I slide the b*ra

    straps off her shoulders, pulling her b*ra down before leaning in and taking her perky n*ipp*le in my

    mouth. 1 wrap one arm around her waist, holding her against me as suckle on her n*ipp*le, gently

    nipping it then licking and s*uc*king. She begins moaning softly, sliding her fingers in my hair and

    grabbing hold, keeping my mouth in ce.

    I pull back, moving to her other b*rea*st, feeling her hips as they begin to rock against me, trying to

    ease the ache between her thighs that I¡¯m causing.

    I flick her n*ipp*le with my tongue before lifting my head. ¡°Do you want more, Jara?¡±

    When she opens her eyes, they are nearly ck with desire. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Exactly what I wanted to hear.¡± I growl before kissing her again. I unbutton and unzip her pants, sliding

    my hand down to feel hercy panties. I rub my fingers between her thighs, feeling the heat and wet

    slickness on her p*an*ties.

    I slide my hand up and under her p*an*ties, nibbing her c*li*t in slow circles before sliding a finger

    inside her. She jerks at the intrusion, and I pull back, holding still in case this is too much. She shifts,

    letting her pants drop to the ground before taking my mouth and continuing our kiss.

    I begin moving my finger in and out of her warmth, drawing more of her wet slick from her body, her

    sweet cream scent making me crazed with need for her.

    She slides her hands down my chest, pulling my shirt from my jeans. She then begins unbuttoning and

    unzipping my jeans, her hand sliding over top of my boxer briefs. When she feels how hard I am for

    her, she pulls away, looking down at where her hand is touching me.

    ¡°It¡¯s so¡­.¡± Her eyes are wide, and there is a hint of fear in them. But more than that, there is curiosity.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too big. It was made to please, not scare. You don¡¯t have to touch me if it¡¯s too much for you.¡±

    ¡°No, I want to show you the same pleasure you are showing me.¡±

    I step away from her, pulling my shirt over my head, kicking off my shoes and stepping out of my jeans

    and boxer briefs. I kneel down, pulling her shoes off, keeping my eyes on hers in case this ever gets to

    be too much. She pulls her shirt off, then unhooks her b*ra, letting it fall to the ground.

    I lean in rubbing my nose against her heated panties, relishing the scent of her. I pull them down,

    helping her to step out of them before 1 look up at her. ¡°I want to taste you.¡±

    She nods, watching me as I lean in, pulling one of her legs over my shoulder. I can¡¯t help but moan at

    how good she smells. I lick between her lips, her taste of sweet cream and nutmeg even stronger. I

    beginpping at her as if I¡¯m a starving man and her cream is the only thing keeping me alive.

    ¡°Mason¡­¡± Her breathy moan is music to my ears, as I suck on her bud, sliding two fingers inside her.

    She¡¯s so tight I¡¯m afraid at first that I¡¯m hurting her, but as her body begins to move in time with my

    fingers, I know that she¡¯s as lost in these feelings as I am.

    When I feel her walls beginning to tremble around my fingers, I suck harder on her c*li*t, curling my

    fingers inside her and hitting the spot that has her mping down on my fingers. I growl my pleasure

    against her c*li*t, sending her over the edge. Her hand whips up to cover her mouth as she tries to hide

    her cries of pleasure.

    When she finallyes down, I pull my fingers out, licking her cream off of them before kissing my way

    up her body, and taking her mouth as my hardened length presses against her stomach.

    ¡°You taste so good.¡± I say, my voice still growly.

    She quickly reverses our positions, pressing my back against the tree before kneeling in front of me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you taste as good you smell, Mason.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Mason¡¯s mouth is like magic. My body has never felt so amazing, so rxed. And it¡¯s time to return the

    favor.

    I take a moment to touch and kiss my way down his body. His magnificent body. He¡¯s definitely a true

    Alpha. Our gics make us stand out, even among shifters. Mason is lean and strong, with broad,

    muscr shoulders that slide into a deep V,ing to his narrow hips. His thighs and calves look

    carved from stone, and even his feet look toned.

    Title of the document

    I look back up at his ma*s*sive manhood in front of me. I¡¯m not unused to seeing naked males around

    the pack. Most shifters grow up with nudity since it¡¯s impossible for a wolf to shift to their human form

    without being naked. But Mason, well, he¡¯s big even by Alpha standards.

    I have no idea what I¡¯m doing, but I¡¯m an Alpha, and I¡¯ll figure it out. I see a little precum leaking out of

    the tip of his c*oc*k, and I lean forward, licking it off. His body jerks with the touch of my tongue and

    when I look up, I see his eyes have gone ck.

    I take my hand, wrapping it around his girth as best I can, before bringing my lips to the tip, licking and

    sucking on it.

    ¡°F*uc*k Jara, that feels so good.¡± He says and his hand goes into my hair.

    I like seeing his response and I want to know if I¡¯m doing it right, so I watch him as I slide his length into

    my mouth, licking the underside of his c*oc*k, feeling it flick against my tongue. I hum happily at the

    look on his face and his body tenses, the hand in my hair gripping tightly.

    He looks down at me, watching as I slide him in and out, sucking and licking on him. 1 slide my mouth

    off of him with a soft pop and look up.

    ¡°What do you want, Mason?¡± I ask, continuing to stroke him with my hand.

    ¡°Take me deeper into your mouth, into your throat if you can.¡± His voice is raw, needy, as if he¡¯s barely

    holding on to his control.

    1 smile before stretching my mouth as wide as 1 can and taking him in until he hits the back of my

    throat. His moan of pleasure encourages me, and I push forward, feeling his tip stretching my throat. I

    slide it back out, taking a deep breath before pushing forward, taking him even deeper. His growl of

    pleasure makes me hum with my own.

    1 begin sliding him in and out, pressing my lips tightly against him, taking him deeper each time until

    my nose touches his body. Each time 1 take him deep, my throat contracts around him, swallowing him

    deeper.

    ¡°F*uc*k Jara, I¡¯m going toe in your mouth unless you pull off.¡±

    1 don¡¯t pull off. I continue to hum, sliding him back down my throat. It¡¯s only a couple more strokes

    before his hand grabs the back of my head and holds me against him as I feel his c*oc*k contracting

    against my tongue, his warm cum shooting down my throat, his body jerking against me. He tastes like

    fresh air and rain. Light, clean and delicious.

    I hold steady, swallowing down everything he is giving me until I finally need to breathe. His body

    slumps against the tree as I lick him clean before standing up in front of him.

    He looks at me a moment before grabbing my face and kissing me deeply, our tastes mingling together

    in our mouths. I wrap my anus around his neck, leaning against him. I¡¯ m not sure how long we kiss,

    but eventually, we pull away.

    ¡°Come on, you need to get dressed so I can get you back.¡± He says.

    We help each other get dressed, and Mason makes a show of putting my panties into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll

    be keeping those forter.¡± He says, smirking at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you share a room with Elijah?¡± I ask him.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°Elijah is entering Hana¡¯s im in a week or less. So, it¡¯ll just be me.¡±

    1 shake my head at him, but don¡¯t argue. In truth, I have no intention of giving his shirt back. I slept

    greatst night, smelling his scent all around me.

    He walks me back to my housing. We take our time, holding each other and just enjoying the sounds of

    the evening. When we arrive, he cups my face in his hands, looking at me intently.

    ¡°You will be mine, Jara. I swear to you, no matter what I have to do, I will be the one to im you.¡±

    I can¡¯t help my smug smile. ¡°You¡¯ll have to catch me, Mason. And I won¡¯t be easy to catch.¡±

    He pulls me against him, and I can smell our mingled scents on his lips. ¡°I would expect nothing less

    from a woman as amazing as you. But know this Jara, I will be walking out of that iming with you in

    my arms and my mark on your neck. You will be mine.¡± He growls thest part and the sound of it is so

    possessive it has my body clenching again.

    1 lean against him, kissing him deeply until we hear a throat clearing near us. ¡°Alphas, there¡¯s not really

    any ce for me to go this time and you¡¯re kind of out in the open. Maybe it¡¯s time to say goodnight.¡±

    I turn and see my guard, Luke, looking anywhere but at us. I suddenly realize I¡¯d forgotten all about him

    earlier and he must have had to find a ce to wait while Mason and I had our moment together.

    I can feel my face ming with embarra*s*sment. ¡°Of course, Luke. You¡¯re right.¡± I say before pulling

    out of Mason¡¯s arms.

    Mason, on the other hand, looks like the cat who ate the canary. Smug.

    ¡°Goodnight, Mason.¡± I say and begin to walk away. He takes my hand, pulling me back to him for one

    more fervent kiss, leaving me breathless, before finally letting me go.

    ¡°Sweet dreams, Jara.¡±

    That night, sleeping in Mason¡¯s shirt, his scent all around me, 1 have the sweetest dreams of what my

    life with Mason could be like.

    If he ims me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When I return to our room, Elijah isying on the bed. His nose immediately lifts into the air and a smile

    creases his face.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you and Alpha Jara did tonight, but you¡¯d better wash that off before every male in

    this housees tying to find her or kill you for having her.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmin. Either way, you have her scent all over you. It¡¯s potent. I¡¯m surprised no one stopped you

    before you got to our room.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ste.¡± I say, shipping off my clothes. ¡°No one is really up. Speaking of, why are you up?¡± I say,

    turning my attention to my Beta.

    ¡°Just thinking.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to shower, then we¡¯re going to talk.¡± He shrugs and I know my Beta well enough to know that

    whatever he¡¯s thinking about, it¡¯s important to him, which makes it important to me.

    Regretfully, I wash Jara¡¯s scent off of me. I would have preferred to sleep with her scent surrounding

    me, but Elijah is right. Every male in this house would be able to smell her on me, even the omegas. I

    know I already have a target on my back from Typhon and his pack, I don¡¯t need any more. Enough

    wolves have died in this iming already.

    When Ie back out, I pull on a pair of sweatpants and sit on my bed, facing Elijah. ¡°Spill.¡± I say,

    wanting him to start talking.

    He stares at the ceiling for a moment. ¡°What do you think is going to happen to that omega, Layan?¡±

    Okay, this isn¡¯t at all what I thought was going on in his head. I knew he liked her, but I thought he¡¯d

    given that up when he wasn¡¯t pulled for her lottery.

    I think for a moment. What do I think is going to happen? Honestly, I think the Elder council will force

    her back into the iming next year. The council hasn¡¯t exactly shown itself to be intelligent or

    understanding when ites to the imings.

    ¡°I think that very much depends on what Jara can do in the next year.¡± I know I intend to im her and

    both of us believe this process needs to change. But I will force Layan back into the iming next

    year.¡± I watch his jaw clench before he turns to me. ¡°I want her.¡±

    I¡¯m shocked. The possibility of her not being able to bear children is extremely high. As a ranked

    member, Elijah would want an heir, to carry on his Beta line.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I ask him. I want to know if he¡¯s really thought this through.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to do what I can to ensure that Alpha Seth ims Beta Hana and that you im Alpha

    Jara. But I want Layan. No matter what, I will be here next year. Somehow, I have to make that

    happen.¡±

    I look at my Beta for a moment. ¡°I know Jara wants to let the contestants choose who is in their

    iming. She has indicated several times that each of the females showed favoritism toward certain

    wolves in their im. If we can make that change before next year, perhaps you can convince Layan to

    include you in her im.¡± I tell him.

    I watch him rx a bit. ¡°Yes, I think I could do that. She responded well to me before¡­everything. I

    know it won¡¯t be the same for her now, but¡­ I think I could convince her.¡±

    ¡°And you know she¡¯d be safe in our pack. She already has a bond with Jara. As Luna, Jara would look

    after her as well.¡±

    He turns to me. ¡°It could work.¡±

    ¡°If things change between now and then.¡± I remind him.

    ¡°I believe in you and Alpha Jara. I know together you will do great things for our species.¡±

    When we finish our conversation, Iy in bed contemting what Elijah said before falling asleep and

    dreaming of iming Jara.

    The next morning, I can see that Alpha Antonio is itching to get into the iming territory. He¡¯s the only

    Alpha in Annabel¡¯s lottery, but there are three other ranked wolves and several warriors. He will have

    his work cut out for him.

    As before, the omegas are already in wolf form and so are several of the warriors. All of the ranked

    members are still in their human form. As soon as the gun goes off, the imants take off running,

    Alpha Antonio taking an early lead. He seems to know exactly where he¡¯s going. And maybe he does.

    He was out here listening for Annabel all day and night.

    When they are out of range, Elder Jason lets us know that Jara and na would like to spar this

    morning. Anyone who would like to spar with them and who they are willing to spar with may attend.

    ¡°This afternoon, social gatherings will resume as before. Please check the schedules at the designated

    tables for your time slot. Also, those of you who were previously in Mignon or Layan¡¯s lottery and have

    not yet had a chance to have a social gathering with Alpha Jara, please see one of our designees and

    make sure that you are in the queue starting today.¡±

    I check my time for my social gathering, noticing that mine is after dinner. Perfect. I¡¯ll be able to walk

    Jara back to her housing without any problems. After we¡¯ve checked our time slots, many of the ranked

    members and several warriors return to join the queue to spar with Jara or Hana.

    Because there are so many of us and time is limited, we¡¯re only given about 15-20 minutes each to

    spar with one of the females. I use my time in the queue to watch Jara¡¯s form again. As before, I see

    some of her strengths and I¡¯m starting to get a glimpse of her weaknesses. I¡¯ m not sure I want to let

    everyone else here know what her weaknesses might be, so when it¡¯s my turn to spar with her, rather

    than ying to her weaknesses, I y to her strengths.

    It seems like only a moment, but the full 20 minutes have passed when we hear the whistle blow. I¡¯m

    the first one Jara hasn¡¯t brought to the ground. I¡¯ll admit, she¡¯s strong and gave me quite a workout,

    even with the shortened time. I can¡¯t wait until I can train her and strengthen the minor weaknesses I

    see in her sparring.

    As I move aside, Alpha Luke takes a position to spar with Jara as well. He gives her a moment to catch

    her breath and then 1 watch as the two of them spar. He¡¯s good. A strong and intelligent fighter. He will

    be my biggestpetition in the iming. Him and Typhon, who I know won¡¯t hesitate to fight dirty and

    who will try to kill me.

    Of that, I am positive.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Sparring with Mason is fun. He¡¯s good. Really good, and he is helping me to be a better fighter,

    something I will need in the iming territory if I¡¯m to walk out unimed.

    When I finish sparring with Alpha Luke, Elder Jason indicates that sparring is done for the day. I¡¯m

    dripping in sweat. Having Mason and Luke back-to-back gave me quite a workout. Luke extends his

    hand to shake. When I sp it, 1 ask him if stay back with me for a moment.

    Title of the document

    He agrees and the others begin heading inside to shower and get lunch. I see Mason turn and look at

    me before heading inside. Something in my stomach clenches at the look on his face. It¡¯s not hurt

    exactly, but I¡¯ve never given anyone special attention except him until now.

    When the group is far enough away, I gesture to the stage. ¡°Will you speak with me?¡±

    ¡°It would be my honor, Alpha Jara.¡± ¡°Please, call me Jara.¡±

    ¡°Then you must call me Luke.¡±

    I give him a smile as we lean against the stage. ¡°I wanted to know how you are doing, taking over as

    Alpha.¡± I tell him.

    His back is to the stage, and he pulls one leg up, propping his foot against it as well, his demeanor

    rxed. He looks out over the training field before answering. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as I thought it would be.¡±

    He says looking at me before looking down.

    ¡°I thought shifting from Beta to Alpha would be a fairly easy transition. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I know that I

    have huge shoes to fill recing Alpha Cameron, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡± I question gently, putting my hand on his arm.

    ¡°When you¡¯re a Beta, you make decisions every day, but you always know your Alpha has your back. If

    you screw up, he¡¯s there to support you or to make it right. Now, I¡¯m the Alpha and there is no one else.

    I¡¯m that person who has to get it right. My decisions have to be the best every time. It¡¯s more pressure

    than I thought it would be.¡± He turns to me again.

    ¡°I¡¯m up for the challenge, I know I am. I just didn¡¯t truly understand the pressures of being an Alpha until

    now.¡±

    ¡°Do you want my opinion?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Please.¡± He says and I can almost see the relief on his face.

    ¡°If you make decisions that are always meant to put your pack first, to be the best decision for them,

    then, even when you make the wrong decision, your pack will follow you. They will trust you because

    that even if you make a mistake, and you will, it was with their best intentions at heart.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound so easy.¡±

    ¡°In some ways, it is.¡± I say, thinking of Seth and some of the decisions he¡¯s had to make. ¡°And in some

    ways, it¡¯s the hardest thing you¡¯ 11 ever do.¡± I say, thinking of Mason and how he¡¯s talked about having

    to put down his pack mates who have gone feral.

    At that moment, one of the kitchen staffes over, two trays in his hand. ¡°Excuse me, Alphas. Alpha

    Mason thought you¡¯d both like to take your lunch out here. He made sure that I sent extra water out for

    both of yon.¡± He says, handing us each a tray with sandwiches, pasta sd and chips.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t miss a beat, does he?¡± Luke says, taking the tray before thanking the staff member.

    ¡°He¡¯s been an Alpha his entire life.¡± I say, setting the tray on the stage, my stomach growling as soon

    as I smell the food. I¡¯m starving after my morning of sparring.

    ¡°We all know you are showing him favoritism, Jara. And I understand why. He¡¯s a good Alpha, a strong

    Alpha. He¡¯d be a good mate to you.¡± I can¡¯t help but raise my eyebrow at him. Is he telling me I should

    choose Mason over him?

    He takes my hand in his. ¡°But I would be a good mate to you, too. I would treat you well, make you my

    Luna, listen to you, let you stand beside me as leaders of our pack. Don¡¯t discount me, please.¡±

    I put my free hand over his. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be here speaking with you if I didn¡¯t still have you at the top of

    my list of imants, Luke. And, as you know, you never would have been given the special time in my

    social gatherings if I didn¡¯t think highly of you. That hasn¡¯t changed.¡±

    We finish our lunch, talking andughing over pack events and things we¡¯ve overheard at the iming.

    Talking with Luke is easy, and I can see how easy it would be if he imed me. Being his Luna

    wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. But, in the back of my mind, I can¡¯ t help butpare him to Mason. Luke is a

    wonderful man, he¡¯ll make a great Alpha, but Mason¡­Mason has already started worming his way into

    my heart. I don¡¯t know that there is anything that Luke can do to change that now.

    When we¡¯re done, we walk back toward the main house. I need to head back to my housing to get

    showered before the afternoon social gatherings begin.

    ¡°May I walk you to your housing, Jara?¡± Luke asks, as wee to the turn off.

    I smile up at him. ¡°I would like that.¡± I tell him, and I mean it. I¡¯ve enjoyed our time together.

    ¡°Alpha Jara.¡± I hear my name, as we turn to begin walking back.

    I turn and see Alpha Typhon striding toward me. ¡°Alpha Jara. I demand equal time to the other Alphas

    that you are showing favoritism to.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    I step forward, Luke right beside me. ¡°Alpha Typhon, I have no intention of giving you even a moment

    of my time. I thought I¡¯d been very clear about that.¡±

    ¡°It will only be in your favor to know me before I im you, Jara.¡± He says purring his words, but it does

    nothing for me.

    ¡°Let me exin something to you, Typhon.¡± I spit out his name. ¡°If you try to im me, I will leave your

    shredded, battered, bleeding body on the iming field. Don¡¯te near me.¡±

    As we¡¯re talking, a group of people have overheard and begin moving in our direction. I see Typhon¡¯s

    pack move to stand behind him, a show of solidarity.

    I turn to look at all of them. ¡°I understand you must follow your Alpha¡¯smand but know this. If any

    of you attempt to help Alpha Typhon im me, you¡¯re shredded bodies will be left on the iming field

    beside his.¡±

    ¡°Am I clear?¡± 1 snarl at his pack. No one answers.

    I see Typhon¡¯s smirk as I push my Alpha aura out over all of them.

    ¡°AM. I. CLEAR?¡± I shout, my aura causing many of them to fall to the ground, most of them yelping at

    the force of my aura and even Typhon is showing me his throat in submission. His face is full of fury at

    being forced to submit to me.

    I turn my attention back to Typhon. ¡°You will never im me.¡±

    ¡°You think too highly of yourself, Jara.¡±

    I step up into his space. He¡¯s not that much taller than I am, not being a true Alpha. 1 believe I

    remember that he¡¯s from Beta blood, maybe even Gamma blood, but not Alpha blood, and it shows.

    ¡°No, Typhon, you think too highly of yourself. I am not my sister. She was gentle and kind, and you

    betrayed her as your mate, killed her with your selfishness. I am strong and vicious and will not hesitate

    to kill you on the iming field.¡± I turn to his pack. ¡°Any of you.¡±

    As I¡¯ve spoken, I¡¯ve felt other Alphas stand behind me, Mason and Seth among them. If Typhon wants

    a fight, he¡¯ll now have more than just me and Luke to fight.

    ¡°Alpha Typhon. I believe I have warned you once already about trying to force yourself onto the

    contestants. You are now banned from all social gatherings.¡± Elder Jason¡¯s voice rings out over the

    field.

    Typhon¡¯s head whips around to look at him. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± He growls.

    ¡°I can, and I will. Cross me again, break one more rule and you¡¯re out, Alpha Typhon. For good.¡±

    Typhon snarls, his wsing out before he turns to me. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see you on the iming field

    then, Jara.¡± I don¡¯t say anything as he turns and pushes his way through the crowd. His pack members

    following. I notice some of them turn to look at me, fear in their eyes. I wonder if they will withdraw from

    our iming. It is their right, but they¡¯ll still have to face Typhon when they return to their pack.

    ¡°Come on, Alpha Jara. I¡¯ll walk you back to your housing. You probably want to shower before your

    social gatherings begin this afternoon.¡± Luke says, gently taking my arm and grounding me, helping me

    calm down.

    I nod, turning to walk with him toward my housing.

    I don¡¯t miss the look of hurt on Mason¡¯s face as he turns to head back to the main house.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I knew, when I heard Jara ask Alpha Luke to stay behind, that she wanted to spend some individual

    time with him. It hurts, but I also know she isn¡¯t yet mine. I have to bide my time and I know he¡¯s my

    biggestpetition.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t still take care of her. I know she must be hungry. She¡¯s been sparring

    for hours and fighting against several Alphas, so I can send her some food and make sure she¡¯s fed.

    While I¡¯m at it, I order food for Alpha Luke too. In any other situation, I¡¯d like him, but he¡¯s my

    competition here. That doesn¡¯t mean 1 have to be an a*s*s. So, I send food for both of them.

    Title of the document

    I go up to my room to shower before returning to the dining hall. I notice Typhon stalking around,

    growling and grumbling. I don¡¯t miss it when he and his entire pack rise and walk outside. I look around

    and realize everyone else saw it too.

    I¡¯m up and moving before anyone else. I know what this means. He¡¯s after Jara.

    I hear him before I see him. He¡¯s obviously pushing the limits of the iming rules by trying to force

    Jara into spending time with him. As his pack stands behind him, I move to stand behind Jara, ready to

    support her. I needn¡¯t have bothered. As always, Jara is glorious in her anger. I can¡¯t help but snicker

    when I see Typhon forced to submit to her.

    It makes me wonder if she could make my wolf submit to her. I know once I¡¯ve imed her, he will

    submit to her every whim, that¡¯s expected. But in a show of force? I may have to see if she¡¯s willing to

    test that. It would be interesting to see just how strong her wolf is.

    I can¡¯t help but feel a sharp sting in my heart as I see Alpha Luke begin walking her back to her

    housing. That has always been my special thing with her. 1 wonder if I pushed her too farst night.

    Maybe the physical contact was more than she could handle. Or, maybe, and the thought has my wolf

    snarling in my head, she wants to see what it feels like to be with someone else. To see if what we

    have is special.

    Instead of heading back to my room, I turn and head to the training center. I have time before I meet up

    with Jara this evening and right now, I need to bum off some energy. I begin by punching a punching

    bag, my mind a crowded mess of images of Jara with Luke. My anger at my helplessness and inability

    to im her only gets stronger until 1 punch a hole in the punching bag, sand spilling all over the

    training floor.

    ¡°Did you want a real person to hit? Or are you just blowing off steam?¡± I turn, seeing Elder Jason

    walking into the room.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a real person. It might help me clear my head some. This¡­¡± I gesture toward the

    punching bag, ¡°wasn¡¯t helping.¡±

    We step on a mat, and he gives me universal e at me¡¯ wave of his hand. I do and he takes me

    down easily.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Alpha?¡± He asks as I stand back up. It¡¯s just us in here right now, and I trust this

    Elder, so I feel morefortable being open with him.

    ¡°I hate this entire process.¡± I say to him.

    He nods, swiping at me, but I duck, getting a hit in on him before he takes me down again. ¡°How would

    you change it, but make sure it¡¯s fair?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the question, isn¡¯t it? Fair for whom? For the females forced into a mate bond they may not

    want, or fair for the omegas who still have very little chance of iming a mate if there is a ranked

    member in the iming.¡±

    ¡°Good points.¡± He says, as we continue sparring.

    ¡°The entire process is a disaster.¡± I say, my head starting to clear as I shift gears from thinking of Jara

    to thinking of the overall iming process.

    ¡°How so?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°There are no rules in the iming territory except to protect the she-wolves. So, our dwindling

    poption continues to kill off our species each year, continuing the decimation of our poption faster

    than our females can repopte it. How does that make any kind of sense?¡± I say standing up and

    looking at him. He stands as well, dropping his hands and looking at me, letting me get it out of my

    system.

    ¡°Jara said that each imant showed favoritism to some wolves. I know in the case of Layan, she

    showed early favoritism to my Beta, but he wasn¡¯t chosen for her iming.

    Why can¡¯t they choose who is in their iming? Why are they forced to take whoever catches them?¡±

    ¡°Survival of the fittest.¡± Elder Jason replies.

    ¡°But is it? Take Alpha Typhon for example. It didn¡¯t help him. He imed an Alpha female and now

    she¡¯s dead without ever giving him a child. Is that survival of the fittest? Did Alpha M deserve to die

    because she wasn¡¯t strong enough? No. She deserved to have a say in who imed her and I can

    guarantee you, she never would have chosen Alpha Typhon.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest, Alpha Mason?¡± He asks, taking a fighting stance again.

    ¡°We need to rework how the iming process is done. The females should have a say in who is in their

    iming. Maybe we give them a number they must pick from, but they choose, not some random

    lottery. That way, those that are not worthy of having a mate, don¡¯t get one and those that are, at least

    have a chance. I also think there needs to be a rule in ce that if you kill another werewolf, you are no

    longer eligible for iming. If we can¡¯t respect our species as a whole, how can we expect anyone to

    respect their mate?¡±

    As we¡¯re talking, my head has cleared enough that my fighting technique is back to normal, and I take

    Elder Jason down to the mat. I step back, giving him a chance to stand up.

    ¡°All very good points, Alpha Mason. But you will have to petition the Elder council for the change.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of that. I¡¯m also aware that the Elder council is the one that is allowing things like what

    happened to Alpha M and Omega Layan to happen without punishment. No offense, Elder, but the

    council needs to be shaken up, presentpany excluded.¡±

    ¡°No offense taken. I happen to agree with you.¡±

    We both step back, panting from our workout. ¡°When the timees, send your petition to me, I¡¯ll

    make sure it pushes through.¡± He says.

    I reach my hand out to him. ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡±

    He shakes my hand. ¡°Go get showered. You have an Alpha to charm.¡±

    I chuckle, turning toward the door. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When I return to the main house, I manage to get through my social gatherings as I anxiously await my

    last one, the one that Mason is in. I fully intend to ask him to walk me back tonight and I hope he

    agrees. I want him to understand that I need to have a backup n, in case 1 can¡¯tst the full seven

    days and in case he doesn¡¯t im me. I refuse to allow someone like Typhon to im me, and I wasn¡¯t

    kidding earlier when I said I would leave his bloody corpse on the iming field. I know the life I would

    be getting into if he were to im me, and I¡¯d rather die fighting than being locked away in his prison,

    forced to sumb to his vicious ways.

    When it¡¯s finally time for myst social gathering, the group walks in and Mason gives me a small smile

    but doesn¡¯t approach me. I can see his hesitancy as if he¡¯s not sure where he stands with me now. I

    want to give time to each of the candidates especially since I know most of them after the

    rea*s*sessment process. But I need to make sure that Mason knows that nothing has changed

    between us.

    Title of the document

    Since everyone seems to know that I¡¯ve been giving Mason special treatment, 1 take the chance that

    he won¡¯t deny me in front of others. I walk right up to him, taking his hands. I can see the shock on his

    face at my outward show of favoritism toward him.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, may I impose upon you to walk me back this evening?¡± His smile warms significantly.

    ¡°It would be my honor, Alpha Jara.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I hold his hands a moment longer before turning and giving my attention to the others in the

    room. It¡¯s only an hour, but it feels like forever before it¡¯s time for all of them to leave.

    Mason stands behind me as the others exit the room. When they leave, I turn, taking his hand before

    exiting the main house. I wait until we¡¯re away from the house before I begin.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°I know you were hurt earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand Jara.¡± He interrupts me.

    I turn to face him. ¡°Do you, Mason? Do you understand that if I have a choice, it will be you, but I may

    not have a choice and if I don¡¯ t, I have to make sure that someone I can live with ims me. Do you

    understand that?¡± I say and my voice has be shaky as the fear of my uing iming hits me.

    He pulls me against him, wrapping his arm around my waist. ¡°No one but me will be iming you, Jara.

    No one.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. You can¡¯t promise me that. Who knows what will happen inside the iming

    territory, Mason. You know the other Alphas will go for you first.¡±

    ¡°Some will. If they were smart, they¡¯d be more worried about finding you than trying to attack me. But

    those that aren¡¯t too bright will find that I¡¯m not an easy kill.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joking matter, Mason.¡±

    ¡°I am deadly serious, Jara.¡± I can in his eyes that he means it. He¡¯ll kill anyone who gets in the way of

    him iming me.

    ¡°Okay Mason.¡± We turn and begin walking again.

    ¡°So, if you could choose anyone, I would be your choice?¡± He asks and I can hear the smugness in his

    tone.

    I need for him to realize that I mean this. So, I stop, turning toward him and taking his face in my hands.

    ¡°Yes Mason. If I could choose my mate, of everyone here, it would be you.¡± I reach up and press my

    lips to his, giving him entrance to my mouth when his tongue slides over the seam of my lips. I don¡¯t

    know  how long we kiss, but I get lost in the smell and taste of him. Somehow, I need to end up with

    this man as my mate.

    When we finally pull away, breathless, he puts his forehead against mine and we just hold each other

    for a few moments.

    ¡°So, change of subject. That was quite a show of power today with Alpha Typhon.¡±

    1 snort. ¡°I will never let him im me.¡±

    ¡°Neither will I. But I was wondering if you¡¯d be willing to try something with me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I say, stepping back and looking up into his grey eyes.

    He looks almost embarra*s*sed. ¡°I want to see if you can force me to submit.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    He smiles. ¡°I know, weird, right? But I¡¯ve seen you push out your aura several times now. I know

    Typhon isn¡¯t a true Alpha, but your wolf is very strong. I wanted to know if she¡¯s stronger than mine.¡±

    I turn, looking around us. It¡¯s dark, but I wouldn¡¯t want anyone seeing Mason submitting to me. Not that

    I think my wolf is stronger than his. Equal maybe, but not stronger. But just in case, I move us off the

    main walkway into a darkened area.

    ¡°Are you sure, Mason?¡± I ask.

    He steps back. ¡°Hit me.¡± He says, smiling at me.

    I push my aura out, pushing against his. ¡°I know you¡¯re stronger than that, Jara. Give it to me. I¡¯m

    curious and I want to know.¡±

    I begin pushing my aura harder against his. Our eyes are locked on each other, as I push my aura

    harder and harder. He never wavers. As I guessed, it¡¯s as strong or stronger than mine.

    Finally, I pull back my aura. ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s all I¡¯ve got.¡±

    He snorts. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± He asks me in a disbelieving tone. ¡°Your aura is the strongest I¡¯ve ever felt, Jara.

    Of course, I¡¯d expect that Seth¡¯s is simr, but yours is potent. No wonder so many wolves fall to their

    knees in the wake of your anger.¡±

    ¡°Your turn.¡± I say, wanting to know if his is stronger than mine.

    He shakes his head no. ¡°When you submit to me, Jara, I want it to be because you want to, not

    because I forced you.¡±

    I think it¡¯s in this moment that I truly fall in love with Mason. There are so many things he could have

    said just now. So many things that he could have done. I would have been perfectly happy to test his

    aura, seeing if it really is stronger than mine, but he didn¡¯t and he won¡¯t. He wants my submission

    because I willingly give it.

    And it¡¯s because of that, that I tilt my head, exposing my throat to him.

    His response is instant. I¡¯m in his arms and his mouth is licking and kissing my exposed throat. It¡¯s a

    sign of love, of affection, of appreciation for the gift that I¡¯ve given him. I feel his body shaking with the

    power that I¡¯ve given him over me, his need to im me so strong that I feel his canines grazing across

    my neck, sending shivers when they slide over my marking spot.

    ¡°Mason¡­.¡± I whisper.

    ¡°I won¡¯t mark you, not yet.¡± He says, his canines causing him to lisp. ¡°But someday soon, my mark will

    be right here.¡± He says and I feel his canines touch the spot where hopefully, in the very near future,

    they will sink into my neck, making me his forever.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯ve never been so close to losing control of my wolf. Not even rea*s*sessment pushed me to this limit.

    But Jara¡¯s willing submission to me nearly has my control snapping. It¡¯s only her sweet voice,

    whispering my name that has me reining in my wolf before I do something I can¡¯t undo. I can¡¯t lose her,

    not when I¡¯m so close to making her mine.

    When I finally pull back, hoping her wolf recognized my wolf s eptance and show of love for her, my

    body is still shaking. Jara holds me until the tremors finally settle.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Give a guy some warning next time.¡± I say, chuckling.

    ¡°Sorry?¡± She says, but I know she¡¯s not, and I¡¯m d she¡¯s not.

    She submitted to me, willingly. That¡¯s more than I could have ever asked for in this situation. And I want

    to make sure she understands what it means to me. What she means to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve fallen in love with you, Jara. I know I shouldn¡¯t have. I know things are crazy right now and I know

    you may not feel the same¡­¡±

    Her fingeres up to my lips, effectively stopping my word vomit.

    ¡°I love you too, Mason. I don¡¯t know if I realized it before tonight, but I know it now.¡±

    I feel like my heart is about to explode. She loves me too. She loves me, and she wants me to be her

    mate. Nothing and no one will stop that from happening.

    ¡°You are mine, Jara. In less than a month, everyone will know that you are mine.¡±

    ¡°You still have to catch me, Alpha.¡± She says, teasingly.

    I can¡¯t help the growl of pleasure at the thought of catching my mate.

    ¡°And if you walk out of that iming a free woman, Jara? Will you im me?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, Alpha Mason. Maybe I¡¯ll hunt you down, putting my mark on your neck.¡±

    ¡°Right here?¡± I ask, sliding my fingers over my marking spot.

    She leans forward and licks my marking spot, before biting it gently. A hot sh of desire rashes

    through me.

    ¡°Jara¡­¡± I say, warningly.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha, that¡¯s exactly where my mark will go. Someday soon.¡±

    I pull away from her, my control on the verge of breaking. I take her hand and begin walking toward her

    housing again. We stay quiet, both of us lost in our thoughts.

    When we get to the gate, I pull her into a passionate kiss, pushing all my love and adoration for this

    woman into it. When I finally pull back, we¡¯re both panting.

    ¡°I love you, Jara. Sleep well.¡±

    I step away from her, walking backward and holding her hand as long as I can. Just before her hand

    drops from mine, she grips my fingers.

    ¡°I love you too, Mason.¡±

    I¡¯m pretty sure my smile lights up the night sky, it¡¯s so bright.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, gorgeous.¡±

    She smiles and nods before heading inside. Her guard, Luke passes me, following her inside. ¡°Well

    done, Alpha.¡± He says quietly for my ears only.

    I wonder where he¡¯s from. Jara trusts him and he¡¯s proven himself to be a good guard for her. Maybe

    he¡¯d be interested in switching packs. He could be her guard full time. Something to think about.

    I¡¯m distracted with thoughts of Jara and our future, so I don¡¯t immediately realize that there are several

    wolves waiting in the shadows. When one steps out, I stop, ready for a fight.

    ¡°Alpha Mason. May we have a private word?¡± I sniff the air and realize these are Typhon¡¯s pack

    members.

    ¡°If your intention is to threaten me or try to convince me to withdraw from Alpha Jara¡¯s im, you¡¯ll be

    disappointed.¡±

    I watch as they look around. I sniff again and realize that these are omegas and warriors. ¡°What¡¯s on

    your mind, gentlemen?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Not here. Will you meet with us outside, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°If this is an attempt to trap me, or bring me to Typhon, you¡¯ll all be dead by morning.¡± I threaten them. I

    can smell their fear, I¡¯m just not sure what they are afraid of.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Please, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been warned.¡± I tell them, following the five men away from the main house.

    I push my aura out, feeling around for a trap, but I don¡¯t feel anything. When we¡¯re away from the

    house, they turn back to me.

    ¡°Alpha, we want to know if we can join your pack?¡±

    Okay, that¡¯s unexpected. I frown at them. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Typhon has ordered all of us in Alpha Jara¡¯s im to help him im her.¡± I snarl, it¡¯s against the

    rules. He is supposed to allow every member of his pack to try to im Jara.

    The men bow their heads in submission at my anger. ¡°Alpha Jara was very clear today that she¡¯ll kill

    any of us that help him im her.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re afraid of Alpha Jara? Not that I me you, she isn¡¯t one to speak lightly about killing.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the only reason. We were all there when Alpha Typhon imed Luna M.¡± One says.

    ¡°We saw how he mistreated her, how he kept her away from the pack and her family.¡± Another picks up

    the story.

    ¡°We disagreed, but what could we do? He¡¯s our Alpha.¡± Another says.

    ¡°We know Alpha Jara is showing favoritism to you. We think you could im her, but if we don¡¯t help

    Alpha Typhon, he¡¯ll kill us.¡±

    ¡°Either way, we¡¯re dead, either by Alpha Jara¡¯ s hand or Alpha Typhon¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Unless we switch packs. We don¡¯t think Alpha Seth would have us, not after losing his sister.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Antonio is in Annabel¡¯s im, so we can¡¯t ask him. But after today, we want out.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re hoping you agree, Alpha.¡±

    The group has obviously talked about this, and they all seem to be on the same page. They want out of

    Typhon¡¯s pack and into mine.

    ¡°What if I agree? What does that mean for you and Alpha Jara¡¯s iming?¡± I ask them. ¡°We¡¯ll remove

    ourselves from her im. None of us is that close to going feral. But we can¡¯t remove ourselves if we¡¯re

    still part of Alpha Typhon¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to Elder Jason. I¡¯ve never been in this type of situation where I would be taking pack

    members from an unsuspecting Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Can you trust him, Alpha?¡± One of the warriors asks.

    ¡°I believe so. Unlike some of the others, he seems to be a good Alpha and Elder.¡± I reply. ¡°Then we will

    trust your Judgement. Please let us know what you decide before Alpha Jara¡¯s iming.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Very well. Is there anything else?¡± I ask.

    They all look at each other again. ¡°You know he wants you dead?¡± One of the warriors says.

    ¡°I do. I¡¯m his biggestpetition.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Typhon has given us twomands for Alpha Jara¡¯s iming. First is to help him im her, the

    second is to make sure you don¡¯t leave the iming territory alive.¡±

    ¡°So, every member of his pack will be trying to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and he¡¯s actively trying to get other Alphas to join him in taking you out.¡± They say.

    ¡°Thank you for letting me know. I¡¯ll be in touch soon.¡± I say, before turning to head back inside.

    They have given me a lot to think about. When I get to my room, I tell Elijah about what I¡¯ve learned.

    Together, we make a n to present to Elder Jason about bringing Typhon¡¯s pack members into my

    pack and to ensure that neither I, nor any members of our pack, are killed during Jara¡¯s iming.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The next few days go by in a blur. I move my social gatherings outside as the sounds from inside the

    iming territory are starting toe more frequently. The howling, growling and yelping can now be

    heard at all hours of the day and night. We continue to watch, but no one exits the iming territory. I¡¯m

    not sure if Annabel is giving them a good run, or if Alpha Antonio is eliminating hispetition.

    Possibly both.

    I¡¯ve noticed a change in Mason. While he makes a point to brush against me every chance he gets,

    letting me know that he meant what he said the other night, something else is going on. When he walks

    me back at night, he¡¯s been tight lipped about it, saying that he¡¯ll tell me when he can.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I¡¯m not keeping secrets from your Jara. But there are too many ears in this ce. I need to be careful.¡±

    He said to mest night.

    I¡¯ve also noticed the way Typhon leers at me from a distance. Since my social gatherings are outside,

    he can easily find a way to watch me, even though he isn¡¯t able to join in. It¡¯s creepy and makes the

    hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

    One evening, when Mason is walking me home, he suddenly turns to me, taking me in his arms and

    kissing me deeply. I hear a snarl nearby and move to pull away, but he holds me against him.

    ¡°Typhon.¡± He whispers against my lips, and I begin to return the kiss ardently, leaning into Mason and

    moaning loudly. It isn¡¯t long before I hear crashing through the bushes as Typhon leaves us.

    ¡°What a prick.¡± I say when we finally pull apart.

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed he¡¯s got you on edge. Want me to kiss you during your social gatherings?¡±

    I look up at him and can see the glint of challenge in his eyes. ¡°The easy answer is yes, I¡¯d love to feel

    those warm lips on me at all hours of the day. The harder answer is no. I¡¯ve heard the rumblings about

    you already. I don¡¯t want to make it worse.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the easy answer. I like it better.¡± He says before kissing me again.

    The next day, I realize he wasn¡¯t joking. I¡¯m in the middle of one of my social gatherings, one that

    Mason isn¡¯t in, I can feel Typhon¡¯s eyes on me, making me irritable.

    ¡°Alpha Jara.¡± Mason calls to me from the edge of the social gathering. It¡¯s been sectioned off so those

    in the gathering are clearly identified for the guards.

    Mason beckons me with his finger, crooking it at me. 1 narrow my eyes at him. He wouldn¡¯t.

    I walk over to him and, yep, he would. He doesn¡¯t even pretend to make it subtle. He dips me in a way

    that puts his kiss on full disy for Alpha Typhon. His mouth taking mine in a possessive kiss. My arms

    wrap around him, and I kiss him back. If he¡¯s willing to put the target on his back, I¡¯m not going to make

    it seem like I¡¯m unwilling.

    When we hear the snarl and the banging around inside the main house, he lifts me back up.

    ¡°You are very naughty, Alpha.¡± I say to him, c*oc*king an eyebrow at the smug look on his face.

    ¡°I just want to make sure you¡¯re able to fully enjoy your social gatherings, Jara.¡±

    ¡°Mmhinm.¡±

    The next day, when I spot Typhon ring at me, I see Mason moving in the direction of my social

    gathering.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Excuse me a moment.¡± I say to my group, walking over to Mason. Typhon begins snarling before

    Mason takes me in his arms. But it doesn¡¯t stop him, he makes the same show of dipping me and

    kissing me in front of Typhon and everyone.

    When the banging begins again, he lifts me back up. Just as he does, we hear the howl of victory

    coming from inside the iming territory.

    As one, we turn and wait. It¡¯s only about 10 minutes before a very pleased Alpha Antonioes

    walking out with Annabel in his arms. Hana and I rush up to him.

    ¡°She gave me a good run.¡± He says, smiling down at his unconscious mate.

    I reach out to her, pulling the hair from her face. ¡°She looks a little undernourished.¡± I say, looking up at

    him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a good hunter. That or she¡¯ s ufortable eating raw meat in her wolf form. I¡¯ll

    make sure she gets some food in her when she wakes.¡±

    I feel Elder Jason stepping up behind me. Alpha Antonio visibly tenses, not liking a male near his

    vulnerable mate. Elder Jason stops several steps away.

    ¡°Alpha Jara, are youfortable that the Omega Annabel¡­¡±

    ¡°Luna Annabel.¡± Alpha Antonio corrects the Elder.

    Elder Jason inclines his head. ¡°Are youfortable that Luna Annabel has been marked appropriately

    and has not been put in any danger?¡±

    1 look at the mark on her neck. It was clearly made in human form.

    ¡°Yes, Elder. Alpha Antonio agrees that Annabel needs to eat when she wakes. I would suggest again

    that they be allowed to move to the female¡¯s housing so Alpha Antonio doesn¡¯t feel threatened by the

    large number of unmated wolves in the main house.¡±

    ¡°I think that is a very good idea.¡±

    As we¡¯ve been talking, several wolves have walked out of the iming territory.

    ¡°Alpha Antonio, is there any clean up required for this im?¡± Elder Jason asks if he killed any wolves

    before iming Annabel.

    ¡°Not because of me. Some are injured, of course, but I didn¡¯t kill anyone, and 1 didn¡¯t see any dead

    bodies in my hunt for Annabel.¡±

    ¡°Very well. You may move to the female¡¯s housing and into Luna Annabel¡¯s room.¡± He says before

    turning to Hana.

    ¡°If there is no clean up required, you will enter the iming territory tomorrow.¡± I can feel the tension in

    Hana. Her im will be over three times the size of the others.

    ¡°Elder Jason, may we cancel the social gatherings for the evening? If Beta Hana is going into the

    iming territory tomorrow, I¡¯ d like to spend one more evening with her, a girl¡¯s night, if you will.¡±

    He looks at Hana a moment, recognizing her rising fear. ¡°Yes, Alpha Jara. I think that would be a good

    idea. Let me know if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder. I think we have enough food to feed two Alphas, a Luna and a Beta. But, if not, I¡¯ll

    let you know.¡±

    We turn, and I wrap my arm around Hana¡¯s waist. ¡°It will be okay.¡± I whisper to her as we lead Alpha

    Antonio to our housing.

    Simr to Beta Asher, when Alpha Antonio enters Annabel¡¯s room, his eves roll back into his head, and

    he takes a deep breath of her scent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have food sent up and lots of water. Please, make sure she eats before youplete your mate

    bond.¡± I tell him, turning to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll be ready for that yet.¡± He says, looking at me. ¡°I¡¯ll give her whatever time she needs

    to feelfortable.¡± He looks back at his new mate, his eyes full of love.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to make me work so hard for her. She was incredible. She¡¯ll make one hell of a

    Luna.¡±

    ¡°That she will.¡± I say, closing the door behind me.

    When I get to the kitchen, I see that Hana has already begun putting food together for Annabel and

    Alpha Antonio. I see her hands shaking and walk to her, pulling her into a hug.

    ¡°It will be okay.¡±

    She nods, but I understand her fear. We both saw how Layan came out of the territory, broken and

    battered.

    ¡°Remember what my father said, if you can¡¯t make it out, make sure you choose your mate. I don¡¯t

    know if you still feel strongly toward Seth, but I know he¡¯ll be a good mate to you.¡±

    ¡°I want it to be Seth.¡± She looks at me and smiles. ¡°It would make us sisters through marriage.¡± I smile

    at that.

    ¡°Yes, it would.¡±

    Her smile drops as she continues. ¡°But there are so many. Seventy-five.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    That night instead of a movie night, we strategize over how to best try to make it out of the iming

    territory unmarked. When we finish, we turn on a movie, eating pizza and popcorn, and drinking sodas.

    Early on, we heard Alpha Antonio take the food into the room and a bitter, we heard the showers

    going. Late into the night and early morning, I heard the sounds I¡¯vee to understand. The sounds

    of a mate bond beingpleted.

    The next morning, I walk Hana to the edge of the iming territory. ¡°Remember what we discussed.¡± I

    say to her.

    ¡°I will.¡± I hold her tightly until she pulls away.

    ¡°You can do this.¡± She nods, before turning to the iming territory.

    The gun goes off and I watch as she jogs into the territory. I realize, this is thest time I¡¯ll be watching

    someone go into territory. Next time, it will be me entering. I get a sick feeling in my stomach at the

    thought. Hana was worried about seventy-five, I¡¯ll have nearly 200.

    I turn, seeing Seth standing as close as he can get to the iming territory along with several other

    ranked members that are in

    Hana¡¯s lottery. They are listening for Hana.

    I walk up beside Seth, leaning in. ¡°You better im her.¡±

    ¡°I intend to, Jara.¡± He says and I nod before walking away.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I had spoken to Elder Jason about bringing Typhon¡¯s pack members into my pack. He had wanted the

    entire story, and when I exined what they had said, he had snarled like I had.

    We hade up with a n. On the night before I enter Jara¡¯s im, I will invoke any member of

    Typhon¡¯s pack into my pack. They had agreed to back out and they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about

    dealing with Typhon as he¡¯d be entering the territory the next morning.

    Title of the document

    Elder Jason a*s*sured me that he would make sure the pack members that transitioned to my pack

    were sent home while we are in the iming territory. That way there can be no repercussions from

    Typhon. I called my Gamma and let him know to expect several new pack members in the next week.

    I had also told Elder Jason of my n to piss Typhon oft¡¯. ¡°Are you sure you want to do that? He¡¯s

    clearly nning to kill you already. There is no rule against it in the imings. There will be no

    punishment for him if he does kill you.¡± He had asked me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. He needs to realize that he doesn¡¯t get to try and intimidate others without consequences.¡±

    ¡°If Alpha Jara is agreeable, then it¡¯s your skin that¡¯s on the line.¡±

    I had smiled at Elder Jason. ¡°I think she¡¯ll be agreeable.¡± And, of course, she was.

    Anything to piss Typhon off.

    I wasn¡¯t quite prepared for my body¡¯s response when she began moaning loudly the first time. I¡¯ve had

    multiple dreams about that sound since then. I¡¯ll be d when Elijah is in the iming territory, so I

    don¡¯t have to wait for the shower to be tree every morning. I wake up so hard it¡¯s painful.

    We all watch as Alpha Antonio carries Annabel out of the iming territory. I feel a moment of jealousy

    that he had it so easy. Twenty imants and him the only Alpha. I¡¯ll have nearly 200, with multiple

    Alphas chasing after Jara.

    I¡¯m impressed when every wolfes out of the iming territory. Some look a little beaten, but none

    are dead. It¡¯s a testament to what a good Alpha Antonio is. He defeated them without killing them.

    I think several of us can smell Beta Hana¡¯s fear the next morning. Her iming is thergest in a very

    long time. It¡¯s not nearly asrge as Jara¡¯s will be, but it¡¯s muchrger than normal. I watch Jara talking

    to her and hugging her before she enters the iming territory. Then I watch Jara go to Seth and say

    something to him. He only turns for a moment to respond to Jara, before focusing back on the territory.

    I wonder if I¡¯ll be the same. In a week or less, it will be Jara entering the iming territory. Will my wolfs

    desire for our mate be so strong that I¡¯ll sit outside for 24 hours listening for her? I¡¯ll know soon enough.

    I watch as she makes her way to the main house. I¡¯m following behind her, keeping an eye on her,

    when her attention suddenly snaps back to reality. I see her looking around and when she spots me,

    she stops walking and smiles, waiting for me to catch up to her.

    ¡°Having breakfast with us this morning?¡± I ask her as we begin moving inside the main house.

    ¡°Yes. After tomorrow, everyone here will be here for me. I may as well begin eating with all of you. My

    house will most likely be empty, unless Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel decide to stay. ¡°

    Just as she finishes saying it, we hear several people congratting what can only be Antonio and

    Annabel. Jara¡¯s feet begin to move faster, wanting to see the happy couple.

    When we arrive in the dining hall, I see them sitting together. Alpha Antonio has taken a protective

    stance with Annabel, his arm around the back of her chair, His body leaning toward hers. But even from

    here, I can smell his scent on her. Jara and I walk over.

    ¡°Congrattions, Alpha Antonio, Luna Annabel.¡± I say, inclining my head at them. Annabel blushes

    prettily ¡°Thank you. Alpha Mason. Will you and Alpha Jara join us?¡± She asks.

    Jara moves to sit across from Annabel, but I look at Alpha Antonio, getting his approval before sitting

    down. I understand how protective an Alpha can be with their new mate. I expect I¡¯ll feel the same

    about Jara when I im her. I wonder if she¡¯ll allow it.

    The thought makes me smile and I look over at her before grabbing some food. ¡°What?¡± She whispers

    to me.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± I reply just as quietly.

    She looks at me a moment before turning her attention back to Annabel and Antonio. ¡°That¡¯s quite a

    mark you¡¯re sporting, Annabel.¡± Jara says to her teasingly, making her blush an even brighter shade of

    red. Alpha Antonio leans over, nuzzling her hair with his nose before kissing the side of her head.

    ¡°My mark looks beautiful on her neck.¡± Alpha Antonio says possessively.

    ¡°And her mark looks just as good on your neck.¡± Jara says to him, earning a smug smile from Annabel.

    Antonio looks at Annabel. ¡°It is my honor to wear her mark.¡± He says and I¡¯m pretty sure poor Annabel

    is going to burst into mes of embarra*s*sment at any moment.

    ¡°And your scent is now mixed with hers.¡± I say, knowing that it will help him rx. He looks at me and I

    can see understanding cross between us. I¡¯m not after your mate, the one I want is right beside me. I

    watch as he rxes slightly. But there are still hundreds of unmated wolves in this room.

    ¡°Is Beta Hana alright?¡± Annabel asks Jara.

    ¡°She is.¡± I see her look at me from the corner of her eye. ¡°We came up with a strategy for our iming¡¯s

    last night.¡±

    I turn my attention to Jara. ¡°Care to share?¡±

    ¡°Nope, you¡¯ll just have to be the intelligent Alpha I know you are and find me.¡± She says, popping a

    strawberry into her mouth and smirking at me.

    I know my eyes darken. I desperately want to lean in and take that sa*s*sy mouth of hers in a kiss,

    licking the taste of strawberries off her lips. I watch as her eyes widen, noticing my response to her. I¡¯m

    not sure how long we stare at each other, but it¡¯s Alpha Antonio who clears his throat and brings us

    back to the here and now.

    Annabel is smiling at us, and Alpha Antonio gives me a knowing look.

    ¡°How long will you be staying?¡± I ask them.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving today.¡± Alpha Antonio answers. ¡°Annabel wanted to be here to support Beta Hana as

    she entered the iming territory, but there are too many unmated males here.¡± He says, looking

    around. I watch as Annabel puts her hand on his leg, pulling his attention back to her. They share a

    gentle look of understanding, something that makes my heart ache wanting that in my life.

    ¡°Then we wish you well.¡± Jara says to them. ¡°I know you¡¯ll make an excellent Luna, Annabel.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Alpha Jara. I can¡¯t wait to see where you end up. Maybe our packs will be close together

    and we can still see each other?¡±

    ¡°I would like that.¡± Jara tells her.

    ¡°Are you done eating, love?¡± Antonio asks Annabel.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m ready if you are.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head home. I want to have time to show you around your new pack and we still need to call your

    family and give them the happy news.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says as they stand. Jara and I stand as well, walking around the table. Jara hugs Annabel

    as I shake hands with Antonio. ¡°Congrattions again.¡±

    He looks from me to Jara. ¡°Good luck to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    I nod my head at Annabel and Antonio does the same with Jara.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± Jara tells them.

    We walk them outside, watching as Antonio walks to his car, tucking Annabel into the passenger seat

    before moving around to the driver¡¯s side. He waves once more before pulling out and heading to his

    pack with his new mate.

    I hope that in two weeks or less, that will be me with Jara.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    After Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel leave, I spend the rest of the day in social gatherings. The only

    ones that aren¡¯t included are the ones in Hana¡¯s iming.

    For those individuals, I will only have one day to get to know them before I enter the iming territory.

    Title of the document

    That night, when Mason walks me back, I stare at the house where I¡¯ll be sleeping. I¡¯ m the only one

    left. While the house is still full of guards, there won¡¯t be anyone for me to really spend time with. I

    decide to ask Elder Jason if Mason can sit with me in the evenings, so I¡¯m not so alone.

    The next morning, I join Elder Jason on the stage as the seventy-five imants line up, ready to enter

    the iming territory. I can see they are antsy, there is a nervous energy in the air, they are ready to

    enter the territory

    As soon as the gun goes off, it starts. Unlike before, when every imant ran into the territory, several

    of the imants begin tearing into theirpetition. I see Seth turn as he¡¯s running into the territory. He

    slows, as if he¡¯s going to turn around and help. I leap off the stage, running toward the ones lying on

    the ground. I look at my brother.

    ¡°GO!¡± I shout, knowing he will have a target on his back, just like Mason. Hana has shown him the

    same favoritism that I¡¯ve shown Mason. He turns, running into the territory just as I¡¯m tackled to the

    ground.

    ¡°No, Jara. The iming haze has started. They may try to im you if you approach them.¡± It¡¯s Mason,

    his strong arms wrapped around me, holding me in a steel cage of muscle.

    ¡°They¡¯re k*illing them!¡± I shout, watching m horror as bloody bodies lie on the outskirts of the iming

    territory.

    When thest imant heads into the iming territory, Mason lets me go and I race to check the ones

    on the ground. There are at least fifteen of them. When I get to the first one, I put my hand over my

    mouth. He¡¯s been shed to pieces.

    ¡°Jara, let us handle this.¡± Mason says,ing up behind me.

    I turn to him. ¡°Is this what it¡¯s going to be like when you enter my im?¡± I know my eyes must show

    the horror I¡¯m feeling. I had no idea it would start before they even entered the iming territory.

    I see his hesitancy, but I know he won¡¯t lie to me. ¡°Yes.¡±

    I turn and look at the group that is standing by, having watched the ma*s*sacre unfold. ¡°I was right,

    you¡¯re all a bunch of savages!¡± I scream at them.

    I turn back just as Elder Jasones up with a medical team. ¡°Let them through. Alpha Jara.¡±

    I turn and see that he¡¯s brought several members of the temporary pack hospital. I move aside and let

    them pass.

    ¡°This one¡¯s gone.¡± I say as one stops to check the man at my feet. The medic looks at me before

    nodding and moving on.

    I feel Masone to stand behind me, his hands on my hips.

    ¡°Why?¡± I whisper.

    ¡°It¡¯s life or death, Jara. Too many of us will go feral and die if we don¡¯t im one of you this year. There

    are a lot of wolves that will go down fighting, even if that means killing our own kind. It¡¯s one of the

    things that I want to change about the iming process.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I turn, leaning into Mason¡¯s chest, feeling him wrap his arms around me. I want to cry. I feel the tears

    stinging my eyes. These men, these wolves, only wanted a chance to find their mate, and now they are

    lying here, dead.

    ¡°This one¡¯s alive!¡± One of the medics calls.

    I pull out of Mason¡¯s arms, rushing over to the bleeding man. The medic begins making tourniquets to

    stop the rush of blood from his legs and anus. While he does, I take the dying warrior¡¯s face in my

    hands.

    ¡°Look at me.¡± Imand him.

    His zed eyes turn in my direction. ¡°What¡¯s your name, warrior?¡±

    ¡°Barrett.¡± His voice is barely audible.

    ¡°Barrett, do you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jara.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Imand you to live, Barrett. Do you hear me? This medic will stop your bleeding and

    your wolf will heal you. Do you understand?¡±

    He turns his head slightly to look at me. When he doesn¡¯t respond, I try again. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to let

    me down, would you, Barrett?¡± I ask more gently.

    ¡°No, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Good man. I¡¯m right here. I¡¯ll be here until you¡¯re stronger and healing.¡±

    I turn and see that the medic is stitching him up, the bleeding almost under control. ¡°I need a stretcher!¡±

    He calls and I move out of the way as they put Barrett on the stretcher and begin moving quickly

    towards the pack hospital.

    I turn as another medic calls that someone is alive. For the next hour, Imand those still living to

    stay alive. I have no idea if it will work, or if their wolves are aware enough to respond to my wolf, but I

    have to try.

    When the five that are still alive have been moved to the pack hospital, I turn to look at the bloody

    remains of those that didn¡¯t even make it into the iming territory. I look at Elder Jason.

    ¡°I want to give them a warrior¡¯s send off. Tonight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it happen. You should get cleaned up.¡± I look down at my hands, covered in the blood of

    those I¡¯ve tried to save.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be at the hospital. I refuse to have any social gatherings today.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± Elder Jason says to me, inclining his head.

    I turn and begin walking toward the hospital. I¡¯m going to check on the injured and stay with them just

    like I promised them I would.

    When I get there, I find a washroom and wash the blood off my hands and arms. When the smell of

    blood doesn¡¯t leave, I realize my clothes are soaked through with blood. I shrug. There¡¯s nothing I can

    do. I¡¯ m not leaving.

    I asked around on the status of the five they brought in until I find someone who can answer my

    questions. I¡¯ve just heard that the first one, Barrett, is about toe out of surgery, when I smell

    Mason.

    I turn and see him walking through the doors. He looks a mess still. He walks up to me and hands me a

    bag. ¡°I knew you needed clothes. These are mine, but they¡¯ll due for now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I say, taking

    the bag from him.

    ¡°Have you heard anything?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Barrett, the first one they found alive is about toe out of surgery. The other four are still in.¡±

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± He asks.

    I look at him a long moment. ¡°I need to know that won¡¯t happen to you.¡±

    Ignoring our disgusting clothes, he pulls me to him, kissing the top of my head. ¡°I have no intention of

    dying. I have too much to live for.¡±

    He pulls back looking at me. ¡°I need to get back. I¡¯m helping Elder Jason get everything prepared for

    tonight. I¡¯ll have someone bring you some food.¡±

    I nod. He starts to step back, but instead, takes my face in his hands and kisses my gently. I feel a

    single tear spill over and down my cheek. ¡°Shhhh. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± He says, wiping my

    tear away.

    I nod again, not trusting my voice. ¡°I love you, Jara. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Mason.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± He says, making me smile briefly.

    When he leaves, I turn to go check on Barrett, knowing I¡¯m in for a long day. We all are.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I help Elder Jason prepare the funerals for the ten imants.

    I don¡¯t know if it was Jara¡¯smand or if the others were just lucky, but the ones that were alive when

    the medics got here all survived their surgeries. Jara has spent the day at the hospital ensuring the

    survivors know she¡¯s there and helping them as best she can.

    Title of the document

    ¡°This is exactly what I was talking about the other day, Elder Jason. Ten senseless deaths and for

    what?¡± I say as we build the ten pyres. I pause, wiping the sweat off my face. I¡¯m not the only one out

    here. Many others are here. Several packs lost pack members this morning. Not surprisingly. Typhon

    isn¡¯t here. I wonder if he¡¯ll even show up tonight for the services.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t survival of the fittest.¡± I say, continuing my train of thought as we work. ¡°If it was, we wouldn¡¯t

    be pitting omegas against ranked members, warriors against Alphas. It¡¯s unfair to the weaker members

    of the packs. How is it fair to these men, who were here for a good reason, just wanting to find their

    mate? They didn¡¯t even stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Alpha, but my hands are tied. At least this year. I just have to hope that enough of you

    survive and change can be made before next year¡¯s iming.¡±

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    ¡°Oh, I n to not only survive, but to walk out of the iming territory with my mate in my arms and my

    mark on her neck. When I do, you can expect that together, we¡¯ll bring about that change.¡±

    Elder Jason looks at the others around us who I know are listening. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care if every

    one of them thinks they will im Jara.

    They won¡¯t. I won¡¯t allow it. She¡¯s mine.

    ¡°Bold words, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°What kind of Alpha would I be if I wasn¡¯t bold, Elder.¡±

    We finish building the pyres andy the dead, now wrapped in their shroud, on them. Throughout out

    the day we¡¯ve heard more soundsing from the iming territory. I can only hope that Elijah and my

    other pack mates are safe. I haven¡¯t felt any of their tethers snap, but it hasn¡¯t even been 12 hours and

    it¡¯s already a blood bath.

    When we¡¯re done, I head inside and shower, changing into something more somber. I¡¯ve made sure

    that Jara was sent food today, but I haven¡¯t eaten more than a quick sandwich that I grabbed off a tray

    and ate on my way outside. I¡¯m famished.

    When I get downstairs, I get some food before heading out. When I get there, I see that

    Jara is already there. She must have found a ce to shower, as she isn¡¯t covered in blood, but she¡¯s

    wearing the clothes T brought her earlier. They are too big on her, the shirt falling to her mid-thigh, the

    sweatpants look rolled up around the waist and the ankles but she¡¯s still having to hold them up. I can

    tell from here that she doesn¡¯t care. She¡¯ s still in mourning for the ones we lost today, angry for the

    ones in the hospital.

    I move to stand beside Jara, hoping she¡¯ll let me give her support, hoping she¡¯ll lean on me. She¡¯s a

    strong woman, but she¡¯s hurting. It takes everything in me to not pull her into my chest and wrap my

    arms around her. Instead, I brush my fingers against hers.

    She immediately takes my hand, gripping it as if I¡¯m her lifeline.

    Most of the males from Jara¡¯s iming are here, Typhon the notable exception. I think one of the dead

    pack members is his and he can¡¯t even be bothered to be here to send him off properly.

    Elder Jason gets up on the stage in front of the pyres. He announces the names of those that died this

    morning and the packs that they are from.

    When he¡¯s done, he asks if anyone would like to say anything. A couple people get up and speak about

    their friends or pack mates. When it¡¯s done, Elder Jason lights the pyres, one after another.

    As we watch the fires take hold, Jara lifts her head to the sky and howls a sad and mournful howl. The

    sound of it slices through me, making my heart ache. Many males here lift their heads and answer her

    howl. From inside the iming territory, several others answer as well.

    We wait until the fires die down, watching the fiery ashes drift into the night sky. The mournful howls of

    those inside the iming territory continue. It¡¯s almost as if they have stopped fighting for a little while

    to give homage to their dead pack mates. I hope that¡¯s what it is. I hope that this isn¡¯t because arge

    number of the imants were k*illed today.

    ¡°I can hear Seth.¡± Jara says, leaning against me.

    I wrap my arm around her. ¡°Were any of them from your pack?¡± I ask. I know one of the ones in the

    hospital is from Seth¡¯s pack, Jara had recognized him.

    ¡°No, thankfully. But he still mourns their death, just as you and I do.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to walk you back?¡± I ask her as the others move to go back inside.

    She doesn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Then she turns to me, and I can see the tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m

    afraid, Mason. What if this is you? I don¡¯t know how¡­¡± Her voice breaks and I pull her against me.

    ¡°Shhh. I told you, I¡¯m not nning on dying.¡± I don¡¯t want her to know that Typhon has given an Alpha

    command to his pack to kill me.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to make it worse for you, Mason. I don¡¯t want everyone to turn against you. You can¡¯t

    fight them all.¡±

    ¡°Well, I know my pack and Seth¡¯s won¡¯t turn on me. What¡¯ s left of Alpha Antonio¡¯s pack won¡¯t either.

    There are a couple others.¡±

    She scoffs. ¡°That¡¯s not even half of the imants, Mason.¡±

    I take her face in my hands. ¡°Do you trust me, Jara.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Mason.¡±

    ¡°Then trust me that I won¡¯t let anyone keep me from you. If you want, you can give me your Alpha

    command to not die. Apparently, it works really well.¡±

    I smile when she chuckles.

    But that doesn¡¯t stop the tear that leaks out of her eye and slides down her face before dripping onto

    my hand. I reach over and kiss the side of her eye where the tear fell. ¡°Enough of that. I will okay. I¡¯ m a

    lot stronger than most of the Alphas here. Most aren¡¯t true Alphas, you know that. Antonio is gone, Seth

    isn¡¯t in your iming, I think there are only two others.¡±

    She nods, putting her forehead against my chest. ¡°Swear to me that you won¡¯t die, Mason.¡±

    I kiss the top of her head. ¡°I swear.¡± We stand there for a moment. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll walk you home.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so lonely there now. So quiet. The guards are fine, but they have a job to do.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the guards will let me walk you inside.¡± I say, looking at Luke, her guard.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to get permission.¡± He says.

    ¡°While Luke gets permission from Elder Jason, do you mind if we go check on the guys in the

    hospital?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea.¡± We turn and head to the hospital.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we get to the hospital, Elder Jason is there checking on the injured. We use the opportunity to

    get permission from him for Mason toe inside my housing.

    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to warn you both about marking and mating.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°No, Elder Jason.¡± We both say.

    We both know it¡¯s against thew and Mason wouldn¡¯t be able to keep me as a mate. Neither of us is

    willing to risk that.

    After checking on the men in the hospital, making sure they arefortable and don¡¯t need anything,

    we head back to the house.

    When we get inside, I ask Mason if he wants anything to eat. I didn¡¯t really eat much for dinner, even

    though Mason sent some over for me. We dig around the kitchen and decide to make spaghetti. Mason

    begins to brown some ground beef and sausage while I heat up some sauce and put water on to boil

    for the pasta.

    It¡¯s nice, being domestic with Mason. It feels natural and I wrap my arms around him from behind,

    feeling his hands cover mine. ¡°Are you okay back there, beautiful?¡±

    I hold on for another moment before letting him go. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you had to stop.¡± He says, turning

    toward me.

    ¡°This feels nice.¡± I say as he pulls me into his side and turns to look at the meat that¡¯s cooking, holding

    me with one arm while he mixes up the meat with the other. I dump the box of pasta into the boiling

    water. ¡°It really does. A glimpse of what our life will be like when I im you.¡± He says, smirking at me.

    I can¡¯t help but smile back. As we¡¯re cooking, I hear a howl of the hunt.

    ¡°Do you think Hana will be okay? I mean, those men who killed the others this morning, if I hadn¡¯t

    known that they had just been rea*s*sessed, I would be worried that they were going feral.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Hana you need to worry about, Jara. They won¡¯t hurt her.¡± He says as he pours the sauce over

    the meat. I dump the cooked pasta into theder to drain the water and grab some dishes.

    ¡°But Layan¡­¡± I begin ¡°That Alpha went feral. He should never have made it to the iming. This group

    isn¡¯t feral, Jara. They are fighting to win her. It¡¯s like Elder Jason said before. It¡¯s survival of the fittest. I

    don¡¯t agree with it, but it is one way to ensure that only the strongest of our species survive.¡±

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°But to what end?¡± I say as we carry our tes to the table.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If only the strongest survive, then we just re-evaluate what we define as strength. Our species isn¡¯t

    getting stronger with this process, it¡¯s getting weaker because it¡¯s the violent that survive and the kind,

    more gentle werewolves that are dying, making us more vicious, not stronger.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point, Jara. I¡¯ve told Elder Jason that I n to petition the Elder council when this is

    over. So much of this process needs to change.¡± He says.

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He told me to give him the petition and he¡¯d push it through.¡± He says, smiling as he takes a bite of

    food.

    ¡°Mmm, this is good.¡± He says as he takes another bite.

    ¡°What do you think of the Elder Council?¡± I ask, taking a bite and realizing Mason is right.

    This is really good.

    ¡°I think they need aplete overhaul, with the possible exception of Elder Jason.¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡± I ask, wondering how you overthrow the people who make the rules in your society.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it. I think if enough Alphas push them, yes, we can overthrow them. They are

    here to serve all werewolves. I think they¡¯ve forgotten that and be set in their ways. Maybe it¡¯s

    time for new blood to take over.¡±

    ¡°You nning to go into politics, Mason?¡±

    He chuckles. ¡°No.I1 have no interest. But others may. I think we, as thest of our species, should have

    a say, a vote in who rules over us. It shouldn¡¯t be just because you¡¯ve reached a certain age. Just

    because you¡¯re old, it doesn¡¯t mean you make good decisions.¡±

    It¡¯s a really good point. We could elect our Elder Council. Or perhaps, we rename them the Council, if

    they aren¡¯t a group of Elders.

    ¡°It¡¯s a thought, anyway.¡± He says.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thought.¡±

    He puts his fork down and gives me his full attention. I lower my fork, slowly chewing my food. ¡°With

    you by my side, Jara, I think we can do anything we put our minds to. I think we can make this change,

    make this process better for all of us. Make it better for women like Layan. Make it better for men like

    the ones that were killed today just because they wanted a chance to catch their mate. I think, you and

    I together, would be an unstoppable force.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I like the sound of that Mason.¡±

    ¡°Good, because I intend to make it a reality.¡±

    We finish eating and wash up our tes. When we¡¯re done, we walk into the living room and turn on

    the tv. We kick off our shoes and Masonys on the couch, patting his chest. ¡°Comey on me before I

    have to leave.¡±

    I tuck myself between Mason and the back of the couch, my head on his chest, listening to the steady

    beat of his heart. He grabs the remote and finds a movie. He reaches up, running his fingers through

    my hair and I feel my eyes begin to droop. It¡¯ s been a long, exhausting day and Mason is warm, safe

    andfortable. It doesn¡¯t take long before I¡¯m fast asleep in his arms.

    I don¡¯t know how long it is before I wake up, Mason carrying me to my room. Heys me down on the

    bed, pulling the nkets over top of me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave.¡± I mumble in my sleepy state.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay love. It¡¯ste and if I don¡¯t get back, every male there will know I spent the night with you.¡±

    He kisses my forehead, then my nose, then my lips.

    ¡°But I want you to remember how much you want me to stay when you wake up after I im you and

    I¡¯m lying beside you in this bed.¡±

    My eyes are closed, but I know he can see the smile that spreads across my face. ¡°Your mark on my

    neck?¡±

    He slides his finger across my marking spot. ¡°Right here.¡± My body shivers in anticipation.

    ¡°Soon, Mason.¡±

    ¡°Not soon enough, Jara. Sleep well, I¡¯ll see you in a few hours.¡±

    He kisses my lips again before I hear his footsteps walking out, my door closes quietly and soon after I

    hear the front door closing. I¡¯m still in Mason¡¯s clothes from earlier, surrounded by his scent and I drift

    back into blissful sleep.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next few days go by in a blur. I only get an hour during the day with Jara, and she spends that time

    with neen other individuals. As she said she would, she begins eating all her meals at the main

    house. During those meals, she sits with different groups of men, getting to know them. It¡¯s obvious

    which ones she doesn¡¯t like. She refuses to spend even a moment with them. Even in her social

    gatherings, she won¡¯t give them her time.

    The sounds from the iming territory are almost constant. So much so, that it¡¯s impossible to know

    what¡¯s going on inside. There are times when I think someone has been killed, others when I think

    Hana has been captured, but no one exits the iming territory.

    Title of the document

    Nighttime is my favorite time. It¡¯ s my individual time with Jara. I¡¯ve started napping during the

    day when she¡¯s spending time with others so, at night, I can spend as many hours as possible with her,

    even if she¡¯s sleeping. Her scent calms me and while I hold her, I¡¯ve started nning my hunt.

    I know the iming territory well. I¡¯ve been in it for the past six years. I know there are ces where the

    she-wolves can hide, ces where their smaller bodies can go that ourrger bodies won¡¯t fit. I know

    there is ake with a waterfall and at the top of the waterfall is a cave. Jara won¡¯t be foolish enough to

    get caught in a ce like a cave where she can¡¯t escape, but I¡¯d bet money her scent will be there.

    The territory isrge, but there are so many of us that it will feel cramped. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if

    someone stumbled across her on ident. She won¡¯t know the territory like most of us do and she¡¯s

    being hunted by multiple Alphas.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I look down at her, sleeping on my chest again. My wolf has started purring when sheys on me and it

    puts her right to sleep.

    After the first night, we just startedying in her bed. This way, when I need to leave, I can just untangle

    myself from her and leave her sleeping. It¡¯s good that Elijah is gone, I need the private time when I get

    back to my room to deal with my nearly constant hard on. The time of her iming is getting so close I

    can taste it. So close to the day when she will be mine and I will be able to stay in bed with her, explore

    every inch of her body, show her how good I can make her feel as I bury myself inside her.

    My thoughts are doing nothing for my aching d*ic*k. So, I shift my thoughts back to other important

    issues. How do I stay alive? How do I ensure that not only do I walk out of the iming territory, but

    that my mark is on Jara¡¯s neck.

    There¡¯s no way I can do it without killing. None. Jara is right. There are too many men who have put a

    target on my back. It started with her favoritism toward me, then my open disy of kissing her to p*iss

    off Typhon, the couple of times she¡¯s held my hand, or leaned into me, and now, everyone knows I¡¯m

    here with her every night. There are some that ept that she wants me, but there are those that see

    me as their biggestpetition.

    I know many will be working together, so I¡¯ll have to take on more than one at a time. Elijah will have

    my back, always, but I don¡¯t want him getting injured or killed trying to protect me. Typhon and his pack

    will be the worst, but there are definitely others. More want me dead than don¡¯t. Even my pack

    members have started to express concern about the number of people who are targeting me.

    So, I strategize as Iy here with Jara in my arms. This, this right here is what gives me the incentive I

    need to make sure I win. I will kill whoever gets in my way, whoever tries to kill me so I can make this

    woman mine. If it¡¯s kill or be killed, I will kill. The thought of any other man trying to take what¡¯s mine,

    nearly has me growling out loud.

    I know Jara doesn¡¯t understand the iming haze, but I do. I¡¯ve been in it. Wanting to be the one who

    ims their mate, needing to be the one that shows the others how powerful and strong you are, that

    you deserve to walk out of that territory with your woman in your arms. It¡¯s primitive, it¡¯s animalistic, and

    it¡¯s savage, but it¡¯s who we are at our most basic selves.

    This year is different for me though. This year, I don¡¯t just want to show everyone how strong I am. I¡¯ve

    fallen in love with Jara. I can¡¯t let anyone else have my woman, my mate.

    I take another moment to bask in the scent of this woman who will be mine in just under two weeks,

    kissing her head, nuzzling my nose in her hair, scenting her as I¡¯ve done every night this week. It¡¯s

    another reason there¡¯s arger group of men wanting me dead. I don¡¯t know if she realizes I¡¯ve been

    doing it, but I¡¯ve made sure 1 leave my scent on her every night.

    I carefully disengage from her,ying her head on the pillow I¡¯ve beenying on so she¡¯ll still have my

    scent in her nose. I grab my shoes from beside her bed and walk into the hallway, closing her door

    quietly behind me.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± Her guards nod their head at me. They¡¯ve be ustomed to me being here and know

    that I won¡¯t do anything stupid this close to Jara¡¯s iming, so they leave us alone.

    As I walk outside, I hear the sounds of howling and snarling from inside the iming territory. I stop,

    listening. I hear the yelp and howl of pain before it cuts off.

    A momentter, I feel the tether of my connection to one of my omegas snap. One of my pack

    members was just killed inside the iming territory.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    This week has been crazy. It¡¯s day six since the Hana¡¯s imants went into the iming territory. I¡¯ve

    heard Seth a couple of times and I¡¯m so thankful that he¡¯s still alive and in the hunt.

    The second day after Hana¡¯s imants entered the iming territory, all of the males that were injured

    at the beginning of her im were released from the hospital. I¡¯ve made sure to spend extra time with

    them this week.

    Title of the document

    They missed Hana¡¯s im, but they will be in mine. That is, if they are willing to risk being killed again.

    I know from speaking to Mason that he¡¯s lost a couple of his pack mates. He lost an omega a couple

    days ago and yesterday he lost a warrior. I don¡¯t know about the others, but if Mason has lost that

    many, I know there are others that will be dead in the territory. I know Seth lost at least one. I heard his

    howl of pain when the tether to his pack mate snapped. Every day we hear more yelps and cries.

    Hana only has one more day before she can walk out on her own. I say walk, but really, she¡¯ll be

    running.

    If they catch her before she crosses the line of the territory, even if she¡¯ s only a foot away, it still counts

    as a im.

    It¡¯ste in the day and I¡¯m finishing another social gathering when we hear Hana¡¯s cry. I stop,

    immediately running to the edge of the territory. Elder Jason joins me almost immediately.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s not a cry of pain, that was a cry of fear.¡± He says.

    He¡¯s right. I recognized the fear in her cry as well. We hear the howl of the hunt and there are several

    howls that go up at once.

    ¡°They have her surrounded.¡± I whisper.

    ¡°It would seem so.¡± He says as we listen.

    I feel Masone up behind me, several othersing closer, waiting to see what will happen. While

    the sounds inside the iming territory have gotten impossibly louder, the sounds on our side have

    gone silent, all of us listening to see what will happen next.

    We hear snapping and snarling. Hana¡¯s yelp goes up again but is cut off quickly. Guardse to stand

    beside us, in case they need to enter the iming territory quickly.

    We hear the howl of victory, quickly followed by more snapping and snarling.

    ¡°Seth.¡± I whisper. I recognized his howl of victory, but why was the fighting continuing.

    ¡°Go!¡± Elder Jason gives themand to the guards who were waiting for his order. They race into the

    territory.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    The snarling turns to growling and yelping and then we hear gunfire. My handes to cover my

    mouth. Seth!

    Mason¡¯s armse around me. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay. You would have felt it if he were dead.¡±

    I look at him over my shoulder quickly. He¡¯s right. I nod before turning back.

    It feels like it takes hours, but it¡¯s probably only five to ten minutes before I see Seth break through the

    trees, Hana in his arms. His canines are out and so are his ws. He¡¯s snapping and snarling at

    anyone thates even remotely close to him.

    Elder Jason and Mason step back as does every other male who has been watching.

    I wait until he passes the line of the territory and I race up to him. He turns, snarling at me, going into a

    crouch. His eyes are ck. He has arge sh mark across his chest and another one on his thigh.

    Blood is dripping down his body and onto Hana. I can see other wounds in different stages of healing

    all over his naked body. Hana is also naked in his arms.

    ¡°Seth, it¡¯s me. Jara.¡± I say, pushing my aura out to him so his wolf can feel it. This must be the iming

    haze that Mason told me about.

    I watch as Seth shakes his head and his eyes clear, going back to his normal sage green color. ¡°Jara¡­

    I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I say, putting my hands up.

    ¡°You¡¯re injured. Is Hana injured?¡± I ask him, slowly walking toward him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He says looking down at her. ¡°They didn¡¯t stoping for her, even after I marked her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check her Seth.¡± I say, waiting for him to acknowledge me before I reach out to pull her

    hair away from her face. He looks down at her, looking over her body, searching for injuries.

    ¡°She¡¯s got some scratches and bruises, but she¡¯s not nearly as bad as you.¡± I say to him. ¡°You need to

    see a medic.¡± I say, but he bares his teeth.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not leaving her.¡± At that moment, some of the other imantse walking out of the territory.

    He snarls and snaps at them, his caninesing out again.

    ¡°Seth!¡± He doesn¡¯t respond to me, so I reach out taking his chin and forcing him to look at me.

    ¡°Seth, the guards are here to protect her. I can smell your scent on her, I know you imed her. You

    need to focus on what she needs. The iming is done. She¡¯s yours, Seth.¡±

    His eyes clear again, his canines retracting as he looks down at her. A tender smile spreads across his

    face. ¡°She chose me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask, not understanding what he means.

    He looks up at me. ¡°Did you tell her what father told you, about choosing your mate if you can¡¯t get

    out?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    He nods, looking back down at her. ¡°They had her surrounded. I was injured and there were four of

    them.¡± His eyes cloud over with the memory.

    ¡°I was trying to get to her. She saw me and raced to me, jumping into my arms. I sank my teeth into her

    neck, but I could feel them surrounding us.¡± He stops, looking at me.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t going to stop. They were going to try and take her from me. I had to kill them, Jara. I had

    to, for her.¡±

    I don¡¯t let my shock show. I know, as an Alpha, he would feel extremely protective of his new,

    unconscious mate. I also know, as an Alpha, that he has killed before. ¡°You did what you needed to do

    to protect your mate, Seth.¡±

    He frowns as he remembers. ¡°Beta Elijah was there, he helped me fight them off.¡± He says and we

    both turn and watch as Elijah limps up to Mason. He also looks like he¡¯ s been in a fight. His body is

    battered and bloody.

    He looks back down at Hana. ¡°I hope she can forgive me. I didn¡¯t want to kill them, but they gave me no

    choice.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll understand. I¡¯m sure she realized that other wolves were dying in the territory. She will

    understand that you were protecting her.¡±

    He looks at me and I can see the exhaustion in his eyes. ¡°We need to get you cleaned up. Come on, I¡¯ll

    walk you to the female housing. You can stay in Hana¡¯s room.¡± I say, gesturing for him toe with

    me.

    I turn, looking at Elder Jason ¡°The iming territory will need to be cleaned. I¡¯ll send a medic to your

    housing. Get your brother seen.¡± He says to me.

    ¡°Yes, Elder.¡± I tell him before walking Seth back to our housing.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I watch as Jara talks Seth out of his iming haze. I watch until I¡¯m confident that he finally recognizes

    her.

    When I see them talking, I turn my attention back to the iming territory. I know I lost two pack

    members, but I need to make sure the othersing out of the territory don¡¯t need medical attention.

    Title of the document

    When I see Elijah, I rx a bit. He¡¯s limping and he¡¯s battered, but he¡¯ s alive and not in terrible shape.

    Not for a iming at least.

    He limps up to me. ¡°Alpha.¡±

    I pull him in for a hug, happy to see my Beta. ¡°You look like shit.¡± I tell him, trying to lighten the mood.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    He wraps his arms around me, his handsing up to grip my shoulders, burying his head on my

    shoulder.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t save them. I tried, truly I did Alpha. I couldn¡¯t get to them in time.¡± He whispers to me, and I

    can hear his pain, feel it in the loss of our pack members.

    ¡°I know you did. I know you would never stand by while our pack members suffered. This is not on

    you.¡±

    He nods against my shoulder. We stand there until he collects himself. When he pulls back, I grip the

    back of his neck, putting my forehead against his, forcing him to look me in the eye.

    ¡°I know you would do anything for our pack. I know that if you couldn¡¯t save them, they couldn¡¯t be

    saved.¡± He nods, his teeth clenched so tight it has to hurt.

    ¡°Now, go find a medic and get yourself looked at. That¡¯s an order from your Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± He says, before pulling away and going to find a medic.

    I watch Jara leaving with Seth and Hana, but I wait for my pack members to exit. I check them all over.

    Some are in worse shape than others. I have them all looked over by a medic, making sure they have

    started to heal before I head back to the edge of the territory.

    When I see Elder Jason, I g him over. ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°With the ten we lost at the beginning? A total of twenty-two. So, another twelve in the iming.

    ¡°How long before Jara will be able to enter the territory?¡± I ask him. ¡°It¡¯ll be a couple of days. It will take

    a while to clean this up.¡±

    When I return to the main house, the atmosphere has changed. It feels electrified as thest of this

    year¡¯s imings gets closer.

    Tensions are getting high, and we are informed that Jara¡¯s social gatherings will be limited to those that

    just came out of Hana¡¯s iming. They are the only ones she¡¯s spent little to no time with.

    I don¡¯t see Jara the rest of the day and I feel the loss. I know she¡¯s as busy as I am, making sure that

    Hana and her brother get medical attention. But I¡¯ve be ustomed to having her close to me, at

    least at night. So, while during the day I can keep myself busy, at night, when I finallyy down to

    sleep, it doesn¡¯te.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Elijah asks quietly.

    I roll over and look at him in the dark. ¡°I am.¡±

    He nods before beginning. ¡°It was a blood bath in there, Alpha. Everywhere I went, there were dead or

    injured wolves. I can¡¯t even imagine what it will be like for Alpha Jara¡¯s iming, when there are three

    times that many.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, even from out here, we could hear the sounds of fighting and death.¡±

    He nods again, before looking me in the eye. ¡°The hostilities toward you have increased in the short

    time I¡¯ve been gone. I¡¯ve heard multiple rumblings about it today. Want to tell me what you did to make

    that target on your back sorge?¡±

    I sigh. I don¡¯t really want to talk about my time with Jara with anyone, but Elijah needs to know what

    he¡¯s getting himself into.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been spending the evenings alone with Jara. At the female¡¯s housing. I¡¯ve been having ate

    dinner and thenying in bed with her at night.¡± I grin a satisfied grin. ¡°I might have used that time to

    scent her every night as well.¡±

    He whistles low and long. ¡°Damn, Alpha. You give new meaning to go big or go home.¡±

    Heys back on his back, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°So, you¡¯re ready to fight? To kill?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see that I¡¯ll have much choice. A couple more of Typhon¡¯s men have approached me about

    moving to our pack, but there are too many for me to fight without killing them. A lot of them.¡±

    ¡°You know it¡¯s a possibility that someone will stumble across her, right? I actually did stumble across

    Beta Hana. If I wasn¡¯t so sure I want Layan, I would have imed her yesterday.¡±

    I sit back up and look at my Beta. ¡°You gave up the chance to take a mate?¡±

    ¡°I told you I would. She ended up exactly where she wanted to be. Why would I take a mate who so

    obviously wants another male? Would you have taken her as a mate and given up your chance to take

    Jara?¡±

    When he puts it like that, I have to agree with him. ¡°And I want Layan. I can¡¯t exin it, but my wolf and

    I feel like she¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°I understand that feeling very well. That¡¯s exactly how I feel about Jara.¡±

    Wey in silence for a few moments. ¡°As your Alpha, I want you to know, I don¡¯t expect you to risk your

    life for me in the iming territory. I¡¯ve put myself at risk, knowing the risk. But that doesn¡¯t mean that

    you have to put yourself at that same level of risk for me.¡±

    He turns, propping himself up as he looks at me. ¡°What kind of Beta would I be if I didn¡¯t have your

    back, Alpha. Don¡¯t insult me like that ever again.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re my Beta and I know you¡¯re a damn good Beta that I said

    it.¡±

    ¡°Good, then it¡¯s settled. You and I battle together. You get your mate, we all go home happy and next

    year, I get my mate. Then, we all live happily ever after.¡±

    I frown. ¡°Did you get knocked in the head while you were in the territory?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I just have a good feeling about this. Well, I actually have a terrible feeling about it. I don¡¯t look

    forward to killing more of our kind. But I have a good feeling about you iming Alpha Jara. And when

    you do, you¡¯ll keep your word that the two of you will work to change this process, making it easier for

    me to im Layan next year.¡±

    ¡°Do you think any of the omegas will drop out after what has happened in Jara¡¯s iming?¡± I ask. They

    are most at risk in this process, and I can¡¯t put their safety ahead of my need to im Jara.

    They will mostly have to fight for themselves.

    ¡°I heard some talking about it at dinner tonight. Especially those that were in packs with the ones that

    were injured or killed at the beginning. For their sake, I hope the answer is yes. But I guess we¡¯ll see

    when the timees. When are you bringing Typhon¡¯s men into our pack?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Early in the morning before the im. Elder Jason will have a van ready to take them to our pack

    immediately. I¡¯ve spoken to our Gamma and he¡¯s ready to take them in, even the new ones that have

    asked to join our pack.¡±

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s smart.¡±

    I finally get a couple hours of sleep, and while I don¡¯t have time with Jara today, she makes a point of

    coming to see me periodically and sits with me at dinner. When we¡¯re all done eating, Elder Jason

    stands up.

    ¡°The iming Territory is clean and ready for the next iming. Tomorrow, Alpha Jara will enter the

    iming territory.¡±

    The room erupts into cheers with loud wolf whistles and pounding on the tables and floors. I look at

    Jara. She is looking at me and for the first time ever, I see fear in her eyes.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we got back to the female housing, I have Seth follow me to Hana¡¯s room. As with the others, as

    soon as we enter the room and he smells her scent, he takes a deep breath and his eyes roll back in

    his head.

    ¡°Lay her down for me. Let me take a look at her.¡± I tell him.

    Title of the document

    I hear a knock downstairs and one of the guards lets me know that the medics are here. I look at Seth

    and I can see his stubbornnessing out.

    ¡°Seth, I¡¯ll stay here with her. You¡¯ re a mess. You¡¯re still bleeding all over the ce. Get downstairs, let

    them stitch you up and I¡¯ll be here while they look her over.¡±

    He looks down at himself as if he¡¯s just realized he¡¯s injured. ¡°Cover her. I don¡¯t want them looking at

    her naked body.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I say, knowing that they will have to uncover her when they look her over.

    He passes the medic in the hallway, and I hear him threaten to kill him if he tries to take or mark his

    mate.

    ¡°I¡¯m already mated, Alpha Seth. They only let those of us who are mated near the females.¡± He says

    calmly.

    I hear Seth moving quickly downstairs. No doubt wanting to hurry his own medical attention up so he

    can get back to Hana. The medices in and nods to me. ¡°I¡¯m going to look her over.¡±

    ¡°No problem, but I told my brother I¡¯d stay here and make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Typical Alpha. Always possessive and protective of their mates. Not that I can me them, especially

    now, with so few of you left.¡± He says as he begins looking Hana over.

    ¡°Some scratches and bruises. Those will heal. Help me roll her over, please.¡±

    I do and we find a gash on the back of her thigh that I hadn¡¯t seen before. He cleans the gash and

    stitches her up before we roll her back over and cover her.

    Seth is back in record time, stitches covering the sh marks on his chest and thighs. ¡°How is she?¡±

    He says,ing to sit beside her on the bed.

    ¡°One gash on the back of her leg that needed stitches. She¡¯s dehydrated and malnourished. I can give

    her an IV while she sleeps, or you can wait toplete your bond until she¡¯s stronger and has had

    time to eat and drink on her own.¡± He tells Seth.

    ¡°She¡¯s mine. I¡¯ve told her we can wait as long as she needs toplete the bond and for her to mark

    me. So, I¡¯d rather let her heal at her pace.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alpha. Will there be anything else?¡±

    ¡°She can shower when she¡¯s awake?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and the stitches should be able toe out in a day or so, depending on how quickly she gets

    her strength back.¡±

    ¡°Thank you doctor.¡± I say and walk him to the door. Before I walk out, I turn to Seth.

    ¡°Do you need anything? I¡¯ll bring up some food and water for both of you.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s all.¡± He finally tears his eyes away from Hana. ¡°Thank you, Jara. For everything. I can¡¯t

    believe she¡¯s finally mine.¡±

    I smile as he turns back to her. I can only hope I feel the same way in a week.

    Hana takes most of the day to be strong enough to take a shower. She and Seth don¡¯t leave their

    room and I make sure to leave them food and clean their dishes that he leaves by the door for me. I

    have nothing else to do other than fret about my iming, so I¡¯m d for the minor distractions.

    The next day is filled with social gatherings for the ones that were in Hana¡¯s iming. There were only

    fifty-three of them still alive, and of those, three that were injured have backed out and left the territory.

    That leaves 50 for me to see today.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    The groups are smaller, 10 in each social gathering, so I can spend as much time with them as

    possible.

    Many still seem a bit traumatized from Hana¡¯s iming process. I finally got to spend some time with

    Mason¡¯s Beta, Elijah. I hadn¡¯t seen him since he was pulled for Hana¡¯s lottery. When we started talking,

    I remembered immediately why I had liked him. Mason made a good choice with his Beta.

    By dinner time, all I want to do is spend time with Mason. I¡¯m exhausted with the events of the past

    week and his presence always calms me. I decide to sit at his table for dinner, hoping to take the edge

    off of my rising fear. Things are going well until Elder Jason announces that I will enter the iming

    territory tomorrow.

    When I look at Mason, I can see that he knows I¡¯m terrified. I¡¯m terrified for him, knowing so many of

    these wolves will be after him and I¡¯m terrified that someone like Typhon will im me.

    After dinner, I ask Mason to walk me back. When we¡¯re far enough away, I finally turn to him. ¡°I¡¯m so

    scared, Mason.¡±

    ¡°I know love. But just think, this will all be over soon. Stay strong, be fast, be smart and when I finally

    catch you, you¡¯ll be mine.¡±

    ¡°Will you stay with me? I barely sleptst night. I feel safe when you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure Seth will be okay with that.¡± He says, looking up at the house.

    ¡°Seth has barelye out of their room. Trust me, he¡¯ll only know you¡¯re there if we tell him. Although,¡±

    my nose wrinkles at the thought, ¡°I hope I don¡¯t hear thempleting their bond. No one should have

    to hear their brother doing that.¡±

    He chuckles at that. ¡°I¡¯ll cover your ears if they do.¡± He says and walks me inside.

    Before we reach my room, I hear Seth¡¯s warning growl. He¡¯s smelled Mason, an unmated male near

    his mate.

    ¡°It¡¯s just Mason, Seth.¡± I call out.

    The door opens and a half-dressed Seth looks out. ¡°How did you get permission to be in here?¡± He

    asks Mason.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this every night since you all went into the iming territory. Jara was alone here, and

    I¡¯ve been keeping herpany.¡±

    ¡°Elder Jason allowed it?¡± He asks.

    ¡°He did.¡± Mason replies. Seth nods and goes to close the door.

    ¡°Hey Seth.¡± I wait until he looks at me. I can tell he¡¯s anxious to get back to Hana.

    ¡°I¡¯m going into the territory tomorrow.¡±

    He steps out of the room,ing to wrap his arms around me. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, Jara. You¡¯re smart,

    strong and vicious when you need to be. And if this dope doesn¡¯t catch you, then He¡¯s not worthy of

    you.¡±

    I hold on tight to my brother, knowing after this, everything will change. If it¡¯s not Mason that catches

    me or if I don¡¯t walk out of that iming territory on my own, there¡¯s a risk that I¡¯ll never see my brother

    again.

    ¡°Remember what I said before we got here. If it¡¯s him or anyone else that doesn¡¯t treat you right, I¡¯ll find

    a way to get you out.¡± He whispers in my ear.

    I swallow the lump in my throat before stepping back. ¡°Thanks Seth.¡± I say, looking up and see him and

    Mason having a silent conversation over my head.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡± Mason says to Seth as he walks back to his room, closing the door. We step into my

    room, and I begin to change out of my clothes and into Mason¡¯s shirt.

    It still smells like him, but only because he¡¯s been lying next to me all week. He gave me a second one

    when he said the first one needed to be washed.

    He takes off his shoes andys on my bed, tapping his chest. 1 crawl into bed, pulling the nket over

    both of us beforeying down. I don¡¯t know when I drifted off, but when I woke, Mason was gone.

    It¡¯s time for me to get ready to fight of my life is about to begin.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Last night, when Jara had told Seth that she was going into the territory, I had understood his look. You

    better catch my sister, and you¡¯d better treat her right.

    I had nodded my head in acknowledgement. From one Alpha to another, I wanted him to know that I¡¯d

    take good care of his sister. And he would know that for himself, because unlike Typhon, I had no

    intention of keeping her from her family. Plus, she has be very close with Hana. I imagine the two

    of them will remain close even after this iming.

    Title of the document

    I hadid with Jara, holding her as long as I dared before returning to the main house. When I got to

    my room, I refused to change out of the clothes that smell like her, so Iid down in my bed, sleeping

    for a few hours before it¡¯s time to get up.

    Although I don¡¯t want to, I know I need to wash Jara¡¯s scent off my body. I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯ll be back to

    this room today, and I have enough to worry about without adding more people to the list of those that

    want me dead.

    After breakfast, we all head outside to watch Jara enter the iming territory. She looks so alone,

    standing on the stage with only Elder Jason there beside her. But my girl doesn¡¯t let any of the fear she

    confessed to mest night show on her face this morning. Instead, she goes all Alpha on us.

    Before Elder Jason can escort her off the stage, she steps past him to the microphone, looking out at

    the crowd.

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you all fair warning. If you were one of the ones involved in the ma*s*sacre before Hana¡¯s

    iming, and youe for me? I¡¯ll kill you. If you and your pack members try to gang up on me,

    forcing me into a mate bond, I¡¯ll kill all of you. And, if I¡¯ve been very clear that I want nothing to do with

    you and you try to im me, well, I¡¯ll kill you too. You have one day to think about whether or not this

    im is worth it to you.¡±

    She turns and struts off the stage, her head held high. I can¡¯t help but smile at my gorgeous mate-to-

    be. She¡¯s everything I could have dreamed of and more.

    She begins walking to the line of the territory. I suddenly realize that she has walked every one of the

    other girls out here so they wouldn¡¯t be alone. But there is no one left to walk beside her, giving her a

    last- minute confident boost.

    Just as I think it, I hear Hana calling her and jogging over. She runs right into Jara¡¯s arms, hugging her

    close. We all watch as they stand there for a long moment. I see Jara nod her head briefly, so I know

    Hana is talking to her. Good. She needs to feel as confident as she sounded on that stage.

    I watch as Hana turns toward a smiling Seth. He¡¯s standing off to the side, obviously not wanting his

    mate around all of the unmated males who are exuding excited energy in waves.

    Hana takes Jara¡¯s hand and walks her to the starting line. Just before the gun goes off, she turns and

    looks at me. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s saying goodbye in case I don¡¯t catch her, or if it¡¯s a plea to make sure

    that I do im her. Either way, she will be mine this week.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    She turns and the gun goes off. She immediately begins running into the iming territory. All around

    me a howl of excitement goes up. This next 24 hours will be electrified with energy. But I don¡¯t care. As

    Jara runs into the iming territory, I feel as if a band has attached from her to my heart. The farther

    she goes into the territory, the tighter the band gets, making it hard to breathe, forcing me to stay where

    I am. So, this is what the others felt. A connection to their mate before the iming even urred. I

    walk up to the edge of the iming territory. As expected, I won¡¯t be going anywhere until the gun goes

    off tomorrow morning.

    I tune into the sounds that Jara is making. I can hear her running through the territory. I¡¯ve been

    thinking of theyout of the territory for so many nights now, that I pull up a map in my head and follow

    her sounds on my imaginary map. She¡¯s headed to the right, swinging around the edge of the territory.

    She¡¯s going to start by seeing howrge the territory is.

    As I¡¯m listening, I smell Elijah just before I feel his hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll bring lunch out here to you,

    okay, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I say, not breaking my concentration away from Jara.

    I listen to her all day as she makes her way around the territory and then begins to find her way to the

    inside of the territory.

    Elijah brings me lunch and dinner I don¡¯t look at what he¡¯s brought me, and I don¡¯t taste it. I¡¯m too busy

    mapping out Jara¡¯s movements around the iming territory. She hade across the cave hours

    ago, but she had left it behind. When the sun goes down, I expect to hear her find a ce to sleep for

    the night, but she¡¯s still moving around. I smile because I realize that she has created ovepping

    patterns of her scent all over the territory. I needn¡¯t have worried about someone stumbling on her

    identally, although it¡¯s still a possibility. But with her creating these lines of movements, her pack of

    suitors will be all over the territory. And now, hopefully, she knows where she¡¯s been and can avoid

    those lines.

    Late into the night, I hear her head back to the cave I¡¯m d she¡¯s finally settling, it¡¯s time to bring

    Typhon¡¯s pack members into my pack. Elijah and Elder Jason join us, and I have all 10 of them swear

    their allegiance to me, having them drink my blood. Once I feel their mind links join with mine, I give

    Elder Jason a nod and he escorts them to the vans waiting to take them to my pack.

    Once they leave, I shift into my wolf, knowing my senses are heightened in this form. If she begins to

    move, I¡¯ll hear it and wake up. A couple hourster, I smell the faint smell of a campfire. She¡¯s warm

    and hopefully she found some food today.

    My wolf gets a wolfish grin on his face. She¡¯s going to run all of us ragged during this im. I can¡¯t wait.

    It feels like only a few hourster when I hear her moving around again. I lift my head, tilting it to the

    side when I hear her moving closer to the edge of the territory where I am. She doesn¡¯t get all the way

    here, before I hear another sound that I don¡¯t recognize.

    What is she doing? In my wolf form, I continue to tilt my head trying to figure out what the sound is that

    I¡¯m hearing.

    I haven¡¯t figured it out when Elijah brings me breakfast, sitting to eat with me.

    ¡°Know where she is?¡± He asks.

    ¡°More or less.¡± I say. ¡°I would have expected her to put as much distance from us and her as possible,

    but she¡¯s moved closer to the entrance.¡± I tell him quietly.

    Elijah chuckles. ¡°Clever girl.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, not turning my face away from the iming territory.

    ¡°If you think that¡¯s what she¡¯ll do, chances are good that everyone else will too. She¡¯s basically just

    given herself a free day with no one hunting her as they go to the back of the territory to find her, only

    they¡¯ll find nothing.¡±

    Now that I can¡¯t hear her moving, I turn my attention to Elijah. ¡°You¡¯re right. So, we should run like we

    expect to head to the back of the territory before, separate from the pack, then turn back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s if we can get off the starting line. You know, no matter what Jara said yesterday, they will try to

    kill you before you get into the territory.¡±

    ¡°Let them try.¡± I say. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m overconfident or arrogant about it. I know I¡¯m at risk. The difference

    is that I know that my mate is the ultimate goal, and nothing is keeping me from her.

    The entrance to the territory has gotten crowded overnight. Some males tried to follow Jara¡¯s

    movements in the beginning but gave up and left. Others came out in the middle of the night to get a

    good spot for the entrance. As everyone begins making their way toward the iming territory, I see

    Typhon looking around, presumably for his pack mates.

    When he turns to look at me, I can¡¯t help but smirk at him. Half his pack members in this year¡¯s

    iming joined my packst night. Now he has half the people to help him hunt for Jara and half the

    people to try and kill me.

    ¡°Keep an eye on his new Beta.¡± Elijah says to me quietly. I switch my gaze to his Beta. I haven¡¯t seen

    him too often, but he¡¯s huge, ripped. He looks like an Alpha, not a Beta.

    ¡°When I walked the guys to the carst night, they told me he¡¯s an a*s*sa*s*sin. That¡¯s why Typhon

    made him is Beta. He¡¯s a killing machine.¡±

    I watch as everyone picks a group. Typhon and his pack are on my right, some of the other

    packs that I know will be trying to kill me are on my left. I had expected my omegas and warriors to give

    Elijah and I a wide berth, knowing that so many want me dead. But to their credit, they are all here,

    ready to fight with me.

    Seth¡¯s pack is beside us as well, increasing our numbers. I also realize that there are fewer males than

    there should be. As I look around, there can¡¯t be more than 150 wolves for Jara¡¯s iming.

    ¡°Elder Jason said a bunch leftst night.¡±

    ¡°Good, fewer to deal with.¡± I say. Maybe Jara¡¯sment had an impact after all.

    We¡¯re all ready and when the gun goes off, mayhem ensues.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    On the morning I wake to go into the iming territory, I can¡¯ t eat. My stomach is in knots. So, I head

    over to the stage. Elder Jason is there to meet me, and we walk up on the stage together.

    I may be terrified, but I¡¯m an Alpha, a true Alpha. I won¡¯t be showing this pack of savages any fear. But

    maybe I can instill fear into them. I make my threat to kill the ones that 1 don¡¯t want iming me I can

    see Typhon¡¯s smirk at myment. But as I turn, I see Mason¡¯s smile of pride and it warms my heart.

    Title of the document

    When I start walking toward the iming territory, my confidence starts to wane. I¡¯m almost there when

    I hear her. I turn and Hana runs into my arms.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I whisper against her shoulder.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you go in there alone. I told Seth I had to be here. Listen, I don¡¯t have long, but find the

    cave tonight. You can sleep there, at least tonight.¡±

    I nod and see Seth over her shoulder. I see that he doesn¡¯t have her mark yet.

    ¡°You haven¡¯tpleted the bond yet?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He told me I could take my time, im him when I was ready to ept him as my mate.¡± She pulls

    back as she turns and looks at Seth, her shy smile lingering as she turns back to me. ¡°I expect now that

    we¡¯re alone in the house, that it will be soon. Thank you for your guidance, or rather your father¡¯s

    guidance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d it worked.¡± I say as we walk toward the iming territory.

    ¡°So did our n.¡± She whispers to me. ¡°Stick to it. It gives you a couple of days and by then, they¡¯ve

    started eliminating thepetition for you. I hate it, but it helps us in the end.¡±

    I turn, looking at Mason. My eyes lock onto his for a brief moment. I hope he can figure out my strategy.

    But not too quickly. I need to make sure I give him a good chase. Of course, there are the others I¡¯d be

    willing to ept, but it¡¯s him that I want to im me or me to im. I¡¯m still hoping to walk out of the

    territory with no mark on my neck.

    When the gun goes off, I begin to implement our strategy. First, I need to know the outskirts of the

    iming area. It takes me a couple of hours to run around the iming territory. While I do, I find some

    decent hiding spots, but I won¡¯t use them unless I have to. Here, I¡¯ll have my back against the outskirts

    of the territory which is barricaded with a ten-foot concrete wall and barbed wire across the top. I can¡¯t

    leave and I¡¯ll be boxed in. So, I¡¯ll only use these hidey- holes in a pinch.

    When I wrap back around toward the front of the territory, I begin the second part of our strategy.

    Confuse them with scent trails. My goal is to leave it in as many directions as possible, crisscrossing to

    cause confusion and send these savages on a wild goose chase, or, in this case, a wild Jara chase.

    When I find the cave, I head up to see what to expect. I have to climb up the side of the waterfall to get

    there. It¡¯s a terrible ce to hide. I¡¯d be stuck with nowhere to go inside the cave and with the rush of

    water down the falls, I¡¯d be lucky to hear theming. There is a left-over campfire with a couple sticks

    of wood. I¡¯ll have to get more while I¡¯m out. I turn around, looking over the space. I take a deep breath

    and through all of the other male scents, I can smell them. All of them, Mignon, Layan, Annabel andN?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Hana. My girls. We¡¯ve bonded over this entire process, and they were all here. I¡¯ll make sure toe

    back here tonight to sleep, but I want to finish leaving my scent trails before I do.

    I go back out into the territory, finding ces I can hide, ces either me or my wolf can fit or can

    escape if we¡¯re caught by someone other Mason or the very few I¡¯m willing to bond my life to.

    When I finish leaving my trails, it¡¯s after dark. I climb back up to the cave, looking out over the territory.

    From here, it looks beautiful, serene. Come tomorrow, it will be anything but.

    I go inside the cave, exhausted and knowing I need a few hours of sleep. I caught a rabbit earlier and I

    want to eat it before I go to sleep. I light the fire and put the rabbit on a spit. I get it cooking over the fire

    and I look around at my makeshift home for the evening.

    As I look, I see something on the wall. I stand going over and my heart constricts. There, on the wall it

    says:

    Mignon was here

    Layan too

    And Annabel

    We were all here and we are here in spirit for you now, Jara. Hana

    I feel tears prick my eyes. They were here and whether they meant to or not, they have supported

    everyone that came after them, including me.

    I sit down by the fire and when I¡¯m finished with the rabbit, Iy down, looking at the words on the wall.

    They are here for me, and I need to make sure that I am there for them, after this iming is over.

    As I drift off to sleep, an ideaes to me. I¡¯ll have to be up early to see if I can make it work.

    When I wake, I¡¯m tired, but determined. If this works, I may have found my new sleeping ce for the

    week. I head back toward the front of the iming territory. I had wanted to make sure that Mason

    didn¡¯t get killed first thing. If he does¡­if he does, I know I¡¯ll lose it. This pack of savages thinks they¡¯ve

    seen feral? If Mason is killed, I¡¯ll show them what feral really looks like.

    When I¡¯m as close as I¡¯m willing to get to the entrance of the territory, I find a tree that meets my needs,

    and I begin to climb.

    When I¡¯m high enough, I find a limb that is strong enough to hold my weight and I move through

    several more trees, just in case someone catches my scent at the bottom of the first tree. I stop when I

    find a tree that has an opening that gives me a perfect view of the starting line of the territory.

    I can see Mason, sitting with his Beta, eating breakfast and talking. It helps to soothe me to see him,

    knowing that as of this moment, he¡¯s alive and well.

    I watch as the others begin making their way to the territory. Even from here I can feel the tension, the

    excitement of the hunt. There aren¡¯t as many wolves as I was expecting, maybe my threat worked. I

    watch as Typhon looks at Mason. I don¡¯t know what Mason did, but he looks very proud of himself.

    His pack members and Seth¡¯s surround him. I see Alpha Luke and his pack not far away. The packs

    seem to be grouping themselves together.

    When the gun goes off, it¡¯s like it was in Hana¡¯s iming, except I can see that the focus is on Mason.

    Part of me wants to jump in and help him, but I can see that he and his pack are holding their own.

    Mason is incredible. I¡¯ve sparred with him, so I know he¡¯s strong, but this? I realize that he was holding

    back with me. He could have taken me down at any time and he didn¡¯t. He let me appear strong in front

    of everyone else.

    My love for him grows even greater with that realization.

    I see Typhon¡¯s Beta move to try to attack Mason from behind.

    Alpha Luke slices his ws down the Beta¡¯s back, leaving him bleeding. He yells something at him

    before heading into the territory. One by one, they finally start heading into the territory. A couple of

    omegas catch one of my scent trails and raise the howl of the hunt. That seems to pull the rest back

    into the purpose of why they are here.

    As he passes, I take a deep breath and get the scent of Typhon¡¯s Beta in my nose. I¡¯ve refused to meet

    with any of Typhon¡¯s pack mates. I have no respect for a pack that let my sister, their Luna, be killed at

    their Alpha¡¯s hands. But this guy just made himself my enemy #2. He¡¯d be number one but that is

    reserved for Typhon.

    As Mason and Elijah begin jogging into the territory, I see that there are at least double the number of

    injured and deadying at the start of the iming territory. I watch Mason, seeing that he has some

    w marks down his chest. They are already healing, thankfully.

    As I watch him, I see him looking around, a*s*sessing. I¡¯m wondering what he¡¯s trying to figure out

    when he looks up and spots me. A slow smile spreads across his face, and he winks at me, but he

    doesn¡¯t stop. I wait until he¡¯s out of sight before I begin climbing down. He somehow figured out where I

    was, but he didn¡¯t want to stop when the others were so close. But he¡¯ll be back, and very soon.

    Time to give him a hunt and while I¡¯m at it, I think I¡¯ll take out Typhon and his Beta.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I knew they¡¯de for me the moment the gun went off and they did. At least 20 wolves and men

    came after me. Elijah took on a fair number of them, but he couldn¡¯t take on half. Most of them were

    ranked members. One being an Alpha that I killed on site. He was the one who had asked at the

    beginning if Jara didn¡¯t pass out from the marking could he mate her right there in the iming territory.

    She¡¯s refused to see him since, so no great loss in my book.

    While I was fighting another six attackers, I felt someoneing up behind me. I was too busy to turn,

    but I heard the snarl just as I took out one of my attackers, a Beta this time. I turned my head just in

    time to see Alpha Luke turn toward Typhon¡¯s Beta.

    Title of the document

    ¡°At least if you¡¯re going to attack someone, be a man and fight them face to face you f*uc*king coward.¡±

    Then he turned and ran into the iming territory, leaving Typhon¡¯ s Beta bleeding on the ground, his

    back a shed mess of flesh and blood. It will take him awhile to heal from that.

    When the others are dead or injured to the point that they can no longer fight, Elij ah and I enter the

    iming territory. I look around, trying to figure out what it was that I was hearing Jara do this morning.

    There are still a bunch of wolvesing into the territory or milling around the entrance, trying to find

    her scent. So, when I realize the sound that I heard was

    Jara in the trees, I look up and find her.

    I wink at her, letting her know I found her before continuing on. There are too many men and wolves

    here right now. If I tried to climb that tree to get to her, they¡¯d eithere after me, or worse, they may

    work to pull the tree down, bringing her to the ground. I¡¯d be hard pressed to fight off the forty or so

    wolves that are here right now to get to her.

    So, Elijah and I continue into the territory until those around us start splitting off.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you following any of these scent trails?¡± He asks me as I pass another one.

    ¡°They¡¯re decoys. She left them yesterday to screw with us.¡±

    Elijah chuckles again. ¡°I like her more and more.¡±

    I give him a sharp look. ¡°Not to im, Alpha. But she¡¯ll make one hell of a Luna for our pack ¡°

    ¡°That she will. Come on.¡± I say, when I feel like we can turn back.

    ¡°Where?¡± He asks, following me.

    ¡°She was up front, I saw her in the trees when we came in.¡±

    ¡°And you didn¡¯t immediately try to im her?¡± ¡°Too many wolves were still around trying to find her

    scent.¡±

    As we jog back, we hear several more howls go up with wolves that have found her scent.

    ¡°How long do you think that will go on before they realize what she¡¯s done?¡± Elijah asks me.

    ¡°Well, eventually, one of those trails will actually be hers, so probably the entire time we¡¯re here.¡±

    We get to the tree and not unexpectedly, she¡¯s gone. That¡¯s my girl. I begin sniffing the air, trying to

    catch her scent. She didn¡¯te down the tree that she was sitting in when I saw her. My smile grows

    even wider. Oh yes, she¡¯s going to take us all on a good hunt.

    I sniff around until I find the tree where her scent is lingering.

    ¡°I found it Alpha.¡± Elijah says, but he¡¯s at a different tree.

    I go to the tree where he is, but her scent is just a bit lighter here. ¡°I think this is where she went up, but

    I¡¯m pretty sure she got down over here.¡± I tell him and we go back over to the tree I¡¯d found.

    ¡°It¡¯s just slightly stronger, but I think you¡¯ re right. Shall we?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Let the hunt begin.¡±

    We search the rest of the day, but I don¡¯t see her again. As much as I want her, I love that she¡¯s giving

    me a good hunt. The wolf in me craves it.

    Throughout the day, we hear the sounds of fighting and killing. Elijah and I are attacked several more

    times and have to kill another five males in the territory. At least three of those were Typhon¡¯s pack

    members. Now he¡¯s down to seven. The others were already in the iming haze and were attacking

    anyone that got in their way.

    The howls of the hunt have gone up all day. While it makes my heart stop each time, I also know this is

    exactly what Jara was trying to aplish. Every time someone¡¯s howl goes up, you can hear the

    pounding of paws headed in that direction. When it does, Elijah and I go in the opposite direction. So

    far, it has worked.

    We¡¯ve crossed several of her trails, some more recent than others, but it¡¯s hard to tell which ones are

    the most recent, especially now that so many males have been following her scent trails.

    Eventually, I tell Elijah that we need to stop. We need food and we need to rest, but more importantly, I

    need toe up with a game n. We decide to not light a campfire, knowing it will give our location

    away to those trying to kill me. Instead, we shift and eat in our wolf form.

    In this form, my senses are heightened, and I can smell the scent of Jara everywhere. Her scent of

    sweet cream and nutmeg fills my nose and I feel myself start to fall to the iming haze. I shake it off,

    but I can understand why the omegas and warriors are already m the haze. Her scent is strong and

    delicious and it¡¯s everywhere. I don¡¯t think she realized that her scent all over the territory would cause

    an increase in the iming haze, but it¡¯s toote now.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    I talk over my n with Elijah. I want to start finding the hiding spots that I know the females have used

    in the past. And I want to go to the cave tomorrow. I doubt she¡¯s there, but maybe there¡¯s a hint of

    where she might be. And if she¡¯s been in theke, then there will be an exit point somewhere. I can find

    that and follow that and follow that too.

    ¡°At some point, you know we¡¯ll have to split up, right?¡± Elijah asks me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until the fourth day. If we haven¡¯t found her by then, we¡¯ll split up.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    We take shifts that night, one of us keeping watch so the other can get some sleep. Throughout my

    watch, members of mine and Seth¡¯s packs find us, wanting toy near us, searching for safety and

    comfort. I let them all join our little party. When I wake Elijah, he¡¯s surprised to see so many wolves

    sleeping around us, but he doesn¡¯t say anything and Iy down, getting some sleep.

    The sounds of the hunt and of killing continue through the night. I¡¯m not sure how many are dead now,

    but if I¡¯m right, another twenty males were killed on day one of Jara¡¯s im, bringing the number down

    to 130 imants.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    After Mason spotted me, I skipped through the trees before finding one that I could climb down. I found

    one of my scent trails and followed if for a while before climbing up another tree. The sounds of the

    hunt sounded all day, as did the sounds of death.

    When I heard the first ones, I begin trying to find my way to where they were. If there were any that

    were still alive, maybe I could help them. I had to climb down from the trees to get to the spot where I

    heard the howls of pain. Then I had to climb up a rocky mountain face to get to the top. I smell it before

    I see them. Blood. Lots of blood.

    When I get to the top, I can see that it¡¯s two omegas. One of them has been in my social gatherings the

    entire time and one I just met a couple days ago because he had been in Hana¡¯s social gathering. I had

    liked them both.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Title of the document

    I sniff- the air, trying to make sure I¡¯m alone, before going over to them and checking to see if they

    really are dead. I know in my heart they are. No one could survive the ma*s*sacre these two suffered,

    but I have to know for sure.

    When I¡¯ve convinced myself that there is nothing that can be done for them, I stand, looking around.

    One of my scent trails had led to the bottom of this cliff¡¯ face, but not to the top. I turn, looking out and

    realize that from here, you can see far into the territory. The view is blocked by trees, but where they

    open up, you can see what¡¯s going on below you.

    I crouch, taking this opportunity to see if I recognize anyone, or to see if anyone has caught my trail

    here. I can¡¯t stay long, my original scent trail will bring more here, but it¡¯s a good ce to take a

    moment to see where everyone is.

    ¡°I thought hearing the death of others might bring you to me.¡± I whip around, standing quickly to see a

    man walking out from behind some trees, covered in blood. I sniff the air and realize that he¡¯s the one

    that killed these two omegas.

    ¡°You killed them? To get me toe to you?¡± I ask, horrified. I know that killing happens in the

    iming. Mason and I have talked about it extensively, but not to specifically call to me.

    ¡°When you threatened us before you came in, I realized that was the best way to get to you. Kill some

    omegas, make sure they cry out in pain and then you¡¯de running. And you did. Now, be a good

    little girl and let me mark you.¡±

    ¡°If you think that you get to im me just because we are standing in the same space, you are sorely

    mistaken. And if you think that killing innocent omegas to get to me was going to endear you to me,

    then you haven¡¯t been paying attention.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to be endeared to me. I just need you to spread your legs and birth my babies. We

    can make this easy or hard. I prefer it rough, but if you walk over to me now, then I promise I¡¯ll make it

    easy and gentle.¡±

    What a f*uc*king prick. I can tell by his smell that he¡¯s only a Gamma. A very arrogant, egotistical

    Gamma. He¡¯s about to see what it means to take on an Alpha female.

    I begin walking slowly toward him. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be captured so quickly.¡± I say, trying to act as

    demure as possible. My wolf is snarling around in my head, ready to kill this guy.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a woman. Alpha or no, it¡¯s best to leave the running and fighting to the men.

    Like I said, your job is to make babies. Lots of them.¡± He says, giving me a malicious smile that makes

    my stomach churn. Is this what it was like for M?

    I stop, a*s*sessing the best way to kill this guy. He takes my hesitation as fear.

    He crooks his finger at me. ¡°Come to poppa.¡±

    I smile, taking one more step before extending my ws and mming them into his gut and chest. His

    eyes go wide in surprise, and he looks down at me. His mouth opening and closing but no wordse

    out.

    ¡°Let me exin to you what it means to im an Alpha female. We¡¯re not omegas, easily killed. We¡¯re

    strong, smart and fast. All three things that you seem to becking.¡± I pull my ws out of his stomach

    and sh them across his throat. I make sure not to sh too deep. Just deep enough that he will

    bleed out, dying slowly.

    ¡°I would have given you a quick death, but you don¡¯t deserve it after what you did to those omegas.¡± I

    watch as he falls to the ground, holding his throat, trying to staunch the bleeding. Even if he gets his

    neck wounds to close, the other wounds will kill him.

    I turn, looking back out over the territory; I can see some men and some wolves moving in this

    direction. Time for me to go. I need to be more careful in the future. This Gamma was lying in wait for

    me, and it was only his arrogance gave me the chance I needed to escape. If he hadn¡¯t expected me to

    do what he said, if he had tackled me to the ground, I might have been marked by a man I would

    despise.

    I look around and find another way down the cliff face. I check several times to make sure no one is

    around. When I finally get to the bottom, I sniff the air. There are scents of men and wolves all around

    me, but none in close proximity. I can only hope that the scent of the Gamma covers my scent. At least

    until I can get to theke and wash it off.

    I find one of the hiding spots as the sun starts to set. I was hoping that everyone would sleep through

    the night, hut it doesn¡¯t work that way. I can tell that many of them will continue to hunt me as long as

    they can.

    When it¡¯s dark enough to use the shadows to cover me, I move toward the waterfall, where the sounds

    of my footsteps will he hidden by the sound of the water. I sniff the air and can smell that there are

    some wolves up in the cave. I move into theke just m front of the waterfall so they can¡¯t see or hear

    me.

    I begin washing myself off when I hear the sound of someone running this way. I duck under the water,

    pushing my back against the back of the waterfall. There is just enough space for me to breath

    shallowly. I stand as still as possible until I hear the battle going on above me. The one that just came

    up is attacking those that were in the cave.

    I hear first one ssh, then another before I hear someone climbing back down the waterfall. I wait as

    long as I can before poking my head out from under the water. I quickly look around, making sure no

    one is here. When I¡¯m sure they are gone, I step out, only to bump into something.

    I p my hand over my mouth before I can scream. When I look down, I see a dead body floating in

    the water. As I watch, horrified, another onees and bumps into my hip. These look more like

    warriors, not omegas.

    I grab them by their clothing and drag their bodies to the edge of theke. I check them, already

    knowing they are dead before looking for the nearest tree. I need a ce to hide quickly. I¡¯m soaking

    wet and it¡¯s cool enough outside that it¡¯s going to be a miserable night for me.

    I find a tree that I can climb and squeeze as much water as I can from my clothes. After climbing the

    first tree, I jump to several other trees, finding a limbrge enough that I can lean against and sleep

    with little chance of falling off. If I do, there are other limbs below that will catch me. I might get

    scratched or bruised, but I won¡¯t break anything.

    That night, I sleep little and the sounds of the hunt and of killing continue all around me. As I drift

    asleep, I wonder where Mason is, and I hope that he¡¯s alright.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Then next morning when I wake, everyone is moving around. No one slept wellst night, since we

    could still here the sounds of the hunt and of killing in the night.

    ¡°What¡¯s the n. Alpha?¡± Elijah asks as we head out.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to theke and check the hiding spots that we find along the way.¡± I tell him.

    As we move through the territory, it¡¯s quieter than it has been since this started yesterday. Those that

    tried to find Jara overnight, have finally settled or fallen asleep.

    Elijah and I find several hiding spots, some with Jara¡¯s scent and some without it. She found a lot of

    them, but not all of them. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s good or bad. We also find some of the dead bodies that

    we heard yesterday. We pull the aside, knowing their bodies will begin to rot before the iming ends.

    When we get to theke, we¡¯re on the far side, away from the waterfall.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elijah asks pointing to the other side of theke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see. But keep your eyes open. It could be a trap.¡±

    We walk around theke. I use the time to sniff to see if I find Jara¡¯s scent. It isn¡¯t until we¡¯re close to

    the bodies that I smell her. When we get to them, I can see that they¡¯re dead and have been for a

    while.

    ¡°Do you think she k*illed them?¡± Elijah asks, having smelled Jara¡¯s scent on them.

    I look around, then up at the cave above us. ¡°No. I think they were in the cave and were k*illed,

    possibly tossed into the water. Maybe Jara went to check on them and pulled them out of the water,

    thinking they had drowned. But either way, she was here, and I think she¡¯s the one that pulled them

    out.

    I shift and begin sniffing around the area where the dead bodies are lying.

    ¡®Typhon¡¯s Beta.¡¯ I tell Elijah through the mind link.

    Elijah is looking around. He crouches down at the water¡¯s edge. ¡°Look at this.¡± He says.

    I walk over and look at where he¡¯s pointing. There is a set of footprints that walk into the water. The

    footprints are small, either Jara¡¯s or an omega¡¯s.

    I look back up to the cave. ¡®She was here when they were killed.¡¯ I say, knowing I¡¯m right.

    ¡°That¡¯s my take. She must have done a damn good job of hiding. That or Typhon¡¯s Beta was just on the

    hunt to kill and wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    I shift back and put my clothes back on. ¡°I want to see the cave.¡± I tell him.

    He nods, standing. We climb up the side of the waterfall until we get to the top. We sniff the air before

    walking into the cave.

    ¡°They were here because her scent is strong.¡± Elijah says.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m guessing she spent the first night here.¡± I say, turning in a full circle to look around. I¡¯m

    hoping to find any clue as to where Jara might be. As I¡¯m looking, I see something on the wall. I walk

    over to have to chuckle.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Elijah asks,ing to stand beside me.

    We read the words of the others from this year¡¯s iming. Then, at the bottom, Jara has left her own

    words.

    My girls. My sisters-in-arms. We will prevail. Jara

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Elijah ps his hand on my shoulder. ¡°One hell of a f*uc*king Luna.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Come on. I don¡¯t want to get caught up here and have to fight our way out. Let¡¯s see if we can

    follow her trail.¡±

    We head back down, and I have to shift back into my wolf to even find her scent. She was definitely in

    the water, and my guess, she was soaking wetst night. It was a cool evening. I hope she didn¡¯t get

    too cold.

    Elijah stays in human form and follows my wolf as I track Jara¡¯s scent. I follow it to a tree and look up,

    before turning to look at Elijah.

    ¡°Another tree? Maybe we¡¯re looking in the wrong ces.¡± He says, smiling.

    I shift back. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can figure out which tree she slept inst night.¡± I tell him.

    I follow what I think is her trail, but it¡¯s hard to catch from this far down. I realize the trees are a good

    spot for her. Most of her imants won¡¯t expect her to be up m the trees. And most of the trees don¡¯t

    look strong enough to hold someone my size. An omega might be able to manage, if they could climb

    that high, which is doubtful.

    As were searching, looking up into the trees, I catch her scent. I turn, sniffing the air and find the tree

    she exited this morning. I look back up and to where we found her entrance and I begin retracing my

    steps. If she¡¯s going to be spending a lot of her time in the trees, I need to know what her parameters

    are for finding a ce to stop.

    I walk back slowly, looking at each tree before finding the one where I think she sleptst night.

    ¡°This one.¡± I say to Elijah.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± He asks.

    ¡°It has arge branch that juts out. She wouldn¡¯t be visible from the ground, but she would also have

    room in case she started to roll oft¡¯.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s got other branches to catch her if she did actually fall off.¡± He adds.

    I look at the tree for another moment. ¡°So, now we know what to look for.¡± I say to him.

    We begin to follow her scent, only to lose it in her scent trails. As frustrated as I am, I can¡¯t help but

    smile.

    ¡°Damn, she¡¯s smart.¡± Elijah says.

    ¡°That she is. Pick a trail, any trail and let¡¯s see what we find.¡± I say to him.

    When he chooses a trail that has a stronger scent than some of the others, we follow the trail to a

    nearly sheer cliff face.

    ¡°Her trail leads up.¡± I say to Elijah. So, we begin to climb. When we¡¯re halfway up, I smell it. I turn to

    look at Elijah and I see he smells it too.

    Blood.

    I begin to climb faster. My heart constricting that I may find Jara injured or worse¡­.

    When we get to the top, I see them. Three of them, all dead.

    We finish pulling ourselves up and move to the two that are closest to the edge of the cliff On them,

    Jara¡¯s scent if very faint. I move to the third and her scent is much stronger.

    ¡°Do you think he tried to im her?¡±

    I turn, looking at the other two that are dead, then turn back to look at the one that smells like he was a

    Gamma.

    ¡°I think he lured her here. I think he knew she¡¯de to see if they were okay, and he thought he could

    im her. He didn¡¯t respect that she¡¯s an Alpha and he paid the price for his arrogance.¡±

    I turn, looking around. It¡¯s a great spot to see what¡¯s going on in the territory. I can see several groups

    of males and some individuals moving through the territory among the trees, some following scent

    trails, some searching for hiding spots. I don¡¯t see anyone looking up in the trees. Good.

    As I move around, I look out all around me. In the distance, I can see theke. So, that¡¯s why she was

    at theke. It wasn¡¯t because she was trying to hide.

    I turn and look at the blood covering the Gamma. She was trying to wash his blood and scent off of her.

    As I turn back around, I see her. She¡¯s darting through the forest, using the shadows to hide. I smile,

    watching her.

    That is, until I see that Typhon has caught her scent and is hunting her.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    I¡¯m woken by the sound of voices talking below me. I carefully look down from my ce in the tree and

    see a couple of warriors trying to catch my scent, looking around trying to find a hiding space nearby

    where I may be hiding.

    I wait until they pass, and I can no longer hear them. I feel like I¡¯m in a bad ce, somewhere in the

    middle of the iming territory. I need to find a better, safer ce today.

    When I stand, I¡¯m stiff from sitting upright and having my body curled up with cold. I hurriedly stretch

    before skipping across some tree limbs, being as quiet as I can. When I¡¯ve looked around and feel it¡¯s

    as safe as it¡¯s going to get, I climb down and begin making my way to one of my scent trails.

    Title of the document

    I find one that leads to the back of the territory. Knowing that most of the wolves went that way

    yesterday, I begin moving toward the back. It¡¯s a strategic move, one that may be the wrong move, but

    hopefully, most of the wolves will be moving toward the front of the territory after searching for me at

    the back and realizing I¡¯m not there.

    Using the shadows from the morning sun, I begin carefully making my wav back using my scent trail.

    While this will make my scent stronger again. I¡¯m hoping that there are enough other scents to help

    cover it.

    It takes me a couple of hours to make my way near the back of the territory. Periodically, I hear voices,

    feet or paws moving through the forest. When I do, I quickly find one of my hiding ces and stay there

    until the sounds go by.

    At one point, one of the wolves, most likely an omega, but possibly a warrior, catches my more recent

    scent and lifts his head m the howl of the hunt. Rather than following it to me in my hidey-hole, he

    heads off in the direction I just came from. I need to hurry, it won¡¯t take long for others toe running

    and when they realize the scent dead-ends at a tree, they will turn around and head back this way.

    I move m the direction where I saw a small stream two days ago when I first checked out the territory.

    Unlike theke, I can¡¯t hide in it, but I can mask my scent. I¡¯ll be exposed, but if no one is there, I can

    run through the stream for a while before getting out and running in a different direction.

    I¡¯m ducking through the undergrowth, staying out of the sunlight and running as fast as I dare, trying to

    stay as quiet as possible.

    When I get to the stream, I stop, catching my breath and looking around. I don¡¯ t immediately see

    anyone, and I wait, sniffing the air, before finally making my move. I leap into the water and begin

    running up the center of the stream.

    I know the sounds of my feet running through the water may alert anyone nearby that I¡¯m here, but I

    need to get this group off my trail before I start to double back. And, once the sun is a little higher in the

    sky, my ability to hide m the shadows will be minimized.

    I¡¯ve just about decided that I¡¯ve gone as far as is safe when I hear a thrashing in the water behind me. I

    turn and my heart nearly stops. Typhon and His Beta are behind me, and they¡¯ve seen me.

    Typhon looks like he¡¯s in the iming haze, his eyes are ssy, and his pupils arerge, making his

    eyes look nearly ck. His Beta, on the other hand, looks like he¡¯s in total control. If they catch me

    here, even if I can fight them off, others wille running to im me. I¡¯m too exposed. I have to get

    out of here.

    I turn, shifting to my wolf and racing back into the center of the territory. From theer of my eye, I

    see the Beta break off from Typhon. They are going to try to surround me, or at least pen me in

    somewhere, like he did with my sister.

    I turn again, heading closer to the back of the territory. I¡¯m getting close to the sheer rock face where I

    killed the Gammast night. I can hear their racing feet getting closer, closing me in on two sides. My

    only chance is to climb and hope that I¡¯m faster than they are. I know that I can get down the other side

    of the cliff, and if they want to follow me, they will have to climb up as well or go around.

    I¡¯ve just reached the cliff, forcing my shift back to my human form, my arm lifted to begin my climb,

    when the Beta tackles me to the ground. We begin rolling around, and my wse out. I sh and

    light him, but in no time. Typhon is there and I¡¯m no match for both of them.

    I stand with my back to the cliff, my canines and ws out, ready to die lighting if that¡¯s what it takes.

    I watch as both of them let their eyes roam over my now n*ak*ed body. When I shifted, I shredded my

    clothes. I¡¯ll now have to be doubly careful. That is, if I can get out of this.

    I watch as the Beta¡¯s eyes go nearly as dark as Typhon¡¯s. My only hope is to reason with him.

    ¡°Do you know that he k*illed hisst Beta to im a mate, my sister? He¡¯ll kill too.¡± I say.

    He gives me a scious smile. ¡°I¡¯m smarter than hisst Beta. I made a deal with Alpha Typhon.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, what¡¯s that? If you think he won¡¯t k*ill you, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Why would he k*ill me. He¡¯s agreed to share you with me, and I have no problem sharing. I love a

    good threesome. You can take us both at once, and both of us can knot you. Personally, I¡¯m an a*ss

    man, so I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t get that pretty little p*uss*y until after you¡¯re good and pregnant with my

    Alpha¡¯s child.¡±

    His words make me sick. My sister never mentioned anything like that. But it¡¯s possible that Typhon is

    desperate. Or, he may have lied and is still nning to k*ill the Beta. I prefer those thoughts to those of

    what my sister may have suffered at Typhon¡¯s hands.

    ¡°And don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mind if you fight it. I like a good fight, especially when I¡¯m f*uc*king.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re as disgusting as he is.¡± I snarl at him.

    As we¡¯ve been talking, they¡¯ve been moving closer to me, and I¡¯ve been moving backward. When my

    back hits the cliff face, I know it¡¯s either fight or climb. I turn and jump, trying to get out of reach, but the

    Beta grabs my ankle, yanking me back to the ground.

    I scream, fighting and shing against him. He¡¯s arge man, and very strong.

    He¡¯s able to grab my hands and hold them with one hand behind my back while the other grips my

    throat. My back is to His front, and I watch as Typhon begins prowling toward me. I can feel the Beta¡¯s

    excitement pressing against my backside.

    He nuzzles my ear, whispering against it. ¡°Now, be a good little baby maker and give my Alpha your

    neck, so he can mark you and we can be done with this.¡± He says and yanks my head to the side,

    giving Typhon ess.

    Typhon is so focused on marking me that he doesn¡¯t realize what I¡¯m about to do until it¡¯s toote. Just

    as he gets close enough, I kick with all my might, smashing my leg into His balls. He doubles over,

    vomiting from the pain.

    I swing my leg back, trying to knock the Beta¡¯s knee out but he lifts me off the ground by my throat.

    ¡°Well, now, littledy. I guess I¡¯ll just have to mark you instead.¡¯¡¯ He says, pulling my closer to him. My

    stomach twists when I feel his breath on my neck, feel his caninesing out.

    In the next moment, he is ripped off of me and I go flying. I turn and see Mason, fighting against the

    Beta while Elijah is fighting against Typhon.

    Mason punches the Beta in the face, knocking him backward before jumping on top of him and

    pummeling him with his fists. His wse out and he begins scratching deep wounds into the Beta.

    He looks crazed, not from the iming haze, but like he¡¯s out for blood.

    As he¡¯s punching the Beta, he looks up at me.

    ¡°Run, Jara! They¡¯ll being for you.¡±

    When I don¡¯t immediately move, he shouts at me.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    I turn and run as if my life depends on it.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Mason

    As soon as I saw Typhon chasing Jara, Elijah and I started climbing down the cliff. I had seen her

    heading for the stream off to our right, so we started racing in that direction.

    When we get there, she has already left the stream and so have they. I follow the edge of the stream

    until I see paw prints. When I look further, I see her shredded clothingying on the forest floor.

    Title of the document

    ¡°She shifted.¡± I say and we turn, rushing through the underbrush to get to her. I can¡¯t let her get taken

    by Typhon. I know Seth said he¡¯d get her out, and I would certainly help him, but I won¡¯t let her suffer at

    his hands, not for one moment.

    When I hear her scream, I begin running faster, no longer caring if I make too much noise. She would

    only scream if she were caught. And, I know, two against one, she¡¯ll never win.

    I realize she¡¯s headed back to the cliff face that we just left. When we finally break through the clearing,

    I see red. Typhon is doubled over, vomiting, but the Beta has my n*ak*ed mate lifted off the ground by

    her throat and he¡¯ s about to mark her. MY mate.

    I snarl and dive at him, grabbing him and yanking him off Jara. It sends her tumbling through the brush,

    but I can¡¯t stop yet to check on her. I punch the Beta, knocking him back before jumping on him and

    beating his face and shing at his ribs with all my strength, feeling my anger at him nearly stealing my

    mate from me in every sh. My wolf and 1 are in total agreement, this man must die for touching what

    is mine.

    When I see that the Beta is starting to lose some of his strength, 1 take a chance to look at Jara. She¡¯s

    standing there, staring at me, her eyes wide. I¡¯m not sure if there is something in my look that is scaring

    her or if her nearly being marked by this Beta is giving her that look, but I realize she¡¯s too exposed

    here.

    I tell her to run and when she doesn¡¯t immediately respond, I yell at her to get out of here.

    When she does, I turn my attention back to the Beta. I go to punch him in his throat, nning to crush

    his windpipe and cause him to suffocate, when his fist connects with my face.

    Since I was focused on Jara, I didn¡¯t see iting and it knocks me back. I fall off of him and he jumps

    up. He looks at Typhon, who is still being beaten by Elijah. The Beta runs over, knocking Elijah off

    Typhon before grabbing Typhon and taking off.

    I rush over to Elijah, making sure he¡¯s alright.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Alpha. But I don¡¯t think I k*illed him. At least, he was still breathing when the Beta knocked

    me off of him.¡± He turns, looking around.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I say, just as several wolves and mene rushing into the clearing.

    When they see us covered in blood, they stop short.

    I stand, still in my bloodlust at having seen Jara, n*aked, vulnerable and nearly marked by another.

    ¡°If any of you think you can take me,e on.¡± I say, moving into an attack stance.

    Several of the men look at each other before turning and racing off. Some of those that remain are my

    pack members. They don¡¯t leave, but they don¡¯te closer either.

    ¡°Alpha. Are you okay? Are you and Beta Elijah injured?¡±

    They don¡¯t approach me, which is good. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m totally in control in this moment.

    I look at Elijah, who nods. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°Did our Luna¡­.¡± One of my pack members starts to ask. ¡°She ran off. As far as we know, she¡¯s safe.¡±

    Elijah answers for me.

    ¡°We can go check on her, Alpha. If you want us to.¡±

    Another one of our pack members says.

    Elijah looks at me. He knows how close I came to losing my shit just now. I take a couple deep breaths,

    putting my hands on my hips and looking down at the ground. T focus on the fact that I made it in time

    and that Jara got away.

    ¡°No. Elijah and I will go check on her.¡± I say, pulling myself together. My mate needs me.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± One of my pack members says, looking at the others with him. ¡°We want you to know, we don¡¯t

    n to im Alpha Jara. We want you to im her. We want her as our Luna. So, if there is anything

    we can do to help you im her, please let us know.¡±

    I look at all of them and get nothing but honesty and truthfulness from their eyes and their bond to me

    as their Alpha.

    ¡°I can¡¯t ask that of you¡­¡± I begin.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t asking, Alpha. We¡¯re offering.¡±

    I look at them for a long moment. ¡°I am one lucky bastard to have you all as members of my pack.¡± I tell

    them. From their smiles and smirks, I know they are proud of my acknowledgement.

    ¡°If you are willing, keep an eye out for her. If you find her cornered or fighting against someone trying to

    im her, howl for help. Elijah and I wille. In the meantime, be safe and stay sharp. I don¡¯t want to

    lose any more pack members to this f*uc*king iming.¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡± They say in unison before turning and heading out.

    I turn to Elijah. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°She shifted quickly. She no longer has anything to wear. It will put her at even more risk than she was

    at before.¡±

    He nods, waiting for me to continue. I tell him my n and we begin to following her scent.

    As I expected, it leads back to theke. There are a few males lingering around theke, so I take my

    shirt off and wash it out, getting as much blood out of it as possible.

    I¡¯m not exactly sure where she is, but I know she¡¯s close. I keep getting whiffs of her scent.

    ¡°Jara.¡± I say quietly. ¡°I know you¡¯ve destroyed your clothes. My shirt is stained, but I think I got most of

    the blood out. I¡¯ll leave it to dry and when you¡¯re ready,e take it so you aren¡¯t cold tonight. Find a

    tree and be safe. I won¡¯t try to im you when I know you¡¯ve just suffered a shock.¡±

    I stand, rubbing my shirt on my chest and neck, scenting it before putting it on a rock make its arc

    toward the horizon, so I hope it dries before the sun sets.

    ¡°Be safe, my love. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    I turn, motioning for Elijah to follow me. I leave, giving her space to calm down and my shirt which will

    hopefully keep her warm and has my lingering scent on it.

    Typhon POV

    ¡°What the f*uc*k, Axel?¡± I say, as my Beta drops me onto the ground.

    ¡°What?¡± He asks me defiantly.

    In truth, I had questioned if making him my Beta was a good decision. But after M¡¯s death, I had

    be weaker. That weakness had only grown in thest couple of years. It¡¯s why I knew I needed to

    im Jara this year.

    ¡°You nearly marked Jara. We had an agreement.¡±

    He shrugs, obviously not caring about our agreement. ¡°You were incapacitated, and I was avable.¡±

    ¡°She is mine.¡± I snarl at him.

    He leans over me, his huge body towering over mine. He¡¯s not old enough to be close to going feral.

    He¡¯s being weak and needing a woman to make me strong.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not start getting too big for our britches, Alpha.¡± He says my title with a sarcastic snarl. ¡°If it

    wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have caught her. And if it wasn¡¯t for me, that Beta would have killed you.¡±

    He stresses that it was a Beta, not an Alpha that would have k*illed me.

    ¡°We had an agreement.¡± I say again.

    ¡°That was before I saw her n*aked. Now, I want her for myself. Then, maybe I¡¯lle take your

    pathetic pack from you, and I¡¯ll be Alpha. Or, I could just wait until you go feral and then take your pack.

    With Jara as my mate, no one will challenge my role as Alpha.¡± He says before standing back up.

    He smirks at me before continuing. ¡°I, Beta Axel Thorn, reject you, Typhon Wright as my Alpha.¡±

    ¡°You cant!¡± I scream at him, feeling the tether snap.

    ¡°I can and did. F*uc*k you, Typhon. Jara is mine.¡± He says before walking off.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When I ran from Typhon, his Beta and Mason, I didn¡¯t have a n in mind of where I was going. It took

    me too long to get myself together and by then, I was close to theke.

    Subconsciously, I came to the ce that had kept me safe yesterday.

    Title of the document

    I slide into the water, making sure that the males across theke don¡¯t see me then find my way under

    the waterfall again. I walk with my back against the rock face until I find a spot that I can move back just

    enough to stay hidden but breathe more easily.

    My heart is racing. I was so close to being bound to a monster, or worse, two monsters. I need to get

    myself together. I need to calm down and get a n. I can¡¯t let someone like that im me. I have to be

    smarter.

    I haven¡¯t had any luck calming myself when I get a whiff of my favorite scent, a cool winter breeze.

    Even though the water is rushing around me, I¡¯m close enough to hear him when he speaks to me, so I

    know he¡¯s left me his shirt.

    I have to shake my head. Even in here, in the iming territory, he¡¯s taking care of me. I¡¯m tempted to

    jump out and just let him im me. But I can¡¯t. There¡¯s something about the hunt.

    He has to earn the right to be my mate. It will make our rtionship stronger in the end.

    After he¡¯s gone, I wait another hour. When the water starts to feel cool and my fingers are wrinkled from

    being in the water too long, I slowly make my way back out. I¡¯m going to sleep in the trees again

    tonight. I¡¯ m close to the ce I slept inst night, so I¡¯ll go back there. At this rate, I may spend the rest

    of my time here in the trees. It¡¯s safer than being on the ground.

    I slide out of the waterfall, my face barely above water. I look around and see only a couple of men far

    across theke. Even if they see me, they won¡¯t be able to get to me in time. The bigger concern is if

    the raise the howl of the hunt. Anyone close to me on this side might find me.

    I turn and find the shirt Mason left for me. I look back at the men on the other side of theke before

    slowly crawling to the shirt. When I grab it, it¡¯s warm and dry from being in the sun. I quickly put it on

    and dash into the trees.

    I find the one I climbedst night and then leap across the branches until I get to the limb I slept on. I¡¯m

    more dry tonight, but my hair is wet, and I don¡¯t have as much clothing as I did before. I pull my knees

    up, pulling Mason¡¯s shirt over them trying to use the heat of his shirt to keep me warm.

    I bury my face in it. It smells like him. There are hints of Typhon¡¯s Beta¡¯s blood underneath that, but

    mostly, it¡¯s Mason¡¯s scent that¡¯s on this shirt. It lulls me to sleep. Throughout the night, I¡¯m woken by the

    sounds of howls, snarling, yelping and what can only be death.

    It¡¯s only been two days and I¡¯ve already almost been caught twice, both times by monsters.

    As the dawn breaks, I watch the sun rise and decide to stay in the trees today. It¡¯s been my only ce

    of sce and from here, 1 can at least see what¡¯s going on near me. I know these particr trees fairly

    well and can move through them easily if need be.

    Maybeter today, I¡¯ll find another group of trees and start moving around the territory that way. But I

    have another problem. I haven¡¯t eaten in two days. My stomach is beginning to protest. Loudly. Even if

    my hiding spot is good, the sounds of my stomach will make it easier for others to find me.

    I just finished thinking that, when I hear light footsteps underneath me.

    ¡°I smell you.¡± He says softly, and I recognize that voice. I lean over my limb and smile. Yep, Alpha Luke.

    He¡¯s looking around, trying to find my hiding spot. Each time the morning¡¯s gentle breeze blows past

    him, he lifts his head, sniffing the air trying to find me.

    ¡°Where are you, Little Alpha?¡±

    I watch as he turns in a circle and then suddenly, he looks up and makes eye contact with me. I squeak

    and move back so he can¡¯t see me.

    ¡°Gotcha.¡± He says quietly. I lean back over and see that he¡¯s about to start climbing when we hear

    pounding the forest nearby. He looks back up at me.

    ¡°Stay there.¡±

    He turns around, moving away from my tree. In a moment, he¡¯s surrounded by six men and wolves. I¡¯m

    not sure if they caught my scent or if they were just hunting, but they have Alpha Luke surrounded.

    They all begin snarling at him and his wse out. He snarls back at them, and although I can¡¯t feel

    it, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s pushing his aura over them. However, it doesn¡¯t seem to impact them like it should.

    Almost as one, they attack him. The ones that were still in their human form, shifting quickly and

    jumping into the fight.

    Luke is strong, stronger now that he¡¯s been made an Alpha, but he¡¯s no match for six on one. He¡¯s

    fighting, snarling, and shing, but he¡¯s losing the fight.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    When they get him to his knees, I can¡¯t stand by and watch. Alpha Luke is one of the good ones, and I

    won¡¯t watch while he¡¯s murdered in cold blood.

    I leap from my tree, my wsing out on my way down. Ind on the back of one of the

    a*s*sants, shing through his back with one hand and reaching the other out to sh the wolf next

    to him.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    While I ripped the throat out of the one, the wolf Inded on begins bucking, trying to throw me off. He

    swings around, giving me a chance to take a swipe at another wolf. This time, I sh across his face,

    blinding him in one eye.

    His howl of pain echoes in the forest. Luke begins to fight the remaining three that are still attacking

    him. As the wolf I¡¯m riding swings around again, I¡¯m able to sh the hind leg of one of the wolves

    attacking Luke, causing him to turn around to me.

    Title of the document

    His howl of victory goes up as he leaps at me. I duck against the wolf I¡¯m riding, and he leaps over top

    of both of us. I turn, shing at him again. This time, I catch his throat. He begins coughing up blood,

    but I don¡¯t have a chance to see if it will kill him. The wolf I¡¯m riding bucks and I go flying over his head.

    He¡¯s on top of me in an instant, his teeth snapping against my neck.

    ¡°You can¡¯t im me in your wolf form, a*s*shole.¡± I say and m the ws on my right hand into his

    stomach, ripping out his insides. They spill over my legs, covering me in his blood. I use my left hand to

    push him off me, just as another wolf jumps at me.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Alpha Luke, bloodied and withrge gaping sh marks across his entire body, grabs him by the neck

    in mid-air, snapping his neck in two before dropping him to the ground.

    He looks at me and I¡¯m caught. There¡¯s nowhere for me to go. But instead of iming me, Luke

    copses to his knees before sitting down hard.

    ¡°Luke? Are you okay?¡± I don¡¯t want to be caught, but I also want to make sure he¡¯s okay. I did jump

    down here to make sure he didn¡¯t die.

    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡± He says to me, and his voice is much too soft. He nods at my shoulder, and I realize

    that the wolf that was snapping his teeth at me actually did bite my shoulder. In the throes of the

    fighting, I hadn¡¯t felt it.

    I turn and look back at him. ¡°So are you.¡±

    I squat down in front of him. He scoots back, putting his back against arge fallen tree limb, propping

    himself up while he waits for his body to start healing.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they stop?¡± I ask him, looking at the dead who are now in various stages of shifting back

    into their human form.

    ¡°iming haze. By tomorrow night, all of us will be in the haze. It will only make things more dangerous

    for you, Jara.¡± He nods up at the limb I slept onst night. ¡°Your hiding spot is a good one. You should

    keep that up.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile at that. ¡°And of course, that way, you¡¯ll be the only one that knows where I¡¯m

    hiding?¡± He looks at me a moment, a small smile on his face. ¡°Would that be so bad? If I was the one

    to im you?¡±

    I move to him. I can see the pain on his face. His injuries are deep and will take some time to heal.

    He¡¯s not iming me in his current condition. He¡¯d be no match for me, and we both know it.

    ¡°No, Luke. I¡¯d be proud to stand by your side as your Luna.¡± I say, but I can¡¯t quite look him in the eye.

    ¡°But?¡± He asks.

    I look at him, wanting to bepletely honest. ¡°But my heart belongs to another.¡±

    He nods. ¡°Mason.¡± He doesn¡¯t need me to confirm it. ¡°I see you¡¯re wearing his shirt. How did that

    happen if he hasn¡¯t imed you yet.¡±

    ¡°Typhon and his Beta caught me yesterday. I shifted, shredding my clothes trying to get away. He and

    Elijah helped me escape. He somehow knew where to find me, and he left his shirt for me, after

    washing it out.¡± I look down. ¡°Which I¡¯ll have to do again.¡±

    He looks at me a long moment. I can see his wounds, the shallower gashes, are already starting to

    heal. At that moment, my stomach makes a loud grumbling sound.

    He reaches into his pocket and pull out some strips of meat. ¡°Here.¡± He hands me the meat and I can¡¯t

    help but moan as I devour it.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say as the meat sates my aching stomach for the moment.

    ¡°Mason isn¡¯t the only one that can take care of you.¡± He says, still looking at me with sadness in his

    eyes. ¡°As much as I would love to have you as my Luna, Jara, I wouldn¡¯t always want to wonder if I

    measured up to a man like Mason in your mind. He¡¯s a good man and a good Alpha. But you know that

    won¡¯t matter once the haze kicks in. More than half of the wolves in here are in the iming haze

    already. The rest of us will be in it by tomorrow night. I can let you walk away right now because I know

    you want to be imed by another, but once the haze takes me, it won¡¯t be that way. You understand?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Yes.¡± I say, and I do.

    The haze is the worst part of the iming.

    ¡°Good, now get out of here before I heal and decide to im you anyway.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but chuckle.

    Luke is a good man and will make a good Alpha too. ¡°If it is you, Luke, I won¡¯t be disappointed.¡¯¡¯ I tell

    him before standing.

    We hear the sounds of crashing at the same time. ¡°Go!¡± He mouths to me.

    ¡°Will you be okay?¡± I as quietly, looking behind me at where the sounds areing from.

    ¡°Yes, they areing to see if you were imed. Go, quickly!¡± again, I¡¯m running as if my life depends

    on it.

    I hear more crashing in front of me and I divert to the left. My legs are sticky from the blood covering

    them. I realize I¡¯m leaving a trail of blood all over the forest undergrowth.

    When I hear more crashing nearby, I find one of the hiding spots and dive into it. It¡¯s not ideal, but it¡¯s

    small enough that only an omega could probably fit in the opening.

    I watch from my hole as I see men and wolvese rushing through. Some of them, what I a*s*sume

    are ranked members, stop and begin sniffing the air and then the nts around me. Between Masons

    shirt and the wolf s blood, they don¡¯t seem to catch my scent and move on quickly.

    I stay like this for most of the rest of the day. I feel somewhat safe in this hiding spot, especially since

    multiple wolves have sniffed around nearby and haven¡¯t caught my scent.

    When I finally can¡¯t take the scent of blood on me any longer, I climb out of my hole. It¡¯s nearly dusk

    again, and I make my way to theke. Once again, I dip under the waterfall and wash off the battle of

    this morning.

    When I¡¯m done, I carefully climb out, making my way toward the front where I was able to climb the tree

    and watch the entrance of the iming.

    I don¡¯t want to sleep above the rotting corpses of the bodies I helped to kill earlier today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll

    have to find another tree, because I¡¯ll be taking Luke¡¯s advice.

    I¡¯ll be staying in the trees as long as possible.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The morning after leaving my shirt for Jara, we get up and begin looking in the trees, trying to find her. I

    know she was near thekest night. We hadn¡¯t moved too far from theke to sleep, just in case

    someone found her. I gave her the evening to calm down. When I im her, I want it to be on equal

    ground, not when she¡¯s just been through a traumatic event.

    There is something about the hunt that our wolves crave. When we catch and im our mate, it

    strengthens our bond. At least that is my understanding. And if that is true, then I want to make sure

    that Jara is at full strength when I im her. I want our bond to be something stronger than anything

    anyone has ever seen before.

    Title of the document

    Jara¡¯s scent is starting to impact me, and I know I only have another day, maybe a day and a half

    before the iming haze takes over. My pack members haven¡¯t given in to it yet, but that¡¯s mostly

    because, as their Alpha, I haven¡¯t either. Once I can no longer hold out against the haze, they won¡¯t

    either.

    Elijah and I have been searching for Jara¡¯s trail for a couple of hours when we hear the howl of the

    hunt.

    There¡¯s something about this one that feels more real. There was excitement and a feralness to the

    sound, making me think the one that raised the howl has actually found her.

    Elijah and I look at each other before taking off, racing in the direction of the howl. As we get closer, we

    can smell it. Blood. Lots of it. Layered with the scent of blood is Jara¡¯s scent. My heart begins racing

    and my vision begins to narrow. If she¡¯s dead¡­. if she¡¯s dead, I will kill everyone in this iming.

    I feel the darkness of going feral surrounding me. If she¡¯ s dead, they will have to kill me too.

    When we burst into the de, there are dead men littering the ground. There is blood and gore

    everywhere, but there is no Jara. I breathe a sigh of relief and I feel the darkness begin to recede.

    ¡°Are you okay, Alpha?¡±

    Elijah says softly beside me. I nod, looking around. There are others here, but the ma*s*sacre has

    everyone keeping their distance.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    There are six dead men with various wounds on their bodies. I slowly walk into the mix of dead bodies,

    blood and gore and begin sniffing. One man, in particr, smells like Jara.

    Two don¡¯t have her scent at all, but they do have a scent that I¡¯m familiar with. Alpha Luke.

    Was Jara attacked, like yesterday, and today, Alpha Luke came to her rescue? I haven¡¯t heard a howl

    of victory, so I know he hasn¡¯t imed her. At least not yet.

    I continue to sniff and when Ie to a fallen tree limb, I can smell his scent more strongly and the

    scent of blood in this area is very strong. I turn, looking at Elijah, giving him the silent look that were

    leaving, and I begin following Alpha Luke¡¯s scent.

    We eventually follow his scent back to theke. There we find him washing blood off his body. When

    we step out of the trees, he whips around, his wsing out and his canines extending.

    I put my hands up and stop, making sure I¡¯m in front of Elijah.

    ¡°Alpha Luke. Do you recognize me?¡± I ask.

    It takes him a moment before he stands straight, his ws and canines retracting. ¡°Alpha Mason. Beta

    Elijah.¡±

    He says, before turning back to the water.

    ¡°We just came from the battle. What happened?¡± I ask him.

    He continues washing the water off in theke as he answers my question. ¡°I found Jara. I was about

    to go after her when six wolves found me. They were all in the iming haze. They attacked me. I can

    take on several, but six was too many for me. I was fighting, but I was going down. It was then that Jara

    jumped in. She killed three of the six wolves. I killed the other three.¡±

    I look at him, my eyes narrowing. ¡°You let her go?¡±

    He snorts, gesturing to his body that is still covered in shallow wounds.

    ¡°I was in pretty bad shape. I would be dead if it wasn¡¯t for her. And while she told me that she would not

    be disappointed if I imed her,¡± he stops and looks at me, ¡°she told me her heart belongs to you.¡±

    I¡¯m so shocked, I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m sure I look like an idiot, my mouth gaping and no words

    coming out. Alpha Luke returns to theke, scrubbing blood off his arms and chest. ¡°I told her that I

    didn¡¯t want to be mated to a woman that was in love with someone else, but that by tomorrow, it

    wouldn¡¯t be a choice any longer. ¡°

    He nces up at us for a moment. ¡°By tomorrow, we¡¯ll all be in the haze. I warned her to be careful and

    to stick to her hiding spot.¡±

    He looks at me and I can see he¡¯s wondering if I know. Using my body to cover my hand in case we¡¯re

    being watched, I quickly point up, indicating that she¡¯s hiding in the trees. He nods.

    ¡°I did tell her that, while I was letting her go today, once I¡¯m in the haze, our conversation today won¡¯t

    matter. She said she understands.¡±

    He turns to leave, picking up his wet clothes. He looks back, as if thinking of something. ¡°Oh, and she¡¯s

    hungry. Her stomach was growling. I had some cooked meat with me, and I gave her what I had, but

    she is limited with her ability to hunt, and she definitely can¡¯t cook her food. Someone would find her.¡±

    He looks at me again.

    ¡°I tell you that in case you run into her again before the haze takes you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Luke.¡±

    After he walks away, Elijah and I find a ce to sleep for the night. We take turns sleeping while the

    other keeps watch. In the morning, we hunt and cook some food, both of us putting extra in our

    pockets. If I find Jara, she¡¯ll need food. Even if I have to leave it for her. If I don¡¯t find Jara, it¡¯s nice to

    have a little extra, especially with what I¡¯m about to do.

    ¡°It¡¯s Day 4 Elijah. It¡¯s time for us to split up.¡± Once the haze takes me, I won¡¯t be his Alpha. I will see

    him and anyone else as a potential threat to me getting my mate. I won¡¯t put Elijah in danger like that.

    He looks at me for a long moment. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Two of those wolves yesterday were Typhon¡¯s. He¡¯s down to five, including him and his Beta and

    those are just the ones we know about. It¡¯s going to be rough for everyone going forward.

    By tomorrow, we¡¯ll all be in the haze. With as many dead bodies as we¡¯ve found and heard, there can¡¯t

    be more than 100 imants left.¡¯¡¯

    We get our meager belongings together. ¡°Good luck Alpha. Get our Luna and let¡¯s get the f*uc*k out of

    here and back home.¡±

    ¡°Be safe, Elijah. I expect my Beta to still be alive when this is done.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± He says and we turn, running off in different directions, hunting for our mate and Luna.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    On the morning of Day 4, I wake up hungry again. Perhaps today I can find a food source that won¡¯t

    require me to eat raw meat. There have to be nuts and berries around here somewhere. Just as I think

    it, I see a chipmunk running through a tree a couple over from where I am. Even from here, I can see

    his cheeks are full of some sort of food.

    Good.

    Title of the document

    I begin to carefully make my way through the trees moving toward the back of the territory. From up

    here, I can see most of what is going on below me. I periodically have to stop when wolves or men

    come crashing through the forest. Sometimes I hear the sounds of fighting, sometimes I hear howling,

    as if someone has caught my scent and sometimes, I hear the sounds of dying.

    asionally, those beneath me actually do catch my scent and I have to stay absolutely still until they

    give up and move on.

    It¡¯s mid-afternoon before I finally get to a spot I haven¡¯t been before. On the first day, I passed several

    of these small cliff faces without taking the time to climb them. Today, I find myself close to one that I

    haven¡¯t been on top of yet.

    I¡¯m deciding on whether or not to jump down from my tree and see what I can see from the cliff face

    when Elijah climbs over the side of the cliff, pulling himself to the top. I couldn¡¯t see him from where I

    am crouched on my tree limb, and I couldn¡¯t smell him. If he¡¯d havee up five minutester, I¡¯d have

    been caught.

    As I watch, he crouches down on the cliff, looking out over thend, presumably looking for me. He¡¯s

    patient, like Mason, surveying thendscape below us. I see him smile and I wonder if he sees Mason,

    or maybe one of his pack mates. I wonder where Mason is, the few times I¡¯ve seen them, they¡¯ve

    always been together.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re close. When the wind shifts, I can smell you.¡± He says, not looking up.

    So much for me being hidden here.

    He stands, beginning to look for me in the trees. I¡¯m debating my escape, when I see Typhon¡¯s Beta

    quietly climb over the top of the cliff behind Elijah. Elijah is too busy searching for me to realize that

    he¡¯s about to be attacked from behind.

    Just as Typhon¡¯s Beta crouches to attack, I shout the warning. ¡°Behind you!¡±

    Elijah whips around and I can see Typhon¡¯s Beta¡¯s surprise at my outburst. He didn¡¯t know I was here.

    He was simplying to kill Elijah.

    He and Elijah begin fighting and I know immediately, this will be a fight to the death. Both of them have

    their ws and canines out snarling and snapping at the other. As I watch, the Beta pins Elijah to the

    ground, but Elijah bites into his arm, ripping his bicep from his body. The Beta howls in pain before

    snapping his teeth into Elijah¡¯s shoulder.

    Elijah punches the Beta in the face, the force causing them to roll. Elijah takes advantage and gets on

    top of the Beta. He begins punching and wing at the Beta like a man possessed. The Beta, however,

    is strong and manages to throw Elijah off of him, nearly tossing him over the cliff. Elijah catches himself

    just before he rolls off the edge, jumping back to his feet, snarling at the Beta.

    They continue fighting for nearly 30 minutes, shing at each other, leaving gaping wounds. The sweat

    and blood from their fight is sttering all over the ground, making it slippery on the stony surface.

    When Elijah loses his footing, the Beta jumps on him, pinning him to the ground. As I watch, I see the

    Beta pull his arm back, ready to deliver the killing blow.

    In an instant, I leap,nding on his back. My ws extending while I jumped and as Ind, my right arm

    wraps around the Beta¡¯s neck, while my left hand punches into his back. As I wrap my hand around his

    still beating heart, he stops, startled at having been attacked and now being on the verge of death.

    I lean forward putting my lips to his ear. ¡°How do you like this little baby maker now?¡± I snarl.

    I squeeze his heart, feeling his body seize in pain and the realization of his pending death. Before his

    heart finishes itsst beat, I rip it from his body, letting him copse onto Elijah.

    I jump back, tossing the

    Beta¡¯s heart aside as I watch Elijah push his body off of him.

    He looks at me a moment before putting his head back on the ground, closing his eyes. ¡°Thanks,

    Luna.¡±

    ¡°You mean Alpha, don¡¯t you?¡± I ask him.

    He shakes his head, no. ¡°My Alpha intends to im you, that makes you my future Luna.¡±

    ¡°And you? Don¡¯t you intend to im me?¡± I ask, still keeping a close eye on him.

    He rolls to one side, slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position. ¡°No.¡±

    I have to raise an eyebrow at that. ¡°And yet, here you are, in my iming.¡±

    He stays seated, but he puts his arms over his knees, letting his head fall forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for Mason.¡±

    I scoff at that. ¡°You don¡¯t think he can catch me himself?¡±

    He smiles, looking up at me. Just like Luke, I can see the pain on his face from his fight. He¡¯s in no

    position to im me in his current state. I rx a bit and squat down near him.

    ¡°Of course, he can, under normal circumstances. But he had one hell of a target on his back. I knew it

    was bad before I went into Hana¡¯ s iming, but it was so much worse when I got back. I¡¯m his Beta.

    What kind of Beta would I be if I didn¡¯t protect my Alpha¡¯s back?¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 70

    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.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    After leaving Elijah, I decided to try finding Jara by going to the first tree where I found her, at the

    beginning of the iming territory. There is hardly anyone this close to the front of the territory and I

    realize, it¡¯s a perfect hiding spot for her.

    When I get there, I look up at the tree where I first saw her. When she¡¯s not there, I begin looking

    around at the nearby trees. The trees here aren¡¯t as dense as they are further into the territory, so I¡¯m

    able to easily follow the line of trees she would have to use to move from one to the other.

    Title of the document

    Eventually, I find her scent and I know which tree she uses to get up and down. I look at the tree,

    judging whether or not it can hold my weight, before jumping up and catching the lowest branch. I pull

    myself up, following her scent trail.

    When I get to where she begins moving through the trees, I test each branch to make sure it will hold

    my weight. I can¡¯t risk falling and breaking a leg thiste in the iming. It would never heal in time for

    me to catch her.

    I slowly make my way to the limb where she apparently sleptst night. Her scent is incredible, so

    much stronger than it has been in the past and I know I¡¯m starting to get lost in the haze. Hoping she¡¯ll

    come back here at some point, I leave the meat I cooked for her, so she¡¯ll have something to eat.

    I sniff the air, realizing she went in a different direction this morning. I begin leaping through the trees,

    following her scent, staying quiet when others are nearby. As much as I like following her this way; I

    want to make sure I don¡¯t give away her hiding spot to others.

    I realize she¡¯s heading toward the back of the iming territory, so once I get to a point where I can no

    longer cross the branches, I climb back down to the ground and follow the direction she was taking.

    I catch Elijah¡¯s scent, both with and without blood. I¡¯m worried about my Beta, but I¡¯m also worried

    about Jara. She was going in this direction, did he have to protect her? Is she okay?

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    I find my way to a cliff face and follow Elijah¡¯s bloody handprints to the top. When I get there, I see him,

    Typhon¡¯s Beta. He has a gaping hole in his chest where his heart used to be.

    I look at the signs of the battle that went on up here. There is dried blood everywhere. I shift and sniff

    the ground. None of it is Jara¡¯s blood, thankfully.

    However, I can smell her on the Beta and I realize, she¡¯s the one that ripped his heart out. I shift back

    and turn him over. The punch came from behind. I look back at the ground, then at the trees, and I

    know Jara saved Elijah from being killed by Typhon¡¯s Beta.

    The unwanted thoughts begin pushing into my head. Did he im what was mine? Does he want her?

    Worse, does she want him. She¡¯s MINE!

    I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. That¡¯s the haze, that¡¯s not me. I know Elijah wants Layan. I

    need to get down from here before her scent and his mixed together sends me into the haze. I have no

    intention of killing my own Beta. I¡¯m not Typhon.

    When I climb back down to the ground, I take in a deep breath of air. Jara¡¯s scent is there, always, but

    it¡¯s much less potent down here where she hasn¡¯t walked in several days.

    Instead of going after her, I decide to check on Elijah. I follow his scent to theke. This time. I¡¯m on the

    opposite side of where the waterfall and cave are.

    I can see his footprints where he went into the water and I can see where he came back out. I have to

    a*s*sume that he¡¯s okay and since I haven¡¯t felt his tether break, I know he¡¯s still alive.

    From my spot on this side of theke, I see two wolvese running out of the forest. Behind them,

    several other wolves are chasing them. Based on the snapping and snarling that I can hear from where

    I¡¯m standing, I¡¯d say they are all in the haze.

    As I watch, the three attack and kill the two they were chasing, before turning on each other, in the end,

    only one is left and he goes limping off.

    It¡¯ste in the afternoon before I start making my way around theke. I¡¯m going to see if I can catch

    Jara in the tree where I left the meat. On my way back, I catch her scent. It¡¯s a trail that she left before,

    but her scent smells a bit stronger now.

    I shift to my wolf, needing her scent. It¡¯s so much stronger in this form, and it¡¯s everywhere. I snarl and

    growl, knowing there are others out there that are after what is mine. She¡¯s my mate. MINE !

    When I realize this scent is more faint than the one that I smelled earlier, I begin jogging to the front of

    the iming territory. As I turn aer, I see another wolf. A wolf who is after what is mine.

    I snarl, lowering my head, ready to kill. The wolf turns to me, baring his teeth at me.

    You will not take what is mine!

    I snarl again, leaping at the wolf in front of me. I begin ripping into him, fur and flesh tearing away from

    his body. When I¡¯m done and his body is lying dead at my feet, I howl my dominance over this pitiful

    contender for my mate. He is nothing. I am Alpha here. She is mine.

    I continue to the tree where I know mv mate sleptst night. I lift my nose into the air, and I can smell

    that she was here. The meat is gone, and her scent is stronger. She¡¯s not here now, but she was here

    recently.

    I sniff the air until I catch her scent. Raising my muzzle to the moon, I lift my voice in the howl of the

    hunt. It¡¯s time to catch my mate.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Jara

    After leaving Elijah, I skirted around the territory, staying in the trees. I have food now, thanks to Elijah

    and based on what he told me, things are going to get increasingly worse in thesest few days.

    As I¡¯m skirting the edge of the territory in the trees, I find another cliff. This one has a small watering

    hole in it. It¡¯s probably meant to be drinking water, which I need, but I also need to wash this blood off

    of me.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m careful this time, checking all sides of the cliff before leaping from my tree to the top. I turn and

    immediately crouch to see what is going on below me. From here, I have a better view of the chaos on

    the forest floor. Every where I look, there are wolves fighting, running, hiding. It¡¯s terrible. There are

    very few that are still in groups now, they all seem to be on their own.

    I quickly drink some water before using it to clean my hand and ami. I look down at Mason¡¯s shirt and

    realize that once again, it is also covered in blood. I check my surroundings once more before pulling it

    off and scrubbing the blood off in the water.

    The sun is setting, but on this cliff, it is still shining down, keeping me warm in my nakedness. Iy the

    shirt down on a rock, letting the heat and sun dry it before I have to leave. I wish I could spend the night

    here but it¡¯s not safe. Having seen how easily Typhon¡¯s Beta snuck up on Elijah, I am not taking any

    chances.

    As I wait, I watch what is happening below and eat another piece of meat. Everywhere I look, wolves

    are sniffing the ground, hunting for me. And everywhere I look, there are only wolves. No one seems to

    be in their human form anymore. It must be because of the iming haze, in our wolf form, our senses

    are heightened even more than normal. It would make sense why Elijah said my scent would be

    addictive. In this form, my scent would be very strong. I¡¯ve been all over this territory for thest five

    days.

    Knowing that anyone that tries to im me while in their wolf form will lose their im, I decide that I¡¯m

    going to stay in my human form. I had nned on it anyway, since I¡¯m going to stay in the trees for as

    long as I can. But knowing that my imants would have to get out of the haze long enough to realize

    they need to shift to catch me just confirms that decision. Because, even if I¡¯m marked by a wolf, the

    imant wouldn¡¯t be eligible to im me if he marks me while I¡¯m in human form. Rule #4.

    When the sun drops low enough that it is no longer hitting the top of this cliff, I grab the shirt, and pull it

    over my head. I take one more look around. I¡¯ll try toe back here if it¡¯s safe. I like it up here,

    especially since there is water. I take a couple more gulps, using my hands to scoop the water, before

    leaping into the nearest tree and heading toward my spot fromst night. I felt safe there and no one

    was around. I¡¯m hoping it still feels safe.

    When I get closer, I catch Mason¡¯s scent. He was here looking for me. When I leap into one of the trees

    I use to climb down, I realize that he was not only looking for me, he climbed my tree to get to me. I

    sniff the air again, making sure that he is gone before I proceed.

    When I get to the tree where I sleptst night, I see the meat. He left me food. I can¡¯t help but smile. He

    will make a great mate.

    Just as I pick up the food, I hear a snarling fight going on nearby. This tree is no longer safe, so I tie a

    knot into the shirt and put the strips of meat inside before I begin making my way to find another tree to

    sleep in.

    I¡¯m on the verge of stopping and settling in for the night when I hear the howl of the hunt. I¡¯ve been

    hearing them for days now, so I¡¯ve be ustomed to ignoring them. However, this one ising

    from the direction I just left.

    This person is actually hunting me. The only choice I have is to climb higher.

    It¡¯s not ideal. If I fall, I¡¯ll be injured and unable to protect myself. But if I don¡¯t, every remaining wolf in

    the territory will be under these trees very soon.

    It¡¯s dark now, but thankfully, I can see in the dark, as can all wolves. Mason¡¯s shirt which was once

    white, is now so stained with blood that it at least doesn¡¯t act as a beacon in the night.

    I continue to climb until I hear a wolf, sniffing the air below me. I stop moving, standing as still as I can.

    This is not the branch that I would have chosen to stand on, knowing I might be here a long time, but

    there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now.

    Quietly, I crouch down, trying to see how many wolves may be circling the tree. I only see one. He

    keeps putting his nose in the air, moving away before moving back. As I watch, he runs back to the

    trees I was just in, following my scent to this tree, then trying to catch my scent in the trees nearby.

    He continues to do this, whining when he can¡¯t pick up my scent and can¡¯t hear me moving around.

    Periodically, other wolvese to see what¡¯s going on or just identally cross this one¡¯s path. He

    challenges every one of them, killing a couple when they challenge him back.

    I realize, this is an Alpha wolf. His tenacity in trying to find my scent, his aggression to the other wolves,

    gives him away.

    I look closer, trying to figure out which Alpha it is. This wolf is ck as night with eyes that shine

    brightly in the moonlight. I feel something inside me pull and I realize, this is Mason¡¯s wolf. I¡¯ve never

    seen him in his wolf form, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m drawn to him.

    As I watch him, I realize he¡¯s not shifting back to his human form. And it only takes me another moment

    to realize why that is. A shiver of fear ripples up my spine.

    Mason is in the iming haze.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Where is she? Where is she?

    I walk back to the trees where I can smell her scent, then to the trees past it where it disappears.

    Title of the document

    Where is she? Where is she?

    Back and forth, back and forth.

    She¡¯s got to be somewhere. But her scent ends here.

    Back and forth, back and forth.

    I look up into the tree for the hundredth time. I can¡¯t see her. Even if it was daylight, I couldn¡¯t see her.

    How can I find her if there is no sound, no scent?

    Where is my mate? Where is she?

    When I copse, exhausted, Iy under the tree. Thest one where I can find her scent. Maybe

    tomorrow, I can find it again. If not, I¡¯ll have to go searching for it somewhere else.

    How could she escape me? She can¡¯t. She must be nearby. I¡¯ll stay here. Guard her, guard what¡¯s

    mine until I can im her.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I close my eyes, only for them to fly open m what feels like moments. I stand, ready to fight. What did I

    hear?

    I growl low in my chest. No one is taking what is mine.

    I begin sniffing the ground, lifting my nose into the air, sniffing again. There, on the light breeze is her

    scent.

    I turn, trying to capture the scent, trying to find that delicious smell. My mouth waters at it. All I want to

    do is sink my canines into her neck, making her mine.

    I hear something up in the tree. I lift my head up, listening, not wanting to move. This is a hunt, and I

    am a stealthy predator. I will hunt my mate. I will run her down if I have to, but I just need to catch her

    scent.

    I small leaf flutters to the ground. As it passes my face, I catch her scent. I turn, focusing my attention

    on the leaf, sniffing hard. It¡¯s faint, but it¡¯s there.

    I jump up against the tree, putting my front paws as high as they will go. There, very faint, is her scent. I

    have her caught in the tree! Now, how to get to her.

    I begin jumping as high as I can, growling in frustration when the tree limbs are too low for me to catch.

    I still can¡¯t see her, but when I jump, I can just catch her scent.

    I begin snarling and growling in my frustration, wing at the tree, leaving big gashes in it.

    Behind me, I sense more than hear another wolf stalking me.

    I whip around and don¡¯t hesitate. I leap and bite down on his neck as I catch him by surprise. I shake

    my head, violently as our snarls and growls echo in the surrounding forest. Animals all around us wake

    suddenly and begin scurrying away.

    He flips over on his back, trying to dislodge me. His paws begin scratching my underside, slicing into

    my ribs, but I refuse to let go.

    When my teeth finally rip free, it¡¯s with a mouthful of fur and flesh, leaving a gaping wound on the wolfs

    back. I leap back and we begin circling each other trying to find an opening. When I find it, I dive in,

    biting on the front leg. I feel teeth bite down on my back, tearing my skin and sinking into my flesh. I

    thrash my head, hearing the snap of the leg between my teeth.

    The wolf howls in pain, letting go of my back. I take the opportunity to grab hold of the side of his neck,

    my bottom teeth puncturing his throat. I can hear the wolf begin gasping for air, the sound bing a

    gurgling sound the longer I hold him by the throat.

    Blood floods into my mouth and I bite down harder, knowing that I have him in a death hold. I just have

    to wait him out. He continues snapping at me until he bes too weak. When he copses at my

    feet, I hold on to him until I hear his breathing and heart stop. I hold on for just one more moment

    before letting him go.

    I lift my bloody muzzle to the air, howling my dominance over thispetitor who thought he could take

    my mate.

    I wait a moment more, to make sure that he won¡¯t get back up before turning back to the tree. I j ump

    up and realize that my mate¡¯s scent is now even more faint than before.

    While I was fighting to the death, she raced away.

    Elijah POV

    I had been keeping an eye on Mason, making sure that he didn¡¯t get injured. I was hoping that I would

    be immune to the iming haze, but once he sumbed it became harder to resist.

    When I realized that Mason had Jara treed, I found a tree that I could climb and slowly made my way to

    her. When I finally got to her, she was in a precarious position. The limb she¡¯s on is small and as I

    watch, I see her wavering with her fatigue.

    As I watch her eyes start to fall closed and her body start to teeter on the limb, I look around and grab a

    pinecone tossing it at her. It hits her in the chest, and she jolts awake.

    Her eyes snap to mine and go wide. I put my fingers to my lips, the point below where Mason is

    scratching at the tree, trying to get to her. She looks at me and with hand gestures, I try to let her know

    I¡¯m here to help her. If she falls, that¡¯s it. Mason could im her, but at what cost to her.

    When Mason starts fighting against what smells like a warrior from another pack, I motion to her to

    come to me.

    At first, she shakes her head, not trusting me. I gesture at her that I¡¯m still in my human form then point

    to Mason below us.

    It takes her a moment, but she seems to realize what I¡¯m saying. The haze hasn¡¯t taken me yet.

    She looks down again before carefully making her way to me. Some bits and pieces of the tree fall to

    the ground, but Mason and the other wolf are in an all-out fight. I watch, knowing that Mason is likely to

    beat the other wolf. He¡¯s a beast, literally, in his wolf form.

    When she gets close, I grab Jara, pulling her to my limb.

    ¡°Go.¡± I say quietly. ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure he wins before I leave.

    ¡°Thanks Elijah.¡± She says.

    ¡°No problem, Luna. But don¡¯t trust me again. I can feel the haze taking me. It will only be a few more

    hours.¡±

    ¡°Be safe and get away from here before it does.¡±

    She begins leaping through the trees and I watch to make sure she¡¯s safe and that my ?*

    Alpha wins his fight before I carefully take myself farther away before jumping down and heading back

    to theke.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    It¡¯s Day 5 and I¡¯m exhausted. I didn¡¯t sleep at allst night because Mason had me pinned on that small

    limb. I knew, no matter where I went that he¡¯d follow me, so I held still. I was falling asleep on my feet

    when Elijah found me. I¡¯m not sure how he did, but I appreciated the help in getting away.

    As much as the thought grosses me out, I head back to the tree with therge limb where I slept two

    nights. I know the bodies under the tree will be starting to rot, but maybe the smell will keep the wolves

    away. I need some sleep.

    Title of the document

    When I get there, the breeze is thankfully blowing the smell away from me so I¡¯m able toy down and

    close my eyes. Throughout the day, I hear the sounds of howling, snarling, fighting, but I sleep through

    most of it. None of it is close enough to concern me.

    I wake upte in the afternoon. I can still hear the sounds near me and throughout the iming

    territory, but the dead bodies beneath me seem to be keeping most everyone away.

    As the sun begins to set, I grab some of my food and eat. Tomorrow, I need to get back to that little

    watering hole and drink some water.

    Two more days. Two more days. It bes my mantra.

    I lean against the trunk of the tree, listening to the sounds of fighting. I wonder how many of these

    wolves will survive. How many have already died?

    As I sit there, listening the sounds around me, I make my n for the next two days. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go

    to the cliff and get water. I¡¯ll stay there all day and if I don¡¯t see any males in human form, I¡¯ll stay the

    night. Then, on thest day, I¡¯ll begin heading toward the front. Anyone that is aware enough will realize

    that it will be the best ce to catch me, meaning, I¡¯ll be racing against every Alpha and possibly

    several other ranked members at the end. There may be a smattering of omegas and warriors too but

    based on the fighting and how early on they fell into the haze, I have to think that they are too far gone

    to know what day it is.

    At some point in the middle of the night, I hear sniffing below me. I look down and see the ck wolf

    with shiny grey eyes. Mason has found me again. Whether he tracked me or came here because he

    remembered that I¡¯d been here, his wolf is here again.

    I listen as he sniffs, trying to catch my scent around the scent of the dead bodies. When he starts to

    whimper, jumping and scratching at the tree, I know he¡¯s found me.

    I lean over, looking at him, wanting to know if my voice will soothe him. ¡°Hey big guy. You found me

    again, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    He whines low in his chest. ¡°Yeah, you know me well, don¡¯t you?¡±

    He woofs at me. Iy on my side, using my arm as a pillow and continue to look down at Mason.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen your wolf before. You¡¯re beautiful, in both forms. I hope, in a couple of days, that we can

    run in our wolf together.

    He sits down, listening to me.

    ¡°I still have some of the food you gave me. Do you want some? You were busy fightingst night and

    then you must have had to heal today.¡±

    I pull out a strip of meat and hold it out. He stands up, watching me closely. I drop it down and he

    snatches it out of the air, eating it hungrily.

    He looks back up at me, his tail wagging, so I throw another strip down to him. He catches it and eats it

    in quick session beforeying down and putting his head on his paws.

    ¡°Are you my guard for the night. Mason? I feel safer having you here. But please be careful. I don¡¯t

    want my future mate getting injured.¡±

    ¡°Woof ¡°

    I roll over and fall to sleep, knowing he¡¯s watching over me.

    When I wake, I look down and see him looking up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find some water. You should do the same. Only two days left. Mason. I n to walk out of

    here on my own.¡±

    He growls at that. So, somewhere in his mind, he can still understand what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯ll be interested

    to see how long thatsts. Hopefully it will stay that way.

    I toss another strip of meat to him before eating one myself. Then I begin moving through the trees.

    Every time I look down, my Alpha protector is following me.

    Periodically, we run into other wolves, and he snarls a challenge at them. There is only one time that he

    has to fight. The others recognize his dominance and leave. He continues to follow me as I jump from

    tree to tree. It may not be what¡¯s happening, but it feels like he¡¯s keeping watch over me, keeping me

    safe.

    When I get to the cliff, I check to make sure that it¡¯s clear. Before I jump, I look at him, blowing him a

    kiss. He growls at me, starting to prowl at the bottom of the cliff.

    I go to the water and begin drinking. I am so thirsty. It¡¯s been over a day since I¡¯ve had anything to

    drink.

    I sit back, sshing water over my face and on my neck, washing off the sweat of the iming. I feel

    disgusting, dirty, and sweaty. And that¡¯s not including this disgusting shirt that has who knows how

    many wolves blood staining it.

    I decide while I have some time. I¡¯ll wash the shirt again and set it on the rock to dry.

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    I find another rock to sit on and look down over the cliff face. Mason is no longer there. I¡¯m not sure

    where he went. I¡¯m looking around, trying to find him when I hear gravel shift behind me.

    I jump up and turn,ing face to face with a battered, filthy Typhon.

    ¡°Hello mate.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she¡¯s a female and this is a iming or if it¡¯s because she¡¯ s my mate, but

    Jara talking to me helps alleviate the haze. I feel better, more in control of my wolf I feel reason return

    and I¡¯m not just going on straight instinct to kill and im.

    I still refuse to let her out of my sight but instead of just killing because other wolves get too close to

    her, I give them a warning. I only have to kill one. I¡¯m not sure, but I think it¡¯s another one of Typhon¡¯s

    pack members. He¡¯s down to three, at the most.

    Title of the document

    I watch as she skips through the trees as if she¡¯s a squirrel shifter, not a wolf shifter. When she gets to

    the cliff, I start feeling the haze getting stronger again. I can¡¯t see her, I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s safe.

    I begin pacing back and forth, looking up trying to find her, waiting for her to return to the safety of the

    trees. When she doesn¡¯t, I begin looking around the cliff face, trying to find a way up. I need to see her.

    I need to know she¡¯s safe. And if I can capture her on the cliff, she¡¯s mine.

    As I¡¯m circling the cliff, I catch the scent, the very recent scent of Typhon. He saw Jara leap to the cliff

    and he¡¯s after her. He¡¯s after what is mine!

    I begin scrabbling up the side of the cliff. My ws slip, the rocks cutting into my paws. One of my

    ws gets caught and rips out, but I don¡¯t care. I am miming on adrenaline alone. I have to get to her. I

    have to im her before someone else does, before he does.

    As I get closer, still slipping and sliding my way up the cliff face, I hear him talking to her. He has

    somehow managed to shift into his human form. I try to pull on my human form, but I¡¯m too angry. I

    want him dead, I want to kill him for trying to take what¡¯s mine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fight me, Jara. You¡¯re caught and thank you for already being n*ake*d. Up here, I don¡¯t see a

    problem with uspleting the bond. It¡¯s not like I have to worry about anyone else getting up here to

    fight me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you try to touch me, Typhon.¡± My mate spits out.

    ¡°Now, Jara. Don¡¯t be like that. You know that I¡¯ve caught you, fair and square. I need a mate. I need an

    heir. And you are just the woman to give me both.¡±

    I hear a scuffle, just before I reach the top. When my head breaches the surface of the cliff, I see that

    Typhon has Jara on the ground. He¡¯s bleeding where she wed him across the face and neck, but

    he¡¯s still going after her, snapping like he¡¯s on the verge of shifting to his wolf form.

    I pull myself up, and race to pull him off of her. I grab him by the back of his neck, yanking him off. As

    he goes flying, he shifts into his wolf form. He skids to a stop at the edge of the cliff, his ws digging

    into the ground, stopping his momentum.

    He turns, baring his teeth at me. I move to stand in front of Jara, protecting her, willing to die for my

    mate.

    Typhon leaps at me, I jump to meet him, sending our wolves tumbling in a ball of teeth and ws,

    snapping and snarling. We are both intent on killing the other. I feel a chunk of fur being ripped from my

    body as I sh at his hind leg, causing him to fall backward.

    I snap at his neck, but he¡¯s faster than I gave him credit for, or he¡¯s desperate. He leaps at me again,

    ignoring the pain he must be feeling in his leg. I move, reaching to grab side of his neck, but he¡¯s able

    to get mine. He thrashes his head back and forth, pulling me off bnce and tearing my skin and flesh

    again.

    He tosses me aside and in the moment it takes me to get back up, he¡¯s racing toward Jara, who is

    sitting stunned watching us. I have a moment to realize that she¡¯s been scratched and is bleeding from

    multiple  wounds on her body, before jumping into action.

    My hatred for Typhon has me seeing red, wanting his blood. He hurt my mate. And he¡¯s still trying to

    im her. As Typhon approaches her, Jara stands, her ws extending.

    However, I leap, tackling him to the ground before he can get to her. My teeth snap against his back,

    trying to get to his spine so I can break it. But he rolls, using his ws to scratch my soft underside,

    slicing through my stomach.

    I leap off of him, feeling this injury, blood pouring from my wound. He turns again, going after Jara. I

    bite down in his nk, ripping a huge chunk of flesh from his leg. He howls m pam before turning back

    to attack me again.

    Once again, we are locked in a battle of teeth and ws, rm snapping at any part of him that I can get,

    and he is doing the same. My injuries don¡¯t have time to heal as he continues to scratch and bite me,

    opening new wounds.

    I¡¯m getting weaker as the fight goes on, but I can feel that he is too. hi ast-ditch effort to kill him, I

    push my strength forward, grabbing hold of the back of his neck. I thrash my head back and forth, but

    I¡¯m too weak to snap his neck now.

    When that doesn¡¯t work, I toss him toward the edge of the cliff. He¡¯s able to grab hold just as he gets to

    the edge. As he starts to get to his feet again, I see Jara stalking up behind him.

    ¡°This is for my sister, you a*ssh*ole.¡± She says. She extends her ws, mming them into his chest

    before tossing him over the edge.

    I hear his cry of surprise and pain as he falls through the air, until I hear the sickening crunch of his

    body hitting the ground below.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    I look at Jara, and copse, my vision narrowing until the darkness overtakes me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I¡¯ve never seen two Alpha wolves fight before. It¡¯s as terrible as you would imagine, worse because one

    is my intended mate, and one is my sister¡¯s murderer.

    When I realize that Mason¡¯s wounds are weakening him, I prep myself Typhon won¡¯t im me, but he

    also won¡¯t be leaving this cliff face alive. One of us will kill him.

    Title of the document

    When Mason tosses him to the edge of the cliff, I know what I have to do. I send up a silent prayer to

    my sister. ¡®This is for you, M¡¯ I think before tossing him into the air, letting him fall to the ground

    below.

    I immediately turn back to Mason, expecting him to try and im me. Instead, he drops to the ground,

    his eyes falling closed.

    I take in his wounds and realize he¡¯s losing too much blood. I race over to him, checking his pulse. It¡¯s

    faint, but it¡¯s there.

    I grab him under his front legs and begin dragging him closer to the watering hole. His wolf is huge and

    if I wasn¡¯t an Alpha wolf myself, I¡¯d never be able to move him.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    When I get him close enough, I grab my shirt and dip it in the water, beginning to wash his wounds.

    He¡¯s still in wolf form, so it¡¯s hard to see exactly where¡¯s he¡¯s bleeding. As the blood starts to wash off

    his body, I can see multiple injuries, but the worst is the stomach injury.

    I focus there, washing the wound and pulling the skin together until I see it starting to heal. Once I feel

    comfortable that his worst wound is healing and he won¡¯t bleed out, I start washing oil¡¯ the rest of his

    body.

    When I get to his neck, I hear a low growling from him. I lean down, putting my mouth close to his

    ear.

    ¡°Mason, it¡¯s Jara. I¡¯m trying to help you heal. Be still and don¡¯t attack me.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure he understands me until his growling suddenly cuts off. ¡°There we go. I¡¯m just going to see

    how bad your neck wound is. I¡¯ve gotten the stomach wound to start healing.¡± I¡¯m giving him a running

    dialogue of what I¡¯m doing, hoping he can understand me through the haze.

    The neck wound is harder to see because his fur is ck, and his neck is covered with it. I feel around

    until I find the areas that are still bleeding. I pinch them together with my fingers as I continue to wash

    the blood off his coat.

    I¡¯m so focused on what I¡¯m doing that it takes me a moment to realize that his eyes are open and that

    he¡¯s watching me.

    ¡°Hey big guy.¡± I say to him softly. ¡°You¡®re doing great. You¡¯re healing. I think I have the worst spots put

    back together.¡±

    I gently ran my fingers over his face, searching for more injuries while I soothe him. ¡°You were

    amazing. So fierce and strong.¡± I tell him, moving around to see his back.

    There is another gaping wound here and I lean over him, telling him that I¡¯m going to work on that injury

    now. I clean it before holding the skin and torn flesh together, watching as they start to heal.

    ¡°How are you going to get down from here, Mason?¡± I ask him as I work. I look over at him as he lifts

    his head to look at me.

    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know how you got up here in wolf form, but there is no way you can get down without

    shifting. I know the haze has taken you, but you can¡¯t stay up here. Tomorrow is thest day. If I can¡¯t

    get out of here unimed. Mason, it has to be you that ims me. You can¡¯t do that from up here.¡±

    I watch as he tries to sit up. I help him, making sure none of his injuries reopens. I return to sit in front

    of him.

    ¡°You have to shift back to your human form, Mason. You have to. It¡¯s the only way down from here. I

    need you to do that for me.¡±

    He begins whining and I can tell that he¡¯s trying to force the shift, but it¡¯s noting.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it some time.¡± I look up at the sky. The sun is already starting to set.

    I begin to shiver as I¡¯m still n*ake*d and now my shirt is soaked. ¡°I¡¯m going toy down with you for a

    while. Be a gentleman, Mason.¡± I say smiling.

    I get the wolf equivalent of a snort. Iy down, intending to curl up beside Mason but he moves, putting

    his body over mine in a protective and warming position. I¡¯m not squished, but I am surrounded by his

    warmth and his scent.

    Heys his head across my chest and begins purring. I have to chuckle.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that¡¯s injured, Mason. Shouldn¡¯t I be soothing you?¡¯¡¯

    He lifts his head, chuffs at me, then licks my face beforeying his head back down. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Big,

    bad Alpha, protecting his mate. I get it.¡¯¡¯ I say to him.

    I look up at the stars, letting his heat soak into my body. ¡°Two more nights, Mason. We only have to

    survive two more nights. Then we can choose each other as mates.¡± I say quietly, running my fingers

    through the fur on hisrge face.

    His purring gets louder, the vibrations of it calming my fears. I remember what Elijah said about how

    powerful he felt when his purr soothed Layan. I wonder if Mason feels the same way right now.

    I fall asleep, listening to the sounds of Mason¡¯s purring, feeling warm and loved and safe for the first

    time since entering this territory.

    When I wake, the sun is just starting to rise and instead of a wolfying on top of me, Mason isying

    curled up behind me in his human form. His body is warm, and I want nothing more than to stay here

    with him. But I made amitment to myself. I want to leave this iming territory on my own, and

    then I can im Mason as mine.

    I carefully untangle myself from him. I know I have to get out of his grasp before he wakes up. If he

    catches me like this, he will mark me, I have no doubt. I want him, but I want him on my own terms, not

    in the iming territory. And definitely not when I¡¯m this close to getting out unmarked.

    Carefully, I pull away from him. I slide out from under his arms and leg that is thrown over mine. Then I

    quickly and quietly walk to my shirt, pulling it over my head. It¡¯s still damp, but it will have to do.

    I turn, to look at him and make sure that he¡¯spletely healed, and I see him starting to sit up.

    ¡°Get off the cliff before the haze takes you again. Mason. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow and if I don¡¯t make it out

    unimed, it better be your canines in my neck.¡± I tell him before preparing to leap into my tree.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see me before then, beautiful.¡± He says as I leap. I turn and see him watching me. A smug smile

    on his face.

    ¡°Thanks for snugglingst night.¡±

    I scoff at him. ¡°Quit wasting time, Mason. You need to get down before you¡¯re back in the haze.¡±

    He looks around. ¡°I feel pretty good. You are the antidote to my haze craziness.¡± He looks back at me,

    and there is a deep hunger in his eyes.

    ¡°Maybe I should follow you up in the trees. It might be easier for me to catch you that way. ¡°

    I narrow my eyes at him. ¡°If you get injured, I¡¯m not stopping to fix you up again.¡±

    He growls low in his chest, prowling closer to where I am. ¡°And you know there¡¯s no way you¡¯re walking

    out of here without my mark on your neck, mate.¡±

    His tone, his dominance and his absolute confidence that he will defeat me, sends a shiver of

    excitement down my spine. He may consider me his prey, but Alphas love nothing more than a

    challenge.

    ¡°Then, may the best Alpha win.¡± I taunt him.

    ¡°Oh, I will.¡± He says, before he bolts to the side of the cliff, rushing to get to the bottom before I¡¯m out of

    sight.

    I take off like a shot, racing through the trees to find a new hiding spot until I can make my exit

    tomorrow.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When I wake, I¡¯m shocked to see I¡¯m back in my human form. Not only that, but Jara¡¯s scent is all over

    me. Having her close has pushed the haze away.

    The fact that she¡¯s worried enough about me to still be here speaks volumes about her feelings for me.

    I know she wants out of this iming without a mark on her neck. She wants to be the one who gets to

    choose. But I¡¯ve already chosen, and she¡¯s agreed to be mine. Now, it¡¯s just apetition between the

    two of us.

    Title of the document

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Well, us and thest remaining wolves in the territory.

    I¡¯m tempted to follow her into the trees, but I know that me crashing through the branches will draw

    attention to me and therefore her. She¡¯s been hiding in the trees for days and only a few of us know

    that. I want to keep it that way. I won¡¯t risk losing her to something foolish like making her slip and fall

    into someone else¡¯ s unsuspecting arms or falling myself and making me incapable of catching her.

    So, afterying down a challenge which I know she won¡¯t be able to resist, I begin racing down the cliff

    face. After two days in the haze, I feel fantastic. It¡¯s like she¡¯s given me the freedom that the haze took

    away. Now, to im her before it sets in again.

    As I get to the bottom of the cliff, I can see her dancing through the trees in front of me. I¡¯m about to

    take off, when something makes me stop. I stand, turning around, wondering what it is that feels off,

    feels not quite right.

    I sniff the air, looking for danger, then look around again. And that¡¯s when it hits me. Where¡¯s Typhon¡¯s

    body? He should be dead, lying broken on the rocky forest floor.

    I lift my nose in the air again begin searching for his scent. I find the spot where hended, and it¡¯s

    covered in blood. How did he survive this fall? I look up and realize he must have fallen at least eight

    stories and with the injuries he sustained before his fall, he shouldn¡¯t be alive. But where is he?

    I reach down, touching the blood. It¡¯s mostly dry. I follow the trail for a bit, seeing that he was headed to

    the stream. I want to follow Jara, but I need to know that Typhon is dead. If he isn¡¯t, Jara will want to

    know.

    When I get to the stream, there are no bodies. There is blood and I can see where he pulled himself

    into the stream, but he¡¯s gone. The water here is too shallow for him to have floated away. I begin

    tracking him, searching for His exit point from the water. He¡¯s washed off the blood and his scent, so

    tracking him will be harder. Normally, I¡¯d shift to my wolf, but I¡¯m afraid the haze will take me if I do, so I

    stay in human form.

    It¡¯s several hours before I finally find His exit point. I follow it as far as I can, but then his trail bes

    crossed with too many other scents. When I finally give up trying to find him, it¡¯s mid-afternoon. I¡¯ve had

    to intimidate and fight several wolves today. More and more are bing haze-crazed, especially the

    omegas. Most of them have been in the haze for several days and now they can¡¯t feel the Alpha

    command or sense that I am an Alpha and no match for them. I have tried to keep from killing them

    when I can. Even if they attack. I¡¯ll try to injure them and not kill them, but some are too far end up

    having to kill them.

    I head back to the cliff where I was with Jara this morning. I lift my nose in the air and begin to follow

    her scent. It takes me the rest of the afternoon and into the evening before I find her. I knew she¡¯d

    move close to the iming entrance.

    At 8am tomorrow morning, she can run out of the territory and im herself as an independent woman.

    I won¡¯t let her of course, but I know she¡¯ll try. And the excitement of the chase has me unable to sleep,

    which is good because I haven¡¯t found her tree vet.

    I¡¯m guessing she went up high again. I start back at thest tree where I found her scent and I begin

    again. This reminds me of when I was in the haze, searching for her m the trees, but then it was all

    instinct. Hunt, catch, im.

    Now, it¡¯s more than that. Now I want my mate, but as a man, not just as a wolf.

    When I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve found her tree, I leap up, and begin to pull myself into the tree. The limb can¡¯t

    hold my weight and it breaks crashing to the ground, taking me with it.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When I left Mason at the cliffs, I thought he¡¯d catch me quickly. When he didn¡¯t, I was surprised, but

    also on alert. Just because I don¡¯t see him doesn¡¯t mean that he isn¡¯t up to something.

    It takes me awhile, but I finally find a tree that will hold my weight but few, if any, of the males left in the

    iming. I climb high, knowing that Mason won¡¯t be able to smell me when he finds me. I know he will,

    he won¡¯t sleep tonight if he doesn¡¯t find me.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    Title of the document

    However, because the tree is smaller, in general, than the others that I¡¯ve been sleeping in, I can only

    go so high before the branches be too small to hold even my weight.

    I get asfortable as I can, using several branches that are bunched together to squish myself into.

    Between all of them, I feel safe that my little spot here will hold.

    I¡¯ve nearly fallen asleep when I hear the rustling of the underbrush beneath me. Then I hear a limb

    snapping and the growling of frustration.

    I lean over and see that Mason has found me. I¡¯m really surprised that it took him this long. As I watch,

    he jumps up again, only to break the limb and fall back to the ground. Then he¡¯s up and climbing the

    tree next to me. When he leaps over to my tree, I feel it sway with his weight.

    Shit! I didn¡¯t n for him to get to me up here. There¡¯s nowhere for me to go.

    As I watch him, he falls to the ground, only when hends, he¡¯s in wolf form and man is he pissed off.

    He begins scratching at the tree like he did the other night. Then he leaps up, trying to catch my scent.

    His howl of frustration brings several wolves to see what themotion is about. When he begins

    killing them without any warning, I know he¡¯s back in the haze.

    For the rest of the night, I watch him. He continues to alternate between trying to get up the tree and

    scratching the tree as if he¡¯s trying to bring it down. In between he¡¯s attacking wolves who either try to

    attack him or are just in the vicinity.

    When he finally settles down, it¡¯s the middle of the night. I¡¯m exhausted and cramped but unwilling to

    move. Masonys down at the bottom of the tree, guarding me again.

    It isn¡¯t long before he¡¯s up, trying to get to me again. He¡¯s whining and growling, then he scratches at

    the tree before jumping up and finally giving up andying back down.

    This goes on for hours. I¡¯m exhausted by the time the sun starts to rise, but my adrenaline is pumping.

    This is it, I¡¯m at the end. Only a couple of hours left.

    I look down and see that Mason is sleeping again. I carefully unfold myself from this tree limb bed,

    hearing my joints crack and creak as I stretch them after not moving for so long.

    When I¡¯m finally standing, I look down again. Still sleeping. Good. As quietly as I

    can, I begin to make my way down the tree, careful not to slip and send debris tumbling onto Mason. If

    he wakes up now, there¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll make it out of here unimed.

    When I¡¯ve gotten as low as I can in the tree, the limbs having been broken off my Mason¡¯s attempt to

    climb to me, I leap to the tree next to me. This is the tree that Mason climbedst night. The limbs on

    this tree are muchrger and sturdier. I stay at this height where it feels safe, but also low enough that I

    can start making my way through the trees to the entrance.

    As I¡¯m moving through the trees, I begin to hear more shuffling and growling below me. The ranked

    wolves are aware enough to know that this is thest morning, theirst chance to catch me and they

    are beginning to cluster near the entrance.

    I slow my steps, making sure that I¡¯m as quiet as I can possibly be. I don¡¯t want to alert anyone that I¡¯m

    up here. At this point, they¡¯d probably pull the trees down to get to me. When I get as close as I can, I

    look out to the entrance of the iming territory, my freedom. So close, but still so far.

    Someone, probably Elder Jason, has ced a clock at the entrance. It¡¯s 7:30am. I have 30 minutes

    and the sprint of my life to make it out of here.

    I settle in, taking in my surroundings and the wolves that have congregated near here. They are all

    keeping their distance from each other, but right now, they are so busy trying to catch my scent that

    they aren¡¯t fighting each other.

    I¡¯m pretty sure I see Alpha Luke, Beta Elijah possibly, and several warriors from Seth¡¯s pack that I

    know. There are some others, one definitely is an Alpha based on his size and others that arerge

    enough to be ranked members or just veryrge warriors.

    There are probably 30-40 wolves waiting for me, all searching, all whining and growling in frustration at

    not being able to find my scent. The breeze is in my favor and I¡¯m downwind from them.

    I just need it to stay this way for 15 more minutes, based on the clock. I send a silent thank you to Elder

    Jason for giving me the time so I don¡¯t rush it. If I tried to leave the iming territory before the end of

    the im, the males would be within their rights to chase me down until someone caught and imed

    me. This way, I will have Elder Jason, Seth, and the guards to make sure that I¡¯m not imed.

    Ten more minutes. I look around, not seeing Mason. Is he still asleep? Does he not realize that I¡¯ve

    moved and I¡¯m closer to the entrance?

    Five more minutes and I begin to climb lower in the tree. I keep looking around at the ground beneath

    me. The wolves are all moving around near me, but there are none right here at this tree.

    I carefully slide down to thest limb on this tree. Three minutes.

    I watch as time seems to stand still.

    Two minutes.

    My heart rate increases. The wolves nearby begin howling their frustration that I¡¯m about to outsmart

    them for this im. As the sound reaches a crescendo, the clock ticks to 7:59AM.

    One minute.

    I leap to the ground, running frill out. A second after my feet hit, the howl of the hunt goes up. I see

    Seth at the edge of the iming territory, Elder Jason standing right beside him. Luke, my guard is

    there, his gun drawn. None of them are looking at me, they are all looking at the wolves chasing me.

    I run as fast as my legs will carry me. I can hear the sounds of several wolves closing in on me. I¡¯m

    close, so close!

    Just as I feel breath on my back, I turn, looking over my shoulder seeing two wolves right behind me,

    both of them Alphas.

    Because my head is turned, I don¡¯t see the one that hits me from the side, knocking me off my feet. I¡¯m

    flying through the air, when I feel human arms wrap around me.

    No, no, no! He shifted. He¡¯s got me. I have a moment to wish I¡¯d just let Mason im me before I

    scream.

    ¡°Noooooooooo!¡±

    I feel the canines sink into my neck and a momentter, the darkness takes me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Where is she? Where is she?

    When I wake, the sun has already started to rise. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realize that

    today is thest day for me to im my mate.

    Title of the document

    I look up into the tree, sniffing. Her scent seems more faint now. I move to the tree next to this one,

    jumping into the air and I smell it. She was in this tree very recently.

    I yip excitedly as I begin to follow her scent to the front of the territory. When I get close, there are too

    many wolves moving around, trying to find her scent. They don¡¯t seem to realize that she¡¯s in the trees.

    I know my mate. She won¡¯t hide near them. My mate is smart, she won¡¯t put herself in a situation where

    she could be caught easily.

    As I follow the scent of where I think she went, I walk out of the forest line and begin searching the

    trees. The noise of the wolves gets louder and louder. Fools, they¡¯ll never hear her with all that racket

    going on.

    And that¡¯s when I see her. She¡¯s in the tree, just like I knew she would be. She has made her way to

    the lowest branch and she is looking at something, waiting.

    I take a few steps toward her, waiting for her to make her move before I give chase. My body twitches

    in anticipation, my muscles bunching, ready to run. I take a couple more quick steps, snarling when any

    wolfes too close to me.

    Just as I return my attention to her, she leaps to the ground. I¡¯m after her in an instant, but so are

    others, and they are closer to her than I am.

    However, where they are chasing her from behind, I aming up on her side. She¡¯s so focused on

    getting to the entrance of the territory that she doesn¡¯t even see me.

    When the other two Alphas get close to her, she turns, looking at them over her shoulder and that¡¯s

    when I make my move. I push off with all of my strength, leaping into the air, and hitting her with

    enough force to sending her flying out of the way of the other Alphas.

    I shift mid-air, wrapping my arms around her, burying my face in her neck.

    MINE! I scream in my head. I hear her scream just before sinking my teeth into her neck. I feel the

    bond kick in just as I feel her body go limp in my arms.

    I twist, before wend, pulling her on top of me, so Ind on the ground, and shends on top of me.

    My teeth are still in her neck, but when I hit the ground, I pull them out, moving to stand over my mate

    as I lift my head to the sky and howl my victory. She is mine!

    As I refocus, I see that the other two Alphas are stilling after my mate. I push her body behind me,

    snarling and letting my ws and caninese out. One of the wolves leaps at me and a shot rings

    out. The wolf yelps and falls to the ground.

    The other Alpha pauses, shaking his head, trying to get out of the haze. I watch as he shifts, the red of

    the haze still on the edges of in my peripheral vision. I¡¯m notpletely out of the haze either. When

    he stands, I see it¡¯s Alpha Luke.

    He nods at me, ncing at Jara, before turning, a defeated slump to his shoulders. Other wolvese

    running up to see if my mate has been imed. In a moment, there are guards standing in front of me,

    their guns raised to the wolves. Someone shoots warning shots into the sky and that seems to help pull

    most of them out of the haze.

    I wait until I feel the threat to Jara is gone before I turn, picking her up and begin carrying her out of the

    iming territory. The guards give me a wide berth and so do the other wolves that areing out of

    the haze.

    As I step over the iming entrance, Hana walks slowly toward me.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Alpha Mason. Do you know who I am?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Beta Hana.¡± I say.

    ¡°Luna Hana.¡± Seth, her mate, says from behind her.

    I look back at her. ¡°Luna Hana.¡±

    ¡°Alpha, I¡¯m going to check her.¡± I nod, knowing that this is needed. I don¡¯t want anyone touching her,

    she¡¯s n*aked, scratched and unconscious. Hanaes up to me, pushing her hair aside.

    ¡°She¡¯ll need food and sleep. I know I was exhausted when I came out of the iming territory.¡± She

    says, looking up at me.

    I am watching the wolvesing out of the territory, making sure none of them are going to try and

    take what is mine. When I don¡¯t respond to her, Luna Hana takes my chin in her thumb and forefinger

    turning my head to hers, her eyesser focused on me.

    ¡°Did you hear what I said, Alpha Mason? Your mate needs food and rest. You are responsible for her

    well-being now. Can I trust you to take care of her?¡±

    I look down at this beautiful woman, this woman who is mine forever now.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll take care of her. She¡¯s my mate.¡±

    ¡°Luna Hana? Is the marking legitimate?¡± Elder Jason asks.

    Hana looks back down at Jara, pushing her hair aside. ¡°Yes, Elder Jason. The mark was made in

    human form. It is a valid im.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Mason, when you have taken care of your mate andpleted the bond. I¡¯d like to speak with

    you.¡±

    I nod, turning to follow Hana back to the female¡¯s housing.

    When we get there, I take her to her room. I remove the disgusting shirt she¡¯s wearing and while I know

    she¡¯ll want a shower when she wakes up, I put a clean shirt on her for now. It will have to do until she¡¯s

    awake.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send some food and water up for you.¡± Hana says, walking to the door.

    ¡°She almost did it. She almost walked out of there without a mark on her.¡±

    Hana smiles, looking at Jara. ¡°She¡¯ll be mad that she didn¡¯t get marked on her terms, but she¡¯ll be

    happy that it¡¯s you that caught her.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since Seth caught me and I still feel that way.¡± She looks at me. ¡°I¡¯ll send a doctor up.

    Do I need toe back up or are you going to let them look at her.¡±

    I can¡¯t help the low growl at another male touching my mate. I¡¯m newly mated, our bond isn¡¯tplete,

    she¡¯s practically naked and unconscious.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle back up then.¡± I nod, knowing it¡¯s useless to argue.

    When the medices, I learn that Jara has some scrapes and scratches, mostly on her feet and legs,

    but nothing that won¡¯t heal in a day or two. I apparently have a gash from where I fell out of the tree. I

    never felt it, and it was already healing so they just cleaned it and put a bandage on it before leaving.

    Once they are gone, I drink a bottle of water that Hana sent up in two gulps before jumping in the

    shower, cleaning off all the sweat, dirt and grime of the iming territory.

    When I¡¯m done, I crawl into bed, pulling my mate against me,ying her head on my chest and

    wrapping my arm around her. I don¡¯t care that she¡¯s still dirty. I want her close to me and I want her to

    wake up feeling safe in my anus.

    I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s mine. She¡¯s really mine!

    It¡¯s thest thought I have before I fall asleep, happier than I¡¯ve ever been in my life.

    Typhon POV

    I watch as he ims what¡¯s mine. He sinks his teeth into her neck then he howls in victory.

    Doesn¡¯t matter, she¡¯s mine. My mate!

    MINE!

    I drag my broken body back into hiding, pulling myself along as I watch him carry my mate to the ce

    where the females stayed.

    As I watch, the red and ck in my vision begin to merge. I have a moment of rity to realize I¡¯m still

    in the haze and I¡¯m going feral before my conscious mmd shuts off again.

    He will pay for taking her from me. And then, she will be mine. With the a*s*shole Alpha dead, I will

    im her, and she will be mine.

    I growl, as I watch them walk into the house together.

    She will be mine!

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I wake slowly, not fully understanding my surroundings. I don¡¯t hear any snarling or growling like I have

    during thest week I¡¯ve been here in the iming.

    As my memory returns, it alles flooding back. I was running, I was almost there, and then I was

    tackled.

    Title of the document

    Tackled and imed.

    My hand flies to my neck, feeling the still healing wound. I also realize that I¡¯m lying on a warm body, a

    strong arm wrapped around me, holding me against him.

    I bolt upright, jumping out of bed. Who was it? Who imed me?

    I turn, ready to race out of the room, a room that a small part of my brain realizes is the one I¡¯ve been

    living in for nearly two months.

    ¡°Jara, you¡¯re safe.¡± I whip my head back and I see Mason, slowly getting out of bed. His gaze is

    focused on me, but it¡¯s taking my brain too long to catch up to what¡¯s going on around me.

    I look around the room. Yep, this is my room.

    I look back to Mason. Yep, that¡¯s Mason.

    I reach my hand up to my neck. Yep, I¡¯m marked.

    As Mason watches me reach up to touch the mark on my neck, a smug smile spreads across his face.

    ¡°It was you? You imed me?¡±

    He takes a step toward me. ¡°It was me. You are mine, Jara. And I am yours. Well, I will be when you

    mark and im me back.¡±

    I race to him, jumping into his arms. He catches me easily, swinging me around.

    When he puts me down, I smack his chest hard.

    ¡°Ow, what was that for?¡± He asks, rubbing his chest.

    ¡°I would have made it if you hadn¡¯t tackled me.¡±

    He leans in, rubbing his nose against mine. ¡°And where would the fun have been if I¡¯d let you win? But,

    if you want a rematch, I¡¯ll          be happy to set one up in our pack when we get back.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but chuckle at that. I stand there a moment, not believing that it¡¯s over and that I ended up

    with Mason.

    ¡°Come on. You need food and then you need a bath.¡± He says, pulling me over to a table. As soon as

    he says it, my stomach growls.

    He grabs the food andes to sit with me. ¡°Where did the foode from?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Hana and Seth are still here. She¡¯s brought food and water for us.¡±

    I nod, surprised they are still here, but d they are. ¡°What time is it?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°No idea, but it¡¯s dark out, so some time in the middle of the night. Neither of us has slept well in over a

    week. And you needed the rest.¡±

    ¡°Are you taking care of me. Alpha?¡± I ask teasingly.

    ¡°Yes, my mate, I am.¡± He says and his gaze bes very intense. My brain disconnects for a moment

    and my heart flutters. This man is mine. All mine.

    There is something very primitive about knowing this, about it finally being tine. I push the food off the

    table and begin crawling over it toward him. His smile is amused and so sexy I feel my body

    responding.

    When I get close enough, he pulls me into hisp, straddling him. He¡¯s only in his boxer briefs and I am

    in a t-shirt and nothing else. The heat of my desire presses against his very hard length.

    He runs his hand over my hair, looking at me intently. ¡°As much as I want to do this right now, I

    promised Luna Hana I¡¯d get you to eat first and you also need that bath, love.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, but not for food, Mason.¡± I watch as his eyes darken almost to ck.

    ¡°Bath.¡± He says, lifting me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, reveling in his smell and the feel of his

    warm, muscr body under my hands.

    He walks me into the bathroom, turning on the taps for therge bathtub. He keeps one arm around my

    waist as he moves around, getting everything ready for my bath.

    I can¡¯t help myself, I begin running my nose over his neck, smelling his wintery forest scent. It smells

    stronger than it did before. I wonder if that¡¯s because he marked me.

    When my tongue slides across his marking spot, he stops, growling low in this chest. I feel his length

    twitch against me.

    ¡°Jara.¡± He says warningly.

    ¡°Mmmm, yes, mate.¡± I stress the word, since he corrected me earlier.

    He reaches around me, somehow pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it to the ground. He takes

    a moment to look at me, rubbing His hands up and down my back and over my backside.

    ¡°So beautiful.¡± He says reverently.

    ¡°Hold on tight.¡± He says and when I do, he reaches his hands under my legs and pulls his boxer briefs

    down, kicking them aside before stepping into the bathtub and sitting down, keeping me straddled in

    hisp.

    The feel of the warm water has my eyes rolling back into my head. ¡°Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He asks

    me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never take warm water for granted again.¡±

    He takes a washcloth and begins dipping it m the water, then squeezing the water over my body. When

    he decides that I¡¯m wet enough, he grabs the shower gel and begins washing my body. He takes his

    time, making sure to get every part of me clean. While he washes me, I never take my eyes off of his.

    His eyes are still dark, but his movements are gentle, caressing.

    When his hand slides between my legs, his eyes return to mine and I gasp at the feel of his gentle

    strokes over my sensitive and aroused lips and c*lit.

    Not taking his eyes from mine, he puts the washcloth on the side of the tub before returning his fingers

    between my legs. He begins rubbing my c*lit, sending waves of pleasure straight to my c*ore.

    Slowly, he slides a finger inside me, sliding it in and out. ¡°So wet for me.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± My voice sounds breathless, even to me.

    He slides a second finger inside me, stretching me. He uses his hand to continue rubbing against my

    c*lit and the feeling is so good that my body begins rocking against him. wanting more.

    ¡°Look at me, Jara.¡± He says and I only now realize that I¡¯ve closed my eyes, so focused on the

    sensations he¡¯s creating in my body.

    When I look at him, he takes his other hand, caressing my face while still building the pleasure inside

    me with the first.

    ¡°I want toplete our bond tonight. But I need to know that you want that as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mason.¡± I say breathlessly.

    He growls and His fingers begin moving at a faster pace.

    ¡°Louder, mate.¡±

    The pleasure is building inside me, and I can feel that it won¡¯t take much more to push me over the

    edge.

    ¡°Yes, Mason.¡± I say, my voice much stronger.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    His hand slips to my chest, his thumb grazing over my n*ipp*le. He leans forward, his breath

    whispering against my ear. ¡°Louder.¡±

    As I feel the jolt of pleasure surge through me, my head drops back, exposing my throat to Mason. I

    hear his possessive growl, but I¡¯m too lost in the pleasure of the o*rgas*m, my body contracting around

    his fingers as he continues to stroke me.

    ¡°YES, MASON!¡± I scream.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m confident that I will never tire of hearing my mate scream my name as her body contracts around

    me and she bares her neck to me in submission.

    I gently bring her body down, the contractions around my fingers slowing, I slide them out of her,

    watching as she raises her head, her eyes zed with her o*rgas*m.

    Title of the document

    I slide my hands under her a*s*s, and pull my legs up, lifting us out of the bathtub. ¡°We need to wash

    your hair, mate, then we¡¯ll take our time,pleting our bond.¡±

    As I walk her to the shower, she begins nuzzling my neck, before leaning in and kissing me. Her hands

    wrap around my neck as I step into the shower, making sure the water is warm. As we kiss, I step with

    her under the shower, letting the water wash over both of us.

    She pulls away, leaning her head back, and I lower her to the floor. I grab the shampoo, pouring some

    into my hand before turning her around, pulling her against me and working my soapy fingers into her

    hair.

    When I¡¯m done, I turn her back around, rinsing out the shampoo before, washing it again. When her

    hair is clean, I mb some conditioner into it. Throughout this process, we don¡¯t speak. When she¡¯s

    turned toward me, she and I just look at each other. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same for her, but for me, I

    can¡¯t believe this amazing woman is m my arms where she¡¯ll be forever. So, I stare at her, trying to

    believe that she¡¯s real.

    When she¡¯s turned away from me, the feel of her body pressed against mine feels very real and is

    making me more and more ufortable. By the time I turn off the shower, grabbing a towel and

    wrapping it around her, my d*ic*k is so hard it¡¯s painful. All I want to do is to bury myself in her warm,

    wet p*uss*y.

    I dry myself quickly before wrapping the towel around my hips and grabbing another one to towel dry

    Jara¡¯s hair. When it¡¯s as dry as I can get it, I take her brush and run it through her hair. She¡¯s facing me,

    but her eves are closed, and I can hear her soft whimpers as I slowly brush through her hair. When I¡¯m

    done, I kiss her nose, before quickly running the brush through my hair.

    Then, I reach down and scoop her up into my arms. She wraps her arms around my neck as I cany her

    to the bed. I pull the nkets back,ying her on the sheets before opening her towel. A low,

    possessive growl leaves my lips as I look at the beautiful woman lying in front of me.

    I take my hands, running them over her cheek, to her neck, down her chest, taking a moment to

    caresses her b*reas*ts, gently tugging on first one n*ipp*le then moving to the other. I look back up at

    her face, making sure she¡¯s watching me, before moving my hand lower, gently rubbing her stomach,

    before sliding my hand between her legs.

    ¡°Still so wet.¡± I say, watching her. Her soft whimper is all the encouragement I need.

    As I watch her, I slide my fingers over her c*li*t, beginning to mb circles over it, as her body arches m

    pleasure. Since she lifted them for me, I lean down and take one of her n*ipp*les into my mouth,

    licking, sucking and nipping at it until her whimpers be moans and her moans turn to gasps of

    pleasure.

    I slide my fingers into her warm p*uss*y, feeling how slick and wet she is. I stand, looking at her, still

    moving my fingers inside her. I pull my towel off, giving her a moment to look at me as I continue to

    stroke her.

    My beautiful mate reaches out her hand and begins stroking my aching c*oc*k. She watches me, her

    eyes dark as night, as she strokes in rhythm to my fingers sliding in and out of her.

    I feel her body jerk, her p*uss*y walls fluttering around my fingers again. ¡°That¡¯s right baby,e on

    my fingers.¡±

    I feel her body contract, arching in pleasure before she cries out my name as her walls contract on my

    fingers again. I bring her down once more, before spreading her thighs and moving to kneel between

    her legs.

    I slip my fingers out of her, and keeping my eyes on hers. I slide them into my mouth, reveling in the

    taste of her sweet cream and nutmeg.

    ¡°So delicious.¡± I say, beforeying over top of her.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, Jara.¡± I say, sliding my hand up her side, leaning in to kiss her.

    When I pull away, she looks at me. ¡°And you¡¯re mine. Mason.¡±

    She lifts her hips, inviting me in. I mb the head of my c*oc*k at her entrance, getting it wet before sliding

    inside her. I watch her face, making sure I¡¯m not hurting her too much. I grit my teeth, trying to go

    slowly.

    Before I realize when she¡¯s doing, Jara grabs my a*s*s and pulls me inside her. I bottom out, balls deep

    inside my mate. Her whimper of pain the only thing letting me know that I hurt her.

    ¡°Jara!¡±

    ¡°Shhh.¡± She puts her finger over my lips. ¡°Just give me a minute. I¡¯m an Alpha. I¡¯ll recover quickly.¡±

    It isn¡¯t much longer than a minute before her hips begin moving underneath me. ¡°Are you ready my

    mate?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Beyond ready Mason. It¡¯s time to make you mine.¡±

    I begin moving inside her. Her body feels like it was made for mine. She¡¯s warm and wet and perfect.

    I grit my teeth again, trying not to move too hard or too fast and to not cum too quickly. ¡°Mason, I won¡¯t

    last long, and you bettere this time.¡± She says to me, and I can hear the lisp in her voice. Her

    canines are already out.

    ¡°Are you rushing me, my Little Luna?¡±

    I begin moving faster, thrusting into her harder, wanting nothing more than to knot her, but I know I can¡¯t

    on her first time. As I feel my balls contract, I lift my head, submitting to her and giving her ess to my

    throat. Just as I feel her canines sink into my neck, I pull out of her, growling loudly with my release, as

    she screams my name again. I sink my canines into her neck again, and I explode, my seed spilling all

    over her stomach.

    When we catch our breath, I move off of her. I go to the bathroom, getting a washcloth to clean her

    stomach beforeying back down and pulling her against me. ¡°You¡¯re mine now, Alpha.¡± She says and

    even in the dark I can hear the smugness in her voice.

    ¡°I was always yours, Jara. From the moment I first saw you on that stage. It was always you, and only

    you.¡± I tell her, ready to curl up with my mate and sleep the rest of the night.

    However, now that we¡¯re fully mated, I can feel that something is bothering her.

    I lean down, kissing the top of her head before moving to her ear. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind beautiful?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    I growl softly, letting her know I don¡¯t believe her. ¡°Let¡¯s not start our life together with lies, Jara.¡±

    She moves her hand over my chest, and it feels amazing, but I won¡¯t be distracted. Something I did or

    didn¡¯t do is bothering my mate and I want to know what it is.

    ¡°Why did you pull out?¡± She asks quietly.

    Of all the things she could have said, that is not the one I would have ever imagined. I push her away

    from me, and tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me.

    ¡°Jara, I knotted. I would have torn you. It was your first time, and you had already torn. I know, I can

    smell the blood. Your body isn¡¯t ready for my knot. Trust me, when it is, you¡¯ll take my knot as many

    times as you¡¯ll let me give it to you.¡± I say, stroking her cheek with my thumb.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Baby, give me your hand.¡± When she does, I move it to my c*oc*k where it is swollen with my knot.

    She sucks in a breath and looks at me. ¡°It has nothing to do with you, love. I knotted, just not inside

    you. I won¡¯t hurt you. Not ever.¡±

    That seems to make her feel better and she settles against me, her head on my chest.

    Just when I thought she was asleep, I hear her soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m d you caught me, Mason.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°I would never have let anyone else have you, my love. You are mine.¡± I say before tugging her closer

    and falling into a deep sleep.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    When I wake up again, I¡¯m warm and Mason is wrapped up around me. I have to smile, knowing that

    he¡¯s mine and that my life will be a good one. I don¡¯t have to worry about Mason mistreating me. I know

    he loves me.

    His love for me was obvious in our matingst night. He was trying so hard to be gentle with me,

    wanting to make sure he didn¡¯t hurt me, but I wasn¡¯t having any of it. I wanted him and I¡¯d waited long

    enough.

    Title of the document

    I hadn¡¯t considered that he might knot so soon after we were together, but maybe it¡¯s his age, or maybe

    it¡¯s his love for me. Either way, I can¡¯t wait to feel his knot.

    Based on what my mother says, it forces you into an intimate connection, not allowing your bodies to

    separate until his knot recedes. The thought of literally being tied to Mason sends warmth through my

    body and I arch my back against him.

    His hand begins to run over my hip. ¡°Something on your mind, mate?¡±

    ¡°You.¡± I say, turning in his arms. There is something in me that not only wants to mate with him again,

    but also im him again, to sink my teeth into his neck again, almost as if marking him again will

    ensure he¡¯s mine.

    I run my hands over his side, down to his hip before sliding it between us. He¡¯s already hard, and his

    eyes open as I wrap my hand around length, making him gasp.

    He brings His hand to my b*reas*t, sliding his thumb over my n*ipp*le like he didst night. It

    immediately hardens at the touch, as if begging him to touch it more. Thankfully, he seems to know

    what my body wants.

    He begins tugging it gently, pulling it into a tight peak before lowering his head and sucking it into his

    mouth. I lean back, still stroking him, my thumb running over the head of his c*oc*k as I give him easier

    ess to my b*reas*t.

    ¡°Mason.¡± I gasp and he¡¯s over top of me in an instant, settling himself between my legs.

    ¡°You ¡®re not sore?¡±

    ¡°No, and even if I was, I want you more. I need you inside me again.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t waste any timeplying with my demand. He holds himself steady above me, watching

    as his slides his long length inside.

    ¡°Goddess you feel amazing.¡± He says.

    I pull my legs up, wrapping them around his hips. ¡°I was thinking the same thing about you.¡±

    I lean up, kissing him, as he starts to move slowly inside me.

    ¡°No holding back this morning, Mason.¡±

    ¡°Greedy mate.¡±

    ¡°For you, always.¡± I say, and he begins moving faster and harder inside me.

    He leans down, kissing me more passionately until we¡¯re both breathless. He pulls one of my legs over

    his arm, and the position allows me to take him even deeper than before. I feel like my entire body is on

    fire, building to the finale where I know fireworks will explode in my body.

    ¡°I want you to knot me. Mason.¡± I tell him when I can feel both of us getting closer.

    He lifts his head looking at me as he slows his thrusting. ¡°Your body isn¡¯t ready yet, Jara.¡±

    ¡°Please Mason, I want to take your knot.¡±

    He growls a needy growl. I know from my mother that my father always preferred to knot her. She said

    it felt much better for him to knot inside her. I want Mason to experience the pleasure that he is giving

    me.

    Before I realize what he¡¯s doing, he¡¯s flipped us over, so I¡¯mying on top of him. ¡°You want control,

    beautiful, here you go.¡±

    He puts his hands on my hips and begins to move me until I get my rhythm. ¡°If you change your mind,

    just pull off me, Jara.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be changing my mind, Alpha.¡±

    I realize I really like this position. Not only can I take him even deeper than before, and I¡¯m in control,

    but I can watch Mason¡¯ s face. I can see the pleasure I¡¯m bringing him. I move in different rhythms until

    I find the one that he seems to like the most.

    His hands move hack to my b*reas*ts, tweaking my n*ipp*les as I ride him, my movements getting

    faster as I bring us closer to the edge. Just as I feel myself sliding over the edge, my caninese out

    and I lean forward, sinking them into Mason¡¯s neck again.

    His growl of pleasure is loud, and His hands force my hips to keep up their punishing pace until I feel

    his canines sink into my neck and His hands pull my hips against him, holding me still as he grinds

    against me.

    I feel the swelling inside me, and it continues to grow until is ufortable. I try to move, wanting to

    find a morefortable position.

    Mason pulls his canines out of my neck quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t move, you¡¯ll tear your body. This is my knot,

    Jara. I¡¯m locked in.¡±

    I pull my canines out his neck and sit up, easing some of the pain in pelvis. Mason carefully pulls

    himself up, leaning against the headboard on the bed before pulling me against his chest and

    beginning to rub circles on my back.

    ¡°Better?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Much.¡± I say and I mean it. This position sits his knot morefortably inside me, although I can tell

    that I¡¯ll need to do it a couple more times before it bes totally enjoyable.

    However, the next 30 minutes ofying against Mason, stroking his chest, feeling him rubbing his

    hands over my body, kissing each other are amazing. This must be what my mother meant. You can¡¯t

    go anywhere, you can¡¯t leave each other, and the time is as intimate as the sex is, maybe even more.

    As I feel his knot begin to subside, I sit up, looking at him. He brushes my hair away from my face,

    tucking it behind my ears.

    ¡°I love you, Mason.¡±

    ¡°I love you, Jara. We¡¯re going to have a very happy life together.¡±

    And I know he¡¯s right.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next time we wake up, I know I need to feed Jara. She didn¡¯t eat enough yesterday, and I need to

    meet with Elder Jason today. Most everyone will have left or be leaving as this year¡¯s iming is over. I

    sent Elijah back already, knowing I have a different n that I still need to discuss with Jara.

    When I open the bedroom door, prepared to go downstairs to get food, I see there is already some

    waiting for me. Thank you, Hana.

    Title of the document

    I get the food set up at the table and I¡¯m just finishing as Jara wakes up. She sits up in bed, letting the

    sheet fall to her waist. She¡¯s so sexy that I feel myself getting hard, just looking at her. She rubs her

    eyes with the heel of her hand before pushing her messy hair out of her face.

    I walk over to her, knowing that she isn¡¯t quite awake yet. Her eyes move to me and go wide before she

    reaches for the sheet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Don¡¯t ever hide from me.¡± I say, as I get to her, taking her hand in mine and kissing her

    knuckles.

    My sexy mates stands in front of me, naked in all her glory. I lean down, kissing then gently nipping her

    marking spot. ¡°Time to eat.¡± I whisper.

    ¡°What are you offering me. Alpha?¡± Oh, my mate. She is definitely going to keep me on my toes.

    ¡°Real food. If you¡¯re still hungryter. I¡¯ll give you something you can put in your mouth.¡±

    I take her hand, pulling her to the table. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be hungryter.¡±

    I grab my t-shirt and pull it over her head, before sitting her at the table.

    ¡°Eat.¡± I say before taking the seat opposite her.

    The minute she takes her first bite, she realizes how hungry she is, and she begins devouring her food.

    I watch her for a moment before beginning to eat mine as well. ¡°So, Jara, I wanted to talk to you about

    a couple of things.¡±

    I begin watching as she looks up at me, chewing her food and swallowing before responding. ¡°What

    kind of things.¡±

    ¡°First, I need to meet with Elder Jason today. He wanted to meet with me, and I have some questions

    for him as well.¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°I cane with you.¡± I didn¡¯t really want her to, not until I knew for sure if Typhon was

    alive, but I had told her no lies between us and I wouldn¡¯t keep this from her.

    ¡°I need to find out if Typhon is dead.¡± I say, watching her closely. She nearly chokes on her food before

    grabbing her water and washing it down.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he be dead. You nearly killed him and then I threw him off that cliff.¡±

    I look at her a moment before responding.

    ¡°Mason, tell me.¡±

    ¡°When I raced down the cliff, I had intended to follow you. But when I got to the bottom, he wasn¡¯t

    there. His body was gone.¡±

    She frowns, putting her fork down and giving me her undivided attention.

    ¡°I followed his trail to the stream. He wasn¡¯t there either. I finally found where he exited the stream and I

    hunted for him until I lost His scent among everyone else¡¯s.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    I¡¯m saying, I want to ask Elder Jason if he was found. Maybe he died from His injuries after crawling

    away, but I want to be sure.¡±

    She picks up her fork before continuing. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s alive or dead. You marked me and I¡¯ve

    marked you. You re my mate, not him.¡±

    ¡°I would still like to know. Typhon wasn¡¯t exactly in his right mind when we saw himst.¡±

    She thinks about that for a moment. ¡°What else?¡± She asks me.

    I give her a quizzical look.

    ¡°You said ¡®first¡¯ that usually implies that there is a second.¡±

    ¡°Right. Well, I know what happened to M. And I want to make sure that your family knows that it

    won¡¯t be the same with you. So, I thought we could stop by Seth¡¯s pack on our way back to mine. I

    could meet your parents and a*s*sure them that they are wee to visit you any time, and that you

    cane to visit them any time you¡¯d like. I think that would go a long way to making them feel better.¡±

    She¡¯s staring at me, and I see the tears form in her eyes before she¡¯s out of her seat and throwing

    herself into myp. I wrap my arms around her as she buries her face in my neck.

    ¡°Thank you. Mason.¡± She says, her voice muffled against my shoulder. I hold her as I feel hot tears

    dripping on my chest.

    ¡°Shhh. It¡¯s okay, love. It will be okay.¡±

    She nods before finally sitting up. ¡°You are an amazing man, Mason.¡±

    I wipe the tears off her face and kiss her nose.

    ¡°Are you done eating?¡± When she nods, I pick her up, carrying her to the shower. ¡°Then let¡¯s shower

    and head downstairs. I¡¯ d like to know when your brother and Hana are leaving, and I¡¯d like to leave

    today or first thing in the morning.¡±

    After we shower, we see Seth and Hana downstairs.

    ¡°We¡¯re heading out, Jara.¡± Seth says but he¡¯s looking at me. ¡°I expect to hear from you soon.¡± It¡¯s a

    clear threat to me and I might take it personally if I didn¡¯t know the story¡¯ of his other sister.

    Jara takes my hand. ¡°You¡¯ll actually be seeing me soon, Seth. Mason and I are stopping by to see mom

    and dad on our way to Mason¡¯s pack.¡±

    He looks at me, his eyes searching, wanting to know if it¡¯s a lie. ¡°Depending on how things go with

    Elder Jason, we¡¯ll either leave this afternoon or early tomorrow.¡± I tell him. confirming what Jara said.

    He nods, and we walk them out and Hana and Jara hug. I¡¯m so d we¡¯ll be sisters.¡± Hana says to

    Jara.

    ¡°Me too! We¡¯ll definitely have to get together soon. The packs are only about a couple hours apart,

    right?¡± Jara turns, looking at me.

    ¡°Yes, and there is a human town in between the packs, so you could meet for lunch, and it wouldn¡¯t be

    a long trip for either of you.¡±

    They squeal their delight and hug again. I nod at Seth before he tucks his mate into the car. ¡°See you

    soon, Seth.¡±

    ¡°Take care, Jara. You too, Mason.¡± He says before taking off, honking as he leaves. We wave goodbye

    and make our way to the main house.

    When we get there, I can smell that most everyone has gone home. Jara and I head to the office where

    Alpha Jason has been working. I knock and wait for him to call us in.

    When we walk in, I can tell that things aren¡¯t good. He looks up at us. ¡°Alphas, have a seat.¡±

    We sit down and he shuffles through the papers on his desk, before putting his head in his hands and

    rubbing his face roughly before sliding his hands into his hair, making it stand on end.

    ¡°Only seventy-seven individuals havee out of the iming territory.¡±

    I watch as Jara looks from him to me and back again.

    ¡°How many went in?¡± She asks.

    ¡°One hundred and fifty-three.¡± He says.

    Jara sucks in air. ¡°You mean that half of the unmated males from this year¡¯s iming are dead?¡± She

    asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like. We¡¯re stillbing through the territory, but we¡¯ve found close to seventy

    bodies, so, it¡¯s pretty close.¡±

    ¡°Were any of those bodies Alpha Typhon? ¡° I ask, needing to know.

    He gives me a sharp look. ¡°No, and he isn¡¯t among the ones that have walked out either. Why do you

    ask?¡±

    I look at Jara. ¡°We fought on a cliff. He was injured pretty badly, but then he went after Jara, and she

    threw him off the cliff. When I got to the bottom, his body was gone. I followed him as far as I could, but

    I never found him.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t found him either. We did find his Beta, or I should say, his Beta¡¯s body.¡± He says.

    ¡°I killed him.¡± Jara says. I already knew this. ¡°He was trying to kill Beta Elijah, and I jumped on him.¡±

    She looks down before looking back up at Elder Jason. ¡°He had threatened me earlier. He and Typhon

    caught me, and he had threatened me. So, when I saw him fighting Elijah, I jumped.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°You ripped his heart out?¡± He asks her. ¡°Yes.¡±

    He nods, looking down. ¡°We are going to have some packs that are almost wiped outpletely. They

    were small to begin with and now¡­ now, there¡¯s barely anyone left.¡±

    ¡°What about the Alpha you shot at the end? Was that a kill shot or a tranquilizer shot?¡±

    ¡°It was a kill shot. He one of the seventy that we¡¯ve ounted for. We didn¡¯t know it at the time, but he

    was Beta Asher¡¯s Alpha.¡¯¡¯ He looks at us. ¡°Beta Asher is now Alpha Asher. ¡°

    ¡°Wait, so Mignon is now a Luna too?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    Jara turns and looks at me. ¡°Every female imed this year is now a Luna.¡±

    I take her hand. ¡°Well, you¡¯re technically still an Alpha, you¡¯re just MY Luna.¡±

    I lean over her hand, kissing it, my eyes never leaving hers.

    Elder Jason¡¯s throat clearing brings us back to reality.

    He shuffles his papers around a bit before looking back up at me. ¡°Alpha Mason, we had spoken about

    initiating change for the iming process. Are you still interested in proceeding with that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Elder, I am. I want to take Jara to see her family before introducing her to her new pack and

    officially making her our Luna. But after that, I think we both will want to petition the Elder Council for

    changes to the iming process.¡± I say, looking at Jara, knowing she has her own ideas for things that

    need to change.

    ¡°Good. Then we are in agreement. Things need to change. We can¡¯t continue to lose this many of our

    eligible males. Our species will be obsolete in a couple of decades, if that, if it continues this way.

    When you¡¯re ready, send your petition to me.¡±

    I stand, extending my hand to Elder Jason. He is an honorable Alpha and Elder. ¡°I will Elder. Thank

    you, for everything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He says shaking my hand and turning to Jara. ¡°I¡¯m very happy for you, Alpha Jara. I

    know you¡¯ll be happy.¡±

    I pull her against my side, wrapping my arm around her waist.

    ¡°Yes, I think we both are going to very happy together.¡± She says, looking up at me with eyes full of

    love.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Mason and I decided to stay one more night. The house is empty, and we have it to ourselves. Mason

    had drawn a bath for me, then left, saying he needed to do something before he joined me.

    He had put some bubble bath in it and somehow found some wine. The bathroom is full of candles, the

    water is warm, I have a ss of wine in my hand and bubbles all around me. I lean back, enjoying the

    rxing atmosphere. The only thing I¡¯m missing is my mate.

    Title of the document

    When he returns, he strips down and has me sit up so he can get in behind me. He pours himself a

    ss of wine, pulling me back against him.

    ¡°I could get used to this.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Hmmm, we may need to order a new tub for our bedroom then. It only has a shower in it right now. It¡¯s

    arge shower, both of us will fit, but I agree, we need a big bathtub for nights when we can just be

    together like this.¡±

    I close my eyes, as he dribbles water over my body. ¡°Tell me about your pack.¡±

    ¡°Our pack.¡± He corrects me, and I can¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Our pack.¡± I say.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re at the foot of a mountain. It¡¯s set far outside city limits and only gets the rare human hiker,

    so we have plenty of room to let our wolves run.¡±

    He¡¯s quiet for a minute. ¡°I live in the pack house, which we can change if you want our own space. I

    have a floor to myself, as the Alpha, but because our pack has just under 200 pack members, most of

    them live in the pack house.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re packhouse is that big?¡± I say, turning my head and looking up at him.

    ¡°Yeah. We do have some individual housing, but for the most part, we¡¯re a pack of single males. We

    live together so we can try to keep the feral-fever at bay.¡±

    I¡¯m quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how to ask my question. ¡°How are you going to feel about

    me living in the packhouse with that many unmated males?¡±

    I hear His possessive growl before he cuts it off. ¡°You¡¯re mine. They know that, and they will respect

    that you¡¯re their Luna or they will find another pack. I should also tell you, that some of the omegas and

    warriors from Typhon¡¯s pack approached me before we went into your iming. They told me that they

    had been given the Alphamand to help Typhon catch you and to kill me. They told me they didn¡¯t

    agree with your sister¡¯s treatment but there wasn¡¯t much they could do against an Alpha. They asked if

    I would ept them into my pack. I did.¡±

    I feel Mason look at me as he says this. I don¡¯t know how I feel about men who allowed my sister¡¯s

    mistreatment to go on right in front of them, but I also know that an omega and even a warrior stands

    no chance against their Alpha¡¯s aura ormand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled that they will be in our pack, but I¡¯m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. If they

    ever give me a reason to believe that they intend to harm me. I¡¯ll kill them.¡±

    His arms wrap around my waist. ¡°Baby, if they ever try to hurt you. I¡¯ll kill them before you ever have the

    chance.¡±

    I don¡¯t want our night together to be marred with heavy¡¯ thoughts that we¡¯ll have to face tomorrow, so I

    turn my head, nibbling on Mason¡¯s earlobe. ¡°Is that a challenge, Alpha?¡± I whisper against his ear.

    ¡°Oh no, love. A challenge is me saying I think I can make you c*um before you can do the same for me.

    Want to see who wins?¡±

    I turn, straddling hisp in the bath, moving so the tip of His c*oc*k is at my entrance. ¡°Oh, I intend to

    win, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Good luck with that, Luna.¡± He says and I move taking his length fully inside me.

    I may never back down from a challenge, but I have to admit, my mate makes it really hard to win. And

    even when I lose, I still win.

    I take His knot again that night, in the morning he wakes me by sliding inside me from behind. This is

    another new position and I¡¯m not sure I know which one I like the best anymore. Mason feels amazing

    inside of me, no matter which position we¡¯re in.

    He pulls out of me before he knots me and I turn my head, pouting. He nips at my chin. ¡°Let¡¯s get

    ready. I want to meet your parents.¡±

    That gets me going. We shower, pack our things and as we¡¯re leaving, I see Luke, my guard standing

    outside.

    ¡°Luke.¡± I say and race up to him, hugging him. ¡°Thank you so much for looking after me. You¡¯ve been

    great.¡±

    When I pull back, I see him looking at Mason. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± I say, looking at Mason. ¡°I offered Luke the job of being your personal guard. He

    agreed. He and his mate are moving to our pack.¡±

    I turn and look at Luke. ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°Yep. And please don¡¯t hug me again, Luna. My mate won¡¯t like your scent all over me.¡± He says,

    putting his hands up, only somewhat joking.

    ¡°Well, when I meet your mate, you can tell her that she should be prepared to get a hug from me too.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you at the packhouse. We can figure out where you want to live when you get there and get

    settled.¡± Mason says.

    ¡°Thank you. Alpha.¡±

    We get in Mason¡¯s car and turn out of the territory. I look out the window, remembering when I was

    coming in, how much I hated the idea of being imed, how terrified and angry I was. And now, here I

    am, leaving the territory with the man I love, my mate.

    Mason pulls my hand to his lips, kissing it. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, love?¡±

    I frown, looking at him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I hear your thoughts and you mine?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not officially part of my pack yet. Once you officially take over as Luna, then we¡¯ll be able to

    hear each other¡¯s thoughts.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    He looks at me. ¡°Jara? What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°How long before the Luna ceremony?¡± I ask, wanting the mental connection.

    ¡°Are you concerned about what I¡¯m thinking?¡± He asks, his lips twitching.

    ¡°No, I just want to be connected to you, in all ways.¡± He stops the car in the middle of the road and

    turns pulling me into a passionate kiss.

    ¡°I love you so much, Jara. And I want that too. So, Luna ceremony the day after we get to our pack?¡±

    He asks me.

    ¡°Sounds perfect.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When we arrive at the borders of Seth¡¯s pack, the warriors on patrol are happy to see Jara.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. We didn¡¯t know if we¡¯d see you again.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°Hello, Jeffrey.¡±

    I watch as Jeffrey looks from Jara to me. ¡°I hope everything went well with the iming.¡± He says, and I

    can tell he wants to know if she¡¯s happy that I caught her.

    ¡°Very well, thank you.¡± She smiles up at him.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m d to hear it.¡± And based on the look of relief on his face, I believe he truly was concerned

    for Jara. She¡¯s not his Alpha and she was most likely going to leave the pack, so his concern and

    dedication to her speaks volumes about how well she treats her pack members. Not that I¡¯m surprised.

    Jara is an amazing and caring woman, which is just one more reason why I¡¯m d she¡¯s mine.

    We drive through a small town with houses on either side of the street and store fronts lining the road.

    When we get to the pack house, I can see why Jara was surprised that almost all my pack members

    live in the pack house. Their pack house looks like arge house, my pack house looks like a mansion.

    When we step out of the car, an older version of Jaraes out of the packhouse. Her eyes go wide,

    and her hands go to her mouth.

    ¡°Hi Mom.¡± Jara says and walks straight to her mom, pulling her into a hug. I hear her mother¡¯s sobs as

    her arms wrap around her daughter.

    ¡°You must be Alpha Mason.¡± A man that could be Seth¡¯s older brother says, extending his hand.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I say, shaking his hand.

    ¡°You have no idea what this means to my mate. To me.¡± He says turning back to me. ¡°I¡¯m Alpha Phillip.

    I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve gathered that I¡¯m Jara¡¯s  father.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    Jara¡¯s mother finally pulls away, putting her hands on Jara¡¯s face before turning to me. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    She whispers.

    ¡°You¡¯re very wee, ma¡¯am. I wanted you to know that my intention is for you and Jara to see each

    other as often as you¡¯d like. You are wee at our pack any time and I hope that we cane visit

    you here as well.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Seth says, walking out of the pack house with his arm wrapped around Hana.

    ¡°We¡¯re brothers now, after all. Come in. We have a room set up for you. I do hope you¡¯re staying the

    night.¡±

    ¡°We are.¡± Jara tells him, wrapping her arm around her mother¡¯s shoulders, her mother¡¯s arm around

    her waist.

    ¡°Perfect. I was hoping you would because we scheduled Hana¡¯s Luna ceremony for tonight so you

    could attend.¡±

    I follow my mate inside. ¡°Seth said you wereing, but I wasn¡¯t sure. I can make up another room, or

    you can stay in your old room.¡± Jara¡¯s mother says to her.

    I take a moment to look around the space. It¡¯s homey. There really isn¡¯t another word for it. My

    packhouse is stark, bare, almost no female touches. This space feels warm and weing. I hope that

    Jara can make our packhouse feel the same very soon.

    Jara turns and looks at me. ¡°My old room is fine, mom.¡±

    Our bags are brought in, and I follow Jara up to her room. When she opens the door, the scent of

    sweet cream floods my nose. The response in my jeans is extremely ufortable since I¡¯m standing

    right next to her father.

    As we step into her room, Jara turns and I don¡¯t know exactly what she sees on my face, but she looks

    down, smirking, beforeing over, and putting herself in front of me. I wrap my arm around her

    shoulders, pulling her against me, her back to my front. I swear I hear her snicker when her backside

    rubs against my now painful hard on.

    ¡°Mom, dad, why don¡¯t you let us get settled and we¡¯lle down and join you for lunch.¡±

    ¡°That sounds wonderful, honey.¡± She says, kissing Jara on the cheek. ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to get to know

    you better, Alpha Mason.¡± She says to me.

    ¡°Please call me Mason.¡± She touches my cheek with her hand before her mate pulls her from the room,

    closing the door behind them.

    When the door is closed, Jara turns to me. ¡°What¡¯s this about, Alpha?¡± She asks, her hand gripping my

    aching d*ic*k through my jeans.

    ¡°This room smells like you, Jara. I can¡¯t help that I love your scent.¡± She gets a mischievous smile on

    her face, before kneeling down in front of me.

    ¡°We should take care of that. Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Jara.¡± It was meant to be a warning, but ites out more as a moaning growl.

    She just smiles at me, undoing my jeans and pulling them down, before pulling my boxer briefs down,

    letting my d*ic*k escape its confines.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Her hand begins stroking me as she looks up at me, licking her lips. My d*ic*k twitches in her and she

    smiles before her mouth turns into a pout. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Mason.¡±

    ¡°You, my mate, are an insatiable woman.¡±

    She slowly slides her tongue over the tip of my c*oc*k. ¡°Is that aint. Alpha.¡±

    I slide my fingers through her hair, gripping it at the nape of her neck. ¡°Never.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She says, before she begins licking and sucking me like I¡¯m the best f*uc*king treat she¡¯s ever

    had.

    When she takes me deep into her throat, I look down, seeing her looking up at me. Her eyes are

    watering, but she doesn¡¯t stop. f*uc*k! Her mouth is warm and wet and her tongue¡­ I growl, trying to

    stay quiet hut I can¡¯t and when she takes me deep again, I grip her head and thrust into her, only

    thrusting twice more times before I¡¯m shooting my c*um down her throat, feeling her mouth and throat

    contracting around me, making my o*rgas*m even stronger.

    When I pull out of her, she coughs a bit, having chocked a little on my cum.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I say, helping her to her feet.

    ¡°Never be sorry for enjoying what I¡¯m giving you, Mason.¡± She leans up, kissing me.

    ¡°Now, we need to get ready to have lunch with my family, so get dressed.¡± She says, smacking my

    a*s*s before walking into her bathroom.

    I take a moment to look around her room as I pull my pants back up. Not surprisingly, it¡¯s not a girlie

    room. My mate isn¡¯t girlie, she¡¯s tough, strong andpassionate.

    I see a picture of a young Jara and another girl that must be a young M. I remember when I was in

    her iming that I found her beautiful too. But I was never drawn to her like I am to Jara.

    ¡°You were in her iming, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She was the first Alpha female in a decade to enter the iming, I think.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t too many of us left.¡± She says, moving to change into something a bit more formal to

    wear around the pack.

    ¡°Should I change?¡± I ask her. ¡°We¡¯ll be able toe back up before the ceremony, right, or should I

    change now.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯lle back.¡± She says and I walk to her, wrapping my arms around her and leaning into her

    ear.

    ¡°I hope we make many, many more Alpha females, love.¡± I whisper, nipping at her ear.

    She turns, looking at me over her shoulder. ¡°Me too. Alpha.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we get downstairs, we join my parents, Seth and Hana at our table. The atmosphere in the pack

    is excited. More excited than I have felt in my life. As I look around, I realize that Mason was right.

    Having a Luna will make all the difference to the pack. It may not keep all of them from going feral, but

    it will keep them from going feral so young.

    Having my mother as a Luna for so many years ensured that many of our pack members reached

    middle age before going feral. I can only hope that having Hana will make it even better.

    Title of the document

    Later that night, I watch as the pack looks at Hana as if she is their savior and I guess in some ways,

    she is. They all happily ept her as their Luna and I watch as they crowd around her, wanting her

    aura to wash over them. I can see that Seth is struggling to have so many unmated males so close to

    his new mate, but from an outside perspective, it makes sense to me. It¡¯s Hana that will soothe their

    feral-fever. She will, quite literally, keep them sane.

    Seth¡¯s pack is a bit smaller than Mason¡¯s, at around 150 pack members. The two packs together make

    up nearly one-third of the remaining poption of werewolves. It makes me wonder if I can expect this

    same level of focus from Mason¡¯s pack members when we arrive. I guess they are my pack members

    now too.

    After the pack congrattes her. Mason and I make our way up to them.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be an amazing Luna, Hana.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I hope so. I don¡¯t want to let Seth or your parents down.¡± She says, ncing over at Seth as he talks to

    Mason.

    ¡°You won¡¯t, for that very reason. This pack is strong, but you will make them stronger. I¡¯m only now

    starting to realize the impact that we as Lunas have on our packs.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s almost a desperation in them to be epted by me, isn¡¯t there?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yes, I saw that too. It makes me wonder what I can expect from Mason¡¯s pack members when we

    arrive tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°It was a bit crazy when we got here yesterday. The entire pack came out to greet me. It was like they

    all wanted to touch me.¡± She says, looking out over her pack.

    She turns and looks at me. ¡°You know how when we¡¯re in wolf form, omegas and pupse over and

    want to rub themselves on us, want to rub their heads under our necks showing their submission, their

    love?¡±

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    I nod.

    ¡°It felt like that, but with all of them. It was like they all wanted my eptance, to show me their love all

    at once. Needless to say, Seth wasn¡¯t having it.¡±

    ¡°It will take time I¡¯m sure the first few weeks will be exhausting for you. My mom will help you though,

    so that¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my goddess, here I amining, but you won¡¯t even have a mother-inw to help you.¡± She

    says turning to me. ¡°No, Mason¡¯s parents are gone. But his Gamma has a mate. I understand they are

    a bit older, and she was an omega before she mated a Gamma, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll help me.¡±

    I look around the pack again. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m d I was here to see how they are with you. It is preparing

    me for my arrival tomorrow. And this group had me here until a couple of months ago, so they shouldn¡¯t

    be as needy as Mason¡¯s pack. I¡¯m guessing his pack members, my new pack, will want even more of

    mv attention and show of love.

    The party goeste into the night. At one point. Mason pulls me into hisp, wrapping his arms around

    me.

    ¡°Ready to do this again in a couple of days?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Yes. I am definitely ready to start my life with you, our life together.¡±

    He looks out over the crowd of happy pack members. ¡°You know, we haven¡¯t talked about it, but you¡¯ve

    taken mv knot a couple of times already.¡± His handes to mb over my stomach.

    ¡°You could already be carrying my pup. But if you want to wait, we need to be more careful. It could

    already be toote, but we should have that discussion sooner rather thanter.¡±

    I turn in hisp, wrapping my arms around his neck. ¡°What do you want?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°At the risk of sounding s*exist, I want you popping out my pups every year for years toe.¡±

    I can¡¯t help it, I throw my head back andugh. When I look back at Mason, his eyes are twinkling with

    his happiness, his smile warn and inviting. ¡°Well, what my Alpha wants, my Alpha gets.¡± I say, my voice

    deep with my desire for this man.

    His eyes darken and he leans in nuzzling my nose before nipping at it gently. ¡°Then I think you should

    continue to take my knot as often as you can.¡±

    I turn my head, nibbing my nose against his cheek. ¡°I definitely think I need more practice. Alpha.¡±

    His low rumbling growl is all the answer I need. I stand up, taking his hand and leading him out of the

    party.

    When I turn, I see my mother watching us, smiling happily.

    I smile back at her, nodding to let her know that I¡¯m going to be okay. I¡¯m not M and Mason is nothing

    like Typhon.

    That night. Mason and I make love several times, marking each other yet again, in our passion. I take

    his knot and as wey connected together, I hope that I am carrying his pup and that very soon, we¡¯ll

    be able to start our own family.

    The next morning, we get up and have breakfast with my family before leaving.

    ¡°When will you have your Luna ceremony, Jara?¡± Hana asks me. Her face is glowing as brightly as I

    expect mine is. My brother, never one to be possessive, has his arm across the back of her chair,

    watching over her protectively.

    ¡°Mason and I decided to have it soon, so we¡¯re thinking tomorrow.¡± I say, looking at him.

    He sets his fork down before looking at the group. ¡°You are all invited to watch Jara take her oath to me

    and take her ce as Luna to our pack. We¡¯d be happy to have you.¡± He says and I reach under the

    table, taking his hand, squeezing it.

    My mother looks at my father. ¡°We appreciate the invitation. We¡¯d love to see our daughter take her

    rightful position as the Luna of thergest pack in the country.¡± My father says.

    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll make sure to have a room made up for you.¡± He says before turning to Seth.

    Seth is looking at Hana. ¡°I¡¯d like to go. Jara has been there for me, and I¡¯d like to be there for her.¡± Seth

    looks back at us. ¡°Can you make that two rooms?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d be happy to. And, of course, you¡¯re wee to stay as long as you¡¯d like.¡± He says, reaffirming

    to me and my parents that he won¡¯t keep me away from them.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    After breakfast, we head to my new home. I¡¯m excited to see where I will be living.

    As we drive, I look at Mason. ¡°Do you think our pack members will be as weing to me as Seth¡¯s

    were to Hana?¡± I ask.

    Title of the document

    He nces at me before turning back to the road. ¡°You mean, will they all try to be as close to you as

    possible?¡± He asks. So, he had noticed it too. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, he¡¯s a good Alpha which means

    he has to see and understand what is going on around him at all times.

    ¡°Yes. I mean, Seth¡¯s pack had my mother, M and me for a long time and they still seem so¡­needy

    toward Hana.¡±

    He clenches his teeth together. ¡°Your pack had a luxury that most packs never have, Jara. Three

    females for years and now another to rece you, a Luna for their pack? My pack hasn¡¯t had that. I¡¯ve

    had to put too many of my pack members down because we didn¡¯t have a female to keep the feral-

    fever away. Ste is wonderful, but as a previous omega and a Gamma female, her impact has mostly

    been toward Joe, my Gamma.¡±

    He nces at me again. ¡°We¡¯ve needed a Luna to impact the entire pack. And you¡¯re so strong, I know

    our pack will flourish with you by my side.¡± He says thest part with a mix of reverence for me and

    relief for his pack. He reaches out, taking my hand, pulling it to his mouth to kiss before setting it on his

    lap, our lingers intertwined.

    As we get closer to the pack, the forest be denser, and I can see the mountains in the distance.

    The forest is lush, and the mountains are snow-capped. It¡¯s a beautifulndscape.

    When we arrive, there is already a ton of fanfare. As soon as we pass the pack borders, the howls go

    up and wolves begin rushing from everywhere to escort our car to the packhouse.

    When we pull up, I gasp. Mason¡¯s packhouse is easily four times the size of Seth¡¯s. It¡¯s huge and looks

    like a mansion with a circr driveway that brings us up to the front of the house. Not only is it

    extremelyrge, but it sits at the foot of the mountain range. It¡¯s magnificent.

    ¡°Wow.¡± I say.

    ¡°You like it?¡± Mason asks me softly. I can¡¯t tell my answer is really important to him. He wants me to be

    happy here.

    ¡°I love it. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±

    He smiles at me before stepping out of the car. When he does, he growls at his pack. ¡°Give her some

    space.¡± He says and while the excited yipping doesn¡¯t stop, the wolves all push back to give me some

    room to step out of the car.

    Mason rushes around the ear and I can tell he¡¯s not happy to have me surrounded by this many

    unmated males. I wrap one hand around his arm and lift my other hand to let them know I want to

    speak. When the noise dies down, I address my pack for the first time.

    ¡°Hello everyone. If you haven¡¯t heard, my name is Jara. Your Alpha caught me in the iming.¡±

    I¡¯m interrupted with howls and yips of excitement. I look up at Mason and he is looking at me with a

    smug smile on his face.

    ¡°To be fair, your future Luna nearly walked out of the iming without anyone¡¯s mark on her. I was

    lucky to im her.¡± He says, pride in his voice.

    The howling and yipping get even louder. I turn back to the group, lifting my hand again. This time, they

    settle down more quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know all of you and bing part of this pack.¡± I look at Mason

    before turning back. ¡°Mason and I have decided to have my Luna ceremony tomorrow, so that I can

    officially be part of your pack and your Luna as quickly as possible.¡±

    There¡¯s more excited howling and yipping as Mason gets our bags from the car. ¡°Hey, I could use some

    help here. Your Luna is moving in after all.¡±

    Suddenly there is a flurry of movement as everyone seems to shift back at once, causing Mason to

    growl low in his chest. It didn¡¯t ur to him that now all these unmated males would be n*ake*d while

    surrounding me.

    As we make our way to the steps of the packhouse, I begin feeling the males brushing against me and

    it¡¯s exactly like what Hana said. They want to show their love and submission to me and feel my

    eptance of them. When we get to the top of the stairs. I¡¯m still being crowded, and Mason is losing

    his patience with his pack.

    I put my fingers to my lips and whistle a shrill whistle, making everyone stop and look at me.

    ¡°Alright everyone, I need two lines.¡± I point straight out with both of my arms.

    I turn, giving Mason a quick kiss. ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    I begin moving down the stairs organizing the groups of men. When I get to the end, I turn. Mason is

    watching me from the top of the stairs. He has set our bags down on the ground, waiting to see what

    I¡¯m going to do.

    I look back at the men I¡¯ve a*s*sembled into two lines. ¡°I know you all want to touch me, to feel my

    eptance of you, but it¡¯s making your Alpha nervous, so instead, hold out your hands and I¡¯m going

    to run down the center and touch each of your hands with mine.¡±

    That gets the group instantly settled and they all get into two straight lines putting their hands out at hip

    level. I extend my hands out from my body, pushing my aura out before slowly jogging down the center

    of the group, touching every pack member on my way. This way, there¡¯s no jostling and no one gets left

    out.

    When I get to the stairs, I see Elijah is thest person. ¡°Hello Elijah.¡± I smile at him.

    ¡°Wee home, Luna.¡± He says before turning to the group. ¡°To our new Luna!¡± He shouts and the

    howls go up again, but my eyes are focused on Mason. He has a strange look on his face, surprise, or

    something else, but it¡¯s the pride in his eyes that has me unable to look away until I reach him, and he

    pulls me into a passionate kiss.

    The yipping and howling gets even louder as I kiss my mate and ept him in front of the entire pack.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    While I love how excited my pack is to have Jara here, it¡¯s making me antsy that they want to be so

    close to her. I know that will settle the longer she¡¯s here, but we¡¯re newly mated and after fighting so

    hard to get her, it¡¯s hard to befortable with so many unmated males around her, even if they are

    my pack members.

    After she kisses me in front of my pack, the echoes of their excitement in my ears, I feel better. She

    made a point to give them what they needed, her attention and touch and then she showed everyone

    that she belongs to me. It went a long way to soothing my unease.

    Title of the document

    When we walk inside the packhouse, I see her looking around, a*s*sessing the space. I¡¯m very

    interested in knowing what she thinks but I want to let her digest it all first.

    I lead her up the stairs to the third floor in the center of the packhouse. This is our space. The only

    rooms in this section of the house are mine, or ours. It overlooks the pool, the forest and the mountains

    in the distance. There are other third floor rooms, but they don¡¯t connect. Elijah has a section of rooms

    on the right side of the house and Joe and Ste have a section of rooms on the third floor on the left

    side of the house. The second floor runs the entire length of the house, and our warriors and omegas

    live there.

    The first floor has a living room for pack events, dining hallrge enough to seat nearly 300 individuals,

    a huge kitchen that runs nearly non-stop every day, offices and conference rooms. In the back yard

    there is arge pool for rxing and behind that is an area for training. Beyond that, you get into the

    forest and the mountain range. The pack lies on 100 acres ofnd, mostly in the mountains, so our

    wolves can get lots of exercise and have room to run.

    We drop our things in our room. ¡°Feel free to make this room yours. Obviously, it¡¯s only been me since I

    became Alpha, and I want it to feel like home for you too.¡± I tell her.

    She doesn¡¯t say anything, just continues to a*s*sess. When she¡¯s done, she turns back to me.

    ¡°Can you show me the rest of the packhouse?¡± She asks.

    I take her through the levels, exining everything to her and answering any questions she has as we

    go.

    When we¡¯re standing in the front entry way again, she turns to me. ¡°Well, it could use a woman¡¯s

    touch.¡± She says, hands on her hips.

    I huge smile spreads across my face. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that. After seeing what you have in

    Seth¡¯s pack, I think our pack would respond well to something simr.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving me free rein?¡± She asks, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Absolutely. Put your mark on it, make it yours and make it homey for our pack.¡± I tell her, watching her

    closely.

    She does a full turn, looking around the space again before nodding. ¡°I think my mother needs to spend

    a week here, helping me make some changes.¡±

    I shrug. ¡°Whatever you want, love. I¡¯m sure Ste would want to help, too.¡±

    She throws herself into my arms, kissing me again. When she pulls back, she runs her fingers through

    my hair. ¡°Man, did I hit the jackpot with you.¡±

    I lean down, kissing her nose. ¡°That feeling is definitely mutual. Now, let¡¯s start nning a Luna

    ceremony. We only have one day.¡±

    Jara calls her mother, telling her she¡¯d like her to stay and help her bring ¡®warmth¡¯ to the packhouse.

    Her word, not mine. I could hear her mother squealing through the phone. Then Jara went to the

    kitchens to see what food we had. When she returned, she gives me a look.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s been running that kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Joe, maybe Ste, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Can you mind link Ste to meet me in the kitchen then, please.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± I do and return to ns for getting a stage set up, music and an after party.

    After seeing Seth¡¯s pack¡¯s excitement, I want to make this a grand event, one that everyone in the pack

    will remember the rest of their lives. It¡¯s a true reason to celebrate.

    That night, we fall into bed exhausted. The next morning, we¡¯re up early, getting things set up. When

    Jara¡¯s parents, Seth and Hana arrive, I felt like my pack was going to go into meltdown having three

    strong females in our packhouse. It¡¯s something we¡¯ve never had before, and it only adds to the

    already festive mood that is starting to build.

    We put her parents in a room on our floor, knowing they¡¯d be staying for a while and Seth and Hana on

    Elijah¡¯s floor. As soon as they are settled, Hana and Jara¡¯s mother, Nina, go into decorating mode.

    Apparently, what I thought was eptable for a Luna ceremony wasn¡¯t close to what they thought

    would be appropriate.

    Later that afternoon, I¡¯m getting ready, putting on one of several suits that I own. Jara told me she was

    wearing a ck dress with white beaded design around the waist, so I¡¯m going with a ck suit and

    white button-down shirt to match her. When I step out of our walk-in closet, I stop, looking at the most

    beautiful woman in the world.

    She turns, looking at me as she puts herrge hoop earring in her ears.

    ¡°What?¡± She says, frowning at me.

    ¡°You, my Luna, take my breath away.¡±

    She walks into my arms, her heels making her much closer to my height and puts her arms around my

    neck. ¡°After tonight, there¡¯s no going back.¡±

    ¡°There was no going back the moment I sank my canines into your neck, my love. You¡¯re mine, and I¡¯m

    yours and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    She gives me a quick peck on the lips. ¡°Don¡¯t try giving me a real kiss, I¡¯ll just have to reapply my

    lipstick and you¡¯ll have to clean it off your lips.¡±

    ¡°It might be worth it.¡± I say, running my nose over the side of her throat, smelling her sweet cream

    scent.

    She lifts her neck, giving me, full ess and I go hard as a rock. I slide my tongue up the front of her

    throat. ¡°How much time do we have?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Not enough.¡± She says breathily, still not pulling away from me.

    ¡°Later then, when I can hear every thought you¡¯re having, we¡¯ll start right here.¡± I say, gently nipping her

    throat.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± She says before lowering her head and looking at me, her pupils dark with desire.

    Her dress is a one-shoulder dress, so rather than kissing her luscious lips, I reach down and kiss her

    bare shoulder.

    ¡°Soon.¡± I say, before pulling away.

    ¡°Not soon enough.¡± She says before turning, leaving the scent of sweet cream and nutmeg lingering in

    the air. I love that our room already smells like her.

    I walk her downstairs, then leave her at the back door of the packhouse as I move to the stage. I have

    to admit, Hana and Nina did an amazing job of decorating. There are twinkling lights, flowers and other

    decorations that definitely add a warmth to the event.

    When I walk on stage, I see that every member of our pack is here in attendance. I¡¯ve even given the

    patrols an hour oft¡¯ to be here. They are standing around the audience and the stage as guards, but I

    wanted everyone to be here for this special asion.

    When Jara begins walking down the center aisle, toward the stage, I can¡¯t take my eyes off of her. It¡¯s

    surreal to know that this amazing woman is mine and in just a few moments, she¡¯ll officially be a

    member of my pack.

    When she climbs onto the stage, I take her hand.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡± She says confidently.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    As I stand in front of the Winter¡¯s Bite pack, listening to Mason as he says the ceremonial words about

    me bing their Luna, I feel love and warmth spread through me. I am finally taking my ce as a

    leader in my own pack.

    When Mason turns to me, slicing his hand and letting his blood drip into the ceremonial cup, my hands

    twitch with my need to make our final connection a reality.

    Title of the document

    I say the words that will make me their Luna, swearing to love and cherish them, honoring my mate and

    Alpha and my pack above all.

    He hands me the cup, his fingers rubbing the backs of my hands as he watches me drink his blood.

    The moment the connection is made I rush to tell him how I feel.

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    We both say it through the mind link at the same time. Then weugh and I throw my arms around him,

    kissing him passionately in front of the pack. Wolf whistles and howls echo into the night, but I don¡¯t

    care. This pack needs to know that I love this man with all my heart, and I n to make sure I¡¯m the

    best Luna this pack has ever seen.

    Then it¡¯s my turn to slice my hand and drip my blood into the ceremonial cup. It takes time for every

    pack member toe, swearing their loyalty to me, drinking my blood and opening the mind link

    connection. But when it¡¯s done, I can hear the low-level buzzing of excitement and happiness from the

    entire pack.

    My mother and Hana had moved the area of the party to the pool, saying it¡¯s a much more festive

    atmosphere than the training field. They were right, of course, and the music pumping through the

    speakers only adds to the celebration.

    That night, I dance with nearly every member of the pack, promising those that had to return to their

    patrols that I would make it up to them. It¡¯s early in the morning when Mason and I finally get back to

    our room and while I¡¯m exhausted, I still want to finish what we started earlier.

    When Mason goes into the closet to change out of his clothes, I take off my dress, leaving myce

    thong and heels on. Because the dress was a one-shoulder dress, I hadn¡¯t worn a bra tonight.

    When he walks out of the closet, he stops short, he eyes going ck and a low growl rumbling in his

    chest. Never taking my eyes off of him, I lift my neck and point to the center. ¡°I believe this is where we

    left off earlier, Alpha.¡±

    He begins prowling toward me, hunting me as I knew he would.

    ¡°You are sexy as f*uc*k, standing there half-n*ake*d.¡± He growls through the mind link. I can feel his

    desire, feel his love for me and it¡¯s only adding to my own for him.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I reply coyly in the mind link, leaving my neck exposed, I let my finger slide down my

    throat, to my chest and over my b*reas*t. The growling intensifies.

    He reaches out his hands, rubbing his thumbs over my n*ipp*les that have already peaked into hard

    nubs. My body jerks in pleasure as I stand before him. His mouth starts at my throat, working his way

    down until he swirls his tongue around my n*ipp*le, before s*ucking it into his mouth.

    ¡°Mason.¡± I moan through the mind link. I don¡¯t need to speak out loud now, he can hear my thoughts

    and I can hear his. The growling in his mind is only getting louder the longer he touches me, the

    vibrations from his chest tickling my other n*ipp*le.

    My hand goes into his hair, tugging as his hand slides down my stomach and over the top of my

    panties between my thighs.

    ¡°Always so wet for me.¡± He says through the mind link.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, my mate is a hot, s*e*xy man.¡± I reply as he pushes my panties aside and slides a finger

    inside me. Since he¡¯s still bent over, sucking my n*ipp*le, I scratch my nails over his back, feeling his

    hair stand on end at the sensation.

    He leans forward, grabbing my thighs and lifting me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as his lips

    crash against mine. He walks me to the bed and sets me down, turning me around so I¡¯m facing the

    bed while he stands behind me.

    His body presses against mine, the heat of his skin against my bare back warming me. ¡°Bend over.¡± He

    whispers in my ear.

    I do as he says, looking at him over my shoulder. His hands rub up my back, slowly, reverently, before

    sliding back down and over my a*s*s cheeks. He smacks my a*s*s. ¡°Spread your legs for me.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    I do as he asks, and he puts his hand on my lower back, gently pushing down, forcing my body into an

    arch. As he holds me there, he slides his finger between my a*s*s cheeks until he gets to the soaked

    area of my panties again. He pushes the thong aside, this time sliding two fingers inside me.

    The feeling is different than the other times and my back begins to arch on its own, wanting to take his

    fingers deeper. The hand on my backes around and begins rubbing circles on my c*lit.

    I fist the nket on the bed, trying to stay quiet, but he feels so good and he¡¯s quickly bringing me to

    my peak. When he slides the third finger in, it pushes me over the edge, and I pull the nket up to my

    face as I scream my release.

    My inner walls are still contracting, my body shivering when he pulls his fingers out and holding my

    panties aside, he slides his long hard length inside me.

    When my body continues contracting around him, he growls his pleasure before grabbing my hips and

    thrusting hard and fast inside me. Almost instantly, I feel the pleasure beginning to build. My body

    arching hard wanting to take him even deeper.

    ¡°Again.¡± He growls, increasing his pace, making me whimper as my body takes the pleasure he¡¯s giving

    me. This time when I explode, I see stars, my entire body contracting with the force of my o*rgas*m

    and my pussy walls contracting hard around his length.

    As Ie down, he slows his thrusts. ¡°I need to know if you want my knot, Jara.¡±

    I look at him over my shoulder again. ¡°Yes.¡± I say, pushing back against him.

    He pulls out of me, and I whimper from the loss.

    ¡°Just a moment, my insatiable mate.¡± He says as he nips my a*s*s cheek before leaning around me

    and unhooking my shoes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t knot you in this position, we¡¯d have to stand here until my knot goes back down.¡± He pulls my

    shoes off. Then, while still kneeling behind me, he slides my panties down and I step out of them.

    He stands up, sliding his hands up my sides. I lean back and I can feel his hard length, still wet from

    being inside me, pressing against my back.

    ¡°You seemed to like that position.¡± He says, his handsing around and tweaking and tugging on my

    n*ipp*les. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    ¡°Good, then get on the bed andy on your side, facing away from me.¡±

    I crawl up on the bed, making sure to present my a*s*s to him as I pull the nkets back. I yelp when

    his mouthtches onto my pussy lips, his tongue sliding inside me.

    When he¡¯s tasted me to his satisfaction, he pulls back, looking at me. ¡°Don¡¯t offer it if you¡¯re not willing

    to give it to me, love.¡±

    Now it¡¯s my turn to growl. A hungry, possessive growl that this sexy man is mine.

    Iy on the bed as he instructed, and heys behind me. His hand pulls my a*s*s cheeks apart and he

    guides his length back inside me. I arch again, already knowing he¡¯s going to bring me back to my

    exquisite pleasure.

    He leans forward and kisses the back of my neck. ¡°I love you, Jara.¡± He says before grabbing my hips

    and pounding into me. I don¡¯t have a minute to catch my breath and he brings me up and over, up and

    over and by the time he shoots his warm cum, coating my insides and knotting me, I¡¯m a whimpering

    mess.

    He pulls me against him before reaching to grab the sheets and nket, pulling them over us. He

    slides one arm under my head and wraps the other around my waist. ¡°Sleep well, my Luna.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next morning when I wake, I¡¯m still wrapped around Jara. Somehow, even after my knot went

    down, I stayed inside her. It only takes a moment before I¡¯m hard again, so I wake my mate, slowly,

    bringing her to her o*rgas*m before I release in her again.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    The thought that she is already carrying my pup hits me hard and I nuzzle her neck, kissing her before I

    slide out of her and get out of bed. ¡°Where are you going?¡± She asks me, her voice raspy from

    screamingst night and moaning this morning.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I need to find out when the Alpha meeting will be and where it will be held this year. If only half of the

    unmated males came out of the iming, it means some packs will have to be a*s*simted by others

    and we¡¯ll have to rea*s*sess boundary lines again.¡±

    She sits up, letting the sheet fall to her waist. I¡¯m tempted to crawl back into bed and take her again,

    but I really do have work to do.

    ¡°Do you do this every year?¡± She says, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her

    hand. I¡¯m starting to realize that this is a very Jara thing to do in the morning. ¡°Yes, every year after the

    iming, we evaluate the pack standings and which ones are no longerrge enough to survive on

    their own. There is also the issue of those that have lost theirst ranked member and only warriors

    and omegas are left. They also need to be a*s*simted into a new pack.

    I walk back to the bed and kiss her sweet lips. ¡°And you, my mate, have a mother to meet with and a

    packhouse to ¡®warm¡¯.¡± I say, using air quotes. ¡°Yes, and Seth and Hana will be leaving today. I want to

    make ns to get together with Hana soon.¡±

    ¡°And you and I need to start writing up our petition to change the iming. You need to think about

    what you want changed from the female¡¯s perspective. Talk to Hana before she leaves today and start

    making a list.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. Mason.¡± She says, crawling out of bed.

    I start walking to the bathroom but turn and look at her. ¡°I know.¡± I say giving her an arrogant smile.

    She just shakes her head at me before following me into the shower. We¡¯re showered, dressed and

    downstairs 45 minutester. I can tell my entire pack is dragging after thete nightst night, but

    everyone is in good spirits.

    Jara goes around to each table, saying good morning to everyone before finallying to sit at our

    table with Seth, Hana and her parents. While Jara begins talking to Hana and her mother, I turn to Seth

    and Phillip.

    ¡°Before you leave Seth, I wanted to let you know that Jara and I n to petition the Elder Council to

    change the way they manage the iming. I¡¯ve asked Jara to work with Hana to give me input on the

    female side, but I¡¯d like yours from the Alpha side. I¡¯ll add all of ourints and suggestions into

    one petition and submit it to Elder Jason.¡±

    ¡°Who is Elder Jason?¡± Phillip asks.

    ¡°He came in after we basically insisted that Elder Carson be fired when that hole incident happened to

    the omega, Layan.¡± Seth tells him.

    ¡°Jason Nen?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, are you Mason?¡± Seth asks.

    ¡°No, but I know he¡¯s on the Council. He¡¯s a good Alpha and a good Elder. He is just as unhappy with

    the events of this year¡¯s iming as we are and he agrees that if things continue as they are, that our

    species will be extinct in a couple of decades.¡±

    ¡°How many pack members did you lose this year?¡± Phillip asks me. ¡°Thankfully, only a handful. How

    about you?¡± I ask Seth.

    ¡°Same. But if only half of the unmated males came out of Jara¡¯s iming, then some packs will be

    decimated.¡±

    ¡°I agree. I need to find out when the

    Council meeting will be. I n to give Elder Jason my petition at that time.¡± ¡°Let me know what you

    need. I¡¯m trying to get caught up after being gone so long. Thankfully, Dad watched over the pack and

    ran things for me, but there are still things I need to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Understood. My Gamma watched things here for me, but I have to get caught up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to help while I¡¯m here. My mate will be helping Jara add ¡®warmth¡¯,¡± Phillip uses air quotes

    like I did earlier, ¡°to your packhouse, so I won¡¯t really have anything to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate any a*s*sistance you want to provide. I think this petition will be very important and it¡¯s

    also going to be a big battle with the Elders.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to get the other Alphas on board.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°I think Alpha Asher and Alpha Antonio will be on board. I don¡¯t know which others are left. We¡¯ll have

    to wait for the Alpha meeting.¡±

    Seth turns and looks at me. ¡°Will you be bringing Jara? I know I don¡¯t want to leave Hana so soon after

    marking and mating, even for a few days.¡±

    ¡°That feeling never goes away.¡± Phillip says, looking at his mate.

    I smile at that. I can¡¯t imagine ever wanting to be away from Jara.

    ¡°Hey, Jara.¡± I say, getting her attention. ¡°Yes.¡± She says, her smile radiant, her eyes full of love.

    ¡°Would you be willing to go to the Alpha meeting with me?¡±

    She raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°As an Alpha, I would be offended if I wasn¡¯t invited.¡±

    I can¡¯t help butugh at my mate. I turn to Seth. ¡°I guess that¡¯s a yes.¡±

    ¡°It better be a yes for me too.¡± Hana says, giving Seth a hard look.

    He puts his hands up in front of himself in a cating gesture. ¡°I¡¯m the one that asked about it, baby.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to know that I raised a smart man and that my daughter has mated with one as well.¡± Nina

    says, looking at us.

    ¡°My sons, let me give you a piece of advice that¡¯s well known, but is worth repeating. Words that I have

    lived by and have kept the peace all my life. ¡®If momma ain¡¯t happy, ain¡¯t nobody happy.¡¯ Live by that

    manta and you¡¯ll do just fine.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    After saying goodbye to Hana and Seth, with ns to talk to Hana in a couple of days about her ideas

    for our petition, I head back inside, finding my mother.

    She and I walk into the main living area in the packhouse. ¡°It needs a woman¡¯s touch.¡± She says to me,

    looking around.

    Title of the document

    Iugh. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I told Mason.¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± She asks me.

    I continue looking around the space, a*s*sessing it. ¡°We need pictures. I¡¯ll have to find out if we have

    any that we could blow up and put in here. If not, maybe dad can take some of the surrounding area

    while you¡¯re here. It definitely needs some nts or something green to make it feel warmer¡­¡±

    ¡°And those lights.¡± My mother says, frowning at the bright, harsh lights in the room.

    ¡°Yes, the lights. Something warmer, softer, but still bright enough to use this room as a ce to spend

    time together.¡±

    As we¡¯re talking, Mason and Elijahe up behind us. Mason immediately wraps his arms around me,

    leaning down to kiss the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯m giving you Elijah to help with whatever you need.¡±

    I turn and look at Elijah, giving him a mischievous grin be- fore rubbing my hands together in evil viin

    fashion.

    ¡°Alpha, I¡¯m not sure I like that look in our Luna¡¯s eyes.¡±

    But Mason is looking at my mother. Since I got the look, from her, I can only imagine she looks just like

    I do.

    ¡°She¡¯s not the only one you have to worry about.¡± And Elijah looks at my mother to see the same look.

    His eyes go wide and Mason leans down to my ear. ¡°Don¡¯t break my Beta.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s tough, Alpha. I¡¯m sure he can handle it.¡± I sayughing. ¡°And, actually, this works well because I

    was hoping to divide and conquer. I realized yesterday that Ste has no clue how to manage a

    kitchen, so I wanted to start looking at scheduling shifts, doing some meal nning and mixing up the

    meals that you seem to have on repeat here.¡±

    ¡°Thank the goddess.¡± Elijah says as some other pack members who were nearby and overheard begin

    pping and hooting. Apparently, they are bored with the same meals that they get week after week.

    When I had spoken to Ste, she had admitted that when she was an omega, she worked as a cleaner

    in the packhouse. She knew nothing of managing a kitchen or food service. She¡¯s done the best she

    can, but she¡¯s excited for the help and change.

    I snicker before turning back to Mason. ¡°So, technically, Elijah is a*s*signed to mom and I¡¯m taking

    Ste and reorganizing the kitchens.¡±

    He reaches into his pocket. ¡°Who gets my credit card?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Me!¡± My mom says, snatching it out of his hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous, Mason. Giving my mate your credit card.¡± Phillip says,ing over to join our

    group.

    ¡°Oh, you!¡± Nina says, swatting my father on his chest with the back of her hand. He grabs it, pulling it to

    him mouth and kissing it. She blushes and I turn back to Mason. He¡¯s giving me a knowing look. I

    apparently blush just like my mother. Elijah begins shifting ufortably, being the only un- mated

    male in the group. ¡°Okay, Mom, you¡¯re in charge or redecorating the living area. Elijah, you¡¯re with

    mom. I¡¯ll find Ste and get started on the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Ste saysing over with her mate, Joe.

    I send mom off with Elijah, knowing she¡¯ll being back with a truck load of things to decorate the

    living area. I pull Ste into the kitchen and by dinner, we¡¯re exhausted, but happy.

    I made a new meal n for the week and sent out a couple of omegas to get the food for tonight. Just

    before dinner, I walk into the living area to see how thing are going. I¡¯m shocked to see that my mom

    has about 30 of my pack members working as she stands around directing them and pointing at where

    she wants things.

    The first thing I notice is that they all seem rxed and happy, the mood in the room is a lot of rowdy

    bantering. The second thing I notice is that every one of them goes out of their way to be close to my

    mother and is constantly looking for her approval. I had the same experience in the kitchens. It¡¯s as if

    the pack is desperate for female interaction and eptance.

    As I watch, I also notice my mother puts her hands on the men as they pass her. Simple touches, like a

    hand on their back as she points to where she wants them to put something or a hand on their shoulder

    as she passes them. The impact her simple touches are having in huge.

    That night at dinner, everyone cheers for the rotisserie chicken I decided to make. Apparently, they¡¯ve

    been living on steak, pork and potatoes, for way too long. I had included a pasta sd, cole w and

    some slow cooked baked beans with brown sugar and bacon. The result was that they were eating,

    well, like a pack of wolves. Nothing is left over at the end of the night and the atmosphere in the room

    remains cheerful and festive.

    ¡°One day.¡± Mason says, shaking his head. ¡°One day and you and your mother have already made such

    a huge impact on the pack. I knew you would, but I had no idea it would be so fast.¡± Mason says, sitting

    next to me, looking out at the rowdyughter in the pack.

    I have to admit, it¡¯s a big difference from my first day where there was a lot of tense excitement. This

    feels like the emotions have calmed, but the happiness has increased. It¡¯s a good feeling.

    ¡°It will get better. I¡¯ve been watching my mother and making notes. I think it¡¯s good that she¡¯s here this

    week. It takes some of the pressure off of me and she¡¯s a natural at it. I have a lot to learn.¡± I say,

    watching the pack members.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re a natural too. She¡¯s just been managing a pack longer than you have. She¡¯s got years of

    experience being a Luna. You¡¯ll get there, love.¡± Three dayster the living area has be the new

    congregation area for the pack. Now there are usually 50 pack members in the room at any given time.

    Once my mother finished there, she started working on the othermunity areas, such as the dining

    room, bathroom and conference rooms.

    I¡¯ve continued to help Ste establish a process for man- aging the kitchens in a way that she can

    continue when I step out and move on to other duties.

    I¡¯m walking toward the conference room where my moth- er is currently working when several pack

    members step in front of me. ¡°Luna, may we have a word?¡±

    I look at them and I realize all ten of them are from Typhon¡¯s pack. I¡¯m not sure what Mason feels from

    me, but he¡¯s instantly alert in my mind. ¡°Jara, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I reply tentatively.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Downstairs. I¡¯m okay, Mason.¡±

    I refocus on the men in front of me. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±

    They all look at each other a moment before turning back.

    ¡°We want you to know that we¡¯re very sorry about what happened to your sister. She was a good

    Luna.¡±

    ¡°She was kind to us.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t protect her like we should have. We should have done more.¡± ¡°We want you to know that we

    won¡¯t let you down. We¡¯re d to be away from Alpha Typhon.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Mason is a better Alpha than Alpha Typhon. We know he would never hurt you, but if anyone

    else tries to hurt you, we¡¯ll protect you with our lives.¡±

    ¡°We wanted you to know this and we wanted to thank you for giving us a chance to a part of this pack.¡±

    I¡¯m about to respond when Masones around the corner walking fast,ing to stand behind me.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He says, his tone sharp, his aura strong.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    They all bare their throats to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mason. They wanted to apologize for what happened to M, and to let me know they

    appreciate being given a chance to be a part of this pack.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Having a m*ntal connection to Jara has helped to soothe my wolf¡¯s need to be near her. I keep a

    constant line open for her, always wanting to know what she¡¯s feeling. So, when a current of unease

    and fear runs through her mind, I feel it immediately. It¡¯s so unusual for her, that I¡¯m up and moving be-

    fore I even reach out to her.

    It¡¯s all I can do not to run to her. Her unease begins to fade, but I need to know what caused it. When I

    turn the corner and see her surrounded by the ten wolves that I brought over from Typhon¡¯s pack, I¡¯m

    even more concerned. So, it¡¯s not surprising that my aura rips out of me, ready to kill these men if they

    are threatening my mate.

    Title of the document

    When Jara tells me that they wanted to apologize, I pull my aura back, but I¡¯m still ready to fight and kill

    them if they are lying.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    One of the warriors, finally speaks. ¡°We were telling Luna Jara that we would give our lives for her. We

    let our previous Luna down. We won¡¯t let her down, Alpha. And we know that you won¡¯t hurt her the

    way that Alpha Typhon hurt Luna M. I snarl at that. ¡°I would never hurt my mate.¡± The thought that

    they are evenparing me to Typhon aggravates me.

    ¡°We know that Alpha, and we¡¯re very d to be in a pack where the Alpha respects his Luna as he

    should. That¡¯s all we meant.¡±

    ¡°Was there anything else?¡± I ask them.

    They look at each other before looking back at me. ¡°No, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Ask your question, warrior. You already said my mate isn¡¯t like your previous Alpha. If you want to

    know something, ask.¡± Jara tells him.

    I pull her against me, needing to know that she¡¯s safe. I feel her sending calming waves through our

    mind link.

    ¡°It¡¯s just we were wondering if anyone has learned any- thing more about Alpha Typhon.¡± The one

    warrior asks.

    Jara turns her head and looks up at me.

    ¡°No.¡± I tell them. ¡°All we know is that his body was never found in the iming territory. Everyone has

    been ounted for except for him. I don¡¯t know how that¡¯s possible, given the injuries he sustained, but

    we do know he hasn¡¯t returned to his pack. Elder Jason sent another Elder there to oversee the pack

    since Typhon is missing and his Beta is dead.¡±

    ¡°We had no Gamma. He diedst year in the iming and Alpha Typhon never brought anyone else in

    to rece his position.¡± ¡°There can¡¯t be many pack members left.¡± Jara says. ¡°After my sister died, I

    heard that your unmated pack members started going feral in rming numbers. How many mated

    males are in your pack?¡±

    ¡°Only a handful. Most are older, having found their mates a long time ago. There are some young

    males, not yet of age. Now that we have left the pack and the others that went into the iming are

    dead, there can¡¯t be more than 30 pack members left.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll know more after the Alpha meeting in a few days, but I wouldn¡¯t expect any news about your former

    Alpha. Hopeful- ly, someone will be willing to absorb your previous pack members. I guess you¡¯ll need

    to decide if you want to stay here or move where they go.¡± I say, wondering if they are really willing to

    stay here and be part of my pack.

    They all look at each other.

    ¡°I want to stay.¡± One says.

    ¡°Me too.¡± Another agrees and they all say they want to stay.

    ¡°Okay, then I won¡¯t offer you up to other packs that may need to increase their numbers to continue as

    a pack.¡± I say. That¡¯s how it works at the Alpha meeting. Packs realign or ab- sorb other packs so they

    can remain in an official pack status. ¡°Also, Alpha, Luna¡­ if Alpha Typhon hasn¡¯t been found, we

    should be on the lookout for him. I don¡¯t know what state he¡¯s in, but he wanted Luna Jara. It¡¯s possible

    he¡¯s gone feral, but if so, he¡¯ll stille for her. He had no intention of walking out of the iming

    without her. He was willing to lose every one of us to do it. If he¡¯s going to lose his pack, he has nothing

    to lose by trying to take Luna Jara from us.¡±

    It¡¯s insightful and makes me think that they really do care about Jara and this pack. ¡°Thank you for the

    information. I will definitely take it under advisement and discuss patrols with Beta Elijah.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. Luna.¡± They say, bowing in deference before moving away. She waits until they are

    out of ear shot.

    ¡°I told you I was okay, Mason.¡± She says, turning in my arms, her hands resting on my biceps.

    ¡°What you said and what you were feeling were two very different things, Jara.¡± She looks at my shirt

    and begins to absently y with a button. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to expect from them when they stepped

    out in front of me. They let my sister die, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could trust them. So, whatever you felt was

    me thinking they were here, working for Typhon to bring me to him.¡±

    I run a finger over her cheek and under her chin, lifting her head to look at me. ¡°They¡¯d be foolish to

    think they could get you out of this pack without every pack member fighting to the death to save you.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, it will nevere to that.¡± I agree, but the thought that Typhon may be out there, feral,

    looking for Jara, doesn¡¯t sit well with me.

    ¡°What are you working on, Mason? I was just about to check on my mother, beforeing to see you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what your mother has my Beta doing today.¡± I say, chuckling. Elijah told me that Luna

    Nina, while kind and amazing to the pack members, is a task master when ites to getting things

    done.

    ¡°I only have one week.¡± Elijah had said to me in Nina¡¯s voice earlier today. I had snorted coffee out of

    my nose.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    The iming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I could feel Mason¡¯s concern for me, and then his anger when he thought I was being threatened. But it

    was when his feelings turned to awe that I got confused. Then, it was like his love came blowing

    through my mind, a windstorm of love and happiness. It¡¯s addicting, feeling his emotions and knowing

    that these emotions, in particr, are directly rted to me.

    When we walk into the conference room, I realize my mother has everything under control. I didn¡¯t

    expect other- wise. I¡¯m sure that this pack has never seen anything like my mother on a mission. When

    we walk in, Elijah steps up to us, wanting to speak to Mason, and I go to my mother. ¡°You¡¯re doing a

    great job, mom. Perhaps I should hire you on permanently.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°Ha! Your father would never allow that. He¡¯s ready to enjoy our retirement, now that you and your

    brother are settled.¡±

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    I watch as Lewis, one of the pack members my mother had told me about,es over and asks her a

    question about where to ce something. My mother had been keeping me informed of the pack

    members she has concerns about and Lewis has been her highest priority.

    ¡°You¡¯ll learn to feel it, Jara, when they start to go feral. When they do, spend more time with them.

    Being around us, feeling epted and loved helps to keep them sane. You can¡¯t do it forever,

    eventually the feral-fever will take them. But you can give them ten to twenty more years of life before it

    takes them.¡±

    So, when Lewises up to her, seeking her approval and closeness, I step in. ¡°It¡¯s Lewis, right?¡± I

    ask him.

    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡±

    He¡¯s older than I am, closer to Mason¡¯s age, mid-twenties, which is the usual age when pack members

    without a Luna begin going feral.

    ¡°My mother has told me of all the great work you are doing and how you¡¯ve been helping her. Would

    you show me?¡± I ask, knowing my mother will only be here a couple more days and it will be my role to

    see to all of my pack members. His eyes go wide, and his smile is huge. ¡°Yes, Luna. Right this way.¡±

    I follow him, turning to look at Mason and winking at him as he watches me. That feeling of pride and

    awe blossoms through our bond again. I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to worry about him being jealous of the

    attention I¡¯m giving our pack members. He seems to understand that is it my role just as his is to lead

    and protect the pack. As I walk with Lewis, I do as I¡¯ve seen my mother do. I put my hand on his back

    and watch as he shows me all the work he¡¯s been doing for my mother. As soon as my handys on

    his back, I feel the ripple. This must be what my mother means about feeling it. It¡¯s almost as if my

    touch is pushing the darkness out of him, like I put my hand in water and the ripples are pushing out

    and away from my hand. Almost im- mediately, I feel his body rx under my touch.

    I look up at her sharply and she gives me a knowing smile, nodding. She knows what I felt. I nod and

    return my attention back to Lewis. When he¡¯s shown me his work, I begin moving around the room,

    making a point of touching all of my pack members. In some, I can feel a soft ripple, and in others

    nothing. Lewis is definitely the one closest to going feral, at least in this group.

    When I¡¯m done, I walk back to my mother. ¡°You see what I mean now?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Yes. Why¡­.why did I never know this before? I could have helped with Seth¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°His pack had me as well as the presence of you and M for so long that they have been mostly

    stable. By the time they would have gone feral, there was nothing you or anyone could have done

    about it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been rotating most of the pack members to help you over thest few days. Is there anyone

    else that I need to be concerned about?¡±

    ¡°There are a few. I¡¯ll point them out to you, but Lewis was the worst. He¡¯s still fighting it. I¡¯ll keep him

    close while I¡¯m here, but you¡¯ll want to keep a close eye on him until you don¡¯t feel it any longer.¡±

    I watch the room a moment longer, realizing the role that I have as a Luna is muchrger than I ever

    imagined. These men, this pack, is depending on me to keep them sane, at least as long as I can.

    I carry the weight of that with me as I go to find Mason. He left a while ago, seeing that I nned to

    stay. I follow his scent to his office and knock before opening the door to find him and my father with

    their heads together, working on something.

    He looks at me, giving me a questioning look. ¡°Later.¡± I tell him through the mind link as I walk in. It¡¯s

    too much to discuss right now, especially in front of my father. ¡°What are you two so studiously looking

    over?¡± I ask,ing to stand beside Mason, who pulls me into hisp, wrap- ping his arms around my

    waist and looking at the documents on the table as he rests his chin on my shoulder.

    ¡°This is the petition that we have so far.¡±

    I look at what they have put together.

    1)         a*s*sessments will happen within one month of the iming.

    2)         Killing is not allowed and will disqualify the imant from that and all future imings.

    3)         All iming¡¯s, regardless of the rank of the female, will be limited to fifty imants.

    ¡°Why fifty?¡± I ask when I get to #3.

    ¡°ims that have 20 only have men killed because some imants choose to kill theirpetition.

    However, in both Hana¡¯s and your ims, the haze took over because of the number of imants. Fifty

    is a guess based on some of Seth¡¯s feedback of how long it took the haze to take him versus how long

    it took to take me.¡± Mason says.

    I nod and continue to read.

    4)         Males will identify which ims they choose to be in.

    Females will use social gatherings with interested males to choose their own lottery of imants.

    ¡°You put it in here.¡± I say. Hana and I had wanted this. We¡¯d been thinking of Layan and how she would

    have chosen the imants very differently for her iming.

    ¡°Of course, I did. You and Hana should have just as much say as Seth and I do, maybe even more.¡± He

    says, kissing the side of my head.

    The next line is our request as well. It was a huge problem, especially for the omegas. We couldn¡¯t

    cook or we¡¯d give our location away, and if we stayed in human form, eating raw meat is unptable.

    So, as the week went on, we grew weak- er, making it harder for us to avoid capture.

    5)         Females will be given a supply of food when entering the iming.

    6)         Any male who ims a mate will no longer be eligible to participate in future imings.

    Thisst one is about M. Typhon should never have been allowed in this or any iming after

    breeding her to death.

    ¡°These are great.¡± I say, turning to look at Mason and my dad. ¡°This could have a huge impact on

    future iming¡¯s and hopefully ensure the continuation of our species and a better oue with mate

    bonds.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the goal.¡± Mason says to me, pulling me against him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on your mother.¡± My father says before walking out of the room.

    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to send this out to Elder Jason so he can put it on the docket for the Alpha meeting. We¡¯ll

    have to be pre- pared to fight with the Elders, because I know they won¡¯t agree to this. They¡¯ve been

    sitting on their council seats for far too long. They¡¯ve lost sight of what it means to be leaders of our

    community and our species.

    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll just have to make them see that they are wrong, or we¡¯ll have to overthrow their old

    a*ses and rece them with a new council.¡± I say.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Jara and I had said goodbye to her parentsst night. They were returning to Seth¡¯s pack to help

    oversee it while he and Hana are away at the Alpha meeting. I had thanked Nina, letting her know how

    much I appreciate her a*s*sisting in settling my pack. Her presence, along with Jara¡¯s, has made a

    significant difference. Now, there¡¯sughter, camaraderie and a hopefulness that we didn¡¯t have be-

    fore. I know that most of my pack members won¡¯t find their mates. But their life expectancy has nearly

    doubled because I imed Jara as my mate.

    Title of the document

    We arrive at the Alpha meetingte in the day. Since there are 20 packs from around the country, the

    Alpha meeting is usually in a central location at a resort conference center. It would seem like this

    would be a nice opportunity to rx and be together, but since it¡¯s so soon after the iming, and most

    packs will have fewer numbers of wolves, especially this year, it¡¯s usually a stressful environment.

    Because so many of us are traveling long distances, the only event this evening is dinner and drinks.

    Since there will be a much smaller number of unmated males here and Jara is marked, I don¡¯t feel as

    uneasy as I did previously. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that I want unmated Alphas showing her extra

    attention, so I¡¯m still a bit tense about having her here.

    We arrive around an hour before dinner is set to begin. We register for the event, getting our

    information, our room and the schedule for the next few days. I intend to meet with Elder Jason this

    evening to give him my petition. That way, it can be presented during thest day of the meeting. That

    also gives me time to see if other Alphas, specifically Alpha Antonio and Alpha Asher, who imed the

    other two females this year, are willing to support the changes we want to make. Jara and I have just

    enough time to get to our room and change before heading to the dinner reception. We¡¯ve just walked

    in the door when I hear Jara¡¯s name being called.

    We both turn and see Mignon and Asher walking forward us.

    ¡°Mignon!¡± Jara says and they rush into each other¡¯s arms, hugging.

    Asher and I both have smiles on our face for our mates as we greet each other. ¡°How are you, Alpha?¡±

    I ask him. Thest time I saw him, he was a Beta. His Alpha was killed at the end of Jara¡¯s iming. He

    was in the haze and didn¡¯t stop after I marked her. The guards shot and killed him.

    He gives me a knowing look. ¡°I¡¯m good. I¡¯d like to speak with you, at some point this weekend about

    what happened to my Alpha. I¡¯d like to know what really happened so my pack and I can find peace.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to discuss it with you. At least what I know.¡± We turn back to our mates.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure you¡¯d be here.¡± Mignon says to Jara.

    ¡°Hana¡¯sing, too.¡± She says.

    ¡°Yes, I am and look who I found.¡± Hana says, walking up with Annabel.

    The squealing from the four of them reaches dog whistle pitch. I¡¯m not sure a human could hear it, but

    shapeshifters sure can.

    As Seth and Antonio join our group, we all look a little pained from the noise. ¡°Oh, we have to sit

    together.¡± Mignon says, looking at Asher. ¡°We can, right?¡± Asher looks like a deer in headlights. These

    events always have a*s*signed seating and he has no desire to tell his mate no and upset her. ¡°Of

    course, we can.¡± Jara says, confidently. ¡°What are they going to do? Tell us no.

    They begin walking to the tables, finding all of our names and then begin pulling tables together. The

    four of us rush to help them as Elder Stanleyes over. ¡°Ladies, I¡¯m sorry, you can¡¯t do that.¡± He tries

    to tell them.

    Hana and Jara turn on him with matching looks of defiance. If I were the Elder, I¡¯d back down, but, he¡¯s

    just not that smart.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Who¡¯s going to stop us, Elder? You? This is an Alpha meeting, not some school *s*sroom where we

    have a*s*signed seats. We, the girls from the iming, want to sit together, so I suggest that you get

    with the program.¡± Hana says.

    Seth leans over to me. ¡°She¡¯s incredible, isn¡¯t she?¡± He says quietly.

    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± I say, thinking my mate is more incredible, but I won¡¯t say that to Seth.

    ¡°And after the way we were treated during out iming, I¡¯d think you¡¯d be kissing our feet, not trying to

    convince us that we need to be separated from each other.¡± Annabel adds.

    ¡°I knew she¡¯d make one hell of a Luna.¡± Antonio says proudly, watching his mate as she stands her

    ground to the Elder.

    Mignon looks around the room. ¡°Anyone else have a problem with the four of us and our mates sitting

    together?¡± She waits a beat.

    ¡°No?¡± She asks before turning back to Elder Stanley. ¡°If they don¡¯t care, Elder, I can¡¯t imagine why you

    would.¡±

    ¡°So feisty. I knew from the moment she sa*s*sed me on that stage that she would be a perfect mate for

    me.¡± Asher says, smiling at his mate.

    ¡°Elder Stanley, I would suggest that unless you want to make a fool of yourself in front of every Alpha in

    our country, that you ept that we are going to sit together and catch up. Now would be a good time

    for you to make a graceful exit.¡± My mate says kindly, but firmly and there is no denying that she is all

    Alpha. This isn¡¯t a suggestion, it¡¯s amand.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± I say quietly, so only the other three can hear me.

    ¡°How did we get so lucky?¡± Asher asks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care. Just d that I did.¡± Antonio says, moving to wrap his arms around his mate.

    ¡°So, baby, where are we sitting?¡± Seth asks, moving to stand beside Hana.

    ¡°Here.¡± Annabel says as they finish pulling the tables together.

    The girls all sit on one side of the table, across from each other so they can talk, so we sit at the other

    end. It works out for me since I had nned to talk to these Alphas anyway.

    We¡¯re nearly settled, when Jara looks up.

    ¡°Alpha Luke!¡± She says and I turn, seeing Luke walking over to say hi. I have a momentary sh of

    jealousy before I tamp it down. Jara is mine. Luke backed down once his mind cleared of the haze. And

    even though she was willing to have him as a mate, she wanted me.

    I rise to greet him as well. Jara walks to him, giving him a quick hug. His eyes sh to me, wondering if

    I¡¯m going to say or do anything. I nod, letting him know that we¡¯re good.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Jara asks him,ing to stand beside me, wrapping her arm around my waist. I shake

    Luke¡¯s hand before wrapping my arm around Jara¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m good. Being mated looks good on you. On both of you.¡± He says, looking from Jara to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m a lucky man, and I know it.¡± I say to him.

    He nces around before lowering his voice. ¡°Have you heard anything about Typhon?¡±

    ¡°Only that they haven¡¯t found him. I¡¯m hoping to learn more this weekend.¡±

    He nods as Elder Colton begins tapping his spoon on his champagne ss to get our attention.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter. I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± I say to Luke before Jara and I return to

    our table.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    As Mason and I return to our seats, Elder Colton address- es the group. He¡¯s the oldest of the Elders

    and since his mate passed awayst year, he looks every bit his age.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Good evening, everyone.¡± He says, raising his ss to the room. I look around and realize there are

    fewer Alphas that I expected. I know there are 20 packs in the country, so there should be 20 Alphas

    here at the meeting. However, I know that several Alphas are dead or missing, which makes me

    wonder about the others. There can¡¯t be more than 15 packs represented here tonight.

    ¡°Wee to this year¡¯s Alpha meeting. We¡¯re excited to have everyone here. As you all know, we have

    a lot to go over in the next couple of days. We lost several Alphas during this year¡¯s iming, and we

    have several packs with no leadership at all. We will need to evaluate the packs that still have leader-

    ship, officially verify the new Alphas that have been elected into their packs and discuss the

    redistribution of packs for those with no leadership and for those who no longer have enough pack

    members to sustain their pack status.¡±

    ¡°How many pack members have no leadership?¡± One of the Alphas calls out. ¡°There are nearly 300

    pack members that will need to be a*s*simted into new packs.¡±

    I look at Mason and his lips are pressed tightly together. This is a direct result of the iming and all of

    the deaths that urred during this year¡¯s event. Three hundred. That could easily be why the number

    of Alphas here is so low.

    ¡°In addition, the Elder Council has decided that in order to be considered a sustainable pack, you must

    have 50 pack members.¡±

    There is a lot of grumbling among the Alphas, and I look at Mason. ¡°How many were required before?¡±

    I mouth to him.

    ¡°Twenty-five.¡± He mouths back.

    I frown. I wonder why they are changing the requirement for the size of the packs. Is it to force them to

    take some of the ones that are now packless or to reduce the number of packs in the country.

    ¡°And, of course, since we just had our iming, we will need to document the packs that now have a

    young, adult female. In this case, all four of our imants became Lunas in their packs.¡± He says

    proudly, as if he had some part in the four of us bing Lunas.

    ¡°Actually, there were five of us, but one was injured under the Elders¡¯ watch.¡± I say loudly, irritated that

    they were just going to skim over what happened to Layan. ¡°Yeah, imagine if another Alpha had been

    able to catch her, im their mate and a*s*sist their pack. But, of course, no one thought about that,

    even though the issue was brought to the Elder in charge.¡± Hana says.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Lunas, I understand that you are upset about what happened to the omega, but this is not the ce¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Annabel speaks up. ¡°That could have been any of us. I was lucky to have been caught by my

    Tony. He¡¯s a good man and a good Alpha. But what if I¡¯d have been caught by an Alpha like the one

    that had to be put down?¡±

    ¡°Or like Alpha Typhon? How is it okay that an Alpha who was responsible for the death of his Luna is

    still eligible for the iming?¡± Mignon says.

    I look out over the Alphas. ¡°All of you should be angry about that. The rules, as they stand today, limit

    your ability to im a mate, giving Alphas who don¡¯t deserve the chance or are too close to going feral

    the same opportunity as you. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you go feral because of those missed

    opportunities.¡±

    I can see I¡¯ve hit a nerve, especially with the Alphas that are closer to going feral. ¡°Those are all of our

    announcements for the evening. En- joy your dinner and afterward, stay and socialize amongst each

    other.¡± Elder Colton says hurriedly, ending the conversation before sitting down. It may be over for now,

    but it will being back up.

    I turn my attention back to my friends. ¡°Has anyone heard from Layan, or heard anything about her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what pack she¡¯s from, do you?¡± Hana asks us.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she was from Ironw Pack?¡± Annabel asks, looking at Mignon. ¡°That sounds right.¡±

    Mignon turns to look at her mate. ¡°Asher, do you know who the Alpha of Ironw Pack is?¡±

    ¡°Are you thinking of changing packs, love? You know you¡¯re mine. You wear my mark.¡± Asher¡¯s gaze is

    intense, and I recognize the blend of possessive and seductive tone in his voice. I¡¯m not surprised to

    see Mignon blush.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not why I¡¯m asking Asher.¡± She says, bat- ting her eyes at him and I swear I hear a

    low growling from him.

    ¡°Why are you interested?¡± Antonio asks, looking at Annabel.

    ¡°We think that is Layan¡¯s pack.¡± Mason looks at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Ironw is one of the packs that lost a lot of pack members. Their new Alpha, Alpha Davis, was one of

    the ones grumbling about the new size requirements for their packs. He must be under 50 pack

    members.¡±

    I look at Mason. If his pack gets disa*s*sembled, I will want to bring Layan and her family into our pack.

    ¡°Mason, if¡­¡± I say in our mind link. ¡°Without question.¡± He says before I can finish asking.

    Have I mentioned how much I love this man?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what Alpha Davis ns to do before we make any a*s*sumptions.¡± Seth says and I see him

    looking at Hana. I¡¯m guessing they just had a simr conversation to the one I just had with Mason.

    We finish eating, the rest of dinner conversation focused on me and Hana and our ims. Mignon and

    Annabel are shocked to learn what it was like in our ims, how many men were killed and how the

    haze took them. As dinneres to an end, we get up, ready to move to the after-dinner party outside.

    ¡°Who wants a drink?¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Me!¡± Hana and I say in unison.

    We turn to Mignon, who is blushing again. Alpha Asheres to stand behind her pulling her against

    him and putting his hands protectively over her stomach. ¡°My mate won¡¯t be drinking anything alcoholic

    for several months.¡± He says, running his nose over his neck before kissing her shoulder.

    ¡°Mignon? Is there something you want to share?¡± I ask, raising my eyebrow. I can¡¯t believe she kept it a

    secret this long.

    Her smile is mega-watt. ¡°Asher and I are going to have a baby. A little girl.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    At the announcement of Mignon¡¯s pregnancy, the girls all give that high pitch squeal again. While they

    hug and congratte Mignon, we congratte Asher. He was the first in the iming to catch his mate.

    There was ag of nearly two weeks after that between Mignon and Annabel because of the issues

    with Layan and her iming.

    Title of the document

    ¡°How about you?¡± Asher says to Antonio. ¡°You two should be getting close too.¡± Antonio looks at

    Annabel. ¡°She wanted to wait. She wanted to get to know each other a bit before bringing a baby into

    the mix. I don¡¯t mind. Getting to know my mate has been amazing.¡± He looks at Asher. ¡°But we¡¯ll see if

    spending time with your mate changes her mind.¡± He smiles.

    ¡°Hana is the same. I made a deal with her that while I would mark her when I caught her,¡± we all

    recognize that there was never a question that he would catch her, ¡°that she could decide when she

    wanted to mark me.¡±

    We all look more closely at his neck. Hadn¡¯t I seen a mark there?

    He pulls his cor away from his neck, proudly showing off his mate mark. ¡°Once she made me hers,

    then everything changed. But that¡¯s only been a couple of weeks. We¡¯ll have to wait and see what

    happens.¡±

    They all turn to me. ¡°And you?¡± Asher asks.

    I shrug. ¡°We¡¯ve only been out of the iming territory for a week. But¡­¡± I shrug again.

    Seth looks at me. ¡°Seriously? My sister wanted to start having a baby right away?¡± I can tell he¡¯s

    surprised, but also a little cautious wanting to know that this is also her decision. Their entire family still

    has residual concerns based on their experience with M, and I can¡¯t me them.

    ¡°Seth, I only tell you this because I know your questiones from a ce of concern, and just know

    that we will never discuss my s*e*x life with your sister again, but she insisted on taking my knot before

    I thought her body was ready. I wanted to give her body more time to adjust, and your sister wasn¡¯t

    having it.¡± Seth gives me a pained look. ¡°Yeah, lets never speak of it again.¡± He looks thoughtful for a

    moment. ¡°But thanks. I¡¯m d to know that everything that happened with M isn¡¯t keeping her from

    having the life she deserves.¡±

    We all get a drink and move off to the side of the room, watching our mates. ¡°Okay, I need to ask a

    question.¡± Antonio takes arge gulp of his drink before looking at all of us. ¡°I¡¯m terrified of knotting

    Annabel. I¡¯m so afraid that I¡¯ll hurt her, tear her¡­ I mean, we all saw the condition Layan was in when

    she came out of the iming territory. If I ever did that to my mate¡­.¡± He stops, gulping down the rest

    of his drink.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t there, obviously, so maybe it¡¯s different for me. But Mignon was an omega too, so maybe it¡¯s

    more simr to me than these guys, I don¡¯t know. For me, it was about making sure she was ready and

    willing. Almost like, if she was mentally ready to ept it, her body was too. That¡¯s not to say she didn¡¯t

    bleed the first couple of times, but she loves the closeness and my purr helped to ease her difort.

    And now, it¡¯s no problem.¡±

    ¡°I would echo what Asher said. You need to expect the bleeding the first couple of times. Nothing like

    what we saw with Layan, but she will bleed. And it¡¯s the closeness afterward, caring for her and being

    together that makes it easier for Jara. That, and depending on the position, I will rub her stomach or her

    back to help ease her body¡¯s need to expand. That seems to help as well.¡±

    ¡°Warm bath, before and after. The heat helps rx her before and helps to soothe her aching muscles

    afterward.¡± Seth adds.

    Asher clinks his ss to Seth¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s a damn good idea.¡± He says.

    ¡°Is this a private party, or can I join?¡± Alpha Luke says, walking up.

    ¡°Hey, Alpha Luke, do you know everyone here?¡± I ask, bringing him. into our group. ¡°I know Alpha Seth,

    but I¡¯ve never officially met you two.¡± He nods to Asher and Antonio.

    I give introductions. ¡°Asher was Beta Asher when he was in the iming. His Alpha was also killed in

    this year¡¯s im.¡±

    Asher looks at Luke. ¡°Wait, you were the one who¡¯s Alpha went feral during the second round of

    a*s*sessments, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was me. Alpha Cameron was too close to going feral and the a*s*sessments pushed him

    over.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. Cameron was a good man.¡± Antonio says.

    ¡°Thank you. I hope I can live up to his expectations.¡±

    He looks at where our mates are still huddled together,ughing and talking. ¡°I hope the Elders realize

    what they are in for. Your mates are going to give them a lot of problems. Four Lunas, all friends and all

    with very strong personalities.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°They have no idea, and it¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about. All of you actually. Seth, Jara,

    Hana and I have put together a petition to change the iming. We¡¯d like to get all of your support

    because we know that it will be a fight with the Elders and some of the other Alphas.¡± ¡°What kind of

    changes.¡± Antonio asks, and Seth and Iy it out for them.

    ¡°So, three of those are directly rted to Layan and M?¡± Luke asks.

    ¡°And another one is about keeping them healthy while in the im. Thest two are about trying to

    keep our numbers from diminishing so drastically. Between the loss of our females and the ma*s*sive

    reduction of our males in years like this one, we¡¯ll be downsizing our packs every year until we go

    extinct.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Does anyone know how many females we have among the packs? And how many of those are still

    young enough to reproduce?¡± Asher asks.

    ¡°Thest I heard there were only 50 females left. Some, like Seth¡¯s mom are too old to have pups. And

    there are some that are underage still. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say we only have 15-20 in adulthood and

    still in child birthing years.¡± I say.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough. Even if they were willing to have two pups a year, that¡¯s only 30- 40 pups every year, if

    they are all born healthy and have no problems during pregnancy. And they can¡¯t sustain that for long,

    no matter how well we take care of them.¡± Antonio says.

    ¡°I know. Elder Jason told me our numbers are around 1500. Fifteen hundred total werewolves, and of

    those, only about 50 females, with less than half in childbearing years.¡± I say.

    ¡°We have to start doing a better job of protecting our females. Things like what happened to Layan and

    M cannot continue to happen.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°We need more than a petition to change the iming.¡± Luke says. ¡°We need to change thews.¡±

    ¡°We need a new council.¡± I say, looking at where the Elders are sitting together. ¡°It¡¯s time for a change

    in our governing body.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    It was so good seeing Mignon and Annabel again. It was better knowing that they were both happy. I¡¯m

    really excited for Mignon and her pregnancy, and I hope that soon, I¡¯ll be pregnant as well, if I¡¯m not

    already.

    Title of the document

    ¡°So, are you all going to be in the meetings this weekend, or are you just here because your mates

    couldn¡¯t part with you?¡± I ask, only partially teasing. I know Mason would have brought me along even if

    I didn¡¯t want to be in the meetings. It¡¯s too soon after being marked to be apart.

    ¡°Are we allowed in the meetings?¡± Annabel asks me.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we be?¡± I ask.

    She and Mignon look at each other. ¡°Because we¡¯re not Alphas.¡± They say in unison.

    ¡°But we¡¯re Lunas.¡± Hana says. ¡°We should be given an opportunity to speak and give our opinions.

    Especially since we are the future of our species. If anything, we should be the ones with they say and

    the voice, not the Alphas.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. After the whole seating arrangement thing, what are they going to do? Tell us to

    leave? They can try. But if we refuse, the worst they can do is cancel the meeting. And that will just

    anger the Alphas.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit.¡± I tell her. I¡¯m beginning to realize just how much power the four of us hold. And it¡¯s

    not just us, it¡¯s just that we all became friends during the iming. We¡¯re young, strong, of childbearing

    years and with mates who adore and support us.

    When ites to making change for the iming process, we will definitely have a voice.

    ¡°Listen.¡± I lower my voice and look at Hana. She nods and I continue. ¡°Hana, Seth, Mason and I are

    putting in a petition to change the way the manage the iming process.¡± And Hana and I exin what

    we want to do.

    ¡°That would be so much better.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Will they listen?¡± Mignon asks.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make them listen. We are the future of our species. If they keep allowing us to kill each other off

    for these annual imings, we¡¯ll be extinct in a couple of decades. I know Seth was nning to speak

    with your mates, but we need as many Alphas on board as possible.¡± Hana says.

    I look over to where our mates are, seeing that Alpha Luke has joined them. ¡°I bet they are getting Luke

    on board right now.¡± I say, watching as Mason and Seth intently talk to the other three. Mason looks up,

    catching my eye and winks at me. I¡¯m blushing when I turn back, and the girls don¡¯t let it go.

    ¡°Ahhhh, look at our big bad Alpha getting all flustered because her hot mate winked at her.¡± Mignon

    says.

    ¡°I think we all hit gic jackpots with our mates.¡± Annabel says, looking over at Antonio who catches

    her eye and gives her a smoldering look.

    ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± Hana says, having caught the look.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I hope, maybe he¡¯s been talking to your mate, Mignon, about knotting me. He¡¯s

    refused so far, concerned he¡¯ll hurt me, but you know the likelihood of my getting pregnant without it is

    low.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly painful, but it¡¯s not great the first couple of times, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Mignon

    says.

    ¡°Agreed, your body has to learn to adjust to the swelling.¡± I say.

    ¡°But while you¡¯re knotted¡­.¡± Hana gets a faraway look on her face.

    ¡°Amazing!¡± Mignon finishes for her.

    ¡°Who knows, maybe tonight¡¯s my lucky night.¡± Annabel says and we allugh. ¡°Excuse medies.¡± One

    of the Alphases over. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever met him, and he wasn¡¯t at our iming this year.

    ¡°My name is Alpha Zaire. I couldn¡¯t help notice that the four of you get along very well together. I don¡¯t

    know if you have any ns to create some sort of Luna group, but my mate is close to your age. I

    imed her four years ago. My pack is set up in the mountains, away from other packs. We have a

    very small pack, especially after this year¡¯s iming which nearly decimated my pack. But my point is,

    if you do decide to create some sort of Luna group, I think my mate would like to participate. She gets

    pretty lonely out there with just her, our daughter and another young female we took in when her

    mother died in childbirth.¡±

    I look at my friends. We hadn¡¯t thought of something like that, but I love the idea. A support group and

    possibly a way to make sure that the females in the other groups are being well-cared for by their

    mates.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that we¡¯ve thought much about an on-going group, Alpha Zaire, but I think it¡¯s a great

    idea. I know I¡¯d love to stay in contact with my friends here and I think it¡¯s a great idea to establish aN?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    support group for the females in the other groups. What¡¯s your Luna¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Luna Gia. She was in the iming a year before your sister, Luna Jara.¡±

    ¡°Before we leave, we¡¯ll get her information and that of the other Lunas or females in the other packs. I

    love the idea of establishing a supportwork for the she- wolves.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Thank you,dies. I¡¯ll let you get back to your talking. I wish I¡¯d have known that you¡¯d be here. My Gia

    would have loved to meet you all.¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll start an annual she-wolf meeting, or have our own meeting during these

    Alpha meetings.¡± Mignon says. Another great idea.

    When he leaves, we all turn to look at each other. ¡°We need to do this. So many of the she-wolves are

    isted, like Luna Gia. If we had something like that in ce, we could make sure that no one was

    being mistreated by their mates.¡±

    ¡°We could support each other, be there when their children are born, especially in packs where they

    may only have one adult female.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°We have to do this.¡± Hana says, looking at me. ¡°You take the lead with the petition. I can take the lead

    on this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Hana.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°I will too.¡± Mignon says.

    Hana looks at her. ¡°You¡¯re going to be dealing with a pup soon. You need to look after yourself for now.¡±

    Mignon¡¯s face falls.

    ¡°You can help me with the petitions. That¡¯s mostly boring stuff, but it¡¯s desk work. You wouldn¡¯t have to

    worry about doing anything stressful. You¡¯re the first of us to get pregnant and with a girl.¡± I look at

    Hana and Annabel.

    ¡°Maybe, if you¡¯re agreeable Mignon, we can use you as our test case. What would it look like to be

    there with a she-wolf when she¡¯s delivering? What would we need to n for? Do we have other, older

    she-wolves who already have knowledge of the birthing experience who would be better to have on-

    site instead of us? And maybe the older generation needs something to feel like they are contributing

    again. This could be a perfect opportunity to bring them back into a helping role if they feel they are no

    longer useful.¡±

    Hana¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. Would you be willing Mignon?¡±

    ¡°Yes! And I can still help you, Jara.¡±

    ¡°What should we call our little group?¡± Annabel asks.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s call us The Lunas.¡± Mignon says, and we all agree.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    That night, Jara and Ipare notes. I like their idea of creating a support group for she-wolves. I tell

    her to put a petition together so that the Alphas can¡¯t block them from including the she-wolves in their

    meetings. Maybe that support will be what the she-wolves need to survive, to thrive. I hope so. We

    desperately need more she-wolves, and I want to make a better life for our daughters. Which reminds

    me    ¡­

    Title of the document

    ¡°So, what did you think about Mignon being pregnant? And with a little girl, no less.¡± I ask,ing to

    stand behind Jara as she takes out her earrings.

    She looks at me in the mirror. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that I¡¯m already carrying our pup. I¡¯d love a girl, but I¡¯d be

    happy with a healthy baby, boy or girl.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± I say, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her neck. ¡°Do we know how long we

    have to wait before we know if you¡¯re pregnant?¡±

    ¡°I have to be at least two weeks along, I think. Being that our gestation is only five months, give or take,

    we should know pretty quickly after I get pregnant.¡±

    ¡°So, at least another week? Perhaps we should keep trying in the interim, make sure that if it hasn¡¯t

    happened, that it does soon.¡± I say, smiling at her in the mirror. ¡°Alpha, are you trying to get me into

    bed?¡± She purrs at me, watching me with dark eyes in the mirror.

    ¡°Yes, my Luna, I definitely am.¡±

    My perfect mate took my knot, twice. ¡®Just to be sure¡¯, she had said in her sultry voice, and I was happy

    to oblige.

    The next morning, we get ready to head to the Alpha meeting. ¡°They aren¡¯t going to give us a problem,

    are they Mason?¡±

    I shrug. I don¡¯t care if they don¡¯t want my mate there. She¡¯s an Alpha and my Luna. I want her there

    and I won¡¯t allow them to dismiss her. Although, I¡¯m pretty sure my mate won¡¯t allow herself to be

    dismissed.

    As we walk into the meeting room I see the Elders, all sitting at the head table look up and scowl at my

    mate¡¯s presence. I ignore them, getting her seated at an empty table and moving to get us coffee.

    When Elder Jason walks up next to me to get a coffee refill, I hand him the petition and let him know

    Jara should have another one for him tomorrow.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He says quietly before we step away and I finish making our coffees.

    I give Jara her coffee just as Seth and Hana walk in. They sit with us, and Seth goes to get coffee for

    the two of them.

    When they sit, I lean in toward Seth. ¡°I gave it to him.¡±

    He nces up at me. ¡°Good. The sooner things start to change, the better.¡±

    Soon, Antonio, Annabel, Asher and Mignon join us as well. I notice some of the other Alphas scowling

    as theye in to sit.

    As the room gets settled, Elder Carson stands up. ¡°This is an Alpha meeting. Anyone who is not an

    Alpha should leave the room now.¡±

    None of our mates move. Elder Carson looks over at our table. ¡°Lunas, I need to ask you to leave.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hana says.

    I¡¯m watching Jara, she looks like a hunter about to attack and kill its prey. I have no idea what¡¯s on her

    mind, but whatever it is, I¡¯m d I won¡¯t be on the receiving end.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Elder Carson says to Hana.

    ¡°You heard her, Elder Carson. We¡¯re not leaving.¡± Annabel says confidently.

    ¡°Alphas, please get your Lunas under control.¡± Elder Carson tries a different tactic. ¡°I invited my Luna. I

    don¡¯t see why she shouldn¡¯t have a say in our discussions.¡± Asher says.

    I hear a snort from one of the other Alphas, Alpha Gunner, Alpha Terrance¡¯s previous Beta, now Alpha.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Elder Carson said? Only Alphas are allowed in the Alpha meeting.¡± He stresses

    the title. And the minute he speaks, I realized this is what Jara was waiting for. I sit back, ready to

    watch my mate tear this room to shreds.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Alpha Gunnar,¡± Jara stresses the title just like he did, ¡°then perhaps you should

    leave the room. I am an Alpha by blood, so therefore, I have more right to be in this room than you do,

    since you are not a true Alpha.¡± She looks around the room. ¡°I have more right than most of you, by

    those standards, and as much right as the ones that are true Alphas. So, unless you want to join the

    Lunas as they walk out of this room, I suggest you keep your mouths shut.¡±

    I do nothing but smile with pride and drape my arm around the back of my mate¡¯s chair. There are only

    two true Alphas in this room that are not sitting at our table. I notice Alpha Zaire, one of the two, hiding

    his smile at my mate¡¯s words.

    ¡°Was there anything else, Elder Carson, or can we get started?¡± Jara says, directing her attention back

    to him.

    He looks at the other Elders, but even some of them aren¡¯t true Alphas. Their double standard just got

    handed back to them on a silver tter.

    ¡°Very well. The first item on our agenda is the restructuring of the packs. As Elder Colton mentioned

    last night, we have many leaderless pack members that need to be a*s*simted into new packs. In

    addition, the minimum number of pack members has increased this year, so if you have less than 50

    members in your pack, please n to a*s*simte some of the leaderless members into your packs.

    For the next two hours, the packs debate back and forth over who should take which pack members.

    Seth and I stay out of the discussion. As the tworgest packs, we want to give other packs a chance

    to increase their numbers.

    Annabel had suggested ensuring that each pack has at least two she-wolves, even if they are

    juveniles. That may help some of the packs settle and decrease the number of males going feral.

    At the end of the two hours, twenty packs have be fifteen. We break for lunch and Alpha Luke

    comes to our table, joining us while we eat.

    ¡°There is definitely some discontent among a few Alphas over your mates being here for this meeting.¡±

    He nods his head and I see a group which includes Alpha Gunnar and also includes Alphas Conrad,

    Shawn and Emanuel.

    ¡°Those are the four you¡¯ll need to worry about. They will give you the biggest fight. There are others

    that are grumbling, but Luna Jara made a good point that as a true Alpha, she has more right than

    most of us to be here.¡±

    ¡°I hope you know I didn¡¯t include you in thatment, Luke.¡± Jara says to him. ¡°I was hopeful that you

    didn¡¯t.¡± He says, smiling at her.

    ¡°I was too.¡± Alpha Asher says, also being a true Beta that became Alpha. I had pulled him asidest

    night and given him the story of his Alpha¡¯s death, how he was in the haze and didn¡¯t stop when I had

    imed Jara, so the guards had shot him. I could tell it upset him, but he understood.

    ¡°Just another reason to change the way they manage the imings.¡± He had said. When we finish

    lunch, Elder Rudy stands. He¡¯s the one that has been managing Typhon¡¯s pack.

    ¡°As many of you are aware, Alpha Typhon has gone missing. He was not found in the iming territory,

    and he has not returned to his pack. We have had no sightings of him and since his Beta was killed in

    this year¡¯s iming and he has no Gamma, we will be dissembling his pack. Some members of his

    pack have already moved to Winter¡¯s Bite pack.¡± He stops, looking at me.

    ¡°They have decided to stay in my pack, and I have alreadypleted the ceremony making them

    official pack members.¡± I tell the room.

    ¡°How many?¡± Alpha Conrad asks me and his tone implies that I am intentionally increasing the size of

    my pack.

    ¡°Ten.¡± I tell him, not sure why it matters. After they fully a*s*simte their new members, Antonio and

    Asher¡¯s packs will be the same size as mine.

    ¡°How many are left?¡± Alpha Zaire asks. He had attempted to take some of the leaderless members but

    because his pack is so isted, most of them went to other packs.

    ¡°Thirty.¡± Elder Rudy says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take them, all of them, unless someone objects.¡± Alpha Zaire says.

    Elder Rudy looks around the room. No one objects. ¡°Done. The remaining members of Alpha Typhon¡¯s

    pack will go to Alpha Zaire.¡±

    ¡°Moving on¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, what is being done to find Alpha Typhon?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± He asks.

    ¡°We have a missing Alpha, one that could be feral, one that we already know has no respect for the

    mate bond. I believe my sister¡¯s question is valid. What are you doing to find Alpha Typhon before he

    does something to injure one of our she-wolves or expose us to the humanmunity.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°We have been looking for him¡­¡±

    I snort. ¡°Hanging out at his pack waiting for him to arrive is not looking for him.¡± I say, knowing they¡¯ve

    done nothing. ¡°Did you send trackers out after he wasn¡¯t found in the iming territory?¡± I ask, already

    knowing the answer.

    ¡°Well, we were very busy¡­¡±

    ¡°Just like you were very busy when you couldn¡¯t put down the Alpha that mated the unconscious

    omega Layan on the iming field?¡± Antonio asks. Since he was the one that had to put the Alpha

    down, it¡¯s hard to argue with him.

    Elder Rudy begins sputtering.

    ¡°Might I suggest that the Elders put together a n to find Alpha Typhon before he does something

    unforgiveable, and you all give us even more reason to think you are incapable of overseeing the

    werewolfmunity.¡± I say.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, you are out of line!¡± Elder Stanley says, standing up.

    ¡°Am I?¡± I say, also standing. ¡°Because if Alpha Typhon shows up in my packnds,ing for my

    mate, and this council did nothing to try and stop it from happening, I will take it very personally and I

    will hold each one of you responsible. And make no mistake, if Alpha Typhones for my mate and

    anything, ANYTHING happens to her, I will hunt you down and make you pay.¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I didn¡¯t realize that Mason was so concerned about Typhon searching for me. The thought had crossed

    my mind, since he was after me in the iming and he didn¡¯t catch me, if he has gone feral, his mind

    will be singrly focused on getting to me. I know Mason loves me, but threatening the council is

    serious.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Mason.¡± I say softly, standing and turning to face him. I put my hand on his chest until he looks at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here. I¡¯m safe.¡±

    He looks down cupping my face in his hand. ¡°And you¡¯d better stay that way.¡±

    He says looking back up at the council table. ¡°Do something about Typhon before you force my hand.¡±

    Mason sits down, pulling me into hisp. I would be embarra*s*sed if his rage wasn¡¯t pulsing

    throughout the room. I curl up against him, letting him hold me, soothing his fear that Typhon is going to

    hurt me, or take me from him.

    Elder Rudy sits down, looking at hispanions. Elder Colton stands up. ¡°For the rest of the afternoon,

    we need to catalogue the she-wolves, determine who is of childbearing age, the status of any

    pregnancies and ns for future pregnancies.¡± I frown, turning to look at Hana, who has the same look

    of confusion on her face. I turn, looking at Mason who has a look that let¡¯s me know that I¡¯m about to

    get pissed off and he¡¯s going to sit back and watch the show.

    ¡°Since we have the newest contestants and all of them are Lunas, let¡¯s start with them. Alpha Asher,

    could you start by telling us how many females you have in your pack and of those, how many are of

    childbearing age and how many are juveniles.¡±

    ¡°One moment.¡± I say to Asher, standing up and looking at Elder Colton.

    ¡°Why are you asking about the she-wolves in Alpha Asher¡¯s pack as if we¡¯re cattle?¡± I say and I can

    feel my own anger rising.

    ¡°Luna Jara, this is standard procedure. We need to keep track of our she-wolves and how well and

    quickly they are reproducing.¡±

    ¡°Did you n on branding us too, so you know which pack we belong to?¡± Hana says, standing beside

    me.

    ¡°You misunderstand¡­¡±

    ¡°Do we? Because it sounds like a group of men are sitting around talking about how quickly and

    frequently, they can breed the remaining females in our species. The females, might I add, that you are

    impressively failing to protect.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Luna Jara.¡± Elder Colton says sharply.

    ¡°Oh shit.¡± I hear Mason say quietly. I don¡¯t miss the wide-eyed look from the other Elders. Obviously

    Elder Colton has forgotten who my sister was.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I ask, my voice razor sharp. My re at Elder Colton has him pulling his cor away from

    his neck as Elder Stanleyes to whisper in his ear. ¡°Let me ask you this, Elders.¡± I say, spitting their

    title out as if it¡¯s an unpleasant taste in my mouth. ¡°What was the conversation when my sister

    continued to lose her babies because Alpha Typhon refused to let her body heal in between

    miscarriages? Were you worried about her, or were you worried about your precious numbers? It¡¯s

    hard to repopte your species when you aren¡¯t taking care of the ones that are required to reproduce.

    So, I¡¯d like to know. Did any of you do anything? Did any of you try to stop him from killing my sister, a

    true Alpha? No, you didn¡¯t. You sat there, collecting your numbers with absolutely no regard for why our

    species is going extinct.¡±

    ¡°Sit down and shut your mouth, Luna. A woman¡¯s job is to be a bed warmer for her mate and birth his

    young. Alpha or no, if you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯re pretty worthless.¡± Mason and Seth are on their feet in an

    instant, ready to fight Alpha Gunnar for his words, but I don¡¯t need them to fight my battles. This

    a*s*shole thinks he¡¯s special because he has the title of Alpha? He¡¯s about to see what a real Alpha

    looks like. I push my aura out, locking him into ce as he yips at the power I¡¯m exuding. I slowly prowl

    over to him, as he bares his throat to me, and I watch his eyes go wide as I get into his face. ¡°Say that

    to me again, Gunnar, and I¡¯ll show you exactly what it is that you are missing by not having Alpha

    blood. You may be able to intimidate your pack, but you won¡¯t intimidate me. Do you understand?¡±

    He nods his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t hear you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± He spits out, ring at me. I don¡¯t miss that he called me Alpha, instead of Luna this time.

    Maybe he has some brain cells after all. Or maybe he just has a strong sense of self preservation.

    I continue holding him in ce as I turn to face the room. There are very few Alphas in this room that

    don¡¯t have their throats bared to me. Hana, Annabel and Mignon are exempt from my rage, so they are

    standing by wide-eyed, watching silently.

    ¡°Anyone else want to try and insult me?¡± I snarl, looking around.

    ¡°Alpha Jara. Please, release the Alphas. Elder Colton was wrong not to remember your sister and

    reasons behind her death.¡± It¡¯s Elder Jason. He¡¯s a true Alpha and while I know he can feel my power,

    it¡¯s not strong enough to force him into a submissive pose. The other four Elders, however, are all

    baring their throats to me.

    I feel Mason¡¯s arms go around me from behind. ¡°Let them go, love. You¡¯ve made your point.¡±

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    Before I release them, I turn back to Elder Colton. ¡°In the future, Elder, you would be wise to remember

    who I am, and who my sister was. If anyone in this room knows how little most of you think of our few

    remaining she-wolves, it¡¯s me. And I¡¯m putting you on notice now, things are going to change.¡±

    I look at the room, feeling my anger subsiding as Mason¡¯s arms around me work their magic.

    ¡°My sister was sweet, and kind and you let her die. Well, now you get me. And I¡¯m a f*uc*king b*itc*h.¡± I

    say, before letting Mason lead me back to our seats.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    My mate is so f*uc*king hot when she goes all Alpha on the Council Elders and the Alphas who don¡¯t

    appreciate what it means to be a true Alpha.

    Title of the document

    I give her the space to make her point, but much like she calmed me earlier, it¡¯s time for me to do the

    same for her. I don¡¯t care if the Alphas in this room hate us. There isn¡¯t much they can do. My pack is

    stronger than most of theirs and my mate is stronger than most of them.

    Elder Jason takes control of the meeting after that and while we catalog the total number of she-wolves

    and what packs they are in, we avoid the discussion of childbearing ages, pregnancies and nned

    pregnancies.

    That night, our group decides to go out to dinner, to get the girls away from all of the frustrations of the

    other Alphas. Jara feelsfortable including Alpha Luke and Alpha Zaire and Zaire asks me about

    bringing Alpha Saul. He is another Alpha that imed his mate several years ago. He and his mate

    have an underaged daughter and there is another female in their pack who has an underaged

    daughter. Alpha Zaire felt that he would fit in nicely with our group and since we¡¯re trying to get as

    many Alphas on board as possible, we agree.

    Dinner ends up being an enjoyable affair. Our mates sit with us, and it changes the dynamics of the

    conversations. Both Alpha Saul and Alpha Zaire say that their mates would like to participate in these

    types of events when Annabel asked them. And somehow, Alpha Saul recognized that Mignon was

    pregnant.

    ¡°There are signs, differences in how we treat our mate when she is pregnant.¡± He turns to Alpha Zaire.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Zaire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I had noticed the same thing.¡±

    ¡°What kind of signs?¡± Jara asked.

    Zaire, who is sitting next to her, leans toward her. ¡°See how he¡¯s always leaning toward her, in a

    protective stance? It¡¯s not just protective, but instinctively, he¡¯s listening for his pup¡¯s heartbeat. And his

    arm always around some part of her body? That¡¯s in case something happens, and he needs to get her

    out of harm¡¯s way quickly. Eventually, probably once it¡¯s more well known that she¡¯s carrying his pup,

    he won¡¯t be able to keep his hands off her stomach, always wanting to touch not only his mate, but his

    pup as well. And she, the pup, will respond to his touch.¡±

    ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re giving all of my secrets away over there?¡± Asher says to Zaire and Jara.

    ¡°Maybe he is, but it¡¯s good knowledge. Something that might be helpful with our petition.¡±

    ¡°Your petition? What petition?¡± Alpha Saul asks.

    ¡°We still have to finish writing it up tonight, but we¡¯re going to petition to have a Luna council that looks

    out for the she-wolves in the packs. We want to make sure things like what happened to M don¡¯t

    happen again. And that Alphas like Alpha Gunnar can¡¯t mistreat their she-wolves.¡±

    ¡°I heard a rumor that he was putting in a petition.¡± Alpha Luke says. ¡°Has anyone heard what it might

    be about?¡±

    None of us have.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± Seth says. ¡°Tomorrow is petition day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and based on your petition, it¡¯s going to be a long day.¡± Antonio says. ¡°Add to that the petition our

    mates are putting in, and we may be here an extra day.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your petition?¡± Saul asks.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you asked.¡± I say and Jara and I go over our petition for changes to the iming with him.

    ¡°We hope you¡¯ll support us.¡± Jara says to him when we finish.

    ¡°Tessa would have my balls if I didn¡¯t. She hated that process. She¡¯s been dreading the day our

    daughter has to go through it. It¡¯s still a few years away. Maybe by then, some of these changes will

    have bemon ce.¡±

    ¡°Well, we still have to get them passed.¡± I say.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s work on that first.¡± Alpha Saul says.

    Later, when we get back to the hotel, the men all go to the reception, while our mates go to mine and

    Jara¡¯s room to write up their petition.

    I can see that Gunnar is trying to recruit a couple of the newer Alphas to his way of thinking, or at least,

    that¡¯s the way it looks to me. Alphas Davis and Quinton have both been in their position for less than

    two years. Both were thest remaining ranked members of their packs, and both are small packs,

    even after the redistribution. If I remember correctly, one will only be 60 strong and the other will only

    be 70 strong.

    I see the two Alphas look up as we walk in. Getting into an alliance with Gunnar is a bad idea,

    especially if he ns to go against us. Gunnar¡¯s pack size is still small, only 60 after the redistribution.

    Thebined power of mine and Seth¡¯s packs are significant. If you add in the new size of Antonio¡¯s

    and Asher¡¯s packs, we could demolish any other pack easily. And even if all the other packs unite and

    rise against us, we¡¯re still stronger than they are.

    I get a drink and an ideaes to me. I look at Seth. ¡°Want to join me?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He says,ing to stand beside me.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to make our mates happy while we ensure that Gunnar isn¡¯t steering some of these new

    Alphas in the wrong direction.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m intrigued. Lead the way.¡± Seth says and we turn, heading over to where the group is standing.

    ¡°Alpha Mason. Alpha Seth.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, gentlemen. I hope everyone has enjoyed their time at this year¡¯s event?¡±

    ¡°What do you want, Mason?¡± Gunnar asks, intentionally trying to instigate me by dropping my title.

    ¡°Well, Gunnar,¡± two can y at that game, ¡°I wanted to speak to Alpha Davis a moment.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s busy.¡± Gunnar says, stepping up next to Alpha Davis.

    I turn, looking at Davis. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Gunnar spoke for you Alpha.¡± I say, waiting for him to either deny

    it or to allow Gunnar to intimidate him.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t.¡± He says, stepping away from Gunnar and toward me.

    ¡°Excellent. Might I have a word?¡± I say and from the corner of my eye, I can see that Gunnar is

    seething, his ns copsing in front of him.

    ¡°Is this a private meeting, or may I join you?¡± Alpha Quinton asks.

    ¡°Quinton!¡± Gunnar barks, giving him a look that is on the verge of threatening. ¡°You don¡¯t speak for me

    either, Gunnar.¡± He says before stepping up to me.

    ¡°Unless this is a private meeting?¡± He asks, second guessing his bravado. ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Seth says,

    moving to stand beside him in a show of solidarity and strength, forcing Gunnar to back down.

    We move to a quiet area. ¡°Did either of you want a drink?¡± I ask, noting that neither of them have a

    drink in their hands.

    They look at each other. ¡°We weren¡¯tfortable having a drink with Alpha Gunnar and his posse, so

    we chose not to.¡± Davis says.

    Posse. An interesting choice of words. I notice Seth caught it too.

    ¡°I¡¯m much morefortable having a drink with you two though.¡± Quinton admits. ¡°Let¡¯s get a drink,

    then we can step outside. It¡¯s a nice evening.¡± Seth says.

    When we get outside, they turn to Seth and I. ¡°Was there something that you wanted to talk to us

    about?¡± Davis asks.

    ¡°Yes. I believe the omega Layan is in your pack. I wanted to see how she is doing. Both of our mates,¡± I

    gesture to Seth, ¡°have asked about her. No one has heard anything, and they grew very attached to

    her at the iming this year.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, well¡­¡± He stutters, frowning.

    I raise an eyebrow. ¡°You were expecting a different conversation?¡± I ask.

    Davis looks at Quinton. ¡°Well, we thought maybe you were going to try to get us to side with you on

    your petition. We heard that you put one forward, but no one seems to know what it¡¯s about.¡±

    ¡°We can discuss that as well, if you¡¯d like. But my main reason in wanting to speak to you was to get an

    update on Layan.¡±

    David takes a gulp of his drink before looking at us. ¡°I wish I could tell you that she¡¯s doing well, but I

    can¡¯t. The only good news is that she didn¡¯t get pregnant by that Alpha. However, her body is taking a

    long time to heal, longer than it should be. And her emotional wounds are taking even longer. Her

    mother was in my office before I left toe here crying because Layan wakes up screaming every

    night, terrified that she¡¯s still in the iming territory.¡±

    It¡¯s not the news I was wanting to hear, but it¡¯s the news I expected. ¡°What if¡­. Hear me out.¡± Seth

    says. ¡°What if, our mates, and maybe Annabel and Mignon came to visit Layan. There were so many of

    them in this year¡¯s iming. I know they became friends, supported each other, and definitely

    supported Layan after what happened. Maybe it would help her to be with people that were there with

    her, that protected her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. And if you¡¯re willing, I know Jara would want to be a part of that. They could

    maybee for a few days and spend time with her, help her to feel safe again.¡± I add.

    ¡°I would be appreciative of any a*s*sistance you or your mates could provide. In all honesty, I have no

    idea what to do to help her. We got her a counselor, but it¡¯s a male, since we have so few females and

    no one in my pack has that type of education. And Layan just isn¡¯t responding to him or to me as her

    Alpha.¡±

    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.

    I look at Seth. I know our mates will not only want to do this, they¡¯ll insist on it. ¡°We can talk more about

    it tomorrow before we leave. I¡¯m sure Jara will want to have a date for you to give Layan before we

    head home. And, if you have a phone number, she¡¯ll call her.¡± I look at Seth. ¡°I¡¯m sure Hana will too.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Maybe just hearing their voices will help until they can go see her.¡± The relief on Davis¡¯s

    face is palpable.

    ¡°Thank you, both. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. This will make our mates very happy.¡± I say.

    There¡¯s a beat of silence as we all take a drink.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this petition you guys are putting forward tomorrow?¡± Quinton asks.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we meet in our room, I order some room service, dessert and after dinner drinks, and

    decaffeinated coffee for Mignon and anyone else that wants it.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Okay, we need to make sure that we have something in ce to help protect our fellow she-wolves.

    We all hit the mate jackpot, not just in looks,¡± I say, looking at Annabel, ¡°but also in how well they treat

    us and how much they love and support us. But we all know that not everyone has or will get so lucky.

    And, while I think that the changes to the iming process will help, we need to protect our own.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, so what do we do?¡± Mignon asks, looking at us. I pull out the form Mason gave to me earlier.

    ¡°We have to write out our petition, what we want to change, and the expectations we have. So, if we

    are going to make a change, if we¡¯re going to protect our she- wolves, how should we start?¡±

    ¡°Well, first, we have to be able to see each other.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°Good! Number 1, she-wolves will haveplete and unlimited ess to each other.¡± Hana says,

    writing it down. Since she¡¯s taking the lead on this petition, we agreed that she would be the one to

    complete the petition.

    ¡°What else?¡± Hana says as she writes #1 down.

    ¡°We should be able to a*s*sist with pregnancies and deliveries.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Excellent, that¡¯s number two, what else?¡± Hana says, furiously writing.

    ¡°We need to have an annual Luna meeting, just like they have an Alpha meeting. It could be at the

    same time, but we should have an opportunity to meet and discuss issues specific to us as she- wolves

    and any concerns that have been raised over the year.¡±

    ¡°Love it! That¡¯s number three.¡± Hana says, writing it all down.

    We all think for a moment. ¡°Once a year isn¡¯t enough and it doesn¡¯t include all she- wolves. What if we

    have a monthly video meeting and every pack must have at least one she-wolf in attendance?¡± Hana

    says.

    We all agree that is a great idea and she writes down number four.

    ¡°Lunas should be allowed to visit any she-wolf in any pack at any time. Unrestricted ess. That way,

    if someone gives us a hint that something is wrong, we can check it out.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Another great idea. But to rify, this is about actually being allowed on packnds versus the first one

    that could be a phone call or meeting outside of the packnds, correct?¡± Hana asks. When Annabel

    agrees, she writes it down.

    ¡°There should be repercussions if the Alphas or the packs don¡¯tply. Like, their packs will be

    dismantled, or we could go to war.¡± Mignon says and we all look at each other.

    ¡°We¡¯d better get our mates¡¯ agreement on that one before we include it. They would be leading the war

    and we want to make sure they are okay with that wording.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°I agree, but I think they will agree as well.¡± I say.

    Hana looks over our suggestions. ¡°This is a great start. Any other ideas.¡±

    I look at all of them. ¡°I think at least one council member should be a female.¡± Their eyes go wide.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Mignon agrees.

    ¡°Put it in the petition. We¡¯re already going to ruffle some feathers, what¡¯s a few more.¡± I say.

    When we¡¯re done, we sit back, enjoying our desserts and drinks.

    ¡°What do you think of that Alpha Gunnar?¡± Annabel asks, sipping her drink and hiding her smile.

    ¡°I think Jara put that jerk in his ce.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°You need to be careful, Jara. He was already a misogynistic pig, but you embarra*s*sed him in front of

    his peers. That makes him dangerous.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s not just him. Did you see that he has a group of followers too?¡± Annabel asks.

    ¡°Yeah, I did. None of them haverge packs, so I¡¯m not concerned, but you¡¯re right Hana. He could be

    dangerous, given the right circumstances. And I wouldn¡¯t want him taking his anger at me out on the

    she-wolves in his pack.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he would do that?¡± Mignon asks.

    ¡°Of yes.¡± Hana says. ¡°Does anyone remember how many she-wolves he has in his pack?¡±

    ¡°Two or three if I remember correctly, but only one is an adult, I think.¡± I say.

    ¡°So our petition is even more important now.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Definitely.¡± We agree.

    We chat until our mates join us. Before they leave, we have them sit down and Hana presents our

    petition to them. I notice Hana skips over the one discussing war, saving it to the end. There is a lot of

    discussion about having a she-wolf on the council. Not that our mates disagreed, but they thought we

    should petition for two, rather than one. That way, there is always a possibility that they could not be

    overruled just because they are female.

    I smile at Mason, feeling my love him blossom in my chest. He must feel it because he looks up at me.

    ¡°What?¡± He asks in the mind link.

    ¡°You are amazing, do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, you¡¯ll have to tell me EXACTLY what I didter, so I can bring out this feeling in you again. I

    like it. A lot. And I especially like knowing it¡¯s because of me.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    Seth clears his throat, giving me a knowing smile. I duck my head, knowing I¡¯m blushing at being

    caught.

    ¡°And that brings us to our final point.¡± Hana says, and I refocus on our conversation. This is a key point.

    ¡°We want to put it intow that any Alpha or pack that refuses to allow their she- wolves to participate

    or refuses ess to their she- wolves will have their packs dismantled through force if necessary.¡±

    ¡°Force?¡± Antonio asks.

    ¡°War.¡± Annabel says, watching him closely.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking us, as your mates, to wage war with another Alpha or Alphas if they do not follow these

    rules once passed intow?¡± Asher asks, looking at Mignon. ¡°Yes.¡± She says quietly. He narrows her

    eyes at her, and I give her credit, she doesn¡¯t back down.

    ¡°Three girls or five years of trying,¡± he says. She narrows her eyes back at him and I look at Mason,

    frowning. His face mirrors mine.

    ¡°Four years and five children total, no matter the gender.¡± Mignon, says in return. This is bizarre.

    ¡°Five years and six children in total, no matter the gender.¡± He counters.

    ¡°Deal.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°Deal.¡± Asher says back pulling her into hisp and kissing her passionately. ¡°You make deals based on

    the number of children you may have?¡± Annabel asks them.

    Mignon shrugs. ¡°I want children as much as Asher does, so it¡¯s a win-win.¡±

    Annabel turns to look at Antonio and I see the wheels in her mind turning. Antonio watches her intently,

    his eyebrows raising in question.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be discussing thister.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°I have no doubt.¡± He replies.

    Asher stands, moving Mignon so he¡¯s carrying her, her legs, wrapped around his waist. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been

    fun. See you all tomorrow.¡± He says, heading for the door.

    ¡°Yeah, time for bed.¡± Seth says and before she realizes what he¡¯s doing, Seth has scooped Hana over

    his shoulder caveman style, heading toward the door.

    ¡°Seth, put me down!¡± She exims and I hear him smack her backside. ¡°Calm it down, woman.¡± He

    says, walking out of the room, Hana giggling as they go.

    ¡°I choose the first option.¡± Annabel says, running and jumping into Antonio¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Good choice.¡± He says, carrying her out of the room, somehow kissing her as he goes.

    Mason closes the door behind them. ¡°Which do you choose? Option one or option two?¡± He asks me,

    as he starts to stalk me, a predator on the hunt.

    ¡°Option three.¡± I say, turning to race into our room. He catches me before I get to the door, shredding

    my clothes before we get to the bed and then taking his time reminding me that I¡¯m mated to a

    dominant Alpha man.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next morning, we arrive at the conference room ready to take on the other Alphas. We decided

    that Seth and I would take on the petition for changing the iming process and Hana and Jara would

    take on the petition for the Luna Council.

    Title of the document

    I let Jara know that we needed to meet with Alpha Davis after the meeting ends today, or maybe at

    lunch time if things don¡¯t get too crazy this morning.

    As we get our coffee and get settled, Elder Jasones in, moving to stand at the front of the room.

    We get settled and hees forward.

    ¡°Good morning everyone. Today we have three petitions that we need to address. Of note, there are

    two that seem to be in direct conflict with each other, so I¡¯m sure that there will be some discussion

    about the direction of our packs in the future.¡±

    He turns, pulling my petition from the table behind him. ¡°The first petition has been submitted by Alphas

    Mason and Seth. They are proposing to change the way the annual iming process is handled.¡±

    ¡°Of course, they are.¡± I hear Gunnar growl under his breath.

    ¡°This petition has six sections. We will go through each one individually and discuss it before moving to

    the next. Any questions?¡±

    When no one has any, he continues.

    ¡°The first part of this petition states that ¡®a*s*sessments will happen within one month of the iming¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Is there enough time toplete a*s*sessments for a couple hundred imaints within one month?¡±

    Elder Stanley asks.

    ¡°It would depend on how many imaints there actually are for the im and how many a*s*sessors

    we have. Now that we have fewer packs and fewer werewolves, I think it could be done.¡± Surprisingly,

    it¡¯s Elder Carson that agrees that this is possible.

    There are a few other questions, but this is pretty straightforward. It was meant to ensure the safety of

    the she-wolves as much as possible, but it¡¯s already a requirement, it just shortens the timeframes for

    completion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Alpha Jason says, and all fourteen Alphas agree.

    ¡°Done. Moving on to the second part of the petition. It states, ¡®Killing is not allowed and will disqualify

    the imant from that and all future imings¡¯.¡±

    Not surprisingly, this one causes a lot of grumbling.

    ¡°Are we wolves or are we wolves in sheep¡¯s clothing. Fighting is what we do, it¡¯s how we show

    dominance.¡± Alpha Gunnar says loudly, his minions nodding in agreement.

    ¡°Except, the imings are open to all ranks. It gives an unfair advantage to ranked wolves and is

    depleting our omegas at an rming rate, especially after this year.¡± Alpha Zaire speaks up.

    ¡°Then perhaps you should do a better job of training your pack members, Alpha.¡± Alpha Emanuel says

    sarcastically.

    ¡°No matter how well you train an omega, or even a warrior for that matter, they could never win against

    an Alpha or a Beta. And they¡¯d be lucky to beat a Gamma unless they are a younger brother with true

    blood lines.¡± Alpha Luke speaks up. ¡°I agree with the elimination of the killing. It was a f*uc*king

    bloodbath this year, and for no good reason.¡±

    ¡°Oh, poor Alpha Luke, lost some of his pack members. Too bad, Alpha. Get with the program. I vote

    that the killing continues. Isn¡¯t that the point of the iming? Let the strongest im their mates?¡± Alpha

    Gunnar says.

    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t care about the loss of your pack members, Gunnar, doesn¡¯t mean the rest of

    us don¡¯t. I agree with Alphas Seth and Mason. Eliminate the killing during the iming.¡± Alpha Antonio

    says.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason says. When we vote, he reads the tallies. ¡°Nine in favor of

    changing thews, five in favor of keeping them the same. Thew will change and killing will now be

    illegal during the iming process and those that kill either before or during the iming process will be

    eliminated from that and all future imings.¡±

    I can see Gunnar from the corner of my eye. He¡¯s fuming, especially since Alphas Davis and Quinton

    sided with me. Of course, both of them have small packs. They can¡¯t afford to lose their members to

    something stupid like the iming process. It could easily cause them to lose their pack status, forcing

    them to be absorbed by another pack. That may not sound terrible, but it means that the Alpha of the

    absorbed pack also loses their Alpha status and must now submit to another Alpha. I know I wouldn¡¯t

    do it.

    I look at Gunnar more closely. Maybe that¡¯s his n. He didn¡¯t increase the size of his pack too much

    during the meeting yesterday. So, maybe he¡¯s hoping his alliance with the other packs would allow him

    to absorb their members over time. It makes him more dangerous, and certainly worth watching.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I hear Jara in my head. I look at her and see her watching me closely. ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± I

    say, needing to stay focused right now.

    ¡°The third part of the petition states that All imings, regardless of the rank of the female, will be

    limited to fifty imants.¡±

    The response is instant and has many Alphas on their feet. ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the best way for someone to get a ranked female. You can¡¯t limit it.¡±

    Elder Jason turns and looks at me. ¡°Alpha Mason, Alpha Seth, would one of you like to exin your

    reasons behind this part of the petition.¡±

    I stand, knowing Seth and I had already talked about me taking the lead. ¡°In this year¡¯s iming, it

    became very apparent that therger the group of males in the lottery, the more likely and more quickly

    the iming haze would take you. In Luna Hana¡¯s iming, for instance, omegas and warriors were

    falling into the haze before they entered the territory. It was a bloodbath and they never made it into the

    im. By the end of the second day, the haze had started to take ranked members as well. No one was

    immune. It was the same in Alpha Jara¡¯s iming. Members were falling to the haze almost

    immediately and no one was immune, which caused the deaths of at least one Alpha.¡± I turn and look

    at Alpha Asher, nodding at him. ¡°Possibly the death of Alpha Typhon, nearly taking Alpha Luke and

    countless other ranked members.¡±

    I stop, looking around. ¡°Many of you lost ranked members this year. Some of you are in your positions

    because your Alphas were killed in previous imings. Some of you have killed the ranked members of

    other packs. By limiting the number of imants, we limit the effects of the iming haze.¡±

    ¡°Haze or no haze, like Alpha Gunnar said before, we¡¯re wolves. We¡¯ re a violent species. I say we keep

    the numbers. Every wolf has the opportunity to excuse themselves from the iming. Every wolf knows

    the risk of entering a im, no matter the size of the lottery. I say leave it as is.¡± Alpha Conrad, one of

    Gunnar¡¯s minions says and I see many others nodding in agreement.

    ¡°Even if they know the risks, some pack members are so close to going feral, that it¡¯s worth it. Some of

    our pack members will die whether it¡¯s in the iming territory or by their Alpha¡¯s hand a few months

    later. I agree with Alpha Conrad, the numbers shouldn¡¯t be reduced because of the haze.¡± Alpha Jonas,

    one that I felt wouldn¡¯t side either way, says. He makes a valid point, one that I see several others

    agreeing with.

    ¡°So, we will modify the previous statement, then? Killing outside the iming territory is not allowed.

    But what happens once in the haze inside the iming territory is unavoidable.¡± Alpha Emanual says. I

    don¡¯t like it, but I know from experience you can¡¯t change your instinct once you¡¯re in the haze.¡±

    I look at Seth and he nods. ¡°Fine.¡± I say, turning back to the group.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    This time, the votes are split down the middle. Seven in favor of the change, seven against it. It doesn¡¯t

    escape my notice that the ones against it, still don¡¯t have mates.

    ¡°Since this is a tie, we will take it to the Elders.¡± Elder Jason says, turning to his brethren. ¡°All in favor of

    changing the maximum limit in the imings, raise your hand.¡± None of them do.

    ¡°All in favor of keeping the lottery numbers as is, raise your hand.¡± All four raise their hands.

    ¡°The votes fall to the side of those wanting to keep the lottery numbers the same. Nows will be

    changed.¡± Elder Jason looks down a moment. ¡°If I had needed to vote, I would have voted in favor of

    the change. I cleaned up too many dead bodies this year. Dead bodies of YOUR pack members.¡± He

    says, and it¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s scolding the Alphas.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    ¡°Moving on to the fourth statement in the petition, ¡®Males will identify which ims they choose to be in.

    Females will use social gatherings with interested males to choose their own lottery of imants¡¯.¡±

    Title of the document

    Alpha Gunnar snorts. ¡°Now you¡¯re letting the females choose who they want in their ims? What kind

    of bullshit is this?¡±

    ¡°This is the kind of bullshit that keeps things like what happened to Layan from happening again.¡± Jara

    says, snarling at Gunnar. ¡°She would never have chosen that Alpha for her im.¡±

    ¡°That Alpha was feral. We all agreed that a*s*sessments should be done closer to the iming

    process. Why should females get a say in who catches them?¡± He snarls right back.

    ¡°Being forced into a mate bond that we don¡¯t want, won¡¯t make us more fertile and it won¡¯t make us

    want to reproduce. It may be easy for you to be a two-pump chump and your part is done. For us, as

    she-wolves, there is more involved.¡± Hana jumps in.

    ¡°What are you saying, Luna? That if the she-wolves can choose males that they have developed an

    attachment to, or a liking for, that if they are imed by that male, they are likely to reproduce more

    quickly and more frequently?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what she¡¯s saying.¡± Mignon says, standing and looking at Asher. He smiles, nodding at

    her.

    She turns back to the room. ¡°I am already pregnant, and I¡¯m far enough along that we already know I¡¯m

    having a girl.¡± There is a collective suction of breath in the room. It¡¯s been years since a she-wolf got

    pregnant this quicklying out of a im.

    ¡°I knew I wanted my Asher before I went into the iming territory. Of all the males in my im, he was

    the one I wanted to catch me.¡± She says, giving Asher a look I know well. I see it when Jara looks at

    me, it¡¯s a look of love and adoration. She turns back to the room. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a chance to meet any of

    the others, only those in my lottery, but he was the only one for me and I know that¡¯s why I am already

    carrying his pup.¡± She says bravely.

    ¡°That could be a fluke.¡± Alpha Gunnar says, dismissing her. Asher snarls at him, pulling Mignon into his

    lap.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Hana says standing up. She gives Jara a look of apology before continuing. ¡°Seth and I

    just found out this morning that I¡¯m carrying his pup. It was the same for me, even though there were

    more males in my iming, and there were ones that I would have epted as my mate. But from the

    beginning, it was always Seth for me.¡± She turns giving her mate a look of total adoration.

    ¡°I¡¯m not far enough along to know the gender of our baby yet, but Mignon¡¯s situation isn¡¯t a

    coincidence. It¡¯s because we love our mates, and they love us and treat us well. It opens us to being

    willing to reproduce and gives us a strong desire to carry our mate¡¯s pups.¡± She says before returning

    to her seat, only to be pulled into Seth¡¯sp. He runs his nose up her neck, kissing her ear before

    turning back to the group.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Annabel should also be pregnant.¡± Alpha Conrad says, looking at Annabel.

    What a prick.

    ¡°That¡¯s on me. A situation that has now been rectified.¡± Antonio says, smirking at his mate, making her

    blush.

    ¡°And Luna Jara?¡± Gunnar says, turning his sneer toward my mate.

    ¡°She¡¯s only been out of the iming for a week. Even biology takes time, moron.¡± I say, done with his

    a*s*shole ways. But my mate isn¡¯t having it.

    Jara leans forward, staring daggers at Gunnar. ¡°I take my mate¡¯s knot every night Alpha, sometimes

    more than once. The odds of me being pregnant are exceptionally high. So, sit your sorry a*s*s back

    and shut your f*uc*king mouth.¡±

    Gunnar grits his teeth, turning his snarl on me. I just sit back giving him a smug smile of my own. I

    wasn¡¯t going to tell this room of Alphas about my intimate time with Jara, but if she wants the world to

    know that she can¡¯t get enough of me, who am I toin?

    I can see some of the other Alphas in the room looking thoughtful over what they¡¯ve heard and learned

    from our Lunas. It isn¡¯t something that has been discussed before and obviously in situations where

    M was mated to Typhon, things didn¡¯t work well. Now, hearing it firsthand, this room of werewolf

    leaders can¡¯t deny that allowing the she-wolves to choose their imants will make a difference in the

    propagation of our species.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    Not surprisingly, the vote is ten to four. The only four against the change are Gunnar and his minions.

    ¡°The change in allowing the females to choose the imants in their lottery will be put intow.¡±

    ¡°The fifth portion of the petition states, ¡®Females will be given a supply of food when entering the

    iming¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No disrespect intended Lunas, but what is the point of this?¡± Alpha Quinton asks, looking at each of

    them in the eyes.

    ¡°I almost starved in my iming.¡± Mignon says, and Asher pulls her closer to him, kissing her shoulder.

    ¡°We can¡¯t cook. Not like you can. It will give our location away and we¡¯ll be captured very quickly.¡±

    Annabel says.

    ¡°Is that so terrible?¡± Gunnar asks sarcastically again.

    ¡°Since you are the one that keeps touting the need to show your strength and that you are worthy of

    catching a mate, one would think that you wouldn¡¯t want to have your mate so easily captured.

    However, I guess when we all realize that you have yet to beat out your fellow Alphas to im a mate,

    we can understand why you might want to make the iming process a bit easier for yourself.¡± Jara

    says and her tone is dripping with derision and sarcasm.

    I hear some muffled chuckles and snorts at her words. Gunnar¡¯s face goes bright red with anger,

    embarra*s*sment, and frustration.

    ¡°Let¡¯s vote.¡± Elder Jason redirects the conversation back to the issue at hand. This time, it¡¯s thirteen to

    one. Gunnar being the only one that votes against it. Even his minions could see the value in having a

    healthy Luna at the end of the im. ¡°And the final item in this petition states Any male who ims a

    mate will no longer be eligible to participate in the iming¡¯.¡±

    All of the unmated males look our way.

    ¡°But that will eliminate all of you from ever entering the im again.¡± Alpha Davis says, looking at me

    with shock on his face.

    ¡°Believe me when I say, if anything were to happen to Jara, there would never be another for me.¡±

    ¡°Or me.¡± Seth says, nuzzling Hana.

    ¡°Never.¡± Antonio says, reaching over to stroke Annabel¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°No one could ever rece my mate. I may not be able to follow her into death, if we have children that

    depend on me, but my heart would go with her, and no one would ever be able to fill that void for me

    again.¡± Asher says, looking at Mignon as he says it. She reaches up to cup his cheek before leaning

    forward and kissing him gently.

    Alpha David turns to look at Alpha Zaire and Alpha Saul. ¡°And you both agree to this?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. My mate is everything. Any male that could enter the im again after losing his mate,

    never really cared for his mate in the first ce. If that¡¯s true, he doesn¡¯t deserve another chance to

    catch a mate.¡± Zaire says.

    ¡°I agree 100%.¡± Saul adds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    And just like we started the morning, we end it with all votes agreeing to change thew.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The morning had been long and arduous. I¡¯m beyond ready to take a break when they tell us to take

    time for lunch.

    Title of the document

    Mason takes my hand, looking at the others at our table. ¡°Let¡¯s go find a quiet spot and grab some

    lunch. I have something I want to share with our Lunas.¡±

    Before we leave the conference room, Hana grabs me. ¡°Jara, I¡¯m so sorry. I really wanted to tell you

    first, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m really happy for both of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± She looks at Seth and Mason, before lowering her voice. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if you were

    pregnant too and our children were raised together?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll hope for that.¡± I tell her and mean it. Our children will be cousins. They should grow up together

    as friends.

    We all make our way to the dining room in the hotel. Thankfully, they have a tablerge enough to seat

    us all. I¡¯m surprised when Mason asks for a table for ten rather than eight.

    ¡°Mason, who else is joining us?¡± I ask, just as Alphas Davis and Quinton walk up. ¡°Alphas, please join

    us.¡± Mason says and we all sit down.

    He waits until we order our food and drinks before he turns to me.

    ¡°I invited Alpha Davis to join us because he is Layan¡¯s Alpha. I thought maybe you would all like to hear

    how she is doing. But I have to tell you,¡± he says, looking at each of us, ¡°it¡¯s not good.¡±

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    I turn, looking at Alpha Davis. ¡°Tell us.¡± I say quietly.

    He looks at all of us before starting. ¡°Well, you know the condition she was in when she returned

    home?¡± We nod.

    ¡°Unfortunately, word like that travels fast and my entire pack knew what had happened to her. They

    probably would have found out anyway, since she wasn¡¯t supposed to return to our pack. But the way

    she returned caused quite an uproar.¡± He looks up at me and I can see his sadness. Even if Mason

    hadn¡¯t prepared us, I would have known that she wasn¡¯t doing well.

    ¡°I told Alpha Mason and Alpha Seth that I got her a counselor, but he is a male.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t work for her. Not after what she suffered.¡± Annabel says.

    Alpha Davis nods. ¡°And it hasn¡¯t. She isn¡¯t getting any better. I¡¯ve tried, as her Alpha, to try tofort

    her, help her feel safe and protected, but again, she won¡¯t ept it from me.¡± He looks down and I can

    tell that he feels like he¡¯s failing her. ¡°An Alpha did this to her. She would shy away from you.¡± Hana

    says.

    He nods, looking back up. ¡°In talking with your mates, I was hoping that maybe, you¡¯d be willing to

    come spend some time with Layan. We all know you developed a bond¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I say, cutting him off.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Hana says at the same time.

    ¡°We should all go.¡± Annabel says, looking at Antonio.

    ¡°It would be like it was in the iming. We could have a movie night with popcorn and pizza.¡± Mignon

    says.

    ¡°Baby, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m okay being away from you for even a few days. My wolf wants to know his pup

    is safe at all times. Alpha Typhon is still out there, and we don¡¯t trust Alpha Gunnar and his crew.¡±

    Asher says to her. I see the tears welling in her eyes.

    ¡°We could find space for the four of you as well. Or as many of you as want toe. My pack is small,

    but we have space for visitors. It¡¯s nothing fancy¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be perfect.¡± I say, looking at Mason. If he set up this meeting, he knows I will go to see

    Layan. He also knows it¡¯s part of the petition that I want to put into ce. He¡¯s giving me the freedom to

    be the woman and Luna I want to be. Goddess, I love this man.

    He winks at me, having felt my feelings and my appreciation toward him.

    ¡°Maybe we can trade off.¡± Antonio says, and I can tell he wants to do this for Annabel. It means a lot to

    her, so it means a lot to him.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hana asks him.

    ¡°Well, we could do it two ways, depending on what Layan needs. But I¡¯m guessing one movie night isn¡¯t

    going to be enough to help her. So, as Alphas, we could entrust the care of our mates to each other,

    sending one of us to look out for all the mates while the four of you go to see Layan. Or we could split it

    up and have you go two at a time, so it¡¯s only every other weekend, or something simr, until she¡¯s

    feeling more confident.¡±

    The four of us look at each other. We know that Layan needs all of us, for different reasons.

    ¡°All of us, until she¡¯s feeling more confident then maybe we can begin toe in two at a time and

    maybe eventually one at a time.¡± I say, looking around the room to see if everyone is okay with this.

    ¡°And we¡¯ll have our guards. So only having one of you to watch over us should be sufficient. We¡¯ll need

    an Alpha, because our guards aren¡¯t Alphas, but with our guards, you can rest a*s*sured that each of

    us will be protected.¡±

    I see Asher gritting his teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t leave Mignon. Not right now.¡±

    ¡°I understand that.¡± Seth says. ¡°So, maybe you and I switch off, knowing both of our mates are

    pregnant and carrying our pups. We will be extra protective of both of them.¡±

    ¡°And what do we do when our mates be pregnant?¡± Antonio asks.

    ¡°If they still feel like all four of them need to go every weekend, we begin to split our time, two and two

    every other weekend.¡±

    I watch as our mates a*s*sess each other, determining if they can trust that their mates will be taken

    care of by the others.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try to remember that we¡¯re not helpless females.¡± I say, giving them all a look to say that they are

    being ridiculous.

    ¡°We did, after all, give each of you a run for your money.¡± Hana says, giving Seth a meaningful look.

    I see Alpha Davis duck his head, but he can¡¯t hide his smilepletely.

    ¡°We can¡¯t help it that we don¡¯t trust our mates¡¯ care to anyone but ourselves, love.¡± Mason says to me.

    ¡°So, create an alliance. We¡¯re the fourrgest packs, build an alliance. Your mates are already friends,

    none of you seem to have an issue with each other. Why not?¡± I ask.

    All of our mates look at each other before shrugging. ¡°Why not?¡± Mason asks.

    ¡°Can we get in on that?¡± Quinton asks as Davis nods.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    Jara

    When we return to the conference room after lunch, I feel better about our n to take care of Layan. I

    know that she needs us, the four of us that were in the iming with her.

    Title of the document

    But for now, I need to make sure that not only Layan, but every werewolf female is safe.

    As we sit down, Elder Jason steps up to begin.

    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, we have two more petitions that seem to be in opposition to each other. The

    first was presented by Alpha Gunnar, the second was presented by the Lunas. We¡¯ll start with Alpha

    Gunnar¡¯s petition. It states that packs will have absolute oversight and control of their she-wolves, with

    the notable exception of their requirement to enter the iming process after they reach the age of

    maturity.¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°It means that I say what happens to the she-wolves in my pack.¡± Gunnar says, smirking at me and it¡¯s

    a look that has the hair on the back of my neck going up.

    ¡°Meaning that you get to r*ap*e them because they are in your pack?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°Meaning, that if their ¡®mate¡¯,¡± he uses air quotes, ¡°can¡¯t get her pregnant, then as their Alpha, it¡¯s my

    duty to propagate the species and impregnate her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°So, let me get this straight.¡± I say, standing up, because I want to make sure every Alpha in this room

    is paying attention and hears what I¡¯m about to say. ¡°After all your bullshit this morning about needing

    to be the strongest wolf to catch a she- wolf to ensure the continuation of the species, it sounds to me

    that if you STILL can¡¯t get a mate, you¡¯re basically going to steal the mates of those in your pack who

    beat you out, r*ap*e their she-wolves and then what? Give them back to their mates? Is that what I¡¯m

    understanding?¡±

    I can tell by the way the other Alphas are looking at him that they do not agree with this. The iming

    was put into ce so the strongest survive. It may not be the best system, but it¡¯s certainly a better

    option than Alphas sitting back and r*ap*ing their pack members¡¯ mates.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± Gunnar says.

    ¡°How would it be?¡± Hana asks,ing to stand beside me.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, we have to ensure that our species doesn¡¯t go extinct.¡± He says, his voice not nearly

    as strong as it was before.

    ¡°And yet, you fought against the decisions that would continue our species, keep us strong and build a

    better future for our species. And I believe you said, and I quote, ¡®A woman¡¯s job is to be a bed warmer

    for her mate and birth his young. Alpha or no, if you can¡¯t do that, you¡¯re pretty worthless.¡¯ So, I¡¯m

    guessing if your pack mate can¡¯t get their ¡®worthless¡¯ mate pregnant, you¡¯re going to do your duty, as an

    Alpha, and make sure she gets pregnant?¡± I snarl at him.

    He grits his teeth, not answering.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    The vote was thirteen to one, Gunnar being the only one that voted for, his petition, thank goodness.

    Maybe there¡¯s hope for our species after all.

    ¡°Last on our docket today is the petition put forth by the Lunas. This petition contains seven items.¡±

    I hear grumbling as the Alphas realize that it¡¯s likely we¡¯ll be here until tomorrow. ¡°Do we need to break

    so that everyone can make arrangements to stay another night and not have their packs expect them

    until tomorrow?¡± Elder Jason asks. After unanimous agreement, we break to extend our stay, and let

    the pack know we won¡¯t be back untilte tomorrow, or maybe early the next day.

    It¡¯s mid-afternoon before we finally settle back into the conference room and Elder Jason takes his

    petition at the front of the room.

    ¡°As I mentioned before, thest petition of this meeting was put forth by the Lunas with the support of

    their mates. The first item in the petition states, ¡®She-wolves will haveplete and unlimited ess to

    each other.¡±

    ¡°For what purpose?¡± Alpha Shawn asks.

    ¡°Support, a*s*sistance, camaraderie. We are werewolves after all. We¡¯re pack animals. There are so

    few of us and we¡¯re spread out all over the country, so we don¡¯t even know each other. We want to

    change that.¡± Hana says. Since she¡¯s taking lead on this petition, she is the one speaking for us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    Once again, it¡¯s thirteen to one, with Alpha Gunnar against the change. Since he wanted total and

    complete domination over his she-wolves, I¡¯m not surprised. ¡°This petition will be put intow.¡± Elder

    Jason says.

    The next item on the petition states, ¡®She-wolves will a*s*sist with pregnancy and birthing¡¯s¡¯.¡±

    I see Alpha Saul and Alpha Zaire whip their heads around to us, a slow smile spreading on Alpha

    Zaire¡¯s face.

    ¡°We have doctors, we don¡¯t need she-wolves meddling in the birthing process. And what are they going

    to do during their pregnancy? Rub their feet?¡± Alpha Emmanuel asks. I dislike him almost as much as I

    dislike Alpha Gunnar.

    ¡°Alpha Emmanuel, have you ever been pregnant?¡± Hana asks and I can tell by the tone in her voice

    that she¡¯s about to put this Alpha in his ce. I sit back to watch. ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t, what kind of

    question is that?¡± He says, huffing.

    ¡°Have you ever had a menstrual cycle?¡± Hana continues.

    ¡°What is the point of your questions, youngdy?¡± He snarls.

    ¡°Luna!¡± Seth snarls right back.

    ¡°The point is, you don¡¯t have the physical equipment necessary to understand what a she-wolf goes

    through when she¡¯s pregnant. You don¡¯t know what it feels like to birth a pup or lose a pup. And before

    any of you state the obvious, you are correct, I don¡¯t either. But my body has the ability to do those

    things where yours doesn¡¯t. I can be empathetic with a she-wolf that may lose her pup in a way that

    none of the Alphas in this room can. And there are several she-wolves who have given birth who could

    be a positive and caring support to those who are struggling with their pregnancies or even during

    childbirth. I would use my mother-inw as an example. She does know what it¡¯s like, and while she

    may not have lost a child while pregnant, she had a daughter that did, and she has lost a child. She is

    more uniquely qualified than any of you are to support a she-wolf in your packs.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Luna Hana. When my Gia lost one of our pups, she was devastated. I didn¡¯t know what to

    do for her, how tofort her. It was a terrible time and maybe if another she-wolf could have been

    there for her, she would have responded more quickly. I agree with this item in the petition.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    This time is ten to four, Alpha Gunnar and his posse voting against us. Doesn¡¯t matter, they still lost.

    ¡°This item will be ced intow.¡±

    ¡°The next item up for review states, ¡®Once a month, a representative from each pack that has she-

    wolves will attend meetings organized by the Lunas¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You already want ess to our packs, now you want monthly meetings too? Give me a break, even

    the Alphas only meet annually.¡± Thises from Alpha Conrad.

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d be doing more to ensure the continuation of our race if you met more frequently.¡± I say,

    giving him a snarky smile.

    ¡°Unlike the Alphas that have unlimited ess to other packs and other Alphas, the Lunas and other

    she-wolves do not. We would like to change that. It¡¯s another way to support each other, provide ideas

    of things that work in our packs and may be helpful in other packs. It¡¯s a way to ensure that we know if

    someone is struggling with their pregnancy or is getting close to childbirth so we can make

    arrangements to send someone to help, if needed. There are many things that can be aplished

    during these monthly meetings.¡± Hana exins.

    ¡°This sounds like some other way for you to try to take control of our packs. Using these petitions as a

    way to infiltrate our packs and overthrow us as Alphas.¡± Gunnar says.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it at all, Alpha. Our sole intention is to support the she- wolves and ensure that they are

    being treated well in their packs. If you are mistreating your she-wolves, that is another story, but if you

    are treating them well, then we have no problems.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Treating them well.¡± He says, using air quotes. ¡°That¡¯s pretty subjective.¡±

    ¡°I can a*s*sure you, r*ap*e is not considered treating your she-wolves well, Alpha Gunnar.¡± I say.

    ¡°Let¡¯s vote.¡± Elder Jason says. Again, it¡¯s a ten to four vote, with Gunnar and his minions voting against

    it. I have to wonder if they really don¡¯t agree with this or if they are just following Gunnar.

    ¡°This item will be ced intow. Due to the time, I vote that we end for the day and continue this again

    tomorrow morning.¡±

    Everyone agrees and we adjourn for the day.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    It¡¯s been a long day and since none of us intended to be here another night, there are no nned

    activities. We decide to go out to dinner again. After speaking to our small group, they all want to do

    something on their own, spending time with their mates. Works for me.

    Title of the document

    Jara and I find a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant where we can sit and talk.

    Once we order food, Jara jumps right in. ¡°What do you think of Alpha Gunnar?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s got an ulterior motive. I just haven¡¯t been able to figure out what it is yet.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s nning to overtake his minions¡¯ packs eventually? And what¡¯s with r*aping the she-

    wolves? Do we know if he¡¯s close to going feral?¡±

    ¡°The thought urred to me about the others¡¯ packs. If he sets it up the right way, he could absorb

    them and make it look like an act of friendship when in reality, it was an act of aggression. A well

    thought out act of aggression.¡±

    ¡°And the she-wolves?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s desperate. He was in both yours and Hana¡¯s imings this year. He didn¡¯t catch either of

    you, although, I think he was one of the ones that had Hana surrounded when she leaped into Seth¡¯s

    arms.¡±

    ¡°So, if he can¡¯t im them properly, he will take them by force. It¡¯s too much like Typhon. When we

    pass the rest of the petition rules, I¡¯ll want to go to his pack, his and Alpha Emanual.¡±

    ¡°So, Emanual got under your skin today?¡± I tease her. He put himself on my radar as well.

    ¡°Not under my skin, but he¡¯s a problem with his archaic ways of thinking that are not conducive to the

    continuation of our species or the health of the she-wolves in his pack.¡±

    ¡°On that, you and I can agree.¡± I reach over and take her hand, pulling it to my mouth and kissing her

    knuckles as I watch her. ¡°Can we also agree that there is no way in hell that I¡¯m letting you walk onto

    those packnds without me?¡±

    She blushes softly as I kiss her hand, her eyes meeting mine as I speak.

    ¡°Why Alpha, are you worried about me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you that I¡¯m worried about. I know you are one hell of a strong woman who can take care of

    herself. But I don¡¯t trust Gunnar or his group at all, and I certainly won¡¯t trust them with my most prized

    possession.¡±

    ¡°Your car?¡± My mate says, batting her eyes and giving me an innocent look that I don¡¯t buy for a

    second.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Not my car.¡± I say, my eyes holding hers in a relentless gaze.

    ¡°Your money?¡± She says, again with an innocent face that isn¡¯t close to being real. ¡°Do I need to remind

    you, my precious mate, what my most prized possession is? And how much I absolutely adore her?¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± She takes her free hand, the one that I¡¯m not still kissing one knuckle at a time and taps her

    finger on her lips. ¡°I think maybe I do need a reminder.¡± At that moment, our foodes to the table.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take that to go.¡± I say before they can even put it in front of us.

    The waiter looks from me to Jara and back. ¡°Uh, yes sir.¡±

    When he returns a couple minutester, I throw several hundred- dor bills on the table, grab the to-

    go bag with one hand and as soon as Jara is standing, I scoop her over my shoulder. ¡°Option two it is

    tonight.¡± I say, not caring who sees me walking my mate out of the restaurant like this.

    The next morning, we return to the conference room, ready to continue. After we are all seated, Elder

    Jasones to the front of the room.

    ¡°Today we will continue to review the petition submitted by the Lunas. The next item in the petition

    states, ¡®Once a year, during the Alpha meeting, Lunas will meet to discuss the next year¡¯s events,

    including imings and concerns with she- wolves brought before the Luna Council¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Now you want your own damn meeting? Are you kidding me?¡± Gunnar says, this time shooting up to

    his feet. Oh yeah, today is going to be a lot of fun.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t we? The needs of the she-wolves are obviously not represented in this meeting. We

    should have our own and then on thest day, we can all meet together and discuss changes we would

    like to see.¡± Annabel says, standing as well. I notice that while Antonio is letting her make her stand,

    he¡¯s also staying close in case he needs to jump in against Gunnar or anyone else.

    ¡°I agree, why shouldn¡¯t the Lunas have their own meetings. We all heard yesterday that they have their

    own issues, issues that we may not truly understand. So, let them oversee the she-wolves, report back

    at this meeting issues or concerns that they have, and we can all discuss them as we are doing now.¡±

    Alpha Saul says.

    ¡°I think the Lunas should know their ce. They aren¡¯t the leaders of the pack, they shouldn¡¯t be trying

    to take on the role of the Alphas.¡± Alpha Emanuel says.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Hana says, ready to shut him down. ¡°We have no intention of running your packs. But you

    don¡¯t seem to be taking care of your she-wolves. Too many are dying and if we are going to continue

    our species, we need to do a better job of looking after all of the ones that remain. Since you are so

    busy running your packs, you shouldn¡¯t have any problem letting us, as Lunas, take over the arduous

    task of looking after the she-wolves.¡± She says sarcastically.

    Hana gives Alpha Emanuel a smile that says she knows she¡¯s got him. He curls his lip in return.

    ¡°Let¡¯s vote.¡± Elder Jason says. Surprisingly, this vote is closer. There are more Alphas than I realized

    who feel threatened by our Lunas. But in the end, it¡¯s a nine to five vote.

    ¡°This item will be ced intow. The next item on the petition states, ¡®Lunas will have the ability to visit

    any pack to see and speak with she-wolves. They will have full ess and cannot be denied entry to

    the pack¡±.¡±

    ¡°See, they are trying to infiltrate our packs!¡± Gunnar is on his feet again.

    ¡°You know Alpha Gunnar, for someone who doesn¡¯t think much of women, you sure are concerned

    about having a Luna in your pack. One might think you have something to hide.¡± I say, watching him

    closely.

    He turns on me. ¡°We all know it won¡¯t just be the Lunas. None of you are going to let them into one of

    our packs without being with them. So, now I have to let a Luna AND her Alpha onto my packnds.¡±

    Gunnar says.

    ¡°What is the purpose of this item?¡± Alpha Jonas asks.

    ¡°In the case of my sister, she was denied ess to our family. She was only able to call on rare

    asions and no matter how many times we called, she was ¡®unavable.¡¯ When we did speak to her,

    we knew something was wrong, but we were denied entrance to Alpha Typhon¡¯s packnds. My sister

    might be alive today if something like this were in ce. So, the purpose, Alpha Jonas, is to ensure that

    there is no mistreatment of the she-wolves in a pack. And if there is any indication that such

    mistreatment is urring, a Luna from any pack can go to visit the she-wolf and ensure that there is no

    mistreatment going on.¡± Jara tells him.

    I can tell from the looks of the Alphas that they didn¡¯t realize that M was denied ess to her family.

    It was extreme, but not unheard of. I could see Gunnar doing the same. And possibly Emanual as well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s vote.¡± Elder Jason says.

    This time, the vote is ten to four in favor. Jara¡¯s story of M seems to have swayed some of the

    Alphas.

    ¡°This item will be ce intow. The next item on the list states, ¡®Any Alpha or pack that blocks this

    ess and ability to participate in these events will have their pack dismantled, whether by the Alpha

    and Luna Councils or by war¡¯.¡±

    As soon as the words leave Elder Jason¡¯s mouth, the room erupts into angry shouts.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I¡¯m not surprised at the response of the Alphas. Dering war, or the intent of war is a serious thing. It

    takes the Elders several minutes to regain control of the room.

    Title of the document

    It¡¯s Elder Rudy who stands up and looks at our table. ¡°What is the meaning of this.¡± He says, his face

    going red with his indignation.

    ¡°This is a way to ensure that thesews are actually implemented.¡± Mason says.

    ¡°We¡¯re all aware that you, as the Elder Council, do not enforce thews. Without thews being

    enforced, what¡¯s the point of having them?¡± Alpha Antonio says. ¡°And I would add, what¡¯s the point of

    having a council. It¡¯s your job to uphold thew, if you don¡¯t do that, then you¡¯re as useless as Alpha

    Gunnar feels a she-wolf is.¡± Seth says.

    That stops everyone short. There¡¯s a lot of blustering and grunting, but it takes a moment before

    anyone can finally regain themselves enough to respond.

    ¡°The four of you are in agreement with this?¡± Elder Jason asks, looking at Mason and the others.

    ¡°We are.¡± Seth says. ¡°We signed an alliance agreement yesterday. Our packs will enforce thesews if

    you, as the Elder Council, fail to do so.¡±

    ¡°I joined their alliance as well.¡± Alpha Quinton says, and I swear I see steaming out of Alpha

    Gunnar¡¯s ears.

    ¡°As did I. Things need to change. We¡¯re dying out too quickly and with only a few females that are in

    childbearing years, we¡¯ll kill ourselves off if we don¡¯t start protecting them.¡± Alpha Davis adds.

    ¡°Should I be offended that I wasn¡¯t invited into this alliance?¡± Alpha Luke asks with a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got your paperwork right here, Alpha. In case you¡¯re interested.¡± Alpha Antonio says, holding up

    some documents.

    Alpha Luke nods, looking satisfied.

    Alpha Gunnar looks around. ¡°Are you seriously going to sit by and let this happen? He says, looking at

    the Elders.

    ¡°There is nothing in thews that says that packs cannot form alliances with each other. It used to be a

    standard practice. However, in recent years, that practice has died out because leadership in our packs

    changes so frequently.¡± Elder Jason says.

    ¡°As our leaders have died, so have our standard practices. Things like alliances and mate bonds have

    fallen into the history books.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that we should let the females choose their mates now?¡± Alpha Conrad asks, looking

    appalled.

    ¡°Not now, not today. But if we can rebuild our numbers, start birthing young faster than we¡¯re killing

    each other off, then maybe, one day, we could have the life that our ancestors had. But in order for that

    to happen, we must make changes now. We are at the brink of extinction. I don¡¯t know about you, but I

    have no ns to go gently into the sunset. I¡¯ll fight it every step of the way. Not only for our generation,

    but for those of my children and their children.¡± Mason says, looking at every Alpha and Elder in the

    room.

    ¡°So yes, I will fight for our few remaining she-wolves, whether or not they are part of my pack. They are

    all that stands between a future or the elimination of our species.¡± He adds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s vote.¡± Elder Jason says and it¡¯s another close one, eight to six. Surprisingly, Alpha Saul voted

    against this part of the petition. Alpha Zaire voted with us. It makes me wonder if he wants to join, the

    alliance as well.

    ¡°This item will be put intow, although I would be ashamed if it everes to this because it would

    mean that me and my Elder brethren are not doing our jobs properly.¡± Elder Jason says, looking at his

    peers. I get the feeling he¡¯s putting them on notice, that he would side with us if they don¡¯t do their jobs

    and start protecting the she-wolves. He¡¯s part of Alpha Saul¡¯s pack, so it¡¯s even more interesting that

    his side would be against his Alpha¡¯s.

    ¡°And the final item for discussion today states, ¡®At least two council members should be female¡¯.¡±

    I had thought that they room would erupt into chaos again, but instead, you could hear a pin drop. I¡¯m

    not sure if it¡¯s shock or if it¡¯s disbelief, but in the moment that it takes for the Elders to regain

    themselves, Alpha Gunnar begins tough, pping slowly.

    ¡°Bravo, Lunas.¡± He says looking up at the Elders. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not just the Alphas they want to

    overthrow. How does it feel to be in our seats, Elders?¡± He asks sarcastically.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Elder Colton says, looking over at us, frowning.

    ¡°What¡¯s to understand, Elder? The petition states that two of the five seats on the Council will be held

    by she-wolves.¡± Alpha Asher says.

    Elder Carson begins sputtering. ¡°That is preposterous. The Elder Council is held by Elders.¡±

    ¡°The Elder Council has only been called that in the recent past because there were so many ranked

    members going feral, that only those past a certain age could be counted on to survive a year on the

    council. It was never meant to be a seat that was held indefinitely. It was meant to be a rotation of

    ranked members. In that sense, why wouldn¡¯t a Luna qualify?¡± Seth asks.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°And even if we decided that the council should remain a team of Elders, there are she-wolves that

    could take a seat on the council. Seth and Jara¡¯s mother, to name one.¡± Mason adds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it to a vote.¡± Elder Jason states. The Elders are still sputtering because now it¡¯s up to the

    Alphas if their seats will be overthrown by a female.

    In the end, the vote was an even split, seven and seven for the Alphas. When it was sent up to the

    Elders, they immediately denied it, looking relieved that they had dodged a bullet.

    ¡°You may have saved your seats today, Elders, but let this meeting put you on notice. Many of us are

    unhappy with the direction that the Elder Council is going.

    Yourck of responsiveness and care for the people you supposedly oversee is appalling. I suggest

    that you make some changes amongst yourselves before it¡¯s toote.¡± Mason says, standing and

    reaching out a hand to me.

    ¡°Are you threatening us, Alpha?¡± I furious Elder Stanley asks.

    ¡°Yes, you moron, that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯s doing. And it¡¯s about time too.¡± Elder Jason says, looking at

    his fellow Elders. ¡°We need to start doing our jobs instead of walking around acting all superior

    because we¡¯re Elders. We¡¯ll have nothing to do and no one to oversee if we don¡¯t make changes

    quickly.¡±

    He turns back to the room. ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Jara and I stand, turning to make arrangements to meet up with the others this week and discuss going

    to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack.

    Title of the document

    Alpha Lukees over and looks at Antonio. ¡°You have some paperwork for me, Alpha?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I sure do.¡± He says and the two of them step aside to discuss the terms of the alliance.

    Alpha Zairees over to us. ¡°I¡¯d be interested in an alliance myself. I know our pack is more secluded

    than most, but I¡¯ve enjoyed meeting your mates and I know my mate will feel the same. An alliance can

    only make the work that we are trying to do better.¡± He says.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to convince me, Alpha Zaire. We were hoping you would be interested. It seems that

    there is a clear line in the way some of us think and the way others in our group think. The more

    support we have to help our Lunas and she-wolves, the better.¡±

    When we had talked about our alliance, we had agreed that other Alphas interested in joining would be

    considered, but Alpha Luke and Alpha Zaire were two that we all had hoped would be interested.

    Alpha Saul and Alpha Jonas are two wild cards and while we would be interested in speaking to them

    about an alliance, we weren¡¯t sure we would want one. All of us agreed that there would be no alliance

    with Alphas Gunnar, Conrad, Emanual, or Shawn.

    Alpha Saul approaches Seth, looking at Alpha Luke and Alpha Zaire talking with Antonio. ¡°I would be

    interested in reviewing an alliance document, but I am not willing to sign one today.¡± Alpha Saul says to

    Seth.

    ¡°I would be happy to send it to you and answer any questions that you may have. I know we have a

    n to begin meeting this week to discuss any changes that need to take ce with thews that were

    enacted here. And while it doesn¡¯t impact you, our Lunas will be visiting Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, so we

    need to make those arrangements.¡± Seth tells him.

    I watch Alpha Saul turn to look sharply at Jara and Hana. ¡°They are already going to the packs to meet

    the she-wolves?¡± He asks and I can tell by his tone that he thinks that maybe Gunnar was right that

    they are trying to infiltrate the packs. This is why we weren¡¯t sure about creating an alliance with him. If

    he doesn¡¯t trust us, we can¡¯t trust him.

    ¡°Alpha Davis is the omega Layan¡¯s Alpha. The girl isn¡¯t doing well, and Alpha Davis was agreeable to

    having our Lunase to spend time with her since they all bonded during this year¡¯s iming

    process. You¡¯re wee to ask Alpha Davis, if you don¡¯t believe me, but he was happy to have them

    come and try to help the girl. She¡¯s apparently not faring well after what happened.¡± I tell him.

    I watch as he furrows his brows. ¡°Of course, that makes sense.¡± He turns back to me. ¡°And what about

    you four, as their mates? Will you be joining them in Alphas Davis¡¯s pack?¡±

    ¡°That would be a bit overwhelming for Alpha Davis, don¡¯t you think?¡± I ask, waiting for him to

    acknowledge his own skepticism with what we are trying to aplish. When he nods, I continue.

    ¡°So, we decided that we would send one of us, to look after our mates as well as their individual

    guards. Depending on the frequency of visits and the number of Lunas that they feel are needed, we

    will rotate going with them, especially while some of them are pregnant but most especially while

    Typhon is still out there somewhere.¡±

    I can see the wheels turning in his head. ¡°I¡¯d like that alliance document to take with me, if possible.¡±

    He says, looking back at Seth.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± He walks over to where Antonio is finishing up with Luke and Zaire, and Alpha Saul

    follows him.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re feeling pretty smug, aren¡¯t you?¡± Gunnar says,ing up behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean?¡± I say, not bothering to turn and give him my attention.

    ¡°Changing the iming process, changing the role of she-wolves in the packs, giving them more

    autonomy, I¡¯d think you¡¯d be pretty proud of yourself.¡± He says mockingly.

    Now I do turn to look at him. ¡°Yes, I am proud that I am making a difference for our species. I¡¯m proud

    that hopefully, someday, my children will look back on this day and know that their parents were directly

    responsible for changing thews that allowed our species to flourish and grow, giving them, their

    generation and the generations toe a better life.¡±

    He snorts. ¡°You¡¯re so full of shit, acting all high and mighty.¡±

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I just know that if things don¡¯t change, we¡¯re doomed. You should get with that program. If

    you don¡¯t, it won¡¯t be long before you¡¯re the one going feral, and then no one will remember you

    because you will have left no legacy behind.¡± He rolls his eyes at that, then points to the table where

    Antonio is talking to our new allied members. ¡°Well, at least I know who my enemies are.¡±

    ¡°You have it all wrong again. But, if you decide that they are your enemies, just remember, we all

    be your enemies.¡± I tell him before walking away.

    When we¡¯re done, Jara and I collect our things and head back to our pack. We didn¡¯t get everything

    that we wanted with our petitions, but we got more than I thought we would.

    Typhon POV

    I watch her as she gets in her car. She stands out from the others, surrounded by a red glow, instead of

    in inky ckness.

    ¡°Eeny meeny miny moe

    Catch a wolf by tail or toe

    If he screams, don¡¯t let him go

    Eeny meeny miny moe

    My mother said to pick the very best Luna

    And you, Luna Jara, are it.¡±

    I slink back into the forest. It will take me time to get back to her pack. My body hurts, but I know once I

    mark her, she will heal me, I¡¯ll be whole again.

    Oh yes, when I take her as my Luna, mate with her and mark her as mine, she will heal me.

    And then the one that tried to take her from me will die.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we returned to the pack, Mason goes to check with Elijah, and I checked in with Ste to make

    sure everything has run smoothly while I was gone. She said that everything went well, but that we are

    in need of a food run. She had made a list of items that we need.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Ste, if we need food while Mason and I are away, just get it. We can discuss itter. I don¡¯t want the

    pack to suffer because we aren¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡± She says.

    ¡°Truly, Ste, if there is a problem, we¡¯ll discuss it. But I¡¯ve kept you in charge of the kitchens because I

    know you can handle it. I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Luna. That means a lot.¡±

    After checking with Ste, I go to find Lewis. He¡¯s the pack member I¡¯m most concerned about and was

    the most worried about leaving so soon after arriving. When I find him, he¡¯s in training, sparring with

    another warrior.

    ¡°Luna! You¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°I am. We just got back. How is everyone?¡±

    They all stop sparring, finding a way to get closer to me. When I first arrived here, it made me

    ufortable, but after speaking to my mother and having a better understanding of my impact on all

    of them, I understand it. So even though they are sweaty and shirtless, I make a point of reaching out

    and touching each of them, noting which ones need more of my time and attention.

    Lewis, in particr, seems to have suffered in my absence. When I touch him, I feel the darkness

    rippling across his back.

    So, I sit down, watching as they spar, taking turns having my pack, memberse sit next to me.

    ¡°Why do I feel worry in your mind, love?¡± Mason asks through our mind link. ¡°Lewis. He didn¡¯t do well

    with me being gone.¡±

    ¡°He was very close to going feral before the iming this year. I¡¯m sure it will take a while.¡±

    ¡°What do you think of a*s*signing him as my guard next weekend when I go to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack.¡±

    It¡¯s quiet a moment before Mason responds. ¡°I would feel better if he were your second guard. Luke is

    a seasoned and tested guard. I know he would give his life for you. I don¡¯t know where Lewis¡¯s mind is.

    But, if you feel strongly about it, I¡¯ll talk to him and see if I feelfortable sending him along with you

    and Luke.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mason. And speaking of Luke, when do he and his mate arrive? And who¡¯s pack were they

    a part of before, I never asked.¡±

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    ¡°I believe they arrivedst night. They are still getting settled in. I¡¯ll have to make them an official part of

    our pack before he leaves to go with you to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack. And, as to which pack he came from,

    Elder Carson brought him along from his pack.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you mean Luke and his mate were part of Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t sit well when Alpha Shawn gets home.¡±

    ¡°Too bad. You can¡¯t force someone to stay in your pack. It¡¯s against ourws.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Hana¡¯s guard and his mate move to Seth¡¯s pack too?¡±

    Mason chuckles in our mind link. ¡°Sure did. And guess who¡¯s pack he was from.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, Alpha Gunnar is going to love us that much more now. But I don¡¯t care. Those guards are

    good men. Their mates are probably thankful to get out of those packs.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s even better?¡± Mason asks me.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Both of those guards have little girls. So, we aren¡¯t just getting another female in our pack, we¡¯re

    getting two and so are Seth and Hana.¡±

    I burst outughing and all the warriors stop to look at me. ¡°Sorry, Mason is being funny.¡± I say out loud,

    and I hear him snort in our mind link.

    ¡°Anything else, my love?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Nope, you just made my day!¡±

    ¡°Always happy to oblige.¡±

    I turn back to Lewis who has been hovering near me. ¡°Lewis, how would you feel about sparring with

    your Luna?¡± Maybe I can a*s*sess his abilities while giving him the attention he needs.

    His eyes go wide. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Alpha Mason would be okay with me sparring with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m going to go change and I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I stand and start to walk away before

    turning back.

    ¡°Oh, and Lewis, I don¡¯t n to hold back, so you shouldn¡¯t either.¡±

    His smile is bright as the sun. ¡°Okay, Luna.¡±

    I change, quickly mind linking Mason to let him know my n. As expected, he¡¯s fine with it. When I get

    back, I begin sparring with Lewis. At first, the feral-fever that has started to creep back in, impacted his

    abilities, but as we continue on, he bes sharper in his focus, better able to predict my moves and

    counter them. I still beat him, but once I feel the darkness leave, he¡¯s impressive.

    When I knock him on is a*ss again, I reach my hand down and help him up. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for

    one day, don¡¯t you, Lewis.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna. Thank you, that was a good workout.¡±

    ¡°Do the rest of us get a chance to take on our Luna?¡± I hear and turn to see a bunch of hopeful faces.

    ¡°All of you want to take me on?¡± I ask, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Not all at once, Luna. That wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right that wouldn¡¯t be fair. I wouldn¡¯t want my best warriors to be embarra*s*sed when

    their Luna kicked all their a*s*ses at once. So, why don¡¯t you all take on your Alpha and Luna at once

    and see how far you get?¡± Mason smirks,ing up to the group.

    I can tell that the group of warriors is intrigued, wondering if they can defeat the two of us together.

    Elijah hase outside with Mason. He stands, shaking his head, watching as the warriors decide if

    they want to take Mason¡¯s challenge. One of them looks up and sees him.

    ¡°Whose side are you on, Beta?¡± A warrior asks.

    ¡°I¡¯m just watching.¡± He says.

    They turn back and finally agree to spar against the two of us. Elijah just chuckles to himself. ¡°Good

    luck guys, you¡¯re going to need it.¡±

    They stop, looking at Elijah. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve all seen Alpha Mason, so you know he¡¯s an amazing fighter. But I¡¯ve seen Luna Jara sparring.

    She beat me in the iming.¡±

    ¡°Did she beat Alpha Mason?¡± They ask, looking back at me.

    ¡°We tied.¡± Mason says.

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t. Our Alpha didn¡¯t want to show off my weaknesses in front of the others, so he met me at

    my level. Which reminds me, I want a rematch.¡± I tell him, putting my hands on my hips.

    Mason turns and looks at me, a mischievous glint in his eye. ¡°Are you sure about that, Jara?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The warriors say, settling in to watch.

    Mason gets set and gives me the e on¡¯ gesture with his fingers. I sh back to his sparring

    matches that I¡¯ve seen, remembering his strengths before I go at him. He blocks me, but I swing

    around and we¡¯re in a hardcore sparring match before long. I notice that Mason is careful not to hit me

    in the stomach. He, like me, isn¡¯t sure if I¡¯m pregnant, so he doesn¡¯t want to risk it. But he tags me on

    the arms, legs and hips several times. I get my own hits on his chest, back, and thighs. I¡¯m not sure

    how long we spar, but when he finally calls it, we¡¯re both panting, and sweat is dripping off our bodies.

    Mason grabs me, pulling me against him. ¡°You are one hell of a woman, my mate.¡± He says before

    kissing me to the cheers and whoops of our pack mates.

    When he finally releases me so we can breathe, I look at him. ¡°You¡¯d have had me if you weren¡¯t

    handicapped.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a sparring handicap every day if it means you might be pregnant.¡± He says and the entire field

    goes quiet.

    ¡°Luna, are you pregnant?¡± A daring warrior asks.

    I turn and look at our pack members, seeing hope in their eyes. Mason keeps his arms wrapped

    around me, nuzzling my hair as I answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, it¡¯s too soon, but it¡¯s a strong possibility.¡±

    That gets another round of whoops and cheers.

    ¡°And, we have a few new pack members that we¡¯ll be weing this week. One is Jara¡¯s guard from

    the iming, and with him, he brought his mate and their daughter.¡± Mason tells them.

    The cheers and howls are nearly deafening. This pack is so grateful to have its she-wolves.

    And I¡¯m so grateful to be the Luna of this amazing pack.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m not surprised that the pack is excited to know that not only is Jara possibly pregnant but that two

    other she-wolves are joining our pack.

    Title of the document

    First, we all know the value of having pups. But the possibility of being pregnant so soon after she was

    imed is a big aplishment and only shows the strength of the bond between me and Jara. Joe

    and Ste took years to have a pup, and they now have a son. It¡¯s great, and I¡¯m happy for them, but

    one pup for our entire pack isn¡¯t enough. One pup per couple isn¡¯t going to help us repopte our

    numbers. So yeah, Jara potentially being pregnant already is big deal.

    It says a lot that Mignon and Hana are pregnant as well. Hopefully, it means that this group of she-

    wolves will be happy in their rtionships and will be able to produce several pups, hopefully with most

    of them being females.

    And, the second part of their excitement is that the more females we have, the more we know they are

    safe. My pack takes the lives of she-wolves very seriously, knowing the impact not having them has

    had on our pack. But it will also be nice to have another pup around. And not just a pup, a female pup.

    She may possibly be the princess of the pack in a very short amount of time.

    I¡¯ll have to have a talk with Luke and his mate. I don¡¯t know what type of environment they came from in

    Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack, but here, my pack members will want to be around them, but with no ill intent. I

    don¡¯t know if Luke¡¯s mate was a ranked member, but any female pup has the potential to have an

    impact on our pack members. Nothing like the impact that Jara is having, but still something positive.

    As I take Jara¡¯s hand to lead her to our bedroom to shower, I turn to Lewis.

    ¡°Lewis, meet me in my office in an hour.¡± I tell him. His eyes go wide, and he looks over at Jara quickly

    before looking back.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about you sparring with my mate.¡± I tell him. ¡°Although if and when we find out that Jara is

    carrying my pup, sparring with my mate will be off limits.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± My field of warriors says. I probably didn¡¯t have to say it, but the protective side of me

    needed to.

    I take Jara upstairs and we shower together. I didn¡¯t think through the timing of the meeting with Lewis.

    I don¡¯t have time to take care of my mate like she likes, but there¡¯s a thing called a ¡®quickie¡¯ and I

    introduced her to it before we got out of the shower.

    She pouted of course, wanting my knot.

    ¡°Look, you insatiable woman, I¡¯ll give you what you want tonight when we have plenty of time.¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡± She says, giving me a sultry look, while she tosses her towel aside and stands gloriously

    n*ake*d in front of me.

    I growl as desire races through my body, heading south. ¡°Have I ever denied you anything?¡± I say,

    pulling her against me, letting her feel how much I want her again already.

    ¡°You¡¯re denying me right now.¡± She says, pouting.

    ¡°Okay, your choice, get f*uc*ked and knotted by your mate until you¡¯re hoarse from screaming my

    name, or Lewis gets his interview about being your guard.¡± I say, knowing what her answer will be.

    She smacks my chest. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. You know I can¡¯t deny him.¡±

    ¡°Neither can I, love.¡± I kiss her forehead and slide my lips to her ear. ¡°So, I¡¯ll f*uc*k you until you¡¯re

    screaming my name and give you my knot as many times as you can take it tonight. Deal?¡± I whisper,

    feeling the shiver of excitement run through her body at my words.

    ¡°I love how you negotiate, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°I love how you can¡¯t get enough of me.¡± I tell her, nipping at her neck before licking my mate mark,

    making her shiver again.

    ¡°Now, get dressed, I want to introduce you to Luke¡¯s mate and child at dinner.¡± I say, turning her toward

    the closet and smacking her a*s*s to get her moving. She does, but not without making me regret my

    decision to wait until tonight to have her. She walks slowly toward the closet, her round hips swaying as

    she goes, making my d*ic*k go from semi- hard to standing at full attention. When she gets to the

    closet door, she turns, looking at me over her shoulder.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have that for dessertter.¡± She says, pointing to my d*ic*k, her s*e*xy eyes dark with

    desire making me ache to be inside her again.

    I growl at her again but she just smirks at me before walking into the closet. Damn that woman will be

    the death of me.

    After getting dressed, I head to my office. I leave the door open and move to my desk. When he gets

    there, Lewis knocks on the doorjamb.

    ¡°Lewis,e in and close the door.¡±

    He does and I gesture him to a seat as Ie around my desk to sit in a chair across from him.

    ¡°How are you doing, Lewis?¡± I ask and I can see that he¡¯s nervous, not sure why he¡¯s been called to my

    office.

    ¡°I¡¯m good Alpha.¡± He takes a deep breath, before looking up at me. ¡°I¡¯m better with Luna Jara here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed, so have Elijah and Jara.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He says, still nervous.

    ¡°Which is why I called you to my office. Jara noticed that while we were gone, the symptoms of feral-

    fever seemed to increase with you.¡±

    He nods, looking down.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. But it¡¯s better now that she¡¯s back.¡± He rushes to tell.

    ¡°That¡¯s what she told me too. And she¡¯s worried about you.¡±

    That brings his head back up. ¡°She is?¡±

    ¡°She is. And she has asked if she could include you as one of her guards when she goes to a

    neighboring pack this weekend.¡±

    He blinks. ¡°She wants me to be her guard?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°She does but I need to know, Lewis, that my mate will be safe with you. I need to know that if

    something were to happen that you would be there to protect her. Alpha Typhon is still out there, and I

    guarantee that he will try toe for her at some point. Anyone that I put on guard duty for my Luna

    has to be willing to do whatever it takes if she¡¯s attacked. That means giving your life if needed.¡±

    ¡°I would do that for Luna Jara. I would be honored to give my life for my Luna, and she has done so

    much for me already, she and her mother. I didn¡¯t realize how close I¡¯de to going feral until they

    got here. Now, I know what to look for. I knew it was getting worse while she was gone.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t just be sending you. Her guard at the iming, warrior Luke, will be going to. We can use

    this as a test run, Lewis. If you do well, I will consider making you a permanent member of Luna Jara¡¯s

    guard.¡±

    His eyes go wide. It¡¯s a great honor to be considered worthy enough to guard your pack¡¯s Luna,

    arguably the most important member of the pack.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Alpha Mason, you or Luna Jara.¡±

    ¡°Luke will be in charge. He has the knowledge, so you will follow his lead. He will report back to me and

    based on that, we¡¯ll decide.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. I appreciate this opportunity.¡±

    After he leaves, I go to find my mate. It¡¯s time to meet Luke¡¯s mate and their daughter.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 111

    Chapter 111

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Mason came and got me for dinner. We walked in together and everyone stopped for a moment,

    looking at us, before going back to eating and talking. We grab our food and head over to where Elijah,

    Joe and Ste are already seated.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯ve just sat down when the entire room goes quiet again. I look up and see Luke, his mate and their

    daughter standing in the doorway. I watch Luke looking around the room and because he was my

    guard, I know he¡¯s a*s*sessing the threat level in this room. His mate has not-so-subtly moved their

    daughter behind her back, but the cute little girl with big blond curls is peeking around her mother¡¯s

    legs, smiling at our pack mates.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    I stand immediately and Luke¡¯s gaze snaps onto mine. His posture rxes and he smiles. ¡°Luna Jara.¡±

    He says as I begin walking toward him.

    ¡°Luke!¡± I say, pulling him in for a hug. I know wolves aren¡¯t generally touchy, but he¡¯s going to be part of

    my pack now and he¡¯s my guard. I already have a close connection to this man and now that his mate

    and daughter will be a part of this pack, that connection will only increase.

    When I pull back, I can see that his mate is deciding between being jealous of me touching her mate

    and trying to make sure that her daughter is safe. ¡°Luke, please introduce me to your family.¡± I say,

    smiling at his mate.

    ¡°Luna, this is my mate, Brynn and my daughter, Melinda.¡±

    ¡°Brynn, it¡¯s so nice to meet you.¡± I say, pulling her into a hug, hoping she realizes that this is just who I

    am. Then I squat down as I feel Masone up behind me.

    ¡°And you must be Melinda.¡± I say, looking at the little girl. She can¡¯t be more than two years old.

    She nods her head, looking around. ¡°Why are they staring at me?¡± She asks, watching my pack

    members thoughtfully.

    ¡°Melinda!¡± Brynn scolds.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I say, looking up at Brynn. ¡°Most of them have never seen a she-wolf pup before. They are

    excited to have you in our pack. And they want to get to know you.¡±

    She looks at me a moment before stepping around her mother and looking at the dining room full of

    adult men. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Melinda.¡± She says, waving her hand.

    ¡°Hi Melinda.¡± The room full of warriors and omegas says and I swear every one of them just lost their

    heart to this little girl.

    I smile at her and stand, turning to look at the room. ¡°Everyone, this is Luke, my guard from the

    iming. He kept me safe and will continue to be my guard now that he and his family have moved to

    our pack.¡±

    There is a lot of pping and cheering to that. Luke nods and waves his hand briefly. I move to stand

    beside Brynn.

    ¡°This is Brynn, his mate.¡± And before I can say more, there is a chorus of ¡°Hi, Brynn¡± and Wee to

    our pack¡±.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She says quietly, looking down. I definitely need to talk to her about her experience in

    Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack.

    ¡°And this, as you already know, is Luke and Brynn¡¯s daughter, Melinda.¡±

    Melinda begins to wave like she¡¯s a Disney Princess on a float in a parade, turning and making sure to

    wave in every direction of the room. The guys all begin pping again.

    ¡°Alright everyone! Get back to dinner. We don¡¯t want to overwhelm them on their first day with us.¡± I say

    before turning back to Brynn.

    ¡°Would you join us for dinner?¡± I ask.

    She looks at Luke before turning back to me. ¡°We¡¯d love to.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡± I say and gesture them toward our table. When we arrive, I introduce them to Elijah, Joe and

    Ste.

    We get them some food, and I wait for Brynn to get Melinda settled before I ask the question that¡¯s

    been on my mind since I saw Melinda step around her mother¡¯s legs.

    ¡°You¡¯re from a ranked blood line?¡± I ask. She looks up at me, startled before looking at Luke.

    ¡°You can trust her Bry. I told you, things will be different here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet exactly what that means but based on my interactions with Alpha Shawn over the

    weekend, I¡¯d say that your experience in this pack will be night and daypared to your experiences

    in that pack.¡±

    Luke reaches over and squeezes Brynn¡¯s hand. ¡°I told you about Luna Jara. She won¡¯t let anything

    happen to you or Melinda.¡±

    She looks back at me. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t and maybe tomorrow, I can go over the petition that me and

    the other Lunas from this year¡¯s iming presented to the Council and had signed intow. I hope that

    you will be interested in being involved.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Thank you, I look forward to it. And, Ie from Beta blood, as does Luke.¡±

    I nod, but before I can speak, Elijah turns to look at Luke. ¡°You¡¯re a true Beta?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± Luke says proudly, but modestly.

    ¡°Younger son?¡± Elijah asks.

    ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡± He says smiling.

    ¡°But then, how is Shawn Alpha. I didn¡¯t get he was a Beta from his scent, and he¡¯s definitely no Alpha.¡±

    Mason asks.

    Both Luke and Brynn have a look of disgust on their faces. ¡°He promised his buddies that they could be

    his Beta and Gamma if they helped him defeat the others in the pack.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s against ourws.¡± Mason says.

    Luke shrugs. ¡°Because Elder Carson lives in our pack, he ruled it legal.¡±

    Mason turns to me. ¡°That is also against ourws.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s good that we put them on notice that we¡¯ll be enforcing thews when they don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°What did Elder Carson get from the deal?¡± Mason asks, looking back at Luke.

    ¡°He got to retain his seat on the Elder Council.¡±

    Mason looks at me. ¡°Alphas Conrad and Emanual also have an Elder in their packs.¡± He tells me.

    ¡°So, three of the five Elders on the Council are in packs that we are now in opposition with?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll have to make sure I discuss this on our alliance call. This presents a problem.¡± He says,

    looking thoughtful. ¡°I wonder if Seth is getting simr information from Hana¡¯s guard and family?¡±

    While he ponders that, Brynn gets my attention again. ¡°Excuse me, Luna. But why were you asking

    about my blood line?¡±

    ¡°Your daughter. She took over like a ranked wolf. She¡¯s going to be great for this pack. You both will

    be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand.¡± And there is a bit of fear lingering in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you, but not here. It will be important for you to understand.¡± I smile at her. ¡°They are

    things that I learned from my mother only recently, but they are important to ensuring the prosperity of

    our pack.¡± I look down at Melinda. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing that you, youngdy, will be ying quite arge

    role.¡±

    I see Luke instinctively reach out to take Brynn¡¯s hand and I know that my words have scared her.

    I reach across the table and take her other hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve experienced in your old

    pack, but nothing like that will happen here. These men,¡± I say and gesture to the group of men

    alternating between eating and looking over at our table, ¡°would give their lives for you and Melinda,

    even though they just met you.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Ste says. ¡°They are warriors, and they are strong, but they value us as she-wolves and

    they are so happy to have us in their pack.¡±

    ¡°Momma, can I go say hi to our new pack?¡± Brynn looks up at me, wanting to know if it¡¯s safe. ¡°Why

    don¡¯t we all go?¡± I say, knowing Brynn will feel better if she¡¯s with us.

    We spend the next hour walking around, talking to the warriors and omegas in our pack. As I expected,

    Melinda had the entire pack wrapped around her finger before she left the dining room that night.

    When Lukees to collect his mate and daughter to head back to their apartment, Melinda turns

    around to the group who was still hanging out, enjoying their proximity to so many she-wolves.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡± Melinda said, blowing the group a kiss. Several of my big strong warriors, catch her kiss in

    the air and pull it to their heart.

    Princess of the Pack indeed¡­

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 112

    Chapter 112

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next day, I pull Luke into my office and exin about Lewis.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I can handle it Alpha. And as I side note, I¡¯m d that the Lunas are going to see the omega Layan.

    She¡¯s a sweet girl. She didn¡¯t, deserve what happened to her.¡± ¡°Is your spouse going to be okay here

    without you? I¡¯m happy to look after her, but Jara and I both got the impression that things, were not

    good for her at Alpha

    Shawn¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t. It was another reason that I was happy when you asked me about continuing as Luna

    Jara¡¯s guard. The males in that pack are very aggressive,

    making it a constant concern that they might try to take my mate against her will.

    So, yes, she is very shy around other males and no offense, Alpha, but she isn¡¯t going to feel

    comfortable around you. Alpha Shawn wasn¡¯t much better.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to hear more about that at some

    point, and I¡¯d like to go. over with you what we are trying to change and get your input. But before that,

    let¡¯s talk about you and your mate bing official members of our pack.¡±

    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Luke asks.

    ¡°Before I let you leave my pack as Jara¡¯s guard, I need to have you and Brynn officially join my pack. I

    know you haven¡¯t been here, very long, but we¡¯re on a tight timeline. Are you willing to swear your

    loyalty to me and this pack?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. I don¡¯t need any more time. My mate may not understandpletely, but I watched you

    and Luna Jara for nearly two months. I know that I can trust

    you. She will eventually feel

    ¡°I understand. So, can I set it up for you and Brynn to join the pack tonight or tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°As soon as possible, Alpha. I¡¯m ready to be a part of a pack that I can believe in.¡± ¡°Call your mate in,

    let¡¯s see how she feels. I¡¯m willing to give her at couple more days if she feels she needs it, but I need

    you to swear allegiance to my pack before you leave with Jara this weekend.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Let me call her to your office and we can talk to her.¡±

    While he does that, I call Jara and ask her to join us as well.

    Jara arrives before Brynn and Melinda do. When she walks in, she looks at Luke and then at me.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asks in the mind link.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Brynn if she¡¯s ready to join our pack. I wanted you here in case she¡¯s not and if she

    wants to talk, you can take Melinda around and let her interact with our pack mates.¡±

    Brynn walks in soon thereafter. ¡°Alpha, Luna.¡± She says before sitting beside Luke, pulling Melinda on

    herp.

    ¡°Brynn, I wanted to talk to you about joining our pack. You know your mate is my mate¡¯s guard. What

    you may not know if that Jara is going to another pack this weekend and I need Luke to join her as her

    guard. Before he goes, I need him to join this pack. I don¡¯t want to have that ceremony if you¡¯re not

    ready to swear your loyalty to this pack.¡±

    She turns and looks at Luke, then Jara, then back at me. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°I can give you a couple of days but not any more, time than that. I can¡¯t have Luke act as

    Jara¡¯s guard without being part of my pack. It¡¯s already a risk having her leave the pack. It¡¯s an even

    greater risk if he and you are still bound to another Alpha.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± She says.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°Brynn, why don¡¯t you and Melindae with me to watch warrior training.¡±

    ¡°Can we mom? Please?¡± Melinda asks.

    Brynn looks down at Melinda, who is giving her big, hopeful eyes. ¡®Doe eyes¡¯ my mother used to call

    them. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± I watch as Jara takes Melinda¡¯s hand, and they leave the room.

    When the door closes, I turn back to Luke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you feel about this Alpha, but if my mate isn¡¯t ready to swear to your pack before I

    go, I will. I care about Lunal Jara. I want to make sure she is safe.¡± Luke says.

    ¡°I appreciate that. Now, let¡¯s talk about what is going on in Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack. You said that he used

    his friends to make sure that he became Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they went around on the day you were supposed to challenge Alpha Shawn and they attacked,

    not just me, but everyone else that challenged him. We would arrive at our challenge beaten, or in my

    case, I had silver in my system, others had been given wolfsbane and you know how it is with a

    challenge. If you don¡¯t follow through, you forfeit.¡±

    ¡°And Elder Carson?¡± I ask. ¡°You said he verified that it was legal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he presided over theints that were brought forward. He said that there is no way to

    prove that it was Alpha Shawn that ordered these attacks. Except that it was always on the day of a

    challenge.¡± ¡°And it never went beyond Elder Carson?¡± ¡°No, we kept it in the pack, that was what we

    were told to do.¡±

    ¡°And, after he became Alpha?¡±

    ¡°He made his friends Beta and Gamma, but they don¡¯t run the pack well. In truth, I was getting more

    and more concerned not only about Brynn but also about Melinda. I don¡¯t trust that pack or the males in

    the pack. Thankfully, I¡¯m a strong warrior and it¡¯s a small pack. I was able to keep them both safe.¡±

    ¡°What did you do while you were at the iming? Weren¡¯t they alone there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but over half of our pack was at the iming as well and our Alpha and Beta were there. So, after

    she and I talked about it, she felt okay. Plus, there is a

    Gamma female in our pack with a

    daughter that will be in the iming next year. So they spent time, together and the Gamma is more

    protective because of his mate and daughter.¡±

    ¡°Wait, they have a she-wolf that is almost of age?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and if I was worried about my mate and daughter, it was nothingpared to the concern that

    our Gamma female has for her daughter. Thankfully her

    father¡¯s rank kept the males at bay. but it¡¯s not a good environment for either of

    them.¡±

    ¡°Would the Gamma male be willing to leave the pack?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I know his mate would. She told Brynn that she would leave her mate if needed to

    protect their daughter.¡±

    I look at Luke. I don¡¯t know if I want Jara going into that pack, especially after we absorbed two of his

    pack members and their young daughter. Maybe I could send Annabel or Hana. If that Gamma wants

    to get herself and her daughter out of that pack, we need to help them.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 113

    Chapter 113

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Chapter 20 Jara

    Jara

    For the next couple of days, I try to spend time with Brynn and Melinda, walking around the pack and

    getting her acquainted with the pack members.

    Title of the document

    I had asked her if she wanted to spar, and I could tell she was interested. ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone to watch

    Melinda while I spar.¡± She says.

    ¡°Hey Lewis.¡± I call.

    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡± He says, jogging over. I put my hand on his back, noting that the darkness is almost gone

    again.

    ¡°Could you do me a favor and watch Melinda while Brynn and I join the sparring for a few rounds.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to, Luna.¡± He says smiling and turning to Melinda, who seems perfectly happy to be left

    with Lewis.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I turn and see that Brynn looks terrified.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. We¡¯ll be right here.¡±

    As we start to spar, I see several other males from our pack going over to Melinda, talking to her and

    interacting with her.

    ¡°Luna¡­¡± I turn, seeing Brynn watching, getting more and more anxious. I know she doesn¡¯t

    understand, but maybe I can help with that.

    ¡°Warriors!¡± I call out. Everyone stops and looks at me.

    ¡°Who is your priority to protect in this pack?¡±

    ¡°You, Luna.¡±

    ¡°And who is second?¡±

    They all look at each other. ¡°Well, it¡¯s supposed to be Gamma Ste, and her son, Luna.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    They turn and look at Melinda. ¡°The young she-wolf should be our priority. She needs more protection

    than Gamma Ste or at least as much protection as our Gamma and her young pup.¡±

    I turn and look at Brynn. She¡¯s watching the men. ¡°You¡¯re prioritizing my daughter¡¯s safety over your

    Gamma¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Well, not exactly prioritizing. Gamma Ste and Jace, her son, are important as well, but we¡¯re arge

    pack. We can protect all four of you at once, and still protect our Luna if needed.¡±

    ¡°And we would.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d give our lives for you and your daughter.¡±

    ¡°But you barely know us.¡± Brynn says softly.

    Lewis looks at Melinda. ¡°But she is our future. We all must protect our future. All of you are our future.

    Luna Jara keeps the feral-fever away, but we also hope that we¡¯ll have more pups in our pack soon andN?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    more female pups means more opportunity for our werewolf poption to continue.¡±

    I watch as Brynn looks at them. ¡°All of you feel this way?¡±

    She gets arge chorus of ¡°Absolutely¡±, ¡°Yes¡±, and ¡°Definitely¡± from the group of warriors.

    Brynn finally begins to smile. She turns to me. ¡°Would you tell Alpha Mason that I¡¯m ready to join the

    pack?¡± She says and the warriors all cheer.

    That night, we finally make Luke and Brynn official pack members. I hold Melinda while they swear

    their allegiance to Mason, me and the pack. When they are done, the pack members hoot and howl

    and we have a celebration feast.

    I leave the party early, needing to pack to head to Alpha Davis¡¯s. I hate leaving Mason, even for a few

    days, but it¡¯s necessary. I finish packing and Mason spends a few hours letting me know how much

    he¡¯s going to miss me before we curl up and go to sleep.

    The next morning, Luke, Lewis and I pack up and head to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack. It takes us a couple of

    hours and during the drive, Luke and Lewis discuss their n for watching over me.

    When we arrive at Alpha Davis¡¯s borders, I see another car in front of us. I lean forward from the

    backseat and see Hana turn from the car in front of us, waving at me. We¡¯ve arrived at the same time. I

    wave back, happy to see my sister-inw again.

    When we pull up to the guard gate, the guards look in at me. ¡°Wee Luna, we¡¯re happy to have

    you¡¯re here. You can follow Luna Hana¡¯s car in front of you. They are headed to the packhouse where

    you all will be staying.¡±

    After thanking them, we follow Hana¡¯s car to the packhouse. While it isrge,rger than Seth¡¯s, it is

    smaller than mine and Mason¡¯s. I haven¡¯t seen any housing around, so I¡¯m guessing all the pack

    members live together in this packhouse. That would make it difficult for Layan.

    When I step out of the car, I breathe in the fresh air. I can hear the sounds of the forest and under that,

    the sounds of paws running

    in distance which I a*s*sume are Alpha Davis¡¯s patrols monitoring their borders. I walk to Hana, giving

    her a big hug before turning to the front of the packhouse. Alpha Davis is there, waiting for us. ¡°Good

    afternoon, Lunas. I have lunch prepared for you.¡± He says, greeting us.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha, but if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to see Layan first thing.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± He says and gestures for us to go inside. Out of instinct, I reach out and touch him. I

    instantly feel the darkness rippling across his body.

    I jerk, turning to look at him. His eyes have gone wide. He felt the push of his darkness, the impact that

    my touch had on him.

    ¡°How old are you, Alpha Davis?¡± I ask quietly, not taking my hand off of him.

    Hana turns, and seeing that I am touching Alpha Davis, she moves to his other side, touching his arm.

    We watch as his eyes close and relief floods his facial features.

    When he opens his eyes, he focuses on me. ¡°I¡¯m old enough that if I don¡¯t catch a mate at next year¡¯s

    iming, I won¡¯t get another chance.¡±

    I nod at him. I can tell by the darkness in him that he¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can while I¡¯m here and when

    I visit.¡±

    ¡°I will as well.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Thank you both. I know that¡¯s not why you¡¯re here¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here to make sure that our she-wolves have a safe and happy environment to live in. Part of

    that is making sure that the pack is happy and safe as well.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°If you¡¯d like, we can a*s*sess your other pack members while we¡¯re here. If there are some that seem

    close, we can spend as much time with them as possible, but Layan is our priority. I do want to make

    that clear.¡±

    ¡°I would appreciate any time you can give to my pack, Lunas.¡± We walk inside the packhouse. It¡¯s

    rtively small, but so is this pack. There¡¯s not the bustle that there is in my pack. It almost feels like a

    death has urred and everyone is trying to be respectfully quiet. I wonder if this is what Mason¡¯s pack

    was like before I arrived.

    ¡°I¡¯ve called for Layan. She should be here in a moment.¡±

    Just as he says it, I can hear a shuffling behind me. I turn and see Layan walking slowly toward us with

    her mother. The difference in Layan is astonishing. She looks as if she hasn¡¯t bathed in days, maybe

    longer. Her hair is oily and unkempt. The circles under her eyes are so dark that they look like ck

    smudges, indicating that she hasn¡¯t been sleeping. But what¡¯s most dramatic for me is her size. She

    was tiny before, but now, she¡¯s practically emaciated. Our sweet Layan isn¡¯t, eating, sleeping or

    bathing.

    ¡°Layan.¡± I say quietly, noticing as Alpha Davis steps back to give us some space. She looks up and it

    takes a moment for her realize who I am. ¡°Alpha Jara?¡± She says frowning before she turns and sees

    Hana.

    ¡°Beta Hana?¡± Her voice, once so gentle and soft is raspy and raw sounding, as if she hasn¡¯t spoken in

    a very long time.

    I open my arms to her, and it only takes a minute. She rushes to me, grasping my waist like it¡¯s her

    lifeline. I wrap my arms around her, and she begins to sob. Hana turns, wrapping her arms around us

    both, helping me to hold Layan up as her pent-up emotionse pouring out of her.

    A momentter, I feel another set of armse around us and I smell Annabel an instant before I feel

    the final set of arms, Mignon.

    ¡°We¡¯re all here, Layan.¡± I say. We hold her as she sobs, wrapping her in our love.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 114

    Chapter 114

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When Layan finally stopped crying, we stepped back to give her some room. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alpha Jara.

    I¡¯m sure you¡¯re here for something important. I didn¡¯t mean to take up your time.¡± She says, sniffling.

    Title of the document

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Layan. We are here for something important. We¡¯re here for you.¡± Hana says to her.

    She turns, looking at all of us. ¡°For me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been worried about you, so we decided we¡¯de visit and have a pajama party, movie

    and popcorn weekend.¡± I say.

    ¡°And pizza!¡± Annabel says. There¡¯s a hint of a smile on Layan¡¯s face at that.

    ¡°But, before we can have our party, you, beautiful, desperately need a bath.¡± I tell her, cupping her face.

    ¡°Oh!¡± She exims, her hand going to her hair as she looks down at her wrinkled, soiled clothes. ¡°Oh

    my goodness, I¡¯m so sorry, Alpha, Beta.¡± She says, looking at me and then Hana.

    ¡°Oh foo on that. We¡¯re all Lunas now.¡± Mignon says to her.

    Layan¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°Lunas? All of you?¡±

    She frowns, looking at Mignon. ¡°But I thought Beta Asher imed you.¡±

    ¡°He did.¡± She turns, looking at her mate lovingly where he¡¯s standing by the front door, watching but

    giving us space. ¡°But then his Alpha died, and he took over, making me a Luna.¡±

    She turns, looking at Annabel. ¡°Who imed you?¡±

    ¡°Tony. Or you¡¯d remember him as Alpha Antonio.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°And you?¡± She asks Hana.

    ¡°Alpha Seth. So, Jara and I are officially sisters now.¡± She says, smiling at me.

    She turns to me. ¡°Mason caught me, but just barely. I almost made it out on my own.¡± I hear Alpha

    Asher snort behind me.

    ¡°Come on, we can talk while you get cleaned up.¡± I tell her, putting my arm around her shoulders and

    guiding her back the way she came.

    As we pass, her mother mouths a ¡®thank you¡¯ to me. I nod at her, and Hana squeezes her hand as we

    pass her.

    When we get to her room, we can smell the stale smell of sweat and tears. I pull Layan into the

    bathroom and begin running the water in the tub.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some pajamas for our pajama party.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find some clean sheets so we can make the bed up for you.¡± Mignon says, walking off to find clean

    sheets.

    Hana looks around the bathroom as I help Layan out of her clothes. She¡¯s so exhausted, it¡¯s like she¡¯s

    a child, barely able toprehend what¡¯s going on around her. Once I have her clothes stripped off of

    her, I get her in the tub. When she doesn¡¯t release my hand, I sit on the side of the tub, holding her

    hands as Hanaes back with shampoo, body wash and a cup so we can wash Layan¡¯s hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re really here to see me?¡± She says softly, never taking her eyes off of me, as Hana begins to

    pour warm water over her head. Her hair is so oily that it just flows right off.

    ¡°We are. We love you Layan. We¡¯ve all been worried about you. So, when we saw Alpha Davisst

    weekend, we asked if we coulde to visit you, and he agreed.¡± I tell her and Hana begins working

    the shampoo into her hair.

    Tears begin to slide down Layan¡¯s cheeks. She looks down and Hana looks up at me worried.

    ¡°What is it, sweet girl?¡± I ask her gently.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. You said we¡¯re having a pajama party, but I can¡¯t sleep. Every time I do, the nightmares

    come¡­.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, we¡¯ll stay awake with you.¡± Hana says to her, coaxing her head back up so she can

    continue washing it.

    Annabeles in, carrying a set of fluffy pajamas with baby ducks on them.

    Layan looks at them a moment before turning away. ¡°Those are for children. I¡¯m not a child anymore.¡±

    She says quietly.

    ¡°Who says they¡¯re for children?¡± Annabel says. ¡°The ones I brought have bunnies on them.¡± She says,

    coming to sit on the other side of the tub, and grabbing the body wash.

    ¡°Really?¡± She asks before turning to me.

    ¡°What about yours?¡± She asks.

    I roll my eyes. ¡°Mason said he didn¡¯t want me forgetting him, so he got me pajamas that has wolves all

    over it.¡±

    She giggles at that, but only for a second, as if the sound is foreign, and unwee.

    ¡°Mine have kittens on them.¡± Hana says as Mignon walks in.

    ¡°What has kittens on it?¡± She asks,ing to sit beside me.

    ¡°My pajamas.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Layan was saying that her cute little duck pajamas are for children.¡±

    ¡°UH!¡± Mignon looks offended. ¡°Mine have little puppies on them. And they are soooo soft. Asher got

    them for me.¡± She looks at me, smiling. Asher got them for her when they found out she was pregnant,

    obviously.

    ¡°So, you see, you won¡¯t be the only one wearing cute little baby animals on your PJs.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Okay.¡± She says. I can tell Hana¡¯s head ma*s*sage is rxing her. That and the warm bath. When

    she¡¯s as clean as we can get her and her hair is rinsed and conditions, I help her out of the tub, putting

    a towel around her. Mignon gets her brush and begins brushing the knots out of her hair.¡±

    ¡°So? Is it pizza first, or are we going to have popcorn and sodas?¡± I ask her, still holding her hands.

    She has a death grip on me as if she¡¯s afraid that if she lets go, I¡¯ll disappear.

    ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± She says.

    ¡°Well, then, we¡¯ll make pizza, since I know that everyone else is starving. And I believe I remember

    your favorite being pepperoni?¡± I ask her.

    She nods and Hana turns to head to the kitchens. When she¡¯s donebing her hair out, Mignon

    braids Layan¡¯s hair into two braids and she helps me get her into her fluffy pajamas.

    When we¡¯re done, Mignon heads to her room to change into her pajamas. Annabel has just returned

    wearing hers.

    ¡°Do you want to go with Annabel, or do you want toe to my room with me while I put on my

    pajamas?¡± I ask Layan. I know that even though I¡¯m a Luna now, I still have Alpha blood. Layan, as an

    omega will respond the most to me, so while I¡¯m here, I n to give her as much attention, love and

    comfort as I can. Hana, being a Beta, will be able to help too, but even though Annabel and Mignon are

    now Lunas, they aren¡¯t true ranked members. Layan will feel safest with me, and I know that.

    ¡°Can I stay with you?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Of course. Annabel cane with us. I¡¯m not even sure where my room is.¡± I chuckle.

    ¡°I do. I made sure your things were in there, Jara.¡±

    I wrap my arm around Layan¡¯s shoulders as we walk, and Annabel holds her hand. When we get to my

    room, I can see that Annabel must have put my things away for me. I smile at her before sitting Layan

    down on a chair in my room and getting my pajamas.

    After I change, we head back to the kitchen and living room. Because my arm is around her shoulders,

    I feel her tense.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Layan. We¡¯re all here for you. You know I¡­ we would kill anyone that tried to hurt you.¡± She

    looks into my eyes, hers so fearful, before I feel her body rx and she nods.

    I get her settled on the couch with Annabel, Mignoning in at that moment and sandwiching Layan

    in between them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Hana and the pizza and I¡¯ll be right back. Why don¡¯t you start deciding what

    we¡¯re going to watch first.¡± I say.

    Before I leave, I grab a nket off another couch and wrap it around Layan, tucking it around her and

    kissing her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I whisper to her.

    When I walk into the kitchen, I can see that Hana is touching as many of the males as she can while

    still trying to get the pizzas made. She looks at me and subtly nods in the direction of a male who¡¯s off

    to the side and trying, unsessfully to make a pizza.

    I walk to him and as soon as I touch him, I can feel that he¡¯s as bad as Lewis was. ¡°What¡¯s your

    name?¡± I ask him, keeping my hand on his back and slowly feeling his body rx, as if he the rigidity is

    leaving and it¡¯s allowing him to regain control of his muscle functions.

    ¡°I¡¯m Giovanni.¡±

    ¡°Giovanni? I hope with a name like that, that I¡¯ll get the best pizzas of my life.¡±

    Heughs, looking down at the pizza crust he was trying to prepare. ¡°My mother was Italian. She made

    the best food.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping she taught her son how to cook?¡± I ask.

    ¡°She did, Luna.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! Make me a delicious pizza Giovanni.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡± He says and begins putting the pizza together in a much more organized fashion.

    Alpha Davis and Ashere in.

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± Davis asks, looking at Giovanni.

    ¡°Pizza and apparently I have to impress a bunch of Lunas.¡± Giovanni says, focused on his work.

    I stand beside him, doing little things to help him, but basically just giving him time beside me to help

    with his feral-fever.

    Alpha Davis looks at me and I wink at him before turning back to another male that hase up to me.

    I see Alpha Asher watching me and Hana, frowning. I don¡¯t have time to worry about that as I¡¯m busy

    trying to help Davis¡¯s pack members, get food made and get back to Layan.

    When the first pizzase out, I send Hana into the living room with them so they can begin eating.

    Annabeles in almost immediately, getting sses and drinks for us. She also looks at me

    thoughtfully for a moment before walking back out. When thest pizza is in the oven, I turn to the room

    of men lingering. ¡°Thank you all very much for your a*s*sistance this evening. I hope to see all of you

    again tomorrow morning at breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna!¡± They say and I make a point to touch each of them as I walk out of the room, carrying yet

    another pizza.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 115

    Chapter 115

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I hear the pack members carrying their pizzas to the dining room where they will eat while we have our

    movie night and sleepover in the living room.

    Title of the document

    When I get there, Mignon moves over, and I sit down beside Layan.

    ¡°Did you eat?¡± I ask her.

    She shakes her head, no, at me. I grab a te and put two pieces on it, sitting in on myp, then

    tucking her under my arm. ¡°What did we decide to watch?¡±

    ¡°Some rom about a girl who has no short-term memory and can¡¯t remember that she falls for this

    guy every day.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun!¡± I say and pick up a piece of pizza. I lean my head against Layan¡¯s. ¡°Will you try to eat for

    me, please?¡± I say quietly, but I know all the Lunas can hear me.

    Layan looks at the pizza for a moment then picks is up and takes a bite before putting it down. It takes

    her awhile to chew and swallow it, Hana giving her a drink to help her wash it down. But, as we watch

    the movie, Layan slowly eats the piece of pizza.

    We¡¯re about halfway through the movie when I realize she¡¯s sound asleep. I lean sideways, Annabel

    helping me tuck some pillows under my body and pull Layan against me so she¡¯s in a more

    Asher has been giving us space, but always keeping us in eyesight.

    ¡°You all did a great job with her tonight.¡± He says and Mignon goes to sit on hisp.

    I watch him, seeing that he has something else he wants to say.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s not my ce and I¡¯m not your mates, but, I don¡¯t think. Mason or Seth would appreciate

    knowing that the two of you are touching every unmated male in this pack.¡± Asher says.

    Hana and I look at each other before turning back to them. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°Know what?¡± Asher asks and Annabel turns to look at us. ¡°I noticed you touching all of them too. What

    don¡¯t we know?¡±

    Just then, Alpha Davis walks in, and a small smile crosses his face when he sees Layan sleeping

    against me. ¡°I sent her mother to bed. I told her Layan would be safe with your four tonight.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I say, making a decision.

    ¡°Alpha Davis, would you mind helping us for a moment?¡± I ask him.

    It¡¯s touchy. Having others know he¡¯s close to going feral could be dangerous, but he¡¯s in an alliance

    with all of our packs. And I have every intention of helping him and his pack as much as I can.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± He asks, walking into the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking so publicly, but Alpha Asher, Mignon and Annabel don¡¯t know about how to tell if

    someone is going feral. Would you mind if¡­¡± I break off, not wanting to reveal his secrets.

    ¡°If you tell them that I¡¯m going feral?¡± He finishes for me.

    ¡°No, not tell. Show. You know how you felt it when I touched you today? I can feel it too.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I guess that makes sense. You seemed to recognize right away that it has started in me.¡± He says.

    ¡°Please, if it will help others, I¡¯m more than willing to do what I can. What do you need?¡± He asks.

    Hana stands up, walking to him. ¡°Let us touch you.¡± She says.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Alpha Seth you said that.¡± He jokes.

    Hanaughs. ¡°He already knows. His mother is the one that taught me.¡± She tells them.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°And me.¡± I say.

    ¡°Taught you what?¡± Annabel asks, moving to stand beside Hana. Hana puts her hand on Alpha Davis¡¯s

    back, and I know she feels his darkness.

    ¡°Put your hand on his back.¡± Hana tells Annabel. Annabel hesitates a moment, thenplies.

    Immediately, she sucks in air and pulls, her hand away.

    ¡°What was that?¡± She asks, looking between Alpha Davis and Hana.

    Alpha Davis looks at her sadly. ¡°I¡¯m close to going feral. At best, next year is myst chance to im

    my mate before it¡¯s toote for me.¡± He tells her honestly. Slowly, Annabel puts her hands back on his

    shoulder, looking at Hana.

    ¡°Do you feel it?¡± Hana asks. I notice that now that he has two Lunas touching him, Alpha Davis¡¯s body

    is rxing.

    ¡°I do. It ripples.¡± She says.

    ¡°Yes, we, as females or as Lunas, or both maybe, can push their feral-fever away. Not forever, but for a

    while, extending their lives.¡±

    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re saying as a Luna I can help keep my pack members from going feral?¡± Mignon asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Hana and I say together.

    Mignon turns to look at Asher. ¡°Asher, if this can help our pack, I need to learn.¡±

    I can tell he doesn¡¯t like the idea of his mate touching another male, especially an unmated Alpha.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure this will work?¡± He asks me.

    I shrug. ¡°One way to find out, Alpha. Let her see if she can feel it. If she can, I¡¯d say yes. She could

    make a difference in your pack.¡±

    He looks at Mignon for a long moment before nodding his agreement. Immediately, she hops up and

    moves to Alpha Davis who is still feeling the effects of two Lunas. ¡°I would add to what Luna Jara said.¡±

    Lewis, my guard says from his spot against the wall.

    Everyone turns to look at him.

    ¡°I was nearly feral, ready for Alpha Mason to put me down, I was that close. When Luna Nina came to

    our pack with Luna Jara, I didn¡¯t realize how close I was, that¡¯s how bad it was for me. But being with

    them, spending time with them, being around them and having them touch me has pushed my feral-

    fever away. It takes more than a few days, that¡¯s why Luna Jara wanted me as her guard, so that I

    could stay close to her. But now, it¡¯s like I¡¯m 18 again. I feel great. No darkness, notck of control. It

    works.¡±

    Mignon gets a look of determination on her face before reaching out and touching Alpha Davis. As

    soon as she does her eyes go wide and she looks at Asher. ¡°I can feel it, Ash. I really can.¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like, baby girl?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Dark.¡± Mignon and Annabel say together.

    I see Asher move to pull Mignon away from Davis. ¡°She¡¯s okay, Asher. My mother never suffered ill

    effects. The feral-fever is a direct result of there not being enough she-wolves. We can feel the

    darkness, but we push it away.¡± I say, trying to help him understand.

    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± Davis says, quietly, almost reverently.

    Asher moves to stand in front of him. ¡°You can feel it that quickly?¡± He asks. ¡°Yes.¡± Both Davis and

    Lewis say.

    I look at Asher. ¡°That¡¯s why Hana and I were touching so many the males in this pack. Some are very

    close to going feral. Giovanni is probably the closest.¡± I say, looking at Davis.

    ¡°Yes, I was about ready to put him down. I hope that now I won¡¯t have to.¡±

    I watch Asher look at Mignon before turning to me. ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t hurt my mate and our pup?¡±

    ¡°You can speak to my mother. She¡¯d be happy to talk to either or both of you. And, if you¡¯d like, I can

    ask her toe visit your pack. She could show Mignon how to help your pack members and, of

    course, having her there will help them as well.¡±

    I can see Asher and Mignon having a private conversation. He turns back to me. ¡°I¡¯d like that. I¡¯ll get

    her information before we leave.¡± He says.

    As they pull away from Alpha Davis, he takes a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s like your brain is released from a

    mental prison.¡± He says, his eyes closed.

    ¡°That¡¯s a perfect way to describe it.¡± Lewis says.

    Everyone takes a minute to think about that before Asher turns to look at me, still holding a sleeping

    Layan.

    ¡°What do you want to do with Layan?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry her to my room. I¡¯m going to have her sleep with me tonight and see how she does.¡± I say.

    ¡°I cane too.¡± Hana says. ¡°We can surround her and maybe she¡¯ll sleep through the night.¡±

    ¡°And if not, we¡¯ll take turns.¡± Annabel says. ¡°I can rotate in when one of you needs a couple hours of

    sleep.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Mignon says and I hear Asher¡¯s low growl.

    ¡°No, Mignon. You¡¯re pregnant. You need your rest. Get some sleep and we¡¯lle get you, Annabel, if

    we need to switch out.¡± I tell her.

    With that. Hana helps me get her up and into my arms. I carry her to my room, getting her settled into

    the middle of my bed before Hana and I crawl in on either side of her, surrounding her once again in

    our safety of love.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 116

    Chapter 116

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Luke had contacted me to let me know that they had arrived safely. He had also let me know that

    Layan was in terrible shape, so I knew that I wouldn¡¯t hear from Jara tonight. Her goal is to help Layan

    and that should be her focus. It doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t miss my mate or hate crawling into our bed alone

    that night.

    Title of the document

    The next morning, I wake and get ready for the day. Today is the first alliance meeting and it works well

    that Asher is with Alpha Davis. He will be there to gauge his reactions to what we want to discuss and

    having our mates in his pack.

    This is a video call, and I have Elijah join me. Seth and I had talked about how we want to run these

    meetings. For now, one of us will take the lead, but eventually, we¡¯d like everyone to take a turn

    facilitating the call and creating the agenda.

    When the video feed begins to connect, I¡¯m excited and antsy to speak with Asher to see how my mate

    is doing. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s fine, but it would make me feel better to see her. We didn¡¯t n for it, but a man

    can hope.

    As soon as Asher and Davis connect, I don¡¯t even have a second before Antonio is jumping in. ¡°Asher,

    how are our mates.¡±

    Suddenly, Annabel is looking over Davis¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You mean this mate?¡± She asks coyly and I watch the tension ease from Antonio¡¯s face. I notice that

    Annabel has both her hands on Davis¡¯s shoulders. It could be coincidence, but I don¡¯t think so.

    Behind her, Hana leans over Davis¡¯s other shoulder. I can see that she is also touching him as she

    leans over him. ¡°Or did you mean this mate?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s the mate I was hoping to see.¡± Seth says smiling, and the tension around his eyes also eases.

    ¡°Or perhaps, you meant this mate.¡± Jara says and her beautiful face enters the screen pushing

    between Davis¡¯s and Annabel¡¯s.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I say and I can feel my own tension easing.

    Jara looks at me meaningfully. I know she wanted to make sure I knew she was okay, but I know what

    she¡¯s going to say before she says it. I¡¯m an Alpha too, so I understand. But I¡¯ll still be d to have her

    home.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stay, I just wanted to see the hottest man on the.¡± She says, winking at the screen.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve found him.¡± Antonio says c*oc*kily.

    Jara smirks at him. ¡°Sorry Alpha, you¡¯re not my type.¡± And she gives me a smoldering look that tells me

    that I¡¯m exactly her type.

    ¡°Call meter if you can gorgeous. Take care of my mate.¡±

    ¡°I will. I love you.¡± She says, blowing me a kiss.

    ¡°I love you more.¡± I say as she pulls out of the screen.

    ¡°Not possible!¡± I hear her say as her voice gets farther away, making me chuckle. ¡°I have to go too, and

    I know you all have work to do. Your baby and I love you, Seth.¡± Hana says and also blows a kiss.

    ¡°Watch out for my loves, baby.¡± Seth says to her.

    ¡°I will.¡± She says before standing and leaving the room.

    ¡°Time for me to go too, Tony. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of your mate and I love you too.¡±

    ¡°Have a good time bute home soon.¡± He tells her.

    When they leave, I see Asher watch to make sure the door closes before he turns back to the video.

    He scrubs his hands over his face before turning to look at Davis.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Davis feels about this, but I don¡¯t think that poor girl would havested another week

    without them here. I¡¯ve never seen a she-wolf or any wolf look like she did when we walked in. She¡¯s

    not my mate or my pack member and I still felt a strong urge to protect her.¡±

    Davis looks at the screen. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you all enough for allowing your mates toe here and look

    after Layan. And, if I¡¯m being honest, it¡¯s not just Layan. Having them here is helping the entire pack.¡±

    ¡°I noticed them touching you.¡± Seth said.

    ¡°Yes, I hope that¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in the possessive way. I know what my mother told Hana and Jara. I mean it more that I

    hope that it is helping you as well.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°What am I missing?¡± Quinton asks, having joined as we were saying hello to our mates.

    ¡°The Lunas can feel when someone is going feral. Mignon said is feels like a dark ripple.¡± Asher says.

    ¡°They can feel it?¡± Zaire asks.

    ¡°And they can push it away.¡± Davis says. ¡°It¡¯s not even been a day and I feel incredible.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Quinton asks. He and Davis are the only ones in our group that are still unmated.

    ¡°Touch, proximity. I have a pack member who is on the verge of being put down. Last night, he cooked

    pizzas for everyone in my pack.¡± Davis tells them.

    I see Quinton thinking. ¡°When can theye to visit me? I have she-wolves. They coulde spend

    time with them and also, a*s*sess my pack members. And if they can push the feral-fever away, even

    better.¡± He says, and I know Jara will be thrilled that he is inviting the Lunas to his pack.

    ¡°Let¡¯s let them decide how they want to prioritize the needs of the packs, but I will say, your sister

    offered up your mother, Seth. I n to contact her before we leave here.¡± Asher says.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that my Gia could help keep the feral-fever away from my pack members?¡± Zaire

    asks.

    ¡°Not indefinitely, but yes.¡± I answer him.

    ¡°When are your mates nning to have their first Luna meeting?¡± He asks. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but you¡¯re

    always wee toe visit my pack. Jara would be happy to work with Gia.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°We will talk more about this. I know it wasn¡¯t meant to be a part of today¡¯s discussion.¡± Zaire states.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 117

    Chapter 117

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Chapter 24. Mason

    Mason

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t on the agenda and today, we do have some important things to discuss. First, without

    realizing it, both Mason and I absorbed members of Alpha Shawn and Alpha Gunnar¡¯s packs. Not only

    that, we got their mates and both of them had she-wolf pups.¡±

    Title of the document

    Asher whistles. ¡°If they didn¡¯t hate us before, they sure do now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worse. Luke, Jara¡¯s guard at the iming, indicated that things in Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack are not

    healthy. And while his mate, Brynn is adjusting here in my pack, there is another she-wolf who has a

    daughter, one that will be going into the iming next year, a Gamma. Based on what Brynn told Jara,

    this Gamma female wants out of their pack and is willing to leave her mate to protect her daughter. I¡¯ll

    tell you, Brynn is very skittish around my pack members, especially with her daughter, and Melinda is

    only two.¡±

    ¡°Two? And she¡¯s worried about your unmated males around her?¡± Antonio asks in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for Hana¡¯s guard and his mate. They arrivedst week, and while their daughter is a bit

    older, she¡¯s still a pre-teen. She, Alexis, is terrified to leave her daughter with any of my pack members

    except my mother.¡± Seth says. ¡°They came from Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack?¡± Davis asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°How many others are still there?¡± Quinton asks.N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°ording to Alexis and Randal, they were the only two, so now Alpha Gunnar has no she-wolves in

    his pack.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Good. It keeps our mates from wanting to go into that snake¡¯s territory.¡± Antonio growls.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Zaire says.

    ¡°So, we need to decide if we are going to help this she-wolf or not.¡± I say.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Asher asks.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s against thew to keep someone in your pack against their will. And that should be enough,

    except, Luke also told me that Alpha Shawn cheated to win his ce as Alpha. And Elder Carson

    helped by allowing the cheating to ur and keeping it within his pack instead of taking it to the

    council.¡± I state.

    ¡°I bet Elder Jason would be interested to know that. He seemed like the only one that had a brain in his

    head.¡± Davis remarks.

    ¡°Except, he¡¯s in Alpha Saul¡¯s pack.¡± Quinton says.

    ¡°I can help with that.¡± Zaire says. ¡°Alpha Saul and I are friendly. I will put the bug in his ear, so to speak

    and let him tell Elder Jason that his fellow council members are abusing their power.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he already knows, but he is one of five. He could continue to be overruled.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°It would still be good for him to know.¡± Antonio says.

    ¡°So, back to this she-wolf and her nearly of-age daughter. What are we going to do?¡± Zaire asks.

    ¡°Jara wants to go into the pack. I¡¯m not thrilled with the idea. There¡¯s no way that Alpha Shawn will

    allow her to have ess to this Gamma without his influence and presence, so it won¡¯t be helpful. Not

    only that, but he¡¯s already unhappy with us, and there is no way he¡¯ll let me into his pack. I won¡¯t allow

    her to go there without me. So, I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±

    ¡°Gia and I can go.¡± Zaire says.

    ¡°They¡¯ll let you in?¡± Seth asks, echoing the question in my mind.

    ¡°Why not? Maybe I can get Saul and his mate, Tessa to join us. We can make it a pack tour. We can

    leave Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack and then go to, say, Alpha Seth¡¯s pack so Gia and Tessa can learn from

    Luna Nina about managing the feral-fever in their packs.¡±

    ¡°I like the way you think, Alpha Zaire.¡± Quinton says.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go that route. If that doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll meet ande up with another idea.¡± I say.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Mason, but please, have your mates schedule a Luna call before then. I want to make sure

    my mate and Saul¡¯s are very clear about their roles and their rights when they enter another pack.¡±

    ¡°Jara will be thrilled.¡± I say, thinking of how excited my mate will be to have her first Luna meeting.

    ¡°Hana, too.¡±

    ¡°They all will.¡± Antonio says. ¡°It¡¯s the first time they¡¯ve ever had a say. The first time that this many

    Alphas are supporting them.¡±

    We all take a moment to let that sink in. It¡¯s true, the change that wille is only possible because we

    are giving our mates the freedom to be the strong, independent women they are.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one other item on the agenda for today.¡± I say.

    ¡°Typhon.¡±

    Brynn POV

    I¡¯m sitting outside the back of the packhouse, watching Melinda run around. Some of the warriors are

    tentatively ying with her. I know they are worried that I will stop them, and I want to, but I trust Luna

    Jara and so I¡¯m giving them the benefit of the doubt, but still being very careful.

    It¡¯s hard not to notice the difference between these pack members and the ones from Alpha Shawn¡¯s

    pack. Here, they look at Melinda as if she¡¯s a daughter, a niece, a little sister. In Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack,

    there was a hint of lust, a look of desire as if Melinda would be their mate in the future. If she were

    sixteen or seventeen, I might have understood it more, but at two years of age, it was disgusting.

    Almost as bad were the looks they¡¯d give me. I began to worry that they might kill Luke, just so they

    could take me as a mate. I¡¯m thankful that he is the strong warrior that he is and of true Beta blood. No

    one was ever able to take him down, not even Alpha Shawn.

    Here, the pack members look at me as if I¡¯m a treasure, something to be cherished, but not in a sick or

    disgusting way. It¡¯s as if they truly believe that I am special, that we, as she-wolves, are their salvation.

    And, in truth, we are.

    As I watch Melinda y with the warriors who have be bolder since I haven¡¯t stopped their

    ying, I hear the howl of warning.

    Every warrior is immediately at attention. I see one racing toward Melinda and as I get up, I see

    another racing toward me.

    ¡°Miss Brynn, you have to get inside. We have to get you to a safe room,¡± He says, grabbing me around

    the waist and pulling me inside.

    ¡°MELINDA!¡± I scream, trying to turn to see what¡¯s happening to my daughter. ¡°She¡¯sing. Warrior

    Tyler has her, Miss. Please, we have to make sure you are safe.¡±

    The moment we step inside, I have several other males corralling me into a safe room. I see Alpha

    Mason and Beta Elijah rush past me, shifting as they go.

    I¡¯m fighting, trying to get to Melinda until one of the warriors, Tyler I guess, brings her to the room,

    handing her to me.

    ¡°Stay here. We¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± He steps out of the room.

    ¡°Closing the kitchen safe room door!¡± He announces loudly, to whom, I¡¯m not sure, but just then Ste

    rushes in with Jace.

    The door closes with a resounding boom before Ste rushes over and throws the lock. It¡¯s dark, but

    she finds the light and turns it on. I realize there are other omegas in the room with us. While this pack

    allows all of its pack members to spar, not all omegas as strong enough to fight. The ones in here are

    small, older or weaker than those outside fighting.

    ¡°Oh, hello.¡± Melinda says. I can tell she¡¯s shaken, but instinctively, she wants to help the omegas feel

    morefortable. She squirms, in my arms until I put her down. She walks over to the omegas and

    begins speaking to them, calming them. As I watch my daughter, I realize that she is acting more the

    Beta than I am, and I know that it¡¯s time for me to retake my ce in a pack. I¡¯m a Beta female. I

    should be leading by example, not running and hiding. It¡¯s time for me to begin sparring, regaining my

    strength and protecting my pack. My pack that is willing to give their lives for me and my daughter even

    though they barely know us.

    An hourter, the knockes on the door and Gamma Ste opens it for Alpha Mason and Beta

    Elijah.

    ¡°Is everyone alright? Is everyone safe?¡± He asks, looking first to Melinda, then to me, Ste and Jace.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha, we¡¯re safe.¡± I say. And I realize that I truly believe it. This pack isn¡¯t the same as the one I

    was in before. This is a pack worthy of its she-wolves and now it¡¯s time for me to be worthy of them.

    I reach down, taking my daughter¡¯s hand and I exit that safe room, as the true Beta female that I am,

    ready to take my ce as a leader in this pack.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The weekend with Layan went really well. She slept both nights that we were there, with no

    nightmares. When she¡¯d begin to whimper or flinch in her sleep,

    Title of the document

    Hana, Annabel or I would wrap our arms around her tightly and whisper in her ear that we were here

    for her until she would settle and fall back into a dreamless sleep.

    Unfortunately, the stress of the weekend began to take its toll on me as well. I woke up thest morning

    feeling ill and while Layan was still asleep, I raced into the bathroom and vomited. I had vomited again

    while I was in the shower. And then, when we went down to breakfast, the smell was overwhelming and

    made my stomach turn. I had quickly excused myself and gone to the bathroom, dry heaving since my

    stomach was already empty.

    Since she is an omega and can¡¯t afford it for herself, we asked Asher to get her a cell phone. However,

    Alpha Davis insisted that she is his pack member, and he would provide for her. He got her a cell

    phone and Hana set it up before outst day.

    As we started to get ready to leave, I could see the fearing back into her eyes.

    ¡°Look at me, sweet girl. We will be back here next weekend. All of us. You are not alone, and Hana has

    set up a cell phone for you. We¡¯ll be calling you every night to make sure that you are okay and to talk

    as long as you need us.¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s practice.¡± Annabel says and I take Layan¡¯s phone, sitting beside her on the couch while

    Annabel walks into another room and calls her, requesting a video chat. I show Layan and her mother

    how to answer the call and make sure that they have the video on¡­

    ¡°You can call us any time, day or night, Layan.¡± Mignon tells her. ¡°And if you have a nightmare, you¡¯ll be

    able to see us on your phone and know that you aren¡¯t alone.¡±

    ¡°And before you know it, we¡¯ll be back here. Alpha Davis has said, we cane as often as we want.¡±

    Hana says and Layan looks at Alpha Davis who nods his a*s*sent.

    ¡°Okay.¡± She says quietly, still gripping the phone with Annabel¡¯s face on it. ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to hang

    up and you¡¯re going to dial either Hana or Mignon so you know that you can reach us at any time.¡± I

    say and we practice until she has it down.

    We begin packing up the cars to go. I first help Annabel, then Mignon and Asher, before helping Hana

    head out. When I give Hana a hug, she whispers in my ear. ¡°Stop on your way home and get a

    pregnancy test.¡±

    I pull way and look at her, questioningly. She nods. ¡°Trust me, but to be positive, it¡¯s best to test. At

    least then you¡¯ll know for sure.¡±

    I¡¯m still thinking about what she said but as I¡¯m about to leave, Layan begins crying. I walk to her,

    hugging her tightly.

    ¡°You will be okay and if anything at all happens, you tell Alpha Davis, and I will be here as soon as

    possible, we all will. You¡¯re not alone, Layan. We¡¯re all here for you.¡±

    She nods against my chest before getting her tears under control.

    ¡°Will you do me a favor this week?¡± I ask her, holding her hands.

    She nods. ¡°Will you try to eat and make sure you bathe every day?¡±

    She looks at her mother and then back at me. ¡°Yes, Luna.¡±

    I pull her in for another hug. ¡°It¡¯s Jara, Layan. We¡¯re friends.¡±

    Just as she pulls away, she gets an iing video call from Annabel. I watch as she looks at it

    frowning and answers the call.

    ¡°Hey Layan, I wanted to make sure you were going to answer my call. Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re only a phone

    call away, any time, day or night.¡± She says and while she¡¯s talking, the phone beeps again.

    ¡°Okay, I have to go.¡± She says, hanging up and answering the call from Mignon. ¡°I¡¯m just checking on

    you Layan. I know we¡¯re all leaving, but we¡¯re still here for you.¡± She says.

    Layan is about to respond, when a call from Hana shows up on her screen. She looks up at me and

    begins tough softly.

    ¡°I have to go, Mignon, Hana is calling.¡±

    ¡°Okay, we love you!¡± Mignon says as Layan disconnects her call to answer Hana¡¯s.

    ¡°Hey, Layan. I¡¯m sure Jara has left now, so I wanted to check on you.¡±

    She turns the phone and I wave. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still there. I¡¯ll call back in a bit to check on you.¡±

    Layan is smiling when she responds. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Annabel and Mignon have already called. I

    know I¡¯m not alone.¡± She says.

    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t. Not ever, Layan. I love you.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°I love you too. Thank you.¡±

    I walk to the car, Luke and Lewis waiting patiently for me. I wave before getting in. Before I¡¯ve left Alpha

    Davis¡¯s packnds, I dial Layan.

    ¡°Yes, Luna?¡± She answers.

    ¡°What did I tell you about calling me Luna, Layan?¡±

    She smiles. ¡°Yes, Jara.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I am. And I promise to call if I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I say to her before disconnecting.

    I lean my head back, closing my eyes. This weekend was exhausting and stressful, but it was worth it.

    ¡°That was a good thing you did this weekend, Luna. What all of your did.¡± Lewis says.

    ¡°Who knows, Lewis? Maybe you¡¯ll catch Layan in the iming next year.¡± Luke says.

    I raise an eyebrow. ¡°You do know that Elijah wants her, right?¡±

    Lewis looks thoughtful for a moment. ¡°He still has to catch her before I do.¡± He says, shrugging and I

    shake my head. I would be happy if any of my pack members caught Layan. I know she¡¯d be well taken

    care of, and I¡¯d be there so help her if she needed it.

    I sleep most of the way home, but when the guys stop at a gas station, I get the pregnancy test that

    Hana suggested.

    When we arrive at home, Mason is waiting for me. I rush into his arms, letting his closeness relieve the

    stress of the weekend.

    ¡°Wee home, love.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say, kissing him. The kiss was meant to be a sweet kiss, but it quickly turns into

    something more and before I know it, I¡¯m somehow pressed against the side of the house, my leg

    wrapped around Mason¡¯s waist.

    A throat clearing nearby has us pulling apart.

    ¡°Perhaps you want to find a more private ce to say hello?¡± Luke says, smirking at us.

    ¡°An excellent idea.¡± Mason says, before lifting me up and carrying me to our bedroom.

    Several incredible o*rgas*mster, I¡¯mying curled up against Mason on our bed. ¡°I need to tell you

    something.¡± He says, looking down at me.

    I frown, sitting up on my elbow. ¡°What?¡±

    He clenches his teeth together. ¡°Typhon was here.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?! When?¡± I ask, sitting all the way up.

    ¡°This weekend. The patrols caught that scent of garbage again. You remember how I mentioned that

    before, that we keep getting these scents like something has died or that someone has dumped a

    rotting corpse near our borders. This time, they went searching and they saw him. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t

    breach our borders, but he did get away.¡±

    ¡°So, he is looking for me?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I have to a*s*sume so. If he went feral in the iming, he¡¯d be fixated on you. Him showing up here

    seems to confirm it. Also, if the scent is his, then it means he is getting close to our borders frequently.

    I¡¯ve doubled our patrols, but I need you to be extra careful and if you ever smell that scent of something

    rotten, you need to run. Will you do that for me, Jara?¡± He says to me, almost pleadingly.

    I think about the pregnancy test that I have hidden away, waiting for the right time to take it. I roll on top

    of Mason, straddling him, sliding his instantly hardened length through my wet folds.

    ¡°What do I get if I agree, Mason?¡± I say, my voice low and deep with my desire for him.

    ¡°Oh, my s*e*xy, insatiable mate. If you agree to that, I¡¯ll give you my knot again tonight.¡± He says, his

    hands running up and down my thighs as I move against him.

    ¡°Deal.¡± I say, as I slide him inside me and ride him until we both find out release again and he knots

    inside me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The day after she gets back, I have Jara join me in my office and I tell her all about the first alliance

    meeting.

    Title of the document

    ¡°So, my gorgeous Luna,¡± I say, having pulled her into myp, ¡°when are you nning to have your first

    Luna meeting?¡±

    She looks thoughtful for a moment. ¡°Sooner than I expected. I¡¯ll call Hana today and see when she

    thinks we¡¯ll be ready for our first meeting. But if Alpha Zaire thinks that he and Luna Gia can get the

    Gamma female and her daughter out of Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack, it needs to be soon.¡± ¡°Tell me about

    Layan. I heard she was not in good shape.¡±

    She leans against me, and I can tell through our bond that she¡¯s hurting for Layan. She tells me about

    the weekend and that they all agreed that they need to go back next weekend.

    ¡°It will probably be a month, at least, before we can start dividing our time. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m going to

    manage things here and still do what I need to do for Layan and also start working on our Luna

    Council. And, as you said, Alpha Quinton wants us toe visit.¡±

    ¡°You know, there are retired Lunas out there. You should include them, give them a purpose again. Like

    your mother. I know she said your father wanted to travel, but both of them need a purpose. I think the

    traveling was more to give them something to do. He could act as a guard for your mother or for any of

    you and that would give him a renewed purpose, too.¡±

    ¡°You, my mate, are a genius!¡± She says to me, hopping off myp. Not the response I was hoping for,

    but I¡¯m happy she¡¯s excited.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go call Layan, then call Hana and Mom. We need to start making ns, sooner rather

    thanter.¡±

    Before she can walk out my door, I call her. ¡°Check in with Brynn. Something changed with her when

    she was in the safe room. I¡¯m not sure what happened, but suddenly, she¡¯s taking on a Beta¡¯s role in

    the pack. It could be a good thing since you n to be away so often in the near future.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡± She says, before rushing out the door.

    I sigh, not wanting her to leave, but knowing I have more work to do. I look back over the report on

    Typhon. I¡¯m not sure how he escaped. What I didn¡¯t tell Jara is that my patrols that saw him, said they

    weren¡¯t sure they were seeing a wolf at first. They said he was so misshapen that he looked like some

    sort of mythological monster. When they finally realized it was a wolf, they were shocked.

    ¡°He must have had every bone in his body broken and then they didn¡¯t heal properly.¡± My patrol had

    said, shivering.

    ¡°Yeah, Alpha, it was creepy. It wasn¡¯t just that his eyes looked off, dead almost, but his body was

    so¡­.distorted.¡±

    It makes sense, knowing how he fell from the cliff. How he has survived is beyond me. I¡¯m still

    pondering this when there¡¯s a knock on my doorjamb. I look up and see Elijah.

    ¡°What do you know about the effects of feral-fever and the iming haze?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Uh¡­they make you crazy?¡±

    I grimace at him. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°I¡¯ve never really looked into it.¡±

    ¡°Do we have any books on the subject?¡± I ask, knowing it¡¯s unlikely.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ll look. If not, we can ask Elder Jason. He should have ess to information like

    that, if we ever studied our kind.¡±

    I sit back thinking for a moment before looking back up at him. ¡°You wanted something?¡± I ask,

    realizing he came to me.

    ¡°Yeah. Luke said Lewis did a good job over the weekend. He¡¯s green but he¡¯s a quick learner and

    dedicated to ensuring that Luna Jara is safe. He is rmending that Lewis continue as Jara¡¯s guard

    and requested that we allow him to train him.¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± I ask, not having a strong opinion one way or the other. Jara must have felt

    comfortable with him, or she would have said something.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give the guy a chance. It will keep him close to Luna Jara and he has a dedicated interest in

    keeping her alive and healthy.¡±

    ¡°Works for me. Tell Luke to keep you informed and let me know if you find any research on either the

    long-term effects of feral-fever or the iming haze.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡± He says before walking off.

    I grab the phone, calling Elder Jason. ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Elder Jason, this is Alpha Mason.¡±

    ¡°Alpha, what can I do for you?¡±

    I tell him about Typhon and what my patrol members told me. ¡°Do you know if there are any books or

    studies about the effects of feral-fever or the iming haze.¡±

    He¡¯s quiet for a moment. ¡°There might be something at the council chambers. I can go look for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    ¡°Elder, there is one more thing, while I¡¯ve got you on the phone. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard from Alpha

    Saul, but we found out some disturbing information about Elder Carson.¡±

    ¡°You mean about how Alpha Shawn came to be Alpha?¡± He asks and his voice has gone hard.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha Saul talked to me about it. I¡¯m going to see what I can find out about that as well. And it

    appears that Alphas Zaire and Saul are going to visit Alpha Shawn along with their mates. I n to join

    them. I could swing by your pack, and we could go through, any books or research I find, together.¡± He

    says.

    ¡°I would appreciate the help. You are wee in my pack any time, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Good. When I have more details, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you and have a good day, Elder. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± I say, hanging up.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When I leave Mason, I go to find Brynn. I walk to the kitchen, looking for Ste to see if she knows

    where she is. When I walk in, I stop, trying to understand what I¡¯m seeing.

    Title of the document

    Instead of seeing Ste, I see Brynn. She¡¯s got her sleeves rolled up and she¡¯s mixing something with

    her hands in a bowl. There is music ying in the

    background and Melinda and Jace are sitting on the counter. Both of them are singing and the omegas

    helping in the kitchen are dancing around.

    Brynn looks up, seeing me staring at them. ¡°Oh, Luna.¡± She says, pulling her doughy hands out of

    whatever it is that she¡¯s making.

    ¡°Hello, Luna Jara.¡± Melinda says, her legs swinging as she moves her body to the music.

    ¡°Hello, Luna.¡± Jace says.

    The group in the kitchen stops, looking at me, wondering if I¡¯m going to be angry. I walk in,ing up

    beside Brynn and looking in the bowl.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I ask.

    ¡°A bread base, we¡¯ll have some for tonight and some for-tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Tonight, we¡¯re making fresh garlic bread and tomorrow morning cinnamon raisin bread.¡± Melinda tells

    me.

    I lean in, smelling the yeasty smell of the bread. ¡°Smells good.¡± I say, turning to the rest of the room.

    ¡°What else are we having?¡±

    I watch the omegas rx before showing me that they are making chicken parmesan. I raise my

    eyebrows at them.

    ¡°That¡¯s new.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s momma¡¯s specialty.¡± Melinda says.

    ¡°When you¡¯re done here, I¡¯d like to speak to you.¡± I tell Brynn.

    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡±

    I leave the kitchen and head to my room. I video dial Layan. It takes her a few rings to answer. I¡¯m just

    starting to get worried when her facees on the screen.

    ¡°Hello Jara.¡±

    ¡°Layan, how are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good. I was just speaking to Annabel. She was checking on me too.¡±

    ¡°Good. Have you eaten yet today?¡± I ask.

    She looks down. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°You promised to try, Layan.¡±

    She nods. ¡°I will.¡±

    Her head jerks up and a small smile graces her face. ¡°Mignon¡¯s calling, Jara. I better go.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I love you, Layan.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Jara.¡± She says and disconnects.

    I immediately call Hana and fill her in on what happened with the alliance call.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Seth filled me in, so what are you thinking?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°We need to move up the timeframe for our call.¡± I say.

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing. We need to have a call in the next couple of days and we need toe

    up with a n for getting the Gamma and her daughter out of Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°I think we also need toe up with a n for visiting Quinton¡¯s pack. He wants us to a*s*sess his

    pack members and I know he¡¯s got a couple of she-wolves too.¡±

    ¡°What about Alpha Luke?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s got a couple, and Seth said one of the Elders, Elder Colton lives in his pack.¡±

    ¡°That could work in our favor.¡± She says.

    ¡°Mason also suggested bringing in the retired Lunas. I¡¯m not sure how many we have left. While I didn¡¯t

    agree with the Alphas and Elders doing an inventory of the females and where they are living, I think

    we need to do it so we can be sure that no one is outside of our circle of protection.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯ll set up the meeting and we can get your mom, Luna Gia and Luna Tessa to join our call. I

    think that will be good. Then we can divide and conquer, and we need to train the other Lunas, on how

    to protect their pack members from feral-fever.¡± She says, and I can see her doing an mental checklist

    in her head to create the agenda for our call.

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I say, ready to disconnect.

    ¡°Anything you want to tell me?¡± She asks, raising an eyebrow.

    Even though I¡¯m in my room, alone, I look around to make sure no one can hear. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a

    chance to test yet.¡± I whisper.

    She nods. ¡°And Seth said Mason had to leave the call quickly, something about an rm going up?¡±

    I look at her. ¡°Typhon was here.¡±

    ¡°WHAT? Did they get him?¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°No, he escaped but it means he is hunting me. I¡¯ll have to be even more careful than

    I was before.¡±

    ¡°When we meet with the Lunas, we¡¯ll make sure that no Luna goes, into a pack alone. We¡¯ll always go

    in groups of two or more and with our guards, regardless of if the Alphas like it or not.¡± She says

    seriously.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, especially since at least two of us are already pregnant and the other two are

    trying hard to get there.¡±

    She smirks at me. ¡°Take the test, Jara. We¡¯ll talk soon.¡±

    When we hang up, I look at the closet where I have the test hidden. I¡¯m about to go get it when there¡¯s

    a knock at the door. I open it to find Brynn.

    ¡°Brynn,e in.¡± I say, moving to find a ce for us to talk.

    ¡°Luna, I hope I didn¡¯t do anything to offend you.¡± She says, taking a seat.

    ¡°On the contrary, I wanted to know what happened over the weekend. Even Mason has noticed a

    change in you.¡± I say to her.

    She folds her hands in herp, looking at them as she rubs her thumbs together. ¡°You know I was born

    to two Betas, so I¡¯m true Beta blood?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but it makes sense. Melinda is very strong, even at such a young age.¡± She nods.

    ¡°Well, while you were gone, I tried to let the warriors y with Melinda. She isn¡¯t fearful of them in the

    slightest, but I was worried. However, when we were attacked, the warriors grabbed both of us, putting

    us into the safe room. I stood by and watched my daughter act like a Beta female, while I stood by

    doing nothing.¡± She looks down again.

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of my behavior and I had some time in that room to realize that this pack is worth fighting

    for. It is full of good men that don¡¯t deserve the fate that is being handed to us. So, I decided that it was

    time for me to take my ce in this pack. I know Gamma Ste was an omega at one time and the

    kitchen work isn¡¯t really her strength. It is mine. I asked her if I could take it over and she agreed. So

    far, it¡¯s working.¡±

    I nod. This is a good thing for our pack.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    ¡°What do you know of the effects of she-wolves on feral-fever?¡± I ask her.

    She frowns. ¡°The effect of she-wolves on feral-fever?¡± She asks.

    Title of the document

    Once I exin it to her, I see the lightbulb go on in her head. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re always touching

    them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and if you truly want to take on a leadership role in this pack, which I hope you do, you will need

    to help me keep our pack members from going feral.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna. I¡¯d be happy to.¡± She says.

    ¡°In addition, some changes areing. I¡¯d like for you to y a role in that. Whether it¡¯s here in our

    pack, or in the other packs, I think your Beta blood and your willingness to help will be much, needed.¡± I

    exin the changes that we¡¯ve made with the council, and the impact we are already having at Alpha

    Davis¡¯s pack.

    ¡°I would need to be mindful of Melinda, but I want to help. If I can, and if it is safe for Melinda, I will help

    in any way I can.¡±

    I nod. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a meeting in the next day or so. We need to speak to Alpha Luke and

    Alpha Quinton, but Alpha Quinton, has already requested our presence. He might be a good start for

    you.¡±

    ¡°As long as Melinda is safe.¡± She rifies.

    ¡°Of course, and Hana and I were just discussing that no Luna, or in your case, no Beta would go to a

    pack alone.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Tell me what I need to do.¡±

    After I exin to her about feeling for the darkness in our pack, members, Brynn heads back to the

    kitchen to oversee dinner preparations.

    Again, I¡¯m just about to go get the pregnancy test, when Mason walks in. ¡°Hello love. How was your

    day?¡±

    I sit and talk to my mate about my ns and then about his conversation with Elder Jason before we

    head to dinner together.

    Hopefully, I¡¯ll be able to find time to take the pregnancy test tomorrow.

    Mason

    The week went by quickly and Jara was getting ready to leave again, heading back to Alpha Davis¡¯s

    pack. This time, Seth was going to apany them. Asher isn¡¯t happy about it, but he feels, better

    knowing that the pack is rtively safe. Plus, this weekend, I¡¯m sending Elijah.

    During the Luna meeting, they had decided to send Brynn and Melinda to Alpha Quinton¡¯s pack. I knew

    that Luke would be distracted the entire weekend, worrying about his mate and daughter, so I¡¯m

    sending him with his mate. They had also gotten Luna Nina, Jara¡¯s mother, to agree to go with her and

    Jara¡¯s father, Alpha Phillip, is going to. That way, we know that Brynn and Melinda will be safe, and

    Nina will be able to urately a*s*sess Quinton¡¯s pack. This also give Elijah a chance to see Layan.

    He was upset to learn how poorly she is doing, and this will hopefully help ease his worries.

    Alpha Luke had grumbled, saying he would like to have some she-wolves visit his pack as well and I

    forwarded his request to Jara. She and Hana are in charge of setting up the schedule of visitation for

    she-wolves to visit the packs.

    Luna Gia, Luna Tessa, their mates and Elder Jason are all scheduled to visit Alpha Shawn this

    weekend as well. It will be a very interesting and busy weekend to say the least.

    Because there is so much going on in several packs, the alliance agreed to wait to have our next

    meeting until the end of the weekend. In the meantime, it gives me time to begin my hunt for Typhon.

    Elder Jason will be here next week, and I will be busy digging through the records he brings with him.

    Elijah found a very small amount of information on the effects of feral-fever but nothing on the iming

    haze.

    What I¡¯m most concerned about is that Typhon is suffering from both. I know what the iming haze

    feels like, and I know what my pack members have described feral-fever as feeling like. In both,

    instances, the person is out of control, instinct taking over in the extreme. If Typhon is dealing with

    both, then there would be no capacity for rational thought, he would be solely working on instinct. An

    instinct that is driving him to im my mate.

    There¡¯s also the side of the iming haze that makes you feel a bit crazy. It¡¯s not just the need or

    desire to im your mate, but your are driven to extremes so you can achieve that instinctual goal. It

    makes you willing to take risks and to kill to achieve to achieve that goal. And that makes Typhon

    extremely dangerous.

    Based on the reports that I have from my patrols, and the shape that Typhon is in physically, I have to

    believe that he is lost, whether it¡¯s to the iming haze, feral- fever, or both, it doesn¡¯t matter. He needs

    to be put down.

    I had called the Elder Council. I discussed my concerns and my beliefs that Alpha Typhon had lost his

    mind and that he needed to be put down. I was told they would look into it, which they haven¡¯t, done.

    So, now, after sending Jara off to a ce where I felt she would be well looked after, I pull my warriors

    together.

    ¡°Alpha Typhon has be a danger to our pack and your Luna. The Council is not taking my

    concerns seriously, so we are going to do our own search. If anyone feels strongly that we should not

    go after Alpha Typhon and kill him, you are free to stay here. The rest of you, meet me at the forest line

    in ten minutes.¡±

    Ten minutester, my entire group of warriors are at the forest line. I look at all of them, proud of my

    pack.

    ¡°Okay, this half, you are in charge of protecting the pack.¡± I slice, my hand in the air, dividing my pack in

    two before swiping my hand through the air and indicating the half I¡¯m leaving to guard the pack.

    ¡°Stay diligent. We know that Typhon has been stalking our packnds. Don¡¯t let him get onto ournds.

    While Jara, Brynn and Melinda aren¡¯t here right now, we don¡¯t want him to find a ce to hide until they

    return. Gamma Joe is in charge of the group remaining here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± ¡°The rest of you, with me. We¡¯re going hunting.¡± I say and my voice bes menacing

    as I think about Typhon stalking my mate.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    There¡¯s a cheer from the pack before they split off and I take my group to the ce where we know that

    Typhon nearly breached our bordersst weekend. ¡°Dillon, you¡¯re my best tracker. See what you can

    do.¡± I say,

    knowing we¡¯ve already done this, but I want to go at it again. We know Typhon¡¯s been here off and on

    and if we catch a newer trail, we may be able to find him. ¡°The rest of you, spread out. See if you can

    catch a more recent trail.¡± We all shift and begin our hunt.

    We search for a couple of hours, sniffing every leaf or piece of dirt that smells like something is rotten.

    A couple of times, someone howled, and we¡¯de running, only to find a dead animal that was

    dposing. The scent was close, but not exactly right.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When I arrive back in Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, I¡¯m d to see that Layan looks considerably better than she

    did when we left herst weekend. However, when she walks up to hug me, holding me so tightly that I

    can barely breathe, I know that it¡¯s only on the surface.

    Title of the document

    That¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a start and every small step forward is still a step forward.

    I see Elijah watching her as he pulls my bags out of the car, his jaw tense. It¡¯s probably a good thing

    that he didn¡¯t see herst weekend if her current state is affecting him like this.

    ¡°Am I the first one here?¡± I ask her as she finally pulls away.

    ¡°Yes. I heard that Alpha Seth will be joining us this weekend instead of Alpha Asher.¡± She says. She

    looks past me, a frown, forming on her face.

    ¡°Is that Beta Elijah?¡± She asks me quietly.

    I turn, seeing him ducking his head, smiling that she remembers him. ¡°It is. He¡¯s here as part of my

    guard duty this weekend. Do you remember him?¡± I ask her, hoping she has good memories of Elijah.

    She nods. ¡°He was kind to me.¡±

    ¡°Yep, he¡¯s a good guy.¡± I say and sadness fills her features.

    I turn her, keeping my arm wrapped around her shoulder, heading inside. ¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± I ask,

    leaning my head on top of hers.

    ¡°No one that nice would want me now. I¡¯m too damaged.¡± She says and I see a tear drop from her

    eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret.¡± I whisper in her ear. ¡°He wanted toest weekend, but Mason needed him at

    the pack. He volunteered toe here because he was worried about you. And you also caught the

    eye of my other guard, Lewis.¡± I tell her.

    She tilts her head, looking over at Lewis who gives her a smile. ¡°Really?¡±

    I nod at her. ¡°You¡¯re not damaged, sweet girl. You were traumatized and you need to heal, mentally and

    physically. And that¡¯s what your friends are for. But there is nothing wrong with you, Layan. You¡¯re not

    damaged.¡± I say, turning as I hear another caring down the drive.

    We stop at the entrance of the packhouse to see who it is. As soon as the car stops, Mignon is

    bouncing out of it, rushing over to hug Layan. I frown, looking at her stomach. It¡¯s like in one week she

    went from having a t stomach to now having a pronounced baby bump, like her little girl just

    suddenly popped out, announcing herself to the world.

    Layan notices too, because as Mignon steps back, Layan¡¯s eyes go to her stomach. ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    Mignon¡¯s hands go to her stomach. ¡°Pregnant. Yes. Asher and I are having a little girl and we¡¯re so

    excited. That¡¯s why he was herest weekend. He is very protective of me and our little pup. But he

    trusts Alpha Davis now, and he knows that Alpha Seth and Beta Elijah are here. I¡¯ve also promised to

    call him a minimum of twice a day and answer all of his calls, so he doesn¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    Just as she says it, her phone buzzes. She looks at the screen before picking up the call. ¡°Hi baby.¡±

    She says, walking away a bit to talk to Asher. ¡°Yep, I just got here. Yep, your girls are safe and sound.

    I¡¯ll call you tonight. I love you too.¡± She says before hanging up.

    I stay where we are because I can tell that Layan is surprised by the level of affection between Mignon

    and Asher.

    ¡°So, he¡¯s good to you?¡± Layan asks her.

    Mignon turns, the loving glow on her face sharpening as she refocuses her gaze on Layan. She puts

    her phone away and walks over to her, taking her hands. ¡°Yes. He is so good to me, and I really do

    love him.¡±

    I can tell that Layan doesn¡¯t know what to do with this information. She¡¯s not there yet, mentally, so I

    redirect the conversation.

    ¡°So, what did you want to do this weekend?¡± I ask her as the three of us walk inside.

    The weekend is mostly quiet again. We have a lot of movie time with the five of us piled on the

    couches. Now, the four Lunas are taking turns spending time with Alpha Davis and his pack, members

    as well as alternating spending time with Layan.

    Hana steps away on our first night to speak to Brynn and my mother, finding out how things are going

    in Alpha Quinton¡¯s pack. Layan falls asleep against me, like she didst weekend. I carry her to my

    room again, nning to have her sleep with me. Her mother told me that she¡¯d been having nightmares

    again while we were gone. Hopefully, being close to me and the others will keep her from having the

    nightmares and allow her to get some sleep.

    I¡¯m tucking Layan into bed when Hanaes in. ¡°How is she?¡± She asks, looking at Layan.

    ¡°Asleep, for now. I hope she stays that way.¡± I say, crawling into bed and sitting with my back against

    the headboard so I can talk to Hana and still be close to Layan.

    Hanaes to sit on the other side of the bed, tucking up against Layan¡¯s back. ¡°I spoke to your

    mom.¡±

    I turn to her as I stroke Layan¡¯s hair. ¡°How are things in Alpha Quinton¡¯s pack?¡± I ask.

    ¡°About the same as here, based on what she said. It doesn¡¯t seem that Alpha Quinton is as far into the

    feral-fever as Alpha Davis, but some of his pack members are. He does have two she-wolves in their

    childbearing years and both of them have one young she-wolf along with a bunch of sons. Neither of

    them are ranked members and your mother doesn¡¯t think that they will be of much help to the other

    pack members.¡±

    ¡°So, we need to figure out how to have someone go there periodically to help ease their feral-fever.¡± I

    say.

    ¡°Or, and hear me out, what if we do a trade of sorts? We¡¯re all in an alliance. What if, those who are

    close to going ferale to our packs for a month or so, keeping them in close proximity with us until

    we¡¯ve pushed it out. It won¡¯t have the samesting effect until those packs have their own Luna to help,

    but it could be a way to keep our numbers from dropping over the next year. Seth told me they lost at

    least 50 malesst year before the iming.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. You should talk to Seth about it tonight and see what he thinks. I think they

    pushed the alliance call off until after this weekend because of what is going on, but if he and Mason

    think it¡¯s a good idea, they could present it to them. And, if we¡¯ve a*s*sessed their most needy pack

    members, we could identify the ones that need to visit for the month.¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Great idea.¡± She says, getting up to leave.

    ¡°Who is sleeping in here with you tonight?¡± She asks, turning to look at me.

    ¡°Annabel. She wanted to talk to Antonio first before she came to bed.¡± I tell her, moving to scoot down

    on the bed.

    ¡°And did you take it?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Take what?¡± I ask, knowing she is asking about the pregnancy test.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s a no?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± I say.

    ¡°Did you bring it with you?¡± She asks.

    I look up at her. ¡°I did.¡±

    She walks back over to the bed, climbing back in. ¡°Go take it. At least then you¡¯ll know. I¡¯ll stay with

    Layan.¡± She says.

    I sigh, I¡¯ve been putting it off, making excuses to not take it, even though there have been times when I

    could have.

    Hana reaches over and sps my hand. ¡°At least you¡¯ll know.¡± She says, giving me a meaningful look.

    She¡¯s right. And I have been feeling nauseous every morning this past week. It was better when I was

    with Mason, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to throw up tomorrow morning. I can already tell my stomach feels

    more queasy being away from him.

    I sigh, getting off the bed and getting the pregnancy test from my bag. I knew I¡¯d be able to find time to

    take it this weekend and as afraid as I am of getting a negative result, Hana¡¯s right, at least I¡¯ll know.

    I walk into the bathroom and pee on the stick, setting it aside while I wash my hands and wait. I pace

    the bathroom for what feels like hours, but in truth is only a few minutes.

    When I finally get the nerve to look at the test, my heart soars.

    Mason and I are going to have a baby.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    After finding Typhon¡¯s den, I left some warriors to watch it in case he came back. I also sent some

    others to search in the

    Title of the document

    surrounding areas. I hadn¡¯t been looking this far away from the pack. I thought he would be closer.

    Now, I needed to rethink where he is living and how he¡¯s getting around.

    After hearing from Elijah that Layan wasn¡¯t doing well, I hadn¡¯t expected to hear too much from Jara

    and I didn¡¯t. However, it was good to hear from Seth. He told me of the conversation that Hana and

    Jara had regarding the packs trading men so that the ones who are getting closer to going feral can

    spend time with our mates and the other she-wolves in the pack.

    It¡¯s a brilliant idea. It keeps our mates at home with us and still helps the other packs keep their males

    from going feral. It has the side benefit of all of us getting to know the others¡¯ territories so in the event

    that we are ever attacked and need to help another pack, we¡¯ll be more familiar with each other¡¯s pack

    lands. ¡°Do you think the others will go for it?¡± Seth asks me, pulling me from my thoughts. ¡°Our alliance

    is still young.¡±

    ¡°Davis is already feeling the benefits of having them around. So, he can vouch for it. He hasn¡¯t seemed

    to mind having our guardse and stay either.¡±

    ¡°Mom said things with Quinton are rxed and casual. Once he saw the impact that they were having,

    he¡¯s been thrilled to introduce them to all the members of his pack. Granted, their packs are

    considerably smaller than ours and even Luke¡¯s. Those are the three we need to worry about, since

    they don¡¯t have any ranked she-wolves.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. I talked to Jara about Luke¡¯s request to have someonee to his pack to a*s*sess his men.¡±

    I tell Seth.

    ¡°Yeah, Hana said she and Jara spoke about that too. They are thinking that next weekend, maybe

    Annabel can go and either take mom again or Brynn, if she and you are willing to let her go.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine with me, but I¡¯ll have to ask Brynn and Luke about going. I¡¯m guessing the other three will be

    back to see Layan?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the n. She still needs a lot of care. It¡¯s going to be a while, Mason. And, I know Asher

    said itst week, but I felt it too when we got here. It took everything in me to not go to her and try to

    help her. It¡¯s in our blood as Alphas and especially since she¡¯s an omega, she calls to that protective

    side of us. She responds well to the others, but she responds most to Jara.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if she¡¯d want toe here for a visit. I¡¯ll talk to Jara about it. Maybe she could spend

    time here with us and also with Hana in your pack. I know our pack members will be gentle with her.

    Many of them were at the iming this year. They know what happened to her and would be careful

    around her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have Hana talk to Jara. Our packs are considerablyrger than Davis¡¯s, so it may make things

    worse, being around so many males again. But we can let them decide.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a n.¡± I say.

    ¡°Have you heard anything from Alpha Zaire or Elder Jason?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. If I don¡¯t hear from them this evening, I¡¯ll be calling them. Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack isn¡¯t as big as

    ours, only around 75 pack members, but I¡¯d still feel better knowing that they are safe.¡±

    ¡°Keep me informed. We¡¯re closer here than you are there, so if I need to help out, I can.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    When the rest of the day goes by and I don¡¯t hear from either Alpha Zaire or Elder Jason, I try calling

    both of their phones. Neither of them picks up and I start getting a bad feeling.

    I¡¯m on the verge of calling Seth to have him go see if he can get. any information at Alpha Shawn¡¯s

    pack when I get a call from Alpha Luke.

    ¡°Hey, Luke, how are you doing?¡± I ask, distracted, thinking about the distance from Alpha Davis¡¯s pack

    to Alpha Shawn¡¯s and how we could pull our warriors quickly if there is a problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing better than I was an hour ago. Seems you have some folks that you were hoping to hear

    from today?¡±

    That gets my attention. ¡°Yes. Alpha Zaire and Elder Jason.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ve got them right here.¡± He says and I can hear the phone passing hands.

    ¡°Alpha Mason.¡±

    ¡°Elder Jason. What happened? Why are you at Alpha Luke¡¯s pack?¡± I ask. This was not part of the

    n.

    ¡°Things didn¡¯t go well, as you can imagine.¡± Elder Jason says and he sounds exhausted.

    ¡°Alpha Shawn wasn¡¯t happy to see us, even though he knew we wereing. He refused to allow

    Luna Gia and Luna Tessa to see the G*mma female and her daughter. G*mma Kira, that¡¯s the mom,

    was able to sneak out of her room, finding Luna Gia. They came up with a n and snuck out with her

    daughter, McKenna, early this morning. G*mma Kira¡¯s mate realized what was happening and sounded

    the rm.¡± He sighs and I can hear him rubbing his face with his hand.

    ¡°Needless to say, we had to race out of the packnds, fighting our way out. The closest pack was

    Alpha Luke¡¯s. Thankfully, he just bumped up his pack size, and he recognized what was happening, so

    he let us cross his borders immediately. So, while there was a fight, we outnumbered them. Alpha Luke

    has been very gracious, making sure we are settled here and giving Kira and McKenna a ce to stay.

    The girls are scared, of course, and I know that G*mma Kira is getting screamed out by her mate

    through their bond, but we¡¯re safe. I knew you¡¯d be worried, so I asked if we could call you. I lost my

    phone somewhere while we were running.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything you need from me? Anyone you need me to call for you?¡±

    ¡°No, but there is another issue. I¡¯ll let Alpha Luke tell you.¡± He says and I hear the phone passing hands

    again.

    ¡°Mason.¡±

    ¡°Luke, thank you for taking them in. That was unexpected.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I knew they were going, so when they rushed to my borders, I knew things had gone

    poorly.¡±

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Besides a quicker visit from the Lunas? No. But we do have a problem.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°When Elder Colten realized what was going on, he snuck away, rejecting me as his Alpha and this

    pack as his. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s headed to one of the four packs that are against us. If so, that will put

    us at a significant disadvantage with the council. As it is, this act of removing the G*mma females may

    cause them to try to find a way to remove Elder Jason from the council.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s against thews to hold anyone in a pack against their will. It¡¯s theirws to uphold, but more and

    more, I¡¯m feeling the need to disband our council.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡± He says, sighing.

    ¡°Listen, I¡¯d like to keep the G*mma females here. We can discuss it more during our alliance call in a

    couple of days, but they are sp*oked. I think the mom, G*mma Kira, is going to reject her mate because

    he didn¡¯t support her and protect their daughter. She hasn¡¯t been here but a couple of hours and I¡¯m

    already hearing things that are making my stomach turn.¡±

    ¡°We got the same from Brynn when she got here. Speaking of, she¡¯s at Alpha Quinton¡¯s pack. Maybe

    she¡¯d be willing to head your way on Monday instead ofing home. I can send her mate with her

    and see if Alpha Phillip and Luna Nina want to join them. I¡¯m willing to have them stay as long as

    needed to help the G*mmal females feel safe.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Mason.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Luke. And if you need or want some additional warriors, let me know. I¡¯m happy to send

    some of my guys over there to help you protect your borders.¡±

    ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯te to that, but if it looks like they are going to attack, I¡¯ll take you up on it.¡± Luke

    says before hanging up.

    I sit back, thinking of this crazy turn of events. I didn¡¯t expect Alpha Zaire and Alpha Saul to get a warm

    wee, but I didn¡¯t expect this. I¡¯m about to head to bed when my phone rings.

    ¡°Alpha Mason.¡± I answer.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you? Stealing our she-wolves in the hopes of destroying our packs.

    Well, it won¡¯t work. We¡¯ve got the council members in our packs now, and it¡¯s time that things got back

    to the way they were meant to be.¡± Alpha Gunnar growls as he speaks.

    ¡°So, Elder Colton did go to your pack. Good, now I know where he is. And you¡¯re right, Gunnar, it is

    time for a change. A change in how the werewolfmunity is being run. If you try to go against us, if

    you try to force the she-wolves into a position where they are nothing more than s*x sl*ves, then expect

    retaliation.¡± Heughs, a sar*astic, viciousugh. ¡°The council makes thews Mason, not you, and the

    council now belongs to me. Talk soon.¡± He says, before hanging up.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    On ourst day at Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, Hana and Seth are on the phone nearly non-stop. I know

    something has happened, but I don¡¯t want to worry Layan, so I stay with her, knowing that we¡¯ll be

    leaving soon and she¡¯s already getting antsy.

    Title of the document

    When both Alpha Antonio and Alpha Asher arrive to pick up mates, I know that whatever happened

    was bad. Mignon had arrived with four guards, so Asher would only havee to get her if he was

    truly worried about her safety.

    I look at Elijah and I can see he knows what is going on. Layan and I are having lunch before I leave.

    Mignon and Annabel are getting packed, and I need to know what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°Layan, would you be okay if Beta Elijah sat with you while I go pack my things? I need to check in with

    Mason quickly.¡± I ask. I watch as she looks over at Elijah who winks at her. She jerks a little, blushing,

    surprised at his attention. ¡°Um, sure, if Beta Elijah doesn¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± He says, walking over and sitting across from Layan. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in just a few minutes.¡± I

    say, scooting out of the dining room before rushing to my room.

    I grab my phone and speed dial Mason. ¡°Jara? Is everything alright? Why are you calling? Where are

    Elijah and Lewis?¡±

    ¡°Mason, I¡¯m fine, but I know something is going on. Asher and Antonio both showed up to get their

    mates. What happened?¡±

    He tells me about G*mma Kira and her daughter as well as the call from Gunnar. My mind is reeling,

    but I know I can help.

    ¡°We can swing by on our way home if Alpha Luke is okay with that.¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted

    Brynn and Luke. They agreed to go, and your parents are going with them. I¡¯ve sent some additional

    warriors to them, just to make sure they aren¡¯t attacked going into Alpha Luke¡¯s territory.¡±

    ¡°Brynn is okay with that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a little worried about Melinda, but with the extra warriors, she felt better.¡± He¡¯s quiet for a

    moment.

    ¡°I¡¯d feel better if you came home, Jara. Between Alpha Gunnar and Typhon, I¡¯m struggling not having

    you here with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m heading home today, Mason. I just need to make sure that Layan is settled for the week. What

    about Alpha Davis¡¯s pack? Does he have enough warriors here to protect the pack and the she-wolves

    here? It¡¯s not just Layan, her mother is here and they have another under-aged she-wolf that lives

    here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him. If we need to send warriors to him, we can. The alliance has enough pack members that

    we can support each other. Alpha Zaire and Luna Gia are going to Seth¡¯s pack and Elder Jason is

    coming here. Alpha Saul and Luna Tessa are heading home, but after what they witnessed, it seems

    that they are willing to join the alliance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s positive.¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes, that just leaves Alpha Jonas. We still don¡¯t know which side he¡¯ll decide to fight for, and it will

    come to a fight. I won¡¯t allow them to change thews and continue to persecute the she- wolves.

    While he¡¯s here, I need to see if Elder Jason knows how many she-wolves are in the other two packs.

    Alpha Gunnar and Alpha Shawn now have none. If the other two have the same philosophies as they

    do, those she-wolves need to be pulled out of those packs.¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What don¡¯t I know, Mason?¡± I ask, realizing that he is more concerned than he was when it was just

    Brynn expressing her concerns.

    ¡°Do you remember what Alpha Gunnar was talking about at the council meeting? About breeding she-

    wolves if their mate couldn¡¯t get them pregnant?¡± He asks. I get a terrible feeling in my already

    nauseous stomach. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, apparently, Alpha Shawn was nning to do the same in his pack, except, G*mma Kira would be

    avable to all of the ranked members until she got pregnant again. If it¡¯s the same at Alpha Emmanuel

    and Alpha Conrad¡¯s packs, we¡¯ll have to fight to get them out.¡±

    I tried to hold it in, but I couldn¡¯t. My already nauseous stomach revolted against the idea of those poor

    she-wolves being r*ap*ed to get them pregnant. I raced to the bathroom, dropping the phone on the

    counter before the contents of my stomach upended into the toilet.

    I can hear Mason on the phone, calling my name, his voice getting more and more concerned. When I

    finally finish, I grab the phone. ¡°Give me a minute.¡±

    I flush the toilet, wash my hands and face before picking up the phone again.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry love. I didn¡¯t realize you were going to react so strongly. I wouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡±

    ¡°No, I need to know. I just¡­ I¡¯ll be d to get home today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be d to have you home too, love.¡±

    ¡°Could we, maybe, just have dinner together, the two of us tonight?¡± I ask him. I want to tell him that I¡¯m

    pregnant. I know it will make him even more protective of me, but it¡¯s exciting news and I¡¯ve been

    keeping the secret all weekend now. His voice changes to the low, deep tone that makes my toes curl.

    ¡°Does my insatiable mate want something that requires us to be alone?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned yet Alpha, that I want it all, everything you have to give me?¡± I say flirtatiously.

    His low growl has my core clenching. ¡°I have a lot to give you after this weekend away from you.¡±

    ¡°Promises, promises.¡± I taunt him.

    ¡°How about this love? I promise to be giving you everything I have within 5 minutes of you getting out of

    the car when you arrive, home.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be timing you, Alpha. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it. Now, hurry home.¡±

    I say goodbye and finish packing. Now, I¡¯m practically desperate to get home, When I get back

    downstairs, I can see that Layan is responding to Elijah. Not only that, somehow, she seems okay with

    Lewis who is also sitting with them. I watch for a moment as whatever the boys are saying has her

    blushing softly and looking down. I sniff the air. There¡¯s no scent of fear, so she¡¯s not afraid of them,

    which is good. Maybe I¡¯ll talk to Mason about having Elijah join me again next weekend. We can slowly

    start reintroducing her to males that don¡¯t frighten her.

    And that makes me shudder, thinking of the males like Gunnar or Shawn that might try to get into her

    iming next year. I¡¯m with Mason, we have to get those she-wolves away from that environment. If by

    some chance the she-wolf is fine with having a reverse h*rem, then no problem. I¡¯m just doubtful that

    they are being given the option. Alpha Gunnar and his group don¡¯t seem to understand the value of the

    she-wolves in keeping feral-fever away. They are using the excuse of getting a she-wolf pregnant to

    force her into having s*e*x with someone other than their mate. We say our farewells and I remind

    Layan that we are only a video call away and that we¡¯ll be back next weekend. I am thest to leave

    again and as I¡¯m waving goodbye, I see her look down at her phone. She smiles, lifting it up to me

    before epting the call. It makes me feel better knowing she is feeling a bit more confident at the end

    of this weekend.

    I close my eyes and fall asleep thinking about seeing Mason again and in a few short hours, telling him

    our great news.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When Jara asked if we could have dinner alone in our room tonight, I decided to make it special. It¡¯s

    hard being away from her, harder knowing that she¡¯s so close to the phone when I talk to Elijah or

    Davis but that she¡¯s so busy with Layan that she can¡¯t talk to me for more than a minute to say hi.

    Title of the document

    So, I special order a dinner from the kitchen before going up to our bedroom. I look around and then

    call one of my omegas to go out and get two dozen roses. I then dig around to find the candles that

    Jara puts out in the evening, giving our room a cozy, warm glow.

    Once my pack mate returns with the roses, I begin pulling them apart, spreading rose petals all over

    the room and our bed. I¡¯m pretty happy with the oue when it¡¯s finally finished, and I realize I only

    have about an hour before she¡¯s home. I light

    the candles, knowing they will be burning well by the time I get Jara up here. I turn off the lights in the

    room before going back to my office. I need to keep myself busy until Jara gets home.

    When I get the mind link that they have passed the borders, I rush outside to greet her. I¡¯d be excited

    anyway, but I have a promise to keep, and I always keep my promises.

    When she pulls up in the car, it has barely stopped before I¡¯m yanking the door open and pulling her

    out of the car. I throw her over my shoulder and turn to head inside.

    ¡°Talk to you tomorrow, Elijah.¡± I call over my shoulder as Jaraughs while telling me to put her down. I

    don¡¯t, I just keep walking up the stairs until I have her in our room. I kick the door closed behind me and

    set her down on her feet.

    I make a point of looking at my watch before turning to her and ripping her clothes off her body. I kick

    my shoes off as I lean down, and kiss her as I quickly begin stripping my own clothes off, moving her

    backward to the bed. When her legs hit the bed, I unbuckle my jeans, pulling them down, kneeling to

    pull them off and pulling her thigh over my shoulder.

    I look up at her and I know my eyes are as dark with desire as hers. ¡°I¡¯m just going to make sure that

    your ready for me, love. But I¡¯ve only got another minute or so to give my insatiable mate what I

    promised her.¡±

    I dive in, pulling my jeans off as I lick between her folds. ¡°What I want is you, Mason.¡± She says and her

    breathy, needy voice is music to my ears.

    I slide my tongue over her already soaked entrance tasting her sweet cream taste that I will never get

    enough of. As I pull my jeans all the way off, I slide two fingers inside her, using my tongue, to push her

    over the edge quickly. Her hands go into my hair, and I look up to see her head is back as she moans

    my name loudly. Oh yes, I¡¯ve missed this.

    When I feel her inner walls mp down on my fingers, her cry of pleasure echoing in our room, I stand

    lifting her up by her waist. She wraps her arms and legs around me as I slide myself into her wet

    warmth.

    I press her back against the wall, making a point of looking at my watch. ¡°Five minutes on the dot.¡± I

    say, smirking at her.

    ¡°Goddess, I hit the mate jackpot.¡± She says as I begin to pound into her, bringing both of us up and

    over again, quickly. I pull out. without knotting her, but before her pout can fully spread across her face.

    I¡¯m sliding my still-hard length inside her and I¡¯m walking us to our couch. I sit, leaving her straddling

    me.

    ¡°Ride me, my Luna and take what you want.¡± I say, pushing her hair out of her face so I can see those

    bright amber eyes looking back at me.

    And oh, how my mate rides me. I grab her hair, pulling her mouth to mine, feeling the heat and need

    between us, still so desperately hot. This time, when I find my release in my mate, her walls mping

    down on me, drawing out my o*gasm, she makes sure she¡¯s seated on me, so she takes my full knot.

    She leans her head against my shoulder, her forehead beaded with sweat. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I call a

    wee home.¡± She says, panting against me.

    I chuckle at my amazing mate, wrapping my arms around her and settling into a morefortable

    position knowing we¡¯ll be here for the next 20-30 minutes.

    I kiss my way from her shoulder to her neck, up her throat, over her chin until I get to her mouth. I take

    my time, savoring her taste, teasing her tongue with mine. When we finally pull away, my knot is

    starting to subside.

    ¡°I have something to tell you, mate.¡± She says, a Tinkle in her eye.

    I narrow my eyes at her. ¡°Is that so? Did you want to wait until I have our food sent up to tell me?¡±

    She shakes her head, no.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your captive audience, quite literally.¡± I say.

    ¡°Hmmm, well, I have something to show you, too. So, maybe we should wait until I can disconnect from

    you.¡± She says and gently wiggles her hips to see if she can pull off me.

    ¡°Not yet.¡± I tell her, holding her hips against me. I love these moments together as much as she does,

    especially after several days apart.

    She slides her nose across my cheek to my ear. ¡°How about, I promise to slide you back inside me

    before I tell you my secret.¡± She whispers.

    I nip at her neck. ¡°A secret, huh?¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm, one I think you¡¯ll like.¡±

    I know my knot is gone, so I smack her a*s. ¡°Then go get what you want to show me, love.¡±

    She slides off of me, noticing that I¡¯m still hard. She gives me a smirk, leaning down and giving my c*ck

    a quick lick and kiss before moving away from me. ¡°Tease.¡± I say, watching her as she goes to her bag.

    She pulls something out and walks back over to me. I watch her curvy hips sway toward me and when

    she sees my c*ck twitch in response, she slows her walk, taking her time, running her free hand down

    her chest and stomach, giving me an amazing view of her gorgeous body.

    True to her word, when she gets back, she straddles me again, sliding me back inside her. I watch her

    eyes close as she licks her lips. ¡°Goddess, you feel good.¡± She says, slowly riding me.

    ¡°Mmmm, did you want to share your secret, love, or did you want to ride me again?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She answers and I chuckle.

    She opens her eyes. ¡°Secret first.¡± She says and hands me some stic stick thing.

    She¡¯s looking at me like I¡¯m supposed to know what this is. I look at it again and see that the stick has

    two lines. I frown, is that urine I smell? I see the end of the stick is capped off. I bring it to my nose and

    sniff. Yep, my mate¡¯s urine. I look at the stick again.

    ¡°Okaaaaaay. I¡¯m guessing this is some sort of test for something.¡± I say, having no idea what I¡¯m

    holding in my hand.

    She nods, smiling at me and blushing a little. That¡¯s not like my mate. I look at the stick again. Nothing.

    I have no idea what this is.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to help me out here.¡± I say, and I can hear her heart rate increasing. Whatever

    this is, it¡¯s important to her. And that makes it important to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pregnancy test.¡± She says, and I feel like my heart stops. She wouldn¡¯t show it to me if it was

    negative, right? She¡¯d only be sitting here slowly riding my c*k, a self-satisfied grin on her face if she

    was pregnant, right?

    ¡°Are you¡­? Are we¡­?¡±

    She nods. ¡°Yes, Mason. We¡¯re going to have a baby.¡±

    It takes a very long moment for what she said to register in my mind.

    We¡¯re having a baby. I¡¯m going to be a father. My mate is having our pup. The moment it clicks, I¡¯m

    pulling her into a fiery kiss, pouring all my love, passion and happiness into it.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    I wrap my arm around her waist, lifting her up and taking her to our bed. And there, on our bed full of

    rose petals, I spend the next few hours showing my mate how happy she¡¯s made me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The next morning, Mason is beyond attentive. I warned him that I was nauseous but it¡¯s already better,

    havingid on Mason all night. He had the kitchen send up some cr*ckers, and before I get out of bed, I

    eat a few.

    Title of the document

    Mason follows me into the shower, nuzzling me, bathing me, in general pampering me in every way

    possible.

    When we go downstairs walking into the dining room hand in hand, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, but Mason

    immediately stands in front of the room.

    ¡°Mason.¡± I hiss at him.

    ¡°Yes,e stand with me, my love.¡± He says, taking my hand and pulling me up beside him.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± I whisper to him, but he¡¯s not listening. I can tell through our bond that he¡¯s

    beyond excited and can¡¯t wait to share our good news with our pack.

    ¡°I have an announcement to make.¡± He says and the room goes quiet. He looks down at me and his

    eyes are filled with so much. love. ¡°Your Luna has informed me that she is pregnant with our pup.¡±

    The room erupts with howls, cheers, people pounding on the tables and the chairs. Mason leans down

    to kiss me softly, before I lean my head against his chest, looking out over my happy pack members.

    When the noise level finally dies down, the questions begin.

    ¡°When will we know if it¡¯s a boy or a girl?¡±

    ¡°How far along are you?¡±

    ¡°Do we have a due date? We need to n a party?¡±

    The pack¡¯s excitement is contagious, and I¡¯m thrilled that they are all so happy. Mason raises his hand.

    ¡°Your Luna and I will be making an appointment to see the pack doctor.¡± He nods in his direction, and

    the pack members begin pping him on the back, as if congratting him on being the doctor that

    gets to provide the pack with great news.

    ¡°We will keep you informed as we get information and I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to tell you that sparring with

    Jara is now off limits.¡± Everyoneughs at that.

    ¡°On a serious note, I¡¯m also sure I don¡¯t have to tell you that now, more than ever, we need to be

    diligent and ensure that Typhon does not gain entry into our pack. We flushed him out over the

    weekend, but that only makes him more dangerous until we find him.¡±

    They flushed Typhon out? Mason didn¡¯t tell me that. Of course, we were too busy having our own

    celebration, but it sounds like we have some things to talk about. ¡°I will also be having an alliance

    meetingter today and after that, I will have more news to share with all of you. But, in the meantime,

    know that we have some friction with some other packs. We will be putting in extra safeguards to

    ensure that they do not have ess to our pack. I¡¯ll be giving a list of those packs¡¯ names to Beta

    Elijah and our Lead Warrior so we can monitor their potential threats.

    Any questions?¡± He asks, still holding on to me.

    ¡°Okay then, it¡¯s a day for celebration! Dr. Johns, pleasee see me.¡± He says and the room erupts

    into cheers again.

    We make an appointment to see Dr. Johnster this afternoon, before we sit down to eat.

    Breakfast is a festive affair. Everyone is excited and wants toe congratte us. When we finally

    head out of the dining hall, the whole pack is buzzing. ¡°What time is the alliance call today?¡± I ask as

    we head back to Mason¡¯s office. ¡°Another hour. Did you want to sit in?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Maybe, but why don¡¯t you tell me about Typhon before the call?¡± I tell him.

    He tells me about finding his den and putting patrols on it to watch for him, but no one has seen him.

    ¡°So you think he¡¯s watching the pack, watching me?¡± I ask. Instinctively, my hand goes to my stomach.

    I haven¡¯t known I was pregnant very long, but I already feel very protective of my little one.

    ¡°I do, and that¡¯s why I¡¯ll be putting a guard on you whenever you aren¡¯t with me. Please don¡¯t fight me

    on this. Before you were pregnant, you could shift and run or at least fight in your wolf form. Now, you¡¯ll

    not only be stuck in your human form, but you¡¯ll be trying to protect our pup, so you won¡¯t be able to

    fight at full force.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t fight you. I want to protect our little one just as much as you do.¡± I tell him. Hees over,

    lifting me out of my seat before sitting down, tucking me into hisp. ¡°I thought I understood Asher¡¯s

    protectiveness before with Mignon, but I didn¡¯t. Knowing that I now have the two most precious people

    in my life right here, it¡¯s intolerable that I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep you safe. So, I¡¯m warning, you now,

    Jara. I¡¯m going to be protective, probably overbearing, at least while we have two threats against us.

    Please be patient with me but understand that I won¡¯t back down. Your safety and the safety of our pup

    is everything to me, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if that means you and I have

    to argue about it.¡±

    I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Fine, keep me safe. Keep our pup safe. Twist my arm. But make Lewis my

    primary guard while we¡¯re in the pack. He¡¯s doing great, barely showing any signs of feral-fever and I¡¯d

    like to keep it that way.¡±

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Elijah said he was impressed with him over the weekend. But I¡¯ll need to add a couple

    more so they can take shifts and still gets some sleep. Anyone else that you specifically want or don¡¯t

    want on your guard duty?¡± He asks me and we talk about it, deciding who my guards will be until it¡¯s

    time for our call.

    Seth starts the call, weing everyone and letting us all know that there is a lot to discuss. Before he

    starts, he asks if anyone has anything to say before we start.

    Mason jumps in. ¡°I do.¡± He says, nuzzling my neck. He moved to a new seat, but he still has me in his

    lap. ¡°Jara let me know that she¡¯s pregnant, so now three of our mates are pregnant.¡±

    The Alphas all cheer for my pregnancy until Alpha Antonio interrupts. ¡°Actually, all four of our mates are

    pregnant. Annabel let me know when she returned home this weekend that she too is pregnant.¡±

    We all cheer again. This is excellent news. ¡°Have you learned the s*e*x of your pup, Seth?¡± Mason

    asks him.

    ¡°We have, we went this morning. We are having a little girl!¡± More cheers from the group. It¡¯s a beautiful

    day, knowing that we¡¯re all happily mated, pregnant and at least two of us will be having girls.¡±

    I know it must be the hormones already kicking in, but I begin crying happy tears that Mason gently

    wipes away.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m so f*cking ecstatic that I can hardly stand it. I want to jump around, all over the world, doing

    cartwheels and shouting to the rooftops that my mate, my amazing mate, is giving me the second-best

    gift that she could give me. The first was herself and now the second is a pup.

    Title of the document

    After Seth¡¯s announcement that Hana is pregnant with a female, Jara begins crying and as I¡¯m wiping

    her eyes, I hear her mother step up to the phone. She must be in Alpha Luke¡¯s office.

    ¡°You mean to tell me that I go away for one weekend and in that time my daughter finds out she¡¯s

    pregnant and my daughter-inw finds out she¡¯s having a girl?¡±

    ¡°Sorry mom.¡± Both Jara and Hana say as one. I¡¯m d to know I¡¯m not the only one that wanted our

    mates on the call today. Of course, it could also be that we were without them for the weekend, but I

    think it¡¯s more than that. We need to talk about these she-wolves in Alpha

    Emanuel and Alpha Conrad¡¯s packs and from what I¡¯ve seen of our alliance members, we all value the

    input of our Lunas.

    Seth gets started with our agenda. ¡°Let¡¯s start with Kira and McKenna, the G*mmas who came from

    Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack. How are they doing?¡± He asks. Before Alpha Luke can speak, Jara¡¯s mother

    jumps in.

    ¡°Well, I just got here, but so far, they aren¡¯t good. G*mma Kira has rejected her mate and she¡¯s

    suffering because of it. McKenna, Brynn and Melinda are with her and we¡¯re taking turns making sure

    she¡¯s eating. But it will take some time for her to recover.¡±

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Does anyone know if he has to ept the rejection?¡± Elder Jason¡¯s voice says through the phone.

    ¡°Why would he?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°In the olden days of mates, both mates had to reject each other before the bond was severed, or at

    least one had to reject, and the other had to ept the rejection. Times have changed, so I¡¯m not sure

    if that¡¯s the case any longer.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out, but for now, I know Alpha Luke has requested that these two stay in his pack and

    Brynn and I agree. If Kira decides that she wants to go somewhere else when she¡¯s stronger, then we

    can discuss it. But for now, Alpha Luke is treating them well and they are as happy as they can be here

    given the circumstances.¡± Nina says.

    ¡°Thank you, Nina.¡± I hear Alpha Luke say.

    ¡°Thank you, young man. Your momma would be proud of you if she were here.¡± I hear Nina put her

    hand on Luke¡¯s shoulder and I have to think that Luke got choked up by her statement. Thankfully for

    Luke, Seth jumps back in. ¡°Does anyone disagree with G*mma Kira and G*mma McKenna staying in

    Alpha Luke¡¯s pack?¡±

    No one disagrees. ¡°Okay, if or until they decide they want to leave, they will remain in your pack Alpha

    Luke.¡±

    ¡°We do have one other issue to discuss on this matter before we move on.¡± Nina steps in again.

    ¡°What¡¯s that mom?¡± Seth says and I can tell he¡¯s smiling at his mother taking over our meeting.

    ¡°Alpha Shawn has a bunch of warriors watching and periodically attacking Alpha Luke¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the frequency of the attacks and have you lost any of your men?¡± Alpha Antonio asks. He has

    the pack closest to Luke.

    ¡°So far, they¡¯ve attacked four times, two overnight and two more times today. I have some men who

    were injured in the first wave, but no casualties on our side. We have taken out several of Alpha

    Shawn¡¯s men though.¡±

    ¡°Elder Jason, what are your thoughts about the other packs sending reinforcements to Alpha Shawn?¡±

    Asher asks.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯ve never had the division that we have between the packs right now. But I¡¯d say that if

    they can, they will. Between the four of them, they only have 250 pack members.¡± He says.

    ¡°That¡¯s double my pack¡¯s size if they all attack at once.¡± Luke says.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t send all of their pack members, not to mention, not all of them are adults. But it would

    be better to make sure you have reinforcements. If Seth, Antonio and I each send 25-30 pack

    members, that will bump your numbers over 200. That should make it a good enough deterrent for

    them to stop attacking.¡± I say.

    ¡°And if not, it¡¯s enough to take them out.¡± Davis says.

    ¡°Are we all in agreement to send reinforcements to Alpha Luke?¡±

    We all agree.

    ¡°Next item of business. Alpha Gunnar. Mason, can you give us your update?¡±

    ¡°After Luke told me about Elder Colton leaving his pack, I received a call from Alpha Gunnar. Elder

    Colton ran to his pack and Gunnar is now saying that he owns the council. Elder Jason, I would expect

    that they will try to push you out.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the four Alphas that went against us at the annual meeting now have four of the

    five Elders in their back pockets?¡± Antonio asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± I tell them. ¡°And, worse, Gunnar is saying that he intends to change thews

    and bring things back to the way they should be.¡± I say. ¡°Meaning what?¡± I hear Annabel ask.

    ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve heard from G*ma Kira, they are nning to make she-wolves not much more than

    s*e*x ves, allowing all ranked m****rs ess to having s*e*x with any she-wolf in the pack until

    she¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    I hear the whimpers of Annabel and Mignon before I hear the low murmurings of their matesforting

    them.

    ¡°We won¡¯t allow that to happen.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°How can you stop it?¡± Mignon asks quietly.

    ¡°We rebel against the council. We already knew that they weren¡¯t doing their jobs, no offense, Elder

    Jason.¡± Jara says.

    ¡°None taken, Luna.¡± He replies.

    ¡°So now, if they can¡¯t recognize our value to the packs, then the council will fall and we¡¯ll go in, by force

    if necessary and take theirst remaining she-wolves. Or at least give them the option of staying. It¡¯s

    possible that some she-wolves may not mind having a reverse harem. If their mates have passed away

    or they aren¡¯t bonded like we are to our mates, they may find it beneficial to their status in the p**k.

    Either way, we need to remember that it¡¯s their choice, but if they want out, we get them out.¡±

    ¡°We need to know how many more she-wolves we¡¯re talking about and how many of those are

    underage.¡± Quinton says.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it will matter, based on Brynn¡¯s a*s*sessment of Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack. Melinda is only two

    and the pack members were already giving her looks that made Brynn ufortable.¡± Jara says.

    ¡°Celeste said the same. Of course, her daughter, Juliet, is thirteen. But she said that she wouldn¡¯t leave

    her daughter alone because she was afraid the pack members might take advantage of her.¡± Hana

    says.

    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°It is and if it¡¯s the same in Alpha Emanual and Alpha Conrad¡¯s packs, we need to help those she-

    wolves get out of those packs.¡± Davis says.

    ¡°What about Alpha Jonas. Does anyone know anything about his pack?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°No, but it will be interesting to see which side he falls on. I hope it¡¯s ours, even if he doesn¡¯t choose to

    join our alliance. I would hate to think that we¡¯ll have fight him too. He has potential.¡± Asher says.

    ¡°So, how do we find out about the other she-wolves?¡± Quinton asks.

    ¡°Actually, I may have an answer to that, but I need to step away. It¡¯s possible one of those she-wolves

    is at my borders asking for sanctuary.¡± Alpha Zaire says. He isn¡¯t gone long. ¡°The two she-wolves from

    Alpha Conrad¡¯s pack just came to my borders. They have asked for sanctuary, and we are providing it.

    I had my pack members ask and they are the only she-wolves in Alpha Conrad¡¯s pack. I¡¯ll know more

    tomorrow, but I feel that we need to get home. Gia and I will be heading back to our pack in the

    morning.¡± Zaire says.

    ¡°We understand. Please update us as you can.¡± Seth tells him.

    ¡°So, we need to see if the other Elders try to push Elder Jason off the council. And if they try to block us

    from checking on the other packs. As of now, the only packs whose she-wolves are unounted for

    are Alpha Emanual and Alpha Jonas.¡± Seth summarizes.

    ¡°We can reach out to Alpha Jonas.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Yes, depending on his response, we¡¯ll have a better idea of which side he¡¯s leaning toward¡± Jara adds.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going alone.¡± I say, wrapping my arms around Jara¡¯s stomach protectively.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± She says, leaning back against me and easing my concern.

    ¡°Ourst item of business today is Alpha Typhon. Mason, this is you again.¡± Seth says.

    I fill them in on finding Typhon¡¯s den, my pack¡¯s inability to find him and the council¡¯s unwillingness to

    help.

    ¡°What you need is a tracker, Alpha. And I have the best.¡± Quinton says.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    After the Alpha Quinton offered to send us his best tracker and Mason epted, we agreed to end the

    meeting, reconvening next weekend or before if things escte between our alliance and Gunnar¡¯s

    alliance.

    Title of the document

    When we¡¯re done, Mason tells Elijah to get some warriors ready to send to Alpha Luke¡¯s pack, and we

    head to the pack hospital.

    When we arrive, Dr. Johns is waiting for us. ¡°Hello again, Luna. I¡¯d like to do an ultrasound and see

    how far along you are, if possible. We¡¯ll also take some bloodwork and get some measurements today.¡±

    He leaves the room and I put on the gown before getting on the hospital bed. When hees back, he

    rolls in a machine.

    ¡°Alpha, Luna, this is an ultrasound machine. It will let us see images of your pup and it will give me an

    idea of how far along you are.¡±

    He finishes getting the machine started before looking at Mason. ¡°Alpha, this requires your mate to

    bare her stomach and for me to be in close proximity to her and your pup while she¡¯s in this limited

    state of undress. This is part of the procedure. I have no ill intentions with your mate or your pup.¡± He

    says, looking at Mason.

    Mason nods, frowning a bit. I¡¯m not sure why the doctor felt the need to tell him that. We¡¯re here, after

    all, because Mason insisted.

    However, the moment the doctor pulls the gown open, exposing my stomach, Mason¡¯s possessive

    snarl rips through the room. Dr. Johns stops, holding very still watching Mason.

    I put my hand on his arm, trying to calm him. ¡°Mason, Dr. Johns told you this was necessary.¡±

    Mason blinks and looks from me to Dr. Johns. ¡°My apologies. I¡¯m not sure what just happened.¡± He

    says.

    Dr. Johns doesn¡¯t move. ¡°It¡¯s in the medical books. I have never seen it, but I¡¯m d I followed

    procedure. It states that when a she-wolf is pregnant, her mate bes extremely possessive and

    protective of her and their unborn pup. It warned doctors to inform the male before touching his mate. It

    was very clear that Alphas, in particr, have been known to severely injure of even kill doctors who

    don¡¯t warn them of the need to touch their pregnant mates.¡±

    ¡°Mason, we want to see our pup. Dr. Johns isn¡¯t going to hurt us.¡± I say. I can see the battle that he¡¯s

    having, fighting his instinct to protect me from this unmated male who is touching his mate¡¯s stomach

    right where our pup is growing. Not only that, but my stomach is bare to him. It may not be rational, but

    Mason¡¯s instinct to protect is very strong.

    I reach out, taking his hand in mine. ¡°Let¡¯s let Dr. Johns show us our pup.¡± He grits his teeth, turning to

    Dr. Johns and nodding. I¡¯m not sure he could get words out right now his teeth are clenched so hard.

    Dr. Johns watches Mason for another moment before proceeding. ¡°I will exin everything that I¡¯m

    doing while I¡¯m doing it. That way you can understand the process a bit more.¡± He says, putting some

    goo on my stomach. ¡°This is to help the ultrasound wand move more easily over your mate¡¯s stomach.¡±

    He says.

    ¡°You know his mate is right here and can hear you.¡± I say and my aggravated tone lets Dr. Johns know

    that I¡¯m not happy being talked about as if I¡¯m not here.

    ¡°My apologies, Luna. I was thinking of saving my own hide.¡±

    ¡°Apology epted.¡± I say. Mason¡¯s aura, even though he¡¯s allowing this is still potent.

    Dr. Johns turns the screen toward us as he begins moving the wand over my still t stomach.

    As he moves it, I¡¯m watching the screen not seeing anything that makes any sense. I know Mason is

    struggling as well because he begins watching the doctor¡¯s face instead.

    ¡°What is it? Is my pup okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mason asks in rapid, session. And I look up at the

    doctor to see him frowning.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± He says distracted, clicking a button on the machine. ¡°Luna, how long have you

    known you were pregnant?¡± He asks, turning to me. I can feel my face heating a bit. Technically, I

    haven¡¯t known for long.

    ¡°I took the test over the weekend.¡± I say, but I can tell that even the doctor knows I¡¯m hiding something.

    ¡°Jara?¡± Mason asks.

    I look at Mason before looking at Dr. Johns. ¡°Hana noticed the signs over a week ago. I was afraid of a

    negative result, so I put off the test until she pushed me to take it this past weekend.¡±

    ¡°Well, that exins it.¡± Dr. Johns says, looking back at the machine. ¡°Exins what? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Mason asks, and I can tell that he is also feelingpletely lost with this conversation and his concern

    for me and our pup is rising quickly.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Your mate is a bit farther along than I was expecting.¡±

    ¡°Farther along? How far along? What do you mean?¡± Mason asks.

    Dr. Johns looks at me. ¡°You would have figured it out very quickly if you hadn¡¯t taken the test this

    weekend, Luna. I couldn¡¯t say for sure without seeing her medical records, but I¡¯d say you¡¯re at least,

    as far along as Luna Hana, possibly even further along than she is. Based on the size of this pup, I¡¯d

    say you and our Alpha created this little one within a couple days of your iming.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± We both ask, looking at each other.

    ¡°Yep. I wasn¡¯t expecting to be able to tell you, but did you want to know the gender of your little one?¡±

    Dr. Johns asks, looking at us.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I say, my voice choking with the tears that I feel pooling in my eyes.

    ¡°Congrattions Alpha, Luna. You¡¯re having a little girl.¡± Mason¡¯s face nearly cracks, his smile is so big.

    Dr. Johns leaves us, giving us time to cry our happy tears together. Mason tells me over and over how

    amazing he thinks I am.

    A little girl! We¡¯re having a little girl! Dr. Johns told us that my scent will start changing any day now.

    Because we¡¯re having a girl, my scent should increase. Mason was thrilled to hear that.

    He helps me get cleaned up but before helping me off the bed, he leans down sniffing my stomach

    where the doctor said our little girl is currently residing. He sniffed and sniffed until he said he finally

    caught just a hint of stronger scent of nutmeg, proudly iming that he¡¯d found our little girl.

    He let me get up and began helping me to get dressed. ¡°Mason, I¡¯m pregnant, not an invalid. I can put

    my own clothes on.¡±

    ¡°Shhh, I¡¯m practicing for when your stomach is so big that you can¡¯t see your feet.¡± He tells me,

    practically bouncing around in his excitement.

    As we leave, Dr. Johns gives us a picture of our daughter. I still can¡¯t tell what I¡¯m looking at, but Mason

    doesn¡¯t care. He says as long as we know it¡¯s her, he¡¯s framing it and putting it on our wall.

    When we get back to the pack, everyone ising in for dinner and I know he¡¯s bursting at the seams

    to tell them our good news.

    He gives me a huge grin and I just shake my head at him before he pulls me to the front of the room.

    ¡°Attention everyone! I promised to keep all of you updated on the status of our Luna¡¯s pregnancy and I

    have an update.¡±

    The room goes quiet. He turns, looking at me with so much love in his eyes. ¡°Our Luna has apparently

    been holding out on all of us, because the doctor was able to tell us today what the gender our pup is.¡±

    He turns to look at our pack and I can feel the excitement spreading like wildfire in the room.

    ¡°Did you want me to tell you?¡± He asks, teasing our pack.

    As expected, they all start speaking at once, insisting Mason hurry up and tell them.

    ¡°We¡¯re having a little girl.¡± He doesn¡¯t get any further as the room erupts into booming cheers and the

    pack swarms us, everyone wanting to congratte and hug me and their future pack princess.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Quinton¡¯s tracker, Ira, arrived the next day. I went with him to show him where we¡¯d found Typhon¡¯s trail

    and his den. He began tracking Typhon but even I could tell something was wrong. After a day, we

    called it and headed back to the pack.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha. I¡¯ve never seen or smelled anything like it. It¡¯s like he¡¯s all over the ce, doubling

    back on himself, crossing his lines. I¡¯d say it¡¯s to throw someone like me off this trail, but there¡¯s nothing

    organized about it. It¡¯s chaotic, disjointed. I¡¯m happy to continue trying, if you¡¯d like. I¡¯ve never had

    someone evade me before, so honestly, I¡¯m a bit offended that this guy is doing such a good job of it.¡±

    He told me.

    ¡°When you say it¡¯s chaotic, what do you mean?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ like it¡¯s not intentional. Like he can¡¯t figure out where he wants to go.¡± He sighs, running his

    hands through his hair. ¡°I know that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± He says.

    ¡°Actually, it might. Elder Jason is arriving tomorrow, and I¡¯ve asked him to pull information on feral-fever

    and the iming haze. I¡¯m wondering if Typhon hasn¡¯t fallen victim to both of them.¡±

    Ira frowns. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t he havee out of the iming haze by now?¡±

    ¡°He should have, but what if it mixed with his feral-fever?¡± Now it¡¯s my turn to run my fingers through

    my hair in frustration. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know the answer, I¡¯m guessing here too. But his behavior isn¡¯t

    normal, and he seems almost fixated on Jara.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, Alpha, I¡¯m happy to stay on for a couple more days, if you¡¯re willing to see if I can pick

    anything up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± I say before turning off and heading to my room. I¡¯ve been away all day and want to

    check in on Jara.

    Before I can get to the stairs, Elijahes up to me. ¡°Alpha, do you have a minute?¡±

    ¡°Is it important? I want to check on Jara.¡±

    ¡°It is, but you can meet me in my office after you check on her. Luna went to bed early, she said she

    was tired.¡±

    That stops me. ¡°What did she do today that wore her out?¡± I ask.

    He grimaces. ¡°Apparently, Luna Jara and Luna Hana have been nning how to infiltrate Alpha

    Emanual¡¯s pack to get to the she- wolves.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    I should have known. I look back at Elijah. ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you that if she tries to go to one of those

    packs and I¡¯m not here to stop her, that it¡¯s your job to stop her, do I?¡±

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let her put herself or your pup in danger.¡±

    I nod. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you in your office in a moment.¡±

    I go upstairs and walk into our bedroom, smelling my mate¡¯s sweet cream scent. I see her tucked into

    bed, so I walk over, leaning down and kissing her head. She mumbles, half asleep. ¡°Are youing to

    bed?¡±

    ¡°Soon, my love. I just wanted to check on you and our little girl.¡± It brings a smile to her face, but her

    eyes never open.

    ¡°Okay. We¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± I say, making sure the nket is tucked up around her. I check to see that she has

    her crackers and water by the nightstand for tomorrow morning before heading back down to meet with

    Elijah.

    I knock on the door jamb as I step into his office. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t spoken

    to Alpha Luke today?¡± He asks.

    I sit across from him, crossing one leg over the other knee. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been with Quinton¡¯s tracker all

    day.¡±

    ¡°Did he find anything?¡± Elijah asks.

    ¡°No, but he¡¯s willing to stay a couple more days. I¡¯m going to call Quinton after this to make sure he¡¯s

    okay with that.¡±

    Elijah nods. ¡°So, Alpha Luke called today. It seems that Alpha Shawn pulled all his men from around

    his pack.¡±

    I frown. ¡°All of them?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Alpha Luke said he¡¯s sent out dozens of patrols to double and triple check since he was

    concerned about a sneak attack to try and take the Gammas back, and they¡¯ve alle back saying

    there is no trace of them anywhere.¡±

    I stand, starting to pace the room. ¡°What does Alpha Luke think is the reason for their retreat?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He¡¯s not sure. And Alpha Zaire called to say that the warriors from Alpha Conrad¡¯s pack, the ones that

    followed the she-wolves to his territory, also seem to have retreated.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would they have retreated?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Alpha, but I wanted you to have the information as soon as possible. They must be up to

    something.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± I say, picking up the phone and dialing Seth.

    ¡°Mason, you saw it?¡±

    ¡°Saw what?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the email that just came through?¡±

    ¡°What email? I¡¯m calling because I just heard from Elijah about the retreat of Alpha Shawn¡¯s and Alpha

    Conrad¡¯s warriors.¡± I see Elijah is quickly logging in to get the email.

    ¡°Oh s*it.¡± He says, sitting back.

    ¡°Hang on, Elijah just pulled it up.¡± I snarl as I read.

    ¡®This notice is to inform all packs of a change in thew. Any pack that takes in a she-wolf from another

    pack will be considered an enemy of the werewolfmunity. Any action from a pack to forcibly

    remove a she-wolf from her pack will be considered an act of war. Packs will have singr authority

    over their she- wolves to provide their care as they deem fit.

    Any pack that is currently housing a she-wolf from another pack has three days from the date of this

    notice to return those she- wolves to their rightful pack, or it will be considered an act of aggression

    against the council and the werewolfmunity.

    Any act of aggression against the council and werewolfmunity is considered an act of war which

    will be dealt with swiftly.¡¯

    It is signed by Alpha Gunnar and every Elder except Jason.

    ¡°This cannot stand.¡± I snarl into the phone, still talking to Seth.

    ¡°I¡¯m calling an emergency alliance meeting tonight. We need to be prepared for an attack, specifically

    on Luke and Zaire¡¯s packs.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. Call the meeting, we need to n, as an alliance, how to protect those she-wolves, but we

    also need a n to attack Alpha Emanual¡¯s pack. You know he¡¯s keeping those she-wolves hostage.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll get the call set up.¡±

    I hang up the phone and almost immediately, it rings again.

    ¡°Alpha Mason.¡± I say, picking up the phone, expecting it to be Gunnar, touting his perceived win.

    Instead, I get a surprise.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, this is Alpha Jonas. I was wondering if perhaps you could shed some light on the recent

    email we received, why it appears that Elder Jason is no longer part of the council and why Alpha

    Gunnar now considers himself equal to an Elder.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jonas. I think it¡¯s time for you to pick a side.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Mason hade to bedte. He had curled up around me, his hand protectively resting on my

    stomach. When I woke this morning, he was already gone, his side of the bed cool to the touch.

    Title of the document

    I get up, and shower, ready to start the day. I had thought that my fatigue hade from spending so

    much time with Layan, but now I realize it¡¯s because I¡¯m pregnant. If Dr. Johns is correct, I¡¯m about 3

    weeks into a 5-month pregnancy. That means, I have a whole lot of fatigue ahead of me.

    When I leave my room, Lewis is standing by the door, waiting for me.

    ¡°Good morning, Lewis.¡± I say. True to his word, Mason has put a round-the-clock guard on me. During

    the day, if he¡¯s not around, I notice that there are two guards. One is much more subtle than the other,

    but I know that he¡¯s a*s*signed two to watch me at all times. I don¡¯t argue, knowing that he needs this

    to help him feel that I¡¯m safe. And with the threat of Typhon still out there, why take the risk?

    Before I even get to the dining room, I can feel the tension in the pack. When I arrive, the dining hall is

    considerably more quiet than it usually is and I see Mason, Elijah and Joe sitting with their heads

    together, looking over some documents.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask, walking up to the group.

    ¡°Jara.¡± Mason stands,ing around the table to pull me into a hug. His smile makes me feel a bit

    better, but I still see the anxious lines pinching the sides of his eyes.

    ¡°Have a seat, I¡¯ll get you some food. What are you hungry for?¡±

    ¡°Just toast, dry.¡± I say.

    When Masones back with my toast, he sits down opposite me and tells me about the email that

    came throughst night.

    ¡°We sent warriorsst night to both packs, as well as some extras to Davis and Quinton¡¯s packs since

    there¡¯s are smaller and they both have she-wolves. I¡¯ve had the warriors stay in touch and let us know

    if they see anything on their way to the other packs. We have a follow up meeting this morning with the

    alliance to create arger n of action. I¡¯ve doubled patrols, even though they were already heavier

    than usual because of the threat of Typhon attacking.¡± Mason looks at me intently.

    ¡°Jara, I don¡¯t want you leaving the packhouse. If you feel the need for fresh air, please stay close to the

    house so you can get inside and safe if we¡¯re attacked. I¡¯ll be putting two guards on you full- time.¡± He

    says to me.

    I raise I eyebrow at him and he smirks at me. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to make the two guards that I have on

    your full-time already, more official and public. No one and nothing is getting to my girls.¡±

    ¡°I want to sit in on the call.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll be talking about the she-wolves in Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack anyway, and I heard that you and

    Hana were already thinking of ways to get them out.¡±

    ¡°Mom, too.¡± I tell him. The three of us had talked about it after hearing G*mma Kira say that she knew

    they not only have adult she-wolves in that pack, but also at least one juvenile she-wolf.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s too dangerous for you to go into that pack now, right Jara?¡± Mason asks me as we head

    to his office for the alliance call.

    ¡°Mason, someone has to. If that environment is as bad as we think, they will be terrified. They¡¯ll need

    someone that they can trust, someone who is not a man.¡± She says.

    ¡°Then well find someone who is not pregnant, Jara. It¡¯s too risky.¡± He says to me.

    Elder Jason arrives just before the meeting is scheduled to begin. The three of us dial into the alliance

    call. Elijah joins us and my guards wait outside. I¡¯m surprised when, not only is Alpha Saul on the call,

    but also Alpha Jonas. ¡°Hello everyone, thanks for joining the call today.¡± Seth begins. ¡°Wee Alpha

    Saul and Alpha Jonas. I know that neither of you have agreed to an alliance yet, but we appreciate you

    taking the time to hear what we have to say.¡±

    ¡°After that statement came out yesterday, eliminating my Elder from the council without any notification

    to myself or him, I have every intention of joining this alliance.¡± Alpha Saul says.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. I¡¯ll be happy to answer any questions you may have after the call.¡± Alpha Antonio

    says. He has been in charge of the contracts for the alliance since the beginning.

    ¡°First, Alpha Luke, did your reinforcements arrive?¡±

    ¡°They did, and to my knowledge, they only saw movement between Alpha Gunnar and Alpha

    Emanuel¡¯s pack.¡± Luke says.

    ¡°Alpha Gunnar is sending men to Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack?¡± Davis asks. ¡°Correct. I believe it is to ensure

    that we do not take Alpha Emanuel¡¯s she- wolves.¡±

    ¡°Why would you?¡± Alpha Jonas asks.

    I¡¯m about to respond, but my mother jumps in. I can hear a chair scraping against the floor in Alpha

    Luke¡¯s office. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s giving my mother room to speak.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas, is it?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°My name is Nina Lykos. I¡¯m the mother of Seth and Jara and previous Luna to the Silvercrest Pack.

    You may not know me, but I¡¯ve been a Luna, a mother, a mother who lost her child to the iming

    process and that b*stard Typhon who is still after my other daughter, and now I¡¯m helping this new

    generation of Lunas change the old, archaic ways of our kind in an attempt to keep us from going

    extinct.¡±

    ¡°I would be very pleased to make your acquaintance someday, Luna Nina.¡± A woman¡¯s voice I¡¯ve never

    heardes across the phone. Her melodious voice is thick with her ent, but even through the

    phone she sounds like a s*xy she- wolf.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Everyone this is Isabe. She is a she-wolf in our pack, a warrior. She has two of her own daughters,

    one of whom will be of age for next year¡¯s iming.¡± Alpha Jonas says.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Isabe. I hope that one day soon, I can meet you in person.¡± Mom says to her.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    ¡°Now, back to your question, Alpha Jonas, it¡¯s because those Alphas are mistreating their she-wolves.¡±

    Mom goes on to exin what has been happening, how Gamma Kira rejected her mate and how

    another she-wolf ran with her pup to Alpha Zaire¡¯s packnds.

    Title of the document

    ¡°So, what he said during the council, that wasn¡¯t conceptual, it was already in practice?¡± Jonas asks.

    ¡°Yes, and ording to Gamma Kira, it was only going to get worse.¡± My mother states.

    It¡¯s quiet for a moment. ¡°Please continue.¡± Alpha Jonas says.

    ¡°The council has made decisions based on a few, not the majority. It was only a couple of weeks ago

    that we were all together and voted for the newws. I don¡¯t know what the rest of you think, but if the

    council does not work for the majority of us, then the council does not work for me.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°I will not be ruled by someone who thinks that he cane in and overthrow our ways just because

    he doesn¡¯t agree with them. Alpha Gunnar very clearly told me that he is in charge and he makes the

    decisions for the council now. I am with Seth. If the council is being run by a tyrant, then I refuse to

    acknowledge them as the leaders of me and my pack.¡± Mason agrees with Seth.

    Alphas Asher, Antonio, Davis, Quinton and Zaire all agree.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What do you propose? We cannot all live independently of each other and still have uniformity in

    things like the annual iming.¡± Alpha Saul says.

    ¡°And having an alliance is great, but if my rules and your rules don¡¯t align, does that mean that we are

    no longer in an alliance and are now at odds?¡± Alpha Jonas asks.

    I look at Mason, and he winks at me. He already has a n for this. Of course, he does.

    ¡°Seth and I had a few moments to discuss this. We have an idea and I will rify that no one other than

    the two of us have heard this proposal yet.¡± Mason says, looking at Elder Jason.

    ¡°We propose to the group that Elder Jason create a new council. One from our packs, one that will

    provide oversight and ensure that our rules are followed. One that will also help us createws to

    protect our she-wolves and ensure the continuation of our species.¡± Mason says.

    I¡¯m not sure what he sees on my face. Love? Awe? Appreciation? Whatever it is, he smiles at me

    before kissing my nose.

    I turn and look at Elder Jason. ¡°Elder, what do you say?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡­.well, I¡¯m honored, but I¡¯ve never created a council.¡± He says.

    ¡°Oh, fooey. You¡¯ll be perfect at it and if this group recognizes that about you too, then I¡¯m in the

    alliance.¡± Alpha Saul says. I swear I hear a soft ¡®finally¡¯ in the background.

    I look at Mason and he¡¯s smiling. He heard it too.

    ¡°Sounds like Tessa is d you finally figured it out.¡± Alpha Zaire says, chuckling. ¡°What about the other

    she-wolves?¡± Asher asks.

    ¡°We need to at least know that they are safe and being well-cared for.¡± I say. ¡°You¡¯re not going, Jara.

    It¡¯s too dangerous. I¡¯m not risking you and our pup.¡± Mason says firmly.

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, Luna?¡± Alpha Jonas asks.

    ¡°We all are now, Alpha.¡± Annabel says. ¡°Since the Alpha meeting, both Jara and I found out we were

    pregnant.¡±

    There¡¯s another beat of silence. ¡°That¡¯s unheard of.¡± He finally says and the disbelief in his voice is

    clear.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we are insisting on changing things, Alpha. We believe that if the she- wolves have a say, a

    choice, in who ims them, it makes them more open, more willing to conceive.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°It makes sense, Jonas.¡± Isabe says, and I don¡¯t miss the familiarity with which she speaks to him.

    ¡°So, we need a n to get to the she-wolves in Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack.¡± Seth says. ¡°And we need a

    she-wolf to go with you. If they are in the same situation that Brynn, Kira and the she-wolf in Alpha

    Zaire¡¯s pack were in, they will not trust a maleing to take them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± My mother says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Isabe says.

    ¡°Issy.¡± I hear Alpha Jonas say. Oh yes, definite familiarity there.

    ¡°It¡¯s time we choose a side, Jonas, just as Alpha Mason said. I hope we will be in agreement on this. If

    my daughter is going into the iming next year, I intend to make it a better environment for her than it

    was for me. My mate and I finally found a way toe together, but it wasn¡¯t easy, and it took years for

    me to conceive Katerina.¡±

    I hear his sigh through the phone. ¡°Fine, but if Issy is going, then I¡¯m sending my warriors to the fight as

    well.¡±

    ¡°The more the better.¡± Antonio says.

    For the next hour, the men decide how many of our warriors will attack, how many will stay to guard the

    she-wolves in case they send a counterattack, and they decide that the attack will take ce during our

    visit to see Layan next weekend. ¡°That gives us plenty of time to get into ce, do some

    reconnaissance, see what we may be up against and hopefully enough time for them to be

    comisant.¡± Alpha Zaire says.

    ¡°Let¡¯s n to reconvene before the attack. Elder Jason, in that time, please give some thought to how

    you would like to structure a new council and if anything happens in the meantime, we¡¯ll alle back

    together.¡±

    Everyone agrees and we¡¯re about to disconnect when Isabe speaks again.

    ¡°Now, when do I get to meet you fine young women?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack is on the way to Alpha Davis¡¯s from here. Hana and I coulde by and meet you

    on our way to see Layan this weekend.¡±

    ¡°That would be lovely. n to stay a night. You can meet my daughters and Laney while you¡¯re here.¡±

    I look at Mason who shrugs. ¡°As long as you are okay with me sending several guards for my mate,

    Alpha Jonas.¡± He says.

    ¡°Mine as well.¡± Seth adds.

    ¡°I would expect nothing less, Alphas.¡± He says before we all disconnect, ready to prepare for the busy

    week ahead.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The next few days fly by. Ira stayed in my pack, searching for Typhon. Quinton had agreed that I could

    bring him with me when we met to attack Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack.

    Title of the document

    It took him several days, but he found another den, a newer one. This one was in apletely different

    direction but still with a view of our packnds. It was an old cave, but the smell of something rotten

    and the rodent carca*s*ses littering the entrance of the cave were a dead giveaway that he¡¯d been

    there.

    ¡°How many other ces do you have with a view of your packnds?¡± He asked me after we went to

    see thetest den.

    ¡°Too many.¡± I replied, looking around. My packnds are in a valley of sorts, nestled up against a

    mountainside. Anyone that is hiding in the mountains can see our packhouse and packnds easily.

    I¡¯m not thrilled about Jara being away from me this weekend. It¡¯s going to be hard not having her close.

    She had already asked me about sending Elijah back with her because it had been good for Layan, but

    now, I¡¯m nning to send him back because I trust him with my mate more than anyone else in our

    pack. I know every member of our pack would die for her, but next to me, Elijah is the strongest

    member of our pack.

    The alliance had decided to send additional reinforcements to Alpha Luke and Alpha Zaire¡¯s packs.

    Those packs had the females that were taken from Gunnar¡¯s group of allies. Because we weren¡¯t sure

    if they knew Brynn was not currently in my pack and because of the continued threat of Typhon and

    finding the newest den, I didn¡¯t send any reinforcements, instead sending my men to Alpha Davis¡¯s

    pack, my warriors remaining on high alert.

    In the end, we agreed on 250 warriors from all of the packs to go to Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack. We decided

    to send 50 ahead of the rest of us to stake out the packnds and see if they could get eyes on any of

    the she-wolves in the pack. If we could get in and out without killing Emanuel¡¯s pack members, that

    would be ideal. But, if they fight us, then we will kill them. As of thest report, no one has spotted any

    she-wolves. Since we know Alpha Emanuel has them, this is not a good sign.

    Alpha Jonas is nning to join us since Isabe ising too. He is leaving his Beta, his brother

    Jared, in charge of the pack. They will leave after Jara and Hana go to visit them.

    Jonas, Seth and I worked to create a n to protect Nina and Isabe when we attack the pack. Alpha

    Phillip, Nina¡¯s mate, insisted on being part of their guards, and Jonas pushed hard to be one as well.

    ¡°Two Alphas can only increase our chances of getting not only our she-wolves out safely, but also any

    others that are part of Emanuel¡¯s pack.¡±

    It¡¯s a good argument and we agreed.

    Seth and I n to lead the attack on the pack, as both of our mates will be safe in Alpha Davis¡¯s pack.

    We¡¯ve made arrangements for the other she-wolves in our pack, so I¡¯m not worried about Ste and

    her son, Jace. Joe will be here, and she knows to stay inside over the weekend.

    Every night, I fall into bed, exhausted with all of our nning. Jara is showing the fatigue of pregnancy

    and is in bed before me every night.

    The night before she leaves to go meet Isabe, I crawl into bed behind her curling up with her as I do

    every night.

    ¡°Wanna feel something, Mason?¡±

    Normally, I¡¯d think this was a precursor to s*e*x, but her tone is one of excitement, not desire.

    ¡°What do you want me to feel, love?¡± Okay, so my voice is full of desire. I¡¯m about to spend several

    days away from my mate again, and I¡¯m already dreading it. In some ways, I¡¯m thankful that I¡¯ll be

    battling with Alpha Emanuel and his pack because it will make the time go by faster.

    She chuckles before taking my hand and putting it on her stomach. Her stomach that is no longer t.

    It¡¯s as if one of those little meat thermometers just popped. My little girl just popped herself out and is

    showing herself to me and everyone.

    I lift myself up on my elbow, turning Jara over so I can see better.

    ¡°Your little girl says hi, daddy.¡± Jara says, watching as I look at her in wonder.

    I run my hand over her small little baby bump. Then I lean my head down and kiss her stomach. ¡°Hi,

    baby girl. Daddy can¡¯t wait to meet you.¡±

    Jara runs her fingers through my hair, watching me as I just stare down at the baby bump where my

    little girl is growing inside my mate¡¯s belly.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    My heart is so full of adoration for my mate that I slowly make love to her, savoring our time together

    until we both find our release and she falls asleep, safely wrapped in my arms.

    Typhon POV

    I watch as he stands beside the car, kissing my mate, rubbing his grimy hands over her stomach. The

    stomach that will one day have my pup growing inside of it.

    They found my den while I was away.

    While he was sleeping all snug in his bed, visions of firebombs danced in my head. Everyone was so

    busy, no one noticed me slipping in and slipping back out again. Now, more than ever, I need to make

    her mine. That hideous wolf keeps taking my home from me.

    Take, take take. Taking what¡¯s mine.

    He puts her in the car with several other men, allowing her to leave his territory. Not a smart move,

    Alpha.

    Nope, nope, nope. Not smart at all.

    I¡¯d better get going. I know where my mate is headed. Back to the ce where the little mouse cries.

    ¡®Hickory d*ic*kory dock

    The wolf, he watched the clock

    When it strikes one

    The house will burn down

    Hickory d*ic*kory dock.¡¯

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I¡¯m excited to meet Isabe. I don¡¯t know what it is about her, but her voice, her confidence even over

    the phone, is obvious. She said her daughter is a warrior, which doesn¡¯t mean that she¡¯s doesn¡¯t have

    the blood of a ranked member. It just means that a warrior caught her in the iming, which isn¡¯t

    unheard of, but it is unusual, especially if she is descended from a ranked bloodline.

    Title of the document

    When we get to Alpha Jonas borders, we are weed and one of their patrols escorts us to the pack

    house. I get out, looking around. Where my packhouse is tucked up against mountain side, his is

    actually in the mountains. From here, you can see down into the valley below and up to the snowy

    mountain peaks. It¡¯s a beautiful area.

    Alpha Jonases out of the pack house to greet us with what I can only call a morous woman

    beside him. She¡¯s older as I expected, closer to my mother¡¯s age than mine. But she¡¯s so beautiful, it¡¯s

    hard to tell her true age. What is obvious is that she exudes confidence and s*e*xuality.

    The patrol that guided us here heads inside and kisses Isabe on the cheek as he passes her. I look

    to see if Alpha Jonas will act jealous, as it seemed clear on the phone that they were close, but he

    ignores them, keeping his eyes trained on me and my group of guards.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas.¡± I say, walking up to him, my hands extended. He takes my hands and busses a kiss on

    both of my cheeks.

    ¡°Luna Jara. Let me introduce Isabe, you met over the phone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I turn to her as I go to shake her hand, she pulls me into a hug. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m a hugger. I

    hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± She says.

    Iugh. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Has Hana arrived yet?¡±

    I see both hers and Alpha Jonas eyes go unfocused.

    ¡°She¡¯s just reached our borders. Come, let us get you settled so we can enjoy this beautiful sunny

    afternoon once your sister-inw arrives.¡±

    She hooks her arm through mine and expertly guides me into the packhouse leaving Alpha Jonas to

    greet Hana.

    ¡°We¡¯ve put you in the guest wing. I hope that¡¯s alright. We figured that this way, your guards¡¯ room

    would surround yours and that might help your Alphas feel morefortable while you¡¯re here in our

    unknown territory.

    ¡°That is very thoughtful of you, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Well, with both of you pregnant, and with she-wolves no less, we want to make sure that you are well

    looked after.¡±

    ¡°Again, thank you.¡±

    I drop off my things, making sure that Elijah and Lewis are in the rooms on either side of me. They are

    my day guards, so they will be sleeping when I am.

    I¡¯m just finishing up when I hear Hanaing down the hallway.

    ¡°Jara!¡± She says, rushing to hug me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    I hug her, then step back and gesture to Isabe. ¡°This is Isabe. Isabe, meet my sister-inw,

    Hana.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡± Hana says and is pulled into the same hug that I was pulled into ¡°Your room is right across the

    hall from Luna Jara¡¯s and your guards have rooms on either side of you as well. This way all of your

    guards can protect you together. Of course, we don¡¯t anticipate anything happening, but one can¡¯t be

    too careful.¡± She says to us.

    ¡°You are wee to wait for us, Luna Jara, or you can head downstairs. I¡¯ve had the omegas put out

    some refreshments for us.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait, I want to call Mason and let him know we¡¯re here safe and sound. He¡¯s feeling a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Overprotective?¡± They both ask at the same time, making all of usugh. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ll be quick.¡±

    ¡°Not to worry, I need to call Seth too, but I¡¯ll be quick. From the brief glimpse I got, your packnds are

    gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°They really are. I was lucky to be imed by a man who lived here.¡±

    ¡°Where is your mate?¡± I ask, wondering at the familiarity she has with the other pack members.

    ¡°He died, many years ago. A bear attack.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I say, not meaning to bring up a sensitive subject.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Over time, I learned to care for Bradley, but we were never in love. Not like what I see in your

    eyes when the two of you talk about your mates. I¡¯m very interested in hearing more about the changes

    that you are nning. Jonas has told me some of it, but I¡¯d like to hear it from you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you get settled and then Patrick here will show you to the veranda. It has a spectacr view of

    the snow-capped mountains.¡± She says, and she stops, kissing Patrick¡¯s cheek as she passes, his arm

    wrapping around her waist as she does so.

    I look at Hana who has the same look of confusion on her face. I turn, going into my room and calling

    Mason to let him know I¡¯m here before heading out. Hana walks out of her room at almost the same

    time, and we follow Patrick to the veranda.

    When we get there, Isabe is reclining on a lounge chair, her feet crossed at the ankles and a tall

    ss filled with an icy drink in her hand. Another

    man, one that looks a lot like Jonas is sitting on the chaise facing her. ¡°Lunas, let me introduce our

    Beta, Jared. He is Jonas brother, but he is the younger of the two. He¡¯s an excellent Beta.¡±

    ¡°Lunas, I heard we were hosting some very important people overnight. No one warned me that you¡¯d

    both be so beautiful.¡± I smile, so Jared is a flirt. I feel Elijah step up behind me protectively.

    ¡°Careful, Jared, both of these she-wolves are pregnant with a she-wolf pup, by their mates. Their very

    protective mates.¡± She tells him, eyeing Elijah¡¯s position next to me.

    ¡°Forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean anything by it Lunas. It¡¯s my nature to flirt. I hope I didn¡¯t offend either of

    you.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Don¡¯t mind Elijah, he¡¯s my Beta and like you, he¡¯s excellent at his job.¡± He nods his head at

    Elijah. ¡°I hope that one day, I will also have a Luna to protect.¡± Jared says to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely fulfilling, and on asion, entertaining.¡± Elijah says, teasing me now. I swap him with the

    back of my hand. ¡°Stop telling my secrets, Elijah.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it, Luna.¡± Jared turns, leaning over and taking Isabe¡¯s mouth in a passionate

    kiss. Now I¡¯m even more confused.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you will.¡±

    We sit and Isabe pours us a lemonade from the pitcher on the table. ¡°My daughters will be joining us

    soon. They are off frolicking with the pack.¡± She says. Hana and I look at each other. Her willingness to

    let her daughters go with the pack members speaks volumes to the type of pack this is. If she¡¯s not

    worried about them, then this pack is probably doing well with their she-wolves. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the looks

    you two are giving each other. I should start by telling you that since I lost my mate, I have developed

    something of a polyamorous rtionship with the men in this pack.¡±

    ¡°All of them?¡± Hana asks, echoing my shock.

    ¡°Most of them. Sometimes it¡¯s afort for them when they need it, other times I enjoy my time with

    them, as with Jonas and Jared who I frequently spend time with, and sometimes it¡¯s because I like a

    little excitement. A reverse h*arem situation, if you will.¡± She says, watching us as she takes a sip of

    her drink. ¡°A reverse h*arem, meaning you sleep with more than one at a time?¡± I ask. ¡°Well, that is

    sometimes the case, but it means more that I¡¯m in a rtionship of sorts with many of the men in this

    pack.¡±

    ¡°How does that even work?¡± Hana says. I¡¯ll admit, being with Mason doesn¡¯t give me a lot of time or

    energy to be with anyone else. I can¡¯t even fathom sleeping with a second person who might have his

    level of stamina. I nce over at Elijah who is actively NOT looking at me, but his lips are twitching.

    Isabeughs, a lovely sound that I notice has many of the men in her pack turning their heads toward

    her, smiling.

    ¡°Well, you have to be open to it. Literally and figuratively.¡± She says, a mischievous look in her eyes as

    she sips her drink again.

    I burst outughing. ¡°Oh, I think we¡¯re going to be great friends.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I do hope so. I was a bit worried, especially hearing what you said about the other she-wolves, but

    Jonas told me that what they are experiencing isn¡¯t voluntary. I can a*s*sure you, that everything that I

    do in this pack, is with my full consent.¡±

    ¡°Cheers to that, sister.¡± Hana says, reaching her ss over and clinking it with Isabe¡¯s.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Hana says, sitting up and turning so she can give her full attention to

    Isabe.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m an open book.¡± That has me spraying lemonade out of my nose.

    ¡°Double entendra intended?¡± I ask as I wipe my face.

    ¡°Of course.¡± She says smiling.

    ¡°So, how does it work? I can¡¯t imagine it. I don¡¯t mean to be rude and if my questions are too intrusive,

    please just tell me. But I¡¯m really curious.¡± Hana says to her.

    ¡°And, honestly, how in the world do you have the energy? Mason keeps me so busy that I can¡¯t imagine

    having time for anyone else, not that he¡¯d allow it.¡± I add.

    ¡°The difference is that they are your mates. It wasn¡¯t like this when Bradley was alive. But, once I lost

    him, I wantedfort,panionship. I found it in the arms of the pack members who were thrilled to

    have an intimate rtionship with a she-wolf, some of them having never experienced any type of

    s*e*xual interaction with a woman.¡±

    She looks out over the mountains. ¡°Then, it just slowly happened over time. I was curious about

    different things and the pack was willing to try anything that I wanted. Now, I can take three easily, four

    on a good night and five on a really good night.¡±

    I feel like my mouth just hit the floor. ¡°Five? Where do you put them all?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Our bodies have three orifices, pleasure centers I call them, and I have two hands.¡± She says, wiggling

    her fingers.

    ¡°All at one time?¡± Hana asks, her eyes wide, not being at all subtle in her amazement.

    ¡°Not at first. I worked up to it. Jonas and Jared were my first thr*esome, and if I¡¯m honest, they are still

    my favorites. There¡¯s something to be said about having two Alpha males at once, especially when

    they¡¯re half your age.¡± She says smugly. Hana and I look at each other and burst into giggles. I still

    can¡¯t imagine it. But maybe it¡¯s because of the bond I share with Mason. I wouldn¡¯t want to share our

    time with anyone else. And I can¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d ever be willing to share me with anyone. He¡¯s

    already so possessive.

    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s different when you share a bond with your mate. And your bonds already seem much

    stronger than the one I shared with my mate. So, maybe it would never be something that you¡¯d

    consider.¡±

    In the distance I can see the long hair of two girlsing our way, one taller than the other.

    ¡°Maybe when Katerina joins us, we can talk about your ns to change the iming this year. Based

    on the changes that I¡¯ve seen already, four imants pregnant within a month of the end of the

    iming, I would like for her to have something simr to what you two seem to have with your mates.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want her to be in the same type of situation you are in?¡± I ask, genuinely surprised.

    ¡°If she could find a man that steals her heart and takes her breath away, that¡¯s what I would want for

    my daughter.¡± She says as Katerina and Sophia, her younger daughter, join us.

    Isabe stands, walking to her girls and hugging them. They hug her, but their eyes are glued to us.

    ¡°Girls, this is Luna Jara and Luna Hana. They are visiting for the night. They¡¯vee to see our pack. I

    thought we could take them on a tour. Would you like to join us?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you both.¡± Katerina says before looking at her mother. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to go.¡±

    Sophia is probably around 15 years old. ¡°Mom, Carl said he¡¯d take me on a run. Is it okay if I go with

    him?¡±

    ¡°Be back by dinner time. I don¡¯t want to have to send out half the pack like I didst time. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Thanks mom. Nice meeting you both! I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± She says before running off, shifting mid-

    step. A momentter another wolf races up beside her and they take off into the mountains.

    ¡°So, you do have ranked blood in your blood line?¡± I ask. It¡¯s not easy to shift mid run like Sophia did.

    Being young, I¡¯d say they have Alpha or Beta blood. ¡°Ie from a royal Alpha line in Europe. Our

    numbers, like yours here, were dwindling. My family got out, bringing us here, thinking it would be

    better for us.¡± Her eyes turn sad. ¡°Our boat capsized during the journey. It was a human boat, and my

    family were the only werewolves on the ship. I was the only survivor. I swam until I reachednd, found

    a forest where I spent many cold nights, practically starving until Jonas¡¯s father found me. He took me

    in, and the rest is history.¡±

    I already feel a kinship to this woman, I liked her immediately and I think we can be great friends. I¡¯m

    not sure if it¡¯s that, or the pregnancy hormones, but I pull her into a hug and almost instantly feel

    Hana¡¯s arms around us too.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that.¡± I say, tearfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s true what they say. That which does not kill you, makes you stronger. I am here and I am happy.¡±

    She says.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Alpha Jonas asks, his voice full of concern, walking toward us with a worried look

    on his face. Immediately, he steps up to Isabe and pulls her to him, wiping the tears off her face.

    ¡°Oh, I was just telling my new friends about how I ended up here.¡±

    ¡°Issy.¡± He says softly, pulling her into his chest and kissing the top of her head. I may not understand

    the situation here, but there is real love between this pack and their she-wolves. And Isabe is happy

    here. It may not be my choice, but who am I to judge the lifestyle that she¡¯s chosen for herself. It seems

    to be working for her and her pack.

    Isabe gets Laney, the other she-wolf in the pack, and Katerina and the three of them take us around

    the packnds, showing us the beauty of thend. Laney and her mate have two children, a young

    she-wolf, and an older son.

    As we walk, I can tell Katerina wants to talk, but she hasn¡¯t decided to open up yet.

    When we get back to the packhouse, I turn to her. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± She looks at her mother

    before looking back at me, considering her question. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±

    ¡°We both are.¡± I say, as Hanaes to stand beside me. ¡°Your happy with your mates?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yes, we love them, and they love us.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°I have nothing against my mother¡¯s way of life. You know that.¡± She says looking at her mother.

    ¡°I do.¡± Isabe says.

    ¡°But I want what you seem to have.¡± She says, turning back to me and Hana.

    ¡°Perhaps we can dine out here, the four of us, and maybe Jonas and Jared as well. I think it would be

    good for them to hear about the changes you are nning to make and then we can all ask you our

    questions in the peacefulness of the veranda.¡± Isabe suggests.

    We all agree and have a wonderful evening, eating, talking andughing. Ie to realize that Jonas¡¯s

    hesitation in joining our alliance had more to do with their unique arrangement. He was worried that we

    would judge Isabe and try to remove her from their pack, which couldn¡¯t be farther from the truth.

    Something else I realized as I looked around, this arrangement, or maybe it¡¯s Isabe herself, but

    either way, she¡¯s keeping the feral-fever away from her pack just like we are. I don¡¯t see any signs of it

    within this pack, even with the men in their thirties.

    The next morning, I hug Isabe tightly before we leave. ¡°I want to know that you are safe this

    weekend. When you get out of Alpha Shawn¡¯s territory, I want to hear from either you or Alpha Jonas.¡±

    ¡°I will. And I hope we can get together soon.¡± She says to me. ¡°Well, Isabe, you¡¯re one of the very

    few females in our packs that know about childbirth. I expect that I¡¯ll be seeing more of you very soon.¡±

    I say, rubbing my baby bump.

    ¡°Oh, and my mother-inw is going to LOVE you.¡± Hana adds, hugging Isabe tightly.

    I turn to Katerina. ¡°You are wee to join our calls,e visit our packs or anything else that may

    help you feel morefortable going into the iming next year.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to visit Layan.¡± She says.

    I look at Isabe. Visiting Layan may terrify her.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°My daughter is a strong woman. If she wants to visit Layan, then I won¡¯t stand in her way.¡± Isabe

    says.

    I look at Katerina. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her. Ultimately, it¡¯s her decision.¡± She nods and we say our goodbyes. As

    we leave the territory, I realize that I didn¡¯t know what to expect when we arrived, but I¡¯m leaving with a

    strong bond to Isabe and her pack.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 135

    Chapter 135

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    When I meet up with Jonas and Isabe to finalize our n to attack Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack, Jonas is

    different with me, more rxed. I¡¯m not sure what happened when my mate visited his pack, but Jonas

    is much more agreeable to being part of our alliance. I¡¯ll have to ask Jara about it when I speak to her.

    Title of the document

    The she-wolf, Isabe, is something else. I haven¡¯t been around older she- wolves a lot in my life.

    Lately, it¡¯s only been Luna Nina, but Isabe is  wow. She exudes s*e*xuality. If I wasn¡¯t a happily

    mated man, I might have tried to persuade her to my pack and my bed.

    But I have the perfect mate and a little girl on the way, so no matter how incredible this woman is, she

    doesn¡¯t hold a candle to Jara.

    We¡¯re meeting with the groups that have been in ce watching Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack for thest

    several days. They still haven¡¯t seen a she-wolf but they give us the generaly of thend and the

    patrol schedules as they¡¯ve seen them over the past few days.

    ¡°How many wolves have you seen? Does it look like there are a couple hundred or less than a

    hundred?¡± Jonas asks the lookouts.

    ¡°Less than a hundred.¡± One says.

    ¡°Definitely.¡± Another says.

    I look at Jonas. ¡°If youy down a gauntlet to your enemies, do you leave the area where youid the

    gauntlet unprotected?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Never.¡± He says.

    ¡°So, where are they?¡±

    ¡°It could be a trap.¡± Jonas says.

    ¡°Or a diversion.¡± Isabe says.

    Jonas and I turn to her. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They pulled you and the rest of us here. They don¡¯t care about those she- wolves. We should still get

    them, but what else would they be doing with all of their men?¡± She asks.

    Jonas and I look at each other. ¡°F*uc*k!¡± We both yell, grabbing our phones.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got Zaire.¡± He says.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got Luke.¡± I say dialing Alpha Luke. It rings and rings before going to voicemail.

    I¡¯m watching Jonas and he¡¯s watching me, shaking his head.

    I hang up and dial Seth.

    ¡°What¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a diversion, we think they are going after their she-wolves.¡±

    ¡°F*uc*k! Let me get the others on the phone.¡±

    He conferences Asher and Antonio into the line. ¡°We need you to get to Alpha Luke¡¯s and Alpha Zaire¡¯s

    territory. We think it¡¯s a diversion and neither of them are answering their phones. In the off chance that

    this is a trap, Seth, Jonas and I will go in with our groups and get the she-wolves out.¡±

    We hurriedly make a n to stay in touch. I call Elijah and check in, making sure everything is okay

    with Jara. They arrived in Alpha Davis¡¯s pack earlier today. ¡°We¡¯re good, Alpha. What¡¯s up?¡±

    I fill him in and tell him to stay in alert. While we¡¯re talking, he finds Alpha Davis and puts me on

    speaker phone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Quinton and fill him in. We should expect that it¡¯s Luke and Zaire that are being attacked, but

    we don¡¯t know that they won¡¯te after one of us, and Quinton and I have the smallest packs.¡± He

    says.

    ¡°And you have two Lunas currently in your pack. Elijah, call Joe, make sure everything is okay there

    then have him send more warriors to Davis¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°On it.¡± He says before hanging up.

    While we wait for Seth, we watch the patrols. As we watch, I notice something.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they going to the edge of their territory. My patrols monitor the borders all around my

    territory.¡± I say, looking at Jonas.

    ¡°Mine do as well. Something isn¡¯t right.¡± He says.

    Seth arrives around midnight and he we fill him in. Just before we move in, we get a call from Asher.

    He was closest to Zaire.

    ¡°His pack is under attack. We¡¯re almost there and can hear the fighting from here. a*s*sume that Luke¡¯s

    pack is under attack as well. Get the she- wolves out, we¡¯ll help them.¡± He tells us.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Jonas says and we start moving forward. We¡¯ve just reached the border of the pack

    when Ira, Quinton¡¯s tracker throws his arms out to the sides. ¡°STOP!¡± He shouts.

    ¡°Shhhh.¡± We try to quiet him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take another step, anyone.¡± He says, ignoring us. His nose is in the air, sniffing.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Seth asks him.

    ¡°Metal.¡± He says,

    ¡°Metal? What kind of metal?¡± I ask him.

    He looks around on the ground, finding arge rock. He tosses it in his hand a couple of times, getting

    a feel for the weight of it before moving back to the border and sniffing again. When he¡¯s found the spot

    he wants, he tosses the rock.

    As soon as it hits the ground, it explodes.

    ¡°The kind of metal that explodes, Alpha.¡± He says and suddenly, we hear the Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack

    racing toward us.

    ¡°They won¡¯t run through their own minefield. That would be suicide.¡± Isabe says. ¡°But they will

    probably have guns and silver bullets.¡± Jonas says, pulling her to him. ¡°Stay behind me.¡± ¡°Can you tell

    how many more there are, Ira?¡± Seth asks him.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    He sniffs the air as we find a ce to take cover. ¡°No, but there are a lot.¡±

    ¡°Grab some rocks people, we need to eliminate this minefield. Emanuel doesn¡¯t have back uping.

    They are all attacking other packs. This is our best chance to get these she-wolves out of here.¡± I say.

    Just as we startunching rocks at the space between us and where the patrols were standing, the

    guns start firing.

    ¡°Take cover.¡± I shout before dropping to the ground. I can see that Jonas is covering Isabe¡¯s body

    with his own.

    We continue to lob rocks into the no man¡¯snd between us until the smoke is so thick that everyone is

    coughing, struggling to breathe.

    I¡¯ve thrown several rocks with nothing blowing up and I look at Seth ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    We begin crawling our way through the area, careful to stay near where there are already holes from

    the mines blowing up. When we get to a ce where there are no holes, we toss more rocks until we

    find the mine. It draws their attention to the general area where we are, but if we don¡¯t get across, this

    effort will have been in vain.

    Title of the document

    I hear some of the warriors behind me crying out as they get hit with a bullet, but Seth and I push on.

    When we finally get to the other edge, we jump up and start attacking Emanuel¡¯s warriors.

    I throw one into the mine field and his weight must set it off because his body explodes, blood and guts

    going everywhere. I see the fear on the next warrior¡¯s face, but I don¡¯t hesitate. I throw him into the

    mine field too. He screams stop when hends, unharmed, but a momentter, our men attack and kill

    him.

    Our pack members start pouring out of the mine field and quickly, the pack is overwhelmed. Even with

    the guns, they are no match for the number of warriors we brought.

    I grab a man by his shirt cor, lifting him off the ground.

    ¡°Please, please don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know.¡±

    I lift him so he is face to face with me. ¡°Where are the she-wolves?¡± I snarl at him.

    ¡°In the packhouse.¡±

    ¡°Where in the packhouse?¡± Seth says,ing over to stand beside me.

    ¡°Alpha¡¯s quarters.¡±

    ¡°Top floor?¡± Jonas asks,ing out of the mine field, carefully keeping Isabe behind him. The

    warrior¡¯s eyes go wide when he sees her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He says, while nodding, his eyes not leaving Isabe. When Jonas sees thescivious looks that

    this man is giving Isabe, he snarls, startling the man¡¯s attention back to me.

    ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t move and we¡¯ll see about letting you live.¡± I tell him, setting him back down on the

    ground.

    I¡¯ve only taken two steps when I hear a gurgling sound behind me. I whip around to see a warrior

    holding Emanuel¡¯s warrior¡¯s hand. In his hand, he has a knife that is now lodged in his throat.

    ¡°Alpha didn¡¯t say to stab him in the back, did he?¡± Our warrior growls, releasing the man as he drops to

    the ground dead.

    I turn back to the packhouse, barking orders as I go. ¡°Surround the packhouse. We need someone at

    every entrance.¡±

    Jonas is barking his own orders. ¡°Protect Isabe. She will get the she- wolves out, we¡¯ll need a

    protective wall to make sure they are protected and that no one tries to take them.¡± He says.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    When we get to the packhouse, there are more warriors inside. Seth and I immediately begin attacking

    them while Jonas gets Isabe past them and up the stairs with his group of warriors.

    I¡¯ve just taken out thest of Emanuel¡¯s warriors when I hear screaming and yelling above me. I look up

    just in time to see Jonas toss Emanuel over the fourth floor banister to the floor at my feet.

    ¡°Have at him boys. The girls up here are in bad shape.¡± He says before turning back.

    I look at Seth, who gives me a vicious smile. ¡°Human or wolf?¡± He asks me, meaning which form do I

    want to kill him in.

    ¡°No!¡± Emanuel says, trying to sit up, but he has too many broken bones from his fall.

    ¡°I can give you information.¡± He says.

    ¡°You mean like how Gunnar, Shawn and Conrad are attacking Luke and Zaire right now? We already

    know.¡± I say, watching Emanuel¡¯s eyes go wide.

    ¡°Surprised? Our alliance is much stronger than yours.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Speaking of alliances, where is Elder Rudy?¡± Seth asks, looking around.

    ¡°He¡¯s with them. They took all the Elders so they could rule that the she- wolves have to be returned to

    their packs.¡±

    ¡°Too bad, I¡¯d have liked to kill him too.¡± Seth turns, looking at me.

    ¡°Wolves it is.¡± He says, and we shift, tearing Alpha Emanuel apart.

    When we¡¯re done, we shift back, looking around and making sure we didn¡¯t miss anyone. We¡¯ve

    decimated this pack. There may be a few that escaped, but overall, the 75 wolves that lived here are

    dead.

    We stand by and watch as Isabe coaxes the she-wolves out of the bedroom. There are two adult

    females that still have silver restraints hanging from their wrists. There is also one she-wolf pup,

    somewhere in the 8 to 10 year range, but it¡¯s hard to tell. She¡¯s undernourished so she might be older.

    All of them have bruises on the parts of their bodies that I can see, ck eyes, busted lips and

    fingerprints on their arms and throats. Even the young one. It makes my stomach turn and I¡¯m d we

    killed Emanuel. All three she-wolves are wrapped in nkets, so I have to a*s*sume that they were

    n*ake*d upstairs.

    They¡¯ve just stepped outside, when Jonas moves to speak to us. He doesn¡¯t take his eye off of them as

    he talks.

    ¡°They were strapped to beds. Even the little one. I don¡¯t what happened, Issy is going to try and find

    out, but it¡¯s not good.¡± He turns, looking at us.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we got here when we did. I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ve been in that situation, but it

    was too long.¡±

    I¡¯m just about to respond when my phone rings. I look at the caller ID. Elijah. I frown, answering the

    call.

    ¡°Elijah, it¡¯s a bad time.¡±

    ¡°Alpha, you need to get to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack.¡± He says, just as Seth¡¯s phone begins to ring.

    ¡°Why?¡± I say and I¡¯m moving before I even realize it, Jonas hot on my heels. ¡°Alpha Davis¡¯s packhouse

    just blew up.¡±

    I¡¯ve shifted and am racing for Alpha Davis¡¯s pack a moment before I hear Seth doing the same. I hear

    Jonas grab my phone, asking what happened. ¡°We¡¯re on our way. Seth and Mason on in wolf form, be

    on the lookout for them.¡± He says before I¡¯ve run too far to hear any more.

    My mate, my pup nothing better have happened to them.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    After leaving Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack, Hana and I get the guards to agree to us riding together. It¡¯s good to

    see her and catch up. We talk about our packs, our pregnancies, Isabe, Katerina, Layan and finally,

    the battle this weekend.

    Title of the document

    ¡°What do you think is going to happen when they get to Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But Mason said they hadn¡¯t seen the she- wolves, so I¡¯m guessing they are locked away

    somewhere.¡± ¡°Where do you think we should put them? We¡¯ve already got Celeste, you have Brynn,

    Zaire has his she-wolf, I need to get her name, Davis has Layan, and now these.¡±

    ¡°I think we should keep them separated into the different packs for now. Their fear might y off of

    each other if they are together. But we can set up a support group for them. Maybe mom or Isabe or

    even Gia might want to run it. Let¡¯s see how many we have and what shape they are in. That might

    determine the best pack for them to stay in.¡± I tell her.

    We pull up to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, noting the extra patrols and guards already in ce. We say hello

    and head to the packhouse.

    ¡°I hope Layan¡¯s doing better. I felt likest week she was, but I know sometimes it¡¯s two steps forward

    and one step back.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°I hope so too. She seemed okay with Elijah and Lewis, even if it was only for a few minutes. Maybe

    she¡¯ll have started rxing around her pack. I hope so.¡±

    When we arrive at the packhouse, we¡¯re greeted by Alpha Davis.

    ¡°Hello, Lunas. Wee back.¡± He¡¯s another one that is doing much better having us around. It¡¯s good

    to see him feeling better. It¡¯s impacting his pack as well. Even though there is an underlying tension

    with everything going on, the feeling of being out of control has significantly decreased.

    ¡°Alpha Davis. So good to see you again.¡± I tell him. This week, with everything going on, it¡¯s only Hana

    and I that are here to see Layan.

    We walk up hugging Alpha Davis. We¡¯ve all be good friends. I notice that nearly all of his

    darkness is gone.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be happy in what you see with Layan. She¡¯s starting toe out of her shell.¡±

    He walks us into the packhouse that we¡¯ve be ustomed to. He guides us to the kitchen where

    we both stop. There is Layan, in a room with several of her pack members, helping to make lunch.

    When she sees us, she stops what she¡¯s doing and rushes over to hug us.

    ¡°Hello, sweet girl.¡± I say and the three of us share a group hug.

    ¡°Lunas! I¡¯m making lunch for us, want to see?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because I¡¯m pregnant and hungry Layan! Show me what¡¯s for lunch and tell me what that

    delicious smell is.¡± Hana says as we move into the kitchen.

    We make a point of greeting the omegas working in the kitchen, but we also notice that they are

    keeping their

    distance from Layan. But she¡¯s in here, and that¡¯s a step in the right direction. ¡°Nick and Thomas are

    making grilled chicken and I made Caesar sd. We can either have them separate or I pulled out

    wraps and we can make grilled chicken Caesar sd wraps.¡± She says.

    ¡°Mmm, wraps sound good.¡± I say.

    ¡°Sit, I¡¯ll finish making these and we can go outside. The weather is nice today.¡± Layan says. It¡¯s the first

    time she¡¯s mentioned going outside since we¡¯ve beening to see her.

    I look over at Davis and he¡¯s smiling at her. He nods at me before going back to his office.

    ¡°I¡¯m making one for you too, Alpha.¡± Layan says as he walks away.

    ¡°Thank you, Layan.¡± He says, stopping to look at her. I can tell from his expression that this is new too.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re making a couple of me too.¡± Elijah says,ing into the kitchen having put our bags into

    our rooms.

    ¡°And me, Lewis saysing in right behind him. Hana¡¯s guards also request lunch and Layan giggles,

    blushing prettily at our guards¡¯ excitement for her lunch.

    I watch as she expertly puts them together, making enough for all of us. The guys grab the tes and

    take them outside. A table has already been set up for us and Layan brings a pitcher of iced tea and

    sses out after dropping off food for Davis.

    ¡°I feel like a princess.¡± Hana says, sitting at the table to eat.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do after everything you¡¯ve done to help me.¡± She says.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything but visit our dear friend.¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Oh, my goddess, this is delicious.¡± Elijah says behind me. I turn and see his eyes closed as he chews

    the food.

    ¡°Seriously some of the best food I¡¯ve eaten in a long time.¡± Lewis adds, his face mirroring Elijah¡¯s.

    ¡°Seriously you two? You act like you¡¯re never fed at home.¡± I say.

    ¡°Oh, no, Jara. You have to taste this. It¡¯s so good. And I¡¯m not just saying that because I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    Hana says.

    I take a bite of the wrap. Okay, it¡¯s the best Caesar sd wrap I¡¯ve ever had. ¡°Layan, what did you do

    to make this so good?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I make the dressing from scratch. It¡¯s a recipe my mother taught me.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to make it again.¡± Lewis says.

    ¡°Every day.¡± Elijah says.

    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Hana¡¯s guard says.

    Thoroughly pleased with herself, we finish our lunch outside and enjoy the afternoon air. Layan agrees

    to go for a short walk around the packnds, not venturing far. I can see the patrols constantly running

    and our guards are on constant alert. But, other than that, it¡¯s a very nice afternoon. We talk to Layan

    about Katerina visiting.

    ¡°I¡¯d be willing to have her visit, but do you think it¡¯s a good idea? My experience wasn¡¯t a good one.¡±

    Layan says.

    ¡°She knows that, but she still wants toe visit you. I told her it was your choice.¡±

    Layan nods. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Later, after dinner, we sit and watch a movie. This time, her pack members don¡¯t stay quite so far away,

    offering to bring us popcorn or refill our drinks. I¡¯m happy to see that Layan doesn¡¯t flinch or cower

    when they get closer to her. They are all trying to be very careful around her and it seems to be

    working.

    Title of the document

    Elijah and Lewis shift out before we¡¯re done watching the movie, and my night guardse to stand

    watch over me.

    While Layan still sits in between us, she doesn¡¯t fall asleep against me. When the movie ends, she

    turns to me.

    ¡°Would it be okay if I slept with you again? I¡¯m sleeping better, but my best sleep is when you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± I say.

    ¡°Am I invited too?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Layan says,ughing. It¡¯s good to hear herughing again.

    We get ready and crawl into bed. Layan asks us about our pregnancies, and we tell her all the things

    that we like and don¡¯t like about it.

    ¡°Did you hear that Mignon felt her little one move?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°Already?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t wait for that. That will be so exciting.¡± We talk until we all drift off to sleep.

    Elijah POV

    I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been asleep when I¡¯m awakened by a loud booming sound. My room and

    bed begin to shake violently and suddenly there is smoke pouring into the room. I jump out of bed, just

    remembering to grab my phone, before I race out of the room.

    I don¡¯t know if this is an attack from Gunnar, Typhon or someone else, but no one is hurting my Luna

    on my watch. Not only that, but I also know she¡¯s with Layan. I won¡¯t let that sweet girl get hurt. Not if I

    can help it.

    I can hear the guards that were on duty pushing into Jara¡¯s room. They are coughing as they exit the

    room, Jara asking what happened.

    They¡¯ve just gotten out of the bedroom when there¡¯s another explosion. The roof starts to copse

    around us. I rush to Jara, grabbing Layan in the process and pushing the two of them against the wall,

    using my body as a shield to keep the roof from copsing on top of them.

    As I¡¯m standing there, pressed against them, I have a moment to remember that I¡¯m buck n*ake*d, and

    I worry that I might trigger Layan. It can¡¯t be helped. Protecting Jara and Layan is more important than

    putting clothes on.

    I look at Jara, doing a quick inventory to make sure she¡¯s not injured. ¡°We have to move.¡± I say.

    She nods and I push both of them in front of me, turning to make sure that Hana¡¯s guards have her

    safe. When we get to the stairs, I see that they have copsed. The floor below us is chaos. Alpha

    Davis is barking orders at his men, trying to put the fire out and trying to figure out who is attacking us,

    because that¡¯s what this is, an attack.

    ¡°Alpha Davis!¡± I call, getting his attention. He looks up, realizing we¡¯re trapped up here.

    ¡°Get adder!¡± He yells,ing over to look at us.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± He asks.

    ¡°So far, but I want to get them out of the house. The roof is already caving in up here.¡± I say, just as

    someone brings adder.

    ¡°Lewis, you go first, stand at the bottom and make sure you catch them if they fall.¡± I say.

    He does and then I turn to Jara. ¡°You¡¯re up next, Luna.¡± I tell her and help her get on thedder.

    Just as she starts to climb down, the house rumbles again, the floor we¡¯re on, shifting around, part of it

    copsing and shaking thedder loose. Lewis moves and catches Jara before she crashes to the

    floor. I reach out, pulling Layan against me, holding on to her as I watch Lewis set Jara on her feet. I

    can feel Layan¡¯s body shaking in her fear and hear the soft whimpers that areing from her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got you. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± I look down into her terrified hazel eyes.

    ¡°Trust me?¡± My heart soars when she nods her head yes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here safely, that¡¯s a promise.¡±

    They put thedder back up and Hana¡¯s guard gets into position at the bottom of thedder. She gets

    down without an incident, but I can hear things crashing and falling behind.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re turn, Layan.¡± I say, taking her by the shoulders and guiding her to thedder.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t.¡± Her body is trembling so badly I¡¯m not sure she could get down by herself.

    ¡°Okay, get on my back.¡± I tell her, turning and squatting down in front of her.

    ¡°What?¡± She asks, staring at me.

    I look at her over my shoulder. ¡°Get on my back, I¡¯ll carry you down. But you have to hurry Layan, this

    floor is about to copse.¡±

    She looks down, before looking behind us at the fire that is intensifying and then looks at me.

    ¡°Okay.¡± She says and climbs onto my back.

    ¡°Wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist.¡± She does and I tap her leg. ¡°Hold on

    tight.¡±

    I put my phone between my teeth and swing us around thedder. We¡¯re almost to the bottom when

    the floor above us gives way. Lewis and the other guards catch us, and we quickly move out of the

    packhouse.

    When we get outside, the house is a zing inferno. They have hoses and are trying to put out the fire,

    but the house is engulfed.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    I call Mason, and I know he¡¯s on his way when I hear the phone hit the ground. After letting Alpha

    Jonas know what has happened, I hang up. Layan is still on my back.

    ¡°Did you want to get down, Layan?¡±

    She shakes her head no. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to go find your parents and see if anyone needs help, but

    you can stay with me if you feel safer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her sweet, angelic voice says.

    I turn to the other guards. ¡°Stay with Jara, don¡¯t let her out of your sight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Beta. I carry Layan while I check to see what can be done, but it¡¯s toote.

    Alpha Davis and his pack can do nothing but stand by helplessly and watch their home burn to the

    ground.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I ran as fast and as hard as I could to get to Jara. I have no idea what happened, and I¡¯ll figure that out

    later, but for now, right this moment, I need to know that my mate and my pup are safe.

    Title of the document

    It takes an hour, the longest hour of my life to get to Alpha Davis¡¯s pack. Long before I get there, I can

    smell the smoke, just before I pass into his packnds, I can see the mes licking up at the sky.

    Seth and I have been running side by side the entire way, both of us anxious to find out if our mates

    and pups are safe. As we cross Alpha Davis¡¯s territory, we howl our arrival and instantly we¡¯re

    surrounded by wolves. I¡¯m not surprised, but it¡¯s good to know that the pack is secure. I have no idea if

    they still have people in the packhouse, if some have died of if they got everyone out.

    I lift my nose in the air and almost as one, Seth and I turn in a direction to the left of the packhouse. My

    eyes focus in on Jara, and I race to her, barely slowing as I shift before I have her wrapped in my arms.

    I bury my face in her neck, soaking in her scent and calming my fear that something had happened to

    her.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mason. Your pup and I are okay. The guards got us out. Elijah made sure that we all made it

    out of the house safely.¡±

    I just nod, not letting go of her. My entire world is in my arms and if anything had happened to the two

    of them, I¡¯m not sure I could have survived it. I¡¯m not sure I would have wanted to.

    Finally, I pull back, keeping my hands on her shoulders and looking her over. I can smell the smoke in

    her hair and on her clothes, but I don¡¯t see any injuries or burns and I don¡¯t smell any blood.

    When I¡¯m satisfied that she¡¯s truly alright, I tuck her under my arm, unwilling to let go of her after just

    having the worst hour of my life. I look and I¡¯m surprised to see that Layan is clinging to Elijah¡¯s back

    like a monkey. I¡¯m even more surprised because he¡¯s stark n*ake*d, but Layan doesn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± I say, a bit too sharply as I see Layan flinch. Elijah gently strokes the leg she

    has wrapped around her waist while pulling her hand to his mouth and kissing it, purring softly. I¡¯m

    shocked when this seems to calm her. ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet Alpha. Alpha Davis has been focused on

    trying to keep the fire under control, so the surrounding forest doesn¡¯t burn down, and alert the humans

    that something is wrong. He did send out patrols to guard the borders.

    ¡°We saw the patrols.¡± Seth says,ing to stand beside us. Hana is tucked up against him much like I

    have Jara against me.

    ¡°It was definitely an explosion. Or, I should say, multiple explosions. The first woke me up and we were

    getting everyone out when the second one went off. The roof began copsing then the floor we were

    on began copsing.¡±

    I look around. We¡¯re going to be here for a while. ¡°We need to find a ce to get our mates and the

    other she-wolves from the pack.¡± I say ncing at Elijah. I¡¯m not sure Layan is ready to disengage from

    him. She seems content to be riding on his back. And, in truth, I¡¯d like to keep Elijah on as guard for

    Jara.

    ¡°Do you still have your phone? I lost mine.¡± I ask Elijah.

    ¡°Yes, and Alpha Jonas picked yours up. He is going to try to get here, but he¡¯s making sure the females

    from Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack are safe and being cared for.¡± I call Quinton and fill him in on what¡¯s

    happened.

    ¡°Do you need me to send any warriors to you?¡± He asks.

    ¡°No, but I would like to borrow Ira again, if you don¡¯t mind. I want to see if we can figure out who ced

    the bombs. Maybe he can give us some information. Also, I¡¯d like to send my mate, Hana, Layan, her

    mom and several of our guards and warriors to your pack. We¡¯re going to be here the rest of the night

    and they need a safe ce to sleep. They will also need some clothes.¡±

    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll alert my patrols that they areing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be in touch as soon as I can.¡±

    ¡°No problem and tell Davis for me that if he and his pack need a ce to stay in the interim while they

    rebuild, they can stay here.¡±

    ¡°I was going to tell him the same thing. I¡¯ll let him know.¡±

    ¡°Elijah, you¡¯re in charge of getting all the guards and the she-wolves to Alpha Quinton¡¯s pack.¡±

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Mason, how will I get in touch with you? I need to know you are safe too.¡± Jara says to me.

    I look at Seth, who shakes his head. He dropped his phone too.

    ¡°Take mine, Alpha. I¡¯ll borrow one at Alpha Quinton¡¯s.¡± Elijah says, giving me his phone.

    I let Alpha Davis know the n before making sure that everyone gets in a car with multiple guards.

    When they are gone, I turn to Alpha Davis.

    ¡°Ira, Quinton¡¯s tracker, is on his way. You and your pack are wee at my pack, and Quinton said the

    same.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°You¡¯re all wee at my pack too.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s get this mess cleaned up, figure out what the f*uc*k happened here and then go get some

    sleep.¡±

    ¡°Works for me.¡± Alpha Davis says.

    Typhon POV

    I had hoped that in the distraction, I could get to my mate. But she was never left alone.

    Always surrounded.

    Always, always, always.

    I was ready, yes I was, to take her back to my new home. That nasty Alpha hasn¡¯t found this one yet.

    I watched as my mate was carted away from the pack, ending my opportunity to get to her. I¡¯ll have to

    find another way.

    And I will, oh yes, I will. She is mine.

    I watch as the three Alphas stand in front of my fiery inferno talking.

    Talk, talk, talk.

    ¡®Three blind Alphas, three blind Alphas

    See how they watch, see how they watch

    They all stand by as the packhouse burns down

    There¡¯s nothing to do but just stand there and frown

    As three blind Alphas, three blind Alphas.¡¯

    I slink away, back to my home. My mate is gone and it¡¯s time for me to begin to n my next attack to

    get her back.

    Attack back, back attack. Attack to get her back.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 140

    Chapter 140

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we got to Alpha Quinton¡¯s pack, we found out that Alpha Luke and Alpha Zaire¡¯s packs had been

    attacked. I was exhausted but I told Alpha Quinton that if anyone called to give us an update, I wanted

    to know.

    Title of the document

    It wasn¡¯t until the next morning that we finally got word. About the time that Mason and Seth dragged

    themselves into Alpha Quinton¡¯s small packhouse, exhausted and nearly dead on their feet, the phone

    rang. Both Alpha Luke and Alpha Zaire

    had defeated the attackers from Gunnar¡¯s packs. Both had some losses to their pack members, but

    both said they killed more of Gunnar¡¯s remaining groups¡¯ packs than they lost in their own.

    When Seth asked, we found out that none of the dead included the Elders, or the remaining Alphas.

    Mason filled them in on the situation over at Alpha Davis¡¯s pack. Ira had caught Typhon¡¯s scent of

    rotten flesh. So, while we had originally thought the attack on Davis¡¯s pack was from Gunnar and his

    men, it ended up being a coincidence that Typhon blew it up at the same time that our alliance was

    fighting Gunnar¡¯s on three other fronts.

    The packs made ns to bury their dead. Alpha Emanuel¡¯s dead pack members were piled into a hole

    and the bodies burned. Jonas left pack members there to make sure that the forest didn¡¯t catch on fire.

    When we heard that the fighting was over in Luke and Zaire¡¯s packs, he called his men back, knowing

    Gunnar would be checking in with Emanuel. By now, we¡¯re sure he knows that one of his alliance¡¯s

    packs has been decimated. Now, we just wait to see what he does next. The alliance has men

    watching each of the remaining three packs non-stop.

    The next month goes by in a haze. Davis divided his pack between ours and Seth¡¯s. Quinton didn¡¯t

    have the space that was needed to house that many men for an extended period of time. Alpha Davis

    and his pack immediately begin to rebuild their packhouse. It will take a couple of months, but all of the

    alliance¡¯s packs are pitching in with money, clothing, food, supplies and man-power to rebuild.

    Since Isabe had gotten the she-wolves out of the packhouse, they felt safer staying with her. We had

    agreed to have them continue there. Isabe had also agreed to lead a support group for the she-

    wolves that had been mistreated in their packs. She had invited Layan to the support group. At first,

    she declined, but when Elijah had prompted her, she had joined.

    Layan and her parents had been part of Alpha Davis¡¯s pack that was temporarily ced in our pack. At

    first, I had worried that she would regress because of the bombing. Then I was concerned that the

    large number of wolves in our pack would scare her. But she stays close to the people that she feels

    safe with, myself, Elijah, Lewis, Ste and Brynn. She has been a great help with Jace and Melinda,

    watching them for us during the day as we send off arge group of our warriors every morning to help

    Alpha Davis rebuild and then prepare to feed that same group of warriorsing home at the end of a

    long day of hard work.

    Elder Jason stayed with us for a couple of weeks after the bombing. He worked with Mason to go

    through the records he had on feral-fever and the iming haze. What little information we have, did

    seem to imply that there is a possibility that a wolf can be impacted by feral-fever and the iming haze

    at the same time.

    ¡°The Alpha that hurt Layan probably had that same issue. He was crazed to do what he did, but if he

    was sick with both, then he was definitely out of his mind.¡± Elder Jason said.

    ¡°Yes, and if Typhon is also suffering the same, then he, too, is out of his mind, but singrly focused on

    Jara. I can¡¯t say what would have happened to the Alpha that attacked Layan if he had survived, but

    when they brought him out of the territory, he was fighting hard to get to Layan.

    It¡¯s almost as if they be obsessed with one she-wolf.¡± Mason says.

    ¡°But then why try to kill me?¡± I asked.

    Mason looks at me a minute. ¡°I don¡¯t think he did. I think he was trying to create a diversion so he could

    capture you. None of the bombs went off on the side of the house that you were in. I know the roof

    copsed and the floor gave out, but the entire other side of the house was leveled. The only reason

    everyone survived is because of our advance healing.¡±

    ¡°And if your mate hadn¡¯t insisted on increasing your guard, Typhon might have seeded. There was

    so much going on in that pack, chaos everywhere, people devastated at the loss of their home, that

    you could have easily been taken without anyone realizing for a while. Long enough, probably for

    Typhon to get you far away.¡± Elder Jason adds.

    After that conversation, my guards did increase. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming, but Mason shifts them out so

    that the ones that are working to rebuild Alpha Davis¡¯s pack get periodic breaks by being my guard for

    a day.

    Isabe has joined our she-wolf calls and has let us know that the females that were rescued from

    Alpha Emanuel¡¯s pack are struggling to adjust.

    ¡°Our pack is the same size that Alpha Emanuel¡¯s was, but they struggle with being around the male

    pack members. They also have a hard time with me allowing my daughters to go off alone with the

    pack members. I¡¯ve had both Katerina and Sophia speak to them, but they won¡¯t listen. I¡¯m open to

    ideas on how to help them if anyone has any.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it would help if they came to one of our packs?¡± Gia had asked. ¡°We all have juvenile

    she-wolves in our packs, and all of us allow our males to spend time with them. Maybe they need to

    see that it¡¯s not just your pack?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to try anything. But I was thinking that maybe spending time with Brynn or Celeste would

    help. They have both had simr experiences and they both have daughters that they are learning

    aren¡¯t unsafe if they are alone in the pack.¡± Isabe says.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to take them in, as long as they know that we¡¯re packed to the gills with men in my pack.

    We¡¯ve got half of Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, so does Hana.¡± I say.

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    ¡°Yeah, happy to have them, but they need to know what they¡¯d be getting into. Our pack is smaller than

    Jara¡¯s, so that might be a better fit. How old is the daughter?¡± She asks.

    ¡°She¡¯s ten, but she¡¯s small for her age. She is malnourished and I¡¯m working to make sure she eats

    enough. Her mother realized recently that she¡¯s been hoarding food.¡±

    ¡°Then, she might do better in Hana¡¯s pack. Juliet is thirteen, where Melinda is only two. Maybe

    someone close to her age can help her. And then Celeste can help work with the adult she-wolves.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I appreciate the a*s*sistance. It¡¯s nice to have a support now. I wish it had always been like

    this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the way it should have been all along.¡± I say.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 141

    Chapter 141

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Thest couple of months have been crazy. I leave the packhouse most mornings to go to Alpha

    Davis¡¯s to help rebuild their packhouse. The outside is done, that part was easy. The inside has been

    slower going, but it¡¯s almost there.

    Title of the document

    When I get back, I have dinner, talking with Elijah about what happened during the day at the pack,

    then I spend some time with Jara and my pup before crawling into bed and falling into a deep sleep.

    The first couple of weeks after the explosion and battles, I worked with Elder Jason looking for

    information on Typhon. He seemed surprised that I figured out why Typhon was so focused on Jara.

    But I need to know what I can do to protect my mate, so I have a vested interested in learning

    everything I can.

    After he went back to Alpha Saul¡¯s pack, he began to put together the structure for the new council. He

    agreed that it should stay with five members and that two of those should be she-wolves. He reached

    out to Jara¡¯s parents, sat in on the she- wolves meetings to get their input and ideas of who might be

    interested in sitting in on the council and then asked around for other elders in the packs. My Gamma

    Joe and some of Jonas¡¯s pack members were identified as possible options for the council.

    In thest month, Elder Jason has been interviewing members for the new council and has finally

    decided on the five. Now, it will be the Alliance Council, not the Elder Council. We no longer identify

    with thews and rules identified from the previous council. The new council will have to review all the

    oldws and determine which ones we¡¯re going to keep, and which ones will be retired. Then they will

    look into thews that were presented at this year¡¯s Alpha meeting and re-evaluate the ones that were

    not approved.

    I¡¯m on our monthly alliance call and Council member Jason is about to set the council positions out for

    a vote. In the end, we decide not to have couples on the council, since there are so few seats, so

    Phillip, Jara¡¯s father was chosen and Ste, Joe¡¯s mate was chosen. One of Jonas¡¯s pack members,

    Brooks, was chosen and so was Gia, Alpha Zaire¡¯s mate.

    They will begin meeting regrly. Because of the risk to Ste and Gia, they will not try to take over the

    existing council¡¯s ce but will create their own space to meet. Elder Jason is going to try to go into the

    council to collect as much information as possible. If they can¡¯t find the information, they will have to

    start from scratch.

    Any news on Alpha Gunnar, Alpha Conrad or Alpha Shawn?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Only that it appears that their wounded are finally healed. There is some talk that Alpha Conrad might

    be nning to move to Alpha Gunnar¡¯s packnds.¡± Antonio says.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he was hoping for, I¡¯m sure.¡± Elder Jason says. ¡°I¡¯m guessing he wants both of them to

    come to him and as I understand it, Alpha Shawn¡¯s pack is too small by the previous Elders¡¯ standards

    to remain an individual pack.¡±

    ¡°That would also put Elder Stanley in Gunnar¡¯s pack.¡± Asher says. ¡°Has anyone heard where Elder

    Rudy ended up?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack.¡± Alpha Saul says.

    ¡°So, he¡¯d have three of the previous Elders if Conrad moves there and all of them if Shawn does as

    well.¡± Alpha Zaire says.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Seth confirms.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear that they are preparing to attack, though. At least not from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± Quinton

    says.

    Everyone agrees that they have not heard of an impending attack either.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep watching and if we hear anything from our pack members who are watching, alert the

    alliance right away.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Next item of business. Davis, how is the rebuildinging along?¡± Seth asks.

    ¡°It¡¯s good. We¡¯re about ready to start moving the first group back in. I can¡¯t thank everyone enough for

    helping us get the packhouse rebuilt so quickly. I had no idea that we could get it done in less than

    three months.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, since Mignon is less than a month away from her due date. I wasn¡¯t going to be

    able to give my time any longer. I want to stay close to her.¡± Asher says.

    ¡°That is a good thing. Who ising to be with her during the delivery?¡± I ask. ¡°Nina ising.

    Mignon¡¯s mom ising from Saul¡¯s pack, as well.¡±

    ¡°Our first pup since Melinda. I think she¡¯s the youngest.¡± Antonio says.

    ¡°Not for long.¡± Asher says proudly.

    ¡°Not for long.¡± Antonio, Seth and I all say together as the others chuckle.

    ¡°Seth, how are the she-wolves from Emanuel¡¯s pack?¡± Davis asks.

    ¡°They¡¯re getting there. It¡¯s a struggle, even with me they are skittish, but it¡¯s getting better.¡±

    ¡°I heard Katerina¡¯s visit with Layan is this weekend.¡± Jonas says.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯sing here since Layan is still staying at our pack.¡± I tell him. ¡°She¡¯s very excited.¡± Jonas

    says and I can hear the smile in his voice. It makes me wonder if he¡¯s hoping to im her next year.

    That would be awkward considering the rtionship he has with her mother.

    ¡°We¡¯re excited to have her. And Layan is doing really well. Every day she¡¯s a little bit better. She¡¯s been

    cooking for us every day. She¡¯s a great cook. We may not give her back to Davis when he¡¯s ready to

    take her back.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey now. Don¡¯t be taking my she-wolf. I can already see that she¡¯s got a soft spot for your

    Beta.¡± Davis says.

    ¡°That she does. He¡¯s good with her and she responds well to him.¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it.¡± He

    says.

    ¡°Any other business for today?¡± Seth asks.

    When no one does, we say goodnight and I head to my room to find my mate. No matter how

    exhausted I am at night, my favorite thing to do is run my hand over Jara¡¯s stomach. For a while, I

    could only hear my daughter¡¯s heartbeat, but now, she responds to my touch, moving so her body is

    touching mine. I¡¯m so in love with my little girl that most nights, my heart feels like it will burst from my

    body. In some ways, I¡¯m jealous of Asher. He¡¯ll get to meet his little girl nearly two months before I¡¯ll get

    to meet mine.

    When I get to the bedroom, I can hear Jara in the bathtub. She¡¯s singing some luby to our daughter,

    and I can hear the water gently swishing around as she bathes herself.

    I walk to the doorway and watch as she rinses herself off, using a washcloth to wash her long legs,

    lifting them out of the water as the suds drip back into the tub.

    ¡°Are you just going to stand there like a creeper or are you going to join me?¡± She asks me, not turning

    to look at me.

    ¡°Best offer I¡¯ve had all day.¡± I tell her, stripping on my way to the tub.

    ¡°What¡¯s that song you¡¯re singing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called Rockabye Baby.¡±

    Jara leans forward and I move to sit in the tub behind her, pulling her against me and grabbing some

    soap before washing her belly so I can touch her and my pup at the same time.

    ¡°Why is the baby in a treetop? That¡¯s weird, right? Our pup isn¡¯t going into any trees until she¡¯s old

    enough to climb them and then preferably not until she¡¯s old enough to have her wolf and heal quickly if

    she falls.¡± I say, frowning as I run my soapy hands over her stomach.

    Almost instantly, my pup moves to find my hand and my frown turns into a happy smile. Jara sighs,

    leaning back and giving me free rein to interact with our little girl.

    ¡°Hey little one.¡± I say, rubbing circles where her head or butt or whatever body part I feel is pushing

    against my hand.

    I talk to my pup a little longer, until the water starts to cool, then I get out, helping Jara to dry herself off

    before getting her dressed and tucking her into bed. I crawl in behind her, wrapping my arm around her

    stomach, holding my girls as we all fall asleep.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    My little pup has be very active. I was so excited when I first felt her move inside me. It was

    wonderful. Ever since Mason could hear her heartbeat, he couldn¡¯t wait to be close to her at night. Now

    that he can feel her moving around inside me, he¡¯s always touching my stomach, hoping to feel her

    move. When she¡¯s awake, she never disappoints him.

    Title of the document

    Today, after Mason and ourrge group of warriors leave to help Alpha Davis rebuild, I decide to go

    with Layan and the kids outside to y. Jace and Melinda are very active and giving them time outside

    to run around is a great way for them to burn off some of their energy. Since Katerina will be here

    tomorrow for the weekend, I wanted to spend some time with Layan today to see how she¡¯s feeling

    about the visit.

    I sit and watch Layan chasing the kids around the yard, ying tag and then hide and seek. When she

    finallyes to sit beside me, I turn to her.

    ¡°How are you feeling about tomorrow and this weekend?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare her off. You, Hana, Annabel and Mignon all had good experiences. I

    know mine wasn¡¯t the norm and I know that you are working to make sure it never happens to anyone

    again, but¡­.¡± She trails off, watching the kids ying.

    ¡°But?¡± I prompt her.

    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t my experience. If she asks me, I¡¯ll tell her the truth. Things can go bad inside the

    iming territory. You know that as well as I do.¡± She says. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    I¡¯m just about to say something else, when the howl of warning goes up. Almost instantly, it is cut off,

    as if the person was attacked. I¡¯m hoping they are okay but I don¡¯t have time to worry about that.

    I jump up as does Layan. ¡°Jace! Melinda!¡±

    We run to them, picking them up and turning to go inside when the scent of rotting flesh hits my nose.

    I turn and see the most hideous creature I¡¯ve ever seen running straight toward us. It¡¯s ck, its fur, if

    that¡¯s what it has is matted all over its body. It looks like it has four legs, but they aren¡¯t ced like they

    should be on a four-legged animal. The two in back are too close together and they are too close to

    what should be its front legs. Whatever it is, it isn¡¯t natural.

    I shove Melinda into Layan¡¯s arms. ¡°RUN! Get them into the safe room. NOW!¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Jara!¡± She yells, seeing the creature behind me.

    ¡°GO!¡± I yell again, turning to put myself between the creature that is stilling straight for us and

    Layan and the pups.

    She grabs a child in each arm and turns to run, yelling for help as she does. The men and wolves that

    were heading toward the sound of the howl immediately turn to help her. My guards, having been off to

    the side, giving me space to rx with Layan,e rushing up.

    Just as the creature leaps at me, Lewis jumps in front of me, taking the brunt of the hit, but the force of

    the creature attacking pushes it and Lewis into me, knocking me to the ground.

    ¡°Luna!¡± I hear someone yell and the creature pins Lewis to the ground, its teeth snapping at his face.

    Another guardes over, ripping the creature off and Lewis gets up, standing in front of me. The

    smell is horrible, worse than anything I¡¯ve ever smelled before.

    From behind Lewis, I can see that our pack members are trying to surround the creature, but it¡¯s so

    wild, and misshapen that it¡¯s just attacking randomly. Its snarls are feral, and I finally realize that this is

    a feral wolf. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened to it to make it so disfigured, but it¡¯s so far gone that it

    doesn¡¯t even know that its body is so broken.

    The men begin fighting and I see Elijah in wolf forme racing over, leaping over the men to fight the

    creature, the creature that is also a wolf, but looks nothing like one.

    Elijah grabs it by the scruff of its neck and yanks it away from me. The men following, attacking the

    intruder as they can. It continues snapping its teeth at everyone. Even when they get a grip on the

    creature, he pulls away, seemingly oblivious that his body is broken.

    ¡°Luna, get up, I¡¯m going to get you into a safe room.¡± Lewis says to me, never turning his back on the

    creature.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask. ¡°It looks like a wolf.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Typhon, Luna, you need to get up. Are you injured?¡±

    ¡°Typhon?¡± I exim, looking at the creature again. I would never have guessed that it was my sister¡¯s

    mate.

    ¡°Luna, can you stand?¡± Lewis asks me again more urgently.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I say, and I try to stand. My side hurts, but I push myself to my feet. I stumble, not feeling

    steady after my fall.

    Lewis turns, seeing me struggling and wraps his arm around my waist. I wrap my arm protectively

    around my stomach and we begin making our way to the packhouse.

    I hear the snarling intensify behind me and Lewis turns, releasing me and stepping in front of me just

    as the creature attacks him again. This time, there¡¯s nowhere for me to go and Typhon ms Lewis

    into me. I fall to the ground on my back, Lewis on top of me, crushing my stomach as Typhon snaps

    and snarls at him, trying to get to me. His saliva, which smells like rotten fish, is dripping onto my face

    and body as he snarls, making me want to vomit.

    Elijah rushes forward again, grabbing the back of Typhon¡¯s leg. I can hear the crunch of bones

    breaking but Typhon doesn¡¯t seem phased at all by the pain. If anything, it seems to drive him forward

    even more.

    The others are rushing over. I can see that some of them have been bitten and others have shes

    and gashes on their bodies. Even feral, Typhon is an Alpha. He may not be a strong Alpha, but as an

    Alpha, he¡¯s still stronger than the warriors in our pack.

    They begin shifting into wolf forming to attack Typhon from different sides, surrounding him. Lewis

    is still thrashing on top of me, trying to keep Typhon away from me and I can do nothing but try to

    protect my daughter.

    Just as Elijah gets a hold of Typhon again, hetches onto the corner of Lewis¡¯s neck where it connects

    to his shoulder. Elijah, not realizing, yanks him off Lewis. The force of Typhon¡¯s hold and Elijah pulling

    him off, rips Lewis¡¯s throat open.

    As the weight on top of me lessens, I feel hot blood begin rushing down my face and chest.

    ¡°Lewis!¡± I scream, pushing him off of me. I can hear the snaps and snarls that continue behind me, but I

    can¡¯t stop to look.

    ¡°LEWIS!¡± I scream again. His eyes are so wide, and his mouth is opening and closing but nothing is

    coming out. Air bubbles begin blowing out of his throat and I realize he¡¯s drowning in his own blood.

    I roll him on his side, putting his head in myp, hoping to keep him from aspirating. I begin rocking

    back and forth.

    ¡°Hold on, Lewis. Just hold on.¡± I say, rubbing my hand over his head

    I scream for help and one of the warriorses rushing over. He drops to his knees beside us, putting

    his hand over the wound, but there¡¯s too much blood. Even I know there¡¯s too much blood, but I don¡¯t

    want to believe it. I don¡¯t want to believe that this man who has been such a good person, a good guard

    to me, is dying in my arms.

    I look down into his eyes, and he reaches up to touch my face. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luna. Don¡¯t cry.¡± He mouths

    to me I grab his hand, holding it to my face ¡°Stay with me, Lewis. Just stay with me. That¡¯s an order

    from your Luna¡±

    He smiles just before I see the light leave his eyes, his hand bing heavy in mine, the blood

    pumping out of his wound slowing until there is nothing

    ¡°Noooo!¡± I lift my head to the sky and scream.

    A momentter, a bloody, n*ake*d Elijah is falling to his knees beside me, checking Lewis for a pulse.

    He looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luna. He¡¯s gone.¡±

    I hear a keening sound and it¡¯s only when Elijah pulls me to his chest rocking me, that I realize that it¡¯s

    me. Lewis gave his life to save me.

    ¡°Come on, Luna. I¡¯ll call Alpha and have hime home right away. Let¡¯s get you upstairs and into the

    shower and then to bed. You¡¯ve had quite a scare. I want the doctor to see you.¡±

    Elijah starts to help me up and I realize I¡¯m sore all over, my body feeling bruised. I put my hand on my

    stomach just as it cramps. I stop, bending over, the pain sucking the air out of my lungs.

    ¡°Luna?¡± Elijah is looking terrified. ¡°Get the doctor here NOW!¡± He shouts. ¡°I¡¯m okay, I just need to catch

    my breath.¡± I say but as soon as I try to stand, the pain shoots through my stomach again.

    This time, I look up at Elijah and I know the fear on his face is mirrored in mine. He reaches down to

    pick me up, just as I feel a warm, sticky wetness between my legs.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Elijah yells as he scoops me up and begins running to the pack hospital. It takes me a

    moment longer than it took him to understand what is going on. But then I smell it. Blood. My blood.

    I¡¯m miscarrying my baby. I¡¯m losing my little girl.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 143

    Chapter 143

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    ¡°I think we¡¯re almost there, Davis. Another week and you can start moving people back into your

    packhouse.¡± I say, looking around at the kitchen that we finished installing today. It looks great.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m drinking some water when my phone rings. I look at the caller ID.

    ¡°Elijah, what¡¯s up? Everything okay?¡±

    There¡¯s silence on the other end of the line and my heart clenches.

    ¡°Elijah.¡±

    ¡°Typhon attacked. Jara was outside with Layan, Melinda and Jace. The guards were nearby but had

    given Jara space to talk with Layan. He attacked and we took him down, but in the process, he killed

    Lewis, and¡­.¡± I feel like the world ising down around me. I don¡¯t even realize I¡¯ve dropped to my

    knees until I hear Davis tell everyone to stop working.

    ¡°Jara?¡± I whisper.

    ¡°She¡¯s in the hospital, Alpha. I tried to get her here faster. I didn¡¯t realize at first. Lewis died in her arms.

    I didn¡¯t smell the blood on her. When I did, I raced her here¡­¡± I can hear my Beta holding his sobs as

    he tells me. I want to be angry with him. I want to yell at him for not protecting my mate. But I know he

    would have given his life for her and obviously, Lewis did.

    ¡°You need to get home, Alpha. You need to get home now.¡±

    ¡°Is she alive?¡± I¡¯m afraid to know the answer.

    ¡°Luna is alive, yes.¡±

    I realize what he¡¯s not telling me. ¡°My pup?¡± I ask, feeling as though I¡¯ve gone numb.

    Elijah breaks down. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± I say, hanging up and standing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡± Davis says, and I just nod.

    I don¡¯t remember anything about the drive. I just remember getting to my pack hospital and seeing

    every member of my pack in the waiting room. Everyone is crying. Several of them are still bloody and

    injured from the battle.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± I ask the room.

    ¡°This way, Alpha.¡± Someone says and I follow them to a room where Jara is hooked up to all sorts of

    equipment. I stop in the door and a sob catch in my throat. Her stomach is tter than it was this

    morning. Our baby, our little girl is gone.

    ¡°Will my mate be okay?¡± I ask, stepping into the room.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. She¡¯ll need to stay in bed for a couple of days, but she will recover. You will need to wait

    before trying to have another pup, but it doesn¡¯t appear that any of her organs were damaged. She was

    just caught underneath Warrior Lewis as he was trying to protect her.¡±

    I look at the doctor. I hadn¡¯t gotten that much information from Elijah.

    ¡°How long will she be unconscious?¡± I ask.

    ¡°We¡¯ve had to sedate her to try to deliver the fetus. We tried everything we could, Alpha. But she was

    too small to save. Luna will be out for the rest of the evening and most likely through the night.¡± I nod,

    before walking to her bed.

    I lean down and kiss her forehead, feeling the burn of tears that I refuse to let fall. I lean down to her

    ear. ¡°You heal, love. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    I stand up, looking at the doctor. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to stay with her.¡± I say before striding to the door.

    ¡°Alpha?¡±

    I turn and look at the doctor. I¡¯m not sure what he sees on my face, but he stops whatever he had

    nned to say. ¡°Okay.¡±

    I step outside and look around. I¡¯m looking for Layan or Ste, but Hana and Seth rush in right at that

    moment, along with her parents I look at them. ¡°Will you stay with her?¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Of course. But where are you going?¡± Nina asks me.

    I look at Seth. ¡°I warned them. I warned them what I would do if they stood by and did nothing to find

    Typhon and something happened to her.¡±

    Seth nods his head at me. ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡±

    Hana squeezes his hand before moving to Jara¡¯s room quickly followed by Nina. Seth turns and falls

    into step beside me Phillip¡¯s hand falls on my shoulder. ¡°Son, where are you going?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°We¡¯re going Elder hunting, dad,¡± Seth tells him.

    Phillip looks at the two of us for a moment, before removing his hand from my shoulder. ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you need to be worried about ¡°I say before we walk out of the room.

    ¡°Where to first?¡± Seth asks

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with Shawn, move to Conrad and finish with Gunnar since he has two. We need to hit them

    all tonight, so they don¡¯t know we¡¯reing ¡°I say.

    ¡°Fine by me. Like I said, I¡¯m with you.¡±

    It takes over an hour to get to Alpha Shawn¡¯s packnds by wolf. When we do, we realize how minimal

    their security is, since they have less than 50 pack members now. Seth and I are able to easily sneak

    into the packnds and then the packhouse without being detected. We shift before entering the

    packhouse, find the supplies we need, then find Elder Carson¡¯s scent.

    When we get to his room, he¡¯s sleepingfortably in his bed. We quickly cover his mouth with duct

    tape and drag him outside. We have to be fast, but I want to make sure that everyone knows what

    happens when you f*uc*k with me and mine.

    We string him up, facing the packhouse. Once he is hanging from his arms, his legs spread, the ropes

    attached to stakes in the ground so he can¡¯t move, I look up at him.

    ¡°I warned you that I woulde for you if Typhon hurt my mate. He not only hurt her, he killed my pup.

    Now, it¡¯s your turn to pay for your sins.¡± I say. Carson¡¯s eyes go wide, and he shakes his head

    emphatically as he watches me pull out the knife. I slice him from sternum to balls. He screams behind

    his tape, but it¡¯s not enough to bring the limited patrols running. I then slice him across the stomach

    horizontally, letting his organs and guts fall out and hang from his body. He won¡¯t die too quickly, his

    wolf healing will kick in, but there will be no saving him from this injury. When I¡¯m done, I stick my hand

    into his stomach, getting it good and bloody before walking to the nearby wall and leaving my message.

    ¡®You were warned.¡¯

    We do the same at Alpha Conrad¡¯s pack, leaving Elder Stanley in the same position and condition.

    Then we move to Gunnar¡¯s pack. His pack is a little harder to get into, but we manage. This time, Seth

    and I have to work separately to get both Elder Rudy and Elder Colton strung up and killed, leaving our

    message before we head back to my pack.

    It¡¯s early in the morning when we finally get back to my packnds. I make sure that Seth has a room

    where he can go shower before I head to my room.

    I stop when I enter, smelling the rich scent of sweet cream and nutmeg, so strong because of our

    daughter¡¯s scent mixed with Jara¡¯s. Our daughter, who was safe in my arms this morning, on my bed.

    Our daughter, who will never live to feel the sun on her face, never feel the warmth of my arms holding

    her, never feel the love her parents have for her.

    I fall to the floor, sobbing. Crying for myself, crying for my mate and crying for the little girl that I will

    never feel pressing against my hand again.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I wake, feeling like something is wrong. There is a heaviness around my heart that I don¡¯t understand.

    My head feels groggy. I can hear a beeping sound and the sounds of someone breathing close by me.

    The sharp scent of antiseptic and cleanser is mixed with the clean, fresh scent of a cool winter breeze.

    Mason.

    Title of the document

    I force my eyes open and see a stark white room around me. I frown, this isn¡¯t my bedroom. I look

    around, trying to get my bearings and that¡¯s when it alles back to me. Typhon, the battle, Lewis

    dying in my arms, the blood, Elijah rushing me to the hospital. I had passed out before he even got me

    here.

    I move to reach down to touch my stomach, realizing that Mason is holding my left hand. His head

    pops up when I pull away from him, my hands going to my much too t stomach.

    I feel the sob catch in my throat and I look at Mason sitting beside me. His eyes are bloodshot, and his

    face is streaked where he has obviously been crying. ¡°She¡¯s gone?¡± I ask, my voice cracking.

    He nods, his own eyes filling with tears. He stands and wraps his arms around me, holding me while I

    sob. When I can finally collect myself, I pull back. Mason grabs some tissues and a ss of water.

    ¡°Typhon?¡± I ask, when I can finally talk again.

    ¡°Elijah and the pack tore him to shreds. He¡¯s dead. And you may as well know, the Elders are too. Seth

    and I hunted them down and killed themst night.¡±

    I should feel bad, or at least feel something about that, but I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t feel anything. I feel numb.

    ¡°And Lewis?¡± I ask, needing to know if he really did die for me.

    ¡°Gone.¡±

    ¡°Anyone else?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Some patrols. We¡¯re going to have a ceremony in a couple of days.¡± He looks at me a moment and I

    realize, for the first time since I¡¯ve known Mason, I don¡¯t know what to say to him. I think he feels the

    same because he looks away from me. ¡°I¡¯ll go get the doctor. He¡¯ll want to know that you¡¯re awake.¡± I

    nod.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    As soon as he leaves, I roll on my side and curl into a ball. I just want to go back to sleep. Go back to a

    ce where this hasn¡¯t happened, where I¡¯m still pregnant and my little girl is still healthy and active

    inside me.

    When the doctores in, I answer his questions and let him check me over. As soon as he¡¯s done, I

    curl back into a ball, turned away from the door, from Mason, from the pack and from everything that

    happened.

    Layan POV

    I had spent the night in Jara¡¯s hospital room with Hana and Nina. Eventually, Nina sent Hana to bed,

    reminding her that she has her own little one to care for. Personally, I thought it was more because

    Nina was afraid that if Jara woke and saw Hana¡¯s pregnant belly, that it might cause her more pain than

    anything.

    When Alpha Mason arrived, I left to give them some time alone. Even though Jara hasn¡¯t woken yet,

    it¡¯s only a matter of time.

    When I walk out of the hospital room, I see that most of their pack is still here. They look up at me and I

    give them a ghost of a smile. ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping.¡± I tell him.

    I turn to head to the packhouse. I¡¯m exhausted, but I know I won¡¯t get any sleep today. Alpha Davis is

    waiting for me.

    ¡°Layan, may I have a word?¡± He asks me, nodding his head in the direction of an empty hospital room.

    I nod and follow him into the room. He closes the door and turns to me, his face grim.

    ¡°Layan. I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Of course, anything.¡± I say. Alpha Davis has been so good to me, letting me heal from the trauma of

    the iming at my own pace. He never pushes.

    I watch as he scrubs his hands over his face. ¡°This sort of thing,¡± he gestures in the direction where

    Jara¡¯s room is, ¡°this kind of loss, it can trigger the pack into feral-fever. The entire pack, Layan. Do you

    understand what I¡¯m saying? Jara and Mason¡¯s depression and loss will be felt by the entire pack. Jara

    won¡¯t be strong enough, emotionally, to stave off the feral-fever. Mason isn¡¯t going to be aware enough

    to see that his pack members need him because he¡¯ll devote all of his time and attention to Jara.¡±

    He begins pacing as he¡¯s talking, his hands going through his hair over and over, making it stand on

    end. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay and make sure the pack continues to run properly. I talked to Councilman Phillip

    and he agreed. Our pack isn¡¯t yet ready for us to move back, so I¡¯ll stay here as long as I¡¯m needed. I

    want to know if I can count on you, Layan. I know it¡¯s a lot to ask, and I know it may be hard on you, but

    we need to do everything we can to save their pack while they grieve.¡±

    ¡°What can I do?¡± I ask. I¡¯m not a Luna, I¡¯m not even a ranked member.

    ¡°Help me keep this pack running. You can make sure there is food at every meal. You can help me

    make sure the pack is eating and not pushing the food around on their tes. The omegas in the

    kitchens know you, and I think you arefortable enough with them to guide them. You will have to

    take charge, Layan. Can you do that for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes Alpha, of course. I want to help. Jara has been there for me, and now it¡¯s my turn to be there for

    her.¡±

    ¡°Good. I knew I could count on you. I asked Isabe if she coulde spend some time here too. She

    can help keep the feral-fever away, but Layan? I think you can too. You¡¯re stronger than you realize.¡±

    He says, giving me a soft smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help.¡± I say.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He says, turning to the door. He puts his hand on the knob and turns back. ¡°And Layan, if

    an Alpha catches you next year, I know you¡¯ll make one hell of a Luna. I hope it¡¯s our pack that is lucky

    enough to have you.¡± He says, before walking out the door.

    I stare at the door as it closes behind him. Did Alpha Davis just say he wanted to im me?

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I found out from Phillip that he and Seth had taken over handling the funerals for my dead pack

    members. I also found out that Elder Jason, Councilman Jason now, asked him to keep Typhon¡¯s body

    so our doctors could run tests and experiments on his blood and tissue. While I hate the idea of that

    monster¡¯s body even being in my packnds, I know that we need the data. There is so little of it, that

    the more we can get, the better.

    Title of the document

    Davis had offered to run my pack for me, in the interim while Jara was in the hospital and for as long as

    I needed. I epted his offer, knowing that I¡¯m in no shape to do anything.

    When I had returned from killing the Elders, I had gone to Jara. When she woke, her despair was

    overwhelming. Feeling it mixed with my own was unbearable. I failed her. I failed both of them. There is

    nothing that I can say to her, nothing that will make this right.

    I stay with her until the doctor gives her another sedative and then I have Nina sit with her while I go

    back to the packhouse to get a shower and fresh clothes. I have just closed the door to my room when

    there¡¯s a knock.

    I open the door to see Elijah, who might look even worse than I do.

    ¡°May I have a word, Alpha?¡± He asks.

    I nod, stepping back and letting him into the room. His eyes are on the floor and his teeth are clenched.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Elijah?¡±

    He turns to face me but doesn¡¯t say anything for a moment.

    ¡°I failed you.¡± He says, his voice barely a whisper. ¡°I failed her. You left me in charge, and I failed you

    both. I understand if you want to remove me as your Beta. I don¡¯t deserve to be a Beta if I can¡¯t protect

    the most important people in our pack.¡±

    I look at him for a long moment. My Beta, my best friend, is ming himself as much as I¡¯m ming

    myself. I put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°This isn¡¯t on you, Elijah. You were there. You fought and killed

    Typhon. I won¡¯t lie, I med you for a moment, a brief moment. But I realized, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s

    mine. I didn¡¯t find him, I didn¡¯t hunt him down like I should have and now, my daughter is dead because

    of it. My mate will barely look at me because of it.¡± I say, turning away from him. ¡°This isn¡¯t on you,

    Elijah. This is on me.¡±

    ¡°What can I do, Alpha. Tell me what I can do.¡± He says, desperation clear in his voice.

    ¡°Keep our packnds safe. The others wille for us. I know it. I left a clear message for them and

    when they do, I don¡¯t want to lose any more pack members.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± He says and begins walking to the door.

    ¡°Elijah.¡±

    He stops, turning to me.

    ¡°I can still smell the open wounds on you. Get to the hospital and get them cleaned up. From what little

    I¡¯ve heard, Typhon was full of disease. Don¡¯t make me bury you too because you didn¡¯t take care of

    yourself. That¡¯s an order.¡± I say, not putting the Alphamand behind it, but knowing if I tell him it¡¯s an

    order that he¡¯ll do it.

    ¡°Yes Alpha.¡±

    I turn and peel off my clothes, going to the shower to wash away today¡¯s sorrow before putting on a

    new set of clothes and heading back to the hospital to take on today¡¯s sorrow.

    Elijah POV

    When I leave Mason¡¯s room, I¡¯m not watching where I¡¯m going. I run right into Layan.

    I grab her before she falls. ¡°Oh, Layan, I¡¯m so sorry, are you okay?¡± I say, looking her over quickly.

    When I see she isn¡¯t hurt, I move to step around her, but her soft, cool handse to my face.

    ¡°I think the better question Elijah is, are you okay?¡± I had told her to call me Elijah instead of Beta. I

    want her to feelfortable with me. I have to admit, even now, I love the way my name sounds when

    she says it.

    I look into her hazel eyes, shining up at me, full of concern. I¡¯m not sure what she sees on my face, but

    she frowns, taking my hand and pulling me into an empty room.

    As soon as we¡¯re alone, I fall to my knees, pulling her against me and I begin to sob. All of the hatred

    for Typhon, fear for Jara, anger and frustration for not protecting my Luna and then the grief, the grief

    that is so strong it feels like it is coating my insides and suffocating me, alles pouring out of me.

    I feel Layan¡¯s gentle hands wrap around me, her headying against the top of mine as she holds me

    while my body is racked with sobs.

    When I finally stop, I pull away, wiping my face on my shirt, embarra*s*sed that she saw me like this.

    ¡°Elijah.¡± She says softly, taking my face in her hands and wiping my tears with her thumbs.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t protect her Layan.¡± I say, looking up into her beautiful face.

    ¡°She¡¯s alive because of you, Elijah.¡± She drops to her knees, holding my face in her hands.

    ¡°I saw you. I got the kids into the safe room, and I came back to help. I watched as you took on Typhon

    on your own. The warriors weren¡¯t able to take him down. Only you were strong enough to fight him off,

    Elijah. I know your heart is hurting, but she¡¯s alive, and Typhon is dead. Because of you.¡±

    Her eyes are so full of respect, admiration and what I hope is a bit of love. I yank her to me, burying my

    face in her neck, smelling her sweet scent of apricots.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I hope I¡¯m not scaring you.¡± I say, pulling back, not wanting to lose this connection. Just

    breathing in her scent is calming me, healing.

    She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you, Elijah.¡± She says, and that¡¯s all the eptance I need. I grab hold of her, clinging

    to her, never wanting to let her go.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The doctor released me the day after I woke up. I haven¡¯t spoken unless someone asks me a question.

    I feel so numb that all I want to do is sleep.

    Title of the document

    Mason helps me get up and get dressed. When we step out of the room, the waiting room is full of our

    pack members. I can feel their need to be close to me, tofort me and to beforted by me. But

    I¡¯m empty. I have nothing to give to them, so rather than saying anything, I walk past them toward the

    packhouse.

    ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime, Jara. Did you want to eat?¡± Mason asks.

    I shake my head and turn toward our bedroom, climbing the stairs, and walking to our room. When I get

    there, I kick off my shoes and crawl into bed, pulling the nkets over my head.

    I don¡¯t know how long Iy there, but I wake to quiet voices talking outside the door.

    The door opens. ¡°Layan, just leave her be.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Alpha.¡±

    A momentter, the nkets are ripped off me. ¡°Okay Jara, time to get in the bath. You smell.¡±

    ¡°Leave me alone, Layan.¡±

    She leans over me in the bed, putting her hands on either side of my face, her face so close I can feel

    her breath. ¡°Not a chance.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± I hear and looking past Layan I see Isabe. ¡°If Layan isn¡¯t strong enough to carry you to the

    bathtub, I know that I am.¡± She says,ing to sit on the other side of the tub.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the water running.¡± Layan says, leaving me with Isabe.

    She begins stroking my hair, not saying anything. I can feel the tears welling in my eyes before they

    begin to spill over. She lets me cry, stroking my hair until Layanes back out.

    ¡°All right then, time to get into the tub.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± I say, really just wanting toy here.

    ¡°I know.¡± Isabe says, taking my face in her hands. ¡°But you¡¯re a Luna. You don¡¯t get to wither away

    and die.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m your friend, I won¡¯t be letting you die, especially when you smell so foul.¡± Layan says,ing

    up behind me. I guess I still have some of the blood and saliva from the battle on me.

    Before I know what¡¯s happening, Isabe has scooped me up and is carrying me to the bathtub. She

    sets me on my feet and Layan begins undressing me. As soon as she¡¯s done, Isabe puts me in the

    tub. The warm water feels soothing against my sore body. I hadn¡¯t even realized that my body was so

    sore.

    Iy there and, in a moment, I feel warm water running through my hair. Layan returns with body wash

    and a washcloth and begins washing my body while Isabe washes my hair.

    ¡°I was thinking,¡± Layan says, not looking up as she washes me, ¡°that after the funerals tonight, we will

    need a movie night.¡±

    I look at her. The funerals are today. I can¡¯t go, I can¡¯t. I begin to panic.

    ¡°Movie night? What is this about?¡± Isabe says.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of a tradition. When I was¡­ healing, Jara, Hana, Annabel and Mignon all came to visit

    me. We had pizza, popcorn, sodas and watched movies. It was something we started during the

    iming, since there were so many of us this past year and they kept up the tradition. I think we should

    continue it.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like a wonderful idea to me.¡± Isabe says behind me.

    I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m sure you both have more important things to do than sitting with me watching

    movies.¡± I say to them.

    Layan¡¯s gentle handes to my face, turning it to look at her. ¡°You are my friend, Jara. There is

    nothing more important than you right now.¡± Her eyes are so earnest that I can¡¯t deny that she means

    what she¡¯s saying. I nod.

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s settled. The harder part will be the funeral.¡± Layan says, looking at me.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I whisper.

    ¡°Jara, listen to me. I know you are feeling raw right now, probably empty, like you have nothing to give

    the pack. But as your friend, I know that if you aren¡¯t there to send Lewis off to the Moon Goddess, you

    will never forgive yourself.¡±

    I feel my lips quiver. I know she¡¯s right, but I don¡¯t know how I can ever get through the funeral.

    ¡°I will be by your side the entire time.¡± She says to me quietly.

    ¡°As will I.¡± Isabe says as she washes my hair. ¡°We won¡¯t leave you Jara. Remember, you are the

    catalyst that started this support system. You are not alone, and you are not required to always be the

    strong one. Let us be your strength right now. We will support you and hold you up for as long as you

    need us.¡± She says.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say.

    When they are done, they help me out of the bathtub. I have a moment to realize that this must have

    been what it was like for Layan that first time she saw us. We all rallied around her,forting her and

    supporting her.

    I pull her into a tight hug. ¡°Thank you.¡± I say again.

    ¡°It¡¯s what friends do. You and our friends taught me that, Jara.¡± She says, hugging me back. I feel

    Isabe wrap her arms around both of us.

    ¡°And now, hopefully, I¡¯m part of the circle of friendship too.¡± Isabe says.

    Layan looks up at her. ¡°Definitely.¡±

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    They help me get dressed and Masones in to get ready too. ¡°Are you ready, Jara?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Layan and Isabe areing with me.¡± I tell him, feeling like they are the life preserver that is

    keeping me afloat in my sea of grief.

    ¡°Of course.¡± He says and they wrap their arms around me as we move to the back of the packhouse,

    Mason following behind us.

    I realize that Seth is leading the funeral services, saying words of goodbye and of the good that our

    pack members did during their short lives. I can feel Mason¡¯s pain, but I shut it out. I have too much of

    my own and feeling his would incapacitate me.

    As they light the pyres of our dead, I send up a silent prayer to Lewis thanking him for saving my life

    and giving his life for mine. Layan was right, I would never have forgiven myself if I wasn¡¯t here tonight.

    When it¡¯s done, I sway, the overwhelming grief of the pack too much to bear. I feel Mason¡¯s hands on

    my hips before he pulls away and lets Layan and Isabe guide me back to the packhouse.

    Layan guides me to her room where there is a recliner couch and a tv already set up. Isabe chooses

    someedy while Layan sits me on the couch beside her. She grabs a nket wrapping it around

    me and after Isabe starts the movie, shees to sit on the other side of me, sandwiching me

    between them. There is no grief, no sadness from them, only love filtering to me.

    It¡¯s a relief and it doesn¡¯t take long before I fall asleep in Layan¡¯s arms, so simr to the first night that I

    saw her after the iming when she fell asleep in my arms.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    It¡¯s been a week since Jara left the hospital. Every night, sheys down in our bed and every morning,

    she¡¯s gone. The first night I woke up and she was gone I flew out of bed, racing around the packhouse,

    irrationally thinking that someone had taken her from me, worried that somehow Typhon had survived

    and was here to get her.

    Title of the document

    Elijah had found me and let me know that she had gone to Layan¡¯s room. I had rushed to her room and

    opened the door, to find that Jara was curled up in Layan¡¯s arms, sleeping.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Each night, I fall into a restless sleep with her in my arms and wake at some point in the night to find

    her gone. I always go to Layan¡¯s room to make sure she¡¯s there. Now, most nights, Isabe is there

    too, and they curl around her, protecting andforting her the way that I should be.

    Jara still barely says anything to me. I know she¡¯s hurting, we both are, but her withdrawal is almost

    worse. She¡¯s here in body, but not in mind or spirit. And she¡¯d rather sleep with her friends than me, her

    mate.

    I had thought that having her friends here would be helpful to her, but it became clear very quickly that

    seeing Hana, Annabel and Mignon all still pregnant was more detrimental than helpful right now. So,

    Layan and Isabe stayed, and the others had gone home.

    I started back to work, needing something to take my mind off of everything. Davis had run things well

    for the few days I needed him to, but when his packhouse was rebuilt and ready for the pack to move

    into, he needed to go.

    The pack is still running. There is food on the table every day, Layan and Isabe make sure that Jara

    eats, Joe makes sure that the warriors train and Elijah makes sure that the patrols are running non-

    stop. I sit at my desk and shuffle papers trying to focus on anything other than my grief

    Today we¡¯re having the first alliance meeting since my attack on the Elders. I have Elijah joining us, so

    he can help me keep the pack going. I know I¡¯m not as strong as I need to be. I still feel the gaping loss

    of my daughter and now I¡¯m feeling the loss of my mate every day.

    When Elijahes in, we dial into the conference call.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, how is Luna Jara?¡± Alpha Luke asks.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± I sigh. How is my mate? I have no idea. ¡°She¡¯s as well as can be expected.¡±

    ¡°Is having Isabe there a help?¡± Jonas asks.

    ¡°It is. She and Layan are taking care of her.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything we can do, please let us know.¡± Alpha Antonio says.

    Before I can answer him, we hear an unfamiliar voice on the phone. ¡°Hello? Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± Zaire asks.

    ¡°Oh, hi. I¡¯m Ian, Alpha Asher¡¯s Beta. He wanted me to join the call to let you know that Luna Mignon is

    inbor. So, he won¡¯t be here. WE¡¯RE HAVING A BABY!¡± He yells and his excitement through the

    phone is palpable.

    The group cheers, except me and Elijah. I look at him and he reaches over, putting his hand on my

    arm. I grit my teeth against the pain. I should be happy for Asher, I really should, but I can¡¯t. Not yet.

    ¡°I just let Nina know. She¡¯s on her way.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you everyone. I have to go!¡± Ian says.

    ¡°Have Alpha Asher reach out when the baby is born so we know momma and baby are safe.¡± Davis

    tells him.

    ¡°I will, bye!¡± He says, hanging up.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to start the call.¡± Quinton says.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Seth says and his voice is considerably more muted than Quinton¡¯s, knowing that this is hurting

    me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. Has anyone else heard that Alpha Shawn and Alpha Conrad are packing

    up?¡± He asks.

    ¡°They¡¯ve moved.¡± Alpha Saul says. ¡°Earlier this week, both packs moved to Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack. They

    have all merged and are now one.¡±

    ¡°Did anyone hear anything after the death of the Elders?¡± Seth asks.

    ¡°No, but the patrols at Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack have tripled.¡± Antonio says.

    ¡°So, the other two packs are empty?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It looks that way.¡± Luke says.

    ¡°We should check it, just to be sure.¡± Quinton says.

    ¡°We need to be careful.¡± Zaire says. ¡°Considering the mines in Emanuel¡¯s packnds, they may have

    done something simr in case we went to check it out.¡±

    ¡°Quinton, Ira sniffed out the mines before we could walk across them. Maybe we could send him with a

    group to see if the packs really are empty and make sure that they aren¡¯t booby-trapped.¡± I say.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. We¡¯ll get it set up. The sooner, the better. If they have all moved to Gunnar¡¯s pack,

    then he¡¯ll be making ns for a counterattack. We need to be ready.¡± Seth says.

    We discuss that Councilman Jason will be attending the next call to give us the status on the new

    council and then we say our goodbyes.

    ¡°Drink Alpha?¡± Elijah asks, moving to the side bar in my office.

    ¡°Yeah, I could use a shot of something strong.¡± I tell him. I watch while he pours two shots.

    ¡°Do you know where Jara is?¡± I ask him, hating that I don¡¯t know myself. ¡°Layan said she was going to

    spend the evening in your room, Alpha. Maybe you should head up there.¡± He tells me.

    I look at him a moment, taking the shot for liquid courage and standing. ¡°I think I will.¡±

    I walk to my room, not knowing what to expect. When I open the door, I could never have guessed

    what was waiting for me.

    Jara isying on the bed. She¡¯s wearing acy bra and panty set with a sheer bathrobe that barely

    covers her hips. I close the door, feeling my body¡¯s instant response.

    ¡°Jara.¡± I say. After barely having her look at me for a week, she¡¯s here, clearly saying she wants me.

    ¡°Mason.¡± My name is like a purr on her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡± She says, patting the bed beside her.

    I¡¯m moving before I can even think about it. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much Jara.¡± I say, sitting on the bed

    and looking into the amber eyes of my mate. I caress her face, reveling in the feel of her soft skin

    against mine. Some of the tightness around my heart eases as she leans her head into my hand.

    She turns her head, kissing my palm. Then she sits up, leaning toward me and kissing me as her

    hands move to unbutton my shirt. When she has it unbuttoned, she pushes it off my shoulders and

    down my arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing too many clothes, Mason.¡±

    I stand, pulling my shirt all the way off and unbuttoning and unzipping my pants, letting them fall to the

    floor.

    Jara moves over, making room for me. Iy down on the bed beside her and pull her to me, kissing her

    deeply. Her hands are everywhere, as if she¡¯s as desperate for me as I am for her.

    She reaches her hand between us, taking my hard c*oc*k in her hand and stroking me. I moan at the

    pleasure that only her touch can give me.

    ¡°Jara.¡± I whisper, nipping at her throat and her ear.

    ¡°Make love to me Mason.¡± I pull back, looking at her.

    ¡°Knot me and give me another baby.¡± My heart falls into my stomach. The one thing she¡¯s asking me, I

    can¡¯t give her, not yet.

    ¡°I can¡¯t Jara. It¡¯s too soon. The doctor said you need to heal.¡±

    ¡°The doctor doesn¡¯t know what I need, Mason. I know what I need, and what I need is you.¡± She says,

    stroking me as she talks.

    I grit my teeth against the pleasure building in me. I am not Typhon. I won¡¯t hurt my mate by trying to

    get her pregnant too soon after she miscarries.

    ¡°No, Jara. We can do many other things. But I won¡¯t knot you, not until the doctor says it¡¯s safe.¡±

    She stops, pulling away from me. ¡°You¡¯re denying me?¡± She asks, anger and hurt clear in her voice.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not rejecting you, love. I just want to make sure your body is ready¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Mason. I¡¯m ready now. I want another baby. I need another baby. Please, Mason.¡± Her eyes

    have gone a little crazy and her voice has be desperate.

    I sit up. ¡°No, Jara. I won¡¯t do to you what Typhon did to M. When the doctor says it¡¯s safe, I¡¯ll knot you

    100 times a day if you want. But not until your body has healed.¡±

    She looks at me a moment and I can see the hurt and pain in her eyes.

    ¡°Well, f*uc*k you then.¡± She says, getting up and storming out of the room.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    N?velDrama.Org content.

    I haven¡¯t spoken to Mason since he rejected me several weeks ago. If I¡¯m honest with myself, I know it

    wasn¡¯t a rejection, it was from a ce of love that he told me no. I know that, somewhere in my mind, I

    know I¡¯m being irrational, but it does nothing for my feelings of anger and hurt so I¡¯ve stayed away from

    him, choosing to sleep in Layan¡¯s room every night instead of going to our room.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯ve shut myself off from Mason. My grief is so overwhelming that I can¡¯t handle any more. I know he¡¯s

    hurting too, but I can¡¯t be there for him. It¡¯s just too much right now. The same is true for the pack. I

    know they are feeling grief for our loss, and I¡¯ve shut myself off from them, not able to deal with more

    than my own pain. And so, I¡¯ve stayed locked inside my own head.

    I¡¯ve avoided everyone, everyone except Layan and Isabe who refuse to let me ignore them. Or, if I

    refuse to speak, they sit with me, talking around me or sometimes, just sitting quietly with me. They¡¯ve

    made sure that I eat and that I bathe. Otherwise, I go where they tell me, I sit where they tell me.

    Tonight, as with every evening, I¡¯m in a rocking chair on the back porch with a nket over myp,

    rocking gently in my chair looking out over the forest. Layan is on one side of me and Isabe on the

    other.

    ¡°Luna!¡± Melinda says, racing toward me.

    ¡°Melinda, no. Come back here. Leave Luna alone.¡± Brynn says,ing up behind her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Luna.¡± She says, taking Melinda¡¯s hand and trying to pull her away.

    Melinda is having none of it. ¡°No momma. I have a message for Luna. I have to give it to her, it¡¯s

    important.¡± She says, fighting to pull her hand out of her mother¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°Melinda, stop this. We¡¯ve talked about this.¡± She says, picking Melinda up.

    ¡°Luna, please. It¡¯s important.¡± Melinda says as Brynn begins to carry her away.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Brynn.¡± I say, reaching my arms out for Melinda. She¡¯s so insistent that whatever she feels

    the need to tell me is important to her.

    Brynn puts her down and she rushes back to me. I help her crawl into myp, and she takes my face in

    her small hands.

    ¡°I have a message from Luna M. She came to me in my dream to tell me and she said it was very

    important that I tell you. She made me promise. I¡¯ve been trying to, but mom wouldn¡¯t let mee see

    you.¡± She says, giving Brynn the side-eye.

    I frown at her. ¡°A message from M?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± She says, nodding. Isabe is watching her closely and she leans forward.

    ¡°What did M look like in your dream, Melinda?¡± She asks, maybe wondering if Melinda has heard my

    sister¡¯s name before and had a dream about her.

    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful, like Luna Jara. Only her hair is a lighter brown, and her eyes are a light green color,

    not like Luna¡¯s, which are brown.¡± She says, studying my face as if to make sure she gets it right.

    Isabe looks at me and I nod. That¡¯s exactly what my sister looked like. ¡°What did she say?¡± Layan

    asks, everyone¡¯s attention riveted on Melinda now.

    She looks me straight in my eyes. ¡°She said to say thank you for sending her the baby she could never

    have. She said you don¡¯t have to cry anymore, Luna. She has baby Mena, that¡¯s what she called her,

    and she will take care of her and raise her for you.¡±

    My hand flies to my mouth. ¡°What?¡± I whisper.

    ¡°She said they will both see you someday in the Moon Goddess¡¯s realm, but your job is here. So, she

    will watch over your little girl as if she was her own, so you don¡¯t have to be sad anymore. And she said

    she loves you and she¡¯s very proud of you.¡±

    I feel the hot sting of tears in my eyes. ¡°She always wanted to name her daughter Mena. Did you see

    her? My little girl?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Mmhmm. Luna M was holding her. She¡¯s very pretty. She has your dark hair and Alpha¡¯s grey eyes.

    Oh, and Warrior Lewis was there too. He said he¡¯ll watch over them like he watched over you.¡± I pull

    her to me, hugging her tightly.

    ¡°Thank you, Melinda.¡± I say, tearfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Luna. Luna M was very happy. She said to make sure I gave you this message.

    She said it would make you feel better.¡±

    ¡°It does, sweetheart. It really does. Thank you.¡± She hugs me again before sliding off myp.

    ¡°Okay, momma, I¡¯m ready now.¡±

    I look up and see that Brynn, Layan and Isabe are all crying too. They reach out, holding my hands. I

    squeeze them, closing my eyes and sending a silent prayer of thanks to my sister.

    When I open my eyes, it¡¯s like a haze has been lifted from me, a darkness removed. My child is with

    my sister, and I know she will always look after her.

    I stand up, walking to the back of the porch. I realize that it¡¯s unnaturally quiet. There¡¯s noughter, no

    talking, nothing. Just the sound of paws hitting the dirt in the distance as the patrols run our borders.

    I reach out and feel the sadness, the loneliness of the pack. They not only suffered the loss of a

    member of their pack, but they are feeling the loss, grief and withdrawal of their Alpha and Luna.

    Then, I undo what I should never have done. I open the door in my mind that connects me to Mason.

    The moment I do, it¡¯s as if I can feel his head snap up, as if he¡¯s been staring at the ce where I cut

    off our connection, waiting and hoping for me to open it again.

    I turn, moving quickly, needing to see him. I lift my nose in the air and follow his scent to his office. I

    open the door and see my mate for the first time in a long time.

    His eyes are bloodshot, his dark hair is too long and it¡¯s a mess, as if he can¡¯t keep his hands out of it.

    The office smells strongly of him and I realize he¡¯s been sleeping in here at night while I¡¯ve been

    sleeping in Layan¡¯s room.

    He stands, watching me cautiously, not sure what to do. I open my arms and walk toward him. In an

    instant, I¡¯m in his arms, his face buried in my neck, a sob catching in his throat.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I should never have cut you off.¡± I say. He¡¯s shaking his head before I can finish.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I should have done more. I should have searched harder for Typhon. I should have¡­.¡±

    I cut him off, pulling his face away from my neck so I can look into his exhausted eyes. ¡°There was

    nothing you could do, my love. You did everything you could. I know that.¡±

    Relief washes over his face and he pulls me to him again.

    ¡°I love you so much, Jara. I was so afraid I¡¯d lost you too.¡±

    ¡°I was lost, Mason, but I¡¯m back now. And now, you¡¯re stuck with me.¡±

    ¡°I will dly be stuck with you forever, Jara.¡± As we hold each other, I know there is one more thing I

    have to say to him.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me no, Mason. I wasn¡¯t able to feel it then, but I know, in my heart, that you

    weren¡¯t rejecting me. You were protecting me, as you always do. I won¡¯t push for us to try to have

    another child until the doctor says it¡¯s safe.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t lose you Jara. You¡¯re too precious to me. But as soon as the doctor says it¡¯s safe, I¡¯m locking

    you in our room and keeping you there until you tell me you¡¯ve had enough of me.¡±

    ¡°Better n to spend the rest of your life in bed with me then, Alpha, because I¡¯ll never have enough of

    you.¡± I tell him.

    He leans his forehead against mine. ¡°Can we go to bed, in our bed, together?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He takes my hand, and we spend the night curled up together, holding each other, both of us getting

    much needed sleep.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    After a month of absolute silence in my head from Jara, I can¡¯t get enough of her being back in my

    head. Last night, I slept for what was probably the first time since we lost our daughter. The next

    morning as sheys wrapped in my arms, I ask her what had changed, and she told me about M

    coming to Melinda in a dream.

    Title of the document

    ¡°You know, Mason. I would never have been able to willingly give up a child. But, if I had to lose one,

    then I¡¯m d to know that my sister got the child she never had in this life.¡±

    ¡°Me too. If feels¡­better somehow knowing that your sister is looking after our daughter.¡±

    I sent Elijah a mind link, letting him know that I¡¯d be spending time with Jara this morning.

    ¡°Take as much time as you need, Alpha. The whole pack can feel the difference in the two of you this

    morning. I¡¯m d things are getting better.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± I say before turning back to my mate.

    ¡°Tell me what I¡¯ve missed.¡± She says.

    I had intentionally not told her that Mignon had her baby. When Asher told me that Mignon wanted to

    visit with her baby, I had told him no. I wasn¡¯t sure how Jara would respond, and it was too risky.

    Then, just a few days ago, Hana had her daughter. I hadn¡¯t mentioned that either and I had asked her

    family to keep it from her for now.

    So, I kiss the top of her head, holding her tightly before telling her about Mignon and Hana.

    She shoots up, looking at me. ¡°I missed their births? Both of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was afraid it would be too upsetting for you, so I asked them not to say anything. I¡¯m sorry if that

    wasn¡¯t the right thing to do.¡± I tell her.

    She leans down, kissing my lips softly. ¡°It was exactly the right thing to do. You¡¯re right, I couldn¡¯t have

    handled it. But I think I can now.¡± She says, nuzzling my face. ¡°What else did I miss?¡± She asks and her

    voice has gone soft, deep with desire. My body responds, but I¡¯m careful. I don¡¯t want another incident

    like before.

    She must feel the change in me. ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t push, and I won¡¯t. But you did say there were

    other things that we could do until the doctor gave us the go ahead.¡± She says smiling. It¡¯s the first time

    I¡¯ve seen her smile in much too long. Sheys back down on my chest and I rx, stroking her n*ake*d

    back with my fingers, tracing the line of her spine as I talk.

    ¡°Alpha Shawn and Alpha Conrad moved to Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack. Thest time we checked, it looked

    like they were training hard. I expect that they will be nning an attack soon. Zaire, Saul, Davis and

    Quinton have been watching them. Asher, Seth, Antonio and I have been distractedtely.¡±

    She rolls into me, her handing up to cup my face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been here for you.¡± Her eyes

    are full of sadness but also determination. I know that look. My mate is resolute in getting herself back

    to where she was before we lost our daughter. We¡¯ll never forget our first child, but we can move

    forward. Together.

    ¡°There is something else that I¡¯d like you to participate in when you are up for it.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She asks. ¡°The council wants to hear from Layan. None of them were there when she

    went into the imingst year. We know that she needs to go back in, but they want to hear from her.

    One of the things that we put forth in our petition was to allow females to choose their imants. Layan

    should have 20 in her im, but I don¡¯t think she can handle that, and neither do Seth and Antonio. We

    were there, we saw how she came out. But, if I fight this, it could look like I¡¯m trying to give Elijah the

    upper hand. He may be your Beta, but no one doubts that you, and the other Lunas will have Layan¡¯s

    best interest at heart.¡±

    ¡°When you say they want to hear from her, what do you mean?¡± She asks.

    ¡°They want her toe before the council and talk, informally, although I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t feel that way

    to her, to negotiate to get what she wants in her iming versus what the council feels is in the best

    interest in the packs. As it stands, we¡¯ve lost at least another 150 werewolves, fighting with Alpha

    Emanuel and with the others fighting against Alpha Zaire and Alpha Luke. That brings our numbers

    down to roughly 1350, not including the 50 she-wolves. That¡¯s it, that¡¯s all that¡¯s left of us and if we go

    to war with Gunnar, that number will decrease even more.¡± She leans over, kissing my chest, lost in

    thought. ¡°We, as she-wolves, can¡¯t keep up with how quickly we¡¯re killing each other off. At this rate,

    there just won¡¯t be enough of us left.¡±

    ¡°I know. And there are only three she-wolves going into the im this year ¨C Layan, Katerina and

    McKenna. Ste hasn¡¯t had a child since Jace, Tessa, your mom, Isabe, they¡¯re all too old to have

    children. Nearly half of the she-wolves left haven¡¯te of age. There¡¯s a possibility of things

    improving over time, but we¡¯re at serious risk of decimating our species with this impending war.¡±

    ¡°The one good thing is that now, we¡¯re doing a better job of keeping the feral-fever away in the packs.

    Jonas¡¯s pack has several members that are in their thirties and are showing no signs of feral-fever.¡±

    She says.

    ¡°Yes, but to what end. If there are roughly twenty she-wolves that wille of age in the next fifteen

    years, that¡¯s not enough to save them all.¡± I say.

    ¡°No, but it will save some. And we¡¯re at least giving them a greater chance of survival. Who knows,

    maybe someday, we¡¯ll have enough she- wolves that they can choose their mates. Maybe, hopefully,

    someday the iming will be gone and the fated mate bond will return. I know I would have chosen

    you, the other Lunas would have chosen their mates. Layan would choose Elijah.¡± She says and I

    chuckle.

    ¡°What?¡± She asks, looking up at me. Goddess, it feels so good to have her back. Justying here

    talking to her, going through it all makes it easier for me to get my head around it.

    ¡°Apparently, Davis threw his hat in the ring. He told Layan he hopes he catches her, and she bes

    their pack¡¯s Luna.¡±

    She pops up like I zapped her. ¡°Shut the front door! Are you kidding me?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Nope.¡± I say, popping the ¡®p¡¯ as I smile at my mate. My beautiful mate, who¡¯s wheels are turning at

    lightning speed again. The light may not be totally back in her eyes, but it¡¯s there, it¡¯sing back. And

    suddenly, I need to show her how much she means to me, how much I love her.

    I roll over, sliding myself over top of her. Her distracted look turns to one of singr focus. Me.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Alpha?¡± She purrs at me.

    ¡°You, my mate, and the sweet cream taste of your body that I¡¯ve been missing.¡±

    ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t want to keep a wolf from the feast that he¡¯s craving.¡± She says.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    I growl, making my way down her body, taking my time, enjoying two of my favorite things. Feasting on

    my mate¡¯s sweet cream and nutmeg taste and listening to the sounds of her screaming her pleasure.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When we finally emerged from our room, I feel better. I still have sadness in my heart, but it¡¯s healing

    and it¡¯s time for me to start acting like the Luna that I am.

    Title of the document

    My first order of business was to call Mignon. I video call her, happy to see her face when she picks up.

    ¡°Jara!¡±

    ¡°Hey Mignon. How are you. I hear you have a sweet little girl that I need to meet.¡±

    Her smile widens and she looks over her shoulder. It looks like she¡¯s in her bedroom. She turns back,

    narrowing her eyes at me.

    ¡°How are you? I wanted toe visit, but Mason didn¡¯t think it was a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Mason was right, but I¡¯m starting to feel better now. So, do I get to meet your little one?¡±

    Her smile lights up her whole face. ¡°Yes.¡±

    She turns. ¡°Ash, bring Gianna over so Jara can meet her.¡±

    A momentter, I see Asher¡¯s strong arms and inside of them is a small baby. The baby probably isn¡¯t

    as small as she looks, but Asher is huge, and dwarfs his little girl.

    ¡°Hey Luna, how are you doing?¡± He asks me as he leans down.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Asher. Thank you. So, this little one is named Gianna?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes. Asher said since she looked like him that I could name her.¡± Mignon says, leaning her face

    against Asher¡¯s arm, looking at her daughter with a look of total love and adoration.

    ¡°Yeah, no mistaking that light brown hair as yours.¡± I say to her. Mignon1 s hair is a rich dark brown and

    their daughter¡¯s is the light curly brown of Asher¡¯s.

    ¡°I think she got his green eyes too.¡± Mignon pouts.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to have another one that looks like you, Baby Girl.¡± Asher says, kissing Mignon¡¯s

    temple.

    She blushes. ¡°Okay.¡±

    I chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll set up a time soon so I cane see you and hold baby Gianna.¡± I tell them.

    ¡°We would love that.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you up and moving again, Luna.¡± Asher says.

    ¡°Thank you, Asher. Give that baby a kiss for me.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡± They say and I end the call.

    Immediately, I video dial Hana. As soon as the phone connects, I see Seth, but I hear Hana in the

    background.

    ¡°Hand me the phone, Seth.¡±

    He looks at me on the phone. ¡°She¡¯s so pushy now that she¡¯s a mother.¡± I chuckle. ¡°How are you, sis?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m better, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Good, here, let me give you to Hana before she bursts something.¡± He says and the phone changes

    hands.

    ¡°Jara, how are you? I¡¯ve been worried sick. After that one time we tried to visit, Mason told us to stay

    away. I¡¯ve called him every day to check on you. It¡¯s so good to hear from you.¡± She says and tears

    start falling down her cheeks. ¡°Hana.¡± I hear my brother say patiently. I see his thumbs as he wipes her

    eyes and then see his face as he kisses the top of her head.

    ¡°Sorry. First it was pregnancy hormones, now it¡¯s the rapid decline of hormones that has me on edge.

    But I really have been so worried about you.¡±

    ¡°Is Seth still there?¡± I ask.

    I see Hana¡¯s body shift. She must be on their bed, and he must have sat down beside her. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± I

    tell them about M visiting Melinda in a dream.

    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet.¡± Hana says and she¡¯s crying again. I see Seth sigh before wrapping his arm around

    her.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing better and now I want to see my niece.¡± I tell her. She wipes her cheeks with

    one hand. ¡°Well, she¡¯s eating. She has her father¡¯s appetite, that¡¯s for sure.¡± I hear Seth chuckling in

    the background.

    ¡°But she looks just like you, love.¡± Seth says.

    I see her smile. ¡°Yeah, she does. Even down to that rim of gold around my eyes.¡± Her phone view flips,

    and I see my niece nursing at Hana¡¯s b*reas*t.

    ¡°Aunt Jara, meet Taylor, your niece. She can¡¯t wait to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Geez, if her hair was curly, she¡¯d look just like Gianna.¡±

    ¡°Gianna¡¯s eyes are green. Taylor¡¯s are brown.¡± Hana rifies.

    ¡°When do I get to meet my niece?¡± I ask.

    The screen flips back to Hana. ¡°How soon can you get here?¡± She asks me, smiling.

    ¡°Not for a couple of days at least. I¡¯ve neglected my pack. I need to be here for them. Layan and

    Isabe have been great, and Brynn and Ste having been taking over my duties, but it¡¯s my job, not

    theirs and I¡¯m sure Isabe needs to get back to her own pack.¡±

    Hana snickers. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they miss her terribly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very naughty, love.¡± Seth says, nuzzling

    her ear. Hana, however, looks down.

    ¡°Oh, perfect timing. Here you go, daddy. Tay needs to burp.¡± She says, handing her daughter to Seth,

    who happily takes her, cooing at her. I force the smile to stay on my face. It¡¯s hard because my heart is

    aching a bit, watching them interact with their baby, knowing mine should have been here soon too.

    Mason walks into the room behind me. I can tell by the look on his face that he felt my pain and came

    to check on me. I turn back to Hana.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I cane visit.¡±

    ¡°Make it soon. I miss my sister.¡± She says.

    ¡°Promise.¡± I tell her before saying goodbye and hanging up.

    As soon as I do, Mason pulls me into his arms. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Okay. That was hard, but it was also good. Both girls are really cute. Once things settle here, I¡¯ll go

    visit them and meet our newest additions.¡±

    ¡°Yep, two more she-wolves to add to our numbers and one more on the way in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Will you join me for lunch?¡± Mason asks me.

    ¡°Yes. In the dining hall?¡± I ask, wanting to get a better feel for our pack members and needing to speak

    to Layan and Isabe.

    ¡°I think the pack would love that.¡±

    Mason takes my hand and when we walk into the dining hall, the room goes silent. I step forward,

    needing to address the pack, but keeping hold of Mason¡¯s hand for support.

    ¡°I know I disconnected from all of you. I¡¯m sorry for that. I was

    overwhelmed with my grief as I¡¯m sure all of you have been as well. I¡¯m better now and I¡¯m here for

    you.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, Luna?¡± One of our omegas says, looking around at the pack members in the room.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, well, we, the pack I mean, would like to show you something when you have a moment.¡±

    ¡°I have as much time as you need. When would you like to show me?¡± I ask. Almost as one, the entire

    pack stands up. I see Isabe and Layan across the room looking confused. I turn to Mason who looks

    equally confused.

    The pack begins to exit through the back of the packhouse. Mason and I follow them to an area off to

    the side of the house, in a quiet part of the packnds, clearly in view of mine and Mason¡¯s bedroom

    window.

    One of the warriors turns to me. ¡°We wanted to memorialize your baby, Luna, Alpha. So, we made this

    ce for her. A ce where the pack can always remember her.¡±

    They step aside and I can see that they¡¯ve put together a small, but beautiful garden. It¡¯s full of flowers

    and is surrounded by natural rocks and stones. In the middle is a que that says Always in our

    hearts.

    There are benches so anyone cane and sit, enjoying the peacefulness of the area.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Mason says, his voice thick with emotion.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you, all of you. This is so special. Mason and I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡± They all incline their

    heads to us, then begin heading back inside, giving us a moment to enjoy the peacefulness of this

    ce that they created. Masones up behind me wrapping his arms around my waist, putting his

    chin on my shoulder and looking at what they did for us, for our daughter.

    ¡°We really do have the best pack, don¡¯t we?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Without a doubt.¡± I say.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Elijah

    Things are starting to get back to normal. Isabe returned to her pack already and sadly, it¡¯s time for

    Layan to return as well.

    Title of the document

    I had tried everything I could think of to keep her here. But today, she¡¯s leaving, and I don¡¯t know when

    I¡¯ll get to see her again.

    ¡°My pack needs me, Elijah. You know that. I¡¯ll see you soon. Plus, you showed me how to video call

    you, so I can do that now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same.¡± I say, putting my hands on her hips and gently pulling her toward me. I¡¯ve been

    testing out the ¡®I¡¯m not scared of you¡¯ philosophy by doing little things like this. She never flinches when

    I touch her. I love that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go.¡± I say. I¡¯m trying to stay strong, but I feel like my heart is breaking. What if this is

    thest time I get to hold her in my arms. What if someone else ims her this year.

    I look into her sweet, soft eyes. ¡°Can I kiss you, Layan?¡± I ask her, hoping she¡¯ll say yes, but also

    prepared for her to say no.

    A smile graces her face, and she nods her head.

    Never taking my eyes off of hers, I lean in, touching my lips to hers. I hold myself back from pulling her

    to me and kissing her passionately like I want to. If this is her first kiss, I want to make it memorable,

    special, something she wants more of, hopefully dreams about.

    I gently slide my tongue over the seam of her lips, and they open, letting me tickle them further, gently

    sliding my tongue into her mouth. Her sweet taste of apricots nearly brings me to my knees. My hand

    goes into her hair, and I tilt my head to get a better angle. My other hand wraps around her waist,

    pulling her to me. Her arms slide around my neck, and we kiss until we bothe up gasping for air.

    I lean my forehead against her as we catch our breath. ¡°I love you, Layan. You don¡¯t have to say

    anything, I just¡­¡±

    She touches her finger to my lips. ¡°I love you too, Elijah.¡±

    I feel my throat close with the emotion I¡¯m feeling. I pull her to me and hug her tightly. I don¡¯t want her

    to leave. It takes everything in me to stand back and open her car door.

    I help her into the car, watching as she puts her fingers to her lips. Yeah, I can still feel her warm lips

    and taste her sweet apricots on my lips too.

    We both watch each other as the car pulls away, and it¡¯s not until they turn a corner, and I can no

    longer see her that I turn to go back inside.

    Mason and Jara are here, having said goodbye for Layan and now, waiting for me. I move to walk past

    them, my head down. Mason falls into step beside me.

    We walk in silence for a moment.

    ¡°I hate that she had to leave.¡± I say.

    ¡°I know. She¡¯s wee back any time.¡±

    I nod. ¡°I have to im her. I have to, Mason. If anyone else¡­.¡± My throat clenches at the thought of

    anyone else touching her. ¡°I have to.¡±

    ¡°I understand that very well. I¡¯ve asked Jara to be there for her meeting with the council. They want to

    wait until it¡¯s closer to the time of the iming, to give her time to heal and to feel morefortable, but

    we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen. Maybe they¡¯ll let her make a choice.¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°They won¡¯t. They can¡¯t. There are still too many of us who need and want mates.

    Not to mention, I¡¯m up against at least one Alpha. And I¡¯d be surprised if Alpha Luke and Alpha Quinton

    didn¡¯t try for her too. She¡¯d be a good Luna. There¡¯s no doubt in my mind that she would. And I know I

    should want that for her, but I just want her.¡±

    ¡°Well, it looks to me like that¡¯s what she wants to. And sometimes, that makes the difference. Look at

    Hana. She chose Seth. When she was cornered, she ran to him and chose him. You never know what

    will happen in the iming.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s the problem, Alpha. I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t control what happens there, but inside the territory,

    there is no alliance, there is no working together. It was different for you and me. We were working

    together for the pack. We knew Luna Jara wanted you and I wanted Layan, even back then. This will

    be different. Alpha Davis, Alpha Luke and Alpha Quinton won¡¯t be helping me to im her.¡±

    ¡°You forget. She still has to choose to allow them into her iming. She may not. Maybe she chooses

    only omegas just to give you the edge. You don¡¯t know what it will be like this year. It will be a whole

    different iming.¡± He says.

    ¡°If you need to take some time, Elijah, do it. You¡¯ve been running this pack while I was out of it. I¡¯m

    ready to step back in now, so if you want to get away, take some time, whatever you need right now,

    you¡¯ve got it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Mason.¡± I say, knowing he¡¯s talking to me as my friend, not my Alpha. ¡°But I need to work. The

    more I work, the faster this year¡¯s iming wille. And hopefully, the sooner the iming urs, the

    sooner I can bring Layan home.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then, we need to start prepping for an attack. We know it¡¯s imminent. Alpha Gunnar won¡¯t let this

    go. We have all the she-wolves, we killed the Elders, he has nothing to lose.¡± Mason says.

    He turns, taking my arm and holding me in ce. ¡°If anything happens to me, you need to take care of

    Jara. I need to know that you will look after her. I trust the pack, but you are the one that has the best

    chance of protecting her, just like you did against Typhon.¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen to you, Alpha.¡± I say. He may think our Luna will survive his death, but I

    know she won¡¯t.

    ¡°There are three Alphas that will being, Elijah. I¡¯d be a fool to think that they aren¡¯t alling for

    me. Gunnar made it clear that he has no problem stealing another Alpha¡¯s Luna. If anything happens to

    me, she¡¯s at risk. Can I trust that you will protect her?¡± He asks and I can see his fear for Jara in his

    eyes. He¡¯s not worried about himself, he¡¯s not even worried about dying, he¡¯s worried about what his

    death might mean for her.

    ¡°Always.¡± I say, looking him in the eye so he knows I mean it.

    He nods, rxing. ¡°Good. And if something does happen to me¡­¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± I insist. I won¡¯t allow it. I failed them once. I won¡¯t fail them again. Ever.

    ¡°But if it does, make sure Jara takes another mate. She¡¯s too important. Alpha Luke, at least, is one

    that I know she likes. He would be a good choice.¡±

    ¡°You know Luna would kick your a*s*s if she heard you talking like this.¡± I say, seeing her walking up

    behind him. I watch as she narrows her eyes.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t tell her.¡± He says.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to. She already heard.¡± She says from behind him. He turns to her.

    ¡°And let me exin something to you, Alpha.¡± She says to Mason, her own voice has gone full Alpha.

    ¡°There is no one for me, but you. So, nothing better happen to you.¡± She says, getting in his face.

    ¡°Jara¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, Mason. Nothing better happen to you. Period.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my love.¡± He says, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

    I turn, leaving them alone. This is why Mason is such a good Alpha. He knows when to fight and he

    knows when to raise the white g.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    It¡¯s been nearly two months since I lost Mena. Today, Mason and I go back to the doctor to see if I¡¯ve

    healed enough for us to start having sex again. We¡¯ve definitely been creative in thest couple of

    weeks, but I¡¯m ready to feel my mate inside me.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m nervous when we walk into the pack hospital and get our room, and I can feel that Mason is too. He

    squeezes my hand as we wait for the doctor toe in.

    The doctor walks in, a clipboard in his hands. ¡°Good morning, Alpha, good morning, Luna.¡± He says,

    ncing up at us before looking back at the papers on his clipboard.

    ¡°All of yourb work looks good. So, let¡¯s take a look and see if your body has healed.¡± He says.

    I get settled on a clinic bed and the doctor looks at Mason. ¡°Alpha, I need to touch your mate and I

    need to insert a scope into her body. The scope will let me know if she has healed.¡± He turns a screen

    toward us.

    ¡°You can watch what the scope shows here and if anything stands out, I will point it out to you. Do you

    understand?¡± He asks. When Mason nods, he turns to me. ¡°Luna, any questions before we begin?¡±

    ¡°No, doctor, thank you.¡± To an outsider, it might seem as if he¡¯s ignoring me and talking to Mason, but

    Mason is the one that will t*ear him apart because he¡¯s touching me. So, I understand that the doctor is

    protecting himself first and making sure I understand everything second.

    The minute the doctor lifts the sheet that covers my lower half, Mason growls. The doctor stops, looking

    at Mason and waiting until he¡¯s back in control.

    ¡°Alpha, I¡¯m going to insert the scope into Luna¡¯s body now.¡± He says, watching Mason for a moment

    before looking down and inserting the scope. I take Mason¡¯s hand, trying to calm him. It would be

    easier if I wasn¡¯t on edge about today and that is probably not helping Mason¡¯s inability to control

    himself right now.

    ¡°Okay, what we¡¯re looking for here are fissures, lesions or scar tissue.¡±

    ¡°English, Doc.¡± Mason says.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    He looks at Mason, then me. ¡°We¡¯re checking to see if Luna¡¯s body has healed from the miscarriage.

    Not only is that traumatic to her body but she suffered internal damage because of the battle and

    Warrior Lewis being pressed against her stomach during the attack.¡±

    He turns back to the screen, and Mason and I watch as the scope moves deeper inside me. I have no

    idea what I¡¯m looking at, and when I look at Mason, his look of confusion matches my feelings.

    Finally, the doctor pulls the instrument from my body. He covers me up again before turning back to me

    and Mason. ¡°Excellent news. Luna, you arepletely healed. You can resume your normal activities.

    I would suggest, however, that when you get pregnant again, youe to me immediately so we can

    ensure that all is well, and that the fetus is healthy and stable inside you.¡±

    I smile, looking at Mason. His eyes have gone dark. It¡¯s been much, much too long for us.

    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± He says, never taking his eyes off of me.

    The doctor clears his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave you two¡­¡±

    If he says anything else, we don¡¯t hear him.

    Mason leans forward, pressing his forehead to mine. ¡°So, my Luna, do I need to find someone to run

    our pack indefinitely?¡± He asks me.

    I giggle in anticipation of having my mate inside me. ¡°Maybe just for the next couple of days?¡±

    I watch as his eyes go unfocused. ¡°Done.¡±

    I arch an eyebrow at him. ¡°That was fast.¡±

    ¡°I put your father on notice that I may need his a*s*sistance. He happily agreed. I just asked Elijah to

    contact him. Get dressed, we¡¯re going away for a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Today?¡± I ask, astonished.

    ¡°Today. Right this minute. I promised you that I¡¯d knot you as many times as you wanted when you got

    the all clear and personally, the idea of being connected to you nearly non-stop has me ready to take

    you right here on this hospital bed. So hurry up, we¡¯re leaving.¡± He says, smacking my a*s*s as I get

    out of bed.

    ¡°What about clothes, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, all of that?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t need clothes for what I have in mind, and I have a bag packed with all the necessities we¡¯ll

    need to get away for a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Well, who am I to argue with a well-prepared Alpha?¡± I ask, just as he leans forward and lifts me over

    his shoulder.

    ¡°Mason!¡± I exim as he walks me out of the hospital room.

    As we walk through the waiting room, I begin to hear wolf whistles and howls. ¡°She got a clean bill of

    health, boys. See you in a couple of days.¡± He hollers at the pack.

    The sounds of cheering, wolf whistles and howling bes deafening as Mason carries me away.

    As he walks me to the car, Elijahes up with a bag. ¡°Congrattions, Luna. See you soon.¡± He says

    as Mason puts me down, helping me into a car.

    As we pull out of the packnds, I turn to him. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°The ocean.¡± He says and looks at me smiling.

    ¡°Will I even get to see it?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I rented the entire beach, just in case. So don¡¯t you worry my mate. You¡¯ II not only get to see it, you¡¯ll

    get to enjoy it for longs periods of time while you take my knot.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    For the next two days, I get to enjoy the sun, the sand, the saltiness of the ocean water and listening to

    the ocean waves crashing against the shore at night, all while knotted by my mate. We feed each other,

    bathe each other, explore each other¡¯s bodies and reconnect with each other.

    At the end of our time, I know that there isn¡¯t a chance in hell that I¡¯m not carrying my mate¡¯s child.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    It¡¯s been several weeks since we returned from the beach. We are due to have a pregnancy test in a

    few days. But before that can happen, we have a concerning alliance meeting.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Some of our pack members who have been watching Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack have gone missing.¡± Alpha

    Zaire says.

    ¡°What do you mean, missing?¡± Antonio asks. Annabel is due any day and I can tell that he¡¯s nervous

    about anything to do with Gunnar and his pack. While I have the biggest target on my back, all of our

    packs are at risk. Annabel being so close to her delivery date along with Jara losing our child, has him

    on edge.

    ¡°I felt the tether to one of my men snap.¡± Alpha Saul says.

    ¡°How many men did you have out there?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Three. I haven¡¯t heard from any of them, but I only felt the tether break for one.¡± Saul says.

    ¡°We need eyes on the pack.¡± Seth says. ¡°Does anyone else have any pack members that they are in

    contact with?¡±

    ¡°I tried to make contact with my person earlier today, and I couldn¡¯t reach him.¡± Asher says.

    ¡°Same. I tried both of mine and got nothing.¡± Jonas says.

    ¡°F*uc*k! So, no one has eyes on Gunnar?¡± I ask.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Mason.¡± Luke says.

    ¡°But only one is dead?¡± Davis asks.

    No one else has felt their pack member die. I look at Elijah and before I can say anything, he is up and

    moving. We need to increase our patrols.

    ¡°Jara, where are you?¡± I mind link her.

    ¡°My office.¡± She responds immediately, helping my nerves to calm. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong, Mason?¡±

    ¡°It seems Gunnar has captured all the alliance members that have been watching his pack. I need you

    to get all the she-wolves in our pack to your office. I have no idea if or when he¡¯ll attack, but I want to

    know all of you are safe. I¡¯m sending guards to you. They can watch all of you together.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get them right now.¡± She says.

    I refocus on the conversation. ¡°¡­send more pack members.¡±

    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. If they have captured our pack members, we need to make a n to find

    them and rescue them before more end up dead.¡± Luke is saying.

    ¡°But, while we¡¯re there, we could check the pack. At least we¡¯ll know if everyone is still in Gunnar¡¯s

    pack.¡± Saul says.

    Davis, Quinton, Luke and Jonas decide to go searching for the missing pack members and to check

    Gunnar¡¯s pack to see if he is there.

    Once that¡¯s decided I¡¯m about to hang up, when Councilmember Jason speaks up. ¡°If I may, and I

    know there is a lot going on already, but I wanted to give an update on our research regarding Alpha

    Typhon.¡±

    I sit back down. I know they have been doing research on his blood and tissue, but I haven¡¯t heard

    anything about the results.

    ¡°What we found is that Typhon had two viruses in his system. The viruses, while not exactly the same,

    mirror the rabies and distemper viruses found in dogs. Both of those viruses effect the central nervous

    system and the brain, and both can cause death. I have our scientists continuing to do research, but

    we still don¡¯t know why unmated males get feral-fever at a young age or why females have reduced or

    eliminated the risk of feral-fever. The scientists are currently working under the a*s*sumption that

    females, for whatever reason, carry an immunity to both viruses, and when in close proximity to the

    male poption, as with a mate bond, they act as a vination of sorts to their mate and in some

    instances, their pack. It¡¯s still in the research phase, but it may be that stronger females, such as

    Lunas, have a greater ability to vinate the pack, to term the phrase.¡±

    ¡°Why do I get the feeling, Councilman, that you will be asking for blood from our Lunas in the near

    future?¡± Asher asks.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hmm, yes, well, that would be beneficial. It would give our scientists something to work with, a way to

    prove their theory.¡± Jason says.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, Asher. If it helps our pack, I should do it.¡± I hear Mignon say, immediately followed by

    Asher¡¯s sigh. I know he wants to avoid this. He wants to protect his mate.

    ¡°Is it just a blood sample that you need, Councilman?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Blood and saliva, yes.¡±

    ¡°I know Jara would be willing to help. But she has Alpha blood. It might be helpful if, say, Mignon also

    gave blood and saliva to see if all females have this impact or just some. Personally, I think it¡¯s only

    some, or possibly it¡¯s their role in the pack. My Gamma¡¯s mate, for instance, did not keep my pack

    members from going feral. But it seems that Asher¡¯s and Antonio¡¯s packs are stable, and their Lunas

    were omegas.¡± I say.

    ¡°My pack is remaining stable too, now that Layan has gotten stronger.¡± Davis says.

    ¡°And mine. Isabe is of Alpha blood though, so it may not be a good example.¡± Jonas says.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take as many samples as the she-wolves are willing to give. I know that Nina has already offered

    so we can test the effects over time as well.¡± Jason says.

    ¡°Anything else for today?¡± Antonio asks, and we all chuckle. He¡¯s obviously anxious to get back to his

    very pregnant mate.

    ¡°Mason, keep in touch daily. If you¡¯re attacked, get word out, we¡¯ll send reinforcements. That goes for

    everyone, but Mason is most at risk, I think.¡± Seth says.

    Everyone agrees and I thank them. Seth is right. Me and my pack are definitely most at risk.

    It¡¯s only two dayster, in the middle of the night, that the attackes.

    I¡¯m curled around Jara, sleeping peacefully, when the howls go up. Before I¡¯m even out of bed, I can

    hear the thrashing in the packhouse downstairs.

    ¡°Get to a safe room!¡± I tell Jara a moment before swinging our door open, shift, leaping off our fourth

    story banister,nding in the middle of the packhouse floor, surrounded by Gunnar¡¯s pack members.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When the howl goes up that we¡¯re under attack, Mason and I jump out of bed. He¡¯s out the door and

    shifted before I can follow him. I try to shift but I¡¯m not able to.

    Title of the document

    S*hi*t, I know what this means. I¡¯m pregnant! But I can¡¯t focus on that right now. I need to get myself

    and my baby to safety.

    After what happened with Typhon, Mason had a door that leads to a safe room installed on our floor. I

    rush to the end of the hall, hearing the sounds of crashing and snarling behind me.

    ¡°Mason is in the packhouse fighting, any wolves in the packhouse, get to your Alpha. Fight!¡± I shout

    through the mind link as I rip open the door. I hear the snarls of Elijah¡¯s wolf and I know he¡¯s jumped

    into the fight as well.

    I move into the stairwell. It¡¯s dark, but I don¡¯t need light to see. I rush down a flight of stairs, before

    seeing a door open on the stairwell below.

    ¡°Go, Jace. Luna Jara will be there momentarily. Help protect our Luna.¡± I hear Joe say.

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± I call, rushing faster down the stairs. ¡°Where¡¯s Ste?¡± I ask.

    ¡°She went to get Brynn and Melinda, she¡¯ll bring them to the safe room. Go!¡± Joe says before closing

    the door. I reach over and turn the lock on the door from our side before taking Jace¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Come on, Jace, let¡¯s go.¡±

    We continue down the stairs, the sounds of fighting getting louder as we

    As we reach the bottom, there is a thunk and the wall beside us shakes as if a wolf was thrown against

    it. I hear a snarl before I turn in the other direction, following the hallway to the safe room.

    Just as we get to the end, a door to the hallway opens and Luke, my guard, steps in.

    ¡°Oh, Luna, thank the goddess.¡± He¡¯s holding Melinda and he pushes Brynn and Ste into the hallway

    before closing the door behind him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you all inside the safe room.¡± He says, as another body smashes against the wall nearby.

    ¡°How many are there?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°It looks like they sent everyone.¡± Luke says.

    I use my handprint to open the safe room door. As the others filter in, I turn to Luke. ¡°All of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna. Our numbers are very close. We may have arger pack, but many of ours our omegas

    and they have more fighters.¡±

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Seth, see if he can send help.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe.¡± He says, turning to leave.

    ¡°You too.¡± I say before stepping into the safe room. The door shuts with a resounding boom and I turn

    the lock. No one can get in now unless I unlock the door from inside.

    I rush to the phone on the wall, installed for just this purpose. I dial Seth¡¯s number. He answers on the

    third ring.

    ¡°Alpha Seth.¡± His voice groggy with sleep.

    ¡°Seth, we¡¯re under attack. Gunnar sent everyone, we¡¯re under attack.¡± I hear him moving before I¡¯ve

    even finished telling him.

    ¡°We¡¯re on our way, Jara. Are you safe?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re in the safe room.¡±

    ¡°Stay there, we¡¯ll be there as soon as we can.¡±

    ¡°Get Taylor and get to a safe room. Mason and Jara¡¯s pack is under attack. I¡¯ll alert the others, but I

    need to know you¡¯re safe.¡± I hear Seth tell Hana, just before I hear his howl alerting his pack.

    ¡°We¡¯re on our way.¡± He says before he disconnects.

    From inside the safe room, we can¡¯t hear much. asionally, there is a thunk as a body is thrown

    against a wall, but it¡¯s much more muffled than it was in the stairwell.

    Brynn is holding Melinda tightly in her arms and Ste has Jace. I¡¯m pacing, trying to rx. I keep

    gently reaching out to Mason, just to feel that he¡¯s okay. His mind isn¡¯t as open as it usually is as he

    focuses on the fight.

    Periodically, I feel the snap of a tether as one of our pack members dies. Watching, I know that Brynn

    and Ste can feel it too. Their eyes go wide as we all worry about our mates.

    The battle has been going on for a while, when Brynn gets a game off a shelf and begins ying with

    Melinda, encouraging Jace toe over and y as well. She¡¯s right, they may be tired, but the

    energy and stress in this room is so palpable it feels like you could cut it with a knife.

    I check my watch for the hundredth time and realize that it¡¯s finally about the time that Seth and his

    pack members should be arriving.

    I¡¯m reaching out to touch Mason¡¯s consciousness again, when I feel a wave of relief pass through him,

    and I know that Seth must have arrived.

    I turn. ¡°I think Seth and his pack have just¡­¡±

    I stop, watching Ste who just grabbed her chest. She looks at me and her eyes go wide.

    ¡°No!¡± Brynn whispers just as I feel the tether to Joe snap.

    Ste begins keening, a horrible, mournful sound that echos around the room. Jace dashes to her side.

    ¡°Momma! Momma!¡± He screams, but she¡¯s lost in the death of her mate.

    I rush to Jace, grabbing him and holding him against me as he ils. ¡°No! Momma! Momma!¡± He

    screams.

    I hear Melinda and Brynn crying in the background, but I¡¯m whispering to Jace, turning him away as his

    mother falls to the floor.

    ¡°Joseph.¡± She whispers and I watch as she lets go, feeling the moment her tether to me breaks. She

    may not have chosen Joe as her mate so many years ago, but he has been a good mate to her, and

    they were happy. She would not be able to go on without him, her other half.

    Jace kicks and fights until I put him down. He rushes to Ste, putting her head in hisp, crying.

    ¡°Wake up, momma. Wake up. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here. Momma, please, wake up.¡± He cries and I feel tears

    running down my face.

    He looks up at ne, his eyes pleading. ¡°Why won¡¯t she wake up, Luna? Why won¡¯t she wake up?¡±

    I move to sit beside him. I wrap my arms around him, not having any words that will soothe orfort

    him. He turns to me and begins to weep as I rock him.

    ¡°Jara!¡± I hear Mason in the mind link.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Mason.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming for you.¡±

    I pick Jace up, carrying him to the door, unlocking it, just as Mason pulls it. He¡¯s covered in blood, fur

    and guts. He looks at Jace in my arms and then at Ste on the floor, dead behind me.

    His eyes close and open, his head drops as he feels the loss of another pack member.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The moment Ind on the floor of the packhouse, every wolf turns and begins jumping on me. I begin

    tearing into them, trying to fight my way out. I knew they¡¯d be after me, specifically, and I was right. It¡¯s

    only a moment or twoter that I hear Elijah¡¯s wolf snarling and Gunnar¡¯s wolves start getting ripped off

    of me.

    Title of the document

    Before long, the warriors that were sleeping are up and fighting. It¡¯s utter mayhem. Our omegas are

    trained to fight, but this group has more warriors than we do. Elijah and I can take on more than one at

    a time, but it feels like they just keeping and I still haven¡¯t seen Gunnar, Shawn or Conrad yet.

    As I¡¯m fighting, I get a quick mind link from Luke that all the she-wolves are in the safe room. I rx just

    a bit, knowing that no matter what happens, Jara is safe. And I know my mate is smart. She will have

    called Seth and help will be here within the hour, we just have to survive that long.

    As I¡¯m fighting, I begin to feel tethers to my pack breaking as my pack members die on the battlefield. I

    hate that we are losing even more wolves, but it can¡¯t be helped, and Gunnar and his group will die

    today for bringing this war to my packnds.

    Elijah and I close together, ripping into wolves as they enter the packhouse. We¡¯re leaving a path of

    death behind us as we make our way outside. He and I have always made an excellent team.

    We¡¯ve just about gotten to the back of the packhouse when one of the Alphas steps into my

    packhouse. Since I¡¯ve never seen their wolves, I don¡¯t know which one it is, but it doesn¡¯t matter,

    because almost immediately, two more step in behind him. I watch as they nk the first one and I

    realize that one is Gunnar. Shawn and Conrad are deferring to him as their leader.

    I lower my head, ready for the fight. I snarl, my lip curling back, my tongue snaking out between my

    teeth, tasting the air and the sinister intent of these three.

    While the battle wages around us, Elijahes to stand beside me, ready to take them on, three

    against two.

    That¡¯s all it takes, and they are leaping at us. Gunnares straight for me, and I leap into the air,

    meeting him halfway. Our teeth are snapping at each other, trying to grab hold of any part of the other¡¯s

    body.

    I feel another wolfing at me from the side and I turn quickly, snapping my teeth and catching the

    snout of the other Alpha before he can bite me. He yelps and steps back.

    Gunnar takes the opportunity to bite down on the back of my neck, but he only grabs fur. I roll over,

    feeling the tug of his teeth, tearing into my fur, but once I¡¯ve rolled over, I begin scratching at his

    underside. He tries to move aside, trying to avoid my ws, but while he¡¯s focused on me, Elijah turns

    and bites down on his nk.

    Gunnar releases me and turns on Elijah, but I¡¯m up in an instant, shing my ws at the other Alpha

    who ising at me again before jumping on Gunnar¡¯s back. He drops to the ground and the

    momentum forces me to roll off of him. I roll back onto all four paws, leaping at him instantly.

    He¡¯s ready for my attack and he leaps at me again. We roll around on the packhouse floor, snapping

    and scratching at each other. I¡¯m so consumed by him that I don¡¯t see the other Alphaing up

    behind me until I feel his teeth sink into my nk.

    I snarl, turning to attack him, when Gunnar snaps his teeth on my neck. He misses my jugr, but I feel

    his teeth sink into the side of my neck and my shoulder. I see Elijah stepping away from a wolf lying

    dead on the ground that shifts back to Alpha Conrad. So, this is Shawn and Gunnar.

    Elijah turns and jumps on Shawn, pulling him off of me. That¡¯s all I need to redirect my attention back to

    Gunnar. It¡¯s time for this Alpha a*s*shole to die, like the rest of his posse.

    I rip away from him feeling the muscles tearing in my throat and shoulder. I can still breathe, so I don¡¯t

    care. I¡¯ll heal.

    I leap on him again, this time, pinning him to the ground. I grab hold of the back of his neck and begin

    shaking my head violently. I don¡¯t snap his neck, but I tear off a good chunk of skin and flesh.

    Gunnar pulls away, rolling over, curling his back legs up and trying to push me off while he scratches

    my stomach. Iy down, putting all my weight on him, keeping him from being able to move and I look

    him in the eye as I bare my teeth.

    I see the moment he realizes that I have him. He¡¯s pinned and there is nowhere for him to go. I lean in,

    snarling at him, willing to make this as painless as possible, but

    he won¡¯t stop fighting me. So, instead, I snap my teeth onto his throat, feeling his warm blood fill my

    mouth. He begins thrashing, but it onlysts for a minute, and I hear the rasping, gurgling sounds of his

    lungs as they fill with blood.

    I stand over him, holding him by the throat as he dies, growling loudly to the rest of his pack members,

    so they know that they have lost. As he dies, his body shifts back to his human form, but I continue to

    stand, holding him by his throat.

    What few wolves remain from his pack bare their throats to me in submission. I drop Gunnar¡¯s body,

    looking over to see that Elijah has killed Alpha Shawn as well. I lift my head and howl our victory. Seth

    comes racing into the packhouse, bloody and injured from the fight as well. He nods and we shift back.

    ¡°It¡¯s secure outside, Mason.¡± He tells me.

    I reach my hand out to shake his. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s secure here as well.¡± I say, looking around and

    making sure it¡¯s safe before I mind link Jara.

    When I do, I can feel her sorrow. I had felt her periodically tugging on our mind link, but I had been too

    focused on fighting Gunnar and Shawn to open the link to her.

    I move as fast as I can so I cany eyes on her and make sure that she¡¯s truly safe.

    When I get there, the door swings open and I see her holding Jace. I look behind her and see Ste on

    the floor, lifeless.

    I had felt multiple tethers snapping during the fight, but once I was fighting against Gunnar, all my

    attention was there. I couldn¡¯t focus on who had died and who hadn¡¯t. Obviously, Joe, my Gamma had

    died in the fight and his mate, Ste, had died in front of their son.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I pull Jara to me, not caring that I¡¯m covered in blood, holding her and Jace tightly while the sounds of

    post-battle chaos continue around us.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    The iming by Cooper Book 2

    The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    At the end of the battle, we lost nearly two hundred wolves in total. All but about 15 of Alpha Gunnar¡¯s

    pack with Alpha Shawn and Alpha Conrad were killed and we lost nearly fifty of our own wolves,

    leaving our numbers at right around 1200 werewolves left which makes us critically endangered of

    extinction.

    Title of the document

    We buried our dead, making our prayers and taking a week to give everyone an opportunity to say their

    goodbyes and grieve the loss of our pack members. Mason and I stood at the front of the pack every

    night, giving our remembrances of our pack members, letting others say anything they wanted to say

    about our lost brothers and then we¡¯d light the pyres and watch as their ashes burned up, floating into

    the sky.

    Thest night was the hardest. That night, we said goodbye to our Gammas, Joseph and Ste. Jace

    stood by stoically, his hands in fists as he watched their pyres burn into the night. Luke and Mason had

    stayed with him, standing beside him until he was finally ready toe back inside.

    That had been a month ago. Mason had asked Luke to be his Gamma and he had epted. It was

    only about a weekter that Luke and Brynn had asked if they could adopt Jace, knowing he had no

    family left.

    Mason and I had talked to Jace, letting him know that no one could ever rece his parents and that

    there were many people in the pack that loved him, us included, but that Luke and Brynn had

    specifically asked if they could adopt him.

    ¡°Would I have to call them mom and dad?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No, we know they aren¡¯t your biological parents. If you choose to call them mom and dad or some

    version of that in the future, you can, but they won¡¯t force it. They know that you and Melinda are

    friends, and they want to make sure that you are raised with love and encouragement.¡±

    We had given him some time to think about it, but he had eventually agreed. It was a rough transition at

    first, but both Luke and Brynn were patient with him and gave   him the space he needed. Melinda, on

    the other hand, couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and went around telling everyone that Jace was her

    new brother. She¡¯d hold his hand and drag him around the packhouse, then the packnds.

    Whether it was intuitive on her part or not, she found a way to keep him from isting himself from the

    pack. He wouldn¡¯t talk to many people, but somehow, Melinda always got him to talk to her.

    Davis, Luke, Quinton and Jonas had found the missing pack members, were in a dungeon, of sorts, in

    Gunnar¡¯s packhouse. They were all filthy and hungry by the time they were found, but they all survived

    and were able to return home.

    The new council has been meeting regrly and is doing exactly what we¡¯d hoped that they would,

    listening to us, the ones they represent. Mason and I don¡¯t always get our way, but the majority wins

    and overall, it seems to be working for the packs and the alliance. We still call it an alliance even

    though all of the werewolf packs left are included.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Annabel had her baby, a little girl as expected. They named her Noelle. She was born bald, so we

    expect that she¡¯ll have her mother¡¯s blond hair, but she got her father¡¯s bright blue eyes. Since both

    parents have blue eyes, it was highly likely that any children they have will have blue eyes, but

    Antonio¡¯s eyes are a startling blue, especially in his darker skin, and Noelle seems to have that too.

    At ourst Luna council, Mignon told everyone that she is pregnant again, but she doesn¡¯t know the

    baby¡¯s gender yet. We¡¯re all hoping for another girl, of course. Hana had scoffed that Mignon had

    beaten her again, so apparently, she and Seth are actively trying for another one as well.

    Mason and I have been too busy to get to see the doctor. I knew I was pregnant when I couldn¡¯t shift,

    and I told him as much once the war was over and he had healed from the injuries he¡¯d sustained.

    However, between burying our dead, bringing Luke and Brynn in as our Gamma couple, and figuring

    things out with Jace, we just hadn¡¯t made time to get to the doctor.

    That is, until a couple days ago when my belly popped out, just likest time. One night I go to bed with

    a t stomach, the next morning it¡¯s like my baby wants to announce itself to the whole world.

    Mason had noticed immediately and told me that we had to get in to see the doctor. He¡¯s worried that,

    after everything that happened with Mena¡¯s miscarriage, that something will happen this time too. And

    even though there is no strife between the packs, he¡¯s been overly cautious and protective. I don¡¯t

    mind. I have no intention of losing this baby.

    So, today, we¡¯re headed to the pack hospital to get an ultrasound and see if we can determine the

    gender of our little one. I feel that same excitement twinged with a bit of fear from Mason, and I know

    that he feels the same from me. We¡¯re not worried about finding out that we¡¯re pregnant, that¡¯s a

    definite at this point, especially given my aversion to several types of food recently. But it¡¯s a matter of

    making sure that our baby is healthy and will be able to survive to term.

    I¡¯m lying on the bed in the room when the doctores in, rolling the ultrasound machine in with him.

    He goes through the same spiel with Mason about having to touch me and having to uncover my body

    to ess my stomach. Mason nods and still growls when he touches me. I just shake my head. I¡¯m

    guessing that will never change. I should ask the others if their mates are the same.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no denying that you¡¯re pregnant, is there Luna?¡± The doctor says.

    I chuckle. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s pretty obvious.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He says frowning and tilting his head, moving the wand over my stomach, pushing it against me

    like he¡¯s trying to find something.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s ¡®Oh¡¯ doc? Is Jara okay? Is our baby okay?¡± Mason asks and I can feel his panic adding

    to mine as we wait for the doctor to tell us what¡¯s wrong.

    He turns and looks at us. ¡°Everything¡¯s perfect. Alpha, Luna, you¡¯re having twins.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Layan

    I¡¯m running through the forest. I can hear him behind me, hear his paws hitting the earth, feel his hot

    breath on my neck as I run. I don¡¯t want him to im me, not him. He scares me.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯d been hiding and another wolf flushed me out. When I started to run, the wolf had immediately given

    chase, howling his excitement to the sky It had only taken a moment for the Alpha to run him down. I

    had turned, just for a moment, to see the

    Alpha tackle him, taking my neck in his jaws. I heard the yelp of the weaker wolf and then the sickening

    snap of his neck.

    I¡¯m running as hard as I can, but he is faster than I am. My only bit of hope is that he¡¯s still in wolf form.

    They can¡¯t im you if they aren¡¯t in the same form you are, and I¡¯m still in my human form. However. I

    know that if I give him even a moment, he¡¯ll shift and overtake me, so I run. I run until I can¡¯t get

    enough air in my lungs, tears streaming down my face.

    He tackles me from behind and I scream. He has me pinned, but he can¡¯t im me, he¡¯s still in wolf

    form. A moment after the thought goes through my head, I feel his teeth sink into my neck as he thrusts

    his pelvis between my legs, and I feel the sharp tearing of my body as he prates.

    I wake up screaming. I¡¯m tangled in my sheets, panting, sweat covering my body and tears streaming

    down my face. My motheres rushing into my bedroom, wrapping me in her embrace and rocking

    me.

    ¡°Breathe my sweet girl. Breathe. Follow my breaths.¡± She says, as she takes my face in her hands and

    forces me to look at her. She slowly breaths in, her eyes never leaving mine. I try. I try to follow her

    breaths, but I can¡¯t. It¡¯s still so fresh in my mind, still so painful.

    Alpha Davises rushing into the room. ¡°Layan. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Just a dream, Alpha.¡± My mother tells him, never taking her eyes off of me. ¡°We just need to get her to

    breathe so she doesn¡¯t pass out.¡±

    I¡¯m hyperventting, I know I am, but I can¡¯t stop. I can¡¯t seem to pull enough air into my lungs.

    Alpha Davises over to me, and my mother sits back. I have be morefortable with him

    over the past several months. He has always been kind and patient with me.

    He reces my mother¡¯s hands with his own. ¡°Look at me, Layan. You¡¯re safe. I won¡¯t let anyone hurt

    you. Breathe with me.¡± He says, taking a deep breath.

    I try to follow his breath, but I don¡¯t get very far.

    ¡°Good. Do it again.¡± He says patiently, taking another breath. He continues this until I finally get my

    breathing under control and my heart rate back to normal.

    ¡°There you go.¡± He says, releasing my face. He looks at me a moment.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Is this about the meeting today?¡±

    I nod. Today is the day that I have to face the council. I know they want me to go back into the iming,

    and I know I¡¯m stronger than I was nearly a year ago when I came out, but every time I think about

    going back in there, I¡¯m terrified. I can¡¯t breathe and I feel like the world starts to go dark.

    Luna Tessa says it¡¯s a panic attack. She has given me some breathing exercises to do when I start to

    have one, which is what my mother and Alpha Davis were helping me with. Tessa has also told me that

    I can focus on something positive, something that will help ground me, so I don¡¯t get lost in the panic.

    Thankfully, I have more and more positive things to think of, including several of the people that will be

    with me at the council meeting today.

    ¡°We¡¯ll all be there with you, Layan. You won¡¯t be alone. All the Lunas areing, even Jara.¡± He

    chuckles. ¡°Mason isn¡¯t happy about it. He says she¡¯s as big as a house, but don¡¯t tell her that.¡± He says,

    conspiratorially, giving me a small smile.

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± I say, still reeling from my dream.

    ¡°I know you won¡¯t. Why don¡¯t you get ready. We¡¯ll have some breakfast and then we can all drive there

    together.¡± He says.

    ¡°You¡¯reing to?¡±

    He arches his eyebrow at me. ¡°I am your Alpha, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    I frown. ¡°Well, yes, but you¡¯re also going to be a imant this year.¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°Alpha outranks imant, so I¡¯m going.¡±

    When we arrive at the council chambers, I am escorted into a room with the five new council members.

    They represent five of the ten remaining packs in our alliance. After the attack on Mason and Jara¡¯s

    pack, and the death of Ste, her seat on the council was filled by their new Gamma female. Brynn. I

    admit, these council members are much more friendly and open than the previous ones.

    I had talked to Elijahst night, so I knew he¡¯d be here today as a support for me. I asked him if he

    thought they would let me choose him as my mate. He said he didn¡¯t think so. He said he thought the

    other Alphas would want a chance to im me, and so the council wouldn¡¯t be willing to just let me

    choose. I had started to cry, but Elijah told me that no matter how many Alphas he had to beat to get to

    me, that he would be the one to im me.

    I want to believe him, I truly do, but the fear of what happened still haunts me. I know as well as anyone

    that anything can happen in the iming territory and for me, anything that could go wrong, did.

    As I walk in, I see the Lunas, that¡¯s what I call them. Jara, Hana, Mignon and Annabel, my friends. All

    of their mates are here, and I have to fight a smile. Alpha Davis was right, Luna Jara is huge and she¡¯s

    not even due for another two months, right before this year¡¯s iming. Not to be outdone, the other

    three Lunas are also in various stages of pregnancy as well. Their mates are carrying the trio of

    females that were born in thest few months. All happy and all healthy.

    Luna Jara is pregnant with fraternal twins, one boy and one girl. She keeps telling Alpha Mason that if

    her daughter is born first that she bes heir to the pack. I¡¯ve noticed that Alpha Mason keeps his

    mouth shut about that.

    I see Elijah sitting next to Alpha Mason and a small frown shadow his face before he winks at me. I¡¯m

    not sure if he sees the remnants of my nightmare or if he¡¯s unhappy that Alpha Davis is standing

    beside me, or maybe it¡¯s neither. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll tell me whatever it ister.

    Alpha Davis walks me to the area that is barricaded by a small wall, indicating that only I should

    approach the table where the councilmembers are sitting. However, as Alpha Davis steps back, the

    Lunas step forward. Jara and Hana each hold one of my hands and Mignon and Annabel put a hand on

    my shoulders. I see Luna Gia hide a smile as Councilman Jason looks up.

    ¡°Lunas, this is a meeting for Layan, you are all wee to sit and listen, but you are not to pass the

    barrier.¡± He says.

    If I wasn¡¯t so nervous, I¡¯d smile. There¡¯s no way that Jara is going to stay behind, and there¡¯s no way

    that any of these men are going to argue with four pregnant women.

    ¡°Actually, Councilman Jason, we¡¯re all joining Layan. The iming process brought pain and suffering

    to our friend and we, as Lunas, choose to stand beside her while you lot decide her fate.¡± Jara says,

    moving through the gate and into the area with the councilmembers.

    Councilman Jason looks at the others at the table. ¡°I¡¯m not arguing with four pregnant Lunas.¡±

    Councilman Brooks says. He is from Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack.

    Luna Gia looks at Councilman Jason. ¡°I have no objection to them being here, this is one of your

    archaic rules that seems stupid to me.¡±

    Councilman Jason gives her a disbelieving look before turning to Alpha Phillip and Gamma Brynn.

    Before they can even say anything, he shakes his head. Alpha Phillip is Jara¡¯s father and Gamma

    Brynn is her Gamma. They won¡¯t go against her.

    ¡°Have a seat Layan, Lunas.¡± He says gesturing to our side of the table.

    I feel a wave of nausea wash over me and I feel Jara and Hana¡¯s hand squeeze mine. I take a deep

    breath and we walk to the table and sit down.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Councilman Jason better get his head out of his a*s*s, and he better do it before I have to pee again.

    He was there, at least after the fact. He should know how traumatic this is for Layan. And he wants her

    to face the five of them alone? I don¡¯t think so.

    Title of the document

    The Luna council had discussed it a couple of weeks ago. We all knew we needed to be here for

    Layan. We¡¯ve been there for her throughout thest year, and we aren¡¯t going to let her down now. I,

    especially, won¡¯t let her down. She was there

    for me during my darkest time, refusing to let me push her away, so there isn¡¯t anyone that¡¯s going to

    tell me that I can¡¯t be here to support her.

    ¡°Now, Layan. We all know what happenedst year. And we all understand that it was terrible for you.

    We want you to know, first, that we have no intention of letting anything like that happen again.¡± Gia

    says.

    ¡°How can you ensure that it won¡¯t happen again? We all know that the iming territory is huge. Even if

    Layan is in there with only twenty imants, you won¡¯t know if anything is wrong until it¡¯s toote.¡± I

    say, wondering how Gia can say that. She¡¯s been in the iming, she should know better.

    She turns and looks at my father. ¡°In the past, that was true. But this year, not only will we be setting a

    no-kill policy for the iming¡¯s, but we¡¯ll also be putting guards in ce for each iming. They will be

    instructed to not interfere in any way, nor to give any indication of where the female is to any male.

    However, if it appears that a fight bes a battle to the death, they will be instructed to step in and

    shoot tranquilizers into those that are not abiding by the rules. Those imants will be removed from

    the iming territory for the rest of the year.¡±

    He pauses, looking at the others. ¡°In addition, if any of the imants were territory.¡±

    I¡¯m shocked. Never before has anyone except the female and her imants been allowed inside the

    iming territory.

    ¡°These guards, they will be mated males, I¡¯m a*s*suming.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Luna.¡± Brooks says.

    ¡°And you can ensure that they won¡¯t give away any of the female¡¯s locations to their own pack

    members?¡± Annabel asks.

    ¡°They will be under Alphamand.¡± Jason says.

    Brynn looks at Layan. ¡°What do you think, Layan?¡±

    She looks up at the council members. ¡°What if I want to choose my mate? Can I do that instead of

    going back in.¡±

    I feel the tension ramp up behind me. Elijah and Alpha Davis have both been obvious in their intention

    of iming Layan.

    Gia looks at her. ¡°What would you say, Layan, if I told you that every avable Alpha intends to enter

    your iming, if you choose them?¡±

    ¡°Why would they want me?¡± She asks quietly.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Gia asks her. ¡°You have shown that you are strong, you are loving and caring, we

    know that you helped Luna Jara after the loss of her child, those are the actions of a Luna, Layan.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± She looks down, wringing her hands in herp. I reach over, covering her hands with mine.

    Hana does the same.

    She looks at me, then at Hana before turning back to the council. ¡°But¡­ what if I can¡¯t have children?¡±

    I hear two snarls behind me. Obviously, the men in this room that intend to im her don¡¯t care about

    that, other than thesting effects it has on her.

    Jason looks behind us before returning his attention to Layan. ¡°Each Alpha was asked that question.

    And while they would hope that you could have and would want to have children with them, none of

    them said it would exclude them from entering your im if you choose them.¡±

    Layan turns her head slightly to look at Alpha Davis out of the corner of her eye. His eyes are focused

    on her, unwavering. He doesn¡¯t care if she can have children. He wants her. She blushes prettily before

    turning back.

    ¡°How many?¡± She asks quietly

    ¡°How many what, Layan?¡± Brooks asks her.

    ¡°How many imants will I have to choose? Will it still be twenty?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we make an exception this year, considering everything that happened?¡± Mignon asks.

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± My father asks.

    ¡°Well, the Luna Council came up with a suggestion, if you weren¡¯t willing to allow Layan to choose her

    mate. We think that she should be allowed to choose as few as five imants for her iming.¡±

    Councilman Jason scoffs. ¡°That¡¯s not enough. That¡¯s not even one percent of the remaining wolves.¡±

    ¡°But not every wolf is eligible for the iming process, so that number isn¡¯t urate, Councilman.¡± I tell

    him.

    ¡°Given the positive state of our packs, we¡¯re anticipating 300 wolves that will be eligible for the iming

    and pass a*s*sessment.¡± Gia says.

    ¡°Three hundred? That¡¯s more thanst year.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Our packs are more stable. They aren¡¯t going feral like they used to. When¡¯s thest time anyone had

    to put a pack member down?¡± Brooks says.

    It¡¯s true. I haven¡¯t heard of a single male that¡¯s even showing signs of feral-fever.

    ¡°Fifteen.¡± Jason says.

    ¡°Seven.¡± I say. ¡°That¡¯s over one percent.¡±

    ¡°Ten.¡± Jason says.

    I turn and look at Layan. It¡¯s the best we can get. Half of the usual iming size and she gets to choose

    all of them.

    She nods.

    ¡°Ten.¡± I agree.

    Elijah POV

    I watch as Luna Jara bargains for Layan to have fewer imants in her im. I grit my teeth, knowing

    that she would choose me if they would just let her.

    ¡°Easy.¡± Mason says in the mind link, stretching out the word. ¡°You aren¡¯t helping her if you¡¯re all riled

    up. This is hard enough for her. Be her support.¡±

    He¡¯s right, I know he¡¯s right. When they finally call an end to the meeting, I stand, wanting to pull her

    into my arms.

    Alpha Davis beats me to her. It takes everything in me not to snarl at him when he wraps his arms

    around her. Ever since Layan spent time in our pack, my feelings of protectiveness and

    possessiveness toward her have be stronger.

    Mason¡¯s hand on my shoulder settles me and I wait, impatiently, for Alpha Davis to step back. When

    Layan turns to me, I open my arms and she smiles, stepping into my hug.

    I lean in, kissing her cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have topete against nine Alphas, I¡¯ll defeat them all

    and im you, Layan.¡± I say, hugging her tightly against me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Jara wasn¡¯t happy with the oue of the council meeting, but I convinced her to calm herself so she

    doesn¡¯t get her blood pressure up. The doctor has already threatened her with bed rest to which she

    reminds him that while he is a doctor, she¡¯s Luna and an Alpha and she won¡¯t bemanded.

    Title of the document

    The council had decided to wait until our next Alpha meeting, no longer called alliance meetings since

    it¡¯s only the alliance members on the call, to discuss the next round of results for the Luna¡¯s blood work.

    In the end, all six Lunas, Nina and Isabe had given samples. I¡¯m very excited to hear the results.

    While I don¡¯t need the results to know that Jara¡¯s presence has made an impact. I will be interested to

    see what they say about them. I am thrilled that I haven¡¯t had to put any of my pack members down this

    year. We lost so many due to fighting that we can¡¯t afford to lose any more.

    Not only do we need to discuss the results, but we also need to start nning this year¡¯s

    a*s*sessments. Unlike previous years, I think the council members are correct. I don¡¯t think anyone will

    be eliminated from this year¡¯s iming due to not passing a*s*sessment. I know none of my pack will

    fail a*s*sessment. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that they won¡¯t suffer because of it. And that is the

    cause of my current argument with Jara.

    ¡°Love, I know you want to be there for the pack, but you¡¯re pregnant with twins. You¡¯ll be three weeks

    away from your due date, If you take them to term, which the doctor says is not likely.¡±

    ¡°This is my pack too, Mason. You can¡¯t do it all.¡± She says, and as much as I want to be angry with her,

    I admire her strength, passion and love for this pack to truly be angry. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m

    giving in, not this time. There¡¯s too much at stake.

    ¡°Jara, you¡¯re considered a high-risk pregnancy getting pregnant with twins after having a miscarriage. I

    know you¡¯ve been doing well, and the doctor says that everything looks good, but I rememberst year.

    You were exhausted, you and Hana both.¡±

    ¡°But we were helping everyone, Mason. Now it will just be our pack members and you¡¯ll be here too. I

    won¡¯t over do it.¡± She tells me and I don¡¯t know if she actually believes that or if she¡¯s hoping that I

    believe it.

    ¡°Are you willing to stay seated throughout the process? Are you willing to stay strapped to a heart

    monitor, one for you and one for the twins? Are you willing to have the doctor here in case something

    goes wrong and are you willing to stop helping if either he or I say it¡¯s taking a toll on you?¡± I ask her,

    knowing the answer already, but wanting to know if she¡¯s thought this through.

    ¡°I can help.¡± She says, but her voicecks the force that it had earlier.

    ¡°You can love, and I want you to, but not like you didst year and not without parameters and breaks.

    LOTS of breaks. And at least one nap each day, maybe two if you get too tired.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Fine. Not like I won¡¯t have to pee every five minutes anyway. Your children seem to think it¡¯s fun to

    jump on my dder and kick my kidneys.¡± She says as she begins rubbing her stomach.

    I move to her, rubbing my hand on either side of her stomach, feeling both my children respond to my

    touch. I still have no idea which body part is pressing against my hand, but the first time I felt it, it

    brought tears to my eyes, reminding me of doing this with Mena.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably just trying to stretch out in there, love. I mean, look at you. No one would know that

    you¡¯re pregnant with twins. You¡¯re all belly and that¡¯s saying something.¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡± She says grumpily before turning away from me.

    ¡°Where are you going, love?¡±

    ¡°To pee. Again!¡± She says, waddling away.

    ¡°Do you want me to draw you a bath?¡± I ask her, knowing it helps relieve some of the pressure on her

    back, at least for a short amount of time.

    ¡°Only if you¡¯re joining me.¡± She says.

    I begin following her into the bathroom. ¡°If that was meant to be a deterrent, it wasn¡¯t and never will be.¡±

    I draw the bath and grab some towels, along with a washcloth and body wash. When she¡¯s done, I help

    her get undressed and into the tub. Then I strip down and slide in behind her. As soon as she leans

    back against me and I put my hands on her stomach, I feel her rx. Perfect.

    She closes her eyes as I begin to gently wash her belly, watching as her stomach moves with the

    movements of our children. I don¡¯t know that there will ever be a time when I¡¯m not fascinated by this,

    knowing that there is only a thinyer of my mate¡¯s body between me and my children.

    ¡°What are we going to do about Layan?¡± She asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

    I look at her, but her eyes are still closed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°We can¡¯t send her back to the iming alone this year. You saw her at the council meeting. And Davis

    said she had a panic attack the night before. She¡¯ll freak out, Mason. Hana, Annabel, Mignon and I

    have been talking about it. We all want to go. My hand stops washing her and her eyes open to look at

    me. I refocus on the motion of washing around my baby¡¯s butt, or head, or knee, or whatever is poking

    out of Jara¡¯s stomach, giving myself a moment to collect myself.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you want to go to the iming, to be there for her?¡± I finally ask.

    ¡°Yes. We all do.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to stay in the main packhouse?¡± I ask, knowing there is no way on the Goddess¡¯s

    green earth that I¡¯m allowing my newborn twins to be in that chaos.

    ¡°No. We think it would be a better idea to stay in the females housing fromst year. There will only be

    three females this year and so it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal to stay there. In the beginning, there will be too

    many males in the packhouse if their numbers are urate. It won¡¯t be until the females choose their

    imants that the others go home and make room in that packhouse. But by then, we¡¯ll all be set up in

    the other house. I think it could work, don¡¯t you?¡± She asks, opening her eyes and looking at me.

    I look at her for a long moment. ¡°Yeah, it could work. Are all of you set on going back this year?

    Because the other three will still be pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we need to do this for Layan.¡± I sigh. This is not a battle I will win, and I never start a fight unless I

    know I¡¯ll be the winner.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to the council and make it happen.¡±

    She squeals, putting her hand on my face and turning it toward her so she can kiss me. Her warm lips

    press against mine and what starts as a thank you kiss quickly turns into something more.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    There¡¯s a lot I would give up in this world to make Jara happy, and while this will take some negotiation

    on my part and the part of the other Alphas, it¡¯s doable.

    Jara lifts herself up, moving her body to take my length inside her, reverse cowgirl style. She sighs,

    letting her head fall back against my chest, giving me ess to her neck, where I begin nibbling,

    moving my hands to her swollen b*reas*ts. She moans softly and as she slowly begins to move, I put

    my hands on her hips to help guide her. We take our time, enjoying the feeling of being connected until

    we both find our release.

    Oh yes, I would do just about anything to keep my little Luna happy.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Mason asked me to join the next call with the council members. They are going to give us the

    preliminary results for our blood and saliva samples that we provided for them to test against Alpha

    Typhon¡¯s tissue.

    Title of the document

    Mason sits me in his office chair, putting a pillow behind my back to help support me, before pulling up

    a separate chair for himself.

    We join the video call, saying hello to everyone. While we all want to be at this year¡¯s iming for

    Layan, both Hana and Annabel are due right around the time the iming starts. We haven¡¯t had

    another Luna meeting to see what their mates said about theming.

    I look at Mason sitting beside me. I¡¯m thankful, as always, for him. He allows me to be who I am and

    even if he doesn¡¯t agree, there is always a conversation. He never forces me to concede, and he

    always takes my feelings into consideration.

    My thoughts have me reaching over, taking his hand. He looks at me, giving me a questioning look.

    ¡°I love you, Mason.¡± I say in our mind link since we¡¯re on a video call.

    ¡°Did I do something in particr to make you say that at this moment?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°You just being the amazing man that you are.¡± I say, leaning over and kissing him. I¡¯ve gotten lost in

    my mate, forgetting that we¡¯re on video until I hear a throat clearing and several chuckles.

    I pull away, embarra*s*sed. ¡°Sorry. Pregnancy hormones.¡± I say.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have to exin to me.¡± Asher says, tugging Mignon onto hisp.

    ¡°Or me.¡± Antonio says, nuzzling Annabel who is already in hisp.

    ¡°We understand, Jara.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Councilman Jason says.

    ¡°We¡¯ve brought all of you here today to discuss our research findings. In order to give you the full

    results and answer any questions you have, I¡¯ve asked our scientist, Dr. Braxton, to join the call today.¡±

    We see an older gentleman, wearing sses enter the video screen. I wonder if he wears them to

    make himself look more distinguished, since, as werewolves, we have advanced eyesight. Or perhaps,

    because he¡¯s always looking through a microscope, the sses give him an advantage and he¡¯s just

    ustomed to wearing them.

    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone. As Councilman Jason said, my name is Braxton. I have studied human

    biology, veterinary medicine, zoology and more recently I have focused my studies on virology and

    gics.¡±

    ¡°Uh, for those of us that aren¡¯t doctors, can you put that in innguage.¡± Quinton says.

    He smiles, looking into the camera. ¡°Ever since my father died from feral- fever over twenty years ago,

    I¡¯ve been studying every possible science to figure out why he and therefore, our kind, are going

    extinct.¡±

    ¡°Virology is the study of viruses. Once we realized that feral-fever mirrored the canine versions of the

    rabies and distemper viruses, vegan my intensified studies, to see what I could discover about our

    separate, but simr virus.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re here today because you found something.¡± Luke says.

    ¡°That is correct, Alpha. And what I found is extraordinary. Let me preface, I will need to do more

    research, but this is an amazing find.¡±

    ¡°Out with it, doe! What did you find?¡± Antonio asks.

    ¡°The blood and saliva samples that we took from each of the Lunas caused aplete reversal and

    eradication of the virus that was previously rampant in the dead Alpha¡¯s tissue.

    ¡°Eradication?¡± Davis asks.

    ¡°Yes, no matter which female¡¯s sample we used, the virus was suppressed, killed for all intents and

    purposes.¡±

    We all sit in silence for a moment. ¡°Our blood kills feral-fever?¡± I ask. I¡¯m in shock. I knew we, as

    females could help, but to actually kill the virus?

    ¡°Not just your blood, Luna, but also your saliva. It appears that you, all of you, are the vination to the

    virus.¡± He says.

    ¡°How?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°That is where I will need to do more research. It hasn¡¯t always been this way. So, I¡¯m not sure if it is

    some sort of natural evolution to protect our species, or something else entirely. But I would say, that

    spending time with your packs will keep them from getting the feral-fever.¡± He says.

    Again, we all sit in stunned silence. Then another thought urs to me. ¡°But, the vination, as you

    call it, isn¡¯t permanent, is it? When my sister died, her pack began to go feral very quickly, almost as if

    every virus she had pushed off came rushing back.¡± I say.

    ¡°That is true and something we still need to research further. And, as with all viruses, they mutate.

    Because the tissue I¡¯m working with is dead tissue, I can¡¯t know for sure, but there was another

    interesting find in my research. The cells I found in some of the older she-wolves, Lunas Nina, Gia and

    Tessa and Miss Isabe were different than the ones that I found in the younger Lunas. It¡¯s almost as if

    your bodies are responding to the virus¡¯s mutation by mutating your immunity in kind.¡±

    ¡°This is a lot to take in, doctor.¡± Mason says beside me.

    ¡°It is. And, as I said, I have much more work to do. But these are very exciting discoveries. And they

    bode well for the future of our species.¡±

    ¡°So, what are the next steps.¡± Jason asks.

    ¡°We have more tissue samples from the dead Alpha. I¡¯d like to see if I can get saliva and blood

    samples from some of the other she-wolves, those in different ranks. My research did not show a

    difference in the impact of the vination process with the samples I had, but every one of you is a

    Luna with the exception of Miss Isabe whoes from an Alpha line. I would also like to take

    samples from all of the mated Alphas. I would expect to see that your resistance to the virus is higher

    than normal, given that your mates have marked you. However, that wasn¡¯t the case with Alpha

    Typhon, and I¡¯d like to try and figure out if that was because his mate died, or if it was for some other

    reason that the feral-fever took him.¡±

    ¡°So, a whole lot more work to do?¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Well, Dr. Braxton, I appreciate all of your hard work on this. Anything that you can tell us that will help

    our species from dying off would be helpful.¡± My father says. ¡°I agree.¡± He stops for a moment before

    looking at the camera.

    ¡°I know that this will not be a popr idea, but all of you recently ad female children¡­¡± He is cut off by

    four savage snarls, the one beside me making me jump.

    ¡°NO!¡± They all say.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    The doctor raises his hands. ¡°I only meant to take a saliva sample, no blood. This vine or whatever

    we want to call it, seems to be airborne. If your daughters also show signs of carrying an immunity to

    feral-fever, and therefore possess the vination, then it would be good information to have. I would

    also be interested to know if their cells look different than their mother¡¯s. This would be another way to

    show that we are evolving in a way to protect our species.¡±

    ¡°Well, my children aren¡¯t born yet, so you can¡¯t get saliva from them.¡± Mason says, huffing. I reach out

    to touch him, helping to calm him.

    ¡°Saliva only.¡± Seth growls.

    ¡°Same.¡± Antonio¡¯s deathly re shows on screen.

    ¡°Same.¡± Asher¡¯s face pops on screen, showing the same threatening re. ¡°Very well. I will make ns

    to visit the packs and obtain those samples. Alpha Mason, Luna Jara, with your permission, I will speak

    to your pack doctor. He can collect those samples when your children are born. Since this is the first

    set of twins to be born in three generations, I would like to test the saliva of your son as well. It would

    be interesting to see if his cells look different than yours, Alpha Mason.¡±

    ¡°Saliva. Only.¡± He says through gritted teeth, ring at the doctor.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Thank you all for your time today. As soon as I have more information, I¡¯ll let the council

    know and we can reconvene to discuss the next round of results.¡±

    ¡°Thank you everyone.¡±

    We disconnect and I turn to look at Mason, smiling at him.

    ¡°What?¡± He grumbles.

    ¡°I love how protective you are of our little ones.¡±

    ¡°No one hurts my pups.¡± He says in his menacing tone.

    I smile at him. Goddess, I love this man.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Elijah

    It¡¯s the day of my a*s*sessment. They scheduled us to be a*s*sessed a month before the iming. The

    council sent the group of a*s*sessors to each of the packs and because our pack is one of therger

    ones, several a*s*sessors were sent toplete our evaluations.

    Title of the document

    This year, we have nearly fifty guys going into the iming. While no one is excited about the

    a*s*sessment, everyone is excited about the iming this year. With the no kill order from the council,

    even omegas have a better chance of iming one of this year¡¯s females.

    Mason had agreed to allow Jara to a*s*sist with the a*s*sessment aftercare, but only with certain

    parameters. I know he¡¯s worried about her. but the doctor agreed that she could a*s*sist as long as she

    complied with the conditions which mostly consist of her taking hourly breaks. Since I¡¯m up for

    a*s*sessment. I can¡¯t help Mason with the aftercare of our pack members, but both Luke and Brynn

    agreed to help That will take a lot of the pressure off of Jara, which I know gives Mason some peace of

    mind.

    I tell Mason that I want to go on the first day of a*s*sessment. That way. I can help our pack members

    who are a*s*sessed on the second and third day. But it will also give me a chance to tell Layan that I¡¯ve

    passed a*s*sessment. As the timees closer to the iming, she¡¯s bing increasingly nervous.

    She¡¯s told me that she wakes up almost every night now with nightmares I¡¯ve told her she can call me

    any time, day or night, but she says that her mother and Alpha Davis are there for her and that she is

    okay

    I hate that she¡¯s in Alpha Davis¡¯s pack and he is able to be there when she needs him. It should be me.

    And I can tell that she has be more attached to her Alpha, but I¡¯m not giving up. We still talk every

    day and even this morning, she called me to wish me luck and tell me that she would be there for me

    this evening if I needed to talk.

    She had told me that she wished she could be here for my a*s*sessment, but her pack is getting

    a*s*sessed as well and she felt the need to be there to help them. I understand, and I love that she

    wants to help her pack, but I really miss her. Since I¡¯ve been through a*s*sessment many times before,

    so I know what to expect, but it doesn¡¯t matter. a*s*sessment is meant to try to push you to a point

    where you lose control. That¡¯s why you feel so sick afterward. You have to fight against your own

    nature, your own instincts, to pass.

    I¡¯m not sure if this year they are pushing harder or if they just use what they know about me to provide

    the worst possible scenario for me to face. But the a*s*sessment takes me into the iming with

    Layan. At first, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m in wolf form chasing her and she¡¯s giving me a good run. But then, it

    happens. I¡¯m forced to watch as the Alpha fromst year¡¯s im overtakes her in his wolf form, biting

    her, trying to mark her as she screams, begging me to help her.

    Somewhere in my head, I know this is the a*s*sessment, but everything in me wants to kill him, wants

    to fight him and get him off of Layan. But I have to think. I have to be smart. I need to do something. I

    can¡¯t stand by and watch him hurt her, but I can¡¯t kill him either. It will eliminate met from this year¡¯s

    iming.

    So, I leap at him, biting into his back leg. I taste his blood as my teeth, puncture his flesh. His howl of

    pain lets me know that he let go of Layan and I tear him away from her, putting myself between him

    and her. Hees in to attack me, trying to get to her. I grab him again, throwing him aside before

    pushing back against Layan, moving her against a rock face where I know that no one can sneak up

    behind us. I can hear her crying, hear the pain in her voice, but I can¡¯t lose my focus, or the Alpha will

    get her.

    He gets up again, this time, I can see that he seems crazed. The only way he¡¯ll stop is if I kill him, but

    I¡¯m not allowed. I quickly look up, seeing the guards with guns. They are watching the scenario y

    out. They should have stopped him when he tried to im Layan in wolf form, but they didn¡¯t. If they

    don¡¯t do their job, I¡¯ll have no choice but to kill him to protect her.

    Hees at me again. This time, I leap, attacking him. While we¡¯re fighting. I see more Alphasing.

    They are racing trying to reach Layan, trying to take what¡¯s mine. I rip a chunk of fur out of the Alpha in

    front of me before turning, trying to protect Layan who is watching with fear in her eyes as the group of

    wolves approaches her.

    One of the Alphas jumps on me. Another attacks the Alpha I¡¯ve been fighting. But there is a third. I try

    to get past the Alpha that¡¯s on me, try to bring him down. But he¡¯s strong, stronger than I am. I¡¯m forced

    to watch as the third Alpha shifts. Alpha Davis. I watch as he walks slowly to Layan, crouching down in

    front of her. My snarls of fury only increase, knowing she might ept him. She turns her head, looking

    straight into my eyes, before moving into Alpha Davis¡¯s arms. I¡¯m forced to watch as she turns her head

    exposing her neck and he leans forward, sinking his canines into her marking spot, iming my mate.

    I shoot out of the virtual reality that the a*s*sessment put me into. I open my eyes to a dim light that still

    feels blinding.

    ¡°Congrattions Beta, you passed a*s*sessment. You may go see your Alpha and Luna. They have a

    room set up to help the pack members heal after a*s*sessment.¡± I stumble out of the chair, barely able

    to see. My head feels like someone is banging on it with a hammer and feeling like I¡¯m about to upend

    the contents of my stomach. One of the a*s*sessors reaches out to help me out of the room, but I rip

    away from them. I¡¯m still caught in the image and feelings of Layan epting Alpha Davis, Layan

    choosing him over me, Layan belonging to someone else.

    I race to my bedroom, barely making it to the bathroom before I¡¯m vomiting what little I put in my

    stomach this morning. I¡¯m not sure if the a*s*sessors just know me better or if they are making this

    year¡¯s a*s*sessment more difficult than the previous ones, but they used the best or worst possible

    weapon against me, the woman I love.

    When I finally stop dry heaving. I stand, moving to the sink and rinsing, my mouth before feeling my

    way to my bed. My head has gone from feeling like someone is hammering into it, to feeling like

    someone sliced it open with an ax.

    I grab a garbage can on my way to my bed, falling onto it, unable to do anything else. I close my eyes,

    pulling a pillow over my eyes and ears to eliminate as much sound and light as possible and Iy there,

    reying the scene over and over in my head.

    I¡¯m not sure how long Iid there before I hear my bedroom door open. Unlike in previous year¡¯s my

    headache hasn¡¯t started to ease. But I don¡¯t want Jara to help me. She needs to help our other pack

    members. I¡¯ll heal, and I really don¡¯t want to be around anyone right now anyway. I still feel too raw

    after my a*s*sessment.

    I feel a cool hand on my forehead, and I instantly feel the relief.

    ¡°Luna, you need to save your strength. I¡¯ll be fine, go help our pack members.¡± I say, not opening my

    eyes or moving the pillow.

    ¡°Not Jara.¡± A voice, the only voice that matters in this moment, says to me.

    I rip the pillow off my head, not sure I heard correctly. But there she is, Layan. I pull her to me on the

    bed, curling up around her like she¡¯s my security nket.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± I say as her handse to either side of my head, instantly easing the ma*s*sive

    headache and nausea I¡¯m feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯m here. Alpha Davis came out of a*s*sessment looking terrible and he told me what they did, using

    me in his a*s*sessment. I knew they must have done the same to you I knew you¡¯d need me.

    I just nod, letting her scent of ripe apricots fill my nose, soothing my senses

    ¡°Thank you foring Layan I know your pack needs you¡± I say, my arms wrapped around her waist,

    my head on her chest, listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat, her soft breaths helping me to control

    mine

    I feel her kiss the top of my head ¡°You needed me more. Elijah.¡±

    I nod again, feeling my body rx, letting her hands soothe my head until sleep overtakes me.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    This year¡¯s a*s*sessment seems to be much more intense than any of the years I remember before.

    The a*s*sessor told me Elijah looked like shit when he came out of his a*s*sessment. I didn¡¯t even see

    him. I¡¯ve been so busy taking care of the others and keeping an eye on Jara, that I haven¡¯t had a

    minute to go check on him. When Layan shows up in our packnds, saying she knew Elijah needed

    her. I know it isn¡¯t just us. When I have a moment, after sending Jara up to our room toy down. I call

    Seth.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Is it me or is this year¡¯s a*s*sessment worse than usual?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I thought it was just me. This is terrible. My pack members are wrecked. Hana wants to help, but I

    keep having to tell her to take breaks.¡±

    I tell him about Layan showing up in my pack and what she told me about the a*s*sessors using her in

    Alpha Davis¡¯s and most likely Elijah¡¯s a*s*sessments.

    ¡°So., they know us better, since we¡¯ve be a closer-knitmunity. They know how to push our

    pack members to the extreme.¡± Seth says.

    ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s intentionally cruel, although it probably feels like it to them. It feels like

    they are making sure that these men have control over themselves to ensure that no one gets killed

    this year and that we don¡¯t have a repeat ofst year.¡±

    ¡°I agree. But between you and me, I¡¯m d I¡¯m not going through a*s*sessment this year.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± I say before hanging up.

    Thankfully, Jara slept the rest of the afternoon and the a*s*sessments finished for the day before she

    woke up. When she did, we went to the pack hospital to check her pulse, the babies¡¯ heart rates,

    anything and everything the doctor felt was necessary. After hearing that momma and babies were

    healthy, I agreed that she could help again tomorrow, with the same parameters in ce.

    As we walk back to the packhouse, well, I¡¯m walking, she¡¯s waddling in her cute way. I give her the

    information that I¡¯ve been waiting to drop on her, knowing she¡¯ll be excited.

    ¡°So, Layan is still here, in Elijah¡¯s room. Has been all day.¡±

    She turns to me. ¡°Get out!¡± She thinks for a minute. ¡°All day?¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm, and I know Elijah is awake because I saw the omegas taking a couple trays of food

    upstairs.¡±

    ¡°What do you think they¡¯re doing?¡± She asks me, slyly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just talking. Catching up on old times.¡± I say, smiling.

    ¡°You mean, like you and I used to talk¡± she puts her fingers up in air quotes, ¡°when you¡¯d walk me back

    to the female housing during my iming.¡±

    ¡°Hey, we talked a lot on those walks.¡± I said.

    ¡°Mmhmm, and sometimes we didn¡¯t.¡± She says, turning and lifting her head for a kiss. I may have to

    lean over her belly now to kiss her properly, but I¡¯ll take every opportunity possible to kiss my mate.

    I pull away, about to suggest that we re-enact one of those moments, when I see Jace sneaking out of

    the packhouse, heading to the forest.

    Jara must catch the change in my mood because she turns to look in the direction I¡¯m looking.

    ¡°Where¡¯s he going?¡± She asks.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Luke says he¡¯s been sneaking off at night. He¡¯s tried to talk to him about it, but Jace won¡¯t

    talk.¡±

    We watch him sneaking through the forest trees for a moment.

    ¡°You should go to him. Maybe he¡¯ll talk to you as his Alpha. Things are still pretty tenuous between

    Jace, Luke and Brynn.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the packhouse, then I¡¯ll go see what he¡¯s up to.¡± I tell her, not willing to let her walk

    alone, even a short distance.

    Once we get inside, she takes my hands. ¡°Go, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m going to see what I can find out about

    Layan and Elijah.¡± She says, a mischievous look in her eye.

    I shake my head at her before kissing her nose and jogging out the back of the packhouse.

    I lift my nose in the air and pick up his scent. I begin to follow behind him at a leisurely pace. I know

    he¡¯s not leaving the pack, I just want to make sure that he¡¯s okay. He¡¯s pretty young to have to deal with

    the loss of both of his parents, but I still don¡¯t like him out here by himself at night.

    I find him out in the forest, picking something up off the ground.

    ¡°Jace.¡± I say quietly and even though I tried not to startle him, he jumps up, putting his hands behind

    his back.

    ¡°Alpha.¡± He says, looking guilty. Of what, I can¡¯t even imagine.

    ¡°What are you doing out here by yourself after dark?¡± I ask him, slowly approaching him.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He says, looking down. A sure sign that he¡¯s hiding something.

    ¡°Luke says you¡¯ve been sneaking out every night. Want to talk about it?¡± He looks up at me then

    shakes his head, no,

    ¡°Mind if I walk with you then?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather be alone, Alpha, if that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Jace, this is a pack. That means that we all support each other. I¡¯m the Alpha of that pack. That means

    that I¡¯m in charge of making sure everyone in my pack is safe, healthy and happy. And right now, one

    of my pack members isn¡¯t happy.¡± I say, moving to sit on a fallen tree branch.

    ¡°Do you not like living with Luke and Brynn?¡± I ask him. It¡¯s only been a couple of months, but I know

    the transition has been difficult.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re fine.¡± He says, still not looking at me. When he doesn¡¯t continue. I try another tactic.

    ¡°What are you searching for out here?¡± I ask him.

    Now his head shoots up to look at me. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m looking for something?¡± He asks,

    defensively.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha, Jace. It¡¯s my job to figure these things out.¡± I tell him, exaggerating the truth a bit, but at

    six years old, he won¡¯t know that.

    He kicks the dirt with his shoe. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt their feelings.¡± He says

    I frown. Does he mean his parents¡¯ feelings? ¡°You don¡¯t want to hurt whose feelings, Jace?¡±

    ¡°Luke and Brynn¡¯s. They¡¯ve been really nice to me, but I think it would hurt their feelings.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what it is, and we can decide together if it will hurt their feelings.¡±

    He shuffles his feet some more. I tap the branch beside me. ¡°Come sit down and tell me what you think

    will hurt their feelings.¡± I say gently.

    He looks at me a moment beforeing to sit beside me. I put my arm around him, and he leans into

    me. I may not be his father, but I am his Alpha and for a pup his age, the feeling would be simr.

    He pulls his hands in front of him and I see that he has a stone in it. It¡¯s t and more oval than circr,

    but it looks like it¡¯s a bluish-gray color. He¡¯s rubbing his thumb over it as he looks at it.

    ¡°My dad used to collect stones for my mom. I heard him tell her once that he was missing her and he

    found the stone and it made him think of her, and how it might make her smile. It did make her smile,

    so any time he would find a stone that reminded him or her, or something that seemed unique, he

    would bring it to her.¡±

    He lifts the stone up to show me. ¡°I thought I could make a ce for them, where I could go and talk to

    them. Since their ashes went to the Moon Goddess, I don¡¯t really have a ce that feels like I can

    connect to them. So. I made one.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, you made one.¡± I ask him.

    He stands, taking my hand and I walk with him to theke that¡¯s on our packnds. He walks me

    around the back side of theke and shows me a ce where he has been putting the stones around

    the base of a tree.

    He leans down, putting the new stone into the existing pile ¡°I made a ce where I cane talk to my

    parents when I want to I know they¡¯ll know it¡¯s their ce because of the stones¡± He says. I sit down in

    front of the tree, pulling him into myp.

    ¡°Do you want to know what I think?¡± I ask him. He nods, looking up at me over his shoulder.

    ¡°I think you have made your parents very proud of you.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°I do. And I also think that Luke and Brynn would like toe visit them with you sometimes. Maybe

    they want to tell your parents how well you¡¯ re doing, or something funny that you did. They coulde

    here and talk to them too.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think it would hurt their feelings?¡± He asks, looking back at the tree.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    He leans back against me, and we sit there, having our own private conversations with Joe and Ste

    until Jace starts to fall asleep.

    When he does, I carry him back to his room, tucking him in to his bed before letting Luke and Brynn

    know where he¡¯s been going every night.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here, Alpha. Thank you.¡± Brynn says.

    I leave them, heading back to my bedroom and my mate. I wonder if it will be different for me when it¡¯s

    my own children that are struggling. Will theye to me forfort, guidance? Will they confide in

    me, trust me with their secrets?

    I guess time will tell.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 163

    Chapter 163

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    The second day of a*s*sessment is as grueling as the first. I take it slowly, making sure that I don¡¯t

    overextend myself. I take hourly breaks and when I feel my babies start to slow their movements, as if

    my healing our pack is draining them too, I stop and goy down to rest. Yesterday I slept nearly four

    hours before Mason woke me for dinner. Today is the same.

    Title of the document

    Layan had stayed one night with Elijah and had gone home the next morning. She knew her pack

    needed her and I¡¯m thankful I can help in my pack as well. From everything we¡¯ve heard from all of the

    packs, this year¡¯s a*s*sessments are far worse than previous ones.

    When I ask Mason about it, he decides we should call Councilman Jason and ask him.

    We¡¯re in his office, and I¡¯m on hisp, as always, these days. I lean back against him, and he begins

    rubbing circles on my stomach, soothing me and our little ones.

    ¡°Councilman Jason.¡± He answers on the third ring.

    ¡°Councilman. This is Alpha Mason.¡±

    ¡°Mason, how are you? How are a*s*sessments going? I haven¡¯t heard of any males failing.¡±

    ¡°No, none of my pack members have failed a*s*sessment so far. We have one more day of

    a*s*sessments to go.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t just mean your pack, Alpha. None of the packs have a single male that has failed

    a*s*sessment.¡±

    Mason and I look at each other. ¡°So, the council was right?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It would appear so.¡±

    ¡°And we think this is because the she-wolves are providing this vination effect in the packs?¡± Mason

    asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s my take on it.¡± Jason says. Mason and I sit in silence for a moment.

    ¡°So, what can I do for you Alpha, Luna?¡± He asks.

    ¡°We wanted to know why this year¡¯s a*s*sessments seem much more intense than the usual

    a*s*sessments.¡± Mason asks him.

    ¡°Well, in truth, I think it should have always been like this. I fought for stronger a*s*sessments,

    especially since they were done months in advance of the iming, but I was overruled. When I spoke

    to the council this year, and told them my reasons, they agreed. We¡¯re still determining if this level of

    a*s*sessment will be needed in the future, but given that no one has failed, it appears that, while

    difficult, it is valuable. We can ensure the safety of our females, and our pack mates can still

    sessfully pass a*s*sessment.¡±

    ¡°So, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Layan going back into the iming this year?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Well, I believe that Layan is the reason that the council agreed to the more intensive a*s*sessments.

    We want to make sure that nothing like what happened to her, ever happens again. But we also know

    that any human that doesn¡¯t have absolute control over their wolf may kill in the territory. We¡¯re putting

    every possible safeguard in ce to ensure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

    We say our goodbyes and thank Jason before we hang up.

    Afterward, I don¡¯t immediately move to get up.

    ¡°You okay, love?¡± Mason asks me, kissing the side of my

    ¡°Yeah, it just feels really good having you rub the sides of my stomach.¡± My head is leaning back

    against him, my eyes closed.

    ¡°We can stay here as long as you like.¡± He says, I nod, not saying anything.

    I feel Mason begin purring and the sound of it, the feel of it against my body, lulls me to sleep. I wake,

    feeling Mason carrying me.

    ¡°I can walk.¡± I say, sleepily.

    ¡°And I can carry you.¡± He says, this time kissing the top of my head that is tucked up against him chest.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been exerting too much energy, love. Why don¡¯t you n to sleep in tomorrow. Elijah should be

    back to full strength and Brynn and Luke are helping. Even Melinda seems to understand that her

    presence helps.¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    Yes. Melinda hade into the room today and without anyone saying anything to her, she had

    crawled into one of the omegasps, leaning against him. At first, I thought Brynn would get upset. But

    she watched the omega wrap his arms around Melinda, before sighing and leaning his head back

    against the couch.

    ¡°See mommy, I can help.¡± Melinda had said. She isn¡¯t able to heal those a*s*sessed on her own, but

    her presence had helped them to heal faster, especially the omegas who wereing out of

    a*s*sessment nearlyatose from their ordeal.

    Several had started crying when she got in theirp, holding her tightly. We found outter that some

    a*s*sessments included Melinda, and the pack members not being able to save her.

    So, I let Mason tuck me into bed and I fall asleep curled up in his arms.

    The next morning, he is already gone when I wake. I slowly get up, feeling a cramping in my side. I

    shower, rubbing my stomach, trying to soothe my babies and my overstretched body. Even with

    advanced healing, having twins that havee nearly to term is wreaking havoc on my entire body.

    When I finish bathing and getting dressed, I head down to where our pack members are going after

    their a*s*sessments. I get another cramp in my side and I stop to rub my stomach.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, love?¡± Mason¡¯s voice drifts into my mind. Always so attentive, but definitely more so

    since I¡¯ve been pregnant again.

    ¡°Just some cramps this morning. I¡¯m making my way to you.¡±

    ¡°If the pups are giving you problems today, maybe you should sit it out, Jara.¡±

    Normally, I¡¯d fight him, but these cramps are stronger than normal. ¡°I¡¯m going to go sit outside for a bit

    and see how I feel after that.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Okay.¡± I feel him getting distracted, probably helping to heal one of our pack members, but the link

    between us stays wide open. He¡¯s worried about me, as always.

    I go outside, sitting in the sun, letting the heat work its magic. But after several minutes, I¡¯m

    ufortable, not finding a spot that works for me. My stomach cramps seem to be getting worse, not

    better and the sun seems too warm today.

    I huff, putting my hands on the armrests of the chair and hauling my body up to stand. As I do, I feel a

    pool of wetness between my legs, soaking my underwear.

    I stop, looking down. Oh shit.

    ¡°Jara?¡± I hear Mason in my head, he¡¯s still distracted, but multi-tasking his focus on me.

    ¡°Umm, Mason¡­¡± Instantly, I feel himser focused on me.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time.¡±

    I feel his confusion. ¡°Time for what?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Time for us to meet our little ones. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m inbor.¡±

    Suddenly I hear the sound of a door banging open, followed by the moans of those in the room as the

    sound intensifies their pain.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I hear Mason say ¡°Alpha, what¡¯s going on?¡± I hear Elijah.

    ¡°Jara?¡± I hear him call and suddenly, it feels like the entire pack goes on alert. ¡°She¡¯s here, Alpha, I can

    see her. Back porch.¡± I look up to see several of our pack members, some in wolf form and some in

    human form racing toward me.

    They get to me just as Mason does. His arms go around me, just as another contraction, because now

    I know that¡¯s what I¡¯m feeling, ripples through my stomach.

    The pack members nearest me all have their noses in the air, sniffing my scent. I¡¯m not sure exactly

    what they smell, but they all begin howling excitedly.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Mason barks, turning to me.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He asks.

    ¡°My water broke.¡± I say and I¡¯m in his arms in an instant.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of things here, Mason. Go have some babies!¡± Elijah calls and I hear the howls and

    cheers going up again.

    ¡°Tell them to put the remaining a*s*sessments on hold today, Mason. No one is going to be able to

    focus now.¡± I tell him.

    He sends a mind link to Elijah just as we get to the pack hospital.

    ¡°DOCTOR!¡± He yells out, as the doctores walking around the corner.

    ¡°Elijah just mind linked me.¡± He says, walking up, his nose in the air.

    ¡°Yep, you smell like you¡¯re inbor. Let¡¯s get you hooked up and see what¡¯s going on.¡± The doctor says.

    I look at Mason. ¡°What do I smell like?¡± I ask, worried that something about my water breaking smells

    bad.

    ¡°You smell very strongly of our pups.¡± He says, smiling down at me.

    Oh. Well, that¡¯s a good thing.

    Just as we get to the room, another contraction hits me. Mason sets me on the bed gently and begins

    rubbing my stomach on either side. When he feels the tightness in my stomach, he looks up at me

    worriedly.

    ¡°Yeah, it hurts.¡± I tell him, answering his unasked question.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take some of the pain.¡± He tells me.

    The doctor snorts. ¡°Good luck with that Alpha.¡±

    Mason growls low. ¡°If Jara can take it, so can I.¡±

    ¡°That may be, but that¡¯s not what I read in my books.¡±

    After the doctor warns Mason that he needs to touch me. Mason snarling when the doctor actually

    touches me and the doctor checking me out, he looks up at me from between my legs.

    ¡°About ready to start pushing. Luna? It¡¯s time to introduce our pack to their new generation of Alphas.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 164

    Chapter 164

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Even though I know the doctor has to touch my mate, watching him put his head between her thighs

    has my body on the verge shifting and tearing him apart. That is, until he says it¡¯s time to push.

    Title of the document

    Then, all of my anger washes away, reced with fear and of anticipation. As the contractions had

    starteding stronger, I had tried to wrap my mind around Jara¡¯s, tried to take on some of her pain.

    But holy frigging goddess, what the hell kind of pain is this? I think I¡¯d rather be ripped to pieces in a

    pack war than suffer this pain.

    It¡¯s not even the contractions, oh no. That would have been enough to bring me to my knees. But once

    she starts pushing and I can feel the pain of our child moving through her birth canal, I start to feel like I

    might vomit, or ck out or both.

    ¡°Alpha, why don¡¯t you let our Luna do what the goddess has given her the strength to do, and you try to

    comfort her. It won¡¯t help anyone if you end up passed out on the floor.¡± He says to me before turning

    back to Jara. ¡°Push, Luna.¡±

    Her hand grips mine and while I stay attached to her mind, taking some of the pain, I can¡¯t take as

    much of it as I had nned. My mate is a trooper though. She fights through the pain, pushing when

    it¡¯s time, breathing with me when she has a moment to rx.

    The next time she leans her head back, I wipe the sweat from her face.

    ¡°You are so strong, my little Luna. So amazing and so strong. I love you so much.¡±

    ¡°No offense, but I¡¯m hating you a lot right now.¡± She says.

    I lean in, nipping her hear. ¡°Then stop begging for my knot, love.¡± I thought it would be a nice tease,

    helping her to rx. Instead, I get a re and if looks could kill, I¡¯d be lying ma*s*sacred on the floor

    right now.

    ¡°Or not.¡± I say, moving outside her ability to actually bite me.

    ¡°Push, Luna. I can see the baby¡¯s head, you¡¯re almost there.¡±

    I help Jara lift up as she pushes, crushing my hand in her grip as she bears down. When she leans

    back again, I make the mistake, of looking at the doctor. There, between Jara¡¯s thighs is my baby¡¯s

    head. Only the head. The rest of the body is still inside Jara. I begin to panic.

    ¡°I¡¯m so tired, Mason. I don¡¯t think I can do it.¡± She says.

    I look at my child¡¯s head and I know my eyes are wide as saucers.

    ¡°Calm your mate, Alpha. She can do this. Encourage her. I won¡¯t let your pup die.¡± The doctor¡¯s voice

    flits through my mind.

    I look at him, he nods before turning back to Jara. ¡°One more good push, Luna. You can do it.¡±

    She looks at me. ¡°I can¡¯t Mason. I¡¯m so tired. I can¡¯t.¡±

    I take her face in my hands. ¡°You are the strongest woman I know. Hell, the strongest person I know.

    You can do this. I know you can.¡± I reach my arm around her shoulders, helping her to sit up.

    ¡°Push, Luna.¡± The doctor says and I push my strength into her, giving her as much of myself as I can to

    help her.

    She screams, bearing down hard and I hear a gushing sound as the doctor sighs. Instantly, I smell the

    blood and body fluids and I turn, seeing our child in the doctor¡¯s hands.

    Jara falls on the bed, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Alpha, Luna, meet your daughter.¡±

    Jara chuckles softly. ¡°The first female heir.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to consider what my daughter being born first will mean in the long run, I¡¯m just happy that

    she¡¯s okay. A nursees and takes her from the doctor as he turns back to Jara.

    ¡°Okay, Luna. Now, it¡¯s time to meet your son.¡±

    She nods, as if birthing one has given her new strength. Ie back over to her, taking her hand.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, love.¡±

    I can still smell blood and I look at the doctor. ¡°Why do I still smell fresh blood?¡± I mind link him.

    ¡°Luna tore delivering your daughter. She will heal but I¡¯ll stitch her up to help her healing once we

    deliver your son.¡±

    I nod, looking back a Jara.

    As the next contraction hits her, the doctor looks at her. ¡°Okay Luna, let¡¯s do this.¡± This time, it all

    happens much faster. I don¡¯t know why, and I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m just d when the doctor finally lifts our

    son up to show him to us. As he does, the nursees over and takes him. A second nursees

    over, holding my daughter all wrapped up in a nket like a baby burrito.

    ¡°Luna, would you like to meet your daughter?¡± He says, holding my child.

    Jara nods sleepily. The nurseys our daughter in Jara¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Hello, my beautiful girl.¡± Jara says, stroking her finger over our daughter¡¯s cheek. Her little mouth

    makes a sucking motion, but her eyes stay closed. She has a little cap on her head to keep her warm,

    but, I already saw that she has a full head of dark hair. I lean down, gently kissing the top of her head.

    My heart is so full of love that I feel like it¡¯s going to burst.

    A few minutester, the other nursees back with our son. ¡°Luna, meet your son.¡± He says,ying

    him in Jara¡¯s other arm.

    She looks at me, smiling softly. Her eyes are exhausted. ¡°Meet your children, Mason.¡±

    ¡°Our children, my love.¡± I look at both our children, sleeping happily in their mother¡¯s arms. I move to

    kiss the top of my son¡¯s head, deeply inhaling his scent. Both of them still smell like Jara, but they have

    their own individual scents underneath that. My son seems to have more of the scent that Jara says in

    mine, a cool winter breeze. I never quite understood what she meant, and I didn¡¯t care since she liked

    my scent. But now, I smell it on my son.

    ¡°He smells like you.¡± She says softly, kissing his cheek.

    ¡°And our daughter smells like you.¡± I say.

    The pack has been alerted that our babies have been born. I can feel them nearby, all wanting to meet

    their new Alphas, the first children to be born in our pack since Jace, six years ago.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Go, I¡¯m so tired anyway and I can feel the pack getting antsy to meet our children. Go introduce them

    while the doctor cleans me up.¡± She tells me.

    ¡°When they start getting fussy, Alpha, bring them back in. They will both need to nurse soon.¡± The

    doctor says, looking at Jara. ¡°We¡¯ll help with that, as long as Alpha Mason doesn¡¯t be too

    protective.¡±

    ¡°I can handle my mate.¡± She says, her eyes closing.

    Carefully, I reach down, taking my son in my arms. I look at my daughter, unsure how I¡¯m going to pick

    her up and carry both of them outside to introduce them to the pack.

    ¡°I can help you, Alpha.¡± One of the nurses says,ing over to pick up my daughter and put her in my

    other arm.

    I look down, realizing that my whole world now resides in my arms and on the bed in front of me. I feel

    the hot sting of tears in my eyes and I swallow hard before turning back to the nurse.

    With his help, I walk out of the room, down the hall to the waiting room. It is full of pack members. As I

    walk in, the ones that were sitting stand and everyone turns to me.

    ¡°Everyone, meet the newest members of your Alpha family, Jordan and Jaxon.¡± The room erupts in the

    quietest, sweetest show of happiness I¡¯ve ever seen in my pack.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 165

    Chapter 165

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Chapter 9.

    Jara

    When Mason returned to our room, my mother was with him. He had handed off one of our babies to

    her, or more likely, my mother hade up and taken one of them. I couldn¡¯t tell which one she was

    carrying, but it didn¡¯t matter. They were getting fussy, and I realized instantly why Mason had willingly

    handed over one of our babies. My mother could help me nurse and he could get the doctor and

    nurses out of the room while I was in a state of partial dress.

    Title of the document

    After my mother helped me get settled nursing both babies at once, she sits on the bed beside me.

    ¡°How are you feeling, sweetheart?¡±

    ¡°Tired, sore,¡± I look down at my babies, ¡°happy.¡±

    ¡°You did good. Your babies are healthy, a good weight, even though they are twins and obviously they

    are good eaters.¡± She says, watching as they nurse.

    ¡°Mason said Jordan was born first.¡±

    I look at my mother. We had talked about this. ¡°She was.¡± I say smiling.

    ¡°Well, the times they are changing.¡± She says.

    She shrugs. ¡°Depending on how things go in the next generation or so, it may not even matter.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, handing one baby to her to burp while I burp the other.

    ¡°Well, look at you and Mason. You run this pack together. He¡¯s the perfect mate for you. He appreciates

    and values your strengths and what you bring to the pack. Youpliment each other. Maybe,

    hopefully, when it¡¯s time for Jordan to take over as Alpha, things will have changed and there will be a

    more equal rtionship in the packs.¡±

    ¡°Do you think that Jaxon will be angry that his sister bes heir instead of him?¡± I ask, looking at my

    now sleeping son.

    ¡°Those are worries for another day, my dear.¡± She stands, putting Jordan in the ba*s*s that was

    wheeled into my room beforeing back for Jaxon. ¡°And besides, she may not be the first, one. Your

    sister-inw is already telling Seth that Taylor is the Alpha-heir.

    I chuckle as my mother takes Jaxon and puts him in the ba*s*s, beside Jordan. Instinctively, they

    turn to each other, settling instantly.

    ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll be here until Mason gets back which I¡¯m sure won¡¯t be long. And these babies will

    be up needing to eat every couple of hours. Believe me, you need to rest while you can.¡±

    ¡°Thanks mom. How long are you here?¡±

    ¡°As long as you need me or until Hana goes intobor, whicheveres first.¡± She says, putting her

    cool hand on my forehead. ¡°Sleep, my daughter. You worked very hard today.¡±

    I close my eyes, exhaustion taking me almost instantly.

    A fussing sound wakes meter. I open my eyes in the dimly lit room and see Mason carrying one of

    our children in his arms. He may be a giant of a man, full of muscles, but our baby looks, perfect in his

    arms, even if he or she looks extremely small inparison.

    ¡°Shhh, Jordan, momma is still sleeping. Give her a few more minutes. She worked really hard today.¡±

    He says, walking her around. I can see her squirming around in his arms, periodically giving a cry of

    comint.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake Mason, bring her here.¡± I tell him.

    He turns, looking relieved. ¡°Sorry, I was hoping you could sleep longer.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, she seems hungry.¡± I say, sitting up.

    ¡°Yeah, she needs more than her father can give her right now.¡±

    He hands her to me, waiting until I get her settled and nursing. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Better. I¡¯m already healing. Did the doctor say when I can go home?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, if you are doing well.¡±

    I nod. ¡°What¡¯s going on with the a*s*sessments?¡± I ask, wanting to make sure our pack mates are

    doing okay while I¡¯m away.

    ¡°Elijah, Luke and Brynn were able to get thest of them done after we announced Jordan and Jaxon¡¯s

    birth. Everyone is done and everyone passed.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± I say.

    ¡°I think having something to celebrate helped. Thest ones seemed to heal faster.¡± He tells me.

    Just as Jordan is finishing, Jaxon wakes up. I trade one baby for another and begin nursing Jaxon

    while Mason burps Jordan.

    ¡°Did you hear from any of the other Alphas?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yep, everyone called to congratte us. Mignon, Annabel and Hana all want video calls asap so they

    can meet the newest additions.¡±

    ¡°And did everyone pass a*s*sessment?¡± I ask him, already knowing the other Lunas would want to

    meet our babies.

    He looks at me, leaning in. ¡°Every. Last. One.¡±

    My smile spreads slowly. ¡°It¡¯s working. It¡¯s really working.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really working.¡± He says to me. ¡°Having the she-wolves in our packs, having them around our

    males, it¡¯s keeping them from going feral.¡± I nod.

    ¡°Now we have to hope that it will be the same in the iming territory.¡± I say.

    ¡°I think it will be. I can¡¯t be sure, obviously, but since Dr. Braxton said they are both viruses and they

    mirror each other in certain ways, I think it will be the same.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll know pretty soon. And Mason, now that we have a few weeks to get settled with the babies, I

    definitely need to be there for Layan.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already worked it out with Councilman Phillip.¡±

    ¡°My father?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yep, your father is running this year¡¯s iming, so your mother will be there to help babysit.¡± He says,

    leaning in to give me a sweet kiss before taking Jordan back to their ba*s*s anding to get

    Jaxon.

    I fall back to sleep, and the next day, I¡¯m released from the pack hospital. Mason and I each take one of

    our little ones and walk back to the packhouse.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    When we get there, the entire downstairs is decorated with streamers, flowers and balloons weing

    our newest pack, members. The mood of the pack is excited, and we walk around, introducing our

    children to each of our pack members.

    I¡¯m probably a bit more rxed than Mason, allowing anyone that wants to hold Jordan to hold her. Our

    pack members are enthralled with our little ones and eventually, Mason rxes, and our babies are

    passed around, fought over, loudlyined over when people didn¡¯t have enough time to hold

    them, etc.

    I sit and watch as it unfolds, Brynning to sit beside me.

    ¡°You know, when Luke told me that things would be different here, I didn¡¯t believe him. I was terrified

    after what ourst pack was like, terrified that all males would see Melinda in the sick way that they, did

    in Alpha Stanley¡¯s pack. But, sinceing here, I¡¯ve slowly seen that it can be different. It is different.

    It¡¯s good for Melinda to be around the males in our pack. I don¡¯t want her to go into her iming in 16

    years terrified that things will be like they were with. Layan.¡± She says. We watch as one of our pack

    members picks up Melinda, taking her to see Jaxon. ¡°Thank you, Luna Jara.¡± She says and I turn to

    look at her.

    ¡°Thank you for bringing us to this pack. It¡¯s been a big adjustment, but it¡¯s been so good, for Luke, for

    Melinda and for me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here. All of you.¡±

    We turn, watching as our pack of warriors coo over two babies, and patiently talk to and interact with

    Melinda. As we watch, we see Jace get put up onto someone¡¯s shoulders, another pack member

    pretending to y chicken with him. Our pack members are thrilled to have four pups in our pack. The

    entire feel of the pack is different. It¡¯s better, happier.

    A feeling of love and peacees over me as I watch them, loving every member of my pack and

    letting my love for them flow freely from me to them.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 166

    Chapter 166

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Elijah

    Today is the day. I¡¯m heading back to The iming. This year, I need to make sure that I catch my

    mate. I know, without a doubt that my biggestpetition will be Alpha Davis. He¡¯s shown that he¡¯s

    willing to do whatever it takes to be a good mate to Layan. I¡¯m not sure he loves her like I do, but he

    would do right by her.

    Title of the document

    And she¡¯d be a Luna. I should want that for her, but I don¡¯t. Selfishly, I want her with me, by my side.

    I want to see our children with her blond hair and my curls, a mix of her hazel eyes and my pale green

    eyes, her sweet, gentle nature and my strength. I know it¡¯s a

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    big dream, one that may nevere true, but I see it in my dreams, and I want those dreams to

    be my reality.

    I pack my bag, knowing that if I don¡¯t catch Layan, that I can¡¯t continue on. There will be no one else for

    me but her. I haven¡¯t said anything to Mason or Jara. I¡¯m not sure how they would respond, but if Alpha

    Davis or anyone else ims Layan, I won¡¯t being home.

    I¡¯m d to know that Gamma Luke is a Beta by blood. Mason could easily rece me with him.

    And, if I¡¯m being honest with myself, I know it won¡¯t be that easy. I¡¯m more than Mason¡¯s Beta. I¡¯m his

    friend. We¡¯ve been through some terrible times together. This time, however, it¡¯s all me. He has his

    mate, his twins, his life. It¡¯s time for me to try and get mine

    What was originally going to be about 300 males, has be closer to 400 with the a*s*sessments

    being passed by every single male. I can only be thankful that Layan isn¡¯t an Alpha or Beta. Her

    jm.will.be limited. Even McKenna and Katerina¡¯s ims will be to 50. They will each have to choose

    their 50 imants, just like Layan will have to choose her ten.

    All of them will have to have a substitute, in case someone in their im catches the person before

    them. And I¡¯m aware that with McKenna being a Gamma and Katerina, while *s*sified as a warrior,

    is actually of Alpha blood, most of the imants will want one of them. Layan is a true omega. Not only

    that, while no one. says it, everyone knows what happened to her. I was shocked to hear that all of the

    Alphas wanted to enter her im. It won¡¯t matter. She¡¯s mine and I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to im her.

    I grab my bag and head downstairs. ¡°Hey Elijah, are you driving with Mason and Jara?¡± Luke asks me.

    I frown at him. ¡°First of all, spending hours in a car with two babies sounds like a prison sentence.

    Second, if I im Layan, I¡¯m not driving back with them and her in the same car. So, no. I¡¯m driving

    separately. Do you need anything from me before I head out?¡±

    Luke and Brynn are in charge of the pack while we¡¯re gone.

    ¡°Beta Elijah!¡± Melindaes running up, arms out. I scoop her up and hug her close.

    ¡°Now, if I was going to be in a car for hours with this little miss, I¡¯d have to reconsider.¡± I say, tickling her

    until she screams loudly. Jacees running from another room to make sure she¡¯s okay.

    ¡°No worries, Jace. She¡¯s just being Melinda.¡± He nods and turns to leave again. ¡°Hey, Jace.¡± I say,

    nodding my head for him to join me. I hand Melinda to Luke and step aside, squatting down so I can

    look Jace in the eye.

    ¡°You know that Alpha Mason, Luna Jara and I are all leaving, right.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Beta.¡± He says, looking at the ground.

    ¡°And, as the son of the Gamma, it is your job to help protect the pack. Can I count on you, Jace?¡± I ask

    him. I knows he¡¯s struggling, but I also think that having a purpose will help him.

    He nods, the hint of a smile on his lips. ¡°Yes, Beta.¡±

    ¡°Good! And keep an eye on your sister. She¡¯s trouble waiting to happen.¡± He rolls his eyes.

    ¡°You have no idea, Beta.¡± He says and I have tough.

    ¡°Bring it in, Jace.¡± I say and pull him into a hug.

    I start to stand and Jace grabs my arm. ¡°Good luck, Beta Elijah.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say, messing up his hair as I stand. Luke puts Melinda down and the two of them run off.

    ¡°Anyst words of wisdom?¡± Luke asks me.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t burn down the packhouse.¡± I tell him, smacking him on the arm before turning and heading

    to my car.

    Last year, I made this trek with Mason. This year, my mind is full of what ifs and what if I don¡¯ts. While

    it¡¯s only a couple of hours to get to the iming territory, I¡¯m d when I reach it. This year, security is

    as strong as it wasst year. However, I notice that there aren¡¯t as many wolves patrolling the area.

    Everyone feels better knowing that there are no feral wolves roaming around.

    I get to the packhouse and check in. Last year, I was in a room with Mason. This year, it was up in the

    air. Somehow, i end up with Alpha Jonas. I thought for sure that he and his brother would be in the

    same room, but apparently not. Since neither of them are mated and their packmate, Katerina is up for

    im this year, I¡¯m not surprised to see both of them here.

    When I get to my room, Alpha Jonas is already there.

    ¡°Beta Elijah.¡± He says, greeting me.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas.¡± I greet him back.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to be sharing a room for the next few weeks, Beta, perhaps we can ignore the

    formalities.¡± He suggests.

    ¡°That works for me, Jonas.¡±

    ¡°Good. So, you¡¯re here for Layan, but are you going to enter all three ims?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s the only one for me.¡± He nods.

    ¡°How about you?¡± I ask, wondering about the scenario with Katerina. That would be odd given the

    situation in their pack with her mother. ¡°I want a mate. I intend to enter all three ims and hope all

    three she-wolves invite me to their iming.¡± He says.

    ¡°Well, it will be an interesting few weeks, to say the least.¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes it will.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Katerina

    I¡¯m so excited to be at this year¡¯s iming. Finally, finally, I get to find my mate. I want that person who I

    can share my life with. I want to be a productive member of the pack, not just my mother¡¯s daughter.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m not foolish. I spent time with Layan. I understand what she went throughst year. But things are

    different this year. Even though we still have a lot of imants, I get to choose the fifty males that I

    want in my iming.

    Fifty. That feels like a huge number. But, when I consider that there are nearly 400 imants this year,

    it barely touches the surface. I had asked my mother what would happen if I wanted more than 50. She

    hadughed and said if I wanted more, she was sure they would allow it. The limit was for my

    protection, after all. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because Ie from Alpha blood on my mother¡¯s side or, if it¡¯s

    just wishful thinking, but I want to be a Luna. There are four Alphas in this year¡¯s im, and I want one

    of them. However, there is one that I will not choose to have in my iming. I need to talk to him

    beforehand. I need him to understand why I won¡¯t choose him.

    My mother and I arrive at the iming before anyone else that is staying in what they call the ¡®females¡¯

    housing¡¯. It may have been an urate descriptionst year, but this year, there will be the three of us,

    plus the four Lunas, their mates and all of their babies. Thankfully, they are putting us on the opposite

    side of the house from the babies. While I¡¯m thrilled for the support, I really don¡¯t want to be up all-night

    listening to babies crying.

    Luna Hana was supposed to be here, but she went intobor early this morning. From what I heard,

    she insisted that she would be here when Layan went into the iming territory. I would never bet

    against one of the Lunas. They are a force to be reckoned with and I truly hope that one day soon, I¡¯ll

    be part of that force.

    I¡¯ve barely settled in when I hear a ruckus downstairs. I go out of my room, moving to the stairs and see

    that Luna Jara, Alpha Mason and their twins are walking in with a huge amount of baby things.

    Luna Jara looks up and sees me. ¡°Oh, Katerina! How are you?¡± She asks. She looks winded, frazzled

    and sweaty.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, Luna. Can I help with anything?¡± I say, noticing that both babies are crying.

    ¡°Oh, no thank you, Katerina. Jaxon and Jordan apparently don¡¯t like car rides.¡± She

    says, giving me a look that lets me know her nerves are about shot. ¡°Have you ever driven several

    hours with what sounds like a dog whistle going off non-stop?¡± She asks.

    I smile, walking down the stairs, picking Jordan up and beginning to coo to her and bounce her as I

    walk.

    ¡°They¡¯ve already eaten, they¡¯re just fussy.¡± She tells me and I grab Jordan¡¯s binky and push it in her

    mouth. She immediately starts suckling on it and quiets down. I pull her little fist to my mouth, nibbling

    on it while I move to Jaxon, putting his binky in his mouth. Instantly there is quiet.

    ¡°Oh, sweet goddess above, what magic is this?¡± Jara says to me.

    Iugh and begin singing to Jordan as I walk with her. ¡°I used to help my mom with Sophia.¡± I tell her.

    Alpha Masones rushing in. ¡°What happened, why is it so quiet?¡± He asks, looking more frazzled

    than I¡¯ve ever seen him. Not that I¡¯ve spent a lot of time in his pack, but Alphas, in general, tend to be

    calm and in control at all times.

    ¡°Katerina is an angel.¡± Jara says, falling onto the couch in the living room.

    We¡¯re just about ready to start getting them to their rooms when Luna Mignon walks in with her mate,

    Alpha Asher, and their two young babies.

    ¡°Hello everyone, I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I need to feed via. Can you tell me where our room

    is?¡± Mignon says as Asheres in carrying a car seat with Gianna in one hand and what looks like a

    thousand pounds of baby stuff in the other hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± I tell her. I turn to Jara. ¡°Luna Jara, I can show you your room as well.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Mason, can you bring all that up? I¡¯ll grab Jaxon.¡± They all follow me up the stairs and I start to

    put them in their rooms.

    ¡°Actually, does it matter what rooms we¡¯re in?¡± Mignon asks, looking at me then at Jara.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, why?¡± I ask.

    Mignon shares a knowing smile with Jara. ¡°I want this room.¡± She says and Jara startsughing.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll take this room.¡± Jara says, moving to a different room.

    ¡°Excellent choice, my love.¡± Mason says,ing in behind her. I follow them into their room, still

    carrying Jordan.

    ¡°What am I missing?¡± I ask.

    Jara smiles at me. ¡°These were our roomsst year. We all, except Layan of course, have fond

    memories of these rooms.

    ¡°Ahh, well then, I¡¯ll leave you to unpack and revisit those memories.¡± I say, smiling at them as I put

    Jordan down on the nket that Mason spread on the floor. I walk out, pulling the door closed behind

    me.

    As I walk downstairs, I realize, now is as good a time as any to have my conversation my Alpha. I

    probably should have had it before we left our pack, but I chickened out. Now, my time is running out.

    He¡¯s a good Alpha, and he deserves an exnation.

    I walk to the main packhouse, feeling the excitement in the air. The imants are still arriving and

    checking in. I go over to Luna Gia, who is here making sure everyone gets settled and that there are no

    problems.

    ¡°Luna Gia, do you know where Alpha Jonas¡¯s room is?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I do, but you know that you¡¯re not supposed to be fraternizing with any of the imants this year,

    right?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± It was part of the instructions in our documents that arrived a couple weeks ago. We¡¯re not

    supposed to show any favoritism to any of the imants until we¡¯ve chosen all of the ones in our im.

    However, this isn¡¯t showing favoritism, it¡¯s just the opposite.

    She looks at me for a moment and I¡¯m not sure what she sees in me, she nods and goes to a table,

    pulling out a notebook.

    She opens it, looking through it until she finds Alpha Jonas¡¯s room number.

    ¡°Good luck.¡± She says, then tells me his room number and gives me directions on how to get there.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I say before following the directions and his room.

    When I get to the door, I run my hands down my clothes straightening them out before taking a deep

    breath and knocking on the door.

    I¡¯m surprised when it¡¯s Beta Elijah that opens the door. ¡°Katerina, what are you doing here?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Kat?¡± I hear Alpha Jonas say a moment before he is standing behind Elijah. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    I mentally pull up my bootstraps. ¡°Alpha Jonas, might I have a word?¡±

    He looks at me a moment and I see understanding dawn in his eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± He says, moving

    past Elijah. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a private ce to speak.¡± He says, putting his hand on my back and

    guiding me away from the rooms.

    He guides me outside to the stage that is set up for our activities starting tomorrow. When we get to the

    stage, he takes his hand off my back, but he doesn¡¯t turn toward me.

    ¡°Alpha¡­.¡±

    ¡°This is about my rtionship with your mother, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He turns his head to look at me and when I nod, he turns back, looking out over the iming territory. ¡°I

    knew that rtionship would bite me in the a*s*s one day.¡± He says, as if to himself.

    ¡°I want you to know Alpha Jonas, I have the utmost respect for you, truly I do. You are a great man and

    an amazing Alpha. Any woman would be lucky to have you.¡±

    ¡°Except you.¡± He says and now he does turn to face me.

    ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡± I say quietly. ¡°I would never not be able to think about that when I was with you.

    Wondering if you were thinking of her. If I measured up to her¡­¡±

    His fingeres to my lips, quieting me.

    ¡°Your mother is an amazing woman. Strong, confident, carefree. But I want my own mate. Someone

    who will share my life with me. Just me. That is not your mother. Neither she, nor I, want that for her.¡±

    He looks at me and I feel tears burning in my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I whisper. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry that I

    can¡¯t be someone that you want in your im. But I understand why you won¡¯t choose me. There are

    other Alphas that would be a good mate to you, and you are strong enough to make someone a great

    Luna.¡±

    I nod, unable to speak.

    He takes my face in his hands, gently pulling me to him and kissing the top of my head. ¡°Thank you for

    your honesty and for letting me know.¡±

    He steps back and I think he¡¯s about to walk away but he turns back. ¡°Does this mean that you won¡¯t

    choose any male in our pack for your im?¡±

    I shake my head, looking at the ground. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    A tear drops from my eyesnding on the gra*s*s beneath my feet.

    ¡°I understand. We will miss you Katerina. But I hope you won¡¯t be a stranger.¡±

    I look up at him. I can see the pain in his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    He nods, turning and walking back to the main packhouse. I begin making my way back to the females¡¯

    housing, tears streaming down my face.

    I really hope that¡¯s the hardest thing I have to do while I¡¯m here.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 168

    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.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Davis

    I like Elijah, I really do, but I¡¯m about ready to punch him in his boy-next-door face. I¡¯ve been clear that I

    want Layan. I know she has feelings for Elijah, but she has feelings for me too. Maybe those feelings

    aren¡¯t as strong for me as they are for Elijah, but that¡¯s because I haven¡¯t had as much time with her.

    Title of the document

    I had put my name in for her lotteryst year, but I wasn¡¯t chosen. Like everyone else, I had watched

    the horror unfold when she came out of the territory. I¡¯ll admit, to myself at least, that I had the same

    thought as every other malest year, that she was damaged. What kind of Luna would she make after

    what happened to her?

    Then, I got to know her. I got to know her sweet, gentle nature. I realized that her strength may not be

    physical, but this woman has an inner strength that few have. So, yes, I want her to be my Luna. But,

    that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m willing to risk my chance with the other two.

    McKenna is from Gamma blood and it¡¯s obvious in the way she responds to those around her. I¡¯ve

    never spent any time with her, but I intend to tonight. Just the way that she has her tableughing tells

    me that she would be a good addition to any pack. More importantly, she¡¯d be a good Luna, someone

    the pack would feelfortable with.

    Then there is Katerina. Her father may have been a warrior, but Isabees from a long line of royal

    Alpha blood in Europe. Her bloodline alone makes her an impressive candidate. But add that to her

    confidence and strength, and she¡¯s a perfect Luna.

    I look back at Layan watching her talk to Jara. I shouldn¡¯t want her as much as I do. But there is

    something about Layan, something that draws you in. And it¡¯s not just me. Every eligible Alpha here is

    nning to court her. And that doesn¡¯t include the Betas, Elijah for sure but also Jared, Alpha Jonas¡¯s

    brother. Both of them n to be in her iming as well, if she chooses them.

    Tomorrow, we find out the order of the females going into the iming territory. I don¡¯t intend to exclude

    myself from any of the imings, so I hope that Layan¡¯s is first. That way, if I don¡¯t im her, I¡¯d feel

    better about taking one of the others as a mate. If I can catch them.

    As dinneres to an end, they push the tables back, making room on the dance floor, and the music

    begins ying. I stand, looking at Layan. She looks up at me and smiles her sweet, beautiful smile. It¡¯s

    hard not to respond in kind when she looks at you that way.

    I walk around the table, my eyes never leaving hers. When I get to her chair, I give her a deep bow.

    ¡°May I have this dance, Layan?¡± I say, extending my hand to her.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± She says taking my hand. I pull her to stand in front of me.

    ¡°Davis. Please, call me Davis.¡±

    I¡¯m rewarded with her beautiful blush. ¡°Yes, Davis.¡±

    Now, it¡¯s my turn to smile. I see that Luke has wasted no time is asking Katerina to dance. Jonas is

    asking McKenna.

    I lead Layan onto the dance floor, and we begin moving in the simple steps that I taught her so that she

    would feelfortable during theing events. Several nights, there will be dancing, and I didn¡¯t

    want her sitting out because she didn¡¯t know how to dance.

    I take her in my arms, pulling her close and we begin to slowly spin around the room. She and I have

    practiced so many times that it¡¯s easy, familiar.

    From the corner of my eye, I see Mason pull Jara onto the dance floor and I see Asher dancing with

    Mignon. He has picked her up and is holding her against him, so that they are face to face as he moves

    around the dance floor.

    I look back at Layan. ¡°How is your room and how is it being housed this with year with so many

    babies?¡± I ask her, keeping the conversation light.

    ¡°It¡¯s good. I¡¯m in the other side of the house this year. While I enjoy the babies, I¡¯m sure that I will have

    a lot going on, and I¡¯d like to make sure I sleep.¡±

    I see a frown cross her features and I pull her closer to me. ¡°Hey, you know if you can¡¯t sleep, you can

    call me at any time of the night. I¡¯m rooming with Quinton, and he can sleep through a tsunami.¡±

    She giggles at that, just as I¡¯d hoped. ¡°Thank you, Al¡­Davis.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Layan.¡±

    We spin around the room until the song ends. I¡¯m about to turn and take her back to the table, when,

    not surprisingly, Elijah walks up.

    ¡°Layan, may I have this dance?¡± He asks. I have a moment of jealousy as I see her eyes shine brighter

    for him than they do for me. But I push it aside. I¡¯m here to find my mate. I hope it¡¯s her, but if she

    chooses Elijah, there are two other females this year.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I pass Layan to Elijah and turn, heading toward Katerina. Before I can get there, Quinton snags her. I

    turn and see McKenna. I veer over and bow in front of her. ¡°Gamma McKenna. May I have this dance?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Davis. I¡¯d be honored.¡± She says. I¡¯m thrilled she knows who I am. This dance is a bit faster than

    thest one.

    ¡°Are you a good dancer, Alpha?¡± She asks me, mischief shining in her eyes.

    ¡°I can hold my own, Gamma.¡± I tell her, smiling. What is she up to?

    ¡°Good. Try to keep up.¡± And damn if she doesn¡¯t make me work for it. McKenna is an excellent dancer,

    and she obviously loves it. She spins, shakes her hips leaps into the air with abandon, expecting me to

    catch her and I do, every time. When the song is done, I kiss her knuckles, watching her as I do.

    She¡¯s panting, but her smile is radiant. ¡°I hope that you¡¯ll ask me to dance again tonight, Alpha.

    ¡°Count on it.¡± I tell her as Jared, Jonas¡¯s brother,es over to ask her dance.

    I dance with McKenna several more times, each time she bes more and more daring with her

    dance moves, as if she¡¯s testing my ability. By the end of the night, we¡¯re dancing as if we¡¯ve been

    dancing together our entire lives.

    I dance with Katerina a couple of times, and with Layan once more, but thest dance of the night

    McKenna asked me to save for her. By then, Mignon, Jara and their mates had gone back to the other

    house. Layan had left with them, Elijah walking them out.

    Thest dance is a slow song. I hold McKenna close, smelling her sweet scent of peppermint candy.

    Her arms are around my neck, my arms are around her waist, holding her close.

    When the song ends, we stand there, swaying for a few more moments. I¡¯m about to ask her if I can

    walk her back, when she pulls back, kissing me quickly on the mouth before racing out of the room.

    I can¡¯t help but smile as I watch her auburn head ducking out of the room. I think I might have just fallen

    in love.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The twins are ufortable in this new environment. They are more fussy than normal, but they settle

    as long of Jara or I am holding them. When we got back to our roomst night, Nina said they had slept

    most of the time we were at dinner and dancing. Which meant, they were up most of the night with us.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m exhausted, but today is a big day. They will announce the order in which the females will enter the

    iming and they will allow them to identify if they have any imants that they have already decided

    that they want in their iming However, we have a council meeting this morning, before the iming

    events start. This morning, Katerina agreed to watch over our twins while we join Councilman Phillip in

    the main packhouse. I have asked Elijah to join us and when we arrive, I see that Jonas has asked

    Jared to join us as well.

    We are using a space in the dining room that has been sectioned off for this purpose. Since all of the

    councilmen and women are here at this year¡¯s iming, and Seth is still with Hana and their newest

    baby, we don¡¯t need a video call, so I¡¯m surprised when one is set up.

    On the screen at the end of the table is Dr. Braxton. I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re about to discuss the next set of

    data from his research.

    Once everyone has arrived and found a seat, Dr. Braxton begins.

    ¡°Hello everyone. I have been invited to your council meeting to discuss thetest round of research that

    we conducted over the past couple of months. If you remember, we had the original data from our

    current Lunas, Luna Nina as well as Isabe. That data had indicated that they had an immunity to the

    viruses that cause feral-fever and the iming haze. It was also believed that this immunity served as a

    vination of sorts to the males in their packs when they were in contact with them, specifically bodily

    fluids of any kind.¡±

    He stops, looking at the camera and pushing up his sses. ¡°It was also questioned as to whether this

    immunity or vination was consistent among the she-wolves. I believe it was you, Alpha Mason, that

    used your previous Gamma, Ste, as an example of a she-wolf that impacted her mate, but had no

    real impact on her pack.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± I confirm.

    ¡°Based on this spection, we did go to each pack and were able to obtain samples from nearly all of

    the she-wolves. There were very few instances where the parents declined our request, but there were

    a few. However, based on our sample size, I feel that we are able to discuss our conclusions at this

    time.¡± We all wait, holding our breath.

    ¡°Seriously, doc, spit it out!¡± It¡¯s Antonio who pushes him to respond again.

    ¡°Well, Alpha Mason¡¯s spections were correct. The immunity and vination effect is different in

    each female. However, we were not able to specifically say that this is based on rank. While most of

    the ranked she-wolves did have a higher level of the antibody which causes the immunity to the

    viruses, some lower ranked she-wolves also had high levels of antibodies.¡±

    Dr. Braxton looks down at his notes. ¡°For instance, the Lunas Mignon and Annabel, both were omegas

    prior to bing Lunas. Each of them has a very high level of immunity in their system, as does the

    omega Layan. But, in some of the other packs, omegas had a much lower level of antibodies in their

    system.¡±

    Dr. Braxton looks at the camera again. ¡°Even more interesting to me, as a researcher, is the pup

    Melinda. While both of her parents are of Beta blood and we would expect that her antibodies are high,

    hers were literally off the charts. Her antibodies are higher than any other she-wolf with the exception of

    Alpha Jara and now her pups, which I would expect since she and her pups are both true Alphas.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? What did you say about my pups?¡± Jara says and I feel her go rigid beside me. We¡¯re

    both extremely protective of our twins.

    ¡°If you remember, Luna, I said that I would ask the doctor to send samples based on the samples they

    already take when babies are born. I did receive those a couple weeks ago and I can confirm that your

    children have a higher level of antibody than even you have, Luna. That high antibody count is only

    seen in one other pup, Melinda.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°You don¡¯t see that in our pups?¡± Antonio asks.

    Dr. Braxton pushes his sses up on his nose again. I¡¯m beginning to think this is his way of collecting

    his thoughts.

    ¡°In truth, Alpha, you and Alpha Asher only allowed us to take saliva samples. While we¡¯ve seen the

    vine effect in the saliva, the antibodies, are best seen in the blood, so I couldn¡¯t say for sure about

    your pups, or those of Alpha Asher and Luna Mignon.¡±

    I watch Antonio and Asher look at each other. Neither of them wants to have blood drawn from their

    babies, but they also want to know if their children¡¯s antibodies are stronger than our generation¡¯s.

    Antonio looks at Annabel, who nods. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡± He tells Dr. Braxton. ¡°And you can collect whatever

    sample you need when this one is born.¡±

    Asher looks at Mignon. ¡°I will allow it, too.¡± He says, when she agrees. ¡°Excellent. I am getting samples

    from Alpha Seth¡¯s and Luna Hana¡¯s pup as well. It will be good to know if the next generation of pups

    has a higher immunity and therefore vination effect for the packs.¡±

    ¡°So, there are other she-wolves whose immunity isn¡¯t as high as ours?¡± I ask.

    ¡°That is correct Alpha and it brings me to the next item of business that I wanted to discuss. While we

    were researching this, we realized that every she-wolf that we took samples from has the feral-fever

    virus in their system.¡± I hear the Lunas around me gasp.

    ¡°In addition, the she-wolves that have been into the iming territory, including the omega Layan, all

    have the iming haze virus in their system.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying doctor?¡± Davis asks him.

    ¡°I need to do more research. And I may need more blood samples to test my theory. But what I¡¯m

    saying is that, every she-wolf who is currently alive has the feral-fever virus in their system. They just

    have the antibodies to fight it off.¡±

    ¡°For some reason, I feel like there¡¯s more to this.¡± Councilman Phillip says.

    Dr, Braxton takes a deep breath before looking straight into the camera. ¡°It means that it¡¯s possible that

    the she-wolves were the first ones that contracted feral-fever. It could have manifested differently than

    it does now, in our male poption.¡±

    He stops a moment, letting that sink in before dropping the bomb.

    ¡°It means, I think it¡¯s possible that our female poption has died out because not all of them had the

    antibodies to fight off the virus. It¡¯s possible it made them weaker than normal and potentially made

    them incapable of delivering full-term babies and caused them and their pups to die in childbirth.¡± He

    pushes his sses up again.

    ¡°If I¡¯m right, feral-fever is the cause of the decimation of our species. We just didn¡¯t know that it started

    with our females.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Layan

    I told Mignon that I would watch her babies while she and Alpha Asher went to the council meeting.

    Katerina is watching Alpha Mason and Jara¡¯s twins, and we told Annabel that we could watch E, her

    daughter as well. So, we put them all on the floor in the living room together and took turns watching

    the younger ones while cooking breakfast and feeding the older ones. McKenna came down and

    helped as well.

    Title of the document

    ¡°So, who do you think will go in first?¡± McKenna asks.

    Katerina shrugs. ¡°Not sure, but it would make sense that it was Layan.¡± She looks at me. ¡°You only

    have to choose 10 males for your iming and I¡¯m guessing that you already have two picked out.¡±

    She says smiling at me.

    ¡°You do?¡± McKenna asks. I haven¡¯t spent any time with her before now so I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s

    surprised.

    I nod. ¡°I do, but I also don¡¯t want to go first. I guess it doesn¡¯t matter what we want, they¡¯ll pull our

    names from a bowl like they didst year,¡± I say. wiping baby food from Gianna¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Soooo, who are you choosing for your im?¡± McKenna asks me.

    ¡°Beta Elijah and Alpha Davis.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Alpha Davis is your Alpha isn¡¯t he?¡± She asks and there is something about the way she asks that

    has me looking up at her.

    ¡°He is.¡±

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Is he a good Alpha?¡± She asks.

    ¡°He is. He¡¯s been very kind to me this past year.¡±

    ¡°Good. I intend to choose him for my iming as well.¡± She turns to Katerina. ¡°What about you, Kat?

    Are you going to choose Alpha Jonas for your im?¡±

    ¡°No, I spoke to him yesterday. I won¡¯t be choosing anyone from my pack.¡± That has my head shooting

    up.

    ¡°Are they mean?¡± I ask, my nerves kicking in.

    ¡°Oh no. It¡¯s just¡­ he¡¯s been with my mom, you know? It¡¯s too weird.¡±

    McKenna shrugs. ¡°As long as he will be faithful once we¡¯re mated. I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s practically

    impossible to find any male that has experience, what with so few females and all.¡±

    ¡°How about you, McKenna? Anyone other than Alpha Davis that you are going to invite?¡± Katerina asks

    her.

    ¡°Yep. All four Alphas and the two Betas. I¡¯m hoping to be a Luna, but I wouldn¡¯t mind being a Beta

    female.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only six.¡± I say to her, realizing that she ns to include both Elijah and Alpha Davis into her

    iming. Something about Elijah ending up with McKenna doesn¡¯t sit right with me.

    ¡°I know. The others I¡¯ll have to talk to and get to know better, but we have two weeks, right? They are

    giving us two weeks to choose our imants?¡± She says, looking between us.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what our documents said.¡± Katerina replies.

    ¡°How about you, Katerina? Will you be including the other Alphas and Betas into your im?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Not Alpha Jonas, as I¡¯ve said, or his brother, Beta Jared, but the others I will. Except, I get the feeling

    that Beta Elijah is going to remove himself from our imings and only enter yours Layan.¡± She says to

    me, smiling.

    ¡°What? Where did you get that impression?¡± I ask, surprised.

    She shrugs. ¡°He¡¯s the only ranked member that didn¡¯t ask me to dancest night. But I saw him

    dancing with you several times.¡± She says.

    I frown. I hadn¡¯t really been paying attention to who was dancing with whom. The other Alphas had

    asked me to dance and while I was grateful that they were kind to me, I knew that there was no way I¡¯d

    be inviting any of them into my im.

    ¡°You know, he didn¡¯t ask me to dance either.¡± McKenna says, watching.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t ask him to only dance with me.¡± I say, not sure why he would do that.

    It¡¯s just about time for us to head over, when the Lunas and their matese through the door. They

    all immediately go to their pups.

    I watch them a moment, feeling sad. The doctors told me that I won¡¯t know for sure if I can have pups

    until I try and then, I may not be able to carry a pup to term. It still makes me wonder why the Alphas

    want me. It¡¯s very likely that I wouldn¡¯t be able to have pups and that doesn¡¯t even include me getting

    over my fear of being with someone to even make that possible.

    Jaraes over to me. ¡°Are you ready?¡± She asks quietly.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Elijah

    The moment I saw Layan, I hadn¡¯t looked away. I knew there was a strong possibility that she would

    have a panic attack, and she did.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Title of the document

    The minute I realize she is having difficulty, I start purring. At first, it doesn¡¯t seem like she can hear me.

    I know from talking to her, that when she gets like this, she can¡¯t hear anything around her. So, I purr

    louder, louder than I¡¯ve ever purred before.

    The moment she looks at me, I know I¡¯ve got her. I¡¯m her lifeline, something to anchor her to the here

    and now. I hold her gaze, letting her know she¡¯s not alone.

    It doesn¡¯t take the others long to figure out what¡¯s going on and to add their purrs to mine. I¡¯m not sure I

    could be any prouder of her than when she pulls her shoulders back and walks up those stairs. I can¡¯t

    even imagine how much strength it took for her to do that.

    My eyes never leave her as she walks over to stand next to the other two females. I hadn¡¯t bothered to

    ask either of them to dancest night. I¡¯m here for one person and one person only.

    Layan.

    Councilman Phillip begins reviewing the rules of the iming. The first two rules have changed. There

    is no lottery. The females get to choose their imants and social gatherings will ur regardless of

    whether or not you¡¯ve been selected for the female¡¯s im. That is until their im is full.

    Thest three rules are the same mate mark must be in the marking spot on the neck to be valid, you

    must mark in the same form as the female (wolf or human) at the time of the marking, and you can¡¯t

    mate the female after she passes out.

    ¡°In addition, we¡¯ve added Rule #6: Anyone who kills another imant or person in the iming, will be

    subject to removal from the iming process, exclusion from all future ims and possibly death.¡±

    Councilman Phillip says. There¡¯s a bit of grumbling about this. Everyone knew that killing would not be

    allowed this year, but we hadn¡¯t heard about the potential to be executed.

    ¡°Now, before we get started, if anyone chooses to be removed from any or all of the females¡¯ ims,

    you may go over to the tables behind you and have your names removed.¡±

    I turn, heading over to remove myself from McKenna and Katerina¡¯s ims. I¡¯m sure they are great

    women, but they aren¡¯t for me.

    I walk to the table and tell them I only want to be included in Layan¡¯s im. Last year, when Mason did

    this with Jara, I thought it was crazy. Now, I feel like I have a much better understanding of why he did

    this. There is not now, nor will there ever be anyone for me, but Layan.

    When I turn to head back to stand in the crowd. I see all three females looking at me curiously. Well,

    Katerina is nodding as if I¡¯ve acted the way she expected. McKenna looks surprised and Layan

    looks¡­. nervous. I hope she doesn¡¯t think that there is anything that would ever cause me to remove

    myself from her im. When everyone is done, they give the notes to the females of the males that

    want to be excluded from their ims. Not surprisingly, Layan got several, where it looks like the other

    two only got mine. I see McKenna¡¯s head snap up in my direction, but I don¡¯t look at her. I watch as

    Layan looks at hers. She quickly goes through them and when she doesn¡¯t see my name, she looks up

    at me, giving me one of her sweet smiles, the kind that¡¯s impossible not to return.

    I see Katerina nudge her as Councilman Phillip walks to the microphone.

    Katerina shows Layan the slip that she got, watching me as she does. I see Layan jerk back in surprise

    and she turns back to me.

    I take my hand and tap it over my heart before pointing at her. My heart belongs to her.

    Even from here, I can see the beautiful blush of her cheeks, even though she ducks her head and tries

    to hide it. Katerina gives me a knowing look before turning back to watch Councilman Phillip. I notice

    that McKenna still has a frown on her face.

    They begin the pomp and circumstance of the iming, having each female introduce themselves. It¡¯s

    easy to see that McKenna is a flirt. She reminds me a bit of Hana. She would make a good Luna and

    be best suited to someone that would appreciate her mischievous nature.

    Next up is Katerina. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for Layan, I¡¯d have gone for Katerina. I know about the

    conversation that she had with Jonas and it takes some guts to tell a man like him that she isn¡¯t willing

    to have him as a mate because of his actions. Jonas has been reeling since that conversation. Katerina

    is strong. I would be shocked if one of the Alphas doesn¡¯t catch her. She will make a great Luna.

    And then there is my sweet Layan. She walks up and quietly introduces herself. She looks up and

    makes eye contact with Alpha Davis and I just catch myself from snarling out loud. But then, she looks

    at me and my wolf calms.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s draw names to see which order the imings will ur.¡± Councilman Phillip says.

    Councilwoman Gia brings out the bowl with all three names and without looking, Councilman Phillip

    reaches in and pulls a name.

    He looks at it then looks at us. ¡°Katerina.¡±

    Cheers go up all around and I watch as Katerina inclines her head to the crowd.

    ¡°Next.¡± He reaches into the bowl again, pulling a name.

    ¡°McKenna.¡±

    The cheers go up again. I sigh. I was hoping to get Layan out of here sooner rather thanter, but it

    looks like she¡¯s stuck here for the entire process.

    ¡°And ourst contestant, Layan, with be third.¡± Phillip confirms, looking over at her. There are more

    cheers and I can tell all this attention is making her ufortable. I see her look up at me and I wink at

    her. I see a smile twitching on her lips.

    ¡°Now, Katerina, if you will join me, I¡¯d like to know if you have decided on any of your imants yet.¡±

    Phillip says, bringing Katerina to the microphone.

    ¡°Yes, Councilman, I have.¡± She says into the microphone. You could hear a feather drop it¡¯s so quiet on

    this field right now.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Davis, Alpha Quinton, Alpha Luke, Warrior Jake and Warrior Thomas.¡± She says.

    I hear a whoop from one of the warriors and several chuckles from the crowd. Katerina steps back and

    Phillip gestures for McKenna to join him.

    ¡°Do you have any males that you¡¯d like to invite to your iming, McKenna?¡± He asks her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says, her eyes on me, frowning.

    ¡°Go ahead when you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°Alphas Jonas, Quinton, Luke and Davis. And Beta Jared.¡± She says, finally turning her attention away

    from me.

    ¡°Excellent. Now, Layan dear.¡± He says as McKenna steps back.

    ¡°Have you had a chance to decide on any of the males you want to invite to your im, Layan?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°And who would you like to invite?¡± He asks her.

    ¡°Elijah and Alpha Davis.¡±

    My heart drops, but I force a smile when she looks at me. Alpha Davis. I knew that she¡¯d chose him,

    but I wasn¡¯t expecting it as quickly as she chose me. He is definitely my biggestpetition. But, I

    refuse to let her see anything other than my happiness that she chose me to be part of her im.

    ¡°There you have it gentlemen. I would suggest that you get to know this year¡¯s females. We will allow

    them to announce each day who they would like to invite to their iming. There are several events

    nned today that will allow all of you to get to know this year¡¯s females. I would suggest that you take

    part in as many as possible so that our females have a chance to get to know you. Have a nice day.

    I turn to head over to Mason when I hear McKenna calling me.

    ¡°Beta Elijah. Beta Elijah.¡± She jumps off the stage andes rushing over to me. I can see Layan out

    of the corner of my eye watching me a moment, but she doesn¡¯t linger. Damn, I wanted to walk back

    with them.

    ¡°Hi McKenna. What can I do for you?¡± She looks at me and then around us before stepping aside, out

    of easy earshot from the males walking around.

    ¡°I wanted to know why you excluded yourself from my iming. I had intended to call your name today.

    Okay, this is a surprise. I honestly figured with nearly 400 males, me excluding myself wouldn¡¯t matter,

    but apparently to her, it does.

    ¡°McKenna, I¡¯m sure you are a wonderful person. And if one of the Alphas catches you, you¡¯ll make a

    great Luna. But my heart belongs to Layan. There can be no one else for me but her. I would be doing

    you and me a disservice by entering your im. I have no intention of iming you or anyone other

    than Layan.¡±

    ¡°But, Beta, even with a small number of imants, it¡¯s still a possibility that someone else might im

    her. Are you sure you¡¯re willing to risk it, only entering one im?¡±

    ¡°I am. She¡¯s worth it to me. Thank you very much for your interest, but I need to go.¡± I tell her, walking

    away. If I hurry, I can catch up to them and walk with Layan.

    I barely notice that McKenna stands, watching me, as I race off toward Layan.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I was so happy when everyone at Layan¡¯s iming tried to calm her. What a difference fromst year.

    Hana and I couldn¡¯t have been less enthusiastic, but both McKenna and Katerina seem happy, excited

    even. Layan proved once again how much inner strength she has by getting on that stage and

    choosing her first two candidates. I don¡¯t think anyone was surprised by her choices.

    Title of the document

    Elijah caught up to us as we left and walked with us, well, mostly Layan back to our housing. Unlikest

    year, anyone is wee in the house. However, everyone is also aware that there are three Alphas

    and Lunas staying here with their new pups, so no one is stupid enough to try to force their way inside.

    I go up to our room, finding my mother who has just put the twins down for a nap. I¡¯m so lucky and

    thankful to have her here.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    She puts her finger to her lips, telling us to be quiet. Mason and I walk over to the cribs, stroking our

    babies¡¯ cheeks and hair before leaving them to sleep.

    When we step out of the room, my mom turns to us. ¡°I heard from Seth. He and Hana will being

    later this week. Hana is dying to get here to support Layan.¡± ¡°Of course she is.¡± I say, knowing I¡¯d be

    the same.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go grab some lunch while it¡¯s quiet.¡± Mason says.

    We all walk to the kitchen, and I hear some quiet chattinging from outside. I don¡¯t think anything of

    it until I hear Layan¡¯s name. Being the protective woman that I am, especially with my friend, I walk to

    the door and see Katerina and McKenna talking.

    ¡°It¡¯s not personal, McKenna. He wants Layan. I think it¡¯s sweet.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand. Why wouldn¡¯t he at least put his name into our imings? I mean, he¡¯s a Beta.¡±

    McKenna says.

    ¡°What difference does that make?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, when I was in my previous pack, ranked members always wanted ranked members.¡±

    I step outside, already done with this conversation. ¡°Your previous pack, McKenna, also wanted to

    enve you and your mother, force you into a mate bond and were willing to use both of you as

    breeders. Your mother left when she started hearing that your father and Alpha were nning to share

    her with the other ranked members in the pack. Is that the life you want for yourself? To be shared,

    even if it¡¯s against your will, with all the ranked members of your pack?¡± I ask her. She frowns. ¡°No,

    that¡¯s not what I meant, Luna.¡±

    ¡°What did you mean then?¡± I ask defensively.

    She shuffles ufortably. ¡°It¡¯s just, well, it seems like she¡¯s trying to gain sympathy. She had the

    attention of every male in the iming today. That doesn¡¯t seem like something someone would do if

    they are as shy as she ims to be.¡± She says. I¡¯m pretty sure that my mouth hits the floor.

    ¡°You do know what happened to herst year, right?¡±

    She has the audacity to roll her eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that she was marked by an Alpha that was going

    feral while he was in his wolf form. I get that it may be a bit traumatic, but really, it¡¯s not like she was

    forced to keep him as a mate. He was put down.¡±

    I can feel my temper ring. Luckily, Katerina steps in. ¡°Is that all you were told?¡± She asks her.

    McKenna looks between me and Katerina. ¡°What else is there?¡±

    Katerina looks at me. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her Luna, but not here. I know Layan¡¯s upstairs and could overhear us.¡±

    She tells me.

    McKenna is looking more and more confused. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But I will say this. Elijah loves Layan. Her

    rank doesn¡¯t matter to him.¡±

    I turn, going back inside as Katerina pulls McKenna away, closer to the forest. I go into the kitchen and

    Mason¡¯s armse around me.

    ¡°What¡¯s got you all riled up, my little Luna?¡± He asks in the mind link.

    ¡°McKenna.¡±

    I feel his confusion. ¡°What about her?¡±

    I sigh. ¡°To be fair, it doesn¡¯t appear that anyone told her about what truly happened to Layan. I¡¯m not

    sure how that¡¯s possible, but I think it is. She was basically saying that Layan was putting on a show

    today to gain sympathy.¡±

    He sucks in a breath before kissing my neck. ¡°Easy Jara. I know how protective you are of her. If she

    didn¡¯t know, then you can¡¯t put the me solely on her.¡± It¡¯s not much longer before Katerina and a

    sniffling McKennae back inside. Shees up to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Luna, I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    I take her hands, pulling her aside and look at her. ¡°There is a strong possibility that you will be a

    Luna, McKenna. If that happens, you have to make sure that you have all of the facts before you judge

    someone. No matter your role in a pack, others will look to you to lead them as one of the only females.

    But if you happen to be imed by a ranked member, let this be a lesson to you about how to handle

    yourself in the future. Get the facts before you pass judgement on someone.¡±

    She nods, and I pull her into a hug. ¡°Lunch is ready.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go to my room. Honestly, I feel a little sick after what Katerina told me.¡±

    ¡°Which is perhaps why your mother didn¡¯t give you the entire story.¡± I say to her. She nods again. ¡°I

    definitely would havee here feeling differently. Even what you told me about the ranked members

    sharing my mother and possibly me, she never told me that. I knew that pack felt off, but she protected

    me from all of that. I just knew that things were bad between her and my father and that¡¯s why we ran.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to open your eyes and begin to see those types of things for yourself now, McKenna. You

    need to see past what is right in front of you into what the underlying reasons might be behind a

    person¡¯s actions. There¡¯s usually a reason why people act the way they do. It just may not be the

    reason that they portray to those around them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Luna. I appreciate you giving me a chance to prove to you that I¡¯m worthy of being a Luna.

    If I¡¯m imed by an Alpha, of course.¡±

    ¡°Let this be another lesson to you, McKenna. Everyone deserves a second chance.¡±

    She nods and heads up to her room.

    When I go back into the kitchen, I see most everyone is at the table eating. I grab some food and join

    them.

    ¡°Better?¡± Mason mind links me.

    ¡°Better.¡± I reply.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 174

    Chapter 174

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Later that week, Seth and Hana arrive with their two little ones in tow. Hana immediately goes to Layan,

    hugging her tightly.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you!¡± She says. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here. You literally gave birth a few days ago.¡± Layan

    says to her.

    Hana scoffs at that and I see Seth giving me a pained look. He obviously wanted to wait longer toe

    here. I just give him a knowing smile. I¡¯m mated to a strong woman too. I get it.

    As this year¡¯s females settle into their daily routine of choosing their imants and participating in their

    social gatherings, it gives me time to speak with my Gamma Luke, who is running things back at the

    pack. Since we have quite a few pack members here, there isn¡¯t a lot going on. but the pack still has to

    be managed and run. In the mornings. I video chat with him and discuss everything that is going on,

    what I need to handle, or anything that he¡¯s dealing with.

    Jara and the other Lunas usually go to the stage in the morning when the females announce any new

    members in their ims. Jara told me that Layan has invited a few omegas from her pack. I was a bit

    surprised by that, but Jara told me that she has worked with them in the kitchens and is fairly

    comfortable around them. Not surprisingly, she hasn¡¯t chosen any more Alphas for her im.

    We¡¯reing to the end of the first week, when Councilman Phillipes to see me and Jara.

    ¡°Hi Dad.¡± Jara says, walking up to kiss him. I shake his hand in greeting and ask if he wants toe in.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like it if the two of you woulde with me. We have a visitor that would like to speak with

    the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Jara asks him.

    ¡°Dr. Braxton.¡±

    I feel Jara stiffen beside me as my hackles go up. ¡°Why does he want to meet with us?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I told him it would be better if I came to get you, rather than bringing him here. Too

    many pups here and most of you are already feeling protective of them, and that doesn¡¯t include all the

    talk about testing.¡±

    It¡¯s true. I look at Jara. ¡°We can at least see what he wants.¡± I tell her.

    She asks the other Lunas to look after our pups and we follow her father to the main packhouse. When

    we arrive. Phillip takes us to his office, the same office that Jason usedst year when he was

    managing the iming.

    I can hear the sounds of chattering from the back of the packhouse where they are having their social

    events. It really is amazing how different this year feels fromst year when tensions were so high.

    When we walk into the office, Dr. Braxton stands, extending his hand. ¡°Alpha, Luna. It¡¯s nice to finally

    meet you in person.¡±

    ¡°Doctor.¡± I say, shaking his hand.

    Jara does the same and Phillip turns to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll let you talk. Let me know if you need anything.¡± He

    says before walking out and closing the door.

    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± Dr. Braxton says and we sit, facing him across the table.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I wanted to meet with you both because I¡¯m not sure I was clear in discussionst week.¡± He begins.

    ¡°You were clear that our children have higher antibodies than we do, as does Melinda. You were going

    to test the children of the other recently mated Alphas and Lunas to see if their pups have the same

    higher level of immunity.¡± I say. I¡¯ve been giving this a lot of thought.

    ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯m d that much was clear.¡± He says, clearly nervous.

    ¡°What is it that you wanted to talk to us about, doctor?¡± Jara says, trying to ease his difort.

    ¡°Well, as Alpha Mason said, your pups are showing a higher level of antibodies than what we found in

    our testing of the Lunas and other she- wolves. What I think you may have overlooked, Alpha, Luna, is

    that one of your pups is a male. He also is showing the higher level of antibodies in his system. It¡¯s very

    possible that he is the first male to ever actually have been born with antibodies in his system.¡±

    I frown. I had missed that part. I had been so concerned about what it meant that our pups had higher

    antibodies that I¡¯dpletely missed the part where my son shouldn¡¯t have any.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Jara asks.

    He sighs, pushing his sses up his nose, looking at both of us. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure yet. But there are

    some possibilities. First, it¡¯s possible that we, as a species, are evolving. That means, it¡¯s possible in

    the future, both males and females will have antibodies for both feral-fever and iming fever. Or it

    could be that as a true Alpha, he inherited the antibodies from you Luna.¡±

    He looks at me. ¡°I¡¯d like to take some blood, Alpha, but I understand that you were beginning to feel the

    effects of going feral before you imed Luna Jara. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°So, I would a*s*sume that you don¡¯t have the antibodies in your system. I¡¯ve started another round of

    tests, looking at the males, specifically the older poption and my initial findings are very interesting.¡±

    He pauses, pushing his sses up his nose again. If Antonio was here, he¡¯d be pushing him to move

    along. Dr. Braxton likes his pregnant pauses.

    ¡°I took samples of older males who have been mated for long periods of time, or from males who may

    have lost their mate, but were mated for a long time before their mates passed away. In those

    instances, such as with Councilman Phillip, the males have a low level of antibodies in their system. It¡¯s

    not enough that I would say they were born with it¡­.¡±

    ¡°But having spent so much time with their mates who conceivably did have the antibodies, their bodies

    actually were able to produce enough to keep them from going feral?¡± I ask, trying to follow along.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, or at least, that is my current a*s*sumption. None of this data will be known for sure for

    many years. But we know from Alpha Typhon¡¯s tissues samples, that he did not have the antibodies in

    his system. It¡¯s possible, had your sister lived, Luna, that he too could have developed a low level of

    antibodies in his system over time.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that we, the ones with the antibodies, truly are a vine to the ones that don¡¯t have

    antibodies?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°It would seem so. But that brings me back to your son. His antibodies are off the charts, along with

    your daughter¡¯s, Melinda¡¯s and now I have the data from Alpha Seth¡¯s and Luna Hana¡¯s newest pup,

    Harper. Her antibodies are at the same high levels.¡±

    ¡°So, what is it that you want from us, doctor?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to do more tests, on samples from both of your children, but specifically from your pup Jaxon

    and also from you Alpha. I want to see if you have dormant antibodies in your system that may have

    been gically passed to your son, or if, as I suspect, he is the first to have them on his own.¡± He

    says.

    ¡°You should talk to Seth as well, doctor.¡± Jara says. ¡°As a true Alpha, Seth would have a higher

    possibility of having these dormant antibodies or whatever they are, just as much as Mason.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am hoping to speak to him and Luna Hana while I¡¯m here as well.¡±

    ¡°Antonio as well.¡± I say. ¡°He¡¯s a true Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll speak to him as well.¡±

    ¡°When do you want my blood?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready to take samples right now, Alpha. You can roll up your sleeves and I can draw your blood

    here.¡± He says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Jaxon and I can bring Hana and Seth as well, if you¡¯d like, doctor.¡± Jara says to him.

    ¡°That would be much appreciated, Luna.¡± He says and Jara walks out to go get our son. The doctor

    grabs his syringe and his tubes and begins taking my blood.

    ¡°You know doc, you keep asking for all this blood, I¡¯m going to start worrying that you¡¯re a vampire.¡±

    He justughs as he draws another tube of my blood. I wasn¡¯tpletely joking.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    McKenna

    I had gone to my room after speaking to Luna Jara about Layan. I can¡¯t believe my mother left me in

    the dark about so many things. Important things. How am I supposed to be any sort of mate or Luna if I

    don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on? So, I had called my mother.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Hey honey, how are you? How¡¯s the iming going?¡± She had asked me.

    I was quiet for a moment thinking about what Katerina told me before tears had started falling again. I

    had forced myself to stop crying beforeing inside the house but when I heard my mother¡¯s voice,

    they had started again.

    ¡°McKenna? McKenna, baby, what happened?¡± My mother¡¯s worried voice came through the line.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me momma? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about what really happened with Layan and

    what really was going on in our previous pack? Why did you hide that from me?¡±

    ¡°Oh sweetheart. Who told you?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It should have been you that told me, especially about Layan. Mom, I thought she

    was acting to get attention. Acting! I thought her panic attacks were all a ploy to get more males

    interested in her. Mom¡­.I feel like a fool.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hun. I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to tell you, wanted to let you know before you left. But after we got here to

    Alpha Luke¡¯s pack, you¡¯ve been so happy. His pack is so much better than our other pack. The males

    here are better men. I didn¡¯t want you to be scared going into your iming. I wanted you to be excited,

    to enjoy the thrill of the hunt the way it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±

    ¡°But mom, what if I went into this thinking everything would be great and something happened? I would

    have beenpletely unprepared. I need to rethink all of the men I¡¯ve already put into my im.¡±

    ¡°Sweetheart, no. You chose them for a reason. Follow your heart and your gut. Don¡¯t let what has

    happened in the past effect your iming. I want you to enjoy yourself, have fun and find a mate that is

    perfect for you.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°I thought I wanted an Alpha, but¡­. what if¡­.¡± I can¡¯t even finish. It was an Alpha that did those

    horrible things to Layan.

    ¡°You listen to me, McKenna Allen. That man went feral. The Lunas have made sure that this event is

    much safer thanst year and probably any year since the iming process started. If you need to

    speak to those Alphas again to decide that your instinct is correct, do it. But don¡¯t remove them

    because of your fear of what they might do. That¡¯s not fair to them or you.

    ¡°Is it true what they said about dad wanting to share you and possibly me with the ranked members in

    the pack?¡± I had asked quietly.

    She sighed heavily. ¡°Yes. He was your father, I didn¡¯t want you to know that he was thinking such

    disgusting things. I wouldn¡¯t allow him or anyone to do that to you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we ran? Thank you, mom, for always looking out for me. I love you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, sweetheart. Do you need me toe there? I will if you need me.¡±

    ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll take your advice. I¡¯ll speak to the Alphas.¡± I say, thinking of one in particr that I want to

    talk to.

    ¡°Okay sweetheart. Call me any time.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t chosen another person for my iming since that call. Today, I needed to speak to Alpha

    Davis.

    When I leave the stage after our morning meeting, seeing the disappointment in the eyes of many that

    have been spending time with me, I approach him.

    ¡°Alpha Davis, may I speak with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, McKenna.¡± He says and we walk away from the others.

    ¡°Is everything alright? I¡¯ve been surprised you haven¡¯t chosen anyone else for your iming in thest

    several days.¡±

    I look down, not sure how to ask what I want to ask.

    ¡°Alpha Davis, I just recently found out about what truly happened to Layan. I didn¡¯t know when I arrived

    here. I¡¯ll admit, it has scared me.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s understandable.¡±

    ¡°You were the first person that I felt like I made a connection with. That first night, I had so much fun

    dancing with you. I felt carefree and rxed, and I had a really good time.¡±

    ¡°I did as well.¡± I look up at him and see him watching me intently.

    ¡°I also didn¡¯t know why my mother ran from our previous pack. She didn¡¯t tell me the entire story. I

    didn¡¯t learn about that until I learned about Layan.¡±

    ¡°And now, you¡¯re afraid of having an Alpha im you?¡± He asks, guessing at my concern.

    I nod, not looking at him. I feel his finger tucking my hair behind my ear before moving to my chin and

    lifting my head to look at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can say to ay your fears. What I would tell you is that I know all of the Alphas in

    this year¡¯s iming very well. They are all great men and great Alphas. Any of them would make a

    good mate to you or the others in this year¡¯s im. None of us even feel close to going feral. I know

    becausest year, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d make it to this year. But here I am.¡±

    We look at each other for a moment. ¡°Are you nning to remove me from your im, McKenna?¡± He

    asks me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I just¡­. now that I know things that I didn¡¯t know before¡­.¡±

    ¡°Can I make a suggestion? Well, two really.¡±

    I look at him, wanting to hear what he has to say. I really did feel like we had a connection. I don¡¯t want

    to think too much about that, in case he doesn¡¯t im me, but I know I don¡¯t want to lose the

    opportunity to be mated to this man.

    ¡°First, get to know us. You still have time, and you have all the power here. Tell Councilman Phillip that

    you¡¯d like some individual time with all of us. Get to know us more than you have. And, second, don¡¯t

    change who you are. You¡¯re like a breath of fresh air.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You should know¡­ I thought Layan was faking how scared she was. I didn¡¯t know what

    had happened to her, but that¡¯s no excuse. Luna Jara told me that if I¡¯m going to be a good Luna, that I

    need to make sure I have the full story before I make judgement on someone. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be

    a Luna, but even if I¡¯m not, I n to take her advice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good advice and it says a lot about you, McKenna, that you¡¯re willing to learn from your mistakes.¡±

    I¡¯m terrified to ask the next question, but I know I need to. ¡°Does me telling you that change how you

    feel about me? Do you want to exclude yourself from my im?¡± I ask him quietly.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m proud of you, for being smart enough to listen to what Luna Jara told you and strong enough to

    tell me, even though you are obviously concerned about my response.¡± His handes to my face,

    cupping my cheek.

    ¡°Both of those are qualities that I would want in my Luna.¡± I feel the tightness around my chest release,

    and I smile for the first time in days.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± I say to him.

    ¡°You kissed me. McKenna. You should call me Davis.¡±

    This time, I look up into his eyes. ¡°Can I kiss you again, Davis?¡± I ask boldly, feeling so much better

    after having talked to him.

    He shakes his head, smiling. ¡°No, because I¡¯m going to kiss you this time. McKenna.¡±

    And oh man, does he ever.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Luke

    Even though I was chosen for both McKenna and Katerina¡¯s ims on the first day, I¡¯ve been attending

    the morning meetings each morning. I¡¯d been surprised when McKenna hadn¡¯t chosen anyone over the

    last several days, but whatever was keeping her from choosing obviously got corrected, and she made

    several choices this morning, much to the relief of those she chose.

    Title of the document

    However, my eye has been on Katerina. I don¡¯t know what it is about her, but there¡¯s a strength there, a

    confidence thates from within. I did some digging and found out that she had told Jonas that she

    would not have him in her im. She has also not chosen a single man from her pack. It¡¯s a bold move,

    but one that an Alpha female would make.

    I had also found out that she is from a very old royal Alpha line, and it shows in everything about her;

    her grace, her confidence but also in her kindness, everything about her has drawn me in more and

    more every day. It¡¯s almost like there is a pull from her. tugging me to her. I don¡¯t know how to exin

    it, but it gets me up every morning, excited to watch her choose the men for her im.

    Unlike McKenna, who started off with only ranked members, Katerina added warriors to her im on

    day one. Since that time, she¡¯s also added a few omegas. All of the men she¡¯s chosen are good men,

    strong in their own ways. It says a lot that she sees that in such a short amount of time.

    McKenna had asked Councilman Phillip if she could spend some additional time with her chosen

    imants and her request had been granted. He had then said that Katerina and Layan could also

    spend additional time with their chosen imants. Today, I get to spend one-on- one time with Katerina.

    I told her I¡¯d pick her up. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re allowed to leave the territory, but I wanted to make an

    impression, so I found a basket and packed us a pic. I even swiped a bottle of wine and found a spot

    that overlooks the iming territory. It won¡¯t show her much, but we all heard the stories of the Lunas

    spending their first night in the cave over the waterfall. I want to show Katerina where it is, so I know

    that she¡¯ll be safe on that first night.

    I knock on the door to this year¡¯s female and mated couple¡¯s housing. I¡¯m surprised when Jara answers

    the door, a baby in her arms.

    ¡°Luke!¡±

    ¡°Hello, Jara.¡± I have a momentary ping of sadness. I had tried to im Jara, until I realized that her

    heart truly belonged to Mason. I felt like she and I had made a connection, and she had told me that

    she wouldn¡¯t mind if I imed her, but it was not meant to be. I do hope though, that in a year, I will see

    my mate, holding my pup when I walk into a room.

    Jara reaches out her arm and pulls me in for a hug.

    ¡°What¡¯cha got there. Luke?¡± She asks me, teasingly. It was one of the things that I immediately liked

    about Jara. She was strong, tough as nails, but still fun and caring. She was there for me when my

    Alpha died, she was the one that ran my Alpha ceremony and her stamp of approval meant everything

    to the pack, especially the ones that weren¡¯t at the iming.

    I¡¯d had to go home afterst year¡¯s iming and tell the pack members that hadn¡¯t attended that not

    only had our Alpha been put down, but I¡¯d been indoctrinated as their new Alpha without their

    knowledge or consent. It had been rough until the ones at the iming told them all that Jara had stood

    up for me. After that, everyone swore their allegiance to me, and the pack has been running well ever

    since.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pic, if you must know.¡± I tell her as she pulls back. She just smiles at me, shaking her head.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Somehow I knew that you¡¯d be a romantic at heart.¡± She says, giving me a knowing look. I just shrug.

    ¡°She¡¯d be a good mate for you.¡± She whispers to me as we walk into the living room.

    I turn to look at her. Jara has good insights into people. She knows that my pack has grown since I took

    over as Alpha, and while I love leading my pack, it¡¯s hard, really hard to do this on my own. Having a

    strong Luna at my side would make my life, my role as Alpha, that much easier.

    She nods at me before stepping away. ¡°Katerina. Alpha Luke is here.¡± She calls out.

    Katerinaes walking into the room. Even now, with only a couple of us in the room, she controls it,

    she demands your attention, or at least, she demands my attention and that¡¯s saying something given

    that Jara is standing beside me.

    ¡°Katerina.¡± I say, inclining my head. My nose is suddenly filled with the scent of creme brulee, custard,

    sugar and a hint of berries. I only had it once, but it was so delicious that I¡¯ve never forgotten the vor.

    ¡°Alpha Luke, what¡¯s this?¡± She asks, pointing to the basket on my arm.

    ¡°A pic basket.¡± I say, suddenly feeling like maybe this is too pedestrian for someone like Katerina.

    That feeling washes away when she smiles up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a pic.¡±

    ¡°Then today is your lucky day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think it might be.¡± She says before turning to Jara, who I¡¯ve forgotten was even in the room.

    ¡°Thank you, Luna. Have a nice evening.

    ¡°You as well, Katerina.¡±

    Katerina walks up to me, wrapping her hand around my arm. ¡°Did you have a ce in mind?¡± She asks

    me as we walk outside.

    ¡°I do. Unless you have somece you¡¯d like to go?¡±

    She gives me a brilliant smile. ¡°Surprise me, Alpha.¡±

    As we walk, I make idle conversation. ¡°How are you liking the iming so far?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not what I was expecting.¡±

    ¡°Really, what were you expecting?¡± Curious as to what a female thinks will happen during the iming.

    ¡°Well, after hearing some of the horror stories ofst year. I thought maybe it would be worse than it is.

    But honestly, it¡¯s been more fun than I thought it would be.¡±

    ¡°Good. A hunt should be fun for both parties.¡±

    She gives me a confident smile. ¡°I have every intention of making it out of that iming territory without

    a mark on my neck.¡±

    The Alpha in me loves the challenge and I growl approvingly. ¡°You know you¡¯ll have to get past me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware. I¡¯ve been subtly picking Luna Jara¡¯s brain and how she was able to keep herself from

    being imed.¡±

    ¡°You know that she was almost imed more than once?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°She mentioned that.¡±

    ¡°And, having been in her im, I am well aware that she hid in the trees.¡±

    That gets her attention. Now I give her a self-satisfied smile. ¡°Did she tell you that I had a chance to

    im her?¡±

    She shakes her head, her eyes wide. ¡°I had found her in the trees but before I could give chase, I was

    attacked by multiple wolves. Being the person she is, she stayed, helped me to fight off the other

    wolves. She saved my life. But by then, I knew that she wanted Mason. I didn¡¯t want to im someone

    that wanted to be mated to someone else.¡± I say, as we walk up to the ce where I have a nket

    laid out waiting.

    ¡°You did this?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°I did. It¡¯s not fancy but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± She says, sitting down on the nket.

    I sit beside her, opening the basket and pulling out the wine and two wine sses. ¡°I noticed that you

    drink red. I hope I chose a good wine.¡±

    She looks at it and grins, arching her eyebrow at me. ¡°Alpha Luke, have you been watching me?¡± She

    asks yfully. I have, of course. I want to know everything about her.

    ¡°Would you be upset if I said yes?¡±

    She just smiles. ¡°What else do you know about me?¡± She asks.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    I look back into the basket. ¡°I believe that you prefer chicken in a puff pastry to steak.¡± I pull out the puff

    pastries I had the kitchen make. They covered them so they would stay warm. I pull the top off of her

    te and watch her and she smells the food, her eyes rolling back into her head.

    Oh yes, I want to see her make that face for me every night for the rest of our lives.

    ¡°I also saw that you seem to prefer green beans, so I had the kitchen staff make some green beans

    with almonds and bacon.¡± I say, pulling out the side dish.

    We begin eating and I point out the area where we can see into the iming territory. I tell her to find

    her way there, find the cave on the first night and sleep there.

    ¡°I will.¡± She says before looking back at me.

    ¡°What did you bring for dessert?¡± She asks me coyly.

    ¡°I did have to ask on that one. Apparently, milk chocte and peanut butter fudge is your favorite?¡± I

    say, pulling out the te of fudge that the kitchen staff made for me earlier today.

    ¡°Do you want to know what you smell like to me, Alpha?¡± She asks, leaning in to me.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Even to me, my voice sounds growly, needy.

    The little minx leans in, her warm breath on my ear. ¡°Milk chocte and peanut butter fudge. And yes,

    it¡¯s my favorite.¡±

    It¡¯s all the invitation I need to take her mouth in a passionate kiss. The moment my tongue touches hers

    and I taste her creme brulee vor, I know I¡¯m a goner.

    I have to im this woman.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    I¡¯m spending some quiet time with my babies today. I went to the morning meeting and the females

    have closed out their imings. Katerina picked her fifty,

    Title of the document

    McKenna picked 51 in case one of her imants catches Katerina and Layan chose 11, one extra in

    case Alpha Davis catches one of the other females.

    The next 24 hours will be more rxing for me. The males that haven¡¯t been chosen for a iming will

    leave the territory, so after tonight, there will only be 112 unmated males left. Katerina, being first, will

    go into the territory in two days and her 50 imants will go in the day after that.

    Layan ended up choosing some of the omegas from her pack that she works with in the kitchen but

    surprisingly, she also chose a few warriors from my pack. I asked her about it, and she said that she

    had heard that one of Mason¡¯s warriors had carried her out of the iming and brought her to me after

    her a*s*saultst year.

    ¡°His name is Sebastian. When I was in your pack, he came up to me. asking if I was okay and letting

    me know that he was the one that carried me out. He told me how frightened he¡¯d been that I would die

    and how happy he was that I had survived. I thought, ¡®well, if this guy saw me at my worst, knew to

    bring me to Jara and is still willing to be in my iming, he must be a good guy¡¯.¡± She told me.

    ¡°He is a good guy. I didn¡¯t know his name at the time and honestly, I didn¡¯t care. I almost k*illed him and

    so did Mason.¡±

    ¡°But he still did what was right. A man like that would look after me, never hurt me, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    She asks me.

    ¡°Yes. I do think a man like that would take care of you Layan. But honestly, you¡¯re not the same person

    you were a year ago.

    She snorts. ¡°Obviously.¡± She says sadly.

    ¡°No, sweetheart, you misunderstand me. I mean that a year ago, you were a sweet, innocent, naive girl

    that wanted someone to take care of her. Now, you are a sweet, not so innocent or naive girl, that

    knows how to take care of herself. You¡¯ve grown a lot in thest year Layan. Not everyone could have

    survived what you did, physically or mentally. But here you are. You are amazing. And if Alpha Davis

    ims you, you will make an amazing Luna.¡±

    She drops her head, looking away from me.

    ¡°Layan?¡±

    She looks up. ¡°I like Alpha Davis a lot. He¡¯s a good man and I know he¡¯d be a good mate. But Jara, I

    want Elijah. I want him with everything in me. Alpha Davis has helped me a lot over the past year, but,

    he¡¯s my Alpha. I just feel like Elijah is my mate or should be.¡±

    ¡°You know you can always choose, right Layan?¡±

    She nods. ¡°But don¡¯t you think he¡¯d be disappointed if I didn¡¯t give him a good chase, Jara?¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile at the utter sweetness of this woman. ¡°No. I think that if you decide to choose him,

    actually say ¡®Elijah, I want you as my mate¡¯ he won¡¯t care if he only took two steps into the territory. He

    loves you, Layan. He wants you as much as you want him.¡±

    Then I get to see a bit of the woman that Layan has be. ¡°He should have to work for it, at least a

    little. I¡¯m not giving in that easily.¡±

    That¡¯s my girl.

    ¡°Well, no matter what happens, you and I will remain friends. But selfishly, I hope that Elijah ims you.

    Then we¡¯ll live together, and you¡¯d be my Beta female.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I feltfortable and safe in your pack, but I hadn¡¯t considered that I¡¯d be your Beta female.¡¯

    ¡°Yep, you¡¯d be stuck spending day after day with me, Layan.¡±

    ¡°It would be perfect. I¡¯d have the man I love and my best friend all at once.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about the other men you chose.¡± I say and we talk for a long time. I nurse the twins and she

    burps them. It¡¯s obvious to me that she would love to have a pup of her own. I can see the yearning in

    her eyes when she holds my children. ¡°You know, it might happen Layan.¡± I say to her.

    ¡°I know. I just don¡¯t want to get my hopes up. It¡¯s not definite. But I would love to have my own little one.

    Maybe a little boy or girl with my blond hair and Elijah¡¯s curls. Wouldn¡¯t that be cute?¡±

    ¡°Any child that you have would be precious, Layan.¡±

    ¡°Luna Jara, Luna Jara!¡± I hear someone yelling in the hallway.

    Layan is up in an instant, opening the door to our bedroom. ¡°What is it?¡± She asks. The man walks in

    looking at me then at Layan, panting as if he just ran a long distance.

    ¡°Luna Annabel is inbor and has asked for both of you.¡±

    I look at Layan and her eyes go as wide as mine feel. I stand, putting myself back together, before

    putting Jordan over my shoulder and patting her back while I look to see what I might need to take with

    me.

    Layan picks Jaxon up out of the crib and grabs the diaper bag, pulling it over her shoulder and looking

    like a mother that has years of experience with children. Before the man, I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s a nurse in

    the hospital has caught his breath, we¡¯re ready and walking out the door.

    He guides us back to the hospital and when we arrive, I see that Mignon and Hana are already there. I

    set my twins in ba*s*ss that have been set aside for us in a makeshift nursery and walk into the

    Annabel¡¯s room, leaving Layan with the children.

    Annabel looks up. ¡°Where¡¯s Layan?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s watching the babies until one of our mates arrives to take over.¡± I say and at that moment,

    Layan walks in.

    ¡°Alpha Asher is here, and he said Alpha Seth is right behind him. How are you?¡± Layan asks, walking

    up to Annabel.

    ¡°I¡¯m inbor. How do you f*uc*king think I am?¡± Annabel shouts.

    ¡°That far along, eh?¡± I ask, recognizing the irritation for what it is. Annabel is getting close to delivering.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Where is the doctor?¡± I ask, looking around and not seeing anyone medical in the room.

    ¡°I kicked that idiot out.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Ummm, sweetie, you need someone to deliver your baby.¡± I say to her.

    She frowns at me, as a contraction hits her. I watch Antonio grit his teeth as she squeezes his hand

    hard.

    ¡°Breathe, Annabel.¡± Hana says soothingly. Annabel opens her eyes and follows Hana¡¯s breaths until

    the contraction ends.

    ¡°I called you here, Jara, so you could deliver my baby.¡± Annabel says as sheys back on the bed, her

    eyes closed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I ask her. Surely, I didn¡¯t hear that correctly.

    ¡°You. Me. Baby. Delivery.¡± She says, panting. I look at Antonio who basically gives me a ¡®sorry, figure it

    out¡¯ look.

    ¡°Sweetie, you know I don¡¯t know how¡­¡±

    ¡°YOU HAD TWINS! FIGURE IT OUT!¡± She yells at me.

    I see Layan duck out of the room as I look around, trying to figure out anything that will help me to

    deliver this baby. There are a few things I know. Feet go in stirrups and you have to slide your a*s*s so

    far down the bed you think you¡¯re about to fall off of it. After that, I have no clue. I was on the other end

    of the delivery.

    I¡¯ve just gotten Annabel into position and I¡¯m wondering if I can sneak the doctor back in, when Layan

    walks back in. Her hands are washed and they are up in the air like she¡¯s about to go into surgery.

    ¡°Annabel, I¡¯m going to check you and if I say it¡¯s time, you¡¯re going to push.¡±

    Mignon, Hana and I all raise our eyebrows at Layan, but we step back and watch as she slides her

    fingers inside Annabel.

    ¡°That f*uc*king hurts, Layan.¡± Annabel screams at her.

    ¡°I know, but the good news is, at your next contraction, it¡¯s time to push.¡± She says.

    I watch in amazement over the next couple of hours as Layan guides. Annabel through the delivery

    process. In the end, she delivers a beautiful baby girl. I hand her some towels and she wipes the

    birthing fluids off her beforeying her on Annabel¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Congrattions Alpha and Luna. You have a beautiful baby girl.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m in the hospital¡¯s makeshift nursery when Jara and the other Lunas walk in. ¡°How did you know what

    to do, Layan?¡± Jara is asking her.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Seriously, Layan. That was awesome.¡± Hana says.

    Layan blushes and shrugs. ¡°I¡¯ve been helping Luna Nina when she¡¯s needed help and she taught me

    some things. And,¡± she says, pulling an ear bud out of her ear, ¡°I literally had a doctor in my ear the

    entire time.¡±

    I walk over and kiss Jara, as she takes Jaxon from me. I¡¯m still holding Jordan. It¡¯s getting easier to

    bnce two now. Just as I¡¯m about to ask what happened, the doctor walks in.

    ¡°Nice job, Layan. Thank you for your a*s*sistance.¡±

    ¡°No problem, doc. Alpha Antonio said he¡¯d get his daughter to you so you can check her over.¡± Layan

    tells him.

    ¡°He already did, thank you. I won¡¯t interrupt, I just wanted to say that you did an excellent job, young

    lady.¡±

    Layan blushes again and I mind link Elijah letting him know that his intended mate just helped deliver a

    baby.

    ¡°What? She did? How?¡± He asks.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to the hospital and ask her yourself?¡± I suggest.

    I feel him smile through our bond before he disconnects our link. I¡¯m refocusing on the group as

    Antonio walks in, carrying his new daughter.

    ¡°Everyone, meet my daughter, Valentina.¡± He looks up at us. ¡°We named her after my mother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name!¡± The girls exim.

    We all move around him, and I see that this baby has Antonio¡¯s dark hair. It¡¯s too soon to know if she

    will also have his darker skin tone and her eyes are closed, so I can¡¯t tell if she got his eyes or

    Annabel¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯d better get back. Annabel should have calmed down by now, but she¡¯ll be wanting to nurse this little

    one.¡± He says.

    ¡°Was she like this during the first delivery?¡± Mignon asks him.

    ¡°Like what?¡± I ask, having no idea what they are talking about.

    ¡°She¡¯s one of those women who goes crazy during delivery.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Yeah, be thankful all I did was break your hand.¡± Jara tells me. Yeah, thankful. That¡¯s the word I¡¯m

    looking for¡­

    ¡°I love my mate with every ounce of my being, truly I do. But when she goes into that delivery room, it¡¯s

    like Jekyll and Hyde. She scares the crap out of me.¡± Antonio says. I notice that his hand is still healing

    where Annabel must have broken his too.

    ¡°We¡¯lle backter and see her after she¡¯s had a chance to rest.¡± Jara tells him.

    ¡°Do you want us to take Noelle, or do you want to keep her here with you?¡± Hana asks him, referencing

    their first child.

    He looks over at his sleeping daughter, smiling a soft smile that I understand well. Your heart just feels

    full to bursting when you look at your children, especially when they are sleeping sweetly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep her with us. Can someone help me move this crib into our room?¡± Antonio asks.

    Asher and Seth each grab an end and begin walking out. As we step out of the room, Elijahes

    walking up.

    ¡°Hey there, prettydy. I hear you¡¯re delivering babies now?¡± He says to Layan, whose smile goes from

    sweet to brilliant in a moment.

    ¡°I did!¡± She exims.

    ¡°Want to walk with me and tell me all about it?¡± Elijah asks her. She nods, putting her hand through his

    arm. He waves at us and turns, walking off with Layan.

    ¡°I hope to the goddess that he ims her.¡± I tell Jara quietly. Jara just smiles and says nothing. A sure

    sign that she knows something that she¡¯s not telling me.

    ¡°What is it, my little Luna? What secret are you keeping from me?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°She may surprise us and choose him.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I guess I shouldn¡¯t be too surprised. Her attraction to my Beta has been clear since the

    beginning. But she¡¯s also shown affection for Alpha Davis and more recently some of the members of

    both our packs, if her imant choices are any indication.

    Jara just shrugs. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±

    The next day, I help to rea*s*sign and move this year¡¯s remaining imants into new rooms. With so

    many going into the iming in two days and then most of those leaving if they don¡¯t im Katerina,

    there is a lot of space up for grabs in the main packhouse.

    There¡¯s a party the night before Katerina goes into the iming territory. They have music, food and

    dancing. It reminds me of the time that Jara, Hana and Annabel had their private party at the female¡¯s

    housing, only with more people.

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, my s*e*xy mate?¡± Jara¡¯s voice is close to my ear as she leans down from behind

    me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

    ¡°Just remembering the good times from when we were here and those private parties you girls had.¡±

    She leans her head against mine, watching as the groupsugh, talk and dance.

    She turns, nuzzling my ear. ¡°My favorite part was when it was just you and me.¡±

    I bring my hands to hers, pulling them to my mouth and kissing them. ¡°I have some very fond memories

    of those days.¡±

    She leans in, nibbling on my ear lobe. ¡°The best memory is when I took your knot for the first time,

    Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Greedy mate. It¡¯s too bad the doctor hasn¡¯t cleared you for that yet, or I¡¯d give you a repeat while we¡¯re

    here.¡±

    Her nose runs against the edge of my ear. ¡°I just happened to go see the doctor today.¡±

    I feel my d*ic*k twitch in my pants. Surely she wouldn¡¯t be teasing me like this if he told her she still has

    to wait.

    ¡°What did he say?¡± I ask, pulling one of Jara¡¯s fingers into my mouth and licking the top of it before

    nipping it yfully.

    ¡°That my body is fully healed.¡±

    ¡°Did he?¡± I ask, and now I¡¯m rock f*uc*king hard. It¡¯s been over a month since I¡¯ve been able to have

    s*e*x with my mate.

    ¡°Mmhmmm, and I got my mom to watch the ki¡­.¡±

    I don¡¯t even let her finish. I¡¯m up and have her over my shoulder, walking out the doors of the main

    packhouse in less than a minute.

    ¡°In a hurry, Alpha?¡± My little Luna purrs from behind me. I can feel her long hair brushing back and forth

    against my pants as I walk.

    ¡°The first time will be rushed, my Luna. It¡¯s been too long. But after that, I¡¯ll be taking my sweet time

    with you, reminding you why it is that you like taking my knot so much.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re nning to give me another baby, Alpha.¡± She says, nipping at my a*s*s.

    I swat hers as I walk us into our housing, not stopping to say hi to her parents, as I turn and head up to

    our room.

    ¡°Your wish is mymand, Luna.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 179

    Chapter 179

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Katerina

    The morning that I was scheduled to enter the iming, I was nervous. It was finally time. I was excited

    by also nervous. Alpha Luke had told me to find the cave tonight and sleep there. Luna Jara had told

    me the same. She also told me to carve my name into the wall, that they had started a traditionst

    year.

    Title of the document

    After the morning announcement that I was going into the iming, I was given a bag of food, mostly

    freeze-dried meats that had minimal scent and therefore minimal vor, but still food I would need over

    the course of the week.

    Luna Jara had asked if I wanted anyone to walk me to the entrance, but I told her I was fine. As I walk

    to the entrance, I am rethinking that. My heart rate is ticking up. One more day. One more day before

    the hunt is on for me. I can only imagine what it was likest year for Luna Jara or Luna Hana.

    As I turn, I see my 50 imants watching me intently, possessively. They all want to catch me. I¡¯m

    about to turn away when chocte brown eyes lock with mine. Alpha Luke. A slow smile spreads

    across his face, as if he knows he¡¯s just captured me in his trance.

    I shake my head to clear it and turn, getting my mind into the hunt. Luna Jara said to use this first day

    to learn they of thend, and I intend to do that.

    The Lunas and Layan had outlined parts of the territory for me, theke with the cave, the stream, the

    cliff with the watering hole at the top and several areas where the trees were especially good for hiding.

    Layan, Mignon and Annabel had also given me some ces where they¡¯d found hiding spots. Now, I

    just need to make sure that the ces they told me about are still there and that I know how to get to

    them.

    As I walk into the territory, I look at the front line of trees. I see the one that is most likely the one Jara

    spent herst couple of minutes in. It¡¯s closest to the entrance and has arge branch near the bottom.

    Her group was in the iming haze though, so she sat quietly waiting for her time to be near. I won¡¯t

    have that, most likely. We don¡¯t anticipate the iming haze to impact anyone this year. Plus, Alpha

    Luke already told me that he knew about Jara in the trees, so I¡¯ll have to be very smart about my use of

    them.

    Since I¡¯m nning to spend the night in the cave, I decide to go left and begin my exploration of the

    territory by the stream. I find it easily where ites from underground, or under the fencing of the

    territory. I take off my shoes and begin to casually walk through the stream, eliminating my scent. Jara

    created multiple scent trails in her im, but I n to do the opposite. I want to make it extremely hard

    for my imants to find me.

    I walk the stream, marking spots in the forest beside me where I could easily get into a tree, or

    identifying the areas where one of the Lunas said they found a hiding spot. When I get to the end, I

    realize there is an opening here. I make a note that if I¡¯m being chased, I want to exit the stream before

    I get to the end, otherwise, I¡¯ll be leaving a scent trail behind for them to catch me.

    I double back, finding the closest tree to the stream that I can climb and pull myself up. I begin to

    carefully make my way to the back of the iming territory. This is where Jara said the cliff with the

    watering hole is. Once I get there, I see that there is a bit of distance for me to make it to the cliff. I take

    a deep breath and run as far as the branch will let me, leaping into the air and justnding on the cliff. I

    tuck and roll as Ind and as Ie to a stop, I see the watering hole.

    Since it¡¯s already afternoon, I sit and eat, using this opportunity to get some fresh water and look down

    on the territory below me. This will be a great spot to watch what is happening below me. And since I

    didn¡¯t leave a scent trail, I will n to head back this way to see where people are during the week. If I

    make it that long. I have three Alphas hunting me. All of them are smart, all of them know the Lunas

    and have heard the stories of how they were captured, and most of them came across at least one of

    the Lunas during her time in the iming in one way or another.

    They will be my biggest threat of capture, but I¡¯ve also heard stories of how she- wolves running from

    Alphas, have run right into a warrior or omega, getting themselves caught. It¡¯s how my mother was

    caught by a warrior. She was being chased by two Alphas and they chased her right into the arms of

    my father, who didn¡¯t waste any time marking her.

    When I¡¯m done eating, I take a running leap back into the tree. It¡¯s time for me to start heading toward

    theke and the cave. I begin leaping through the trees, searching for the hiding spots the others told

    me about. I also make note of a couple of other cliff faces that Jara and Hana told me about. I stop at

    each of them, checking to find the ways to climb up or down if I¡¯m trying to evade capture, then I leap

    back into the trees and continue on my way.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    By the time I get to theke, it¡¯ste and I¡¯m getting tired. I find the tree closest to theke and leap

    down. They¡¯ll find this trail, but it won¡¯t lead them anywhere. I strip off my clothes, putting them in the

    waterproof bag with my food and enter theke. I swim across, enjoying the cool water after a long day

    of leaping through the trees.

    When I get to the back side of theke, I swim towards the waterfall. It¡¯s beautiful in the evening light,

    the sun casting itsst rays of the day into the water. I swim to the farthest edge, noting that there is

    way to climb up to the cave from this side. All of the Lunas said that, but I wanted to make sure it¡¯s still

    true. This will be my only time in the cave. If I¡¯m cornered up there, there is only one way to escape.

    Leaping off the cliff into the waterfall. I¡¯m a good swimmer, but I have no idea if there are any rock

    formations under the surface of the waterfall and I won¡¯t risk breaking a bone. There would be no way

    to avoid capture at that point, and I intend to leave the iming territory unmarked. Luna Jara almost

    made it, and now I¡¯ve learned from her.

    I head back to the left side of theke, noting the area where Jara said she hid. It¡¯s an extremely small

    space, one where I¡¯d barely be able to breathe through the waterfall, but if I¡¯m desperate, it¡¯s a spot I

    can use. Then, finding the area that will take the least, amount of steps to get to the bottom of the cliff, I

    get out and begin climbing to the cave.

    Once there, I pull my clothes back on and begin grabbing some pieces of wood to make a fire. I heard

    there was a fire pit inside, the cave. When I get inside, I see that it¡¯s true and I get a fire going.

    After it¡¯s lit, I look around the space. As the fire grows, I see the writing on the cave wall. The writing of

    the Lunas, a tradition that they unintentionally startedst year, a new rite of passage.

    I look to see their names on the wall and then Jara¡¯s as thest entry. ¡°My girls. My sisters-in-arms. We

    will prevail. Jara¡±

    She was right, they have prevailed. I feel a kinship to the Lunas, that I didn¡¯t feel before I entered the

    territory. It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯ve nowpleted my initiation, making me one of them, even if I don¡¯t

    actually be a Luna. I¡¯ve entered the iming and will survive the hunt. I entered this territory

    single, a virgin, a child. When I leave here, I will be imed, marked, soon to be mated, and no longer

    a child.

    I find a stone and leave my own mark on the wall.

    ¡®We have prevailed, and we will make a better future for all. Katerina¡¯

    When the sounds of the hunt echo through the forest the next morning, I¡¯m ready to face the ritual fires

    of the iming and begin the next phase of my life.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    The day and night that Katerina went into the territory, there were a line of Alphas just at the border of

    the territory listening for her. Their frustration was evident on their faces, that is until they smelled the

    smoke and realized she was in the cave for the night.

    Title of the document

    On the morning the first group of imants entered the territory to hunt for Katerina, Dr. Braxton

    returned to the territory. This time, he asked to speak to all of us.

    We gather in the dining room. Now that there are much fewer men here, it¡¯s easy to find a quiet ce

    to talk. We left the babies with Layan and Nina. Since my Beta isn¡¯t here, I¡¯m pretty he¡¯s spending this

    time with Layan, especially since Alpha Davis is in the iming territory hunting Katerina. Depending

    on how long each of the next two ims take, Elijah will have plenty of time to spend with Layan.

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked to speak with all of you regarding the additional tests that I did on your children, as well as

    on Alpha Seth, Alpha Antonio, Alpha Mason and his pup Jaxon.¡± Dr. Braxton says, bringing my

    attention back to this meeting. The council is here as well, to hear the results of this most recent round

    of testing.

    ¡°As true Alphas, all of you had the potential to have dormant antibodies in your system. However, Alpha

    Antonio and specifically Alpha Mason had already started to feel the effects of the feral-fever virus

    impacting them.¡±

    Antonio and I both nod. We¡¯re older than Seth, so we would have been feeling it more strongly.

    Dr. Braxton pushes his sses up his nose, a move I¡¯ve be ustomed to seeing him do. ¡°My

    testing did not indicate that you had dormant antibodies in your system. At least not that we could tell.

    You are all mated and it¡¯s possible that any dormant antibodies were activated. However, we saw no

    difference in the antibodies in your system than we did in your mates¡¯ systems.¡± He looks up. ¡°There

    are slight variations in the antibodies allowing us to track which pack they¡¯vee from.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Antonio asks, interrupting him.

    He looks up and then around the table at all of us. ¡°How to say this so it makes sense.¡± He looks

    thoughtful for a moment before continuing. ¡°Let¡¯s call them strains of the virus. For instance, the strain

    of virus that Alpha Zaire has is different than the strain of virus that Alpha Davis has. Theye from

    different parts of the country, so that makes sense. The antibodies in your system, Councilwoman Gia,

    match your mate¡¯s strain of the virus, meaning that your body specifically created an immunity to the

    virus that impacts your mate and your pack.¡±

    All of us sit there stunned. ¡°However, and this is an interesting bit of information that I¡¯ve recently found,

    in the instance of Alpha Davis, his antibodies mirror those of Layan, one of his pack mates. But we also

    found antibodies that mirror those of each of the Lunas, most significantly, those of Luna Jara.¡±

    ¡°Is that because we spent time in his pack?¡± Jara asks.

    ¡°I believe so. That theory is also supported by the antibodies in Layan¡¯s system. Based on our

    research, she has an equal number of antibodies for the strain of virus in Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, as well

    as your pack Luna Jara.¡±

    ¡°She spent time in our pack when Jara was¡­ unwell.¡± I say, not wanting to revisit that awful time. I feel

    her hand reach out to hold mine. I look at her and squeeze her hand, feeling grounded again.

    ¡°Yes, and Luna Nina¡¯s system also has antibodies for her pack with Alpha Seth and also those for

    Alpha Mason¡¯s pack.¡± Dr. Braxton says.

    ¡°So, our Lunas are creating antibodies for each strain of the virus as theye into contact with

    them?¡± Asher asks.

    ¡°That is what we believe.¡± Dr. Braxton answers.

    ¡°All females?¡± I ask, remembering again that some females don¡¯t have as many antibodies in their

    system.

    ¡°A very good question, and the answer is no. Not all of the females have antibodies to more than one

    strain.¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Could that be because they haven¡¯t traveled to the other packs? Not all females move around.¡±

    Councilman Phillip asks.

    ¡°We don¡¯t believe so. In the instance of Celeste and Juliet, the two females that came from Alpha

    Gunnar¡¯s pack, relocating to Alpha Seth¡¯s, they only have antibodies for Alpha Seth¡¯s pack in their

    system.¡±

    ¡°But that could be because Alpha Gunnar¡¯s pack was eliminated, and that strain of virus is gone.¡± Jara

    says. I smile at my mate. She¡¯s so damn smart. I see her give me a side-eye look and I know, she felt

    my burst of pride in her.

    ¡°And that was our a*s*sumption as well Luna, until we looked more closely at the antibodies in your

    blood.¡± He pushes his sses up his nose and I hear Antonio sigh beside me, his mate reaching out to

    touch him. He¡¯s an impatient man when ites to these meetings.

    ¡°The Lunas all have antibodies for each other¡¯s packs. Most likely because of the time you¡¯ve spent

    together. You all also have antibodies for Alpha Davis¡¯s pack, as you¡¯ve spent time there, but you could

    have gotten those from Layan as well. However, Luna Jara, you also have another strain of antibody in

    your system.¡±

    ¡°From where?¡± I ask. Why would Jara have an additional strain of antibody? ¡°On a hunch, Ipared

    your extra antibody to that of Alpha Typhon¡¯s virus. Your additional antibody is specifically designed to

    attack that virus.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s gone. His pack is gone.¡± Jara says.

    ¡°But we took in members of his pack. Remember, Jara? We took them in before your iming. I sent

    them to the pack so Typhon couldn¡¯t hurt them.¡± I say. ¡°That¡¯s right. You have several of Typhon¡¯s

    original pack members.¡± Councilman Jason says. He would know, since he helped me get them out of

    the territory before Jara¡¯s imst year.

    ¡°Yes, and those pack members have two strains of the virus in their system and two types of antibodies

    to fight them off.¡±

    We all sit back. It¡¯s a lot to take in. ¡°So, our females are the sole reason for our immunity? Basically,

    their bodies create the vine that bes the immunity for the pack or packs where they spend time

    and then they disseminate that to the pack members they have contact with?¡± Seth summarizes.

    ¡°Correct. And it appears, at least in the instances of you, Alpha Seth, as well as Alpha Antonio and

    Alpha Mason, that whether or not you had dormant antibodies before, being mated to your Lunas has

    created what I would call ¡®super antibodies¡¯ in your systems. Your bodies have more and stronger

    antibodies, unlike your other pack members and even more than other unmated Alphas. We didn¡¯t

    specifically test your blood, Alpha Asher, but I would like to, to see if you also carry this ¡®super antibody.

    Which brings me to my next point.¡± He says, pushing up his sses again.

    ¡°All of your children, every child born in thest year has a level of antibodies that are significantly

    higher than any other pup or person in your packs, with the exception of the pup Melinda.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡± Jonas asks him.

    ¡°Meaning that we are creating a new generation of children that will not, or should not be, impacted by

    feral-ever or the iming haze.¡± Everyone at the table breathes a sigh of relief. This is the best news

    we¡¯ve heard in a long time.

    Dr. Braxton looks up at me and Jara. ¡°And that brings me to your son. The first male to actually be born

    with antibodies in his system.¡± He looks down and pushes his sses up his face. I resist the urge to

    growl at him.

    When he looks back up, he jolts, seeing my barely contained patience. ¡°What we saw in Alpha Jaxon¡¯s

    blood is abination of what is in your blood Alpha Mason and what is in Luna Jara¡¯s. Basically, he

    has the super antibodies that you have, Alpha, with thebination of every strain that is in your

    mate¡¯s system.¡±

    ¡°How is that different from Jordan¡¯s antibodies?¡± Jara asks him.

    He turns to her before looking down at his paperwork. ¡°Jordan has all of the strains of the virus

    antibodies in her system that you carry, Luna. She simply doesn¡¯t have the ¡®super antibodies¡¯ that your

    son has. However, being a female, I don¡¯t think she needs them. Your son is a true Alpha. He is

    intended to take over your pack one day. It would make sense, gically, that our new generation

    would create Alphas that have their own immunity and can help protect their packs from the virus.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re evolving?¡± Hana asks.

    ¡°Yes, which brings me thest point for today.¡± He looks up at all of us before continuing. ¡°If we are

    evolving, and each generation is creating stronger antibodies, and we know that the virus started with

    our females, it stands to reason that the females that died didn¡¯t have the antibodies in their system to

    survive. Gically speaking, it is survival of the fittest at his most basic. Clear out the weaker

    members to create a stronger generation.¡±

    He pauses before continuing. ¡°However, what we, as a species did to make it worse, was hide our

    females away that did have antibodies, therefore, allowing the virus to spread to our males. Once that

    happened, our males began to die off at a ratemiserate with the death of our females before them,

    only now, the virus manifested differently, so we knew when our males contracted feral-fever.¡±

    We all nod. That makes sense.

    ¡°With the onset of the aggressive behavior of our males, their inherent need to im a mate to save

    themselves and our own need to protect our females, we did the worst possible thing we could do for

    the continuation of our species. We hid our females away, basically removing the vine from our

    males and letting the virus run rampant. This is further supported by thepleteck of feral-fever

    found in any pack over thest year, and every unmated male passing a*s*sessment this year. Having

    females back in the general poption, interacting with our male pack members has allowed us to

    begin fighting the feral-fever virus.¡±

    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that this virus basically killed us off because we didn¡¯t recognize it early

    enough in our females and then we pulled them out of general society to keep them safe which only

    killed off our male pack members faster?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. That¡¯s it in a nutshell.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When the meeting with Dr. Braxton ends, I walk over to speak to Brynn. This is the first time she¡¯s sat

    in and listened to Dr. Braxton¡¯s reports since the first one. It¡¯s a lot to take in, especially when her

    daughter is part of it.

    Title of the document

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Would you think less of me if I told you I¡¯m overwhelmed?¡± She asks. ¡°I¡¯d think less of you if you

    weren¡¯t. I think we all are. That was a lot all at once.¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So, why do you think Melinda has higher than normal antibodies in her system?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Brynn, we can ask Dr. Braxton, but it¡¯s been clear from the beginning that Melinda is

    pretty special.¡± I tell her.

    She nods and we approach Dr. Braxton as he¡¯s putting his things away.

    ¡°Excuse me, Dr. Braxton?¡± I say, as we walk up.

    ¡°Oh yes, Luna Jara. Hello, Gamma Brynn.¡±

    ¡°Doctor, we were wondering if we could ask a question about Melinda.¡± I say.

    He gestures for us to sit, and we do, turning our chairs to face him.

    ¡°You want to know why your daughter, a true Beta, is showing the same high levels of antibodies as the

    Alpha children?¡± He guesses, looking at Brynn.

    ¡°Well, actually, yes.¡±

    ¡°The simple answer is, I don¡¯t know for sure. I can hypothesize that it¡¯s because she was born at a time

    when the antibodies in your blood stream had strengthened enough to be passed to her, it could be

    that she is just the first to show the signs that all children will show going forward, or it could just be that

    your daughter is who she is.¡± Dr. Braxton smiles. ¡°She¡¯s quite a charming youngdy. Engaging and

    sweet.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± Brynn says.

    ¡°And insightful.¡± He says, watching her.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s not yet four, is that correct?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Brynn tells him.

    ¡°And yet, I heard that during a*s*sessment, she went and sat on theps of several of your pack

    members. She inherently knew that they needed her close. But more than that, the a*s*sessments this

    year were brutal from what I understand. Having her close, might have helped them feel better because

    she was pushing the feral- fever and iming haze viruses back after the a*s*sessment process

    attempted to activate them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m following you, doctor.¡± Brynn says.

    He pushes his sses up his nose. Mason had mentioned this particr habit of the doc¡¯s and now

    I¡¯ve be hyper aware of it. He really does do it all the time. ¡°The a*s*sessments are supposed to

    push the males, forcing them into feral-fever or a iming haze based on the nature of the virtual

    reality that they are put into. Even though everyone passed, it doesn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t feel the

    unease of the virus in their system, pushing forward, trying to take hold. Your daughter seemed to

    instinctively know that they needed her presence to push the virus away, to help your pack members

    feel better.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying my daughter instinctively knew that she needed to help our pack mates?¡± Brynn asks.

    ¡°Yes. Are you sure that you or your mate don¡¯t have Alpha blood in your history.¡±

    Brynn shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s possible I guess, but it¡¯s nothing recent, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°It would be possible, I mean look at Jared, Jonas¡¯s brother. He¡¯s a Beta, but he¡¯s Alpha blood, he¡¯s just

    a second son.¡± I say to her. ¡°In a few generations, folks may not remember that he descended from an

    Alpha line.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe your daughter is destined for big things, Gamma. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she became a

    Luna one day. Either way, she¡¯s a special girl.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±

    Dr. Braxton stands and begins packing his things again. ¡°Doctor, will you be continuing your research?¡±

    I ask him.

    ¡°Yes, Luna. I think for us, as researchers, to truly understand what is going on, I¡¯ll need to continue my

    experiments and testing for years toe.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll be seeing you around, doc.¡± I say as we walk

    I spend a little more time with Brynn before she heads back to the pack. With Mason and Elijah here,

    she and Luke are running everything for us. Now that most of our pack members have been sent

    home, it¡¯s a lot of work for the two of them. When I get back to our housing, I see Jaxon sleeping in a

    baby rocker on the floor. I look around not seeing Jordan.

    ¡°She was fussing, so Mason took her up to your room so she wouldn¡¯t wake the others. Annabel had

    just gotten Valentina to sleep.¡± Hana says, from where she¡¯s sitting nursing Harper.

    I nod, going to get Jaxon and tucking him against me when his eyes open, bouncing him gently until he

    settles back into sleep. I walk upstairs and listen at the door. Not hearing anything I walk in and stop.

    There, on the bed, is my mate, lying on his back. Andying on his chest is my daughter, her legs and

    arms curled up underneath her, her face over his heart, no doubt listening to the soft thumping of

    Mason¡¯s heart. He has his hands on her, holding her to him as they both get some much needed sleep.

    I smile before quietly backing, out of the room, leaving them to their nap.

    I take Jaxon outside, not wanting to wake him, but also wanting to take advantage of this quiet

    moment. I move to the spot where Mason and I once sat listening to the soundsing from the

    iming territory. I find a seat and sit down.

    It¡¯s much quieter this time, we¡¯ve barely heard any howls or barks. Dad said the gunmen were put into

    ce inside the territoryst night, but so far, there hasn¡¯t been any sound of gunshots, so I take that

    as a good sign.

    I kick my feet up, and scoot down, letting Jaxony against my chest. I lift my face to the sun shining

    through the trees and close my eyes, listening to the far-off sounds of wolves on the hunt.

    I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been there when I feel familiar hands taking Jaxon from me. I open my eyes

    and see Mason standing over me, pulling Jaxon into his arms. ¡°Did you get a little nap, Luna?¡± He

    asks. I blink, looking around and realize that I must have been asleep for a while as the sun is father

    down in the sky than it was when I closed my eyes.

    ¡°I guess so. Does Jordan need to be fed?¡± I ask, standing and stretching after so long in one position.

    ¡°Nope. She woke not long ago, hungry. Your mom snagged her and gave her one of the bottles of milk

    you pumped this morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what your mom is going to do when we leave. She¡¯s enjoying having all her grandchildren

    here in one ce.¡± He says, tucking Jaxon into one arm and wrapping the other around my waist.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much more quiet this iming is than any ofst year¡¯s.¡± I say. He turns looking

    back at the iming territory.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good thing. That and not hearing any gunshots.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very good thing.¡± I stop, turning back. ¡°I can hear them moving around in there, but what do

    you think it means that no one is howling?¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°I think it means that you trained this next group of Lunas very well.¡±

    I chuckle. ¡°You think Katerina will be caught by an Alpha?¡± I ask.

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do. But which one?¡± I ask.

    ¡°There are three options.¡± He says.

    ¡°Not for her.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°No, for her, there is only one option.¡±

    ¡°Luke.¡± We say together.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Luke

    It¡¯s been nearly a week, and no one has found Katerina yet, much less imed her. I take a moment, a

    very brief moment, to appreciate how good she is at evasion. When the shot rang out that we could

    enter the territory, the Alphas had all headed to the cave.

    Title of the document

    I had moved slower than Davis and Quinton. I knew she¡¯d been there, but I wanted to try to catch her

    scent somewhere else, possibly get to her more quickly. What I realized almost

    immediately is that her scent was amazingly absent from the iming territory. When I¡¯d gotten to the

    lake, I had caught a scent trail. It was short and led to theke in one direction and in the other, it just

    stopped. I looked around before looking up. I walked closer to the tree, lifting my nose and just catching

    the scent of creme brulee.

    I stood under the tree then walked the 20 long steps to where her scent began. She had literally leaped

    off the damn tree, leaving as small of a scent trail as possible. It was at that moment that I realized, this

    was going to be harder than I had realized. Jara¡¯s hunt was difficult because she¡¯d left so many scent

    trails, all of them leading to dead-ends. However, Katerina was leaving us nothing.

    I had moved the rest of the way down the edge of theke, not getting another whiff of her scent until I

    reached the cliff face. I got down on all fours, sniffing the ground and finding the spot where she had

    exited the water.

    Then I began sniffing the area around the cliff face. When I didn¡¯t find another scent, I knew she had

    jumped from the top of the cliff into another tree. Now I just have to figure out which one, so I know

    which direction to go to follow her.

    I follow her scent to the top of the cliff and enter the cave. Here, her scent is strong.

    ¡°She added to the wall of Lunas.¡± Davis said, pointing at the wall that the females had started writing on

    last year. Sure enough, she had signed the wall.

    ¡®A better future for all.¡¯ That¡¯s exactly the kind of thing a Luna would say.

    I wait until Quinton and Davis left before searching around the cave. I noticed she left enough firewood

    for both McKenna and Layan. Another thing a Luna would do. Look after the others around her. I really

    need to catch this woman. If I hadn¡¯t already been extremely attracted to her, I would still want her,

    knowing she¡¯ll make one hell of a good Luna.

    Now, nearly a weekter, my frustration is at its peak. I¡¯ve run into Quinton and Davis over the week,

    along with the others in the iming. No one has seen her, the little minx. I¡¯ve hunted her in both my

    human and wolf forms, but I still can¡¯t find her. I¡¯m beginning to wonder if she¡¯s not part cat, she¡¯s so

    damn stealthy. Some of her imants said they tried to climb a tree to find her and ended up falling

    when the branch they were standing on broke.

    Periodically, I catch her scent. Usually it¡¯s on the breeze, but sometimes, like right now, there is no

    breeze. I lift up my nose and take a deep breath. It¡¯s there, very subtly, but it¡¯s there. Creme brulee.

    I¡¯m near the back of the territory by the creek. I look around but down here on the ground, I can¡¯t see

    much. I walk around the cliff face until I see an area that looks like I can climb up. I may not be able to

    climb a tree and leap through the branches like she¡¯s obviously doing, but if I can get to the top of the

    cliff, maybe I can at least spot her.

    When I get to the top, I see a watering hole and what looks like a makeshift cup sitting beside it.

    Suddenly, I¡¯m overwhelmed by her scent. She¡¯s been hiding up here the entire time. I look around,

    making sure she¡¯s not here, before turning and looking out into the trees.

    I don¡¯t immediately see her, but I realize that from here, she¡¯s got a bird¡¯s-eye view of the hunt going on

    below her. Since this seems to be where she¡¯s been staying, I tuck myself back into the shadows,

    crouching down to remain hidden. I only have one more night to catch her. If she doesn¡¯t return here

    tonight, I¡¯ll get up early and head back to the entrance to try and catch her as she races out of the

    territory.

    It¡¯s well into the night before she returns. I¡¯ve been sitting in the same position for a long time and my

    feet and knees are cramped and tired. However, the moment I hear the soft thud of feet hitting the top

    of the cliff, all of that falls away and I know I¡¯ve got her.

    I quietly turn my head to watch as she sniffs the air before deciding that it¡¯s safe. When she heads over

    to the watering hole, I sneak up behind her.

    ¡°You gave me a good run.¡±

    She yelps, standing quicky and turning toward me.

    ¡°Alpha Luke.¡± Even in the darkness, I can see her eyes are wide.

    ¡°Katerina.¡± I say, taking a step toward her. I see her eyes ping behind me. I¡¯m blocking her path to the

    trees. There¡¯s nowhere for her, to go.

    I shake my head at her. ¡°You¡¯re not getting past me, beautiful. I¡¯ve caught you, fair and square.¡±

    ¡°How? How did you find me?¡± She asks, almost in a pout.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha. Every determined Alpha who knows what he wants. And what I want, is you.¡±

    I watch as her body shivers at my statement. Oh yes, she will make me one hell of a Luna and an

    amazing mate.

    ¡°Do want to know something, Alpha, before you im what your have rightfully caught?¡± She asks in a

    purring voice.

    I take another step toward her.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask her, taking thest step and closing the distance between us.

    She rests her hand on my chest, looking up at me, her eyes shining in the moonlight.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I was hoping it would be you.¡± She says and leans head to the side, giving me ess to marking spot.

    I lean down, her body tenses, anticipating my canines in her neck. Instead, I lick the area, softening it

    so it will hurt less. ¡°You¡¯ll be unconscious after this.¡± I whisper in her ear, my breath blowing across her

    throat. Her body¡¯s shivering response is everything I¡¯d hoped for.

    ¡°I trust you to get me back safely.¡±

    ¡°Count on it. You¡¯re mine now, Katerina. I will always protect you.¡±

    I wrap my arms around her and slowly sink my canines into her neck. At first, she hisses with the pain,

    then, just before she cks out, I hear her whisper my name.

    I hold her to me a moment longer, milking my venom into her neck before pulling out my canines and

    lifting my head to the sky, howling my conquest over this incredible woman.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Even though it¡¯s the middle of the night, we all hear the howl of victory. I rush out of bed and begin

    getting dressed before turning back to Mason.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Who do you think caught her?¡± I whisper so we don¡¯t wake the twins.

    He yawns, totally unconcerned. ¡°No telling, but that was definitely an Alpha¡¯s howl, so she¡¯s a Luna

    now.¡± He says, rolling back over. ¡°I¡¯ll stay and watch the kids.¡±

    I stare at his back for a moment. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re not the least bit curious?¡±

    He turns his head just enough to look at me. ¡°You¡¯ll tell me or I¡¯ll find out in a few hours when I get up.

    Either way, it won¡¯t change the oue, love, and I need sleep.¡±

    I frown at him before I finish getting dressed and rush out of the room. I¡¯m just closing my door when

    Hana, Annabel and Mignone rushing out of their rooms. We smile at each other and race down

    the stairs and out of the house.

    ¡°None of the guys cared toe find out who imed her?¡± I ask them.

    We all agree that our mates are the most uninquisitive men we¡¯ve ever met. ¡°Asher even went so far as

    to say that he didn¡¯t have to be nosey because I¡¯m nosey enough for both of us. Imagine!¡± Mignon

    says, offended.

    ¡°The nerve of him.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t being nosey, this is being curious.¡± Annabel rifies.

    ¡°Curious and wanting to ensure that Katerina is safe and was imed properly.¡± I say.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    We all agree that those are our reasons and being nosey has nothing to do with it. When we get to the

    back of the main packhouse, I see that nearly all of the imants are there, watching to see who brings

    Katerina out. I notice the Alpha Jonas is front and center. We all know that he and his pack members

    weren¡¯t invited to Katerina¡¯s iming, but in true Alpha fashion, he¡¯s here to make sure that his

    previous pack mate is safe.

    We watch as several warriors and omegase out of the territory, all of them looking worn and

    weary. We catch snippets of their conversation.

    ¡°Never even saw her.¡±

    ¡°Never caught her scent.¡±

    ¡°Are we sure she was really in there?¡±

    I look at the other Lunas. We all smile proudly. She gave them a good run, a good hunt.

    ¡°No wonder it was so quiet in there. They couldn¡¯t find her.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°I wonder where she was.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°The trees, like Jara was, I¡¯ll bet.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°Yeah, but the trees onlysted so long. I had to get down periodically for food and water.¡± And that¡¯s

    when it dawns on me. If she was very careful, very stealthy, Katerina could have used the watering

    hole as her hiding spot. It would exin why no one ever caught her scent on the ground. She was

    always high in the sky.

    ¡°The watering hole on top of the cliff.¡± I tell them.

    Just then, Alpha Quintones walking out of the territory. He also looks exhausted and run ragged¡­

    ¡°Has shee out yet?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Jonas says, watching the forest line.

    Quinton sits on the ground to wait and see who imed her.

    I grab a bottle of water and give it to him, watching as he downs it in one go. ¡°Damn! What a woman.

    That¡¯s the first hunt I¡¯ve ever been on where I couldn¡¯t find a scent trail. That was one hell of a hunt.¡±

    He says, appreciatively. ¡°I¡¯m thankful I¡¯ve got a couple of days before I go back in. I¡¯ll probably sleep

    the entire time.¡±

    It¡¯s another thirty minutes before Alpha Davises walking out of the territory empty-handed. Hana

    grabs him a bottle and he sits down next to Quinton.

    ¡°So, I guess it was Luke that caught her?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I guess so. It sounded like an Alpha¡¯s howl to me.¡± Quinton says.

    ¡°Me too.¡± I say, standing beside them, watching.

    It¡¯s another hour before Luke finally emerges holding an unconscious Katerina in his arms, her long

    dark hair swinging nearly to the ground as he walks with her.

    I walk up to him slowly, not sure what to expect afterst year.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luna. I¡¯m not in the haze.¡± He says and I approach, looking at her neck. I frown and look up

    at him.

    He smiles at me, then looks at his new mate. ¡°She said she hoped it would be me and she willingly

    gave me her neck when I caught her. It made marking her a much gentler process.¡± He says. Her mark

    isn¡¯t even bruised. It¡¯s two simple puncture wounds at the crook of her neck where it turns to her

    shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m so happy for both of you.¡± I tell him, and I mean it.

    ¡°I am too, Luna. Thank you, for everything, but I¡¯m going to¡­¡± He nods his head in the general

    direction of the packhouse.

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course.¡± I say, moving out of his way. I know he¡¯s anxious to take her to her room.

    However, as I watch, he begins heading back to the main packhouse.

    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± I ask him.

    He turns, looking at me over his shoulder, frowning. ¡°To my room.¡±

    ¡°But, don¡¯t you want to go to the female¡¯s housing? To her room?¡± I ask, confused.

    He raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°And be in a house with a bunch of crying babies on the few days of being

    with my mate? No thanks.¡± He says before turning back and heading inside.

    ¡°We all have our own rooms now, Luna. Plus, most of us will be going into the next im in a couple of

    days. It¡¯s fine. She¡¯ll be fine. I wouldn¡¯t say that if I didn¡¯t believe it was true.¡± Jonas says to me.

    Everyone begins heading back inside but I stand there, watching.

    ¡°It¡¯s so different fromst year, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hana asks,ing to stand beside me. ¡°Even I can tell it¡¯s

    completely different fromst year.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°And no iming haze, not one of them.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°It looks like Dr. Braxton is right. We are the change that was needed to end the feral-fever and

    iming haze in our species.¡± I say.

    As we watch, other imantse up to Luke, patting him on the shoulder and congratting him. I

    truly can¡¯t believe how much has changed in a year.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    Layans Return The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    McKenna

    I have been so excited to go into the iming territory, to be imed, to find my mate. Of course,

    finding out what really happened to Layan gave me pause, but I felt better after speaking to Alpha

    Davis. I had spent some additional time with Alpha Quinton, Alpha Luke and Alpha Jonas as well.

    Which had also made me feel better.

    Title of the document

    Of course, Alpha Luke is no longer eligible for my im, since he caught Katerina. And now, I¡¯ll be

    entering the territory tomorrow morning.

    I¡¯mying awake on this, myst night in this bed before entering the territory. I¡¯ve been staring at the

    ceiling for hours and I know I won¡¯t get a wink of sleep tonight. The idea of being imed was great, in

    theory. I realized that I had a romanticized notion of what being hunted meant. I saw it as a fun,

    flirtation between me and a bunch of males. But now that it¡¯s my turn, now that it¡¯s here, all I can think

    about is how alone I¡¯ll be. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be alone for the first time in my life when I walk into that

    territory. And the hunt, that once seemed like a flirtation, now feels like, well, a hunt. And I¡¯m the prey.

    I¡¯ll be alone, hunted, imed, maybe by someone I really want to im me and maybe not. I had to

    choose 50 men. The idea seemed crazy at first. How would I only choose 50 out of nearly 400. Now, I

    wish I had only had to choose a few. I mean, what do I really know about any of them?

    Alpha Davis is a good dancer. Super, so what? Although he did talk to me and help me see that things

    are different than they were for Layanst year. So, he¡¯s patient and kind. And he is a great kisser.

    Those are good things.

    Alpha Quinton is funny, although he takes his job as Alpha very seriously. He¡¯s the youngest of the

    three and while he¡¯s not a great dancer like Alpha Davis, he also seems patient and kind.

    Alpha Jonas is the oldest of the Alphas. I know about his rtionship with Katerina¡¯s mother, and I

    asked him whether he intended to continue that rtionship when he was mated. He said he did not.

    So, that¡¯s good. He¡¯s a bit more broody than the other two, and while I¡¯m sure he would be a good mate

    and everyone, says he¡¯s a great Alpha, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be very patient with me and my fun-loving

    personality.

    There¡¯s Beta Jared, too. Jonas¡¯s brother. He¡¯s less broody than his brother, a bit more rxed. But he

    too has had a rtionship with. Isabe and identally let it slip that he and his brother have, been

    with her at the same time. He insisted that he would never want that with his mate, but the bad feeling it

    left in me never went away.

    There are others, warriors who seem very nice and are very attractive, but now that I¡¯ve spent more

    time with them, thought about them more closely, I realized they aren¡¯t smart and witty. Things that I

    want in a mate.

    What if it¡¯s one of them that catches me? I won¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯ll wake up, marked by my mate. In our

    world, once I¡¯m caught, that¡¯s it, that¡¯s your mate for life.

    I haven¡¯t been taking this iming as seriously as I should have. I¡¯ve been thinking of it as a dating

    game rather than a battle for the rest of my life. And now my time is up.

    When the sun finally begins to break over the horizon, I get up, getting dressed in my hunting clothes. I

    saw Katerina and the guyse out of the territory. Their legs and arms were scratched, some even

    had cuts on their faces or other parts of their bodies from running in the woods. Many were limping and

    they all looked exhausted.

    I think that¡¯s when it dawned on me. They won¡¯t stop until someone catches me. I will be hunted non-

    stop for a week. I will have nowhere to go, no one to help me escape. I will truly be alone.

    When I get downstairs, the Lunas are there to have breakfast with me. That is something else I didn¡¯t

    appreciate until now. They are here to support us, this year¡¯s iming contestants, and I didn¡¯t, take

    advantage of their kindness, their support.

    When they talked to us about the iming territory, I wasn¡¯t even really paying attention. I didn¡¯t think

    I¡¯d need to know where all the hiding spots and caves and watering holes were. I was going to be the

    flirty girl that no one could capture.

    Now, I¡¯m regretting everything that I¡¯ve done, or haven¡¯t done up to this point. I¡¯ve set myself up for

    failure and I¡¯ll be lucky tost more than a day in the territory. ¡°McKenna? Do you want toe have

    some breakfast with us?¡± Luna Jara asks me.

    I shake my head. ¡°No, thank you. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to keep it down.¡±

    The four of them look at each other and as one, theye to me and wrap their arms around me. I

    begin to shake, fear gripping me and wrapping its ugly fingers in my gut.

    ¡°I¡¯m so scared.¡± I say on a sob.

    ¡°Shhhh. You¡¯re okay. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± I hear their voices as they hug me, hold me and help to calm me.

    The tearse and I reach out, grabbing onto them, holding on in myst morning before my entire life

    changes.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Hana takes my face in her hands, wiping my tears away. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Yes, it¡¯s scary.

    Yes, it¡¯s a hunt. But you¡¯re a smart, clever girl. You can do this.¡±

    ¡°And in the end, you can choose to give yourself to someone if you know who you want. Find that

    person, or when they find you, let them mark you. It doesn¡¯t have to be violent or scary. Look at

    Katerina. Her neck wasn¡¯t even bruised.¡± Annabel says.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to climb trees. I¡¯ve never done that.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t either.¡± Mignon says. ¡°I found hiding spots and waited them out, moving when it was safe to go

    to a new spot. We have faith in you.¡±

    ¡°Use the water. Use the cliffs. Double back on your scent trails to confuse them. You can do this,

    McKenna.¡± Hana says.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    I nod, pulling away from them. ¡°I should get going.¡± I say.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯reing with you.¡± I look up at them.

    ¡°Unless you don¡¯t want us to?¡± Jara says.

    ¡°No, I¡¯d like that.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Hana says.

    When we get there and my im is announced, I can¡¯t even look at the men who will start hunting me

    in 24 hours. I¡¯m terrified of what I might see in their faces. Instead, I ask Jara to walk me to the

    entrance of the territory.

    ¡°Do you remember what we told you?¡± She asks, pushing my hair out of my face. ¡°No.¡± I say, trying with

    everything in me not to cry and show my fear.

    She takes my face in her hands. ¡°You have one day to look through the territory and learn what is

    where. Use that time today. It will go by faster than you know. Then tonight go to the cave. Sign your

    name on the wall. Leave your mark. But make a n, decide how you want this hunt to go. You are in

    charge McKenna.¡± She says to me.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    ¡°But you are. They only have the power if you give it to them. And we¡¯ll all be right here when youe

    out.¡±

    ¡°McKenna, it¡¯s time.¡± Councilman Phillip says from the stage.

    I nod, stepping back and turning toward the iming territory. I take a deep breath and when the shot

    rings out for me to enter, I begin running into the territory.

    When I get deep enough into the territory, I stop and listen. Listen to the absolute andplete silence.

    The fear that started earlier begins to grow in my chest and I feel like I can¡¯t breathe. I don¡¯t want to be

    alone. I begin to panic, and everything goes ck.

    I wake in an unfamiliar area, surrounded by darkness. I sit up, looking around, trying to figure out where

    I am.

    I listen and when I hear nothing, I remember that I¡¯m in the iming territory. Did I faint? I look around

    quickly. I have no idea what time it is, but I lost the entire day and now, I have no idea where I am,

    where to go.

    The cave. Jara said to get to the cave and write my name on the wall.

    I have a general idea of where the cave is, so I head that way, giddy with relief when I hear the sounds

    of theke. I drink some water before beginning to climb to the top of the cliff. When I get there, I see

    the firepit and some wood beside it. I make a fire and look around. I see the wall and read the notes

    from the others before me. It helps me, to know that they¡¯ve all been here before and they have all

    survived.

    I don¡¯t know what to write, so I go outside and look at the night, sky. The tearse again, and I feel

    so alone, I lift my head up and cry the sad mournful howl that ising from my heart.

    In an instant, I hear the sound of howls responding to me, echoing through the territory. I can tell the

    Alphas and the ranked members from the others, their howls strong in the quiet night. Iy my head,

    down on the ground, closing my eyes and listening to their howls.

    They continue howling into the night, letting me know that I¡¯m not alone, they are here, nearby, waiting

    toe find me. Several hours go by and my breathing calms, my heart settles. I go back, into the

    cave and sign my name.

    ¡®You are not alone. We are with you. McKenna¡¯.

    As the sun rises, I listen to the sounds of thest few wolves, still letting me know I¡¯m okay, that they

    are here for me. I send one. final howl, stronger this morning than it wasst night before climbing

    down the cliff.

    Just as I¡¯m about to head out, I hear the shot go off indicating the start of my im and I begin to run.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Chapter 29.

    Mason

    When I arrived at the iming territory, McKenna had just entered. As soon as Jara turns around to

    head back, Quinton, Davis, Jonas and Jared surround her.

    Title of the document

    I rush over, not sure what¡¯s happening but feeling protective of my mate.

    ¡°Luna Jara, what¡¯s going on? Why did McKenna look terrified this morning?¡± I hear Davis ask as I jog

    up.

    ¡°I think the reality of the situation hit her overnight. She woke up terrified this morning. I¡¯m pretty sure

    she didn¡¯t sleepst night, and she refused to eat this morning.¡± Jara tells them. Knowing my mate like I

    do, I know that she¡¯ll be feeling some guilt over not being able to help McKenna, so I push past the

    others, and wrap my arm around her.

    A crowd of McKenna¡¯s imants is gathering to hear what¡¯s going on. The Alphas and Jared all turn to

    look into the territory, listening to McKenna as she runs in the forest. Even from here, it¡¯s obvious that

    she¡¯s running scared, not like what we heard from Katerina a week ago or even what I heard from Jara

    last year.

    As we stand there, they all move to sit at the entrance of the territory. I stand with Jara, as she listens

    too, so we hear it when McKenna begins to hyperventte. We hear the thunk as she hits the forest

    floor.

    The group of four, the Alphas and Jared all jump up, ready to rush, in and check on her. Councilman

    Phillip holds up a hand and calls on his radio.

    After speaking to one of the gunmen he has stationed in the territory, he tells them that they have eyes

    on her. She¡¯s fine, but unconscious.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just leave her like that.¡± David says.

    ¡°Something could happen to her.¡± Jonas says.

    ¡°The watchers will look out for her, make sure nothing happens, while she is unconscious. If something

    does happen, they will alert, me and if need be, we will bring McKenna out of the territory.

    They all sat back down, not really cated but after Phillip said he¡¯d give them regr updates, they

    agreed to wait.

    Jara wanted to check on Katerina and Luke.

    ¡°Love, I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t want to be disturbed.¡± I say.

    ¡°They need food. I can do that at least.¡± She insists and I realize she needs to do something. The

    situation with McKenna is bothering her more than she¡¯s letting on. I follow her to the main packhouse

    and help her put some food together. I wait while she drops the food at Luke¡¯s door, knocking to let

    them know it¡¯s there. ¡°What do you want to do? I know you¡¯re worried about McKenna.¡± I say, pulling

    her to me and wrapping my arms around her.

    ¡°I have Hana bringing the babies over, along with some outdoor y area stuff so we can set them up

    outside and I can listen in as well. I want to make sure she¡¯s okay. If I need to go into the territory to

    check on her, I will.¡±

    We have lunch outside, listening for McKenna, but at every check in, she is still unconscious. The

    imants start getting anxious,

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    wanting to go into the territory and check on her. After lunch, they begin arguing with Councilman

    Phillip, stating that someone needs, to physically check on her. I look at Jara who is intently watching

    what is happening. Then she turns to me. ¡°I need to go to her.¡±

    ¡°I know you do. Be careful.¡±

    I watch as my mate walks into a group of males, all arguing and angry and whistles a shrill whistle to

    shut them up.

    She turns to her father. ¡°There is no reason I can¡¯t go into the territory and check on her, is there?¡±

    I watch as her father thinks about it before agreeing that she can go. Then she turns to the group of

    imants.

    ¡°If Ie out and say she¡¯s fine, just unconscious, do you all agree to abide by what I say?¡±

    There¡¯s some grumbling, but they finally agree. Jara turns to look at me, and I give her a wink before

    she heads into the territory.

    I look down at Jordan who is gumming her fist. ¡°Your mother is something else, my beautiful baby girl.

    One day, I hope you grow up to be just as fierce and protective as she is.¡±

    I stroke Jordan¡¯s cheek, causing her head to turn in the direction of my thumb. I grab a bottle and give it

    to her.

    ¡°One day, you¡¯re going to be Alpha of our pack. The first female. Alpha in history. You¡¯ll need every bit

    of your mother¡¯s brain and guts to take up that mantle. I hope that you aren¡¯t the only one. I hope that

    all the daughters of the Lunas ze a new path into our future. But even if you are the only one, you

    will still seed. Your mother and I will both make sure of it.¡±

    I pick her up, burping her and rocking her back to sleep before Jara re-emerges from the iming

    territory.

    I watch as she lets the imants know that McKenna is unconscious, but breathing fine and she¡¯s in

    the shade, so she¡¯s not overheating.

    ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t think she sleptst night. This excitement,pounded by no sleep and no food just

    did her in. She¡¯ll wake up when her body is ready.¡± She tells the group.

    Ninaes and takes the kids back to the house where we are staying but Jara and I continue to

    listen, having dinner outside. It¡¯s after dark when we finally hear McKenna begin to rustle around. The

    Alphas are on their feet in an instant, turning their heads, listening to see where she goes.

    I pull Jara into myp, holding her as we listen to McKenna. It¡¯s a quiet night, and McKenna isn¡¯t

    exactly being stealthy in the territory, so we hear her until she gets to the cave. We know she¡¯s here

    when we smell the smoke.

    I¡®m about ready to tell Jara we need to head back, when I hear the most mournful, sad, lonely sound

    I¡¯ve heard in a very long time. The Alpha in me cannot ignore the sorrowful cry and my response s

    instantaneous. I lift my head to the sky and howl back to her, letting her know I¡¯m here.

    Mine is not the only voice in the night. Every imant and even Councilman Phillip raise their heads to

    the sky and howl to McKenna that we are here, she is not alone.

    The howls continue, and I finally convince Jara that we need to get our own sleep. ¡°They will stay up,

    keeping herpany tonight. You don¡¯t really think that any of the Alphas or even Jared are going to

    sleep tonight after that pitiful howl, do you?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°No, I guess not.¡± She says reluctantly.

    I lean into her ear, nipping at her earlobe. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t I remember my Luna putting in a request for

    another baby?¡±

    That was all the convincing my mate needed.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Katerina

    I wake to the scent of chocte peanut butter fudge. My mouth begins to water and my stomach

    grumbles. I know I should get up but I¡¯m sofortable and warm.

    Title of the document

    Iy there a moment more before reality returns and I try to leap out of bed.

    Strong arms hold me where I am.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, my little mate? I caught you, you¡¯ re mine.¡±

    I turn and look at Luke, my mate, over my shoulder. His warm brown eyes, like melted chocte, are

    watching me. I bite my lower lip. This s*e*xy man is mine, or he will be when I sink my canines into his

    marking spot.

    I roll over, running my hand over his arm. His bare, very muscr arm. I feel something stirring in my

    gut.

    ¡°How long have we been asleep?¡± I ask him:

    ¡°Considering the run you gave me? Not long enough.¡±

    I can¡¯t help butugh. I¡¯m pretty proud of myself for outsmarting a group of fifty men, three of whom

    were Alphas.

    He leans forward, kissing my nose. ¡°So, you wanted it to be me, huh?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I did.¡± I shrug. ¡°I feelfortable with you. Safe, happy.¡±

    ¡°Good. You are safe and I want you to befortable around me, always. And your happiness is now

    my second greatest concern.¡±

    I frown. ¡°What¡¯s your first greatest concern?¡±

    ¡°Feeding you. I have no intention of suffering the wrath of the Lunas because I didn¡¯t feed one of their

    own when I imed her.¡±

    Now Iugh out loud. ¡°Are you afraid of a few Lunas, Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah I¡¯m afraid of them. They are a force to be reckoned with and now you¡¯re one of them. And

    Luke. I¡¯m yours now, Katerina. Call me Luke. Please.¡± He says, caressing my face.

    ¡°What if I like calling you Alpha?¡± I ask, looking up at him through, myshes.

    A low rumbling growl vibrates in his chest. ¡°I like it when you call me Alpha. It means something

    different when you say it now.¡±

    I look at his marking spot, my finger grazing over it, making him shiver. I look up at him and smile.

    ¡°No distracting me. You need food, you need a shower and if, after that, you are ready to sink your

    teeth into me, then I will willingly give you ess.¡±

    I look up at him sharply. ¡°You¡¯ll expose your throat to me?¡±

    He narrows his eyes at me. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, my Luna. There is nothing I won¡¯t do for you. I wouldn¡¯t

    expect you to submit to me, if I wasn¡¯t willing to submit to you.¡± This is unexpected.

    ¡°Mind you, that will only happen when we¡¯re alone. We have arge pack, one that I¡¯ve only taken over

    in thest year. I don¡¯t want to have to fight everyone in my pack because they see me submitting to

    you all the damn time.¡±

    I smile, excited to test this out, see if he really means it.

    ¡°Will you submit to me now?¡± I ask, watching him carefully.

    Without taking his eyes off of me, he slowly lifts his head, giving me full ess to this throat.

    I feel tears prick my eyes at the thoughtfulness and love this man is already showing me.

    Slowly, I lean forward, rubbing my nose up and down his throat, before taking my tongue and licking my

    way from the where his neck connects to his chest all the way to his chin.

    The rumbling growl begins again. ¡°You¡¯re making it very difficult for me to ensure that you are taken

    care of before weplete our mate bond, Katerina.¡±

    Now it¡¯s my turn to shiver. My name on his lips sounds s*e*xy as hell.

    ¡°Come on. If you¡¯re not hungry, we at least need to get you showered. It¡¯s been a week, we both need

    to get clean.

    He stands and even though I¡¯m used to nudity, it¡¯smon in the packs with all the shifting we do,

    Luke¡¯s body looks like it was carved from stone. He is solid muscle, pure masculine energy and

    confidence. My mouth begins watering again.

    ¡°Katerina.¡± He growls and as I watch, his member begins standing at attention. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Alpha. But

    not for food.¡± I begin crawling over to him, watching as his d*ic*k twitches in response.

    When I get there, I look up at Luke whose eyes are nearly ck with lust before I lean forward and

    swipe my tongue over the tip. His body jerks and before I know it, he has me over his shoulder,

    smacking my a*s*s hard and carrying me to the bathroom.

    ¡°You will be the death of me.¡± He says, before setting me on my feet and turning me around to look in

    the mirror. When I do, I see what a mess I really am. But then I realize that¡¯s not what he wants to show

    me.

    He pulls my hair aside and there, in in view, is his mark on my neck. I reach up, my fingers grazing

    over the mark that ims me as his. A smile spreads across my face as I look up and see the pride

    and possessiveness in his eyes.

    Then, I look at his neck, bare of my mark and my smile falters.

    ¡°You really want to mark me, don¡¯t you?¡± He says, meeting my gaze in the mirror. ¡°You are mine. I want

    everyone to know that. I want you wearing my mark, just as I¡¯m wearing yours.¡±

    He turns me around to face him, wrapping his hands around my waist and lifting me easily onto the

    counter. Hees to stand between my legs, running his hands over my bare thighs. Suddenly, I feel

    shy. It was different in bed, where we were warm and cozy together. Here under the harsh lights of the

    bathroom, I feel stripped bare to him.

    ¡°None of that.¡± He says caressing my cheek again. I lean my face into his hand, feeling the warmth and

    the gentleness that is so unexpected from a man who is obviously so strong.

    He tilts my chin up so I¡¯m looking at him. ¡°Make me yours, my Luna.¡± He says, leaning in to me and

    giving me his neck.

    I feel my canines extend, my mouth watering to taste him. I start to sink my teeth into him like a viper,

    so anxious to make him mine. But then I stop. He made it gentle, special for me. I want to do the same

    for him.

    So, instead, I lick the spot where I will mark him, reveling as his body shivers in response. My hands

    move up the sides of his body, exploring the hard edges of his form, feeling the strong muscle under

    smooth skin. I suck on his marking spot, feeling his armse around me, holding me to him.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Mark me.¡± It¡¯s a quiet plea, and one I have every intention of answering.

    Slowly, gently, I sink my teeth into his neck. I didn¡¯t expect the roar of pleasure from him, his body

    shaking with pleasure. He grips me tightly and we hold onto each other as I milk my venom into his

    system, mixing our scents together. When I finally pull back smiling smugly as I look at my mark,

    proudly disyed on his neck. He looks at it in the mirror, his ingers grazing over it before looking back

    down at me.

    You will most definitely be the death of me.¡± He says.

    Then we will both die happy.¡± I say, before he has me up and is carrying me to the shower.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Davis

    I¡¯ve been so worried about McKenna since she entered the territory. She seemed so carefree, so

    happy at the idea of being caught by her mate. I¡¯m not sure what changed, but whatever it was, it

    wasn¡¯t for the better.

    Title of the document

    When the gun went off announcing the beginning of the hunt, we all ran toward the cave. I have to

    admit, Jonas and Jared have a considerable advantage over me and Quinton. Katerina ran us ragged

    in her hunt. We all searched, nearly non-stop for her. With barely any sleep, one day of rest wasn¡¯t

    enough. I had nned to sleep in my bed one more night until I heard McKenna¡¯s heart- wrenching

    howl. I knew then that it didn¡¯t matter how tired I was, she needed me, an Alpha, and possibly her

    future mate. And I wasn¡¯t going to let her down.

    As I run toward the cave, the Alphas and Jared pull ahead of the others, being faster and stronger by

    nature. However, Jonas and Jared pull ahead of both me and Quinton. At first, I thought they were

    working together, something that I know Mason and Elijah didst year in Jara¡¯s im. But as I watch, I

    realize they are both here for themselves. They both want a mate and since they weren¡¯t invited to

    Layan¡¯s im, this is their one and only chance this year.

    When we get to theke, I smell a trail moving away from the cave. While Jonas and Jared begin

    racing up the cliff to the cave, I turn, heading left, deeper into the territory as I follow McKenna¡¯s scent. I

    haven¡¯t gotten far when the howl of the hunt goes up behind me. Someone else has decided that this

    trail is the one to follow and their howl will only bring others.

    I begin running faster, wanting to catch her before anyone else does. Her trail is erratic, running in

    different directions, brushing against bushes and around trees before moving off again. I can¡¯t tell if

    she¡¯s running scared or if she¡¯s actually trying to throw us off her trail. Either way, it¡¯s working. I can tell

    the wolves behind me are getting confused with her scent trail moving in different directions and rarely

    moving in straight lines which is more typical for an animal being hunted.

    Quinton is close by, having followed the same trail that I did. I¡¯m not paying attention to my

    surroundings, simply following the scent when I realize, I¡¯m almost back to theke. She doubled back

    and now, she¡¯s crisscrossing or scent lines. This is definitely intentional.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    I hunt without sess the rest of the day. Periodically, I hear the howls of the hunt as someone thinks

    they¡¯ve found her. I always listen, but I don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ve found several hiding spots with her scent,

    but she¡¯s not there. She¡¯s throwing us off, pulling the same stunts that Jara did when she was in the

    territory.

    As night begins to settle, I follow a trail back to theke. I decide to head up to the cave, just to see

    what she may have left as clues there.

    As I climb, I realize that never before has a male been in more than one im each year. With the

    lottery, it was highly unlikely that you¡¯d get pulled for one im, much less more than one. The only

    possibility of that wasst year and three years ago when Jara and her sister were in the iming and

    every eligible male was able to join in the hunt. Last year, however, there were days between the

    ims. After each im, they would clean the territory because of the ughter that took ce.

    I wasn¡¯t picked in the lotteryst year, so I was only in Jara¡¯s hunt. And now, I know why it¡¯s not a great

    idea to be in more than one. I¡¯m exhausted. And if I don¡¯t im McKenna, I¡¯ll be going up against a very

    well- rested Elijah in Layan¡¯s im. There¡¯s little chance that I will be able to defeat him in my current

    condition and that doesn¡¯t take into consideration how I¡¯ll be at the end of this hunt.

    When I get to the cave, I see someone has lit a fire. There are a couple of omegas loitering around,

    probably hoping to see something from up here. I walk in and look around.

    I go to the wall of Lunas. That¡¯s what we¡¯ve all started to call it. I see the addition of McKenna¡¯s line. I¡¯m

    not surprised that she¡¯ writes about being alone. Wolves are not solitary creatures. We don¡¯t like being

    alone. It¡¯s why we live in packs. I knowst night was hard on her, but her words make me feel that

    maybe our howls to herst night helped her get through her loneliness.

    I find a quiet spot, and lie down, closing my eyes and listening to the sounds of the night and the

    territory. I can hear the hunt continuing for those that are still fresh. I would guess that somewhere,

    Quinton is finding his own ce to rest as he too as up with all of usst night, keeping McKenna

    company and letting her know she isn¡¯t alone.

    The howl of the hunt goes up all through the night. Each time it does, I listen, wondering if they¡¯ve really

    caught her trail or if she¡¯s managed to double back on them again.

    I have a fitful night¡¯s sleep, but I imagine that McKenna¡¯s isn¡¯t any better. She, unlike me, can¡¯t even

    rest unless she ns on getting imed.

    The next morning, I get up and shift, catching a couple of rabbits to before shifting back and beginning

    my hunt again. With only 50 of us in the territory, we¡¯re not on top of each other. It helps to be able to

    search without the scent trails getting overwhelmed by the scents of males traipsing through the forest.

    I spend the rest of the day searching for McKenna. Howls continue to go up periodically, but none are

    from Alphas, so I listen, but don¡¯t expect that McKenna will be found.

    I hunt all day and into the night, finding scent trails, following them, until I no longer can tell the direction

    she was going. Some trails smell more fresh than others while some start fresh but end up smelling

    older.

    It¡¯s early in the morning and I¡¯ve just caught another scent trail when I hear the howl of the hunt go up.

    This time, I know it¡¯s an Alpha, which means, someone has found her.

    Almost immediately, I hear a second howl. Someone else, possibly Jared, but maybe Quinton has

    caught her scent as well and is on the hunt.

    I begin to quickly move in the direction of the howls, listening to the crashing sounds of the forest. If I¡¯m

    right, McKenna is running scared. Someone has flushed her out of her hiding spot or wherever she was

    and she¡¯s running, running away from them straight toward me.

    I slow down, listening, trying to figure out what direction she¡¯s going in. I know from her scent trails that

    she is erratic in her running patterns, so I wait, and I listen.

    When I finally realize where she is and the direction she¡¯s running, I take off. It takes everything in me

    not to howl. I know if I do, I¡¯ll alert her to my presence, and she¡¯ll dart off into another direction. So, I

    keep my lips firmly closed as I run.

    When I get close enough that I can hear her choppy breathing, I move to put myself directly in her path.

    I hear a slight whimper from her just before I see her. She¡¯s running but she¡¯s looking behind her. I can

    hear the crashing of the forest bushes and low hanging branches as the wolvese racing after her.

    I set my feet firmly on the ground. She turns, just in time to see me before she runs into me full force.

    She screams, startled by my presence.

    ¡°Gotcha!¡± I say as my arms go around her. From the corner of my eye, I see Jonas, Quinton and Jared

    come rushing up behind her from different directions. I don¡¯t waste a moment. I pull her head to the

    side and sink my teeth into her marking spot. Her hands grip me for a moment before my venom floods

    her system knocking her out.

    I hold her, my teeth in her neck as her body copses. I watch as the others get closer from over her

    shoulder. I growl at them, letting them know that she¡¯s mine. All three of them hold their hands up in

    surrender before bending over and gasping for air.

    I pull my teeth from her neck and scoop her into my arms.

    ¡°Damn, I thought I had her.¡± Jonas says.

    Jared looks at him. ¡°So did I.¡±

    Quinton just shakes his head before turning toward the entrance and beginning the long walk back.

    I raise my head to the sky and howl my dominance over my mate and these other wolves that thought

    they could im what is mine.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    Layans Return The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    When Davises out carrying McKenna, along with the other Alphas, I hear Elijah¡¯s low purr of

    happiness. I can feel it through our pack bond. He is now the only ranked member in Layan¡¯s im

    now. The odds of him being able to im her are high.

    Title of the document

    It was a much shorter hunt than I was expecting, only a few days. I check McKenna over and even

    though it¡¯s been a short amount of time, she looks like she hasn¡¯t eaten since she got into the territory.

    ¡°I think missing that first day really set her up to get caught more easily.¡± Davis tells me, looking at her.

    ¡°Honestly, she¡¯s been crossing her scent trails, doubling back on them, but it was toote. Once we

    were in the territory, there were too many of us for her to try and avoid.¡±

    ¡°How did you catch her?¡± I ask him, turning to walk toward the packhouse with him as he carries her

    inside.

    Davis gives me a smug smile. ¡°The other Alphas chased her right into my arms.¡±

    I shake my head at him. ¡°Do you want me to send some food up to you?¡± I ask him. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait and

    eat when she gets up. For now, I just want to get her tucked into bed. I feel the need to be close to her.¡±

    ¡°I understand that.¡± Mason says,ing to stand beside me and wrapping an arm around me.

    ¡°How long were you out, Luna?¡± He asks me.

    I look at Mason, who looks at me. ¡°Several hours. But Jara almost made it out of the iming territory,

    and she didn¡¯t have food for most of those days.¡± He tells Davis, his eyes never leaving mine.

    Davis starts to walk up to his room. ¡°Have Luke and Katerina emerged yet?¡± He asks.

    ¡°No, but we¡¯ve heard them moving around, so we know she¡¯s awake.¡±

    He nods. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon, then.¡± He says.

    ¡°Davis?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna?¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I know we¡¯ll be happy together.¡± He says before walking upstairs.

    I blow out a breath. Mason pulls me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asks,

    knowing I¡¯m worrying about Layan.

    ¡°I need to be. If she can go into the territory again after everything that happened to her, I can be strong

    for her.¡±

    ¡°You, my love, have never let anyone down, including yourself. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll let Layan down

    when she needs you most.¡±

    I lean into my mate, wrapping my arms around him and letting him hold me. ¡°You can do this. She can

    do this. The odds just went way up that Elijah will im her. And then, she¡¯ll be one of our pack mates

    and your Beta female.¡±

    I chuckle at that before looking up at him. ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°Anything.¡± I smile because I know he would do anything for me.

    ¡°Will you watch the kids tonight? I have an idea of how to help Layan.¡±

    He snorts. ¡°Do you think your mother will let me? I mean seriously, I love having a grandmother for

    them, but when she¡¯s around I barely get a moment with them.¡±

    ¡°If my n works, I think Mom is going to be busy tonight.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Oh, do tell.¡± He says, taking my hand and walking me back to our housing.

    I tell him my n as we walk back. When we get close, I stop, looking at the house. ¡°I have a lot of

    good memories here.¡±

    ¡°As do I.¡± He says, standing beside me.

    I turn to him. ¡°But I¡¯ll be happy to get back to our home, our pack, our lives.¡±

    ¡°Me too. We have our lives to live and now that things are improving, it feels like the packs have hope

    where they didn¡¯t before.¡±

    When we get inside, Layan isn¡¯t there. ¡°I think I saw her with Elijah again.¡± Annabel says, while rocking

    and nursing her little one.

    All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I have an idea.¡± I tell her. I call Mignon and Hana into the room, and we all agree. We begin making

    arrangements and then I go. I spend some time with Mason and our babies.

    When I hear Layane in, I kiss Mason and head downstairs. The other Lunas have put everything

    into motion and we¡¯re ready.

    I catch Layan as she¡¯s heading to her room. I can already tell the nerves are getting to her.

    ¡°Hey Layan. Can youe here for a minute?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Sure.¡± She saysing down the stairs, distracted. ¡°Did you need me to watch the babies for you?¡±

    I wrap my arm through hers. ¡°Nope, but I do need you to watch something for me.¡± I tell her walking her

    into the room where Hana, Mignon and Annabel are waiting.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asks, looking at all of us.

    ¡°It¡¯s tradition, Layan.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°And you can¡¯t break tradition.¡± Mignon says.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t let you, even if you tried.¡± Annabel says to her. She turns looking at me, frowning.

    ¡°Movie night. All night.¡± I say.

    ¡°With pizza!¡± Annabel exims.

    ¡°And popcorn!¡± Hana says pping.

    ¡°And sodas.¡± Mignon says. ¡°We got it all, Layan.¡±

    Because I¡¯m standing beside her and my arm is wrapped around her, I feel the tension in her body as

    she fights her tears. I lean in, hugging her to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s your night. You pick the first movie.¡± I tell her.

    She looks at all of us. ¡°You mean we¡¯re watching movies ALL night?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s tradition.¡± We all say at once.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go put the pizzas in. We had to get enough for the guys. Otherwise, you know we¡¯d never get any.¡±

    Annabel says.

    ¡°And Jara¡¯s mom is helping to watch the kids, so we¡¯re good there.¡± Mignon tells her.

    ¡°And the guys know this is your night and not to bother us.¡± Hana says.

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡± Layan says as she goes to find movie.

    ¡°What¡¯s the bet on who falls asleep first?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Mignon!¡± Everyone, including Layan says, and we allugh.

    We spend the night curled up on the couch, all of us wrapped around Layan, watching her favorite rom

    coms and just being there for her. We eat too much pizza, too much popcorn and drink too many

    sodas.

    Early in the morning, Masones down to check on us. He¡¯s not the only one. Our mates don¡¯t seem

    to be able to sleep without us there with them. But it¡¯s sweet that they are watching out for us.

    When it¡¯s time to get up, we all get ready and walk Layan out to the iming territory. Katerinaes

    running up.

    ¡°I wanted to be here for you, Layan. Luke and I are staying until the end of your im. I want to know

    that you are safe and okay before we head to his pack.¡± She says.

    ¡°Our pack.¡± Luke says,ing up behind her.

    She smiles looking at him over her shoulder. ¡°Our pack.¡±

    When my dad says it¡¯s time, we all walk Layan to the edge of the territory. She hugs us all, thanking us

    again for being there for her.

    ¡°I love all of you, so much.¡±

    ¡°We love you too, Layan.¡±

    When she steps back, she looks at the ten men she¡¯s chosen to be in her im, her gaze lingering the

    longest on Elijah.

    When the shot rings out that it¡¯s time for her to enter, she turns, with her head held high and jogs into

    the territory.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I can¡¯t sleep without my mate beside me. I try, I honestly do, but it¡¯s not working at all.

    Title of the document

    I finally get up checking on the twins before heading into the hall to check on the

    Lunas, passing Antonio on the way. He chuckles. ¡°I passed Asher on my way down to check on them

    and he passed Seth.¡±

    I guess we all had the same idea. And none of us could sleep.

    Now, I stand back, watching the Lunas walk Layan to the edge of the territory. I continue to be

    impressed with Layan and her resilience. When she lifts her head  and enters the territory, I want to

    p for her. She really is special. And I REALLY hope my Beta ims her.

    I watch as, not unexpectedly, Elijah finds a spot on the gra*s*s outside the iming territory. He won¡¯t

    move until it¡¯s time to enter the territory.

    I walk up to Jara, kissing her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s my turn today, love.¡±

    She turns and looks at Elijah and nods. ¡°Take care of our Beta.¡± She says before heading back to the

    housing.

    I spend some time on the phone with my Gamma Luke, making sure everyone who has returned to the

    pack got home safely and letting him know that Layan went into the iming today.

    ¡°So, we¡¯ll be home in a week at thetest.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Hopefully with a new pack member in tow.¡± He says.

    ¡°His biggestpetition was Davis, and he caught McKenna, so have high hopes.¡± I say.

    When lunch is served, I get two tes of food, bringing them back out and sitting beside Elijah.

    ¡°This is like deja vu only the roles are reversed.¡± I tell him.

    He takes the te of food, chuckling, but his gaze remains fixed on the territory. ¡°Do you know what

    she¡¯s doing in there?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I have no idea. There¡¯s been a lot of crashing and what sounds like branches breaking. She¡¯s not big

    enough to cause those branches to fall if she¡¯s standing on them, so I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on.¡±

    I sit with him during the afternoon. And when dinner is served, I bring him dinner as well, sitting next to

    him. The crashing has stopped, and it¡¯s quiet again.

    ¡°I need to tell you something, Mason.¡± Elijah says, still not looking at me.

    He rarely calls me Mason. When he does, I know that whatever he says is personal not about the pack.

    Now he does turn and look at me. ¡°I decided before I left the pack that if I don¡¯t im Layan, I¡¯m not

    going back.¡±

    I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    He shakes his head, looking down. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to how things were, not knowing that she¡¯s with

    someone else. I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know why but the thought of her being with anyone else¡­ I can¡¯t be

    around it, I can¡¯t see it. It would break me.¡± He says and his voice catches.

    ¡°So, you catch her.¡± I tell him. I feel angry at the thought of losing my Beta. But Elijah is more than that.

    He¡¯s my friend, the closest friend I have next to Jara.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°I refuse to hunt her.¡±

    I¡¯m pretty sure my heart stutters in my chest. ¡°How do you expect to im her if you don¡¯t hunt her

    Elijah? I mean, if she¡¯s the key to getting you back to our pack, f*uc*k, I¡¯ll catch her for you and let you

    im her.¡± I tell him, starting to feel a bit desperate.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± He says.

    ¡°Exin it to me.¡± I say quietly. I want to understand, but I won¡¯t give up on him without a fight.

    He tells me his n, his reasons behind what he ns to do. In the end, I can¡¯t argue with him. His

    rationale is sound, his reasons are pure of heart. But it doesn¡¯t sit well.

    ¡°It¡¯s a huge risk, Elijah.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s the only way. And it¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you now that I won¡¯t return if I can¡¯t return with her.¡±

    I scrub my hands over my face, frustrated for the first time in a long time. I don¡¯t want to lose Elijah, but

    I know there is no changing his mind in this.

    I¡¯m about to ask him more about his n, when we both catch the scent of a fire. Not the fire from the

    cave, that would be a hint of smoke on the night breeze. This is heavy smoke, much closer to the

    entrance of the territory than the cave.

    Elijah and I are both on our feet in an instant. Otherse rushing up, ready to help it needed. I

    realized that after Davis imed McKenna, no one left. Everyone remained to see what happens to

    Layan. Everyone wants to see her end up happy.

    Councilman Phillipes running up, hismunicator in his hand.

    ¡°Report!¡± He barks into themunicator.

    ¡°Sir, it appears that Layan has started a fire in the territory.¡± We hear the gunman say on the radio.

    ¡°What? Why? Is she cold?¡± Phillip asks.

    ¡°No sir. It appears¡­.it appears that she is burning the area where she was improperly imedst

    year.¡±

    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Phillip asks, looking around at the rest of us.

    Elijah has a smile on his face as he watches the tips of the mes as they flicker into the sky. ¡°Like a

    phoenix, she is rising from the ashes of the fire.¡±

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    He really does understand her better than anyone else, including the Lunas. ¡°Don¡¯t let the fire burn out

    of control. We don¡¯t want to lose the whole forest.¡± Phillip says into the radio.

    At that moment, we hear Layan¡¯s fierce howl of defiance. It¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever heard from Layan

    before.

    Elijah¡¯s response is instant, his head thrown back, answering her call. Others behind me begin to

    answer her call as well.

    When the howls die down, we hear Layan running through the territory, most likelyying scent trails for

    the imants to follow.

    ¡°Damn she¡¯s one hell of a woman.¡± Elijah says appreciatively.

    That she is.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Layan

    When I entered the territory, I didn¡¯t really have a n. I only have ten imants so it shouldn¡¯t be too

    hard to avoid them. I¡¯ll use the water, the trees, anything I need to get out of here and then I can im

    Elijah for myself.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m d Alpha Davis caught McKenna. I like him and I¡¯d have been fine if he had imed me, but I feel

    like my heart belongs to Elijah. Especially after thest couple of weeks. He has taken advantage of

    the time Davis was in the territory to spend time with me. I¡¯ve spent time with the others, but most of my

    time has been with Elijah. I¡¯ve gotten to know him, and he¡¯s gotten to know me.

    I had the hard conversation with him. I needed to know that if the worst happens, if I can¡¯t have

    children, that he was okay with that. He a*s*sured me that he wants me. He hopes, as I do, that I can

    have children, but if not, he said he would be happy waking up with me in his arms every morning for

    the rest of his life.

    I also made sure he knew that I¡¯m terrified of the mating process. He swore to me that we would go at

    my pace, and I believe him. Elijah isn¡¯t the kind of man to force himself on me or anyone. He is patient

    and kind and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s in love with me. I¡¯m also pretty sure that I¡¯m in love with him.

    I¡¯m jogging through the territory, trying to figure out what I want to do when I see it. I didn¡¯t realize that I

    would remember exactly where it was, but the moment I see the small area with minimal underbrush, it

    alles rushing back to me.

    I¡¯m back in the territoryst year and that Alpha is after me. As I watch, it¡¯s as if I see it happening in

    front of me. Me running, my blond hair flying out behind me, my eyes wild with fear, my face a terrified

    mask of innocence.

    Then there¡¯s the Alpha, hot on my heels in his wolf form. I remember my relief that he couldn¡¯t im

    me, not realizing that he would try anyway. The memories sh in front of me, being tackled to the

    ground, the pain in my neck as his wolf¡¯s teeth tore into my skin, the pain as he thrust his body inside

    me, nearly ripping my body in two before I passed out.

    I stand there staring at this spot, the spot that changed my life forever. This spot, this small little area

    that stole my innocence and possibly took away my ability to ever have children. This spot that seems

    so meaningless but has so much meaning to me.

    And that¡¯s when I feel the anger boiling up inside me. This one stupid, insignificant spot shouldn¡¯t have

    so much control over me.

    I look around, searching for branches, rocks and brush. I will burn away this spot away, making sure it

    never has control over me, again.

    I start with the rocks, creating a space where I will build the fire. I want to make sure that the fire

    doesn¡¯t spread, so I carefully ce enough rocks around the spot to ensure that the fire won¡¯t ¡®jump¡¯

    outside of the firepit I¡¯m creating.

    Then I begin piling underbrush and smaller twigs, fire feeders and starters. It¡¯s a good start, but I want

    a raging fire. I want this spot scorched into the ground.

    So, I begin climbing the trees and finding branches that arerge enough to keep a fire going, but small

    enough that if I jump on them, I can break them.

    It takes me most of the day to break up the firewood and create the firepit that I want. Once I have it

    set, I go to the cave to search, for a lighter. There was one therest year and since both Katerina and

    McKenna had a fire, I know there must be a fire starter there this year as well.

    I find the fire starter and as I¡¯m turning to head back to the firepit I¡¯ve created, I stop, looking at the wall

    where I originally signed my name. I was the second person to sign my name here after Mignon. Since

    then, Annabel, Hana, Jara, Katerina and McKenna have all signed their names.

    I look at my words, ¡®Layan too¡¯. What does that even mean? It means nothing other than I was here. So

    what?

    I want everyone to know that I survived. I grab a rock, ready to leave my mark. A real mark this time.

    ¡®I returned. Stronger than before. Layan¡¯

    I stand back, looking at my signature. I am different than I was a year ago. I am stronger. I¡¯m no longer

    the innocent girl that sees life through rose-colored sses. Now, I know there is pain, there is

    suffering, there is cruelty. But I also know, I can survive it. In Jara¡¯s words, I have prevailed.

    I take my lighter back to the firepit, and I light the fire. I watch as it burns brighter, hotter than any fire

    I¡¯ve ever experienced. I stand close, letting the heat wash over me, letting the memories that haunt me

    burn away.

    When the fire reaches its pinnacle, I lift my head to the sky.

    F*uc*k that Alpha. I¡¯m here and he¡¯s dead. I survived and I WILL continue to live on.

    I howl my dominance over this spot, over the past that I will no longer allow to have a hold on me. I am

    strong, I am a survivor, I will go on.

    I instantly hear Elijah¡¯s answering howl. I should have known that he¡¯d be there, listening for me,

    making sure I¡¯m okay. Just like he always does.

    That man better catch me, or he will suffer the wrath of this new Layan.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    As I listen to the echo of the howls in the territory, I turn. Time to make sure I give Elijah a good hunt.

    I begin running through the territory. I remember it fromst year, I know where the hiding spots are,

    where the water is and where the traps are. I run all through the night, crisscrossing my scent trails,

    backtracking on my trails and taking them in multiple directions.

    By the time the sun begins to rise, and the shot goes off to start the hunt of my im, I¡¯m ready. There

    is only one person that will ever be able to find me in this maze.

    The man I¡¯ve chosen to be my mate.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Elijah

    On the morning of Layan¡¯s im, Mason joins me.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    Title of the document

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to reconsider. If things don¡¯t go the way you hope¡­¡±

    I¡¯m already shaking my head before he finishes. ¡°I can¡¯t. And you, of all people, should understand

    that.¡± He grits his teeth.

    ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t¡¯ want to lose you. You¡¯re a great Beta, and a better friend.¡±

    ¡°Then wish me luck.¡± I tell him.

    His handes down on my shoulder. ¡°Bring her home, Elijah.¡±

    When the gun goes off, the others run into the territory. I walk in, taking my time. But as soon as I hit

    the forest line, I smell it, the scent trails. They are everywhere. I close my eyes and smile. She did this

    for me. In one of our discussions, she asked me what I would have done with my life if I hadn¡¯t been a

    Beta. I told her that my family hade from a long line of trackers. I can pretty much hunt anyone,

    anywhere. I¡¯m not as good at is as some of my other family members, but I¡¯m better than most.

    I begin walking, take a deep breath, finding the strongest of the scents and I begin to follow it. Last

    year, there were 75 of us in the Hana¡¯s iming and nearly 200 in Jara¡¯s. While I can track well, I don¡¯t

    have the ability to track a scent that has been stomped over by multiple males, basically covering the

    female¡¯s scent.

    This year, that isn¡¯t a problem. There are only nine other men in Layan¡¯s iming, and they all went

    running for theke and the cave.

    I follow the scent that leads me to the burned-out fire. I look around, seeing how she scorched the area.

    I wasn¡¯t herest year, I didn¡¯t see it happen, but I heard about it, like everyone else did.

    I move around the firepit that she obviously made until I find where her scent is strongest. Then I squat

    down and look at the remains of the fire. This is where she stoodst night, howling. This is why she

    sounded so fierce.

    Others may have thought that Layan was weak, but I never did. The woman is amazing, capable of

    kindness to others, even when she¡¯s afraid for herself. She has never let her fear overrule her desire to

    help others.

    I¡¯m proud of her. She took control of the past, burned it so there is nothing left but ashes. I hope it

    helped her find peace.

    I stand, catching her scent again, and turning to find her. This isn¡¯t a hunt. I refuse to hunt her, not after

    what she suffered herest year. I won¡¯t be the reason that those memories, that horrores back to

    her, especially now that she seems to have buried the past where it belongs, here in the iming

    territory.

    I¡¯m amazed at how many scent trails she has created. This territory isrge,rge enough that I¡¯ll be

    surprised if I run into any of her other imants this week. I close my eyes again, taking a deep breath,

    finding the strongest scent and turning to follow it.

    I follow her scent for three more days. I knew she¡¯d be on the move, and she has been. Surprisingly,

    none of her other imants have raised the howl of the hunt. It¡¯s nearly as quiet in here as it was for

    Katerina¡¯s im. I wonder if that¡¯s intentional. Layan hand- picked these men. All of them have been

    kind to her in one way or another. All of them know what she sufferedst year.

    Tonight, I¡¯m lying on the ground, looking at the sky. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s scared or feeling lonely, so I do

    what I¡¯ve done every night. I howl, letting her know that I¡¯m here.

    She doesn¡¯t respond. She can¡¯t and I know it, but my howl is not about me. It¡¯s about her knowing that

    I¡¯m here for her.

    I close my eyes and I swear I feel someone watching me. As I fall asleep, I hear her voice, soft and

    quiet in the night. ¡®Goodnight, Elijah.¡¯

    The next day, I¡¯m up again, searching for her. Her scent trails are getting more intricate each day. It¡¯s

    almost as if she¡¯s up all night, leaving trails and sleeping during the day.

    But today, it¡¯s time for me to find her. It¡¯s time for her to make her decision. Today will be the turning

    point in my life. I will either walk out of here with my mate, or I will leave her and my pack forever.

    Since I¡¯ve been tracking her for days, I know which trails are a dead end. I¡¯ve been strategically

    maneuvering myself to where her true hiding spot is. She¡¯s almost exactly in the middle of the territory.

    All of her scent trails lead here.

    I slowly make my way to her. There¡¯s a cliff, standing alone in the territory here. If I had to guess, I¡¯d

    say that¡¯s her ground zero, a beacon drawing me to her. There must be a burrow or hidey hole there

    where she¡¯s been staying out of sight and under cover.

    I walk out of the tree line, stepping into the clearing in front of the cliff. I can smell her. She¡¯s definitely

    close. I continue to sniff around until I find the spot where I know she¡¯s hiding.

    ¡°Layan,e out.¡± I say quietly, and I step back.

    It¡¯s quiet for a moment, then I hear her rustling around before she emerges from a well-hidden hiding

    spot.

    She smiles at me. ¡°Are you going to im what you¡¯ve rightfully found, Elijah?¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°No.¡±

    I see the hurt sh in her eyes before she looks down. ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± She asks so quietly I

    almost don¡¯t hear her.

    ¡°Oh, I want you, more than anything that I¡¯ve ever wanted in my life.¡± I tell her.

    Her eyese to mine. ¡°Then, why? Why won¡¯t you im me?¡±

    I look around us, at the territory, at this ce. ¡°Layan, I will dly hunt you every day for the rest of our

    lives. I will nip at your heels and happily chase you all over our packnds. But not here. I refuse to

    hunt you here, in this ce. You deserve better.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, Elijah?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°I need to know that you want me as much as I want you. I need to know that you want to be mine,

    mine for the rest of our lives. I want you so much that it hurts, Layan. But I won¡¯t take that choice from

    you. So, I want you to choose me. im me and make me yours so I know that you want this as much

    as I do.¡±

    I smell the salt of her tears. ¡°You want me to im you?¡± She asks, her voice shaking.

    I hear the sound of othersing up on us, having heard her voice. I realize though, that they¡¯ve heard

    what I said, and they stop, not willing to hunt Layan either. She did a good job at choosing the men in

    her im.

    ¡°I don¡¯t just want you to im me Layan. I refuse to im you until you¡¯ve imed me. Make me yours

    and I will make you mine. This time, the choice is yours. I won¡¯t allow anyone, myself included, to take

    that choice from you again.¡±

    She takes a step toward me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted you from the moment Iid eyes on you. You were on that stage, young, frightened.¡± I tell

    her.

    ¡°And you purred at me. You were the first one that did. Others followed your lead, but it was you, Elijah

    that calmed me that day.¡±

    She takes another step toward me. ¡°It¡¯s always been you, Elijah. You are the only man for me, you

    always have been.¡±

    Something in me rxes, easing the tightness around my heart and in my stomach.

    I open my arms and tilt my head to the side. ¡°Then mark me as yours Layan. im me as your mate.¡±

    I hear her growl, a fierce, possessive sound I¡¯ve never heard from her before. And then she¡¯s in my

    arms.

    ¡°I love you Elijah, and I im you.¡± She says before reaching up and slowly sinking her canines into my

    neck.

    I hold her tightly to me, overwhelmed with emotions, happiness, eptance and the pure love that her

    venom sends through my body.

    ¡°I love you, Layan. And you are mine now and forever.¡± I say before gently sinking my teeth into her

    neck.

    I hold her there, long after my venom has knocked her out, afraid that if I move, something will happen

    and I¡¯ll realize this is a dream.

    One of my warriors slowly approaches me. ¡°She¡¯s yours, Beta. She chose you. We all saw it.¡±

    I pull my teeth from her neck, her mouth still attached to mine, and I watch as the other nine imants

    walk out of the woods.

    They had all stood by, letting Layan make her choice, letting her choose me.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    McKenna

    I wake disoriented. There¡¯s a scent of eucalyptus surrounding me, rxing my mind and body. I¡¯m

    warm and tucked against something strong, something masculine.

    Title of the document

    I jerk, yanking myself out of his arms and turning to him. His eyes are open, watching me warily.

    ¡°McKenna?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Davis?¡±

    He leans up onto his elbow, watching me closely. His dirty blond hair is mussed. The sheet falls to his

    hips, showing off his strong muscr body. He is the s*e*xiest man I¡¯ve ever seen.

    He narrows his eyes, watching me. ¡°What do you remember?¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡­¡± I turn, not recognizing the room I¡¯m in, but goddess does it smell good in here.

    I frown. ¡°I was in the iming territory.¡±

    ¡°Yes. What else?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, well, I was scared. I was alone, and then everyone began howling, keeping mepany.¡±

    ¡°Keep going.¡±

    I shake my head, trying to clear it and think more clearly. As soon as I do, I get dizzy. I lean forward,

    ready to catch myself on the bed, but I¡¯m instantly in Alpha Davis¡¯s arms. He scoops me up and sits me

    sideways on hisp.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten in days. You¡¯re probably going to be dizzy until you eat.¡±

    I frown again. ¡°How long have I been out?¡±

    ¡°Nearly two days, but before that, you didn¡¯t eat on the day you went into the territory, and I don¡¯t think

    you ate in the territory either.¡±

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    I lean my head against his chest. It feels veryfortable sitting in hisp and it helps with the

    dizziness. I didn¡¯t think it would feel so good, but I like it.

    ¡°Is that why I feel so light-headed?¡± I feel so strange.

    He kisses the side of my head, near my temple. ¡°You¡¯re seriously depleted of food, and that,bined

    with my venom in your system is probably making you feel funny.

    My head snaps up to his. ¡°Your venom?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember being chased by the other Alphas?¡± He asks me, smoothing my hair out of my face.

    As soon as he says it, I remember. ¡°Yes, I was running. I was scared because there was more than one

    chasing me, and I knew I was going to get caught and then¡­.¡±

    I stop, looking at him. The look on his face is all Alpha arrogance. ¡°I ran right into you.¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes, you did. And I didn¡¯t waste any time sinking my canines into your marking spot.¡±

    I lift my hand to the spot. It¡¯s a bit tender, but it doesn¡¯t hurt, not really.

    ¡°So¡­.¡± I blush, looking down. ¡°So, you¡¯re my mate now?¡± ¡°I am and you are my mate now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you still wanted me after¡­¡±

    ¡°After?¡± He asks, tilting my chin up to look at him.

    ¡°I was so scared. I even passed out in the territory. I was out almost the entire first day.¡± I shake my

    head, feeling tears prick in my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not how a Luna acts.¡±

    ¡°McKenna, look at me.¡±

    I look up at him and see only love and eptance in his eyes. ¡°I love that you have this happy, fun-

    loving spirit about you. You are like a breath of fresh air. I¡¯ve been in many imings and I¡¯ve never

    seen anyone who enjoyed the process as much as you did. At least until the end.¡±

    He brushes the tears that escape my eyes away. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to change. My pack has spent the

    last year carefully watching every move they¡¯ve made and every word they¡¯ve said around Layan. And I

    wouldn¡¯t change that, she needed to know that she was safe. But even before that, we were all so

    worried about going feral, that the mood was just dismal in our pack. It will be a relief for me and for

    them to have someone around that is free-spirited and happy. You will fill our pack withughter and joy

    and I can¡¯t wait. What you don¡¯t know about being a Luna, you can learn. You have a good heart, you

    have the ability to learn from your mistakes and you want to be a better person. To me, that makes you

    a great Luna already.¡±

    I smile at him. He really is a special man.

    Suddenly, shyness takes me again. ¡°So what happens next?¡±

    ¡°Well, first, you stop calling me Alpha. I¡¯m just Davis to you now. Then, we¡¯re going to get you fed.

    You¡¯ve gone far too long without food. You¡¯ll feel better after eating and then my venom won¡¯t seem so

    strong in your system.¡±

    ¡°Well, Davis,¡± I look up at him and smile. I like this. ¡°Where can we get some food?¡±

    ¡°Luna Jara has been bringing food to our door every day since I carried you out of the iming territory.

    I heard her leave some not long ago. It¡¯s probably cold by now, but it¡¯s still food. And, if we need more, I

    can always go get some.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    He leans over and lightly touches his lips to mine. ¡°Okay.¡±

    He picks me up and carries me to a couch. He carefully sits me on it, pulling a nket around me. I

    look down and see that all I¡¯m wearing is arge button-down men¡¯s shirt.

    ¡°Your clothes were filthy. So, I put you in my shirt, hoping that it would help you feelfortable when

    you woke up.¡±

    I lift the cor and sniff. That¡¯s where the incredible scent ising from.

    I look up and see that Davis¡¯s eyes have gone dark. ¡°What do I smell like to you?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Eucalyptus. It¡¯s one of my favorite scents.¡± A huge smile breaks across his face. ¡°Good.¡± He turns,

    heading to the door. ¡°You smell like rose water to me.¡±

    ¡°Rose water?¡± I ask as he opens the door and pulls the cart of food

    into our room. I take the opportunity to watch his incredible body. He¡¯s not wearing anything but a pair

    of running shorts. His back and thighs are solid muscle, even his calves have lines of muscle running

    through them.

    He turns, catching me drooling over him. He smiles again. ¡°Yes, I have roses all over my packnds

    because I love the scent of roses. I put rose petals in water and leave them to steep in my bedroom.¡±

    He brings the cart of food over. Then he turns, putting his hands on either side of my head, holding on

    to the couch, boxing me in as he leans down. His scent overwhelms me. I can feel the warmth of his

    body as he gets closer and just looking at his incredible body has my mouth going dry.

    He brings his mouth to my ear, nipping at it gently. ¡°Did you see something you liked?¡±

    I nod, not able to speak.

    ¡°Good. Later, after you¡¯ve eaten and we¡¯ve showered, you are wee to explore my body to your

    heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I ask before I can stop myself.

    He chuckles. ¡°Really. And I hope you¡¯ll allow me to do the same with your body.¡±

    I blush again, but I nod.

    ¡°Good.¡± He whispers before standing back up and pulling a table over.

    As soon as he set up the food and uncovers the first tray, my stomach protests myck of food loudly.

    Davisughs. ¡°Eat. I¡¯ve been worried about you.¡±

    I dig in, not needing to be told twice. When I finish that te, I look at the cart. ¡°Here.¡± Davis says,

    handing me the rest of his te.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t take your food.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can. I¡¯m your mate, McKenna. It¡¯s my job to look after you.¡± He says.

    I reach out, tentatively touching his cheek. Immediately, he leans his face into my touch. ¡°And isn¡¯t it my

    job, then, to look out for you, since you¡¯re MY mate.¡±

    He smiles. ¡°Yes, but, I¡¯m the Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Mmmhmm, and I¡¯m the Luna. I think that trumps you, Alpha.¡± I tell him, teasing. His smile gets bigger,

    but he grabs some food and begins hand feeding me. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Well, when your belly is full, and we¡¯ve both had a shower, I¡¯ll wrestle you for top wolf status.¡±

    I crawl into hisp, straddling him. I grab some food off the tray and begin feeding him. Wiping his lip

    with my thumb and licking it when it doesn¡¯t all make it into his mouth.

    I watch as his eyes go nearly ck. I had no idea that feeding someone could be so erotic.

    It takes everything in me to hold out until after our shower, but when we¡¯re done, I finally pull him back

    into bed and officially make him mine.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    Layan¡¯s iming has been extremely quiet. It¡¯s making me nervous. The only sounds are at night when

    we hear Elijah calling out to her.

    Title of the document

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, love.¡± Mason says for the hundredth time. We¡¯re sitting outside on the deck at the

    housing where we listened to Hana¡¯s imingst year.

    We¡¯ve just heard Elijah¡¯s howl for tonight, so we know that Layan isn¡¯t yet imed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t we

    hearing any other howls. I would have thought we¡¯d have heard something by now, other than Elijah

    saying goodnight every night.¡±

    Mason stands, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. ¡°Time for bed. We¡¯ll head back over the main

    packhouse in the morning and see what happens.¡± After tossing and turning for what feels like hours,

    Mason finally pulls me onto his chest and begins purring. The sound instantly rxes me, settling me. I

    feel him kissing the top of my head, as I drift off to sleep.

    The next day, we take our time getting ready. Other than Mason checking on the pack, we don¡¯t really

    have anything to do here.

    McKenna and Davis emerged yesterday, Davis sporting a mating mark. McKenna seems much calmer

    now. I think the two of them will be good together. He will help her to grow as a person and as a Luna,

    and she will bring him and their pack happiness and a level of yfulness that most packs don¡¯t have.

    I¡¯m in the packhouse helping to prep for tonight¡¯s dinner when I hear amotion. ¡°He caught her. He

    did it.¡± I hear someone say as they rush past the kitchen.

    Who caught her?

    I quickly wash my hands and go racing out the back of the packhouse. There is Elijah, carrying an

    unconscious Layan in his arms. The others in her im walking with him, escorting them out of the

    territory.

    I smile as I walk up to him. ¡°You caught her?¡± I frown before he answers. ¡°Is that what I think it is on

    your neck, Beta?¡± I ask him.

    He gives me a smug smile.

    ¡°So, it worked?¡± Mason asksing up to stand beside me. I look, between the two of them.

    ¡°You should tell her, especially that part about leaving our pack.¡± Mason says and even I know that he¡¯s

    throwing Elijah to the wolves. Or specifically, one wolf. Me. ¡°You want to run that one by me?¡± I say and

    my voice is low and deadly. How dare he think he was leaving us?

    He flinches at my tone and the very quiet way I asked. Anyone who knows me knows that, when I¡¯m

    angry, if I¡¯m yelling, you¡¯re still okay. If I get quiet, you¡¯re in deep shit.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not get into it right here, right now, Luna. But suffice it to say, I told Layan she had to choose

    me first, that I wouldn¡¯t hunt her in that territory.¡± He looks down at her, a tender smile on his face.

    ¡°And she did. She chose me.¡± He says.

    One of our warriors who was in the iminges up and ps a hand on Elijah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°One of

    the most incredible things I¡¯ve ever witnessed Beta. Nice job. You deserve her.¡±

    ¡°That was awesome man, really. Well done.¡± One of the gunmen says,ing over to congratte

    Elijah. They alle up and congratte him as I stand and watch.

    ¡°Beta.¡± I bark at him to get his attention. Everyone goes quiet.

    ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over, especially the part about you leaving my pack without telling me.

    However, Layan is a dear friend so I¡¯ll put my irritation at you on hold until you can look after her. But, if

    you decide to stand here much longer, I¡¯m going to a*s*sume that you¡¯re ready to have said

    conversation and we will have it before you take your mate, who apparently chose you first, to your

    room, to look after her.¡±

    He¡¯s walking before I¡¯m done. ¡°See youter everyone.¡± He says, carrying Layan off to his room.

    Mason watches him with a smile on his face.

    ¡°And you,¡± I turn on him, pointing my finger at him, my eyes narrowed.

    He grabs my fingers, pulling me to him. ¡°I¡¯d have never let him leave. But I knew I didn¡¯t have to worry

    about it. Even if he got past me, there was no way he was getting past you.¡±

    I blow out a breath of irritation. ¡°You could have told me.¡±

    He leans down, kissing my lips gently. ¡°You were already struggling to sleep. Why would I add to your

    worries?

    I reach up, running my hands through his hair. ¡°You¡¯re a really good mate, you know that?¡± ¡°I try. I try to

    keep my mate happy in all ways.¡± He gives me a devious grin and I know exactly what ¡®ways¡¯ he¡¯s

    talking about.

    ¡°So, the territory just sits empty all year waiting for the annual iming?¡± I hear McKenna ask,

    distracting me from thoughts of pulling my mate back into the bedroom.

    I turn to look at her, but she¡¯s giving a mischievous grin to Davis. ¡°You know, I wonder if you could really

    catch me if I was running from you.¡±

    Davis growls low at the challenge of hunting his mate again. I feel Mason chuckling against me. Alphas

    LOVE to hunt their mates.

    ¡°Run, little one.¡± Davis says, his voice still growly.

    McKenna giggles before turning and racing off, shifting as she goes.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to chase her?¡± Mignon says,ing up beside

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    The Alphas nearby all chuckle. Mignon looks around frowning. ¡°What am I missing?¡±

    Asheres up and wraps his arms around her. ¡°He¡¯s giving her a head start.¡± He tells his mate.

    ¡°Why?¡± She asks, looking at Davis.

    He shrugs. ¡°I want her to feel like she¡¯s got a chance before I catch her.¡± He turns his head, listening.

    ¡°And there¡¯s my cue.¡±

    He takes three running steps and shifts, howling to his mate that he¡¯s after her. Her answering howl is

    more of a yip of excitement.

    Mignon turns to Asher. ¡°Do you give me a head start?¡±

    ¡°Would you rather I didn¡¯t?¡± He asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

    ¡°So, you would catch me faster if you didn¡¯t?¡± She asks, pouting in her pretty way. He kisses her nose.

    ¡°Where would be the fun in that, baby girl? I love a good hunt, and you always give me one.¡± He tells

    her, swinging her up into his arms and carrying her off.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± She asks,ughing.

    ¡°I have a different kind of hunt in mind.¡± We hear him growl as he walks off.

    ¡°Works for me.¡± Seth says, swinging Hana over his shoulder. He seems to prefer carrying her in this

    caveman style. I¡¯ve seen him do it many times.

    ¡°See youter. I¡¯ve got some  hunting of my own to do with my mate.¡± He says and Hanaughs,

    smacking his butt.

    ¡°Seth!¡±

    He smacks her a*s*s right back as he carries her off. ¡°Hana.¡± He says in a pretty good imitation of her

    voice.

    ¡°We could dy our return home, beautiful, if you want to have a ¡®hunt¡¯ of our own.¡± Antonio says to

    Annabel.

    She leaps up into his arms, wrapping her legs around him as he catches her easily. ¡°Let¡¯s get home.

    Then you can ¡®hunt¡¯ me all night long.¡± His lips are on her immediately as he carries her off.

    Mason looks down at me, still holding me in his arms. ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Oh we¡¯re staying. I have no intention of letting our Beta off that easily. And I want to be here when

    Layan wakes up. I don¡¯t think that being mated to Elijah will cause her distress, but I want to make

    sure. It¡¯s one thing to mark someone, it¡¯s a whole other event to mate.¡±

    ¡°Well, then, I guess I get to hunt you all night long too.¡± He says, his eyes going dark.

    I step out of his arms, giving him a coy look.

    ¡°You have to catch me first, Alpha.¡± I say before dashing off in the direction of our housing. Mason¡¯s

    howl of the hunt in instantaneous.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    Almost everyone leaves the next day. I made arrangements with Davis to get Layan¡¯s things. I¡¯m sure

    Elijah will want to go with her to collect them.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Just let me know once she¡¯s settled and ready toe get her belongings.¡± He says, his arm wrapped

    tightly around McKenna¡¯s waist.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, I¡¯m sure, Luna.¡± McKenna says to Jara.

    ¡°Call me Jara, McKenna. You¡¯re one of the Lunas now. We¡¯ll be inviting you to attend our monthly

    meetings and we¡¯ re having our first annual Luna council meeting this year. That will be in about a

    month at the same time that the Alphas have their meeting.¡±

    She looks at Davis, almost as if she¡¯s asking his permission. He raises his eyebrow at her, not saying a

    word.

    She blinks, frowns for a moment then turns to Jara, the frown disappearing. ¡°I¡¯d love to. I can¡¯t wait.¡±

    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be having a call before the in-person meeting to decide on our agenda. Last year it was

    two days, so we¡¯re expecting the same. This year, however, most of us have young pups, so we¡¯ll need

    to add in a lot of breaks for nursing and¡­.¡± Jara¡¯s voice trailing as they walk. She has hooked her arm

    into McKenna¡¯s and is walking her to the car.

    Davis watches them walk away.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing being mated.¡± He says quietly.

    ¡°It really is.¡± I say.

    Davis frowns. ¡°Do you think¡­.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I ask turning to him.

    He turns to me. ¡°I think we need to talk to Dr. Braxton or maybe Councilman Jason about the possibility

    that fated mate bonds are still out there. We just haven¡¯t had enough she-wolves to really focus on it.

    But, after thest two imings, after feeling the pull to McKenna that I did, and that she felt toward

    me, almost instantly, I think it¡¯s worthwhile to start looking into that again.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s an excellent agenda item for our Alpha conference. And I think you may be right. Plus,

    now that we¡¯re already adding to the female poption, things will change. Not overnight, obviously,

    but just with the group of mated pairs fromst year, we¡¯ve already added seven females to our

    numbers. That¡¯s just one year. Not that I expect our Lunas to single handedly repopte our species.

    But, who knows, next year at this time, we may have even more to add to that, now that McKenna and

    Katerina are in the mix.¡± I say.

    ¡°And Layan. I hope she will be able to have pups, too. She¡¯s a good person. She deserves that, and so

    does your Beta.¡±

    ¡°He does, they do. But I imagine they will be taking their time. They still have a lot to ovee, not the

    least of which are her medical issues. I know that if there is any concern that a pregnancy will cause

    Layan to have problems, possibly risking her life, Elijah won¡¯t even consider pups. So, it¡¯ II be a while

    before we know if they will be adding to our poption as well.¡±

    ¡°So much has changed in such a short amount time.¡± He says, and we begin walking to the car.

    ¡°Imagine the possibilities of what will change in the next year, the next two years.¡± I say as wee up

    on our mates.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, McKenna.¡± Jara says hugging her goodbye.

    ¡°See you soon, Davis.¡± I say shaking hands with him before he gets his mate tucked into his car. We

    wave to them as they drive off.

    ¡°What¡¯s on the agenda for today, Mason?¡± She asks as we walk back into the main packhouse. We¡¯re

    spending the days here so she can be avable when Layan wakes up if needed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be calling Luke and doing some work with him via video. What about you, my Luna? It¡¯s weird

    having all this free time.¡± I say.

    ¡°Ha, my mother and father are leaving today too. You¡¯re ¡®free time¡¯ just turned into caring for babies.¡±

    She says.

    ¡°Always happy to look after my pups.¡± I tell her. ¡°Is your mother bringing them here before she leaves?¡±

    ¡°She is. I¡¯ll let you know when she drops them off.¡±

    I kiss her, before heading to the office. It¡¯s a couple hourster before she brings the babies in. I take a

    moment to say goodbye to Nina and Phillip, thanking them for helping with our twins.

    ¡°Any time.¡± Nina says, going to give them one more kiss. We say our goodbyes and then the

    packhouse returns to its state of quiet.

    ¡°Nothing from Layan yet?¡± I ask Jara. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m going to go make some dinner for them and us. Are

    you good with the twins?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡± I say, just as Jordan begins fussing. ¡°And there¡¯s my girl.¡±

    I pick up Jordan, tucking her against my chest with a bottle as I sit back down and continue working on

    the issues that are going on in the pack.

    It isn¡¯t long before I begin to smell the delicious scents of dinner. I look down at Jaxon who is now in my

    arms,

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    having put Jordan back in her little carrier when she fell back to sleep. ¡°Smells like steak and

    something sweet. Your mommy is making me hungry.¡± I tell him while he gums his fist.

    Jara pokes her head into the office. ¡°All good? I just want to take this up to Elijah in case Layan wakes

    up and then I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°Take your time.¡± I tell her, looking down to see Jaxon is asleep now too. Perfect timing.

    When Jara gets back, she wheels in a cart of food, setting it up on the table in the room as Ie over.

    ¡°Smells delicious.¡± I tell her. She sets aside dessert and we eat, enjoying the quiet and our alone time

    after so long being with others.

    When we finish, she hands me the small tray.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cupcake.¡± She tells me.

    I look at the cupcake and then at Jara. ¡°You made a cupcake?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°With no icing?¡± I ask, looking at the bare, yellow cake on the te.

    ¡°I put the icing inside.¡±

    My mate is up to something. I crook my finger at her, and when she¡¯s close enough, I pull her into my

    lap, her legs straddling mine.

    I get her settled and look at the cupcake again, picking it up and setting the te aside.

    ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me about this cupcake, my love?¡±

    ¡°Take a bite and tell me what you think?¡±

    I watch her, lifting the cupcake and taking half of it in my mouth at once. It¡¯s good. I thought maybe it

    was going to be some sort of experiment gone wrong, but it¡¯s a normal cupcake, except the pink icing

    in the middle.

    ¡°You put pink icing in my cupcake?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± She says, smiling at me. I¡¯m missing something.

    ¡°And this signifies something?¡±

    ¡°It does.¡±

    I look at the cupcake again then at my mate.

    ¡°I need another hint.¡± I say, as I swipe my finger through the icing and lift my finger to her mouth.

    I feel my body respond instantly as her lips close around my finger and I feel her tongue licking the

    icing off slowly. Her eyes never leave mine and I¡¯m ready to throw the cupcake out and get my dessert

    from my mate.

    But then, I remember that she did this for a reason. She sucks on my finger, pulling her mouth off with a

    soft ¡®pop¡¯.

    ¡°I went to see the doctor here at the iming territory today.¡± She says and I frown.

    ¡°Is everything alright? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m perfect.¡± She says, this time she swipes the pink icing onto her finger, holding it out in front of my

    face.

    ¡°The doctor said we should have a surprise in just over four months.¡±

    I frown, still not following her. She takes her finger covered in pink icing and moves it like a metronome

    in front of my face. And then, it all clicks.

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    I look at the pink icing, then at my mate.

    ¡°We¡¯re having a girl!¡± We say together.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Elijah

    I¡¯m not surprised that Jara is mad at me, she and I have been close since her imingst year when

    she saved me from Typhon¡¯s Beta and we talked on that cliff. Since then, she¡¯s been my biggest

    cheerleader for iming Layan.

    Title of the document

    And I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that Mason threw me under the bus. I knew he would try to stop me if I

    didn¡¯t im Layan, I just didn¡¯t think he¡¯d tell Jara of my n if I did. It doesn¡¯t matter now anyway. I¡¯m

    not going anywhere. My entire life is right here in my arms.

    I know she¡¯ll be out for a couple of days, so I shower quickly on the first day, wanting to be able to take

    care of herpletely when she wakes. I eat when I hear Jara bring food, but I always save enough in

    case Layan wakes up.

    I want to bathe her, but I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be upset that I saw her naked body when she finds out, so I

    leave her as is. I¡¯ll let her decide what she¡¯sfortable with. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t change

    her clothes. I want her to wake with my scent in her nose. I¡¯ve never asked her what I smell like to her,

    but the longer she¡¯s in my room, the more it smells like apricots.

    I know I need to wait for us to mate, but damn is my body responding to her being my mate. I¡¯m hoping

    that once she¡¯s awake and can feel my emotions, feel my love for her, she¡¯ll know that she is safe with

    me.

    I brush her hair away from her face. Her hair is so soft. I¡¯ve touched it before, more in the recent weeks

    when we¡¯ve been spending more time together. Even now her hair is sliding through my fingers like

    silk.

    At first, I wasn¡¯t sure if I shouldy in bed with her. Again, I know she¡¯s had a rough time of it. I don¡¯t

    want anything to start our life off on the wrong foot. But then I remember after I killed Typhon and I was

    wrecked with grief that Jara lost her baby, she had held me and told me she wasn¡¯t afraid of me. Then,

    after my assessment she had climbed into my bed and held me, helping my mind to heal. She didn¡¯t

    hesitate to wrap herself around me.

    So, rather than second guess it, or give her any reason to think that I¡¯m anything other than ecstatic to

    have her as my mate, I climb into bed with her at night and most of the day. Just holding her, stroking

    her hair, enjoying this time just to be with her.

    I heard everyone leave the day after I imed her. Then, it was just Jara and Mason and a few others

    left besides the two of us. I¡¯m d, I prefer to have quiet and no distractions when my mate finally

    wakes.

    It¡¯s the middle of the second night when I feel her begin to stir. I¡¯m curled up behind her, having tucked

    her body against mine. I stay still, my arms wrapped around her, watching her as her eyese open

    and she adjusts to the darkness of the room.

    Her heart rate picks up and she turns her head quickly. As soon as she sees it¡¯s me, her heart rate

    begins to slow again. The happiness that I feel knowing I make her feel safe is beyond anything in this

    world.

    She turns in my arms, sliding one hand into my hair. ¡°Elijah.¡±

    I kiss her nose. ¡°Good morning, Layan.¡±

    She nces at the window then back at me. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like morning.¡±

    ¡°A very, very early morning. Like maybe one or two in the morning.¡± I say chuckling.

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    ¡°How long have I been out?¡±

    ¡°Not quite two days. Are you hungry?¡±

    She nods. ¡°I am but I¡¯m not ready to leave this spot yet. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Is it okay that you want to stay curled up in my arms? Absolutely.¡±

    She snuggles into me, pressing her face against my chest. I take a deep breath, sighing in pleasure at

    her easy response to being in my arms.

    ¡°You like me here too, don¡¯t you?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Very much so.¡± And I can feel her happiness.

    I rub her back, and we stay like that until I hear her stomach rumbling in hunger.

    ¡°I have some food for you. Or, more urately, I saved some of the food that Jara has been bringing a

    couple times a day.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°She¡¯s still here?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s worried about you.¡±

    She pushes back slightly, looking up at me. ¡°Why, I¡¯m with you?¡±

    I can¡¯t help the goofy grin that spreads across my face. ¡°I think she was worried about how you¡¯d feel

    once you woke up and realized we are now officially mates.¡±

    She frowns. ¡°Does she know I imed you first?¡±

    ¡°She does.¡±

    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    I look at her a moment. I need to be honest with her. ¡°She¡¯s worried about our mating, Layan. She¡¯s

    worried that you¡¯ll be afraid or possibly have a rpse because of it.¡±

    I feel a flutter of fear through our bond, but then it¡¯s gone. ¡°You said we would take our time. That we

    could go at my speed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I meant it.¡±

    She nods, sitting up and looking down at me. ¡°I want everything with you, Elijah. I want to know why

    Jara and the other Lunas are always so excited when they think about being intimate with their mates.¡±

    She strokes her hand down my chest. ¡°I want to know what it¡¯s supposed to feel like when a man is

    with a woman.¡±

    Her hand goes lower and I grab it before she finds something she¡¯s not expecting. I bring her hand to

    my face, kissing it.

    ¡°And I want you to be excited when you think about being with me. I want to know that you want me as

    much as I want you, that you find as much pleasure and joy from our time as I know I will. I¡¯m a patient

    man, Layan. Well go at your pace, and eventually, well find our way. Well find that ce where you

    enjoy yourself so much, that you want me all the time.¡±

    She giggles her sweet giggle, making me smile. Then she bites her lower lip, looking at me through her

    lashes. ¡°When can we start finding our way?¡±

    I growl low in my chest, reaching up, I tug her lip from her teeth, before rubbing my thumb over it. ¡°As

    soon as you are ready but not before you eat and get bathed.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s eat.¡± She says, hopping out of bed.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Layan

    After I eat, and I devoured everything Elijah put in front of me, I realize he¡¯s right. While I¡¯m in his

    clothes which are clean, I¡¯m not anywhere close to being clean. I¡¯d been hiding in rock structures and

    hiding spots in the ground for days when Elijah found me.

    Title of the document

    I smile, watching as he gets the water going in the tub before moving to get some shampoo and body

    wash.

    He found me, like I knew he would. And then, this man who I had already decided was going to be my

    mate, made sure that I imed him first. I feel so lucky to have him as my mate.

    He turns his head, shing me a s*e*xy smile. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, beautiful?¡±

    ¡°You.¡± I say, unabashedly.

    ¡°Mmmm, I like the sound of that. Anything in particr about me that has you feeling all warm inside.¡± I

    blush. It will take some time to remember that he can feel my emotions.

    I step up to him as he stands from the tub. ¡°You found me, you insisted that I choose you, im you

    first.¡±

    He tucks my hair behind my ear. ¡°I will always find you. And it was important for you to have the control

    this time.¡±

    I cup his face in my hand. ¡°It¡¯s the reason I chose you to be mate even before you found me. Because

    that¡¯s the kind of man you are, the kind of man I can happily bind my life to.¡±

    He leans in, kissing my lips softly. I can feel his desire for me, it¡¯s intoxicating, overwhelming. I wrap my

    arms around his neck, holding him to me as we kiss. His arms wrap around me, engulfing me in his

    love and protection.

    I sigh into our kiss. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll ever be able to get enough of this.

    He pulls back, looking at me. ¡°Time for a bath. I can step out¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I want you to stay. I have to get used to being around you when I¡¯m naked, right?¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°I just imed you, Layan. We don¡¯t have to rush into anything.¡±

    ¡°I want you to stay.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you out of these clothes.¡±

    Now I know I¡¯m blushing a bright shade of red. Other than when I shift, I¡¯ve never been naked in front of

    a man.

    I let him help me out of his clothes, then he steps back, keeping hold of my hands, holding them out,

    watching me at first, then taking his time to look over my body. I begin shifting ufortably at his

    gaze, but when it returns to mine, I see nothing but appreciation.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Layan.¡±

    My hand automatically goes to the scar from the mark the Alpha tried to give mest year. Elijah¡¯s hand

    covers mine. ¡°You have nothing to be ashamed of. This is me. Me and you. No one else matters.¡±

    I let my hand drop away and he gives me an approving smile.

    ¡°In you go.¡± He says, holding my hand and helping me into the tub.

    I sit, moaning at the warmth that is soaking into muscles that I hadn¡¯t realized were sore. Elijah kneels

    beside the tub behind me. ¡°Lean back. We¡¯ll get your hair wet, and I¡¯ll wash it for you.¡±

    He takes his time, massaging my scalp, running his soapy fingers through my hair then rinsing it all

    away. He then puts conditioner on it before rinsing it out.

    I feel deliciously rxed and warm and safe. I turn, looking at Elijah who is letting the soapy water out

    while he reces it with fresh, warm water.

    ¡°Will you join me, Elijah?¡± I ask. I¡¯m not sure how far I will feelfortable going tonight, but I know I¡¯d

    like to at try to be skin to skin.

    He looks up at me, frowning. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯ s a good idea, Layan.¡±

    Of course, he wants to be careful with me. I should have known I was moving too fast. I nod, ducking

    my head so he can¡¯t see my embarrassment at his refusal.

    He gently takes my chin and pulls my face so I¡¯ m looking at him. ¡°My body is very aroused being this

    close to you. I don¡¯t want to scare you. That¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m hesitant. It has nothing at all to do

    with you, Layan.¡±

    I frown at him. How did he know?

    He taps his mate mark. ¡°I can feel your emotions. They are pinging all over the ce. Tune into mine,

    mine are very singrly focused on you.¡±

    I watch him as I do what he¡¯s asked and the moment I do, I feel it. A very, VERY strong desire to be

    with me.

    I know I blush again. Wow. There¡¯s no hiding his emotions, now that I¡¯m paying attention. ¡°Do you

    understand now?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Yes, but¡­. but I still want you to join me.¡±

    He sighs, then nods. ¡°If anything bes too much at any time, you tell me, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± I turn to watch him undress. I feel a slight hesitation in our bond before he begins taking off his

    shirt. I¡¯m pretty sure my mouth waters at the sight of him. I¡¯ve been around Elijah a lot, but he¡¯s always

    had his clothes on. His body is¡­. impressive.

    He begins to undo his shorts, watching me as he does. I instantly see his erection and wow is he big.

    Really big. Yeah we¡¯ll be putting that off for another day. But the rest of him¡­.

    I lick my lips and my fingers twitch wanting to touch him.

    When I look back up, he has a smug smile on his face. ¡°Those emotions were unexpected, but very

    much wanted.¡± He says.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­.gorgeous.¡± I say and I see his dick twitch in response.

    I look back up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t let it scare you. Your pace, remember?¡± I nod.

    ¡°Sit up, I¡¯ll scoot in behind you.¡±

    I do and he gets in, his body considerablyrger than mine taking up the entire tub. He somehow

    manages to sit me between his legs before pulling me back against him and grabbing a washcloth.

    Tingles ignite all over my back where his skin is touching mine.

    I look up at him. ¡°Do you feel that?.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s the bond?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s much stronger now that we¡¯re both marked.¡± He says, squeezing water over my body.

    He begins to slowly run the soapy washcloth over my body. His touch feels so good, my breathing

    increases, and something warm begins to form in my stomach. I want more.

    I sit up, turning around and crawling into Elijah¡¯ sp, my legs straddling his.

    ¡°Layan?¡±

    ¡°I want more, but I don¡¯t know what I want.¡±

    He reaches out his hand. ¡°Put my hand where you want me to touch you.¡± He says.

    I think about it a moment. I feel achy in several parts of my body, but one is easy and I put his hand

    over my b*rea*st.

    He keeps his eyes on mine as he slowly caresses my b*reas*ts. When he grazes his thumb over my

    n*ipp*le, I gasp. Hot desire pulses through me. I watch as Elijah¡¯s eyes darken, enjoying my response

    to his touch.

    He sits up, cupping the back of my head in his hand. ¡°Lean back.¡± He says softly, and I do, trusting him.

    Slowly, he leans down and when he¡¯s in front of my b*reas*t, his tongue snakes out, licking my nipple.

    My body jerks from the pleasure.

    ¡°Do you like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I say, my voice barely a whisper.

    I look down at him as he sucks my nipple into his mouth. I can feel his tongue swirling around it,

    making me whimper.

    His low growl of pleasure only makes my heated body hotter. His other handes up and as he

    continues to lick and suck on one nipple, his finger and thumb begin to tease and tug on the other one.

    ¡°Elijah.¡± I say, my head falling back, my hand holding his head to me as I arch into his mouth.

    ¡°Oh goddess, Elijah, don¡¯t stop.¡±

    He continues his teasing and sucking, and my body wants more, wants something I can¡¯t quite reach.

    I begin rocking on him, feeling his length sliding between my lower lips. My arousal begins to perfume

    the air around us and I begin to move faster, enjoying the firmness of his length against my clit.

    His handes to my hip, guiding me, moving me faster.

    ¡°Elijah.¡± I say, putting my hands on his shoulders and moving faster, chasing this feeling, this feeling

    like I¡¯m almost there, almost to a point where everything will be so good.

    He grabs hold of my hips with both hands moving me faster and faster. His mouthes off my nipple

    with a loud ¡®pop¡¯ before he sits up looking at me.

    I¡¯m almost there, I can feel it. Then, Elijah looks at me.

    ¡°I love you, Layan.¡± He says and somehow, that¡¯s what pushes me over.

    I scream his name, feeling my body contracting, convulsing in the most intense, pleasing way I¡¯ve ever

    felt. A moment after I scream his name, Elijah growls, much louder than before, and I feel his length

    contracting under me before I feel a warm wetness shooting up between us.

    He takes my head in his hand again, pulling my forehead to his, both of our chests heaving.

    ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s supposed to feel like, only someday, I¡¯ll be inside you when it happens.¡± He says,

    leaning his face forward and taking my mouth in the most passionate kiss we¡¯ve ever shared.

    I don¡¯t hesitate, I kiss him back knowing that yes, someday soon, we willplete our mating as we

    should and then, I will truly be healed.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Mason

    I¡¯m still flying high on the information that Jara and I are going to have another baby when Elijah and

    Layan emerge the next day.

    Title of the document

    Jara is still at the other house with the kids when theye downstairs.

    ¡°Good morning, Alpha.¡± Elijah says, his arm wrapped around Layan.

    ¡°Good morning to both of you. Layan, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Good, Alpha Mason, thank you. Jara left food and Elijah made sure I ate.¡±

    Layan looks good. Her eyes are bright, she has a little color in her cheeks, and she doesn¡¯t look scared

    or fearful at all.

    ¡°Well, Jara hasn¡¯t arrived yet. She is feeding the twins and will probably be here within the hour. Do you

    want me to find someone to make you breakfast?¡±

    She tilts her head to the side, giving me a funny look. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember my time in your pack,

    Alpha? I cooked every day.¡±

    ¡°My apologies, Layan. That wasn¡¯t a good time for me. There¡¯s a lot about that time that I try to block

    out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned it.¡± She says looking down, and Elijah pulls her

    closer, kissing the top of her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, love. Alpha just meant that he didn¡¯t remember that you cook, that¡¯s all.¡± Elijah looks at me

    over her head and I know that look. Even if that¡¯s not what I meant, he wants me to ease his mate¡¯s

    mind that she hasn¡¯t upset me.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s it exactly, Layan.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you want me to make you some breakfast too, Alpha? Jog your memory?¡± She asks.

    ¡°I¡¯d love that. Are you taking my Beta with you, or can I borrow him for a bit?¡± I ask. I know how it is

    when you¡¯re newly mated. You don¡¯t want to be separated, even for a moment.

    ¡°You stay. I¡¯ll make us some food.¡± She tells him.

    He takes her face in his hands and kisses her more passionately than I would have expected so soon

    She¡¯s blushing when she finally pulls away. She nces at me quickly before ducking out of the room.

    Elijah watches her go before turning to me. I raise my eyebrow at him.

    ¡°That was unexpected.¡± I say.

    ¡°She¡¯s amazing. What can I say.¡±

    ¡°Take some credit for your role in that. You¡¯re obviously giving her everything she needs to feel good, to

    feel safe.¡±

    ¡°My part is easy. I get to love her. She¡¯s the one that has had to be strong.¡± He says.

    ¡°So, are you ready to go home and get back to work? And, you know you still have to answer to Jara,

    right?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Answer to Jara for what?¡± Layan asks, walking in.

    Elijah is up in an instant. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Yes, I wanted to know what you like in your omelets.¡± She says.

    ¡°Surprise me.¡± Elijah tells her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a surprise omelet too.¡± I say.

    She steps into the room, looking at me and Elijah sits, pulling her into hisp. It¡¯s such amon thing

    for the Alphas to do with their mates that I have to smile.

    I¡¯m about to exin to her what Elijah told me, when Jara walks in with the twins. Now it¡¯s my turn to

    jump up.

    ¡°Jara, you shouldn¡¯t be carrying them around like that. They are too heavy, you should have called me.¡±

    I say.

    ¡°Rx, I¡¯m fine Mason.¡± She says before I see her nose go into the air and she pushes past me.

    ¡°Layan!¡± She says, putting the twins down and rushing to Layan who stands to hug her.

    Jara steps back, looking her over. ¡°How are you? Are you doing okay?¡±

    I watch as Layan frowns, before looking at Elijah who shrugs before turning back to Jara.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Layan asks her.

    I duck my head quickly, focusing on the twins. I have a feeling that Jara is about to get schooled in the

    education of Layan.

    ¡°Well, you know, after the iming and, well, the mating¡­¡± I can tell Jara is surprised and taken aback

    by Layan¡¯s absoluteck of concern with being imed by Elijah.

    ¡°Well Luna, I imed Elijah first, as I believe you know. And Elijah has never, not once, given either you

    or I any reason to doubt that he wouldn¡¯t be exactly the kind of mate I wanted and needed. That hasn¡¯t

    changed. And as for the mating, well, and please take this with all due respect, but that¡¯s none of your

    business Jara.¡±

    From theer of my eye, I see Jara¡¯s mouth opening and closing, her eyes blinking, and I just know

    that she has no idea what to do with this information.

    As much as I¡¯m enjoying this, I need to rescue my mate. I stand, wrapping her in my arms. ¡°She¡¯s fine,

    love. You knew Elijah would be a good mate to her.¡±

    ¡°I¡­.¡± She frowns. ¡°Yes, I guess I did.¡±

    I kiss her head. ¡°Good because Layan was in here asking what we wanted for breakfast.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I was, but then I heard you say that my mate will have to answer to Jara, and I want to know what he

    did that Luna Jara feels the need to dress him down.¡± Layan says, standing her ground against Jara.

    I¡¯m not sure she realizes it, but she¡¯s ced herself in front of Elijah, as if she¡¯s protecting him from

    Jara.

    Elijah, the idiot, is just smiling proudly at his mate. I admit, I wouldn¡¯t have expected Layan to be so

    strong so quickly, but obviously this mate match has made them both stronger, better.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Did Elijah tell you he was going to leave our pack if he didn¡¯t im you?¡± Jara says, obviously fully

    expecting Layan to take her side.

    I watch the shock pass across Layan¡¯s face before she turns to Elijah, cupping his face in her hand.

    ¡°He won¡¯t be leaving now.¡± She says quietly, confidently. He shakes his head, agreeing with her.

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was going to leave if he didn¡¯t im you, Layan. Without even

    telling me.¡± Jara insists.

    ¡°Jara, what kind of Luna would you be if you held every member of your pack ountable for things

    they considered doing but never did?¡±

    My mate frowns. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did Elijah leave your pack? Or should I say, our pack now?¡±

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well then, what exactly were you going to yell at him for? Thinking about it? If that¡¯s the case, then you

    should have yelled at me for thinking about killing myselfst year. Or maybe yelling at Mason for

    thinking that he would kill for a moment¡¯s peace and quiet.¡± She turns to me, and my eyes go wide.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even pretend you haven¡¯t thought it, I can read that look on our face loud and clear.¡± She says

    before turning back to Jara.

    ¡°Or are you going to yell at yourself for wanting to give up on everything after you lost your childst

    year? You can¡¯t hold people ountable for their thoughts, Jara, especially when they are in their

    darkest or most trying times. We all have negative thoughts, things we think about that we may regret

    later or that were thankful others never heard us say out loud. The difference is none of us have acted

    on those thoughts. Elijah didn¡¯t leave and he won¡¯t, I didn¡¯t kill myself, Mason won¡¯t snap someone¡¯s

    neck because he¡¯s exhausted and needs sleep, no matter how much the person is annoying him, and

    you¡¯ve recovered and have two beautiful children.¡±

    Layan looks between me and Jara. ¡°So, are we done here?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, yeah.¡± Jara says frowning again.

    ¡°Good. Elijah, did you want to help me in the kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Elijah says, his shit-eating grin has only gotten bigger as Layan was talking.

    They walk out and Jara watches them, dumbfounded, ¡°What just happened?¡±

    ¡°I think you just got your first dose of your Beta female.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Jara

    It¡¯s been two months since this year¡¯s iming. It took awhile for Layan to get her things from Alpha

    Davis¡¯s pack, to get sworn into our pack and take her official ce as Beta. And then, Mason and I

    went right into the annual Alpha¡¯s meeting which now also includes a Luna meeting. Layan and Brynn

    stayed behind to run the pack with Elijah and Luke.

    Title of the document

    It was interesting this year. Katerina and McKenna brought a new perspective to the group. McKenna

    has grown since bing a Luna and even more so now that she¡¯s pregnant. She and Davis are

    having a boy.

    I announced that I was pregnant again and Hana said she is too, a boy this time. Katerina said that she

    and Luke are waiting, wanting to take time to be together first.

    We all agreed that this year¡¯s iming had been much better thanst year¡¯s and that we wanted the

    females to continue to elect the members of their im. The Alphas had agreed, and they also

    identified that assessments would be less brutal next year as long as no one went feral between now

    and then, but that gunmen would still be in the territory, just in case.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    We had elected our council members again and Brynn remained a council member for another year.

    Jason and my father retired, Jason saying he was getting too old for this work. My father just wants to

    spend time with my mother and his grandchildren. Surprisingly to me, Alpha Saul took Jason¡¯s ce

    and Alpha Quinton took my father¡¯s ce. He said that he didn¡¯t have a Luna yet and so, he wanted to

    make a difference in another way. Luna Gia remained on the council and so did Brooks from Alpha

    Jonas¡¯s pack.

    Today, I¡¯m meeting with Layan and Brynn. It¡¯s time for the three of us to decide on pack responsibilities.

    ¡°I want to talk about the distribution of duties in the pack. I don¡¯t want to go with what are known as

    traditional Beta duties or traditional Gamma duties. I want us to build a partnership here and I want us

    to be the best possible ranked females any pack can have. So, that means, I¡¯d like for us to consider

    looking at our individual strengths and dividing the duties up based on who the person is that is

    strongest in those areas.¡± I say.

    I watch as Layan and Brynn look at each other, the confusion evident on their faces.

    ¡°For instance, Layan, you love to cook, and you are great at managing the kitchens. That is typically a

    Gamma duty, but why couldn¡¯t it be a Beta¡¯s duty. At the end of the day, it¡¯s about making sure that the

    pack and the packhouse run smoothly.¡±

    ¡°So, I could do the work rosters for the packhouse?¡± Brynn asks.

    ¡°Exactly! Layan, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s one of your strengths, but it is Brynn¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Have at it, with my blessing.¡± Layan says to Brynn.

    We spend the day going through the list of duties and dividing them up between us. In the end, there

    are duties that either none of us were that great at or that more than one of us excelled at and then we

    divided it up by the amount of other duties that each person already had assigned and the time those

    duties would take.

    We settled into a rhythm together. Mason and Elijah have been a team for almost as long as Mason

    has been Alpha, and Luke slid into the Gamma role easily. So, for them, there wasn¡¯t as much of a

    transition. For us, the ranked females, it took some time, but we got there.

    Today, the pack is celebrating Jace¡¯s seventh birthday. We still have so few pups in the pack that here,

    we celebrate all of their birthdays. Today is no different.

    Everyone went all out, and Melinda made sure to direct them. There is just something about Melinda.

    She has this entire pack wrapped around her little pinky finger. I¡¯ve even seen her riding around on the

    backs of my patrol leaders when they were off duty, running the patrol lines with her on their backs as if

    she wanted to check our borders and help to keep them safe and our pack members obliged.

    We¡¯re sitting around the pack pool, ying games and just being together as a pack. It¡¯s one of those

    days where the pack has nothing more to do than bond and be together. It was Brynn¡¯s idea and Layan

    had agreed that we should find more ways to have these fun get togethers. So now, at least once a

    month, we have a pack party. We make sure that the days and times vary so that the patrols all have a

    chance to attend as well.

    Brynnes out, carrying a cake with candles and Luke cuts the music as everyone begins singing

    happy birthday to Jace. He stands at the table smiling at his cake and Melinda walks up beside him,

    singing, taking his hand. The rtionship between these two was forged at a very young age and it has

    done nothing but grow over thest year. Jace still struggles to deal with the loss of his parents, but

    Melinda is always there for him. She just seems to know when he needs her.

    When he blows out his candles, we cut the cake and pass it around. While we¡¯re doing that, I see Jace

    lean over to Brynn. Her head snaps up to look at him, but then she smiles and nods her head.

    Jace gets up on a chair and whistles in the way only a wolf can, to get everyone¡¯s attention. I watch as

    Lukees up to Brynn, wrapping his arms around her as their watch their son.

    ¡°Attention everyone.¡± He says and everyone chuckles. ¡°I have an announcement to make. First, thanks

    for the great party and the even better cake!¡±

    Everyoneughs and cheers for the cake. Layan takes a bow, since it was her creation. Elijah moves to

    stand beside her, and she tucks into his side.

    ¡°But second, I wanted to let everyone know that we have another reason to celebrate today. My mom,

    Brynn, is expecting another baby.¡± He says looking at her and Luke.

    The pack erupts into cheers and almost immediately Brynn and Luke are surrounded by pack members

    congratting them. Since I was also unaware of this event, I bide my time before sidling up to Brynn.

    ¡°Were you going to tell me?¡± I ask her, rubbing my own protruding belly.

    ¡°Oh Luna, I had nned to tell you next week. We told the kids this morning, and Jace wanted to

    announce it to the pack.¡± She turns, finding him in the mass of people and smiling fondly. ¡°He asked if

    he could announce it for his birthday. How could I say no?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really happy for you. Do you know if it¡¯s a boy or a girl yet?¡±

    ¡°Boy.¡± She says turning to me. ¡°Do you think that will be a problem? We have already told Jace that he

    will be Luke¡¯s recement as Gamma in this pack. But now, we have a son that is our blood.¡±

    ¡°Problems for another day, Brynn. Let¡¯s just enjoy today and we¡¯ll deal with those problems when they

    arise.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re the Luna.¡± She says, smiling as her mate pulls her into a conversation with

    another group of pack members.

    I feel my mate¡¯s arms go around me, his head leaning against mine, his mouth by my ear.

    ¡°If you¡¯d have asked me two years ago, hell a year and a half ago, if I thought my pack would ever be

    this happy, I¡¯d haveughed in your face. But look at them. Look at what we¡¯ve done together, love.¡±

    I watch, seeing theughter, the happiness, the yfulness as our pack members. They won¡¯t all find

    mates before their time on this earth is done, but they will have a life, one that is long and filled with

    friends andpanionship, rather than the pending doom of going feral.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have believed it either.¡± I say, turning in his arms.

    ¡°We did this together. You and me. We¡¯ve helped to create the changes that have made our world a

    better ce, giving our entire species hope for the future.¡±

    I cup his face in my hands. ¡°And somehow, I got the best of all of it. I got you, my incredible, amazingly

    s*e*xy man.¡±

    He stokes his fingers down my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. ¡°Yes, we did do this, or at least we

    were the catalyst that will bring about the change in our species. I couldn¡¯t be happier that I get to stand

    by and watch that, with the woman that I love more than anything in the world, at my side. And I can¡¯t

    wait to see what the future holds.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Chapter 43 (Epilogue 1)

    Layan

    It¡¯s been a year since Elijah imed me, an amazing, happy year. We¡¯ve spent the time slowly getting

    to know each other, mentally and physically.

    Title of the document

    True to his word, Elijah has taken his time, letting me go at my pace when ites to intimacy. I¡¯ll

    admit, I had no idea there were so many ways to find pleasure without ever having actual pration.

    But he and I explored them all, learning every possible way to make the othere undone.

    When the time had finallye and I was ready to try to have him inside me, we had gone very slow. It

    had hurt.

    Not as much as the first time, but I have enough scar tissue that it had hurt to have all of that broken up

    and stretched. I had cried and Elijah tried to stop several times, but I wanted this. I wanted to have

    everything with this man, so we pushed through. In the end, he had thrust into me quickly, breaking up

    some of my scar tissue and after the initial sting and throbbing subsided, Elijah took my body into a

    whole other world of pleasure.

    After that first time, it had gotten easier and every time we were together, the pain was less and less

    until now, there is only pleasure, and I can¡¯t get enough of my man. He loves it, always willing to oblige

    me when I tell him I need my dose of Elijah, which is pretty much every day.

    The next big hurdle hade after Jace¡¯s birthday party. They had announced that Brynn was

    pregnant again and the ache that I felt in that moment nearly brought me to my knees. I told Elijah that

    night that I wanted to try to have a baby.

    We had gone to the pack hospital the next day and they ran all sorts of tests on me. Basically, there is

    no reason I can¡¯t get pregnant or carry a baby to term with proper rest and increased medical

    monitoring than most women don¡¯t need, but the biggest issue will be delivery. The doctor had asked

    about s*e*x. I told him that it had hurt at first but was better now. He indicated that having a natural

    delivery would be even harder for me, and that if the scar tissue didn¡¯t give, we could risk the baby

    getting stuck in the birthing canal, or me tearing and hemorrhaging and bleeding out.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Layan can¡¯t have a baby?¡± Elijah had asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. The humans have a procedure that is called a caesarean delivery, or C-

    Section. It would require me to numb your spinal column and then remove your child from your

    stomach, rather than having a natural childbirth.¡±

    ¡°What? No way! You¡¯re not cutting into my mate!¡± Elijah had eximed. He had looked at me. ¡°No way

    am I risking losing you, Layan. I only just got you. No!¡± He had been adamant.

    ¡°Elijah, if the humans can survive it, so can I.¡± I looked at the doctor. ¡°Do you know how to do this

    procedure?¡±

    ¡°No, but I know someone that does. The pack doctor in Alpha Seth¡¯s pack worked in the human

    hospitals for a while and did a rotation in obstetrics. I will get with him and see howfortable he

    would be to do this procedure.¡±

    It was first time Elijah and I had argued. He was terrified of losing me and wouldn¡¯t even hear of me

    getting pregnant, no matter what I said. Finally, I convinced him to go with me to Alpha Seth¡¯s pack to

    meet with the doctor there.

    He assured us that the procedure was verymon amongst the humans and with the proper care

    and rest following the delivery, that he felt confident that I could not only have a pup but would also

    recover with nothing more than a small scar above my pubic bone.

    Elijah had finally conceded. I knew he wanted a pup as much as I did, so I understood that all of his

    concern was for me.

    The only way to ensure that a female gets pregnant is for the male to knot her. And that ended up

    presenting the biggest issue of all. Neither of us were prepared for the pain that his knot would cause

    me. I had cried the entire time, having no choice but to wait it out. Elijah had held me, rubbing my back,

    purring to me and cooing to me, trying everything possible to help me rx and relieve the pain. In the

    end, I had torn and bled and Elijah had raced me to the pack hospital as soon as his knot went down.

    The doctor had run tests and finally told us that my scar tissue had torn with Elijah¡¯s knot and that it

    would be the same during delivery, so a C- section would be our only choice. After that, Elijah refused

    to knot me again, telling me that he would never knowingly hurt me like that.

    In the end though, it had worked and had been worth the pain.

    I¡¯m just returning to the packhouse after leaving the pack hospital. I can¡¯t

    wait to give Elijah the news. I know that it means I¡¯ll probably have to go on bedrest soon, but it doesn¡¯t

    matter. Against the odds, we¡¯ve won.

    I walk into our room, and there he is, stripping out of his clothes from the day and putting on more

    casual clothes for this evening, looking as incredibly handsome and s*e*xy as ever.

    ¡°There you are. I was wondering where you¡¯d gotten off to.¡± He says,ing over to kiss me. I wrap

    my arms around his neck, pouring all of my love for him into the kiss. His response is instantaneous.

    His arms go around me and his tongue slides into my mouth.

    When we finally pull apart, I can see the self-satisfied grin on his face. ¡°Something on your mind, my

    mate?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, yes there is. You.¡±

    ¡°I can help you with that, but we need to take some of these clothes off first.¡± He says, beginning to

    unbutton my shirt. It¡¯s perfect. I knew this would be his response, so I nned for it.

    His eyes stay on mine as he unbuttons my shirt. When he gets it undone, he pushes it off my shoulders

    and that¡¯s when sees it. I had used some lipstick and had written it just above my stomach.

    ¡®BABY¡¯ with an arrow pointing to my stomach.

    I watch as he blinks, then blinks again, realization dawning in his eyes. He looks up at me a smile

    spreading across his face.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a baby?¡±

    I just nod my head rapidly as happy tears pool into my eyes. He swings me into his arms, spinning me

    around before putting me down quickly.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asks worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m great!¡± Iugh.

    ¡°We¡¯re going have a baby, we¡¯re going have a baby!¡±

    He races over to the window of our room, throws it open, and yells out into the pack. ¡°WE GOING TO

    HAVE A BABY!¡± Then he lifts his head up to the moon that is just starting to peek above the trees and

    howls his happiness.

    The answering howls of excitement from every member of the pack echo around our room as he runs

    back to me, taking me in his arms and kissing me fiercely before taking me to bed and showing me

    exactly how happy he is.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 200

    Chapter 200

    The iming by Cooper Book 3

    Layan¡¯s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

    Chapter 44 (Epilogue 2)

    Jara

    Thirteen yearster

    Title of the document

    ¡°Jaxon, your father and I want you to attend the Alpha meeting today.¡± I tell my son. He¡¯s fourteen now

    and all those problems that I said could wait for another day? Well, that day has arrived.

    ¡°Why would I bother, mother? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to ever have a pack to run.¡± He says angrily,

    stomping out of the room.

    Mason kept his promise and we stuck with the decision that Jordan would take over the pack. We,

    however, had been the only ones to decide to have our daughter lead the pack. In the end, all of the

    other packs had sons and they decided that their sons would take over as heirs. So, Jaxon is the only

    one who won¡¯t. To say he¡¯s bitter would be an understatement.

    I move to follow him. ¡°Let him go, mother.¡± Jordan says. Even though there is animosity between Jaxon

    and me, he and Jordan remain very close, thankfully.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know. It¡¯s not just hard for him. I know why you did it and I appreciate the reasons

    behind your decision, but it¡¯s hard for me too. I never know if the guys who want to date me want to

    because they truly like me or if they are just hoping to be my mate one day so they can have a pack of

    their own.¡± She says.

    I sigh. I understand that it¡¯s hard and it¡¯ s not just hard for my children. We¡¯ve had a baby boom over

    thest decade. Alpha Quinton imed Sophia, Katerina¡¯s sister in her im several years after

    Katerina¡¯s. Jared, Jonas¡¯s brother had imed a warrior the year after Elijah imed Layan. And other

    ranked members and warriors had imed their mates. That is until seven years ago when we did

    away with the annual iming.

    Once we allowed females to choose their imants, we realized that they were drawn to certain males,

    simr to how I was drawn to Mason. We began to believe in the fated mate bond again. So, we started

    having social gatherings amongst the packs. Now, mates can choose each other once they turn 18.

    And so far, it¡¯s working.

    But now, our packs are overflowing with pack members and, as with Jaxon, there are many ranked

    members that have nowhere to go and no role to y in their packs. It¡¯s bing more and more of a

    problem as they get older and their limited options be more obvious.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Rather than annual Alpha and Luna meetings, we now meet quarterly, and we rotate which packs host

    the meetings. This month, Mason and I are hosting the meeting.

    I walk into the kitchen, seeing Layan and her daughter E. When Layan first got pregnant, everyone

    was excited. We were all so happy for her. Elijah was over the moon but insisted that they would only

    have one. Layan is very private about her intimacy with Elijah, but I knew she had struggled taking his

    knot. So, after the birth of their son, no one expected Layan to have another child, except Layan

    apparently.

    A year after Carter¡¯s birth, Elijah and Layan had the worst fight they¡¯ve ever had, before or since. Layan

    finally confided in me that she sneakily seated herself onto Elijah at just the right moment and had

    managed to take Elijah¡¯s knot again. He had been angry that she had allowed herself to be hurt as she

    had torn and bled, and she promised him that she would never do it again. Thankfully, five months

    later, E was born.

    ¡°Good morning,dies.¡± I say to them. Both of Layan and Elijah¡¯s children are the mix they hoped for,

    Layan¡¯s blond hair and Elijah¡¯s curls. On E, they are big fat curls hanging down her back. On Carter,

    they are the messy curls Elijah has if he lets his hair grow too long.

    ¡°Are we all set for breakfast? Everyone should start arriving soon.¡± I say.

    ¡°We¡¯re all set, Luna.¡± E says to me.

    I walk into the conference room, seeing Mason and Elijah setting up. They look up and Mason winks at

    me before narrowing his eyes at me.

    ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ He asks through the mind link.

    ¡®Jaxon. He doesn¡¯t want to attend today.¡¯

    Mason sighs. He and the other Alphas have been talking about ways to take the pressure off the ever-

    increasing pack sizes and finding alternate options for ranked members who will have no ce in the

    packs. It¡¯s one of the agenda items for this month¡¯s meeting. Mason wanted Jaxon to be here to

    participate.

    ¡®I¡¯ll talk to him.¡¯ He says.

    I nod, turning as I hear the sounds of people at the entrance of the packhouse.

    ¡°Oh, Alpha Jonas, wee. Come in, breakfast will be served soon. Would you like some coffee while

    you wait?¡±

    ¡°That would be great, thank you, Luna.¡± He says.

    Alpha Jonas is the only Alpha to never get his mate. While his brother has been happily mated for

    years, Jonas never imed a mate during the iming process. And then, once we reinstated mates

    choosing each other, no one has shown much of an interest in him, even though he¡¯s an Alpha. I had

    heard that after Katerina¡¯s iming, he had stopped having rtions with Isabe or any other female.

    However, it didn¡¯t change that Sophia also declined having him in her im and for whatever reason,

    he never found a mate.

    Mason says that he¡¯s mated to his pack now. And thankfully, Jared is an Alpha male and has a son that

    can take over the pack when Jonas retires. Only, he refuses to retire. He has no one to share his life

    with, so he continues to spend all his time with his ¡®mate¡¯, his pack.

    As everyone arrives, Layan, E and I bring breakfast into the room. Everyone grabs a te, and we

    all sit to start the meeting. Since we are hosting the meeting, Mason is in charge of running it. I sit

    beside Jordan as Mason stands.

    He wees everyone, then gets down to business. ¡°I¡¯d like to start off today by talking about the

    issue that we know is going to be a real problem in the next few years. We have too many ranked

    members now that have no position in our packs. Not only that, our packs can¡¯t continue to handle the

    massive growth that has urred over the past decade. Even though our numbers of adult females are

    still low, we¡¯ve managed to increase our numbers significantly.¡±

    Most of us have 4-5 children each in our families. Mason had insisted that we stop after five. He told

    me that I was not a baby making machine and that he wanted to have some time in our lives when I

    wasn¡¯t pregnant. So, after the first three years, we stopped, even though Jaxon was our only son.

    Mason didn¡¯t care, all of our children are happy and healthy and that was all that mattered to him.

    ¡°Many of our children will reach maturity in the next 3-4 years and have no role to y in the pack

    unless we begin making Alphas into Betas, Betas into Gammas and moving Gammas into warrior

    status. Quinton, you and Sophia have three boys. If all of them were to remain ranked members, you¡¯ d

    have to push your Beta and Gamma¡¯s children to warrior status. None of us have openings for ranked

    members and too many heirs to fill the positions.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Jonas asks him. Of all the packs, only his has some openings since he doesn¡¯t

    have any heirs. Jared¡¯s sons can take over as Alpha and Beta.

    Mason looks around the room. ¡°We have ten packnds that have no packs on them. They are

    overgrown and need work, but they are there, just sitting idle.¡±

    ¡°We have more than ten heirs that would need positions.¡± Asher says, leaning forward. He¡¯s another

    one that has two boys. One will be Alpha, but the other would either have to push his Beta¡¯s heir aside

    or have no rank.

    ¡°Yes, and so, what I¡¯m proposing is that we set up a contest.¡±

    Jordan sucks in a breath. She turns to me, and I nod at her. She¡¯s already figured out what this means.

    Jaxon would have too, if he¡¯d have shown up.

    ¡°What kind of contest?¡± Antonio asks, sitting forward.

    ¡°A contest for each of the packnds. We can decide our Alphas first and from there, they can choose

    their Betas and Gammas.¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to allow both males and females topete?¡± Hana asks. I have to smile. I told Mason

    that question woulde up.

    He looks at me. ¡°I think that anyone who wants topete, should be eligible.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying warriors and omegas, too?¡± Alpha Saul asks.

    ¡°Yes. Anyone, any age. Of course, that is up for debate and we have a couple of years to figure out the

    logistics and decide what criteria will prove that one person is eligible to have a pack over another.¡±

    We take a vote, and, in the end, it¡¯s decided. We will have a contest to determine who the next ten

    Alphas will be.

    Jonas POV

    I¡¯m walking out of the Alpha meeting on thest day of our quarterly conference. As much as I

    appreciate the work that we do, I can¡¯t be around all the other Alphas and their mates and children.

    I¡¯ve long since gotten used to the fact that I¡¯m meant to be alone. Maybe the Moon Goddess is

    punishing me for having had a rtionship with someone who wasn¡¯t my mate, or maybe my mate died

    in during childbirth as many children did years ago. Either way, I¡¯m alone. And while I can handle that

    most days, I can¡¯t when it¡¯s right in front of my face.

    I¡¯m nearly to my car when I hear a sweet voice behind me. ¡°Alpha Jonas?¡±

    I turn. She¡¯s a pretty little thing, always has been, even when she was a young child.

    ¡°Hello, Melinda. What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jonas, I wanted to tell you something.¡±

    There¡¯s just something about Melinda. Everyone says so. She has the ability to get anyone to do

    anything with a simple smile, myself included. I know Mason¡¯s pack members fall over themselves to

    make her happy, they always have. And don¡¯t get me started on Jace. The man has walls so tall and

    wide he¡¯ll be lucky if anyone can crack that exterior. Except Melinda. No one keeps Melinda out if she

    wants in, it¡¯s utterly impossible.

    I close the door to my car, giving her my undivided attention. ¡°What¡¯s that, Melinda?¡±

    She steps closer to me and something inside me lights up. Something that I tamp down instantly.

    Melinda is too young for me. ¡°I want you to know that I intend to im you when I turn 18 next year.¡±

    My heart skips a beat, but I quickly pull myself together. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for years, Alpha Jonas. I think the reason you never found your mate is

    because I¡¯m your mate.¡±

    I take a breath, trying to keep my voice even. ¡°Melinda, you¡¯re a beautiful youngdy, you¡¯re intelligent

    and from everything I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re a very intuitive woman. You deserve a man who can appreciate

    those things about you, someone closer to your age. I¡¯m old enough to be your father.¡± I say gently. It¡¯s

    true, I¡¯m 18 years older than she is.

    She steps up to me, invading my space. ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t appreciate those things you just

    listed off, Alpha? You wouldn¡¯t appreciate my intelligence, my beauty, my intuition?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I would, I¡¯m just saying¡­¡±

    She cuts me off. ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying, Alpha Jonas. And if you know that I¡¯m intuitive, then you

    know that when I believe in something, I won¡¯t stop until I have it. And I¡¯ve set my sights on you Alpha.

    You will be mine.¡±

    She turns and walks back into the packhouse. I can only stand there and watch.

    Just before she closes the door, she looks back at me giving me a smile. It¡¯s the kind of smile that

    melts your heart and fills it with hope. But I gave up on hope years ago. I can¡¯t afford to hope that she¡¯ll

    choose me when she turns 18.

    But that doesn¡¯t change the new spring in my step or the lightness in my heart as I get into my car and

    drive away.

    The end.

    Coming soon: The Contest ¨C a next-generation book on the children of the Alphas and Lunas of The

    iming.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Jaxon

    I finish getting ready and head out of my room. Today is the big announcement. The day that they are

    going to tell us what to expect for the contest that they have been working on for thest couple of

    years. The contest that will finally allow me to have a pack, as I always should have had.

    Title of the document

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think that my twin sister Jordan will make an amazing Alpha. She will, I know she

    will. My problem with the whole thing is that I am the only first-born male in the history of werewolves to

    not be the heir to my father¡¯s pack.

    It was a decision that was made by my parents before we were born, that the first-born child would be

    heir to the pack, and my sister was born a few minutes before me. Girl power and all that bulls*hi*t.

    Okay, it¡¯s not total bulls*hi*t and my sister would probably kick my a*s*s if I ever said that to her, but it

    still grinds my a*s*s that every other male heir, even though most are younger than I am, get their

    packs handed to them and I have to fight for mine.

    I asked Jordan why they took so long to have the contest and she told me it was so most of the

    children in my generation would be eligible. Because it will be a rigorous contest, they are requiring all

    contestants to be sixteen years old or older. There is no maximum age limit which I find surprising

    because many of our older pack mates have never found mates and would love a chance to be

    an Alpha and gain a mate that way. I just hope the Alphas, my father included, know what they are

    doing by leaving it open to nearly everyone.

    And by everyone, I mean all of the she-wolves in our packs will be eligible as well. Most of them intend

    to participate and try to im a pack of their own. That should be interesting. I¡¯m pretty sure they have

    no idea how much my sister struggles. There is always a male trying to gain her attention and she

    never knows if they truly want her or if they just want her pack. Thankfully, my sister trusts my

    judgement and most of the men that have shown an interest in her have been kicked to the curb.

    When I get to the first floor, everyone is heading to the back of the packhouse where my father will

    make the announcement.

    I fall into step beside our current Gamma, Jace. He¡¯s about six years older than I am and was the son

    of my father¡¯s original Gamma that died in a pack war before I was born. He was adopted by our

    current Gamma family and while they have a biological son, it was determined that Jace would be the

    Gamma-heir.

    ¡°Hey Jace, what¡¯s up? What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Hey Jaxon, I¡¯m going to hear what the announcement is, just like everyone else.¡±

    I stop and look at him. He takes another step before stopping and turning toward me, his eyebrow

    raised.

    ¡°Do my father and sister know that you¡¯re nning topete in the contest?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes. Your sister was much more understanding than your father was, surprisingly. I¡¯m not sure why it

    matters. If I get an Alpha position or even a Beta position, then Victor is free to step into the Gamma

    position here.¡±

    Victor is the current Gammas, Luke and Brynn¡¯s, biological son. Jace was adopted by them after his

    parents¡¯ death. He is the original heir to the Gamma position, which is why he¡¯s in that position

    currently, but it leaves Victor, like me, with no ce in the pack.

    I start walking again. ¡°You know Taylor is nning to go into the contest as well, right?¡± I ask him.

    Jace and my cousin Taylor have been flirting around, sort of dating for a couple of years. It¡¯s been slow

    since he¡¯s so much older than she is, but ever since she turned 18, they¡¯ve been more outwardly

    together. However, Taylor has refused to actually im Jace as her mate.

    ¡°I wish she¡¯d just let me mark her and then she could be my Luna. If I win, that is.¡±

    I p his shoulder as we get outside. ¡°Well, you could always be her Luna if she wins.¡± I smirk.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He gives me a re.

    ¡°Speaking of Lunas, where¡¯s Melinda?¡±

    Melinda is Luke and Brynn¡¯s daughter. She and Jace have been close ever since he was adopted into

    their family.

    ¡°Your sister finally forced my mother into letting her go see Alpha Jonas.¡±

    ¡°Your mom¡¯s still hung up on the age difference?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s their age, so, yeah.¡±

    ¡°If Melinda was smart, and I know she is, she¡¯d mark him while she¡¯s there this weekend and then your

    mother won¡¯t have anything to say about it. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised she hasn¡¯t done that yet.¡±

    ¡°Apparently Alpha Jonas is too honorable to go against Luke and Brynn, so he¡¯s waiting, hoping they,

    or more urately, Brynn, changes her mind.¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°It¡¯s not her decision. Melinda is a smart, intuitive woman. And in the end, it¡¯s her

    choice, not your mother¡¯s. She needs to step out of it and let the two of them figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Which is pretty much what Alpha Jordan told my mother.¡±

    When we get outside, nearly the entire pack is here. Every pack is having this same announcement

    and it was scheduled at the same time. That way, everyone gets the information at once.

    My father is up on the stage, my sister as the future Alpha, standing beside him. He raises his arms,

    calling for silence.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. We are all here for a very exciting announcement. Today, we are

    announcing our intent to begin the contest for thest remaining packnds. As I¡¯m sure you know by

    now, there are ten packnds that are currently sitting vacant. They are overgrown and based on our

    initial review of theirnds, all of the packhouses are in disrepair and will need to be rebuilt.¡±

    My father waits while everyone takes in that bit of news. It¡¯s not surprising. Some of those packnds

    have been vacant longer than I¡¯ve been alive.

    ¡°In three months¡¯ time, we will begin the contest to determine who our new Alphas will be. Once those

    Alphas are determined, they will have a pool of candidates from which to choose their Betas and

    Gammas. As you all know, our packs are filled to capacity. And while it¡¯s wonderful that we continue to

    increase our numbers with additional pups being born every year, all of the existing packs are running

    out of space. So, not only will this contest provide an opportunity for us to create 60 new positions for

    ranked members, but it also provides opportunities for those of you who might like to live in different

    parts of the country or who have an affinity to a new Alpha, to move and build a new life in a new pack.¡±

    I look over at my sisters Teagan and Raelyn. Both of them intend to participate in the contest. Even if

    they don¡¯t win, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll stay in this pack. While I have a great rtionship with Jordan, my

    sisters don¡¯t. They¡¯ve always found her to be bossy. I figure it¡¯s her Alphaing out, but my sisters

    don¡¯t care. Rowan, on the other hand, is close to turning 18. She¡¯s expecting to meet her mate and

    move anyway, so she¡¯s not entering the contest. She hasn¡¯t said it, but I think she¡¯ s feeling the pull

    toward someone and that¡¯s why she¡¯s not entering.

    I refocus on my father. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about how this contest is going to be structured.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    We¡¯re all in the back of our packhouse while my father and my younger brother, Alejandro, stand on the

    stage to discuss the uing contest where I will finally be able to im my own pack. A pack that I

    have to fight for because my father felt that my younger brother could run this pack better. So, there

    they are, on the stage, making the announcement.

    Title of the document

    ¡°The contest will begin in three months¡¯ time.¡± My father says and instantly, my sister, Magdalena¡¯s

    hand goes up.

    ¡°Yes, Magdalena.¡± My father says and I know his patience with us is already running thin, but I don¡¯t

    care. Both Maggie and I are older than Al. We should have had the opportunity to be the heir to this

    pack. Just because I don¡¯t have the right package hanging between my legs doesn¡¯t make me any less

    capable of being able to lead a pack.

    ¡°Why is the contest starting in three months? Hasn¡¯t it already taken years to prepare for?¡± She asks.

    Good question.

    ¡°That is correct. However, the contest will be open to everyone over the age of 16. The Council and the

    current Alphas felt that it was only fair to give anyone that is not currently training at a warrior level time

    to get stronger in order topete.¡±

    My hand shoots up in the air. I¡¯ m being petty, I know, but I don¡¯ t care. I see my father sigh.

    ¡°Yes, Evangeline?¡±

    ¡°So, she-wolves can enter the contest? We are eligible to be Alphas? Is that correct?¡±

    My father grits his teeth. ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡±

    I give him my best fake smile. ¡°Good to know.¡±

    I see my mother giving Maggie and I ¡®the look¡¯. Both of us ignore her.

    I feel a strong arm go around my shoulder and look up to see another around Maggie¡¯s. ¡°Easy my

    sisters. Don¡¯t keep challenging our father in front of the pack. Mother will kick both of you¡¯re a*s*ses

    and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± I say.

    ¡°It would be worth it.¡± Maggie says.

    Lazio chuckles. He¡¯s an easy-going brother. I adore him. While my rtionship with Alejandro has

    always been strained because I felt I deserved what he was being given, I have no such animosity

    toward Lazio. He will also be in the contest, fighting to im a pack of his own. If I don¡¯t win, I¡¯ II be

    moving to Lazio¡¯s pack.

    Our youngest sister, Maka is too young to enter the contest, but I doubt she cares. She¡¯s perfectly

    happy being a Luna or even a Beta female. Her personality is much more like my father¡¯s, rxed and

    easygoing. Maggie and I couldn¡¯t be more different than her. We both got our mother¡¯s fire.

    ¡°Does anyone know what is going to happen to Alpha Quinton¡¯s children?¡± I ask. His children are too

    young to participate in the contest.

    ¡°I heard that after the contest for the position of Alpha that they are nning to open up the positions of

    Beta. His sons will be eligible to participate in the Beta Trials.¡± Lazio says.

    ¡°Are there any more questions before I go into the discussion of the contest itself?¡± My father asks and

    we all refocus on him. My brother raises his hand. My father doesn¡¯t look nearly as put upon when he

    nods at my brother to speak.

    ¡°Since the contest is open to those of us who are under 18, what happens if we win? Usually, Alphas

    aren¡¯t eligible to take over their packs until they turn 18.¡±

    Another good question.

    ¡°If a winner is under 18, the packnds will be set aside for them to im when they turn 18. In the

    meantime, I¡¯m sure it would be eptable for any winner to begin clearing out the areas of the pack

    lands and beginning to rebuild the packhouse or surrounding buildings that we know have fallen into

    disrepair.¡±

    After that, no one has any questions, so my father continues.

    ¡°The contest will run over several months. It will incorporate several types of contests including

    endurance, strength, agility, sensory acknowledgement and finally logical reasoning. Each of these

    events will be elimination rounds with only those with the highest scores moving into the next round.

    After each elimination round, we will be giving the contestants a break, a chance to rest and an

    opportunity to prepare for the next round of eliminations. So, that is why the contest itself will run over

    several months.¡±

    He stops, looking out over the crowd of pack members who are here hoping for their chance to be

    an Alpha of their own pack.

    ¡°The first elimination round will be a 100-mile run. This is the endurance challenge. Only the first 100

    individuals to cross the finish line will progress to the next round. You have three months to prepare for

    this challenge. The Council will be judging the contest and we have chosen the area that will be used

    for the run. Since it is close to the area that was once used for the iming, that will be the area the

    contest will start and where future events will be held.¡±

    My hand goes up. ¡°Evangeline?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that one of the ten areas being considered as packnds for the contest?¡± I ask, pretty sure I¡¯m

    right.

    ¡°Yes, that is correct. Of all the packnds, that one will be in the best shape when it is imed.¡± My

    father answers.

    Another hand goes up. My father nods at the person to ask their question.

    ¡°Who decides whichnds go to which of the new Alphas?¡±

    ¡°It will be based on the rankings that the final ten receive over the course of the contest. The person

    with the highest score will chose their territory first and so on until all of the ten territories are imed.¡±

    There are a few more questions before my father ends the announcement.

    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll be seeing you girls on the running paths quite a bit over the next few months.¡± My

    brother says, smiling. ¡°Let me know if you want a running buddy.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Both Maggie and I say together.

    ¡°I¡¯ll set it up around our school schedules.¡± He says to us, smiling. ¡°We¡¯d better n to give up our

    weekends though. One hundred miles can¡¯t be run in one day. We¡¯ll need to try to run it as fast as

    possible, but I think the fastest time I¡¯m heard of is about 26 hours.¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡± Maggie says.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s n for every weekend to train and then on Mondays, we take the day off and do our

    homework for the week.¡± I say.

    Since our school is pack run and all of the kids go to the same school, they will know what is going on,

    so hopefully they will allow us to get our schedules early so we can train in the evenings.

    ¡°Sounds like a n.¡±

    As Maggie and I start to walk into the packhouse, our mother calls us over.

    ¡°Do you want to exin to me why you felt the need to challenge your father in front of the entire

    pack?¡±

    ¡°You know why mother.¡± I say to her.

    Her eyes narrow and her hands go on her hips. Where my father is tolerant and does a lot of heavy

    sighing, my mother is more of a ¡®take the bull by the horns¡¯ kind of woman. ¡°Let me exin something

    to both of you. You want to be Alphas?¡± She asks.

    We look at each other and then at her. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯d both better start acting like it. Do you see your father whining andining when he

    doesn¡¯t get his way? When he doesn¡¯t like something? No, he bucks up and either deals with it or

    manages it. That¡¯s what Alphas do. They maturely handle the issues that are presented to them. I

    guarantee you both that if you continue to b*itc*h and moan like little school girls, you won¡¯t ever be

    Alphas of anything. You won¡¯t deserve it and all you¡¯ll have done is alienate your brother for no good

    reason. I expect more from both of you.¡±

    I grit my teeth. My mother¡¯s words ring true with me in a lot of ways. And I want to be a good Alpha, I

    really do.

    ¡°How do you think you¡¯d feel if you were Alphas of a pack and your family, your FAMILY, challenged

    you, basically tried to embarrass you in front of the people you lead? Do you think that would feel

    good? Do you think you¡¯d appreciate that?¡± She snaps at us.

    Maggie and I shake our heads no.

    ¡°I suggest that both of you think about what I¡¯ve said and decide if you really, truly think that you have

    what it takes to be an Alpha. If you do, I suggest you do some serious soul-searching and figure out

    what makes a good Alpha. It¡¯s not just having Alpha blood, it¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s about realizing that

    you won¡¯t always get what you want, but you find a way to live with that and you do it without

    comining about it all the time. I hope you both make the right decision.¡± She says before turning on

    her heel and walking away.

    We watch her go.

    ¡°We should apologize to dad.¡± Maggie asks.

    ¡°It won¡¯t change what we did, but yeah, we probably should.¡± I say and we turn, heading toward our

    father so we can apologize for putting him on the spot in front of the pack.

    When we walk up to him, he must see something on our faces. He opens his arms and we both walk

    into his embrace, apologizing to him. I realize I just received my first lesson in Alpha training: forgive

    easily.

    The next day, we meet up with Lazio, ready to start our training. Alejandroes up to us.

    ¡°Mind if I join you?¡± He asks.

    I look at him a moment before going over to hug him. ¡°I haven¡¯ t been a very good sister to you, have

    I?¡± I ask him.

    From N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You have your reasons.¡± He says and I realize, he already learned the lesson of forgiveness, probably

    a long time ago.

    ¡°We¡¯d love it if you¡¯d join us.¡± We tell him.

    ¡°Good, because it would be great if we had four Alphas with their own packs in our family.¡± He says,

    smiling.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 203

    Chapter 203

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Jaxon

    Preparing for the contest was harder than I thought it would be. I run, a lot. But I don¡¯t run 100 miles, no

    one does unless you have to. I love my sisters, but they aren¡¯t as interested in training as hard as I am,

    Raelyn especially. Teagan and Rowan agreed to train with me most days.

    Title of the document

    However, the biggest surprise, and it shouldn¡¯t have been, was Jordan. ¡°If you have to do it, I should be

    able to do it too, right?¡± She asked me when she showed up the first day to run with us.

    ¡°Besides, you and I both know you¡¯ll make one hell of an Alpha, we just have to get you a pack.¡± She

    said. Have I mentioned how much I love my twin?

    At the end of our first run, we go upstairs to the Alpha floor. I¡¯m ready to go shower, but Jordan calls me

    into her room.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve set up a board of all the ranked families and their children, at least the ones that I know. I

    had to ask dad about some of them and I have to be careful, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m allowed to help you or

    not, but I¡¯m calling this being your biggest fan.¡± She says, opening up therge sheet of poster paper

    she has.

    She¡¯s documented all of the Alpha and Beta families and their children. ¡°I¡¯ve put asterisks next to the

    ones that I think are going to be your biggestpetition.¡± She says as she puts weights down on the

    four corners of her paper, holding it in ce.

    ¡°The obvious guys are Jace, Caleb, Lazio, Stefan and Tobias. But I wouldn¡¯t rule out Cillian, Enzo or

    Reid. For the girls, I think your biggestpetition is going to be Evangeline, Magdalena, Celine and

    Taylor, other than Rowan and Teagan.¡±

    ¡°Why those three?¡± I ask, wondering at her choice of the females other than our sisters. ¡°I mean, I get

    Taylor, she¡¯s a powerhouse, but you didn¡¯t add Brooke and Harper in there.¡± Brooke, Harper and Taylor

    are our cousins, the children of Uncle Seth and Aunt Hana. They also have two boys, Griffin, their

    oldest son, who is due to take over as Alpha in the next couple of months, and Caleb, their youngest.

    ¡°Brooke is more like Aunt Hana. She¡¯sid back and rxed. And I¡¯m pretty sure that while Harper is

    joining the iming that she¡¯s found her mate, an Alpha heir, so I¡¯m expecting her to drop out

    eventually. Taylor, as you know, is more like mom and Uncle Seth. Intense. As for Evangeline and

    Magdalena, they are the oldest daughters of Alpha Luke and Luna Katerina. You know Luna Katerina is

    descended from Alpha royalty, right? That makes their Alpha blood mostly likely stronger than ours.¡±

    She says.

    ¡°But she¡¯s mated to an Alpha that has Beta blood.¡± I say.

    ¡°True. At best that means their strength levels out to ours as true Alphas. But, from everything I¡¯ve

    heard, Alpha Luke¡¯s Beta line was long and hees from a very strong line of Betas, possibly ones

    like Beta Jared that were second sons of Alphas way back in the day. Also, from what I know of

    Evangeline and Magdalena, they take after their mother. So, they are going to bepetitive.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there another daughter in that family?¡± I ask, frowning.

    ¡°Maka. She¡¯s too young to enter the contest, but even if she did. she¡¯s more like Raelyn.¡±

    I look up at Jordan. ¡°You mean she¡¯d be doing this to find her mate rather than im her pack?¡± I ask,

    knowing that¡¯s my sister¡¯s real n.

    ¡°Mate hunting. Exactly. There are a couple of other younger children that will most likely enter, but I

    don¡¯t think that they will make it past round one and if they do, they definitely won¡¯t make it past round

    two.¡±

    ¡°That leaves Celine among the females you selected.¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s 21, hasn¡¯t found her mate yet, or if she has, he¡¯s not an Alpha. She¡¯s the daughter of Alpha

    Zaire and Luna Gia. She has two brothers, both are strong Alphas in their own right. Alden took over as

    Alpha several years ago, but Stefan is on my list of yourpetitors.

    ¡°Okay then, what about the other guys? Caleb is obvious and I know he¡¯ll fight hard. You really think

    Jace is going to be a toughpetitor?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I do. I think he¡¯s been underestimated too long.¡± There¡¯s something in the way she says it that has me

    zeroing in on her. Even though we¡¯re fraternal twins, we still have some of the twinning intuition that

    people talk about.

    ¡°Jordan?¡± I ask, reaching over to cover her hand with mine.

    She shakes her head. ¡°We¡¯re here to talk about you.¡± She says, trying to divert me.

    I look at her for a long moment and it hits me. How have I never seen it?

    ¡°You want to take Jace as your mate?¡± I ask her incredulously.

    I watch as her lips press together tightly and when she doesn¡¯t answer. I know I¡¯m right. ¡°Well then,

    he¡¯s a fool. You¡¯d be an amazing mate.¡±

    She leans over, kissing my cheek. ¡°Thanks.¡± She says softly.

    ¡°Does he know?¡± I ask her. She shakes her head, no.

    ¡°He¡¯s dating our cousin, has been for years. Do you think I¡¯d just walk up and say, ¡®Oh, hey Jace, my

    future Gamma, wanna be my mate instead?¡¯ I¡¯m smarter than that, Jax.¡±

    ¡°You are, but apparently, he¡¯s not. He¡¯s chasing someone that refuses to mark him. And let¡¯s be honest.

    He obviously wants to be an Alpha. So being your mate would be a good thing.¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°Maybe she will mark him if she wins her pack. All I know is that he¡¯s never even given me

    a second nce.¡±

    She looks up at me, theers of her eyes pinched. ¡°Can we not talk about this right now?¡±

    ¡°Fine, but this conversation isn¡¯t over.¡±

    ¡°Not much else to say, but okay.¡±

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I look back at her list. ¡°Okay, talk to me about Lazio and Tobias. Why did they make your list?¡±

    ¡°Tobias is the oldestpetitor in our generation next to Jace. He¡¯s 22 andes from Alpha Saul¡¯s

    pack, now Alpha Tarik¡¯s pack. Tarik has already found his mate, Gianna, Alpha Asher and Luna

    Mignon¡¯s oldest daughter, so Tobias¡¯s only choice is to be Beta to his brother or find his own pack.

    They live in those outer regions where the weather is harsh, so I think he¡¯ll have a bit of an advantage

    competing in what will seem like temperate weather conditions here.¡±

    I nod. ¡°And Lazio?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Same reason that I put Evangeline and Magdalena on that list. He¡¯s their brother and descended from

    the same royal Alpha line. His brother, Alejandro will take over as Alpha soon. Lazio is just going to

    make the age cut off, turning 16 right before thepetition begins, but don¡¯t underestimate him. He¡¯ll

    be a toughpetitor.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 204

    Chapter 204

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Jaxon

    ¡°Talk to me about the three guys I shouldn¡¯t underestimate.¡±

    Title of the document

    She taps the paper. ¡°Cillian, Enzo and Reid. Cillian is the youngest son of Alpha Asher and Luna

    Mignon. Both his sisters, via and Gabrie, will be in the contest, but he¡¯s the biggest threat. Not as

    high, in my opinion, as the others we¡¯ve discussed, but you need to watch him.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    She taps the next name. ¡°Enzo is the son of Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel. Alpha Antonio, as you

    know, is a true Alpha, so don¡¯t underestimate Enzo, even though he¡¯ll be under 17 when the

    competition begins.¡±

    ¡°What about his sisters?¡±

    ¡°Noelle and Valentina. Noelle is already 18 and Valentina is almost 18,1 think their focus will be

    elsewhere.¡± She says.

    ¡°Mate hunting.¡± I say, not surprised.

    ¡°Yes. Andst, but not least on my list is Reid. He, like Lazio, will just be turning 16 and making the

    minimum cutoff. He¡¯s the son of Alpha Davis and Luna McKenna. He¡¯ll be strong, but I think you can

    take him.¡±

    ¡°His sisters? They didn¡¯t make the list?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Justina, Phoebe and Haley. Justina, who would have been your biggestpetition, is showing signs

    that she¡¯s found her mate, and if correct, he¡¯s an Alpha heir. So, I think she¡¯ll drop out before the

    contest ends. Phoebe and Haley are strong, but not strong enough to be on this list, by my standards.¡±

    She adds looking back down at the list.

    ¡°There are some others, like Carter who may give you a good run, but they didn¡¯t make my list for one

    reason or another.¡± She tells me.

    Carter is our Beta¡¯s son and supposed to be Jordan¡¯s Beta when hees of age.

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad that Carter ispeting to be an Alpha? I¡¯m surprised Beta Elijah and Beta

    Layan aren¡¯t angry at him for signing up.¡±

    ¡°Jax, this is the kind of opportunityes along once in a lifetime. I¡¯m pretty sure that every Beta and

    Gamma heir and maybe even some of the current Betas and Gammas are ready topete. I would

    never be angry at someone having their chance to be an Alpha. E will bepeting too. I just

    don¡¯t think she stands a chance.¡±

    I look at the list, at what my sister has put together for me. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, you know that?¡± I say,

    pulling her into a hug.

    ¡°As I said, just being my brother¡¯s biggest cheerleader.¡± She says, wrapping her arms under mine and

    hooking her hands on mv shoulders.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make a great Alpha, sis.¡±

    She pulls back, looking at me. ¡°So are you.¡±

    Over the next few months, Jordan continues to train with me. Teagan and Rowan surprise me and join

    us every day. They even join my meetings with Jordan to strategize how to run longer, slow and steady

    wins the race, and in our discussions of the otherpetitors, going over their strengths and

    weaknesses. Jordan spars with us long after afternoon training ends each night, giving us pointers and

    making all three of us stronger.

    When the time of the first test arrives, most of the pack members head to what used to be the iming

    territory. I¡¯ve heard stories of the old imings. It sounds archaic. I can¡¯t imagine Jordan having to

    basically run for her life against 200 men like my mother did just so she could choose her own mate.

    And rather than me being able to find a she-wolf that I want to spend my life with who also wants to be

    with me, I would have had to hope that my name was drawn from a lottery just to be eligible to im a

    mate, whichever ones came of age that year. The idea of it is just crazy to me. If things hadn¡¯t changed

    before, we¡¯d definitely be changing them now.

    When we get there, we¡¯re all assigned rooms. It isn¡¯t just those of us that are running that need a ce

    to stay. In order to make sure that everyone makes it to the end, there will be stations where they will

    have water, food, bathrooms and areas to rest for those that need a quick catnap. I have no intention of

    stopping for more than some water to stay hydrated.

    Jordan drove with me. She volunteered to be a part of the rest stop crew, so she could root for me. She

    got herself assigned to the first rest area and once everyone has passed it, she is free toe back

    and wait for me to cross the finish line.

    On the night of our arrival, they call all of the contestants out to the back of the main packhouse. There

    is a second house down the road which I understand was built specifically for the year my mother, Aunt

    Hana and our Beta Layan were in the iming. It was a dangerous year. Back then they still had a

    virus called feral fever and something called a iming haze. We haven¡¯t seen it in my generation, but

    the doctors still test us for it every year during our physical examinations.

    We¡¯re all heading out to the back area. Hundreds of contestants are pouring out of the packhouse. I¡¯m

    sharing a room with Jace, so we walk out together. When we get outside, we stay toward the back.

    Both of us are tall, so we can see over the heads of almost everyone. Plus, there is a stage set up with

    a microphone and sixrge speakers set around the area where we are congregating.

    As we stand there, the wind shifts, and I get the most tantalizing scent of honeysuckle. I look around,

    trying to pinpoint the person who smells so delicious that my mouth is actually watering.

    And then, I spot her. Somehow; I know it¡¯s her. She has long brown hair and she¡¯s tall. Tall is good, it

    means she¡¯s most likely a ranked member. I¡¯ve always hoped my mate was tall, as I¡¯m 6¡¯6¡± tall. She¡¯s

    standing beside a woman with straight ck hair on one side and another woman with curly brown hair

    the same color as hers on the other. As I watch, I see her say something to woman with ck hair and

    for just a moment, our eyes meet.

    And that¡¯s all it takes. I know that I have to make her mine.

    I nudge Jace. He looks at me.

    I jut my chin in her direction. ¡°Who¡¯s the brte?¡±

    He snorts. ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°The one standing beside the girl with jet-ck hair.¡±

    He looks where I¡¯ve beser focused. My entire body feeling like it¡¯s been lit up from the inside.

    ¡°That would be Evangeline. Alpha Luke and Luna Katerina¡¯s daughter. I think those are her sisters

    beside her, Magdalena is the one with ck hair and the curly haired brte would be the youngest,

    Maka.¡±

    Evangeline. I let her name roll over my tongue like a promise.

    You will be mine.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 205

    Chapter 205

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Evangeline

    Maggie, Lazio and I have been training like fiends. We are going to win. All of us. It¡¯s as Alejandro said,

    the four of us will with be Alphas with our own packs.

    Title of the document

    My rtionship with my brother has improved since that first day. I realized that my mother was right

    and while I¡¯m still frustrated that I don¡¯t get to be heir to my pack just because I¡¯m a woman, that was

    never my brother¡¯s decision. He felt that if the rest of us had topete and win at these events, he

    should also be able to meet the same criteria.

    In the past few months, I have realized that I still have a lot to learn about what it means to be a good

    Alpha. But, I¡¯ve also recognized that, while I was being bitter and angry about not being Alpha,

    Alejandro was working hard to make sure that he would be an Alpha worthy of the pack. I have a lot of

    respect for my brother. Respect that he¡¯s earned, but also that I should have given to him a long time

    ago.

    Today, we¡¯re arriving at the old iming territory. Tomorrow we will allpete in the first event, the

    100-mile run. When we get there, Magdalena and I are sharing a room, thank goodness. Maka

    came with us, supposedly to cheer us on, but really, we know she¡¯s here hoping to sniff out her mate.

    Since she¡¯s still 15, I say good luck with that.

    The four of us, Maggie, Lazio, Al and I have gone over what we¡¯ve decided are our fiercest

    competitors. The children of Alpha Mason and Luna Jara are the prime candidates. Being children of

    two true Alphas, they will be our biggestpetitors. But, there are many others. Their cousin, Taylor,

    is high on my list of people to watch and basically every Alpha male in thepetition and most of the

    Alpha females are a threat. We¡¯ll just have to be stronger and smarter than they are.

    When it¡¯s time to get our instructions. Maggie and I head outside. Makaes skipping up, wanting

    to join us, meaning, she wants to be in the middle of the group of potential mates, hoping to sniff him

    out.

    As we¡¯re standing there, waiting for the speaker to take the stage, I turn to Maggie. ¡°Our sister is

    purring. Do you think she knows?¡± I whisper in her ear.

    I look up and my eyes lock onto intense grey eyes, staring right back at me. I immediately look away,

    but my heart rate spikes.

    Maggie looks at me, frowning. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Uh, nothing. I¡¯m good.¡±

    She looks at me a moment. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she knows.¡± She says.

    Now it¡¯s my turn to frown. ¡°What?¡±

    Instead of answering, she reaches around me and smacks Maka¡¯s arm. ¡°Stop purring.¡± She says as

    quietly as she can. Thankfully, most everyone is talking quietly, not paying attention to anyone else.

    As we watch, an older gentleman walks up on the stage. Even from here, I can tell that he¡¯s an Alpha.

    He puts his hands up and everyone goes quiet.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone. Wee to The Contest. An event that will give ten of you your own pack

    and allow you to take your ce as Alpha.¡±

    Cheers and howls go up around us and Maka lifts her head up, howling along with the others.

    ¡°This is why they have the age cut off. The young ones are too excitable.¡± Maggie whispers in my ear,

    watching our sister.

    ¡°I am Councilman Jason and I have been selected to be the master of ceremonies for these events.

    Tonight, I want to go over the rules of the first contest and then we will be having a feast. You may take

    the time to get to know your fellowpetitors, go to bed early or just enjoy these packnds.¡±

    I snort. ¡°Who would want these packnds. The housing may be in the best shape but it¡¯s still so old it

    needs to be rebuilt.¡± I say.

    ¡°I heard the iming territory is something like 100 acres and that doesn¡¯t include the area outside the

    old territory. This is the biggest of all ten of the packnds up for grabs.¡± Magdalena says to me.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± I ask her.

    She looks at me. ¡°How do you not know that?¡±

    I roll my eyes and then casually look back at where I saw super hotty a moment ago. Once again, our

    eyes lock, only this time, he winks at me. My entire body jerks and I turn back.

    Damn it. I should have been arrogant, raised an eyebrow or some shit. Now he knows he got to me,

    and that I was looking at him.

    ¡°Who are you looking at?¡± Maggie leans over and asks me. ¡°Super hotty behind us, just winked at me

    when I made eye contact.¡± I say. She starts to turn like she¡¯s some damn amateur.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± I hiss at her.

    ¡°I want to see super hotty.¡± She pouts.

    ¡°I¡¯ll point him outter.¡± I say, refocusing my attention on Councilman Jason.

    ¡°The race will begin at 6am tomorrow morning. There are nearly 600 of you that arepeting. This

    first elimination round will take most of you out of the contest. Only the first 100 individuals to cross the

    finish line will be eligible topete in the next round.¡±

    He looks out at everyone. I feel like he¡¯s used to being in front of arge crowd. He¡¯s got a presence

    that justmands attention.

    ¡°You may ran in human or wolf form or shift at any point during the race. Contestants may cross the

    finish line in either form and it will count. We will be setting up a time clock at the finish line and also a

    counter. As the winners cross the line, the counter will begin. Therefore, as youe to the end of the

    race, you will know if you are still eligible to win.¡±

    He looks out at us again. No one moves or dares to speak.

    ¡°Remember, if you do not win, you will still be eligible for the Beta Trials that will begin sometime after

    our Alphas have been chosen and settled into their new packs. Don¡¯t assume because you haven¡¯t

    made the initial cut for Alpha that you wouldn¡¯t make the cut for Beta. I guarantee you, the winners will

    be watching you.¡± He says.

    ¡°Who do you think will be the first one to cross the line?¡± Maka asks.

    ¡°Me, of course.¡± Maggie and I say together,ughing quietly as we get dirty looks from those around us.

    Maggie takes the opportunity to lean her forehead against my shoulder and look behind us. ¡°Damn, he

    is a super hotty and he¡¯ s still looking at you.¡± She says, standing up.

    ¡°Do you know who he is?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°No, but that¡¯s Gamma Jace beside him.¡±

    I look at Magdalena. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­¡± I say and her eyes go wide.

    ¡°Yeah, I do think.¡±

    Son of a bitch. Super hotty is Alpha Jaxon. I¡¯ve never actually met him. Alejandro would have, and I¡¯ve

    met Alpha Jordan, as the future Alphas frequently visit other packs. But I¡¯ve never met her twin.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s thepetition. The biggestpetition we have. I¡¯m not going to ¡®do¡¯

    anything.¡± I say.

    ¡°But he¡¯s staring at you.¡± She hisses.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just checking out what he considers to be his biggestpetition.¡± I tell her smugly.

    Councilman Jason dismisses us, letting us know to return 30 minutes before the race begins tomorrow

    morning.

    ¡°Dinner will be served inside in one hour. Until then, we have refreshments and entertainment out here.

    Good luck to all of you.¡± Councilman Jason says and every one begins milling around. A few minutes

    later, the musices on and the bars that I didn¡¯t see before open allowing everyone to drink and be

    merry.

    Being werewolves, we don¡¯t have a minimum drinking age because it¡¯s nearly impossible for us to get

    drunk. We metabolize alcohol too quickly. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that it won¡¯t dehydrate you. I

    watch as the idiots order alcoholic drinks.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to get a drink?¡± Maka asks us.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to win, Maka, not party.¡± I say.

    ¡°Same.¡± Maggie says.

    ¡°We should go say hi to Justina and Phoebe.¡±

    Our pack borders Alpha Davis and Luna McKenna¡¯s pack, so we¡¯ve met and are friendly with their

    oldest daughters.

    ¡°Boring.¡± Maka says before walking off. I search around and see my father on the outskirts of the

    party. He¡¯s watching Maka closely, so I feelfortable letting her walk away.

    I turn, intending to find Justina and I ran into a wall of muscle. I¡¯ve grown up around Alpha men who are

    tall, strong and extremely muscr. So, I shouldn¡¯t be affected, but when I look up into his grey eyes,

    see the stubble across is strong jaw, the dark hair framing his face and smell his masculine

    sandalwood scent, I know I¡¯m in trouble.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Alpha Evangeline. I¡¯m Alpha Jaxon.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 206

    Chapter 206

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 6 Jaxon

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go to introduce myself.¡± I tell Jace as Councilman Jason finishes his speech.

    ¡°Bad idea, Jax. Alpha Luke might be a casual Alpha, but when ites to his daughters, I hear he¡¯s

    fiercely protective.¡± Jace says to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m introducing myself, Jace. I¡¯m not proposing we mate for life.¡± I tell him, not taking my eyes off of

    her.

    ¡°How old is she, anyway?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Alpha Luke imed Katerina the year after your dad imed your mom, so I think she¡¯s 17, definitely

    not 18 yet.¡± He says.

    ¡°Do we have a roster somewhere? I¡¯d love to know when she¡¯ll turn 18.¡± I say, watching her as she

    looks around and I make my way toward her.

    Since she¡¯s not paying attention, I put myself right into her path so that she has no choice but to run

    into me. The minute her body touches me, my body lights up, tingles rushing all over me. It¡¯s the most

    pleasant and yet ufortable feeling I¡¯ve ever had. Pleasant because it feels f*uc*king amazing and

    ufortable because I just went rock hard and there¡¯s no way she can¡¯t feel it.

    I do my best to cover my difort. ¡°Alpha Evangeline, I¡¯m Alpha Jaxon.¡± I say by way of introduction.

    Up close, I can see that she has the most beautiful pale blue eyes I¡¯ve ever seen. Her thick, rich brown

    hair hangs to her lower back. She¡¯s the most gorgeous woman I¡¯ve ever seen.

    ¡°I know who you are Alpha Jaxon. Even if I didn¡¯t know your parents, I¡¯ve met your twin, Alpha Jordan.¡±

    She says, her eyebrow raising, but she gracefully doesn¡¯t call me out on my hardened state.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Jordan says, walking over and putting her arm through mine.

    ¡°Hello Alpha Evangeline, hello Alpha Magdalena.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Alpha Jordan.¡± They both say, inclining their heads. ¡°I was just telling your brother that I knew

    who he was, and of course, that I¡¯ve met you when you¡¯ve visited our pack.¡±

    ¡°Jax, you¡¯ve never met Evangeline and Magdalena?¡± She says, looking at me quizzically.

    ¡°Jordan, when do I travel around to the packs? That¡¯s what future Alphas do.¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a future Alpha now, so you¡¯d better start.¡± My sister says confidently.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Evangeline says, giving me a smirk.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing there are ten spots, since my family ns to im three of them.¡± Magdalena

    says confidently. Damn, I like these girls.

    ¡°Well then, I guess it is good for everyone else, since my family intends to im four of the ten spots,

    and Jace here intends to im one. That only leaves two avable spots.¡± I say, smirking at

    Evangeline.

    ¡°Two avable spots for what?¡± Taylor says,ing up beside Jace and putting her arm through his.

    I feel Jordan tense on one side of me, and interestingly, Jace tenses on the other. I¡¯ll have to ask him

    about thatter.

    ¡°We were just discussing the contest and who was going to win. Obviously, we all think our families will

    win.¡± Jace says.

    Just then, the bell announces dinner. I look at Evangeline, not ready for our interaction to be over.

    ¡°Would you like to join us for dinner. We can talk strategy and discuss why we both think all of our

    family members will win the contest.¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Why Alpha, are you trying to learn my secrets by plying me with food before our first contest?¡±

    Evangeline says coyly.

    ¡°What if I am?¡± I ask her teasingly. I feel Jordan look at me. I¡¯ve never shown this kind of interest in a

    woman before.

    Evangeline¡¯s smile spreads across her face. ¡°At least you¡¯re honest about it.¡± She says, turning to

    Magdalena. ¡°What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would love to hear your strategy for the contest. Thank you so much for offering to share it with

    us. I just want to find my brother and we¡¯ll join you.¡± Magdalena says.

    ¡°Which brother?¡± Jordan asks.

    Evangeline turns her head, looking for her brothers. Her neck is thin and graceful. I¡¯ve never given

    much thought to a woman¡¯s neck, but I can definitely see myself sinking my canines into hers.

    Almost as if she heard my thoughts, her head snaps back to me. I hold her gaze, unflinching.

    ¡°I think your sister is with my brother.¡± She says, making me look away from her. Teagan is walking

    beside a man I recognize as Alpha Alejandro. My sister looks as entranced with him and I am with

    Evangeline.

    ¡°I think we need to find a bigger table.¡± I say, looking back at Evangeline.

    ¡°Jace, let¡¯s go find our own table. We¡¯ll see youter.¡± Taylor says, pulling Jace away.

    No one but me would notice the tension in my sister¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hey Alejandro.¡± Magdalena says and it¡¯s an obvious taunt. I¡¯m guessing he doesn¡¯t often have a

    woman on his arm. Good. Because I won¡¯t allow anyone to mistreat any of my sisters.

    ¡°Easy Alpha. My brother is a good man.¡± Evangeline says,ing to stand beside me. She has lifted

    her head to speak quietly, and I feel her breath tickling my ear. I turn to look at her and her face is so

    close that if I move at all, my lips would touch hers, just by ident. Her eyes go wide, and I hear her

    quick intake of breath.

    She quickly steps back, and I give her a smirk, but I¡¯m feeling just as impacted as she seems to be. I

    wonder if this is the mate bond everyone has started talking about. My parents say they felt it, but it

    wasn¡¯t something that people believed in a generation ago. However, that seems to be changing and if

    this is it, I can see why. My pull to Evangeline is strong. Very strong.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon.¡± A deep voice says, and I turn, seeing

    Evangeline¡¯s brother giving me the same look I was giving him a moment ago. I¡¯m d, it means he

    cares enough about his sisters to make sure they are treated well. Which means, if he really is

    interested in my sister, he¡¯ll treat her right.

    ¡°Alpha Alejandro, we were just discussing that we should all get a table together, get to know each

    other and talk strategy for the contest.¡± I tell him, inviting him to join us.

    He looks at Evangeline and Magdalena before looking down at Teagan. ¡°What do you say?¡± He asks

    her.

    ¡°I¡¯m all for talking strategy.¡± My sister says confidently.

    Jordan turns and looks at me, smiling at our sister¡¯s confidence. ¡°Well then, shall we?¡± I ask, putting my

    arm out in invitation for Evangeline to put hers through it.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± She says. I turn, seeing a flicker of sadness in my sister¡¯s eyes before I¡¯m

    extending an arm to her.

    ¡°And you, mdy?¡±

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    She snorts, putting her arm through mine and Magdalena puts hers through her brother¡¯s. We find a

    table and I sit Evangeline across from me so I can talk to her easily. They serve us a feast of food. I

    notice that Evangeline and her sister don¡¯t imbibe in alcohol. Instead, they drink water. Smart girls. That

    tells me that they are here to win.

    I watch as Evangeline eats a normal amount of food.

    ¡°You should eat more.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± She tells me.

    ¡°Do you n to stop during the run to eat?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Of course not, that would be ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The fastest werewolf has done this race in 26 hours. If you aren¡¯t going to eat, you¡¯ll need

    energy from somewhere. Stuff yourself tonight, eat a small meal in the morning and it will have to get

    you through.¡±

    ¡°Is this your strategy talk?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°Part of it. But what I really want to know is, who do you think is your biggestpetitor?¡±

    ¡°You, of course.¡± She says to me.

    I stop, looking at her.

    ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re descended from two true Alphas, you¡¯re a male which makes you gically stronger than me

    and I know that your sister thinks you¡¯re going to win, which means she¡¯s been training with you.¡±

    I raise my eyebrow at that. ¡°Are you going to tell me that your brother hasn¡¯t been training with you?¡±

    She smiles. ¡°No, but your sister is the only one out of all us that was chosen to be the heir of her pack

    because of birth order, not gender. I can¡¯t say that I haven¡¯t had my problems with my brother because

    of that. It makes me angry that because I¡¯m a woman I was passed over. Maybe it shouldn¡¯t, but there it

    is.¡±

    She sighs and I can see that she wants to say more, so I wait her out.

    ¡°In some ways, this contest is almost harder because it¡¯s okay for me to be an Alpha if I defeat

    nearly every other werewolf, but my own parents didn¡¯t feel I was good enough to be Alpha of our

    pack.¡±

    She looks down and I immediately want tofort her, so I reach out, taking her hand in mine.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it at all. I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with you. Just like it doesn¡¯t have anything

    to do with me that I¡¯ m not going to be Alpha of my pack. And don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t given my mother a

    ton of shit over years about that.¡± I say, making her chuckle.

    ¡°Your parents are living in the old ways and you hate it. I get it. My parents are trying to be trend-

    setters, or some shit and I hate it.

    Sheughs out loud now.

    I wait until she focuses back on me. ¡°So, we prove them both wrong. We fight and we take our packs

    just like good, strong Alphas should.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 7 Evangeline

    Jaxon is nothing like I was expecting. He¡¯s¡­nice. That¡¯s not to say that he doesn¡¯t have the Alpha

    arrogance. He does of course. But he¡¯s nicer than I was expecting.

    We talk over dinner and it¡¯s pretty casual. Others join in our conversation periodically and we join in

    theirs. Surprisingly, there¡¯s an air of camaraderie rather thanpetition. I¡¯m guessing that will change

    overnight, but for now, it¡¯s casual andfortable.

    I notice that Jaxon isn¡¯t drinking alcoholic beverages either and Iment on it.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to win, not party.¡± He says.

    Magdalena snorts. ¡°Did you two rehearse that?¡± Jaxon looks confused.

    ¡°I said almost the exact same thing to Maka, our sister, earlier.¡± I say.

    ¡°It says a lot to me about the ones that are drinking. They are either here to search for their mates, or

    they don¡¯t understand how brutal the next two days are going to be.¡± He says.

    Maggie leans forward. ¡°Who do you think wille in first?¡± She asks him, smirking. I¡¯m already

    guessing his answer will be the same as ours.

    ¡°Me, of course.¡± And there it is. We bothugh and I can see that arrogant Alpha looke out.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I can do it?¡± He asks.

    ¡°That was also our answer when Maka asked who we thought would be first.¡± Maggie tells him.

    ¡°Both of us said we would be first.¡± He smiles at that.

    ¡°Will you run with your sisters, help them along?¡± I ask him, curious.

    ¡°No, not unless something happens. They are strong in their own ways, but I¡¯m faster than any of them.

    Plus, it¡¯s not a sprint, it¡¯s a marathon, so I expect Teagan and Rowen to make the cut. Raelvn¡­¡± He

    says moving his hand in a maybe, maybe not gesture.

    ¡°A marathon plus.¡± I say.

    ¡°Who do you think is your biggestpetition?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I have a list, both of you are on it, by the way.¡± That makes us smile.

    ¡°But, if I had to pick my top three. I¡¯d probably say Tobias, because he¡¯s older and has had longer to

    train, Stefan, for the same reason, and my cousin Taylor.¡±

    Maggie and I nod. ¡°All three of them are on our list as well. What about Celine? Stefan¡¯s sister? Alpha

    Zaire and Luna Gia were very strong leaders of their pack, and their son Alden seems to have stepped

    easily into those shoes.¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met her, but if she¡¯s Alpha Zaire and Luna Gia¡¯s daughter. I won¡¯t underestimate her.¡± Jaxon

    says.

    ¡°What about your brother? Do you think he has a chance?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Lazio? Absolutely. You¡¯d be mistaken to underestimate him, even though he¡¯s just made the cutoff to

    participate. We celebrated his birthdayst week, but he will be fierce.¡± He nods, looking around.

    Alpha Jordan takes the opportunity to lean forward. ¡°How many do you think are here just to find their

    mates.¡± She asks.

    Maggie snorts. ¡°If our sister is any indication, I¡¯d say plenty.¡±

    I look down the table, seeing Rowan talking to Alejandro. Their heads are close together and they don¡¯t

    seem to realize that they are in a room full of people. They are lost in their own world. ¡°Not just our

    sister.¡± I say, nodding at the two of them.

    Jordan leans around Jaxon to look. ¡°Yeah, I expect a lot of that. It would surprise me if some don¡¯t end

    up dropping out during the contest. It¡¯s going to be spread out over nearly half a year, so that provides

    plenty of time for people toe of age and find their mates. And there are so many Alpha heirs out

    thereing of age, that if they find their mate, those mates would not be eligible to participate.¡±

    I look at Jordan. ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that. But since existing pack leaders aren¡¯t eligible to participate in

    the contest, if any of the Alpha heirs find their Lunas, those females will be eliminated.¡±

    ¡°Only if their mate is the current or future Alpha.¡± Jaxon says watching me. ¡°If, say, you and I were

    mates, we could both stillpete, since neither of us are leaders of our own pack.¡±

    I feel a fluttering in my stomach, and my mouth goes dry. Thankfully, Maggie answers for me as I grab

    my water, downing it.

    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ll find out. Evie will be turning 18 during thepetition. Who knows, you may walk

    into apetition and BAM there she is, flooding your senses with her intoxicating scent and

    distracting you from your goal.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I frown and turn to look at Maggie. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°Just repeating something I heard dad say about when he met mom.¡±

    ¡°Except back then, she WAS the goal.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d I wasn¡¯t born in that generation.¡± Jordan says.

    ¡°Can you imagine? Getting chased down by the group of guys that are here for the contest?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Barbaric!¡± Maggie says.

    We all turn to look at Jaxon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I agree. It was nuts. Although, I have to admit, it seems like it worked. All of our

    parents seem happy.¡± He says.

    ¡°It¡¯s creepy to think that it could have been different.¡± Jordan says, conspiratonally. ¡°I mean, imagine if

    my dad caught your mom, or your dad caught my mom.¡±

    I look at my parents across the room. I can¡¯t imagine them with anyone else. ¡°That is creepy,¡± I say.

    We allugh and move on to other topics. As the night winds down, Maggie and I say goodnight and

    head to our room. Jaxon grabs my hand, halting me in my steps.

    ¡°I wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow I expect to see you at the finish line.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be there, Alpha. I¡¯ll wait for you when I cross first.¡± I say teasingly.

    His answering smile makes my heart flutter. Super hotty indeed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, but I look forward to celebrating with you in another couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Count on it. Good luck to you too, Jaxon. See you soon.¡±

    I turn to head toward my bedroom. We¡¯re up on the second floor. As I start up the stairs, I turn, seeing.

    Jaxon still where I left him, watching me. He winks at me, making me smile.

    It¡¯s a restless night¡¯s sleep, tossing and turning, worried I¡¯ll oversleep, stressing about the next couple

    of days. When it¡¯s finally time to get up, Maggie and I go get a small breakfast and head outside.

    The atmosphere this morning is considerably different thanst night. Today, everyone is inpetition

    mode. This first elimination is going to be huge. Six hundred people are here and only one hundred will

    go to the next round.

    I look around and find Jaxon. He¡¯s looking at me and nods Ins head in greeting. I nod back.

    It¡¯s very quiet, especially considering how many people are standing here. Councilman Jason steps up

    to the starting line.

    ¡°When the gun goes off, thepetition will begin. If you need help in between the rest areas, howl

    and someone wille for you. If you are removed from the race, you are disqualified from the

    contest. Good luck everyone.¡±

    He steps back and everyone pushes forward. A momentter, the gun goes off.

    Let the contest begin.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 8 Jaxon

    Six hundred of us are standing at the starting line for the first contest. Just looking around. I can

    already identify some of those that will not make it. They are burning their energy with their excitement,

    unable to control themselves. I¡¯m guessing they will be the ones that will sprint off when the gun goes

    off.

    As I look around, I see Evangeline standing with Magdalena. I nod at her, and she nods back. I hope

    it¡¯s her and I that make it to the finish line first. I¡¯d love to battle her for top spot.

    When the gun goes off, I watch the excitable youngsters, omegas and even some warriors, race off,

    trying to get a good head start. It won¡¯t help them. They¡¯re just going to burn their much-needed energy

    sooner than the rest of us.

    There are ten total rest areas, spread out every ten miles and one final one back at the starting line,

    now being transitioned into a finish line, since our run will bring us back to the starting point.

    After the first couple of miles, I get into the rhythm of running. I love the sound of my feet hitting the

    ground at a steady pace. I notice that most of the ranked wolves are doing what I am, taking their time

    and reserving their energy.

    By the time we get to the first rest area, there are groups of runners forming. Evangeline, Magdalena

    and Lazio are in a group not far from me. In my group. Rowan, Teagan and Raelyn are running, along

    with a couple of others including Jace, but not Taylor. She¡¯s in another group, with her siblings. As I

    look around, it appears that, for now, the groups are set aside by pack or family. It makes me wonder

    how these groups will change over the next day.

    We pass Jordan at the first rest stop. She cheers for us as we go by. She is standing with sses of

    water that she holds out for anyone to take. I grab one, downing it and tossing the paper cup aside.

    Part of the job of the volunteers is to clean up the mess after we¡¯ve passed.

    As we pass, I see some of the sprinters are already showing signs of a struggle. Several are sitting

    down drinking water and catching their breath. Some are getting back up, getting back into the race,

    others look like they may already be done. Anyone that hasn¡¯t been training for this every day for the

    last three months, won¡¯t make it far.

    At the 20-mile rest area, the number of people who are sitting down, drinking and eating is higher. It¡¯s

    been about four hours and the air is starting to warm as the sun rises higher into the sky. This time, I

    grab two waters as I run through the rest area, but I don¡¯t stop, I keep running.

    ¡°I have to pee.¡± Teagan says. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up.¡±

    Some runners just pee themselves so they don¡¯t have to stop running, but this early into the race, it will

    cause chaffing, not to mention the smell will stay in your nose for the rest of the race, making it harder

    to breathe.

    ¡°Me too.¡± Rowan says. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±

    Both of them drop off the race, to head to the bathrooms that are set up for this purpose. I continue on,

    getting lost in my head space again. I¡¯m not too far from the rest area when I realize someone has

    fallen into step beside me. I look and see Evangeline.

    ¡°Hey.¡± I say, surprised. I look, noticing that Magdalena isn¡¯t with her. Lazio is a couple paces behind us.

    ¡°Bathroom.¡± She says, answering my unasked question. ¡°My sisters too.¡± I say, not breaking stride.

    ¡°We saw them, Maggie figured she could run with them to catch up.¡±

    We fall silent, saving our breath for our run. Because it¡¯s so quiet, I can hear that her steps and my

    steps are perfectly in sync. It¡¯s just the steady rhythm of our footfalls in the forest.

    Two hourster, we arrive at the 30-mile rest area. It¡¯s close to noon now and a lot of people drop out of

    the race to grab some food and stop to use the bathroom.

    ¡°I¡¯ll catch up, Evie.¡± Lazio says to Evangeline.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asks, turning and slowing a moment. I do the same, wanting to continue our run

    together.

    ¡°Yes, go. I¡¯ll catch up, hopefully with Maggie and your sisters too, Alpha Jaxon.¡±

    I nod. ¡°See you soon then.¡±

    Evangeline and I turn, continuing on our way. Now that the groups are starting to fall off, I look around.

    Most of the toppetitors that Jordan had on my list are still running. There are some, like my sisters,

    Magdalena and Lazio that have stopped, but eventually I will have to as well, just to give my body a

    brief break and use the bathrooms. Then they might catch up.

    I notice that Tobias, Stefan, Taylor and Jace are still running near us. Currently, I believe we are the top

    six in the race. Over thest 30 miles, we¡¯ve slowly creeped up to the front.

    The six of us fall into a running rhythm steady and smooth, no one speaks. We¡¯re all concentrating on

    our breath, our pace. It¡¯s still too soon to worry about trying to be any further in the lead. At this point,

    all six of us are easy winners, as long as we all finish. The calm quiet amongst us feels supportive as if

    we are giving each other strength for this race.

    Two hourster, we see the sign for the 40-mile rest stop. I turn to Evangeline.

    ¡°I have to stop.¡± We say at the same time.

    As we jog up, I look at her. ¡°Meet you back here in 10 minutes?¡±

    She nods. ¡°But if I¡¯m not here, go without me. Don¡¯t wait for me.

    ¡°Same.¡± I tell her.

    We both grab waters on our way to the bathroom. I pour one over my head and the other I drink down.

    Since there is almost no one here. I¡¯m in and out and ready to get back into the race quickly. I see

    Evangelineing out of the restrooms and I take a moment to stretch. She pours water on her face,

    drinking another one down before walking over to me.

    ¡°Ready?¡± She asks.

    This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Ready.¡± I say as I see Tobias and Taylor exiting the bathrooms as well.

    As we get back on the road, I can see some of the otherpetitors closing in behind us.

    ¡°I think those are our siblings in the front.¡± Evangeline says.

    At the halfway mark, I¡¯m feeling the strain. We¡¯ve been able to keep up with about 10 miles every two

    hours, but now it¡¯s getting tough, now is when you have to start pulling on your reserves. The next 50

    miles are going to only get tougher.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 9 Evangeline

    It sounds strange, but I¡¯ve really enjoyed running beside Jaxon. He¡¯s a good pacer for my speed. He

    doesn¡¯t run faster or slower, he stays at the same pace and that¡¯s good for me. When we started

    training, both Lazio and Alejandro told me and Maggie that our pace wasn¡¯t consistent, and we¡¯d wear

    ourselves out sooner if we kept going faster and faster as we ran.

    Of course, now, I have a stitch in my side that I¡¯ve had for thest 20 miles. I was hoping that it would

    go away when I used the bathroom, but no such luck.

    Not only am I tired, hungry and sore, we¡¯re going into the back half of this race in thete afternoon.

    We¡¯ll have to run all night in the dark. I love the nighttime, and I¡¯m fully capable of seeing well at night,

    but it¡¯s going to be brutal.

    And this is why it¡¯s apetition to be Alpha. It shouldn¡¯t be easy. It should be hard. Only the

    best and the strongest physically and mentally should be eligible to take over the packs.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Over thest three months, my siblings and I have run the full 100 miles several times. Not every

    weekend and not in thest couple of weekends, knowing we needed to be strong for thispetition.

    But my best time, was 30 hours. Keeping up with Jaxon¡¯s pace, I¡¯ve gotten halfway through the race in

    10 hours. But there¡¯s no way I can continue going this fast.

    I slow my paceing off the rest area of the 50-mile marker. Jaxon slows his as well.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to slow down for me.¡± I tell him. I¡¯m not sure why he¡¯s slowing. This is apetition.

    He should be taking advantage of my slowing pace to get ahead of me.

    ¡°I need to slow down too. My body is feeling it.¡±

    Jaxon sets a new pace, one that is easier to manage. I notice that Tobias and Taylor both keep up their

    harsh pace. Stephan seems to find a pace in between ours and theirs, and Jace has fallen behind us.

    In the next ten miles, Caleb, Cillian and Enzo close in behind us. As we reach the 60-mile marker, the

    sun is starting to set. This time, as we run through the rest area, Alejandro is there, handing out waters.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this Evie! There are only a few runners ahead of you. Keep it up! Fight for your pack!¡±

    I down the water. We were told that the water from the 50-mile markers on would contain electrolytes to

    help give us energy and replenish some nutrients in our bodies. However, it¡¯s my brother¡¯s words that

    energize me. He¡¯s right. I¡¯m here to fight for my pack. I can¡¯t let a little pain get the best of me. If these

    others can do it, so can I.

    ¡°Thanks Al.¡± I shout as I toss the paper cup aside.

    ¡°He¡¯s a good brother.¡± Jaxon says as we exit the rest area, the pathway dark now as the sun starts to

    fall behind the trees.

    ¡°He is. He¡¯s been very supportive this entire time.¡± I say.

    Jaxon frowns. ¡°Did you want to run faster?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°What? Oh, uh, no, probably not. I tend to speed up when I ran. Both Al and Laz told me so when we

    were training.¡±

    I fall back into pace with Jaxon.

    ¡°I have an idea.¡± Jaxon says to me as we run.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask, hoping he¡¯s not wanting to talk. He may have slowed our pace, but I¡¯m still trying

    to make sure I don¡¯t get too winded and have to stop.

    ¡°For the rest of the night, we use the rest stops as our cues to learn something about the other. Each

    time we pass one, we can ask the other one question. That way, it gives us something to think about in

    between, something other than the pain and stitches in our sides, and we get to know each other

    better.¡±

    I like it. It¡¯s a good idea and I tell him so.

    He nods. ¡°Ladies first.¡± He says.

    ¡°Catch your breath.¡± I say, as I begin to think of what I want to know about Alpha Jaxon.

    There are probably a lot of things that I want to know about Jaxon, but I decide to start easy.

    ¡°If you win, which packnds do you want?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Do you know, I haven¡¯t actually thought about it. I know I don¡¯t want the one that had mines

    on it. My father said they tested thend and there aren¡¯t any, but I¡¯d rather not find out they were

    wrong.¡±

    ¡°One of the packs had mines on it?¡± I ask. I¡¯ve never heard this.

    ¡°One of the packs that died out in the pack war.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nuts.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d want the pack where my Aunt M died.¡±

    I stumble and would have fallen if it weren¡¯t for Jaxon grabbing me.

    ¡°You have an aunt that died?¡± I ask. We get back into our pace before he answers.

    ¡°It was before I was born. From what my parents told me, her mate basically bred her to death. That

    was back in the days of the iming.¡±

    ¡°Why would you want thatnd then?¡± I ask.

    ¡°To bring peace to thend, I guess. Or maybe, peace to my mother and grandparents. Or at least,

    that¡¯s my thought.¡± He shrugs.

    We run for a bit in silence, both of us catching our breath.

    ¡°I actually had the same question for you. What packnds do you want and why?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°Well, I definitely don¡¯t want the iming territory. Too easy to try and keep the old buildings rather than

    starting over, even though it has the mostnd. Or so Maggie said to me. And now I know I don¡¯t want

    the mine territory. But I passed these vacantnds once when my parents and I were on a trip. They

    border a beautiful mountain range with snow-capped mountains. We passed thend in summer and

    even then, the mountains were snow-capped. If I get my choice, those are thends I want.¡±

    He turns and looks at me.

    ¡°What?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°We want the same packnds. That is ce where Aunt M died.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± I ask him. What are the odds. One in ten, I guess.

    ¡°Seriously.¡± He says.

    We fall into silence. I fall back into the rhythm of running. I don¡¯t know how much time it took for our

    questions, but it has made the time go by more quickly. Before I know it, we¡¯reing up on the 70-

    mile marker.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 10 Jaxon

    My original idea of asking each other a question at each mile marker was to pass the time, help me to

    think of something, anything other than my sore muscles, my aching feet and the cramp in my stomach

    that could be from running, hunger or both.

    However, I realize quickly that this is a great opportunity to get to know the woman that I intend to take

    as a mate. I just hope she¡¯s not going to be like Taylor and string me along. Which gives me my idea for

    the next question.

    We run through the 70-mile marker, grabbing cups of water and getting cheers. My cousin Griffin is at

    this rest stop. He will be taking over for my Uncle Seth in a couple of months.

    ¡°Only Tobias and Taylor are ahead of you Jax! And they both look like they are running out of steam.

    You¡¯ve got this!¡± He says as I pass.

    ¡°Keep it up, Evangeline, you¡¯ve can do it!¡± He encourages her.

    Griffin is great. I like him a lot. But he got some of his mother¡¯s bubbly, cheerleader qualities, and right

    now, while I appreciate the sentiment, it¡¯s a bit tough to take.

    ¡°Thanks, Griff.¡± I say, downing my water.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Griffin.¡± Evangeline says and we continue on our way.

    I wait until we¡¯re well past the rest area before I look at Evangeline.

    ¡°Ready for the next question?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Sure.¡± She says.

    ¡°If you win, how are you going to handle it when you find your mate?¡± I ask her.

    She sighs. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. It might depend on who he is, how he feels about being co-Alphas.

    Right now, I¡¯m leaning toward staying single. I¡¯m sure I could find a sperm donor so I could have an

    heir.¡± She tells me.

    Oh no, this is not the answer I was hoping for.

    ¡°What if he¡¯s willing to be co-Alphas?¡± I ask. My parents do that, and my sister intends to do the same. I

    would definitely be okay with that.

    ¡°Except, it¡¯s MY title that has to change, right? Even if I win the packnds, possibly defeating him in

    this contest, if I take him as my mate, he still gets to be Alpha, and I have to be Luna. The titles alone

    imply that he is head of the pack, and I would be second.¡±

    I frown at that. ¡°That¡¯s not how it is in my pack. My mother has the title of Luna, yes, but no one thinks

    that she¡¯s second to my father, not even my father. He treats my mother as an equal, and so does

    everyone else in our pack. I expect it will be the same for Jordan. At least, that¡¯s what she¡¯s hoping to

    find in her mate.¡± I say, thinking of Jace and wondering if he would be okay with that.

    ¡°But not all the packs are ran like that.¡± She insists.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. What about your parents? You mother is technically a higher ranked wolf than your

    father.¡± I ask her.

    She thinks about that for a moment. ¡°I guess he does treat her as an equal. And, at least toward us

    kids, she is the iron fist and Dad is the softy, It¡¯s not that way outside of our family, but everyone also

    knows that they better not overstep around our mother, or she¡¯ll put you in line quickly.¡±

    ¡°So, that sounds like it could be an eptable solution too.¡± I say, crossing my mental fingers.

    ¡°I guess so. I don¡¯t know, I guess it will very much depend on who my mate is, if I even find him.¡± She

    says.

    ¡°I expect that you¡¯ll find him during thispetition.¡± I tell her, feeling like I¡¯ve dodged a bullet and d I

    asked that question.

    We catch our breath over for the next couple of miles before she asks her question.

    ¡°What¡¯s it like being a twin? I mean, I know you aren¡¯t identical, but you seem really close to your

    sister.¡±

    I think about her question for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know how to answer that. I guess it would be

    the same as asking you what it¡¯s like not being a twin. I don¡¯t know any other way. But I guess, from

    seeing my other sisters. I¡¯d say that it¡¯s nice having a close bond with Jordan. We¡¯re very close, closer

    than either of us are to our other sisters. Although, based on my observations, your rtionship with

    Magdalena is probably simr. You two seem very close as well.¡± I say.

    ¡°We are more like best friends than sisters. We share just about everything. We are only 6 months

    apart in age, so we have a lot inmon, unlike Maka who is two years younger than I am.

    ¡°I get that. I guess I¡¯d say Jordan is my best friend, my closest friend. I have other guy friends, but if

    something is bothering me, she always knows, even if no one else does. And the same is true for her.

    We are in tune with each other in a way that is probably only rivaled by the mate bond.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°It sounds nice.¡± She says and we fall back into silence, each of us getting caught up in our own

    thoughts.

    Before I know it, mile marker 80 ising up.

    ¡°Wow, we¡¯re getting so close!¡± Evangeline says.

    ¡°We are, we¡¯re definitely going to make the first round.¡± I say to her, putting my fist out.

    She gives me a fist bump as we jog into the 80-mile rest stop, grabbing our waters.

    ¡°How far ahead are Taylor and Tobias?¡± I ask Alpha Maximus. He is Alpha Davis and Luna McKenna¡¯s

    oldest son and one of the people manning this rest station.

    ¡°Just a few minutes. You¡¯re really close to them.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Alpha Max.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Evangeline asks him.

    ¡°It¡¯s 1 am.¡± He says.

    We jog on and once we¡¯re far enough away, I look at her. ¡°Your turn.¡±

    She looks at me a moment before sighing. ¡°I hate to say this, but I have to slow down. I can¡¯t keep up

    this pace. So, while it¡¯s been great chatting with you, I can¡¯t keep up anymore. You¡¯ll have to leave me

    behind.¡± She tells me.

    Winning thispetition is everything to me, but I only need to be in the top 100 for this event and right

    now, she and I are in the third and fourth ces. I can afford to slow down and continue my

    conversation with my future mate, which is just as important to me at the moment as winning is.

    I slow my pace, waiting for her to match it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay with me. Really. It¡¯s a race.¡± She says.

    ¡°It¡¯s an endurance challenge. One that we are both going to finish and move to the next round. It¡¯s the

    middle of the night. I¡¯ m tired too. As long as there aren¡¯t too many people that pass us, I think we¡¯re

    good.¡±

    She looks at me a long moment. ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡± She asks.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Is that your question?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Okay, well, truth is, I was drawn to you the minute I saw you in that clearing.¡± I frown. ¡°Was that

    yesterday? The day before? Whenever it was, I saw you and I wanted to get to know you better.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that was very honest.¡±

    I shrug. ¡°I have nothing but time and honesty on my side. And, for some reason, it¡¯s always easier to

    bare your soul in the dead of night, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And then the morninges and brings along all that regret.¡± She says, smiling.

    ¡°Well, unless you run kicking and screaming from me in the light of day, I won¡¯t regret being honest with

    you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t scare me, Alpha Jaxon.¡± She says, teasingly.

    I chuckle. I like this side of her.

    ¡°Your turn.¡± She says.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about that time in the clearing, what was your first impression of me?¡± I ask, really

    hoping it was positive.

    She looks away from me and I can feel her difort. Uh oh, this can¡¯t be good.

    ¡°Well, full disclosure, I didn¡¯t know who you were at first. It wasn¡¯t until Maggie saw Gamma Jace

    beside you that we figured it out.¡±

    ¡°Why were you and Magdalena trying to figure out who I was? Because you caught me looking at

    you?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Well, yes, but¡­.¡± She huffs.

    ¡°Fine, you were honest with me, so I¡¯ll be honest with you. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t heard it before, I¡¯m

    sure. Before I knew it was you, I was calling you¡­.Super Hotty.¡±

    Oh, hell yeah! My smile is so big I¡¯m sure she can see my teeth gleaming in the moonlight.

    ¡°You can wipe that smug look off your face. I¡¯m sure you know how hot you are. I just¡­I mean¡­¡± She

    sighs again. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly what I thought you¡¯d be like.¡±

    ¡°What did you think I¡¯d be like?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Well, you know, or maybe you don¡¯t, but most of the other Alphas tend to be arrogant or aloof, you¡¯re

    neither. You¡®re really nice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are those out there that would call me arrogant AND aloof, but, you¡¯re not exactly the

    snobby Alpha female type I¡¯ve run into either. There¡¯s a lot of that going around too.¡±

    ¡°True enough.¡± She says.

    We fall into silence as we run.

    Super hotty. Damn I like the sound of that.

    ¡°You know I can hear your arrogant mind from here?¡± She says, watching me.

    ¡°Ha! Guilty as charged.¡± I give her a side-eye. ¡°I like your nickname for me. Feel free to use it anytime.¡±

    She just shakes her head. It feels like we¡¯ve barely run a mile when the 90-mile marker shes in front

    of us.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 11 Evangeline

    I¡¯m exhausted and everything hurts, but I¡¯m actually enjoying myself. Jaxon is funny, intelligent and he

    never breaks the pace. He sets it and sticks with it. He¡¯s a great running partner. I had thought that I

    might need to shift into my wolf, but at this rate, I think I can do the entire run in my human form. I¡¯d be

    willing to push it anyway, just to continue talking to Jaxon.

    When we hit thest rest stop, I ask again what time it is. It feels like the night is only about halfway

    done when they tell me it¡¯s 5am. I¡¯ve been running 23 hours straight. Ten miles to go, three to four

    hours left, and I¡¯ve done it. I¡¯ve passed the first cut.

    ¡°Who¡¯s ahead of us?¡± Jaxon asks as we pass through.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    This time it¡¯s Alpha Paolo, Alpha Asher and Luna Mignon¡¯s oldest son who is stationed at the rest stop.

    ¡°Tobias is a few minutes ahead of you, and Taylor is only about a minute ahead of you. She¡¯s out of

    steam. I was surprised she didn¡¯t stop.¡±

    ¡°Not her style.¡± Jaxon says as we run through.

    As we run back out into the darkness, I look at Jaxon. ¡°Almost there ¡°

    ¡°Almost! We can do this.¡±

    ¡°Definitely.¡± I say.

    ¡°Okay, when you¡¯re ready, it¡¯s your turn to ask first.¡± He says to me.

    I¡¯d been thinking about it, so I¡¯m ready. ¡°If you win¡­¡±

    ¡°When I win.¡± He corrects me.

    ¡°When you win,¡± I stress the ¡®when¡¯, ¡°how will you choose your Beta? Are you nning to go with the

    family lines or choose from thosepeting in the Beta trials?¡± I ask him.

    I watch him as he thinks over his answer. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while. There is obvious

    benefit to choosing family to be your Beta and Gamma, but there are also many out there that would be

    really great at it. Not only that, if I take a Beta and Gamma from another family, I¡¯ve just strengthened

    my alliances with those packs. For me. I¡¯ll already have an alliance with Jordan, then, let¡¯s say your

    brother Lazio doesn¡¯t win in this tournament. If he were topete in the Beta trials and I chose him as

    my Beta, well, now I also have an alliance with Alejandro. And your cousins from Alpha Quinton and

    Luna Sophia¡¯s pack aren¡¯t even eligible topete for the Alpha spot, but I¡¯d be shocked if they didn¡¯t

    compete for the Beta positions.¡±

    He stops, taking a few breaths as we run. ¡°Let¡¯s say I took their son, Wade, as my Gamma, well now

    I¡¯ve also created an alliance with your cousin Nathaniel when he takes over the pack from Alpha

    Quinton.¡±

    ¡°So, then you will have an alliance with three of the 20 packs, your pack being the fourth.¡± I say. It¡¯s not

    necessarily needed, but in wolf packs, it¡¯s always good to have allies and it¡¯s actually a brilliant strategy.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s just say I end up mated to Noelle, Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel¡¯s oldest daughter. Now,

    I¡¯m also allied with her brother, Giovanni. So, I¡¯d be allied to a quarter of the packs. And that doesn¡¯t

    include if Taylor gets a pack and my alliance with her brother Griffin. As cousins, we¡¯re already family.

    It¡¯s not really important, since the packs all get along now, but things change over time and setting up

    alliances now can only help my children in the future.¡±

    Of all the things he just said, the one sticking in my head is Jaxon being mated to Noelle. ¡°She¡¯s not

    your type.¡± I blurt out.

    In the dawning light of morning, I see a smile breaking across his face.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± He asks.

    I shrug a bit. ¡°She¡¯s that uppity Alpha female type you spoke of before.¡±

    I don¡¯t now why it bothers me to think of Jaxon with Noelle. I mean she¡¯s okay, I barely know her, but I

    just don¡¯t like the idea of him with another woman.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure that she¡¯s mated to Alpha Paolo anyway. He¡¯s nearly 18 and I saw them huddled

    together the night before the race. I think he and Griffin are the same age, so he¡¯ll be 18 in the next

    couple of months. If she makes it to the top 100, I¡¯m guessing she¡¯ll drop out before the second event.¡±

    He says.

    I feel a lot better knowing Noelle isn¡¯t an option for Jaxon.

    We¡¯ve just rounded a bend in the path when we see Taylor standing on the side of the road.

    Jaxon slows. ¡°Taylor, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Winded.¡± She says, leaning over and sucking in air.

    ¡°Shift to your wolf, Tay.¡± He tells her but she shakes her head. ¡°No, I can do this.¡± She insists.

    ¡°You ARE doing this. The rules are the same no matter what form you cross the finish line.¡± He tells

    her.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t shifted, neither of you have.¡± She says, stubbornly, looking at me.

    ¡°I¡¯d be farther behind if it wasn¡¯t for Jaxon. He¡¯s been my pacer almost the entire time. He¡¯s a great

    running partner.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°He is. We¡¯ve run together before. Go on you two. We¡¯re all so close I can taste it. I just need to catch

    my breath and then you¡¯ll be seeing my dust again.¡±

    Jaxon chuckles and turns to me, nodding. I nod back and he picks up our pace again, back to where it

    was.

    We¡®re quiet for a while and I can feel my anticipation of finally being so close to the end.

    ¡°Do you know how they are doing points for the race?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Yes, they are giving points in groups of ten. Top ten group to finish gets 100 points, next group gets 90

    and so on until thest group gets 10.¡±

    ¡°So,ing in this early has it¡¯s benefit?¡± I ask, knowing that the points are most valuable at the end

    when it decides your spot for choosing your packnds.

    ¡°Exactly. ¡°

    We round another bend, and the sun hase up enough that I can actually see the finish line ahead

    of us. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re almost there. I find myself speeding up again.

    ¡°You want to go faster?¡± Jaxon asks me.

    ¡°How far away do you think it is?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Two miles, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go faster. The sooner we get there, the sooner we¡¯re done!¡±

    He¡¯s just picked up our pace when a wolf goes racing past us.

    ¡°Show off!¡± He shouts at her.

    ¡°Taylor, I¡¯m guessing.¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s sopetitive. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s trying to beat Tobias. It looks like he¡¯s almost there.¡±

    As we watch, we see Tobias turn and seeing Taylor racing up behind him, he picks up his speed,

    crossing the finish line just a moment before she does.

    The sun is still low in the sky, but the end is right there for the taking.

    Suddenly, I realize Jaxon didn¡¯t ask me his question.

    ¡°You have one more question. Alpha Jaxon.¡± I say to him.

    He smiles, looking at me. ¡°Will you go on a date with me?¡±

    I stumble and would have fallen if he hadn¡¯t caught me. He turns and sees some others racing to get to

    the finish line.

    ¡°Come on. we have to hurry.¡±

    We race to the finish line, crossing at the same time. I lean over and suck air and he does the same.

    ¡°So, was that a yes?¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 12 Jaxon

    Evangeline is saved from answering my question by our families. Maka practically barrels her over. I

    reach out to grab her, but her father beats me to it.

    A momentter, I smell my twin as she also nearly tackles me. I wrap my arms around her. and she

    steadies both of us.

    ¡°Top five, both of you, well done.¡± Luna Katerina says, walking over with two bottles of water. She

    hands both Evangeline and I a bottle and we down it in one go.

    ¡°Want another one?¡± She asks us. We both nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got them.¡± My mother says, walking over with my father.

    ¡°Well, done son.¡± My father says.

    I look around and see Uncle Seth and Aunt Hana congratting Taylor and Alpha Saul and Luna Gia

    congratting his son, Tobias.

    ¡°Do you know how far behind your sisters are?¡± My mother asks me.

    ¡°No, they stopped with Evangeline¡¯s brother and sister early on. They were never able to catch back up

    with us.¡±

    I hear cheering and see Jace and Stefan crossing the finish line.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to congratte Jace.¡± My father says. And I fall to the ground, sitting and putting my arms on

    my knees, drinking this water more slowly.

    My mother is anxiously watching for my sisters. ¡°Rowan and Teagan are tough mom. They¡¯ll be here

    soon.¡±

    Next in is Caleb, Taylor¡¯s brother. Then Justina and Noelle, Alpha Davis¡¯s and Alpha Antonio¡¯s

    daughterse in together and rounding out the top 10 is Cillian, Alpha Asher¡¯s son.

    It isn¡¯t long after that that my mother goes on alert.

    ¡°It¡¯s them! It¡¯s them!¡± Maka says, hopping up and down and pping.

    Evangeline leans over to me. ¡°She¡¯s very excitable.¡±

    I snort, getting to my feet and extending my hand to her. I know she¡¯ll want to congratte her family as

    much as I want to congratte mine. Hopefully then, I can get food, a shower and find a bed. Not

    necessarily in that order.

    Their group is fairlyrge, all things considered. It seems the four of them, my sisters, Lazio and

    Magdalena, have stayed together and added Carter. Elijah and Layan¡¯s son, to their numbers. They are

    the first five in the second group of ten.

    Alpha Luke and dad bring them bottles of water this time and every one gulps them down. I hug my

    sisters, congratting them and see Evangeline doing the same with Magdalena and Lazio.

    ¡°Anyone hungry?¡± Jordan asks.

    ¡°Starved!¡± We all say at once.

    Everyone not in the race chuckles. ¡°They have foodid out inside. Come on.¡±

    We all start heading inside but I see my mother watching as the next round of runners crosses the

    finish line.

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wait for Raelyn.¡±

    ¡°Go inside and eat, then get some sleep. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re dead on your feet. I¡¯ll stay with your mother.¡±

    My father says.

    I turn, following everyone inside. I catch Evangeline watching me before she turns, focusing on

    whatever her brother Alejandro is saying. I didn¡¯t even see him walk up, but there he is, walking next to

    Teagan again.

    Breakfast is a quiet affair. Most of us are struggling to stay awake long enough to eat our food.

    ¡°Tomorrow night, they will announce the top 100 contestants and they will be having a congrattory

    dinner with the announcement for the next contest.¡± Alpha Luke says.

    ¡°Why so long of a wait?¡± Magdalena asks him.

    ¡°You¡¯vee in early, sweetheart. Runners will being in all day today. When they get here, they

    will need food and sleep, just like you. When you get upter today, there may still be runnersing

    in that haven¡¯tpleted the race yet.¡± Luna Katerina tells her.

    ¡°And everyone is invited to stay to watch the ceremony tomorrow night.¡± Alpha Luke says.

    ¡°Why would people want to stay if they or their family members didn¡¯te in the top 100?¡± Rowan

    asks him.

    ¡°Well, while it¡¯s a contest for the next ten Alphas, it¡¯s also an opportunity for people to choose to live

    somewhere else, choose a different pack and Alpha.¡± Alpha Luke says.

    ¡°Not only that, but everyone that doesn¡¯t win an Alpha position will be eligible topete in the Beta

    Trials. Those thatpeted here will want their first glimpse at the next potential Alphas, assessing

    them and you. I would be surprised if they don¡¯t start approaching all of you, asking about your ns

    when you be Alpha, the packnds you want, things like that. Remember, you can choose your

    Beta, but they also have to ept you as their Alpha. So those that n topete for the Beta

    positions will be watching all of you just as closely as you are watching them.¡± Jordan says.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that.¡± Teagan says, and I can see she¡¯s starting to slump into her food.

    I thought I would be hungrier, but now that I¡¯ve put something into my stomach, the fatigue is catching

    up to me.

    ¡°We can talk more after all of you get some sleep.¡± Alpha Luke says.

    ¡°Yes, the kitchens will be open all day today, making sure there is food for the runners as theye in

    and as they wake up.¡± Luna Katerina says.

    Evangelina and her family stand, ready to head back to their rooms.

    ¡°Evangeline, you owe me an answer.¡± I say to her, watching has her entire family stops to look at us. I

    don¡¯t want her thinking she¡¯s going to get off without answering myst question about our date.

    A shy smile spreads across her face.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She says before turning and walking away with her family.

    Hot damn!

    Jordan POV:

    I watch as my brother and sisters head to their rooms. I know my twin well and I¡¯ve seen the signs for

    years. Evangeline is his mate, or at least, he thinks she is. She¡¯s not yet 18, so it can¡¯t be confirmed.

    I look past him and see Taylor giving Jace a quick peck on the lips before heading off to her own room.

    He¡¯s dead on his feet, but he turns, heading toward me.

    ¡°Alpha, is there anything I need to take care of before I get some sleep?¡±

    ¡°Jace, you¡¯re practically the walking dead, go get some rest.¡± I tell him. hiding the pain at seeing him

    with Taylor by piling the tes together to give to the dishwashers.

    His hand touches my arm and I instantly feel the tingles. How does he not feel this? We¡¯re both over

    18. He should be feeling the same pull, the same draw to me that I have to him. Honestly, he should

    have been feeling it for years. He¡¯s six years older than I am.

    ¡°I¡¯m still your Gamma. Jordan. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± I stop, looking at him. He¡¯s barely able to keep his

    eyes open.

    ¡°Jace, you¡¯ve never been the one to let me or my father down and I don¡¯t expect you to now. If anything

    comes up, I¡¯m perfectly capable of handling it until you¡¯ve gotten some sleep. Go, before you fall over

    and I¡¯m forced to embarrass you by carrying you to your room.¡±

    He snorts at that. ¡°Jordan, you may be a badass Alpha, but I outweigh you by nearly 100 pounds.¡±

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Over 100 poundsst time I checked, but it doesn¡¯t matter. As your Alpha, I wouldn¡¯t allow you toy

    unconscious on the floor for anyone to step on.¡± I tease.

    ¡°Thanks Jordan.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure why he does it. maybe he¡¯s already asleep and doing some version of sleepwalking, but he

    leans forward, taking a deep breath before kissing my forehead, making my heart flutter.

    ¡°Good night.¡± He says, turning toward his room.

    ¡°Sweet dreams.¡± I tell him and watch as he trudges away.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 13 Evangeline

    I wake slowly, feeling every muscle in my bodyining loudly.

    I grunt softly, turning to see that Magdalena is still sleeping in her bed. She had gotten in the shower

    before I got to the room. I had fallen onto my bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. I never

    even heard her get out of the shower.

    Now, I drag myself out of bed, heading for the shower. I have no idea what time it is, but I know I need

    food and I need to work the aches out of my body.

    I turn on the hot water, and stand under it, letting the heat prate my sore muscles. While I stand

    there, I think back to this morning. I told Jaxon I¡¯d go on a date with him.

    A date. With Super Hotty.

    What will we even do? Where will we go? I realize I¡¯ve never actually been on a real date. The pack

    gets together for events or sometimes groups of kids get together for school events or after school,

    sometimes weekend bonfires, stuff like that. But one on one with someone? Nope, never.

    What do people even do on dates? Eat, I guess.

    Before I get too worried about it, I wash my hair, then begin to wash off the sweat that has be a

    laver of stickiness on my body. When I¡¯m done, I feel better and my need for food takes the forefront in

    my mind.

    When I step out of the bathroom, I see that Maggie is still sleeping. I quietly get dressed, brushing out

    my hair, but leaving it to dry naturally before slipping out of our room in search of food.

    When I get to the dining hall, I realize it¡¯ste afternoon. There are considerably more people here now

    than there were this morning. It¡¯s obvious which ones have juste in and which ones have already

    napped and are getting back up to eat. Not seeing anyone in my family, I grab some food and go to sit

    at a table by a window. From here, I can see the finish line in the distance. There are still people

    coming in and many people standing and waiting for them to arrive.

    As I eat, I search the crowd, finding Maka standing near my father and Alejandro. I continue to look

    around, spotting Jaxon standing with his parents. I watch a moment and realize, based on the tension

    in Luna Jara¡¯s back, that Raelyn must not have crossed the finish line yet.

    I look up at the leader board. Nearly 450 of the 600 contestants have crossed the finish line now. When

    I finish eating, I grab a couple bottles of water and head over to where Jaxon is standing with his

    parents.

    As I walk up, he turns, and smiles when he sees me.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake.¡± He says as I hand him a bottle of water.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± He says, before downing the water. ¡°I can¡¯t seem to get enough.¡±

    I say hello to Alpha Mason and Luna Jara before turning back to Jaxon. ¡°Raelyn?¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t crossed yet. Griffin just got in from the 70-mile rest stop. He said all the runners passed

    through. Raelyn passed through a while ago, but she was looking pretty worn out.¡±

    ¡°What if she got injured?¡± I hear Luna Jara whisper. It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s moved from the spot she

    was in this morning.

    ¡°Someone would have let us know Jara. Let her finish the race. She may not have advanced to the

    next round, but it¡¯s important for her to finish, to know she can do it.¡± Alpha Mason says to her.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t train like the rest of us, Mom, but she¡¯s still your daughter. Dad¡¯s right, she¡¯ll want to finish

    the race, just to say she did it.¡±

    Makaes bouncing over but checks herself when she feels the tension around us.

    ¡°Who are we waiting for?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Alpha Mason and Luna Jara¡¯s youngest daughter.¡±

    ¡°Raelyn?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Yeah, do you know her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re friends at school. She¡¯s loads of fun. I didn¡¯t remember that she was old enough to

    compete, but I guess she is a year older than I am. Don¡¯t worry, Luna Jara. Your daughter is tough,

    she¡¯ll make it.¡± Maka says kindly.

    Luna Jara turns and smiles. ¡°Thank you, Maka.¡±

    ¡°Here shees now.¡± Jaxon says, watching as a new group of runnerses into view.

    ¡°Who is that she¡¯s running with?¡± I ask.

    ¡°It looks like Harper. Isn¡¯t that your cousin, Jaxon?¡± Maka asks him.

    ¡°It is. See Mom. she and Harper were running together.¡± Jaxon says.

    Just then Luna Hanaes rushing up with Alpha Seth. ¡°Do you see them, Jara.¡±

    ¡°I see them.¡± As the moms watch their daughters struggle to get to the finish line, I watch both fathers

    move toward the finish line. As soon as they cross, both men scoop their daughters into their arms and

    begin carrying them inside. Luna Jara and Luna Hana race to catch up.

    ¡°Are you going to go check on them?¡± I ask Jaxon.

    ¡°And get in my mother¡¯s way of hovering over her youngest? No thank you,¡± He saysughing, but he¡¯s

    still watching as they walk inside, as if he too is making sure that she¡¯s okay.

    Suddenly, he turns his attention back to me. ¡°How did you sleep?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Like the dead.¡±

    ¡°Me too.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Evie.¡± Maka says and rushes off to goddess only knows where.

    A momentter, I see my father shaking his head, walking in the direction my sister just ran off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, Evie,¡± Jaxon says, giving me a yful look at using my sister¡¯s nickname, ¡°but

    I¡¯m still pretty stiff. I was going to walk around, look over this packnd while I was here and had time.

    Would you like to join me?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Sure¡­ . Jax.¡± I say using a nickname for him too.

    We walk past thest rest stop area near the finish line, each grabbing another bottle of water before

    moving past the race area.

    ¡°My mom said this area up here is where they used to have the iming. It¡¯s overgrown now; but

    supposedly, it has 100 acres ofnd, spread out in a semi-circle. There¡¯s ake with a waterfall on one

    side and a small stream on the other, or there used to be. I was going to check out this waterfall. It

    sounded interesting. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Lead the way, Jax.¡± I say, snickering at the use of his nickname.

    He looks thoughtful a moment. ¡°I like Evie, but it sounds your family all use that nickname, and well, I

    like to be a bit different. I think I¡¯ll call you Eve if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Super Hotty wants to give me my own nickname that only he calls me? Twist my arm.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± I say.

    ¡°Good. Shall we go find that waterfall, Eve?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely, Jax.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 14 Jaxon

    I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d see Evangeline again until tomorrow, but I was thrilled when she decided toe wait

    with my family for Raelyn to cross the finish line.

    I really had nned to walk around the packnds, just to see what they are like, but now that Eve has

    decided to join me, I think I¡¯ll take my time and the waterfalls sound romantic.

    We begin traipsing through the forest and I realize just how overgrown it is.

    ¡°Have your parents ever told you about their time in the iming?¡± She asks as we walk.

    Iugh. ¡°My mother loves to tell the story of how she was seconds away from getting out unimed

    when my father tackled her. My father likes to say that she was so distracted by the other Alphas, your

    father included, by the way, that she didn¡¯t even see himing.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°How about your parents?¡±

    She nods. ¡°Somewhere out here there is a cliff where my mother hid for nearly the entire time she was

    in the iming. I guess it made the males in her im nuts. They couldn¡¯t smell her, couldn¡¯t find her

    trail except her initial one near thiske and waterfall. After that, she stayed in the trees until my father

    identally stumbled across where she¡¯d been hiding and waited for her. He¡¯s very proud that she

    wanted him, and he loves to tell the story of how she exposed her neck for him to mark her.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°Sounds romantic.¡± I say, not sure if that¡¯s where she¡¯s going with the storv;

    ¡°You know, in theory, it has always sounded romantic.¡± She says distractedly, stopping and doing a full

    circle, looking around. ¡°But now that I¡¯m here and I can see what it must have been like for all of them,

    the romance of the story is lost on me.¡±

    Her eyes go unfocused as she gets lost in her thoughts. I wait, hoping she¡¯ll keep talking.

    ¡°I mean. I¡¯ll be turning 18 in a few months. Conceivably, I would being here soon after my birthday

    to be captured by some man, someone I might not even know. I mean, what if I didn¡¯t like them. What if

    we weren¡¯tpatible.¡±

    Her eyes refocus on me.

    ¡°Back then, it didn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s barbaric.¡± She says.

    I look around, seeing the area with different eyes, thinking of my mother racing from the battles she

    said they had, the deaths that littered the grounds.

    ¡°Back then, they also went feral. Some of them even went feral during the iming. And so many were

    killed. It¡¯s crazy to think about it now. I¡¯m 18, so I could have been in your iming. I would not only

    have been hunting you down, which by the way, I would have caught you. But beyond that, I would

    have been fighting for my life every day against the others in your iming.¡±

    When I look back at her, her eyes have narrowed on mine. ¡°No chance in hell you¡¯d have caught me,

    Alpha. I am my mother¡¯s daughter, after all.¡±

    I lean toward her, enjoying this little tete-a-tete. ¡°And I am my father¡¯s son. I don¡¯t lose, especially if I

    have my eye on the prize.¡±

    ¡°Am I a prize to you, Jaxon?¡±

    ¡°Evangeline, I think you¡¯d be a prize to anyone lucky enough to im you as their mate. But if I had to

    compete for you, fight against every other male in this contest, I¡¯d make sure that I won.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very arrogant considering the number of Alphas in thispetition.¡± She says, but I can see the

    slight blush of pleasure on her cheeks at my statement.

    ¡°Maybe, but that doesn¡¯t make it any less true.¡± I tell her. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get to theke before the sun

    sets.¡±

    We begin walking again, both of us quiet as we take in the territory.

    ¡°From a packnd perspective, it¡¯s not bad. It has several clearings, but overall the forest is dense, a

    perfect area for a wolfpack to run.¡± I say just as the scent of water hits my nose.

    ¡°We¡¯re close.¡± She says, lifting her nose into the air and smelling the water. ¡°How big is theke?¡± She

    asks.

    ¡°Fairlyrge from what my mother says. You can see across it, but it¡¯srge enough that if you were

    trying to get the person on the other side, they would have plenty of time to escape.¡±

    It¡¯s not much further before we reach the tip of theke. ¡°Oh wow, it isrge.¡± Eve says.

    ¡°I can see the waterfall at the back and see at the top? My mom said there¡¯s a cave up there where

    most of the contestants stayed their first night.¡±

    ¡°We should check it out.¡± Eve says.

    ¡°Definitely.¡±

    We walk along the edge of the water. I lean down, touching the water with my fingers.

    I look up at Eve, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± She says and leans down to touch it. ¡°Oh, are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± She asks.

    ¡°We have to go for a swim.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    ¡°Cave first, or swim first?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the cave.¡± She says.

    We get to the waterfall. It¡¯s loud enough that I can see how my mother was able to hide and not be

    heard when she was against the waterfall.

    We climb to the top of the waterfall and look back.

    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s one hell of a view.¡± I say. From up here, you can see so much of thend.

    ¡°I wonder which cliff my father caught my mother on.¡± Eve says, looking at a cliff off to our left.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask her. It¡¯s weird being here after all the years of hearing about how they were imed.¡±

    She says.

    I turn to walk into the cave. ¡°My mom said they started signing their names to the wall in here the year

    she was in the iming.¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh yeah, my mom said the same.¡± She says, following me into the cave.

    The cave is full of cobwebs and critters that squeak and slither, but I find a piece of old wood and an

    old fire starter. I flick the lighter on and the wood immediately catches.

    I see an old firepit with ashes still in it from past fires. I guess they never blew away because it¡¯s

    protected up here in the cave.

    I stand, holding the burning wood out in front of me.

    ¡°They slept in here?¡± Evangeline asks, sounding horrified.

    ¡°Well. I guess it was this, a tree or the ground.¡± I say, moving around the cave.

    ¡°There!¡± Eve says, stopping me and pointing to a ce at the edge of the light where the fire of the

    wood is reaching.

    I move toward it and Evees to stand beside me.

    ¡°Look, there is your mother¡¯s signature.¡± Eve says, pointing to my mother¡¯s words.

    ¡°And Beta Layan¡¯s¡­twice.¡± I say, seeing her words and remembering that my mother once told me that

    her first iming ended badly, but Beta Elijah caught her the second time. Well, actually, he made her

    im him. It¡¯s a big romantic story in our pack.

    ¡°There¡¯s my mother¡¯s signature.¡± Eve says, pointing to her mother¡¯s. I read Luna Katerina¡¯s then I read

    my mother¡¯s again.

    ¡°They were a year apart in their imings, right?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, I believe so, why?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Look. Your mother¡¯s words seem to be in response to my mother¡¯s. My mother said ¡®We will prevail.¡¯

    And your mother said ¡®We have prevailed.¡¯

    ¡°Wow. Oh, and look, there¡¯s my Aunt Sophia¡¯s signature.¡±

    I feel goosebumps raise on my skin.

    Eve turns to look at me. ¡°It¡¯s weird, right? Knowing they were here in this very spot and now we¡¯re here.

    They were trailzers for a new life, a different life that we now get to live.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this ce feels¡­. special.¡± I say and suddenly, I have an almost irresistible urge to kiss

    Evangeline.

    I step up to her, taking my free hand and running it into her hair. Her heart rate picks up and her

    breaths begin toe faster.

    Before I change my mind, I lean down, pressing my l*ips to hers. They are warm, and soft and I want

    so much more.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 15 Jaxon

    I drop the burning wood, tossing it in the direction of the firepit and put my other hand into her hair. Her

    arms slide up and around my neck, her fingers sliding into my hair.

    I move one hand down to her waist, pulling her to me, wanting her closer, wanting more. Her body

    presses against mine and I know she can feel my hard length between us. There¡¯s no hiding my

    attraction for her.

    She tastes so damn good, I lick the seam of her lips. She opens her mouth, sliding her tongue out to

    meet mine. My eyes practically roll back into my head. When I hear her soft moan, I realize I¡¯m not the

    only one that is feeling this pull. Eve is close enough to 18 that she¡¯s feeling the draw to me as well.

    Both of us seem ravenous, our tongues fighting for dominance, our bodies pushing together as if we¡¯re

    trying to meld into one being.

    When I smell her arousal, a possessive growl rumbles in my chest. A sound I¡¯ve never made before.

    When we pull away from each other, we put our foreheads together, panting and holding on to each

    other.

    ¡°Damn.¡± She says quietly.

    ¡°That¡¯s the understatement of the year. Holy s*hit. Eve. I hope you¡¯re nning to let me k*iss you

    again.¡± I say.

    ¡°Well, you did say something about a date.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, I need to k*iss you again, long before that. That was I don¡¯t even know how to describe what

    that was.¡±

    I close my eyes. I want nothing more than to tear oft¡¯ her clothes, and continue my exploration of her

    body, taste her until her sweet moans fill this cave and her screams of pleasure echo into the night.

    ¡°Hey, Jaxon, are you up there?¡± I pull my head away from Eve.

    ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Teagan.¡± F*uc*king c*oc*k blocker. ¡°Yeah, were up here.¡± I yell down. ¡°Who¡¯s we?¡± I hear Rowan ask.

    ¡°Evangeline and I are up here.¡± I shout back.

    ¡°Oh good, you found my sister.¡± I hear a male¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Alejandro.¡± She says quietly to me.

    ¡°Anything good up there, Evie?¡± I do recognize Magdalena¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Our mother¡¯s signatures from when they were in the iming.¡±

    ¡°Ohhhh.¡± There¡¯s a bustle of excitement and we hear them beginning to climb up the falls.

    I step away from Eve, turning to grab the wood that has nearly gone out. I look for another piece and

    light it just as they get to the top.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there. Enjoy.¡± Evangeline says to them, taking the stick out of my hand and giving it to them.

    ¡°Jaxon promised me a swim in theke.¡± She says, turning toward me.

    ¡°Race you!¡± She says, before running and leaping off the edge of the cliff, diving over the falls.

    I have a moment to be startled before I race to follow her into theke below.

    When I hit the water, it is warm and soothing to my still-sore muscles. I break the surface,ing up

    for air and hear the beautiful sound of Eve¡¯sughter.

    It has gotten dark while we were in the cave, so I take a chance while everyone else is up there and

    pull her to me. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I lean in for another scorching k*iss. We only

    pull away when we hear the othersing out of the eave above us.

    ¡°I could k*iss you all day.¡± I tell her quietly.

    ¡°I hope you n to do more with me than just k*iss me on our date.¡± She says, coyly, before pushing

    away from me.

    ¡°I¡¯m revising my ns to make sure I include ample time for kissing.¡± I say, happy that she seems to

    enjoy kissing me as much as I enjoy kissing her.

    ¡°Good.¡± She says as we hear a ssh next to us.

    Teagan surfaces close to us. ¡°That was really cool, seeing our mother¡¯s signatures from so long ago.

    Somehow, I want to leave my mark too.¡± She says.

    ¡°I love that idea, Teagan. We should figure out how we can do that.¡± Eve says.

    Several sshester and it has be a swimming party. Everyone is excited that they are moving

    forward, Alejandro excluded. But he seems perfectly happy to be celebrating with us.

    ¡°What do you think the next contest will be?¡± Magdalena asks.

    ¡°I heard some of the council members talking. I think it¡¯s going to be strength.¡± Alejandro says.

    ¡°Do you know if everyone has made it back from the race?¡± Eve asks.

    ¡°There were still about 30 people that hadn¡¯t made it in when we left toe out here.¡± Rowan

    answers.

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine still running.¡± Magdalena says.

    ¡°Me either.¡± Teagan says and we all agree.

    ¡°I assume they would have had to have stopped and at least eaten something by now. But I¡¯m sure

    they are wiped out. You have to give them credit for finishing though.¡± I say.

    ¡°Speaking of impressive, did you hear that at least two omegas made it into the top 100?¡± Alejandro

    says.

    ¡°What? No way! That¡¯s awesome.¡± Teagan says.

    ¡°I thought so. Good for them. They¡¯ll probably struggle in the next round if it is strength, but good for

    them for making it to the seeond round.¡± Alejandro says.

    We hang out a bit longer, but we¡¯re all still very tired from running overnight. We get out and walk back

    to the area where the finish line was set up. Just as we get there, we see one person hobbling toward

    the finish line. I look up and see that this is thest person, and they are all by themselves.

    I stop and begin pping. ¡°You can do it!¡± I say, encouraging the person. His head snaps up, looking at

    me.

    ¡°Yeah! Come on! You can do it!¡± Eve says,ing to stand beside me.

    Teagan does her shrill whistle that only she seems to be able to do. ¡°Come on, you got this!¡±

    We all stand in a semi-circle, pping and encouraging the man, who must be an omega, to finish his

    race.

    As soon as he crosses, he copses forward, and Alejandro and I rush to catch him.

    ¡°Great job, man! You did it!¡± Alejandro says to him.

    ¡°I did it.¡± The man says smiling like a fool, but he¡¯s practically passing out.

    ¡°I got him.¡± Alpha Aiden says rushing up. He is Alpha Zaire and Luna Gia¡¯s oldest son and took over

    their pack several years ago.

    ¡°I just realized you weren¡¯t back yet, Carl. Nice job, buddy. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Alpha Aiden says to him.

    ¡°Thanks, Alpha.¡± He says and Aiden swings him up into his arms before cany mg him back inside.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. Everyone is ounted for.¡± Councilman Jason says walking over to us.

    ¡°Congrattions to all of you. Well, except you. Alpha Alejandro. I guess we¡¯ll be seeing all of you at

    the dinner and announcement tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°Yes, councilman.¡± We say before heading inside.

    Our group begins heading inside. All of us feeling the drag of the race. When we get inside, it¡¯s quiet,

    most everyone is in bed asleep. A few are up and eating again after having napped to take the edge off

    of the sleeplessness of the race.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    We¡¯ve just walked through the dining room, the others getting a few steps ahead of us, when I pull Eve

    into a dark corridor.

    ¡°Jax, what are you doing?¡± She whispers.

    Rather than answer, I take her mouth in another passionate k*iss. I k*iss her until she¡¯s clinging to me,

    and we both need to breathe.

    ¡°Giving you a good night k*iss.¡±

    I take her hand pulling her to catch up to our families, dropping her hand when we get there. As she

    turns to head to her room, she turns back to me.

    ¡°Sleep well, Evangeline.¡± I say, winking at her before turning to my own room, a permanent smile on my

    face.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 16 Evangeline

    I walk into my room, still dazed from kissing Jaxon. Wow, that man can k*iss.

    Almost immediately, I¡¯m waid by Maggie.

    ¡°Do you want to exin to me why you and Super Hotty were in that dark cave all alone and why now

    your eyes are zed over, your lips look puffy, and you have a dopey smile on your face?¡±

    ¡°He kissed me.¡± I say quietly, my lingersing to my lips that are still tingling after thatst k*iss. It

    was so unexpected, so naughty; so¡­.delicious. That¡¯s the only word I can use to describe how Jaxon

    tastes. J

    ¡°Tell me EVERYTHING!¡± Maggie says, plopping down on the bed, looking at me with excitement in her

    eyes.

    ¡°I¡­.well, he asked me on a date earlier. Geez, was that just this morning?¡±

    ¡°So this was a date?¡± She asks.

    ¡°No, this was idental. His family was waiting for Raelyn to cross the finish line and I went out to

    stand with them. After she came in, he wanted to look around the territory and we ended up in the

    cave. At first, we were just looking around but then¡­.¡±

    I remember how something had seemed to crackle in the air. He reached out to k*iss me at almost the

    same moment I began to feel a desperate need to be kissed by him. And it was like all that magical

    energy in the cave just wrapped around us. I couldn¡¯t get enough of him, his scent, his taste, the

    warmth of his body pressed against mine.

    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Maggie asks me.

    I don¡¯t want to tell her that I could very clearly feel Jaxon¡¯s arousal pressed between us. ¡°He¡¯s an

    amazing kisser, Maggie. I mean, holy goddess! His lips are divine. Soft and warm but still strong and

    when he slid his tongue into my mouth¡­¡±

    I look up and see Maggie¡¯s eyes wide, her hands clenched to her chest. She and I have always been

    extremely close, so she knows this was my first k*iss and I know she¡¯s only gotten kisses that were

    pecks from guys at school.

    ¡°Do you think all kisses are like that?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°I have no idea, but I know that he seemed to want more just as much as I did.¡±

    Her eyes go even wider. ¡°Do you think that means that you¡¯re a good k*isser too?¡±

    ¡°I guess. I don¡¯t know. I hope so.¡± I tell her and I really do hope so. I want Jax k*issing me again, soon.

    Maggie flops back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so romantic.¡± Then she pops back up.

    ¡°What if he¡¯s your mate, Evie?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Maggie. I still want to win thispetition. I want to be an Alpha.¡± But it makes me

    wonder about his question and our conversation earlier about finding my mate. He was clear that he

    would be willing to be co-Alphas. I wonder if he knows something I don¡¯t. He is 18 after all.

    ¡°Well, you have time to figure it out and apparently at least one date to talk about it. Wow, you and

    Super Hotty.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I say, getting up to change into my pajamas. ¡°Tomorrow will be interesting. I can¡¯t wait to see

    what the nextpetition is going to be like.¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    The next morning there is a bustle of activity all over. The finish line has been removed, but the

    scoreboard is still standing with the top 100 on disy. After breakfast, Maggie and I head over to see

    ourpetition. Not surprisingly, everyone that is on our list is on the board.

    ¡°Checking out thepetition?¡± Lazio says,ing up behind us.

    ¡°Hey, where have you been?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Eating and sleeping. Haven¡¯t you?¡± He asks, looking at me.

    ¡°We went into the territoryst night. We got to see mom¡¯s signature on the cave wall and swam in the

    lake.¡± Maggie tells him.

    ¡°Who else went?¡± He asks frowning.

    ¡°Al was there and Alpha Jaxon and two of his sisters.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I guess I missed out. Damn.¡± He looks disappointed a moment, before his face lights up again.

    ¡°Hey, did you hear the gossip?¡± He asks.

    ¡°No, what?¡±

    ¡°Apparently Alpha Tobias found his mate. You know how Alpha Tank is mated to Gianna, Alpha Asher

    and Luna Mignon¡¯s oldest daughter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Maggie and I say together.

    ¡°Well. Tobias is Tank¡¯s younger brother, and his mate is¡­¡±

    ¡°Lazio, tell us!¡± Maggie says, nudging him.

    ¡°His mate is via, Gianna¡¯s younger sister.¡±

    ¡°So, the brothers are mated to sisters?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Is thatmon? To have families mated to each other.¡±

    ¡°How would I know. I¡¯m too young to even smell my mate. And were really the first generation where

    there are enough females to actually have mates, so¡­.it¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess.¡±

    ¡°Well. I guess those two packs will always have an alliance. And isn¡¯t Gianna and via¡¯s brother

    Paolo is scheduled to take over his pack in the next few months?¡±

    ¡°He is, and that¡¯s another interesting conversation. While via doesn¡¯t n to leave thepetition,

    even though she knows she¡¯s mated to Tobias, it looks like Paolo has found his mate, only she¡¯s not

    quite 18 yet. But she will be by the next event and she¡¯s in the top 100. I heard Councilman Jason say

    this morning that they are going to include some runner ups in the finalists in case some of the females

    find their mates and drop out during the contest.¡±

    ¡°Who does he think his mate is?¡± Maggie asks.

    ¡°Noelle, Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel¡¯s oldest daughter.¡±

    I¡¯m shocked. ¡°She¡¯s in the top 10. You think she¡¯ll just drop out of thepetition?¡± I ask. Even if I

    realized that Jaxon is my mate, I¡¯m like via, I¡¯ m not dropping out.

    ¡°It¡¯s all rumor at this point, but from what I hear. Noelle never wanted to be an Alpha. However, she¡¯s

    perfectly happy to be a Luna.¡±

    ¡°Why does Paolo think that Noelle is his mate?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Uhhh, something about how she smells, or something like that. As I said I¡¯m too young to have found

    my mate, so I¡¯m just going off what he said. You two are closer to finding your mates than I am. Anyone

    smell good around here?¡±

    Both Maggie and I duck our heads. Which makes me wonder who she thinks smells good. I¡¯ll have to

    ask her. She¡¯s only six months younger than I am, so she could be feeling the pull to someone, and if

    so, that will only increase as thepetition continues.

    At that moment. I¡¯m saved from answering by a flying Maka. She leaps, somehow managing to

    attach herself to both Lazio and me, hanging on to us like a monkey.

    ¡°Wooo! Look at my family on that leaderboard! It makes me wish I could havepeted. I¡¯d love to see

    my name up there with all of yours.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s always the Beta trials, Makie.¡± Alejandro says, walking up.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯d rather be a Luna.¡±

    I turn and look at her. ¡°You know it doesn¡¯t work like that, right?¡±

    She shrugs. ¡°It could though, right? Even if I¡¯m not mated to an Alpha, one could choose me as his

    mate, and I could choose him.¡±

    I just shake my head at her.

    ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡± Maggie says.

    ¡°It¡¯s a free day, we get to rx until tonight. Some people will be packing up and leaving, others will

    stay for the festivities. I think they are nning a swim party at theke in the territory, tours of the pack

    lands for anyone interested or you can just hang out and look at your name on the leaderboard.¡±

    Alejandro says.

    ¡°I vote for swimming!¡± Maka says. ¡°I second that!¡± Lazio says.

    I look at Maggie and Al. ¡°It was nice at night. I¡¯d like to get a better look at theke during the day. If I

    end up winning and get stuck with thisnd, I¡¯d like to know what I¡¯m getting myself into.¡± I say.

    ¡°A day of swimming it is.¡± Alejandro says.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 17 Jaxon

    The next morning, I woke feeling great. My future mate may not realize that she¡¯s my mate yet, but

    she¡¯s definitely feeling the draw. I need to take this time before she turns 18 to show her that we can

    have everything together. I¡¯m not really sure what would happen if we both win. Would they let us

    combine territories? Something to worry aboutter. Today, I get to see my mate again.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I¡¯m getting out of bed as Jacees out of the shower. ¡°Hey, man. What are you up to today?¡± I ask

    him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check in with Jordan and see what needs to be done for the pack. With all of us here, I

    want to make sure that nothing goes undone.¡± He says.

    ¡°Spoken like a true Alpha.¡± I say to him.

    He shrugs. ¡°We¡¯ll see even if I don¡¯t get a pack. I¡¯m still one of the lucky ones that have a position in a

    great pack. Your sister is a great Alpha.¡±

    I narrow my eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of how good my sister is at running the pack.¡±

    He looks at me. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m so used to defending your sister to others that it just conies naturally to me.¡±

    ¡°Defending her to whom?¡± I ask, standing up.

    ¡°Oh,e on Jaxon, you know what everyone says about her. That just because she¡¯s a woman, she

    can¡¯t run a pack.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard and considering the strength of the Lunas in the packs, I¡¯m

    surprised that there is that much discussion about it.¡± I say. Yeah, I hear it, but apparently not as much

    as Jace does.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t think she¡¯s strong, for a LUNA, just not as an Alpha.¡±

    I growl low and menacing. ¡°Next time someone says something about my sister, ask them if they feel

    strongly enough about what they¡¯re saying to challenge her. If not, they need to shut their fucking

    mouths. If they do challenge her, they¡¯ll see just how much of an Alpha my sister truly is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± He says smirking.

    ¡°So, anything new on the Taylor front?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Nah. Still status quo.¡± He says.

    ¡°What happens if you get your pack? Are you going to ask her to be your Luna?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°You¡¯re assuming she won¡¯t win her own pack.¡± He says.

    ¡°True, if there is one woman in thispetition that could win one of the ten-packnds, my money is

    on Taylor,¡± I say, looking at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my business, but what¡¯s the deal anyway?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you with my sister. There¡¯s a draw there. What¡¯s the deal?¡±

    He stops looking for clothes, turning to give me his full attention. ¡°I have the utmost respect for your

    sister. She¡¯s my Alpha. An Alpha deserves to have a mate who is also an Alpha. No matter what you

    think you see between me and your sister, there can never be anything between us. I¡¯m a Gamma.

    She¡¯s an Alpha.¡±

    ¡°That may be the most ridiculous thing you¡¯ve ever said. Alphas take Gammas, warriors, even omegas

    as mates all the time.¡¯¡¯ I say to him.

    He shakes his head. ¡°Were you not listening a moment ago? Your sister is already climbing an uphill

    battle with the older men in our packs and some of the younger ones. They aren¡¯t outwardly against

    her, but they don¡¯t feel that a woman should lead a pack. She needs a strong man by her side, an

    Alpha.¡±

    I look at him more closely. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re in thispetition? So, you can officially be an

    Alpha and im my sister?¡±

    He turns away, not answering me.

    ¡°Jace! Seriously? What¡¯s your motivation? Then what the hell are you doing with Taylor?¡±

    ¡°Drop it, Jaxon.¡± He snarls at me.

    ¡°No! This is my sister we¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Right, your sister. So, b*ut*t out. This has nothing to do with you.¡± He says.

    I get into his face. ¡°So help me, goddess, if you hurt my sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it! I¡¯m not, I would never hurt her. I¡¯m giving her exactly what she needs, the space and

    freedom to choose someone that is right for her, someone that deserves her, that can do right by her!¡±

    He shouts back at me.

    I step back, gritting my teeth. ¡°I never thought you were stupid, Jace. But if this is truly how you feel,

    then maybe you¡¯re right and my sister does deserve someone smart enough to realize that no matter

    what, no matter the mountain they have to climb. Jordan is worth it.¡±

    ¡°I know she¡¯s worth it. It isn¡¯t her that¡¯s the problem.¡± He snaps, grabs a shirt and stomps out of the

    room.

    ¡°You got that right,¡± I mutter as the door ms behind him.

    I shower and head downstairs to get some food. I find Teagan, Rowan, and Raelyn sitting around the

    table. Raelyn looks sad and Teagan and Rowan look like they are trying to cheer her up.

    I walk up behind her, leaning over to wrap my arms around her and kissing the top of her head. ¡°What¡¯s

    up, buttercup?¡± I ask her.

    She sniffles and I tilt my head to the side to look at her, seeing a tear slide down her face.

    ¡°She thinks she let us down,¡± Rowan says to me.

    ¡°Why?¡± I ask, frowning.

    ¡°Because she didn¡¯te in the top 100,¡± Teagan says.

    I sit beside my sister, my back to the table so I can face her.

    ¡°Raelyn, you finished the race, and you did it in decent time. Over a hundred people came in behind

    you. And so, what if you didn¡¯te in the top 100. You¡¯re one of the youngestpetitors out there.

    I¡¯m proud of you, you did great.¡± I tell her.

    She looks up at me. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really! Now, dry those tears and eat some breakfast, I hear there is swimming today at theke. We

    were therest night and it¡¯s really nice.¡± I say.

    ¡°There¡¯s a waterfall,¡± Rowan says.

    ¡°And the cave where 1110m signed her name when she was in the iming,¡± Teagan says.

    ¡°That sounds fun!¡± She says, perking up. ¡°We should get Harper. She was sad too that we didn¡¯t win.¡±

    ¡°The more, the merrier,¡± I say. ¡°Are you good?¡± I ask her.

    She nods. ¡°Thanks, Jax.¡±

    I go get food and when Ie back, Raelyn is no longer at the table.

    ¡°Where¡¯d she go?¡± I ask.

    ¡°To get Harper. How do you always do that?¡± Rowan asks me.

    ¡°Do what?¡± I ask, digging into my food.

    ¡°We¡¯d been trying to cheer her up for half an hour, you walk up and suddenly it¡¯s rainbows, sunshine

    and swimming,¡± Teagan says to me.

    I wag my eyebrows at them. ¡°Must be my brotherly charm.¡±

    They roll their eyes at me just as Raelyn and Harpere running up. ¡°Ready?¡± She asks.

    ¡°Let me go change real quick and then I will be,¡± I say, putting my tray away and heading to my room to

    change.

    I wonder if Eve and her family will be at theke today. I really hope so. I want to steal more kisses

    from my future mate.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 18 Evangeline

    Theke is packed with people when we arrive. Apparently, everyone had the same idea we did.

    From what I understand, thisnd used to sit idle throughout the year until it was time for that year¡¯s

    iming. Since the iming ended years ago, no one has been here, and during that time, mother

    nature has staked her im on thiske. The edges of theke are lush with nts and flowers and the

    water is pristine, clear. The waterfall finishes off the image of a tropical getaway hidden deep within a

    forest, and that¡¯s basically what this ce is.

    Maka goes racing into the water and I turn to Alejandro. ¡°Are you on watch duty since dad¡¯s not

    here?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡± He asks me, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°Who knows, maybe a cute brte wille to theke today.¡± I say, teasing him about the time he¡¯s

    been spending with Teagan.

    I should have known better. ¡°Yeah, and maybe her brother will show up too.¡± He says, teasing me right

    back.

    ¡°You know Alpha Jaxon is already 18.¡± He says to me.

    ¡°I do.¡± I say, not looking at him and pulling towels out of our bag.

    ¡°And you¡¯re nearly 18.¡± He says, watching me closely.

    ¡°And? What¡¯s your point, Al?¡±

    ¡°No point, other than the obvious.¡±

    I stop and look at him. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    He stops, standing to his full height and looking at me. ¡°Evie, I already feel a pull to Teagan and I¡¯m not

    even 17 yet. She¡¯s a year older than I am and she says she feels it too. If we feel it and we¡¯re both

    younger than you and Jax¡­¡± He lets the rest of the sentence go unsaid. But he doesn¡¯t need to finish.

    I do feel a pull to Jaxon, but I can¡¯t let that interfere with this contest. I came here intending to win, and I

    n to do that, no matter what.

    I¡¯ve been swimming for a while when the man in questiones walking up to theke with his family.

    From the shadow of the overhang where I¡¯m currently sitting on a rock ledge, I have a birds-eye view of

    his fantastic body. He¡¯s wearing swim shorts and nothing else. His skin is golden brown, his chest and

    arms defined by muscle, sliding down to a narrow waist and hips before ending with muscr thighs

    and calves. The man is pure Alpha.

    As an Alpha, I should be immune, but when ites to Jaxon, I¡¯m nothing more than a drooling

    schoolgirl.

    I watch as he looks around, noticing when he spots Maka who is now sunning herself beside the

    lake. I watch as his eyes narrow and he begins searching the area surrounding theke and finally,

    searching theke until his eyesnd on mine. A slow smile spreads across his face.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I see Rowan smack him and he startles, frowning and looking at her before handing her their bag. I

    guess she was trying to get his attention and he wasn¡¯t paying attention. Neither was I, my focus is

    completely on him.

    As soon as he hands over the bag, he¡¯s moving, heading straight for me. The butterflies in my stomach

    take flight and I¡¯m filled with anticipation at seeing him again.

    He says hello to several people before diving under water. I try to follow his progress, but I¡¯m too low in

    the water to see him. I¡¯ve just about decided that I¡¯ve lost him somewhere when he pops up right in

    front of me.

    ¡°Oh!¡± I exim.

    ¡°Hello, Eve.¡±

    His hair is wet and water is dripping down his face, his long eyshes are clumped together by the

    water and his grey eyes are sparkling with mischief.

    ¡°Hello Jaxon,¡± I say, watching him as he slowly moves closer to me. I feel my heart begin to race.

    Damn this man is sexy. Is this the mate bond, pulling me toward him, or is it just him?

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He asks, and I feel his fingers, graze my hips under the water. I shiver at the

    contact, and I watch his eyes darken.

    ¡°I did, how about you?¡± I ask, reaching my hand out to touch the muscles on his stomach. I gently slide

    my fingers up the squared ridges of his stomach, feeling him quiver at my touch. Oh yeah, I like this

    strong man bing putty in my hands.

    ¡°I had fantastic dreams.¡± He says and I can tell by the way he says it that they were about me.

    ¡°Care to share?¡± I ask, feeling his hand follow the path on my stomach that my fingers took on his.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± He says, his eyes never leaving mine.

    ¡°And why is that?¡± I ask, once again enjoying our little game. I take a finger and slide it between his

    pectoral muscles just until my finger gets to the surface and then I slide it back down.

    Almost immediately, his finger slides between my breasts, following the same motion.

    I bite my lip as my breath hitches, his finger grazes the insides of my breasts as he strokes his way

    back down. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to make you blush.¡± He says, smirking at me.

    ¡°Mmm, that good, huh?¡± I ask.

    He pulls his hand out of the water and gestures for me toe closer. Since there already isn¡¯t much

    space between us, I have to move close enough that I can feel the heat from his neck against my face.

    His mouthes to my ear. ¡°It was really, really good.¡± He whispers.

    I sit back and I know I¡¯m blushing.

    I give a coy shrug. ¡°Maybe someday you¡¯ll tell me.¡± I say.

    ¡°Maybe someday, I¡¯ll show you.¡± He says. I¡¯m fairly certain that the heat of my body is about to make

    the water around us start to boil when I hear a cry over my head.

    ¡°CANNONBALL!¡±

    A momentter, Jaxon and I are doused with water. Raelyn surfacesughing. ¡°Gotcha, Jaxon!¡± She

    says sshing him and starting to swim away.

    ¡°You¡¯re dead meat now, little sister.¡± He says before taking off after her.

    I watch as Jaxon catches Raelyn and she squeals in delight. Then he tosses her into the air, sending

    her sshing into deeper water.

    A couple minutester, Magdalenaes to sit beside me on the ledge in the water.

    ¡°Just so you know, I wasn¡¯t the only one that saw that s*ex*y interaction between you and Super Hotty.

    Don¡¯t be surprised if Dad says something.¡±

    My eyes snap up and sure enough, I see my father watching Jaxon with narrowed eyes.

    S*hi*t!

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 19 Jaxon

    Raelyn is hanging on me like a monkey. I¡¯ve thrown her into the air countless times, especially when I

    saw Eve get out of the water and saw just how fantastic her body is.

    I was partly d that Raelyn had interrupted out little tease because I was so hard, I thought my dick

    was going to explode if she even grazed it identally. Once I swam away, it took at bit, but my dick

    was finally starting to soften, and then Evangeline had to go and get out of the water.

    I watched as she gracefully pulled herself out of theke, using the edge of the overhang where she¡¯d

    been sitting. Even Raelyn swimming back over and practically choking me didn¡¯t help my situation. The

    woman is all grace and confidence and I swear if there was a private spot in thiske, I¡¯d have relieved

    my painful erection.

    I stay in the water longer than I would have, ying with Raelyn and letting my body finally calm down.

    Geez, if I ever do get my chance with Eve, I need to be prepared. I would hate for our first time together

    to give her the impression that I¡¯ m a two-pump chump. That would be mortifying.

    When I do finally get out, I¡¯m not paying attention to anything other than Eve in my peripheral vision. I¡¯m

    afraid if I look at her, my d*ic*k will instantly respond. So, I¡¯m distracted and surprised when her father

    steps in front of me.

    ¡°AIpha Jaxon.¡± He says, his voice serious.

    ¡°AIpha Luke.¡± I say, stopping short and looking at him. He¡¯s close to my height, maybe an inch or so

    shorter than I am.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to remind you that my daughter is not yet 18 and unable to identify her mate, do I?¡±

    ¡°No, Alpha. I am perfectly aware that your daughter is still several months away from her birthday.

    Beyond that, I respect that she wants to win thispetition. So even if she finds her mate during the

    contest, which is very likely, I¡¯m sure she will wait until thepetition is over before making any

    decisions about epting her mate.¡±

    He looks at me a long moment. ¡°And what about you, Alpha? Will you be waiting until the end of the

    competition if you find your mate?¡± He asks me.

    ¡°That will depend on my mate. If she is in the contest and wants to continue topete, I will wait for

    her and see what happens. If not, then, I would want to ept my mate as soon as possible so that

    when I win, she and I can begin to build our pack together right away.¡±

    He narrows his eyes at me. ¡°You¡¯re very much like your father, do you know that?¡±

    I smile at him. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± I say to him.

    He rolls his eyes. ¡°Yeah, he would have too. Just remember what I said, Jaxon. My daughter wants to

    win, and I have no doubt that she can. Don¡¯t get in the way of her winning her pack if that¡¯s what she

    wants.¡±

    ¡°I would never dream of taking my mate¡¯s dreams away from her. We would just need to find a way to

    work together. Which your daughter and I have already discussed.¡± I tell him.

    His head jerks in surprise. ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha, we have. We had a lot of time together during our run. I took that opportunity to get to

    know Evangeline.

    And, you may as well know, she has agreed to go on a date with me. I fully intend to have more than

    one date with your daughter between now and the next contest.¡±

    He grits his teeth. ¡°That will be up to her.¡± I nod my head.

    ¡°Dad? Jaxon? Is everything alright?¡± Eve says jogging up to us.

    ¡°Yes, Evangeline. I was just making sure that Jaxon and I had an understanding.¡± He says before he

    pulls Eve to him and kissing the top of her head.

    ¡°Where is your sister?¡± He asks.

    ¡°Thest I saw, Al was chasing after her into the forest.¡± She tells him.

    He sighs a heavy, exasperated sigh. ¡°I¡¯d better go find her before she gets into something she

    shouldn¡¯t.¡± He shakes his head and turns to head into the forest.

    I turn to Eve. ¡°I was just getting ready to head back to the packhouse. I want to shower before dinner.

    Care to join me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to. Give me a minute.¡± She runs back to get her towel and say something to Magdalena.

    From the corner of my eye, I see Magdalena smirk, looking over at me, but I¡¯m trying to find my sister.

    Rowen left a while ago, Teagan is nowhere to be found, probably traipsing through the forest with

    Alpha Alejandro chasing Maka, but Raelyn is still hanging out with Harper.

    ¡®I¡¯m heading back, are you good?¡¯ I ask her in the mind link.

    Her head pops up. ¡®I¡¯m good. Harper wants to swim some more. I¡¯ll stay with her and Aunt Hana.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, see you at dinner.¡¯ I tell her just as Evees jogging back up.

    We turn and begin walking back to the packhouse. We¡¯re quiet at first and I wonder if she¡¯s shy after

    our little adventure earlier.

    I decide to just bring it up. ¡°Well that was¡­¡± I say just as she says, ¡°So earlier¡­¡±

    We both stop talking and look at each other before we burst intoughter.

    ¡°You first,¡± I say.

    ¡°No, you first,¡± she replies.

    ¡°I was going to say that that was very enjoyable earlier. The only thing missing my being able to kiss

    you.¡± I tell her honestly.

    ¡°Do you think it was the risk of getting caught that made it so exciting?¡± She asks me.

    ¡°For me, I loved touching you. The risk factor just added to the intensity of the moment.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    I stop, looking at her. ¡°So, you liked touching me?¡± I ask her.

    She nods, a pale pink blush spreading across her cheeks.

    I step into her space. ¡°Good, because I really liked how it felt when you touched me. So, feel free to do

    it any time.¡± I tell her.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    Her hands go to my bare chest, sliding out to my shoulders and down my arms. Her eyes never leave

    mine. ¡°Do you like that?¡±

    Rather than answer, I pull her against me, letting her feel how hard I am once again. ¡°You tell me.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm, that feels like a yes.¡± She says.

    I quickly look around, making sure we¡¯re alone before I lean in and take her mouth in our most

    passionate kiss yet.

    I bury one hand in her hair, holding her as I devour her mouth, tasting her sweetness, while the other

    hand holds her too me.

    I growl possessively when I hear her soft whimper, her arms around my neck, leaning into me, curling

    her body against mine.

    When I feel my canines extend, I pull back, looking at her shocked expression that must mirror my own.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I say, moving to release her but she holds me in ce.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to slice my lip open, Alpha, you should at least seal the wound with a kiss.¡± She says

    and I can see that, while she¡¯s already healing, my canines did slice into her bottom lip.

    Very carefully, I lean forward and suck her lip into my mouth, licking the wound and tasting the blood

    from where I hurt her.

    When it¡¯s healed, I release her lip and pull back, this time keeping my arms wrapped around her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ept your apology for hurting me, as long as you aren¡¯t apologizing for being so turned on by me

    that your canines came out.¡± She says.

    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ll never apologize for that. You are one s*ex*y little Alpha and if I¡¯m not apologizing for having

    the worst hardon of my life, I won¡¯t be apologizing for my caninesing out.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± She says and we begin walking back again.

    When we get back to the packhouse, I walk her to her room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner.¡± I say.

    She bites her lip, looking at mine. I wait and it¡¯s only a moment before she takes my face in her hands

    and kisses me. It¡¯s quick, but I¡¯ll take it.

    ¡°See you soon, Jax.¡± She says, stepping into her room and giving me a shy smile. ¡°Not soon enough,

    Eve.¡± I say as she closes the door.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 20 Evangeline

    Maggie and I get ready for dinner then head downstairs. They will announce the winners of the

    marathon and then announce the next contest and timeframe tonight. I¡¯m nervous and excited.

    We meet up with our family and sit at the table with him. As I look around, I see that every table seems

    to be seated by family and pack. Most of the Alpha tables have more than one person moving into the

    next phase of thepetition. Every pack has someone moving on.

    As dinner is served, there is a low-level chatter around the room. The excitement and energy in the

    room is tangible, making the younger pups and the omegas antsy. My father made sure Maka was

    sitting beside him to help keep her calm. As I look out over the groups, I see that Jaxon¡¯s father, Alpha

    Mason has done the same with Raelyn.

    Other families with younger pups are having a harder time keeping their children settled.

    As our tes are being taken away, Councilman Jason moves to the small stage set up in front of the

    dining room. ¡°Good evening, everyone. We¡¯d like to start off tonight by announcing our winners.¡±

    He begins to list off the winners by pack. There is a lot of extra cheering for the two omegas, when they

    are announced, since this is a huge aplishment for them. There is a nearly even distribution of

    winners among the ten existing packs. We have nine winners moving on from our pack.

    Once the winners are announced, Councilman Jason takes an envelope provided by a councilwoman.

    He opens the envelope. ¡°The next round of the contest will be strength. You will have three months to

    prepare for this part of thepetition. We rmend that our five runners-up also prepare for the

    competition, in the event that someone drops out of the contest or is unable to participate for some

    reason.¡±

    He stops, waiting for the murmurs to quiet. ¡°The nextpetition will be another elimination round. At

    the end of thatpetition, only 50 contestants will remain in thepetition. Again, we will take

    several runners-up to ensure that there is no gap in thepetition.¡±

    This time, people begin talking more loudly. I look at Lazio and Maggie.

    ¡°Another elimination round? Is that fair to the omegas?¡±

    My father leans forward. ¡°This is a contest to be Alpha. If you can¡¯t defeat anyone and everyone

    on the field, then you shouldn¡¯t be an Alpha.¡± It¡¯s not arrogant, the way my father says it, it¡¯s a fact, and

    he¡¯s right. If you can¡¯t defeat your opponent, then you shouldn¡¯t be eligible to be an Alpha.

    When the room quiets again, Councilman Jason continues. ¡°The battles will be randomly selected on

    the first day, so no one will know who they will go up against until the day of thepetition. There will

    be no delineation between pack, gender, or rank. Every battle will bepletely random. That also

    means it is possible that you could go up against your own family member. Alphas will sometimes be

    challenged by a family member, so you would need to be able to defeat an opponent, even if it is

    someone in your family.¡±

    That sparks a whole other level of discussion among the groups.

    ¡°Well, if either of you end up against me, sorry about your luck, you¡¯re going down,¡± Lazio says to me

    and Maggie.

    We both snort. ¡°Good luck with that, little bro.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll be eating dirt before you know it if you have to go up against me.¡± Maggie tells him.

    I can see my father smiling at our banter from where he¡¯s sitting. It¡¯s a proud smile, his children aren¡¯t

    afraid of the challenge or the possibility of having to battle each other. Although, that makes me think

    about the possibility of fighting Jaxon.

    I look over and my eyes meet grey ones looking back at me. Oh shit, he¡¯s had the same idea.

    As I watch, a smile spreads across his face. I just shake my head at him. He¡¯s not taking me down. His

    smile just gets bigger.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    Councilman Jason gets our attention again and everyone turns their heads back to the stage.

    ¡°The sparring matches will be a best two out of three. You must pin, disable or incapacitate your

    opponent. If an opponent taps out, the win will go to the otherpetitor. Thepetition will run over

    three days. The first two days, all contestants will fight. On the third day, only the contestants that have

    won one battle each will fight again to move on. There can be no tie. All battles are final.¡±

    The chatter starts again, and Councilman Jason raises his voice.

    ¡°Are there any questions?¡±

    He waits but no one asks anything. ¡°Very well, then. I will see all of you in three months. Good luck,¡± he

    says stepping down.

    The chatter starts back up immediately. Maggie, Lazio and I all lean in to talk. ¡°So, conceivably we

    could be partnered with an Alpha, an omega, or anyone in between. It also means it¡¯s possible that the

    two omegas are partnered up and one of them moves forward, potentially taking the ce of an Alpha

    that was defeated by another Alpha,¡± Maggie says. ¡°And of course, none of us will know who we are

    fighting until the day of the first battles,¡± I say.

    ¡°Well, if they were trying to make it interesting, they certainly did. This round will be as much up to

    chance as it will be skill,¡± Lazio adds.

    There is a band that moves onto the stage and begins ying music. The center of the room is set up

    as a dance floor. I watch as mated couples begin pulling each other onto the floor to dance.

    I watch as Tobias and via, the newest mated couple, walk onto the dance floor. ¡°So, I have an idea,¡±

    Alejandro says,ing to sit with us.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I think we need to get all three of you trained on different styles of fighting. That way, no matter who

    your opponent is, you win,¡± he says.

    ¡°Who would we even get?¡± Lazio asks.

    ¡°I was just speaking to dad about that. There are six fighters that have trained packs or specifically,

    Alphas, in the past. They are older, but they all have a different fighting style. Dad is going to reach out

    and see if we can schedule them toe in two weeks at a time. That way, you learn the technique,

    and have time to practice before the next onees in. He¡¯s gone off to start calling now, expecting

    that the other Alphas will be doing the same thing.¡±

    I look at the end of the table and sure enough, my father is gone. My mother is now sitting beside

    Maka who is bouncing in her seat.

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± Lazio says. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just hope we can get all of them.¡± Maggie says, looking

    around. When I follow her line of sight, I realize that nearly all of the Alphas are gone. Damn, my father

    was right. They¡¯re all trying to strengthen the odds of their pack members winning.

    I¡¯m just about to turn back to my family when I hear his deep voice behind me.

    ¡°Excuse me, Alpha Evangeline. May I have this dance?¡± Jaxon asks,ing to stand beside me and

    holding out his hand.

    I look up into those grey eyes, dancing with mischief.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, I would be honored,¡± I say,ying my hand inside of his.

    He leads me onto the dance floor. Btedly, I realize that it¡¯s a slow song.

    He pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist. I slide my arms around his neck.

    ¡°There, that¡¯s much better,¡± he says.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 21 Jaxon

    Dancing with Evangeline is the highlight of my night. She fits against me perfectly. When Dad and

    Jordan left to start calling the fight gurus, I knew this was my chance. I only have one more night before

    I¡¯ll go back to my pack and Evangeline will go back to hers. I know I want to date her for the next few

    months, but seeing her one day or evening a week won¡¯t be enough.

    ¡®Jordan, would you be okay with me inviting Alpha Luke and Luna Katerina¡¯s family to spend some time

    at our pack, training with us.¡¯ ¡®Training? Is that what we¡¯re calling it these days?¡± she asks as I moved

    toward Evangeline in the crowded room.

    ¡®There will be some training.¡¯

    ¡®Sure, Jax. Invite your mate and her family to visit our pack.¡¯

    ¡®Jordan, she doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s my mate, she¡¯s not 18 yet.¡¯

    ¡®Trust me, Jax, she knows.¡¯

    Her response makes me pause. ¡®You and I need to have a conversation in the very near future,

    Jordan.¡¯

    Her sigh lets me know that I¡¯m right.

    ¡®Thanks, sis,¡¯ I say, thanking her for letting me invite my mate and her family to our pack. As the Alpha,

    or soon to be Alpha, it¡¯s her decision.

    ¡®Because I¡¯ve ever said no to you?¡¯

    ¡®Because you¡¯re the best and you¡¯re going to be an incredible Alpha.¡¯

    ¡®Got news for you, I already am.¡¯

    That makes me smile as I walk up to Eve. ¡®Yeah, you are.¡¯

    Now, as I dance around with my mate in my arms, I know I need to see her again soon.

    ¡°What do you think your father and your family would say toing to our pack and training with us.

    Come stay a week each month,¡± I ask her.

    ¡°That will depend on the schedule he gets for the fight champs, or whatever they are.¡±

    ¡°Guru is the term dad and Jordan used.¡±

    She looks around the room. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that our weeks won¡¯t be filled for the entire time, and maybe,

    if your pack gets a guru we don¡¯t¡­¡±

    She looks at me. ¡°We could invite you toe train. And, vice versa, your father and brother could be

    nice and invite me and my sisters toe train,¡± I finish for her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Al. He¡¯s more likely to allow it than dad who already has you on his dad radar.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I went straight to Jordan,¡± I say.

    ¡°I think we can make it work,¡± she says.

    ¡°When do I get my date?¡± I ask.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°When do you want it, Alpha?¡± she asks in a flirty tone that has me going hard and has her smirking at

    her power over me.

    I growl softly and have the satisfaction of watching eyes widen and her mouth open on a gasp.

    That¡¯s right gorgeous, two can y at this game. We¡¯re pressed so close together that I can feel her

    nipples as they harden against my body.

    ¡°What is it, exactly, that you¡¯re offering Evangeline?¡± I ask her, my voice low and seductive.

    She licks her lips as I slowly spin her around the dance floor. ¡°We were talking about a date?¡± She says

    and the flirty tone has been reced by false bravado. She¡¯s trying to act like she¡¯s not as impacted by

    our closeness as I am, but I can feel her body¡¯s response to me, just as she can feel mine.

    ¡°Hmmm, if we¡¯re talking about a date, I want one as soon as you¡¯re willing to go out with me. Tomorrow

    night sounds good to me. And in case my body¡¯s response to you wasn¡¯t obvious enough, I want

    everything with you, Eve.¡±

    I whisper thest part in her ear as the songes to an end. I have the satisfaction of seeing her

    eyes darken.

    I walk her off the dance floor, knowing that her father will never allow me to dominate her time while

    she¡¯s still underage.

    I take her hand, k*issing her knuckles, wanting to k*iss so much more.

    I look up at her, keeping her hand by my mouth. ¡°Save the slow dances for me tonight,¡± I k*iss one of

    her knuckles, running my tongue over her skin as I watch her. Her eyes go nearly ck as I stand up. ¡°I

    want them all.¡±

    She nods her head, just as Magdalena and Makae rushing over. ¡°Come on, Evie.¡± Maka say,

    pulling Eve onto the dance floor.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon,¡± Magdalena says, nodding at me with a knowing smile on her face.

    ¡°Magdalena,¡± I say, nodding my head at her as she turns to follow her sisters onto the dance floor.

    ¡°Are you going to ask anyone else to dance tonight, big brother?¡± Rowan asks,ing to stand beside

    me.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°You think she¡¯s your mate?¡±

    ¡°I know she is. I can feel it, smell it. She¡¯s everything.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you going to do for the next three months? Surely, you¡¯re not nning to wait that long to

    see her again?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve asked her on a date, and I¡¯ve also talked with her about our families splitting time

    and sparring in each other¡¯s packs. That way, she and her family cane and stay, I can show her

    our packnds and hopefully Alpha Alejandro and Alpha Luke will allow us to visit their packnds.

    They be fools to deny their family this opportunity, especially if we get one of the gurus that they don¡¯t,¡±

    I say, looking at Rowen.

    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant, Jax.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I thought so.¡±

    ¡°You know, you¡¯ll make just as good of an Alpha as Jordan.¡±

    I turn my attention to my sister. ¡°So will you.¡±

    She shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want it, not like you and Alpha Evangeline seem to. I don¡¯t know that I

    want all that responsibility on my shoulders.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you in thepetition?¡± I ask really wondering at her intentions. ¡°Jaxon, it¡¯s the chance

    of a lifetime. Plus, I get to test myself. I may not want my own pack, but I¡¯m still an Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I know you¡¯ll put in a good showing. You have a lot of good intuition, you should use it

    where you can in thispetition.¡±

    ¡°I n to, but I won¡¯t be upset when I don¡¯ t win. There are others here who want it more than I do.

    They deserve to win, you included.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, meaning it. It makes me proud that my family

    thinks I would be a good Alpha.

    ¡°What about Evangeline?¡±

    ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°What does she want? Does she really want to have her own pack, or is she here more as an Alpha?¡±

    Rowen asks.

    ¡°She wants her own pack. It¡¯s something we¡¯ll have to discuss more. I¡¯ve already started those

    conversations, but like Tobias and via, both of us would continue topete, even after she

    recognizes me as her mate.¡±

    ¡°Whereas, if I found my mate, I would drop out of thepetition. Well, if he¡¯s an heir. I¡¯d have to think

    about it if he were in thepetition with me. Creating a new pack with my mate does sound exciting.

    But I wouldn¡¯t want to do it alone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re nearly 18, Rowan. You should know soon.¡± She just shrugs.

    I watch as Eve and her sisters walk off the dance floor and go get some water. Just as she starts to

    drink, the music changes to another slow song.

    ¡°There¡¯s my cue. I¡¯ll see youter, Rowan.¡±

    Evangeline¡¯s eyes lock on mine as I make my way toward her. She sets her ss down and by the

    time I get there, she¡¯s extending her hand for me to take.

    ¡°Shall we?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I saved the dance for you, Alpha.¡± She¡¯s back to being flirty. Perfect.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 222

    Chapter 222

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 22 Evangeline

    When my sisters pulled me onto the dance floor, Maggie went in for the kill. ¡°You know he thinks you¡¯re

    his mate, right? I mean, he¡¯s not showing anyone any attention but you,¡± she says.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°And how do you feel about him?¡± she asks, giving me a look like I¡¯m being purposefully dense.

    ¡°I like him. I like him a lot.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to dance with him again?¡± she asks. I turn and look at him on the edge of the dance

    floor, talking to his sister.

    ¡°He told me to save every slow dance for him.¡±

    She stops dancing and stares at me. ¡°Evangeline! Super Hotty wants all your slow dances. He is

    definitely on the mate track. Have you thought about what you want to do?¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m not going to DO anything,¡± I tell her. ¡°Well, I mean, I¡¯m going to date him, but

    I¡¯m not quitting thepetition.¡±

    ¡°Does he know that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been very clear about that. And

    I¡¯m going to talk to Alejandro about having him and his sisters train with us. Jax already asked Alpha

    Jordan and she agreed we coulde train with them. Now I just need to find out who dad got and

    who Alpha Jordan got for the fighters and see if we can convince dad to let us train with them as a

    tradeoff.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really smart,¡± she says.

    ¡°It was his idea,¡± I tell her as Maka hops over to us.

    ¡°Can we get some water?¡±

    I nod and we head to where they are providing drinks and cocktails.

    I¡¯ve just gotten my water when I hear the song change, bing slower. Maggie nudges me and I look

    up to see Jaxon heading my way. I finish off the water before he gets there.

    I extend my hand and without a word, he takes it and guides me back to the dance floor.

    We spend the rest of the night the same way. In between slow songs, I dance with my sisters, or get

    something to drink, but the minute a slow songes on, Jaxon is right there.

    As the night goes on and people begin to head off to sleep before they have to get up and leave, Jaxon

    pulls me outside, near the entrance of the old iming.

    ¡°What time should I n to pick you up tonight?¡± he asks, tugging me close and continuing our dance

    even though we can no longer hear the music.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of driving for you, Jaxon, first to get home then toe see me. Are you sure you don¡¯t

    want to wait a day?¡±

    ¡°Evangeline, I¡¯m positive I don¡¯t want to wait a day before I see you again. I¡¯m already dreading leaving.

    Once we¡¯re back in our packs, it will be much harder for me to see you.¡±

    I trace the outline of his jaw, just visible in the moonlight. His short hair tickling my finger until I slide it

    up his chin to his lips.

    He k*isses my finger as I bring it to his mouth. There¡¯s something about the night that makes it easier

    to bare your soul to others.

    ¡°My sister thinks that you¡¯re my mate,¡± I say, without taking my eyes off my finger.

    He k*isses my finger again. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Now I do look up at him. ¡°I think it¡¯s possible. I feel drawn to you, and you seem pretty drawn to me.¡±

    He licks my finger. ¡°Only ¡®pretty drawn¡¯ to you?¡± he asks, sucking my finger into his mouth and gently

    licking and sucking on it. The feel of his tongue on my finger, warm and wet, has my breath catching in

    my lungs.

    I watch enraptured as my finger suddenly feels like it has a direct line to my core. I begin to feel the

    ache of d*esire between my thighs.

    ¡°Well, from what I can tell, you haven¡¯t given any other she-wolves attention since you¡¯ve been here.¡±

    ¡°None of them interest me anymore. The only person I¡¯m interested in is currently in my arms.¡±

    I look at him. ¡°You¡¯re confident that I¡¯m your mate.¡± It¡¯s a statement, not a question.

    ¡°I am. I knew the moment I smelled your honeysuckle scent in the middle of a crowd of people in this

    competition, that you are the one for me.¡±

    I begin tracing his lips with my fingers. ¡°Honeysuckle, huh?¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm, a little sweet, a little floral, all you and all mouthwatering. So now you understand why I can¡¯t

    go so long without seeing you.¡±

    I wrap my arms around his neck. ¡°But Jaxon, what are we going to do? I¡¯m not 18 yet. There¡¯s no way

    my father is going to let me move away or you move to our pack until then. And even then, you know I

    want to win thispetition. And know you want to win. I don¡¯t want a mate bond to be impacted

    because we both want the same thing and have topete against the other. Thepetition is going

    to continue past my 18th birthday.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stress out over it. Not yet. Let¡¯s use this time to get to know each other better. Let¡¯s make a n

    for our future. We can talk to Tobias and via and see how they are making it work. I doubt we¡¯ll be

    the only ones that have to figure this out before the end of thepetition. For now, I just want to figure

    out how to see you every day or every other day for the next three months. I¡¯m going to follow up with

    Jordan and if I need her to get involved with your father, I will. Dad is nning to have her Alpha

    ceremony when we get back. She pretty much already runs the pack.¡±

    ¡°You have it all figured out, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Not all of it. I haven¡¯t quite figured out how to get my mate to agree to let me mark her before this

    competition is over.¡± My eyes sh to his.

    ¡°You want to mark me?¡±

    ¡°I want to mark you right now. I want nothing more than to take you back to thatke, explore your

    gorgeous body before b*urying myself inside you and sinking my canines into your neck. I want the

    world to know that you¡¯re mine, Eve. All mine, only mine. But I also know that you¡¯re not old enough

    yet. So, I¡¯ll be patient and I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    I can feel heat pooling between my t*highs. I know we can¡¯t mark and mate with each other yet, but the

    thought of having Jaxon¡¯s naked body on disy, to know I could touch him, explore his body at my

    leisure, has my panties going damp.

    His low growl does nothing to help the situation, sending overwhelming vibrations through my body,

    making me arch instinctively into him, my head lifting in an involuntary invitation.

    He wastes no time, licking and sucking my neck, his sharp canines grazing over my throat. ¡°What are

    you thinking about, Evangeline, that has the air around us smelling so deliciously of you.¡±

    I open my eyes, seeing the moon above us as he torments my neck, making my desire for him stronger

    and more intense. ¡°I was thinking about what it would be like to explore your body, Jaxon. What it

    would feel like to touch you and feel your body respond to my touch. To feel you touching me, exploring

    my body in return.¡±

    In an instant, he pulls away, taking my hand, leading me into the territory. I follow, the butterflies in my

    stomach taking flight at the idea of getting my wish. Without a word, we walk to theke.

    He lifts his nose into the air. When he¡¯s sure that we¡¯re alone, he turns to me. ¡°Is this what you wanted,

    Evangeline?¡±

    I step up to him, running my hand up his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to mate until you mark me, Jaxon.

    He takes my hand, pulling it to his mouth, k*issing my palm and holding it there. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to

    understand that you have all the power here, Evangeline. I want whatever you¡¯re willing to give me. No

    more, no less.¡±

    I pull my hand from his grasp, stepping back. Never taking my eyes off of him, I unzip my dress and let

    it fall, pooling at my feet.

    I hear his sharp intake of breath as I stand in front of him in nothing more than my strapless b*ra,

    p*anties and high heels. ¡°I want to touch you, Jaxon.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 23 Jaxon

    If I thought my mate looked good in a bathing suit, it¡¯s a paleparison to the goddess that is

    standing in front of me now.

    Her long, lithe body is shadowed by the darkness of night, but that only entuates the white color of

    her strapless b*ra and panties, and as my eyes travel down her body, I nearly swallow my t*ong*ue at

    seeing those strappy heels still attached to her feet.

    Once again, I¡¯m so fucking h*ard, I feel like I¡¯m about to blow my load. I even nned ahead this time,

    took care of things in the shower earlier knowing I¡¯d be dancing with her. It doesn¡¯t matter, everytime I

    see her, t*ouch her, my body¡¯s response is instant and intense.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful,¡± I say reverently, meaning it.

    I continue to look over her body, happy that she doesn¡¯t seem shy about me looking at her. I pull off my

    jacket, tossing it into the grass before beginning to unbutton my cuffs and then the buttons of my shirt.

    Even in the dim light of the evening, I can see her eyes darken. As I pull my shirt off, tossing it on top of

    my jacket, I watch her l*icK those delectable lips.

    I kick off my shoes, then begin to undo my belt and pants. I kick them over with my other clothes.

    ¡°Is this what you wanted, Evangeline?¡± I ask, my voice deep and husky with desire.

    ¡°Yes,¡± her voice is breathy and soft.

    I crook my finger at her, and she steps out of her dress, wobbling a bit on the uneven terrain. When

    she¡¯s standing in front of me, I bend down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get these off. I¡¯d hate to have to stop because you twisted your ankle,¡± I say, looking up at her.

    She reaches out, running her fingers through my hair. I take a deep breath, smelling her a*rous*al.

    Goddess, I hope she lets me taste her tonight.

    I turn back to her shoes. I trail my hand down her strong, muscr calves, to her ankle before undoing

    the s*trap. Then I lift her l*eg, pulling the shoe off but lifting her foot to my m*outh and k*issing her

    instep. I¡¯ve never been much for feet, but with Evangeline, I want to know every arch, every curve.

    Even this gentle t*ouch has her body shivering. I look up and see her watching me. Without taking my

    eyes off of hers, I begin k*issing my way back up her calf, I  l*icK the back of her knee before slowly

    putting her l*eg down, continuing my leisurely k*isses up her t*high. When I get to the apex of her

    t*highs, the scent of her a*rous*al is so strong and intoxicating that I need just a hint of what she tastes

    like.

    I run my t*ong*ue over the outside of her p*anties, feeling how s*oak*ed they are. If I thought her

    m*outh tasted divine, it is nothingpared to the sweet nectar that I¡¯ve found here. Her quiet whimper

    of need has me growling soft and low, making her moan with desire.

    Damn my mate is hot.

    Before I get too lost, I turn my attention to her left t*high, beginning to k*iss my way back down her l*eg.

    I l*icK behind this knee too before pulling her l*eg up and k*issing my way to her ankle. When I unstrap

    her shoe, tossing it over by my clothes, I again k*iss her instep.

    ¡°Jaxon.¡± It¡¯s a whisper on the wind, a plea, an entreaty, for something more.

    I set her foot back on the ground and softly trail my fingers over both of her l*egs. I slowly stand, taking

    a deep breath of her heady scent as I pass her h*ips, taking a moment to k*iss her t stomach and

    then deciding I should k*iss my way up her body.

    Her arms slide over my shoulders, her fingers tracing the lines of muscles on my back. I wrap my arms

    around her, holding her steady as she arches back, giving me ess to her chest.

    I k*iss the top of one b*reas*t, working my way to the other. Then I slip my t*ong*ue inside the top of

    her b*ra, finding the h*ard tip of her n*ipp*le. Her body jerks in my arms, her hands tightening as my

    t*ong*ue fl*icKs over her sensitive bud.

    ¡°Can I take this off?¡± I ask her, my hand moving to the back of her b*ra. ¡°Yes.¡±

    I fumble for a moment, causing her to smile at me.

    ¡°Do you need help, Jaxon?¡± she asks me, teasingly.

    I growl at her, nipping at her chin as I finally get the damn contraption unhooked. I slide the material out

    from between us and get my first look at her perfect b*reas*ts.

    Leaving one arm wrapped around her, I look into her shining eyes, as I run a thumb over her n*ipp*le.

    Her body jerks again at my t*ouch.

    ¡°I love how your body responds to me,¡± I tell her, running my thumb over her n*ipp*le again.

    I cup her b*reas*t in my hand and lean down, fl*icKing my t*ong*ue over her n*ipp*le before s*uc*king it

    into my m*outh. Her moan is louder this time, her body presses against mine, pushing against my

    l*ength that is already so h*ard that the added pressure, the movement of her body has me on the

    verge of c*oming right now.

    I pull off her n*ipp*le with a soft ¡®pop¡¯ before stepping back.

    ¡°Jaxon?¡± she asks, and I can see her confusion, wondering why I stopped. ¡°We need toy down, I

    want more ess to you.¡± I say, grabbing my jacket andying it open on the ground for her.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I turn and hold my hand out for her. Shees to me immediately, and I pull her against me, taking her

    m*outh in a needy k*iss. Her body presses against mine, aching for release as much as I am.

    Now she pulls away. ¡°Lay down, Jaxon. It¡¯ s my turn to t*ouch you.¡±

    I do as she asks, watching as she gracefully straddles me. Even with my boxers and her p*anties

    between us, I can feel the heat of her s*ex, her s*oak*ed panties making my boxers w*et.

    ¡°I have to warn you, Eve, I won¡¯tst long in this position,¡± I say, trying to be honest and not scare her,

    but I¡¯m so close, if she moves her h*ips at all, I¡¯ll explode.

    She leans forward, nuzzling her nose by my ear before s*uc*king my earlobe into her m*outh. She

    must feel my dick twitch against her body as she gently bites down.

    ¡°I won¡¯tst long in this position either, Jaxon,¡± she says, before sitting up and beginning to grind her

    h*ips over me.

    Fuck it feels so good and when she throws her head back, her m*outh falling open, I reach up and

    tweak her n*ipp*les. That¡¯s all it takes to send her over the edge with me tumbling over right behind her.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 24 Evangeline

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Jaxon and I spend the next few hours exploring each other¡¯s bodies, finding s*ensitive spots, ticklish

    spots and the ces that turn us on the most. It¡¯s the most fantastic night of my life, not to mention the

    most erotic.

    I¡¯ve k*issed, t*ouched and tasted every muscle, every line of his body until I know it as well as my own.

    And he¡¯s done the same.

    Now, I¡¯m curled up beside him, my head on his chest, both of us having just found our release for the

    umpteenth time tonight. My body is more rxed, morenguid than it¡¯s ever been. And still, I want

    more.

    ¡°Do you think it feels like this because we¡¯ re mates?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I would guess so. I mean, I don¡¯t exactly have a lot of experience, but I know I¡¯ve never wanted

    someone like I want you,¡± he says.

    I lean into him,ying my chin on my hand, looking up at him. ¡°Alpha Jaxon, what experience do you

    have?¡± I ask teasingly.

    He tilts his head to look down at me before shaking it. ¡°I¡¯m not falling for that trap, but I will say this.

    Nothing in my life has or could everpare to thesest few hours. That was incredible and I hate

    that our time ising to an end.¡±

    I sigh,ying my head back on his chest. ¡°Me too. We should probably head back soon.¡±

    He k*isses the top of my head. ¡°Let¡¯s go wash off in theke and then I¡¯ll sneak you back to your room

    before the sunes up.¡± He says.

    He pulls me into the water, both of us washing the other. He¡¯s h*ard again and I take him in my hands

    under the water, s*troking him in the way I now know he likes.

    ¡°Evangeline¡­¡± He growls low, reaching up to tug on my sensitive n*ipp*les.

    ¡°Just one more,¡± I say to him, feeling his h*ard length twitch in my hands.

    ¡°Oh, there will be many, many more in your future. But for now, one more,¡± he says, sliding a hand

    between my t*highs. He pushes the heel of his hand against my clit as he slides two f*ingers inside me.

    I¡¯m tender from the many times he¡¯s brought me to orgasm tonight, but the pain is overridden by the

    pleasure as he begins stroking me, building the ache inside me again.

    We stand together, stroking each other, our gazes holding, and without words, we begin to r*ub and

    s*troke in time with the other so that when my body contracts around his f*ingers, I feel his c*oc*k

    contracting in my hands.

    He pulls me to him, holding our bodies together as we pant, our bodies jerking with the aftershocks of

    yet another orgasm.

    ¡°F*uck, Evangeline. These next three months are going to be torture,¡± he says before taking my m*outh

    in a passionate k*iss. I wrap my arms around his neck, not wanting this moment to end, not wanting

    this night to end.

    When we finally pull apart, we finish rinsing off and then get our clothes. We walk halfway back, letting

    our bodies dry before pulling on our clothes.

    ¡°These are mine,¡± he says, pocketing my p*anties that I tossed aside hours ago.

    He helps me into my dress, and I wrap my hair into a messy bun, having given up on trying to make it

    look presentable. He pulls on his pants and shirt, leaving the shirt unbuttoned and giving his jacket to

    me. I put it on, reveling in his scent.

    When we get back to the packhouse, he hands me my shoes and we sneak in like we¡¯re children

    coming home after curfew.

    We can hear the sounds of people cooking breakfast in the kitchen and we race through the dining

    room back to the stairs. Jaxon walks me to the top of the stairwell at my floor, taking my face and

    pulling me in for one more scorching k*iss. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon,¡± he says.

    I watch him walk backward down the stairs before he gets to his floor. He blows me a k*iss and turns. I

    turn as well, heading back to my room with Maggie.

    I turn down my hall, not paying attention, thinking of the incredible night that I¡¯ve had.

    ¡°Do you want to tell me where you¡¯ve been all night?¡± My father¡¯s angry voice rips me out of my reverie.

    My head snaps up and I see him leaning against the hallway beside our door. ¡°What are you doing

    here?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe back all night. Do you want to exin to me why my daughter is

    coming in at daybreak looking like she just spent the night in bed with a man?¡±

    He lifts his nose into the air. ¡°You reek of Alpha Jaxon.¡±

    He pushes off the wall, stalking toward me. ¡°Do I need to remind you that you are underage,

    Evangeline?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my mate,¡± I say confidently.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. You¡¯re not old enough yet to feel the mate bond. You could be feeling nothing

    more than youthful hormones.¡±

    He looks at me, shaking his head. ¡°Get inside and get cleaned up. We¡¯re leaving in an hour.¡±

    He stalks past me before turning back. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so disappointed in you, Evangeline.¡±

    The pain I feel at his statement is quickly reced with anger. How dare he cheapen the night I just

    shared with Jaxon.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got news for you, Dad. You¡¯ve disappointed me plenty. First by not trusting me to run the

    pack as your heir, and now not trusting me to know my own mate. You may have the choice in who

    your heir is, but you don¡¯t have a choice or a decision in who I choose for a mate.¡± In two steps, he¡¯s in

    my face.

    ¡°Wrong. Not only am I your father, but I¡¯m also your Alpha and until you are 18,1 forbid you to see

    Alpha Jaxon again.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°Watch me,¡± he says, spinning on his heel and stomping away. I feel the tears flooding my eyes and I

    race to my room.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Evangeline. He came by to make sure we were both herest night. I tried to mind link

    you, but you had it blocked,¡± Maggie says as soon as I walk into the room.

    When she sees the tears, she rushes over and holds me. ¡°Oh, Evie, I¡¯m so sorry. What are you going

    to do?¡±

    ¡°The only thing I can do. Father is right. He is my Alpha, but he¡¯s not my only option as Alpha.¡±

    I step away from her and grab my phone. It rings several times before she picks up. ¡°Evangeline?¡±

    ¡°Grandma Isabe, I need your help.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 225

    Chapter 225

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 25 (Evangeline)

    When I get off the phone, Maggie looks at me.

    ¡°Are you really going to do this?¡± she asks.

    ¡°He¡¯s not giving me any other choice.¡± I walk to her, taking her hands in mine. ¡°Will you do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°Of course, anything Evie.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to them on the way home.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡¯s going to freak out when she realizes.¡±

    I shrug, walking into the bathroom and stripping off my clothes. I set Jaxon¡¯s jacket aside, knowing I

    may not see him now until the nextpetition. I hope I will, but we¡¯ll have to see what happens.

    I shower and get ready, packing my things and heading downstairs. Most everyone will be staying for

    breakfast, but my father is rushing us out of here.

    ¡°Why are we leaving so early?¡± Makains, stomping down the stairs with her bags over her

    shoulder.

    I don¡¯t say anything. I can¡¯t. I¡¯m so angry, so hurt, that if I say a word, the tears will start to fall. How

    could the best night of my life turn into the worst morning so quickly?

    My dad pulls the car around and we all begin to load our bags and get in. Alejandro frowns at me and I

    just shake my head at him.

    ¡°Eve!¡± I hear behind me. I turn and see Jaxon jogging toward me, a huge smile on his face.

    As soon as he sees mine, the smile drops. ¡°Eve?¡±

    I shake my head at him before climbing into the car, the tears a moment from falling.

    My father hits the gas as soon as my door is shut.

    ¡°Eve!¡± Jaxon says, running toward the car. I put my hand up against the window, my own way of saying

    goodbye as I watch him chase the car before he stops and watches us drive away.

    When I turn back the car is eerily silent.

    I don¡¯t say a word.

    We haven¡¯t driven long when my mother speaks.

    ¡°Does someone want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Neither my father nor I say a word. Maggie reaches out and takes my hand.

    ¡°Okaayyy,¡± my mother drags out the word.

    I look back out the window. I can feel the tension in the car getting heavier as everyone tries to figure

    out what is going on between myself and my father. ¡°Evangeline, you¡¯re being uncharacteristically

    quiet,¡± my mother tries again.

    I turn and look at her, seeing worry sh in her eyes before she looks at my father. Without saying a

    word, I turn and look back outside the window.

    No one says another word the rest of the drive. When we pull up, I see my grandmother standing

    outside the packhouse.

    I climb out of the car, going to get my bags.

    ¡°Mother, what are you doing here?¡± my mother asks my grandmother as she gets out.

    ¡°Evangeline asked me toe pick her up.¡± She says, looking at me and opening her arms.

    I walk to her and let her wrap me in her embrace.

    ¡°No.¡± My father says behind us.

    ¡°Luke? What is going on?¡± My mother asks, but I don¡¯t wait for him to answer her. I turn on him, my

    anger bubbling to the surface.

    ¡°You may be my Alpha, but that can change. Don¡¯t make me reject you and this pack, father, because I

    will.¡±

    My mother and my family all s*uck in air at my statement, but I mean every word. I see the hurt sh in

    my father¡¯s eyes, but I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s about time he realizes how hurt I am with what he¡¯s done.

    ¡°Now, now. Let¡¯s not say things in anger or do things that will be h*ard to undoter. Alpha Luke, I don¡¯t

    see any reason that your daughter can¡¯te stay with me for a while,¡± my grandmother says,

    catingly.

    ¡°You need to stay here,¡± my father says to me, his stubborn Alpha sideing out.

    I lift my chin, ready to reject him when my mother cuts me off.

    ¡°Let her go, Luke.¡± He turns to look at her, but she¡¯s looking at me.

    ¡°Go spend some time with your grandmother. I¡¯ll be calling youter. I expect you to take my call.¡±

    I nod, part of me relieved that I won¡¯t have to reject my father or this pack. I love my pack, I love my

    family and even though I¡¯ m so angry I could scream at my father, I love him too. It would hurt me as

    much as it would hurt him if I rejected him as my Alpha.

    Maggie grabs me in a hug. ¡°Call me when you want to talk,¡± she whispers in my ear. I nod, hugging her.

    Then, Alejandro is there, pulling me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him. I¡¯ll find out what¡¯s going on. I¡¯ll make it

    right,¡± he says making my lips tremble.

    I turn to say goodbye to Maka and see that she is crying. ¡°Bye, Evie. I love you,¡± she says, and I pull

    her into a hug. ¡°I love you too, Makkie.¡±

    I turn and hug Lazio. He says something simr to what Alejandro said.

    Finally, I turn to my mother, who wraps her arms around me. ¡°I love you. I¡¯ll talk to your father, and we¡¯ll

    figure this out. I¡¯ll be in t*ouchter,¡± she says, pulling back and looking at me, tucking my hair out of

    my face.

    She looks up at my grandmother. ¡°Take care of my daughter.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    ¡°Of course, I will. You¡¯re all acting as if she¡¯s going to her death. She¡¯sing to visit her old

    grandmother to make me feel young again,¡± Grandmother Isabe scolds them.

    ¡°Ready?¡± she asks, turning me toward her car.

    I turn and head to her car without looking at my father or saying goodbye to him.

    As soon as we get off the packnds, my grandmother turns to me.

    ¡°Now, what¡¯s this all about?¡±

    Katerina POV

    I watch my daughter drive away, before turning to my other children.

    ¡°Everyone go get unpacked. We¡¯ve been away for nearly a week. Time to get back to normal.¡±

    Rather than the usual moans and groans, they all quietly move inside.

    I turn to look at my mate. ¡°Our room or your office?¡± I ask, not giving him any opportunity to evade me.

    ¡°Can we talk about thister, Kat?¡± he asks, and he sounds exhausted.

    ¡°Our daughter nearly rejected you and this pack. No, we will not discuss thister. We will discuss it

    now. But I would prefer to have this conversation in private, not out here where anyone in our pack can

    hear it.¡±

    He sighs, and nods, before heading inside. I follow him, pulling my bag off his shoulder and carrying it

    up the stairs to our bedroom.

    When we get there, he drops the bags and goes to sit on the love seat, putting his head in his hands.

    ¡°I screwed up, Kat.¡±

    ¡°That much I figured out. Tell me what happened.¡±

    He clenches his teeth. ¡°I went to check on her and Maggiest night. Evie wasn¡¯t in their room. Maggie

    tried to make some excuse, but I could tell she didn¡¯t know where Evangeline was either. I tried to mind

    link her and she had the link blocked. So, I waited.¡±

    He looks up at me and I can see that his eyes are bloodshot with fatigue. ¡°And waited. And waited,

    getting angrier with each passing second. When she finally came strutting down the hall, her shoes in

    her hand and his jacket on over her dress that was sandy and grass stained, she smelled so strongly of

    Alpha Jaxon that I lost it. I told her she couldn¡¯t see him again.¡±

    He puts his head in his hands again and I sit beside him, putting my arm around him.

    ¡°You know she¡¯s almost an adult, Luke.¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s not an adult, Katerina. She¡¯s my child,¡± he says.

    ¡°She¡¯s your daughter, but she¡¯s not a child any longer, Luke. You can¡¯t protect her or treat her like a

    little girl. She¡¯speting to be an Alpha of her own pack. Apetition that she is onlypeting in

    because you chose to give the pack to Alejandro. As Alpha, that was your choice. But that doesn¡¯t

    mean that she isn¡¯t more than capable of running her own pack. She¡¯s an Alpha wolf, Luke and she¡¯ll

    be an adult in a few short months.

    She is most likely feeling the pull to her mate already. And if she¡¯s not, then she¡¯s experimenting.¡±

    He gives me a look like he¡¯s about to argue with me.

    ¡°I understand you don¡¯t want to think of your little girl as being all grown up, of no longer needing your

    protection, but honey, you¡¯re not being fair. And rather than keeping her safe, you¡¯ve pushed her away.

    If she feels that Alpha Jaxon is her mate and she ns to ept him, then anything you do to keep

    them apart will only cause a rift between you and her.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to push her away, Kat.¡± He sighs heavily. ¡°When did she grow up? It feels like it was just

    yesterday that we weed her into this world, that I held her in my arms for the first time.¡±

    ¡°I know, baby. It does seem like only yesterday. Our life has been good, and time has flown by.¡± I lean

    forward, hugging my mate.

    ¡°Get some rest. You¡¯re exhausted and not thinking straight. Alejandro and I can handle anything that

    comes up.¡±

    ¡°What about Evie?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Give her some space. You both need to cool off. I¡¯ll talk to her, and we¡¯ll go from there.¡±

    He reaches out, cupping my face. ¡°You are the best thing that ever happened to me, you know that?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± I say, smirking.

    ¡°And you were the best thing that ever happened to me, too, Luke.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 226

    Chapter 226

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 26 (Jaxon)

    After I leave Evangeline, I go back to my room. Jace is sleeping and I¡¯m too wound up to sleep, so I

    take a quick shower and head downstairs to see if there is any food.

    I grab something to eat and walk outside, looking at the entrance of the old iming territory. I wonder

    if our time here will change Eve¡¯s feelings about this ce. I could see myself choosing this territory for

    my pack now that I have these memories here. Eve and I could revisit theke and relive this night as

    often as we wanted if this was our pack.

    When I hear some people packing up to leave, I¡¯m a bit surprised. It¡¯s still early. I head around the side

    of the packhouse to see who it is. When I see that it¡¯s Evangeline, I call out to her, wanting to say

    goodbye before they leave. I thought she¡¯d be sleeping.

    When she turns, I know something is very wrong. The sweet, happy face I left just an hour ago is gone,

    reced by one that looks devasted.

    She subtly shakes her head at me and climbs into the car. I begin running, wanting to know what

    happened, why she suddenly looks so sad and won¡¯t even talk to me.

    As I race to the car, her father takes off. I chase them for a few minutes, knowing I won¡¯t be able to

    catch them and even if I did, what would I do?

    I watch, feeling helpless, as Eve puts her hand up against the window, as if she¡¯s saying goodbye.

    Oh, hell no!

    I turn, racing back inside. I lift my nose in the air and follow my sister¡¯s scent to her room. I can smell

    that she¡¯s just getting out of the shower, so I bang on her door.

    ¡®Jordan, it¡¯s me. Open up.¡¯ I mind link her just as the door opens. I push past her into her room.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to help me,¡± I say, not giving her a minute.

    ¡°Jaxon, slow down, what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Evangeline. We spent the night together, the most amazing night of my life. I just left her an hour

    ago, she was all smiles and happiness and then, I just saw her leaving with her family just now and she

    looked devastated. She wouldn¡¯t talk to me, and they left. They just left Jordan!¡±

    I walk to her, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her with the fear of losing my mate. Her hands

    come down onto my arms.

    ¡°Breathe, Jaxon. Breathe.¡±

    I look at my sister and I know she can see the desperation that I¡¯m feeling clearly on my face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t lose her, Jordan. I can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Okay, Jaxon. I¡¯ll do what I can. But everything I need to look her up is back at our pack. Go get your

    things, let Jace know we¡¯re leaving, and I¡¯ll meet you downstairs in 15 minutes.¡±

    I pull her to me, holding her tightly for a moment. ¡°Thank you, Jordan.¡±

    I race to my room. When I walk in, Jace ising out of the bathroom. ¡°Where have you been?¡± he

    asks me.

    ¡°No time to talk. Jordan and I are leaving. She wanted me to let you know.¡± I say in stato rapid-fire

    fashion.

    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re leaving? She said we weren¡¯t leaving until noon.¡±

    ¡°Change of ns, I need to her to help me with something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle too, then,¡± he says.

    ¡°Whatever, as long as you¡¯re ready in 15 minutes.¡± I tell him and begin throwing everything into my bag.

    ¡°You want to tell me what this is about?¡± he asks, watching me as he packs his own bag much more

    carefully.

    ¡°Evangeline is my mate. I just had the best night of my life. Everything was great. An hourter,

    everything is terrible, and I don¡¯t know what happened. I need Jordan to help me figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Evangeline?¡± he asks, the voice of reason.

    ¡°Gee, Sherlock, why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± I ask sarcastically. ¡°I would have, if her family hadn¡¯t already

    left. She wouldn¡¯t even say goodbye to me.¡±

    He stops, looking at me. ¡°You said you had the best night of your life?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I say, rushing into the bathroom and grabbing my things.

    ¡°Like she would have been covered in your scent, kind of night?¡± he asks, looking at me as if I¡¯m

    missing something important.

    ¡°Yeah. So?¡±

    ¡°Jaxon!¡± He says, using his Gamma tone and getting my attention. I turn and look at him.

    ¡°Did you consider the fact that she¡¯s underage, that her father might take offense to his underage

    daughtering back to her room with an Alpha male¡¯s scent all over her after being out all night?¡±

    ¡°She feels the mate bond, same as I do. He should ept that.¡±

    ¡°Really? Because parents always make great decisions about their children when the children feel the

    mate bond? Maybe you should ask my sister about that and get her input.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different, although it shouldn¡¯t be. Melinda is half Alpha Jonas¡¯s age.¡±

    ¡°And Evangeline is UNDER age. The issues may be different, but the parental response is the same.

    The parent either doesn¡¯t believe in the mate bond or in your case, maybe her parents don¡¯t believe

    that she can feel the mate bond yet.¡±

    ¡°She can feel it,¡± I tell him, emphatically.

    He puts his hands up. ¡°I¡¯m not saying she can¡¯t. What I¡¯m saying is, her parents, an Alpha and a royal

    Alpha, are going to be protective, especially since Evangeline is their oldest daughter.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t keep me from her.¡± I snarl, gritting my teeth so I don¡¯t punch something.

    ¡°Yes, they can. You need to be careful here, Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°Why? Why do I need to be careful? Did that work for Alpha Jonas? Is it working for you? Doesn¡¯t look

    like it to me,¡± I say, grabbing my bag. I know thatst part was out of line, but I don¡¯t care. ¡°If you¡¯re

    coming with us, be downstairs in a few minutes,¡± I turn and walk out, leaving him stunned by my

    comment.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    When I get downstairs, Jordan is waiting for me.

    ¡°Did you tell Jace we¡¯re leaving?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ming with you,¡± he says, skipping down the stairs to join us.

    ¡°Jace, you don¡¯t have toe with us,¡± Jordan tells him. ¡°I know you were nning to meet with Taylor

    before we left.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll text her,¡± he says.

    She looks between us and turns. then, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    Jace drives and Jordan sits in the passenger seat, turning to talk to me on the way home. I tell her

    everything, seeing Jace looking at me periodically in the rearview mirror, but not saying a word.

    As we pull into the packnds, Jordan turns back to me. ¡°Let me handle this Jaxon. We don¡¯t want a

    pack war that could cause innocent lives or needless deaths. I will do everything in my power to help

    you, but I need you to trust me.¡±

    There is no one that I trust more in this world than my sister. I look at her and I can see the sincerity in

    her eyes.

    I nod. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll trust you, but Jordan, I can¡¯t go three months without seeing her. I can¡¯t. It hurts

    already not knowing if she¡¯ s alright, if she¡¯s angry at me for keeping her out all night. I just¡­.¡± I run my

    fingers through my hair, gripping it as her phone rings.

    ¡°Alpha Jordan,¡± she answers.

    ¡°Alpha Jordan, this is Magdalena, Alpha Luke¡¯s daughter. Do you remember me?¡±

    My head snaps up and Jordan puts the phone on speaker, putting her finger to her lips for both me and

    Jace.

    ¡°Of course, Alpha Magdalena, I know who you are.¡±

    ¡°Well, I just wanted to let you know, or really, hope that you¡¯ll pass a message to Alpha Jaxon for me?¡±

    I look at Jordan, her eyes intent on mine. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My sister, Evangeline has left our pack. She nearly rejected my father because he refused to let her

    see your brother. Evie was heartbroken. I know Alpha Jaxon saw us as we were leaving. I was hoping

    you¡¯d let him know that it didn¡¯t have anything to do with him. It¡¯s our father.¡±

    We all hear her sniffle. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long she¡¯ll be gone, but we¡¯re all devastated and I¡¯m guessing

    Alpha Jaxon was too. Evie said she thinks he¡¯s her mate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my brother said the same. Where is your sister now? Is she safe?¡±

    ¡°She went with my Grandmother Isabe. She¡¯s in Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack.¡±

    I¡¯m out of the car, shifted and running before Jordan can respond.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 27 (Evangeline)

    When we get to my grandmother¡¯s pack,

    Alpha Jonas and Luna Melinda are there to greet me.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas,¡± I say, as I get out of the car, ¡°I hope it¡¯s okay that I stay here for a while.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to your mother. You can stay as long as you like,¡± he tells me.

    ¡°How about I show you to your room? I¡¯ve put you down the hall from your grandmother,¡± Luna Melinda

    says to me, hooking her arm through mine.

    ¡°Thank you. I really appreciate this,¡± I say.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I understand difficult parents when ites to the mate bond,¡± she says, looking at

    her mate.

    I¡¯m d they finally worked things out. I had heard rumblings, some overheard conversations between

    my mother and father or my mother and grandmother. And since Alpha Jonas was both of their alpha at

    one point, they had been angry that Luna Melinda¡¯s mother was keeping her from her mate.

    As we walk, she continues talking. ¡°I knew Jonas was my mate before I turned 18, too. You just feel the

    pull to them, right?¡± she asks me.

    I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to spend time with Luna Melinda, but I like her already.

    ¡°Right! Everything about him just draws me to him,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°And, Alpha Jaxon is 18, so he would be feeling the bond as well.¡±

    I turn and look at her. I¡¯d forgotten that she came from his pack.

    She smiles at me. ¡°I grew up with Jaxon. He¡¯s a good man and he¡¯ll make a great Alpha. I¡¯m quite sure

    that he¡¯ll win thispetition and get his pack. He deserves it.¡±

    She leads me down a hallway, my grandmother and Alpha Jonas trailing behind us with my bag.

    ¡°And what about you, Alpha Evangeline. If you know that Jaxon is your mate, do you n to continue

    topete in the contest?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Melinda,¡± Alpha Jonas¡¯s tone is one of tolerant warning.

    ¡°Jonas, I¡¯m just asking. Evangeline is an Alpha, and she may want her own pack, separate from her

    mate,¡± she says, and I swear I see Alpha Jonas roll his eyes to the ceiling, possibly asking the Moon

    Goddess for patience.

    I know my lips are twitching and she winks at me.

    ¡°So? What¡¯s your n?¡±

    ¡°I n to continue to fight and win the contest.¡±

    ¡°Good for you!¡± she says as we get to a door at the end of the hallway. ¡°Here you go. Now, why don¡¯t

    you get settled and thene join us on the back porch. It has a lovely view of the forest line, and your

    grandmother makes a mean sweet tea.¡±

    I turn and I suddenly feel very emotional after the morning that I¡¯ve had. I throw my arms around Luna

    Melinda and hug her.

    Her armse around me. ¡°It will all work out in the end, just the way it¡¯s supposed to,¡± she says

    quietly in my ear.

    ¡°It may not seem like it now, but it will.¡±

    I nod and pull back. She takes my hands in hers and squeezes them before turning and walking to the

    door.

    ¡°Jonas, will you be joining us on the back patio?¡± she asks her mate, looking up at him.

    ¡°I need to go check on the kids first. If they are still sleeping, I¡¯ll be down. If not¡­¡±

    ¡°If not, bring them with you ande join us. They can run around in the grass and wear themselves

    out before dinner. I¡¯ll have the kitchen staff make some food so they have something to eat when they

    do get up,¡± she tells him.

    Alpha Jonas seems very tolerant of his mate¡¯s expectations and demands. From what I heard from my

    mother, he had be a very rigid Alpha, devoting his life to his pack. From what I¡¯m seeing, being

    mated to Melinda has loosened him up quite a bit.

    ¡°Ohhh, I hope Ryder and Molly are awake. I could use some baby and toddler time,¡± my grandmother

    says.

    ¡°You have two children already?¡± I ask her.

    She puts her hands on her stomach. ¡°Soon to be three. But it¡¯s too soon to know if this one will be a

    boy or a girl.¡± Melinda looks up at her mate. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter to us.¡±

    ¡°As long as our child is healthy,¡± Alpha Jonas says, putting his hand protectively over her stomach.

    As they take their leave, I wonder if Jonas and Melinda having another child will make a difference to

    Beta Jared¡¯s younger son, Damien. Since it took Alpha Jonas so long to find his mate, his brother

    Jared had assumed, as did everyone else, that his sons would take over the pack. The oldest, Collin,

    was ted to be the next Alpha. Because Jonas and Melinda have a son now, Collin is

    participating in the contest. He¡¯s made it to the next round. If this next child is a boy, I would expect that

    Damien will be participating in the Beta trials when those are held.

    After they are gone, I open my bag, smelling Jaxon¡¯s scent and getting sad all over again. I pull the

    jacket out of the bag and hold it to my nose, breathing deeply. I¡¯ll need to do someundry, but I have

    enough clothes to get by for a while. I grab my phone, knowing that my mother will be calling at some

    point and I head downstairs. When I get outside, I see that the children are awake. Both children have

    Melinda¡¯s blond curly hair and as Ryder squeals and runs around, I can see that he has his father¡¯s

    dark blue eyes.

    My grandmother has Molly in herp, ying pat-a-cake with her.

    ¡°We have a seat for you right here, Alpha Evangeline,¡± Melinda says to me. ¡°Thank you, Luna. Please

    call me Evangeline or Evie.¡±

    ¡°Then you can call me Melinda, Evie.¡±

    I sit down, close my eyes, take a deep breath and let the stress of the morning wash away. I don¡¯t know

    what¡¯s going to happen, but for now, right this minute, I¡¯m okay. I wish I¡¯d thought to exchange phone

    numbers with Jaxon. At least then I could call him. I¡¯ll talk to Melindater and see if I can get the main

    pack number for Jaxon¡¯s pack and try to reach him that way. He deserves to know what happened and

    why I didn¡¯t speak to him this morning.

    Alpha Jonas is chasing after his son, tickling him everytime he gets him, Ryder squealing in delight and

    racing off again. Because I¡¯m watching, I see when he stands up suddenly, his eyes zing over.

    Melinda looks at him, but when his eyes refocus, he turns to me.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You have a visitor,¡± he says, just as I hear the pounding of pawsing our way.

    I stand and see the giant ck wolf that must be Jaxon, racing toward me. I hurriedly walk off the porch

    and begin jogging toward him. The minute he¡¯s close enough, he shifts, rushing to me and taking me in

    his arms.

    ¡°Are you okay? I¡¯m sorry if you didn¡¯t want to see me, but I needed to know that you were okay.¡±

    I wrap my arms around him, burying my nose in his neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m much better now.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 28 (Jaxon)

    I hold Eve, not caring who is standing around watching. I hold her until both of us start to breath more

    easily.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon,¡± Alpha Jonas says. I look at him and he tosses me some shorts. ¡°We prefer our guests

    wear clothes.¡±

    I smile, grabbing the shorts out of the air and pulling them on quickly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to barge onto your packnds like this, I just needed to know that Eve was okay.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Eve asks and I hear the desperation in her, the same one I feel, needing to be near

    her.

    ¡°No,¡± I say before turning to Alpha Jonas. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay if that¡¯s okay with you, Alpha.¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    This is his pack. I need to respect him as its leader.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call your sister, let her know you¡¯re here,¡± he says.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Our packs almost went to war several months ago, believe me, it¡¯s necessary,¡± he says.

    Both Eve and I look at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Jaxon, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Melinda saysing over to us.

    ¡°What did he mean by that Melinda?¡± I ask her, forgetting myself. ¡°Sorry, I mean, Luna.¡±

    She frowns at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the story?¡±

    ¡°I guess not.¡±

    ¡°Come sit, I¡¯ll fill you in and we can all hope that history won¡¯t repeat itself with you two.¡±

    She takes Molly from Isabe who goes to watch Ryder and we sit down to talk. There¡¯ s a two-person

    glider and I sit Eve there and sit beside her.

    ¡°You both know the story of me recognizing Jonas as my mate before I turned 18?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± we both say. I reach out and take Eve¡¯ s hand.

    ¡°And do you both know that my mother refused to allow me to take Jonas as my mate?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes, but you fought that,¡± I say.

    ¡°Of course, I did. He¡¯s my mate. Nothing and no one was going to keep me from being with him. Only, it

    didn¡¯t work out the way I had nned.¡±

    She looks at Eve. ¡°Unlike you, my father isn¡¯t an Alpha, so I couldn¡¯t threaten to reject him and the

    pack. Not only that, but it was my mother who was the issue, not my father. Once I became an adult, I

    was ready to leave Alpha Mason¡¯s pack and join this pack, but Jonas wanted to try and work things out

    with my mother, he wanted her approval.¡±

    She sighs, rocking Molly who has started to fall asleep. ¡°So, rather than run off to my grandmother¡¯s

    pack like you did, I seduced my mate and made sure I got pregnant,¡± she says, smiling at Ryder.

    ¡°And that should have been the end of it, but it wasn¡¯t. My mother was furious, but she couldn¡¯t keep

    me from Jonas and now he had a stronger reason to push her to agree to our marking.

    ¡°Ryder was born here, Jonas at my side. After a month, I left to go home to get my things and bring

    them back here. Jonas had a trip he needed to take, and I told him that I would be able to get my things

    and bring them back on my own.¡±

    Tears fill her eyes and I see Jonas¡¯s head pop up from inside, looking at his mate. He can feel her

    emotions. He ends the call andes striding outside, putting his hands on Melinda¡¯s shoulders. She

    looks up at him and gives him a teary smile.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you again for six months,¡± she says to him, and a tear slides down her face.

    ¡°Melinda¡­¡± he says gently, wiping the tear.

    She shakes her head and looks back up at us. ¡°Jonas didn¡¯t even know I was pregnant. I figured it out

    right before I left, but I wanted to wait to surprise him once I had moved in.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Eve asks, her hand clutching mine tighter.

    ¡°My mother,¡± she says, gritting her teeth.

    Jonas picks up Melinda and Molly, moving to put them both in hisp. He sits in the chair she was in

    before settling them both and wrapping his arms around them protectively.

    ¡°My mother found a human who hacked our phones, making it so that we couldn¡¯t reach the other

    person. We both received emails from the other¡¯s email ount that basically said that we were sorry,

    we couldn¡¯t do this, and it was over.¡±

    She leans her head against Jonas¡¯s chest as she gets more upset. He shushes her quietly, cooing at

    her before turning to us. ¡°Both of us believed it, not at first. But when the phones acted like our

    numbers had been blocked, when neither of us could reach the other person, we began to believe it,¡±

    Jonas says.

    ¡°I was not going to let my son grow up without knowing his father,¡± He says, stroking Molly¡¯s cheek. ¡°I

    didn¡¯t even know about Molly. Melinda had her in your pack this time.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°Is that why you moved out of the packhouse? Because you were pregnant again?¡±

    ¡°I was devastated, heartbroken and pregnant. I didn¡¯t want to be around anyone, didn¡¯t want them to

    see that I had been rejected by my mate. So Alpha Jordan put me into one of the houses on the pack

    lands.¡±

    Jonas¡¯s jaw is ticking with his anger. ¡°After six months, I¡¯d had enough. I called your father and sister

    and told them that if Melinda didn¡¯t let me see my son, I would wage war on their pack.¡±

    Melinda looks up and continues. ¡°Imagine my surprise when Alpha Jordan called me into her office to

    ask me why I had lied to her, why I was keeping Ryder from Jonas. I, of course, had no idea what she

    was talking about, and I told her so.¡±

    She looks at Jonas and my heart hurts. I turn to Eve. This can¡¯t happen to us. I won¡¯t allow it to happen.

    ¡°Alpha Jordan got me on speaker phone, and I finally got to talk to Melinda for the first time in months.

    When I did, she told me that she received an email that I had never sent, and I told her that I had

    received the same email. I told her that when I called, she never answered, and she said it was the

    same for her. Neither of us had received any calls from the other. Imagine my shock at finding out that I

    not only had a son, but also a daughter,¡± Jonas says.

    He strokes Melinda¡¯s cheek before tucking her closer against his body. ¡°I was out the door and on my

    way to get them in minutes. This time, no one and nothing was going to stop me,¡± he says.

    ¡°I went back to my house, packed up the kids and was waiting when he arrived,¡± she says, smiling at

    Jonas before turning back to us. ¡°Alpha Jordan ordered my mother to tell the truth and that¡¯s how we

    know what she did. I haven¡¯t spoken to her since I left the pack. I refuse to take her calls and I refuse to

    allow her onto my packnds.¡±

    She turns looking at Jonas. ¡°As soon as we got here and got the kids settled, we did what we should

    have done years ago.¡±

    Jonas smiles at her. ¡°She didn¡¯t even ask me, she just snapped those canines into my neck like a damn

    vampire.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one that wasn¡¯t letting anyone get in your way,¡± she says, smiling at him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡± I ask, astonished that my sister has been keeping something so serious

    from me and the rest of the pack.

    ¡°I asked you father and Alpha Jordan to keep it quiet. What would it look like, Jaxon, if the previous

    Gamma family was keeping their daughter from taking her mate, an Alpha from another pack? Nothing

    good woulde of that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Eve says. ¡°My mother and grandmother were outraged that Gamma Brynn wouldn¡¯t allow

    you to take Jonas as your mate.¡±

    ¡°Those are the type of things that cause alliances to break, rifts to form and wars to start. My mother

    has been removed from the packhouse. My father is devastated, not having known what she was

    doing.¡± She looks down at Molly, smiling softly.

    ¡°But I¡¯ll say this, your sister is going to make one hell of an Alpha. She handled this better than I would

    have ever expected. I wish I could see her take her oath, but I won¡¯t step foot on your packnds if my

    mother is there.¡±

    ¡°This is what Jace meant, when he told me that I needed to talk to you. He knows, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I turn and look at Eve. ¡°Evangeline, I don¡¯t know what we¡¯re going to do, but I have no intention of living

    without you. I don¡¯t even care about the contest anymore. I won¡¯t allow our families to keep us apart.¡±

    I swallow hard, looking at her. ¡°Unless you tell me you don¡¯t want to see me¡­.¡±

    Her handes to my face. ¡°I¡¯m here because I refused to let my father tell me that I couldn¡¯t see you.

    I don¡¯t know what our next steps are, but I have no intention of going three months without seeing you

    either.¡±

    The tightness that had taken hold of my chest rxes. At least I know she agrees. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll figure it

    out,¡± I tell her.

    She smiles, just as her phone buzzes. She looks at the caller ID.

    ¡°This is my mother. I have to take this,¡± she says, standing and moving away to answer the call.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 29 (Evangeline)

    I step away from Jaxon, not wanting my mother to know he¡¯s here until I know where she stands.

    ¡°Hello, mother,¡± I answer.

    ¡°Evangeline, are you at Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack? Have you had a chance to settle in?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m on the back porch with grandma.¡±

    It¡¯s quiet for a moment and I look back at the porch. Everyone is busy doing something except for

    Jaxon, he¡¯s watching me.

    ¡°I could tell you that your father regrets what he did, what he said, but I¡¯m not sure it would matter right

    now.¡±

    ¡°Not right now,¡± I say, turning back to look at the forest.

    ¡°Will you tell me what happened? Your side of the story. No judgement from me. I just want to know so I

    can understand,¡± she says.

    My mother may be the iron fist of the family, but there¡¯s a reason for that. She understands our family,

    she understands the dynamics between all of us and when she doesn¡¯t, she finds out so she can

    mediate, just like she¡¯s doing now.

    ¡°I spent the night with Jaxon.¡± I say, waiting for her to blow up at me, like my father did.

    It¡¯s quiet. I don¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Did you want to expand on that? Spending the night could mean all sorts of things. It could mean that

    you had s*ex, or it could mean youid on the ground, looking at the stars telling each other your

    secrets.¡±

    ¡°Something in between those two options.¡± I say.

    ¡°And you believe that he¡¯s your mate?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I know he is. And he knows that I¡¯m his mate too.¡± I say.

    ¡°Okay. No need to get worked up. We¡¯re having a conversation, Evangeline,¡± my mother says

    catingly.

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    I put my face in my hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­.Dad said he was disappointed in me, mom. Disappointed! For what? I didn¡¯t do anything.

    Definitely nothing that I regret. It was a perfect night and Dad ruined it. All it did was remind me that

    Dad doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m good enough or strong enough to be an Alpha, to make good decisions. He

    doesn¡¯t believe in me, thinking that I¡¯m a foolish girl that only thinks with my heart and my hormones.

    That¡¯s not the case mom! It¡¯s not!¡±

    I feel strong armse around me, wrapping me in a loving embrace. I lean back, letting Jaxon soothe

    my frayed emotions.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re disappointed that your father didn¡¯t make you his heir, Evangeline. He has his reasons.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s been clear about what those reasons are. Well, you can let him know that I don¡¯t agree with

    his reasons. I am my mother¡¯s daughter, after all, and I can make my own decisions. If he can¡¯t respect

    that, then I don¡¯t feel the need to see him again.¡± I say.

    ¡°Evangeline.¡±

    ¡°No, mother. I¡¯m serious. How dare he try to keep me from my mate! What would he have done if

    someone tried to keep him from you?¡± I say, feeling myself getting worked up.

    ¡°Times were different then, Evangeline,¡± my mother says calmly.

    ¡°Maybe so, but then that means that times are different now. And if he doesn¡¯t believe me, maybe he

    should talk to his precious heir. I¡¯m not the only one that felt the pull to the mate bond this past week.¡±

    ¡°Shhhh¡­.¡± Jaxon says quietly in my ear.

    ¡°He¡¯s there with you, isn¡¯t he?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I have to go, mother. I¡¯ll talk to you soon.¡± I say, hanging up and turning in Jaxon¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll figure it out. We¡¯ll find a way to make it work.¡± Jaxon says.

    ¡°Hey you two, are you hungry? I have lunch here.¡± Melinda calls out to us.

    He runs his hand over my cheek, running his fingers through my hair.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asks me softly.

    I shake my head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Come on, I know I worked up an appetitest night,¡± he says making me smile.

    ¡°There she is,¡± he says, reaching down to gently kiss my lips.

    He turns, tucking me under his arm, holding me close as we walk back to the porch.

    As we walk up, my grandmother is watching us. When we sit down, Jaxon makes sure I have food

    before getting his own. I watch Alpha Jonas as he watches Jaxon, and I can see that he recognizes the

    behavior as one a mate would use. He subtly nods his head before looking at Melinda who is smiling at

    him.

    ¡°So, Alpha Jaxon, tell us about yourself,¡± my grandmother says.

    ¡°Gran¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Eve. Your grandmother is family, and she should have a chance to get to know your future

    mate,¡± Jaxon says, unphased.

    I reach out and take Jaxon¡¯s hand, moving closer so that our bodies are touching. Jaxon reaches his

    arm around me, holding me against him with one arm as he eats with the other. I lean against him,

    taking the strength he is offering me.

    ¡°What would you like to know?¡± He asks.

    ¡°What are your intentions with my granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°I intend to take her as my mate when she turns 18,¡± he says.

    ¡°What about the contest?¡± grandmother asks him.

    He looks at me. ¡°Do you want to answer that one?¡±

    ¡°Jaxon and I have talked about this. He knows that I intend to continuepeting, simr to Tobias and

    via.¡± I say.

    ¡°And what if you both win, Alpha Jaxon? What then?¡± my grandmother persists.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be amazing, Isabe. And please, if you¡¯re going to interrogate me like this, call me

    Jaxon,¡± he says, and I can tell my grandmother is charmed by him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that they¡¯ve established rules for those of us who find our mates during thepetition

    and decide to continue topete. As of right now, Eve and I would need to agree on two packs that

    border each other so that we could decide on a way to lead them together. Or, if I win and she doesn¡¯t,

    I would want her as my Luna and we would co-lead our pack, just like my parents do.¡±

    ¡°And what if she wins and you don¡¯t, Alpha Jaxon?¡± Melinda asks him.

    ¡°I have no intention of losing, but if that were to happen, then I would hope that Eve would have the

    same philosophy that I do, that we would co-lead our pack.¡±

    I smile looking up at him, smiling.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I say, before turning back to the group. ¡°Jaxon actually helped me to win in the race.¡±

    He shakes his head. ¡°Not true, you did that on your own.¡±

    I ignore him. ¡°He paced me and when I could no longer keep up, he slowed down for me.¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°I had a good reason to continue running with you,¡± he says, smiling at me.

    I smile and duck my head.

    ¡°Oh, what was that?¡± Alpha Jonas asks, watching us closely.

    ¡°Well, it started out as a way to pass the time and give us something else to think about other than how

    exhausted and miserable we were,¡± he says.

    ¡°It was brilliant. We ended up asking each other one question at each 10-mile point. At first, they were

    easy questions, but then they became more specific, more¡­ intimate,¡± I say.

    ¡°We got to know each other. I already knew that Eve was my mate. I knew the moment I smelled her in

    that crowd of people. So, it was an opportunity to get to know her and for her to get to know me. And it

    made the time pass more quickly,¡± he says.

    Alpha Jonas¡¯s phone rings. He looks at the caller ID and stands, stepping away.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas,¡± he says.

    I¡¯m about to continue our conversation when Alpha Jonas turns and looks at Jaxon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Alpha Jonas says.

    He looks down. ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to remind you of the problems that my own mate and I have had.¡±

    He sighs, looking back up at Jaxon. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± he says before holding the phone out

    to Jaxon.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, Luna Katerina would like to speak to you.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 230

    Chapter 230

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 30 (Jaxon)

    I had been watching Eve while she was on the phone, worried about her after everything that has

    happened. My need to protect her is very strong. I want to do this right. I certainly don¡¯t want to start a

    battle that will end in my sister taking our pack to war against Eve¡¯s, but I also know that I can¡¯ t and

    won¡¯t live without her. Evangline is mine.

    I think all of us are shocked when Alpha Jonas says that Luna Katerina wants to speak to me. Having

    just heard his and Melinda¡¯s story, I have to agree, it¡¯s not a good idea. But I take his phone and walk

    away, wanting privacy for whatever it is that Eve¡¯s mother wants to say to me.

    ¡°Luna Katerina.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon. I¡¯ll be brief. My daughter thinks she¡¯s your mate.¡±

    ¡°She is, we can both feel it,¡± I say confidently, feeling Eve walk to stand beside me. I wrap my free arm

    around her, pulling her against my side.

    ¡°How confident are you, Alpha Jaxon, that this is the mate bond and not some sort of crush?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Luna. I realize that your daughter and I have things to

    work out, but we will do that. Your mate trying to keep us apart isn¡¯t going to work. I can¡¯t go three

    months without seeing her. She may not feel the mate bond as strongly as I do yet, but I¡¯m guessing

    you¡¯ve both realized that she isn¡¯t willing to go three months without seeing me either. I don¡¯t want to

    cause problems between us or our packs, Luna, but we need to find a better solution.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I have you on the phone, Alpha, to find a solution. I want my daughter home. I have no

    problem with her staying with her grandmother for a weekend, even a week, but her ce is here, for

    now.¡±

    ¡°And what does that mean for Eve and I, if shees home, Luna. Are you and your mate nning to

    tuck her away and refuse to allow me to see her?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not sure where we will find apromise, but I know my mate will not be okay with you

    sleeping with our daughter down the hall from us.¡±

    I feel my anger ratchet up.

    ¡°I did not have s*ex with your daughter.¡±

    ¡°Call it what you will. But she came back covered in your scent, Alpha Jaxon. She is an underaged girl.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think those boundaries should be hers to decide, not yours? I respected her boundaries, but

    it doesn¡¯t sound like you and your mate will do the same. I¡¯m aware that Eve is under 18, but that

    doesn¡¯t mean that she isn¡¯t perfectly capable of making decisions about herself and her life. She¡¯s in

    the contest to be an Alpha, after all. An Alpha that would have to make decisions about every

    member of her pack, not just herself. Do you truly believe that she isn¡¯t capable of making those types

    of decisions, Luna? I realize that your mate feels that way, otherwise, he would be handing the pack

    over to her. But you Luna? How do you feel about your daughter¡¯s ability to make her own decisions?¡±

    ¡°Do not presume to tell me about my daughter, Alpha. I know that she¡¯s perfectly capable of making her

    own decisions. That is not what I¡¯m saying. What I am saying is that neither my mate nor I will allow

    you toe to our packhouse and spend the night with our daughter.¡±

    ¡°Then let me ay your fears.¡± I say. Eve is trying to pull the phone from my ear, but I keep her tucked

    against me.

    ¡°What I want is to spend time with your daughter, get to know her, talk about our future and what that

    might look like, talk about our options if one of both of us wins the contest, talk about how we can make

    sure that we both win and what we can do to support each other through this time. I want to take Eve

    on dates, I want her toe spend time in my pack, get to know my family, train with our warriors so

    she can be a stronger, better fighter for the nextpetition. So don¡¯t presume that you know

    what I want from your daughter just because she came back to her room smelling like me,¡± I say.

    I hadn¡¯t intended to lose myposure on this call, but Luna Katerina implying that all I want is to have

    s*ex with Eve is totally off base. Of course, I DO want to have s*ex with her, but we didn¡¯t have s*ex

    and it was still the most amazing night of my life. And there are many, many other things I want to do

    with Eve.

    I hear Luna Katerina sigh. ¡°Is my daughter standing there, listening to this conversation?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Evangeline, I want you toe home, but I think you were right to go see your grandmother. I think

    everyone needs some time to calm down. I¡¯ll call you in a day or so.¡±

    I put the phone out for Eve, but she shakes her head. ¡°She¡¯ll talk to you soon, Luna.¡±

    I start to hang up when I hear her call out. ¡°Alpha Jaxon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Luna?¡±

    ¡°Take care of my daughter please.¡±

    ¡°I n to do that for the rest of my life, Luna.¡± I say, hanging up.

    I take Eve¡¯s hand and walk back to the group, handing Alpha Jonas his phone back.

    ¡°Is there somewhere that Eve and I can go sit and talk? Somece private or semi-private on your

    packnds?¡± I ask.

    ¡°There¡¯s a stream down that hill over there. It¡¯s too shallow for people to swim. Sometimes people take

    their pups there, to let them ssh in the shallow water, but if you keep walking upstream, eventually

    you¡¯ll leave the people behind,¡± Alpha Jonas says.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡± I say, turning and leading Eve away from the group and into the forest. I help her

    down the hill and we find the stream. Just like Alpha Jonas said, there are children ying in the water

    here while their parents watch.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    We begin walking upstream, looking around, but not speaking until we¡¯re away from everyone and all

    we can hear are the frogs, crickets and birds in the forest.

    I find a spot for us to sit, sitting down first and pulling Eve into myp.

    ¡°What do you want Eve? Your father told you what he wanted. I told your mother what I want. Now, I

    want to know what you want. Do you want us to be together, or do you want me to stay away from you

    for the next three months?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, so help me goddess, if you try to stay away from me for the next three months, I¡¯ll find

    you, and punch you in that Super Hotty face of yours.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 231

    Chapter 231

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 31 (Evangeline)

    I¡¯m so angry at my mother right now. Not as angry and hurt as I am by my father, but it¡¯s close. She

    basically implied that Jaxon only wants me for s*ex. Honestly, if that were the case, he could have

    taken my virginityst night. We pretty much did everything else.

    And now, this man is sitting here, asking me what I want. Man did I hit the mate bond jackpot!

    When I tell him I¡¯ll punch him if he tries to go three months without seeing me, he bursts outughing.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m joking? It would be a travesty, but I¡¯ll rearrange that Super Hotty face of yours,¡± I say. He

    pulls me in, pressing his lips to mine while stillughing.

    ¡°Oh Eve, I swear I¡¯m already so in love with you,¡± he says, making my heart flutter.

    It should feel weird, we only really met about a week ago, but I feel the same way. Maybe not IN love

    yet, but my feelings for Jaxon are very strong. And ording to him, he thinks my feelings aren¡¯t as

    strong as his, because I¡¯m not yet 18. He may be right, because if my feelings for him get stronger than

    this, I would definitely be saying that I¡¯m in love with him too.

    As he calms down, he tucks my hair behind my ear, the smile still on his face.

    ¡°So, what do you want, my love? What do you think we should do?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going home until I know for sure that my parents will let us see each other. As I

    mentioned, I have no intention of going months without seeing you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it,¡± he says, running his fingers through my hair and watching as my hair slides

    through easily.

    ¡°What about you? What do you want?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I want three months to sh forward so you are 18 and we can be together, but¡­.until then, I really do

    want to do what I told your mom. I want us to get to know each other better, physically AND

    emotionally. I think we have some things to discuss and work out, not the least of which is what

    happens if we both win.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already figured that one out,¡± I say. ¡°Oh, you have? And what did you figure out?¡± he asks, his

    fingers still stroking my face, my neck and my hair while we talk. I turn, so I¡¯m straddling him and can

    wrap my arms around his neck, run my fingers through his hair too, as we talk too.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get adjoining packnds and make them into onerge pack. And if only one of us wins, then I¡¯d

    think we¡¯d have the same people in our pack. Either way, those that would choose you or me as their

    leader wille together in one pack.¡±

    ¡°Beautiful AND intelligent. How did I get so lucky?¡± he asks then frowns. ¡°Are there packnds that are

    adjoining?¡±

    ¡°I think so. We¡¯ll have to look and of course, that¡¯s assuming that wee in the top couple of spots so

    no one else picks one of the two packnds that connect.¡±

    This time he looks thoughtful. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll have to think about that one. But first, we have to both get

    through the nextpetition. I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t have time to talk to Alejandro about which fighters

    he got?¡±

    ¡°No. What about you, did you have a chance to talk to Jordan?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, but not about that. I was getting her help to get you back.¡±

    ¡°You were going to use your sister and her influence as an Alpha to help get me back?¡± I ask, shyly. It¡¯s

    very sweet and not an easy task.

    ¡°Yes. Jordan is much more diplomatic than I am, but when Magdalena called and said you were here,

    all that went out the window. I just jumped out of the car, shifted and ran here.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what did Maggie call your sister about?¡±

    ¡°She wanted Jordan to ry a message to me that this morning wasn¡¯t about me and that you had left

    toe here. Just so you know, she sounded really upset.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she is. She and I are best friends. I¡¯ll call her tonight and let her know that everything is okay.¡±

    ¡°What happens if your parents don¡¯t change their mind? What will you do?¡± he asks me.

    I run my fingers over the muscles of his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here or go to my Aunt Sophia¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°I could see if Jordan is willing to have youe stay with us,¡± he says hopefully.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°That might start a pack war and I don¡¯t want to do that, neither do you. For now, I¡¯m going to stay here

    and see what happens when I speak to my mother in a few days.¡±

    I stroke my fingers over his chest. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to stay here too?¡± I ask, hopefully.

    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±

    I look up at him and nod. ¡°Do you think Alpha Jonas would mind?¡±

    ¡°We can ask him. As of right now, it doesn¡¯t put any kind of pressure on his pack, so he should be okay

    with it.¡±

    ¡°If not, I¡¯ll call my Aunt Sophia and see if we could stay with her,¡± I say, not wanting to be away from

    him.

    ¡°Even if they say no, it doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯te back to see you tomorrow and the next day and the

    next day. My only job right now is preparing for the next contest. As long as we get in sparring every

    day, I don¡¯t care about driving back and forth.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather spend the night with me?¡± I ask, feeling shy again.

    ¡°Why, Alpha Evangeline, are you trying to seduce me?¡± he asks, tilting my chin up to look at him.

    ¡°What if I am?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not give your parents any more reason to hate me just yet.¡±

    I push out my bottom lip, ever so slightly and look down again. His low growl lets me know that my pout

    is working.

    ¡°None of that,¡± he says.

    I look up at him through myshes. How can I already want this man again? It¡¯s been less than 8

    hours.

    This time, the growl is louder, and he flips me onto my back. We spend the next few hours enjoying

    each other, touching and tasting each other,ughing and talking, before heading back to the

    packhouse.

    When we walk up, Alpha Jonas is sitting on the back porch with his daughter in his arms.

    He watches us as we approach and his nose tilts up in the air.

    ¡°I can see why your father flipped out, you two smell like you¡¯ve been going at it all afternoon.¡± He

    raises a hand before I can say anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking, nor do I care. I¡¯m just saying, I can see why your father went all Alpha on you,

    Evangeline.¡±

    I look at him. ¡°So, is now a bad time to ask if Jaxon can stay while I¡¯m here?¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 232

    Chapter 232

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 32 (Jaxon)

    Alpha Jonas agreed to allow me to stay as long as both of us kept our families apprised of the situation.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to separate mates, but I¡¯m also not willing to start a pack war with one of my pack

    member¡¯s daughter and grandchildren,¡± he says.

    ¡°Understood. And just know, Alpha Jonas, if it bes a problem, I¡¯ll go stay with my Aunt Sophia,¡±

    Eve had told him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be necessary. Will the two of you be joining us for warrior training?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Do you know if Beta Jared got any of the fighters toe train in your pack?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He did. ¡°We¡¯ve got Ezekiel starting tomorrow. We only have him for a week, but we¡¯ll take what we can

    get. Collin and the others who are still in the contest will be participating in extra, specialized training

    with him in the afternoons. You are wee to join if you¡¯d like. The morning training sessions will be

    open to the entire pack.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. What¡¯s his specialty?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Aikido. I believe that all of their specialties have simrities but subtle differences. If you¡¯re still here in

    a few weeks, we also got Leviing. His specialty is Jujitsu.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Jordan, see who she scheduled and when. Maybe we can work out a trade. Our packs are

    close enough tobine training sessions, if possible,¡± I tell him.

    I had borrowed a car, headed back home to speak to Jordan and pick up some clothing before

    returning to Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack, intending to stay as long as Eve is. Alpha Jonas had given me a room

    near Eve¡¯s.

    That was a week ago and this week has been grueling. Ezekiel is a master, and it was obvious from

    day one that he expected us to master this martial art in one week, even if he had to beat it into us. All I

    have to say is that I¡¯m extremely thankful for my advanced healing. Everyone struggled and by the end

    of the week the pack members that joined the morning training had dwindled, but those of us that were

    training for the contest continued and each day he pushed us harder.

    Jonas has 9 contenders in his pack who were part of the specialized training and Jordan agreed to

    trade fighters, since she has a different fighter, Nn,ing next week. Nn specializes in kick

    boxing and Jordan agreed that not only could Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack members join, but that Eve could join

    our training as well. We haven¡¯t quite figured out the arrangements yet, but I¡¯m hoping that maybe Eve

    can convince her parents to not only allow her, but also her siblings to join us.

    Eve talks to Magdalena every night and sometimes Maka joins the call, asking when Eve will be

    coming home.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, Makie. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t get together. I miss you too.¡± Eve told her

    last night.

    She and I have been sharing a room for thest week. We each have our own, but we¡¯ve chosen to

    sleep together. However, after our training sessions at night, it¡¯s all we can do to eat, shower and fall

    into bed. We¡¯re both exhausted, but I love sleeping next to her, curled up around her.

    I¡¯m sure Jonas knows that we¡¯re spending our nights together, but he doesn¡¯t say anything and neither

    does Isabe. Eve¡¯s grandmother has been supportive from the very beginning, and it¡¯s been great

    getting to know her this week.

    Today, is thest day of training with Ezekiel. We¡¯ll have one day off then we have to figure out

    arrangements for going to Jordan¡¯s pack to train. If Eve¡¯s parents give her a hard time, we¡¯ll just

    continue to train here in the morning and go with Jonas¡¯s pack to join training in the evenings before

    coming back here. But I really hope that her parents will agree to let Eve and her siblings stay at our

    pack for the week. I want my family to have a chance to get to know her and I know Eve misses her

    siblings.

    ¡°Hello, Grandma Isabe,¡± I say, bussing her cheek as wee in from morning training, ready to eat.

    She told me to call her Grandma, saying that since I was going to be mated to her granddaughter, that

    I¡¯m family too. If only Eve¡¯s parents felt the same.

    Every day, the pack has been gracious in making sure that there is plenty of food. Those of us that are

    training have been voracious eaters and there is always arge amount of food avable for us.

    ¡°Jaxon, you and Eviee sit with me,¡± Isabe says, shooing others out of their seats to make room

    for us.

    Eve chuckles at her grandmother before grabbing a te of food and sitting beside her. I say goodbye

    to Collin, Beta Jared¡¯s son who is also a contender in the contest, and I sit across from both of them.

    ¡°So, today is thest day of training with Ezekiel?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes, honestly, I¡¯m thankful to have a day of rest, grandma. This week has been harder than I

    expected,¡± Eve says.

    Isabe nods, looking at me.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you about your sister¡¯s invitation for my grandchildren to stay at her pack next week to

    train with Nn. Do you think that invitation is still open?¡± she asks me.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I know it is. I spoke to Jordanst night and she was asking me if I knew any more about

    theming to stay and how many to expect so she could make sure there are rooms for all of them.¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± She turns to Evangeline. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to Alejandro, and he has indicated that he will make

    sure that you and your siblings are all allowed to go to Alpha Jordan¡¯s pack to train.¡±

    ¡°What about my parents?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I suggest you speak to your mother this evening. If she gives any pushback at all, you let me know

    and I¡¯ll handle her. This is too important. I¡¯ve watched the two of you this week, and while I can see that

    there is a romance here, I¡¯ve also seen the dedication andmitment you have to this contest. Your

    parents should not interfere with that, and I¡¯ve basically said the same to your mother. I may have also

    sent her a picture of the two of you falling asleep over your dinner,¡± she adds sheepishly.

    I look at Eve, smiling, before turning back to Grandma Isabe. Damn this woman is a force to be

    reckoned with.

    ¡°Which night that we were falling asleep?¡± I ask. There were several to choose from.

    ¡°All of them. She needed to know this isn¡¯t some silly fling and that the two of you are supporting each

    other and helping each other through thispetition as well as getting to know each other. And I, for

    one, have enjoyed getting to know you, Jaxon. I¡¯ m proud to call you my future grandson.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Grandma Isabe,¡± I say, meaning it. I want Eve¡¯s family to like me, just like I want my

    family to like her. I intend to spend my life with Eve. Any friction between our families will only make our

    lives more difficult.

    Isabe focuses back on her food, not looking at us when she drops the bomb. ¡°But I do believe that

    your mother and father intend to stay the week in Alpha Jordan¡¯s pack as well.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 233

    Chapter 233

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 33 (Evangeline)

    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

    After Grandmother Isabe told us about my parentsing to stay at Alpha Jordan¡¯ s pack next week,

    I immediately went to my room to call my mother.

    ¡°Is it true?¡± I ask as soon as she answers.

    ¡°Good morning to you too, Evangeline. It¡¯s nice to hear from you.¡±

    ¡°Mother, is it true? Are you and dading to Alpha Jordan¡¯s pack next week?¡±

    ¡°Yes, your father and I will be escorting the family to Alpha Jordan¡¯s pack to participate in the

    specialized training for the contest. In addition, Alpha Jordan has graciously invited the other 7

    contestants from our pack to join in the training as well as Alejandro. However, your father thought that

    this would be a good time for give Alejandro some practice being an Alpha. Interestingly, your brother

    declined and is joining us as well.¡±

    I snort. ¡°Of course, he is mother. He¡¯s mated to Teagan, and this is an opportunity for him to get to

    spend a week with her.¡±

    It¡¯s quiet a moment. ¡°Your grandmother said that you and Jaxon have been training hard this week.¡±

    ¡°What were you expecting, mother? That I would give up my dreams for my mate? That¡¯s not who I am.

    You should know me better than that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I should. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you, Evangeline. I hope that at the end of this week

    that you will return home. Your father has Mateo scheduled next week and he has agreed to

    reciprocate with Alpha Jordan and her pack.¡±

    ¡°What is Mateo¡¯s specialty?¡± I ask, curious. I¡¯ m getting quite a well-rounded workout in the first three

    weeks of practice.

    ¡°Savate,¡± she says.

    ¡°Savate? I don¡¯t even know what that is,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I understand that it¡¯s a bit like kick-boxing only with a street fighter ir. It should be a good training

    after just finishing Nn¡¯s training this week.¡±

    ¡°Are you and dad nning to train as well?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to. I hope I can keep up. I¡¯m not as young as I used to be.¡±

    I snort at that. My mother has always maintained her fighting physique. She and my father both spar

    daily with the pack. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this week goes, mother. If all goes well and if Jaxon is invited to stay

    with us as well, then I¡¯lle home. We can take it one week at a time.¡±

    ¡°I can live with that,¡± she says.

    That night, ourst night, Ezekiel pushes us even harder than he has before. My body is sore, my

    muscles are aching, but I push through.

    ¡°Come on, Eve. You¡¯ve got this,¡± Jaxon says to me after I¡¯m taken down again by Ezekiel.

    I look at him. It¡¯s thest night of training, it would be easy to give up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Evangeline. You¡¯re an Alpha, stand up and fight like one.¡± Jaxon says, pushing me. I look

    at Ezekiel who is watching me intently, waiting to see what I will do.

    I take a deep breath and I stand, looking at Ezekiel and getting into my fight stance. ¡°AGAIN!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± I hear Jaxon say quietly as I begin to spar again. When the training is done, I copse

    on the ground.

    ¡°Just leave me here and let me die,¡± I say dramatically.

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Jaxon says, conning over and holding out his hand.

    ¡°How are you still standing?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Sheer willpower. I¡¯m almost afraid to stop for dinner, knowing that I may not be able to get up and walk

    to my room afterward.¡±

    We head inside and eat, barely able to stay awake before heading to our rooms. Jaxon¡¯ s is closer, so I

    stop there, joining him.

    We strip, heading to the shower together. This has be amon event and since neither of us

    has any energy at the end of the day, there¡¯s absolutely nothing sexual about it. It¡¯s just a way to save

    time so we can climb into bed faster.

    Once we¡¯re in bed, I turn toy on him. I¡¯m pretty sure I fall asleep before my head t*ouches his chest.

    The next day is a much-needed day of rest. Jaxon and I both join morning sparring, but it¡¯s easy

    compared to what we¡¯ve been doing. Tomorrow morning, we start with Nn in Alpha Jordan¡¯s pack,

    so Jaxon and I are heading to his pack tonight.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing your parents will be there tonight. How are you feeling about seeing them?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see my sisters and brothers, and even my mother, but I¡¯m not sure how I feel

    about seeing my father.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t a bit tentative about seeing him too. He¡¯s already warned me about you

    being underage, then he tried to steal you away from me. I hope that a break from you has helped to

    give him some rity.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see. I told my mother that me returning home next week is dependent on how things go

    this week.¡±

    ¡°You said that you father booked Mateo, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Jaxon turns and looks at me. ¡°Listen to me, Eve. No matter what happens this week, you need to go

    home and take advantage of that training. I can¡¯t believe the difference that one week made with

    Ezekiel. If they are all like this, you have to take every opportunity to train that you get. I¡¯ll deal with not

    seeing you for a week if I have to.¡±

    I take his hands in mine. ¡°But I refuse to deal with it, Jaxon. I know we haven¡¯t had a ton of time to do

    anything other than train this week, but somehow, I still feel closer to you than I did a week ago.¡±

    He pulls me closer to him, lifting our joined hands between us. ¡°I hear near death experiences bring

    people closer,¡± he says, referencing the hell week we just had.

    It¡¯s so unexpected and so Jaxon, that I burst outughing, throwing my head back andughing for the

    first time in over a week. Jaxon takes one of ourbined hands, pinning it behind my back and

    holding me against him as Iugh.

    When I look up, he¡¯s watching me, a possessive, happy smile on his face.

    ¡°I hope to hear a whole lot more of thatughter in our lifetime,¡± he says.

    I look at those sparkling grey eyes before leaning in to k*iss him. Since he is holding both my hands,

    one behind my back, I lean against him, drawing his mouth to mine in a deep, passionate k*iss.

    Melinda POV

    ¡°You know you¡¯re being a stalker, Isabe,¡± I say watching her take a video of the interaction between

    Alpha Jaxon and Alpha Evangeline.

    ¡°Look at this Luna, look at the way he looks at her,¡± she says, rewinding the video. As I watch, I see

    Evangeline throw her head back on augh and the look I see on Jaxon¡¯s face is the same look that

    I¡¯ve seen on Jonas¡¯s face when he watches me. Love, hunger, possessiveness.

    ¡°How are my daughter and her stubborn mate not able to see this for what it is? Not able to see that

    these two have real love between them?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Isabe, you¡¯re asking the wrong person. How could my mother not see that all she was doing was

    hurting me by keeping me from my mate? Jonas says it¡¯s because it used to be so different.¡±

    ¡°It was, but I¡¯m not blind to it. I hope my daughter is smart enough to figure this out, because if she

    doesn¡¯t, I have a feeling that much like you, Evangeline will walk away from her family.¡±

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 234

    Chapter 234

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 34 (Jaxon)

    When we arrive on my sister¡¯s packnds, I¡¯ m really excited for Evangeline to not only get to meet my

    family in a more in-depth way, but also to see her family.

    As soon as we step out of the car, she¡¯s surrounded by her siblings.

    ¡°Evie!¡± they say, engulfing her in a hug.

    I go to the trunk pulling our bags out beforeing around the car. I watch as her siblings step back

    frowning, Magdalena putting Eve at arm¡¯s length.

    ¡°Is it me or are you more ripped than you were only a week ago?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Ezekiel is a drill sergeant! I hope you got him for our pack,¡± Eve says looking at Alejandro.

    ¡°Not for a few weeks, but he¡¯ll be there.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll practically bring you to your knees, but wow, I feel stronger after only a week,¡± she says to them.

    ¡°You look stronger,¡± Lazio says to her.

    ¡°Your sister was amazing. She held her own and never backed down,¡± I tell them,ing to stand

    beside them, smiling at my mate.

    ¡°I had a lot of encouragement,¡± she says, moving to stand beside me.

    I wrap my arm around her. ¡°You didn¡¯t need it, you¡¯re tough all on your own.¡±

    ¡°Alright, stand aside, let me see my daughter,¡± Luna Katerina says, walking up.

    Eve pulls away from me before stepping up to her mother.

    ¡°Hi mom,¡± she says hugging her.

    It looked like Eve had nned the motion to be a quick hug, but Luna Katerina wraps her arms around

    her, holding Eve against her and taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Your siblings are right, you¡¯re more lean, more muscr,¡± Katerina says, stepping back. Simrly to

    Magdalena, she holds her away from her and looks her over.

    ¡°Wow! We should try to get Ezekiel twice,¡± Katerina says, looking over her shoulder at Alpha Luke as

    he walks up.

    ¡°He¡¯s already booked up,¡± he saysing to stand beside his mate.

    ¡°Hello Evangeline,¡± he says before looking up at me. ¡°Hello Alpha Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°Alpha, Luna,¡± I say greeting them, just before my twines racing out of the packhouse in a very un-

    Alpha way. ¡°JAXON!¡±

    She races into my arms, mming herself against me. I grunt as she stands back, looking at me.

    ¡°Holy s*hit! What happened to you?¡±

    ¡°Ezekiel.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Rowan says, following Jordan outside. Teagan follows her, but she¡¯s looking at Alejandro who

    is smiling up at her.

    ¡°Seriously, bro, you got all this muscle from a week with Ezekiel.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I look at Jordan. ¡°Did you schedule him?¡±

    ¡°In a couple of weeks, now I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°Make sure you have lots of food. We about ate Alpha Jonas out of his packhouse,¡± Eve says.

    ¡°Alpha Evangeline, it¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± Jordan says, moving to hug her. ¡°Come inside, I¡¯ll show

    you where you¡¯re staying,¡± Jordan says, hooking her arm through Eve¡¯s.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she staying on our hallway?¡± Alpha Luke asks.

    Eve turns to him. ¡°I¡¯m staying wherever Alpha Jordan puts me, father, just as you would expect any

    visitors to stay where you put them if this was your packhouse.¡±

    Eve¡¯s tone is sharp and there¡¯s no question that she¡¯s still very angry with her father. He presses his

    l*ips together but doesn¡¯t say any more.

    ¡°Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t enough space, and I knew Alpha Evangeline wasing before I knew the

    rest of you were, so she and Magdalena are actually staying on our Beta¡¯s floor.¡± She turns to Eve and

    Magdalena. ¡°I hope it¡¯s okay that I put you in a room together.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± they both say, and I can see that Magdalena is excited to be able to spend time with Eve.

    ¡°And, Alpha Jordan, since your brother is my mate, please, feel free to call me Evangeline or Evie, or

    Eve as he calls me.¡±

    ¡°Nope, Eve is my name, you can call her Evie,¡± I say to Jordan.

    ¡°Greedy much?¡± Jordan asks, shaking her head at me.

    ¡°When ites to Eve, yes,¡± I say, not caring that both our families are listening. I fully intend to make

    her mine as soon as she¡¯s old enough and agrees.

    Jordan looks back at Eve. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re iming my good-for-nothing twin as your mate, then you

    muste to my Alpha ceremony in two weeks. We pushed it off when we realized we were able to

    get Nn this week, but I¡¯d love it if you¡¯d attend.¡±

    Jordan may have been acting like my sister rather than an Alpha when she raced out of the packhouse

    to greet me, but now she¡¯s all Alpha. She¡¯s letting both Alpha Luke and Luna Katerina know that she

    supports my mate bond with Eve. Goddess, I love my twin!

    As she expertly begins to guide us into the packhouse, I see Alejandro subtly move next to Teagan.

    Since my sister is older than Alejandro, almost the same age as

    Eve, she would be feeling the mate bond strongly. Not as strongly as I am, but definitely as strongly as

    Eve. And it appears that Alejandro feels it pretty strongly as well.

    Since I¡¯m bringing up the rear of the group, I see Luna Katerina take note of her son¡¯s preference for

    my sister.

    Rowanes over and takes my arm. ¡°Geez, muscle mania, how much stronger are you going to

    get?¡±

    ¡°As strong as it takes to win, little sister. How about you? Are you excited about having Nn here this

    week?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and since you¡¯re back, I¡¯d like to speak to you this week.¡± She nces over at Luke and Katerina.

    Rowan turned 18 just before thepetition.

    I lean over, k*issing the side of her head. ¡°We¡¯ll talk,¡± I whisper into her ear. I was busy with my own

    mate, so I didn¡¯t pay a ton of attention to the others around me, but based on how Rowan is acting, I¡¯m

    guessing she found her mate during the race.

    When we get inside, Jordan turns left to take Eve to her room. She¡¯ll be on the same side of the house

    as I am, even if she won¡¯t be on the same floor as me. My parents walk up, saying hello before turning

    to speak to Luke and Katerina.

    ¡°Evangeline,¡± Luke calls as Eve walks up the stairs. She turns and looks at him.

    ¡°When you¡¯re settled, I¡¯d like to see what you learnedst week with Ezekiel.¡±

    Eve looks at him a moment and everyone stays quiet, waiting to see what she¡¯ll say.

    ¡°Come on, you know you want to hit me,¡± he taunts her.

    It has the desired effect, and she smiles. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a great idea,¡± Jordan says looking at me. ¡°I

    want to see what new weapons you¡¯ve got in your arsenal, Jax.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to take you on any day of the week, Jordan,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Maybe this time you¡¯ll actually beat me,¡± she says sassily.

    I snort. ¡°As if it would be the first time,¡± I taunt her back.

    ¡°Oh, here we go. I¡¯m out of here,¡± Rowan says, heading up to the Alpha floor, as I turn to follow Jordan,

    Eve and Magdalena to their temporary room.

    Jordan opens the door, gesturing for the girls to enter. I step up beside Jordan as Eve turns. I pull her

    bag off my shoulder and hand it to her.

    ¡°See you in a few minutes,¡± I say, pulling her to me and k*issing her.

    ¡°Not soon enough.¡± She says as I step back. When she closes the door, I race to my room to change.

 The Claiming By Cooper Chapter 235

    Chapter 235

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 35 (Evangeline)

    When I close the door on Alpha Jordan and Jaxon I turn and Maggie smashes into me again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± she says, holding me tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± I tell her, wrapping my arms around her.

    ¡°So, wow, you and Super Hotty?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know it seems soon, but I feel it, Maggie. I know he¡¯s my mate.¡±

    ¡°Dad¡¯s been very quiet this week. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on in his head, but I know he wants you to

    come home. We all miss you. It would be one thing if you became an Alpha and took over your own

    pack. But this is different. The way you left¡­¡± her voice chokes up and I pull her to me again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how things go this week. Mom seems to be wavering both ways. Sometimes, I feel like she¡¯s

    on my side and sometimes I feel like she wants to pull me away from Jaxon. Jaxon has been nothing

    but supportive. So, if they won¡¯t allow him toe train with our pack next week, I won¡¯t being

    home either.¡±

    ¡°Where will you go?¡±

    ¡°Either back to Alpha Jonas¡¯s or to Aunt Sophia¡¯s pack. If they won¡¯t take us, then we¡¯ll find somece

    else to live until the nextpetition. It¡¯s only a couple of months away.¡±

    Her eyes go wide. ¡°Evie¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that now. I need to go punch dad a few times to work off my anger at him.¡±

    We finish getting ready and head downstairs. I see Jaxon walking back inside, smiling when he sees

    me.

    ¡°I saw you weren¡¯t outside yet, so I thought I¡¯de wait for you,¡± he says, wrapping his arm around

    my shoulders.

    I wrap my arm around his waist and that¡¯s how we exit the back of the packhouse. I see there are quite

    a few people here, looking like they want to spar.

    ¡°Jordan might have put a mind link out to the pack that you and I were going to show off what we

    learned from Ezekiel and if they wanted a firsthand look at the future training, toe watch,¡± Jaxon

    tells me.

    As we approach, even more peoplee to watch.

    ¡°I can send them away, if you want,¡± he says quietly in my ear.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I just wasn¡¯t expecting it,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Evangeline,¡± my father calls. ¡°Are you ready to show me what you learned?¡±

    Jaxon k*isses the side of my head. ¡°Give him hell, Eve.¡±

    The group has created a ring around the training area, everyone milling around so they can watch. It¡¯s

    not umon in the packs to have two strong fighters battle while others watch and learn. And being

    part of the Alpha family, I¡¯ve had my share of being in the fighter¡¯s circle, as my father calls it.

    I walk into the circle, taking a few minutes to warm up before looking at my father. ¡°Ready when you

    are,¡± I tell him, getting into my fighting stance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Eve,¡± I hear Jaxon say.

    My father gets into position and then gives me the signal to attack when ready. I start out like usual. I¡¯ve

    been sparring with my father since I was a child. He knows all my moves and he counters them easily.

    What he doesn¡¯t know is that I¡¯m drawing him out, I¡¯m waiting for his attack on me so I can use his

    attack against him.

    As soon as he makes his first move, I put him on the ground. Once he¡¯s down, I jump back, letting him

    get back up.

    ¡°Yes, Eve! Nice job!¡± Jaxon, my cheerleader, says.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Nice move, Evangeline,¡± my father says, getting back on his feet. ¡°Got any more?¡±

    ¡°Try me,¡± I say to him.

    I don¡¯t go easy on my father, but I also don¡¯t let my anger at him overshadow my fight. Letting emotion

    take over is the easiest way to lose a fight. It¡¯s something my father taught all of us at a young age.

    I¡¯ve taken him down three more times before he calls it.

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Evangeline. You learned quite a bit in one week,¡± my father says.

    ¡°I took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself to me,¡± I tell him, using one of his catch

    phrases to us from the time we were kids.

    He smiles and steps back, looking around. ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Oh, I definitely want to have a go at my brother,¡± Jordan says,ing into the ring.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± The pack begins cheering for Jordan.

    Jaxon smirks, his eyes never leave Jordan, but he wraps his arm around me as he passes and kisses

    my cheek.

    ¡°Nice job, beautiful.¡±

    He gets in the ring and Alejandro and

    Maggiee to stand beside me. ¡°Is it wrong that I¡¯m jealous that leaving the pack literally gave you a

    fighting advantage?¡± Maggie asks me.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be great when we get Ezekiel,¡± I say, watching Jaxon. I see him get into position, and I can¡¯t help

    but call out to him.

    ¡°Come on, Super Hotty, show them you¡¯re not just a pretty face!¡± His smile is instant, and he looks at

    me quickly before refocusing on Jordan.

    ¡°My girl is taunting me, so I need to make this good,¡± he says to Jordan.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got, Super Hotty,¡± Jordan says sarcastically.

    Unlike me and my father, Jordan and Jaxon are very equally matched, not only in height but also in

    skill. They have obviously sparred together their entire life and it shows. Where Jaxon may rely a bit

    more on his strength, Jordan is incredibly fast.

    ¡°Come on, Jordan, kick his b*utt.¡± I look up to see Jace, Jordan¡¯s Gamma, watching her intently.

    ¡°I intend to Jace,¡± she calls out.

    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± Jaxon says, and they start sparring. I¡¯m beginning to realize that bantering is

    something this pack loves to do.

    I can tell that Jordan watched and learned from my sparring match with my father. She¡¯s ready when

    Jaxon starts to use her attacks against her, but she hasn¡¯t learned the skill that he has yet and in the

    end. He takes her down several times before she calls it.

    ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t wait to get Ezekiel here.¡± She says.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to survive a week with me first, Alpha,¡± an unknown voice says from behind us.

    We all turn and look at the thin, muscr man behind us.

    ¡°I¡¯m Nn, by the way and when I¡¯m done with you this week, I¡¯ll make Ezekiel look like a weakling.¡±

    Jace POV

    I¡¯ve just gotten off the phone with Taylor when I step outside and see everyone in a fighter¡¯s circle. I

    know Jordan wanted to spar with Jaxon after his week with Ezekiel, so I head over, just as the two of

    them step into the ring.

    As I watch her, my heart aches for my mate. I know I need to talk to her soon. I need to tell her why I¡¯ve

    not shown an interest in our mate bond. At first, I focused on the job, on work, on helping her to

    be the powerful, amazing Alpha that she is. Or at least, that¡¯s what I told myself.

    But as this year has gone by and Jordan and I have worked together more often, I knew it was time for

    me to make a decision. So, I told Taylor I needed a break.

    Not surprisingly, she agreed, saying that we both need to focus on this contest and when it¡¯s done, we

    cane back together and create our pack. I didn¡¯t correct her, but my focus isn¡¯t on the contest, it¡¯s

    on my Alpha, my mate.

    It¡¯s time for me to make a decision. I need to talk to Jordan. We either need try to make our bond work,

    or it¡¯s time for us to reject each other and move on.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 36 (Jaxon)

    ¡°Nn, I¡¯m Alpha Jordan. It¡¯s nice to meet you. Wee to my pack,¡± Jordan says, walking up to greet

    Nn.

    ¡°Alpha Jordan,¡± he says, never taking his eyes off of hers. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    ¡°Only good things I hope,¡± she says, and I can tell she¡¯s a bit ttered by his attention. ¡°Very good

    things,¡± he says, seemingly ignoring everyone else.

    I step up beside my sister. ¡°I¡¯m Alpha Jaxon,¡± I say, extending my hand.

    Finally, he tears his gaze away from Jordan. ¡°Alpha Jaxon, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it wasn¡¯t ¡®very good things¡¯ like you heard about my twin.¡± It¡¯s a not-so-subtle warning to

    back off. My sister is an Alpha. Every unmated male wants her. It¡¯s made me very protective of her over

    the years.

    ¡°On the contrary, I heard you are an amazing fighter. I can¡¯t wait to see for myself,¡± he says smoothly.

    He turns back to Jordan. ¡°Would you be so kind as to go over the ns for the week with me and show

    me to my room Alpha.¡±

    ¡°I can show you to your room,¡± Jace says,ing up on Jordan¡¯s other side.

    ¡°Guys, Nn is our guest,¡± Jordan says to me and Jace.

    She tucks her arm through Nn¡¯s skillfully turning him toward the packhouse. ¡°You¡¯ll have to excuse

    my twin and my Gamma. They¡¯re very protective of me.¡±

    ¡°As they should be. The only Alpha female in four generations who will take over her pack,¡± he says.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done your homework, warrior,¡± Jordan says as I watch them walk away. ¡°I never walk into a

    situation blind if I can help it. And you, my dear Alpha, are very intriguing,¡± I hear him say as they walk

    into the packhouse.

    ¡°What the f*uc*k is he doing,¡± Jace snarls beside me.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s flirting with our Alpha,¡± I say, giving him a side-eye. It¡¯s not like he has any right to act

    jealous.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± he growls.

    ¡°Then maybe you should spend the week in Uncle Seth¡¯s pack with Taylor. I hear they have Jameson

    this week,¡± I say, turning and walking toward Eve. Jace needs to get his head out of his a*ss. You don¡¯t

    f*uc*k with our cousin then act all possessive of your mate.

    When I look at Eve, my aggravation falls away. I walk up to her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

    ¡°Are you always so protective of your sister?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I tell her honestly.

    ¡°Do you intend to be that protective of me?¡± she asks, looking up at me through her longshes.

    ¡°Yes, and before you ask, if you think this is protective, just wait until we have daughters,¡± I tell her.

    That gets her attention and has her head snapping up to look me in the eye. ¡°What?¡± she asks,

    surprised.

    ¡°What?¡± I shrug. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d want children some day?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought that far in advance,¡± she says.

    I lean down, nuzzling against her cheek. ¡°If we¡¯re going to run a pack, we¡¯ll need heirs. I know we

    haven¡¯t talked about it, but I definitely want to have a pups with you.¡±

    I hear someone clearing their throat and before I look, I know it¡¯s Alpha Luke.

    Eve grits her teeth. ¡°Yes, dad?¡±

    I can tell he wants to rip Eve away from me, so I hold on tighter. ¡°Will you be having dinner with your

    family, Evangeline?¡±

    She turns to look at her father. ¡°That depends on if Jaxon is also invited to sit with us.¡±

    He gnashes his teeth for a moment before looking at me.

    ¡°I look forward to seeing you both at dinner,¡± he says before walking away.

    ¡°This is going to be an interesting week,¡± I say to Eve as I watch her father walk away. ¡°His choice how

    this week goes. It can go well or not so well.¡±

    Jordan POV

    I walk Nn inside the packhouse introducing him to my parents before taking him to the room where

    he¡¯ll be staying. I¡¯ve put him on the Alpha floor with me. Now that my parents have moved out in

    preparation for me taking over the pack, taking my sister Raelyn with them, there are two empty rooms

    on our floor. I figured it would give Nn a quiet ce to rest at the end of the night, away from pack

    activities if he wanted quiet time.

    ¡°Did you want some time to get cleaned up and rx, or are you ready to meet now?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready now, Alpha,¡± he says, dropping his bag in his room.

    ¡°We can go to my office and talk there,¡± I say, waiting for him to close his door. As we pass, I let him

    know where my room is, ¡°in case you need anything at all.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Jordan.¡±

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Please, call me Jordan,¡± I say, smiling at him as we walk. ¡°What were you thinking as far as a training

    schedule. I created a mock schedule, but I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts as well.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking the morning could be a pack training. Anyone who wants to participate could. In the

    evening, those that choose toe for additional training, could receive two more hours of specialized

    training. I would expect that the contenders for the contest would want to participate in the evening

    training ss as well.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. It sounds like that is the same schedule that Ezekiel had in Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°We all have simr schedules. However, I would like to offer you one-on-one training, Jordan. We

    could meet early afternoon and spend one to two hours on your training.¡±

    ¡°Nn, you said you¡¯d only heard good things. If you think I need individualized training, then obviously

    what you¡¯ve heard about me isn¡¯t that great,¡± I say teasingly. ¡°On the contrary, Jordan. I¡¯ve heard that

    you will be an exceptional Alpha, that you are kind and caring but also fierce. I want to make sure that

    you are fierce enough to take out any opponent. By the end of the week, I want to know that I¡¯ve left

    you with the skills needed to take out every one of the six warriors who are training the packs.¡± I stop,

    turning to look at him.

    ¡°Why? Why would you do that for me?¡±

    ¡°My great-grandmother was thest Alpha female to be heir to her pack. From what I heard, she was a

    great woman, a fierce warrior. It¡¯s why I train in kickboxing. I find it to be a great equalizer. Men can

    be very good at kickboxing, but women are naturally more flexible and find it is easier to stretch

    their kicks high enough to kick their opponent in the face. You can knock them off their feet in one kick

    if you do it right, giving yourself the advantage in a fight.¡±

    We¡¯re in my office, the door closed. He steps into my space, taking my hands in his.

    ¡°And, if I¡¯m being truthful, I¡¯m intrigued by you, Alpha Jordan. I¡¯ve heard nothing but good things about

    you. I want to get to know you better, not because you are heir to your pack, but because you are a

    strong female and I find that very s*exy, it doesn¡¯t hurt that you are beautiful as well. I hope that the age

    difference between us doesn¡¯t deter you from letting me get to know you better. Ten years can seem

    like a lot at your age, but I¡¯ve already seen that you are a mature, confident woman. So, I hope you not

    only ept my offer to train with me individually, but also, that you will give me an opportunity to get to

    know you better and you to get to know me.¡±

    Maybe I should be thinking of Jace right now, but he has Taylor. Maybe it¡¯s time for me to stop pining

    away for a man that obviously doesn¡¯t want me and to spend time with a man who obviously does.

    ¡°I would love to get to know you better, Nn. And I ept your offer to train individually with you.¡±

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 37 (Evangeline)

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I¡¯m already doubting that my father will behave this week, but he did agree to have Jaxon join us for

    dinner.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, Eve. He¡¯s your father. Yes, he¡¯s being a bit overprotective, but that¡¯s his job. You¡¯re his first-

    born child, he¡¯s going to be more strict with you and I.¡±

    ¡°How are you so calm about this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m calm because he¡¯s not actively trying to keep me away from you. If that changes, so will my

    attitude. I¡¯m just saying, if he¡¯s trying, let¡¯s give him a chance. And¡­.I may have called in the big guns.¡±

    ¡°Big guns? What do you mean?¡± I ask him as we walk into the dining room together. ¡°I asked my

    mother to sit with us,¡± he says smugly.

    ¡°Why, Alpha Jaxon, how very conniving of you,¡± I say to him, already seeing Luna Jara seated at our

    table talking to my parents.

    As we get closer, Luna Jara stands. ¡°Jaxon, sweetheart, you didn¡¯t evene say hello to me when

    you arrived home.¡±

    ¡°Sorry mom, Eve and I went outside to show everyone what we learned from Ezekielst week.¡±

    ¡°I heard it was impressive,¡± she says, turning to me. ¡°Alpha Evangeline, how lovely to see you. I look

    forward to getting to know you better this week. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy your time in our pack.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will, Luna, thank you.¡±

    I nod at my parents and siblings before sitting down in between Luna Jara and Jaxon. I know he seated

    me here on purpose. It¡¯s a way for Luna Jara to say she supports our rtionship.

    ¡°I do want to hear all about Ezekiel, but first, how are Jonas and Melinda doing? I miss Melinda now

    that she refuses to visit.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if the conversation is intentional, or if Luna Jara really does miss Melinda since she

    originally came from this pack.

    ¡°She¡¯s good. She¡¯s pregnant with her third child.¡±

    Luna Jara¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ll have to let Brynn know. Such a shame that there is a

    rift between Melinda and her mother. I hope they can work it out some day. Melinda is a special

    woman,¡± she says looking at me.

    ¡°Did you know, Evangeline, that I lost a sister?¡±

    ¡°Jaxon told me. He said one of the territories in the contest was the packnd where she was Luna,¡± I

    say.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She died without ever having a child,¡± Luna Jara smiles sadly. ¡°And then, I lost my first

    child, a girl.¡±

    I turn looking at Jaxon, but he¡¯s watching his mother. I turn back to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Why would you? At the time, your father hadn¡¯t even imed your mother yet. But a young Melinda

    came to me in my darkest hour. She told me that my sister hade to her in a dream and wanted her

    to thank me for giving her the child she never had. Melinda was maybe two or three at the time, young

    as I said. She insisted that Brynn allow her to tell me what she needed to say because my sister came

    to her in a dream and wanted her to give me the message.¡± Luna Jara¡¯s eyes are far away,

    remembering the time.

    ¡°So, you can see why I feel close to Melinda. I¡¯ll definitely have to go see her soon. I haven¡¯t even met

    her little girl yet,¡± she says.

    ¡°Molly,¡± I say. ¡°Grandma Isabe adores her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s really cute,¡± Jaxon says. ¡°Looks just like Melinda. They both do with their blond, curly hair.¡±

    Luna Jara smiles. ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure we all want to hear more about Ezekiel. Your sister has himing

    here soon.¡±

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see if Norman is right about making Ezekiel look like a weakling or if that is a bunch of

    bravado and good-natured ribbing, butst week was pretty intense,¡± Jaxon says as our food arrives.

    ¡°Their fighting styles are different, so I expect that if you foundst week to be difficult, you¡¯ll find this

    week to be equally as difficult. The difference is that both of you have a bit of an advantage over the

    rest of us, having started your intensity training a week early,¡± Lazio says.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that it was having such an impact. Truly, it was so exhausting that it was all we could to

    get through the days. At night, we¡¯d just copse and fall asleep, waking up in time to do it again. Eat,

    fight, sleep, repeat,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°That sounds like the schedule that Jordan has nned for this week. She has morning training with

    the pack and afternoon training with anyone who would like to attend, which I¡¯m assuming is everyone

    still in the contest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be joining both as well,¡± Al says. ¡°I should hope so,¡± I tease him.

    ¡°I believe Jordan ns to do the same, as do Mason and I. I¡¯d like to see if I can still keep up with these

    young ones.¡±

    My mother startsughing. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I said to Evangeline.¡±

    Maggie rolls her eyes. ¡°Like either of you won¡¯t be able to keep up. I mean, I can¡¯t exactly speak for

    you, Luna Jara, but I know my mother has never stopped training and you look like you¡¯re still in pretty

    good fighting shape yourself. I know I¡¯m hoping to be able to keep up with both of you,¡± she says.

    It continues like that for the rest of dinner. My father doesn¡¯t say much, but that¡¯s not unusual when

    there are a bunch of us at the table. He listens and pays attention.

    As dinner begins to wind down, Jordan goes to the front of the dining room, whistling loudly to get

    everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Hey everyone!¡± she says as the room quiets down. ¡°As all of you know, this week we have Nn, one

    of the best warriors of our time here to train us on the art of kickboxing this week. Nn will be having

    two training sessions a day for the next seven days. The first one will be open to everyone in the

    morning from 5am ¨C 7am. Then there will be another one in the evening from 5pm ¨C 7pm. This one is

    avable for everyone but will be more intense than the morning ss and will be specifically geared

    toward those individuals participating in the contest. I rmend that all warriors n to attend the

    morning sessions, and anyone wanting to have their butts kicked, join the evening sses as well.

    That¡¯s all, see you in the morning!¡± she says, before the chatter of the room begins again.

    When we¡¯re done, Jaxon and I stand.

    Although I wanted to have some alone time with him before this next grueling week starts, I also know

    that my siblings will probably be as excited as I am to see another packnds.

    ¡°Jaxon was going to show me around the packnds. Does anyone want to join us?¡± I ask.

    Maka jumps up. ¡°I do!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to as well,¡± Al says.

    ¡°I¡¯ming too,¡± Maggie says.

    They all stand, including Lazio. ¡°I¡¯m going to check and see if Nn and Jordan want to join us. I¡¯ll be

    right back,¡± Jaxon says, kissing me quickly before stepping away.

    My father grits his teeth but says nothing.

    Luna Jara stands. ¡°Thank you for letting me join you for dinner. It was nice to catch up, Katerina, Luke.

    If you or your family need anything at all while you¡¯re here, please don¡¯ t hesitate to let me know,¡± Luna

    Jara says before turning to me.

    ¡°And you let me know if you need anything from me,¡± she says before kissing my cheek. I¡¯m not sure if

    she means because I¡¯m her son¡¯s mate, or because my father is giving us a hard time. But either way,

    the message was clear. She is supportive of our rtionship.

    Jaxones back with Jordan and Nn in tow, taking my hand and looking at everyone.

    ¡°Ready?¡±

    We all walk out of the packhouse, and Jordan and Jaxon spend the next hour walking us around their

    packnds. The packhouse is seated at the foot of a mountain range. It¡¯s absolutely gorgeous,

    surrounded by lush forests. They show us the housing that has been built, where families with young

    children prefer to live. ¡°It wasn¡¯t always this way, these houses have all been built in our generation,¡±

    Jordan says as we pass what looks like a main street with storefronts.

    ¡°Even as recently as your parents¡¯ generation, females were extremely rare. It¡¯s why they used to have

    the iming. And even then, sometimes there was only one female from all the packs that hade of

    age. Things have definitely changed, for the better, in thest two decades,¡± Nn adds.

    Maka snorts. ¡°I¡¯ll say. Now there are almost too many females,¡± she says.

    ¡°On the contrary, the females of the pack, while rarely given the opportunity that Alpha Jordan has

    been given as the leader of her pack, have always held all the power. It was generations of arrogance

    that forgot the value and importance of the females in our species that nearly caused our annihtion.

    No one should ever forget that it is the females who give us the next generation. Without you,¡± Nn

    says, turning to Maka, ¡°we don¡¯t exist.¡±

    Maka blushes at the attention.

    ¡°But we¡¯re more than just baby making machines,¡± Maggie says to him.

    ¡°Indeed. Some could argue that you are the stronger of the genders. While, physically, men are

    stronger, women have a tolerance to pain that we do not. For instance, if the fate of our species

    depended on men giving birth, I fear we¡¯d die out in one generation.¡±

    All of the girlsugh at that.

    ¡°Our father said that our mother broke his hand each time she gave birth. He said that was as much

    pain as he could take. I can only imagine how much pain my mother was in to literally break his hand,¡±

    Jaxon says.

    ¡°Our mother was the same, ording to our father,¡± I tell him.

    As we walk, I notice that Jordan seems quite taken with Nn. Honestly, he¡¯s not what I expected. I

    didn¡¯t spend any extra time with Ezekiel, so maybe I¡¯d have liked him too, but Nn is just personable

    and kind.

    ¡°Why did you decide to focus your training on kickboxing, Nn?¡± Alejandro asks him. ¡°Ahh, a good

    question. You¡¯d expect that, like mypetitors, that I¡¯d focus on a male dominant fighting style.

    However, as I exined to Jordan earlier, kickboxing is the great equalizer.¡±

    I look at Jaxon and realize that he caught the same thing I did. Nn called Alpha Jordan by her name,

    and she didn¡¯t even flinch. She¡¯s already given him permission to drop her title. Interesting.

    I feel Jaxon tensing up beside me and I squeeze his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be a hypocrite,¡± I whisper to him.

    He frowns, looking at me.

    ¡°Your sister is an adult. She¡¯s obviously given Nn permission to be familiar with her. Let it go,¡± I say

    to him.

    He looks at Nn before looking back at me and nodding in agreement.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 38 (Jaxon)

    Okay, so Eve has a point. My sister seems perfectly fine with Nn. More than fine, actually. My usual

    protectiveness seems unnecessary, but I suddenly have a bit more understanding of Alpha Luke and

    his reasons behind being protective of his daughter.

    After the tour, I steal Eve away from the group, getting her in the forest for a few minutes of alone time.

    I press her against a tree and k*iss her, making sure to put every moment I¡¯ve missed her into the k*iss.

    ¡°Is it terrible that I¡¯m worried I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight if I¡¯m not sleeping in bed with you?¡± she

    asks when we finally pull apart.

    ¡°Honestly, I had the same thought. My bed doesn¡¯t smell like you, and it¡¯ll feel huge and lonely.¡± I say,

    keeping my forehead pressed against hers, my eyes closed as I take in her scent and just enjoy our

    closeness.

    I feel her f*ingers toying with the cor of my shirt. ¡°I could always sneak into your room.¡±

    I open my eyes, seeing hers looking back at me.

    ¡°Are you nning to be naughty Evangeline?¡± I ask her, my voice rumbling at the thought of my mate

    sleeping beside me tonight.

    She shrugs. ¡°I sleep better beside you, Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave my door unlocked. Come in whenever you want or can get away.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± she asks.

    ¡°And if I¡¯m asleep, just crawl in beside me. I¡¯ll leave room for you. But we¡¯re only sleeping. We both

    need our rest for tomorrow. I have a feeling Nn is going to make us work as hard as Ezekiel.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. I¡¯d hate to feel like I wasted a week of training,¡± she says, making me smile.

    Later that night, when she sneaks into my room and crawls into my bed, we spend some time kissing

    and t*ouching each other, enjoying the feel of our naked bodies pressed against each other again. But,

    soon enough, we curl up together and fall asleep. I set my rm to give her plenty of time to get back

    to her room and shower before training.

    When I walk her to my door, I press her against it, devouring her mouth and her taste before stepping

    back and checking the hallway. Once I see that it¡¯s clear, I send her back to her room in nothing more

    than my t-shirt. I watch until I see her duck into her bedroom before closing my door and heading to the

    shower.

    While I got less sleep than I would have liked, the sleep I get with Eve lying beside me is much better

    than the sleep I get on my own.

    When I step out into the hallway, ready for training, my sisters, Eve and Magdalena alle out at

    about the same time. Only Jordan and Eve look awake. The others look half asleep.

    ¡°Good morning,dies,¡± I say cheerfully, knowing my sisters hate it that I¡¯m a morning person.

    Rowan and Teagan grumble as they pass me, Magdalena looking about the same. ¡°Good morning,

    Jaxon,¡± Jordan says, kissing my cheek as she passes.

    ¡°Mmm, honeys*uckle,¡± she says, giving Eve a side-eye.

    Eve blushes but doesn¡¯t look away from her. ¡°I think he smells like sandalwood,¡± she says, taking the

    hand I offer to her.

    Jordan snorts. ¡°Yeah, he usually does.¡±

    Eve and I follow them down the stairs, joining the warriors and other ranked members that are joining

    the training session today. I note that many of the omegas are joining the ss too. I¡¯m d Jordan

    opened it up to everyone.

    Less than an hour in, I realize that this week is going to be as brutal asst week, at least for me. Eve

    and my sisters seem to be having a bit of an easier time.

    We spent the first 30 minutes stretching and when I say stretching, I don¡¯t mean the easy shit. Nn

    practically wanted us doing splits by the time our stretching was done. My mate is very flexible, I

    already knew that, so for her, this was easy. For me, not so much. My inner t*highs felt like they¡¯d been

    beaten with a cane before we even started sparring and let¡¯s not even talk about my groin. At this rate,

    I won¡¯t ever be able to give Eve those children we briefly talked about.

    Then, we had to do the same kick over and over. Have you ever done repetitive motions that your body

    isn¡¯t used to? It causes your body to cramp, your musclesining at the cruel workout you¡¯re

    giving them.

    So, an hour in, my groin feels like it¡¯ll never work again, my inner t*highs feel like they are in shreds and

    my right outer t*high feel like I¡¯ll never get it out of this cramped position that it¡¯s in. And, oh goody, now

    it¡¯s time to switch l*egs. How the f*uc*k am I supposed to walk after this?

    ¡°Come on, Super Hotty, you¡¯ve got this,¡± my nimble, incredibly flexible mate says as her l*eg swings

    high enough that she could actually get it over my head and never t*ouch me. My l*eg is barely high

    enough toe even with her face.

    ¡°My body wasn¡¯t made to do this,¡± I grunt. The only positive is that I¡¯m not the only one. Most of the

    men and some of the women are having the same struggles that I¡¯m having.

    ¡°You¡¯re an Alpha, Super Hotty, s*uck it up,¡± she says as we work the second l*eg for the next 30

    minutes.

    We finally get to punch for fifteen and I take out my frustration on the punching bag that I¡¯m assigned

    to. That is, until the normal motion of punching has my h*ips and t*highs cramping.

    ¡°Son of a b*itch,¡± I say, hopping away. When punching time is over, we go back to, you guessed it,

    stretching.

    As if it wasn¡¯t bad enough the first time, this time, I¡¯m supposed to put the soles of my feet together, my

    l*egs in a diamond shape and I¡¯m supposed to lean down to get the ¡®full stretch¡¯. The f*uc*k kind of

    cruelty is this?

    I watch as my mate leans over, her head resting on her feet, her eyes rolling closed. ¡°Oh, this feels so

    good,¡± she says.

    I frown at her like she¡¯s some sort of masochist. I literally can¡¯t move. I could barely get the soles of my

    feet together and once I did, I¡¯m not sure I will ever be able to get myself out of this position. ¡°Alpha

    Jaxon, the stretch would be deeper if you leaned forward,¡± Nn says, walking up.

    ¡°If I lean forward, my l*egs will snap off. This is as good as it gets,¡± I retort.

    ¡°Something to strive for tomorrow. When we stretch, hopefully you¡¯ll be able to push forward, even just

    a bit. I expect that by the end of the week, you¡¯ll look like Alpha Evangeline here,¡± he says looking

    down at her. ¡°Nice job, Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Nn. That was a great workout, but this stretch is the best!¡±

    My mate literally looks like she¡¯s going to take a nap in that position.

    Nn ps his hands. ¡°Alright everyone, nice job! For those of you interested, pleasee back

    tonight at 5pm. We¡¯ll get into a more intense workout.¡±

    MORE intense? How much more intense can it get?

    ¡°Come on, Super Hotty,¡± Eve says, putting her hand out to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can move,¡± I tell her, not reaching up to grab her hand.

    Her lips twitch and she puts her hands on her h*ips looking down at me.

    Jordanes over, looking like she¡¯s going to talk to Nn, but stops when she sees me.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asks, frowning down at me.

    ¡°He¡¯s stuck,¡± Eve says, losing the battle with her mirth.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny. My body wasn¡¯t meant to move that way,¡± I grumble.

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± Nn says, and I feel his armse up under my armpits, hauling me up. ¡°Your

    body just needs to be conditioned properly. Stretching is no different than building muscle. It takes time,

    but eventually, your body will not only be able to do it, but it will also crave the stretch. And then, your

    reach and your ability to make physical contact with your opponent will give you the advantage in a

    fight.

    My l*egs feel like mush. I¡¯m not sure I ever remember feeling this week. Nn¡¯s handes down on

    my shoulder. ¡°Be d you have Alpha healing. You¡¯ll be fine in a couple of hours.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just in time to go to your evening ss,¡± I say sarcastically, taking a tentative step away from

    him.

    Now both Jordan and Eve are battling against theirughter.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hey, what happened, Alpha Jaxon?¡±

    Makaes bouncing up. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡±

    Without waiting for an answer, she turns to Eve. ¡°That ss was amazing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Again, she

    doesn¡¯t wait for an answer before turning to Nn. ¡°Thanks so much, I can¡¯t wait for tonight,¡± she says

    before bouncing away.

    ¡°How does she still have so much energy?¡± I ask, frowning at Eve¡¯s sister as she races off toward her

    parents.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with her,¡±

    Magdalena says walking up. ¡°What happened to you?¡± she asks me as Evees and wraps one of

    my arms around her shoulders, wrapping one of hers around my waist, helping me to limp off the field.

    ¡°Jaxon¡¯s not limber. At all.¡± Eve says to her. ¡°Huh, I thought it was a great ss,¡± she says, gliding away

    as if she wasn¡¯t just in the same ss I was in.

    I look around and see that most of the men in the ss are limping off the field. That makes me feel a

    lot better.

    I look back at Eve, who pecks my lips. ¡°Nn did say that kickboxing is the great equalizer.¡±

    Great equalizer indeed.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 39 (Jordan)

    This morning¡¯s routine was great. I could tell immediately that Nn was right. The women in the ss

    were having a much easier time with the stretching and the kicks. By the time we got to punching, the

    men were wiped out and struggling and the women were still going strong. Now, more than ever, I¡¯m

    excited about my extra training with Nn.

    As an Alpha, I know I¡¯m strong. It¡¯s the same with Evangeline and her sisters, my cousin Taylor and her

    sisters and every other group of Alpha females in our generation. And there are lots of us. But I¡¯ m the

    only one that is taking over my pack, and because of that, I feel the need to be stronger, faster and

    smarter than every other Alpha, male or female, out there. I not only have to prove my ability and worth

    to my pack, but I have to do the same for the other packs.

    Thankfully, we¡¯re not in a situation where there is the possibility of a pack war, but those things can

    change quickly. Jaxon¡¯s situation with Evangeline and Jonas¡¯s situation with Melinda are perfect

    examples of how quickly those things can change.

    Title of the document

    I¡¯m just about ready to go find Nn for our first afternoon sparring match when there¡¯s a knock on my

    open door. I look up and see Jace. Even now, nearly a year after turning 18, my heart still flutters when

    I see him.

    ¡°Hey Jace, what¡¯s up?¡± I ask. I learned a long time ago how to act normal and put on a good front, even

    if my insides are in turmoil.

    He frowns, seeing me putting my desk in order. ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Yeah, but I have a minute, did you need something?¡± I ask.

    Jace is my Gamma, he has been since I became Alpha, and he was my father¡¯s Gamma for years

    before that. He¡¯s great at his job, I trust him with my life. I¡¯ve just realized that I can¡¯t trust him with my

    heart.

    ¡°I was hoping to talk with you. Where are you going? Maybe I can walk with you?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Jordan has a date,¡± Nn says, walking in.

    I look up and smile at him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ d call you kicking my ass, a date,¡± I say. ¡°Well, after this

    morning, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be kicking your ass at all. I was very impressed with you, Jordan.¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jordan,¡± Jace says and it¡¯s just shy of being a growl.

    Jace has be ustomed to supporting me with others who try to make me seem less than the

    Alpha heir that I am, and I appreciate it. But in this instance, I have given Nn permission to be

    familiar with me, and I tell Jace as much.

    I can see that this information doesn¡¯t sit well with him, but I don¡¯t have time to worry about that.

    ¡°Oh, Taylor called. I¡¯m guessing she wants to invite you to spend the week training with them. They

    have Jameson this week. Feel free to join them if you¡¯d like. I can take care of things here if you decide

    to go.¡± I tell him, moving to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m here this week,¡± he says, grinding his teeth together.

    I want to ask him what¡¯s going on, if something happened between him and Taylor, but it¡¯s not

    appropriate with Nn standing here.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter, Jace. Maybe after dinner tonight, or before training. Let me know what works best for

    you.¡±

    ¡°After dinner works for me,¡± he says, just as Nn says, ¡°I was hoping to speak with you after dinner.¡±

    I look between them. This feels a lot like masculine posturing, but that can¡¯t be right. Jace never

    postures, at least not like this.

    ¡°I can meet with you first, Jace and then, if there¡¯s time, Nn, I¡¯ll meet with you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make

    some time for you tomorrow morning, or after our session now.¡± I say, holding the door open.

    ¡°After you,¡± Nn says, holding his hand out for me to precede him. I step out into the hallway, waiting

    for the two of them to exit before closing and locking my door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter Jace. If anything happens in the next hour, can you let Elijah know? I should be back

    after that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle anything thates up,¡± Jace says grumpily.

    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t forget to call Taylor,¡± I say as Nn and I walk outside, heading toward my individual

    training session.

    Jace POV

    I watch Jordan walk outside with Nn. She¡¯s never shown an interest in anyone before. I had no idea

    it would feel like this. F*uck! Is this what it has felt like for her since she turned 18?

    If so, my mate is a master at hiding her emotions. I guess she has to be if she¡¯s going to be a good

    Alpha. And I know that she¡¯ll make a damn good Alpha.

    I go to my office and dial Taylor¡¯s number. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised to hear from her. I pull my cell phone

    out and realize that she¡¯s been trying to reach me, but I had it on silent.

    She answers almost instantly. ¡°Hey Tay, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Jace. I¡­.¡±

    I frown, looking at the phone. Taylor never hesitates. She¡¯s always strong, confident.

    ¡°Taylor, is everything okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I hear her take a deep breath. ¡°I wanted to make sure everything is good between us, Jace. You

    know thepetition is important to me, but so are you. I don¡¯t want you to think that you are any less

    important to me than being an Alpha.¡±

    Honestly, it does shock me. Taylor is very driven. In a lot of ways, she¡¯s like Jordan. If I was a betting

    man, I¡¯d say that of all the Alpha females in thispetition, she¡¯s the one that will beat out the guys to

    get a pack. She¡¯s strong, fierce and exactly what a pack needs, just like Jordan. It¡¯s what drew me to

    her. She and

    Jordan have a lot of the same qualities, qualities that will make a good leader of a pack. The difference

    is, when Taylor and I started seeing each other, she didn¡¯t have the option of being the leader of a

    pack. Now she does, and she should focus on that.

    ¡°Taylor, I know this is important to you, for a lot of reasons. And of all the females that are in this

    competition, I think you have the best shot at winning a pack.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You have to know that too.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± she says and I can hear the smile. But in her next sentence, I can hear that the smile is gone.

    ¡°I just¡­ this isn¡¯t about me wanting to wait to see if I can find my fated mate, is it? I thought you

    understood that I wanted to save myself until we decided that we would take each other as chosen

    mates.¡±

    ¡°I do understand, Taylor. And I¡¯m perfectly okay with that.¡±

    It¡¯s actually one of the reasons I was willing to get into a rtionship with Taylor. She wanted to save

    herself in case she found her mate. I¡¯m a bit surprised she hasn¡¯t yet. I honestly thought this would be a

    short-term thing between us. But then people got used to seeing us together, she didn¡¯t find her mate,

    and it just went on longer than I expected it would. But her desire to save herself for her mate allowed

    me to date her without causing Jordan any pain through the mate bond.

    At least not any physical pain. If seeing me with Taylor bothers Jordan as much as me watching her flirt

    with Nn, then I¡¯ve been unintentionally cruel. Another reason to cut things off with Taylor.

    ¡°I think you need to focus on this contest. There¡¯s a lot at stake and I know you want this. The

    competition is going to be fierce, and you don¡¯t need any distractions.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure, Jace? I coulde there this week. I hear you have Nn. I could train with him instead

    of Jameson. Or you coulde here if Jordan can part with you for a week.¡±

    ¡°No, Taylor. You focus on your training, and I¡¯ll focus on mine here. There¡¯s a lot of work that I need to

    do anyway. Nn is apparently giving Jordan extra sses to help her get stronger, and I need to

    make sure that everything continues to run smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Okay Jace. As long as you¡¯re sure.¡±

    ¡°I am Taylor. I expect to see you kick ass at the nextpetition,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°You¡¯d better hope that you don¡¯t get ted against me, Jace. You know I¡¯d have to take you down.¡±

    Iugh, a good heartyugh. Taylor really is a great person. I like her a lot. ¡°Yeah, I know. I would

    expect nothing else from you, Tay.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got to run. Don¡¯t be a stranger, Jace.¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Talk soon, Tay.¡± I say, before hanging up.

    When I¡¯m done, I put my head in my hands.

    Now, how do I exin to my mate that I¡¯ve been trying to give her a chance to take a better mate and

    that nothing really ever happened between me and her cousin and that, if she wants me, we need to

    talk about how that would work? And, most important, does she truly believe that I am strong enough to

    lead at her side.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 40 (Jaxon)

    It took me a couple of hours to recover from the morning training session, but by lunch time, I was

    mostly back to normal.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you gonna make it, Super Hotty?¡± Eve teases me over lunch.

    ¡°If you had asked me a couple of hours ago, I¡¯d have said no, but at least now I feel like I can walk.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°That was brutal,¡± Alejandro says, havinge to sit with us.

    ¡°If you think that was brutal, just wait. If he is anything like Ezekiel, we¡¯ll all be barely standing by the

    end of the week,¡± Eve says.

    ¡°Yeah, it was about two days before we were all struggling to get through both sses each day and by

    the end of the week, none of us were able to hold our heads up to eat dinner.¡± I tell him, enjoying my

    lunch while my body still can.

    ¡°Was it really that brutal?¡± Magdalena asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± both Eve and I say together.

    After lunch, Eve looks at me. ¡°I was going to spend some time with Maggie this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Perfect, I wanted to speak to Rowen. She mentioned wanting to talk to me while I¡¯ m here.¡±

    Evees over, wrapping her arms around my neck and looking up at me. ¡°See you for afternoon

    training?¡±

    My arms rest perfectly around her waist, pulling her against my body. ¡°I¡¯ll see you there.¡±

    Her lips start twitching and I raise my eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will get easier for you,¡± she says, a full-on smile spreading across her face.

    ¡°You,¡± I say, pecking her lips, ¡°are lucky I love you.¡±

    ¡°Every minute of every day,¡± she says, before leaning in for a d*eeper k*iss. This one lingers until

    someone, presumably her father, loudly clears their throat. I pull away. No since kicking over the

    beehive.

    Eve shoots a re at her father before heading out with Maggie. I turn and go in search of Rowen. I

    follow her scent to her room, where I knock.

    ¡°Come in,¡± she says from inside her room. I open the door to see her sitting on her bed looking out the

    window.

    ¡°Oh, hey Jax.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Rowen,¡± I say, closing her door.

    I move to one of the chairs in her room. By chair, I mean bean bag blob on the floor. I hate the things.

    Once I¡¯m in, it feels practically impossible to get out of it. But I¡¯m here to see my sister, who said she

    wanted to talk to me, so I flop down into the makeshift chair.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Rowe?¡±

    Rowan looks outside, then at the quilt on her bed that she¡¯s sitting on before taking a d*eep breath and

    looking up at me. ¡°How do you know Evangeline is your mate? She¡¯s not old enough yet to confirm it.¡±

    I narrow my eyes at my sister. ¡°Did you find your mate, Rowan?¡±

    ¡°I think so, but I¡¯m not sure. He¡¯s younger than I am, almost a whole year. But he¡¯s in thepetition.¡±

    She says, looking down before looking back up at me. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Well, first, there was her scent. I picked her scent out of every other one that first day of the contest.

    She was like nothing I¡¯ve ever smelled before,¡± I say, smiling as I remember honing in on my mate.

    ¡°And then she made eye contact with me, and it was like everyone else just fell away.

    From that moment on, I knew she was mine. I knew I had to have her and that being away from her

    was going to be impossible.¡± She nods, looking down again.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s too young to feel it,¡± she says.

    ¡°Did you talk to Teagan?¡±

    She frowns, looking up at me. ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°She and Eve¡¯s brother Alejandro are pretty sure that they are mates.¡±

    Her eyes go wide at that. ¡°Teagan is going to be a Luna?¡±

    ¡°I guess so. But while Teagan is about to turn 18, Alejandro is still a year away.¡±

    She looks down, frowning again. ¡°If he can smell me, if he can sense the mate bond, then why didn¡¯t he

    approach me?¡± she asks.

    I think about Jace and how he hasn¡¯t told Jordan that he knows that they are mates, because he thinks

    she deserves someone stronger. Although, it hasn¡¯t escaped me that he hasn¡¯t rejected her either, so

    maybe he¡¯s still hoping for a chance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Rowe. Maybe your strength in thepetition intimidated him.¡±

    She snorts. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I deserve better. And I doubt it anyway, he¡¯s an Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡± I ask her smiling.

    She looks at me, debating if she should tell me.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone. You know I can keep a secret.¡±

    She looks at me another moment. ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Enzo. Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel¡¯s youngest.¡±

    I think for a minute. ¡°You beat him in the race, didn¡¯t you?

    She nods. ¡°Do you think that could be why? Because I beat him?¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± I say, rolling off the death-trap chair and going to stand beside my sister. ¡°If that¡¯s the reason,

    you¡¯re right, he doesn¡¯t deserve you. He¡¯s an Alpha and I can tell you, as a mate, I love that Eve is

    strong.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but she says she only finished the race because of you,¡± Rowan says.

    ¡°She finished because she has the heart of an Alpha, because she¡¯s strong and because she dug

    d*eep inside herself, just like you and everyone else that finished had to do.¡±

    I sit on the bed beside her. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t know Enzo very well, but I¡¯ll pay more attention in the next

    round. If you want, I¡¯ll give you my impressions. Plus, he¡¯ll be older. If he wasn¡¯t sure he was feeling the

    pull of the mate bond then, he¡¯ll have a harder time ignoring it when we meet up this time.¡±

    She leans forward, wrapping her arms around my neck andying her head on my shoulder. ¡°Thanks,

    Jax. I appreciate it.¡±

    I hug her a moment before pulling back.

    ¡°And you listen to me. Don¡¯t you dare throw any part of thispetition because of him. You fight for

    what you want. Do you hear me?¡±

    She smiles up at me. ¡°Yes, big brother, I hear you.¡±

    ¡°Good! And speaking of fighting for what you want, I¡¯ll see you at practice this evening.¡±

    She snorts. ¡°Are YOU going to make it?¡± she asks me, like the bratty sister she is.

    ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha, little sis, nothing is getting in the way of me getting my pack.¡±

    Jordan POV

    True to his word, Nn made the evening training even h*arder than the morning and nearly as h*ard

    as my one-on-one training. I was still feeling the workout from this afternoon during this evening¡¯s

    training. But it¡¯s good. I¡¯m already feeling stronger, and I have overnight to recover.

    There¡¯s a knock at my door. I look up to see Jace.

    ¡°Hey, Jace. Come on in.¡±

    He steps in, closing the door behind him. I set aside the work that I¡¯m trying to keep up on. Something

    was obviously bothering Jace earlier.

    When he sits, he leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees, sping his hands together and

    looking at the floor.

    I lean back in my chair, waiting him out.

    When he finally looks up, I¡¯m not at all sure what I see in his eyes.

    ¡°You know that I¡¯m your mate.¡± It¡¯s a statement, not a question and it feels like a punch to the gut. Is he

    here to reject me? After all this time?

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say quietly.

    ¡°You never said anything,¡± he has the audacity to say.

    I merely raise what I know is an arrogant eyebrow at him, before leaning forward and sping my

    hands on my desk, narrowing my eyes at him.

    ¡°And how long have you known that I was your mate, Jace?¡± I ask him.

    He scrubs his hands over his face. ¡°Listen, Jordan, you¡¯re an amazing woman, a great Alpha¡­¡±

    ¡°Just reject me and get it over with, Jace. Don¡¯t try to sugar coat it for me, I¡¯m a big girl.¡± I snap at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not rejecting you, Jordan,¡± he growls at me.

    ¡°Then what? What is this? It¡¯s been a year since I turned 18, Jace. You¡¯ve been dating my cousin for

    years, even after I turned 18. At first, I thought that maybe you didn¡¯t recognize the mate bond. But

    now, seeing Jaxon with Evangeline and realizing that she knows, even though she hasn¡¯te of age,

    that they are mates? Well, all it does is make it that much worse for me. You put on a good show, Jace.

    I¡¯ll give you that. You have no problem slipping into the Gamma role, supporting me to others, but in the

    end, you aren¡¯t any better than they are.¡± I snap at him.

    There¡¯s a knock at the door and it know it¡¯ s Nn.

    ¡°Your time is up, Gamma. Was there something else?¡±

    He stands, leaning over the desk. ¡°Jordan¡­¡±

    I lean in, getting in his face. ¡°You need to figure out what you want, Jace.¡±

    ¡°I want you, Jordan. I broke things off with Taylor.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I chuckle humorlessly. ¡°Because she called me earlier, asking me to let you go for the week

    so you could train with her at their pack. So, maybe you were as clear with her about your breakup as

    you have been with me about feeling the mate bond.¡±

    I step back, my eyes never leaving Jace¡¯s.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The door opens and there¡¯s a moment of silence as Nn takes in the room and Jace grits his teeth as

    he smells Nn¡¯s scent.

    ¡°Should Ie back?¡± Nn asks.

    ¡°No, Jace was just leaving.¡±

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 41 (Evangeline)

    This week has been much like the previous week. Each day the training gets harder and my body is

    more and more tired. And I¡¯m not the only one.

    Then, after three days, I found out that Jordan is getting one-on-one sessions with Nn in between

    the two sessions we¡¯re getting. How the woman is still standing is beyond me. If that¡¯s what it takes to

    be an Alpha of a pack, maybe I don¡¯t have it in me.

    As I look around though, I see that everyone is struggling, not just me. I have to give Jaxon credit. He

    may have bitched and moaned the first couple of days, but he never once gave up, he never even gave

    a hint of cking off. The man is incredible and he¡¯s all mine.

    Title of the document

    We started sparring against each other on day three, using our kicks and punches to take each other

    down. As soon as contact was a requirement, Jaxon refused to spar with me any longer.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hitting you, Evangeline.¡±

    I¡¯m Evangeline when he¡¯s trying to get a point across or being serious. I¡¯m Eve when he¡¯s being flirty or

    sweet. ¡°Jaxon, what if we get paired against each other in the contest?¡± I asked him. ¡°Then I back out.

    I¡¯m not fighting against my own mate. I won¡¯t hit you. If you want to go on offense and spar against me,

    fine, but I refuse to hit you, even in training,¡± he says to me.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Evie. Go spar with your mother. I¡¯ll spar with your¡­ with Jaxon,¡± my father says.

    I watched as my father had gone at Jaxon hard, pushing him, forcing him to go on defense quickly. But

    Jaxon held his own, sparring hard against my father, getting in more hits than my father did.

    When it was done, my father had shaken hands with Jaxon.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t love you and my daughter acting like mates before she knows for sure that you are her

    mate, but I can respect a man who refuses to hit his mate, even in sparring, especially when that

    woman is my daughter. So¡­.I hope you¡¯ll join us for Savate training next week in my pack. I know

    Evangeline wants you there.¡±

    ¡°It would be my honor and privilege, Alpha,¡± my mate had said, respectful as always.

    My father had leaned in and whispered something to Jaxon that I hadn¡¯t heard. Later, I found out that

    my father had told Jaxon that he knew that I was spending the nights with him and that it would not be

    eptable under his roof.

    ¡°Alpha, if you think that your daughter and I are doing anything other than sleeping, you¡¯re not paying

    attention. We can barely crawl up the stairs to our rooms at night. I¡¯ve seen you carrying Maka more

    than once when she falls asleep at the dining table.¡±

    ¡°My house, my rules,¡± my father said.

    Jaxon shrugs. ¡°When your daughter is exhausted and unable to keep up with training, maybe you¡¯ll

    change your mind. We both sleep better when we¡¯re together, just like I assume that you sleep better

    next to your mate than you do alone.¡±

    Jaxon told me that my father had stomped off after that. I know it¡¯s true, and my father does too. It¡¯s just

    a matter of how much he¡¯s willing to give. ¡°He¡¯s already making a concession to have me train with

    your pack next week,¡± Jaxon said, pulling me to him and kissing the side of my head.

    ¡°Some concession! Your entire family is invited, especially since my family has trained here all week.¡±

    ¡°Just a couple more months, Evangeline. Speaking of, what do you want to do once you¡¯re 18? I mean,

    I want to celebrate, but once we can actually mark and mate, what are your thoughts about next

    steps?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean about the contest?¡± I ask, surprised.

    ¡°No, I know you¡¯re going to continue to fight, just like I am. I mean, where do you want to live? We

    should consider that now. If you want to live outside of a packhouse, I need to start thinking about

    buying or renting a house. Which pack do you want to live in? All those things. I mean, our living

    arrangement is temporary, since one or both of us will win pack, but we should decide where we¡¯ll live.

    It¡¯ll most likely be another six months after your birthday before we know the winners,¡± he says.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t actually thought about it,¡± I say honestly. I mean, I want to be with Jaxon, but when he starts

    asking these types of questions, it makes everything more of a reality. I¡¯d considered leaving my pack

    when I became an Alpha, but other than my father being overprotective, I hadn¡¯t considered leaving my

    pack before I got my own pack.

    He pulls me to him, kissing the spot on my jaw, just below my ear that he knows is sensitive and makes

    me shiver. ¡°Think about it. We have some time, but I want us to be together. I want my mark on your

    neck and yours on mine,¡± he whispers before moving to kiss me. It¡¯s a slow, lingering kiss.

    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to have to worry about your father having any say in whether or not I sleep by your

    side,¡± he says when he finally pulls back.

    ¡°Would you be willing to leave your pack?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I did once already. I want to be where you are, Eve. That¡¯s my home, at least until we can make one

    together.¡±

    I wrap my arms around his neck. ¡°Damn, Super Hotty, you¡¯re not only gorgeous, but romantic too? How

    did I get so lucky?¡± I ask him.

    And that¡¯s when my father¡¯s throat clearing starts.

    ¡°Oh, for the goddess¡¯s sake dad! Jaxon isn¡¯t going to s*trip me down and take me right here outside the

    dining hall!¡± I say,pletely exasperated with my father after less than a week.

    I move to step away from Jaxon, but he holds me firmly against him, looking at my father.

    ¡°You know Alpha, we were just talking about where we would live after your daughter turns 18 and

    we¡¯re marked and mated. I would hate to think that your pack isn¡¯t an option because you aren¡¯t able to

    let go of the fact that your daughter is no longer a child,¡± he says before taking my hand and leading

    me away.

    Jace POV

    I grind my teeth as I watch Jordan and Nn walking toward their individual training area. Two days

    ago, I had seen Nn take her hand and kiss it, then continue to hold it as they walked.

    Jordan had blushed. I¡¯ve never seen her blush at anyone, for any reason.

    My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out seeing Taylor¡¯s name on the caller ID. I silence the call,

    putting my phone back into my pocket.

    I¡¯m not sure what changed with Taylor. In the past, she was almost flippant about our rtionship,

    never seeming to care if it continued or didn¡¯t. I assumed that once I put the brakes on, she¡¯d walk

    away.

    She hasn¡¯t. If anything, she¡¯s almost be a different person, almost clingy. Almost. No one would

    ever call Taylor clingy, but it¡¯s like she¡¯s decided that if I don¡¯t want her, she doesn¡¯t want anyone else.

    Last night, she even said she was ready for us to take each other as chosen mates, that she wants my

    mark on her neck. She said she doesn¡¯t care if she doesn¡¯t win the contest, which I know is a lie. Taylor

    has never wanted anything more than to be an Alpha. She, like most of the other female Alphas born in

    this generation were unhappy when their younger brothers were chosen to be the heirs. And she, like

    most of the other oldest Alpha she-wolves, were jealous that Jordan was named as the Alpha heir.

    Last night, I realized she was finally holding out hope that we would get together, so I had told her that

    we were done, that it was over, that we need to focus on winning the contest and getting our packs. I

    didn¡¯t tell her that I needed to focus on getting Jordan to give me a chance. She doesn¡¯t know that

    Jordan is my mate, and until Jordan epts me, I intend to keep it that way.

    I¡¯ve turned and am heading back into the packhouse. I need to focus on work, so I don¡¯t think about

    Jordan holding hands with Nn. I¡¯ve just about gotten to my office when I feel it, a slicing pain through

    my abdomen.

    Jordan just kissed Nn.

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 42 (Jaxon)

    The week with Nn has been as grueling as the week with Ezekiel, but in different ways. I know I¡¯m

    strong, I know I worked musclesst week that I don¡¯t normally use. This week, it was like I was using

    even more muscles that I¡¯ve never used. I have no idea how many muscles are in the human body, but

    I feel like each week, I¡¯m finding more and more of them.

    Eve and I have barely had a moment alone together except at night when we fall into bed exhausted.

    As excited as I am to have a day off, the thought of having to sleep without her by my side, even for a

    week, is already filling me with dread.

    It¡¯s the morning before I head over to Alpha Luke¡¯s pack. I walk into the dining room and see Jordan

    sitting with Nn at breakfast. I walk over, sitting down with them.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Nn, thank you for quite a workout this week,¡± I tell him before ordering some food.

    ¡°You did very well, Alpha, as I expected you would. Your flexibility improved tremendously as did the

    reach of your kicks and punches.¡± ¡°Where are you headed next?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Alpha Antonio¡¯s pack, but after speaking with your sister, I will being back in about a month. And

    in a week, I¡¯ll be in Alpha Luke¡¯s pack. I was just talking to Jordan abouting to train with me that

    week,¡± he says, looking at Jordan.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to Alpha Luke¡¯s pack this week to train, Jordan?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°No, I have too much to do to get ready for my Alpha ceremony, so I asked Alpha Luke if it would be

    okay if I joined them the following week when Nn is there,¡± she says.

    ¡°We could continue to work on your flexibility and strength if you join us,¡± Nn says to me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes this week,¡± I say, watching as Eve walks in the dining hall with Magdalena.

    Her eyes lock with mine and smiles spread across both our faces. I just left her thirty minutes ago, and

    I already can¡¯t wait to be close to her again.

    I turn back to Nn. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Eve. I know we¡¯re invited to her grandmother¡¯s pack for training and of

    course, Jordan has an open invitation for us to train here.¡±

    ¡°Well, then, I hope to see you soon, Alpha Jaxon.¡±

    I stand, ready to go sit with Eve. ¡°Thanks again, Nn. Jordan, I¡¯d like to speak with you before I

    leave.¡±

    ¡°You know where to find me,¡± she says.

    I want to speak with her about her Alpha ceremony, but I also want to ask about Jace. The tension

    between the two of them has been palpable thest couple of days and it¡¯s obvious that my sister and

    Nn got close this week.

    ¡°What time do you want to head over to the pack today, Jaxon?¡± Eve asks me as Ie to sit beside

    her.

    ¡°Have you heard if my sisters areing? I just found out that Jordan can¡¯t make it because of her

    Alpha ceremony.¡±

    At that moment, my sisterse down the stairs with what looks like enough luggage to go away for a

    month.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a yes,¡± Eve says.

    ¡°Do they not realize that they won¡¯t be doing anything but working out?¡± I ask, frowning at my sisters.

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re hoping to meet their mates, like you have,¡± Magdalena says.

    ¡°They already have,¡± Eve and I say together. I smile at her, before turning back.

    ¡°Teagan I can understand, she¡¯ll want to make sure that she¡¯s ready for anything since she¡¯ll be around

    Alejandro. But Rowen?¡± I turn, looking at Eve.

    ¡°Are any other packs invited to your training this week?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± she says as we turn back to our food.

    Eve decides to go back with her family, giving me time to meet with Jordan before I leave. Teagan and

    Rowen leave together riding with Alejandro.

    When they are gone, I head to Jordan¡¯s office. I knock on her door, waiting for her to look up.

    ¡°Hey Jax,e in.¡±

    ¡°How are you?¡± I ask her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still standing after three sessions a day for a week.

    Kudos to you, sis.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I feel stronger and faster after this week.¡±

    Shees around her desk to sit with me. ¡°When are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°Soon. I want to get there in plenty of time for Eve to show me around her packnds and to get settled

    in. One day should seem like enough time, but it really isn¡¯t when you have to travel and get settled.¡±

    ¡°Not to mention, you¡¯re still recovering from a week of intense training.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± I say. ¡°So, what do you need from me for your Alpha ceremony?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Mom is taking care of most of it and Dad is handling the rest. Just get yourself and our sisters

    back here. I know it means you¡¯ll miss a day of training, but I really want you here.¡± ¡°Jordan, I wouldn¡¯t

    miss it. Neither would Teagan or Rowan and I know Eve said she¡¯sing too.¡±

    She gives me a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m really d you found her. You both seem happy and hopefully Alpha

    Luke will get on board with that quickly.¡±

    I reach out and take her hand. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Jordie?¡± I ask her, using my childhood name for her.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    I watch as tears well in her eyes. She fights them, but in the end, one slips from each eye.

    ¡°Jordan¡­.is this about Jace?¡± I ask gently.

    Her head whips up to look at me. ¡°You know?¡±

    ¡°I figured it out at the race.¡±

    She wipes her eyes and I grab a tissue, handing it to her. ¡°He said he broke it off with Taylor, but she¡¯s

    still calling me, trying to get me to convince him to go train with their pack. He finally told me that he

    knows we¡¯re mates. After all this time, why now, Jaxon? Is it because someone is finally showing an

    interest in me that I¡¯m also interested in?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jordan. He made it sound like he thought he wasn¡¯t good enough for you.¡±

    Another couple of tears drip from her eyes before she uses the tissue to blow her nose. I grab another

    one, handing it to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m so angry Jaxon. All this time, he¡¯s known. He¡¯s known and he never said anything. I thought maybe

    I felt it because I¡¯m an Alpha. But that wasn¡¯t it at all. He knew, and he dated Taylor anyway.¡±

    She looks up at me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he just reject me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jordan. You know that Jace isplicated. I¡¯m not defending him,¡± I say hurriedly as I

    see her give me a look like she can¡¯t believe that I said that. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, we know that he struggled

    in his early years with his father dying in battle and him watching his mother die in front of him. That

    has to leave a mark on your heart and your soul, Jordan. What did he say he wants?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t give him a chance to talk.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should. At least, give him a chance to exin why he never told you that he knew you

    were mates and why he never rejected you.¡± She wipes her eyes again.

    ¡°Do you want me to punch him for you?¡± I ask her. That makes herugh.

    ¡°No need. Nn taught me how to throw a deadly punch this week.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Nn, tell me what¡¯s going on there.¡±

    ¡°I like him, Jax. I mean, I really like him. He¡¯s kind, he¡¯s interested in me, in my thoughts and dreams.

    He¡¯s not really interested in leading a pack, he loves what he does and he¡¯s good at it, so I know he¡¯s

    not after me for my title.¡±

    She looks at me, huffing. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    I move to sit beside her on the couch. ¡°You, my dear sister, have always figured it out. You are the

    smartest person I know and since we share gics, that¡¯s saying something.¡±

    Sheughs again and I pull her into a hug. ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out, Jordan. I know you will and if you need

    anything at all from me, whether it¡¯s a shoulder to cry on or a crushing blow to someone¡¯s face, all you

    have to do is let me know.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jax.¡±

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 43 (Evangeline)

    When I arrive back at my pack, everyone seems happy to see me, as if they all missed me.

    ¡°Of course, they missed you,¡± Maka says when I mention it. ¡°You¡¯re the heart of this pack.¡±

    ¡°Makie, that¡¯s not true. Mom is the heart of this pack,¡± T tell her.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Yes, she is, and you¡¯ll hopefully forgive me for saying this Evie, but you¡¯re just as much of the heart of

    the pack as she is,¡± Alejandro says.

    ¡°Why do I need to forgive you for saying that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Because it means you were meant to be a great Luna, or at least you would make a great Luna,¡± Lazio

    says.

    I frown at them. ¡°Alphas have a heart.¡±

    Both of them look at me.

    ¡°No, Evie. The Alphas are meant to be the hard ones in the pack, the ones that make the hard

    decisions and the ones thaty down thew and hold people ountable when someone doesn¡¯t

    follow thatw. The Luna is the heart, the gentleness, the kindness that counters the Alpha¡¯s

    dominance of their pack.¡± Al says.

    ¡°And you¡¯re damn good at it, Evie. The pack adores you, as they should¡­if you were going to be a

    Luna.¡± Lazio says.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I need to be a bitch if I want to be Alpha?¡±

    ¡°No, Alpha Jordan is finding a middle ground, sort of. I¡¯m just saying, the pack responds to you in a way

    that they respond to mom, not in the way that they respond to dad.¡± Al says.

    I think about that as I head to my room, wondering what it means long-term for me.

    I¡¯m thrilled to have all my clothes again. It was rough living off of a few pairs of clothes for the past

    couple of weeks.

    After I settle in, I find our lead omega. ¡°Do you know where my father has Alpha Jaxon and his family

    staying this week?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Alpha Jaxon¡¯s sisters are staying on the Beta floor. Alpha Jaxon is staying in the warrior¡¯s

    hall.¡±

    I look at her a long moment. ¡°Let me guess, he¡¯s as far away from this side of the house as possible.¡±

    ¡°Actually, yes, that¡¯s correct, Alpha Evangeline.¡±

    ¡°Can you or someone else show me which room will be Alpha Jaxon¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Alpha, I can show you.¡±

    I walk with our lead omega, knowing that this is very purposeful on my father¡¯s part. He¡¯s allowing

    Jaxon on our packnds, but he¡¯s obviously not happy about it.

    When we get there. I¡¯m at least happy to see that he¡¯s making sure that he isn¡¯t insulting a neighboring

    Alpha by giving him a terrible room. The room itself has a great view of the training fields and the forest

    at the back and to the east of our packnds.

    I check the bathroom making sure that it¡¯s stocked and checking to make sure that everything else is in

    order.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming Teagan and Rowan¡¯s rooms are the same?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. But like 1 said, they are on the Beta¡¯s floor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell her.

    We walk back and get to the entrance of the packhouse just as Teagan and Rowan arrive. ¡°Wee to

    our home,¡± Alejandro says, walking up and taking Teagan¡¯s hands.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    1 look up and see my mother watching them intently. When her eyes meet mine, I just raise an

    eyebrow at her. She presses her lips together and I see the barest of head nods. Finally, I think she¡¯s

    realizing that we can feel our mate bonds. Maybe they couldn¡¯t in their generation, but those were

    different times.

    Jaxon arrives a couple hourster and Alejandro, Maka and I take them on a tour of our packnds.

    ¡°This is really good for the packs and our alliances, isn¡¯t it?¡± Maka asks.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Well, I know were all in apetition, or most of us are, but if we¡¯re working together, supporting each

    other, pooling our resources so everyone has an equal chance to win, it can only strengthen all of our

    packs, right? And now that I¡¯ve be friends with Teagan and Rowen, wherever they end up as

    Lunas, we¡¯ll already have bonds created because we are creating bonds with them now,¡± she says.

    Jaxon gives her one of his dazzling smiles. ¡°Wow, beauty and brains! You¡¯re absolutely correct,

    Maka. I think these weeks together, bonding over our pain and suffering will be bonds that willst a

    lifetime. And obviously, mate bonds like those between your sister and 1, will create strong pack bonds

    as well.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her,¡± Al and I say together.

    Maka sticks her tongue out at us and moves to put her arm through Jaxon¡¯s. ¡°I like him, he¡¯ll make

    an excellent brother once he and Evie can finally mark each other.¡±

    ¡°And you, little sister, will make one hell of a Luna when the timees,¡± Jaxon says to her making Al

    and I groan.

    ¡°You¡¯d better get used it,¡± Rowen says.

    ¡°Yeah, Jax has a way with the young ones. You should see him with Raelyn. He¡¯s the only one that can

    get through to her sometimes.¡±

    He looks at me, waggling his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s my super-power.¡±

    ¡°Our dad says he¡¯s destined to have lots of girls because he¡¯s so good with them,¡± Rowan says.

    He gives me a smoldering look, letting me know he¡¯s thinking of having those daughters with me before

    he responds.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t exactly had a choice. I had to be good with sisters quickly or be ovee with

    estrogen!¡±

    That sends Alejandro into a fit ofughter. ¡°It¡¯s so true.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Maka says. ¡°You have Lazio and we¡¯re not that bad.¡±

    Al gives me a side eye. Yeah, I was that bad, especially to him.

    ¡°Anywho, dinner is soon, so we should start heading back,¡± I say.

    ¡°I need someone to show me to my room,¡± Jaxon says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you. Dad made sure to put you on theplete opposite side of the house from me,¡± I tell

    him.

    As Maka runs ahead and the others walk in front of us, Jaxon stops, pulling me to him. ¡°Perfect, that

    way when you sneak into my room, 1 don¡¯t have to worry about you being quiet.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a naughty Alpha. Who says I¡¯ll be sneaking out of my room?¡±

    He strokes his finger down my hairline, to my jaw, before moving to my chin and pulling my face up to

    meet his. ¡°Has the thought not already crossed your mind, love?¡±

    I grin. ¡°I may or may not have already figured out the best way to get from my room to yours.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he says before taking my mouth in a fiery kiss.

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 44 (Jaxon)

    Savate training is somewhere in between kickboxing and Aikido for me when it conies to intensity.

    Thankfully, I had kickboxing first, so I am already more limber than I wasst week. However, by the

    end of the week, my flexibility is even better.

    The difference however, is how you use your kicks. Where kickboxing can give smaller, more flexible

    fighters an advantage, Savate is all about carefully cing your punches and kicks for maximum

    impact. It¡¯s about taking your opponent down in the fewest moves possible. It¡¯s intense, and I love it.

    Eve is still aggravated that I won¡¯t train with her, but I don¡¯t care. I refuse to hit my mate, or my sisters.

    I¡¯d prefer not to hit any of the females, but it¡¯s impossible for me to not get paired with them at some

    point.

    Title of the document

    Eve has been sneaking into my room every night. After the first couple of nights, I told her not to. We

    were both hitting the fatigue wall and I was worried that she might slip and fall on the roof while

    sneaking to my room, but she insisted that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep without being beside me. So,

    after the third day, I started meeting her on the roof and helping her back to my room.

    Today, Rowan, Teagan, Eve and I are all heading to my pack for Jordan¡¯s Alpha ceremony. Really,

    Jordan has been running the pack for months, so this is just a formality. Alpha Luke, Luna Katerina,

    and Alpha Alejandro are invited, as are all the Alphas from all the packs. With thepetition, many ofContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    them won¡¯t be able to make it, but a lot will, which will be nice. We¡¯ll be able to talk to the other packs to

    see how their training is going.

    ¡°I wish I coulde,¡± Magdalena says. ¡°It¡¯s probably a good experience to have before we have Al¡¯s

    ceremony here next year.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t youe?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t any room,¡± she says.

    I give her a smile. ¡°You could share a room with Eve again.¡±

    Eve leans against me, smiling at Magdalena.

    She told me that her sister knew that she was sneaking out to my room every night.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asks excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll call my mom just to let her know there is one more but that you¡¯ll be staying in the room with

    Eve.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jaxon!¡± she says running off to get packed up.

    ¡°That will be perfect,¡± Eve says.

    ¡°Mmhmm, especially since my mom put you in the same room you were in thest time.¡± I tell her as I

    put the phone to my ear, calling my mom.

    I tell her were bringing one more and she reminds me that she wants me there early to help with final

    preparations.

    I wrap my arm around my mate as we walk inside the packhouse. ¡°How many more months before I

    can officially make you my mate?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Two, just before the next contest, really,¡± she says.

    ¡°Have you given any thought to where you want to live?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking your pack. Your family doesn¡¯t seem to have the hang up that mine does with us being

    mated.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to tell your father that?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not until it¡¯s time,¡± she says.

    ¡°And next week, we¡¯re heading back to Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack?¡± 1 ask, stopping at the stairs where she¡¯ll

    go up and pack for the weekend.

    ¡°Yes. He has Leviing in. He is trained in Jujitsu.¡±

    ¡°So, another grueling week ahead of us?¡± I ask her, pulling her to me.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m pretty sure you can take it Super Hotty.¡±

    ¡°One of these days, I want to take you on that date I promised you. Maybe we can do that this

    weekend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± she says, leaning into me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

    ¡°Maybe we can go away for a night, just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I really love that idea!¡± she says.

    ¡°Do you think your father will be okay with that?¡± I ask, not wanting to start and argument with him this

    close to Eve¡¯s birthday.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my mother. She saw Teagan and Alejandro. I think that she, at least, is starting to realize that

    things are different in this generation than they were in thest.¡±

    ¡°Good, let me know. And if we can¡¯t go away overnight, we can still go away for the evening.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve missed our time together.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    I kiss her goodbye before heading to my room to get my things. This week has been a good workout,

    but I¡¯ll be d to be back in a different pack where it¡¯s easier for Eve and I to be together. Her father did

    everything in his power to ensure that we were apart as much as possible, not that it¡¯s difficult as the

    week progressed. Our physical fatigue and to do more than eat, sleep and train. But still, even in the

    afternoons, he always seemed to have something for Eve to do so we didn¡¯t have time together.

    Teagan and Rowan are driving home with Alejandro. Alpha Luke attempted to get Eve to drive with

    them, but Luna Katerina intervened, and Eve and Magdalena drove back with me.

    When we arrive, the ce is full of energy and excitement for tonight¡¯s events. Not only is the

    leadership changing hands, but Jordan will be the first female Alpha in several generations. I couldn¡¯t

    be prouder of my sister.

    As soon as I get Eve settled, I go find Jordan.

    She¡¯s in her room, getting ready for tonight. ¡°Jaxon!¡±

    ¡°Hey sis. Look at you, getting yourself all mmed up. I barely even recognize you.¡±

    She swats my arm. ¡°What¡¯s it like down there? I hear the energy is crazy.¡±

    ¡°Really crazy. I can already tell that there are a lot of Alphas here. There¡¯s too much energy

    for there not to be.¡± I look at her a moment. ¡°So, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am. Dad has trained me well, I¡¯ve been doing the duties of an Alpha for a while now. This will

    just make it official.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Jordan. Truly.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jaxon. That means a lot to me.¡± She reaches out, hugging me and we stand there for a long

    moment just holding each other.

    When I smell salty tears, I pull back. ¡°None of that! You¡¯ll mess up all this makeup.¡±

    She sniffles. ¡°We can¡¯t have that,¡± she says, just as there is a knock at the door.

    Our mother walks in. ¡°Do you mind if I have a moment with my daughter?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± I say, hugging my mom on my way out.

    ¡°Oh Jaxon, I want to spend some time with you and your mate this weekend,¡± my mother says just

    before I close the door.

    Of course she does.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 45 (Jordan)

    I stand on the stage looking out over my pack and all of the visiting Alphas that are here to watch me

    take my oath. I didn¡¯t think it would impact me as much as it is. My cousin Griffin had tried to warn me.

    He had taken over the pack from my Uncle Sethst month. He said that no matter how much you think

    you¡¯re ready for it. You¡¯re not.

    He was right.

    As I stand here in front of my pack, I know I can¡¯t show even the slightest bit of weakness. No matter

    how overwhelmed I feel, no matter how tight my throat gets or how much my eyes burn from unshed

    tears, I can¡¯t let it show. Everyone is watching me, waiting for a weakness they won¡¯t see today.

    Title of the document

    My voice rings out strong and true as I take my oath as Alpha, swear my loyalty, strength and

    compassion to the pack. As I look out, I make eye contact with my family, my brother winking at me,

    giving me strength.

    I slice my hand, letting my blood pour into the ceremonial cup. My father, as the exiting Alpha, is the

    first to drink, to im me as his Alpha. As he does, I feel the swell of power, so much stronger than

    before, and right behind it, the weight of my responsibility, the weight of the pack which now rests

    squarely on my shoulders.

    My mother is next, followed by my siblings, then my father¡¯s Beta, Elijah, and his family and then Jace.

    Jace makes a point of watching me as he drinks my blood. I¡¯ve been avoiding him this week. It hasn¡¯t

    been hard, we¡¯ve both had a lot to do, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he¡¯s done waiting.

    As he moves on, I refocus, and one by one the entire pack conies and swears their loyalty to me. When

    the ceremony is over, we all go inside for the celebration dinner.

    The pack link that I¡¯ve had since I got my wolf is now stronger. I can identify each individual pack

    member just by their mind link, even if they are all talking at once, as they are now. And that¡¯s why I

    know it¡¯s him.

    ¡®You can¡¯t avoid me forever, Jordan.¡¯ I ignore it and continue to talk and mingle with my pack members.

    I¡¯ve always been an Alpha, always been the Alpha heir, but even so, the pack¡¯s interactions with me

    are suddenly different. Everyone is more formal, more deferential.

    My family gathers around, congratting me, along with Uncle Seth and Aunt Hana¡¯s family. I¡¯ll admit, I

    was surprised that Taylor wasn¡¯t sitting with Jace during the ceremony today. It wouldn¡¯t have been

    odd. She¡¯s part of our family and he¡¯s a ranked member. Instead, Jace was sitting with Jaxon and

    Evangeline.

    ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Griffin says,ing to stand beside me as peoplee and go.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention the power swell or the weight of responsibility,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Some things you have to feel for yourself to truly understand.¡±

    I nod, saying hello to Alpha Antonio, Luna Annabel and their son, the next Alpha, Giovanni.

    ¡°Alpha Giovanni, I heard your sister Noelle dropped out of the contest.¡± I say to him. I¡¯m keeping track

    of Jaxon¡¯spetition for him.

    ¡°She did, she found her mate, Alpha Paolo and since he has now taken over as Alpha, she is a Luna

    and has no reason topete.¡±

    ¡°Well, congrattions to her,¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he says distractedly. ¡°Might I ask, do you now that woman over there?¡±

    Griffin and I look in the direction that he¡¯s looking. Harper and Teagan are standing together talking.

    ¡°One is my sister and the other is Alpha Jordan¡¯s. Is there a reason you are asking?¡± Griffin asks him,

    protectively.

    ¡°I would say I¡¯m asking about the one with long brown hair, but they both have that. I take it they are

    cousins?¡± he asks, ignoring Griffin¡¯s question.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say. ¡°Are you looking at the one on the left or the one on the right?

    ¡°The right,¡± he says.

    ¡°That¡¯s my sister Harper. So, I¡¯ll ask again, why are you asking about my sister?

    Giovanni looks back at us, smiling. ¡°She¡¯s my mate. I just wanted to know her name before I

    approached her.¡±

    Griffin frowns at him. ¡°You aren¡¯t 18 yet.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I tell him. ¡°Evangeline isn¡¯t 18 either, yet she and Jaxon are confident that they are

    mates.¡±

    ¡°I guess if we¡¯re going to be family, you and I should spend some time together soon,¡± Griffin tells

    Giovanni.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my oath as Alpha in the next few months. I¡¯ll make sure your entire family gets an

    invitation,¡± Griffin says, watching Harper. She looks up and their eyes lock.

    It makes my heart ache.

    ¡°Who knows, maybe we¡¯ll have an Alpha and Luna ceremony together,¡± he says distractedly as he

    begins walking toward Harper.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m guessing she¡¯ll be dropping out of the contest now too,¡± I say to Griffin.

    ¡°Definitely,¡± he says.

    The night goes on and by the end, I¡¯m tired and my mouth hurts from smiling so much.

    When nearly everyone has gone to bed, I kick off my shoes and begin walking toward the stairwell. As I

    pass one of our conference rooms, a hand reaches out, grabbing me by the arm and yanking me into

    the room, the door closing behind us.

    I¡¯m about to attack when I smell it, eucalyptus. Jace. He pins me against the wall.

    ¡°What do you want, Jace?¡±

    ¡°I want you to stop ignoring me, Jordan. I want you to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°What would you like to talk about, Jace?¡± I ask him. I¡¯m tired and I don¡¯t have the energy for this.

    ¡°Us. I want to talk about us, Jordan.¡±

    ¡°There is no ¡®us¡¯, Jace. You made sure of that.¡± Anger from months of pain and frustration wells to the

    surface.

    ¡°You chose to be with Taylor, knowing that I was your mate. Yon made that choice, Jace.¡±

    My lip curls as I look at him. ¡°Do you know how many times you¡¯ve been intimate with Taylor in thest

    year, Jace?¡±

    ¡°We were never intimate, Jordan. Our rtionship wasn¡¯t like that, I swear.¡±

    ¡°Well, you did something, Jace. The mate bond doesn¡¯t lie, and I felt it. Every. Single, Time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jordan. I didn¡¯t know, not until you kissed Nn. I had no idea that you could feel it if it was

    only a kiss. I would never have kissed her if I¡¯d known you could feel it.¡±

    ¡°But it was okay to be with her, Jace? Her, not me? Why? I¡¯d really like to know why, Jace? Why did

    you choose my cousin over your mate?¡±

    ¡°I was stupid and foolish and¡­.¡± he releases me and begins pacing in front of me.

    ¡°I know how hard it is for you, Jordan. I¡¯ve watched the mountain you¡¯ve had to climb to get where you

    are. I thought you needed a strong mate, an Alpha, to help you achieve your goals. I didn¡¯t think I was

    strong enough to be that man for you.¡±

    I know Jace¡¯s history, I know he has issues thinking he wasn¡¯t good enough for his mother to live for

    him when his father died. I know that, but this is different.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you reject me?¡±

    He looks at me and there is heartbreak in his eyes. ¡°Because I love you, Jordan. I always have. I love

    your strength, yourpassion, your intelligence, I love how you rise above when others try to bring

    you down and you do it with grace and poise. You never let others see the softness of the woman

    behind the Alpha. But I know who you are, Jordan. I just never felt good enough to be yours.¡±

    ¡°Jace, you can¡¯t just decide all of a sudden that you want me because I showed an interest in

    someone. It¡¯s not fair! You¡¯ve had over a year. I mean, I look around and I see all of the people around

    us, they all feel the mate bond before they turn 18. You¡¯re almost 25 Jace. So, how long have you

    known? How long have you known that I was your mate?¡±

    He girts his teeth. ¡°You were too young to say anything.¡±

    ¡°And then? What, you lost your nerve? Seriously Jace?¡±

    ¡°Jordan, I¡¯m trying to make it up to you now. I know I was wrong.¡±

    I close my eyes, shaking my head. It¡¯s time for me to do what I should have done a year ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Jace, but you¡¯re right. I deserve better. I, Alpha Jordan Stern, reject you, Gamma Jace Read,

    as my mate.¡±

    ¡°Jordan, don¡¯t do this!¡± He says, falling to his knees, clutching his chest.

    The tears well in my eyes, fighting to spill over onto my cheeks, but I refuse to let them fall.

    ¡°ept it,¡± I snarl.

    He looks up at me, determination like I¡¯ve never seen before in his eyes. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me give you an Alphamand. ept it.¡±

    ¡°We both know the Alphamand doesn¡¯t work on the mate bond. I, Gamma Jace Read, refuse your

    rejection,¡± he growls.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    I clench my teeth, but I know I only have moments before the tearse streaming down my cheeks.

    I move to the door, swinging it open to find Taylor standing there. She looks at me, then at Jace.

    ¡°Jace!¡±

    She looks back at me. ¡°What did you do to him?¡±

    I look at Jace, still clutching his chest. ¡°Ask your boyfriend,¡± I say as I sweep out the door.

    I barely make it to my room before the tearse and I¡¯m clutching at the pain in my own chest.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 46 (Evangeline)

    Jaxon and I spent the eveningughing and dancing together, celebrating his sister bing the

    pack¡¯s Alpha. It felt a lot like we were already a mated couple. No one else asked me to dance, not that

    Jaxon gave them the chance, but there were no jealous she- wolves hovering around us either,

    moring for a chance to dance with

    Jaxon. It was a great night and now, I¡¯m heading to my room to shower and change before I sneak up

    to Jaxon¡¯s room for the night.

    When I get out of the shower, Maggie is just walking in.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Hey Maggie, did you have a good time tonight.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Evie, yeah I did,¡± she says distractedly, going to her bed.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. You headed to Jaxon¡¯s room?¡±

    My sister and I have been best friends our entire lives. We know everything about each other and right

    now, I know something is bothering my sister.

    I finish getting dressed in my pajama shorts and top and I sit on my bed. ¡°Spill,¡± I say.

    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean, you¡¯re not like Maka and bouncy all the damn time, but you¡¯ re usually more upbeat

    than this, especially when we¡¯ve juste from such a fun night.¡±

    She begins chewing on the inside of her m*outh. A sure sign that something is bothering her.

    ¡°I found him, Evie.¡±

    I wait, thinking there¡¯s more. She doesn¡¯t say any more, she just looks at me.

    ¡°Found who?¡±

    ¡°Him. My mate.¡±

    I jump up, pulling her into a hug. ¡°Maggie, that¡¯s wonderful!¡± I say, before stopping and pulling back.

    ¡°Wait, why aren¡¯t you more excited?¡±

    ¡°Dad, obviously.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, oh shit. If he¡¯s struggling this much with you, imagine how he¡¯s going to act with me. I¡¯m six

    months younger than you are.¡±

    ¡°How old is your mate? WHO is your mate?¡± I ask, watching as a smile spreads across her face.

    ¡°Jaxon¡¯s cousin, Caleb. And we¡¯re the same age.¡±

    ¡°Caleb,¡± I say thinking. ¡°Griffin is the oldest male, right? He just took over as Alpha. And that would

    make Caleb

    Taylor and Harper¡¯s brother too, right?¡± I ask, making sure I understand the family tree. I need to know,

    not only because I¡¯m Jaxon¡¯s mate, but now my sister is going to be mated to one of them.

    ¡°Yeah, Caleb is the youngest and there¡¯ s another sister, Brooke, but she already found her mate. She¡¯s

    your age, not quite 18, but her parents let her go spend time in her mate¡¯s pack and let hime to

    visit theirs. I guess they are splitting the time going to where the trainers are best since they are both in

    the contest.¡±

    ¡°So, Caleb is in the contest too, right?¡±

    ¡°He is. I saw him at the race, and I felt the pull, but things were so crazy with dad that I didn¡¯t approach

    him, and he didn¡¯t approach me, or he didn¡¯t have a chance since dad rushed us out of there so fast on

    thest day. But Evie, now I want to spend time with him, I want to get to know him. I could do what

    you¡¯re doing with Jaxon. We could split our time between the packs and decide which trainers we want

    to

    train with while still getting to know each other. I know that, unlike you and Jaxon, I won¡¯t be 18 before

    the nextpetition, but that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t other reasons for us to spend time together

    that still include prepping for the contest.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± I ask her. ¡°I¡¯ll support you in any way you want, Maggie. If you want toe

    with me to grandmother Isabe¡¯s pack, I¡¯ll support you. If Alpha Jonas won¡¯t take both of us, then we¡¯ll

    contact Aunt

    Sophia, and if that doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll eithere stay here with Jaxon and his family or we¡¯ll go find

    our own ce to live until we¡¯re adults.¡±

    She raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°You¡¯ve really thought this through, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of letting dad or anyone keep me from Jaxon. And

    Jaxon agrees. If Alpha Griffin agrees, maybe you could even stay there if mom and dad try to keep you

    apart. Did you talk to Caleb about this, about Dad?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she looks at me, a sheepish smile spreading across her face. ¡°He¡¯s actuallying here

    tonight so we can talk.¡±

    I snort. ¡°Yeah, Jaxon and I did a lot of ¡®talking¡¯ that first night,¡± I say using air quotes.

    She and I are still giggling together when there¡¯s a quiet knock on the door.

    I open the door and Caleb¡¯s eyes go wide. ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Come in, Caleb. I¡¯m Evangeline. I¡¯m mated to your cousin, Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Evangeline. I heard about you.¡±

    ¡°Good things, I hope.¡±

    ¡°The beautiful woman that stole Jaxon¡¯ s heart,¡± he says, turning to Maggie. ¡°I guess it runs in the

    family, since your gorgeous sister has stolen my heart, too.¡±

    I shake my head, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning. Keep your ears out for dad. We¡¯ll figure things

    out.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Evie.¡±

    ¡°Tell Jax, I said hi.¡± Caleb says. ¡°Will do.¡±

    I sneak upstairs, and I¡¯ve just lifted my fist to knock when the door swings open and Jaxon pulls me into

    his room and into his arms, closing the door behind me.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± he asks me. ¡°I was getting good gossip.¡±

    ¡°Care to share?¡±

    ¡°My sister is mated to your cousin,¡± I tell him.

    He frowns. ¡°Griffin?¡±

    ¡°Caleb. He was just arriving as I was leaving.¡±

    ¡°How is your father going to take that?¡±

    ¡°Not sure, but Maggie and I will have to talk more this weekend. You and I may have a plus two from

    now on.¡±

    ¡°As long as I have you, I don¡¯t care how many more there are. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    He leans in and kisses me and that¡¯s thest I think of Maggie, Caleb or my parents for the rest of the

    night.

    Jace POV

    I watch as Jordan walks out of the room. Taylor rushes to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

    ¡°Jace, what happened?¡±

    This isn¡¯t how I nned to tell Taylor. Well, I guess I never really figured out how to tell her that Jordan

    was my mate. I guess I figured Jordan would reject me early on and it would nevere up. But she

    didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Jordan rejected me.¡± Better to just say it.

    ¡°She rejected you as her Gamma?¡±

    I look at Taylor. ¡°As her mate.¡±

    Taylor looks like I pped her across the face.

    ¡°Jordan is your mate?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°And you knew? All this time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Her hand goes to her mouth. ¡°Oh goddess, did she feel it when we¡¯d kiss, when we made out?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know she could feel it. I just found outst week when¡­ when she kissed someone.¡±

    ¡°Jace, what the f*uc*k were thinking? I¡¯m her cousin!¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking, Tay. Well, I thought she would reject me, you know, before now, and that would be it.

    But she didn¡¯t.¡±

    She sits back, giving me a calcted look.

    ¡°This is why you¡¯re in the contest isn¡¯t it? I never understood it. You loved being Uncle Mason¡¯s

    Gamma.¡± She looks at me, her eyes narrowing. ¡°You don¡¯t think you¡¯re good enough for her, do you?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an Alpha, she needs an Alpha for a mate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha, asshole.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not taking over your pack, Taylor.¡±

    ¡°I will be when I win it, idiot. Or¡­¡±

    She tilts her head looking at me. ¡°You never intended for us to stay together, did you?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised itsted as long as it did. I thought you¡¯d find your mate and that would be it.

    You didn¡¯t, Jordan didn¡¯t reject me and here we are.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°You know I care about you, Taylor. Truly I do, but you and I both know that we¡¯re not in

    love with each other. We both know that this has been convenient for both of us.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± she asks.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to take our rtionship any farther than I did. I knew I couldn¡¯t have any kind of a real

    rtionship until Jordan rejected me anyway. It was mutually beneficial. You weren¡¯t pursued

    relentlessly by guys wanting to be with an Alpha female, and I got to love my mate from afar.¡±

    She looks at me for a long moment. ¡°You¡¯ve made a real f*uc*king mess of this, Jace.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°So, did you ept the rejection?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    She raises her eyebrow. ¡°She finally gave you what you wanted, and you refuse to ept it.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°It¡¯s not what I want anymore. I want her. And if I have to win thispetition to prove that

    I¡¯m worthy of being her mate, then I will.¡±

    ¡°Oh Jace. You never had to prove yourself to Jordan. The only person who doesn¡¯t know that you

    deserve your mate, is you.¡±

    She stands, extending her hand. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll help you up.¡±

    I take her hand and she helps me to my feet. ¡°Just so you know, when you¡¯re healthy again, I¡¯m going

    to kick your ass for all of this. No wonder Jordan and I have such a crappy rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me that on me. You and I both know you¡¯ve been jealous for years that she¡¯s taking over her

    pack. You¡¯re just lucky that you have a chance to win yours.¡±

    She shrugs. Taylor and I may not be in love with each other, but we¡¯ve be really good friends over

    the years. ¡°Thanks Tay.¡±

    She nods and I limp back to my room, the pain of rejection still a dull ache throughout my body.

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 47 (Magdalena)

    Caleb and I stayed up talking the whole night. Okay, we may have done more than talk, but we did a lot

    of talking, too. Unlike Evie and Jaxon, we didn¡¯t run a race together and do nothing but talk for over 24

    hours. We¡¯re starting at a bit of a different ce.

    But I do know one thing. This man is my mate. After spending one night with him, I have a much better

    understanding of why Evie was willing to leave her home, her family and her pack for Jaxon. Caleb and

    I may not be 18 yet, but the bond is there and it¡¯s already very strong.

    Caleb and I agreed that we like the idea of training together for the contest. Just like Evie and Jaxon

    are doing. They support each other, being there for each other and it also gives them time to get to

    know each other. That¡¯s what I want with Caleb. Time. Now, I just have to convince my parents.

    Title of the document

    Caleb sneaks out of my bedroom, after sneaking a few more kisses. So, by the time that Eviees

    back, I¡¯m showered and ready to face the day. ¡°Okay, I have an idea,¡± she says by way of greeting.

    ¡°Good, because I don¡¯t, other than I have no intention of walking away from Caleb for six months,¡± I tell

    her.

    ¡°The bond is strong, isn¡¯t it?¡± Evie asks, smiling.

    ¡°Crazy strong. I supported you before, but I totally get it now.¡±

    ¡°I think we need to get mom on our side. If she won¡¯t listen to us, then we won¡¯t get dad on our side. If

    she does, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll go against mom. Or at least, he won¡¯tst long.¡±

    ¡°Caleb wants to be there too. He wants mom and dad to know that he¡¯s serious.¡±

    ¡°Is heing back here, or what¡¯s the n?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m meeting him at breakfast,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°We should get Al involved too. I know mom saw it, but I don¡¯t think Al really said anything to either of

    them.¡±

    ¡°Teagan may be nearly 18, but he¡¯s still got a year to go. It¡¯s not like he can leave the pack, but I¡¯m sure

    he¡¯d prefer it if he could spend more time with Teagan.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s willing to sit down with us and Mom. I really think that¡¯s our best option,¡± Evie says.

    We head down to breakfast and Caleb and Jaxone to sit with us. I see my father eyeing first

    Jaxon, then narrowing his eyes at Caleb. Evie calls Alejandro over and we talk about our n to

    approach our mother after breakfast.

    ¡°If my parents were still running our pack, I know it wouldn¡¯t be an issue for you toe stay with us,

    but Griffin just took over and I don¡¯t think he wants to cause any problems this early in his leadership,¡±

    Caleb says.

    ¡°I understand that. I had the same feeling about Jordan, although Jordan didn¡¯t care. She supports me

    and Evie. Who knows, Griffin may too.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what your mother says first. Going six months without seeing you doesn¡¯t feel like it will be

    possible,¡± Caleb says to me, taking my hand under the table.

    ¡°I agree,¡± I say shyly.

    ¡°Okay then, we all agree?¡± Evie asks. ¡°What are we agreeing to?¡± Teagan asks, and Al makes room for

    her to sit beside him.

    We go over the n and she looks at Al. ¡°We¡¯re you going to ask me to join?¡±

    He looks a bit sheepish. ¡°Did you want to?¡±

    ¡°It impacts us too, Al. Unless you¡¯re not as sure about this as I am,¡± Teagan scolds him.

    ¡°I¡¯m positive. I know what I feel,¡± he tells her.

    ¡°Good. I do too.¡± She turns to the table. ¡°I¡¯m in. And if we need one more, I happen to know that

    Giovanni told

    Harperst night that he¡¯s her mate. He¡¯ s not 18 yet either, but Harper is already trying to figure out

    how to drop out of the contest since she¡¯s mated to an Alpha heir,¡± Teagan says.

    ¡°When did that happen?¡± Caleb asks protectively.

    Teagan gives him a mischievous smile. ¡°Probably while you were s*ucking face with Magdalena.¡±

    Evie snorts but I know I blush from my toes to my hairline.

    ¡°I make no apologies for kissing my mate,¡± Caleb says, smiling at me. His thumb strokes over the back

    of my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯d be disappointed in you if you did,¡± Jaxon says, looking at my sister with a look I know well, having

    seen it on Caleb¡¯s face when he looks at me. ¡°Dad¡¯s leaving, now¡¯s our chance to grab mom,¡± Evie

    says.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± I ask Caleb.

    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be,¡± he says.

    The group of us stand, turning as one and walking toward our mother. When she sees using, she

    stops, her eyebrow raising in a way that makes her royal lineage obvious.

    ¡°Mother, we need to talk,¡± Evie begins.

    Our mother gives us a calcting look before turning to Jaxon.

    ¡°It looks as though we need some privacy, Alpha Jaxon. Do you know if there is a room that we could

    use?¡±

    ¡°Yes Luna. Right this way,¡± he says and guides us to a room off the dining room.

    Once we¡¯re all seated inside with the door closed, Evangeline begins. ¡°Mother, you know that Jaxon

    and I have identified each other as mates.¡±

    She looks between Jaxon and Evie. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s call us, Exhibit A.¡±

    She turns to Alejandro and Teagan.

    ¡°Next, I give you Exhibit B. Alejandro and Teagan who also identify as mates.¡±

    My mother turns to look at them. ¡°Is this true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even though I¡¯m not yet 17, and Teagan is not yet 18, we can both feel it mother,¡± Alejandro says.

    ¡°And honestly, Luna, I¡¯ve been considering quitting the contest for that reason. Part of me wants to

    continue, just to see how I do,¡± she says, making Al smile at her. ¡°But what would be the point? I¡¯m

    mated to your son, and he will be the next Alpha of your pack. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for me to

    continue in the contest knowing that.¡±

    I can see that this conversation, more than anything Evie has told her is impacting my mother. Not

    because it¡¯s my brother, but because Teagan feels strongly enough about their mate bond to quit the

    contest knowing that he¡¯s still a year away from truly being able to recognize her as his mate.

    My mother looks deep in thought. ¡°And finally, I give you Exhibit C,¡± Evie says, causing my mother to

    refocus on the conversation. ¡°Maggie and Caleb.¡±

    ¡°You two as well?¡± my mother says, shocked.

    ¡°Yes, I felt it a bit at the race, but I didn¡¯t have time to find Caleb,¡± I tell her. ¡°I felt it as well. I was hoping

    to find Maggie on thest day, but you were gone,¡± Caleb says to my mother but he¡¯ s looking at me.

    ¡°But then, yesterday¡­.well, it was impossible not to know that Caleb is mine,¡± I say and watch a huge

    smile spread across his face.

    ¡°And you are mine,¡± he says, pulling my hand to his m*outh, kissing it slowly and making me blush

    brightly again. That only makes him smile more.

    My mother huffs, scrubbing her hands over her face.

    ¡°Mother, you and Dad need to get on board with the fact that we can feel our mate bonds. Even though

    we¡¯re not 18, we feel them and feel them strongly. You would never let anythinge between you and

    dad. I won¡¯t let anything or anyonee between me and Jaxon. I¡¯m guessing Al and Maggie feel the

    same way about their mates. So, either you two recognize that we want and need to spend time with

    our mates, or this family is going to break apart very quickly,¡± Evie tells her.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    My mother looks around the table at all of us before sighing. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to your father.¡±

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 48 (Jordan)

    ¡°Hey Nn. I know we talked about me meeting you at Alpha Luke¡¯s this week, but it doesn¡¯t feel right.

    I just took my oath as Alpha two days ago and now I¡¯ m nning to go train for apetition that I¡¯m

    not even eligible for. I need to be here.¡± I say, by way of greeting.

    ¡°Jordan. It¡¯s nice to hear from you. You¡¯re an Alpha, officially the leader of your pack now. I understand

    if you can¡¯t join me this week, although I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m not disappointed. However, I looked at my

    schedule. If you can¡¯t join me this week, perhaps you could join me in two weeks? I¡¯ll be in Alpha

    Jonas¡¯s pack. I believe that¡¯s rtively close to your pack.¡±

    ¡°I can make that work. It gives me time to work with Elijah to prepare for me to be away. This week, all

    I¡¯ve had time for is preparing for the Alpha ceremony.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°Excellent. So, tell me, how does it feel to be an official Alpha?¡±

    ¡°Honestly?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I thought we had agreed to only ever by honest with each other,¡± he says.

    It¡¯s true. When he was here, we had talked about honesty, how important it is. Nn is about 15 years

    older than I am and he never found his mate. It was refreshing to talk to someone that wasn¡¯t interested

    in me just because I¡¯m an Alpha. He wanted to know about me, Jordan, the woman.

    When I had started to give him my usual responses, he had called me on it.

    ¡°Is that you speaking or is that the Alpha speaking?¡± he had asked.

    I had looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know the difference anymore.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, how about, from now on, you tell me what you, Jordan, think when we talk, not you, Alpha

    Jordan.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I know how to do that,¡± I say honestly.

    ¡°What about when you are speaking to your twin? Do you struggle to know the difference then?¡± he

    asked.

    ¡°No, Jaxon knows me. It¡¯s part of being a twin. There aren¡¯t a lot of secrets.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯d like you to talk to me like you would talk to Jaxon. If the answer doesn¡¯te from your

    heart, from you, the woman, from a ce of honesty, then I don¡¯t want the answer.¡±

    Nn was so different from anyone that I have ever met. He and the other warriors don¡¯t belong to a

    pack. He had gone away for years, training to be a master in his art, lethal in a battle.

    So now, I answer him honestly. ¡°It¡¯s a little scary being the Alpha. My cousin, Griffin tried to warn me,

    but it¡¯s not something you can exin. When I took my oath, I felt the power of bing an Alpha, and

    then immediately behind that, I felt the weight of the responsibility that I now have. The lives of every

    member of my pack are now mine to protect. It¡¯s up to me to ensure that my people prosper, that they

    are cared for.¡±

    ¡°And this is why you will be a good Alpha, Jordan. You understand the responsibility that has been

    given to you and you want to do right by your people. I believe you will be a great Alpha.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Nn.¡±

    ¡°I know I can¡¯t see you for a couple of weeks, but can I continue to call you, Jordan?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be disappointed if you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will talk to you soon. And, if it¡¯s not too forward, when my next timees to be in your pack,

    I¡¯d like toe a day early and take you on a date. Would you be agreeable to going on a date with

    me, Jordan?¡±

    ¡°I would love that.¡±

    ¡°Then, I hope that I will see you in two weeks¡¯ time and it¡¯s a date for three weeks from now.¡±

    I know I have a huge, dopey smile on my face when I say goodbye and hang up.

    That smile fades quickly when there¡¯s a knock on my door and I smell Jace. I¡¯ve been avoiding him and

    either he was recovering from the rejection, or he¡¯s been avoiding me too.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Jacees in and sits in front of me, but I don¡¯t look up.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re going to be heading out either tonight or tomorrow to train in Alpha Luke¡¯s pack for the

    week, Alpha. What do you need for me to cover while you¡¯re away?¡± Jace asks.

    I recognize the difference. He¡¯s calling me Alpha rather than Jordan.

    ¡°Change of ns. It wouldn¡¯t look good for an Alpha who just took her oath to be gone for a week with

    unnecessary training, so I¡¯m staying here,¡± I tell him, still not looking up.

    It¡¯s quiet as I shuffle my papers around on my desk, trying to focus, but unable to with him sitting in the

    room. My heart still hurts, still aches for the mate that was supposed to be mine.

    ¡°If you want to go train with Taylor in Griffin¡¯s pack this week, it¡¯s fine. They have Loganing in.¡± I

    finally say.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°And we have Jamesoning here. I¡¯II be here, training with him and the pack,¡± he says.

    ¡°Whatever you think is best for your training, Jace,¡± I say.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you, Jordan,¡± he says quietly, and I know he¡¯s not talking about this week¡¯s training.

    Now, I do look up. ¡°But you are, aren¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that what this is about, Jace? You being in this

    competition? Isn¡¯t it about you bing an Alpha so you feel worthy of Taylor and can ept her as

    your mate?¡±

    ¡°Taylor knows that you are my mate,¡± he says, his amber eyes boring into mine.

    ¡°Was your mate, Jace. I¡¯m not any longer.¡±

    He grits his teeth but doesn¡¯t argue with me. He stands and walks to the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to change your mind, Jordan. I¡¯m not leaving.¡±

    I watch as he walks out the door, closing it behind him. I have no idea how to feel about that statement.

    Jaxon POV

    Sitting back and watching my mate take charge with her mother and the other mates in the room is

    f*uc*king hot. I¡¯m pretty sure if she wasn¡¯t my mate, I¡¯ d still want her. The woman is all Alpha, except

    when I take charge of her body and make her submit to me. Her strength and power only make her

    submission that much sweeter.

    Eve and I agree to train on Jujitsu for theing week, meaning we¡¯re headed back to Alpha Jonas¡¯s

    pack. He was fine with us returning and on ourst day in my pack, we meet Luna Katerina and Alpha

    Luke. Alejandro, Teagan, Caleb and Magdalena join us.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to your father,¡± Luna Katerina begins. ¡°He wanted to speak to all of you before making any

    decisions.¡±

    Alpha Luke turns to Eve. ¡°I already know where you stand.¡±

    ¡°I stand with Jaxon, I¡¯m d we agree on that,¡± Eve says, and I have to hide my smile.

    Alpha Luke grits his teeth before turning to Alejandro and Teagan. ¡°Your mother says that you are

    feeling the mate bond, Alejandro?¡±

    ¡°Yes father, and so does Teagan,¡± Alejandro tells him.

    Alpha Luke looks at Teagan. ¡°My mate said you are thinking of quitting the contest because you¡¯re so

    sure that my son is your mate. Is this true?¡±

    I smile at my sister. My family isn¡¯t wishy-washy. When we want something, we go all in. And Teagan

    wants her mate, which I understandpletely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already reached out to the council to withdraw from the contest,¡± she says, and Alejandro reaches

    out to take her hand.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be the Luna of our pack once I¡¯m old enough to take over as Alpha. There¡¯s no need for her to

    continue in thepetition, father,¡± Alejandro says, never taking his eyes off my sister.

    ¡°Although, I do n to continue training,¡± she says, giving Alejandro a sassy smile.

    ¡°As do I,¡± he says, pulling her hand to his mouth and k*issing it. I swear the temperature in the room

    goes up, but I know what it¡¯s like to forget that you¡¯re in a room with others when your mate is in front of

    you.

    Luna Katerina clears her throat loudly. ¡°Alejandro, perhaps you can refocus on the conversation.¡±

    ¡°Of course, mother,¡± he says, but his eyes are still glued to Teagan¡¯s.

    Alpha Luke finally turns to Magdalena and Caleb. ¡°And you two say you feel the mate bond as well.¡±

    Caleb sits up straight. ¡°Yes, Alpha. I know without a doubt that your daughter is my mate. I wouldn¡¯t

    begin to pretend something like that. I can tell by her smell and by my pull to her. She is my mate, but

    we¡¯ve both agreed to continue in the contest so that we can try to win a pack for ourselves,¡± Caleb says

    in a very proper way.

    Eve looks at me and frowns and I just shrug. Caleb is who he is.

    Alpha Luke looks at all of us. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing that none of you are willing to wait until you¡¯re 18 to be

    with your mates? I mean, all of you are underage with the exception of Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°I can no more stay away from Teagan than you can stay away from mother. It would be painful. I don¡¯t

    see any reason why we can¡¯t spend time in each other¡¯ s packs. Or in my instance, I¡¯d like Teagan to

    begin spending time in our pack, learning her way around our packnds, meeting our pack mates.

    She¡¯ll be their Luna one day and I¡¯d like her to befortable when the timees,¡± he says, making

    Teagan beam at him.

    I watch as Alpha Luke gives in. ¡°Fine. But I want you spending equal time in our pack, both of you,¡± he

    says looking from Eve to Magdalena.

    ¡°As long as our mates are invited, I have no problem with that,¡± Eve says. ¡°Me either,¡± Magdalena says.

    Finally!

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249

    Chapter 49 (Jaxon)

    Eve and I spend the next week in Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack, learning Jujitsu from

    Levi. Just like before, we get our asses handed to us.

    After our meeting with Alpha Luke, we agreed that we would go back to his pack in a week. He has

    Ezekieling and as much as I¡¯m dreading a week with Ezekiel, I¡¯m excited to have another week

    with him. Both Eve and I have gotten stronger since thest week with him and I feel like this time, we¡¯ll

    be able to really train h*ard.

    Title of the document

    And while Alpha Luke wasn¡¯t thrilled, he allowed Magdalena to go to Alpha Griffin¡¯s pack and spend the

    week with Caleb training with Logan.

    When we arrive in Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack, we take advantage of the first couple of days to spend our

    limited, non-exhausted time together.

    ¡°Now that your father has changed his mind about allowing us to be together, what are your thoughts

    about where we¡¯ll live, Eve? We only have about 6 weeks before we need to decide. Once I¡¯ve marked

    you, I won¡¯t live without you,¡± I tell her.

    She leans into me, looking up at me through hershes. ¡°What if I mark you first, Alpha Jaxon,¡± she

    says, walking her f*ingers up my chest.

    It¡¯s been a couple of weeks since we¡¯ve had a moment together where we weren¡¯t crawling into the

    nearest bed to fall into sleep. My mate¡¯s teasing tone and her f*ingers on my chest are causing my

    body to respond very strongly to her.

    We¡¯re in the forest that surrounds Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack. I wrap my arm around Eve and spin us around

    pinning her to a tree and lifting her l*eg, hooking it on my waist before responding. ¡°Feeling flirtatious,

    Evangeline?¡±

    She pushes her h*ips against me, rubbing herself against my h*ard, aching length.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling much more than flirtatious, Jaxon. I¡¯m feeling ravenous. Like a woman starved and you¡¯re

    the first food I¡¯ve seen in weeks.¡±

    My mate has me so close to the edge that I feel like I¡¯m about to shoot my load right here.

    ¡°What is it that you¡¯re hungry for, Evangeline?¡± I ask her, my voice deep and rough with my desire for

    her.

    Her hand slides in between us, rubbing and t*ouching me in the exact way she knows I love.

    ¡°You, Jaxon,¡± she says before flipping our positions and getting on her knees in front of me.

    ¡°Evangeline,¡± I growl.

    She looks up at me with a naughty smile on her face, as she unbuttons and unzips my jeans, pulling

    them down. She rubs her hand over my length, still inside my boxer briefs, before she pulls those down

    and my h*ard on springs free.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going tost long, Evangeline,¡± I say.

    She flicks her tongue over the tip of my c*oc*k, making my body jerk.

    ¡°I¡¯d be disappointed in myself if you did,¡± she says before s*uc*king me into her mouth.

    It takes everything in me not to roar with the pleasure that her warm, wet mouth gives me. I shove a fist

    in my mouth, then look down at my s*exy as f*uc*k mate s*uc*king me off.

    For a very short moment, I think I can hold out for more than a couple of minutes, then she opens those

    pale blue eyes of hers, looking up at me as she takes me down her throat and that¡¯ s all it takes to push

    me over the edge. She grabs my h*ips as my body jerks, and I release inside her mouth and throat.

    When she finally slides her mouth off of me, having licked me clean, I don¡¯t waste any time. I spin her

    around lifting her up high, hooking her l*egs over my shoulder. I pin her to the tree, shoving her dress

    up around her h*ips, pushing her panties aside and licking and s*uc*king her clit exactly like I know she

    likes it.

    ¡°Jaxon,¡± she pants, trying to be quiet.

    ¡°Jaxon, you know I can¡¯t be quiet,¡± she says.

    I s*uc*k her clit h*ard as I pull off of her, looking up at her with a mischievous grin. ¡°Then you should

    have thought of that before you started something you couldn¡¯t finish. Figure it out love, I had to,¡± I say

    before diving back in. In truth, I don¡¯t care if someone hears me making my matee. We live in

    packs, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s umon to overhear others. And out here, it¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯ll be seen, so, I

    have no problem letting her either figure out how to be quiet or hearing her scream her pleasure to the

    mountaintops.

    In the end, my sweet mate can¡¯t hold it in.

    When we get back to the packhouseter, walking hand in hand, Eve¡¯s grandmother Isabe is sitting

    outside. ¡°Alpha Jaxon, taking advantage of the time you¡¯re away from Evangeline¡¯s father?¡± she asks

    me, giving me a knowing smile.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Good man.¡±

    During our week we once again work muscles that we didn¡¯t know existed, although, I¡¯m noticing that

    each week I¡¯ m getting stronger and those muscles we didn¡¯t know existed, are getting smaller in

    number.

    By the end of the week, I almost feel like I¡¯m starting to rebound. I¡¯m not as exhausted this week as I

    have been the other weeks. That¡¯s not to say that I had any energy at night when Eve and I fell into

    bed. I just don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m about to pass out in my te of food this week.

    As with every week, we have a one-day reprieve. We take the extra day in Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack,

    knowing that this week in Alpha Luke¡¯s pack will be more difficult to spend time together.

    However, we are both shocked when we get to Eve¡¯s pack and her mother tells me that I am sharing a

    room with Eve.

    ¡°That is, unless you or Eve would like you to have a separate room?¡± she asks.

    ¡°No,¡± we say together.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Okay then, Evangeline, show Jaxon where he¡¯ll be staying this week. And I hope this means that you¡¯ll

    be back more often.¡±

    Eve runs to her mother, hugging her tightly. ¡°Thanks, mom.¡±

    Luna Katerina hugs Eve tightly, then she looks at me.

    ¡°Hurt my daughter, and I¡¯ll rip your balls off.¡±

    I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Understood.¡±

    Magdalena and Caleb had alsoe back to the pack, although they weren¡¯t given one room together.

    However, rather than being on the opposite side of the packhouse like I was, he¡¯s on the Alpha floor

    with us. Whether that¡¯s so Alpha Luke can keep an eye on him or so he¡¯s closer to Magdalena, I have

    no idea.

    I¡¯d love to say that thest three weeks had prepared me for Ezekiel¡¯s second training session, but

    Ezekiel decided to increase the intensity, especially for those of us that had been in his ss

    previously. Rather than a two-hour ss in the morning and at night, he adds an extra hour at each

    session for those of us that had already had him once and for those that wanted more intensity.

    Eve, Caleb and I are the only ones that have taken his ss before. However, to their credit, Eve¡¯s

    entire family and several others still in thepetition take the extra hour in both sessions. By the

    fourth night, several people literally fall asleep in the dining room, some falling over into their food. I¡¯m

    thankful at least that I¡¯m not in that category. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t have anyoneing in next week, so where

    do you want to go?¡± Eve asks me on our second tost day.

    ¡°Alpha Jonas has Nn and Jordan has Mateo. We worked with both of them already, do you have a

    preference?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Griffin has Jamesoning in again. He teaches karate. He¡¯s good. You¡¯re wee toe to our

    pack,¡± Caleb says.

    I look at Eve.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try something new,¡± she says. I lean forward, k*issing her.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯reing to your pack Caleb,¡± I say.

    ¡°Yay!¡± Magdalena says, excited that we¡¯ll all still be together.

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 50 (Jordan)

    I¡¯ve been training in Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack for a week, taking advantage of the opportunity to spend a bit

    of time with Nn. However, he offered individual training to Alpha Jonas, just as he did for me, and

    Jonas took him up on it.

    So, rather than spending time with Nn in the afternoons, I¡¯ve been spending time with Melinda and

    her children.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re pregnant again,¡± I say for the umpteenth time.

    Title of the document

    She shrugs. ¡°When you find your mate, you want nothing but them. After being kept apart, I can¡¯t get

    enough of him. And I don¡¯t care what anyone says about our age difference, my mate is a fine, s*exy

    specimen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I feel about you describing me like a piece of meat,¡± Alpha Jonas says, walking up

    behind us. Nn is with him, and hees to sit beside me.

    ¡°How was Alpha training?¡± I ask Jonas.

    ¡°Brutal, but apparently, I have an image of a fine, s*exy specimen that I need to uphold,¡± he says,

    smirking at Melinda, making her giggle.

    He looks around. ¡°Where are the kids?¡±

    ¡°Napping,¡± she says and even I see his eyes darken.

    I look away, my heart still hurting to see other mates interacting this way. ¡°Want to get up close and

    personal with a fine, s*exy specimen, Luna?¡± Jonas purrs at her.

    She stands. ¡°Always, Alpha.¡± She turns to me. ¡°I¡¯ll see you twoter.¡±

    ¡°Have fun!¡± I say, waving at them.

    When they¡¯re gone, I turn to Nn. ¡°So, how was training?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jonas may be older than I am, but the man is strong and he¡¯s a quick learner,¡± he says

    appreciatively. ¡°How did you get into this, anyway? How did you end up packless, bing a lethal

    warrior?¡± I ask him. He¡¯s quiet, not answering and I turn to see him staring out into the forest.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s none of my business,¡± I say quickly.

    He gives a half-hearted smile, not turning away from the forest. ¡°Do you know, I can¡¯t remember the

    last time someone asked me that.¡±

    Finally, he turns to look at me, smiling. ¡°I got into this because I realized that when the females of the

    species started dying out, that we needed to strengthen our women. Women like you are

    underestimated, Jordan. You¡¯re strong, passionate, caring, and yet, I¡¯m sure you know the gossip that

    goes on about you.¡±

    I look at him. ¡°I do, but I¡¯m surprised that you do,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I pay attention, especially when ites to women, or in this case the one woman, in a leadership

    position.¡±

    ¡°The female council members might take offense to that,¡± I say jokingly.

    ¡°It is a requirement to have a certain number of females on the council. Your mother and the others in

    her generation made sure of it. So, that is different.

    You, being the Alpha of your pack, is different. That was a choice that your parents made. One that no

    other Alpha and Luna from their time made. So, of course, everyone is expecting you to fail. They are

    watching for it, waiting for it.¡±

    He turns and looks at me. ¡°I, for one, don¡¯t think you will fail, and I intend to do everything that I can to

    help you seed.¡±

    ¡°By making me a lethal weapon?¡± I ask him, smiling.

    He looks at me a long moment.

    ¡°Jordan, both your Beta heir and your Gamma are in the contest to win themselves a pack. Let¡¯s, for a

    moment, assume that both of them win. You will be without a Beta or a Gamma, although I¡¯m sure your

    current Beta, Elijah, will stay in his position until you choose someone from the Beta trials. But even

    then, that person will be new. You will be tested, Jordan. The moment anyone feels that you are

    vulnerable, that you show the slightest bit of weakness, they will attack. You, more than any other

    Alpha in this generation, will have to prove herself. If I had to bet, I¡¯d say you¡¯ll have to prove yourself

    more than once. So, yes, I intend to help you be lethal.¡±

    ¡°You think someone would attack my pack?¡± I ask, shocked that he thinks that and wondering what he¡¯s

    heard.

    ¡°No, I think they will challenge you for the right to lead your pack. I think they wille from within your

    own pack and also other packs. But that is my assessment based on the rumors that I have heard.¡±

    I look out over the forest. If what Nn is saying is true, then I do need to make sure that I¡¯m lethal. I

    need to be able to take on and defeat any enemy, any fighter whoes for me. I turn, looking at him,

    assessing him in a way I haven¡¯t before.

    I watch as a smile spreads across his face. ¡°I see you understand now,¡± he says.

    ¡°I have to be strong enough to defeat every one of the elite warriors that are training the packs.¡±

    He nods. ¡°If you do that, then no one will challenge you, no one will question you, Jordan.¡±

    I lean forward, putting my head in my h*ands. ¡°How do I do that?¡±

    ¡°By being you. You¡¯re strong enough to do it, you¡¯re definitely smart enough to do it. It¡¯s just a matter of

    taking the time to train.¡±

    He leans forward, putting his head in line with mine. ¡°How many more of the elite do you haveing

    to train your pack?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know that YOU are next week,¡± I say, making him smile. ¡°Then, before thepetition, I

    have thest threeing in, Ezekiel, Logan and Levi.¡±

    ¡°If you want my opinion, the three styles are different, but of those three, Ezekiel is the toughest. n

    to put in extra time that week, show at least your pack members that you are the incredible fighter that I

    know you are. And next week, when I¡¯m there, don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    I frown at him. ¡°You think I hold back?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I know you do. Some might consider that a weakness. I consider it a generosity that only the strong

    can afford to give. You don¡¯t even try to defeat me because I¡¯m the expert. I¡¯m there to teach you, so

    you make sure that you don¡¯t. I¡¯m pretty sure that if I fought you right now, if you really tried, you could

    defeat me.¡±

    ¡°You just said that you are part of the elite fighting team and in the next breath you¡¯re saying I can

    defeat you?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, Jordan, because you are that strong, that good. I see it, now I want to make sure everyone else

    does as well.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s do this.¡± I say, standing up and walking out into the grass.

    ¡°You sure about this?¡± he asks me.

    ¡°Are you changing your mind, Nn? Or,¡± I look at him, ¡°is it too soon after your session with Alpha

    Jonas. I can wait until you are feeling more rested,¡± I say to him quickly.

    ¡°And that, right there, is exactly what I¡¯ m talking about, Jordan. It¡¯s why I know that you are stronger

    than you let on. No one that was actually weaker than I am, would have even considered giving me that

    option. And to answer your question, I am an elite fighter. My job is to be ready to fight no matter when,

    where or how many battles I¡¯ve been in.

    So, yes, I am ready to fight,¡± he says. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, Alpha,¡± he says beforeing at me. H*ard.

    H*arder than he¡¯s evere at me before.

    I know, instinctively, that he¡¯s forcing me to show my strength, to respond to his strength. At first, I don¡¯t

    want to. He¡¯ s the best, I shouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Get out of your head, Jordan!¡± he says, stepping back and looking at me. ¡°Fight me, Jordan. Show me

    what you¡¯ve really got. Stop holding back.¡±

    I twist my neck to the side, hearing it crack.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s do this for real.¡±

    This time, I don¡¯t hold back. I immediately feel the difference and I know he must as well. Our battle if

    fierce, fast-paced and painful. We both get hits in, we both take h*ard hits, but neither of us stops,

    neither gives in.

    I don¡¯t know how long we fight, but I¡¯m pouring in sweat and so is Nn. I¡¯ve been slowly assessing his

    weaknesses, which are few and rarely exposed. But I know them now and as soon as he gives me an

    opening, I take it. Using his own kickboxing technique against him, I take him to the ground, quickly

    scissor-kicking myself over top of him pinning him to the ground face first. I have one arm and one l*eg

    pinned behind his back.

    I snarl at him, still in my fight mode. ¡°Submit.¡±

    He fights me but I tighten my hold, making it impossible to move.

    ¡°Submit!¡± I snarl again.

    Finally, he taps out and I release him, leaning back.

    He rolls over, looking up at me panting. ¡°I knew you had it in you,¡± he says, and I hear pping.

    I look up to see that Alpha Jonas¡¯s entire pack hase to watch, including Alpha Jonas and Melinda.

    ¡°Nice job, Alpha!¡±

    ¡°Kick a*ss, Alpha!¡±

    ¡°Way to go, Alpha!¡±

    The pack shouts their congrattions to me as I stand, reaching a h*and down to help Nn up.

    ¡°Fantastic job, Alpha,¡± he says, before leaning in and taking my m*outh in a passionate k*iss.

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251

    Book 4

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 51 (Evangeline)

    A week before the second contest, my parents have a party for my birthday. I¡¯ m so excited. I know that

    Jaxon is my mate, but now, I¡¯ll finally, finally be able to tell my father, without a doubt that he is truly my

    mate.

    This week, my father had Ezekiel and once again, we thought it would be an easy week, but Ezekiel

    raised the bar again. So, while I¡¯ve been excited about my birthday, I knew that this week would be a

    tough one. Add to that, Jaxon decided that this week, of all weeks, he wanted to make a big entrance

    for my birthday.

    I know that Jaxon hasn¡¯t had a chance to get me something for my birthday. I¡¯ ve heard him on the

    phone, secretly talking to people. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say he and Jordan areing up with some sort

    of birthday present for me, but so far, I have no clue what he¡¯s getting me.

    Title of the document

    Last night, for the first time in nearly three months, I slept alone. Jaxon left to go get my birthday

    present, telling me that he¡¯d be back for the party tonight. I had texted him in the middle of the night,

    not terribly surprised that he wasn¡¯t asleep.

    Me: Are you awake?

    Jax: I am, why are you awake?

    Me: Can¡¯t sleep. I miss my mate.

    Jax: Your mate is stupid. He didn¡¯t think this through.

    Me: My mate is not stupid. He¡¯s amazing and I won¡¯t have you disparaging him.

    Jax: Really? Well, the man was dumb enough to leave you alone the night before your birthday.

    Me: I¡¯m sure he has a good reason.

    Jax: I bet tomorrow night at this time, you¡¯ll be wearing his mark.

    Me: And he¡¯ll be wearing mine.

    Jax: Think of that, my beautiful

    Evangeline and get some sleep, because tomorrow night, I n to keep you up all night long.

    Me: How is that supposed to help me sleep, exactly?

    Jax: It should give you sweet dreams. I love you, Eve.

    Me: I love you, Jax.

    Jax: I¡¯ll see you in a couple of hours my love.

    Me: Not soon enough

    Jax

    I finally fall asleep early in the morning and now, I¡¯m trying to get through Ezekiel¡¯sst training session.

    Hees over to me. ¡°Evangeline, you¡¯ re better than this, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Ezekiel. It¡¯s my birthday and my mate isn¡¯t here. He¡¯ll be hereter, but I didn¡¯t sleep well,

    and it¡¯s showing.¡±

    ¡°A word of advice, Alpha. Push through. If you expect to be an Alpha to a pack, you¡¯ll need to be

    able to fight even when you¡¯re exhausted. Dig deep and push through this morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ezekiel.¡±

    The rest of the morning, I focus, fighting and actually taking down my opponents. I see Ezekiel nodding

    at me several times and I feel good that I am finally able to focus. He¡¯s right, if I¡¯m going to be an Alpha,

    I have to be strong no matter what.

    Afterward, I head to my room, getting ready for the party. Maggiees to sit with me, helping me to

    get ready. Caleb is here, too. Dad has allowed them to go back and forth to train and even he has to

    see that Maggie is stronger than she was before. Caleb¡¯s influence has been good for Maggie, just as

    Jaxon¡¯s has been good for me. As I finish getting ready, my mother knocks on my door. She hugs

    Maggie and shuts the door as she leaves.

    She turns, holding her h*ands out to me. ¡°My beautiful girl, my first born. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re an adult

    today.¡±

    It¡¯s a very rare thing to see my mother cry. She is the rock of this family. She always has been.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡± I say, walking to her and hugging her.

    She sniffles as she hugs me before stepping back. ¡°Have you and Jaxon decided where you¡¯re going to

    live?¡± she asks, and I can tell that she is hoping that we¡¯ve decided to live here. We¡¯ve talked about it a

    lot and gone back and forth, until finally we decided to split our time between our packs. It has worked

    during the training for this next contest and until we have a pack of our own, it seemed like the best

    choice, especially since my father hasn¡¯t been trying to keep us apart.

    ¡°We want to live part time here and part time in Alpha Jordan¡¯s pack until one or both of us wins our

    own pack.¡± I tell her.

    ¡°I¡¯m betting on both of you winning. You¡¯re both strong, powerful Alphas and deserve your own pack.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Mom.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d better be getting downstairs to wee our guests¡­and your mate.¡±

    That makes me smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a moment,¡± I say, walking her to the door. When she¡¯s gone, I turn back to my bedroom,

    this room that has been mine for as long as I can remember will tonight be the room where my

    mate makes me his own, where I make him mine.

    I look around once more, making sure everything is in order before I head downstairs. When I get to

    the top of the stairs, the scent of sandalwood fills my nose, so much stronger than it ever was before

    and I know that he is here.

    I look down on the group of people, waiting for me to join the party and there he is, looking up at me, a

    bouquet of flowers in his h*and, looking more s*exy than any man has a right to look.

    ¡°Mate,¡± I say, as the rest of the room disappears.

    ¡°Mate,¡± he confirms as he walks to the bottom of the stairs. I make my way to him, my eyes never

    leaving his.

    When I get to the bottom, he takes my h*and, k*issing it.

    ¡°Happy birthday, my love.¡±

    For the rest of the night, Jaxon is at my side. We dance together, say hello to all of my guests together

    but in the end, I don¡¯t remember anything about my birthday until we get back to my room. When we

    walk in, he steps away from me, looking around my room. ¡°So, this is the boudoir that I¡¯ve been denied

    entry for months. I like it.¡±

    He turns to me smiling. ¡°I have something for you.¡±

    ¡°And, I have something for you, too,¡± I say seductively.

    ¡°Hold that thought,¡± he says as he pulls a box out of his pocket.

    ¡°I know your mother descended from royalty, but I wasn¡¯t sure which European country she came from,

    so I made a guess. The sentiment is the same, no matter thenguage,¡± he says, h*anding me a box

    wrapped in pretty paper.

    I open it and inside is a ne with a pendant of aquamarine, the color of my eyes. Inscribed in the

    stone are the words ¡°Je t¡¯aime¡±. I love you.

    I take it out of the box, handing it to him. ¡°Will you put it on me? I want to wear this when you leave your

    mark on my neck.¡±

    I turn lifting my hair while he locks the ne. I look down as it falls into ce. My mate moves my

    hair and begins k*issing my neck as he unzips my dress.

    ¡°Evangeline, I¡¯ve been waiting a very long time for this night,¡± he says, his f*ingers caressing my skin,

    making me shiver.

    I turn, letting the dress drop to the floor. ¡°As have I, my mate. It¡¯s time I finally leave my mark on you so

    every woman in the world knows that the Super Hotty is mine.¡±

    His smile is huge as he slides his h*and into my hair and pulls me to him.

    ¡°Damn, Evangeline, I will never get tired of that sassy m*outh of yours.¡±

    ¡°Sass isn¡¯t the only thing my m*outh is good at, Alpha,¡± I say, and I have the satisfaction of watching his

    eyes go nearly ck.

    He pulls me to him, our breath sharing space. ¡°I hope that m*outh is good at leaving a mark on my

    neck.¡±

    My ws extend and I slice his shirt and jacket off of him. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±

    He continues to hold onto my hair, pulling me back and looking down at my body. ¡°You¡¯re so f*uc*king

    s*exy, you make me want to take you now, but not for your first time. Tonight is all about taking my

    time, finally getting my fill of you.¡±

    He looks back up into my eyes. ¡°Take that b*ra off.¡±

    Never losing eye contact, I reach back and unhook my bra, letting it drop to the floor, leaving me in only

    my panties and my heels.

    I have the satisfaction of watching him look down, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing with his desire.

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 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 52 Jaxon

    I¡¯ve been waiting for months to finallyplete the mate bond with Evangeline. The woman knows

    every trick to making my body respond to her, but tonight is special. It¡¯s not only her birthday, but also

    our mating day.

    So, I won¡¯t rush this, even though she¡¯s got me feeling so desperate that I¡¯m ready to explode in my

    pants.

    My mate¡¯s body has changed subtly over thest three months. She was always lean and strong, but

    now, her body is ripped with muscle and yet, she still has the feminine curves that I love.

    Title of the document

    I still have one h*and in her hair, feeling the need to show my dominance tonight. She is mine and

    everyone will know it soon. I look down at her round, perky b*reasts, watching as her n*ipples h*arden

    with her desire.

    I look back up at her, and I see my desire for her reflected her dark eyes. Watching her, I bring my free

    h*and up, swiping my thumb across her n*ipple, her body jerking slightly as her m*outh falls open.

    She¡¯s not the only one that knows every trick to getting their mate¡¯ s body to respond. I¡¯ve spent

    months learning every little thing that my mate likes, how she likes to be t*ouched, how she likes to be

    k*issed, and tonight, I¡¯ll learn how she likes me to make love to her.

    I cup her b*reast in my h*and, kneading it before leaning my head down and flick my tongue over her

    n*ipple.

    ¡°Jaxon,¡± she breathes, her h*ands going into my hair, gripping it h*ard.

    I run my tongue in circles around her n*ipple, waiting for her to push it into my m*outh. It only takes a

    moment before she¡¯s arching against me and I s*uck her n*ipple in, licking and s*ucking on it, eliciting

    the m*oans of pleasure that I love hearing from her m*outh.

    I release her hair, wrapping the arm around her waist, holding her to me as I move to the other b*reast.

    Her scent of honeys*uckle is permeating the room, making my m*outh water, my need to devour her

    bing stronger.

    I pull off of her n*ipple with a soft ¡®pop¡¯ before wrapping my arms around her t*highs and lifting her up.

    Her arms and l*egs immediately wrap around me as I carry her to her bed. Her m*outh finds mine in

    desperate k*iss, one that is needy and full of promise.

    Iy her down, standing back to look at the gorgeous woman in front of me. ¡°Damn, I¡¯m a lucky man,¡± I

    say, looking at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be unlucky if you don¡¯t get those pants off,¡± she says.

    Much like she did to me, I watch her as I undo the belt, popping the button and undoing the zipper,

    letting my pants fall to the floor. When I naked in front of her, I look down her body again. ¡°Would you

    be upset if I left those heels on? You look f*uc*king s*exy with them on.

    Instead of answering me, my little minx of a mate lifts one of those l*egs, stretching it out to me. I step

    forward, knowing how incredibly limber Eve is, and she slides the heel up to my shoulder.

    ¡°What about the panties, Alpha? Do you n to leave those on as well?¡± she asks, her voice deep with

    desire.

    Rather than respond, I turn my head, k*issing the ankle that is up by my shoulder as I extend a w

    and slice her panties off.

    She gets a little pout on her face. ¡°Those were my favorite.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you,¡± I tell her as I begin to k*iss my way down her l*eg. ¡°I have no doubt,¡± she says,

    watching as I make my way down her t*high, getting ever closer to her sweet honeys*uckle scent.

    ¡°Goddess, you smell delicious Evangeline,¡± I growl.

    ¡°All for you, Jaxon,¡± she says, and I take that as my invitation.

    I bury my face between her t*highs, licking and s*ucking her sweet taste as I crawl onto the bed. I hook

    her l*egs over my shoulders, taking my fill of her taste before s*ucking her c*lit into my m*outh.

    Her cry of pleasure is music to my ears as she pushes her h*ips against my face. I slide my h*ands

    under her a*ss cheeks, holding her to me as I l*ick and s*uck her into a frenzy before sliding two

    f*ingers inside her and letting her find her first release. Before shees downpletely, I¡¯m already

    bringing her back up again.

    ¡°Jaxon,¡± she calls, her h*and gripping my hair as my f*ingers pump in and out of her. When I know

    she¡¯s close, I hook my f*ingers inside her and drive her over the edge once again.

    I pull back, k*issing my way up her body as she catches her breath. I capture her m*outh in a fiery k*iss

    before pulling back.

    ¡°Are you ready for me to make you mine?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Almost,¡± she says, before flipping our positions.

    She sits up straddling me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to pass out before I mark you. I think I will pass out, and I want

    us both marked tonight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this position is the easiest for your first time, Eve.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try,¡± she says, and I can tell this is important to her.

    ¡°Condoms are in the pocket of my pants,¡± I tell her, and she hops off me and grabs the pack of

    condoms I brought, pulling one out.

    ¡°Looks like you have one hell of a night nned, Alpha,¡± she teases, referencing the number of

    condoms I brought.

    ¡°I like to be prepared,¡± I tell her.

    She sets the condom aside. ¡°I¡¯d like to feel you inside me with it first. Are you okay with that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Honestly, I don¡¯t care if I get you pregnant tonight, but I know you¡¯d be upset to miss the

    competition.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I would, so we¡¯ll use these, but,¡± she lines the tip of my c*oc*k at her entrance. ¡°I just want to feel

    you inside me first,¡± she says as she slowly slides herself down my h*ard length.

    She hisses and I reach up to hold her h*ips, helping her to take it slowly. Her eyes remain closed until

    she¡¯s seatedpletely on me. She opens her eyes, wiggling her h*ips a bit.

    ¡°Pleasure and pain, but the pleasure is definitely overpowering the pain,¡± she says before she begins to

    move on me.

    I grit my teeth. I¡¯ve never felt pleasure like I feel being deep inside my mate. She¡¯s warm and wet but

    her muscles are already gripping my c*oc*k in a way that has me on the verge of shooting off inside

    her.

    ¡°Evangeline, you need to put that condom on me,¡± I say through gritted teeth.

    She looks at me smiling, and for a moment I think she¡¯s going to refuse. Like I told her, I don¡¯t care, but

    it would most likely mean she¡¯d be out of the contest, and I know she doesn¡¯t want that.

    But then, she¡¯s sliding off of me and I immediately miss the heat of her body on mine. She rolls the

    condom over my aching length before she¡¯s sliding me deep inside her again.

    This time, she begins moving almost immediately. I reach my h*ands up, cupping her b*reasts and

    gently pinching her n*ipples. I feel her body respond, her inner walls tightening down on my c*oc*k.

    The feeling makes me growl with pleasure and I want more. I need to feel her body mping down on

    me, need to hear her scream just before she sinks her canines into my neck.

    Eve begins riding me h*arder, faster. ¡°Jaxon,¡± she says and this time, her voice has a lisp. I look up to

    see her canines have extended.

    Every minute of this moment seems to feel better than thest and when I think it can¡¯t get any better, it

    does.

    I turn my neck, opening myself to her, submitting to my mate.

    ¡°Mark me, Evangeline,¡± I growl, my own caninesing out.

    Just as her walls mp down on me, her orgasm shooting through her forcing my own, she leans

    forward, sinking her teeth into my marking spot. If I thought I¡¯d felt pleasure before, it¡¯s nothing

    compared to the ecstasy I feel from her venom flowing into my bloodstream.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Another orgasm rips through me and I roar, causing the walls in our bedroom to shake as we find our

    release together, my body jerking up, pushing as deep inside her as I can get.

    When we catch our breath, and she pulls her canines from my neck, licking the wound closed, she sits

    back, smiling proudly at her mark on my neck.

    I reach up, taking her chin between my f*ingers, turning her to look at me.

    ¡°My turn,¡± I say, flipping our positions.

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 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 53 (Evangeline)

    Wow. That¡¯s all I can say about making love to my mate. Wow! Super Hotty is super fantastic in bed.

    When he f*lips our p*ositions, he slides out of me. ¡°Be right back,¡± he says before going to the

    bathroom to dispose of the c*ondom.

    Hees back, climbing over top of me. He looks down at me and I take a moment to enjoy the look

    of my mark on my mate¡¯s neck.

    Title of the document

    ¡°My mark looks damn good on you, Alpha,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Your neck is looking entirely too bare, Evangeline.¡± He s*lides i*nside me, pulling my l*eg up, so he

    can move d*eeper.

    ¡°You feel so good Eve,¡± he says, leaning down to k*iss me.

    He keeps a steady pace, moving in and out while he k*isses me. I¡¯m overwhelmed, my senses on

    overload. This feeling of Jaxon being inside me, his warm, muscr body brushing against mine, his

    sandalwood scent surrounding me, it¡¯s all creating a heady, intoxicating feeling inside me. I¡¯ m lost in

    my mate, lost in the pleasure that he¡¯s giving me, and it doesn¡¯t take long before my body is begging for

    more.

    Since he hasn¡¯t released my m*outh, I begin whimpering with my need, scratching my ws down his

    back, my body moving against his, letting him know that I need him to move faster. Instead, he

    deepens the k*iss, keeping up the painfully slow pace, that is keeping me right on the edge of bliss.

    When the o*rgasm finallyes, I rip my m*outh away from his m*outh, crying out with the pleasure of

    it. He continues at the same pace, never changing speed. My eyes sh to his as I realize that the

    pace he¡¯s keeping is now forcing my body to remain in a state of continuous o*rgasm. I gasp and

    whimper, watching the satisfied, possessive look on his face as he continues to keep my body in a

    state of pure pleasure.

    I can¡¯t maintain the eye contact, as my eyes roll back into my head, and I ride wave after wave of

    pleasure that he forces me to take. I don¡¯t know how long it goes on, but when he finally releases my

    body, I¡¯m exhausted, spent, my body still tingling with aftershocks.

    He nips at my neck. ¡°I wanted to take my time with you, feel you contracting around me, see youe

    undone for me before I marked you. Now, I can make you mine and you can sleep my love.¡±

    He says, sliding out of me and grabbing another condom. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can, Jaxon,¡± I say, whimpering

    at the thought of my body achieving that high again so quickly.

    ¡°Oh, I think you can, my little Alpha,¡± he says as he slides the condom on. This time, he sits up

    between my l*egs, taking off my heels. He drops them on the floor beside the bed before tugging me

    closer to him. He pulls my l*egs up against his b*ody before he lines himself up at my e*ntrance.

    He holds my gaze as he bottoms out in one quick thrust. My body, that I was sure was done, instantly

    responds. ¡°Jaxon!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s my girl. I knew you had more in you,¡± he says smugly.

    He leans forward, pinning my l*egs against my body as he begins thrusting inside me h*ard and fast.

    The difference from thest time to this time has my body responding quickly and I¡¯m up and over the

    crest, screaming his name again before I¡¯ve even caught my breath.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine, Evangeline,¡± he growls, his voice lispy. I look to see his canines fully extended, his eyes

    nearly ck.

    ¡°Mine forever.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Jaxon,¡± I say, lifting my head, giving him ess to my neck.

    Just as another o*rgasm rips through me, his teeth sink into my marking spot. Pure, unadulterated

    rapture floods my body as his venom flows into my blood stream.

    From far away, I hear a scream, but my entire body feels too full, barely able to take the pleasure that

    Jaxon is giving me. I feel the darkness pulling me under as I feel his canines slide out of my neck.

    ¡°I love you, Evangeline. Get some sleep, I¡¯ll watch over you,¡± I hear Jaxon say as my mind finally shuts

    down and everything goes dark.

    When I wake, the first thing I notice is my favorite sandalwood scent. The next thing I notice is how

    warm my chest is and then I realize that I¡¯m absolutely famished.

    I lift my head and look up to see my mate smiling down at me. I¡¯m lying on his chest, which is why my

    chest is so warm.

    ¡°There she is. I really did wear you out, didn¡¯t I love?¡±

    I frown. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± I ask, as Jaxon brushes hair out of my face.

    ¡°Nearly two days.¡±

    I pop up. ¡°Two days!¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± he says, looking very satisfied with himself.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s really unfair that I passed out and you didn¡¯t,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I nearly did when you marked me, and I was dizzy after I marked you. I drank a lot of water and ate

    something, which reminds me¡­¡± He reaches over and grabs a bottle of water on the nightstand.

    I sit up quickly and down it in a few gulps.

    When I¡¯m done, my eyes are watering and I¡¯m panting, from guzzling it so quickly. I look at Jaxon and

    he¡¯s holding another bottle of water.

    ¡°Drink this one slower, Eve. I¡¯ll go get you some food. You¡¯ll want to eat and shower before you see

    your family. They are dying to congratte you. Well, most of them are. I think your father is struggling

    with how he tried to keep us apart now. I really don¡¯t think he believed that we felt the mate bond.

    It¡¯s making things a bit easier for Magdalena.¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°She can¡¯t wait to see your mate mark. They¡¯ve all seen mine now, of course. And

    once your strength is back up, we need to get back to training. We¡¯re less than a week away from the

    next contest.¡±

    ¡°Oh my goddess, the contest.¡± How did Ipletely forget about that?

    Jaxon chuckles. ¡°Drink your water, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    When hees back, we eat together. The pull to him is so much stronger now than it ever was

    before. I wanted, needed to be near him before, but now, being away from his is like leaving a part of

    myself behind. It¡¯s unbearable.

    He leans into me, k*issing his mark on my neck. ¡°It¡¯s weird, isn¡¯t it? The pull of the mate bond,¡± he asks.

    ¡°It¡¯s so strong,¡± I say, in awe of the feelings inside me.

    He smiles thoughtfully. ¡°I tried to train while you were sleeping, but I couldn¡¯t bear to be away from you,

    even for such a short time, so I ended up just staying here in your room andying with you.¡±

    ¡°Our room,¡± I tell him. ¡°It¡¯s our room now.¡±

    ¡°And you, my sweet little mate, are mine now,¡± he says, k*issing me deeply and making me feel a very

    different kind of hunger.

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 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 54 (Jace)

    I finish packing to go to the next contest. I¡¯ll be away from the pack for the four days. I¡¯ve been training

    hard and other than the times when Jordan was with Nn, I feel like I¡¯m getting stronger. I¡¯m feeling

    pretty confident that I will be able to defeat my opponent this weekend and move to the next level in the

    competition.

    I grit my teeth thinking of the times when the pain has ripped through me. I know that Jordan hasn¡¯t

    gone all the way with Nn as I know that would have seriously weakened me, but that hasn¡¯t stopped

    her from at least k*issing him.

    When I¡¯m done, I head down to Jordan¡¯ s office, knocking on the door. I wait until she calls for me to

    come in before opening the door.

    Title of the document

    ¡°Hey, Alpha. I wanted to see if there is anything you need from me before I head out to the

    competition.¡±

    She looks up at me and sps her hands in front of her on the desk.

    ¡°Come in and have a seat, Jace,¡± she says.

    I know there is nothing special about the request, but I can¡¯t help the little flip in my heart at her

    request. I close the door ande to sit in front of her, dropping my bag beside me on the floor.

    She looks at me a moment and I wait her out. ¡°Jace, you need you to ept my rejection.¡±

    I grit my teeth. Definitely nothing special about this conversation. ¡°Listen to me, you entered this

    contest to win your own pack. I know that you can feel the times when I¡¯m with Nn. You¡¯re allowing

    yourself to get weak when you need to be getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my choice and I refuse to ept your rejection.¡±

    ¡°Jace, you need to stop this. I won¡¯t be held hostage by you or anyone. I¡¯ve held back with Nn

    because I know it impacts you, but I won¡¯t continue to do that. You¡¯re not being fair to me. You had your

    chance, Jace. You chose someone else. Now, I choose someone else. I¡¯m asking you to do this, for me

    and for you.¡±

    ¡°And I say no.¡±

    I watch as she scrubs her face with her hands before standing up quickly, her chair flying out from

    behind her. She turns, walking away beforeing back and mming her hands down on the desk,

    leaning towards me.

    ¡°Why? Why now have you decided to be so stubborn, Jace?¡±

    ¡°I just need a little more time, Jordan,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°For what, Jace? Time to be an Alpha and move on? Newssh! You don¡¯t have to be an Alpha to

    move on! ept my rejection so you¡¯ll at least have a chance of bing an Alpha. I don¡¯t want to

    feel like I yed a role in weakening you during thispetition, but I¡¯m not going to let your choices

    impact mine.¡±

    ¡°Do what you need to do, Alpha,¡± I say standing. ¡°Are we done here? I wanted to know if there was

    anything that you needed from me before I left.¡±

    She¡¯s around the desk and in my face in an instant. ¡°Yes, there is something I need from you, Jace!

    ept the rejection!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I snarl, leaning over her. In true Alpha fashion, she doesn¡¯t back down, not even a little.

    ¡°Do it!¡± she snarls.

    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s her passion, her scent or the desperation that I see in her eyes, but something in me

    snaps and I grab her by the hair with one hand, wrapping the other arm around her waist, pulling her

    against me as my m*outh takes hers, devouring her like I¡¯ve wanted to since the day she turned 18.

    She grunts, opening her m*outh, most likely to yell at me, but I plunge my tongue into her sweet

    peppermint taste. I feel her hands fist against my chest as her tongue begins fighting mine for

    dominance. At first, there¡¯s a battle for control, Jordan trying to gain the upper hand and end our k*iss.

    But I refuse to back down and slowly, she begins to melt against me.

    The hand in her hair that was holding her to me rxes into a softer hold as her fists unfold and her

    arms slide around my neck. I continue to k*iss her, to dominate her m*outh and her senses as she

    k*isses me back.

    I¡¯vepletely lost myself in the moment when she jerks out of my arms. She steps back, her hands

    over her m*outh, her eyes wide.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± she asks.

    ¡°It¡¯s what I should have done a year ago, the moment you turned 18. But it wasn¡¯t my time then and it

    still isn¡¯t now. But my time ising Jordan, and I refuse to ept your rejection. My answer remains

    no,¡± I say, leaning down to pick up my bag.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I turn, heading for the door, but I stop as I put my hand on the knob, turning back to her. She¡¯s still

    staring after me. ¡°I hope to see you at the contest this weekend. If not for me, I know the pack would

    love to have you there rooting for them,¡± I say, turning and walking out before she can respond.

    Jaxon POV

    Evangeline and I arrive at the former iming territory the night before the next contest. Being newly

    mated, it¡¯s so hard to be away from her, even for short periods of time. Her family began teasing us that

    we were attached at the h*ip.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one in the world that I¡¯d rather be attached to,¡± I said, smiling at my mate. I was rewarded

    with a fantastic k*iss.

    We check in, just likest time, only this time, we¡¯ve called ahead to let them know we¡¯re mates, and

    we need one room. Thankfully, there aren¡¯t as many people here for thispetition, so it¡¯s easier for

    them to ce us together.

    As we get checked in, I look around at ourpetition.

    ¡°Alphas,¡± the council member who is checking us in says getting my attention. ¡°There will be an

    announcement tonight before dinner. We ask that all contestants be in attendance at 5pm in front of the

    stage.¡±

    ¡°What kind of announcement?¡± Eve asks.

    The woman smiles at us and hands us the key to our room. ¡°Upstairs to the right,¡± she says, and I look

    at Eve. ¡°I guess that¡¯s her subtle way of telling us that if we want to know, we need to show up.¡±

    She just gives me a smile before looking past us. ¡°Next.¡±

    Eve and I get settled into our room, taking advantage of ourst few, nonstressful moments to be

    together before we have to go down for the announcement.

    We walk downstairs and we both say hello to our pack members and those from Alpha Jonas¡¯s pack

    that we¡¯ve be friendly with beforeing to stand beside Magdalena, Caleb and Lazio. Not far

    from us, I see Rowan standing with Alpha Enzo. Teagan and Alejandro are here to cheer us on, but

    Teagan has dropped out of thepetition. My parents were a bit concerned but after seeing that Eve

    and I were definitely mates, they¡¯ve rxed.

    Councilman Jason stands in front of us, tapping the microphone, getting our attention.

    When we quiet down, he looks out at us.

    ¡°Greetings everyone and wee to the second contest in thepetition for the ten avable pack

    lands. As you know, this weekend¡¯spetition is focused on strength. As the Alpha of your pack, you

    must be stronger than every other person in your pack. When we first made this announcement three

    months ago, thepetition was nned to have each team of two battle each other until one was

    eliminated, best two out of three.

    However, several of you and your Alphas have argued that this is not fair and could potentially put two

    Alphas together, forcing one to be eliminated, when they could possibly have defeated others in the

    competition. Therefore, while the battle will still be the best two out of three, your opponent will change

    from day one to day two. Each day, the opponents will be randomly selected.¡±

    He stops, looking out over the crowd. ¡°It has alsoe to our attention that many of you have identified

    your mates over the past three months. The council has decided that if you and your mate are

    randomly selected to battle, you must fight each other, or one of you will have to forfeit. There will be no

    exceptions.¡±

    Well, f*uc*k.

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    The Contest Chapter 55 (Evangeline)

    I know Jaxon is worried about our names getting drawn together, but he needs to get over it. This is

    about our pack and one of us has to win.

    Truthfully, now that we¡¯re mated, I don¡¯t care as much about which of us it will be, as long as one of us

    does. We both have the desire and the bloodline to run a pack.

    We wake on the first day of thepetition. Both of us know we have to win today. It¡¯s best if we win

    today and tomorrow and then we move into the next round of the contest, but if not, it¡¯s best to win

    today to at least go into tomorrow knowing we have two more chances to move forward.

    Title of the document

    We walk downstairs to get breakfast and you can tell that room feels edgy since everyone is battling

    today and only half of us can win. Breakfast is a quiet affair while all of us mentally prepare for our first

    battle.

    As they finish, people begin moving outside. The council has ced the leaderboard up again and

    everyone¡¯s name is on the board. I find my name and Jaxon¡¯s name on the board and then, like

    everyone else around us, we wait for thepetitors to sh on the board along with our sparring

    times.

    A few minutester, the names sh up on the board. Haley¡¯s name shes up next to mine. She¡¯s one

    of Alpha Davis and Luna McKenna¡¯s daughters. She¡¯ll be tough, but she¡¯s about a year younger than

    me, so I think I can win.

    Then I look to Jaxon¡¯s. He¡¯s got Joanna. She¡¯s Beta Jared and Juliet¡¯s oldest daughter and she¡¯s also

    younger than me, so Jaxon should be able to defeat her easily, as long as he doesn¡¯t have a problem

    with battling a she- wolf.

    I look at him. ¡°Are you okay battling a woman?¡±

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not you, I¡¯m good. You¡¯ re up first. Come on, I¡¯ll walk you over.¡± I nce up at the

    boards. ¡°Oh shit,¡± I say.

    ¡°What?¡± Jaxon says looking back up at the leader boards.

    ¡°Lazio is battling Taylor.¡±

    ¡°Uh, no offense, but I don¡¯t think your brother will defeat her. She¡¯s very strong and fast. A great fighter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check on him after my fight,¡± I say.

    There are 10 fights scheduled each hour, so the battles will take ce over five hours today and

    tomorrow.

    As we walk toward the sparring area, we see Joanna¡¯s sister Ainsley chasing after Alpha Reid, Davis

    and McKenna¡¯s son. ¡°Reid, what are you doing?¡±

    I look at Jaxon.

    He shrugs. ¡°See, it¡¯s not just me.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m thankful that you and I aren¡¯t scheduled to spar.¡± I say as we walk up to my sparring ring.

    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

    I watch Alpha Davis giving Haleyst minute pointers, and Jaxon turns me to face him. ¡°You¡¯ve got this,

    you know that. Use what you¡¯re learned, stay focused.¡±

    I smile at him. ¡°I love you,¡± I say, k*issing him quickly before entering the ring.

    Haley tries, I¡¯ll give her that. She fights hard, but in the end, my experience and age ovee hers,

    and I win the battle.

    After she tapped out, I helped her up and hugged her, knowing it¡¯s hard to lose. Then, I ran to Jaxon,

    leaping into his arms.

    ¡°Congrattions my amazing mate!¡± he says, swinging me around. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, looking around.

    ¡°How did Lazio do?¡± I ask has he sets me back down.

    Jaxon shakes his head. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ll go check on him before my match.¡±

    We walk over to where my family is. Maggie is getting ready for her match, and she hugs Lazio quickly

    before rushing past me, Caleb with her. Like Jaxon, his match ister.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this Maggie!¡± I shout at her as they jog off.

    ¡°Congrats on your win, Evie!¡± she yells back.

    I turn back to Lazio. ¡°Hey,¡± I say.

    He looks up at me then at Jaxon. ¡°Your cousin is a beast! I had no idea!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she is.¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope I can win tomorrow. I¡¯m thankful now that they changed the n. If I had Taylor again

    tomorrow, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d win. At least now I have a chance to win.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s why they changed the rules, so someone like you isn¡¯t eliminated because they were

    defeated by one person,¡± Jaxon tells him.

    We go watch Maggie, who defeats her opponent, a warrior, easily and then we go watch Rowan. She

    had to battle her cousin Brooke and it was a tough fight, but in the end, Rowan won her match.

    Then, it¡¯s time for Jaxon¡¯s match. When we get to the ring where he is scheduled to spar, Joanna is

    already there. I assess her, not having ever seen her spar before, but she¡¯s lean and muscr.

    Jaxon is stretching beside me, and I turn to him. ¡°Okay, Super Hotty,¡± I say making him smile, ¡°she

    looks tough, but I think you can take her. I say use abination of Ezekiel and Mateo.¡±

    ¡°Aikido and Savate?¡± he asks, standing to look at me.

    ¡°Yeah, she looks like she gets into her head space and then can¡¯t shift gears quickly.¡±

    He looks at me, frowning. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    I shrug. ¡°Women¡¯s intuition.¡±

    ¡°Give me a k*iss for good luck,¡± he says. I pull him to me and k*iss him deeply. ¡°I didn¡¯t say distract

    me,¡± he growls softly.

    ¡°I just gave you all of my good luck. Use it well, Super Hotty,¡± I tell him, smacking his a*ss as he walks

    into the ring.

    I watch as my mate focuses, the distraction that I gave him falling away and the Alpha maleing

    forward. Damn my mate is hot.

    He and Joanna face each other. I close off our mind link, not wanting him to feel my worry for him while

    he¡¯s sparring. When the referee calls the match to begin, he waits for Joanna to make her move. She¡¯s

    fast, really fast.

    She gets the first hit on him and then the fight begins. Jaxon has be more agile over thest few

    months, so even though Joanna is fast, Jaxon counters her, getting into the rhythm of her moves. I

    quickly see that I was right. Joanna has a favorite method of fighting, kickboxing.

    Jaxon begins to counter with his Savate moves, using her movements against her. Surprisingly, Joanna

    begins to counter the Savate moves, and the battle continues.

    As I watch, I see my mate getting the pattern of her moves, starting to find her weaknesses. Twenty

    minutester, I¡¯m cheering for my mate and his win. He¡¯s a gentleman and helps Joanna to her feet,

    before jogging over to me, spinning me around and this time it¡¯s him that takes my mouth in a fiery

    k*iss. When the battles are done for the day, we have the evening free. Dinner is a quiet again as

    everyone reviews their battles today and begins mentally preparing for tomorrow. Once dinner is over,

    people begin heading to their rooms. Tomorrow will be just as intense with some people being

    eliminatedpletely and some moving into day 3.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 56 (Jaxon)

    I wake, curled up with my mate on the morning of day two of the sparring battles. Hopefully, if all goes

    well, we¡¯ll both wake up tomorrow, having moved on in the contest. Both of us had a fairly easy time

    with our opponents yesterday. Joanna was a toughpetitor, but I¡¯m ready to win, today and in the

    last three events of this contest.

    When we get to breakfast, it¡¯s the same as yesterday. Everyone is quietly eating, contemting today¡¯s

    events and what they need to win. When we¡¯re done, we head out to the leader boards to see who we

    are paired with today.

    The first thing I notice is that they now have a ¡°1¡± next to everyone that won their match yesterday and

    a ¡°0¡± next to anyone that didn¡¯t. So, now, it¡¯s obvious to everyone who needs to win today to move on,

    and those that, if they lose today, will be done with the contest overall. A make a note that Jace lost to

    Tobias yesterday. He has to win the next two days or he¡¯s out of thepetition.

    Title of the document

    I start hearing people calling ¡°Alpha¡± and I turn to see Jordan striding up to me.

    I turn, pulling her into a hug. ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I took a couple days toe root on our pack.¡± She walks around me to hug Eve before looking up at

    the scoreboard. I see her frown. I turn and look back, quickly going over the list of our pack members

    that lost and I can¡¯t imagine she¡¯d be surprised by anyone except Jace.

    I turn back to her. ¡°Everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just surprised to see several of our pack members with zeros next to their name.¡±

    ¡°Our pack did have the most contenders of any other pack,¡± I say.

    ¡°By one,¡± she says, giving me a look like I¡¯m exaggerating things. ¡°Griffin¡¯s pack has eleven in the

    competition.¡±

    She makes a face, still looking at the leaderboard. ¡°I see Taylor beat Lazio, Evangeline.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he said she¡¯s pretty tough.¡±

    ¡°She is. She¡¯d make a good Alpha,¡± Jordan says, and her tone has gone sad.

    I¡¯m about to question her when the leaderboard changes and ourpetitor¡¯s names for today are

    shed on the board. As soon as I see mine, I turn, heading for the tables. ¡°Well, I guess¡­. Jaxon?

    Jaxon! No, Jaxon!¡± Eve says, having seen my name next to hers and hers next to mine.

    I¡¯ve just walked up to the tables, when I see Tobias from the corner of my eye doing the same thing.

    ¡°I forfeit,¡± we both say together.

    I turn, looking at him. ¡°You got put up against your mate too?¡±

    ¡°I told via I refuse to fight her,¡± he says and I nod. We¡¯re both asked if we¡¯re sure as our matese

    rushing up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I say, just as Eve catches up to me.

    ¡°Jaxon, don¡¯t. If you insist on doing this, let me forfeit. You¡¯re only doing this for me,¡± she says, as her

    number turns to ¡°2¡±.

    I take her face in my hands. ¡°It¡¯s done. And it was my choice. You¡¯re moving on, so let¡¯s decide who we

    want to watch today. I know I want to see Jace. He lost to Tobias yesterday and there is a real

    possibility that I will have to fight Tobias tomorrow since he also just forfeited to his mate,¡± I tell her.

    She looks past me, seeing Tobias and via in the same situation that we¡¯re in.

    ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t done that,¡± she says, leaning into me.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to fight you, not ever Eve. We¡¯re partners. We¡¯ve talked about this. We¡¯re both

    Alphas, we¡¯ll run our pack as co-Alphas. I don¡¯t care what our names are. You can be the TF and I¡¯ll be

    the TM,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°TF?¡±

    ¡°Top Female,¡± I say smiling at her and k*issing her nose. I¡¯ll have to postpone our congrattory love

    making until tomorrow now. I¡¯m still nning to win thispetition, but to do so, I¡¯ll need to keep my

    head in the game.

    ¡°So, TM is Top Male?¡± she asks me.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. I like being on top,¡± I say, trying to get her out of the frustration that I feeling

    through the bond. I knew she¡¯d be upset but I won¡¯t fight her.

    ¡°Well, I tell you what, Alpha. If you win tomorrow, I¡¯ll let you be on top. How about that?¡±

    I growl softly. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of incentive I¡¯m looking for,¡± I say, k*issing her.

    When I pull away, I look at her. ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°No, but I will be. I understand why you did it, and I love you for it. I¡¯ll feel better when you¡¯re through to

    the next round after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay, for today, let¡¯s go see who is battling whom.¡±

    I take her hand and walk back to where Jordan is talking to some of our pack mates.

    ¡°Well, I guess my reason for being here just got more exciting. I didn¡¯t know you were going to forfeit,

    Jax.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t fight my mate, Jordan.¡±

    ¡°Good for you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him, Alpha,¡± Eve says to Jordan.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be the man you love, if he wasn¡¯t like that Evangeline. Okay, so how does this work?¡±

    Jordan asks.

    ¡°There are five rounds with tenpetitions in each round,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to go check out the ones who lost yesterday to see if they win and be there for them if

    they don¡¯t,¡± she says. It doesn¡¯t escape me that Jace lost yesterday and he¡¯s up first.

    ¡°How about you, Eve? Who do you want to go watch. When are Lazio and Magdalena fighting?¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Lazio is in the second round and he¡¯s fighting Ainsley. Maggie is first thing this afternoon, and she¡¯s

    fighting Collin.¡±

    I make a face. ¡°Collin is tough. He was supposed to be Alpha Jonas¡¯s heir until he and Melinda had

    their son, so he¡¯s trained to be an Alpha his entire life, expecting to take over for his Uncle. We should

    definitely watch that match. And I know you want to watch Lazio since he didn¡¯t win yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I do, but Jace is up now, and it works out that Rowen¡¯s match is in between Lazio¡¯s and Maggie¡¯s, so

    we can watch all four of their matches today.¡±

    ¡°Who is Jace battling?¡± I ask, looking at the leaderboard.

    ¡°Valentina, Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel¡¯s daughter,¡± Eve says.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she wearing a mate mark these days too?¡± I ask Eve.

    ¡°Yes, she and Cillian are mates,¡± Eve tells me.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of that going around,¡± I say.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s a good thing. Most of the Alphas will get a chance to have a pack in some capacity. I

    don¡¯t know if all of them will do what we¡¯re nning to do and be co-Alphas, but it makes sense to have

    two Alphas leading the pack.¡±

    ¡°It does, and it also makes it more likely that at least one of the pairs will win the contest and gain a

    pack,¡± I say as we move to Jace¡¯s ring.

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 57 (Jaxon)

    When we walk up, Alpha Antonio is giving Valentina somest-minute pointers. I¡¯m surprised when I

    don¡¯t see Jordan here giving Jace pointers.

    I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I tell Eve and walk over to Jace.

    ¡°Hey man, you got this?¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°I feel pretty good about it,¡± he says turning to me. ¡°I heard that both you and Tobias forfeited because

    you got paired with your mates. Be careful tomorrow if you get him. He¡¯s tough, really tough.¡±

    ¡°I have all day to worry about that. Get your head into this match. What¡¯s your strategy?¡± I ask, just as

    Jordanes running up.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here. Sorry I¡¯mte. I was helping some of the others in our pack,¡± she says, looking over and

    assessing Valentina the way I¡¯ve seen our parents do before a sparring match. They ingrained it in us

    to size up our opponent and start the match before you ever walk into the ring.

    I watch as Jace noticeably rxes and begins to finally focus. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then,¡± I say, turning

    and walking back to Eve.

    I watch as Jace turns, taking in everything that Jordan is telling him. I haven¡¯t talked to either one of

    them about their situation in months.

    Honestly, it¡¯s none of my business, but I can see that there is still something there between them, at

    least on Jace¡¯s side. I also know that Jordan has been seeing Nn and that their rtionship has

    been getting more serious.

    Jordan gets Jace to focus and when he enters the ring, he¡¯s in a different headspace than he was only

    moments ago. He¡¯s focused and ready to fight, ready to win.

    I watch as Jordan guides him from the sidelines, just as Alpha Antonio is doing with Valentina but in

    less than 30 minutes, Jace has the pin and wins the match.

    Jordan races to him, throwing herself in his arms and hugging him. His arms go around her, and I

    notice the moment she realizes what she¡¯s done. Her body goes stiff, and she steps back.

    I walk up to congratte Jace and hear Jordan say she needs to go check on the others in our pack.

    ¡°Thank you for being here, Jordan,¡± he says to her as she turns to leave. ¡°Of course, Jace. I know this

    is important to you.¡± I¡¯m not sure she sees his flinch, but I do.

    ¡°Nice job, man! One down, and one to go,¡± I say to him.

    ¡°Back at you,¡± he says, giving me a p shake.

    After saying our goodbyes, Eve and I head over to where Lazio is getting ready for his battle. I see

    Reid is already talking to Ainsley, getting her mentally prepared for the fight. We hang back as Alpha

    Luke talks to Lazio, giving him pointers on his fight.

    When it¡¯s time to fight, the two walk into the ring. Ainsley is a bit older than Lazlo, but she¡¯s small and

    Lazlo definitely has size on his side. However, once the battle starts, we can see that Ainsley is quick

    and very agile. She¡¯s a good fighter and Lazlo has to use all his skill to defeat her. In the end, he wins,

    moving into tomorrow¡¯s round.

    Next, we move to Rowan¡¯s battle with Cillian. Cillian lost his battle yesterday, so he has to win today to

    stay in thepetition. Cillian is a toughpetitor, but my sister is too. I notice that Enzo is here,

    cheering her on and my dad is giving her pointers from the sidelines. Their match goes on for nearly

    the full hour, but Cillian finally takes Rowan down, pinning her. Both of them will have to battle again

    tomorrow.

    After lunch, we head to where Magdalena is getting pointers from her mother before her battle. I look

    across the ring as Eve goes to hug Magdalena. Collin looks like an Alpha, ready for battle. He¡¯s calm,

    composed and he¡¯s assessing his opponent. It¡¯s what Magdalena should be doing, but I can tell she¡¯s

    nervous and the nerves are getting to her.

    When Evees back, she tells me that Collin won his battle yesterday in ten minutes.

    ¡°Who did he battle?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°A warrior.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit different than battling another Alpha,¡± I say.

    ¡°I know, but Maggie¡¯s let it get in her head. Right now, she¡¯s her own worst enemy.¡±

    I put my hands around my mouth. ¡°Magdalena!¡± I call.

    She turns and looks at me. ¡°You won your match yesterday too. Remember that!¡±

    She smiles at me, before turning and entering the ring.

    I¡¯m not sure if what I said helped or not, but in the end, Magdalena lost to Collin, and he ended up

    being one of 20 contenders that progressed to the next contest.

    Another 10 contenders were eliminatedpletely from the contest on day two, including both of the

    omegas that progressed this far. That leaves 70 of us to battle it out on the third day. In some ways, I¡¯m

    thankful for that. Many of the Alphas lost to each other in the first two days, so there are plenty left to

    fight. However, with so many of us battling on day 3,1 feel like I have a good chance of winning, and

    there are as many warriors, moving into day 3 as there are ranked members.

    I hold on to that thought as we go to dinner that night. The mood is still quiet, except for the 20 that are

    moving on. But thankfully, they take their party away from the rest of us.

    Later that night, my mate curls up on my chest and begins purring to help soothe my mind enough so

    that I can sleep.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Myst thought before I fall asleep is that I have to win tomorrow. I can¡¯t leave the fate of our pack

    solely in my mate¡¯s hands. She¡¯s strong enough and capable enough to do it, I know, but that¡¯s a lot of

    pressure and there are a lot of Alphas that are finding their mates during this contest, teaming up and

    working together to win.

    I want Eve and I to continue to be the power couple that we are, fighting together, so that we will also

    be winners of our own pack, and in order to do that, I have to win tomorrow.

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 58 (Evangeline)

    I barely sleptst night. First, I knew Jaxon needed his rest, so I woke up periodically and if I thought he

    was awake, I¡¯d begin a slow, deep purr to help him rx and fall back to sleep.

    While I was awake, I thought about all of the people I love who are in battles today and what if the

    worst happens, what if they end up battling each other. This is thest chance. You lose today, you¡¯re

    out of the contestpletely.

    When I looked at the score boardsst night, I realized that over half of the Alphas in thispetition

    are going into day 3. Some, like Jaxon, Tobias and Reid are because they forfeited to their mates.

    Others like Lazio, Maggie and Rowen just lost to a stronger Alpha, or maybe they had a bad day, or

    maybe they weren¡¯t meant to be Alphas of their own pack. Either way, I want to make sure that I do

    everything I can today to support my mate and my family.

    Title of the document

    In some ways, I guess it¡¯s good that Jaxon and I got ted against each other yesterday. If something

    had gone wrong and we¡¯d have both ended up in thepetition today and then been ced in

    competition together, Jaxon would be out of the contest. I would never want to win by default and truth

    be told, I¡¯m enjoying this contest more because I¡¯m doing it with my mate.

    As the time gets closer to get up, I watch the clock and then gently wake my mate. He is my everything

    and he potentially gave up his chance to be an Alpha for me. Thinking of that, my lips linger on his as I

    k*iss him awake. My mate, on the other hand, wakes with a very different idea in mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to conserve your energy?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°You are my energy, Eve. Everything about you makes mee alive,¡± he says as he slides inside me.

    I push him over onto his back, making sure to keep him seated deep inside me. ¡°At least let me do the

    work,¡± I tell him as settle on top of him, feeling his long, t*hick l*ength d*eep inside me.

    ¡°Goddess, you feel so good,¡± I say, letting my head fall back. I begin to slowly ride him, loving the feel

    of his hands on my b*reasts as I slide up and d*own his l*ength.

    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Evangeline,¡± he says, plucking my n*ipples, making me gasp and ride him faster.

    The man knows every nuance that sends my body tumbling toward e*cstasy, every trick to make me

    come.

    He leans up, sucking a n*ipple into his mouth, one hand on my other b*reast, still teasing my n*ipple as

    the other slides to my clit, giving me exactly what I need to find my release.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Jaxon!¡± I say, grabbing his head and holding him to me as I continue r*ide him h*ard.

    He pops off my n*ipple, falling back onto the bed and grabbing my h*ips, helping me to keep up the

    punishing pace. I feel my body getting close, so ready to c*um, and then his thumb is on my c*lit again,

    and an intense wave of p*leasure shoots through me as my inner walls cmp down on him. I hear him

    growl as I feel his body begin to contract. He ms his h*ips up into me and I push myself d*own onto

    him, moving back and f*orth, g*rinding against him as we both find out release.

    I¡¯m lost in the pleasure, lost in the sensation of my o*rgasm, his o*rgasm, and ourbined euphoria,

    so I don¡¯t immediately realize my dilemma.

    ¡°Evangeline!¡± Jaxon¡¯s warninges a moment toote. He¡¯s seated so deeply inside me that when

    he begins to k*not, it¡¯s toote.

    I try to move off of him, but he grabs my hips, holding me still.

    ¡°No! You¡¯ll hurt yourself,¡± he says, holding me as his knot grows, f*illing me in a way that he never has

    before.

    I look down at him, and his concern for me is written all over his face.

    My first concern had been p*regnancy, but very quickly, that changes to the ufortable size that my

    mate was growing to.

    I soft whimper leaves me as I look at him. ¡°Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°Lay down on my chest. My father told me it can take up to 30 minutes for a knot to go down.¡±

    I do as he says, my throat constricting as Jaxon¡¯s knot continues to grow. He begins running his hands

    up and down my back.

    ¡°Rx baby, the first time is the worst, or so my father told me. Now, he says my mother alternates

    between b*egging and demanding his k*not. I hope that means that it gets easier for you to take.¡±

    As the pain begins to recede to a more manageable level, my thoughts return to what this means.

    ¡°Jaxon¡­.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know, love. Neither of us expected this to happen, it wasn¡¯t nned, and I know you still want

    topete. The next event is going to be agility. If it¡¯s in the next few months, you should be okay. It

    will depend on the timeframe for that event. If you can get through that event being pregnant, the other

    two will be easy. One is sensory, you won¡¯t have to shift to tap into your wolf¡¯s senses and then there¡¯s

    the logical reasoning. You could do that even if you¡¯re about to deliver.¡±

    I huff augh and k*iss my mate¡¯s chest. ¡°What¡¯s thatugh for?¡± he asks me, stroking my hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about me continuing in thepetition, but you haven¡¯t said a single thing about the

    fact that in five short months we¡¯re going to be parents,¡± I say.

    ¡°I told you I wanted pups. If we¡¯re going to have our own pack, I want an heir. But more than that, I want

    a family with you. We¡¯re going to be starting a new life together. I had nned on that also including a

    family. Maybe not quite this soon, but I¡¯m still happy, Eve. Well, truthfully, I¡¯m thrilled. I love the idea of

    seeing your belly getrge with my pup.¡±

    I lift my head, looking up at my mate. ¡°You¡¯re not even a little bit angry that we identally got

    p*regnant, are you?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You¡¯re my mate, I love you and now I¡¯ll get to have a little boy or girl that looks a whole lot like

    their mother, I hope.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, well, I hope he or she looks like their father,¡± I say, teasing him. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll have to have

    more than one. One that looks like me and one that looks like you,¡± he says, smiling at me and leaning

    up to k*iss my nose. ¡°How¡¯s your stomach?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Better. Your body heat is soothing the stretch,¡± I say.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re done in thepetition. I¡¯d be worried about you if you had to spar today.¡±

    Iy my head on Jaxon¡¯s chest, breathing in his sandalwood scent. Oh yes, I could get very used to

    having my mate knot me if this is whates with it.

    When his knot finally recedes, he carries me to the bathroom, and we s*hower together. He doesn¡¯t

    have time to take care of me, but he takes it anyway, washing me and checking to make sure that I¡¯m

    not still bleeding.

    ¡°I know I can¡¯t speak about other men, but that was one hell of a knot, Alpha Jaxon,¡± I say as we

    quickly get dressed.

    ¡°I believe the size of a man¡¯s knot is rtive to the love he feels for his mate, Alpha Evangeline,¡± he

    retorts, pulling me to him and k*issing me fiercely.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go grab some food quickly and then go see who I¡¯m battling today,¡± he says, releasing me.

    ¡°Jaxon,¡± I say, pulling him back to me. ¡°I love you, more than I can say with words.¡±

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 59 (Jaxon)

    As Evangeline and I walk out to the training fields, I stuff food into my mouth. I already knew I needed

    to win today so I could support Eve in winning our pack, but now, there¡¯s no choice. No matter who I

    battle today, even if it¡¯ s Tobias who I consider my biggestpetitor, I must win. I can¡¯t expect my

    pregnant mate to win a pack for us. As focused as I am on this battle today, I still notice that my mate is

    limping slightly. She¡¯s trying to cover it up, but she must be in quite a bit of pain. ¡°Stop worrying about

    me Jaxon. I can feel it through our bond. Get your head into this match.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re limping Evangeline. I want to carry you back inside and tuck you into bed,¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a fight waiting to happen,¡± she says, smirking at me.

    Title of the document

    I shake my head at her before looking up at the leaderboards and breathing a sigh of relief. I¡¯m not

    fighting Tobias. I¡¯ m not even fighting another Alpha, I¡¯m fighting a warrior. I¡¯m not stupid enough to

    think that automatically means I¡¯ll win, but I have a much better chance of winning now.

    My match is in the second round.

    Magdalena has a match in the first round.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go watch your sister,¡± I tell Eve.

    Eve turns to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Why don¡¯t you go stretch and

    get ready for your match. I can go root Maggie on.¡±

    I pull her to me, careful because I know she¡¯s sore. ¡°The two most important people in the world to me

    are right here. Why would I walk away from that?¡± I ask her, k*issing her softly. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re a

    charmer. If we have a son and he¡¯s like you, the girls are doomed,¡± she says, making me smile.

    We walk to Magdalena¡¯s sparring circle. Today¡¯s matches will still span over five hours, but instead

    often matches at each hour, there will only be seven.

    When we arrive, I stand behind Eve, wrapping my arms around her and putting my hands on her

    stomach, hoping my heat will help to alleviate her soreness. She leans back against me while we wait

    for the match to begin.

    As we watch, Haley walks up to the ring.

    ¡°Oh, I need to go talk to Maggie. I know how to defeat Haley,¡± Eve says, and she does her best to walk

    normally as she moves to speak to her sister and father.

    I watch Haley look over and realize that she¡¯s fighting Eve¡¯s sister and she gets a look of defeat on her

    face before she ever steps into the ring. She might have been able to win this match, but not when

    she¡¯s mentally already given up.

    I take the time while Eve is talking to Magdalena to begin stretching and getting my head into my own

    match. The warrior is from Alpha Antonio¡¯s pack. I don¡¯t know him well, but as a warrior, he¡¯ll be a good

    fighter.

    It¡¯s not until I smell her honeysuckle scent that I realize that Eve is back. I stand up and pull her to me

    again, putting my hands over her stomach. I catch her father trying to casually look back at us. He must

    have noticed her limping. He¡¯s an Alpha. He would know the signs of a she-wolf that was recently

    knotted for the first time by her mate.

    When the match begins, I know I was right about Haley. She lost the fight before she ever entered the

    ring. In just under 30 minutes, Magdalena wins the fight, moving into the next round.

    Magdalena runs and jumps into Caleb¡¯s arms. He is also battling today, having lost yesterday. Eve

    hugs her sister and then we make our way to where my match will be.

    I begin getting into my head space, closing my eyes. I need to win, I will win, I am a winner.

    When I open my eyes, I find my opponent and I begin assessing him. He looks like he favors his right

    side just a bit more than this left. As I watch him shadowboxing, I see he always starts with his right

    arm. He¡¯s right side dominant. I can work with this.

    When it¡¯s our turn, I walk into the ring, confident. I nod to him, and then get set. When the referee calls

    the start of the match, the warrior immediatelyes at me. I¡¯m ready for him and I take a few minutes

    to see where he may have some other weaknesses before I swipe his right leg out from under him. I

    swing my fist around to punch him in his chest while he¡¯s lying on the ground, but he¡¯s already moved.

    Okay, he¡¯s fast. I can work with that too.

    I begin to wear him down quickly, focusing my attention on his right side. Once he begins to tire, I know

    I have him and I¡¯ve won my match in less than 30 minutes.

    I help him to his feet, letting him know he did a good job before turning to find Eve. She races into my

    arms.

    ¡°You did it! We¡¯re both moving on!¡±

    I bury my face in her hair. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I ask in her ear.

    She pulls back and looks at me. ¡°Really? You just won your match, we¡¯re both moving on, and THAT¡¯S

    the first thing you ask me?¡±

    ¡°You, my dear mate, are the most important thing in my life. So yes, your health, safety and well-being

    will always be at the forefront of my mind.¡± I watch as her eyes darken.

    ¡°Take me to our room and I¡¯ll show you how good I¡¯m feeling,¡± she says.

    I¡¯m just about to turn and do that, when Alpha Luke interrupts.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, a moment?¡±

    I look at Eve, putting her feet back on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll be up to see you soon,¡± I say to her.

    She ignores me and instead, she takes my hand and turns to look at her father. ¡°Is there something you

    wanted to discuss, father?¡± she asks him.

    He looks at Eve, his eyes softening.

    ¡°I just want to make sure you both know what you¡¯re doing,¡± he says.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean,¡± Eve says.

    My eyes never leave Alpha Luke¡¯s. ¡°He knows, Eve,¡± I say to my mate before addressing her father.

    ¡°And, it may not have been nned right now, but it was nned. We¡¯ll make it work.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, Dad?¡± Eve asks him.

    He turns to look at her. ¡°Thispetition was very important to you, Evangeline. Now, all of a sudden,

    you¡¯ re__ did you change your mind?¡± he asks her.

    ¡°No,¡± she says.

    He turns back to me. ¡°So, you did this intentionally?¡±

    My mate moves to stand in front of me. If it were anyone other than her father, I¡¯d pull her back, but his

    meddling has been the bane of our rtionship from the beginning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that it was ME that was on top, Dad.¡±

    He grimaces. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about that, Evie.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, you do, Dad. You keep inserting yourself into our lives and now you¡¯re specifically asking

    about me taking my mate¡¯s knot. So, if you¡¯re going to ask personal questions, then you¡¯d better be

    prepared to hear the personal answers,¡± she snaps at him.

    He grits his teeth. ¡°I just wanted to be sure Jaxon hadn¡¯t put you in a position where you can¡¯tpete.

    I know this is important to you.¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, Dad, you don¡¯t. If you knew what was truly important to me, then you would know that my mate is

    more important to me than this contest. And, you would know that I¡¯m more important to him than this

    contest. And for your information, not that it¡¯s any of your business, but while I was stuck on his knot,

    the very first thing HE did was talk about how I COULD stay in thispetition, not try to get me out of

    it.¡± Alpha Luke looks at me, surprised, although I don¡¯t know why. It¡¯s not like my bond to his daughter

    is any different than his to his mate. But for some reason, he seems to think that I¡¯ m faking this bond

    between us.

    ¡°I thought we had moved past this, Dad. Yet, here we are again,¡± she snarls.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Luna Katerina says, walking up. I realize that there is quite a group of onlookers

    watching the interaction.

    I reach out, taking Eve¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, baby, let¡¯s go watch Jace¡¯spetition.¡±

    She tugs back against me, still ring at her father. ¡°Why don¡¯t you exin to mother why I now refuse

    to spend half my time at your pack,¡± she says, before turning to walk with me.

    ¡°Luke, what¡¯s going on?¡± I hear Katerina ask as Eve begins to stomp away.

    As soon as we¡¯re away from them, I pull her aside, taking her to a quiet ce beside the main

    packhouse. ¡°Eve, shhhh. It¡¯s okay,¡± I say, pulling her against me.

    ¡°No, Jaxon, it¡¯s not. If he won¡¯t ept you, won¡¯te to terms with the fact that we are mated, then

    he won¡¯t be in our lives. He¡¯s no better than Brynn and how she treated Melinda, and I won¡¯t allow it. If

    he wants me to choose, I will. My choice will always be you, Jaxon. And if my father has no part in our

    children¡¯s lives, then so be it.¡±

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 60 (Jace)

    It¡¯s time for my match. I was hoping that Jordan would be here again, but I also know there are several

    of our pack members who are battling today and I¡¯ m not the only one in this timeslot. I begin

    stretching, trying to get my head centered on the match, not my mate.

    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Jordan?¡± Taylor asks, jogging up.

    ¡°Probably helping one of the others in our pack. I¡¯m not the only one battling at this time.¡±

    Title of the document

    ¡°I can coach you, if you want?¡± she says.

    ¡°Sure Tay, thanks.¡±

    She looks over to see my opponent. It must be a family trait, the way they assess their opponents

    before a fight. Jordan had the same assessing look on her face that Taylor does now. ¡°I think that guy is

    a Gamma, too. But he¡¯s not as strong as you are,¡± she says as I continue stretching. Jordan would

    know for sure who this guy is.

    I look over at him. ¡°How can you tell?¡± I ask her. He¡¯s smaller than I am, but he¡¯s muscr.

    ¡°You¡¯re ripped, Jace. That guy is muscr, but he¡¯s not ripped,¡± she says shaking her head at me as if

    it¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here,¡± I hear Jordan say and I turn, seeing her running over. As soon as I see her, everything

    in me settles.

    She¡¯s smiling at me until her eyes move past me to Taylor and her smile falters. ¡°Unnnnnless, you don¡¯t

    need me,¡± she says.

    ¡°No, I do. Taylor was just¡­¡±

    ¡°I was filling in until you arrived. Now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll let you take over,¡± she says and turns to walk

    away.

    ¡°Thanks, Taylor,¡± I say, and she waves her hand, not looking back.

    I turn back to Jordan. ¡°Thanks foring. I know there are others battling right now. I didn¡¯t expect you

    toe to mine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still my Gamma, Jace. What kind of an Alpha would I be if I didn¡¯t try to help you achieve your

    goal of getting your own pack,¡± she says. Gone is the smiling face she came running up with.

    ¡°Jordan¡­¡±

    ¡°Focus, Jace. Terence is a Gamma in Alpha Antonio¡¯s pack. He¡¯s good, but you¡¯re better. Unlike most

    of your other opponents, he¡¯s left-hand dominant, so make sure that you take that into consideration.

    I¡¯m also pretty sure he¡¯s great with his fists, terrible with his footwork,¡± she says. Yep, I knew she¡¯d

    know everything there was to know about this and most likely every other opponent on the field today.

    She probably stayed up all night reading up on the opponents of every member of her pack. That¡¯s just

    how Jordan is.

    ¡°Thanks, Jordan,¡± I say, as I walk into the ring.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, Jace!¡± she says.

    When the match begins, I realize that everything that Jordan said waspletely urate. Terence is

    almost solely dominant on his left-side, making his right side weak, counting on the aspect of surprise

    to take his opponent out.

    My first punch is to his left shoulder, injuring him and limiting his swing. After that, I have him pinned in

    20 minutes.

    I hop up, helping Terence to his feet and then I turn, hoping Jordan will rush into my arms like she did

    when I won the first time.

    Instead, she nods, acknowledging my win, then turns and walks away.

    Luke POV

    ¡°Do you want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± my mate asks me as I watch my daughter and Jaxon walk

    away.

    ¡°He knotted her, Katerina,¡± I snarl. When she doesn¡¯t answer, I turn to look at her.

    ¡°So?¡± she asks me.

    ¡°Do you not understand what that means?¡± I snap.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    The moment her eyes narrow, I know I crossed a line.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± she snaps in a tone I¡¯ve only ever heard her use with our children when she is so angry

    with them that she¡¯s ready to smack them.

    She turns on her heel, not checking to see that I¡¯m following her. I may have had apse in judgement

    in my tone

    just now, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to go toe to toe with my mate. I¡¯m the Alpha, but she¡¯s got the royal

    blood line and at times like this, I¡¯m reminded of just how close she was to having been a royal.

    When she deems that we have moved far enough away from the crowd that no one will hear her

    dressing me down, she turns.

    ¡°First of all,¡± she says, smacking her hand against my chest, ¡°don¡¯t ever think you can speak down to

    me, Luke. I¡¯m your mate. You will only treat me with respect.¡±

    I¡¯m pretty sure that if it were possible, there would be steaming out of Katerina¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Second, from what I saw, it appears that our daughter has no problem with the fact that her MATE,¡±

    she steps up into my face, ¡°and let me repeat that for those whose ears seem to be cloggedtely. Our

    daughter doesn¡¯t seem to have a problem with the fact that her MATE knotted her, not that it¡¯s any of

    YOUR business anyway. From what I saw, the problem that our daughter had is with her father, not her

    mate.¡±

    I open my mouth to say something. ¡°Say something. I dare you,¡± she snarls at me, and I snap my

    mouth closed. ¡°I stood by you when you chose to make Alejandro Alpha, not Evangeline. I didn¡¯t agree

    with you, but I stood by you. I stood by you when you had issues with Evangeline and Jaxon before she

    turned 18. Once again, I didn¡¯t agree with you, but I stood by you. Now, you want to try and put a rift

    between them because they are acting like a young, mated couple? Let¡¯s be clear, Luke. If you force

    her hand, there is only one way this will go. You lose. She will choose Jaxon, as she should!¡± She takes

    a deep breath and I keep my mouth shut, knowing she¡¯s not done yet.

    ¡°Now he¡¯s knotted her and if we know anything about when a man knots his mate, our daughter is

    pregnant.¡±

    She steps up into my face. I¡¯m taller than her, but at the moment, she feelsrger than life, her anger

    radiating off of her in waves of fury, her Alpha energy so strong, I almost feel smothered.

    ¡°Let me be very clear with you, mate,¡± she snarls the word, like it¡¯s a terrible thing that I¡¯m her mate. For

    the first time, I realize how much my mate has supported me over the years and how much I haven¡¯t

    done the same for her. ¡°If our daughter is forced to make a choice, and she blocks you from our

    grandchildren¡¯s lives, I won¡¯t stand beside you. I refuse to allow you to keep me from my grandbabies.

    So, you make the choices you need to make, Alpha,¡± she snarls again, making it sound like a filthy title,

    ¡°and I¡¯ll make the ones I need to make for me and for my family,¡± she snarls again before turning on her

    heel and starting to walk away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to Evangeline,¡± I say, not wanting the conversation to end like this.

    It¡¯s the wrong thing to say. She¡¯s back in my face in an instant, her hand pping against me, knocking

    me back a step.

    ¡°No, Luke, you will apologize to Jaxon. You will make this right, or so help me goddess, I will make your

    life a living hell.¡±

    This time, I don¡¯t say anything as she stomps away.

    I scrub my hands over my face, finding a ce to sit, thinking over what my mate said. She¡¯s right, she

    has supported me when she didn¡¯t agree with me, even when I didn¡¯t listen to her, or take her thoughts

    into consideration as I should. I¡¯m the Alpha, which means, I know best.

    But, apparently, I don¡¯t.

    I¡¯ve never truly felt my mate¡¯s wrath, and I hope that I never feel it again after today.

    I lean back, looking up at the sky and I open the door on the guilt I locked away long ago. I chose

    Alejandro to be Alpha. Why? Because he¡¯s my son. No other reason. He will make a good Alpha, he¡¯s

    strong, smart and caring. But if I¡¯m honest, Evangeline was meant to be an Alpha. It¡¯s the guilt that I

    didn¡¯t do right by my daughter that is why I¡¯m struggling with her rtionship with Jaxon. I don¡¯t want

    her losing her second chance at bing an Alpha. And if it weren¡¯t for me, she wouldn¡¯t need the

    second chance to begin with.

    My anger with Jaxon has nothing to do with Jaxon, it has everything to do with me. I regret my

    decision, but I can¡¯t take it back now and I want Evie to have the chance to be the person she was

    meant to be. The Alpha she was meant to be.

    Katerina is also right about me causing a rift between Evie and I. If I don¡¯t fix this, I won¡¯t be a part of

    my grandchildren¡¯s lives and that would break my heart. I¡¯m so close to retiring, to having the rxed

    life that Alphas dream about when the day to day of the job weighs heavily on your shoulders.

    Or maybe, it¡¯s just me. Maybe I was never meant to be an Alpha and the job has always been too

    much for me. I took over after my Alpha had to be put down because of feral fever. It was Jaxon¡¯s

    mother, Jara, that stood beside me on that stage, announcing to my grief-ridden pack that she thought I

    could lead them. It probably has more to do with her than with me that I¡¯m the Alpha today.

    I sit up. It¡¯s time for me to ept that my anger and frustration has nothing to do with Jaxon and

    everything to do with my own guilt for not choosing my daughter to be Alpha. I slowly walk back to

    the packhouse, thinking about what I want to say to both of them.

    I get to their room and knock. When no one answers, I knock again.

    ¡°Hey Alpha Luke, are you looking for Evangeline?¡± I turn, seeing Alpha Jordan.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m looking for your brother, do you know where I can find him?¡±

    ¡°He and Evangeline left about an hour ago. They decided they wanted to head back to our pack and

    asked me to find out the details about the next challenge for them. Do you want me to give Jaxon a

    message for you?¡± she asks.

    ¡°No, thank you, Alpha Jordan.¡±

    I turn and walk back to my room. Now, I need to find a way to get my daughter and her mate to agree

    to meet with me before my mate decides she doesn¡¯t want to be mated to me anymore.

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 61 (Evangeline)

    It¡¯s been a month since Jaxon and I left the secondpetition of the contest.

    I hadn¡¯t wanted to see my father again and I haven¡¯t answered his calls either.

    He continues to call me at least once a day.

    Title of the document

    Jordan hade home and given us the rundown of the next phase of thepetition, agility. The

    competition will be in one month¡¯s time, two months from the date of thestpetition. This time,

    there will be 20 individuals eliminated, bringing the pool of contestants to 30.

    Of the remaining 50 that are still currently in thepetition, there is an equal distribution between the

    packs, ranging from four to six individuals from each pack that are stillpeting. In Alpha Jordan¡¯s

    pack, she has six, including Jaxon, Rowan, Jace and Carter, her Beta¡¯s son. In addition, she also has

    two warriors who made it through thestpetition.

    From my pack, there are five remaining, including me, Magdalena and Lazio. I was happy to learn that

    Lazio won hispetition after I left. I had called to congratte him.

    Ever since she¡¯s returned, Alpha Jordan has been running agility drills with us. She has set up the

    arrowhead agility course as this is what we will be tested on in thepetition. She times us, pushes

    us and gives us pointers on how to be more agile, how to shave off a second here or a second

    there.

    Jaxon is keeping an eye on me, but overall, the agility part of thepetition is pretty easy. Yes, you

    have to sprint, but overall, thepetition only takes about 10-15 seconds. At first, it took longer. Most

    of us had difficulty at first, taking about 20-30 seconds, losing precious second on the cuts, but we¡¯ve

    all gotten faster with the daily sprint workouts that

    Jordan puts us through.

    We have to practice our agility on both our left and right sides, as thepetition will be run in pairs.

    Everyone will get three chances to run, and the best score is what is used to determine the top 30 that

    will move on in thepetition.

    Jordan is a great instructor and from everything I¡¯ve seen, a great Alpha. She¡¯ s tough, strong and

    compassionate. Even though both her Beta heir and Gamma arepeting for their own packs, she¡¯s

    out here everyday training them, trying to make them better, trying to help them achieve their goals,

    which ultimately means she could have a deficit or deficits in her pack. She¡¯s a true Alpha, and living

    here in this pack, watching how she runs the pack is inspiring.

    Today, as we finish up our training, Jaxon hands me a bottle of water and we wipe the sweat off our

    faces.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asks me excitedly. ¡°Perhaps not as ready as you are,¡± I say, taking his hand as we

    walk back to the packhouse. ¡°I do want to shower first.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure, right,¡± he says, as we climb the stairs to the Alpha floor. We¡¯ ve basically moved into

    Jaxon¡¯s room for now. I¡¯m not sure how much longer we¡¯ll need to be here. I guess that depends on if

    or when one of us wins the contest and gets our own pack. Of course, most of those packs are in a

    complete state of disrepair, so it could be months before we¡¯re able to move out.

    We shower together and for once, my mate is too excited to about something other than me to take

    advantage of our naked, wet bodies. So, our shower is much quicker than normal and then we¡¯ re

    dressed and heading to the pack hospital.

    Today is the day we get to see our little one for the first time.

    ¡°We probably need to have a conversation very soon about our first-born child,¡± I say to him.

    ¡°What about him? He¡¯ll be perfect,¡± Jaxon says.

    ¡°He or SHE will be perfect, of course. But you and I have very different experiences with bing an

    Alpha heir. If we¡¯re going to be running our own pack, I think we should decide now, before we know if

    this is a boy or girl, if they will be the heir to our pack, regardless of their gender.¡±

    He stops, turning me to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re right. We do have very different experiences. I hate that I¡¯m

    the only first-born male Alpha that has to fight for his position as Alpha. But I can ept it, because my

    sister was born before I was, even if only by a couple of minutes. You, however, were passed over

    based solely on your gender, and I know that has never sat well with you, understandably so.¡±

    The wind is blowing my hair around my face, and he tucks it behind my ear. ¡°My sister is an incredible

    Alpha. You, my love, will be an incredible Alpha, whether that is because you win your own pack, or

    you stand at my side as a co-Alpha. So, to me, it doesn¡¯t matter if we have a boy or a girl. They will be

    our heir and we will raise them to take over the pack for us. I don¡¯t know what that will mean for our son

    if our first born is a girl, unless you and I both win a pack and then we can give each of them a pack,¡±

    he says smiling.

    I lean into my mate, looking up into his grey eyes with are always sparkling with merriment, intelligence

    and love.

    So much love. ¡°You, my dear mate, are the most amazing man I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    His arms go around me. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to be your mate,¡± I tell him, wrapping my arms around his neck and lifting up on my toes to

    k*iss him. Maybe it¡¯s the day, maybe it¡¯s the missed shower opportunity, or maybe it¡¯s just because he

    loves it when I tell him how amazing I think he is, but before I know it, he¡¯s devouring my lips,

    dominating my mouth with his tongue, and overwhelming my senses. ¡°Get a room!¡± someone shouts

    from somewhere nearby, and Jaxon pulls away from me. I realize I¡¯ve practically wrapped myself

    around him while we were k*issing.

    ¡°We should definitely celebrate after this,¡± he says.

    ¡°Definitely!¡± I say, feeling a throbbing need for my mate between my thighs.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    He growls low, doing nothing for my current state of desire, and steps back, taking my hand and

    beginning our walk to the pack hospital.

    When we arrive, I¡¯m taken into a room and given a gown.

    When the doctores in, he looks at Jaxon.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, I will need to t*ouch your mate in order to do the ultrasound and see your child. Do you

    understand?¡±

    I look at Jaxon and frown. Of course, he understands, we knew this wasing.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Jaxon says to him.

    The doctor continues looking at him. ¡°I experienced your father¡¯s snaps and snarls every time your

    mother was in this hospital while she was pregnant, so I¡¯ll ask you again. Do you understand that I will

    be t*ouching your mate solely for the purpose of a medical examination and to see your pup?¡±

    ¡°Jaxon? He has to do his job,¡± I say, reaching out to take Jaxon¡¯s hand.

    Jaxon grits his teeth and nods, looking at me.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. This won¡¯t take long, and you¡¯ve been so excited about this,¡± I console him.

    However, as soon as the doctor moves the gown, exposing my stomach, Jaxon¡¯s growl reverberates

    around the room.

    The doctor stops, looking at him, making sure he¡¯s in control before putting a baby heart monitor

    around my stomach and then continuing to squirt a bunch of goo on my stomach. I pull Jaxon closer to

    me, stroking his arm and trying to send calming waves through our bond as we hear the sound that can

    only be our baby¡¯s heartbeat. The doctor makes some notes, then begins moving the wand over my

    stomach.

    ¡°Look here,¡± he says, watching the monitor beside us.

    He looks back at my stomach, puts the wand where he wants it, pressing it against my not-quite-t

    stomach, before turning back.

    ¡°Here you are,¡± he says, and I can see the shades of white, grey and ck forming into what looks like

    a little baby head.

    He stops, holding the wand still. With his free hand, he points to the screen. ¡°This is the head, the

    heart, and the feet,¡± he says before moving the wand some more.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want to know the gender?¡± he asks, looking at us. ¡°Yes,¡± Jaxon says as I nod.

    Jaxon¡¯s eyes are glued to the monitor.

    The doctor moves the wand around a bit more, pushing into my stomach. Then, on the screen, I can

    see my little one begin to move, the little fists and feet shifting around.

    ¡°Ah, there it is,¡± the doctor says, freezing the frame on the screen and pulling the wand away.

    ¡°There what is?¡± Jaxon asks, the same thing I was wondering.

    ¡°Alphas, congrattions! Your baby is healthy and in about four months, you will have a baby boy.¡±

    ¡°WOOOOO! YES!!!!¡± Jaxon yells, startling me as he pumps his fists into the air, and begins dancing

    around the room, like some sort of boxing champion.

    ¡°Seriously, Jaxon? I thought you said you were fine as long as our baby is healthy,¡± I say, scolding him

    as the doctor hands me a towel to wipe the goo off my stomach.

    ¡°I would be, but I¡¯m just REALLY happy that we¡¯re having a boy,¡± he says,ing to k*iss me.

    I finish getting cleaned up and dressed, and then we walk back to the packhouse, hand in hand. Well,

    Jaxon is practically skipping he¡¯s so happy. I truly wonder if he¡¯d have been this happy if we¡¯d have

    found out we¡¯re having a girl.

    As soon as we step into the bustling packhouse, Jaxon stops.

    ¡°WE¡¯RE HAVING A BOY!¡± he announces to the entire pack, before scooping me up into his arms and

    spinning me around, as the pack cheers, making it impossible for me to be upset with him.

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 62 (Jaxon)

    I would have been happy if we were having a girl, truly. But I¡¯ve been surrounded by women my entire

    life.

    Between my mother and my four sisters, there just isn¡¯t enough testosterone in my family.

    I¡¯m so excited I feel like I could walk on air. We first go tell Jordan, then my parents which also includes

    Raelyn who was almost as excited as I am to have a nephew. And then, we go back to the packhouse

    to tell Teagan and Rowan, who have already heard the news, before we finally go back to our room.

    ¡°Are you going to call your mother?¡± I ask Eve.

    She looks at her phone, nervously twisting it around in her hands. She¡¯s maintained contact with her

    sisters and brothers, and asionally her mother, but she has adamantly refused to speak to her

    father.

    ¡°What if he answers?¡± she asks. ¡°What if he does? Do you think he¡¯s not aware that you¡¯re pregnant?

    I¡¯d be shocked if he hasn¡¯t heard from someone in your family,¡± I tell her.

    She looks at me, then pulls out the image of our son on the ultrasound. Sheys it on the table then

    takes a picture of it, before sending it to her mother.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let her know this way, then she can share it with dad if she wants,¡± Eve says. And the moment she

    hits send, she dials Magdalena.

    I get up, k*issing the top of her head, feeling the sadness in our bond. My family is ecstatic, and hers

    would be too, but once again, her father has put a barrier between them. Because I¡¯m so close, I hear

    the other call beeping in. She pulls the phone away from her ear and I see that it¡¯s her mother, already

    calling her back after receiving the photo.

    She hits dismiss and then returns to her call with Magdalena. They talk for a few moments and Eve

    finally starts to smile.

    I¡¯m debating what to order for dinner, when Eve huffs.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she says, and I hear the line beep with an iing video call. She pulls the phone in front of

    her, and hits ept.

    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± she says.

    ¡°Hi Mom? That¡¯s all I get? You send me a picture of my grandson and then don¡¯ t even answer the

    phone when I call back, RIGHT AWAY, I might add.¡±

    I watch as Eve¡¯s lips twitch and I rx. She¡¯ll feel better after speaking to her mom. I move behind her

    and lean into the video of the phone.

    ¡°Hello, Luna Katerina. Your grandson sure is a handsome little guy, isn¡¯t he?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°He sure is, he looks just like his mother,¡± she says, making me chuckle. ¡°How are you, Jaxon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, thank you. You?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m better now. The doctor said everything was good? No issues with the pregnancy?¡± she asks, and I

    move out of the video, letting Eve have time with her family.

    I motion to her that I¡¯m going to get us food and I head downstairs. I look at what is nned for dinner

    tonight and I choose the meal that is best suited to the celebration that I have nned. I want Eve and I

    to have some alone time, to be together after getting our news today. And soon, we need to figure out

    what we¡¯re going to do with a baby, new pack hopefully and a dpidated packhouse. It¡¯s time for me to

    start thinking about an ie that isn¡¯t based on Jordan¡¯s pack.

    As I wait for my food, I see Jordane downstairs dressed much nicer than she usually is. She¡¯s

    wearing a red sweater dress that hugs her body and heels. I give her a true wolf whistle. ¡°Got a date

    tonight, sis?¡±

    She looks over smiling, just as Nn walks into the packhouse. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do. Have a good

    evening,¡± she says, putting her arm through his. ¡°Hey Nn,¡± I say.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon,¡± he says, nodding his head. ¡°Congrattions to both you and your mate on making it to

    the next round of thepetition.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You kids have fun,¡± I say, before turning to get the tray of food that I ordered.

    Jordan snorts. ¡°Don¡¯t wait up,¡± she says as they walk out of the packhouse.

    When I turn back with my tray, I see most of the pack watching as she leaves. Since there¡¯s no reason

    for everyone to have stopped what they are doing to watch my sister other than expressing their

    judgmental displeasure, my temper res.

    ¡°Problem?¡± I snarl.

    It¡¯s an exaggerated response, built on years of people, underestimating and trying to undermine my

    sister because she¡¯s the only Alpha female.

    I hear a couple of yelps before everyone gets back to what they were doing.

    When I get back upstairs, Eve is still on the phone and it sounds like Maka and her brothers are also

    in the room, talking to her.

    ¡°So, are you going to continue in thepetition, Evie?¡± I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Alejandro that asks.

    She looks up at me over the phone. ¡°Yes. Jaxon and I talked about it, and I¡¯m training every day. The

    most physically intense part of thepetition is done, and I¡¯ll be showing, but still able to run sprints in

    another month.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you will,¡± I hear Luna Katerina say. ¡°And, when you¡¯re pregnant, your senses are stronger,

    so when it¡¯s time for the sensorypetition, you¡¯ll have a distinct advantage.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that Super Hotty? I might beat you at the sensorypetition,¡± Eve says, gloating.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I would be proud to cheer you on to victory,¡± I tell her.

    I hear gagging sounds on the phone. ¡°Is he always so sugary sweet?¡± Maka asks.

    ¡°He¡¯s always perfect,¡± she says, her eyes on me. I watch as they darken with desire.

    ¡°And that¡¯s our cue to say goodbye,¡± Lazio says. ¡°Congrattions again, Evie. I can¡¯t wait to meet our

    little nephew!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, all of you. I love you.¡±

    Everyone shouts, ¡°love you¡±, on the phone before she disconnects.

    She stands, walking over to me in a way I know well.

    ¡°And I love you,¡± she says wrapping her arms around me.

    ¡°Good, because I love you and after we eat, it¡¯s time to celebrate.¡± I lean down nipping at her ear. ¡°And

    I intend to love you as long as you canst.¡±

    We spend the rest of the evening celebrating our bond, our son, and our future life together.

    Jordan POV

    I told Nn that I couldn¡¯t really take time to get away. He wanted me to go on a vacation with him, but

    I said right now, with the contest, with both my Beta heir and my Gammapeting, that it wasn¡¯t the

    right time.

    Instead, he takes me to a fancy restaurant overlooking a river with mountains in the distance. It¡¯s

    beautiful and romantic and perfect.

    After dinner, we linger over our wine.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you something, Jordan,¡± Nn says.

    ¡°You know you can ask me anything. Didn¡¯t we agree to honesty between us?¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± he says taking my hand, and looking at me.

    ¡°I was wondering, since you haven¡¯t found your mate, if you¡¯d ever consider taking a chosen mate,¡± he

    says, making me squirm a bit. We haven¡¯t talked about the mate situation before.

    I take a deep breath and blow it out. ¡°Well, actually, I have found my mate.¡± Nn¡¯s eyes narrow but he

    doesn¡¯t pull his hand away. ¡°Then, may I ask why you¡¯re here with me, instead of being with him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s older than I am, old enough to have felt the bond years before I did. He chose to get into a

    rtionship with someone else, someone close to me. Even after I turned 18, he still didn¡¯t

    acknowledge the mate bond. I thought that maybe he didn¡¯t feel it, but then, the contest started and so

    many people, even those that aren¡¯t yet 18, have started feeling the mate bond, identifying each other

    as their mates.¡±

    ¡°Just like your brother and his mate,¡± he says.

    ¡°Yes, exactly. So, then I realized that he knew, all along and never said anything. He¡¯s in the contest

    and I guess¡­I guess being mated to me isn¡¯t good enough. He would rather be an Alpha of his own

    pack.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that must be hard for you.¡±

    ¡°Not as hard as it was when I finally decided to reject him.¡±

    Nn jerks. ¡°You rejected him?¡±

    ¡°I did, and he¡¯s refused to ept it.¡±

    He looks at me a long moment. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re holding back with me? He hasn¡¯t epted your

    rejection and he¡¯s in the contest. You know that anything you and I do will weaken him,¡± he asks,

    zeroing in on the issue.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve told him he can¡¯t hold me hostage, that I won¡¯t allow it, but he still refuses to ept the

    rejection.¡±

    He pulls my hand to his lips, k*issing it. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t say I was d to know that it¡¯s not me. I

    was beginning to worry that maybe your feelings for me weren¡¯t as strong as my feelings for you.¡±

    ¡°I have very strong feelings for you, too, Nn. I want to be fair to you, but I also don¡¯t want to feel any

    regret about hurting this person while they¡¯re in thepetition. If they truly want to be an Alpha,

    anything I do with you could ruin their chances of winning.¡±

    ¡°So, I need to be patient a couple more months? Is that what you¡¯re telling me Jordan?¡±

    ¡°I would appreciate it if you would be patient with me a couple more months. The time between each of

    the events will be much shorter now, and once this contest if over, if he doesn¡¯t ept the rejection, it

    will be on him, not me.¡±

    ¡°Then say you¡¯ll go away with me. Let¡¯s say three months¡¯ time, just to be sure the contest is over. Say

    you¡¯ll take a week ande away with me.¡±

    ¡°Three months is fair. By then, I¡¯ll know if I need to rece my Beta and Gamma.¡±

    Nn¡¯s eyes go dark. ¡°Then, Alpha Jordan, in three month¡¯s time, you will be mine.¡±

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 63 (Evangeline)

    Jaxon and I are leaving today for the nextpetition. This time, it¡¯s only a two-day event. They will be

    running agility sprints in pairs. Eighteen people will be eliminated in the next two days, nearly half of the

    remaining contestants. Two more females have dropped out finding their mates who have either taken

    over as the Alphas of their packs or will take over once they turn 18.

    ¡°Remember, with two out, you only need to be faster than eighteen other people, Eve,¡± Jaxon says to

    me as we arrive. I¡¯m watching as most of the people walking into the now familiar packhouse look

    muscr and sleek. I, on the other hand, have started showing. If thispetition had been one month

    later, I¡¯m not sure I would have had a chance to win. As it is, my stomach is causing me some difficulty

    with agility. Hard to be agile when there¡¯s a baby sitting between your hips and starting to push on your

    diaphragm.

    As we walk inside, I see I¡¯m not the only one that is going to be doing this pregnant. via, Tobias¡¯s

    mate, is also showing, and based on her size, she was pregnant at thest event.

    ¡°Seventeen,¡± Jaxon whispers in my ear, before k*issing the side of my head. He saw via as well and

    he¡¯s saying she won¡¯t be able to make to the next round.

    As we¡¯re checking in, shees over to me. ¡°Well, you have a better chance of getting to the next

    round than I do,¡± she says, looking at my stomach. ¡°Two months?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What are you, three?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes, I was pregnant at thest event. Tobias wasn¡¯t happy that I

    competed, but when I won by default when I was paired with him, he felt better. I only had to fight the

    one day and I protected my stomach really well.¡±

    Tobias and Jaxone over, talking about us, their pregnant mates. Both of theme up behind us,

    wrapping their arms around our waists, and putting their hands on our bellies. ¡°We¡¯ll see you tonight.

    Good luck,¡± I say to via.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m going to need it! Good luck to you, too,¡± she says.

    We have a couple of hours after we arrive to get settled in. Then it¡¯s time to head out to the first of three

    chances to get your best time in thispetition. Everyone will run one sprint tonight and two

    tomorrow.

    We walk outside with Lazio, Rowen, Jace, Carter, Maggie and Caleb. They are allowing five minutes

    per sprint to give time for each team time to get set up and get off the track for the next pair. It will take

    two hours toplete tonight¡¯s event and then we¡¯ll have dinner. I don¡¯t expect to be as exhausted

    tonight, so Jaxon and I talked about going into the old iming territory to begin practicing for the next

    competition, sensory.

    When the leaderboards sh up, I see that Jaxon and I are paired together again. This time, it doesn¡¯t

    matter. We¡¯ re fifth up and I¡¯m on the left and he¡¯s on the right. I¡¯m stronger on the right, but so is Jaxon

    and right now, he has the better chance of winning thispetition. So, I¡¯m d that he¡¯s on the right.

    Twenty-five minutes into thepetition, it¡¯s our turn to sprint. We get into position and when the gun

    goes off, we take off. Both of us are extremelypetitive, but we also want the other one to do well.

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    ¡°Come on, Eve. Don¡¯t be using my son as an excuse to lose to me,¡± he says as we race up the first part

    of the arrowhead test.

    ¡°Eat our dust, Super Hotty,¡± I say as I turn sharply around the first cone. In the few seconds that it takes

    for us to get to the top of the arrowhead, Jaxon is ahead of me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Evangeline!¡± He shouts as we race to the finish line. As soon as he crosses, he turns,

    scooping me into his arms as I cross the line a few seconds behind him.

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he says, k*issing me and carrying me out of the way so the next group that includes

    Maggie can run.

    He sets me down and we cheer Maggie on. Her time is close to mine, which is not as good as Jaxon¡¯s.

    As the pairs run, the leaderboard updates in real time and I watch as our positions move, but we

    continue to stay in the top thirty. At the end of the night, Jaxon, Tobias, Stephan and Taylor are in the

    top four positions. Rowan, Maggie, Lazio and Jace are all in the top twenty with me. via isn¡¯t in the

    top thirty and she¡¯ll have to work harder tomorrow to move up to stay in thepetition.

    Once everyone is done, we head inside to have dinner.

    ¡°It feels weird not being exhausted,¡± Maggie says as we eat.

    ¡°Agreed. I feel like we should have done more today, or like it¡¯s not really part of thepetition,¡±

    Rowan says.

    ¡°What¡¯s everyone doing tonight?¡± Lazio asks.

    ¡°Jaxon and I are going into the iming territory to practice our sensory skills,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°Ohhh, that sounds like a good n,¡± Maggie says, looking at Caleb. ¡°Can we do that too?¡± she asks

    him.

    ¡°Of course,¡± he says, leaning in to k*iss her.

    They¡¯re both just a few months away from turning 18 and the pull of the mate bond is getting stronger. I

    turn to look at Jaxon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be anywhere close to them. I want to practice our sensory skills. We don¡¯t need practice

    ¡®other¡¯ skills,¡± I say to him, gesturing to my protruding belly.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Maggie says to me. ¡°We¡¯re going to practice our sensory skills too,

    right?¡± she asks Caleb.

    ¡°Absolutely! I definitely need to see if I can sense any lemon balm in the air tonight,¡± Caleb says,

    making my sister blush. I smell like honeysuckle, she smells like lemon balm.

    ¡°Sensory first, ¡®other¡¯ter,¡± Jaxon says, giving me a mischievous grin.

    I narrow my eyes, and point my f*inger at him, giving him a half-hearted, non-verbal warning. He grabs

    my f*inger and pulls me to him, k*issing me soundly. ¡°Competition first, but there will be plenty of time

    for ¡®other¡¯ter,¡± he says. As the sun sets, we go to the iming territory and find afortable spot

    away from theke so we can hear, see and smell the environment around us.

    We call out what we sense and the sensory organ that we used to find it, like ¡®crow, ears¡¯ or ¡®mouse,

    nose¡¯.

    I realize quickly that my mother was right, my senses are much stronger now that I¡¯m pregnant. I¡¯m

    finding things that Jaxon has to search for once I¡¯ve identified them.

    We make a game of it and it¡¯s several hourster when Jaxon calls a halt and says it¡¯s time for us to

    head back in. The next day, they begin the contest after breakfast. We run our sprints again and watch

    as better times are reced on the leaderboard and everyone¡¯s position moves.

    ¡°I knew Tobias would be my biggest threat and that Taylor would be tough to beat, but I¡¯ve

    underestimated Stefan,¡± Jaxon tells me at lunch. Thest sprint will be this afternoon. I¡¯m feeling pretty

    good about my chances of moving to the next round, as I¡¯m currently in 12th ce. Jaxon fell from

    second ce to third when Stefan beat his time in the second round.

    After lunch, we head outside for the final attempt to get a high score. I can tell Jaxon wants to have the

    fastest time. The top four are all within seven seconds of each other, and Jaxon was on the left side in

    this morning¡¯s run. It¡¯ s his weaker side. Thisst run is a random selection of which side you get.

    I¡¯m called first and I get right, making me happy. I run my race and decrease my score by two seconds,

    putting me in 8th ce.

    Maggie is up next, and she takes 7th ce, ahead of me. Jace runs and pushes to 5th ce behind

    Taylor and then Lazio runs, also ending up in the top 10.

    I watch via run and I see that she¡¯s too far along in her pregnancy. She sprints well, but the agility,

    trying to move quickly with her belly in the way, pushes her out of thepetition. Carter, Jordan¡¯s

    Beta heir also runs hisst sprint and falls to the 40th position, putting him out of thepetition.

    I wonder if he¡¯ll n to continue as Jordan¡¯s Beta now. He turns 18 in a few months and could take

    over from his father. Or, if he wants to move to a different pack, he can go into the Beta Trials and try to

    earn enough points to be chosen for another pack. It¡¯s a risk, though. If he puts himself into that

    competition, he will no longer be the Beta heir and Jordan could chose another Beta, even if he wasn¡¯t

    chosen by another Alpha.

    Finally, Jaxon is up. He¡¯s running against Tobias in thest race of the day, and he¡¯s on the right side.

    This is the best possible option for my mate. He¡¯s ultrapetitive and he¡¯s on his best side.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go Super Hotty! You¡¯ve got this!¡± I yell at him.

    I know he hears me, but he doesn¡¯t acknowledge me. He¡¯s in the zone and he wants to beat Tobias.

    When the gun goes off, the two of them shoot off the starting line. Tobias is a step ahead of Jaxon until

    they get to the arrowhead. Jaxon is more agile than Tobias and he moves around the arrowhead just

    fast enough to begin the sprint back two seconds faster than Tobias. When he crosses the finish line

    just ahead of Tobias, I leap into his arms, and he swings me around.

    ¡°Nice job!¡± I tell him, as he sets me down.

    We turn, looking at the leaderboards. Tobias¡¯s time from yesterday is just one second better than

    Jaxon¡¯s so he technically wins thepetition, with Jaxoning in second. Heturns, shaking Tobias¡¯s

    hand and via and I hug.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you made it through,¡± she tells me.

    ¡°Thank you. I wish you had too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Now I can focus on our little girl,¡± she says.

    ¡°It¡¯s a boy for us,¡± I tell her, turning to head back inside.

    When I look up, I see my parents standing at the back of the packhouse. My father has a sad frown on

    his face as he looks at my protruding stomach. I feel Jaxon step up beside me and take my hand.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you guys at dinner,¡± he tells Tobias and via, but my focus is solely on my father. I haven¡¯t

    seen or spoken to him since thestpetition.

    He walks up to me, putting his hands up as if asking me to wait.

    ¡°Congrattions, to both of you,¡± he says, looking from me to Jaxon.

    He looks at me. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, Evie. Your mother and I wanted toe see you and congratte

    you on your win. It seems we have much to celebrate since your sister and brother are both moving

    forward, too,¡± he says before turning to Jaxon.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, I was wondering if I could have a word.¡±

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 64 (Jaxon)

    ¡°Anything you need to say to Jaxon, you can say in front of me,¡± Eve says to her father.

    I pull her to me, k*issing the side of her head while she res at her father. My fierce protector. ¡°Go

    spend some time with your mother, Evangeline. You know she¡¯s dying to hear her grandson¡¯ s

    heartbeat and hear all about your pregnancy. Your father and I will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Trust me when I tell you that your mother would have my balls if I did anything to upset you in your

    current condition,¡± Alpha Luke says to Eve.

    ¡°You forgot the part where I¡¯d cook them up and force feed them to you,¡± Luna Katerina says, her brow

    arched, looking like she means every word. Both Alpha Luke and I flinch at that visual.

    Eve turns to me, her lips twitching at her mother¡¯s words while she k*isses me. When she turns back,

    she points at her father.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold mother to that. You¡¯ve been warned.¡±

    We watch as they walk away, Luna Katerina putting her arm around Eve. ¡°Will you walk with me?¡±

    Alpha Luke asks me.

    I nod and we head toward the iming territory, away from prying ears.

    ¡°First, how is everything with Evie¡¯s pregnancy? She looks healthy and she moved on in the

    competition, so I¡¯m assuming she and the baby are good?¡± he asks, looking at me.

    ¡°She¡¯s really good. Our son is healthy, Evangeline is having a pretty easy pregnancy so far and she got

    through thest of the physical challenges in the top 10. Your daughter is amazing, I hope you realize

    that,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°I do,¡± he says, sliding his hands into his pockets and stopping by the entrance to the old iming

    territory. ¡°I do, and yet, I didn¡¯t choose for her to be my sessor, to be my Alpha heir,¡± he stops,

    turning to look at me. ¡°I have a lot of regret over that.¡±

    I nod, not sure what to say to that. He should be regretful. Evangeline would make an incredible Alpha.

    He turns, looking out over the territory. ¡°Alejandro will make a good Alpha. He has the heart for it, but

    he also has the ability to hold people ountable. But Evangeline should have been my heir.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you choose her,¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Male pride. Stupidity. Fear for how it would be received.¡± He shrugs.

    ¡°All of us, those of us in your parents¡¯ generation I mean, intended to have our first borns be our

    heirs. I was surprised when it was only your parents that held fast to that. I see your sister and her

    struggles because she¡¯s a female Alpha. I know her road is hard, harder than it should be. I didn¡¯t want

    that for Evangeline. So, I made a decision that should have been hers to make. She should have been

    able to choose if she wanted to be an Alpha or not.¡±

    He chuckles mirthlessly. ¡°I wonder if she would have chosen this path if I hadn¡¯t forced her hand,¡± he

    says, turning to me. ¡°Being mated to you is changing her priorities.¡±

    I shrug. ¡°They¡¯re changing mine too, in some ways. I still want a pack, but I want it for us, for our

    children. A ce where we can build something together, something that will live on after we¡¯re gone,¡± I

    tell him. ¡°I don¡¯t care as much about being the Alpha, as I do about having your daughter at my side. I

    told her before, that as long as I had her with me, I¡¯d be a rogue, if needed. I meant it. Your

    daughter is the most important thing in this world to me. The pack is important, but not as important as

    she is.¡±

    ¡°I owe you an apology,¡± he says and I jerk. That was unexpected.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been putting my guilt for my daughter not being an Alpha on you. It¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s mine. I just

    want her to have the chance that I didn¡¯t give her, to be a leader in her own pack. I realize now that you

    are giving her that chance. I was afraid that you were trying to take it away from her.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Alpha, it¡¯s just the opposite. I¡¯ m trying to make sure your daughter has everything she wants

    in life. That not only includes a pack, but also a family. I want her to have it all and I will do everything in

    my power to give it to her.¡±

    ¡°I misjudged you, Alpha Jaxon, so I¡¯ll apologize again. And I hope you¡¯ll put in a good word for me with

    Evie. I really don¡¯t want to be pushed out of my grandson¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but you know your daughter. She¡¯s a strong, confident, opinionated woman who

    loves me and her son. If I may, Alpha, I wouldn¡¯t make her angry again. I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll forgive you a

    third time, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll forgive you this time.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha Jaxon, and I think it¡¯s about time you started calling me Luke. We are family, after

    all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are, Luke. So, call me Jaxon.¡±

    We walk inside and Eve¡¯s head snaps up, looking at me, worry in your eyes. As we walk up, Luna

    Katerina smiles at her mate.

    ¡°See, Evangeline, I told you that you had nothing to worry about.¡±

    Eve looks at me, and I walk to her, leaning down and k*issing the top of her head.

    ¡°Everything is fine, love. Did you show your mom the ultrasound picture?¡±

    ¡°This one?¡± Katerina asks, holding it like she¡¯s not nning to give it back. ¡°May I?¡± Luke asks, looking

    at Eve. She turns and looks at me, asking if I agree. I nod and she looks at her father.

    She takes the picture from her mother and passes it to her father. He sits down beside her, and I move

    to sit beside Katerina, across from Eve. ¡°Dad, this is your grandson.¡±

    Jace POV

    ¡°Jace, wait up!¡± Taylor calls as I walk away from thepetition. I need to get cleaned up and after the

    announcement tonight, I n to head back to the pack. Carter didn¡¯t move to the next round, which is

    good for Jordan, but right now, she¡¯s running the pack on her own. Or, if the pain in my gutst night

    was any indication, with Nn.

    ¡°Hey Taylor, congrattions. Fourth ce. You¡¯re getting so close to getting your own pack.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, fifth ce isn¡¯t exactly shabby either,¡± she says, referencing my final position.

    ¡°I was hoping we could talk tonight, maybe after dinner?¡± she says. ¡°Actually, after the announcement, I

    was nning to head back to the pack. But I have some time now, if you want to talk,¡± I tell her.

    She looks around. ¡°Not here.¡±

    She turns and I follow her, looking around to see that there are some people milling around, but not

    enough to warrant us walking away.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    When she stops, she turns around and looks up at me. ¡°Hear me out. There¡¯s a real possibility that one

    or both of us could win a pack. I expected to find my mate while I was in the contest, but so far, nothing.

    And I know that Jordan is still seeing that trainer guy.¡±

    ¡°Nn.¡±

    ¡°Right, Nn. I never met him. Anyway, if she¡¯s still seeing him, then she hasn¡¯t rescinded her rejection

    of you.¡±

    She moves forward, putting her hands on my chest. ¡°We talked about leading a pack together one day,

    Jace. Maybe it¡¯s time to reconsider that now. It looks like neither of us has a mate, but we get along

    well. There¡¯s something to be said about building a rtionship that starts with friendship, right? Just

    think about it. The end is in sight. If you win, you¡¯ll have to ept Jordan¡¯s rejection or you¡¯ll be

    too weak to lead a pack, especially if she decides to take this Nn guy as a chosen mate. But, if we

    work together, we could be a strong team, leading our pack or packs into the next generation.¡±

    ¡°Taylor, you know I care about you. But I¡¯m still hoping to win Jordan over. I love her and you deserve

    better than to be someone¡¯s second choice. You¡¯re too strong, too independent to allow yourself to be

    second best. You need to be someone¡¯s first and only choice. And that person isn¡¯t me,¡± I tell her, trying

    to be gentle.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to be someone¡¯s second best than to be alone? What¡¯s the point of having a pack if you

    can¡¯t share it with someone? Just¡­.think about it. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking. Will you do that for me?¡± she

    asks me, looking up at me with her green eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, but don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±

    She puts her f*inger over my lips. ¡°I just want you to consider it. Thank you.¡±

    She reaches up, k*issing my cheek. ¡°If I don¡¯t see you before you leave, I¡¯ll see you at the next

    competition.¡±

    I watch as she walks away. I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that I care about Taylor. I do. But it¡¯s nothing close

    to the feelings that I have for Jordan.

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 65 (Evangeline)

    After spending a couple of hours talking with my parents, I promise we¡¯lle visit. I warn my father

    again about crossing me.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you another chance dad, but this is yourst one. There won¡¯t be any more chances.

    You either trust me and Jaxon, or that¡¯s it. I want you in our child¡¯s life, but not at the risk of my mate.

    He doesn¡¯t deserve the treatment you¡¯ve given him, and I won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been very honest with Jaxon, Evangeline. Someday, when we have more time, I¡¯ll have the same

    conversation with you, if you¡¯d like. In the meantime, I¡¯ll just be thankful to have you around again and if

    you decide to give birth in your old dad¡¯s pack, I know your mother and sisters will be thrilled.¡±

    ¡°What about you, dad?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be thrilled as well, of course. I can¡¯t wait to meet my grandson,¡± he says before pulling me into a

    hug. ¡°I love you, Evangeline.¡±

    ¡°I love you too, Dad.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t muchter before the announcementes for everyone to meet outside to get the

    information on the nextpetition.

    Nearly everyone has remained to get the information on the nextpetition. via is the only Alpha

    that didn¡¯t make it to round 3. Half of the remaining contestants are Alphas, many more are ranked

    members and then there are a few remaining warriors.

    As we walk outside, Jaxon takes my hand.

    ¡°We should start paying closer attention to the remaining group of individuals. Ten of us will be

    Alphas, but after that, we¡¯ll need to choose our Beta and Gamma. I¡¯m not sure the remaining Alphas

    willpete, but I¡¯d like to start making a list of the other ranked members and thesest few warriors.

    Even if we don¡¯ t choose one of them for a ranked member, we¡¯ll need a Lead Warrior too.¡±

    We walk outside to the stage, seeing Elder Jason walk up the steps and to the microphone.

    ¡°Congrattions to our top 30 contestants!¡± he announces and we all cheer. He waits for the apuse

    to die down before continuing.

    The next two contests will ur much more quickly as we, the council, do not feel that much additional

    preparation is needed. In these events, you either have the skills and knowledge or you don¡¯t.¡±

    He stops, looking at the group of us. ¡°In one month¡¯s time, we willplete the sensory portion of the

    contest. The thirty remaining contestants will arrive the day before the contest begins. You will be

    randomly selected for your slot in the contest and assigned a g color. Each day 10 of you will have

    the opportunity to showcase your sensory skills as well as your speed. You will each have one hour to

    collect as many gs as you can get from within the old iming territory. The only clues you will have

    will be visual, auditory and olfactory. You must use your senses to find and collect as many of your

    colored gs as possible while you are in the territory. The maximum number of gs will be 10, giving

    you six minutes in between to find the new station, collect your g and move on. At the end of the

    hour, the number of gs you have collected will be counted and you will obtain one point per g. If

    you collect all 10 gs andplete the task in under an hour, you will get additional points.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this puts me at an advantage or disadvantage, being pregnant,¡± I say quietly to Jaxon.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be great, baby,¡± he says, putting his arm around me.

    Councilman Jason continues. ¡°In the event that there is a tie, and the top 20 individuals cannot be

    identified, day 4 will be a timed contest to see who can get all 10 gs the fastest. All contestants will

    run in at the same time and the first ones out will win, depending on how many are left to achieve the

    top 20.¡±

    ¡°So, ten individuals will be eliminated in the next contest?¡± someone asks.

    ¡°That is correct. And in the final contest, the top 10 contestants will be the new Alphas, and based

    on the rank in the final contest, they will choose their new packnds.¡±

    ¡°Any additional questions?¡± Councilman Jason asks, looking around.

    ¡°Hearing none, this contest is adjourned. You will meet back in one month¡¯s time.¡±

    I look around as we walk back inside, taking inventory of those who remain in thepetition. ¡°If my

    math and pack lines are correct, each pack how has between two and four individuals in the

    competition.¡±

    Jaxon looks around. ¡°Let¡¯s make a list at dinner. I know there are four of us still from Jordan¡¯s pack,¡± he

    says.

    ¡°There are four from my father¡¯s pack too, but I think we¡¯re the only two packs with that many still in the

    competition.¡± Dinner is just the two of us. As I look around, I see what looks like a lot of mate pairings,

    Maggie and Caleb, Reid and Ainsley, Tobias and via, Rowan and Enzo. Lazio looks lost as he gets

    his food and realizes that nearly everyone is paired off.

    ¡°Lazio,¡± I call, tapping the seat beside me.

    Hees over and looks around. ¡°Now that there are fewer of us, the mate bonds are much clearer.¡±

    I put my arm around his shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little bro. You¡¯ll find your mate. You¡¯re still young and

    maybe she¡¯ s even younger,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Or maybe she was eliminated already. If that¡¯s the case, you might not be around her to smell her now,

    but when the Beta Trials start, you might find her then,¡± Jaxon says.

    That cheers Lazio up, and he looks at what we¡¯re doing.

    ¡°Counting pack members, smart. It looks like all the packs have some level of representation.¡±

    ¡°They do, mine and yours having the most,¡± Jaxon says, smiling at me.

    ¡°Strong Alphas,¡± Lazio and I say together andugh.

    ¡°So how are we going to prepare for the next contest?¡± Lazio asks.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We need to set up a space where we can begin hunting using our senses. I¡¯m not sure exactly how

    they n to do that. Like are they going to say there are these 10 elements, human, bear, dead

    squirrel, etc, in the territory and tell us to find them, or are we just supposed to search for anything that

    smells off? I think we should set up a space and each day, one of us or even Jordan and Alejandro can

    set up the area and the rest of us hunt, timing ourselves.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but hopefully dead squirrels or any dead animal isn¡¯t on list of items to search for.

    Your son isn¡¯t going to be having any of that, I can tell you,¡± I say, already feeling queasy at the thought

    of smelling freshly killed meat.

    ¡°We won¡¯t practice with that at least. There are plenty of other things we can use to practice AND we

    have to practice them with different senses. For instance, let¡¯s use the bear. We don¡¯ t know if they are

    going to give us that as a visual, auditory or olfactory sense test, so we¡¯ll have to rotate them around in

    three different ways.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Lazio says. ¡°I¡¯ll call dad and Al tonight and have them set something up for us to

    begin running drills.¡±

    He turns to me. ¡°Are you nning to spend time at home in the next month, Evie?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going back to Alpha Jordan¡¯ s pack first. We¡¯ll help them get set up with their space and

    then we¡¯lle join you guys for a week or so, alternating back and forth.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Well, I¡¯m off to call Dad and Al. See you both in the morning and hopefully in a week or so.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Goodnight, Lazio,¡± Jaxon and I say together.

    As he begins walking away, Jacees over to us.

    ¡°So, I was thinking about the nextpetition. I¡¯ve drawn up some ideas for how to set up the drills in

    our pack,¡± he says and the three of us begin talking it through, readying ourselves for the next phase of

    thepetition.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266

    Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 66 (Jaxon)

    Over the next month, Eve and I travel back and forth between our packs, one week with Jordan¡¯s pack

    and one week with Luke¡¯s. It actually works out well because the two packs set up their drills differently

    and we get different types of exposure.

    All that aside, Luna Katerina was right about one thing. Eve¡¯s senses are off the chart amazing right

    now. The farther along she is in her pregnancy the stronger they get. So, over the course of the month

    when we¡¯re practicing, she¡¯s spot on.

    Her biggest issue, as she guessed, is going to be her belly. She can still run,

    but not as fast as she used to. At three months, her stomach is definitely going to be a factor in this

    competition. For her sake, I hope that her increased senses make up for her decreased speed.

    When we first arrived in Alpha Luke¡¯s pack, Katerina wanted Eve seen by their pack doctor. I get it, he¡¯s

    their family doctor and Katerina feels morefortable with him. So, we went and saw the doctor and

    they once again confirmed that Eve is healthy and that we¡¯re having a boy. This doctor did prescribe

    some additional vitamins, especially since Eve will bepeting in the contest, but otherwise, all went

    well.

    And today, we are returning to the now familiar packnds for the contest. With only 30 of uspeting

    and many of us mated, there isn¡¯t a problem with having enough rooms. We get settled into our room,

    and then head downstairs to the dining room waiting for our announcement.

    We¡¯re sitting with Rowen, Enzo, Magdalena, Caleb, Lazio and Jace. The eight of us making up nearly

    one quarter of the contestants. Eve goes to say hello to via, who is here to cheer on Tobias. I¡¯m sure

    he wanted her here, being that she¡¯s so close to her due date, but I think it¡¯s also h*ard for him to have

    her here, causing a distraction.

    However, as via and Eve chat, I can see that via seems healthy, if a bit ufortable. I¡¯m

    thankful that Eve is a month behind via. If she were another month along, even this contest would

    be h*ard for her.

    Eve returns to our table as Councilman Jason stands and goes to the microphone at the front of the

    dining hall.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone. Wee, to the fourth of fivepetitions that will make ten of you Alphas

    of your own packs.¡± Everyone ps.

    ¡°One third of you will be Alphas in just a few weeks¡¯ time. First, I¡¯d like to congratte all of you

    for making it this far. It has taken a lot of strength and grit to get here. But we¡¯re not done yet. The next

    three days will be long, but your time will only be one hour on one of those days. At the end of the three

    days, we will see if there is a tie and if so, thepetition will extend into sudden death on the fourth

    and final day.¡±

    He lifts up a paper. ¡°I have the list of randomly selected slots that each of you is assigned to. Tomorrow,

    we will go in order of 1 through 10, the next day will be 11 through 20 and the final day will be 21

    through 30. Each number will be posted on the leaderboard with your score as you go and with the

    color of the g that you are assigned. You may only take your color g during your turn. Any attempt

    to sabotage or discard another color g other than your own will result in immediate disqualification.¡±

    Someone raises their hand. ¡°Excuse me, sir, how will you know?¡±

    ¡°nning to sabotage someone, Elliot?¡± Councilman Jason asks. ¡°No, sir, but we are at the end of a

    competition. I just want to make sure that it¡¯s fair,¡± he says.

    ¡°We¡¯ve installed cameras all around the territory. You will be under constant surveince while you are

    in the territory.¡±

    Councilman Jason looks around. ¡°Any other questions?¡±

    When no one does, and he continues. ¡°As I mentioned a month ago, you will each have one hour to get

    through thepetition, getting as many gs as possible. Once your time is up, you must stop and

    return to the entrance of the territory. Again, you will be under surveince and if you pass a spot with

    gs, you will not be able to collect yours after your hour is up. If you attempt to do so you will be

    disqualified.¡±

    Eve raises her hand. ¡°Sir, there are 10 points where we can collect gs, correct?¡±

    ¡°That is correct, Evangeline,¡± he says. ¡°Are you able to tell us if each spot has only one sensory output

    or will each one have a varying number of sensory outputs,¡± she asks.

    ¡°Do you mean, will each point have something you can see, smell and hear? No. Each point will only

    have one of the three and they will change with each spot.¡±

    ¡°Any other questions?¡±

    When no one does, he reads off the list of contestants in order. Magdalena and Lazio are tomorrow.

    Eve is the next day along with Enzo, Caleb and Jace and I am the final day, along with Rowan. I make

    a note that Tobias will be running tomorrow. I want to see how he does.

    ¡°Stephan is on day three and Taylor is tomorrow,¡± Eve says to me. ¡°They, along with Jace and Tobias

    were with you in the top 5 of thestpetition. ¡°I n to be outside most of the day watching,¡± I tell

    Eve.

    ¡°Me too, although, I want to make sure I¡¯m well rested for my turn on the second day.¡±

    ¡°Who is the first contestant?¡± I ask, not remembering.

    ¡°Reid, and his mate, Ainsley, is on day three,¡± Eve tells me.

    ¡°We should definitely watch the mates,¡± I say.

    ¡°Yeah, because if any mate pair is going to win two packs, it¡¯s us,¡± my mate says, and I turn as she

    reaches her hand up to high five me. I p her hand then pull it to me, dragging her with it and k*issing

    her.

    When I pull back, I look at her. ¡°Definitely us!¡±

    The next morning, we all go outside to watch as Reid starts off thepetition. When the gun goes off

    and Reid races into the territory, I turn to see if Eve wants to get something to eat.

    Her eyes are closed, and I see her sniffing the air, her head tilted to the side, listening. viaes up

    beside her.

    ¡°Did you find all ten?¡± she asks Eve. ¡°Seven,¡± Eve says, opening her eyes and turning to via who

    nods.

    via is pouting a bit and Tobiases up behind her. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I¡¯d have been really good at this

    one,¡± she says.

    ¡°You¡¯d still have to race around this veryrge territory, love. It¡¯s better for the baby if you aren¡¯t in the

    contest. I¡¯ll win us a pack, I promise,¡± Tobias says to her.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I know you will,¡± she says turning and wrapping her arms around him as best as she can with a baby

    in between them.

    ¡°Did you really find seven of the ten?¡± I ask Eve.

    ¡°I think so, the other three must be the visual ones, but the ones that are sound and smell, I¡¯m pretty

    confident I know where they are.¡±

    When Reides out, he has seven gs. ¡°So, that¡¯s our standard and what we need to strive to

    beat,¡± I say.

    Magdalena is next. Caleb paces, listening and trying to hear his mate in the territory. When her hour is

    up, shees out with six gs. Then Tobias is up.

    Hees out with nine gs, making via squeal with delight.

    ¡°Nice job, man.¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    After lunch, Lazio is up, and he returns with eight gs as well.

    At the end of day 1, the lowest number of gs is five and two people came out with that number.

    Tobias holds the lead with nine gs, Taylor came out with eight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep, Eve. You need your strength for tomorrow,¡± I tell her as we head back inside.

    ¡°Yes, time for the first of us to get through to the next round.¡±

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    Chapter 67 (Evangeline)

    I didn¡¯t sleep well. Or, I should say, I wouldn¡¯t have slept well if it weren¡¯t for Jaxon purring everytime he

    realized I was awake. So, I wake much more rested that I expected to be and after a good breakfast,

    I¡¯m feeling ready for today¡¯s challenge.

    I¡¯m third in the queue, meaning I have about two and a half hours before it¡¯s my turn. Caleb is first up

    this morning, so we go outside to stand with Maggie while her mate runs through the course.

    ¡°I hope he does better than I did,¡± she says after the gun goes off and he races into the territory.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine Maggie,¡± I tell her. And when he emerges, I¡¯m proven right. Caleb exits the territory with

    eight gs.

    Maggie runs into his arms, and he swings her around. It¡¯s very likely that Caleb just made it through to

    the final round with that many gs.

    I begin getting nervous as the second contestant enters the territory. I begin to fidget and move around,

    I¡¯m getting myself really worked up when Jaxon wraps his arms around my waist, putting his h*ands on

    my stomach. ¡°Rx, Eve. You¡¯ve got this. Your senses are so much stronger right now.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Shhhh, close your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Jaxon¡­¡±

    He nips at my ear. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± he says.

    I do as he says.

    ¡°Lean back against me,¡± he says as he begins purring again.

    ¡°Open your senses,¡± he says, his l*ips so close to my ear that I can feel his breath as it tickles m.

    I open up my senses, focusing first on my hearing. I lean away from Jaxon, so he¡¯s not right next to my

    ear. He pulls his head back, so I can continue to lean against him. I tune out the purring from Jaxon

    and focus on the sounds that I hear.

    To the left, there is a sound of a growling mountain lion. It¡¯s on a loop, running for a few seconds every

    30 seconds.

    Then, directly in front of me, there¡¯s a mockingbird. I wouldn¡¯t think much of it, but like the mountain

    lion, it¡¯s on repeat and once I¡¯ve heard it several times, I recognize that the sound repeats itself over

    and over.

    Then, off to the right, I hear the rustling of a mole, or some other animal burrowing into the earth. Just

    like the bird, I wouldn¡¯t have paid attention except that identical sounds keep repeating.

    Then, I open up my nose, quickly finding the deer. That one must be close. No deer woulde this

    close to this many predatory animals.

    Farther away, I smell the bear and since no one hase racing out of the territory, running from a

    giant bear, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s one of the stations to get a g.

    There¡¯s another scent that¡¯s off in this territory, the scent of sunflowers in a ce where sunflowers

    don¡¯t grow, so I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s a station.

    And finally, I catch a faint scent of blood. I¡¯m really hopeful that it¡¯s just a small amount of blood,

    because in my current pregnant state, the scent of blood will make me vomit.

    By the time I¡¯m done, the hour is nearly up and I¡¯m feeling calm and ready for my turn.

    When I¡¯m up and the gun goes off, I don¡¯t hesitate. I take off, heading for the deer scent first. I snatch

    my blue g and keep going, following the sound of the mountain lion. On the way, I see the squirrel.

    He¡¯s sitting on log, just looking at me.

    I frown and walk over to it, not sure what it is, and then I realize that it¡¯s a dead squirrel that has been

    stuffed by a taxidermist. I look around and find the g before continuing on my way. I¡¯m not as fast as I

    would be if I wasn¡¯t three months pregnant, but I¡¯m still able to get to all of the stations for scent and

    sound before the gun goes off letting me know that my hour is up. I jog out of the territory, Jaxon

    waiting for me. I drop off my gs, get the announcement of eight gs and Jaxon whoops, rushing to

    pick me up and spin me around.

    We have lunch and then Enzo is up. Hees out with seven gs. Since we¡¯re about halfway into the

    contest, it¡¯s bing clearer that anyone under seven is out, anyone over seven is in and those who

    have seven gs are at risk of having to do the fourth day of sudden death.

    Jace is thest of our group today and he emerges with eight gs as well. We all head inside to get

    dinner.

    Caleb is consoling Maggie, since she¡¯s pretty confident that she¡¯s out of thepetition. Jaxon, while

    still making sure to t*ouch me, is distracted and I know tonight it¡¯s my turn to purr him to sleep.

    Rowan is also up tomorrow, but she¡¯ster than Jaxon. I¡¯m d that his slot is in the morning. By lunch

    time, we should be pretty confident in knowing which of us has progressed to the next and final stage

    of the contest.

    Overnight, it¡¯s as I expected. This time, it¡¯s Jaxon who struggles to sleep, and it¡¯s me who is helping

    him rx and stay asleep.

    Before we went to bed, I told Jaxon about the animals that I¡¯d heard and smelled, and that they had

    changed from day one to day two. After breakfast the next morning, as the first contestant goes into the

    territory, I realize that they have switched it up overnight again.

    Jaxon had already told me that the flower was most likely out and he wasn¡¯t going to waste his time

    trying to find that one unless he found the other nine and I had agreed. Flowers aren¡¯t exactly Jaxon¡¯s

    thing.

    The first contestantes out with six gs, most likely being eliminated. The second contestant,

    Stefan,es out with nine. So far, he and Tobias are the only two with nine gs.

    Jaxon begins walking forward, getting ready to enter the territory.

    ¡°Hey, Super Hotty, the number to beat is nine, but if youe out with nine gs or more, I¡¯ll make it

    worth your while,¡± I call loudly to him.

    The people around us begin abination of wolf whistles, howling andining that my

    motivation isn¡¯t fair.

    He rushes back to me, k*issing me fiercely before running back to the starting line. ¡°Now, that¡¯s what I

    call incentive,¡± he says.

    The moment the gun goes off, he takes off like a shot. I listen, hearing him as he races through the

    stations faster than I did. I count them off as he goes and when the gun goes off that his hour is up, he

    comes jogging out of the territory, nine gs in his h*and, a smug smile on his face.

    His eyes never leave mine as hees up, lifting me so I can wrap my l*egs around his waist.

    ¡°Time to collect my reward,¡± he says, before walking toward the packhouse, making meugh as the

    cheers, howls and wolf whistles follow us inside.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 68 (Jaxon)

    After collecting my reward from my mate, we head back downstairs to eat lunch and catch up with the

    rest of the contestants.

    Rowan¡¯s turn is after lunch and when shees out of the territory with only six gs, I know her time

    in the contest was over. I try to console her, but it¡¯s Enzo that makes the difference, basically telling her

    that since he is still in thepetition, they still have a chance to get their own pack. He¡¯s only a couple

    of months away from turning 18, so it¡¯s pretty clear that they are mates.

    In the end, four Alphas are eliminated from the contest including Rowan, Magdalena, my cousin Brooke

    and Ainsley, Reid¡¯s mate.

    No one collected all ten gs, and only three of us collected nine, so everyone who collected seven or

    more gs, moved into the next l*eg of the contest. The finalpetition.

    After dinner, Councilman Jason steps up onto the stage. Many people have already left, knowing they

    were eliminated. Magdalena and Rowan stayed because Lazio, Caleb, Enzo, Eve, and I are all still in

    thepetition.

    When he gets up on the stage and announces that there isn¡¯t a need for a final day ofpetition,

    everyone cheers.

    ¡°Congrattions to the final 20. You are the elite, but only half of you will be able to win the title of

    Alpha and im your own pack. In one week¡¯s time, you will alle back here where you will receive

    a written test. The test will consist of five scenarios, and you will have to write how you, as an Alpha,

    would respond to those scenarios. Each of you will be judged by all five council members on certain

    categories, such as thoughtfulness of your response, leadership, understanding of the true issue, and

    your ability to resolve conflict. The ten with the highest scores will be dered Alphas and will be given

    the opportunity to choose your packnds based on the ranking you receive in the final test.¡±

    The excitement in the room is palpable. In less than two weeks, Eve and I will know if we¡¯ve be

    Alphas and we will get to choose our packnds.

    ¡°All of you will receive the list of the packnds, the current state of thend and the packhouses as

    well as basic information about the area. I suggest that you review the information and, if possible, go

    see the packnds so that, if you win, you will know which pack you would like to im.¡±

    ¡°See, Maggie. We need to go look at the packnds, see which ones we may want to choose,¡± Caleb

    says.

    ¡°I agree, Rowan, we should do the same,¡± Enzo says.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go?¡± Eve says. ¡°I mean, we all want to see the packnds, see where they are in

    rtion to each other. We could make it a fun getaway, a break before the final test.¡±

    ¡°I love that idea,¡± I say. ¡°That way, I can make sure no one wants our packnds,¡± I say, making the

    othersugh. We make a n and rather than going back to our packs, we¡¯re going to do a tour of the

    packnds that are avable for selection. The one we¡¯re in now, we can wipe off the list and there is

    another one that is far away from all the others, and Eve and I agree we don¡¯ t want that one, so that

    leaves eight packnds to see in one week¡¯s time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Lazio says.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Eve says.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Jordan POV

    I¡¯m at my desk, pouring over the work that just keeps piling up. Elijah has been helping, but really, he

    had been passing a lot of the work to Carter. Now that Carter is out of thepetition, he is helping

    more, but I need to make sure he wants to stay in this pack and isn¡¯t nning to participate in The Beta

    Trials. It¡¯s not a requirement that he bes my Beta and not everyone would be okay bing a

    Beta to the only Alpha female.

    The rest of the work ising from Jace¡¯s workload. He¡¯s been doing a great job of keeping up, when

    he can. But knowing that he¡¯s so close to winning a spot as Alpha, I¡¯m trying to make sure I know

    everything that he does, so that when he¡¯s gone, I can train the next person.

    The thought of Jace not being here any longer makes my heart hurt. I know what I said to him about

    needing to ept my rejection and maybe it¡¯s because he hasn¡¯t that I still have feelings for him. I¡¯ve

    tried to move on, but I just haven¡¯t been able topletely let go.

    I¡¯m just about ready to pack it in for the day when there¡¯s a knock at the door. Just as I say, ¡°Come in,¡± I

    smell the honey roasted almonds. Jace.

    I look up, fighting the fluttering in my stomach. I paste a smile on my face. I¡¯ ve already heard that he¡¯s

    in the top 20, although I¡¯m not surprised. He¡¯s a born leader.

    ¡°Congrattions, Jace! I hear you are part of the elite, the final twenty.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jordan. That means a loting from you.¡±

    I look down, unwilling to let him see the hurt in my eyes that I know very soon he¡¯ll be leaving me. Jace

    is smart, I know he¡¯ll pass the final test to be Alpha and then he¡¯ll be gone. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be out

    celebrating,¡± I say, ncing up and jolting when I see that he¡¯sser focused on me.

    ¡°I have something for you,¡± he says. ¡°Remember when I said it wasn¡¯t my time yet, but it wasing?¡±

    I frown. I had no idea what he was talking about at the time.

    ¡°I remember,¡± I say.

    He ps his h*and on the desk and when he pulls it away, there¡¯s a paper lying there.

    ¡°Read it,¡± he says.

    I watch him, still frowning as I reach out and take the paper. I pull it to me, watching him until I have the

    paper in front of me.

    When I read it, I gasp, looking up at him.

    ¡°Jace, what have you done?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m keeping my word, Jordan. I told you I wasn¡¯t leaving, and I¡¯m not. I wasn¡¯t ready to exin that

    before. I needed to prove that I was good enough to be your mate.¡±

    I look back at the paper. The paper that says that Jace resigned from the Contest. It¡¯s dated today.

    AFTER he moved into the top 20.

    ¡°But why, Jace? Why did you resign. You¡¯re so close. You could have your own pack. Be an Alpha!¡±

    He leans over my desk. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it, Jordan? I never wanted my own pack. I just wanted to prove

    that I was worthy of being your mate.¡±

    I look at the paper and then back at Jace, trying to make sense of his words. ¡°I never needed you to

    prove that you were worthy of being my mate, Jace.¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t, Jordan, but I did. I needed to know, in my heart, that I was worthy of you.¡±

    ¡°But Taylor¡­¡±

    ¡°Was a distraction. And if I¡¯m honest, she was a good second choice for me, up until they announced

    the Contest. Then, I knew I had a chance to prove that I was worthy of you.¡±

    ¡°You mean, you did this, all of this, just to prove to yourself that you were worthy of the mate that the

    goddess gave you?¡±

    Hees around my desk, pulling me to my feet. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make sense to someone that has

    been confident her entire life. Believe me, I¡¯ve watched you grow up and you, my Alpha, are an

    amazing woman, full of confidence.¡±

    ¡°No, Jace, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not always confident and more often than not, I struggle to try and look like I¡¯ve

    got my s*hit together when I don¡¯t. You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t understand at all,¡± I tell him.

    He steps up, getting into my space. ¡°I know, and I know that I didn¡¯t go about things the right way. I

    know I screwed them up, but notpletely, I hope. All I¡¯m asking for is a chance, Jordan.

    Please, just give me a chance before you ept Nn as your mate. Let me prove to you that I can be

    the mate that you deserve, the mate that I know I can be to you.¡±

    ¡°Jace,¡± I say, my head spinning with everything that he¡¯s telling me.

    ¡°Please, Jordan. I¡¯m just asking for a chance.¡±

    I open my mouth to respond, not sure what I was going to say, when I hear a familiar voice.

    ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡±

    I turn and see Nn standing in the doorway.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 69 (Jace)

    Jordan immediately steps out of my grasp. F*uc*king Nn, this is twice he¡¯s interrupted a

    conversation I was having with Jordan.

    ¡°Nn, what are you doing here?¡± she asks him.

    ¡°I came to see if I could pry you away from your work and take you to dinner,¡± he says, eyeing me.

    ¡°Yes, absolutely,¡± she says, turning to me.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter, Jace.¡±

    I take a step back. ¡°Remember what I said, Jordan,¡± I say, holding her gaze until she nods.

    I walk past Nn, nodding my head in greeting before walking out. As I get to the end of the hall, I hear

    him. ¡°So, he¡¯s the mate, huh?¡±

    So, Jordan told him about me, or at least that she has a mate. I¡¯m guessing that he also knows that she

    rejected me.

    I walk downstairs, going to the kitchen to grab something quick to eat before heading back upstairs to

    my room. On my way out of the kitchen, I hear his voice.

    ¡°She¡¯s made her choice, Gamma. You should ept her rejection and let her move on with her life.¡±

    I stop, turning to face him. ¡°You mean move on with you, don¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that what this is about?¡±

    ¡°You betrayed the mate bond, and her. She needs someone that will stand by her side, support her in

    being the best Alpha she can possibly be,¡± he says.

    ¡°And you think that¡¯s you? Here¡¯s a clue, Nn. Date nights and dinners aren¡¯t what Jordan needs.

    She needs someone who understands how to help her run a pack, someone who is here to have her

    back, who understands the difficulties she faces on a daily basis and runs interference on those

    difficulties, so she doesn¡¯t have to fight for herself and her position every f*uc*king day. You know

    nothing about what Jordan needs. And what do think will happen if she epts you as her mate? That

    you would just continue to go off and train people around the world? Leaving her here to run and pack

    AND raise her pups? What kind of life is that for Jordan? I¡¯ll tell you. It isn¡¯t one and it¡¯s not one that

    she¡¯ll want, I can guarantee you that. So maybe it¡¯s you, Nn, that needs to ept that and let her

    move on with her life.¡±

    ¡°You know nothing about me or my intentions, pup,¡± he says condescendingly, getting in my face.

    I don¡¯t back down. ¡°I know enough to know that you have no idea how to live in a pack. When¡¯s thest

    time you spent more than a week or two in any pack, much less your own? You¡¯re a wanderer, a lone

    wolf. Leave my Alpha alone. She may not want me, but she deserves better than you.¡±

    ¡°Jace!¡± Jordan¡¯s tone is sharp. I take a step back, my eyes never leaving Nn¡¯s.

    ¡°Enjoy your dinner, Alpha,¡± I say before heading upstairs.

    Evangeline POV

    I¡¯m not sure what I was expecting, but theplete disarray of these packnds wasn¡¯t it. They are a

    disaster and all I can think about is, where am I going to put my pup when he¡¯s born?

    In the first one we went to, the packhouse had already started crumbling to the ground, literally falling

    apart in front of us. The second one had vines and trees growing inside the packhouse, looking like

    something out of a movie.

    By the time we get to the third one two dayster, the excitement in our group is gone. We¡¯re all

    overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that will need to be done once we im our packs. Well,

    let¡¯s be honest, no one is going to move to any of these packnds while they are in this state. Why

    would you go from a fully functioning pack to this? We couldn¡¯t even find clean water in the first two.

    So, well have packnds but no pack.

    When we get there, the packhouse is just as dpidated as the first one was. Jaxones up behind

    me and wraps his arms around me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about what it looks like now. Think about what it will look like when we¡¯ve made this ce

    our home,¡± he says, making me turn to look at him over my shoulder.

    ¡°Was this your aunt¡¯s pack?¡± I ask. It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s said something like this to me.

    ¡°Yes, see the mountain range I told you about? All of thisnd is the packnds. Personally, I think it

    was foolish to put the packhouse way out here. I much prefer having it like it is in Jordan¡¯s pack, closer

    to the mountains. So, rather than rebuilding what is falling apart, we start fresh, new, making these

    packnds something better than they ever were before.¡±

    I look at the space differently as I listen to Jaxon, seeing his image of what this ce could look like.

    ¡°Maybe out here we could put a small town where we could have pack members open their own shops,

    making it easier to get things that we need without having to go into town or to other packs.¡±

    He nuzzles my ear. ¡°I love that idea, and I love you. So, do you agree, we can put this one on our list?¡±

    he asks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look at the others before decidingpletely, but right now, this one is at the top of the list.¡± I say.

    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t for me,¡± Maggie says,ing up to us. ¡°The old iming territory is looking better and

    better. I know it¡¯s been well used over the past year, but honestly, I¡¯ll take well-used to broken down,¡±

    she says.

    ¡°Before we make any decisions, let¡¯s see the rest of them, love. We still have five more to see before

    we have to be back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course,¡± she says to him, turning and wrapping her arms around him.

    The rest of the week is pretty much the same, with Rowan and Enzo picking their favorite packnds,

    Maggie and Caleb choosing their and Lazio picking a couple.

    ¡°I wish I at least knew who my mate is so I could get her input. What if I choose a packnd and she

    ends up hating it?¡± he asks as we head back to the iming territory.

    ¡°She¡¯ll love it because you¡¯re there, Lazio,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°And, if she was in the earlier part of thepetition and didn¡¯t make it through, it¡¯s possible she¡¯ll

    come to see the announcements of the winners,¡± Jaxon says.

    ¡°If she¡¯s a ranked member,¡± Lazio rifies.

    ¡°True, but we¡¯re all mated to Alphas at this point, so, it¡¯s likely that you will be too, Laz,¡± Maggie says to

    him.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see,¡± he says sadly as we pull back up to the packhouse we¡¯ve all be ustomed

    to.

    Tomorrow is the big day, the final event. And then, the following day, the council will host a dinner and

    announce the ten new Alphas, letting them choose their new packnds.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 70 (Jaxon)

    We wake on the morning of the finalpetition. This time, we won¡¯t know how we¡¯re doing until the

    announcement of the winners. Since it¡¯ s a timed typed test, and we¡¯ll be judged based on multiple

    criteria in multiple scenarios, it¡¯s anybody¡¯s guess how we¡¯ll be ranked.

    I did find out that our rankings in the previouspetitions will be factored into our final ranking to

    choose the packnds. However, as I look around the room at breakfast, I realize that of the 19 of us

    that are left topete, thirteen are Alphas. We found outst night that Jace had resigned from the

    competition and rather than bring someone new back in, they are letting the final group of contestants

    remain at 19.

    I called Jace to find out what was going on, and he just said he needed to prove to himself that he

    could be an Alpha and now he¡¯s done that. He never wanted a pack, and he has no intention of leaving

    Jordan. I wished him luck. He¡¯s going to need it.

    Now, as we walk into the room that will be the space for our finalpetition, I realize they have given

    us assigned seats far away from each other. I pull Evangeline in for a hug and wish her luck before

    going to find my name.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    When I sit, there¡¯s aputer and beside that, there is water, a couple of snacks, paper and pen. As

    everyone gets settled, Councilman Jason enters the room along with the other four council members.

    While Councilman Jason remains at the front of the room, the other four spread out around the room,

    finding seats where they can monitor several of us at once.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. Wee to the final contest to be named Alpha of your own pack. Today¡¯s

    test will be a test of your logical reasoning. You will be given five scenarios. You will have to exin

    what you would do in each scenario and why. Your answers, your thoughtfulness in your responses

    and your reasoning behind your decisions will be theponents that myself and the other four council

    members will rank you in today¡¯spetition.¡±

    He looks around the room, but we are all quiet. ¡°Theputer in front of you should have a nk field

    with a blinking cursor. Please enter your name now.¡±

    He waits while we all do that and it takes us to a home screen where there are five buttons: Scenario 1,

    Scenario 2 and so on. No indication of what each scenario is.

    ¡°Is everyone at the home page with the five links to the different scenarios?¡± Everyone nods or says

    yes.

    ¡°Good. As you navigate through thispetition, you will enter a scenario. Do not do it now, but when

    you do, the scenario wille up and you will be able to begin typing in your response. When you are

    done, there will be a button that says ¡®Return to Main Menu¡¯. It will bring you back to this screen and

    you can navigate to the next scenario. If you navigate back to this screen, you will still be able to go

    back and edit your response. So, for instance, if Scenario 2 has you stumped, rather than spending a

    lot of time on that scenario, you cane back here, finish out the other scenarios and then return to

    Scenario 2.¡±

    He checks to make sure we¡¯re all paying attention. ¡°There are two ways for your part of thispetition

    to end. First, once you havepleted all five scenarios, if you are satisfied with your responses, you

    may click the ¡®Submit¡¯ button on the home page. When you do that, it will ask if you are sure you are

    ready to exit thepetition. If you say yes, your responses will be submitted, and you will no longer

    be able to edit them.¡±

    ¡°The second way that thepetition will end is at exactly 1 pm, theputers will shut down. You will

    no longer be able to edit, and your answers will automatically be submitted to the council as they are

    written. Any questions so far?¡±

    He pauses, but no one asks anything. ¡°Okay, the rules. You are not allowed to leave this room for any

    reason. If you do, you are disqualified. There are two bathrooms at the end of the room, you may use

    those if needed. No time will be added to yourpetition if you must step away from yourputer

    for any reason. Second rule, no mind linking. I know several of you have mates here, some of you in

    this room are mates. You are not allowed to mind link anyone, it¡¯s why none of your Alphas are here.

    We needed to make sure there was no cheating in this final part of thepetition. If any council

    member suspects that you are mind linking someone, you will immediately be disqualified. And finally,

    you may not ask anyone for assistance. You must answer these questions on your own.¡±

    He looks around the room. ¡°Any final questions?¡±

    When there aren¡¯t any questions, he looks up at the clock. ¡°You have five minutes. I suggest you stand,

    stretch, and get your minds ready for the contest.¡±

    We all stand. I move around, needing to get rid of my nervous energy. Others, like Eve, begin

    stretching, t*ouching their toes and doing side bends. After four minutes, we all take our seats again. I

    crack open a bottle of water, making it ready for when I need it and then I focus on theputer, my

    f*ingers over the keyboard.

    ¡°Five, four, three, two, one__ begin!¡±

    I click on Scenario 1. ¡®Your pack is attacked by another pack, one that you thought you were in an

    alliance with but has now betrayed you. You defeat the other Alpha and his pack, but there are many

    casualties on both sides. The Alpha of the other pack survives the battle but is severely wounded.

    What punishment do you give to the Alpha and his pack? Why?¡¯

    Well, they certainly aren¡¯t going to make this easy, and the first one is already a tough one. Before I

    begin typing I consider a real-life scenario. Of the Alphas in this room, what if one of them attacked me

    and my pack? I choose Tobias as he¡¯s my biggestpetition. If he were to attack my pack, kill my

    pack members, how would I feel? Angry, betrayed.

    But those aren¡¯t emotions that should guide your decisions as an Alpha. And more than anything, I¡¯d

    want to know why. And the question not only asks about the Alpha, but also his pack members. A pack

    is ruled by their Alpha, so should they be held ountable for the decisions of their Alpha, even though

    they are responsible for the death of my pack members?

    I put my f*ingers on the keyboard, and I begin to type out my n. What I would do, why I would make

    the decisions I am making. When I¡¯m done, I click ¡®Return to Main Menu¡¯ and look up at the clock. It¡¯s

    9:15am. I¡¯m already behind.

    I quickly click on Scenario 2, taking a quick swig of water before reading the next scenario. ¡®How would

    you, as an Alpha, h*andle a situation where feral fever returned to the packs? How would you h*andle

    the fear of your pack members? How would you h*andle it if your Beta, your best friend, or family

    member contracted the virus? What would you do as their Alpha and why?¡¯ I sigh as I begin thinking

    through the next difficult scenario before beginning to write up my responses.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 71 (Evangeline)

    I can already feel a headacheing on. Thisstpetition is arguably the hardest of them all. Not

    only that, but I¡¯m just over three months pregnant and I have a baby sitting on my dder. I get up for

    the second time to go pee, knowing I¡¯m losing valuable time but not having any choice.

    When Ie back out, Jaxon looks over at me. I can see that his mind is working overtime to answer

    these difficult scenarios but he¡¯s still checking on me. I nod my head, letting him know I¡¯m okay before

    going back to my seat.

    I click on the third scenario. ¡®How would you h*andle a scenario where one of your pack members

    comes to you upset because their mate is abusing them, whether it¡¯s physical or through the mate

    bond? Why would you choose this way of h*andling the situation?¡¯

    I can¡¯t even imagine someone who didn¡¯t cherish the mate bond. My love for Jaxon has been absolute

    from the beginning. How would I h*andle this scenario? I try to think of anyone who would abuse their

    mate, and I can¡¯t think of anyone. How would I h*andle this? After several minutes, I decide toe

    back to this one.

    I navigate back to the main screen, opening one of the snacks that was left at my table and eating it

    while going to the fourth scenario. ¡®How would you h*andle a situation where your pack could no longer

    financially support itself? What would you do to ensure that your pack didn¡¯t starve and that pack

    members didn¡¯t begin leaving your pack?¡¯

    Ugh, another difficult question. I roll my neck around, and arch my back, trying to ease the difort

    of sitting for so long. Okay, as an Alpha, it is my responsibility to ensure that my pack is able to make

    money and then they pay a percentage into the overall pack finances. It¡¯s my job to make sure that

    every pack member is productive and that the pack has a constant ie flow. So, how do I do that?

    I think back to the packnds that Jaxon wants to build on. Currently, there is nothing there. No livable

    housing, no running water or electricity. We have to build before we can begin bringing in money.

    However, I did have the idea of creating that little town closer to the front of the pack. That would not

    only be a way to bring money into the pack, but a way for pack members to have employment if they

    aren¡¯t eligible or interested in things like being pack warriors or running patrols. And that makes me

    think even further into the financial situation of our pack. All of those individuals that work for the pack

    have to get paid, paid by the pack finances. Part of the percentage of moneying in will have to go

    to their sries. OR maybe they get free housing! Yes!

    Now that I have a n, I begin writing up my response. When I¡¯m finished, I look at the clock. It¡¯s

    11:30am. I have an hour and a half to finish myst two scenarios.

    I quickly click on the fifth scenario. ¡®A lone wolf continues trying to breach the perimeter of your pack

    lands. Your patrols have run the wolf off several times, but they keeping back. How do you h*andle

    the situation and why?¡¯

    This one seems like the easiest of them all. Maybe it¡¯s deceptively easy, but why wouldn¡¯t the Alpha

    just meet with the wolf and see what¡¯s going on? Do they smell their mate? Are they interested in

    bing part of the pack? Without knowing the reason, the wolf is breaching the perimeter, it¡¯s

    impossible to know exactly how I¡¯d respond, but the question doesn¡¯t indicate that the lone wolf is

    violent, only that they continue to breach the perimeter.

    When I finish writing up the fifth scenario, I look at the clock again, seeing that I only have 40 more

    minutes to finish thest response. I stand, needing to use the bathroom once more and also needing

    to stretch. When Ie back out, I see that Jaxon is typing furiously on hisputer. I¡¯m not sure what

    alerts him, but his head whips up and he looks at me. I smile and nod and head back to my seat,

    rubbing my stomach.

    When I sit, I realize he¡¯s still watching me. I smile again before refocusing on myputer and clicking

    back on Scenario 3. How would I h*andle someone abusing their mate bond?

    I feel like I¡¯ve just begun answering the question when theputer shuts off.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± I say and I¡¯m not the only one. Most everyone in the room was still working on their answers

    when theputers shut off.

    ¡°Time¡¯s up, everyone. Lunch is being served out in the dining room. Your Alphas and family members

    will be arrivingter today. The council will be reviewing your responses for the rest of the day and

    making our determinations tomorrow. There will be a reception dinner and the finalists will be

    announced in order. Once we have our top 10, you will be asked to choose your packnds. Good luck

    and we¡¯ll see you tomorrow evening,¡±

    Councilman Jason says as we all stand.

    Jaxon is almost immediately at my side. ¡°Hey, how¡¯d you do. I saw you up several times, are you

    okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just, you know, junior is sitting on my dder and it¡¯s ufortable to sit for so long,¡± I say as

    we walk out the door. We all walk into the dining room where the buffet isid out for us. ¡°Let¡¯s get

    some food and then we can talk about how you did,¡± Jaxon says. ¡°How we did,¡± I say to him.

    We get our food and sit down to eat, Lazio, Caleb, Taylor, and Enzo joining us.

    ¡°Okay, am I the only one that thought that was ridiculously difficult?¡± Enzo asks.

    ¡°That was a lot harder than I was expecting,¡± I say.

    ¡°Same,¡± Jaxon says, and the others agree.

    We go around the table, and everyone talks about their responses to the questions. Most of ours were

    simr. ¡°Did anyone else not finish one of their scenarios?¡± I ask, looking around. ¡°I had maybe a

    sentence or two left to type before theputer shut off, but most of my response was in there,¡± Lazio

    says.

    ¡°Mine too,¡± Taylor says.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine baby. I¡¯m sure you did great. Plus, don¡¯t forget that they also take into consideration your

    ranking in the otherpetitions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, and it¡¯s done now anyway, nothing more I can do about it,¡± I say. ¡°You were at a bit of a

    disadvantage needing to use the bathroom so many times,¡± Caleb says to me.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m assuming that was the baby?¡± Taylor says.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yep, Jaxon Junior is sitting on my dder and he¡¯s being very rude about it.¡± I say, making everyone

    laugh.

    Jaxon leans over, nuzzling my hair and k*issing my head. ¡°Sorry, not sorry?¡±

    I shake my head at him.

    ¡°So, does everyone know which pack they would choose?¡± Taylor asks us. We all look around. The

    other five of us at the table went together to see the packs.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve pretty much chosen the ones we want, along with our second and third choices. After

    that, it¡¯s basically what¡¯s left over. I definitely know which ones I don¡¯t want. Or, should I say, the ones

    Maggie doesn¡¯t want,¡± Caleb says.

    ¡°How about you, Taylor? You haven¡¯t found your mate yet, so how are you deciding which packnds

    you want?¡± Lazio asks her.

    ¡°Location. My first choice is the pack that is closest to Griffin¡¯s pack. That way I¡¯m still close to family

    and sort of in between his pack and Jordan¡¯s. But if that one is taken, the I¡¯d like the one that was Aunt

    M¡¯s pack.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, back off my packnds,¡± Jaxon says. ¡°I chose that one from the beginning. Plus, there¡¯s a pack

    that borders that one and if Eve wins too, then we¡¯re going to try to take them both andbine them.¡±

    ¡°Then you better hope that you beat me or that my first choice is still avable,¡± Taylor says.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s everyone doing for the rest of the day?¡± Enzo asks, changing the subject.

    ¡°The families are set to start arriving any time now. Maggie will be here soon, and I think she¡¯sing

    with Rowan,¡± Caleb says to Enzo.

    ¡°Yep, I think they¡¯ll be here in another 30 minutes or so.¡±

    ¡°How about you, baby? What do you want to do this afternoon?¡± Jaxon says. ¡°I need a nap. I didn¡¯t

    sleep wellst night and after the stress of thepetition, I¡¯d like to rest a bit.¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea. I¡¯ll join you.¡± Taylor snorts. ¡°Forget ¡®rxing¡¯,¡± she says, using air quotes.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be rxed. Eventually,¡± I say, smiling at my mate.

    ¡°Eventually,¡± he says, taking my h*and and leading me to our room.

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 72 (Jaxon)

    Several hourster, Eve and I head back downstairs to meet up with our families. It¡¯s only a couple of

    hours before dinner and many people have already started to arrive for the festivities. It¡¯s an exciting

    time, one that will most likely never happen again in our lifetime.

    The energy and excitement are palpable, and all of the Alpha families will be arriving either tonight or

    tomorrow morning. As we enter the dining hall, we see that it¡¯s been set up with televisions that are

    ying recaps of the events and showing all of the contestants in those events, starting with the first

    race.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that we¡¯ve been doing this for over half a year,¡± Eve says to me, just as we hear

    someone call her name.

    ¡°Evie!¡± Maka says, rushing over and throwing herself in Eve¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Hi, Maka! Are you here with Mom and Dad or Alejandro?¡±

    ¡°Alejandro. Mom and Dad areing tomorrow morning, but I wanted to be here to enjoy the party

    tonight,¡± she says, full of enthusiasm. ¡°And look how big you¡¯ve gotten!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I think. I feel big,¡± Eve says as Alejandro walks up to us.

    ¡°Hey sis. Hey Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°Alejandro, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± I say.

    ¡°You as well,¡± he says, before hugging Eve. ¡°You¡¯re looking good, sis.¡± Not muchter, Jordan arrives

    with my sister Raelyn.

    ¡°Hello, my beautiful sisters! Jordan, I wasn¡¯t expecting you until tomorrow,¡± I say, hugging them both.

    ¡°Since my Beta and Gamma are no longer in thepetition, I feelfortable being away from the

    pack overnight. Plus, Mom and Dad aren¡¯ting until tomorrow, so they can cover if anything is

    needed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, about that¡­¡± I say as Raelyn rushes over to say hi to Maka. I think they bonded over being

    the only ones in their families too young topete in the contest.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with Jace resigning from thepetition?¡± I ask Jordan.

    She blows out a breath. ¡°That¡¯s a conversation, not a simple answer.¡±

    I look at my sister, seeing an unfamiliar strain around her eyes.

    ¡°You want me to take him out for you?¡± I offer, only half joking.

    ¡°Nah, I can take him out if I need to,¡± she says, smiling.

    I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her to me and kissing the side of her head. ¡°We need a

    twin day soon. I feel like I¡¯m out of t*ouch with what¡¯s going on with you.¡±

    ¡°Says the man who may have one, possibly two packs he needs to resurrect and a baby on the way,¡±

    she says. ¡°I think you have enough on your te, Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°I always have time for you, Jordan. Besides, Jax Jr. will need to meet his Aunt Jordan,¡± I say smiling.

    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re naming him?¡± she asks me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but even Eve is calling him Jaxon Junior now,¡± I say smiling. It started as a joke once I

    knew we were having a boy, but it has stuck and for thest two months that¡¯s what we¡¯ve been calling

    him. I¡¯m not sure I could call him anything else now.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be Auntie Jordan¡¯s little JJ,¡± she coos.

    I chuckle. ¡°It has a ring to it.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re feeling confident that you¡¯re in the top 10, but how did Eve do? She was at a

    disadvantage being pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Thisst one was hard for her. Between needing to use the bathroom several times and being

    ufortable sitting for such a long period of time, she said she didn¡¯t finish one of the scenarios.¡±

    ¡°What were the scenarios?¡± she asks me as we watch Eve talking to Magdalena, Rowan, Maka and

    several other females. I notice via has joined the group and based on the way the two of them are

    rubbing their stomachs, I¡¯m guessing they are talking about babies.

    I tell Jordan the list of scenarios that we had to write to, and she whistles. ¡°Damn, that was intense.¡±

    ¡°It really was. Plus, it¡¯s not like I really know how I did. It¡¯s a bit subjective based on the council¡¯s

    grading of our answers.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re still confident that you¡¯ve won a pack?¡± she asks me again. ¡°Yeah, I feel pretty confident.

    Honestly, I¡¯ll be devastated if one of us doesn¡¯t win. I want Aunt M¡¯s pack. I just feel like it should be

    kept in the family. Eve and I have already started to think of ways we can rebuild it.¡±

    She ps her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Jaxon, I¡¯ve never known you not to get something you wanted.

    I¡¯m positive you¡¯ll have your pack. Whether or not you get the one you want is another story, but I know

    you, I know you think like an Alpha. I¡¯m sure your answers were great.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, sis.¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    The rest of the night is much the same. The atmosphere remains festive as more and more Alpha

    families arrive.

    At one point, Evees up to me. ¡°Have you seen Lazio?¡± she asks me. ¡°No, where is he.¡±

    ¡°Over there,¡± she says and points to where I see her brother sitting with an auburn-haired female who

    looks just a bit older than him. Their heads are close together and they have managed to separate

    themselves from everyone else.

    ¡°Who is she? She looks like Luna McKenna¡¯s daughter,¡± I say.

    ¡°That¡¯s Phoebe, Luna McKenna and Alpha Davis¡¯s daughter. She was eliminated in the first round,¡± she

    says, looking at me meaningfully.

    ¡°So, maybe that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t find his mate? Because she was already eliminated?¡± I ask.

    ¡°That¡¯s my guess, and she¡¯s about a year older than him, so she¡¯d be feeling the bond more strongly

    that he is, but neither of them is 18 yet.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how your dad will feel about him moving to build his own pack before he¡¯s 18,¡± I say.

    ¡°Hopefully, he¡¯s learned his lesson. From what Maggie says, he isn¡¯t giving her any grief about nning

    to move to whatever pack Caleb wins, if he wins,¡± she says.

    ¡°Magdalena is only a couple of months from turning 18, Lazio isn¡¯t yet 17,¡± I say.

    I shrug. ¡°I guess they¡¯ll have to figure it out.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how Alejandro will feel if Lazio bes Alpha before he does. Granted, it won¡¯t be to a full

    pack like Alejandro will inherit, but still. Alejandro is the older brother and Lazio could take his pack

    first.¡±

    ¡°If he wins,¡± Eve says.

    ¡°If he wins.¡± I confirm.

    The next day, there are events and minipetitions that recreate the different contests for those that

    weren¡¯t able topete. The mood is much more festive with a bit ofpetition thrown in, but overall,

    everyone is having a good time.

    As the day goes on, and it gets closer to dinner time and the time of the announcements, the tension in

    the air begins to grow.

    When dinner is announced, the room is packed, just like it was on the night of the firstpetition.

    Every Alpha family has someone in the final stage of the contest, so every member of every Alpha

    family is here. Not only that, many have found their mates during this contest, so some are not only

    rooting for their family, but their mates as well.

    I focus on staying calm, knowing any additional stress that I feel will impact Eve. I don¡¯t want her

    nerves impacting the baby. Over dinner, I force myself to eat, asking her to do the same. I continue to

    reach out and t*ouch her, helping her to remain calm, but as dinner winds down, the tension in the

    room is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

    Finally, Councilman Jason walks to the front of the room.

    ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen. Thank you all foring to participate in this momentous

    asion. Tonight, we will announce the top tenpetitors in this contest that hassted for over half

    a year. As you know, this contest has been grueling and difficult and only the strongest and toughest

    I¡¯m so nervous, I feel like my dinner mighte back up. I lean over and kiss Evangeline. ¡°No matter

    what happens, I love you,¡± I tell her. ¡°And I love you,¡± she says, stroking my face.

    ¡°Without further ado, the first winner and top ranked Alpha is¡­¡±

 Chapter 273

    Chapter 273

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

    Chapter 73 (Evangeline)

    I know Jaxon is trying to keep me calm and I¡¯m trying to do the same. Funny, it¡¯ s his kiss and telling

    me he loves me no matter what happens that settles me.

    We¡¯re in this together, no matter where we end up.

    ¡°Without further ado, the first winner and top ranked Alpha is¡­ Alpha Tobias.¡±

    I smile. Jaxon has said that Tobias was his biggestpetition this entire contest, and he was right.

    We p as via jumps up and hugs her mate before he walks up to the stage. His family are all on

    their feet, pping for him. I turn and see that via¡¯s family is as well.

    Tobias goes up on stage and shakes Councilman Jason¡¯s hand before being given a thick piece of

    paper with a ¡®T¡¯ in the center, marking him as the first winner. Once he has taken his spot at the front of

    the room, Councilman Jason turns back to us.

    ¡°The second ranked Alpha in our contest is¡­. Alpha Jaxon.¡±

    I feel Jaxon jerk beside me, and I feel tears pooling in my eyes. I stand, hugging him and congratting

    him as the room erupts in cheers. He kisses me passionately enough to have me swaying when he

    releases me, but I continue standing and pping for my mate as he head to the front of the room. I

    hear his family whooping and hollering for him, as is mine. Maka runs over and hugs me tightly as

    my tears begin to fall.

    Jaxon goes up and shakes the councilman¡¯s hand before getting his number, ¡®2¡¯, and going to stand

    beside Tobias. They shake hands and turn back to the crowd. Jaxon looks at me and winks.

    ¡°Our third winner is Alpha Stefan,¡± Councilman Jason says, and the cheering begins again. This time

    it¡¯s Brooke, Jaxon¡¯s cousin, and Taylor and Caleb¡¯s sister, that jumps up to congratte her mate.

    Once he¡¯s in ce, Councilman Jason steps back up.

    ¡°Our fourth winner is¡­Alpha Taylor.¡±

    There¡¯s a moment of silence before the room erupts into apuse. Taylor¡¯s family is practically jumping

    for joy for their daughter and sister, Jordan¡¯s family, too, is on their feet for their cousin. Taylor looks

    properly stunned as she goes up front and takes her number ¡®4¡¯. Now there are two female Alphas.

    Cousins.

    I look at Jaxon and he smiles at me. There¡¯s still a chance for me.

    Everyone has just settled down when the next announcementes. ¡°Our fifth winner is¡­ Alpha

    Caleb.¡±

    Caleb¡¯s family erupts all over again having two of their children/siblings chosen as Alphas one after the

    other. Maggie jumps up, hugging him. I watch as he hugs her, kissing her while he high fives his

    brother Griffin who has already taken over from their father. That¡¯s three Alphas who have their own

    packs from one family.

    It takes a bit longer for the room to settle down after that, but finally it quiets down enough for the next

    announcement.

    ¡°Our sixth winner is¡­. Alpha Reid.¡±

    I watch as Ainsley, his mate jumps up to hug him and I see Lazio also standing to p for his newly

    found mate¡¯s brother. As Reid makes his way to the front of the room, I look at Jaxon. There are only

    four slots left.

    Jaxon¡¯s gaze holds mine and I realize, I¡¯ m okay if I don¡¯t win my own pack. Jaxon and I will have our

    pack. Ours. Not his, not mine. What do we need a second pack for? What would we even do with one?

    I can¡¯t be an Alpha to a pack that isn¡¯t next to his and at this point, it¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯d get lucky enough

    to have the one pack that borders the one we want.

    I can see the worry in his eyes. Worry for me. Worry that I¡¯ll be disappointed if I don¡¯t get my own pack.

    But I already have my own pack, with him.

    I smile at him, letting him know I¡¯m okay. ¡®I love you¡¯, I mouth to him.

    I can see his love for me, burning in his gaze as he mouths the words back to me.

    I refocus on the announcement just in time to catch the next one. ¡°¡­Alpha Cillian.¡±

    I p, looking around to see who is still waiting. Lazio hasn¡¯t been called. And neither has Enzo. I begin

    mentally rooting for both of them to be called in the final three slots.

    Almost as if I wished it into being, the next announcement is made.

    ¡°Our eighth winner is Alpha Lazio.¡±

    I jump up, as does my family and now, Phoebe¡¯s family does as well. I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s had a chance

    to tell them that they are mates, or if they are following her lead, but they cheer for my brother anyway

    and for that, I¡¯m grateful.

    ¡°Our ninth winner is¡­. Alpha Collin.¡±

    I see Ainsley jump up to p for her brother and surprisingly, Raelyn is up on her feet too. On his way

    to the front, Collin changes direction andes over, kissing Raelyn in front of the entire room. When

    he lets her go, she¡¯s blushing profusely.

    ¡°Raelyn, is there something you want to tell me?¡± I hear Alpha Mason ask his daughter. Raelyn is

    obviously older than Collin, but he seems pretty confident that they are mates to have imed her so

    publicly.

    ¡°Before we announce our final winner, I want to say that thispetition was intense from the very

    beginning. You are all winners, but for those of you that would like topete to be a ranked

    member in one of our newly formed packs, The Beta Trials will be announced in the next month or so.

    We want to give our new Alphas time to adjust to their new living environment before we begin another

    round ofpetitions. I would suggest that everyone who is interested pick up a flyer on your way out

    tonight or tomorrow before you leave. And if there are certain Alphas in particr that you¡¯d like to

    be a Beta for, I¡¯d suggest you make arrangements to meet with them in their new packnds

    before the Beta Trials begin. And now, our final winner is¡­. Alpha Enzo.¡±

    Enzo¡¯s family as well as Jordan¡¯s are on their feet pping again. Enzo pulls Rowan into a passionate

    kiss before jogging up to the stage to get his number ¡®10¡¯.

    Once everyone has calmed down, Councilman Jason steps up to the microphone again. The group

    often is about to step down.

    ¡°Please remain up here, Alphas,¡± he says, speaking to the ten winners. ¡°You still need to choose your

    packnds.¡±

    The other council members roll out a board that has what looks like a velvet map of the packnds on

    it.

    ¡°As you can see, this is a map of all 20 packnds. It identifies the boundaries and perimeters of those

    packnds. The ones that have a face on them, are ones that are currently established. The ones with

    an X are open for you to choose as your packnds. As I mentioned before, we will go in order of your

    ranking. Alpha Enzo, I¡¯m afraid you will have the final remaining packnd as yours.¡±

    ¡°Make sure you save me the one my mate wants, or she¡¯ll have my balls,¡± he says, making the room

    laugh.

    ¡°I love you, Enzo. No matter where we live,¡± Rowan calls out to him.

    ¡°I love you, too, Row.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness we got that out of the way. I¡¯d hate to be responsible for an Alpha getting neutered

    before he had his pups,¡± Tobias says, walking forward confidently and pping his number on the pack

    lands adjacent to the ones we want. I look at Jaxon. If I had won, our packs wouldn¡¯t have been

    adjoining. It just makes me more confident that it was supposed to be this way.

    ¡°Alpha Tobias, you have chosen the packnds east of the mountain.¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    I watch as one of the council members begins making notes on theirputer, documenting Tobias¡¯s

    im. ¡°Alpha Jaxon, you¡¯re up,¡± Councilman Jason says to him.

    Jaxon crooks his f*inger at me, asking me to join him. I walk up to him, and he takes my hand, kissing

    it. ¡°We¡¯re still in agreement?¡±

    I smile. ¡°Yes.¡±

    He hands me the number. ¡°Then let¡¯s get our pack, love.¡±

    We walk to the board together and I put the number over the space where his aunt¡¯s pack used to be. I

    hear Luna Jara gasp behind us. Apparently, Jaxon hadn¡¯t told her of our n.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, you choose the packnds to the south of the mountain. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± we say together.

    Jaxon kisses me and then I go back to my seat while he goes back to the front of the room.

    The rest of them put their numbers where they want them. Stefan took the pack up north away from all

    but his family¡¯s pack, which makes sense.

    None of us wanted that pack and I see Enzo sigh when he realizes that it won¡¯t be the one he¡¯s stuck

    with.

    Taylor picked the one she said she would, in between Griffin and Jordan¡¯s packs while Caleb took the

    one that we¡¯ re currently in, the old iming territory. Maggie began jumping up and down pping.

    ¡°My mate appreciates the finer things in life and running water and electricity are high up on the list,¡±

    Caleb says, making everyoneugh.

    When it¡¯s Lazio¡¯s turn, he runs up to Phoebe and the two whisper together for a moment before he

    chooses a pack that is in between my pack and Phoebe¡¯s parent¡¯s pack, now run by her brother

    Maximus. I¡¯m d Lazio will be fairly close.

    After the others chose their packnds, Enzo ends up with the one on the opposite side of Griffin¡¯s

    pack, keeping Rowan close to her family.

    After it¡¯s all done, there is another round of cheering and then music is turned on and everyone begins

    walking around congratting each other and talking about our ns to build our new packs.

    I am talking to via about ways that we can support each other since our packs will border each other

    when my fatheres up to me.

    ¡°Evangeline, might I have a word?¡±

    I excuse myself from via and my father leads me into a private hallway. ¡°Sweetheart, I wanted to

    make sure that you¡¯re okay. I know how important it was for you to get a pack of your own.¡±

    ¡°But dad, I did get my own pack, one with Jaxon.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the same as being an Alpha, sweetheart. I know you had your heart set on that.¡±

    ¡°Maybe at one time I did, dad, but not now. Besides, Jaxon and I have agreed to be co-Alphas. You

    saw how he was when it was his turn to im the packnds. He always involves me in decisions. We

    make them together. We¡¯ re a team. I wouldn¡¯t want to have a pack where I was technically an Alpha if

    it took me away from him. That¡¯s not a team. Truly dad, it all happened for the best. I¡¯m exactly where I

    should be with the man I was meant to be with.¡±

    He smiles at me. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up so much. I¡¯m so proud of you, Evangeline.¡± He pulls an envelope

    from his pocket. ¡°I wanted to give you this. It¡¯s from your mother and me.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Open it,¡± he says, just as Jaxones into the hallway to find me.

    ¡°Jaxon, this is for you as well,¡± my father says and Jaxones over, putting his arms around me and

    looking over my shoulder.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± I say opening the envelope and finding a check.

    ¡°Dad!¡± I say.

    ¡°Alpha Luke, this is too much.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯ll need more than that to get your pack going, consider this a start-up fund. We¡¯ve

    given one to each of you to help you get started on your new lives together.¡±

    I know I have tears in my eyes again when I pull away from Jaxon and hug my father.

    ¡°Thank you, Daddy,¡± I say, not having called him that since I was a little girl. ¡°You¡¯re wee,

    sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir, truly,¡± Jaxon says. My dad nods and I pull back, wiping my eyes.

    ¡°Feel free to invite me over sometime. I¡¯ m still young and strong, I can help build things,¡± my dad says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that, Alpha,¡± Jaxon says, wrapping an arm around me. ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll see you

    soon,¡± he says before walking off.

    I watch him go, turning to look at Jaxon, who reaches up to wipe my tears.

    ¡°Can you believe that?¡± I ask him.

    He gives me a look. ¡°Do you know what I can¡¯t believe? We got a check from my parents too,¡± he says,

    showing me the check from his parents.

    ¡°Oh, my goddess, Jaxon!¡±

    ¡°I know, between the two, it¡¯s enough to build our packhouse.¡±

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 01 (Jordan)

    One Month Later

    I pull onto a dirt road, heading to my brother¡¯s new pack. The drive out here, alone, is helping to clear

    my head. Ever since Jace pped that piece of paper down on my desk, letting me know that he¡¯d

    resigned from the contest, my emotions have been all over the ce. In thest year, I¡¯ve gone from

    wondering if he could feel the mate bond, to thinking he chose my cousin over me, to now, finding out

    that he entered thepetition just to prove to himself that he¡¯s worthy of being my mate.

    And then there¡¯s Nn. After walking in on me and Jace, with Jace practically ready to kiss me, Nn

    has been spending a lot more time around the pack. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s keeping an eye on Jace, or if

    he¡¯s trying to show me that he¡¯d make a good mate for me. Either way, it¡¯s making everything more

    awkward and so, I decided to get away, just me, toe see my brother. After this, I may even stop in

    and see my sisters in their new packs.

    I continue down the long road, passing the old dpidated packhouse and other buildings that are in

    various states of disrepair. I¡¯m not sure what they n to do with thisnd, but the area is gorgeous. It¡¯s

    simr to my packnds with a mountain in the backdrop, framing the sky.

    As I pull up, I see a very pregnant

    Evangeline directing some construction guys and pulling branches and tree limbs away from the

    construction site. I hop out of the car, rushing over to her and taking the brush from her hands.

    ¡°What are you doing? Where¡¯s Jaxon?¡± I ask her, concerned that she¡¯s doing manualbor in her

    advanced stages of pregnancy. Thankfully, her pregnancy has been easy, but that doesn¡¯t mean that

    she won¡¯t strain something working out here.

    ¡°Hey Alpha Jordan!¡± she says, wiping the sweat from her face as I pull the brush over to where I see a

    pile that she must have already started.

    I toss it on the pile and turn to her. ¡°I thought we agreed that we¡¯re sisters and I¡¯m Jordan, Luna,¡± I say,

    giving her a look.

    ¡°Sorry, pregnesia. I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    ¡°Pregnesia?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Pregnancy amnesia. It¡¯s like Jax Jr. is sucking the brain cells right out of my head. He better be the

    smartest wolf I¡¯ve ever met to be causing me such problems,¡± she says as I reach out to hug her.

    ¡°And your brother is over at Tobias and via¡¯s pack. Tobias took her back to her home pack to have

    her baby. Theysted as long as possible, but we agreed to watch over their packnds while they¡¯re

    gone if they would do the same for us,¡± she says, rubbing her stomach.

    ¡°How much longer before youe home?¡± I ask her.

    She smiles at me. ¡°I am home. But only two or three more weeks before Jaxon brings me back to your

    pack¡± she says, reminding me that Jaxon is no longer part of my pack. It makes me sad. I miss my

    twin.

    I look at the construction site. ¡°Wow, this ce is reallying along. I¡¯ve heard that most of the other

    packs barely have a foundation, and some are just breaking ground, but you guys already have walls

    going up,¡± I say, truly amazed at the progress they are making.

    ¡°I know! It helps that we are working together with Tobias. They¡¯ve been great to have as neighbors.

    We agreed to work together and try to get discounted rates for everything and have thepanies we

    contract with do both of ournds at the same time.

    So, Tobias worked on getting pipesid and Jaxon worked on construction. The pipes are done, and

    the buildings are going up. It¡¯s a win-win all around.¡±

    I look at Eve, knowing they¡¯ve been living out here. ¡°So, the pipes areid. Does that mean that you

    have running water now?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°It does! We don¡¯t have hot water yet, but I usually try to shower in the middle of the day when I¡¯m so

    hot that the cool water feels good. But I¡¯ll tell you this, it¡¯ s a lot warmer than the pond we found with run

    off from the mountain snow. That water was cold!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a better woman than I am,¡± I say, watching the construction guys as theyy one concrete block

    on top of another.

    ¡°Come sit,¡± she says, guiding me to a pic table and chairs. There¡¯s a cooler beside it and she opens

    it looking inside. ¡°We have water, soda and beer,¡± she says turning to look at me. ¡°Any of that sound

    good to you?¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°How about a beer?¡± I say.

    Shees to sit beside me, handing me my beer then leaning back and finding her way to sit down.

    ¡°How is my nephew?¡± I ask, watching her rub her stomach. I feel a sharp pang in my heart. I¡¯ve always

    wanted a pup or two, or three.

    ¡°He¡¯s active. Here,¡± she says, taking my hand and putting it on her stomach. I smile as I feel my

    nephew kick my hand.

    I lean down to her stomach. ¡°Hey there, JJ. This is your Aunt Jordan. You be good to you momma, but

    give your daddy hell.¡±

    Evangeline¡¯s smile widens as I sit up and we both look out over the construction going on nearby.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m not your twin, Jordan, but I¡¯ m willing to listen if you need someone to talk to,¡± she says to

    me, ncing at me before looking back at the work being done.

    ¡°Oh, I just came by to tell you guys about the announcement of the Beta Trials,¡± I tell her.

    She turns and looks at me. ¡°Jordan, you could have sent anyone to tell us that. And I have enough

    sisters to know that sad look in your eyes isn¡¯t because of something pack rted.¡±

    I lean forward, rubbing my face in my hands. I didn¡¯t just lose my twin in the contest, I lost all of my

    siblings, not that I was ever really close to Teagan or Rowan, but they are both working on building their

    packs and even Raelyn is working with her mate, Collin, to build their pack. Everyone left all at once

    and left me alone, or not alone. They left me to deal with my mate mess while they get to wallow in the

    glory of theirs. I feel Eve¡¯s hand begin to rub circles on my back and I look up at her. She has one hand

    on her stomach and the other on my back.

    ¡°Sorry, I just know it¡¯s rxing. I can stop,¡± she says. I shake my head, appreciating the sisterly

    camaraderie.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be forward, but does this visit have anything to do with Jace and Nn, by chance?¡±

    she asks.

    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±

    She shrugs, continuing to rub circles on my back. It really is rxing. ¡°As I understand it from Jaxon,

    you have a mate, he didn¡¯t acknowledge the mate bond. Which, by the way, I will never understand.

    Then he dated your cousin, you rejected him and then he proved that he wanted you by participating in

    the contest but before it waspleted and he potentially won his own pack, he resigned so you would

    know that he did it all for you. Add to that, you found a man who is interested in you, appreciates you

    for the woman you are, wants to be with you and doesn¡¯t really care about taking your Alpha status.

    Does that about sum it up?¡±

    I turn and look at her. A slow smile spreading across my face. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to see why you¡¯re mated

    to my brother. Youpliment him well.¡±

    ¡°Wepliment each other,¡± she says, just as I hear paws pounding against the earth.

    I stand, ready to protect my brother¡¯s mate and pup when I see my brother¡¯s wolf racing toward us.

    Evangeline does the pushing herself up thing that pregnant women do, and I reach out to help steady

    her as my brother runs up, shifts and takes her in his arms.

    ¡°Hello beautiful!¡± he says, kissing her, then leaning down to kiss her stomach. ¡°Hey, Jax Jr.,¡± he says

    before standing and pulling me into a hug.

    ¡°Ew, gross Jaxon. Don¡¯t hug me when you¡¯re naked. I had enough of your junk t*ouching me when we

    shared mom¡¯s womb.¡±

    He snickers, grabbing the shorts that Eve pulled from goddess knows where and putting them on.

    ¡°You here trying to escape the Jace Nn debacle?¡± he asks me.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± I tell him. ¡°Well, I¡¯m starved, and my mate and son need to eat. Let¡¯s go get some

    food and you can tell us all about it.¡±

    I smile, it¡¯s good to be with my brother and Evangeline. ¡°Sounds like a n.¡±

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 02 (Jace)

    I¡¯m looking over the pack¡¯s financials while Jordan is away when Carteres in.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± I ask him.

    Hees and flops into a chair across from me. ¡°Are you joining the Beta Trials?¡± he asks me.

    ¡°No.¡± He nods, looking around the office.

    I watch a moment before setting down my pen down. ¡°Are you?¡± I ask him. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure

    how I feel about being Beta to a female Alpha.¡±

    I narrow my eyes at him, keeping hold of my temper. If he¡¯s another one that will undermine Jordan, he

    needs to go and I¡¯m more than happy to help him find the door.

    ¡°Is there something in particr that Jordan has done, or are you just basing this decision on her

    gender?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Come on, Jace. You can¡¯t tell me that you wouldn¡¯t rather be a ranked member to one of the other

    Alphas,¡± he says to me.

    ¡°Actually, I can. I¡¯m perfectly happy in this pack, which is why I¡¯m not joining the Beta Trials.¡±

    ¡°Says the man who joined The Contest. Besides, you could always end up getting Taylor to ept you

    as her mate and then you¡¯ll be a co-Alpha,¡± he says.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to second guess and undermine our Alpha, better to resign now and let us choose your

    recement,¡± I say.

    ¡°It could be good for you, Jace. You could move up into my position and then Jordan could take Victor

    as her Gamma. Win-win all the way around.¡±

    ¡°Victor has already entered the Beta Trials and if you don¡¯t care enough about this pack to stay in it,

    then don¡¯t bother trying to figure out our ranked members. We¡¯ll manage just fine without you. And, by

    the way, how are your parents feeling about this change of heart?¡± I ask, positive that he hasn¡¯t told

    them yet. There¡¯s no way Elijah and Layan would be okay with this.

    He flinches and stands. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t made any final decisions yet,¡± he says, as he walks to the door.

    ¡°Do me and Jordan a favor, resign from your position. If you aren¡¯t 110% with her and this pack, we

    deserve someone that is.¡±

    ¡°Again, says the man whopeted in the contest. Why did you resign anyway?¡± he asks.

    I¡¯ve only told a handful of people about Jordan being my mate. I won¡¯t make it public until she epts

    me. If she epts me.

    ¡°I have my reasons.¡±

    ¡°Right, we all have our reasons for the choices we make, Jace,¡± he says as he walks out the door.

    I grit my teeth, getting up to grab the list of people who are currently signed up for the Beta Trials. The

    announcement came out a week ago and Jordan has been gone ever since. She said she was going to

    let Jaxon know, since he doesn¡¯t yet have electricity at his pack, but I know the real reason. She needs

    a break. A break from me.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Well, not only me, I hope. Nn has been sniffing around ever since I told him he isn¡¯t pack material.

    Suddenly, it¡¯ s like he¡¯s trying to prove that he can live in a pack, except, I¡¯m pretty sure he can¡¯t. He still

    seems like a lone wolf trying to fit in.

    We still have a couple of months before the Beta Trials begin, so the pool of candidates should

    continue to grow. There are very few Alphas who have signed up to participate, most of them either

    getting their own pack or finding mates that are either Alpha heirs or Alphas who won their pack in the

    contest.

    The council lowered the age for the Beta Trials, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be as grueling as the contest

    for Alpha. Now, anyone over the age of 14 at the time of the announcement can enter. As I look over

    the list, I see several female Alphas who have signed up for the Beta Trials. The most surprising is

    Celine. She is Alpha Aiden and Alpha Stefan¡¯s sister, and she¡¯s 22, the oldest of the remaining Alpha

    females. I¡¯m wondering why one of her brothers didn¡¯t snatch her up. Aiden may already have a Beta

    heir, but Stefan doesn¡¯t.

    She¡¯s not the only one. There are three other Alpha females in the Beta Trials ranging in age from just

    over 14 to 18. I¡¯m not sure how Taylor would feel, but I know Jordan would have no problem bringing in

    a female Beta. It might even be better than having Carter. A female Beta would support Jordan in a

    way that I¡¯m not sure Carter will. Of course, there are also the three male Alphas that weren¡¯t old

    enough topete in the contest, both of Alpha Quinton¡¯s boys and Alpha Jared¡¯s youngest.

    Technically, Jared is his brother, Alpha Jonas¡¯s Beta, but he and his children, are still from Alpha blood.

    I look over the current candidates for Beta and I rank my top 10 options. Once that¡¯s done, I go back to

    pouring over the financials. Jordan, like every other Alpha, provided a start-up fund for each of the new

    Alphas. It¡¯s a loan, collected by the council and given to each of the newly appointed Alphas. They will

    be responsible for paying back the loan and then the loans will be repaid to the current Alphas.

    ording to Jordan, no one can build a pack off of $50,000, but since all of the Alphase from

    existing Alpha families, they were all given money by their families, some more than others. Thankfully,

    our pack has been thriving for years, but it takes time and attention to ensure that it continues and to

    make sure that no one decides to try and take advantage of Jordan being a new Alpha, not that her

    father would let her fail. She¡¯s been trained to be an Alpha for years.

    I¡¯m pouring over the figures, making sure that everything matches up when there¡¯s another knock at the

    door. I look up and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes.

    First Carter, now Nn.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 03 (Nn)

    ¡°She¡¯s not here, Nn. I have no idea when she¡¯ll return. I¡¯ll leave her a message letting her know you

    stopped by,¡± Jace says, moving papers around on his desk.

    When I don¡¯t leave, he looks up. ¡°Don¡¯t let the door hit you on your way out.¡±

    ¡°Where is she?¡± I ask ignoring him. ¡°I need to speak with her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s visiting family, Nn. If she wanted to talk with you, I¡¯m sure she would have picked up the

    phone.¡±

    I shouldn¡¯t let his snarkiness bother me, but hisment hits home. I¡¯ve been calling Jordan for the

    last couple of days, and she hasn¡¯t answered. But this isn¡¯t about my pride, this is about her safety.

    ¡°What about Alpha Mason, is he around?¡± I ask.

    Jace¡¯s eyes narrow on me. ¡°What is this about?¡±

    I ignore him. ¡°Do you know which pack she¡¯s at?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m her Gamma, Nn, she¡¯s the Alpha. I tell her where I¡¯m going, not the other way around. If this

    is something that impacts the pack, you need to tell me,¡± he says.

    ¡°Is she answering your calls?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he says, in a much less snarky tone. He reaches for the phone, putting it on speaker and dialing

    Jordan. I close the door behind me.

    ¡°I¡¯m nearly home, Jace, can it wait?¡± Jordan answers. I¡¯m d to hear she doesn¡¯t want to talk to him

    either. ¡°Nn¡¯s here,¡± he says, and I hear her sigh.

    ¡°Just have him wait in my office. Don¡¯t get into it again with him, Jace, please,¡± she says, and I raise my

    eyebrow at him. Obviously, our animosity toward each other is affecting her. Maybe that¡¯ s why she left.

    ¡°How far out are you, Jordan? What I need to discuss is important,¡± I say. ¡°Oh, Nn. I didn¡¯t realize I

    was on speakerphone.¡±

    Of course, she didn¡¯t. She would never have said that to her Gamma if she had. Gamma AND potential

    mate since he still hasn¡¯t epted her rejection. ¡°I¡¯m less than an hour away, Nn. Why don¡¯t you get

    something to eat and by the time you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll be there,¡± she says.

    ¡°Have you eaten, Jordan?¡± I ask her. I know Jace thinks that all I do is take Jordan on dates, but he

    obviously hasn¡¯t noticed that unless she¡¯s made to eat, she skips meals all the time.

    I hear her snort. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you. See you soon.¡±

    ¡°Okay, see you soon,¡± she says before disconnecting.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go wait in her office,¡± I tell Jace who is watching me intently now.

    Forty-five minutester, Jordanes blowing into her office, her hair is all over the ce as if she

    was driving with the windows down.

    ¡°Hey beautiful,¡± I say, standing to greet her.

    ¡°Hey, Nn. I¡¯m so sorry to keep you waiting,¡± she says,ing over to hug me.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know I wasing Jordan, why would you apologize?¡±

    ¡°Habit?¡± she says, dropping her bag anding to sit beside me. She¡¯s got the smell of the wilderness

    on her.

    ¡°I thought we agreed that you were going to stop apologizing for things that aren¡¯t your fault.¡± I say.

    She gives me a look. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    ¡°Did you see all of your siblings?¡± I ask her, changing the subject.

    She smiles. ¡°I did, it was great to see them. They are all so excited and in various stages of cleaning up

    their packs. Evangeline looks like she¡¯s about ready to pop. They¡¯ll being back here in another

    week or so for her to have her baby. I¡¯m excited since I¡¯ll get to meet my nephew right away.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. I know you miss your brother,¡± I say, since it¡¯s something we¡¯ ve talked about.

    ¡°I do,¡± she says, just as there¡¯s a knock at the door. I can smell the food even with the door closed, and

    I hear Jordan¡¯s stomach growl making me wonder how long it¡¯s been since she¡¯s eaten.

    ¡°You ordered food, thank you. I¡¯m starving!¡± she says. She starts to get up and I shoo her back down,

    going to open the door and letting the omega bring in the cart of food.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say to her, taking the cart from her. ¡°I¡¯ve got it from here.¡±

    ¡°Wee home, Alpha,¡± the girls says to Jordan.

    ¡°Thank you, Alicia. Did everything go okay while I was away?¡± she asks. ¡°Sure did.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    I close the door and push the cart over to Jordan.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move to the table where we¡¯ll have room to spread out,¡± she says, going to the table and helping

    me carry the food tes over.

    ¡°Smells like grilled cheese, tomato soup and rotisserie chicken,¡± she says, sniffing the covered te

    before pulling the lid off.

    ¡°Excellent sense of smell, as always, Jordan.¡±

    As we sit, she looks up at me. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Nn? I thought you were

    out training bear shifters or something crazy like that,¡± she says.

    The question slips out without me meaning to ask. ¡°Is it a pleasure, Jordan?¡±

    She stops with the sandwich halfway to her mouth and sets it down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t been

    answering your calls, Nn. I needed to get away.¡±

    I shake my head. ¡°No, I apologize. I wasn¡¯t going to say anything about that. You have your reasons

    and I think after hearing you on the phone earlier, I may have an idea of what those are.¡±

    She reaches out, t*ouching my hand, about to say something.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here anyway, Jordan. I came here to warn you.¡±

    She sits back, frowning at me. ¡°Warn me about what?¡±

    ¡°Eat while we talk,¡± I say.

    I wait until she takes a bite of food before continuing.

    ¡°As you mentioned, I was deep in the woods with the bear shifters. They have amunity of sorts out

    in the wilderness away from humans. Not that it¡¯s amunity like what we have as wolves, but it is for

    them.¡±

    She nods, watching me as she chews. ¡°There have been some rumblings about rogue wolves being

    out in the wilderness for a while now,¡± I tell her. ¡°Rogue wolves? We haven¡¯t had rogues in forever. I

    don¡¯t know of anyone that has banished a pack member since¡­. well, ever.¡±

    ¡°Not your generation, Jordan. These would be the children of the people your parents and the other

    packs at the time banished.¡±

    She frowns, looking at me. ¡°The only pack members that were banished back then were those that

    were low level criminals.¡±

    ¡°No, those aren¡¯t the only ones. Some packs banished those with feral fever or those that came back in

    the iming haze, ones that never were able to get back to being normal.¡±

    ¡°But they all died. They couldn¡¯t live alone, and even if they did, they would have gone crazy by now.

    Surely, they are all dead.¡± she says.

    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone thought. But the bears say that isn¡¯t the case. It used to be sporadic, a wolf here

    and there. Sometimes they would hear the sounds of screams or a baby¡¯s cry. They even told me

    about finding human females that had been ripped apart. But now, they¡¯ve started to see an increasing

    number of wolves, angry, violent wolves, in thest month.¡±

    ¡°Thest¡­.month?¡± she asks, and I watch as she realizes what I¡¯m saying to her.

    ¡°You think that these wolves, these descendants of the ones who were criminals, had feral fever, and

    maybe some with the iming haze, were living in the packnds that were vacant but now that they

    are being taken over¡­¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Now, they are disced with nowhere to go.¡±

    ¡°How many are we talking about?¡± she asks.

    ¡°ording to the bears, enough that they have more than one pack. It¡¯s why the bears asked me to

    come train them. Bears have started to go missed or are showing up dead, torn to shreds, their bodies

    eaten.¡±

    ¡°The wolves are attacking the bears?¡± she asks, incredulous.

    ¡°And not just that, Jordan. The leader of the bear n told me that he¡¯s heard rumors that the Alpha of

    one of those packs ising for the Alpha female wolf so he can take over her pack and reim his

    right as a true Alpha.¡±

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 04 (Jordan)

    ¡°I need to get Jace and Carter in here. They need to hear this,¡± I say, mind linking Jace who I know is

    close.

    I try to mink link Carter, but his mind link is closed. Before I push through, I¡¯ll see if Jace knows where

    he is. I wouldn¡¯t want to interrupt some romantic interlude.

    Jace knocksing in and closing the door.

    ¡°What¡¯s up,¡± he says, not stepping any further into the room.

    ¡°Come in and sit down, we need to talk. Do you know where Carter is? His mind link is closed off,¡± I

    say.

    ¡°We need to talk about that, but for now, let¡¯s chat without him. What about Beta Elijah?¡± Jace asks.

    ¡°He¡¯s over talking with Griffin,¡± I say, giving him a meaningful look.

    Griffin, my cousin and Alpha of his pack, finally told Layan and Elijah¡¯s daughter E that he¡¯s her mate.

    Griffin is neen where E is only 17, so Elijah felt the need to have ¡®the talk¡¯ with Griffin.

    Jace grimaces at that butes and sits down. ¡°Is this about what was so important earlier?¡± Jace

    asks Nn. ¡°Yes.¡±

    I give Jace the quick version of Nn¡¯s story, watching as he gets more and more concerned. When

    I¡¯m done, he sits back and scrubs his hands over his face.

    ¡°Do we know anything about these wolves? Names, who their parents were, anything?¡± he asks

    looking at Nn.

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    Jace turns back to me. ¡°You know you¡¯ re not the only female Alpha any longer, Jordan. If these wolves

    are feeling disced, they could be talking about Taylor.¡±

    I¡¯ve been the only female Alpha for so long that I hadpletely forgotten about Taylor.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, your cousin is now an Alpha of her own pack, isn¡¯t she?¡± Nn asks me.

    ¡°Yes, you would have met her during the training for The Contest,¡± I say absently. ¡°She¡¯s part of Griffin¡¯s

    pack.¡±

    ¡°I never made it to that pack. The only weeks they were free, I was booked. Which pack did she end up

    choosing?¡± I look at Jace. ¡°The one between our pack and Griffin¡¯s pack. Even if they¡¯re after Taylor

    and not me, she¡¯s close enough that it puts this pack in danger. Add to that, she¡¯s family and it¡¯s a real

    problem.¡±

    ¡°We need to alert the council,¡± he says. ¡°Yes, Councilman Jason ran The Contest, but I hear that

    Councilwoman Gia is nning to run The Beta Trials.¡±

    ¡°You should call your mom, Jordan. She¡¯s on the council now too,¡± he says to me gently. He knows how

    much I try to do things on my own, without my parents¡¯ help. But he¡¯s right, this is different. This isn¡¯t

    about me and this pack. This could potentially impact not only me and/or Taylor, but also the new packs

    that are being formed. Nn said one Alpha is after the Alpha female, but he also said there is at least

    one more pack out there.

    ¡°This could put via and Evangeline and their new pups at serious risk too,¡± I say, turning back to

    Nn. He¡¯s been watching the silent exchange between me and Jace. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but Jace

    has been Gamma longer than I¡¯ve been Alpha. He and I have worked together for years and have a

    way of understanding each other without words.

    ¡°You said there is more than one pack,¡± I say to Nn. ¡°Do you know how many there are?¡±

    ¡°I only know what the bears told me. But Jordan, you and the packs here will need to do damage

    control with the bears eventually. You may have been living in an unspoken alliance with

    them, but it is the actions of the packs here that have caused the issues that the bears have now. My

    suggestion to you and the pack leaders is to have someone go speak to their leader. Get as much

    information as you can from him, but also do damage control. They are losing their kin because of

    these wolf packs.¡±

    I move to my desk and pick up the phone. My mother was just arriving at Raelyn and Collin¡¯s pack

    when I left. ¡°Jordan, what a pleasant surprise,¡± she answers.

    ¡°Mother, I need you toe home. We have a situation that requires a discussion with the council.¡±

    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± my mother¡¯s voice has instantly gone from motherly to serious.

    I give her a basic rundown of what Nn told me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll want to speak with Nn. Can you send Jace over to warn Taylor? She¡¯ll need to know the entire

    story and I¡¯d rather not have her hear it third or fourth hand at this point. I will call Seth and make sure

    he knows that Taylor needs to have more than just herself and a couple of wolves on her packnds at

    all times.¡±

    She pauses as I look at Jace. The thought of sending him to go tell Taylor makes my stomach churn.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re the Alpha, Jordan, and of course it¡¯s your decision, but we should consider working with

    Griffin to help protect Taylor¡¯s borders.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve already thought of that. I¡¯ll send Jace to speak with Taylor. If you call Alpha Seth, I¡¯ll call

    Griffin. Elijah is over there now speaking with him about being mated to E.¡±

    I hear my mother snort. ¡°Elijah has always been very protective.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he has.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call Seth, then the rest of the council. Your father and I will head home just as soon as I talk

    with Collin and Raelyn and let them know of the danger of being out here alone.¡±

    ¡°Teagan and Rowan too, mom. At least Jaxon and Evangeline are heading home soon or heading

    here, I should say. But that will leave Tobias and via out there alone with their new baby. It¡¯s a big

    problem that we need to look at, not just for Taylor, but for all the packs.¡±

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Spoken like the true Alpha that you are, Jordan. Your father and I will see you soon.¡±

    ¡°See you soon, Mom.¡±

    I hang up and look at the two men who are watching me closely.

    ¡°You¡¯re sending me to warn Taylor?¡± Jace asks me.

    ¡°Yeah. You may want to suggest that she eithere stay here or at Griffin¡¯s until the council meets

    and we can figure out how to make sure that not only she, but also the other packs are going to remain

    safe,¡± I say before turning to Nn.

    ¡°My mother said the council will want to speak with you. Can I have a room made up for you to stay

    here until that meeting is scheduled?¡±

    ¡°I would appreciate that, thank you,¡± Nn says, ncing at Jace.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head out now, so I can be back before it gets dark,¡± Jace says, making sure I understand that he¡¯s

    not going to spend any unnecessary time with Taylor.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± I say, just as there is a knock at the door.

    ¡°Come in, Alicia,¡± I call out.

    Shees in with another omega. ¡°Alicia, can you get a room set up for Nn? You can put him on

    my floor. And I¡¯m done with lunch,¡± I say. I see Nn frown at my nearly unt*ouched food.

    ¡°Of course, Alpha.¡±

    I walk with Jace to the perimeter of the packnds before turning to him. ¡°What¡¯s this about Carter?¡± I

    ask him.

    He blows out a breath and shoves his hands into the pocket of his jeans. ¡°He¡¯ s considering entering

    the Beta Trials.¡±

    It hurts, but it¡¯s not surprising. I don¡¯t want to ask the next question, but I need to know the answer.

    ¡°And what about you, Jace? Are you entering the Beta Trials?¡±

    Faster than I thought he could move, his arm is around me and he has me pressed against his body.

    ¡°Why would I enter the Beta Trials when what I want is right here, Jordan?¡±

    ¡°Jace¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked for a chance, Jordan. A chance to prove to you that I¡¯m ready to be the mate you want and

    deserve. I¡¯ m not going anywhere. I¡¯m ready to im what¡¯s mine and you are mine, Jordan.¡±

    Before I can say anything, his hand is in my hair and his mouth is on mine. It¡¯s a gentle k*iss, full of

    promise and as much as I know I should pull away, I don¡¯t want to. His mouth is warm, his lips are soft

    and something about k*issing him feels so incredibly right. Everything that has felt off for thest week

    while I was gone, settles inside me.

    He pulls back before I¡¯m ready for the k*iss to end, rubbing his nose against mine. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡±

    he says before stepping back, stripping, then shifting and racing off to see Taylor.

    I watch him go, my lips still tingling from the k*iss. Stupid mate bond.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 05 (Jace)

    I hate leaving Jordan, not only because I know that Nn is now staying in our packhouse, but also

    because I know she¡¯s still unsure of my feelings for Taylor. I could tell she didn¡¯t want to send me, but

    with Carter out of the picture, at least for now, it was either her or me, and she needs to be here since

    she just got back.

    I race to Taylor¡¯s new packnds, feeling the change when I cross our borders and begin running in

    unchartered territory.

    I run until I smell her and then I howl, letting her know that I¡¯ming to see her. She may not know

    that she¡¯s at risk, but it¡¯s better to announce myself.

    When I find her, she¡¯s on the roof of a house, hammering and fixing a hole, I guess. She stands, wiping

    her hands and smiling before leaping off the roof andnding neatly on her feet.

    As I get close to her, I shift,ing to a stop in front of her.

    ¡°Jace, what an unexpected surprise,¡± she says, her eyes taking in my naked body. It¡¯s unexpected and

    now that I¡¯ve told Jordan that I want her, it¡¯s unwanted. Unfortunately, the head below my waist doesn¡¯t

    agree with the one above it and he begins to respond to her admiring look.

    ¡°Do you have a pair of shorts, Taylor?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Not that will fit you. Besides, you don¡¯t need to put clothes on for my benefit,¡± she says, taking a step

    toward me. ¡°Taylor, I have something important to talk with you about.¡±

    She stops, looking at me. ¡°I hope it¡¯s to tell me that you¡¯ve reconsidered my offer.¡±

    Her offer of taking each other as chosen mates.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m trying to make things work with Jordan, Tay. And what I have to talk about is more

    important than mate bonds, chosen or otherwise.¡±

    She raises an eyebrow at that before turning. ¡°Come on, then. I don¡¯t have a lot yet, but I have tea and

    coffee, and I have a towel if you¡¯re sure you want to cover up,¡± she says, smirking at me over her

    shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I tell her.

    Once we get settled, I fill her in on the rogue situation and on her risk of being out here alone, not

    knowing which Alpha female the rogues were talking about.

    ¡°You need to take extra precautions, Taylor. You can¡¯t be out here on your own,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°What do you propose I do, Jace? My sisters have both found their mates, Griffin is running our family¡¯s

    pack and Caleb is doing exactly what I¡¯m doing, building his own. I haven¡¯t found my mate, we haven¡¯t

    had the Beta Trials yet, so who do you suggest I havee out here to help me, to keep me safe? It¡¯s

    just me, Jace. There isn¡¯t anyone else, unless you decide to give up on Jordan and ept me.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Taylor. I¡¯ll help you in any way I can, but we don¡¯t know if she¡¯ s the target any more

    than we know if you¡¯re the target. What about your parents? Alpha Seth¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re splitting up their time, Jace. They have five children. Three are starting their own packs, Griffin

    is a new Alpha and one of my sisters is a new Luna to an existing pack. It¡¯s a lot of change all at once

    for them. I can¡¯t ask them toe babysit me because I¡¯m afraid of an encroaching Alpha. Besides,

    what sort of Alpha would I be if I walked away from my packnds because of a threat of another

    Alpha? I wouldn¡¯t be worth the title I just earned, and you know it.¡±

    I do know it.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°At least, stay with your brother ore stay with Jordan until the council

    convenes. This is more than just an Alpha threatening you, Taylor. If they get to you and you¡¯re out

    here alone and this rogue forcibly marks you¡­.I wouldn¡¯t want that to happen to you, Taylor. We may

    not be together anymore, but I will always care about you.¡±

    She snorts derisively. ¡°As a sister? As a friend?¡±

    ¡°Taylor¡­¡±

    I¡¯m saved from having to answer her by another howl. I¡¯m up and ready to fight, but Taylor grabs my

    arm. ¡°It¡¯s Griffin.¡±

    I nod. ¡°Jordan was calling him. Don¡¯t be surprised if your father shows up. Luna Jara was calling him as

    well as the council.¡±

    She sighs. ¡°Dammit, there¡¯s no way they will let me stay out here alone.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t anyway, Taylor. Don¡¯t risk it. At least not until we talk to the council and find out what

    they want to do. Maybe they will establish guards, or patrols, or who knows what,¡± I say, as Griffin and

    another wolf I identify as Beta Elijah rush up to where we have stepped outside the small house that

    Taylor has made into her home.

    Griffin shifts and quicklyes over to Taylor, grabbing her arms and looking her over as if expecting

    to find a forced mate mark on her already.

    I nod at Elijah as he shifts.

    ¡°Jace, I¡¯m surprised my son isn¡¯t here,¡± he says.

    ¡°Yeah, we can talk about thatter,¡± I tell him and Elijah¡¯s focus narrows on me a moment before he

    nods. ¡°Taylor, I¡¯m sending over patrols. I know you won¡¯t want toe back to my pack, although I

    wish you would, so I¡¯m sending patrols over here.¡±

    ¡°I think Jordan was nning to do the same,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°We talked and have it worked out. We¡¯ II alternate so you¡¯re never alone, Taylor,¡± Griffin says seriously.

    I watch as Taylor gets ready to make some sarcasticment about not needing help when we hear

    another howling from the opposite direction.

    Taylor¡¯s head falls forward and her hands go to her hips. Griffin pulls her into a hug. ¡°You had to know

    Dad wouldn¡¯t allow you to be out here alone with the threat of some rogue Alpha male threatening to

    mark you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she says, just as Alpha Seth¡¯s wolfes racing up to us. He shifts faster than I would have

    expected and then he pulls Taylor into his arms. ¡°Are you okay? Have you smelled anything off?¡±

    Without giving her a chance to answer, he looks at Griffin. ¡°Are you sending patrols over to guard your

    sister?¡±

    ¡°DAD!¡± Taylor says, and everyone stops at the Alphamand in her voice. I look down and smile.

    Taylor truly was always meant to be an Alpha.

    ¡°I am Alpha here. It may not look like much, but you will not disrespect me by talking to Griffin as if I am

    the sister that needs to be protected, not as the Alpha of this packnd.¡±

    Alpha Seth looks at his daughter for a long moment. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. My apologies, Alpha. But

    you are still my daughter, I love you, and I will not allow anyone to forcibly mark you or hurt you,¡± he

    says to her.

    I watch as Taylor softens. She has always been a daddy¡¯s girl. ¡°Thanks Dad.¡±

    ¡°Now, what¡¯s the n?¡±

    Taylor turns to head back inside her little hut of a house.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to my pack. Alpha Mason and Luna Jara will being back soon and I¡¯m

    guessing that the Council will be making ns toe to one of our packs to meet with all the Alphas,¡±

    I say.

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Elijah says. ¡°We¡¯ll see you soon. Thank you, Jace, foring to warn my

    daughter,¡± Alpha Seth says.

    ¡°Of course,¡± I say, nodding at Taylor before turning away.

    ¡°Tell me why it¡¯s you and not my son who is here,¡± Beta Elijah says quietly when we¡¯re far enough away

    from the others.

    I look at him, not sure if I should say anything, but he¡¯s the Beta of our pack and his son¡¯s decision

    impacts the entire pack.

    ¡°Carter is considering joining The Beta Trials,¡± I say.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± he says before shifting and racing toward our packnds.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 06 (Jordan)

    After leaving Jace, I went back inside the packhouse and called Griffin. He was understandably worried

    about his sister, and I felt a little better knowing that he and Elijah were joining Jace in meeting up with

    Taylor.

    Then I left a message for each of my siblings. With them being in their packnds, they don¡¯t have easy

    ess to their phones, but I wanted to make sure that they were being careful.

    I have just finished myst call when there¡¯s a knock at the door. I look up and see Carter.

    ¡°Come in,¡± I say, already knowing what¡¯ sing, thanks to Jace.

    ¡°Hey, Alpha. I wanted to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± I say, not bothering to get up and go around my desk to sit with him, like I normally do. If

    he¡¯s going to disrespect me by renouncing his position in this pack and me as his Alpha, then he can

    do it with me acting like an Alpha rather than his friend.

    I can tell he¡¯s surprised by my attitude, but truthfully, I have more important things to worry about right

    now than Carter¡¯s ego.

    ¡°So, I wanted to let you know that I¡¯ve entered the Beta Trials.¡±

    I look at him, long enough for him to start squirming.

    ¡°Any particr reason that you don¡¯t want to be my Beta? Beta to this pack that you were born into?¡± I

    ask and there is nothing warm about my tone. ¡°I just¡­ I¡¯d like an opportunity to see what other packs

    might be avable to me.¡±

    ¡°Packs with a male Alpha?¡± I ask, getting to the point since he doesn¡¯t seem to want to.

    ¡°Well, yes.¡±

    I nod, looking down at the work in front of me. ¡°I wish you luck. Both in the Beta Trials and in telling

    your parents. They aren¡¯t going to be happy about it.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine once I¡¯ve earned my position,¡± he says, as if that will make it better.

    ¡°In a pack that isn¡¯t theirs? When you already had a position here, by birth?¡±

    I can¡¯t tell if he thinks I¡¯m stupid or if he¡¯ s just terrible at making up excuses, but either way, I¡¯m done

    with this conversation.

    ¡°You¡¯re excused. I¡¯ll put my name in the selection process so others trying out for Beta positions know

    that I have one open.¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± he says and stands, just as my door ms open and Elijah walks in.

    He looks from Carter to me. I shake my head and I watch as a look of disgust passes over Elijah¡¯s

    features.

    ¡°Carter. With me,¡± Elijah growls as Jacees in behind him.

    ¡°Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Beta to you, Carter. You are no longer a ranked member or future ranked member of this pack,¡±

    he growls. He looks up at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly to discuss the other issue.¡±

    ¡°What issue?¡± Carter asks, looking from Elijah to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s no longer your concern,¡± Elijah says to him, before pointing to the door.

    Carter hangs his head and walks out, Elijah right behind him.

    Jace watches them go before turning to me. ¡°I¡¯ve left a list of the Betas who had signed up as of earlier

    today. There are several Alpha females that either

    haven¡¯t found their mates or aren¡¯t old enough to have found them yet. I thought those candidates, in

    particr, might interest you. Also, there¡¯s one discrepancy in the financials. I highlighted it for you to

    take a look at.¡±

    I look down at the paperwork in front of me. ¡°You did all of that?¡± I ask him. ¡°I did. I¡¯m going to check on

    the patrols and the schedule for them now, just to make sure that Carter wasn¡¯t cking while he was

    making up his mind about joining the Beta Trials. I¡¯m guessing you want to increase patrols. And I know

    I¡¯m not Beta, but it would be my suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and we need to add Taylor¡¯s packnds into our rotation. If you want to bring the schedule in

    here, we can work on it together.¡±

    He nods. ¡°I¡¯d like that. And just so you know, Alpha Griffin and Alpha Seth arrived at Taylor¡¯s packnds

    before I left. I¡¯m not sure what will happen going forward, but at least we know she¡¯ll have family

    watching out for her.¡± When Jace leaves to get the patrol schedules, my phone rings.

    ¡°Alpha Jordan,¡± I answer.

    ¡°Alpha, this is Councilman Jason. I understand we have a problem on our hands.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Councilman.¡±

    ¡°Is the fighter, Nn, still in your pack?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mom asked me to keep him here until you and the other council members had a chance to speak

    with him.¡±

    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll be there tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Do you need a room to stay in, Councilman?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like to impose on your hospitality, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he says as Jace walks back in. I

    motion for him to close the door and join me as I put the phone on speaker.

    ¡°What do you mean, impose on me, Councilman,¡± I ask, looking at Jace and mouthing ¡®Councilman

    Jason¡¯.

    He nods and sits down.

    ¡°We need to have an Alpha meeting. Not only with current Alphas, but also with previous Alphas who

    may be able to shed some light on how these rogues could have not only survived, but also procreated.

    We¡¯ve not had a situation with hybrids in a long time. I have some books on the subject, but I¡¯ll tell you

    now, Alpha Jordan, you need to be very careful. I¡¯ll be giving the same warning to Alpha Taylor since it

    appears the threat is to a female Alpha. But, in the past, werewolf-human hybrids were unstable. The

    twoing together and producing an heir didn¡¯t go well. The hybrids were unpredictable and

    aggressive.¡±

    Jace is frowning. ¡°Is that why it¡¯s against ourws to breed with humans?¡± Jace asks.

    ¡°Yes. Something about the mix of werewolf and human DNA didn¡¯t blend well. I¡¯ll have more

    information for our meeting, but I wanted to give you the head¡¯s up. And, of course, see if we could use

    your pack for the Alpha meeting.¡±

    I look at Jace. ¡°Would there be a problem with my Gamma participating in the meeting, Councilman?¡±

    I watch as his face shifts from shocked then happy as a smile spreads across his face.

    ¡°No, actually, I think that¡¯s a good idea. But it may mean that the other packs will be bringing their own

    Betas if they have them.¡±

    ¡°I understand, we¡¯ll find room for everyone. When are you looking to have this meeting?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of time, especially if the bear shifters are getting irritated with the wolves. I¡¯m

    concerned that they are going missing. It¡¯s not a good sign and confirms my concerns about these

    hybrids being unstable. All that to say, I¡¯d like to have the meeting in three days.¡±

    Jace is nodding before he¡¯s finished. ¡°We can do that. I¡¯ll just need to know how many areing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a list together, but I¡¯d also like toe tomorrow to speak with Nn before the Alpha meeting.

    Does that work for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Councilman. I¡¯ll let Nn know that you¡¯re going to be here tomorrow, and I¡¯ll have a room ready

    for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Alpha. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow, Councilman,¡± I say hanging up the phone and looking at Jace.

    ¡°We¡¯re definitely doubling patrols. And Jordan, I know you¡¯re my Alpha, but you don¡¯t go anywhere

    alone. I don¡¯t care who you get to go with you. I don¡¯t f*uc*king care if you make Nn your personal

    bodyguard. Until we know exactly what we¡¯re dealing with, until we know that this threat is contained

    and handled, you need to stay safe.¡±

    I look at him, surprised that he¡¯d be willing to allow Nn to be so close to me. Of course, he hasn¡¯t

    epted the rejection, so his need to protect me, his concern for me would be practically unbearable

    with this threat. Even without a true mate bond on my end, being his Alpha, I can feel the concern

    rolling off of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a personal bodyguard, Jace. But I will be careful, and I won¡¯t go anywhere alone. Not only

    because I have a pack to protect as well as myself, but also because my parents will be here tomorrow,

    and my dad is just as bad as Uncle Seth. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s going to let me out of his sight.¡±

    He nods, looking down and I feel the relief in him. ¡°Good. Now, let¡¯s get these patrols figured out so I

    might actually be able to get some sleep without worrying about you all night.¡±

    He pulls the papers over, but when I don¡¯t move, he looks up at me.

    ¡°I could tell you not to worry about me,¡± I start to say.

    ¡°And you can save your breath because it¡¯s not something that I can stop.

    Whether or not you ept me, Jordan, you¡¯re my mate. You¡¯re in danger. I won¡¯ t rest easy until this

    rogue who calls himself an Alpha is taken down.¡±

    I nod. ¡°Then let¡¯s figure out the patrols so you can get some rest, Jace. Without a Beta, I need you

    more than ever.¡±

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 07 (Jace)

    Jordan and I were upte getting everything in order and making sure that we had enough rooms to fit

    all of the Alphas, old and new. It didn¡¯t hurt my feelings at all when Nn showed up, asking if she

    wanted to take a break to eat dinner and Jordan told him we didn¡¯t have time.

    She had stepped out with him, telling him about the counciling to interview him tomorrow and

    while they were gone, I mind linked the kitchen staff to have them bring food up for me and Jordan.

    Knowing Jordan like I do, I ordered hamburgers, French fries, and chocte chip cookies, finger foods

    that she can grab, bite into and keep working. Nn keeps trying to get her to eat sit down meals, but

    that¡¯s not Jordan. She doesn¡¯t have time for that, especially right now.

    When shees back in, sitting behind her desk, she pulls her hair into a ponytail. ¡°We should think

    about ordering something to eat, Jace.¡±

    ¡°Already done,¡± I tell her, having pulled myself up to her desk so we can work together like we always

    do.

    She looks up at me. ¡°What did you order?¡±

    I smile at her, waiting for her reaction. ¡°Hamburgers and French fries.¡± I¡¯m rewarded with her eyes

    nearly rolling back in her head. It¡¯s her favorite and it¡¯ s easy to eat and work. ¡°Oh, and chocte chip

    cookies.¡±

    ¡°Thank the goddess!¡± she says, and we divide the work, continuing while we eat and into the night.

    This morning, I¡¯m standing beside her as she wees her parents and the other council members to

    the pack. ¡°Jordan! It¡¯s so good to see you,¡± Luna Jara says,ing up and hugging her daughter.

    ¡°Mom, it hasn¡¯t been that long since you¡¯ve seen me,¡± Jordan says, hugging her mother back.

    ¡°Good to have you home, Alpha,¡± I say, greeting Alpha Mason.

    ¡°Gamma Jace, it¡¯s good to see you again. When you have a moment, I¡¯d like to speak with you while

    I¡¯m here.¡±

    I nod, already guessing this has to do with one of two things, possibly both. He has either heard that I

    resigned from the contest for Alpha or that I¡¯m his daughter¡¯s mate.

    ¡°Absolutely, Alpha,¡± I say as Luna Jara turns to me.

    ¡°Hello, Jace,¡± she says to me.

    I smile at her. Jara has always been like a surrogate mother to me. She was there when my mother

    died, holding me and trying to console me. The unwanted memory shes through my mind, being

    inside the safe room, my mother grabbing her chest, the horrible keening sound that she made, me

    screaming and Luna Jara holding me tightly, trying to hide my eyes as my mother died in front of me.

    Even at a young age, I knew that her death also signified the death of my father. He had been killed on

    the battlefield and in an instant, my life had changed. I¡¯ve never forgotten thest words my father

    spoke to me.

    ¡°Help protect our Luna.¡±

    ¡°Luna Jara,¡± I say, my throat tight as it usually is when I see her. The horrible memories alwayse

    flooding back before the memories of her kindness to me. There was only one thing I could ever give to

    my parents after their death, a legacy. I have done everything in my power to protect my Luna as my

    father asked of me. And now, yearster, I¡¯m still here to protect her daughter.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Oh phooey, none of that. Call me, Jara, Jace or I¡¯ll have to go all Alpha on you.¡± It makes me chuckle

    and she pulls me in for a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± she says in my ear, and I feel the tears

    burning in my eyes. More than anyone, even more than Brynn and Luke who adopted me after my

    parents died, Jara¡¯s eptance and approval has meant the most to me. At least, until I finally decided

    that I might be worthy of her daughter. Now, Jordan¡¯s approval and eptance have reced Jara¡¯s as

    the most important in my life.

    ¡°Mom, quit embarrassing Jace. He¡¯s a grown man and a Gamma,¡± Jordan says.

    ¡°Too bad, it¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t hug your brother too,¡± Jara says, but her hands are cupping my face

    and her eyes are on mine. She knows how important her approval has always been to me.

    ¡°Where are we staying?¡± Alpha Mason asks us.

    ¡°My old room,¡± Jordan says, giving her father a smirk. She¡¯s taken their old room and made it hers.

    ¡°I hope you sound-proofed the walls,¡± he says, smirking back at Jordan as she scowls at him.

    When they pass, she turns to me. ¡°You, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, not looking at her. She reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing it.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± she says. I look at her a moment, in awe that the goddess mated me to this incredible

    woman. I¡¯m not sure why she did it, but I still struggle to believe that I¡¯m worthy of her.

    ¡°Get your game face on, herees Councilman Jason,¡± she says, helping me get myposure.

    ¡°What¡¯s his mate¡¯s name again?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Lara,¡± she says, dropping my hand and turning to greet Councilman Jason.

    ¡°Councilman Jason, wee to my pack. I just wish it was under better circumstances,¡± she says

    before turning to Jason¡¯s mate.

    ¡°Lara, how are you?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jordan, a pleasure as always. And who is this fine young man standing beside you? I hadn¡¯t

    heard that you¡¯d taken a mate.¡± I jerk.

    ¡®Easy, Jace. She doesn¡¯t know anything,¡¯ Jordan says in the mind link. ¡°Lara, have you not met my

    Gamma? This is Jace. Jace, this is Lara,¡± Jordan says easily.

    ¡°A pleasure,¡± I say before turning to Jason. ¡°Councilman, it¡¯s good to see you again. If you¡¯ll both follow

    me, I¡¯ll show you to your room,¡± I say, turning to lead them to the room that Jordan and I assigned to

    them for the duration of their stay.

    As we walk through the packhouse, I point out different areas that they¡¯ll need to be aware of during

    their stay, since they will remain until after the Alpha meeting.

    ¡°Councilman, have you heard any more about how many pack members we should expect to receive

    during the Alpha meeting?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. I hope to have some numbers for you tonight or tomorrow at thetest,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m

    assuming the fighter Nn is still here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Councilman. As soon as you¡¯re settled, I can get him for you. I believe Alpha Jordan

    wants to be with you when you speak to him, and I¡¯m sure Luna Jara will want to as well.¡±

    ¡°The other council members areing today also, so we¡¯ll wait for the other three so that he only

    needs to tell us the story once. I understand that you have also heard the story?¡± he says as we get to

    their room.

    I open the door and step inside, making sure that it¡¯s ready for them before turning back to Councilman

    Jason. ¡°Yes, sir, I did.¡±

    ¡°What are your thoughts about the situation?¡± he asks, surprising me.

    I think about it a moment. ¡°I remember the stories when I was growing up of wolves that got feral fever

    or the iming haze. They were dangerous and if there were dead human females, they either didn¡¯t

    survive the childbirth or the feral mates killed them once they had their pups. Either way, that¡¯s not the

    kind of parent you want raising the next generation. But beyond that, if this so-called Alpha of the

    rogues was the son of a low-level criminal, one who knowingly took a human to bear his children, then,

    to me, it¡¯s even worse. Now, you¡¯ve got bad gics from the hybrid mating, and you also have an

    Alpha that was raised by someone who has no respect for ourws. To me, that makes this Alpha very

    dangerous, not only to my Alpha, but also to my pack.¡±

    Councilman Jason looks at me a long moment. ¡°I see you truly understand the depth of what we¡¯re

    dealing with here. I can see why Alpha Jordan asked for you to attend the Alpha meeting,¡± he says.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she just wants to keep our pack safe,¡± I say.

    ¡°And yet, I spoke to the other council members, and I watched you through the contest, Gamma. All of

    us were sure that you were going to win a pack, be an Alpha. Then, you resigned. May I ask

    why?¡±

    I look at him. ¡°I have my reasons,

    Councilman. If you need anything at all, please let me know. Once the other council members arrive, I¡¯ll

    set up a room for you to interview Nn,¡± I say, unwilling to answer his question.

    I walk to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you bothter,¡± I say, grabbing the door handle and pulling the door closed.

    ¡°Count on it,¡± I hear Jason say just before the door closes.

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 08 (Jordan)

    Jace and I got all of the council members settled and I was just about to head inside when I get one of

    those twin sensations, a feeling that my twin is close. It¡¯s not something either of us has ever

    discussed, but we just know that the other feels it when we¡¯re close. I used to think it was because we

    were family and part of the same pack, but I¡¯ m feeling it now and Jaxon is no longer part of my pack.

    A momentter, I get a mind link from my border patrol telling me that Jaxon and Evangeline are here.

    ¡°Do you want me to get Nn, Jordan?¡± Jace asks,ing back outside after getting thest of the

    council members to their rooms.

    ¡°Not yet, Jaxon¡¯s here,¡± I say, just as his car turns the corner and heads our way.

    ¡°Were you expecting him?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Not until the Alpha meeting, but if he¡¯s worried about his mate and pup, he would havee earlier,

    knowing he always has a room here.¡±

    My entire family will be staying on the Alpha floor with me, in their old rooms. I had to move Nn but

    now that Carter¡¯s room is vacant, that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Carter seemed surprised that he had to move

    off the Beta floor this morning.

    ¡°You¡¯re no longer a Beta heir in this pack. Jace and I have assigned you a room with the other

    warriors,¡± I had told him. It was actually Elijah that had stood by and watched him collect his things,

    making sure he moved out of his old room. Carter doesn¡¯t seem to truly understand the ramifications of

    his decision.

    Layan hade to me this morning, asking me to give him another chance. ¡°Beta Layan, he¡¯s made

    his choice. He¡¯s not a child and I can¡¯t have someone undermining me and my authority because they

    don¡¯t respect my position simply because I¡¯m a female. I wish him luck, but it won¡¯t be as my Beta,¡± I

    told her remaining firm.

    Too many people have underestimated me. I can¡¯t afford to have those feelings within my ranked

    members. That¡¯s how Alphas get overthrown, or have their packs turned against them, and I won¡¯t

    allow it. Truthfully, Carter is lucky that I didn¡¯t fight him and banish him from my pack. It was only

    because of my respect for his parents and Elijah¡¯ s position as my Beta that I didn¡¯t.

    When Jaxon and Evangeline arrive, I watch Jaxon race around the car to help Evangeline get out. I

    walk down the stairs to greet them, so incredibly happy to have my twin home for a while.

    ¡°Hello sister,¡± Evangeline says to me.

    I walk to her, hugging her tight, but being careful not to crush her belly. Even with the gentle contact, I

    feel a kick. I pull back and look down.

    ¡°Well, that was rude, JJ. I¡¯m your Aunt Jordan,¡± I say, kneeling down in front of Evangeline¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°And let¡¯s be honest, when you want to run away from home, you¡¯re going to need a safe ce to

    come, and that¡¯s here with me, so you¡¯d better stop kicking me,¡± I say to my nephew. I put my hand

    against Evangeline¡¯s stomach and feel the push of a foot or hand, I¡¯m not sure which.

    ¡°He only ever acts like that with Jaxon. I¡¯m guessing since you¡¯re twins that he must sense you the

    same way he senses Jaxon,¡± Evangeline says as I stand.

    I turn to give Jaxon a hug. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for calling me. Your message made me nervous, and I don¡¯t want Eve out in the middle of

    nowhere if there are rogue wolves prowling around. We made sure to let Tobias and via know as

    well. I know they¡¯ll be here for the Alpha meeting in a couple of days, and I know you weren¡¯t expecting

    us, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You never have to ask. You are always wee here. Your old room is ready for you, and I¡¯ve already

    let Dr. Teresa know that you wereing. I¡¯d suggest stopping by today or first thing tomorrow so she

    can determine how close you are to giving birth.¡±

    I look down at Evangeline¡¯s stomach. ¡°Based on your size, you look ready to pop.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Jax Jr. is a healthy eater and he¡¯ s growing like a little weed,¡± Evangeline says, rubbing her

    stomach.

    ¡°Our son will be big and strong, like his father,¡± Jaxon says, making me snort. ¡°Do you need any help

    with your bags? I have to go get ready for the council¡¯s interview with Nn,¡± I say.

    Jaxon juts his chin out. ¡°Jace can help and where¡¯s Carter?¡± he asks, and I give Jace a look.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get your bags,¡± he says, passing by us to go to the trunk.

    ¡°Jordan? Where¡¯s Carter?¡± Jaxon asks again, his eyes narrowing.

    Ipose myself, still angry at Carter for his decision. I ster a smile on my face and look at Jaxon

    and Evangeline. ¡°Good news! Carter has entered the Beta Trials and is up for grabs. So, if you were

    interested in making him your Beta¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Why would I want anyone who would turn their back on their pack and their Alpha?¡± Jaxon

    says angrily, pulling me into a hug.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Evangeline says. ¡°And if his reasons were solely based on your gender, which I suspect they

    were since everyone knows what an incredible Alpha you are, then I have no use for him in our pack.

    He¡¯ll be hard-pressed to find any of the current generation willing to take him on after giving up his

    position and his pack here. What Beta does that?¡±

    ¡°No Beta worth his title,¡± Jace says, passing us loaded down with bags.

    I watch him a moment. ¡°Jace, when you¡¯re done, do you mind getting Nn and meeting me in the

    conference room. I¡¯ll collect the council members.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, Alpha,¡± he says, walking inside to drop off their bags in their room.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    When I turn back, I see Jaxon watching Jace before turning to me. ¡°I¡¯d like some time to chat with my

    twin while I¡¯ m here,¡± he says to me.

    ¡°There¡¯s a whole lot of that going around,¡± I tell him, walking the two of them inside.

    Once I¡¯m sure they have everything they need, I go around and collect the council members, letting

    them know we will convene in 30 minutes in the conference room.

    Jace arrives with Nn shortly after I enter the conference room to make sure we have coffee, tea and

    water avable for the council members. In addition, I have little snacksing in about an hour.

    ¡°Nn, are you ready to be interviewed?¡± I ask, walking up to him. ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be. Since I

    didn¡¯t do anything wrong, it¡¯s not as intimidating as it would be if I had,¡± he says as we move to the

    conference table.

    ¡°Jordan, link me if you need anything,¡± Jace says.

    I turn to him. ¡°Actually, would you mind staying, Jace? If this pack is at risk, I¡¯ll need you to understand

    theplexities of what we¡¯re up against. I need to know that you have my back.¡± Jace steps into the

    room and I see Nn watching our exchange from the corner of my eye.

    ¡°I¡¯ll always have your back, Jordan.¡±

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 09 (Nn)

    I watch the exchange between Jordan and Jace. Something has changed between them recently and

    I¡¯m not sure what it is. I had thought, when she called yesterday, that her getting away had just as

    much to do with him as it did with me, but now, I¡¯m not so sure. Now, I¡¯m wondering if he¡¯s somehow

    gotten into her head. His animosity toward me has been clear from the beginning, but now, whether

    through something he¡¯s done or the threat to her pack, Jace is finding a way to get closer to Jordan.

    I know that the mate bond is a strong and powerful thing, but I¡¯m a man and it aggravates me that this

    woman that I have feelings for is starting to show feelings for someone else.

    ¡°Nn, why don¡¯t you take a seat here? That way, it won¡¯t feel like the council is surrounding you at the

    table. This is a fact-finding mission, not an interrogation and I want you to feelfortable,¡± Jordan

    says to me, directing me to the corner of a table. ¡°Where will you be sitting?¡± I ask her.

    She smiles at me. ¡°I was nning to sit right here,¡± she says, putting her hands on the back of the chair

    beside me. ¡°That would be great,¡± I say, feeling relieved.

    She leans in, mischief twinkling in her eyes. ¡°Did you need an Alpha to protect you, Nn?¡±

    I hold her gaze. ¡°I just need to know that I have your support, Jordan.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you do.¡±

    The council members start filing in and they greet each other, and Jordan. She introduces me as they

    come in and when they are all seated, Jace goes to close the door when Jordan¡¯s twin, Jaxon, steps

    into the doorway.

    ¡°Is it possible for me to sit in? I know this is why you called the Alpha meeting, but I have a mate due to

    deliver our pup in the next few weeks and I¡¯d really like to know what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±

    Everyone turns to Councilman Jason, deferring to him.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon, you maye sit and be a silent witness. However, if you be disruptive, if your

    concern for your mate interrupts this meeting, you will be removed,¡± he says sternly.

    I like this guy already. I haven¡¯t had a lot of interaction with the council over the years. Mostly phone

    conversations about my experience, my background and all the things that put me into the top fighter

    status along with other five fighters that have been named top in their divisions.

    Jaxones in and sits next to Jordan while Jace stands near the door, his arms crossed as if he¡¯s

    guarding the room.

    ¡°Nn, thank you for staying so that we could meet with you. The information that you provided to

    Alpha Jordan is very concerning and we, the council, wanted to hear it firsthand from you and have an

    opportunity to ask you questions. So, please, if you would, start from the beginning and tell us what you

    know and what you¡¯ve heard.¡±

    I go through the story that I already told Jordan. As I tell the story, Councilman Jason¡¯s eyes never

    leave mine, but I see the others bing more agitated, shifting in their seats.

    It¡¯s quiet for a moment when I stop talking.

    ¡°So, the banished wolves didn¡¯t die. They actually found a way to survive and also have seemingly

    mated with humans, making this generation much more dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Do we know how many were banished?¡± Councilwoman Jara asks.

    ¡°Not exactly. At that time, many Alphas told us they killed their pack members that had gone feral. We

    took them at their word, but we heard the rumors, especially in packs such as Gunnar¡¯s or Emmanual¡¯s

    where they told us they killed their pack members, but we heard they didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy. I remember my father and I both struggled when we had to put one of our pack

    members down,¡± Councilman Antonio says.

    ¡°Mason has said the same thing. I know he did it, but he hated it every time,¡± Councilwoman Jara says.

    ¡°So, we have no way of knowing how many wolves were banished and no way of knowing, beyond

    what the bears can tell us, about how many human females were bred,¡± Councilwoman Gia says,

    looking at me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t specifically ask the bears how many human females they found. I was more concerned about

    the rumors that impacted Alpha Jordan,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°About the leader of these roguesing for the female Alpha. But we don¡¯t know if this self-

    proimed Alpha was speaking of Alpha Jordan or Alpha Taylor. It¡¯s possible, since it appears that

    these packs have been disced that they could be speaking of Alpha Taylor. Do we know what has

    been done to ensure the new Alpha¡¯s safety?¡± Councilman Saul asks.

    ¡°Her brother and father are looking after her, making sure she¡¯s not alone and protected. In addition,

    Griffin and I are alternating patrols around her pack,¡± Jordan says.

    Councilman Jason turns back to me. ¡°Tell us more about the bears. What¡¯s the name of their leader?¡±

    ¡°Balor is the name of their leader,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°An interesting name,¡± Councilman Antonio says. I look at him frowning.

    He raises an eyebrow at me then looks at the others. ¡°Balor means The Deadly One,¡± he says.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not their leader because he¡¯s kind and gentle. Wolves are violent, bears are even more

    so. Anyway, he told me that the problems with wolves started years ago, but they weren¡¯t as prevalent

    as they are now. And, of course, the issue with bears being killed and eaten is the main issue. They,

    the bears I mean, didn¡¯t care so much about dead humans or even the baby¡¯s cries. But now Balor is

    taking notice because his kin are being killed.¡±

    ¡°How many?¡± Councilman Saul asks me.

    ¡°Three in thest month,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°Three?¡± Councilwoman Gia asks, shocked. I can see that the other council members and even Jordan

    and Jace are shocked by this. It¡¯s arge number in a short amount of time.

    ¡°If you consider that there are at least two packs, then it¡¯s not that many. However, it is causing a rift

    between the bears and the wolves,¡± I say.

    ¡°And yet, they called for your assistance,¡± Councilman Antonio says, watching me closely.

    ¡°Yes, my talents, as well as those of the other fighters are well known in the shiftermunity, not just

    among werewolves.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re training them to fight against us?¡± Councilman Saul asks me. ¡°No, I¡¯m training them to

    defend and protect themselves from attacking wolf packs,¡± I say, starting to feel a bit defensive.

    ¡°Nn isn¡¯t the enemy here,¡± Jordan says,ing to my defense. ¡°He came to us and warned us.

    Without him, who knows what else would have happened without our knowledge. Now we have a

    chance to do something, to do damage control with the bears and maybe track down these rogue

    wolfpacks.¡±

    Councilman Jason looks from Jordan to me and then to Jace and back again. ¡°We need someone to

    go visit the bears. We need someone to get more information and let them know that it isn¡¯t us that is

    attacking them,¡± Councilman Jason says.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s your packs that are attacking, Councilman. You¡¯re missing the point. Their ns

    are being killed because of the actions of the packs. Whether intentional or not, the responsibility of

    their deaths falls to the packs, to the Alphas that banished their pack members rather than killing them

    when they should have.¡±

    ¡°You think this group is rted more to the ones with feral fever and the iming haze rather than the

    low-level criminals?¡± Councilwoman Jara asks.

    ¡°I do, simply because, we¡¯ve been banishing criminals for generations, and this has never been a

    problem before. We don¡¯t have enough banished criminals in the packs to have created a full pack, let

    alone more than one. And those numbers, you should have,¡± I say to the council.

    ¡°We do. I brought that information with me, but I also took a look before I got here. The fighter Nn is

    correct. There are only a handful of criminals that have been banished over thest three decades,¡±

    Councilman Saul says.

    ¡°So, we are talking about descendants from those with feral fever and maybe the iming haze. Add to

    that, the mental instability and aggression thates from mating with humans and we all have a real

    problem on our hands,¡± Alpha Jaxon says.

    ¡°Yes, and those of you in the new, unestablished packs are just as much at risk as Alpha Jordan and

    Alpha Taylor. If the wolves are killing bears, it¡¯s not a stretch for them to kill other wolves,¡±

    Councilwoman Gia says.

    ¡°We need to get those Alphas and their mates out of the packs now,¡± Councilman Jason says, looking

    around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I say, looking at the group.

    Jordan turns to me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave, Nn. You can stay as long as you like.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, Jordan. All of you are needed here, plus, I know my way around the territories well and

    I¡¯ve met most of the current Alphas. I¡¯ll find the new Alphas and their mates, send them here now and

    then you can make ns for how to proceed. I¡¯m happy to help in any way that is needed and I¡¯m sure

    the other fighters would be happy to help too,¡± I say.

    ¡°My family has already been warned, so you can eliminate those packs off your list, Nn,¡±

    Councilwoman Jara says. ¡°And Tobias and via will be arriving today with their newborn, so you can

    eliminate them as well,¡± Alpha Jaxon says.

    I do quick numbers in my head. ¡°That leaves four packs for me to notify. I¡¯ll make sure they begin

    making their way here today,¡± I say.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call my son, Giovanni, let him know that you¡¯ll need a ce to stay tonight,¡± Alpha Antonio says.

    ¡°Much appreciated,¡± I say standing.

    Jordan stands beside me. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you out.¡±

    We walk past Jace who steps aside.

    Jordan walks me to my car. ¡°Be careful,¡± she says, hugging me. Hugging, not k*issing.

    ¡°I will. I¡¯m a fighter, Jordan. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    ¡°But I will. Call me tonight and let me know that you¡¯re safe?¡±

    I lean in and gently t*ouch my lips to hers. ¡°I will,¡± I say, getting into my car and driving off, watching her

    disappear in my rearview mirror as I go.

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 10 (Taylor)

    I don¡¯t like feeling as if I need my brother and father¡¯s protection. I¡¯m a true Alpha now, I need to be

    independent, but neither of them seem to care about that. This rogue Alpha has them both on edge.

    In truth, it doesn¡¯t make sense to me that this Alpha would want me. I¡¯ve only just be an Alpha.

    How would he even know about me? If he¡¯s a rogue, as they say, it makes more sensethat he is

    referencing Jordan.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    However, my father made a good point to mest night when I argued that.

    ¡°He may only know about Jordan, Taylor, but what if he and his packe this way to get to her and

    here you are, all alone, a female Alpha who is unprotected and easy pickings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not easy pickings, Dad,¡± I had said. ¡°Taylor, I have never once questioned your strength,

    determination, or abilities. However, no one, not even me in my prime could stand against an entire

    pack alone. Packs are strong because we stand together. You are currently a pack of one. And while

    you are a strong Alpha, my daughter, you are NOT the strongest pack. At least, not yet.¡±

    He was right, of course. It irks me, but he¡¯s right.

    It¡¯s early afternoon the next day when Griffines racing back into my packnds.

    ¡°Taylor, the council is calling all of the new Alphas toe to the Alpha meeting early. You need to

    head to Jordan¡¯s pack today.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡± I ask. I still have SO much work to do in this pack and being that it¡¯s only me, it¡¯s taking

    a long time. I¡¯m hoping to have a decent start on a packhouse before the Beta Trials so I can lure some

    of those Betas to my pack. I already have my eye on a couple of them.

    ¡°The council met with Nn this morning,¡± he says as my father joins us. ¡°They are concerned about all

    of the start-up packs. Apparently, the rogues were living in the decimated packs and are now

    homeless, roaming around. And, not only that, I hear they¡¯ ve been killing bears.¡±

    My father s*ucks in a breath and looks at me with concern in his eyes. ¡°If they¡¯re killing bears¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, it¡¯s not a huge leap for them to start killing wolves,¡± Griffin finishes.

    ¡°So, not only am I in danger because I¡¯ m a female Alpha, but also because I have a start-up pack?

    UGH! I have too much work to deal with this!¡± I say, turning around and looking at the state of my pack.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Taylor, but you can¡¯t go against the council, you know that. Let¡¯ s get you to the Alpha

    meeting and see what the council says. It¡¯s not just you whose pack will be impacted. Think of Jaxon

    and his mate about to have a new pup and I heard their neighbors, Tobias and via just had theirs.

    They won¡¯t want to be out in the wilderness alone with rogue wolves attacking. It¡¯ll be too dangerous,¡±

    my father says, once again being the voice of reason.

    I look at him and I can see that he¡¯s ready to fight me on this. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time. I¡¯m a lot like

    my father, head-strong and determined. But in this, he¡¯s right. Again.

    ¡°How long before I have my father¡¯s Alpha intelligence?¡± I ask him, a smile twitching at my lips.

    He pulls me in for a hug. ¡°You already do, you just need the experience thates with time and age,¡±

    he says, k*issing the top of my head.

    I turn and look at Griffin. ¡°I take it Jordan is expecting all of us early?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m nning to arrive this evening as well,¡± he says, and I snort.

    ¡°Which I¡¯m sure has nothing to do with that pretty blond Beta mate of yours,¡± I say.

    Griffin smiles. ¡°I¡¯ll take every opportunity I have to spend time with E.¡±

    ¡°Let me grab my bag and we can head over,¡± I say to my father, knowing he¡¯ll want to escort me to

    Jordan¡¯s pack. ¡°Thanks for letting us know, Griff,¡± my dad says, pping hands and pulling Griffin in for

    a hug too before he leaves. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Griffinins.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one here to see it but your sister and she already knows I hug all my children. Get over it.¡±

    I stand behind my father and mouth, ¡®Get over it¡¯ to my brother, skipping out of his reach when he tries

    to grab me. My siblings and I have always enjoyed antagonizing each other.

    Iugh as I make my way inside my small house, collecting my clothes and taking a look around before

    locking it up. It won¡¯t help if the rogues attack here, but it makes me feel better.

    As we walk to Jordan¡¯s pack, I look at my father.

    ¡°What are your thoughts about the bears?¡± I ask.

    He looks at me. ¡°I¡¯m concerned about them. They are going to be a problem if we¡¯re not careful. Bears

    aren¡¯t like wolves. They may live in ns, but they don¡¯t have the same attachments that we do.

    However, they are stronger than we are. One bear can easily take out three wolves. So, it¡¯s concerning

    on multiple levels that these rogues are attacking bears. If they decide that we are their enemy, it could

    be a real problem for all of us.¡±

    ¡°What about the Beta Trials? Do you think all of this will impact the Trials?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. I¡¯ll be interested to see what the council says about that, too. They may decide to hold off

    on Beta Trials¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± I ask, huffing. I really need more people in my pack.

    ¡°Or¡­.¡± my father says, giving me a look for interrupting him. ¡°They may increase the security of the

    Trials. Although how that will work, I¡¯m not sure,¡± he says.

    I think about it for a minute. ¡°Bring in the fighters. They are the best of the best, right? Have them work

    the Beta Trials. There¡¯s not enough of them to put one in each pack, but they could oversee and

    provide protection at the Trials,¡± I say.

    My father wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a side hug. ¡°And that, my darling

    daughter, is why I say you already have the Alpha intelligence. That¡¯s exactly the way an Alpha should

    be thinking.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± I say.

    I know my father values and appreciates me, but somewhere deep inside me, I wonder if I¡¯mcking

    somewhere since he didn¡¯t want to leave the pack to me. It has to be more than just me being a

    female.

    So, more than anyone, I want to seed in order to show my father that I am good enough to be an

    Alpha, that I am strong enough to run my own pack. That I can do this on my own and I could have

    done it if he had chosen me as his heir. As we get to the border for Jordan¡¯s pack, my father and I howl,

    waiting for the patrols toe to us and let us through. Once they let Jordan know that we¡¯ve arrived,

    they let us pass and we head to the packhouse where I¡¯m sure she¡¯s got us set up to stay for the next

    few days.

    Suddenly, my father¡¯s nose goes up into the air.

    ¡°Your mother¡¯s here,¡± he says excitedly and begins racing toward the packhouse. Even from here, I see

    my mothere out onto the back patio, her nose in the air, searching for her mate. When she spots

    him, she begins running toward him and they meet halfway, my father swinging her around and k*issing

    her as if he hasn¡¯t seen her in weeks rather than a couple of days.

    I smile as I pass them, my heart hurting a bit that I haven¡¯t found my mate. I wonder if I have to prove

    myself to the Moon Goddess too before she¡¯ll give me my fated mate. Or maybe, maybe she didn¡¯t give

    me one. I waited, hoping to find him, but more and more, it feels like he¡¯s not out there, like maybe she

    doesn¡¯t think I deserve a fated mate, which is why I¡¯m trying to get Jace to think about bing

    chosen mates. His mate rejected him, and I don¡¯t seem to have one.

    Those thoughts are running through my head as I step into the back of Jordan¡¯s packhouse. As soon

    as I do, I smell the most delicious scent of fresh cut pine. It smells so good, that I have to stop and take

    a deep breath. I try to find

    where the scent ising from, but it¡¯s all over the packhouse, some ces stronger than others.

    ¡°Taylor, you okay?¡± Jace asks,ing up to me.

    ¡°What is that smell?¡±

    He frowns. ¡°What smell? Does it stink in here?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I say, closing my eyes and taking another deep breath. ¡°It smells like freshly cut pine,¡± I say.

    When I open my eyes, Jace is looking at me intently. ¡°Isn¡¯t that one of your favorite scents, Tay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my very favorite scent,¡± I tell him smiling.

    ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s go find your mate.¡±

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 11 (Jace)

    Taylor and I searched the entire packhouse and even went back outside to search the packnds.

    She¡¯s caught the scent of her mate multiple times, but nothing that has led her to him. The longer we¡¯ve

    searched, the more concerned that I¡¯ve be. There are several people thate and go in this

    pack, such as Jaxon and Evangeline, but there is one in particr that is standing out to me.

    I leave a disappointed Taylor in her room and go to find Jordan. I follow her scent to her office and

    knock.

    ¡°Hey Jace,e in,¡± she says, barely looking up at me.

    I close the door, not sure what¡¯s up with Jordan but knowing I need to prepare her for the possibility

    that is rolling around in my head.

    ¡°How was your time with Taylor?¡± she asks, and I can hear the hurt in her voice. So that¡¯s what¡¯s going

    on.

    I pull a chair up to her desk and sit in front of her, waiting for her to look at me. I watch as she clenches

    her teeth together, sets her pen down, and then finally looks up at me.

    ¡°She smelled her mate. I was trying to help her find him.¡±

    I watch the sh of happiness in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s great! I mean¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± she asks, frowning,

    watching me closely.

    ¡°Yes and no. And before you start thinking this is about my feelings for her, it¡¯s not. I¡¯m d she found

    her mate, or at least, smelled him.¡±

    Jordan leans back in her chair. ¡°But you didn¡¯t find him, so what? He¡¯s someone that has been in the

    pack recently and left? Or maybe someone who came in for a delivery?¡±

    ¡°Not a delivery, his scent was all over the packhouse,¡± I tell her, and she leans forward again, looking

    down at her papers, shuffling them around.

    ¡°Who¡¯s been in and out recently. We could narrow it down for her,¡± she says, and I reach out, putting

    my hand over hers. ¡°Jordan.¡±

    She stops, looking up at me. ¡°What?¡±

    I look at her a long moment.

    ¡°There¡¯s a real possibility that her mate is Nn,¡± I say, watching her closely.

    She frowns. ¡°No, she¡¯s met Nn. She must have during the training for the Contest.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t. Remember, even Nn said he¡¯s never met her. Jordan, I took her everywhere except the

    Alpha floor since your family is staying there. Nn has been in and out of this packhouse for months.

    His scent would be everywhere.¡±

    I pull my hand away from hers and she sits back in her chair again, thinking through what I¡¯ve said.

    ¡°Does she know?¡± she asks me. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t say anything, not only because I¡¯m not sure, but also,

    you¡¯re my Alpha and my mate and while I know you haven¡¯t epted that, it still means something to

    me. I also know¡­.¡± I grit my teeth but force myself to continue.

    ¡°I also know that you have feelings for Nn. If he is Taylor¡¯s mate, this could turn into a big f*uc*king

    mess, Jordan. We have rogues hell bent on getting to one of you. We can¡¯t afford to have the packs at

    odds. We can¡¯t afford to fight against each other. So, I came to warn you, to let you know so you could

    be prepared.¡±

    She looks up at me. ¡°Prepared? Prepared for another man in my life to choose my cousin over me? Is

    that what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°No, Jordan,¡± I snarl. ¡°That is NOT what I¡¯m saying. I screwed up, I own that. But

    I haven¡¯t chosen her over you. I¡¯ve chosen you. I¡¯m trying to prove that to you. I just¡­l don¡¯t know what

    will happen once she realizes that you¡¯ve been in a rtionship with her mate or what Nn¡¯s reaction

    will be to finding his mate. He¡¯s been pretty clear about wanting to take you as a mate, Jordan.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can tell you how she¡¯ll feel about someone else being with her mate. I understand THAT feeling

    very well.¡±

    I grit my teeth, knowing I deserve whatever venom she spews at me. But, in true Jordan fashion, she

    reins herself in.

    ¡°Nn will be back in a couple of days. Taylor should still be here when he arrives. We¡¯ll deal with it

    then.¡± She scrubs her face with her hands.

    ¡°Until then, I have other things to deal with.¡±

    I watch her a moment, making up my mind. When she looks up at me, she has her arrogant Alpha face

    firmly in ce. ¡°Was there something else?¡±

    I stand, walking around her desk. She turns her chair looking up at me. ¡°Hit me, Jordan.¡±

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    She frowns at me. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Hit me. Other than rejecting me, you¡¯ve nevershed out at me for what I did to you. You¡¯ve never

    allowed yourself to grieve, to be angry. You tuck it inside; you bury it deep. Stand up and hit me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Jace.¡±

    I lean over, my hands on the arms of her chair, caging her in. ¡°I¡¯m not the one being ridiculous, Jordan.

    I just watched every possibly emotion fly across your face in the matter often minutes, anger, hurt,

    jealousy, sorrow, pain, and countless others. So, stand up and hit me. You know you want to.¡±

    She stands so quickly her chair goes flying backwards, hitting the wall, and she gets in my face. I hope

    she hits me, I really do, but right now, seeing the fire in her eyes, her Alpha aura pushing out against

    me, she¡¯s so f*uc*king hot I can barely keep my hands off of her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me,¡± she snarls.

    I lean down, my nose nearly t*ouching hers. ¡°I know everything about you, Jordan Stern. I know you¡¯re

    the strongest Alpha out there, not because you have to be, which you do, but because you care about

    everyone around you more than yourself. I know that you feel things so deeply that you sometimes cry

    in your room in the middle of the night when you think no one can hear you. I know that you feel

    betrayed by Carter for wanting to leave this pack. I know that most days, you go hungry because you

    don¡¯t make time for yourself to eat because you¡¯re too busy taking care of others. I know that you are

    jealous of your siblings for the love that they have with their mates. I know that you¡¯re angry and hurt

    because I didn¡¯t give you the same thing that they have. I know that you hold those emotions in tight,

    forcing yourself to ignore your own feelings so you can be a better Alpha, so you can take care of this

    pack. All of those emotions are coiled deep inside you, Jordan. Let them out. Hit me.¡±

    She shakes her head at me, but I see the tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Hit me, Jordan,¡± I say softly.

    She makes a fist and gently taps it on my chest, looking at her fist then looking back up at me. ¡°I don¡¯t

    want to hit you, Jace,¡± she says as a tear rolls down her cheek.

    I reach up, wiping it away. ¡°It would make you feel better.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would,¡± she says, leaning her forehead against my chest. I wrap my arms around her,

    leaning down to k*iss the top of her head. ¡°How about you spar with meter, hmmm? Then you can hit

    me and it¡¯s all in the name of training?¡± I say and I get the chuckle I was hoping for.

    She pulls back, looking up at me. ¡°Do you know what I hate most about you?¡±

    My throat tightens, but I force myself to respond.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask.

    ¡°That I don¡¯t hate you at all.¡±

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 12 (Jordan)

    I¡¯m in my office the next morning when there¡¯s a knock at my door. I look up and see the woman who

    has caused me all sort of angst standing there. ¡°Hey Jordan, I know you¡¯re getting ready for the Alpha

    meeting, but could I trouble you for a moment?¡± Taylor says.

    ¡°Sure, Tay,e on in,¡± I say, already pretty sure I know what this is about.

    Shees and sits down across from my desk.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m not sure if Jace told you, but I¡¯m pretty sure I smelled my mate¡¯s scent in your packhouse. We

    searched everywhere, but we couldn¡¯t find him and Jace thinks that maybe it¡¯s someone thates

    and goes in your pack. So, I was hoping that, in the next day or two, you could make a list of the people

    that have been in and out of your pack in thest week or two. The scent was stronger in some ces,

    but I smelled it all over the pack, so definitely not someone in and out, if that helps,¡± she says.

    ¡°I did talk to Jace yesterday and I made a list of the people that it could be,¡± I say, handing the list to

    her.

    She looks at it a moment, then looks up at me. ¡°I hope that what happened between me and Jace

    didn¡¯t affect our rtionship too much. We never had sex, although I¡¯m sure you know that by now. And

    I know you rejected him. I¡¯m not sure if you knew that I had asked him if he was still willing to be

    chosen mates.¡±

    She looks at me, but I remain silent. I don¡¯t remember Jace telling me that, but I also know that I wasn¡¯t

    willing to listen to him for a long time after I rejected him.

    ¡°Anyway, he turned me down. He told me that he needed to prove to himself that he was worthy of

    being your mate and he¡¯s done that, so now, he just needs to prove to you that he¡¯s worthy.¡± She looks

    down at the paper then back up at me. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°But for what it¡¯s worth, Jace has always been worthy of being your mate. He just needed to figure that

    out for himself,¡± she continues anyway.

    I fold my hands on the desk in front of me. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Jace deserves to be happy. For a long time, he thought that he could be happy with me, but now, I

    think we both realize we¡¯re better friends than lovers or mates.

    I narrow my eyes at her. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I know my Gamma better than you do, but thanks for giving

    me your insights,¡± I say, dismissing her.

    She looks at me a moment then stands and walks to my door. She stops, turning to me. ¡°If you knew

    Jace better than I did, Jordan, you would have rescinded your rejection by now,¡± she says before

    walking out the door and closing it behind her.

    After she leaves, I sit back thinking. I¡¯ve been so hurt for so long because Jace and Taylor were

    together. Then, once I realized he had known all along that I was his mate, I was so angry, so hurt, that

    I didn¡¯t want to be around him.

    But he denied Taylor. It can¡¯t be because she is now an Alpha. He¡¯s been very clear that he wants me,

    and he doesn¡¯t care that I¡¯m an Alpha. It¡¯s not my position that¡¯s the problem, it¡¯s his past.

    I rub my eyes and shake off these thoughts. I have too much to do right now to worry about it. I need to

    focus. I have a packhouse full of Alphas and council members, and there are more of theming

    today.

    ¡°Jordan, we have some Alphasing down the drive,¡± Jace says. Speak of the devil and who pops

    into your mind link.

    ¡®On my way. Do we know if the rooms are ready?¡¯

    ¡®They are, I checked with Dalia earlier, we¡¯re all set.¡¯ Dalia is our Lead Omega and has been running

    herself ragged to make sure the rooms were ready early for the Alphasing in.

    ¡®Remind me to order her that dress she was looking at,¡¯ I say to Jace as I grab my jacket, putting on

    what I call my ¡®Alpha attire¡¯.

    ¡®Already done, Alpha,¡¯ Jace says.

    Damn. He really is making himself indispensable.

    ¡®Is it working?¡¯ he asks, a sultry tone to his voice.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡®Maybe, but we have other things to focus on right now,¡¯ I say, heading toward the packhouse entrance,

    saying hello to my pack members and guests. When I get there, Jace has a smirk on his face. I narrow

    my eyes at him. ¡°Alpha,¡± he says, gesturing for me to precede him outside.

    I just shake my head at him.

    First to arrive are Jonas, Melinda and their three children. As soon as Melinda gets out of the car, I can

    already tell she¡¯s pregnant again.

    ¡°Again?¡± I say as I walk up to her and hug her, before turning to Jonas and taking their youngest baby

    from him.

    ¡°And who is this?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Jordan, meet Kaiden,¡± Jonas says to me as he lifts a little girl who looks exactly like Melinda out

    of the backseat, before helping a little boy, who looks just like him out of the car.

    I look at Melinda. ¡°Your parents asked if they coulde see you while you¡¯re here. I told them it¡¯s up

    to you.¡±

    Melinda looks at Jonas. ¡°It¡¯s your choice, love,¡± he tells her.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see my father. I¡¯m not sure about my mother,¡± she says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know. There should be time after dinner each night. I¡¯ll have him reach out to you,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Thanks, Alpha,¡± she says, hugging me.

    ¡°I¡¯m always Jordan to you, Melinda,¡± I tell her before turning and gesturing to Jace to show them to their

    rooms. He raises his eyebrow at me, and I look down.

    ¡°Oh, right, I guess you want this little one back, don¡¯t you?¡± I say, handing Kaiden to Melinda.

    ¡°You look like you were made to be a mother, Jordan. I hope your timees soon,¡± she says, giving

    Jace a look as she turns and walks into the packhouse. She¡¯s always been extremely intuitive.

    Jace¡¯s eyes have gone dark, and he smiles at me before scooping Ryder up and following Melinda into

    the packhouse.

    The rest of the day is much like yesterday, with Alphas, their Lunas and/or their Betas arriving, until my

    packhouse is filled to the brim with Alphas.

    That night at dinner, I wee everyone to my pack then I defer to Councilman Jason.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone. Tomorrow, we will begin an important Alpha meeting to discuss a new threat

    to our packs. If you haven¡¯t heard, we have at least two rogue packs, now disced by the new Alphas

    that are taking over the deserted packnds. We have a threat to one or both of our female Alphas and

    we have a problem with the bears. There is much to discuss over the next few days. So please, eat,

    drink, enjoy Alpha Jordan¡¯s hospitality, and we will convene in her conference room at eight o¡¯clock

    tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 13 (Jace)

    It¡¯ste in the evening when I step out back behind the packhouse and see my sister sitting on the patio

    looking out over the pack pool and the forest.

    ¡°Is this seat taken?¡± I ask Melinda. She¡¯ s nursing Kaiden and I¡¯m assuming that Jonas is upstairs with

    their other two. ¡°It is if you sit in it,¡± she says, and I take the seat.

    ¡°So, am I getting another niece or another nephew?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know yet, it¡¯s too soon. We should find out next week.¡± I turn and look at her. ¡°I saw dad leave.

    How was that?¡±

    She shrugs and I smell the salt of her tears. I reach over andy my hand on her arm.

    ¡°It was good to see him,¡± she says, and I can tell her throat is tight with emotion. She looks down at

    Kaiden, stroking his head of dark hair. He, like Ryder, is going to look like Jonas.

    I stroke her arm, not saying anything. She swipes her face with the back of her hand. ¡°He says mom¡¯s

    sorry, that she misses me and wants to meet her grandchildren. I just¡­ how do I trust her after what

    she did? How do I even begin to forgive that? You know?¡± she says, turning to look at me.

    ¡°She kept me from my mate, the father of my children, making us both think that we didn¡¯t want to see

    the other. Who does that? What kind of person keeps their child away from her mate because you don¡¯t

    agree with the age difference?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m probably not the best person to answer that question, Mel,¡± I say, turning and looking out over the

    forest.

    She¡¯s quiet a moment.

    ¡°It looks like you finally came clean and told Jordan that you know that she¡¯s your mate.¡±

    I nce at my sister. ¡°I¡¯d ask how you knew, but you¡¯ve always known things that others didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Especially when ites to you, Jace. I¡¯m d you finally told her.¡±

    ¡°She rejected me,¡± I say and now it¡¯s time for my throat to tighten.

    Surprisingly, Melinda chuckles. ¡°I bet she did. You DID date her cousin, you moron.¡±

    ¡°So much love for such a tiny person,¡± I say jokingly, feeling my chest loosen as I talk with Melinda.

    ¡°Seriously, you didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d really ever be okay with that, did you?¡± she asks.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ever expect to believe that I was good enough for her,¡± I say quietly. ¡°Your mother dying had

    nothing to do with your worthiness, Jace,¡± she says. ¡°It¡¯s not about that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I may have been young, Jace, but I remember how closed off you were after your parents¡¯

    death. You tried to shut everyone out, and you did a damn good job of it,¡± she says.

    ¡°Everyone except one, small, annoying little girl who wouldn¡¯t let me be,¡± I say, but I smile at the

    memory of Melinda, who was like a beacon of sunshine in my dark and stormy life.

    She shrugs, not at all apologetic. ¡°You said yourself that I see what others don¡¯t. And what I see in you,

    Jace, is the same thing I¡¯ve always seen, someone who is strong,passionate and deserves to be

    loved more than he thinks he does.¡±

    Kaiden finishes nursing and I reach out my hands. ¡°Here, let me,¡± I say, taking him and putting him

    against my chest, rubbing and gently tapping on his back until he burps, then keeping him there,

    enjoying the quiet calm that alwayses from being around Melinda.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do, big brother?¡± she asks, turning to face me, pulling one leg up in her chair

    and leaning her head on her hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to prove to her that I can be a good mate to her, that I¡¯m worthy of being her mate.¡±

    ¡°You think you have to prove that to her?¡±

    I think about that for a moment. ¡°I do now. Maybe I didn¡¯t before, but I do now. After everything, well,

    she hasn¡¯t rescinded the rejection and she¡¯s been dating Nn since the Contest.¡±

    ¡°And now we have to add another mate bond to the mix,¡± she says, making me snap my head in her

    direction.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask, more sharply than I intend.

    She raises an eyebrow at me. ¡°I think you already know what I mean.¡±

    I stare at her a moment. ¡°You¡¯re freakishly scary, you know that.¡±

    She smiles. ¡°From you, I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡±

    I lean down, k*issing the top of my nephew¡¯s head, smelling his sweet baby smell.

    ¡°What about you? What are you going to do about mom?¡± I ask her.

    She turns back around in her seat, slouching down and resting her head on the back of the chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of having Luna Jara sit in as mediator, but it would give her a chance to see Ryder and

    Molly and meet Kaiden,¡± she says.

    ¡°You could ask Jordan. I know she¡¯d be happy to do it,¡± I say to her.

    ¡°Jordan won¡¯t be around,¡± she says cryptically.

    ¡°What? Where is she going?¡± I ask. She just smiles at me. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

    I grunt, frustrated with her cryptic references.

    Then I turn to her. ¡°Let me ask you something. You see so much of everyone else. How did you not see

    that mom was keeping you from Jonas?¡±

    ¡°A good question, one that only he, and now you, have ever asked me. And the answer is, while I see

    glimpses and images of others¡¯ lives, the only thing I¡¯ve ever seen in my life, is Jonas. I didn¡¯t even see

    our babies,¡± she says, reaching out to stroke Kaiden¡¯s hair.

    ¡°But in some ways, that makes it more special. I get to be surprised right along with him every time I

    get pregnant.¡±

    ¡°You know there are ways to prevent that, right?¡±

    ¡°You know that I want as many babies as my mate will give me, right?¡± she says, smiling.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What your mate wants is to go to bed with his mate tucked up against him,¡± Jonas¡¯ deep voice says

    behind me. ¡°Come on, Melly, let¡¯s go to bed. It¡¯s been a long day,¡± he says,ing to take her hand.

    I stand with them. ¡°I¡¯ll carry Kaiden inside. I don¡¯t get to spend as much time with my niece and

    nephews as I¡¯d like,¡± I say, turning and walking inside.

    Melinda and Jonas begin whispering behind me as I walk inside. I lean down, taking another deep

    breath of Kaiden¡¯s baby scent, closing my eyes and sending up a wish to the Moon

    Goddess that one day, I¡¯ll be smelling my own pup¡¯s scent.

    When I open my eyes, I see Jordan¡¯s startled expression. Shock and something else, something I can¡¯t

    quite put my finger on.

    ¡°Hopefulness,¡± Melinda says quietly,ing to take Kaiden from me and saying goodnight before she

    and Jonas head upstairs to bed.

    I look at Jordan a moment longer, hoping my sister is right.

    ¡°Goodnight, Jordan,¡± I say, walking past her, grazing her fingers as I go. ¡°Goodnight, Jace,¡± she says,

    reaching her arm out so her fingers t*ouch mine as long as possible before I¡¯ve moved too far away.

    I¡¯ll take that as a win.

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 14 (Jordan)

    I wish I could say I sleptst night. I needed to sleepst night. I have a packhouse full of Alphas,

    Lunas, Betas, and Council members for the next few days and I need to be on top of my game, ying

    host, being a good Alpha, and still somehow running a pack. Not to mention, I may or may not be on

    the list of some rogue Alpha who wants to force a mate bond with me so he can take over my pack.

    But, instead, all my mind did was rey that scene of Jace walking into the packhouse, holding Kaiden,

    his nose in his head of hair, breathing deeply and a look of happiness on his face. It is on endless

    repeat in my mind. Jace walking in, Jace¡¯s desire to have a pup clearly written on his face, Jace¡¯s look

    when he saw me, his eyes darkening with desire and then his t*ouch, a t*ouch that sent electricity

    through my body. It was as if I was dead before and now, I¡¯ m so alive that I can¡¯t even sleep.

    When I crawl out of bed, dragging myself to the shower, I start to mentally prepare myself for the day.

    When I step into the shower, I mind link Dalia, making sure that the breakfast food will be ready starting

    at 6 am for the visitors.

    ¡®Yes, Alpha. Gamma Jace has already been down here making sure we had everything we need to

    make enough breakfast for everyone.¡¯

    ¡®Has he? And is there anything that you need?¡¯

    ¡°No, Alpha. Gamma Jace made sure we had enough food already. He also double checked on our

    ns for lunch and dinner, and he approved our menus. Would you also like to see them?¡¯

    ¡®No, thank you, Dalia. If Jace approved them, then I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine,¡¯ I say.

    I close that mind link and open one to Jace.

    ¡®Thank you for checking on the food situation. What else needs to be done?¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re wee and we didn¡¯t talk about assigned seating. If you¡¯re on your way downstairs, we can

    go over the room and where we want to put people,¡¯ he says.

    ¡®I¡¯m still in the shower. I¡¯ll be down in a few minutes.¡¯

    It¡¯s quiet a moment and if I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think he closed the mind link. I stop, soapy water

    dripping down my face from washing my hair.

    ¡®Jace?¡¯

    ¡®Jordan, I really didn¡¯t need that mental image when I¡¯m trying to prepare myself for a day filled with

    Alphas and council members.¡¯

    Even in the mind link, I can hear the strain of his voice.

    I smile as I put my head back into the water, beginning to rinse it out.

    ¡®Sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡¯ I say.

    ¡°Yeah, well, now that¡¯s ALL I can think about. F*uc*k Jordan, give a guy a break,¡¯ he says, making me

    laugh out loud. It¡¯s a heady thing to know that a strong man gets weak thinking about me naked. It¡¯s not

    something I¡¯ve ever paid attention to, mostly since the men in my life wanted my position and power,

    not me.

    ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I say, trying to keep the mirth out of the mind link.

    Jace grunts. ¡®Just¡­.get down here when you can. I¡¯ll get some breakfast wraps so we can work and

    eat at the same time.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re the best, Jace.¡¯ He¡¯s quiet for a moment and I¡¯m about to close the mind link.

    ¡®I¡¯m trying, Jordan. Trying to be the best I can for you.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll see you in a few minutes,¡¯ I say, closing the mind link.

    I quickly blow dry my hair and add some makeup before putting on a three-piece suit and heels.

    I head downstairs and when I get there, I see Elijah and Jace working together on the seating

    arrangements.

    ¡°Hey, sorry I¡¯mte,¡± I say.

    Elijah looks up. ¡°Notte, just in time, and all Alpha had up I see,¡± he says smiling at me.

    Jace however, does a slow once over, from my head to my toes and back. I blush, because I can tell

    he¡¯s thinking about me naked in the shower.

    He grits his teeth and turns back to what he was doing, shifting his pants in a way that I wasn¡¯t

    supposed to see, but I did.

    ¡°Do you want to take a look at this?¡± Elijah says, showing me the groups, they¡¯ve put together.

    ¡°You¡¯re mixing the Alphas up? Not keeping them in their families?¡± I look up at the two of them. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to war, we need to be unified, allies. This way, we can mingle together, talk to each

    other, get to know each other,¡± Jace says,ing over and handing me a breakfast wrap. Based on

    the smell, it¡¯s bacon, egg and sausage. I take a bite, looking over their names and nodding. ¡°This is

    good. What about the council members?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Same, mixing them up and making sure they are mixed in with other packs,¡± Jace says.

    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.

    I look at my Beta and Gamma. ¡°Well, you two have rendered my useless,¡± I say jokingly.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    They both say together.

    I wave them off. ¡°What can I do?¡±

    Jace looks behind me and nods his chin. ¡°Greet everyone and help them find their seats,¡± he says, and

    I turn, seeing Councilman Jason already entering the room.

    ¡°Councilman,¡± I say, stepping up to him. ¡°Did you get breakfast?¡±

    And for the next hour, I help people find their seats, I talk to everyone as theye in and I make sure

    that

    Councilman Jason has everything he needs to preside over the meeting.

    When everyone is finally in the room and seated, Councilman Jason stands and addresses the room.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone. We have some important things to discuss over the next couple of days.

    First, let¡¯s start with the very concerning information that it appears that we have some rogue packs

    that none of us knew about. Based on the information that we obtained from the fighter Nn, these

    packs have been in existence for at least a generation and have also been known to the local grizzly

    bear shifters for a long time.¡±

    Councilman Jason goes through the information that Nn gave to him and the other council

    members.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that these rogues are a second generation from the pack members banished in our

    generation?¡± my father asks.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Councilman Jason says. ¡°But none of us banished our pack members, did we? We put them

    down,¡± my father says, and the others nod. ¡°You did, but what about the others that aren¡¯t here any

    longer? Gunnar,

    Emanuel, Shawn and Conrad. And, let¡¯s not forget Typhon. He was on the loose for a very long time,¡±

    Councilman Jason says.

    ¡°But he was after me. He wouldn¡¯t have had time to do anything like what you¡¯ re saying,¡± my mother

    says, my father wrapping a protective arm around her.

    I¡¯m not sure how many in the room know this story, but I do, my entire family does.

    ¡°Those that you listed off, those are the Alphas that died in the war?¡± Tobias asks, looking around the

    room.

    ¡°Yes,¡± his father, Saul, says. ¡°And Typhon is the one that caught Luna Jara¡¯s sister, M, in the iming

    and after basically killing her, entered into Luna Jara¡¯s im and catch her. When he didn¡¯t seed,

    his feral fever and iming haze made him crazy. He was injured and deformed, but he somehow

    managed to survive ande after Luna Jara, nearly killing her.¡±

    ¡°Elijah and the pack saved me,¡± my mother says, smiling at my Beta. ¡°Any Beta worth the title protects

    his Luna,¡± he says from where he¡¯s standing on the other side of the room. But our family knows it¡¯s

    more than that. My mother lost her child, and my parents lost a valued pack member, one of my

    mother¡¯s guards, the day Typhon attacked.

    ¡°So, what are you proposing, Councilman?¡± Alpha Asher asks.

    ¡°As I see it, we have three problems. We have a rogue problem that needs to be handled, we have a

    threat to our two female Alphas, and we have a bear problem. We need to divide and conquer,¡±

    Councilman Jason says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to go hunting rogues,¡± my father says.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Uncle Seth says, not surprising anyone. It¡¯s their daughters that are at risk.

    Several other Alphas from the previous generation agree to go searching for the rogues.

    ¡°Okay then, that leaves the bears,¡± Councilman Jason says.

    For some reason, I feel like I need to go. Maybe because I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯m the threat that the n

    leader warned us about, but without consciously thinking about it, I speak up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°Jordan!¡± Jaxon says sharply from the across the room.

    ¡°He warned me. Me or Taylor, but I¡¯ve been a female Alpha longer than Taylor, so I feel like it¡¯s me that

    he warned. I should go thank him and maybe if I do, he¡¯ll be willing to give me information on these

    rogues,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t want you going alone,¡± my father says, making me arch an eyebrow.

    ¡°She won¡¯t be. I¡¯m going with her,¡± Jace says.

    I turn and look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t argue, Alpha. It¡¯s not safe for you to travel alone right now anyway, but

    definitely not with the bears,¡± he says.

    ¡°I need you here, Jace.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay, Jordan. And Elijah will be here. I¡¯m not leaving while Eve is so close to delivering anyway. I¡¯ll

    look after your pack,¡± Jaxon says.

    I look back at Jace before turning to Councilman Jason. ¡°Jace and I will go meet with the bear n.¡±

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 15 (Unknown POV)

    ¡°Alpha, why are we here?¡±

    I lift my nose in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t you smell her?¡± I ask. He¡¯s not an Alpha, so maybe he can¡¯t smell what

    I¡¯m smelling.

    ¡°Uh, what am I smelling?¡± he asks, sniffing the air.

    ¡°There¡¯s a second female Alpha. This one seems to be alone, or at least, not part of a pack. I smell

    family, but no other pack members.¡±

    My father was an Alpha, his mate was a female Alpha. Not my mother. My mother was a worthless

    human who did nothing worthwhile on this other than give birth to me before she died. And then,

    my father was murdered, and our pack was lost. The pack I was owed, the pack I deserve.

    I had intended to take the other female Alpha, but now that there are two, I can much more easily

    capture and mark this one. I may have been young when my father died, but he taught me everything

    he knew about catching and iming a female, specifically catching an Alpha female.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get around the patrols. Tell the others to stay here. Keep everyone quiet. I¡¯ll get in,

    snatch her up and get out. Once she¡¯s marked, there¡¯s nothing anyone can do about it,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Sure thing, Alpha,¡± he says, as the wolves behind him begin fighting over the scraps of thest bear

    we killed. It¡¯s the only animal big enough to fill their voracious appetites.

    ¡°Quiet them down. NOW!¡± I order my warrior.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± he says, rushing into the fray and tearing into our pack members. There¡¯s no snarls or

    growls, only ripping flesh from their bodies to get their attention.

    It¡¯s a constant problem in my pack. Too many males, no females, no way to get any relief from all this

    masculine energy. For whatever reason, whether it was our fathers or it was because they mated with

    humans, there are no rogue females, only males. I watched my father slip into his madness, watched

    him lose his mind while he tried to find a new mate, one who could save him.

    The humans didn¡¯t save him, but they did help him to live a bit longer.

    I turn, looking at all of them, cowed for now. ¡°Stay quiet, or I¡¯ll kill you when I get back,¡± I say.

    They nod, then begin snapping at each other again, their growls getting louder. I shift and leap into the

    group, grabbing one by the back of the neck and shaking my head violently until I hear the snap of his

    neck. I drop him, looking at the others around me and snarling low, warning them that they are next if

    they make any more noise.

    Once they are quiet, I turn, slinking up to where the patrols have been running. I watch, learning their

    pattern, before sneaking past them.

    Time to get my mate.

    Nn POV

    After sending all of the new Alphas home, I had stopped in Alpha Giovanni¡¯ s pack for the night. He had

    offered to let me stay as long as I wanted, or to bring me back to Jordan¡¯s pack with him, but I had

    declined.

    In truth, I felt the need to get my head straight. It¡¯s obvious to me that Jordan¡¯ s feelings have been on

    the fence since the beginning, but now that Jace is obviously make a y for her, I can see the mate

    bond working its magic. The question I have for myself is, how hard to I want to push Jordan to

    consider me as her mate?

    Rather than driving back to the pack, I decide to run. I could use the time to clear my head and the run

    will be good for my endurance training. At this rate, it will take me a day to get back to

    Jordan¡¯s pack. By then, the Alpha meeting should be in the end of its first day, or maybe even into the

    second day, depending on how long I decide to take.

    I¡¯ve been running for hours when I smell something off. I stop, sniffing the air, trying to find the scent

    that shouldn¡¯t be here.

    I catch the scent again, and slowly make my way to it. It smells like wolf, but it also smells bad, like a

    bunch of wolves that haven¡¯t bathed in way too long. I¡¯m not sure if these are the rogues, but I decide

    to follow the scent and find out.

    What I quickly realize is that this is not just one wolf, it¡¯s an entire pack. As I follow the scent, it¡¯s getting

    stronger the longer I go and that can only mean one thing, this pack is headed toward Jordan¡¯s pack.

    I pick up my pace, but I¡¯m still hours away from Jordan and now, I¡¯m too far away from Alpha

    Giovanni¡¯s pack to go back and get my phone. Instead, I push harder, trying to make up time. As a

    single wolf, I should be able to catch a pack of wolves. It just depends on how far ahead of me they

    are.

    I push harder, wanting to get to them before they get to Jordan¡¯s packnds. If the Alphas have all

    arrived as they should have, then this fight wouldn¡¯t amount to anything, and this pack should be taken

    out quickly. If not, then Jordan and her cousin Taylor are in danger.

    It¡¯s when I¡¯m getting close to Jordan¡¯s packnds, my mind on the scent in my nose and the fear for

    Jordan, that I nearly run right into the pack that is lying in wait. It only takes me a second to realize that

    we¡¯re on the outskirts of Alpha Taylor¡¯s pack, the new Alpha female that borders Jordan¡¯s pack.

    As soon as I see them, I howl the rm. It¡¯s not the smartest move I¡¯ve ever made, I¡¯m alone and I¡¯ve

    just set myself up to fight a pack of what looks like 30 wolves on my own.

    Thankfully, Jordan¡¯s patrols answer my howl, and they begin racing toward me. I¡¯m about to jump into

    the fight when I hear a third howl. This one I don¡¯t recognize at all, but the rogue pack does. They turn,

    and head toward their Alpha, who I realize has breached the borders of Alpha Taylor¡¯s pack and is

    inside her packnds.

    I give chase, hoping to corral them into the patrols, but these guys are wily, obviously used to escaping

    capture.

    A few momentster, I hear the sound of multiple howls going up from Jordan¡¯s pack. They¡¯ve heard

    the patrols and areing to fight. All I have to do is keep the rogues here for them to capture.

    I¡¯m running toward where I heard the Alpha give his howl, calling his pack to him. I¡¯ve just broken

    through a brush line, entering a clearing with a small house and a lot of construction materials when I

    see him. I can tell by his size that his father was an Alpha. No other wolf would be asrge as his. His

    pack members begin racing past him, jumping into a fight with the patrols that are outnumbered, not by

    much, but as I watch the rogues begin to fight, I realize that they are crazed animals, fighting almost as

    if they are rabid, rather than fighting for their lives.

    The Alpha¡¯s snarl turns my attention back to him. I hunch over, lowering my head and snarling at him,

    challenging him. This may not be Jordan¡¯s pack, but I¡¯m willing to keep this man, this wolf, from getting

    to her.

    He leaps at me, and we begin to roll around on the ground. I remember what the councilman said

    about these rogues possibly being descendants of the banished pack members with feral fever or the

    iming haze. I¡¯m also old enough to remember that those with feral fever could pass on the disease

    by biting another. So I go on defense, making sure I don¡¯t get bit.

    We¡¯ve been fighting for a few minutes, him snapping at me, me making sure that I don¡¯t get bitten when

    I smell it, the scent of the sweet-after-death nt. It¡¯s a scent very simr to vani,

    but only found deep in the forest, near streams orkes. I love this scent, not only because of the

    sweetness of it, but because it¡¯s hard to find and you have to know where to go to get it.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    I¡¯m so distracted, that the rogue Alpha gets the upper hand, pushing me over and getting on top of me,

    snapping at my neck and face. A momentter another wolf, a gorgeous ck wolf ms into him,

    pushing him off of me. She stands in front of me, snarling at him, protecting me. I realize, this is the

    wolf that has the scent that is so distracting that for once in my life, I can¡¯t even think about fighting.

    He lifts his head up in the air, and howls before looking back at her, and now it¡¯s my turn to snarl. His

    look is full of lust. Lust for MY mate.

    I slowly begin to stalk toward him, but he takes off. I¡¯m about ready to give chase, when teeth bite,

    gently but firmly into my tail, holding me in ce.

    I turn, seeing the beautiful she-wolf holding my tail.

    I shift and stand, watching her. I¡¯ve waited so long to find my mate, and here she is, right in front of me.

    Finally. She shifts and I take a moment to look over her gorgeous body. The Moon Goddess has finally

    blessed me with my mate and oh, what a mate she is. ¡°Mate!¡± I say.

    She smiles a brilliant smile at me. ¡°Mate!¡±

    I take a step toward her and then I see the other wolves, shifting behind her. I turn and look, stopping in

    my tracks. ¡°Jordan.¡±

    The smiles falls from my mate¡¯s face as she turns to look at Jordan and then back at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re Nn?¡±

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 16 (Jace)

    After lunch, the Alphas began talking about finding the rogues. Now that it is settled that Jordan and I

    will go to see the bears, their next n had to incorporate actually finding the rogues and deciding what

    to do with them. We¡¯ II know more after we talk to Balor, the n chief of the bears, but Nn¡¯s intel

    was that there were two packs.

    ¡°While we¡¯re talking about dividing our Alphas up and sending all of you out to search for rogues, might

    I inquire about the Beta Trials? We¡¯re only about a month away from the start of the trials at this point.

    Has anyone considered that we would be at high risk for an attack during those challenges?¡± Jordan

    asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s a valid point, although, I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re concerned about them, Alpha, being that you

    already have a Beta. Do you have a lot of individuals entering the Trials?¡± Alpha Tarik, Tobias¡¯ brother,

    asks me.

    ¡°I do have several individuals who have entered the Beta Trials, but my Beta heir has also thrown his

    hat into the Trials. So, you I¡¯ll be looking for a Beta just like the new Alphas,¡± she says, and I watch as

    Alpha Mason jerks his head at Elijah, who nods subtly, his l*ips pressed tightly together.

    ¡°Why would a Beta, with a guaranteed position in a pack, decide to go into the Beta Trials?¡± Alpha

    Aiden asks me. ¡°You¡¯d have to ask him,¡± Jordan says diplomatically.

    Taylor, however, isn¡¯t so diplomatic. ¡°It¡¯ s because you¡¯re a female Alpha, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t¡­ specify, in so many words¡­¡± Jordan begins, but Taylor snorts.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s one Beta I won¡¯t have to worry about, he¡¯s now eliminated from my list,¡± she says.

    Alpha Caleb looks like he¡¯s just about to say something, when we hear Jordan¡¯s patrols send up the

    howl of rm.

    Jordan¡¯s up and moving toward me as the patrol mind links us both.

    ¡°Jordan?¡± Jaxon asks.

    We both turn to Taylor. ¡°It¡¯s your pack, Taylor. The rogues are attacking your pack.¡±

    I tell her, following Jordan as we race out of the conference room and to the back door of the

    packhouse. Almost as one, me, Jordan and Taylor leap and shift, racing to her pack.

    Behind me, I can hear Jaxon and Alpha Mason beginning to bark orders to increase the patrols of our

    pack and sending out the message to get the elderly and women with young children into the safe

    rooms. I¡¯m sure Griffin is doing the same for his pack as well, since they are just as close to Taylor¡¯s

    pack as ours is.

    Jordan lifts her head up into the air and howls to let the others know we¡¯re on our way. I lift mine to join

    hers and hear several others right behind us.

    As we get closer, we can hear the sounds of snarling and fighting. As soon as we break through the

    clearing that Taylor has created for her packhouse, I see and smell the rogue Alpha. He¡¯s definitely an

    Alpha based on his size. He has a wolf on the ground, snapping at him and I recognize him as Nn.

    Jordan moves to attack the rogue Alpha, but Taylor snarls a feral snarl, and leaps forward mming

    into the rogue Alpha, knocking him off of Nn. She takes a protective stance in front of him and while

    I understand her motive, it¡¯s the worst possible thing she could do.

    The rogue¡¯s eyes be hungry, and he howls a lustful, desirous howl of a male who¡¯s found the

    female he intends to mate. I have a moment to be thankful that this rogue¡¯s focus is on Taylor, not

    Jordan, before Nn¡¯s wolf is on his feet, snarling and snapping at the rogue.

    When the rogue starts to run off, Nn moves to go after him, but Taylor grabs onto his tail with her

    teeth, holding him in ce. I hear the rogue Alpha howl, calling his pack members to him and I hear the

    sound of multiple paws hitting the ground, following after him.

    The minute that Nn shifts, I know that I was right. Taylor is his mate.

    When he calls Taylor ¡®mate¡¯, Jordan jerks beside me. I look at her while Taylor shifts and repeats the

    word back to Nn. Then I watch as Jordan shifts, staring at Nn. His eyes drift to hers and shock

    registers on his face.

    ¡°Jordan.¡±

    I shift, just as Taylor looks back and sees Jordan. Understanding and pain run in rapid session

    across her face. Then she turns back to Nn.

    ¡°You¡¯re Nn?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And you are?¡±

    ¡°Taylor.¡±

    ¡°Taylor,¡± he says and his brows furrow. ¡°The cousin who¡­¡± he turns looking at me.

    Griffines running up to us, shifting quickly.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Taylor and Nn are mates,¡± I say quietly.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not at all awkward,¡± he says.

    Nn takes a step toward Taylor, but she puts her hands up.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be here right now,¡± she says, turning and shifting.

    ¡°My pack or Jordan¡¯s, Taylor! You can¡¯t be alone with that rogue Alpha on the loose and after you,¡±

    Griffin calls.

    I watch as Taylor turns in the direction of Griffin¡¯s pack. Nn moves to go after her.

    ¡°Leave her, Nn. Give her some space. I understand what it feels like to have your mate dating your

    cousin. She needs to process this before you speak to her. Trust me,¡± Jordan says.

    Griffin¡¯s head snaps to me. ¡°You?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡­.¡± I don¡¯t get any more words out before he¡¯s punched me, knocking me backward.

    ¡°GRIFFIN!¡± Jordan shouts.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s more for Jordan or Taylor, but you better get your s*hit together man,¡± he snarls at

    me. ¡°I already have. I broke up with your sister a while ago,¡± I tell him. ¡°Yeah well,¡± he turns, looking at

    Nn, then at Jordan, ¡°this is still a f*ucking mess.¡±

    He looks back at Nn. ¡°You don¡¯t step foot on my packnds until my sister agrees to seeing you

    there. You hear me?¡±

    ¡°I hear you, Alpha,¡± he says, before Griffin turns and races after his sister.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jordan asks me, pulling my hand away from my face and flinching. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s already

    bruised from that punch.

    ¡°Yeah, he just did what you should have done the other day,¡± I say, smiling at her, which hurts, but I

    don¡¯t show it. She rolls her eyes at me before turning to Nn.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asks him.

    ¡°Jordan, how many times do we have to talk about you not always putting others ahead of yourself? I

    should be asking you if YOU are okay.¡±

    She looks from me to Nn. ¡°I have no idea how I feel about this, but at least I had some warning.

    Taylor smelled your scent in my pack house when she arrived yesterday and then she couldn¡¯t find her

    mate. There was arge possibility that it was you.¡±

    She looks at me. ¡°And Jace and I will be leaving to speak with the bear shifters soon, so, perhaps that

    will give you and Taylor time to figure things out.¡±

    ¡°And when will you and I have time to ¡®figure things out¡¯, Jordan,¡± he asks.

    She steps away from me, to Nn. ¡°Nn, I saw the look on your face. I know that you waited a long

    time for your mate who just happens to be nearly a decade younger than you. I¡¯m sure you both have a

    lot to work out between you and I have no intention of getting in the middle of that. I¡¯ll give you the

    same advice you once gave me. You need to decide what you want and what you¡¯re willing to live with.

    Your mate dated mine for years. You know the stories, you and I have talked about them. The

    difference is that now, when you think of my cousin Taylor, you also have to think about her as your

    mate Taylor. That¡¯s a lot for all of us to think about.¡±

    She steps back towards me, and it takes everything in me not to push her behind me. I don¡¯t want her

    to figure anything out with Nn, unless it means the end of their rtionship.

    Nn looks at Jordan a long moment before looking at me. ¡°Did you sleep with her?¡± he asks, and I

    know he means Taylor.

    ¡°No.¡±

    He nods, looking thoughtful, before looking back at Jordan. ¡°I¡¯ll take my own advice, and I¡¯ll think about

    things, but when you return, I want some time to talk with you as well.¡±

    ¡°Deal. And, in the meantime, you may not be wee in Griffin¡¯s pack, but you are wee in mine.¡±

    He turns, looking in the direction that Taylor ran off. ¡°I think I¡¯ll find somece else to stay for now. You

    know how to get ahold of me if you need me. And¡­ if you think it will help, give Taylor my phone

    number. I don¡¯t have my phone right now, but I¡¯m going to go back and get my car. That¡¯s where it is. I¡¯ll

    stay within an hour of your pack, just in case she decides she wants to talk in person.¡±

    ¡°Jaxon will be running my pack in my absence. I¡¯ll let him know that you¡¯re always wee. If you

    need a ce to stay, he¡¯ll make sure you have one until I return.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jordan,¡± he says before shifting and racing off.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask after a few moments.

    She turns and looks at me, shaking her head. ¡°How did this be such a tangled web?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot?¡±

    ¡°You are an idiot. And whether as mate or Gamma, you¡¯re apparently MY idiot. Come on, let¡¯s go check

    on the patrols,¡± she says turning from me.

    She doesn¡¯t see the huge smile that spreads across my face. She may not have realized it, but she just

    imed me.

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 17 (Jordan)

    After checking on my patrols and sending the ones with bites and scratches to the pack hospital, I send

    a mind link to my father letting him know the rogues were taken care of. I¡¯ll need to reconnect Jaxon to

    my pack before I leave so he can use the mind link. ¡®Griffin is sending more patrols to watch over

    Taylor¡¯snd,¡¯ my father tells me.

    ¡®Good, because several of my patrols were injured and isn¡¯t there some concern for them being bitten

    or scratched by someone with feral fever?¡¯ I ask him.

    ¡®The wolves had feral fever?¡¯ he asks, concern evident in his voice.

    ¡®ording to my patrols, they weren¡¯t normal wolves dad.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll get Councilman Jason and head over to the pack hospital to see what they doctors are saying. I¡¯m

    guessing we¡¯ll need to put your patrols into quarantine for the time being, honey. I¡¯ m sorry, but it¡¯s

    probably the only way to be safe.¡¯

    ¡®I understand, Dad. Their mates and pups may not, but I do,¡¯ I say, closing the mind link and sighing.

    ¡°That¡¯s the third time you¡¯ve sighed in thest two minutes, Jordan. What¡¯s up?¡± Jace asks me as we

    hear Griffin¡¯s patrols heading our way.

    ¡°Dad says our patrols that were bitten or scratched will have to go into quarantine until we know for

    sure that those wolves didn¡¯t have feral-fever.¡±

    ¡°I thought we were immune to that.¡± Jace says. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that like a huge deal with our generation, the

    immunity to feral fever and the iming haze?¡±

    ¡°It was, but we don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what this is. Remember, these rogues haven¡¯ t been part of a pack.

    The patrols said they only saw males and those males were acting erratically. We¡¯ll have to bring in the

    scientists to do blood samples. Hopefully, even if it is a new strain, they will be able toe up with a

    vine for it. The whole issue of feral fever in males was because of the limited female poption. Or,

    at least, that¡¯s what I remember my parents telling me.¡±

    ¡°It sounds right. So, do we need to call the lead scientist? I think it¡¯s the same one from our parents¡¯

    generation, right? His daughter is still too young to have taken over?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand he found his mate a year or so after thest iming, and they had a pup, a female,

    but she would be a couple years younger than me still, so maybe she¡¯ll be involved. We¡¯ll have to see.¡±

    By the time we get back to the packhouse, my mom and Aunt Hana are helping people out of the safe

    rooms. I jog up to my mother. ¡°Do you need anything? I want to head over to the pack hospital and

    check on my patrols.¡±

    ¡°Go, we¡¯ve got this. The council canceled the rest of today¡¯s meeting and they¡¯ve called in Dr. Braxton

    and his daughter. She¡¯s studying to be a doctor and will most likely follow in her father¡¯s footsteps, so I

    guess it¡¯s good that we have her.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±

    I leave Jace to help Elijah make sure everyone is set up for the afternoon, having a ce to work and

    some privacy to call their packs and make arrangements to increase their own patrols. In addition,

    several of the previous generation went out hunting for the rogues but lost their scent in the rivers and

    lakes in between packnds.

    In total, I have six patrol members that have to be quarantined. I spend the rest of the afternoon and

    evening speaking with mates and family members, exining what happened and why their loved ones

    are in quarantine. We make arrangements for them to be able to speak to their loved ones so they

    know that they aren¡¯t alone, and I also went around to each of them, letting them know that Jace, Elijah

    and I will be by every day that they are in quarantine to check on them and make sure that they don¡¯t

    need anything.

    They were appreciative and understanding, even though they are unhappy about having to be

    separated from their mates. I had the hospital set up a kid¡¯s area where the pups could y while

    parents talked and had them also set up spaces for the pup-less mates to stay in the hospital if they

    wanted to be closer to their mates.

    By the time that is done, it¡¯ste. I head back to the packhouse, my head spinning with everything that

    is going on, what it could mean and trying to decide if I feel better or not that the rogue Alpha has set

    his sights on Taylor.

    Is that because he came across her pack and she¡¯s an easier target, or was she always the target? Am

    I safe or am I still at risk if the opportunity presents itself for this rogue Alpha to capture me. And what

    about the other rogue pack? What is that Alpha doing? Is he also on the prowl? Now that they know

    there are two female Alphas, will they divide and conquer ande after both of us?

    And then, I¡¯m worried about my pack members while I¡¯m gone. I now have a group in quarantine and

    the pack is on edge, waiting to see if we¡¯re going to be attacked by rogues. The news of the quarantine

    will have gone around the pack already, making them even more nervous. Should I change my ns

    about going to meet with the bears? I feel like it¡¯s important to get the information, and something

    inside me is telling me that it needs to be me that goes.

    And then, of course, there¡¯s Nn. I have no idea what it means that he is Taylor¡¯s mate. Are she and I

    so much alike that our mates dated the other person? She and I have never been close. She was

    always much morepetitive than I was, always acting like she had to prove herself, which I guess

    she did.

    These are the thoughts rolling around in my head when I get to the packhouse. It¡¯s quiet inside. I can

    hear murmurings around the packhouse, but in general, it¡¯s sote that everyone has gone to bed.

    My stomach rumbles, but I ignore it. I missed dinner. Again. Oh well, there¡¯s always breakfast.

    I climb the stairs to my floor and make my way to my room. As soon as I open the door, I can smell

    Jace¡¯s scent of honey roasted almonds. He¡¯s been in my room. I look around, wondering what he was

    doing here and then I see it, a te of food sitting on my desk with a note on top.

    I pick up the note, and then pull the covering off the food. Two wraps, one turkey and ham and the

    other roast beef, with a te full of potato chips. I grab a wrap, taking a bite and nearly moaning out

    loud it tastes so good. Or maybe I¡¯m just that hungry. Then I open the note.

    ¡®Alpha,

    I know you didn¡¯t eat tonight. You haven¡¯t left the hospital all night. I know, I checked on you several

    times. All the visitors arefortable and have contacted their packs. Everyone had dinner and Elijah

    and I set up couple of bars so everyone could mingle and talk afterward.

    Don¡¯t worry about the patrol members in quarantine. The scientists will be here tomorrow, and we¡¯ll

    figure it out. Don¡¯t worry about the trip to see the bears, we¡¯ll make it work. I talked to Alpha Jaxon

    tonight and he is ready to rejoin our pack for the time he¡¯s here.

    Don¡¯t worry about the rogue Alphaing after you and Taylor, we¡¯ll keep both of you safe and we¡¯ll

    figure out what to do with them and the pack that hasn¡¯t shown themselves yet. And finally, don¡¯t worry

    about the mate bond between Taylor and Nn. Everything will work out the way it is supposed to.

    I know me telling you not to worry about these things won¡¯t change that you will. That¡¯s who you are,

    but we have some very long days ahead of us, Jordan, and you need your rest. So, try to shut your

    brain off, get some sleep and we can talk in the morning.

    Your Gamma and mate,

    Jace.¡¯

    I read the note twice, downing the wraps as I do. How did he know everything that I was worrying

    about?

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Am I that transparent? I mean, obviously all of those things are important and would be weighing on

    any Alpha¡¯s mind, but he makes it sound like he was in my head on my way home from the hospital just

    now.

    I tentatively open the mind link and find Jace still awake.

    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±

    ¡°Jordan, please tell me that you¡¯re not contacting me from the shower again. If you are, so help me

    Goddess¡­.¡± Iugh out loud.

    ¡®No, I¡¯m finishing my potato chips, THEN I¡¯m getting in the shower.¡¯

    I hear him grunt in the mind link. ¡®I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s any better. No, it¡¯s definitely not any better. But I¡¯m

    d you¡¯re back and have eaten. Shower off the day and get some rest, Jordan. I¡¯ll see you in the

    morning.¡¯

    ¡®See you in the morning, Jace,¡¯ I say, closing the mind link.

    I shower and dress in myfortable pajamas before crawling into bed and staring up at the ceiling.

    You didn¡¯t tell me not to worry about you, Jace. What am I going to do about you?

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 18 (Jace)

    It had taken me hours to fall asleep, after lying in bed for hours thinking of Jordan¡¯s naked body, fresh

    in my head from earlier that day and then thinking of the water from the shower sliding over her body.

    I thought taking matters into my own hands would have taken the edge off. I mean, after twenty-five

    years, I¡¯m pretty adept at it, but that image of her, the thought of being in the shower with her, watching

    her hands as they soaped up her body? Well, I had to take matters into my own hands twice more after

    that before I could finally fall asleep.

    I¡¯m up early again, knowing we have a s*hit-ton of work to do today. I quickly shower, and the image of

    Jordan floats back into my head, so I take precious time to rub another one out before I start my day.

    F*uck, how the hell am I going to travel alone with her?

    I get dressed quickly and head downstairs, making sure the omegas are set to make food for even

    more people today, since the scientists and who knows how many others areing. I have them

    make up a couple of breakfast sandwiches and coffee and send it up to Jordan¡¯s room so she can eat

    while she¡¯s getting ready.

    ¡°One for you, too, Gamma,¡± one of the omegas says to me.

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Thanks, Tina. Do you know if Beta Elijah is up yet?¡± I ask, taking a bite of food.

    ¡°He is,¡± he says behind me, scrubbing his face and looking exhausted. I feel bad for him, He expected

    to retire very soon, anticipating handing over the Beta duties to his son. Now, he¡¯ll have to stay on

    longer and train whatever new Beta we bring in.

    ¡°Good morning, Jace,¡± Layan says walking in behind him. ¡°Is this for Alpha Jordan?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes, Beta.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it to her,¡± she says.

    ¡°Good morning, Beta Layan,¡± I call out to her as she bustles back out of the kitchen.

    Alpha Mason and Luna Jarae in right behind her.

    ¡°Coffee! Please for all that¡¯s good and holy, I need coffee!¡± Luna Jara says, walking to the coffee pot.

    ¡°Here you go, Luna,¡± one of the omegas says, having already started pouring some coffee.

    ¡°Thank you, Cathy. You know I can¡¯t function without my coffee,¡± she says. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n for

    today?¡± Alpha Mason asks.

    I¡¯m just about to say that depends on the council members when Jordanes in, breakfast sandwich

    in one hand, and coffee in the other.

    ¡°I need to speak to Councilman Jason and find out what his ns are for the rogues today,¡± she says.

    ¡°I told the warriors in quarantine that the three of us would be rotating through there every day they are

    in quarantine so we can make sure that everyone is okay, and no one needs anything.¡±

    ¡°I can go now, make sure nothing happened overnight,¡± Elijah says. ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Layan says.

    ¡°Me as well. I know we won¡¯t know anything about a possible infection until the scientists get here, but

    I¡¯d like toy eyes on the warriors myself.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jordan says as the three of them make their way out of the kitchen.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go sit in the dining room and talk. I don¡¯t want everyoneing in and flooding the kitchen

    looking for coffee and food,¡± I say and see the omegas give me a look of thanks.

    Just as we sit down, Councilman Jason walks in. ¡°Is there coffee?¡± he asks, as the omegas bring a pot

    out. They set it on our table and rush to get him a coffee mug, bringing cream and sugar to our table as

    well.

    ¡°Councilman, I was hoping to get an idea of what you had nned for today,¡± Jordan says, finishing her

    food and sipping her coffee. I pour more for her when I see the mug is nearly empty. The gesture

    doesn¡¯t go unnoticed by Alpha Mason.

    ¡®We still need to talk, Jace,¡¯ he says in the mind link.

    ¡®Yes, Alpha.¡¯

    I was Alpha Mason¡¯s Gamma for six years, form the time I turned 18 until thisst year when Jordan

    finally took over as Alpha. He and I worked well together, and we have a good

    rtionship, but I know this conversation has to do with his daughter, so I¡¯m not exactly sure how it will

    go. Given Griffin¡¯s response yesterday, I¡¯m not expecting it to go well.

    ¡°We obviously need to start hunting for these rogue packs. They¡¯ve made their first move and while it

    may have been intended as a reconnaissance mission, we¡¯ve now got injured and possibly

    contaminated pack members. They have posed a threat to our packs, and they will need to be taken

    out. I¡¯m going to ask for volunteers today to see who is willing to go on a rogue hunt, but I need you to

    think about leaving soon, Alpha Jordan. The more information we have from the bear n leader, this

    Balor, the better.¡±

    ¡°I need to speak with Jaxon today. I need to bring him back into the pack so he can ess the pack

    mind link. I can have that ceremony tonight and then Jace and I can leave tomorrow along with the

    other Alphas. I know you had a gatheringst night, have any of the new Alphas talked about their

    ns yet? After this attack, being alone in these decimated packs doesn¡¯t sound safe.¡±

    ¡°No, and it¡¯s something that we¡¯ll need to talk about today as well. We need a n to keep these

    Alphas and the new packs protected from attack. Much of those decisions will be based on Dr.

    Braxton¡¯s work. Based on my experience, he¡¯ll need a space to work and do his experiments,¡±

    Councilman Jason says.

    I mind link Elijah asking him to work with the hospital staff to get a space for the doctor to work.

    ¡°Elijah will take care of that,¡± I tell Jordan.

    ¡°Good. Do we know when the scientists will be arriving?¡± Jordan says just as we get the mind link from

    the patrols. ¡°Never mind, it looks like they¡¯re here,¡± she says, and she and I move to go greet our new

    guests, Alpha Mason and Councilman Jason right behind us.

    When we get outside, a car is pulling up with an older gentleman and a young woman. The man steps

    out of the car, looking around before his eyesnd on Mason.

    ¡°Alpha Mason, it¡¯s good to see you again,¡± he says, pushing his sses up on his face.

    Both Mason and Jason move down the stairs to greet the doctor that they worked with nearly 20 years

    ago. ¡°And Councilman Jason, it¡¯s good to see you again as well,¡± the doctor says.

    Jordan and I turn our attention to the young woman who gets out of the car. She is also wearing

    sses, but I get the impression that she doesn¡¯t need them and only wears them to look older so

    people will take her seriously. Jordan steps up to her.

    ¡°Wee. I¡¯m Alpha Jordan and this is my Gamma, Jace.¡±

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Kyra Braxton. It¡¯s nice to meet you both, although I wish it were under better circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kyra,e meet Alpha Mason and Councilman Jason,¡± Dr. Braxton says to her, motioning her

    over.

    She steps up and introduces herself to both men before turning to her father. ¡°You do realize that Alpha

    Jordan is the new Alpha for this pack father, and you have yet to introduce yourself to her and her

    Gamma?¡± she says gently but firmly to the older man.

    ¡°Oh, goodness me! How could I have forgotten! Yes, yes,¡± hees bustling over. He¡¯s a bit hunched

    over, as if he spends all his time looking down and his motions are stiff as if he doesn¡¯t move around a

    lot.

    ¡°Oh goodness, let me look at you. Oh, you look so much like your mother. Beautiful, just like her. The

    last time I saw you, you were just a newborn,¡± Dr. Braxton says. I want to be irritated that he hasn¡¯t

    even addressed Jordan as an Alpha, but with him, he seems more like crazy scientist rather than

    someone who doesn¡¯t value her position.

    ¡°DAD!¡± Kyra says, exasperated with her father. ¡°This is Alpha Jordan,¡± she says, emphasizing her title,

    ¡°and this is her Gamma, Jace.¡±

    He turns to me, his mouth opening into an ¡®O¡¯. ¡°Oh, little Jace. Oh well, you¡¯re not so little anymore are

    you, young man? You¡¯re all grown up now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, doctor,¡± I say, shaking his hand while his daughter rolls her eyes behind his back.

    ¡°Now,¡± Dr. Braxton says, rubbing his hands together, his eyes full of excitement. ¡°What¡¯s this I hear

    about another outbreak?¡±

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 19 (Jordan)

    I let Jace walk Dr. Braxton and Kyra over to the pack hospital to make sure that the space that Elijah

    has found for them is sufficient. Then, I walk back inside, getting everything ready for our meeting

    today and pulling Jaxon aside. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay being my interim Alpha?¡± I ask him. ¡°You

    know you insult me when you ask things like that, right?¡± he asks in return.

    I smile and look at his very pregnant mate. ¡°How¡¯s Evangeline?¡±

    ¡°Very pregnant. Very ready to have Jaxon Jr.¡±

    ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± I ask.

    ¡°He wants to see her every day until she delivers, but now, I¡¯m worried. What if those in quarantine in

    the hospital have contaminated the space there?¡± he asks.

    ¡°The quarantine is a precaution. Even if they did catch some sort of virus, Evangeline and the rest of us

    here should be able to negate the effects, but we¡¯ll know more when Dr. Braxton begins his tests.¡±

    He nods, watching as Evangeline talks to her siblings. ¡°Do you know what they are going to do?¡± I ask,

    nodding at Magdalena and Lazio.

    ¡°Maggie and Caleb are going to Alejandro¡¯s pack. Lazio and Phoebe are going to Maximus¡¯ pack. At

    least for now. Which reminds me, have you spoken to our sisters? I believe they all want to stay here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Their rooms are still open. They are wee here as long as they like,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Good, because as your future interim Alpha, I already told them they could stay here,¡± he says,

    smirking at me.

    I snort as Jace returns with Dr. Braxton, Kyra and Elijah in tow. I make sure they¡¯ve eaten breakfast and

    we all begin to make our way into the conference room. I¡¯m somewhat surprised when Taylor shows up

    with Griffin.

    She walks right up to me. ¡°Is he here?¡±

    ¡°No, he left. He went to get his car and told me to give you his number. He said he¡¯d stay within an hour

    radius of my pack in case you wanted to meet face to face.¡±

    I pull my phone out of my back pocket and quickly send Nn¡¯s contact information to her.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says before heading inside. Since the entire situation seems like a massive cluster f*uck,

    I don¡¯t say anything more to her. I go inside and sit. Today, rather than having Elijah and Jace standing

    and acting as sentinels, I have them both sitting at the table.

    As soon as I sit, Jace moves to sit beside me.

    ¡°Hello everyone, and wee back. After the events of yesterday, which we¡¯ll go into shortly, we have

    invited Dr. Braxton and his daughter Kyra here today. Many of you may remember Dr. Braxton from our

    days of the iming. It was he who finally realized that feral fever and the iming haze were viruses

    that mirrored the symptoms of rabies and distemper. He was also the doctor that determined that it was

    our females that have created the immunity that all of us enjoy today and have begun passing to the

    next generation. However, we do not know if these rogues have the same immunity that we, in the

    existing packs, have,¡± Councilman Jason begins.

    He stops, looking at all of us. ¡°For those of you who do not know, several of Alpha Jordan¡¯s patrols

    were bitten or scratched during the attack yesterday. Those individuals have been ced into

    quarantine until Dr. Braxton can assure us that we are not at risk of spreading this virus.¡±

    ¡°Jordan, do you have enough patrols? I can send more over here if needed,¡± Griffin says.

    ¡°Thanks, Griff. I¡¯m good. It was only six of my patrols, but of course, we want to make sure that they did

    not contract any type of virus from these rogues. ording to my patrols, there were no females that

    attacked, only males,¡± I say to the group.

    The impact to the older generation is instant. Not everyone in the younger generation, my generation,

    seems to understand the impact of what I¡¯m saying.

    Councilman Jason looks like he¡¯s about to say something, when Dr. Braxton jumps in.

    ¡°If I may, Councilman, I¡¯d like to make sure everyone in the room understands what we¡¯re talking about.

    In the past, feral fever and the iming haze were viruses that started with our females. It is what killed

    them off in the beginning, only we didn¡¯t realize that this was why they were unable to carry their

    children to term or why they were dying in childbirth. It wasn¡¯t until enough of the female poption

    died off that we started to see the effects of the disease in the male poption. Once we did, we had to

    begin killing our kind when they became feral or the iming haze took them. That is, until we realized

    that the females that survived had developed an immunity, an immunity that they passed to their mates

    and if they were strong enough, to their pack members. Therefore, theck of known females in the

    rogue poption is concerning, especially if these rogues are second generation werewolves birthed

    by human mothers with fathers carrying one or both of the diseases. It is the females that carry the

    immunity, not the males. We are dependent upon our females to ensure that our generation continues,

    not only by birthing our next generation, but also by creating and spreading the vine that our bodies

    need to survive.¡±

    Kyra reaches out and t*ouches her father¡¯s arm. ¡°I think what my father is trying to say is that we need

    to test these injured patrol members to make sure that they are not showing any signs of the feral fever

    or iming haze viruses. If they are, we have two possible issues. The first is that it¡¯s a different strain

    that none of us have been exposed to before and we would have to determine if the female antibodies

    can create a natural immunity to the virus. The second possibility is that this is the same strain

    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    from the previous generation, in which case, we all have the immunity already and we just need to

    make sure that the virus or viruses are effectively neutralized in the patrols¡¯ bodies. However, I will note

    that humans have been known to be carriers of the distemper virus and pass it from one canine to

    another. If that¡¯s the case, we don¡¯t know how this may have impacted the currently generation of

    rogues. My father and I n to begin our tests this afternoon, but I would add that it would be helpful if

    we could obtain some blood samples from both male and female volunteers.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes!¡± Dr. Braxton says excitedly. ¡°It would be great if we could get some blood samples from the

    new generation. I¡¯d love to see how the immunity is progressing yearster.¡±

    ¡°And on that note, I¡¯d like to request that members of the older generation let me know if you are willing

    to volunteer to hunt for these rogues,¡± Councilman Jason says.

    Instantly, every Alpha in the room from my father¡¯s generation agrees to going on the hunt.

    ¡°They are a threat to our children, Councilman, you really didn¡¯t have to ask,¡± Alpha Davis says.

    We break for lunch, agreeing to reconvene in a couple of hours. Dr. Braxton and Kyra head back to the

    hospital to begin their experiments. I talked with Kyra before they left to set up a time when volunteers

    coulde in to give them the blood samples that they need.

    I head out of the conference room, wanting to check on the rooms for Dr. Braxton and Kyra when I see

    Nn standing in doorway of the dining room, looking unusually fidgety.

    ¡°Nn, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Jordan, Taylor texted me. She said she wanted to talk, so I came right away. Do you know where she

    is?¡± he asks. At that moment, I hear a feral snarl behind me. I whip around to see Taylor standing there,

    her chest heaving as she looks at me.

    ¡°Get away from my mate!¡± she snarls. All the hair on the back of my neck goes up.

    ¡°This is MY pack, Taylor and you will respect that and me. Stand down!¡± I snarl back at her, taking a

    defensive stance against my cousin as she takes an aggressive stance against me.

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 20 (Jace)

    I walked Dr. Braxton and Kyra to the front door and after making sure that they knew their way to the

    hospital, I turned to head back inside and that¡¯s when I heard the snarl.

    I raced back into the main room leading to the dining room and found Taylor and Jordan facing off.

    ¡°Stand down!¡± Jordan snarls at Taylor. ¡°He¡¯s MY mate!¡± Taylor snarls back at her.

    ¡°Really? You want to go there? With ME?¡± Jordan snarls back at her.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I walk up to Nn. ¡°What the f*uck is going on?¡±

    ¡°Alpha Taylor texted me, said she wanted to talk, so I came here to talk to her. Jordan asked me what I

    was doing here and that¡¯s when Alpha Taylor came out and began snarling at her to get away from

    me.¡±

    I can tell he doesn¡¯t want to be happy about the two of them fighting, but it¡¯s hard not to feel good about

    your mate publicly iming you. That, I understand.

    ¡°You stay away from him,¡± Taylor snarls.

    ¡°Oh, like you stayed away from my mate for thest few years?¡± Jordan snaps.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was your mate until recently!¡± Taylor says and the two of them keep inching closer

    together.

    I know it¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s really wrong, but there is something about an Alpha wolf cat fight that is really

    f*ucking s*exy.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Nn says, and for once, we¡¯re in agreement.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say, never taking my eyes off the two of them.

    ¡°And I didn¡¯t know Nn was your mate until yesterday, so I¡¯ll say it again. STAND DOWN!¡± Jordan

    growls.

    ¡°Jace, why aren¡¯t you getting in there and breaking this up?¡± Alpha Mason asks as hees and

    stands beside me, Alpha Seth right behind him.

    I turn and look at him like he¡¯s crazy. ¡°Do I look stupid to you, Alpha? Those two would tear me to

    shreds. And no offense, but I don¡¯t see either of you jumping in there,¡± I say to him and Alpha Seth.

    He nces at me quickly. ¡°We¡¯re not stupid either. One may be my daughter and the other my niece,

    but we¡¯re talking about mates here,¡± he says.

    Jordan and Taylor have literally just gone toe to toe when there¡¯s a much louder snarl, echoed by a

    second and the Alpha aura in the room bes almost suffocating.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Luna Jara says, storming into the room, Luna Hana right behind her.

    ¡°I will not be disrespected in my own pack,¡± Jordan says, moving back the barest amount.

    ¡°And I will not allow her to steal my mate,¡± Taylor says.

    ¡°Steal? STEAL? You have a lot of nerve, Taylor.¡±

    Jara¡¯s snarl is nearly feral and both females stop.

    ¡°Everyone out. NOW!¡± Luna Hana demands, and everyone begins moving out of the room.

    I turn, ready to walk out with the others when Jara stops me and Nn.

    ¡°Not you two,¡± she says, looking over at us.

    ¡°Back in the conference room, all of you,¡± Luna Jara says and there is no room for argument in her

    tone.

    ¡°If you two aren¡¯t going to bother to help, stay out,¡± Luna Hana barks at Seth and Mason.

    ¡°S*hit, we¡¯re in trouble,¡± Seth mumbles to Mason.

    ¡°Yeah, we are. Gentleman, if there¡¯s any advice we can give you, it¡¯s that when your mate is pissed off

    with you, she will make your life hell until you get back into her good graces,¡± Mason says quietly as we

    make our way back to the conference room.

    ¡°And you want to get back into her good graces as quickly as possible, trust me,¡± Seth says.

    We walk into the conference room and Luna Hana closes the door. I move to stand closer to Jordan,

    not getting too close and Nn does the same with Taylor.

    Luna Jara stands between the two women who are still staring at each other as if they are going to

    attack each other any minute.

    ¡°Does someone want to exin to me what¡¯s going on? Why two cousins, two ALPHAS, are acting like

    children in front of the pack?¡±

    I see Luna Jara¡¯s words hit home with Jordan. She¡¯s always known she has to be more mature, more

    appropriate than any other Alpha so that her pack and others will take her seriously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mate issue,¡± she says quietly, looking at her mother.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be a monkey¡¯s uncle. Hana, did hear that? It¡¯s a mate issue,¡± Jara says sarcastically, and I

    flinch inside at the tone. This is going to get ugly, I can feel it.

    ¡°A mate issue? You don¡¯t say? I¡¯m pretty sure that EVERY F*UCKING PACK in a thousand-mile radius

    knows it¡¯s a mate issue,¡± Luna Hana says, barking out her words. This time, it¡¯s Taylor that flinches at

    her mother¡¯s tone.

    ¡°I will ask again, what¡¯s going on?¡± Jara says.

    ¡°Excuse me, Lunas, if I may¡­¡± Nn begins, then stops when all eyes turn on him, some more friendly

    than others.

    Jara gestures to him. ¡°Speak, Nn. No one else seems to want to exin this f*ucking mess.¡±

    ¡°I believe this is my fault. Yesterday, Alpha Taylor and I realized that we were mates. Obviously, I have

    been dating Alpha Jordan,¡± he says and Taylor snarls.

    Hana¡¯s snarl at her daughter is a loud warning that thankfully, Taylor heeds. ¡°Continue, Nn,¡± Jara

    says.

    Nn looks at Taylor, but she¡¯s not looking at him, or anyone at this point. ¡°Alpha Taylor texted me

    earlier and said she wanted to talk. I didn¡¯t let anyone know that I wasing, I just showed up. Jordan

    saw me and asked what I was doing here and then Alpha Taylor got upset.¡±

    I take a deep breath. I screwed things up, and now I¡¯m about to pay the piper. ¡°I should also confess

    that I¡¯m Jordan¡¯s mate,¡± I say.

    All eyes turn to me, and I swear I see Jara¡¯s eyes soften.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Alpha Seth says.

    ¡°Seth,¡± Luna Hana starts to say, but he¡¯s already across the room, his arm pulled back to punch me. I

    brace for the punch, but before he can hit me, Jordan is in front of me, blocking his punch. ¡°Griffin

    already hit Jace yesterday, Uncle Seth. I won¡¯t allow him to be hit again,¡± she says.

    ¡°Jordan,¡± I begin.

    ¡°No, Jace. If I¡¯m not willing to hit you, then no one else gets to either,¡± she snaps at me, her hand still

    on her uncle¡¯ s arm.

    Another growl rocks the room, and we all turn to look at both Jara and Hana snarling.

    ¡°Seth, I already warned you that if you weren¡¯t going to help, you should stay out. So, find a seat or get

    out,¡± Hana says. She stares at him until he clenches his jaw and moves to the tables.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we all sit,¡± Jara says.

    When we sit, Jara rubs her temples. ¡°So, Jace. You dated Taylor, knowing that Jordan was your mate,

    is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t feel worthy of Jordan. Not until I proved myself in the contest,¡± I say honestly.

    She looks at me a long moment. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about thatter.¡±

    Then she turns to Taylor. ¡°Taylor, you didn¡¯t know that Jace was Jordan¡¯s mate, correct?¡±

    ¡°Not until she rejected him during the contest,¡± Taylor says.

    Jara¡¯s head snaps back to Jordan. ¡°You rejected your mate?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she says, her chin tipping up as if she¡¯s ready to argue her reasons. ¡°I see. And Taylor, once you

    knew that Jace was Jordan¡¯s mate, you broke up with him?¡±

    ¡°Well, actually, he had already broken up with me,¡± she says, looking at me.

    ¡°So, there was nothing more between you after that?¡± Jara asks.

    I look at Taylor. I¡¯m not sure anyone knows that she asked me to be chosen mates.

    She looks at Nn before looking down. ¡°I asked Jace to be chosen mates,¡± she says.

    Nn s*ucks in air but Jordan doesn¡¯t seem surprised. Nn looks at Taylor. Jara looks like she

    doesn¡¯t want to continue her interrogation, but she turns to me.

    ¡°And Jace, did you ept Taylor¡¯s request to be chosen mates?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I watch as both Lunas release their breath.

    ¡°Jordan, you and Nn have been dating for several months, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And, have either of you discussed bing chosen mates?¡±

    ¡°I told Jordan that I wanted her to consider bing my chosen mate,¡± Nn says. I try to hold back

    my growl, but it still slips out. I knew he wanted her, I knew she wanted him, but I didn¡¯t know it had

    gotten to that point. ¡°You were willing to take a chosen mate?¡± Taylor asks him, turning to look at Nn.

    He c*ocks his head at her. ¡°I¡¯ve waited nearly ten years to find you, Taylor. How long did you wait for

    me?¡± he asks her, effectively shutting her up.

    ¡°Jordan, when are you and Jace leaving to go to the bear n?¡± Jara asks, distracting everyone from

    Taylor and her double standard. Was she always like that? I honestly don¡¯t know.

    ¡°Tomorrow. Jace and I will leave when the other Alphas head home,¡± she says.

    ¡°Here is what I suggest, and I¡¯m not putting the Council¡¯s force behind it. I¡¯m hoping that all of you will

    see the purpose and value of this on your own. Let¡¯s take this time for the mates to talk, decide what

    they want and when Jordan and Jace return from the bear country, we can reconvene and decide on

    next steps. Between now and then, I expect both of you to act as the Alphas that you are and to remain

    civil to each other,¡± Jara says.

    Alpha Jara leans forward and sps her hands. ¡°If you two cannot be civil for 24 hours, I will show you

    what it means that at one time, I was thest Alpha female on the.¡±

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 21 (Jordan)

    I know my mother¡¯s threats aren¡¯t idle.

    They never have been. My mother is a strong, powerful wolf, one that my father doesn¡¯t trifle with,

    whether because of the mate bond or my mother¡¯s strength. So, I know when she says that she

    expects me and Taylor to be civil for the next 24 hours, she means it.

    My problem is, this is my pack and Taylor disrespected me. I have enough problems with the males not

    taking me seriously, I really don¡¯t need this shit from my cousin who hasn¡¯t had to deal with the bullshit

    I¡¯ve been dealing with for years.

    ¡°Am I clear?¡± My mother asks. ¡°Crystal clear mother, but I will not be disrespected in my own pack,¡± I

    say. ¡°No, you will not, or your cousin will face the wrath of her mother,¡± Aunt Hana says. ¡°Not only do

    Alphas not disrespect each other, but family doesn¡¯t treat family like this.¡±

    I stand to leave, Jace standing beside me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jordan,¡± Taylor says as I move toward the door.

    I stop and nod, but I don¡¯t say anything. Nothing thates out of my mouth right now is going to

    sound like an Alpha and my father taught me that if you can¡¯t say something like an Alpha then you

    shouldn¡¯t say anything at all.

    When I step outside the room, Jace grabs my hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No, Jace. I have to go do f*ucking damage control because my cousin challenged me in front of the

    pack, then my mother and Aunt basically took over the situation and now I have to make sure everyone

    knows that I¡¯m still in charge, just in time for me to leave and let my brother, who I¡¯m sure is the perfect

    Alpha, take over my pack for me,¡± I say sarcastically.

    I take a step away from him, ready to head into the dining room and face whatever bacsh I get, but

    he holds onto my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ming with you, Jordan. She challenged my Alpha too. Don¡¯t you think it would be better if we

    presented a unified front?¡± he asks.

    ¡°You know everyone heard me.

    Everyone knows now that you were my mate, Jace.¡±

    ¡°Am your mate, Jordan. I AM your mate. And I don¡¯t care. I made the mess, I¡¯ll deal with whatever

    cleanup is required,¡± he says and honestly, I don¡¯t have the energy to argue with him. I need to save

    that for the pack.

    I turn, heading to the dining room. Jace moves into position just behind me and to my left. When I walk

    into the dining room, everyone gets quiet.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I ask, my voice ringing out in the room.

    Several people turn and look at Jaxon.

    ¡°What the f*uck are you looking at me for? She¡¯s your Alpha,¡± he says, supporting me like he always

    has.

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem, Alpha,¡± most everyone in the room mumbles.

    I stand there, looking at each individual in the room. Some of the other Alphas wink at me, making me

    want to smile at their support and some of their mates give me a thumbs up.

    Once I¡¯ve made eye contact with everyone in the room, or stared them down, I walk in and grab my

    food.

    Once we have our food, Jace and I go to sit with Jaxon and Evangeline. ¡°You always keep it

    interesting, don¡¯t you sis?¡± he says, smiling at me.

    ¡°Not by choice,¡± I say, and I change the subject, asking Evangeline about her pregnancy.

    After lunch, I go to the pack hospital, checking on my patrols that were injured in the battle. I¡¯m

    surprised to find Taylor there, checking on them as well.

    ¡°They got injured protecting my packnds, Jordan. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±

    I look around. ¡°Where¡¯s Nn?¡± I ask and see her body flinch. I watch as she gets herself under control

    before responding to me.

    ¡°I told him I¡¯d speak with him tonight after the Alpha meeting. Apparently, Councilman Jason would like

    him to participate this afternoon, at least, that was the conversation they were having when I left them.¡±

    I nod, turning to go find Dr. Braxton and Kyra.

    ¡°I really am sorry, Jordan. I handled that all wrong,¡± she says.

    I stop and turn to her, looking down for a moment, making sure that I can speak like an Alpha before I

    open my mouth.

    ¡°Taylor, you don¡¯t know yet what it¡¯s like to be challenged because you¡¯re a female Alpha. It¡¯s not the

    same as being an Alpha female. As an Alpha female, people want to be close to you, want to be withOriginal from N?velDrama.Org.

    you. As a female Alpha, all they do is challenge you. You don¡¯t understand it yet, but you will. And I

    guess¡­. I guess I just expected more from someone who will be facing the same struggles that I am. I

    guess I thought you¡¯d understand that challenging me in front of my pack would make my position that

    much h*arder to maintain, that it will force me to fight to keep my position.¡±

    I clench my teeth, forcing myself to remain calm and be the Alpha my father taught me to be.

    ¡°But I realize that you don¡¯t understand it, not yet anyway. You haven¡¯t had to reject every male that

    showed interest in you because they wanted your position. You can thank Jace for that. You haven¡¯t

    had to fight your own pack members to maintain your position as their Alpha. You haven¡¯t yet realized

    that many of the people showing an interest in you, are only doing that because of what you can give

    them, not because they believe in you.¡±

    I look at her. ¡°You and I are the only ones, Tay. We¡¯re the only ones who will ever truly understand the

    position we¡¯re in. And if we can¡¯t support each other, if we can¡¯t be there for each other, then what are

    we even doing? We¡¯re no better than everyone else that thinks that we¡¯re not good enough, just

    because we¡¯re women.¡±

    I stop, looking down again. ¡°I¡¯m leaving tomorrow with Jace. I don¡¯t know what will happen with the bear

    n and I don¡¯t know what will happen between me and Jace. But, as one female Alpha to another, I

    suggest you take this time to figure things out with your mate. Come to some sort of resolution with him

    and with each other. I n to do the same with Jace. And I hope, when Ie back, you and I can find

    a way to live with the fact that we¡¯ve dated each other¡¯s mate and we can be strong allies,

    supporting each other when no one else will.¡±

    I turn and walk away, leaving her with her thoughts.

    I check in with Dr. Braxton and Kyra, finding out that they are already collecting blood samples. I go

    ahead and give my blood while I¡¯m there, so they can test it as they need to. I double check with Dr.

    Braxton that it¡¯s safe for Evangeline toe to the hospital for checkups and her deliveries while the

    others are in quarantine.

    Once I get his assurance that it¡¯s safe for Evangeline, I head back to the packhouse. My head is in

    turmoil and I¡¯ m not paying attention as I should, so I nearly run into Nn.

    ¡°Jordan, can we talk. Please.¡±

    I don¡¯t have the energy for this, and I swear if Taylor sees us talking and acts out again, I¡¯ll rip her a

    new one, but I owe it to Nn to speak to him. And in truth, he owes it to me too.

    I find an empty room and turn, making sure to keep my distance from him. I notice that he does the

    same.

    ¡°Jordan,¡± he begins, ¡°I want you to know that I meant everything that I ever said to you. I think you¡¯re an

    incredible woman and an amazing Alpha, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But you need to see if things can work out between you and Taylor,¡± I finish for him.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I understand the pull of the mate bond. And I know you well enough to know that you thought

    you didn¡¯t have a mate. You waited a very long time to find Taylor and I believe that if you¡¯d have

    known that she was out there, you¡¯d have waited forever. The two of you have a lot to discuss and I¡¯ll

    tell you what I told her. Take the time while Jace and I are away and figure things out. Good or bad,

    figure them out, Nn.¡±

    He looks at me and a sad smile spreads across his face. ¡°You truly are an amazing woman, Jordan.¡±

    ¡°Meh,¡± I say and shrug.

    ¡°I would have been a lucky man to have you as a mate. I hope your Gamma is realizing the error of his

    ways,¡± he says. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see. This trip will definitely give us time to talk and hopefully, figure things

    out,¡± I say. ¡°Thanks for understanding,¡± he says before turning and walking out of the room.

    I turn and walk to the window. I know I need to get back to the conference room. The Alpha conference

    will begin again shortly, but I just need a moment.

    I close my eyes and then I smell it. Honey roasted almonds.

    ¡°Jordan.¡±

    I turn and without saying a word, I walk into Jace¡¯s arms, leaning into him as his arms wrap around me

    and I let him, his warmth and his scent, calm andfort me.

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 22 (Taylor)

    I return to the Alpha conference, but my mind is all over the ce. I can¡¯t believe I finally found my

    mate. When I didn¡¯t find him during the Contest, I figured the Moon Goddess didn¡¯t give me one. But he

    was here all along, I just didn¡¯t realize it and our paths never crossed.

    When I walk back into the conference room, Nn is up front speaking to Councilman Jason. I take the

    same seat I was in this morning, not sure how to approach Nn, or even if I should after everything

    that has transpired. I told him we¡¯d talk this evening, but now, the anticipation of maybe hearing that he

    prefers my cousin to me is weighing on me.

    I¡¯m looking over the agenda, trying to get my emotions under control, when I smell his scent of fresh cut

    pines. ¡°Do you mind if I sit here, Alpha?¡± Nn asks me.

    I look up at him and shake my head. When he sits, I take a deep breath, letting his scent and the

    warmth emanating from him soothe and calm me.

    ¡°Call me Taylor,¡± I say quietly then turn to him. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, you should call me Taylor.¡±

    ¡°Taylor,¡± he says, nodding as Jordan and Jace walk in.

    He looks up, nodding at the two of them but nothing more. Now that my nerves are calm, the afternoon

    goes by quickly with Nn talking about what he knows about Balorto Jace and Jordan, helping them

    prepare fortheir trip.

    Then, Councilmen Jason, Antonio, and Saul begin working with the older Alphas to set up hunts for the

    rogues. While he does that, Councilwomen Jara and Gia work with the younger Alphas to make sure

    everyone has a ce to go to be safe, and they begin documenting where everyone will be staying.

    When theye up to me, I let them know that I¡¯ll be staying in Griffin¡¯s pack until things settle.

    When Councilman Jason calls for the meeting to adjourn, Nn looks at me.

    ¡°When would you like to talk, Taylor?¡±

    ¡°No time like the present,¡± I say. ¡°Would you like to go for a walk in the woods?¡± He raises an eyebrow

    at me.

    ¡°On Jordan¡¯s packnds,¡± I rify. ¡°That would be nice,¡± he says, and I let Griffin know that I¡¯ll be

    heading home tomorrow along with everyone else before heading outside with Nn.

    We don¡¯t speak until we get to the edge of the forest, away from everyone. When we do, I stop and

    look at him. ¡°Taylor,¡±

    ¡°Nn,¡± we both say at the same time.

    Then I stop andugh. ¡°Let¡¯s find somewhere to sit.¡±

    We move to an area that has a great view of the mountains but also my packnds.

    I take a deep breath. ¡°So, you know that I¡¯m a female Alpha, you know that Alpha Seth and Luna Hana

    are my parents, but my brother, Griffin, is now Alpha of my old pack.¡±

    I nce at him, but he stays quiet, looking out over the area in front of us. ¡°We¡¯re you really going to

    take Jordan as your chosen mate?¡± I ask him.

    Now he does look at me. ¡°Were you really going to take Jace as yours?¡± he asks me.

    I look away. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I had a mate. I assumed that if I did, that I would have met them during the

    Contest, but I never met you,¡± I say, defending myself.

    ¡°And I have traveled all over the world, never finding you, but I still held out hope. I still waited ten years

    before considering taking a chosen mate. I won¡¯t be held to a double standard, Taylor. I appreciate and

    respect that you are an Alpha. But I require respect in return. I may not be an Alpha, but I am a fighter,

    the best in my division. I¡¯ m a man who has wanted to find you, who has searched for you, my mate, for

    many years. I don¡¯t know if our age difference bothers you, it doesn¡¯t bother me. I want to get to know

    you, I want to see if we arepatible as the Moon Goddess has destined, but I¡¯ll say again, I won¡¯t

    allow you to hold me to a standard to which you do not hold yourself. If we move forward, you¡¯ll see

    that I will challenge you, in more ways than one, I hope. I won¡¯t sit by quietly, I won¡¯t be in the shadows,

    it¡¯s not who I am. I expect a partnership, with mutual respect, love, caring, and passion.¡±

    He turns to look at me. ¡°You need to think about that. If you intend to rule your pack, to be in charge of

    everyone and everything, then I can tell you now, this will not work. It¡¯s not about you being an Alpha,

    it¡¯s about you being my mate.¡±

    He stands and looks at me. ¡°I¡¯ve given you a lot to think about. I hope you will think about it. As I said, I

    want to get to know you, to spend time with you, to see your pack and what you¡¯re doing to build it. But

    your brother has been very clear that I am not wee onto his packnds unless you agree to have

    me there. So, the ball is in your court, Taylor. If and when you¡¯re ready to talk, to spend time getting to

    know each other better, I¡¯ll be here. You have my number,¡± he says, before turning and walking back to

    Jordan¡¯s packhouse.

    (Nn POV)

    Walking away from Taylor is probably the h*ardest thing I¡¯ve ever had to do, but I realized earlier that

    she may have very different ideas of what it means to have a mate than I do. She¡¯s a new Alpha, trying

    to prove herself. I understand that, but her Alpha status means nothing to me if I¡¯m her mate. And if I¡¯m

    not, then I won¡¯t be around to see how she manages the people in her pack.

    When I get back to the clearing behind the packhouse, I see Jordan, Jace, Elijah, Alpha Jaxon and

    Luna Evangeline just finishing the ceremony to bring Jaxon back into the pack.

    I turn, walking up to them. ¡°Jordan, Alpha Jaxon, I was wondering if I could impose upon your

    hospitality to stay for a few days, until things are more-settled,¡± I say and I smell the vani of the

    sweet-after-death nt. It¡¯s a heady scent, one that I love, so I know that Taylor has returned.

    I watch as Jace steps closer to Jordan but he doesn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re wee here anytime, Nn. Even if I¡¯m not here, Jaxon will let you stay,¡± she says,

    turning to look at Jaxon.

    ¡°But I¡¯m going to make you work for it,¡± Jaxon says.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask him. ¡°You have to help me train these weaklings while Jordan is gone,¡± he

    says, giving me a smile that looks a lot like Jordan¡¯s, only she never smiles that big.

    ¡°Deal,¡± I tell him. ¡°I appreciate you letting me stay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Nn, really. Stay as long as you like,¡± Jordan says. ¡°Did you eat?¡± she asks me,

    smiling. ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°Dinner is still being served,¡± she says.

    I nod and turn but stop and turn back. ¡°Did you eat, Jordan?¡±

    She gives me a meaningful look. ¡°Jace made sure that I did.¡±

    I nod and head inside, getting a te to take to my room.

    When I get there, I check my phone and I¡¯m pleasantly surprised to see a text from Taylor.

    Taylor: I heard what you said tonight, and you¡¯ve given me a lot to think about, but I¡¯d like to have

    breakfast together tomorrow morning before I leave, if you¡¯d like.

    Me: I would love to have breakfast with you. What time?

    Her response is instantaneous.

    Taylor: Six am?

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Me: I¡¯ll see you there. Sleep well.

    Taylor: You too.

    I sit down to eat and for the first time in my life, the thought of food makes my stomach churn and I

    push the food away. I think I¡¯m finally starting to understand how Jordan can go without eating so often.

    If her life is as chaotic all the time as mine has been in thest 24 hours, I¡¯m surprised that she eats at

    all.

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 23 (Jace)

    Jordan and I got up early the next morning and after grabbing something to eat and some coffee, we

    get our bags and head out. We packed for a week, not sure how long we¡¯d be gone, but knowing we

    need to stay long enough to do damage control with the bears and try to create an alliance between us.

    Worst case scenario, we need to recreate peace between the packs and the bears. We do not need or

    want a war with the bears.

    I convinced Jordan to let me drive and as we leave our packnds, I roll down the windows, letting the

    early morning air blow in the car.

    ¡°Jace, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Jordan, when¡¯s thest time you rolled the windows down and sang along to the songs on the radio?¡± I

    ask her, raising my voice over the sounds of the wind.

    ¡°We need to create a gamen on the way, not y,¡± she says.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°We have a four-hour drive, Jordan. I¡¯m pretty sure we have time for both. You used to love singing

    songs in the car when you were younger,¡± I say to her. ¡°How do you know?¡± I ask him.

    He raises his eyebrow at me. ¡°How many of the trips with your family did I NOT go on, Jordan? I have

    been protecting your mother for a very long time. Once I became Gamma, it became official, but since I

    was sixteen, your father has been bringing me on trips with your family so I could watch over your

    mother. You and Jaxon were only ten, and I used to love watching the two of you try to sing over top of

    the other one,¡± I tell her.

    I connect my phone into the Bluetooth and start the ylist that I took hours to makest night. Since

    it¡¯s early, I start with a song I know Alpha Mason and Luna Jara used to y and I know Jordan likes

    the song. It¡¯s been remade recently, so I added the Luke Combs version of Fast Car.

    I was careful not to put any songs about lost love, nothing too sappy or sad, mostly just happy songs

    that are easy to st in the car and sing to. So, after Fast Car, I put on I¡¯m Good by David Guetta and

    Bebe Rexha. And I watch as Jordan begins to create waves in the air with her hand outside the window

    as her body starts to move and she begins to sing.

    I know I did the right thing when she leans her head back, closes her eyes, and just sings song after

    song. I begin singing along, not that either of us can hear the other, the air is in our ears and the music

    is loud, but the road is long and mostly vacant, and we drive singing together for a few hours.

    When we finally stop before getting off the main road and heading into bear country, I pull into a gas

    station.

    Jordan turns to me in the car. ¡°I never knew you had such a nice voice, Jace,¡± she says to me.

    I snort. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that was the air in your ears, Jordan.¡±

    I step out of the car, moving to p*ump gas while Jordan stretches.

    ¡°I have Alpha hearing,¡± she says softly. ¡°No chance that I didn¡¯t hear you singing. You have a lovely

    voice. Maybe you¡¯ll sing for me again someday,¡± she says.

    I know she¡¯s talking softly because we¡¯ re in a human area, and we don¡¯t know who may be listening,

    but her words, the darkness of her eyes, and the low breathiness of her voice all add to the feeling that

    this is an intimate moment.

    I pull her in front of me, pinning her to the car, and taking a chance, I begin to sing a Daughtry song that

    I¡¯ve listened to many times since the Contest. What About Now.

    She holds my gaze as I begin to sing. I hadn¡¯t nned to sing more than a couple bars of the song, or

    at least nothing past the first chorus, but she doesn¡¯t move, and she looks like she¡¯s really listening the

    words to the song, so I continue.

    The gas p*umps pops, letting me know the tank is full, but I keep singing.

    ¡°What about now?

    What about today?

    What if you¡¯re making me all that I was meant to be?

    What if our love never went away?

    What if it¡¯s lost behind words we could never find?

    What about now?¡±

    She continues listening to me, until I get to the end of the song. Then, she does something I never

    would have expected. She leans up on her toes and k*isses me. I don¡¯t hesitate, I wrap one arm

    around her waist, the other sliding into her hair and I k*iss her with everything in me, everything that

    I¡¯ve been holding back.

    ¡°Ooo-eee, you young people are going to set this ce on fire if you don¡¯t stop that. And with all this

    here gasoline, well, that ain¡¯t nothin¡¯ good. They got themselves a hotel up the street if you need that,

    otherwise, you two better put out those mes before you blow this ce up,¡± an older man says.

    I pull back from Jordan, not taking my eyes off of her. I lift my nose into the air slightly and around the

    gas and oil smell, I smell the scent of human. ¡°Sorry, sir. I got carried away,¡± I say, stepping back.

    ¡°And a polite young man too, you got yourself a good one there, girlie,¡± he says to Jordan.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she says, looking at him and giving him her best smile. I hear him s*uck in his breath. Even

    at his age, he isn¡¯t immune to Jordan¡¯s inner strength and beauty.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the bathroom and get us a couple of bottles of water and food, and I¡¯ll finish up

    here,¡± I say to her. She nods and I pass her the credit card as she walks inside.

    The old man watches her go, then turns to me. ¡°Young man, that little girl looks to be a wee bit younger

    than you. I¡¯m gonna give you some free advice. If she ain¡¯t an adult, you keep it in your p*ants.¡±

    I smile at the old man. He doesn¡¯t know us at all, but he¡¯s still acting protective of Jordan.

    ¡°She¡¯s 19 sir but thank you for the advice.¡±

    ¡°Well then, be a smart man, and keep that looker. Beautiful, ssy girls like her don¡¯te along very

    often,¡± he says to me.

    I watch as Jordan begins walking our way.

    ¡°That¡¯s the n, sir.¡±

    When she walks up, she pecks my l*ips and hands me a bottle of water. ¡°Are we ready?¡±

    ¡°Actually, sir, if you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯re heading to State Road 36 and I was hoping that maybe you could

    help me find the turn off,¡± I say to man.

    ¡°State Road 36? That¡¯s bear country. What are you nning to do up there, if you don¡¯t mind me

    asking. You don¡¯t want to be camping up there, it¡¯s not safe,¡± he says to me.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just driving across the mountains. I have family on the other side. You don¡¯t need to worry

    about us,¡± Jordan lies easily.

    ¡°Well, alright youngdy,¡± he says. ¡°But be careful. Those bears are known to kill hikers and people

    who stop to look out over some of them scenic areas.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir, we¡¯ll be careful,¡± I say.

    He lets us know the turn off isn¡¯t more than five miles down the road and we get into the car and head

    toward our goal.

    Jordan unwraps a sandwich that she got and hands it to me. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ s the shifters or the real

    bears that are attacking tourists?¡± Jordan asks.

    I swallow my mouthful of food and look at her. ¡°Maybe more importantly, do you think the people that

    are getting killed are human or other shifters?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°A good question,¡± she says as we finish our sandwiches and turn off onto the SR 36. If the other road

    was vacant, this one is downright deserted. There is nothing for miles. If I wasn¡¯t a shifter, I¡¯ d probably

    be nervous, but this wildndscape feels a lot like home. Home to bears, apparently.

    ¡°Do you know how far we need to go?¡± I ask after we¡¯ve been driving for about an hour. Thendscape

    around us is only getting more wild and rustic.

    ¡°Nn made it sound like there would be some sort of turn off, but I haven¡¯t seen anything yet,¡± she

    says.

    We drive a bit longer and I see something in the woods beside us. I slow down and roll down my

    window. ¡°What is it?¡± Jordan asks.

    ¡°I swear I just saw a bear,¡± I say, slowing down even more and looking out into the forest.

    ¡°Do you hear that, Jordan?¡± I ask her quietly, the hair on my body standing on end.

    She rolls down her window and we both realize that the forest is too quiet. I start to elerate slowly,

    realizing that we¡¯ve entered bear country.

    I hear Jordan scream a warning a moment before a huge bear ms into our car, sending us careening

    off the road.

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 24 (Jordan)

    The bear hits the car, feeling like a freight train hit us, lifting my side of the car off the ground.

    The car flips, tumbling down the incline beside the road andnding upside down. From above us, I

    hear the growl of more than one bear.

    ¡°Jordan, are you okay?¡± Jace asks.

    ¡°Yeah, you?¡± I ask, smelling blood. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s his or mine.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    ¡°I think so, I bashed my head against the window, but I¡¯m okay,¡± he says. So, the blood is most likely

    his.

    ¡°We need to get out of this car. I¡¯m not going to take on a group of bears upside down and pinned in,¡± I

    say, working to push my door open. ¡°You¡¯re not taking on a group of bears at all, Jordan. That¡¯s a death

    wish,¡± he says, but I can hearthem crashing through the brush to get to us. Jace won¡¯t like it, but I¡¯m his

    Alpha, it¡¯s my job to protect him.

    I unhook my seat belt, careful not to let myself fall on my head and I pull myself out of the car.

    ¡°Jordan, dammit, wait for me!¡± Jace says.

    But I don¡¯t. I turn and just in time to. There are three of them standing there. All three are huge men,

    n*aked from having shifted back to their human form.

    ¡°You were warned to stay away from ournds, wolf. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t kill you right now,¡± the

    leader says, just as Jace leaps over the car,nding beside me, having shifted in mid-air. ¡°No, Jace!¡± I

    say, grabbing his tail. I hold his tail while I speak.

    ¡°My name is Alpha Jordan Stern. We did note here to fight. We came here to see your n

    Leader, Balor, and speak to him about the problems that you are having with the rogue wolves,¡± I say.

    ¡°The rogue problem you created?¡± their leader asks me.

    ¡°What makes you think we have a n Leader named Balor?¡± A second bear asks, his voice growly,

    but before I can answer either of them another one chimes in.

    ¡°And even if we did, we wouldn¡¯t let filth like you near him.¡±

    Jace begins snarling and snapping at the bears.

    ¡°Watch it, pup. I could cut you in half with one swipe of my paw,¡± the leader says, extending his ws

    that are at least two inches long.

    ¡°Easy, Jace,¡± I say to him quietly.

    A giant of a man begins making his way toward us. He¡¯s thergest man I¡¯ ve ever seen, easily the size

    of two Alphas. He¡¯s big, but he¡¯s all muscle. ¡°What did you say your name was, little wolf?¡± he asks me,

    and I watch as the others step aside deferring to him. ¡®Jace, step back, I think this is Balor,¡¯ I say in the

    mind link. Jace moves back but ensures that he¡¯s still in front of me. The motion does not go unnoticed

    by the new leader.

    Normally, I would take offense at being called a little wolf, but honestly,pared to this man, I am

    small. ¡°My name is Alpha Jordan Stern. I¡¯m friends with Nn, who I know has been here training the

    bears against the rogue wolves. He¡¯s the one who told me of your troubles. Before that, we, the wolves

    that is, didn¡¯t know that we had a rogue problem. But we do now, and because of you, we were warned

    of the pending attack on me and my cousin, the only other female Alpha. I¡¯d like to get more

    information on these rogues, and you should know that our elders are already out hunting forthem. We

    intend to take them out, but we¡¯d like to know more about them, if possible,¡± I say, remaining polite, but

    making sure they understand that I appreciate their warning and that we are taking the problem

    seriously. ¡°Tell me, little wolf, were you nning to hunt the rogues before or after you were attacked?¡±

    the man that I believe is Balor asks me.

    ¡°Before. As I mentioned, we didn¡¯t know that the rogues existed until just a few days ago. We believe

    that they were hiding in the vacant packnds that have now been taken over and because they are

    disced, they are looking for a new ce to live.¡±

    ¡°That does not ount for thest 20 years that they have been killing bears, humans and who knows

    what else. Those dead humans have caused us a lot of problems. Dead humans mean more humans

    come traipsing around our forests, interrupting our serene lifestyle, killing my kind. I don¡¯t take that

    lightly,¡± he says.

    ¡°Nor should you,¡± I say.

    He assesses me for a long moment. ¡°So, you¡¯re the little wolf that all the fuss was about. I can see why.

    You¡¯re a beautiful woman. Tell your guard dog to stand down. My men won¡¯t hurt you.¡±

    He extends his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Balor, by the way.¡±

    When Jace growls, Balor looks at him, but doesn¡¯t pull his hand away. I give Jace a low, warning growl

    of my own, letting him know that he needs to calm down before stepping around him and reaching out

    to take Balor¡¯s hand.

    Balor yanks me to him, leaning in to sniff me.

    ¡°For a wolf, you smell f*ucking fantastic,¡± he says.

    Without flinching, I lean in and sniff him as well. ¡°You smell like oak,rge and unbending,¡± I say.

    He barks out augh. ¡°You and I are going to get along just fine, little wolf. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to my

    lands,¡± he says, before turning and beginning to walk up the incline.

    I turn to Jace as he shifts back. I walk to him, pulling some ss out of the injury on his head.

    ¡°Are you good to travel,¡± I ask quietly. ¡°We have medical herbs for your guard dog in mynds,¡± Balor

    says, turning to me.

    He taps his nose. ¡°Bears have a sense of smell that¡¯s about ten times better than a wolf¡¯s. I smelled his

    injury the moment the ss cut him, just as I can smell the blood of your injury as well,¡± Balor says to

    me.

    I frown, looking down and see the barest hint of cut on my arm. I look back up at him and he just taps

    his nose again.

    ¡°We actually smelled you the minute you turned on our highway here. We¡¯ve been watching you as you

    continued to get closer to ournds,¡± he says.

    ¡°I¡¯li get our bags,¡± Jace says, going to the upside-down car and attempting to open the trunk.

    Balor nods at his guys and theye over, pushing the car over so that it¡¯s upright.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, knowing that Jace won¡¯t. He¡¯s aggravated with the attack, the disrespect towards

    me, and he¡¯s concerned about us going with these bears. I can feel all of that through our bond.

    Jace grabs our bags and turns, walking toward me, his jaw clenched.

    ¡°Ready, little wolf?¡± Balor asks.

    ¡°Ready, big bear,¡± I say to him, using his terminology, which only makes himugh a big bellyugh that

    echoes in the forest.

    ¡°Oh yes, I like you,¡± he says as we begin trekking our way through the forest.

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 25 (Jace)

    I already don¡¯t like this bear. Well, I don¡¯ t like any of them. Their wee has been less than warm.

    Jordan moves to take her bag off my shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Do you need help, pup? I can carry those for you?¡± one of the bears asks. ¡®Jace, please. I know

    they¡¯re on yourst nerve already, but we¡¯re here to make alliances. To do that, we need to be friendly,¡¯

    Jordan says in my head.

    ¡®Tell that to our car, Jordan,¡¯ I say, but p a smile on my face and look at the bear.

    ¡°I¡¯m good thanks, Pops,¡± I say. It worked for Jordan and Balor, maybe it¡¯ II work for me and this guy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± he grumbles and shoulder ms me as he walks past me. Goddess almighty, my

    shoulder feels like he nearly dislocated it.

    ¡°You know our names, what are your names?¡± Jordan asks.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Darryl, sweetheart. I¡¯m Balor¡¯s second inmand,¡± one of the bears says to Jordan. I try

    to hold back the growl at him calling her sweetheart, but it doesn¡¯t quite work. I swear I see him look at

    Balor who smirks back at him. They¡¯re enjoying this.

    ¡°Darryl, it¡¯s nice to meet you. I¡¯m Alpha Jordan, as you¡¯ve no doubt heard, and this is my Gamma,

    Jace,¡± she says introducing me.

    ¡°Gamma? Isn¡¯t that like, third inmand?¡± the shoulder-smacker bear asks.

    I look at him. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I say.

    He gives me once over, then snorts. ¡°You¡¯re awfully small to be a ranked member, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Leave the pup be, Jusan,¡± the fourth bear says to the one who truly is on myst nerve.

    ¡°My name is Apollo, little Alpha, and if we had ranks like you wolves, I¡¯d be Balor¡¯s Gamma,¡± he says.

    ¡°Which of you boys destroyed my car?¡± she asks them.

    ¡°You want to be careful who you¡¯re calling a boy, little wolf. All of us are older than you,¡± Jusan warns

    her. I move, putting myself between him and her, not liking his threat. He notices but just smirks as if

    my protection means nothing.

    ¡°Well then, which one of you geriatric fossils is responsible for the demolition of my car?¡± Jordan asks

    again.

    ¡°Jusan, shut your f*ucking mouth and quit antagonizing my guest,¡± Balor says to him, then turns to

    Jordan. ¡°I¡¯m not geriatric.¡±

    I see her mouth twitching with a smile. Somehow, her sass is getting her more and more on Balor¡¯s

    good side. It¡¯s just enough to let them know she won¡¯t take their crap, but not so much to be offensive.

    As usual, Jordan is perfect. ¡°Old enough to be my father?¡± Jordan teases him.

    He stops suddenly, turning and stroking a finger down Jordan¡¯s cheek. I snarl viciously, but Jordan

    holds out a hand to stop me, not looking away from Balor.

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t experienced the sensations that an older, experienced gentleman can give you, little

    wolf, don¡¯ t knock it. There¡¯s a lot to be said for a man that knows how to give a woman pleasure until

    you think you¡¯ve died and gone to your Moon Goddess¡¯s realm.¡±

    ¡°And how would you know that these women have had this intense experience?¡± Jordan asks.

    ¡°They alwayse begging for more,¡± he says, and it¡¯s almost a purr, but in Balor, it¡¯s a deeper,

    resonating sound. ¡°I don¡¯t beg for anything,¡± Jordan tells him.

    ¡°Ohhh, little wolf. I do hope that I get the chance to take you for a spin and show you just how wrong

    you are.¡±

    ¡°Not likely, big bear,¡± she tells him, pulling away. I don¡¯t know if she can feel that I¡¯m on the verge of

    shifting and tearing into these bears or if she¡¯s reached her own maximum level of intensity with Balor.

    But either way, I¡¯m d when he is no longer t*ouching her. ¡°A shame. A pretty little wolf like you, one

    with an obviously sharp mind and sassy mouth, could make me rethink my choices of bedmate.¡±

    He fl*icks a nce in my direction.

    ¡°Rx pup. I don¡¯t force women and I¡¯m certainly not going to strip your Alpha down right here.¡±

    He turns back to Jordan. ¡°But I¡¯ll make sure you know where my bed is, in case you change your mind

    while you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sharing a bed with Jace while I¡¯m here. He¡¯ll keep me warm at night, Balor, no worries.¡±

    It¡¯s such an unexpected thing for her to say, that I have to fight to keep my face from showing any

    emotion.

    ¡°That exins the excessive over-reaction. I just thought you were being possessive of your Alpha,

    pup. It makes more sense if you¡¯re sleeping with her,¡± Jusan says.

    Balor leans in, sniffing Jordan again and looking at her, a smirk on his face. He taps his nose but

    doesn¡¯t say anything as he turns and begins walking again.

    He basically just told her that he knows we¡¯re not sleeping together. My scent is on her, but not like

    that.

    (Nn POV)

    I met Taylor for breakfast the next morning. Rather than sitting inside where everyone would be

    watching us, I suggested taking our breakfast outside and finding a spot to eat and talk. We ended up

    back at the same spot that we were in yesterday, looking out over the mountains.

    ¡°Those are my packnds,¡± Taylor says, pointing to the area closer to the mountains, in the direction of

    Griffin¡¯s pack.

    Our conversation has been difficult, neither one of us sure what to say to the other.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see them, to see what your vision is for them. I saw the cleared area, but I didn¡¯t really get to

    look around, not with the rogue Alpha and his pack invading your territory,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°We could go today or tomorrow, if you¡¯ d like. I¡¯m not sure when you¡¯re leaving,¡± she says.

    ¡°I asked Jordan if I could stay for a bit, until we figure things out between us, Taylor. I¡¯m not just going

    to walk away right after finding you. I really do want to get to know you.¡±

    She stands, holding out her hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you around.¡±

    ¡°We should let someone know where we are, in case something happens, or in case the rogues are

    still hanging around,¡± I tell her.

    I watch as her eyes go unfocused. It¡¯s been a long time when I¡¯ve had a mind link. My family is all

    gone, and I no longer belong to a pack, choosing toe and go freely. Most of the fighters are that

    way, wanting to be free to help all the packs, not be bound to one or two. Jace urately called it out

    before, I¡¯m a lone wolf. Different than a rogue, as they are still pack animals, congregating together, but

    unwilling to follow the standardws and rules of all packs. Whereas, lone wolves follow thews and

    rules, but we¡¯ve chosen a mostly solitary life, one that I¡¯m ready to leave behind for my mate.

    ¡°Griffin is sending patrols over so he can make sure I¡¯m safe,¡± she says on a sigh.

    ¡°Griffin is right. Until you have a pack with your own warriors and patrols, you should be cautious. And,

    as your mate, I can tell you the thought of some rogue wanting to forcibly put his mark on you, makes

    me very ufortable.¡±

    ¡°I also told him that you¡¯re wee to visit me, so he said you cane onto his packnds now. If

    you want,¡± she says, looking down.

    This woman is not the woman I¡¯ve heard so much about, the woman that is a powerhouse, unwilling to

    let anyone or anything stand in her way. With me, she seems to have lost her confidence, or maybe,

    hopefully, being with me is important enough that she wants to make it work and she¡¯s on unchartered

    territory just as I am.

    I reach up and take her hand, standing and pulling her to me. ¡°I do want to, Taylor. Please don¡¯t

    question that I want to spend time with you, get to know you, be with you, and right this very moment, I

    desperately want to k*iss you.¡±

    She looks up at me. ¡°You do?¡±

    I nod. ¡°Can I k*iss you, Taylor?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she says, but before I can take offense, her armse around my n*eck.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m going to k*iss you,¡± she says and then her warm, soft l*ips are against mine and the

    electric tingles of the mate bond that I¡¯ve heard so much about, light up my insides.

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 26 (Jordan)

    Jace is letting these bears get under his skin and they¡¯re enjoying taunting him. They found his b*utton

    almost instantly and they just keep pushing it. Me.

    Except, I¡¯m not ying along. I hadn¡¯t intended to say that I¡¯d be sleeping with Jace, but I was hoping it

    would let Balor know that I wasn¡¯t interested.

    Instead, he caught me in my lie and he made sure that I knew it.

    Overall, though, I like the bears. Darryl and Apollo have more restraint than Jusan, but if I¡¯m right, they

    have some years on him too. I wonder if he¡¯s a younger brother of one of them. I turn, looking at all of

    them and when I turn back, Balor is looking at me.

    ¡°Something on your mind, little wolf?¡± he asks me.

    ¡°Yes, big bear, I was wondering which one of you is Jusan¡¯s big brother,¡± I say, taking a risk. But the

    moment I say it, I know I¡¯m right. Balor barks another one of those bellyughs.

    ¡°Damn, little wolf. Are all Alphas as smart as you?¡± he asks me.

    ¡°That¡¯s a matter of opinion, I guess,¡± I say.

    ¡°Whose brother do you think he is?¡± Darryl asks me.

    I look at all of them, but now they are being careful not to show any outward signs to clue me in.

    ¡°Yours,¡± I say to Darryl.

    ¡°You got some fox in you, little Alpha?¡±

    Apollo asks me, giving me a big bear smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I say.

    ¡°Do you have any brothers, little wolf?¡± Balor asks me.

    ¡°A twin, actually,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°How is it that a she-wolf became Alpha over her twin brother,¡± Darryl asks me.

    ¡°I was born first. My parents made an agreement before we were born that the first born, regardless of

    gender, would be named Alpha. Of all the packs, only my parents remained firm in the belief that it

    doesn¡¯t matter if an Alpha is a male or female, what matters if their heart and their ability to lead,¡± I tell

    them.

    ¡°So, your brother, he¡¯s okay with you getting the Alpha position while every other pack gave theirs to

    the oldest male?¡± Apollo asks me.

    ¡°I think it bothered him,¡± I tell them honestly. ¡°But we had several packs that were vacant, and he won

    one of them. It¡¯s actually fairly close to here,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± Balor asks, looking at me intently.

    ¡°On the other side of that mountain over there,¡± I say pointing. ¡°My brother and his mate got one pack

    and another second son and his mate got the neighboring pack,¡± I say.

    Balor looks at Darryl and Apollo. ¡°What?¡± I ask as wee up to a cliff face full of caves.

    Balor holds up a finger, telling me to wait.

    ¡°Attention everyone!¡± Balor says as we walk into the n of bears. ¡°This is Alpha Jordan and her

    Gamma, Jace. They are my guests, and you will treat them as such. Any act of disrespect to either of

    them will be considered an act of disrespect towards me.¡±

    ¡®Oh, so he does know my name,¡¯ Jace says in the mind link.

    ¡®Jace¡­¡¯ I warn.

    ¡®I¡¯ll behave Jordan,¡¯ he says, as we walk through the n.

    I¡¯m used to being stared at, assessed by others, and constantly underestimated, so their stares don¡¯t

    phase me. I keep my head high and I make eye contact with everyone here.

    Balor takes us to the entrance of a set of caves with arge firepit outside of it. The fire is going and

    there is m*eat roasting on a spit.

    Balor gestures for us to sit and we all sit around the fire, Balor sitting on one side and Jace on the

    other.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    ¡°What was that look before?¡± I ask, getting back to our previous conversation.

    ¡°You said your brother had moved into a packnd that¡¯s on the other side of the mountain?¡± Darryl

    asks.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± I say.

    They all look at each other again. ¡°That¡¯s where one of the wolfpacks that¡¯s been attacking our kind

    was living,¡± Balor says.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± I ask.

    He taps his nose. ¡°Keen sense of smell.¡±

    ¡°When¡¯s thest time you were there? My brother and his mate have been building a packhouse on the

    lands, having demolished what was left of the old buildings out there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, but we do know that there are at least two wolfpacks,¡± Apollo says.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Jace asks.

    ¡°They don¡¯t live together, but they sometimes hunt together,¡± Darryl says. ¡°Do you have any idea how

    many wolves we¡¯re talking about?¡± I ask Balor.

    ¡°I¡¯d say at least thirty in each pack,¡± he says, and I look at Jace.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Councilman Jason,¡± he says, standing up and moving away to make the phone call.

    I turn to Balor. ¡°Have any of your n been bitten by these wolves?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes, several were bitten

    and survived,¡± Balor says, but Jasun snorts.

    ¡°If you can call it survival. The bite makes them crazy,¡± he says.

    ¡°Crazy how?¡± I say, a sick sense of fear pooling in my gut.

    Apollo¡¯s intense gaze holds mine. ¡°Crazy, like rabid,¡± he says. ¡°Only, these wolves aren¡¯t rabid.¡±

    ¡°F*uck,¡± I say quietly, leaning forward and scrubbing my hands over my face. ¡°Little wolf¡­¡± Balor

    begins, but I hold up my finger like he did to me earlier. ¡®Jace, tell Councilman Jason that we need Dr.

    Braxton and Kyra out here as soon as their done with their tests on my pack members. It sounds like

    the bears are not immune to the feral- fever. ¡®

    ¡®Well, shit,¡¯ he says, and I turn back to Balor.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you the best overview I can from a non-clinical person, but I¡¯m asking you to allow

    our scientist toe here and run some tests on you and your n. He¡¯s made significant progress in

    our packs, and he¡¯s testing my pack members that were attacked recently to see if they are infected.

    We call it feral-fever,¡± I say, and I begin to tell them about our history and what we think has happened

    and how these rogues are alive.

    While I talk, Jacees back and Jasun pulls what looks like a wild hog off the spit and begins cutting

    it up and passing it around.

    ¡°Ladies first,¡± Balor says, not letting his n members eat until I start.

    I take a bite of food, so they¡¯ll start eating and then turn to Balor.

    ¡°I have to admit, you¡¯re a lot different than I was expecting,¡± I tell him.

    He looks at me, his milk chocte-colored eyes intense as they focus on me.

    ¡°What were you expecting?¡± he asks.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but a gracious gentleman wasn¡¯t it.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re pleasantly surprised?¡± he asks, and I can tell my answer means a lot to him. He may not

    know me well, but his reputation is obviously important to him.

    ¡°Very pleasantly surprised,¡± I say.

    ¡°Good. The offer of sharing my bed remains, but if you want to sleep with the pup, I have a space for

    the two of you to share. Tomorrow, we should go to your brother¡¯s packnds. I can show you where

    the scent is for the other pack. Once you have it, it¡¯ll make it easier for your elders to hunt them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± I say.

    When we get to the space that Balor provides for us, Jace fills me in on his conversation with

    Councilman Jason. ¡°Dr. Braxton haspleted his first round of tests. While he found a new strain of

    the virus in the group that has been bitten, their antibodies seem capable of fighting it. He was able to

    determine that it was from the bite, since several of us also gave blood and we aren¡¯t showing signs of

    the new strain. He also said that your blood seems to eradicate the virus, so he¡¯s hopeful that even if

    this strain manifests into feral-fever, your blood and that of the other females will create a new immunity

    and protect our poption.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± I say, grabbing my bag of clothes and checking to see what I have to sleep in. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    All I have are pajamas which will require me to strippletely and change. I¡¯m not embarrassed, but I

    know that Jace¡¯s feelings for me are strong and mine for him are¡­confused. Jace turns his back on

    me. ¡°Go ahead and change, Jordan,¡± he says. ¡°And I¡¯ll sleep on the floor.¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t, Jace. The bears¡¯ sense of smell is crazy good. They¡¯ll know if you don¡¯t sleep in the bed

    with me,¡± I tell him as I quickly strip and change into my night clothes.

    Once I¡¯m dressed, I crawl into the bed and turn away, so Jace can change. I hear the rustle of his

    clothing and then I feel the bed dip as he climbs in. Heys beside me but doesn¡¯t t*ouch me and the

    electricity in the air is almost too much to bear.

    I¡¯m not sure how much time has passed, but I¡¯ve just about decided to roll over andy my head on his

    chest, when I hear it. The howl of attack followed closely by thundering paws and the snarl and

    snapping of multiple bears.

    Jace and I are up and racing toward the fight in an instant. The moment we run out of the cave, I leap

    and shift,nding on four paws and pushing h*ard to get to the fight. Why are the wolves here, now?

    Are they here for me? Is this the same wolf that attacked Taylor¡¯s pack?

    I can see several bears taking on the wolves, all of them are big, but one is bigger than the others.

    Balor.

    I realize that the wolves are targeting him, and I don¡¯t think. I push myself h*arder and leap over top of

    him,nding in front of him, the hair on my back raised as I lower my head and snarl at the wolves in

    front of me.

 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 27 (Jace)

    As soon as Jordan pushes forward, I know what she¡¯s nning. She feels responsible for these bears,

    even though they are fully capable of taking care of themselves, especially in arge group. But,

    knowing they are not immune to the rogues¡¯ bites, she wouldn¡¯t want any of them getting injured.

    I watch as she leaps over a massive bear that must be Balor. I¡¯m not sure I can make the same leap,

    so I slide in between him and what smells like Apollo to move beside Jordan. I¡¯m not letting her face

    these wolves alone. As soon as I¡¯m beside her, the fur on my back goes up and I lower my head in the

    same menacing stance that she¡¯s taking, making sure these rogues know that if they attack, we will kill

    them.

    I can feel the shock of the bears around us as the wolves¡¯ attention turns to me and Jordan.

    I bear my teeth, snapping and snarling at the wolves, warning them off. The wolves back off, but only to

    allow their Alpha toe forward. This isn¡¯t the same wolf that we met in Taylor¡¯s pack. This is the

    second pack.

    The Alpha wolf looks at Jordan a moment, then howls the howl of the hunt, obviously intending to try

    and take her. I leap at him, and that¡¯s all it takes for the wolves to attack.

    A wolf hits me from the side, pushing me away from the Alpha. I turn, snapping my teeth at them as

    another onees up behind me. I hear a yelp and see a bear swipe at the wolf that was on my nk.

    From the corner of my eye, I see Jordan leap at the Alpha, grabbing him by the back of his n*eck. He

    shakes her off, sending her flying through the air, but she¡¯s back on my feet before he can jump on top

    of her.

    I snap at the wolves surrounding me, watching as the Alpha continues to go after Jordan. His teeth are

    snapping at her n*eck, and I realize that he¡¯s trying to mark her in wolf form. I know from Luna Jara that

    this used to be allowed in the iming process. If a wolf marked another in wolf form, it seals the mate

    bond.

    I leap at the Alpha, slicing my ws down his hind l*eg. He turns to attack me, but I¡¯m tackled, another

    wolf jumping on top of me. More bearse running into the fight, swiping at the wolves with their

    huge ws and sending them flying through the air.

    The Alpha is still snapping at Jordan and I¡¯m trying to get to her, but it feels like the wolves are focusing

    on keeping me away so their Alpha can get to her and mark.

    I¡¯m snarling viciously, as I watch the Alpha¡¯s teeth snap closer and closer to Jordan¡¯s n*eck. Just as he

    lunges for her again, Balor moves, putting himself in front of Jordan and then roaring in pain as the

    Alpha sinks his teeth into Balor¡¯s n*eck.

    The wolf in front of me stops, stunned, and I reach out and rip this t*hroat out, then I quickly move to

    the Alpha, sinking my teeth into his hind l*eg, feeling the bone snap.

    He howls in pain, releasing Balor before howling for a retreat. I look at Jordan who is shifting and

    rushing to Balor, then I take off after the Alpha. I feel the ground rumbling and I realize that several

    bears are following me, chasing the wolves off theirnds.

    I push h*ard, but the Alpha has an escape n. It¡¯s a crazy one, but it¡¯s one that helps them escape.

    They leap off the cliff edge, plunging into the river below us. I stand there, watching until one by one,

    the wolves surface and swim to the other side of the river.

    I lift my head and howl an angry howl of frustration, before turning and racing back to Jordan. When I

    get there, she has her hand against Balor¡¯s n*eck. She looks up at me.

    ¡°Call Jaxon. Tell him we need Dr. Braxton and Kyra here right now. Get him to send them tonight,¡± she

    says, and I race into the cave where our bags are.

    I expect sarcasm, or at the very least, aggravation at my middle of the night call, but when Jaxon

    answers, he¡¯s all Alpha.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡±

    ¡°We were attacked by the second pack. The bears are not immune to the feral- fever. We need Dr.

    Braxton and Kyra here now. Balor, their leader, has been bitten,¡± I tell him as I walk back out to the

    main area where all the bears are now congregating around Balor and Jordan.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch, little wolf,¡± he says to her.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. You and your n are not immune to the virus,¡± she says, looking up.

    ¡°Has anyone else been bitten or scratched?¡± she asks the group, going into Alpha mode.

    Several of the bears nod or acknowledge that they¡¯ve been bitten. ¡°We have multiple injuries, Jaxon.

    Get them here, now.¡± I say into the phone. ¡°On it. I¡¯ll send Luke, Brynn and Victor as well. They can

    help patrol the n¡¯snds while Dr. Braxton works his magic.¡± My adoptive parents and brother. I

    wonder if there is a reason behind his choice.

    ¡°Thank you. Also, you should know, your packnds were inhabited by one of the packs before you

    moved in, ording to Balor. You and Tobias need to be extra careful if you go out there,¡± I tell him.

    ¡°Thanks, Jace,¡± he says, and I hear him cover the phone. ¡°Dr. Braxton, we have an emergency. We

    need you to go to the bear n and treat their injured. They¡¯ve been bitten by the rogue wolves.¡±

    I hear some more mumbling and then Jaxon is back on the phone. ¡°They¡¯ll be leaving within the hour,¡±

    he says.

    I hang up and find Darryl squatting beside Balor. ¡°We have several wolvesing. Some areing

    to assist in protecting your borders, and two are doctors who specialize in this virus. I¡¯m asking you to

    allow them entry so we can help Balor and the others,¡± I say. ¡°Let them through,¡± Balor says as he

    starts to sit up. Jordan sits back and I can feel how much she wants to help him, but as a leader who

    understands the need to look strong in front of their pack, she¡¯s letting him do this on his own.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to clean that wound on your n*eck, Balor,¡± Jordan tells him. I know what she¡¯s doing. She wants

    to stay close to him, hoping that whatever immunity she has transfers to him. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of him,

    wolf,¡± a she- bear says, stepping up to Balor. The look she gives Jordan is one of obvious disgust. She

    apparently doesn¡¯t like wolves. Or maybe she doesn¡¯t like the attention that her leader is giving to

    Jordan. Either way, there¡¯s no warmth in her voice.

    ¡°Alpha Jordan jumped in front of me during the fight, protecting me from those wolves, Theia. I didn¡¯t

    you jumping in front of me,¡± Balor snaps at her. ¡°As a matter of fact, her Gamma, Jace, was right there

    beside her in the fight. And where were you? Hiding?¡±

    She snarls at that but steps back.

    Apparently, bears don¡¯t like being called cowards.

    ¡°I already warned you that the wolves were my guests. Disrespect them again, and you¡¯ll be out,¡± he

    says, turning to head into his cave.

    ¡°Little wolf, will you join me?¡± he asks Jordan.

    She nods and begins following him.

    ¡°Darryl, work with Gamma Jace, make a n for when the other wolves get here and check our

    wounded, the brave who fought the pack of rogues,¡± he says, ducking his head and walking into the

    cave.

    Darryl turns and looks at me. ¡°How do you want to proceed?¡±

    All the antagonism from before is gone. In front of me is Balor¡¯s second inmand and the bear

    currently in charge of the n.

    ¡°I want to triage your injured before Dr. Braxton gets here and then I¡¯ll need to find out where your

    perimeters are so I can make sure my family knows where to run the patrols.¡±

    ¡°Your family?¡± he asks.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yes, my adopted family ising to assist,¡± I say, looking around, trying to assess how many are

    injured.

    Darryl begins moving toward a group that are sitting near the fire.

    ¡°What happened to your real family?¡± he asks as we walk.

    ¡°My parents were killed in a battle when I was young. Well, actually, my father was killed. My mother

    died, unable to survive without him,¡± I say, gritting my teeth against the unwanted sh of my mother

    clenching her heart and the sound of her keening. I shake my head and those thoughts away. I have

    work to do.

    ¡°My father was Jordan¡¯s father¡¯s Gamma. Luke took his ce and he and Brynn adopted me. Because

    I was the rightful heir to take over, Alpha Mason made me his Gamma. My brother Victor is about to

    compete for a Beta position among the new packs. Both Luke and Brynn descend from Betas, so it¡¯s

    likely that he will win a spot,¡± I say, unsure why I¡¯m telling him so much about my family.

    Darryl stops, looking at Jasun who is washing the wounds of the other bears. ¡°Our parents were killed

    by hunters. Regr hunters, not shifter hunters. Imagine their surprise when they found dead humans

    instead of dead bears when they went to im their prize. They buried my parents in the woods,

    hoping to hide what they did. I found them, burned them and then hunted their killers,¡± he says, tapping

    his nose as an indication of how he found them. ¡°I was young, angry, trying to take care of my brother. I

    was losing my humanity when Balor found me. He could have killed me, probably should have back

    then, but he didn¡¯t. He took me in, gave me a family, helped me to raise Jasun¡­he helped me find my

    humanity again.¡±

    He turns looking at me. ¡°I tell you this so you understand. I owe that man my life and I will do anything,

    absolutely anything it takes to save him. I¡¯m trusting you and this doctor to care for him, but if you don¡¯t,

    I won¡¯t hesitate to kill everyst one of you.¡±

    I turn and look at him, making sure he can see the sincerity in my eyes. ¡°We only want to help. We may

    not have known that these packs existed until recently, but now that we do, we won¡¯t stop until they¡¯ve

    been eliminated. Not only that, we want an alliance, or at least at peacefulness, with your n. You¡¯ll

    be living close to some of our packs. We want to make that experience a positive one for everyone. I¡¯m

    no doctor and this guy, well, he¡¯s a bit of a mad scientist, but he¡¯s brilliant.

    If there¡¯s a way to help Balor and your n, he¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s triage some injured,¡± he says.

 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    Chapter 28 (Jordan)

    I follow Balor into his cave. The moment we are out of sight of the others, he slumps and I move to

    support him. He lost a lot of blood protecting me.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say to him. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to risk yourself for me,¡± I tell him. He looks at me. ¡°I don¡¯t

    take kindly to anyone being forced into a mating situation. Real men don¡¯t have to force a woman to get

    what they want,¡± he says, and I help him toy down.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I ask him, looking around quickly and finding a rag and some water. I begin

    washing off the wound. It¡¯s already closing but I want to try and clean it out as best I can.

    ¡°Lightheaded. Thank you for not making a fuss in front of my n,¡± he says.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I understand the importance of a leader always showing their strength. Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a pack or

    a n. If they question your authority, you have to fight them to keep it. Sometimes, your people die,

    and for no other reason than they thought you were weak,¡± I tell him as I wash his wound. ¡°That¡¯s a lot

    of experience talking for a young little wolf like you,¡± he says.

    I shrug. ¡°I was the only female Alpha for a while. A lot of males questioned my ability to lead,¡± I tell him

    honestly.

    ¡°I hope you set them straight,¡± he says to me, watching me as I wash his t*hroat.

    ¡°Everyst one of them,¡± I say smiling at him.

    He chuckles, then stops as the motion makes the wound bleed more.

    I wipe off the new blood, still cleaning up the wound.

    ¡°So, you and the pup, huh?¡± he asks.

    I nce at him and shrug again. ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± I say.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say. You¡¯re sharing a room with him and you¡¯re still a virgin.¡±

    My eyes shoot to his, and I see a shrewd look on his face. He reaches up and taps his nose again. ¡°I

    can smell it.¡±

    ¡°You can smell it? What does that even mean?¡± I ask him, dropping the bloody rag into the water to

    soak and focusing on this interesting man.

    ¡°Under your scent of sweet peppermint is the delicious scent of a fresh dewy morning in spring, the

    scent of an unt*ouched woman. There aren¡¯t many of you left at your age,¡± he says, watching me

    intently. Seriously, the man nearly bled out a few minutes ago and now I swear he¡¯s flirting with me. ¡°It¡¯s

    not easy being a powerful female. Most men want me for my title or the power that being mated to me

    brings them. Not many men take the time to get to know me.¡±

    ¡°Then, most men are stupid. Perhaps the pup was stupid too, but you¡¯re giving him another chance?¡±

    he asks.

    I look at him, but I don¡¯t answer. ¡°Hmm, if you truly want to see how I¡¯m feeling, you could climb into

    bed beside me and let me show you,¡± he says flirtatiously.

    Iugh. ¡°You are quite the flirt, Balor.¡±

    ¡°I just know what I want. And when I see something I want, I don¡¯t hesitate to go after it.¡±

    I reach out and take his hand, my face turning serious. ¡°Do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Let my doctor treat you. Do whatever tests he needs you to do so that he can keep you alive. Will you

    do that for me?¡±

    He taps the bed beside me. ¡°Keep mepany until he gets here?¡± he asks.

    I narrow my eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping with you, big bear,¡± I say.

    ¡°Not sleeping with me or not having s*ex with me?¡± he asks. ¡°Come, sleep with me. I need the rest and

    you look like you could use some too. I just want to smell you. Your scent is rxing to me.¡±

    ¡°You promise to behave?¡± I ask him. ¡°Bear¡¯s honor,¡± he says.

    I crawl onto the bed beside him, tucking myself up against him. It¡¯s actually perfect. The closer I am to

    him, the more likely he is to get my immunity. This way, I don¡¯t have to argue with him to stay.

    ¡°Sleep, little wolf. I won¡¯t die on you, I promise,¡± he says, burying his face in my hair.

    I didn¡¯t expect to fall asleep but at some timeter, Jace¡¯s voice in my head wakes me up.

    ¡®Jordan, they¡¯re here. You need to get up.¡¯

    I lift my head off of Balor¡¯s chest and look at him. He looks mmy, and I reach up to t*ouch him,

    realizing that he¡¯ s warmer than he should be.

    ¡®What time is it?¡¯ I ask Jace, noticing that it¡¯s light out.

    ¡®Mid-morning. The bears that were injuredst night are already showing signs of distress, Jordan.¡¯

    ¡®Balor feels like he¡¯s running a fever,¡¯ I tell him.

    ¡®The others are getting restless, starting to act like they are infected,¡¯ he says. ¡®I¡¯m on my way,¡¯ I tell

    him, carefully getting off the bed and walking out of Balor¡¯s cave.

    I can hear the caring up the road. I turn, heading to meet them when I see Apollo.

    ¡°How is Balor?¡±

    ¡°Asleep, but feverish,¡± I tell him. ¡°I¡¯ll put a guard on him. If he wakes up cranky, it¡¯s going to be ugly.¡±

    When they pull up, Jacees jogging up beside me.

    ¡°Gamma Luke, Gamma Brynn, it¡¯s to see you. Victor, thank you foring,¡± I say before turning to Dr.

    Braxton and Kyra.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have any time to waste. The bears are already showing signs of feral-fever,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need a ce to test their blood. I need to get samples to know for sure what I¡¯m dealing with,¡± Dr.

    Braxton says.

    I turn to Jace. ¡°Set Kyra up in our cave.¡± He nods and grabs one of Kyra¡¯s bags. ¡°This way,¡± he says,

    guiding her off. Darryl and Apolloe walking over. ¡°Dr. Braxton, this is Darryl, Balor¡¯s second in

    command and Apollo, his third inmand. This is Dr. Braxton. He¡¯s the one that can help your n

    members. And these are the members of the previous Gamma family, Jace¡¯s family¡± I say introducing

    everyone, ¡°Gammas Luke, Brynn and Victor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, although I wish it were under better circumstances. Show me where the infected

    bears are. I need to get some blood samples so we can start treating them,¡± Dr. Braxton says.

    Just then, we hear a loud roar and I know that it¡¯s Balor. As one, Apollo, Darryl and I race toward the

    caves. I can hear Luke, Brynn and Victor right behind us.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Darryl says as we see the n surrounding Balor who has shifted and is frothing at the mouth.

    He¡¯s obviously angry and feeling the effects of the bite. He¡¯s lifted up on his hind l*egs, easily over 9

    feet tall. I just gained a whole new appreciation for the term ¡®poke the bear¡¯.

    ¡°Jordan!¡± Luke warns, but I know I have to get the situation under control.

    I jump in front of the bears, standing in front of Balor.

    ¡°Stand down, Balor!¡± I say.

    He roars at me, swiping at me with his giant paw. I ducking up underneath him and punching him

    in the stomach. Then I leap back, as his upper bodyes mming back to the ground.

    I push out my Alpha aura, trying to contain him. ¡°Stand down!¡±

    He roars in my face, unyielding, like the oak tree he smells like. I feel his own aura pressing back at

    me.

    I snarl at him, lifting my hands out, palms facing him, almost like I¡¯m going to embrace him in a giant

    bear hug. I push more of my Alpha aura out, letting it flow out of me in waves. I hear several yelps

    behind me, not all of them wolves.

    Once I feel like I¡¯ve got him under control, I hold his gaze. ¡°SHIFT!¡± Imand.

    He roars again, fighting against mymand.

    ¡°KYRA!¡± I hear behind me.

    ¡°Let me through, Alpha,¡± I hear her soft voice.

    I spare a nce to my left and I see Kyra hyper focused on Balor. I release some of my aura, still

    holding him steady and ready to fight him again.

    ¡°Kyra?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Let me through, Alpha,¡± she says again, not taking her eyes off Balor who has turned to watch her.

    I release more of my aura and lower my left arm, letting her through.

    ¡°Hey big guy. Not feeling so good, huh?¡± she says as she slowly walks toward Balor.

    ¡°My name is Kyra. I¡¯m here to help you feel better, but I need you to work with me. Will you do that?

    Will you help me?¡±

    I watch Balor shake his head, almost as if he¡¯s trying to shake sleep or drowsiness out of his mind.

    She reaches her hand out to him.

    ¡°Kyra,¡± I warn.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Alpha. He¡¯s not going to hurt me. Are you big guy?¡± she says, turning her attention back to

    him.

    She reaches her hand out to stroke his face and I watch as he leans into her t*ouch.

    I turn and look at Jace who is watching with the same stunned expression I have.

    ¡°Will you shift for me? Will you let me help you?¡± she asks him.

    I drop my aurapletely and stand back as Balor shifts back into his human form, sitting on the

    ground. He pulls Kyra to him, holding her in hisp, rubbing his face against her.

    She giggles prettily, like the teenage girl that she is.

    ¡°She¡¯s a pup, Balor,¡± I tell him. Warning him not to try and mark her.

    ¡°She¡¯s mine, Alpha,¡± he replies.

 Chapter 302

    Chapter 302

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    Chapter 29 (Jace)

    ¡°Kyra,e with me,¡± Dr. Braxton says, obviously concerned that his underaged daughter is sitting in

    thep of a n*aked man who just moments ago was exhibiting signs of feral-fever.

    Balor, however, looks up and snarls at Dr. Braxton.

    ¡°Balor,¡± Jordan growls warningly, just as Kyra reaches up and smacks Balor on the nose.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my father. Show some respect. He¡¯s the man that¡¯s going to heal you,¡± Kyra says,

    completely unconcerned that Balor was acting so erratically just moments ago.

    ¡°My apologies, little one. I thought he was trying to take you away from me,¡± he says.

    Before Kyra can say anything that might set him off, I jump in.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to why Dr. Braxton and Kyra are here. Balor, we need her to help us find a cure for your

    n,¡± I say, trying to help him understand that she can¡¯t continue to sit in hisp.

    He looks at her. ¡°You¡¯re a doctor?¡±

    She giggles. ¡°No, I¡¯m too young to be a doctor. But I want to be one. My father is a great scientist and I

    want to be just like him,¡± she says.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be an amazing doctor. I can already tell that you¡¯re an intelligent young woman,¡± he says, then

    looks up at Jordan.

    ¡°She can work in my cave,¡± he says then turns to Dr. Braxton. ¡°You too, Dr. Braxton. I understand your

    daughter is underage and I respect that, but I want her close.¡±

    I look at Dr. Braxton who presses his l*ips in a thin line.

    ¡°Please, dad. You know it will help him if I¡¯m close to him,¡± Kyra says.

    ¡°Both of us will work there, but only if you put some clothes on,¡± Dr. Braxton says sternly, speaking to

    Balor as if he weren¡¯t the leader of this n and nearly his age.

    Balor frowns, looking down at himself. ¡°How did I¡­¡±

    Kyra takes his face in her hands. ¡°You¡¯ re infected with feral-fever. You were bitten, right Alpha

    Jordan?¡± she asks, turning to Jordan.

    ¡°Yes. Do you remember, Balor? You protected me against the rogue Alpha wolf,¡± Jordan says.

    ¡°But I had clothes on when we crawled into bed,¡± he says, making Kyra snarl. She ps her hand over

    her mouth, her eyes wide.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t know why I did that,¡± she says, looking at Jordan. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kyra. We¡¯ll figure it out

    and I stayed with Balor for the same reason you want to stay close to him. It keeps the feral fever

    away,¡± Jordan tells her, then turns to Balor.

    ¡°You shifted and were acting aggressively. Do you remember that?¡± she asks him.

    He looks at Kyra, lifting her up and looking her over. ¡°Did I hurt you? Are you injured?¡± he asks

    worriedly. ¡°No,¡± she says, and he begins to calm. ¡°You listened to me, even when you weren¡¯t listening

    to Alpha Jordan. And her aura was out, stronger than I¡¯ve ever felt before. But you were still fighting

    her.¡±

    He looks at Jordan. ¡°Did I hurt you? Are you injured, little wolf?¡± he asks her and Kyra growls again.

    Balor pulls her back into hisp and k*isses the top of her head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like me calling Alpha Jordan ¡®little wolf¡¯?¡± he asks Kyra.

    She shakes her head, looking away from him.

    He lifts her chin, a smug smile on his face. He likes her possessiveness, even though she¡¯s young.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°I should be your little wolf,¡± she pouts, her words so quiet that I almost didn¡¯t hear her.

    ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t call her that again. You ARE my little wolf,¡± he says, standing and setting her on her

    feet. ¡°Clothes, please, Balor!¡± Dr. Braxton says, losing patience with the n*aked man holding his

    daughter.

    ¡°Come see my cave. I¡¯ll find a space for you to work while I get dressed,¡± he says, taking Kyra¡¯s hand

    and walking her into his cave, Dr. Braxton right behind them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get her things,¡± I say, walking over to Jordan. ¡°But have you ever heard of a bear being mated to a

    wolf?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Is that what all of that was about? I thought he had gone crazy, but you think they¡¯re mated?¡± Darryl

    asks, having heard me.

    ¡°That¡¯s how wolves act when they meet their mate. Although Kyra is young, too young to feel the mate

    bond. But I¡¯ve also never heard of a wolf being mated to a bear. Have any of you?¡± Jordan asks as my

    father and Apollo walk over.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of it, have you Brynn? You sat on the council for years,¡± my father asks my

    mother.

    ¡°No, but I¡¯ll call Councilman Jason and see if he¡¯s heard of anything. But, in truth, I doubt it. In the

    previous generation, she-wolves were nearly extinct. There were only a handful of us, so if there is a

    history of bears and wolves being mates, it¡¯s been a few generations. But Jason can check the

    archives,¡± she says, pulling out her phone and stepping away.

    I jog back to my room and get Kyra¡¯s bags, then go to Balor¡¯s cave. I stop at the entrance, seeing that

    Dr. Braxton is having a serious conversation with Balor. I can only imagine what that conversation is

    about.

    I look at Kyra and wait until she makes eye contact then lift the bags to show her that I¡¯m dropping

    them off before setting them on the floor and walking out. I¡¯m not interested in getting involved in that

    drama unless I have to or unless Jordan tells me we need to.

    When I get back to Jordan, I see everyone is waiting. ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡±

    ¡°Your brother and I are going to go follow the scent of these wolves. We¡¯re going to see if we can find

    their den. They have to have found a ce to hole up,¡± my dad says.

    ¡°Dad, no. That pack attacked a n of bears. You and Victor won¡¯t stand a chance against them,¡± I say.

    ¡°We won¡¯t engage them¡­¡± my father begins.

    ¡°I¡¯m going and several of our warriors are going too,¡± Apollo says.

    ¡°Are you sure, Apollo?¡± Jordan asks him.

    ¡°They are a threat to our n. You and your pack members are trying to help us. It makes sense for us

    to work together. After all, isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re here, little Alpha?¡± he asks her.

    ¡°I can go too, then,¡± I say, turning to Jordan. ¡°You and mom can work with Dr. Braxton and Kyra and be

    near the n members until they can create a vine. Hopefully, it will help them as much as it helps

    the wolves,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s working for Balor,¡± Darryl says, looking toward Balor¡¯s cave.

    ¡°That¡¯s the mate bond,¡± all of the wolves say at once.

    ¡°It¡¯s that potent?¡± Apollo asks. ¡°It is,¡± my father says.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have mate bonds. Not like that anyway. It¡¯s strange that Balor seems impacted by a bond

    that is something only the wolves have,¡± Darryl says.

    ¡°Except that he¡¯s mated to a wolf,¡± I say.

    ¡°We should get going. I¡¯d like to be back before it gets dark, especially if they don¡¯t have a vine yet.

    We¡¯ll need to help contain the infected bears,¡± my father says.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get going,¡± Apollo says. ¡°Be careful, Jordan,¡± I say to her before turning to follow the others.

    ¡°Jace,¡± she says, grabbing my hand.

    I turn back, looking at her.

    ¡°Come back to me. That¡¯s an order from your Alpha,¡± she says, not putting the Alphamand behind

    it.

    I step up to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her to me. ¡°Make it amand from my

    mate, and I promise I will,¡± I say.

    She looks at me a long moment. ¡°Your matemands you to return to her, safe and unharmed.¡±

    A slow smile spreads across my face. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    (Jaxon POV)

    ¡°Alpha Jaxon! Alpha Jaxon!¡±

    I turn and sigh internally.

    ¡°Hey Carter, what¡¯s up?¡± I ask him, but I don¡¯t stop moving. We just finished morning warrior training

    and I need to grab a quick bite to eat and check on Eve before going to the office to tackle today¡¯s

    paperwork. She¡¯s due to have our pup any day now.

    ¡°Hey, I was wondering if you¡¯d heard that I was entering the Beta Trials?¡± he asks me.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Yep, I did,¡± I say to him.

    ¡°Oh, good, because I¡¯d love to be your Beta,¡± he says.

    I stop and turn to him, narrowing my eyes.

    ¡°And why would I want a Beta who obviously doesn¡¯t have any respect for women in positions of

    authority?¡± I ask him.

    He looks taken aback for a moment, before collecting himself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what Alpha Jordan told

    you¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing, other than you had entered the Beta Trials. But that act tells me everything I need to know

    about you, Carter. My mate is co-Alpha in my pack. Not Luna, co-Alpha. Why would we bring in a Beta

    who wouldn¡¯t respect her position in the pack? We wouldn¡¯t. And honestly, Carter, I¡¯m not really sure if

    there are any Alphas that will. Most of them are mated to strong Alpha females. So, good luck, but I¡¯m

    pretty sure you shot yourself in the foot and have lost your ranked member position in any pack

    because you were acting like a misogynistic a*sshole.¡±

    He¡¯s about to respond when I hear my mate.

    ¡°Jaxon,¡± there¡¯s something in my voice that has me rushing to her. As soon as I see her, my eyes go

    wide.

    She looks up at me, one hand on her stomach, the other on the handrail of the stairs that she just

    descended. ¡°I think it¡¯s time.¡±

 Chapter 303

    Chapter 303

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 30 (Evangeline)

    In an instant, Jaxon has me scooped up and is mind linking Elijah to take over. He races me to the

    pack hospital. ¡°Baby on the way! Baby on the way!¡± he shouts as he rushes me into the hospital.

    ¡°This way,¡± one of the pack nurses says, moving us to a hallway away from the pack members that

    have been quarantined.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Jaxon asks her.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Dr. Braxton was on the verge of releasing them, I believe, when he was called away to

    help the bears.¡± She stops, opening a door and gesturing for Jaxon to enter ahead of her. ¡°Are Alpha

    Jordan and Gamma Jace okay?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Yes, from what I¡¯ve heard, Jordan wasn¡¯t injured. The bear leader, Balor, put himself in the rogue

    Alpha¡¯s path, keeping Jordan from getting marked,¡± he says as heys me on the bed.

    I grit my teeth as another spasm of pain ripples through my stomach. ¡°Okay, Alpha Evangeline, how

    long have you been having contractions?¡± the nurse asks as she begins moving my nightgown out of

    her way so she can attach things all over my body.

    While she¡¯s working, another womanes in, wheeling a machine that I know is a heart monitor. She

    rolls the machine up to the nurse attaching things to my body and begins connecting them to the

    machine. A momentter, I hear the sound of our baby boy¡¯s heart beating and then mine along with it.

    The nurse adds the blood pressure cuff and an IV and then the doctores in.

    ¡°Alphas, I hear we¡¯re having a baby today,¡± Dr. Teresa says as she walks in, smiling at me, then looking

    at the monitor. ¡°Everything looks good so far. Did we determine when your contractions started?¡± she

    asks. ¡°They woke me up,¡± I say.

    ¡°How long ago was that?¡± she asks, making some notes on her tablet.

    ¡°A couple of hours ago,¡± I say.

    ¡°Eve! Why didn¡¯t youe get me?¡± Jaxon asks.

    ¡°Because you were busy and I knew you¡¯d be busy the rest of the day, love,¡± I say, lifting my hand,

    intending to put it on his face to reassure him, but another contractiones, and I move my hand to

    my stomach.

    Dr. Teresa looks at the monitor and then at me. ¡°Let¡¯s check you. That was a strong contraction based

    on the monitor. You may have been inbor for hours before it woke you.¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Depends on how ufortable you¡¯ ve been and how many falsebor contractions you¡¯ve been

    having. If you were tired enough, your mind may have decided that these were falsebor pains, letting

    you sleep until you couldn¡¯t ignore them any longer,¡± she says, pulling out the stirrups for me to put my

    feet up and moving to check me.

    When she¡¯s done, she looks up at me and Jaxon. ¡°We¡¯re moving right along. The first ones usually

    come more slowly, but you¡¯re already six centimeters dted. We¡¯re going to keep you in bed and start

    checking you regrly. The contractions will starting more frequently and will be stronger,¡±

    she says, turning to Jaxon.

    ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of that Alpha females break the bones in their mate¡¯s hands duringbor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it. She¡¯s the one doing all the work,¡± he says.

    ¡°Smart man,¡± Dr. Teresa says, smiling at me.

    ¡°I trained him well,¡± I say and start to smile but another contraction hits me. ¡°You¡¯re pretty close. I¡¯m

    going to track your contractions, but if you continue to dte quickly, we could be delivering your baby

    in the next couple of hours,¡± she says.

    ¡°Thank you doctor,¡± I say and everyone leaves, giving me and Jaxon some time.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to be a father, Jaxon, because it¡¯s toote now if you¡¯ re not,¡± I say to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m thrilled. I¡¯m so excited to hold Jax, Jr.¡± he says.

    ¡°You know Jordan¡¯s going to call him JJ and that it will probably stick, right?¡± I say.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. As long as he¡¯s happy and healthy,¡± he says.

    Three hours, two broken hands, and a lot of screaming and cursingter, our little boy entered the

    world. As soon as Dr. Teresa put him in my arms, my entire world shifted. I thought I had loved my child

    when he was in my womb, but that love just intensified beyond anything I could have imagined when I

    looked at his sweet face and smelled his sweet baby scent, a softer version of Jaxon¡¯s sandalwood

    scent.

    After holding him a few moments, Jaxonying his head next to mine and stroking Jax Jr¡¯s head, I let

    him hold his son.

    I watch and feel through our bond as Jaxon¡¯s emotions overwhelm him. He looks at me, trying to hold

    himself together.

    ¡°He¡¯s perfect. You¡¯re perfect. I have the perfect little family.¡±

    (Balor POV)

    I watch from my bed as this little juvenile wolf works beside me. I wouldn¡¯t be in bed, but she insisted

    and for some reason, I want to do anything and everything that this little wolf wants me to do. I want to

    do whatever it takes to make her happy, to make her smile.

    ¡°You know I can feel you watching me, right?¡± she asks me, not looking up from her microscope.

    ¡°I want to be closer to you, but you ordered me to bed,¡± I tell her truthfully. Why did she have to be a

    juvenile? I don¡¯t even know how old she is.

    She walks over to the bed, putting her hand on my forehead, her t*ouch instantly soothing me. ¡°You¡¯re

    still running a fever, but it¡¯s better. How do you feel?¡± she asks me, taking a light and shing it in my

    eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯d feel better if I was closer to you,¡± I tell her.

    I watch as she smiles at my statement. I¡¯ve never been the kind of man who enjoyed a possessive

    woman, but when she growled earlier at the attention I was giving to Alpha Jordan, I loved it. I want this

    little wolf and I want her to want me.

    ¡°How old are you, anyway?¡± I ask her.

    The smile drops from her face, and she looks at me. Her chin juts out and she purses her l*ips as if her

    age is a problem to others. Perhaps it is, considering the work that she¡¯s doing. ¡°I¡¯m nearly 15,¡± she

    says.

    I take her hand, bringing it to my l*ips. ¡°So, three years until I can make you mine,¡± I say and watch as

    the look on her face softens.

    ¡°You want to make me yours?¡± she asks softly.

    ¡°You are mine, but I won¡¯t make it official until you¡¯re an adult,¡± I tell her. ¡°Does our age difference

    bother you?¡± I ask, needing to know now if she doesn¡¯ t want me.

    ¡°No, I want you, no matter your age. Does my age bother you?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Only in the sense that I have to be a patient man. But I can be very patient, as long as I can be close

    to you during these next three years,¡± I tell her truthfully.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get you healthy first, then we¡¯ll figure out how we¡¯re going to see each other,¡± she says to me.

    ¡°If I stay sick, do I get to see more of you?¡± I ask her teasingly.

    ¡°No, it means that being around me isn¡¯ t helping you and we¡¯ll find someone else to sit with you,¡± she

    says, mischief sparkling in her eyes.

    Oh, little wolf, I¡¯m a master at teasing. ¡°Hmm, so you¡¯d be okay if, say, Alpha Jordan came to sit with

    me?¡± I ask.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    Her instant growl is all the response I need. I pull her into the bed with me, hugging her the way that

    only a bear can, absolutely andpletely. ¡°Easy, my little wolf. I only want you,¡± I tell her, loving that

    she snuggles up against me, feeling safe with me.

    I hear a t*hroat clearing from the doorway. I want to growl, but I smelled Alpha Jordaning.

    ¡°Come in Alpha, I was just hugging this sweet little wolf,¡± I say, unapologetic for disying affection

    toward the woman that I¡¯ve chosen as mine.

    Jordan looks at Kyra. ¡°I wanted to see if you had any results from the tests on the blood of the infected

    n members,¡± she says.

    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Kyra says, getting off the bed. I move to get up too.

    Kyra turns to look at me, putting her hand on my forehead again before stepping back and letting me

    stand. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, Balor.¡±

    I pull her to me and k*iss the top of her head. I thought Alpha Jordan was tiny, but this little wolf is even

    smaller. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s her young age or that she¡¯s not an Alpha. Doesn¡¯t matter, either way I kind

    of like it.

    She pulls away from me and moves back to where she had been looking into a microscope and making

    notes. ¡°Alpha Jordan, have you ever seen the strains of feral fever and the iming haze?¡± Kyra asks.

    ¡°No, well, only in books that your father published,¡± Jordan says.

    ¡°Here, take a look,¡± Kyra says, stepping back from the microscope.

    Jordan looks for a moment, not saying anything, then stands and looks at Kyra.

    ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯m looking at,¡± she says.

    ¡°That is Balor¡¯s blood. In it, he has the strains of feral fever and the iming haze.¡±

    ¡°So, Balor has been infected by both viruses?¡± Jordan asks.

    I¡¯m trying to follow along, but this is all news to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Alpha,¡± Kyra says.

    ¡°But how is that possible? I didn¡¯t think most viruses transferred to different species,¡± Jordan says, and

    Kyra taps the seat that she was sitting on before, looking at me. I take it and look into the microscope.

    Just like Alpha Jordan, I have no idea what I¡¯m looking at.

    I smile. My smart little wolf does. ¡°While that is usually the case, Alpha, feral fever and the iming

    haze are mutated versions of rabies and distemper. Both of those viruses have been known to not only

    transfer to humans, but also to bears. So, in either form, the bears would have been susceptible if they

    had been bitten or scratched.¡±

    ¡°So, how are you going to heal me and my n, little wolf?¡± I ask Kyra.

    She turns to me. ¡°For your n, Alpha Jordan¡¯s blood and that of Alpha Jaxon, her twin¡¯s blood that we

    brought with us, will be used to create the vine needed to fight the virus. For you, it will be my

    blood,¡± she says.

    I growl at that. ¡°No, you¡¯re too young and I don¡¯t want you hurting yourself,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Balor. My blood will be the best to treat you,¡± she says,ing to lean against me. I lift

    her up, putting her in myp and rubbing my face against her. It¡¯s a bear¡¯s way of showing affection,

    and I want her to know that I care about her and don¡¯t want her to risk herself for me.

    ¡°It¡¯s how the mate bond in wolves works, Balor,¡± Jordan says as she walks out of my cave.

    ¡°Mate bond?¡± I ask.

    Kyra nods. ¡°You¡¯re my mate, Balor.¡±

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 31 (Jordan)

    I leave Kyra and Balorto figure things out between them. They have a lot to work through, not the least

    of which is arge age gap, although Jonas and Melinda have managed theirs just fine. But this is also

    a mating between species. If the two of them are going to be together long-term, either Kyra would

    move to the n or Balor would have to move to a pack, and I don¡¯t see Balor moving and giving up his

    n leader status.

    As I go to find Dr. Braxton, I reach out and connect with Jace. Even though I broke the mate bond, I¡¯m

    still his Alpha and I still have a connection to him.

    Now, something inside me is pulling me to ensure that he¡¯s safe. If I¡¯m being honest with myself, it¡¯s not

    the Alpha in me that¡¯s worried. The Alpha knows that Jace is more than capable of handling this wolf

    pack, especially with his family and the bears with him. It¡¯s the woman, the mate, that¡¯s worried. I don¡¯t

    know how he¡¯s doing it, I wouldn¡¯t have thought it possible, but he¡¯s slowly working his way back into

    my heart.

    I shake that off as I walk up to Dr. Braxton.

    ¡°Doctor, give me some good news,¡± I say, looking over to where Darryl and Jasun are monitoring the

    sedated bears. Brynn is staying close, but as a precaution, Darryl agreed to sedation. We don¡¯t need

    sixrge bears going berserker all at once.

    He turns and looks at me, pushing his sses up on his face. ¡°That depends on your definition of good

    news, Alpha,¡± he says.

    ¡°Tell me you can treat these bears,¡± I say.

    ¡°Yes, then it¡¯s good news. I can treat the bears.¡±

    ¡°I take it there¡¯s bad news?¡± I ask, not wanting to know, but knowing that I need to.

    ¡°As we expected, these are strains of feral fever and the iming haze. And, as we expected, these

    are strains thate fromst generation, so we can hypothesize that the banished wolves that were

    sent away from the packs did, in fact, mate with humans and produce hybrid children. These children

    carry the various strains of the viruses that we¡¯ve seen before.¡±

    ¡°Okay, if I¡¯m following you, none of this is unexpected, it¡¯s what we thought, and the strains maybe

    haven¡¯t mutated? Is that right?¡± I ask, trying to follow along.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± he says, looking at me a moment. ¡°What do you know of your female Beta¡¯s first

    iming?¡± he asks.

    I frown. ¡°Layan? I know that she was attacked, that the Alpha that caught her had gone feral and the

    iming haze overtook him. I know that it was¡­bad,¡± I say. It¡¯s not a well-known story, for the obvious

    reason that Layan is our Beta female, and my parents didn¡¯t want rumors going around about her,

    making her ufortable. But as the next Alpha, I was told so that I would understand the importance

    of ensuring that we never again had to deal with feral fever or the iming haze. ¡°He was put down at

    the iming, but samples of his blood and tissue were sent to me. At the time, it was to create a case

    against the Elder who didn¡¯t stop her iming quickly enough. But it provided me with important

    information. Now, what do you know about your mother¡¯s attacker? Your Aunt¡¯s mate?¡±

    ¡°Typhon? He went crazy too. He didn¡¯t catch my mother in the iming, but he somehow got out of the

    territory without anyone realizing and then he went on some crazy, psychotic hunt for my mother.¡±

    ¡°A pretty urate assessment. After his death, I was given the opportunity to also test his blood and

    tissue. Both of them were Alphas. Both of them had packs that they led. Much like your ability to create

    a vine, keeping your pack stable, the Alphas back then that were sick caused their packs to be

    sickly. They spread the virus, a pack-specific virus, if you will.¡±

    I look at him, not understanding what he¡¯s trying to tell me.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to spell it out to me, Dr. Braxton. I¡¯m not Kyra.¡±

    ¡°The virus strains that I¡¯m seeing are variants of the ones that came directly from Alphas Camden and

    Typhon.¡±

    He¡¯s watching me, waiting for me to connect the dots that he feels should be easy to connect.

    ¡°Are you saying that the Alphas of these two rogue packs are the sons of Alphas Camden and Typhon?

    The attackers of my Beta female and my mother?¡± I ask.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    ¡°But how? At least in the instance of Typhon, he wasn¡¯t alone for more than a year before he went into

    my mother¡¯s im,¡± I say.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the age of Alpha Typhon¡¯s son, but it¡¯s possible that he was with a human before he

    imed your Aunt, or possibly that he was with a human when your Aunt couldn¡¯t conceive. It was a

    time when many were afraid of losing their humanity and not having an heir to leave for their pack.

    Many Alphas were desperate. Alpha Camden¡¯ s packnds are the ones that Alpha Tobias is taking

    over. It¡¯s very possible that he and Alpha Typhon were close and decided to mate with humans to

    conceive, keeping each other¡¯s secrets.¡±

    I think about what he¡¯s saying. I know that my Aunt didn¡¯t have a lot of contact with her family once

    Typhon took her to his pack. They never saw her again and only rarely spoke to her on the phone, so,

    it¡¯s possible.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s possible that the females survived as well? The humans? Maybe after the Alphas were killed,

    they were able to get away?¡± I ask.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Alpha. My guess is that they would have been infected with the feral fever or iming

    haze viruses. The iming haze is a variant of distemper and while not necessarily deadly to humans

    in the distemper form, we don¡¯t know how they would have reacted to this strain of the virus. The feral

    fever, on the other hand, descended from rabies and would have been deadly to the human females.

    That, of course, is also dependent upon whether they survived the birth of their children and possibly,

    once they saw that they had sons, the Alphas could have killed them to keep their secret,¡± he says.

    ¡°You¡¯re describing a bad horror movie, doc.¡±

    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s all very possible and would exin how these two men have be Alphas of their

    packs,¡± he says.

    I nod, looking out to where Jace and the others are hunting for this pack. ¡°They¡¯re descended from

    Alphas,¡± I say quietly.

    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

    I reach out to Jace in the mind link.

    ¡®Jordan?¡¯

    ¡®Come back, Jace. Bring the others. We need to reconvene and talk to the Elders before we continue

    this hunt.¡¯

    It¡¯s quiet a moment, then he¡¯s back. ¡®We¡¯re headed back now.¡¯

    I turn back to Dr. Braxton. ¡°We need a council meeting. There¡¯s a hotel not far from here. I¡¯ll get us

    some rooms so we can set up a conference call. My parents and the others in their generation need to

    know what we¡¯re dealing with. But doc, you said you can heal these bears, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Alpha. As it happens, your mother had the antibodies in her blood for these particr strains of

    virus. You and your brother both inherited them from her. I¡¯m using that and will be giving the bears

    their first vination tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±

    When Jace and the others return, I fill them in on the status of what¡¯s going on and that we need to

    have a conference with the others.

    ¡°Brynn, Victor and I will stay here, Alpha, if that¡¯s okay with you and the bears. I¡¯d like to set up a

    perimeter patrol, even if it is only the three of us. These wolves are our problem, and we should help

    protect the bears from further attacks,¡± Luke says.

    ¡°Thank you, Gamma,¡± I say.

    I wait until Dr. Braxton injects all of the bears with the vine, including Balor, before heading to the

    cave where I¡¯m ready to copse.

    ¡°Alpha, may I speak with you a moment?¡± Victor asks me.

    I¡¯m exhausted, but an Alpha¡¯s work is never done.

    ¡°Of course, Victor.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you. I can see that you¡¯re tired. I just wanted you to know that now, without Carter, I don¡¯t

    know what you n to do with the Beta position. But, if you were thinking of moving Gamma Jace into

    that position, I¡¯d be honored to take on the Gamma position. That is if you feel that would be

    appropriate,¡± he says.

    ¡°Victor, aren¡¯t you in the Beta Trials?¡±

    ¡°I am, I have entered. I¡¯d like to be a ranked member, especially knowing that I descend from Beta

    blood. But I love our pack and I respect you as an Alpha. I would be honored to remain in our pack as

    the Gamma.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t rather have a chance to be a Beta?¡± I ask.

    ¡°If the choices are to have a ce as a Gamma in your pack, or possibly win a Beta position in another

    pack, I¡¯d rather take the Gamma position in our pack, Alpha,¡± he says to me.

    It¡¯s the exact opposite of Carter, and it¡¯ s so refreshing. I hadn¡¯t considered moving Jace to a Beta, but

    maybe I should. Or¡­maybe, I should consider what it would mean if I rescind my rejection.

    ¡°You¡¯ve given me a lot to think about, Victor. I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    He smiles. ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 32 (Jace)

    I go back to the room and while I wait for Jordan, I get clothes and go bathe in the nearbyke. I¡¯m just

    getting back when she walks in, looking thoughtful. ¡°Everything okay?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Yeah, how was today? Did you find anything?¡±

    ¡°We found some well-used trails, hunting trails we think. Their scent is way off, Jordan. They smell

    unclean, like they never bathe after taking down game and the blood and guts are just on their bodies,

    rotting. It¡¯s disgusting.

    Apollo and the other bears had it worse than we did with their enhanced sense of smell. But at least I

    know what I¡¯m looking for now. I¡¯ll recognize that stench from now on. Dad wanted to keep hunting, but

    I told him you ordered us home,¡± he says, looking at me.

    I didn¡¯t actually order them, but Jace was right to use that if needed to get his dad home. Luke hasn¡¯t

    seen the wolves in action yet and while we¡¯re all pack hunters, they attack when they have no business

    attacking, like with the bears.

    ¡°What about the doc. It looked like he was able to get a vine started,¡± I ask her as she looks through

    her limited clothing.

    ¡°Yes, and I called to get us rooms at the hotel for the next couple of days. Your family will help patrol

    the n¡¯s borders while we go figure everything out with the Elders,¡± she says, and I watch as her head

    drops.

    ¡°Is this about the Alpha that Dr. Braxton thinks is Alpha Typhon¡¯s son?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should give my mother a head¡¯s up or not. I¡¯m not even sure she¡¯s not out hunting the

    wolf pack with the others,¡± she says.

    ¡°She¡¯s not. You know Councilman Jason called them all back. What would you want if it was you,

    Jordan? Would you want to find out ahead of time?¡± I ask her, moving to her and tucking her hair

    behind her ear, letting my finger trail down her n*eck. I hold back a smile when her body shivers at my

    t*ouch.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess I would. Either way, it¡¯s going to be a kick in the gut for her,¡± she says.

    I look over Jordan¡¯s head, my mind going back to the time of Typhon and his attack on Luna Jara.

    ¡°Even though I was young, I remember. It was a bad time for everyone. When your mom lost her pup,

    she was devastated. She shut out everyone. The entire pack suffered for the loss of their Alpha heir.¡±

    I refocus and look down at her, seeing her watching me closely. ¡°You need to have your father on the

    phone as well. I don¡¯t know how your mother will take the news, but she will need him there with her,

    she will need his support,¡± I say.

    She leans into me. ¡°Are you still protecting your Luna, Jace?¡±

    ¡°Your mother will always hold a special ce in my heart, Jordan,¡± I say, feeling my t*hroat closing up

    at the memory. ¡°She held me while I watched my mother give up on this life, she held me while I

    screamed for her not to leave me. She did for me what my mother couldn¡¯t. She was there for me; she

    has watched over me as much as I have watched over her all these years.¡±

    ¡°Jace,¡± she says softly.

    I shake it off. I don¡¯t Jordan¡¯s pity. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    Her fingeres up to my l*ips. ¡°Stop downying the effect that that moment has had on your life,

    Jace. Nothing good hase from you doing that. You need to recognize that your mother leaving you

    wasn¡¯t about you not being good enough, Jace. It was about her own heartbreak, and you have every

    right to be angry at her for that. She wasn¡¯t thinking of you in that moment. Most likely she wasn¡¯t

    thinking of anything other than the pain and emptiness of losing her mate. I don¡¯t know how that feels,

    but I do know that if something happened to either of my parents, the other would follow right behind

    them. They wouldn¡¯t want to live in a world where the other didn¡¯t exist.¡±

    I don¡¯t look in her eyes. I don¡¯t want to see her pity. Her hands slide up my chest, but I don¡¯t want her

    because she thinks I need her. I want her because she wants me.

    ¡°What did Victor have to say?¡± I ask, changing the subject. I expected that the change of subject would

    have her stepping back, but she doesn¡¯t. She stays pressed up against me.

    ¡°He was asking if I was going to make you my Beta, and if so, he wants the Gamma position,¡± she

    says, her voice staying soft.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he enter the Beta Trials?¡± I ask, trying to stay focused, but her warm body pressed against mine

    and her soft voice so close to me is sending my hormones into overdrive.

    ¡°I asked that too. He said he would rather be my Gamma, than a Beta to another pack and Alpha.¡±

    I smile at that. Victor was given a raw deal, but he neverined about it. His adopted brother got

    the position that his father had for 15 years, simply because my father had it first.

    ¡°I thought you wanted an Alpha female as your Beta?¡± I ask, my brain spinning with Jordan¡¯s sweet

    peppermint scent. ¡°I do. But what do you want, Jace? Do you want to be my Beta?¡± she asks.

    I shake my head. ¡°I want to be your partner, your mate. I don¡¯t care what title that gives me. I don¡¯t care

    if a lose my title altogether. I just want you, Jordan. I can still help you run the pack if I¡¯m a partner, not

    a Gamma.¡±

    Her hands reach up, going into my hair and gripping it just enough that it sends tingles through my

    body.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯m ready to ept you as my mate, Jace, but I, Jordan Stern, rescind my rejection of

    you, Jace Read.¡±

    The moment she says it, I feel the mate bond snap back into ce. It had neverpletely broken for

    me, but it¡¯s stronger now.

    However, the impact on Jordan is significant. Her eyes go wide, and she snarls ¡°Mine!¡± a moment

    before she has me pressed against the wall, pulling my mouth to hers in a k*iss unlike anything we¡¯ve

    ever shared.

    My hands go into her hair, turning her head to give me better ess to her mouth. As before, we fight

    for dominance in the k*iss, but I don¡¯t let up. If she¡¯s willing to give me another chance, the I¡¯m going to

    show her that I was meant to be the mate of a female Alpha.

    I k*iss her until she¡¯s whimpering, her body clinging to me. I have a moment of rity and realize that

    her body isn¡¯t just clinging to mine, she¡¯s somehow managed to climb up my body, her l*egs mped

    against my h*ips, her arms wrapped tightly around my n*eck.

    I reverse our positions, pressing her back into the wall as I continue k*issing her, feeling her l*egs wrap

    tightly around me, her body beginning to move against me, the need that I¡¯ve been feeling for her for so

    many months, flooding into her system and overwhelming her.

    And it¡¯s that thought that has me pulling back. She¡¯s giving me a chance. She¡¯s putting her trust in me

    and I¡¯m not going to blow it because I let my hormones and the mate bond pull us both into a situation

    that she¡¯s not yet ready for.

    I slide my hands in her hair and holding on, I pull back. She whimpers, trying to reach for me.

    ¡°Jordan. Jordan! You¡¯re overwhelmed with the mate bond. You haven¡¯t felt it in months. Breathe,

    Jordan.¡±

    ¡°I need more, Jace,¡± she whimpers, rubbing her h*ips against mine.

    Oh goddess, she will be the death of me. I guess this is just part of the penance that I have to pay and

    hopefully, one day very soon, I¡¯ll be rewarded with Jordan¡¯s love and trust. ¡°I can ease your ache,

    Jordan, but what about your mother? Weren¡¯t you going to call her?¡± I ask.

    I watch some of the ze covering her eyes fall away.

    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t talk to her when I¡¯m like this. I¡¯ll call her in the morning. I need you, Jace.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say, and carry her to the bed.

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 33 (Jace)

    On the way to the bed, she begins stripping off her shirt and bra, tossing them on the floor before

    pulling my shirt over my head. She strokes her hands down my chest, making me moan as she leans in

    and begins k*issing me.

    ¡°You smell so f*ucking good,¡± she says in a growl, nipping at me.

    I grit my teeth as my d*ick bes so h*ard, I feel like it might explode. Iy her on the bed and

    before I can move to take off her jeans, she¡¯s practically ripping them off her body.

    I quickly get mine off too, in case she decides to rip them to shreds in her haste. I crawl into bed,

    leaning over her and taking her mouth as I begin to stroke my hand down her body. I stop at her

    b*reasts, her n*ipples already puckered into h*ard nubs. I growl my pleasure at that, as she continues

    to push her h*ips against me.

    I k*iss my way down her t*hroat, surprised and incredibly pleased when she lifts her chin, exposing her

    t*hroat to me. I nip it gently, before making my way to her b*reasts. I sit up, taking a moment to look at

    how gorgeous Jordan looksid out in front of me, how delicious the smell of her arousal is as it

    perm*eates the air in the room. Her whimper of need has me smiling as I lean down and take her

    n*ipple into my mouth, l*icking and s*ucking on it, her body arching up, pressing her b*reast into my

    mouth.

    My hand slides down her body, past her belly b*utton and to the apex of her t*highs where I can feel

    the heat radiating off of her.

    I slide my finger between her p*ussy l*ips and my own moan overtakes hers as I feel how soaking w*et

    she is for me.

    I slide my finger over her clit and down to her entrance, feeling the w*etness of her arousal on her

    t*highs. I desperately want to l*ick everyst drop off of her, but we¡¯re in a cave. A cave with no door.

    When Jordan begins moaning again, I move back up her body, taking her mouth and her moans into

    mine. These beautiful sounds are for me alone.

    She turns on her side, lifting one l*eg up onto my h*ip and giving me more ess to her. I begin

    stroking her clit, moving in the rhythm of her h*ips, letting her set the pace as I learn what she likes and

    how she likes to be t*ouched.

    I¡¯m overwhelmed with her t*aste, her smell and the sweet sounds that she¡¯s making, so I jolt when I feel

    her hand wrap around my h*ard length.

    I open my eyes, pulling away from her mouth. Her eyes are open, watching me as she begins stroking

    her hand up and down my length.

    I half growl, half moan as the feel of her hand on me is like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before. I continue

    k*issing her, stroking her as she strokes me. I move my right arm under her head, bringing my hand

    around as I try to pull her even closer to me.

    I know I¡¯m not going tost much longer and based on her movements, she won¡¯t either. Just before I

    find my release, I feel her left hand find my right and we cling to each other as we both find our release

    together, both of our bodies jerking, warm jets of my c*um shooting between us as my fingers get

    soaked with her w*etness.

    We k*iss and stroke until we¡¯re both breathing normally again. When I finally pull back and look at her,

    she looks very proud of herself.

    She looks down between us and then back at me. ¡°You made quite a mess, Jace.¡±

    I bring my hand up where she can see it. ¡°So did you, the difference is, I¡¯m cleaning this mess up,¡± I

    say, and I watch her eyes go dark as I slowly l*ick my fingers one by one.

    Not to be outdone, my beautiful mate pushes me onto my back and looks down at my stomach before

    looking back up at me.

    ¡°I know how to clean up a mess too, Jace,¡± she says, before leaning in and l*icking everyst drop off

    of me.

    And holy f*ucking goddess, when her mouth l*icks the tip of my c*ock, I nearly shoot off again.

    ¡°Jordan,¡± I growl at her.

    ¡°You t*aste so good, Jace,¡± she says, stroking my c*ock that is once again rock h*ard.

    ¡°Jordan, are you sure?¡± I ask her. She responds by sliding me into her mouth. My own moan of

    pleasure reverberates through the cave.

    ¡°You have to be quiet, Jace,¡± Jordan says, stroking me and giving me the most mischievous look I¡¯ve

    ever seen on her face.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± she says before sliding me back into her mouth.

    I drop my head back on the bed, overwhelmed by the feel of her warm, w*et mouth on me, her t*ongue

    l*icking the underside of my c*ock, making it twitch in her mouth.

    Her moan of pleasure at my response only makes me twitch again. I slide my hand down to her t*high,

    sliding my fingers back to her soaking entrance. Why should she be the only one that gets a t*aste?

    I quickly lift up, Jordan lifting off of me.

    ¡°What are you¡­¡±

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    I grab her h*ips and lift her over top of me, so she¡¯s straddling me backwards. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one

    that wants a t*aste, Jordan. But this way, we can t*aste together and still make sure to mute the other¡¯s

    moans,¡± I tell her.

    I pull her back until she¡¯s straddling my face and I begin to l*ick every delicious drop of her arousal off

    of her. From this position, I can see her head fall back and her h*ips begin to move over my face.

    ¡°Oh, Jace,¡± she says, making me moan. Then her head snaps up and she looks down at me before

    leaning over and taking me into her mouth again.

    I take my time, l*icking her clean then l*icking her clit until she¡¯s dripping her sweet peppermint t*aste

    over my face again.

    I can hear and feel her moaning around me, causing me to moan against her. It¡¯ s a headybination

    of enjoying her t*aste while feeling her bringing me to the brink of my own orgasm.

    When I¡¯ve got her on the edge again, I feel her t*highs tightening around me face.

    I pull my mouth off her clit with a soft pop, and she moans that the loss of my mouth.

    ¡°Jordan, you need to stop, I¡¯m going toe and if you don¡¯t stop, I¡¯lle in your mouth,¡± I tell her,

    beforetching onto her clit again.

    She pulls off of me and I fight my own moan at the loss of her mouth.

    ¡°Would you like that, Jace? Toe in my mouth?¡±

    My needy moan must be enough of an answer for her because a momentter, I¡¯m deep inside her

    mouth again. This time, she begins taking me into her t*hroat. The feel of her is so good that I growl

    against her clit, and I feel her body jerk with the start of her orgasm. I grab her h*ips, holding her

    against my mouth as I force her to ride out the pleasure I¡¯m giving her.

    Just as I¡¯m on the verge of exploding, Jordan slides me deep into her t*hroat and her moan of pleasure

    sends me shooting off in the h*ardest orgasm I¡¯ve ever experienced in my life.

    I squeeze her a*ss cheeks, holding her to me as my body jerks with the force of my orgasm. When she

    finally slides off of me, l*icking me clean, as I¡¯m doing to her, she moves off of me and turns toy

    against me.

    ¡°We should do that again, really soon,¡± she says.

    I wrap my arms around her, holding her against me. She lifts her hand, sliding her thumb through the

    w*etness on my chin. She puts her thumb into my mouth, watching me as I l*ick off her peppermint

    vored juices.

    ¡°Delicious,¡± I tell her.

    She smiles andys on my chest. ¡°Yes, you are.¡±

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 34 (Jordan)

    I wake to the scent of honey roasted almonds. I¡¯m warm and more rxed than I ever remember

    feeling in my life.

    I realize that I¡¯m lying on Jace¡¯s chest, and I lift my head, looking up at him. His fingers are gently

    stroking my back and he¡¯s smiling at me, but I can see worry in his eyes.

    ¡°Good morning, beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Good morning,¡± I say, as Itch onto our mind link, filtering through Jace¡¯s thoughts. He doesn¡¯t fight

    me, he lets me in, letting me see why he¡¯s worried. He¡¯s afraid that I¡¯ll be upset at what happenedst

    night.

    I blush as I catch an image of myself in Jace¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Is it always like that?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. It was my first time too.¡±

    I frown at that. ¡°But you knew what you were doing,¡± I say, lifting my head and frowning at him. Has he

    really never been intimate with a woman?

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been living under a rock, Jordan. I have ess to the inte, I¡¯ ve looked up the different

    things that I wanted to do with you and to you,¡± he says and now it¡¯s his turn to blush.

    A slow smile spreads across my face. ¡°How many more things are there?¡± I ask. I¡¯ve never given much

    thought to different positions. I know about the basic ones, of course. But I didn¡¯t know about that

    position Jace put us inst night.

    ¡°Lots,¡± he says smiling at me. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I can show you,¡± he says, his eyes dark with desire.

    ¡°No, I need to focus. I need to call my mom and get that over with and if we do¡­that, or something

    else, I won¡¯t be able to focus,¡± I say to him.

    ¡°Sixty-nine,¡± he says.

    I frown. ¡°Sixty-none what?¡± I ask.

    He chuckles. ¡°That¡¯s what the position was called that we didst night, sixty- nine. You can guess

    why.¡±

    That brings the thought of everything we didst night flooding back again and if I didn¡¯t have my

    mother¡¯s darker skin tone, my face would be a brilliant shade of red right now.

    Jace strokes my heated cheeks and I look up at him.

    ¡°Did you enjoy it?¡± he asks more seriously.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, making him smile.

    ¡°Good, maybe you¡¯ll want to do it again sometime, or, maybe, you¡¯ll want to try some other things that

    we can do.¡±

    I look at him a long moment, fighting the desire to try something this morning.

    ¡°How¡¯s that mate bond working for you?¡± he asks, smiling at me. I¡¯m d to see that the worry is gone.

    ¡°I¡¯m f*ucking h*orny,¡± I say, exasperatedly.

    Jace bursts outughing, a deep bellyughs with his head thrown back, his entire body shaking. As I

    watch him, I realize that I¡¯ve never seen Jaceugh like this. Never. He chuckles, sometimes he

    laughs, but nothing ever like this, never with thisplete abandon. I like it. No, I love it. I love seeing

    him like this.

    ¡°Oh Jordan. Goddess, I love you,¡± he says, leaning in to k*iss my nose.

    I¡¯m not sure he realizes what he just said, and I don¡¯t have time to unpack how I feel about that right

    now. So, I tuck it away forter.

    When I look back at him, he is giving me a s*exy, smoldering look. ¡°I can take the edge off, if you want,¡±

    he says.

    ¡°No!¡± I say, moving to get off the bed, and poking him in the chest. ¡°Taking the edge off took hoursst

    night. We don¡¯t have hours,¡± I say.

    ¡°I can be quick,¡± he says.

    ¡°I doubt that,¡± I say, moving to grab my clothes and go to theke to bathe. ¡°Need some help washing

    your¡­back?¡± Jace says, and I feel heat pooling in my c*ore.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask as he gets off the bed, grabbing his own clothes. ¡°Jordan, I have your

    smell all over me. Not that I mind, I love it, but perhaps if we¡¯re going to be spending a lot of time with

    Dr. Braxton in close quarters, I should wash off as much as possible, so we don¡¯t overwhelm him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, of course,¡± I say, heading out of the cave. Jace¡¯s growl has me turning quickly.

    I barely have a moment to think before he¡¯s pulling his shirt over my head. ¡°Jace, we¡¯re all shifters

    here,¡± I say. ¡°Yeah, and you are a s*exy f*ucking Alpha, Jordan. Wear my shirt.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± I say and roll my eyes.

    We walk to theke and after pulling off his shirt, I walk into the cold water. If I wasn¡¯t a shifter, this

    water would be much too cold for me.

    ¡°There¡¯s a waterfall this way,¡± Jace says, diving in next to me and beginning to swim to an area where I

    can hear the waterfall. The melted snow from the mountain is rushing down the falls, making a loud

    rushing noise.

    I move under the falls, using the water to rinse out my hair and wash off Jace¡¯ s scent. I feel hime

    up behind me, his arms wrapping around me.

    He leans in, nipping at my ear. ¡°Did you need that quick release, Jordan? No one will hear you. The

    sound of the falls will mute any sound you make,¡± he says, sliding his hand up to my b*reast. ¡°Jace,¡± I

    say, but I lean back against him and his other hand slides between my t*highs.

    ¡°So w*et for me,¡± he growls in my ear.

    His hands begin working their magic on my body and it isn¡¯t long before I¡¯m on the edge.

    ¡°Scream for me, Jordan,¡± he growls low and deep, the sound reverberating in my body, making me

    shoot off into the blissful pleasure that only Jace gives me.

    ¡°JACE!¡± I scream, the waterfall covering the sound of my release and his name. He holds me, stroking

    my body as the aftershocks rip through me.

    ¡°You¡¯re so f*ucking s*exy when youe undone for me, Jordan,¡± he says, nipping at my n*eck before

    releasing me.

    ¡°Now, get moving. We have a meeting to prepare for,¡± he says, moving away from me and beginning to

    wash his body.

    ¡°What about you?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Jordan. But if you really want to make it up to meter, you can,¡± he says, giving me a

    crooked smile. And he says I¡¯m s*exy.

    ¡°Come on. We need to get going,¡± he says to me,ing to take my hand as he begins to swim back

    to the shoreline.

    We head back to our cave and get dressed before packing up our things and walking out. I find Dr.

    Braxton who tells me he is going to do some tests on the bears before he leaves and then I let Balor

    know that we¡¯re heading into town. Or at least, what passes as a town around here.

    Before I leave, I remind Balor that Kyra is still a juvenile.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a pedophile, little Alpha. I want to be with her, but not until she¡¯s an adult. Her father and I have

    come to an agreement. I don¡¯t like it, I want more time than he¡¯s willing to give me, but I can live with it,¡±

    he tells me.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    I nod. Kyra is still in school. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s y a part in this.

    ¡°Do what Dr. Braxton tells you to do to heal, Balor. He may be strange, but he¡¯s one of the smartest

    men my parents have ever met and that is saying something.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about me, little Alpha. I have the best nurse around,¡± he says as Kyraes back into

    the room. She gives him a smile and then goes to a table where they have all sorts of bottles filled with

    liquids of all colors. ¡°Balor, I have to give you a shot,¡± she says, filling a syringe and walking toward

    him. ¡°It¡¯s going to hurt,¡± she says.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bear, little wolf. I can take a lot of pain,¡± he says to her, and he watches her as she gives him the

    injection. He doesn¡¯t even flinch.

    She leans in and k*isses his cheek. ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± he asks softly. ¡°You¡¯re very brave,¡± she says.

    I turn and walk out, leaving them to their own strange mate bond.

    I get Jace and head to our car. It¡¯s time to call my mother.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 35 (Jara)

    ¡°Mmmmm,¡± my mate growls as he pulls out of me, the water from the shower washing over both of us.

    I nip at his chin as I put my feet on the floor.

    ¡°We need to get ready, my mate,¡± I say, knowing that look in his eyes. It¡¯s the look that he has when he

    hasn¡¯t had his fill of me yet.

    He leans in nipping at my n*eck. I lift my chin, giving him full ess to me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asks, his

    voice husky with desire.

    ¡°Something to look forward to after the call?¡± I say.

    ¡°I can be quick,¡± he says, and I startughing.

    ¡°Oh my love. You can do many things, but making love to me quickly, isn¡¯t one of them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you¡¯re so incredible that I can¡¯t enough of you,¡± he says.

    I don¡¯t know how it is that this man, after so many years can still make me crave him like I¡¯m a

    teenager. But he does and since he does, I turn, arching my back and pushing against him. ¡°Be quick,¡±

    I say, looking at him over my shoulder.

    ¡°Never,¡± he growls as he slides himself inside me slowly, making me arch even h*arder.

    We¡¯ve only just finished and are stepping out of the shower when we hear Mason¡¯s phone begin to

    ring. He grabs a towel and quickly dries himself as he runs to answer the phone.

    ¡°Hey sweetheart! Your mother and I are just getting ready to head downstairs to get the room set up.

    Griffin, Seth and Hana areing over to join the conference call with us and, of course, we still have

    several of the other Alphas and Lunas here in your pack. I must say, Jaxon is doing a great job in your

    absence,¡± I hear him say as I wrap a towel around my hair and then move to the closet to get dressed.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s right here, hold on,¡± he says. ¡°I need to get dressed anyway.¡±

    He hands me the phone and I see my daughter is on video.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± I ask her.

    ¡°Hey mom, I¡¯m in the car. Where¡¯s dad?¡±

    I narrow my eyes at my daughter. I know all of my children. I know every nuance of their moods. I know

    when they are hiding things from me, I know when they can barely contain their excitement and I know,

    like now, when they need to tell me something that they don¡¯t want to tell me.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Jordan?¡± I say, and I see Mason¡¯s head snap up to look at me. I don¡¯t look at him, I

    stay focused on my daughter. Something is wrong. ¡°I need to talk to both of you,¡± she says. ¡°Where¡¯s

    Jace?¡± I ask, worried that something might have happened to him. They have both tried to hide it from

    me, but I¡¯ve known for years from the way Jace looked at my daughter that they were mates. It took a

    lot for me not to interfere, but I feel good that I¡¯ve let them figure it out and it seems like they are finally

    getting closer, so I hope this isn¡¯t about their bond.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here, Luna,¡± he says, and Jordan turns the phone. I see that Jace is driving but he turns and

    smiles into the phone. I know instantly that he and my daughter have been together. This trip has been

    really good for both of them.

    ¡°Good. Now, what is this about?¡± I ask. ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± she asks again.

    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± he says,ing up behind me.

    Jordan¡¯s eyes move to Mason¡¯s. ¡°You should sit down.¡±

    ¡°Jordan¡­¡± I begin, but Mason takes my hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit, Jara,¡± he says, and I know he realizes something important is about to be said. He only ever

    calls me Jara in public or when something is serious. Once we¡¯re settled, Mason takes the phone from

    me. ¡°We¡¯re sitting Jordan. Tell us what¡¯s going on,¡± he says.

    Once again, I can see how much Jordan doesn¡¯t want to tell us whatever it is she¡¯s calling about.

    ¡°So, you know that Balor got bitten protecting me from the Alpha wolf, the one from the second rogue

    pack?¡± she asks.

    ¡°We hadn¡¯t heard it was another Alpha, but yes, Jaxon told us what Balor did to protect you. Is he

    okay? Did something happen to him?¡±

    ¡°No. No, he¡¯s fine. He¡¯s being treated by Dr. Braxton just like the others. But Dr. Braxton has been

    running tests on the strains of the virus that infected the wolves. It¡¯s an older version of feral fever and

    the iming haze,¡± she says. ¡°Does he need our blood?¡± I ask, still uncertain what is causing Jordan so

    much stress. I swear I can see sweat on her brow and my daughter is never afraid. Never. She is tough

    and she is strong. I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

    ¡°Give me the phone, Jordan,¡± I hear Jace say quietly, and I watch as Jordan looks like she wants to say

    something, then clenches her teeth and hands the phone to Jace.

    When his face enters the phone, I know it must be bad. So bad that my daughter can¡¯t tell me.

    ¡°Jace?¡± I say, needing to know, but terrified of what it could be that¡¯s got Jordan so concerned.

    ¡°Luna, Alpha, Dr. Braxton found a strain of the virus from the feral fever and one from the iming

    haze. Both of the viruses were from your younger days, the days of the iming. The first, is from the

    Alpha that attack Beta Layan, Alpha Camden.¡±

    I s*uck in air. That horrible man had a child? A child with a human?

    I feel Mason¡¯s arm go around me, pulling me to him. He¡¯s still watching Jace. They worked together for

    six years. They know the nuances, the looks of the other and Mason hasn¡¯t looked away.

    ¡°What about the other strain?¡± he asks.

    Jace clenches his teeth, then looks right into my eyes. ¡°Dr. Braxton says it¡¯s the same strain of virus

    that Alpha Typhon had in his blood stream.¡±

    I suddenly feel like there isn¡¯t enough oxygen in the room. I feel like I¡¯m gasping for air.

    ¡°Jordan wanted to give you a head¡¯s up before it¡¯s announced on the conference call this morning,¡±

    Jace says.

    ¡°Thank you. You were smart to tell us. We¡¯ll talk to you soon,¡± Mason says and hangs up.

    He drops the phone and pulls me into him, pushing my face into his n*eck. ¡°Breathe, Jara. Deep

    breaths.¡±

    I try. I really try to catch my breath, to take deep breaths of Mason¡¯s wintery scent, but I can¡¯t stop

    gasping, trying to breathe.

    Mason takes my face in his hands and pulls my face in front of his.

    ¡°Breathe, Jara,¡± hemands me.

    Hismand washes over me, but doesn¡¯t impact me, not enough to make meply, but enough to

    make me want toply and I feel myself able to take a bit of a deeper breath. ¡°Look at me. Look at

    me,¡± he says and when I finally look at him, his eyes lock on mine.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Follow my breaths,¡± he says, and I do the best I can, following his breaths until I feel like I can finally

    breathe. ¡°There you go,¡± he says soothingly when I can finally breath.

    ¡°Mason,¡± I say, and I s*uck in a breath as a tear rolls down my cheek. ¡°How is that man still in our

    lives?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not, and believe me, if this self-proimed Alpha is his son, I will kill him. His family has already

    taken enough from me. I won¡¯t allow them to take any more.¡±

    ¡°He took Mena from us, Mason. We can¡¯t let him take Jordan. We can¡¯t let him take Taylor either. I can¡¯t

    lose another daughter, another child to him. Mason please, please we can¡¯t let him, we can¡¯t let him get

    to her¡­¡±

    I begin hyperventting again, tears streaming down my face. Mason pulls me into hisp, tucking my

    head against him.

    ¡°No one, not Typhon, not his son, not this other Alpha, no one will take another family member from

    me, Jara. I swear to you, on my life, if it¡¯s thest thing I do, this rogue Alpha will die.¡±

    I cling to my mate as I begin to sob, all the memories of Typhon, the battle, losing Mena, losing Lewis, it

    alles rushing back to me, that horrible time in my life that pulled me into an abyss that took much

    too long for me to return from.

    I can¡¯t let it happen again. I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t let Typhon or his child hurt my family again.

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 36 (Mason)

    I will kill anyone whoes after my family. I¡¯ve done it before; I¡¯ll do it again.

    I hold my mate until she gets control of herself. I know she hates to feel weak, but this knocked the

    wind out of her. ¡°Promise me he will die, Mason.

    Promise me that man and his family won¡¯t take anything more from us.¡±

    ¡°I promise, Jara. He will not get to Jordan. I¡¯ll let Seth know, he can watch over Taylor, and we can

    make sure that Nn stays close to her as well.¡±

    She nods, leaning into me.

    When she pulls back, I take her face in my hands and look at her.

    ¡°That was very unexpected,¡± she says, looking embarrassed for having fallen apart. I can feel it through

    out bond too.

    ¡°Jara, that man hunted you, burned down Davis¡¯s packhouse to get to you, and is the reason we lost

    our first child and your guard. You have no reason to feel embarrassed by your emotions. I¡¯m furious. I

    want to kill him, and I don¡¯t even know this kid. But if he¡¯s Typhon¡¯s son with a human, then he¡¯s even

    worse than his father was,¡± I tell her.

    She leans in and k*isses me, taking a deep breath of my scent. I push my anger down, giving my mate

    what she needs to feel strong again. We¡¯re about to go into a room with other Alphas and Lunas and

    she needs to feel in control of her emotions.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go wash my face and then I¡¯ll be ready,¡± she says.

    I lean in, gently k*issing her l*ips. ¡°Take your time, my love.¡±

    When she goes into the bathroom, I mind link Elijah. Of everyone, he¡¯s the one that will need to hear

    this just as much as we do. Him and Seth.

    ¡®Alpha, what do you need?¡¯ he asks in the mind link.

    ¡®Meet me downstairs in ten minutes,¡¯ I say.

    ¡®Is everything okay, Alpha?¡¯

    ¡®No. This is important. I need you in this Alpha meeting this morning, but I need to speak to you first.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll be waiting for you,¡¯ he says.

    I give Jara the time she needs to get calm her nerves and collect herself. When she walks out of the

    bathroom, no one would know that she¡¯s was falling apart a few minutes ago.

    ¡°How do I look?¡± she asks.

    ¡°Perfect as always,¡± I tell her, taking her hand and walking to the door.

    ¡°I linked Elijah to meet me downstairs. He needs to know too,¡± I tell her as we make our way

    downstairs.

    She nods. ¡°He does.¡±

    When we get to the bottom of the stairs, Elijah is waiting.

    Jara turns and k*isses me, then walks up and hugs Elijah, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

    ¡°You¡¯re scaring me, Luna,¡± he says, looking from her to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you inside, Elijah,¡± she says and heads to the room where we are meeting to have the

    conference call.

    I watch Jara walk away and when I look back, Elijah looks like I¡¯m about to hit him.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± he says with no preamble.

    I look around and nod my head, not wanting an audience for this. I find a private area and turn to him.

    ¡°Jordan called us this morning.¡±

    ¡°Is she alright?¡± he asks, instantly on alert.

    ¡°Yeah, you know about the second wolf pack attack and the bears getting bitten?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Dr. Braxton found two strains of virus, both from our generation, Elijah. One of the Alphas is apparently

    Typhon¡¯s son,¡± I tell him.

    Elijah is the one that killed Typhon. He protected Jara when I was away, so I¡¯m not surprised when he

    snarls loud enough to have the walls rattling. ¡°How is that possible?¡± he asks.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We may find out on the call today.¡±

    He begins pacing. Then he stops and looks at me. ¡°We¡¯ll hunt him down. We¡¯ II kill him. You and me,

    we end this.¡±

    And this is just one of the many reasons that Elijah has always been my best friend.

    ¡°I may take you up on that, but there¡¯s something else you need to know,¡± I say.

    He stops and looks at me. ¡°Worse than that?¡±

    I nod. ¡°It seems that the second strain of virus is from Alpha Camden.¡±

    He frowns. ¡°Why do I know that name?¡±

    I reach out, putting my hand on Elijah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s the Alpha that mauled Layan in her iming.¡±

    It takes a moment and I¡¯m about to check if he¡¯s in shock when he turns and punches a hole in the wall

    behind him.

    Fur sprouts on this arms and n*eck and his breathing besbored, rapid.

    I hear light footsteps, running in our direction. Layan.

    He turns to me, just before she gets to us.

    ¡°Do not tell her,¡± he says.

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Elijah!¡± Layan says, racing into the room where we are.

    She turns and looks at me, slowing slightly. ¡°Alpha,¡± she says, looking confused as she turns back to

    Elijah. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± she asks him.

    He¡¯ll have to figure out how to tell her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the meeting,¡± I say, turning and walking out of the

    room. This is a private matter between them.

    As I walk to the meeting room, I hear another snarl that shakes the packhouse. I recognize the snarl as

    Seth¡¯s. Jara must have told him about Typhon¡¯s son and that this is who is after Taylor.

    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Jaxon asks, jogging up behind me.

    ¡°The past hase back to haunt us, Jaxon,¡± I tell him as we walk into the meeting room.

    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

    When we¡¯re all settled, we turn on the video conference call and see Jordan, Jace and Dr. Braxton in

    what looks like a hotel room.

    As Dr. Braxton begins, I wrap my arm around Jara. She leans into me, and I see that Hana has moved

    to sit in Seth¡¯ sp. Elijahes in to sit beside me, Layan right beside him. Since there isn¡¯ t another

    chair, Elijah pulls her into hisp.

    As Dr. Braxton talks through the viruses that he¡¯s found in the blood samples of the bears, all of the

    older Alphas turn to look at Seth and Jara, and then to Elijah and Layan. Not many people in the

    younger generation know about what happened to Layan, but everyone in our generation does.

    ¡°How? How is this possible? Both Camden and Typhon were crazed at the end. How could they have

    children?¡± Davis asks on the phone. He and his pack were impacted by Typhon, and Layan was from

    his pack before she chose Elijah as her mate.

    ¡°The packs that have currently been taken over by Alphas Jaxon and Tobias were once the packnds

    of Typhon and Camden. I could hypothesize that they worked together, covering for each other to

    produce heirs. We know that they didn¡¯t particrly care about consent in their mating practices and

    their packnds are remote enough that it would have been easy to capture hikers, rape them and then

    hide them away until they birthed their young.¡±

    Everyone is quiet a moment as they consider this.

    ¡°Doctor, do we know yet if our Luna¡¯s antibodies can counteract these viruses?¡± Quinton asks.

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve been using Alpha Jaxon and Alpha Jordan¡¯s blood to test, since Luna Jara was the

    only one with antibodies that would have counteracted Typhon¡¯s virus. Their blood is already making a

    difference in the bears and from what I have heard from the pack hospital, the warriors that were bitten

    or scratched in the battle have suffered no ill effects. We provided them with a vine, but whether

    that worked for them, or they already had the antibodies, I can¡¯t be sure yet. What I do know is that the

    extreme reaction in the bears has already started to lessen.¡±

    ¡°So what now?¡± Jaxon asks.

    ¡°Now we hunt,¡± I snarl. ¡°I will not allow the descendent of my child¡¯s killer to walk this earth.¡±

    ¡°And I will not allow the child of the man who harmed my mate to walk this earth, so I will join the hunt,¡±

    Elijah.

    ¡°I will not allow the descendent of the man who murdered my sister to walk this earth, so I will join the

    hunt,¡± Seth says.

    One by one, the older Alphas state their intention to join the hunt for the wolf packs.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine and I understand your desire to kill them but weren¡¯t you all out hunting them recently and

    you didn¡¯ t get anywhere,¡± Jaxon says.

    ¡°But now, we have a scent trail,¡± Jace says. ¡°My father, brother and I followed their trail until Jordan

    called us back. If anyone wants their scent, let us know and we¡¯ll take you to it. My father will be happy

    to continue the hunt.¡±

    I look over and see Taylor chewing on her lower l*ip. It¡¯s a tell she¡¯s had since she was a child. She¡¯s

    nervous and I can¡¯t me her.

    ¡°If I may suggest, the two female Alphas should not be left alone until these wolves are captured. You

    Alphas Jordan and Taylor are too much at risk and even if you can fight off the virus, that doesn¡¯t mean

    that you wouldn¡¯t be forced into a mate bond,¡± Dr. Braxton says.

    I watch the television monitor as Jordan looks at Jace.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± he says to her and I¡¯m not sure he realizes that everyone can hear him.

    I turn to Jara and smile. As usual, my mate was right. We just needed to give them some time to figure

    it out for themselves.

 Chapter 310

    Chapter 310

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 37 (Jace)

    I¡¯m not sure if Jordan¡¯s look is about being nervous that she might end up alone and hunted, or if she¡¯s

    worried about being forcibly marked. Either way, I don¡¯t have any intention of leaving her alone. We¡¯ve

    just started making progress with our bond, she finally rescinded her rejection. I refuse to allow anyone

    to mark her but me.

    Her smile when I tell her I¡¯m not going anywhere is everything that I¡¯ve always wanted to see from

    Jordan. It tells me she¡¯s happy, thankful and willing to let me be here for her. Jordan isn¡¯t the type to be

    vulnerable, so her willingness to let me be here to support her says more to me than her willingness to

    experiment in bedst night.

    Dr. Braxton finishes giving an update on the rogues¡¯ packs and afterward, the Alphas begin asking

    questions. As they talk, I reach under the table and take Jordan¡¯s hand. She squeezes mine in return

    andces her fingers with mine. There¡¯s a lot of conversation about the vine and Dr. Braxton talks

    about using Jordan, Jaxon and Luna Jara¡¯s blood to create the vine.

    ¡°What about the rest of us? If I understood you before when the viruses were ramp*ant, doctor, Jara¡¯s

    immunity should have been passed to the pack. If that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t have to take blood

    from my mate and children only.¡±

    ¡°We know Alpha Jaxon has the immunity, but I¡¯d like to take blood from Alpha Tobias, Alpha Evangeline

    and Alpha via,¡± Dr. Braxton says.

    Both Tobias and Jaxon snarl at that. ¡°No!¡± They say in unison.

    ¡°You can have all of my blood that you want, you vampire, but you won¡¯t t*ouch my mate or our child,¡±

    Tobias says. ¡°Same,¡± Jaxon snarls. ¡°My mate just had our son. You won¡¯t being anywhere near

    either one of them.¡±

    ¡°It was a suggestion. I wouldn¡¯t be injecting them with anything¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± they both say again, and I swear I can feel their Alpha auras through the video.

    Dr. Braxton must too as he puts his hands up in defense. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t forcibly take their blood.

    It was just a suggestion.¡±

    ¡°While Dr. Braxton figures out the vine issue, can I ask what we¡¯re doing about our packnds and

    the Beta Trials? Half of us are on hold building our packs, and we need to have a n. We need to

    know if the Beta Trials are going to be dyed or if we can continue to n for and build our packs,¡±

    Stephan says.

    ¡°We need to know that we can keep our pack members safe,¡± Councilwoman Gia says.

    ¡°And we need to be able to build our packs. The ten of us who won packs and our mates are all

    currently disced while we figure this out,¡± Alpha Reid says.

    ¡°You are, of course, free to go back to your packnds. But you take on the risk associated with being

    out there alone,¡± Councilman Jason says. ¡°What kind of bullshit answer is that?¡± Alpha Caleb asks.

    ¡°We all have mates. We aren¡¯t putting them at risk.¡±

    ¡°I suggest we all take the rest of the day, let Dr. Braxton work his magic on the vine. If he cane

    up with a vine that will protect everyone, then we have no problem continuing with the Beta Trials,¡±

    Councilman Jason says.

    ¡°And what about our packs? I¡¯ve been lucky because my cousin and brother have given me patrols to

    help protect mynds, but not everyone has that option,¡± Taylor says.

    ¡°Something for all of us to think about and as I said, we can reconvene tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Jordan,¡± Luna Jara says, and I look at the monitor to see her face looking back at us. ¡°Do you have a

    safe ce to stay tonight?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Luna. I¡¯ll protect Jordan,¡± I say.

    (Taylor POV)

    I get up after we end the conference call.

    ¡°Taylor?¡± Nn asks.

    ¡°I need to go for a walk,¡± I say, moving to walk out of the room.

    ¡°Taylor. You heard Dr. Braxton. Don¡¯t make me put a guard on you,¡± my father says from across the

    room.

    I grit my teeth, noticing that the room goes quiet as the other Alphas watch to see my reaction. I can¡¯t

    believe my father just called me out in a room of my peers. If he wasn¡¯t my father, I would never

    tolerate this type of disrespect, but now I¡¯m in a terrible position. Disrespect my father or stand up for

    myself.

    ¡°Alpha Seth, I don¡¯t believe that you would have said that if you were talking about Griffin. I don¡¯t hear

    you telling Alpha Caleb that you¡¯re going to put a guard on him. I think it¡¯s very inappropriate of you to

    call out your daughter. She¡¯s just as much of an Alpha as your sons,¡± Nn says, standing up to my

    father.

    ¡°You have no idea what it means to be a father and to want to protect your child,¡± my father snarls at

    Nn.

    I move to step in front of him, but Nn puts his arm out, holding me back, practically pushing me

    behind him.

    ¡°And I¡¯m beginning to understand why you didn¡¯t name your first born as your sessor. You continue

    to severely underestimate your daughter. She is a strong, powerful, intelligent woman. She may be a

    bit more at risk than your sons, but it is extremely inappropriate for you to specifically call her out in a

    room of her peers. She has earned her right to be here, cing fourth out of hundreds of other

    competitors. If you still can¡¯t see who and what your daughter is, then I suggest you sit back and stop

    embarrassing her. You would never do that to your sons, and you would never tolerate anyone treating

    you the way that you are treating her,¡± Nn says. No one has ever said such incredible things about

    me. I love that my mate, someone who hasn¡¯t even known me that long, seems to understand me

    better than my own father does.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    My father looks like he¡¯s about to say something, but my mother steps up and puts her hand on his

    arm.

    ¡°He¡¯s right Seth. Taylor is old enough to make her own decisions. She may be your daughter, but she¡¯s

    not your little girl anymore. We raised her to be the strong Alpha that she is, and we will respect

    whatever decision you make, Taylor,¡± my mother says, turning her attention to me. ¡°If you need our

    assistance, you need only ask. But until then, we will stay out of your affairs,¡± she says.

    My father turns to her, ready to argue, but her angry snarl stops him.

    ¡°Thank you, mother,¡± I say, before taking Nn¡¯s arm and pulling him from the room. I¡¯m afraid if I don¡¯t

    take him with me, that he and my dad will have a nasty fight.

    I wait until we¡¯re far away from the packhouse. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me,¡± he

    says, reaching over to take my hand. ¡°Yes, there is. My father put me in a bad situation, and you

    helped me out of it.¡±

    ¡°Your father was wrong.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s still my father, and I didn¡¯t want to disrespect him, especially in a room of other Alphas.¡±

    ¡°Which is exactly why I said that he underestimates you. You gave him more respect than he gave

    you.¡±

    I shrug. I¡¯m used to my father underestimating me.

    Nn stops, his hand pulling me back when I keep walking.

    ¡°You never trained with me. I think we should train together. I will teach you my skills and you can teach

    me yours,¡± he says.

    ¡°What skills do you think I have that you don¡¯t already have, Nn? Isn¡¯t that the goal of being a top

    fighter? That you¡¯re ready for anything?¡±

    He shrugs. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll make you a top fighter with me, Taylor. I don¡¯t want those rogues marking you

    against your will. But I don¡¯t want you to think of me as your guard. I¡¯d rather make you strong, make

    you powerful and confident so you can fight and defeat that Alpha or any other Alpha if they attack you.

    That way, maybe, you can think of me as your mate.¡±

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 38 (Jordan)

    After our call, Dr. Braxton heads back to the bear n. I got a room for two nights not sure what we

    might need to do while we were here. It¡¯s good that I did because we have an Alpha meeting in the

    morning to talk about the packs.

    After Dr. Braxton left, Jace and I sit in the room and work on ourputers. I have a lot to catch up on

    from the pack, and so does Jace. Elijah is doing a great job and so is Jaxon, but there is more that

    needs to be done. With two of us out, the work is piling up.

    ¡°I think we should take volunteers who are willing to move temporarily to the new packs. Then the new

    Alphas and their mates won¡¯t be alone. Maybe we could look at those that are thinking about moving to

    one of the new packs and this way, they can see if they arefortable with it,¡± I say. I was staring off

    as I spoke, but now I refocus on Jace who is smiling at me.

    I frown. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d bet money that no other Alpha has considered giving up their pack members to help the new packs

    out,¡± he says.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they have. How else are these new packs going to get up and running. And we already know

    that some of our pack members are going to leave.

    Some may want a new start, some may like the idea of being a part of building a new pack, and there

    are those who will be fighting for their positions as Beta and Gamma. I mean, there are lots of reasons

    why pack members may want to leave. This way, we give them the opportunity to truly see what they

    are in for, let them see if this is something that they truly want.¡±

    Jace gets up from his chair and walks around the table, bending over and putting a hand on the table

    beside myputer. He leans in, his amber eyes shining.

    ¡°No, Jordan. Not everyone will think like you do. Not everyone will be okay with pack members leaving

    their packs. Not everyone will be gracious toward those that want to leave. That, my sweet mate, is the

    sign of a true Alpha,¡± he says, leaning in to me and stopping just at the point where I can feel the heat

    of his l*ips on mine.

    I close my eyes and lean the rest of the way in, pressing my l*ips to his warm, soft ones. I¡¯m instantly

    overwhelmed by this scent and t*aste and before I realize it, a whimper escapes me. Jace¡¯ s soft growl

    does nothing to ease the ache that has started between my t*highs and now that I know that Jace can

    ease that ache¡­.

    He pulls back, and his amber eyes are dark brown with desire. ¡°You smell f*ucking delicious,¡± he says

    sliding a finger from his free hand down my n*eck, to my corbone and then slowly sliding it down my

    chest. He watches his finger until it gets to where the b*utton of my shirt stops it. Then he looks up at

    me.

    ¡°How¡¯s that ache between your t*highs?¡± he asks, his voice deep and husky.

    I lift my hand, cupping his h*ard length, and squeezing gently. ¡°About the same as yours, I¡¯d say.¡±

    ¡°Interested in trying another position to ease that ache?¡± he asks me.

    I really, REALLY want to try another position. Not only does it feel amazing, but it¡¯s a lot of fun, and fun

    is something I don¡¯t get to have a lot of in my position.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I say, and Jace pulls me to my feet. He walks backward, leading me to the small bathroom and

    turns on the shower. Then he turns to me, his eyes zing with need.

    ¡°Strip,¡± hemands. There¡¯s something about him taking control that has my p*anties soaked in

    seconds. I keep my eyes on him as I reach up and begin to slowly unb*utton my shirt, then I pull it off

    my shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

    ¡°P*ants too,¡± he says, reaching out to cup my b*reast through my bra as I unb*utton my p*ants. I pull

    the zipper down and push them over my h*ips as Jace strokes my n*ipple with his thumb. My body¡¯s

    response is instant and my n*ipple puckers into a h*ard nub.

    My breathing bes heavy as Jace¡¯s heated gaze takes in my body. ¡°Bra and p*anties too,¡± he says

    as the water from the shower begins to heat, and steam begins to fill the bathroom.

    I reach behind me and unhook my bra, tossing it behind me and out of the bathroom. He looks at my

    b*reasts before reaching up and gently tweaking both n*ipples. I moan at the feel of his hands on me.

    ¡°P*anties, Jordan,¡± he says, his voice soft, like a caress over my heated skin.

    I push my p*anties over my h*ips and let them fall to my ankles, I kick them and my p*ants off, pushing

    them out of the bathroom with my bra.

    His eyes on me, Jace slides his hand between my t*highs, growling low at how w*et I am. I whimper at

    the feel of his fingers on me and then he slides a finger inside me.

    ¡°Take off my clothes,¡± he says, as he slowly strokes my clit, making me whimper.

    I want to rip his clothes off of him, but I know we¡¯re limited in the clothing we have with us, so I pull his

    polo shirt over his head, instantly missing his t*ouch as he lifts his arms up, pulling away from me.

    ¡°P*ants,¡± he says, leaning in and s*ucking my n*ipple into his mouth. I gasp as I undo his belt and

    unb*utton his p*ants. His hand slides between my t*highs again and I whimper again as I try to hurry to

    push his clothes off. Once they drop to the floor, he kicks them to the side, then stands, taking my hand

    and pulling me into the shower.

    He pushes me against the wall and kneels down in front of me. As he looks up at me, he pulls one l*eg

    over his shoulder.

    ¡°Do you need me to hold you up, Jordan?¡± he asks, his t*ongue snaking out and l*icking my clit, making

    my knees weak.

    ¡°No?¡± Ites out as a question, not a statement.

    ¡°I think you do,¡± he chuckles and puts his hands under my a*ss, using his thumbs to open me to him as

    he leans in and s*ucks my clit into his mouth.

    He pulls off me, looking up. ¡°Stay quiet, we¡¯re in a very public ce and even the humans can hear you

    here.¡±

    As he pushes his face between my l*egs, I put one hand in his hair, gripping h*ard as my other hand

    goes into my mouth, trying to keep the sounds of my pleasure as quiet as I can.

    His hand slides forward and I feel his finger slide inside me. He begins to slowly p*ump it in and out

    and the feeling is odd but very pleasurable. When he slides a second one in, I feel like I¡¯m being

    stretched, but his t*ongue is doing amazing things.

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    When he begins to growl against me, he crooks his fingers inside me, and fireworks go off inside my

    body. My inner walls mp down on his fingers, making him growl even louder. I scream into the fist

    that I have shoved into my mouth trying to muffle my sounds that are echoing around me in the small

    shower.

    I feel weak as he slowly releases me, sliding his fingers out of me and standing. He slides his fingers

    into my hair, pulling me to him in a passionate k*iss. His t*ongue slides into my mouth and I can t*aste

    myself on his t*ongue, feel the after effects of my pleasure on his face.

    I cling to him as he dominates my mouth, letting me know that he is more than capable of being in

    control, more than capable of being mated to an Alpha.

    Without pulling away, he turns me, pushing me under the water. The warmth seeps into my skin after

    the cool of the shower walls. I press my body against his, feeling his h*ard length against my stomach. I

    slide my hands down his sides, letting my thumbs run over his adonis belt, before moving south.

    He pulls away from me. ¡°We don¡¯t have time, Jordan. It¡¯s gettingte and we need to get something to

    eat before that little diner down the street closes. I¡¯m pretty sure that is the only ce in town to get

    food.¡±

    I growl softly. ¡°I have a very different hunger right now, Jace.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re still hungry after I get food in you, then you can have your dessert,¡± he smirks.

    We quickly shower and it¡¯s a good thing. The diner closes at nine and we get there at 8:30pm. They

    give us scowls as wee in, but we order quickly, eat and pay. I¡¯m in a rush, as I have something that

    I want back in our room.

    ¡°Can I get you any dessert?¡± the waitress asks.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have my dessert when I get back to the hotel,¡± I say, looking at Jace.

    She puts the bill on the table and leans in to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s my favorite kind of dessert and he looks like a tasty treat. You enjoy yourself.¡±

    I smile at her before looking at Jace. ¡°I intend to.¡±

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 39 (Jace)

    Jordan and I sit in front of the video on theputer, getting ready for the Alpha conference the next

    morning.

    I look at the bed and a sudden sh of the images fromst night run through my mind. I had been

    laying on the bed and my mate, in nothing but her p*anties, had crawled onto the bed, slowly making

    her way up my body. Never once using her hands, she had leaned down and using her teeth, she had

    pulled my boxers down, letting my h*ard length spring free. Then, again without using her hands, she

    had taken me in her mouth and edged me so f*ucking h*ard that when I finally dide, it felt like an

    explosion went off in my body. I swear to the goddess that I passed out for a moment. Nothing in my

    life had ever felt that good. My mate had taken everything I had given her, l*icking and s*ucking me

    clean before smirking proudly at me anding toy beside me.

    I had curled up around her, but she had smelled so good and the feel of the heat pulsing from her

    p*ussy against my t*high had been more than I could bear. It had been hourster, after pleasuring

    each other multiple times that we had finally fallen asleep in each other¡¯s arms, exhausted and sated.

    That was then, and now, thinking of it again, has me shifting around on the seat, trying to ease the

    ufortable pressure of my jeans against my now h*ard length.

    ¡®Focus, Jace,¡¯ Jordan¡¯s voicees through the mind link.

    ¡®I am, it just happens to be thoughts of you that I¡¯m focusing on, not on this call,¡¯ I say, leaning away

    from the camera and giving her a wolfy smile while I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

    I am rewarded with one of Jordan¡¯s rareughs.

    ¡°Good morning, Jordan,¡± Luna Jara¡¯s amused voicees through the speaker.

    Jordan schools her features, to my disappointment. ¡°Good morning mother, good morning council

    members,¡± Jordan says, back in Alpha mode.

    I follow her lead and return to the camera.

    ¡°Good morning, Jace,¡± Luna Jara says, giving me a knowing look.

    ¡°Good morning, Luna. Good morning council members,¡± I say, just as the camera from two more packs

    come on.

    Once everyone has joined, Councilman Jason calls the meeting to order. ¡°First, Alpha Jordan, have

    you heard anything from Dr. Braxton?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I spoke with him this morning. The bears continue to show signs of improvement. He feels that he

    can return to the pack in the next day or two.¡±

    ¡°Good, and what about our alliance with the bears?¡± he asks her.

    She looks at me and we both smile.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re good,¡± she says. ¡°But, Balor, the leader of the n, was injured protecting me from the

    rogue Alpha that tried to mark me, so I¡¯ve been waiting to finalize our alliance until he¡¯s well.¡±

    ¡°What aren¡¯t you and your Gamma telling us, Alpha?¡± Councilman Antonio asks shrewdly.

    ¡°It¡¯s something else we wanted to talk to the council about. We, that is Alpha Jordan, had intended to

    speak with Councilman Jason about this, but with everything that happened, neither of us had time to

    follow up,¡± I say.

    ¡°Are you going to tell us now, Gamma, or keep us in the dark?¡± Councilman Saul asks me.

    I look at Jordan, deferring to her.

    ¡°Have any of you ever heard of a bear being mated to a wolf?¡± she asks them. There¡¯s a collective

    gasp from the group.

    ¡°Who? Not you?¡± Luna Jara asks, looking concerned, her eyes going from Jordan to me and back

    again.

    ¡°No, Dr. Braxton¡¯s daughter, Kyra,¡± Jordan says.

    Everyone frowns. ¡°How old is she?¡± Alpha Mason asks.

    ¡°Young, not quite fifteen,¡± Jordan says. ¡°Balor is old enough to be her father,¡± Nn says.

    ¡°Yes, he is, and he and Dr. Braxton have apparentlye to an agreement about it,¡± Jordan tells them.

    ¡°And she feels the mate bond, even at her young age?¡± Alpha Luke asks. I notice that all his daughters,

    but particrly Evangeline who joined the group today, turn and give him ¡®I told you so¡¯ looks.

    ¡°She knew she needed to be close to him and help fight the virus and she already seems to feel the

    draw to him. He had be¡­overwhelmed with the virus, bing almost feral in his actions and

    she was able to calm him.¡± She stops and nces at me before turning back to the group. ¡°Balor feels

    it too.¡±

    Councilman Jason frowns. ¡°Bears don¡¯t have mate bonds, do they?¡±

    ¡°No, unless, apparently, they have wolf mates. We didn¡¯t know if this is something that has happened in

    the past or if this is new,¡± I say.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to research it,¡± Councilman Jason says, looking up. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is what you called me

    about the other day? I apologize for not getting back to you. Things have been chaotic on our end as

    well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. And Ipletely understand, Councilman,¡± Jordan says to him. ¡°So, in light of that, I¡¯d say

    our alliance with the bears is strong?¡± Luna Jara asks.

    ¡°Yes, that would be correct,¡± I say. ¡°They may be rough around the edges, and they nearly destroyed

    our car when we got here, but they fixed it and things between us seem to be settling,¡± I tell them.

    ¡°We should probably make a point of meeting them,¡± Alpha Jaxon says to Alpha Tobias.

    ¡°Agreed. Our packs are closest to their n and if it appears that bears and wolves can actually have

    mate bonds, then the more we know about them, the closer our bond, the more likely we are to find

    those mate bonds,¡± Tobias says. ¡°Okay, our next order of business. The question was raised about

    what to do with the new packs and how we n to assist the new packs to continue with their building

    and growth,¡± Councilman Jason says.

    Everyone goes quiet and I turn to Jordan. ¡°I told you.¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Told her what, Jace?¡± my sister Melinda asks. She has joined with her mate, Alpha Jonas, who is still

    Alpha of his pack since their children are so young.

    ¡°Jordan had an idea that she assumed everyone would have. I told her that I didn¡¯t think so.¡± I turn and

    look at her. ¡°Only an Alpha as special as she is would consider it.¡±

    I can feel her embarrassment of my glowing des, but it¡¯s true and I want everyone to know that

    they should strive to be the kind of Alpha that Jordan is.

    ¡°Do tell, Jordan,¡± Luna Jara says. ¡°I think the ten existing packs should ask for volunteers and allow

    those interested to go assist the new packs with protection, building and creating a new pack. Many of

    those individuals might be interested in joining these new packs. We know many of our pack members

    are signed up for the Beta Trials and those that don¡¯t win will most likely sign up for the Gamma

    Tournament.¡±

    ¡°But those are ranked positions. You¡¯re suggesting that we just allow our pack members to leave? To

    go join another pack?¡± Alpha Tarik asks. He¡¯s the oldest of the younger generation, having been an

    Alpha to his pack for six years.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m suggesting. Every one of the new Alphas are our family members. All of

    them have found their mates and nearly all of those individuals are also our family members. Alpha

    Tarik, you may only have one brother, but his mate, via, has four other siblings, one of which is

    participating in the Beta Trials. You don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible that in your entire pack there aren¡¯t some

    wolves that may want to live in a pack where your brother is Alpha? You wouldn¡¯t even consider giving

    them that opportunity? I, for one, want to lead my people, notmand them. If that means helping

    them to find the life that they want to lead outside of my pack, then that is what I¡¯m going to do. Our

    younger generation may want to be a part of building a pack from the ground up. They may want to put

    their stamp on something that will live much longer than they will. We can¡¯t offer them those types of

    opportunities in the existing packs, but the new Alphas can. I can guarantee you, right now, that there

    are members of my pack who would want to join my twin¡¯s pack. I¡¯m sure there are those that would

    want to move to my sisters¡¯ packs as well. Why should I force them to stay in my pack when, not only

    would they prefer to try something new, but our family members need the pack members more than we

    do?¡± she asks, and I want to cheer. My mate is incredible.

    ¡°But that will weaken our packs, during a time when we may need the strength to ovee the rogue

    attacks,¡± Alpha Aiden says. He¡¯s the second oldest of the newer generation Alphas. Both he and Tarik

    ¡°Alpha Aiden, are you telling me that you are concerned about fighting a pack of rogues with twenty to

    thirty members? Most of our packs are over 150 individuals now. Even if you lost half of your pack, you

    should still be able to handle that number of wolves with the trained fighters that we all have in our

    packs. Hell, most of us didn¡¯t even make it to the rogue fight that took ce outside of Alpha Jordan¡¯s

    pack. The patrols, Nn and Alpha Taylor took most of them on. I¡¯m in agreement with Alpha Jordan.

    We should give our pack members a choice. Otherwise, we are dictators, not Alphas,¡± Alpha Alejandro

    says.

    ¡°But you are not yet Alpha of your pack, Alpha Alejandro,¡± Alpha Tarik says, looking to Alpha Luke.

    ¡°I support my son as the future Alpha of our pack and I will support my children, by allowing my pack

    members to choose if they want to try another pack. Was it not always the intention of the council that

    the packs would have a choice once the new packs were established?¡± he asks, looking at the

    Councilmembers.

    ¡°Yes, that is true, Alpha Luke. However, the council has decided to let the existing packs decide if they

    are willing to allow their pack members to choose. We will take a vote and the majority will decide.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m with Jordan and Alpha Alejandro. I¡¯ll let my pack decide,¡± Alpha Griffin says.

    ¡°As will I,¡± Alpha Paolo says.

    ¡°And I,¡± Alpha Giovanni says.

    ¡°All in favor?¡± Councilman Jason asks.

    Eight hands go up. I watch Tarik look at his brother, then sigh before raising his hand. Alpha Aiden,

    however, refuses to concede.

    ¡°By a vote of 9 to 1, the existing packs will allow their pack members to decide if and where they

    choose to live. The packs will have one week to announce this to their pack members and then in two

    weeks, we will have a gathering of all new Alphas and any interested pack members, that includes all

    individuals currently enrolled in the Beta Trials,¡± Councilman Jason says. ¡°This meeting is adjourned.¡±

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 40 (Nn)

    ¡°Fighter Nn, might I have a word?¡± Councilman Jason asks before we can disconnect from the

    Alpha call.

    ¡°Of course, do you want me to call you?¡±

    ¡°If Alpha Jaxon is okay to leave the video on, we can just stay here,¡± he says, and I look up at Alpha

    Jaxon. ¡°Just turn it off when you¡¯re done,¡±

    Alpha Jaxon says, holding his newborn son.

    ¡°Did you want me to stay or go, Nn?¡± Taylor asks me.

    I look at Councilman Jason. ¡°Is there a reason my mate can¡¯t stay?¡± I ask, and I see Taylor¡¯s l*ips tip

    up. She likes it when I call her my mate. It gives me hope for us.

    ¡°That is up to you, but I don¡¯t see any reason she shouldn¡¯t stay, especially when this idea was hers to

    begin with,¡± he says.

    ¡°What idea?¡± she asks, looking up at the video screen on the wall.

    ¡°The idea that the fighters would act as guards during the Beta Trials,¡± Councilman Jason says, looking

    from her to me. ¡°So, I¡¯d like to know if you¡¯d be willing to offer your services to protect our packs while

    theypete in the Beta Trials. I would hope that the rogues will be caught and dealt with in the next

    couple of months, but if not, we¡¯ll need all the eyes and ears we canget. The best fighters of all would

    make those of us on the council feel a lot better about continuing the Trials,¡± Councilman Jason says.

    ¡°No, that was a terrible idea,¡± Taylor says, her voice panicked as she turns to me. ¡°You would be at risk,

    Nn. I brought this idea up before I knew you. You can¡¯t do this,¡± she says, and I can tell that this is

    coming from a ce of fear, but it angers me that she feels that I am so incapable of protecting not only

    myself, but also others from these rogues.

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°I can do this if I choose to, Taylor. This is my decision to make, not yours,¡± I tell her.

    ¡°Have you even asked the others?¡± she snaps at Councilman Jason.

    ¡°Yes, I have, and they have all agreed,¡±

    he tells her calmly.

    ¡°I agree. Please send me the information Councilman,¡± I say, knowing that Taylor and I are about to

    have a battle of wills and not wanting an audience for it.

    ¡°I will forward it to your email, Nn.

    Thank you,¡± he says before disconnecting the call.

    ¡°No, Nn. I forbid it!¡± Taylor says and I can feel her Alpha aura in themand.

    I grab her and pull her to me. ¡°You are not my Alpha and even if you were, as your mate, your

    command flows off of me. Do not think that you can control me just because you are an Alpha, Taylor,¡±

    I growl at her.

    ¡°What about as your mate? Would you listen to me as your mate?¡± she asks, fighting against my hold,

    but I don¡¯t let go.

    ¡°I am listening to you. But you haven¡¯t given me any reason to decline the work. I am the best in my

    division, Taylor. That makes me the perfect person to be asked to act as a guard in these events. Even

    you thought so until your heart got involved.¡±

    ¡°You could be injured,¡± she says. ¡°Correct, just like I could be injured in every training exercise I

    participate in,¡± I counter.

    ¡°You could catch this new virus. It could kill you,¡± she says, taking a different approach.

    ¡°And I¡¯m willing to have Dr. Braxton check my blood and see if I have the antibodies. If not, I will get the

    vine, as I¡¯m sure it will be offered to not only the fighters, but also everyone participating in the

    Trials.¡±

    ¡°What if something happens to you?¡± she says softly, her fear making her vulnerable.

    I stroke her cheek, thinking through my response to her. It is possible that I will get hurt. It¡¯s possible

    that I could be killed, so I won¡¯t lie to her about that. But it isn¡¯t likely, especially if my other fighter peers

    are there as well.

    ¡°We¡¯ve never sparred together, but I hear you are a fiercepetitor.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± she asks softly, her eyes closed as she leans into my hand.

    I lean in and k*iss her nose. ¡°I¡¯m top in my division for a reason, Taylor. No one beats me. Perhaps it¡¯s

    time you realized how strong your mate actually is.¡±

    She frowns. ¡°You want me to fight you?¡±

    ¡°No, I want you to spar with me. Yourck of confidence in my ability to protect myself and others is

    insulting to me. You need to realize that I am mated to an Alpha for a reason, and that reason isn¡¯t that

    I need her protection,¡± I tell her logically.

    I¡¯ve noticed that my mate tends to act on her emotions more than her mind. She¡¯s extremely intelligent,

    I¡¯ll give her that, and some of this is her youth, but I¡¯m hoping I can teach her, through example, how

    act on her thoughts and intuition, rather than reacting based on her emotions.

    ¡°What is the reason, then?¡± she asks, her eyes opening as she looks up at me in a way I¡¯ve only

    dreamed about until now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Maybe because I was patient, the Moon Goddess decided to reward me,¡± I saw

    honestly. I feel extremely lucky to have finally found my mate. I would have wanted her anyway, but

    having an Alpha as a mate makes me think that the two of us are meant to do great things together. Or

    perhaps, we are meant toplement each other. I can temper her emotions and she can add fun and

    laughter in my life. Or maybe, it¡¯s both.

    ¡°Some reward,¡± she says, snorting and rolling her eyes.

    ¡°I feel very lucky. So, about that sparring match¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. When do you want me to kick your a*ss so we can be done with this argument?¡± she asks,

    huffing.

    I have a h*ard time not smiling at her. It¡¯ s cute that she thinks she¡¯s going to beat me. I¡¯m excited to

    see if she¡¯s really as good as I¡¯ve heard. But even if she is, she came in fourth overall in the sparring

    competitions. I may not have defeated her, but I¡¯ve defeated the top three.

    ¡°How about right now?¡± I ask her.

    I watch as her eyes be shrewd. ¡°And if I win, you won¡¯t participate as a guard in the Beta Trials?¡±

    she asks me. I anticipated this.

    ¡°Fine. But if I win, I get to take you to a fancy dinner and you will wear a nice dress and heels,¡± I say

    and watch the look of horror that crosses her face.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m losing now,¡± she says, still looking disgusted.

    I¡¯ve been wanting to see my mate dressed up since I met her. She is always dressed to show her

    strength and power, never to just be a woman. With me, I want her to just be herself, not an Alpha, just

    Taylor. To feel like a woman and to allow herself to be treated like the goddess she is to me. ¡°Do you

    want to change?¡± I ask her. ¡°Are you changing?¡± she asks. I look down at my jeans.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d rather not get grass stains on my jeans.¡±

    ¡°Then yes, I¡¯ll change too. Meet you outside in 15 minutes?¡±

    ¡°See you then,¡± I say, pulling her in for a k*iss first. We haven¡¯t shared many, not with everything going

    on and her family always around, but when I can, I steal a k*iss from her and I¡¯m never disappointed.

    Today, she¡¯s already primed for our battle, so when I slide my t*ongue into her mouth, she begins

    fighting me for dominance. Just like in her fighting style, she goes instantly on the attack, and just like

    mine, I draw her into a sense of security before I take control. When my t*ongue begins to dominate

    her t*ongue, her l*ips and her entire mouth, she clings to me, and a soft whimper escapes her. When I

    finally pull back, her l*ips are puffy, her cheeks are pink, and her eyes are zed.

    ¡°Fifteen minutes,¡± I say, stepping back and turning to walk out.

    ¡°Wha¡­?¡± I hear and I turn to see her fingers on her l*ips as she watches me. I wink at her before

    ducking out the door.

    Fifteen minutester, I meet her outside. Several people must have seen one of both of using out

    and they stop toe watch. Gone is the schoolgirl blush from a few minutes ago and back in ce is

    the female Alpha that she is.

    ¡°Are you sure about this, Nn?¡± she asks me.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very sure I want to see you in a dress, Taylor,¡± I say and the warriors around us all ohhhhh at

    that. I guess that means no one has ever seen Taylor in a dress.

    ¡°Shut it!¡± she snaps at them and then turns back to me.

    ¡°You have to defeat me first,¡± she says. I smile, and crook my fingers at her, giving her the universal

    e get me¡¯ gesture. True to her nature, shees at me, h*ard.

    I go on defense as I take in her moves. I can see that she learned quite a bit from my peers during the

    contest and her form is fantastic. She¡¯s fast, agile, and creative in her approach, keeping me on my

    toes for a good thirty minutes. Then, I start to see her pattern and once I have it, I begin using my

    kickboxing skills to counteract them. I can see the moment she realizes that I¡¯ m turning the tables on

    her and that I¡¯ve started to make my move, taking control of the battle.

    She attempts to switch up her style, but she can¡¯t get her body to keep up with the changes that her

    mind is trying to make and now, it only throws her off more. I begin to more easily counteract her

    moves and then the power shifts and I¡¯m on offense and she¡¯s on defense, just trying to stay on her

    feet.

    When I finally see my opening, I take it, bringing her to the ground but catching her as shends, so I

    don¡¯t hurt her too much. I use my body to pin her and then hold her while she tries to get out of my

    grasp, until she concedes and finally taps out.

    When her body goes ck, both of our chests heaving with exertion, I lift my head to look at her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you in that dress,¡± I say and before she cane back with some snarky

    comeback, I take her mouth in a hot, dirty k*iss. I don¡¯t let up until her arms go around me and she¡¯s

    k*issing me back as ardently as I¡¯m k*issing her.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 41 (Jordan)

    After the Alpha meeting, Jace and I got some food, worked the rest of the day and then I took

    advantage of what was left of our time away from others to explore him and his body more. I¡¯m

    realizing that time with Jace is fun. He¡¯ s yful and I feelfortable being yful with him. Nothing is

    forbidden with him, I can do anything, try anything, and he¡¯s more than willing.

    And the look that he gives me when he¡¯ s looking over my n*aked body, when he¡¯ s finding new ways to

    make my body respond to him, is quickly bing my new addiction.

    I didn¡¯t even know I was ticklish, or maybe it¡¯s just the way Jace t*ouches me, making my body light up.

    His t*ouch isn¡¯t always s*exual, but I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ll sleep without my skin t*ouching his anymore,

    without feeling his heat beside me. I wonder if he¡¯d be interested in moving up to the Alpha floor. I tuck

    myself closer against him as my fingers stroke through the light sprinkling of hair on his chest. His hand

    is stroking over my side, back and h*ip. Am I ready to ask him to move into my bedroom? Would he

    want to?

    I feel his l*ips as he k*isses the top of my head. ¡°There¡¯s steaming out of your ears, you¡¯re thinking

    so h*ard, Jordan. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±

    I look up at him, narrowing my eyes.

    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m thinking about something?¡±

    ¡°First, when are you not? Second, I pay attention. You have some tells when something is on your mind

    and you¡¯re not sure how to proceed.¡±

    Iy my head back down on his chest, not sure how to answer.

    It¡¯s quiet a moment, while he waits for me to answer his question and while I try to figure out how to

    answer it. I don¡¯ t know what I want, not in the long term, but I know what I want right now. I just don¡¯t

    know if it¡¯s fair to ask that of Jace.

    ¡°Is this about me?¡± he asks.

    I smile against his chest. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± he says, k*issing my hair again.

    ¡°Is it about wanting to try something new?¡± he asks me. At first, I was tentative to trying something, so

    he asked, and I quickly moved past that. Now I feelfortable that if I wanted to try something, that

    Jace would be up for anything. I chuckle at my own stupid pun.

    ¡°No, not at the moment, but if you have an idea, I¡¯m all ears,¡± I say.

    ¡°Is this about us returning to the pack?¡± he asks, ignoring my diversionary tactic. Damn him, he is

    paying attention.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Original from N?velDrama.Org.

    It¡¯s quiet while he thinks that through. ¡°Are you concerned about my interactions with you in front of

    others?¡± he asks.

    ¡°No, never. You have always known when and how to act professionally, Jace. I would never question

    that,¡± I tell him and sigh, looking up at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stop sleeping with you when we get back to

    the pack, but I¡¯m also not sure how to do that when I¡¯m not ready to have you mark me,¡± I say honestly.

    His handes to my hair, and he begins massaging my head, and running his fingers through my

    hair. I nearly moan out loud at the sensation. This is one of the things that he learned that I love.

    ¡°Do you want me to sneak in and out of your bedroom every night, Jordan?¡± he asks, and I can see

    that it hurts him. He¡¯d do it, I¡¯m positive he would, but he wouldn¡¯t be happy about the secrecy. He

    wants everyone to know that we¡¯re together.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want that. I just¡­.if you move into my bedroom and then things don¡¯t work out¡­¡±

    ¡°Why won¡¯t things work out?¡± he asks me.

    I sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­l not ready to fullymit and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to ask you to do something that may

    feel like amitment to you but isn¡¯t a truemitment from me,¡± I say. ¡°There was a lot of

    commitment in that sentence,¡± he says smiling at me. ¡°Jace¡­¡± I huff.

    ¡°How about this,¡± he says, getting serious again. ¡°You be honest with me about what you want and your

    intentions and then, I can be honest and let you know if I¡¯m okay with that. When, because for me it¡¯s

    not an if, you ept me as your mate, I want all of our interactions to be that way. We already do it for

    the pack, Jordan. This is just more personal, more¡­intimate.

    So, why don¡¯t you ask me for what you want, and I¡¯ll tell you if I¡¯mfortable giving it to you,¡± he says.

    I lift up, turning to look him in the eye. ¡°I want you to move into my bedroom, but I don¡¯t want us to mark

    each other yet.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± he says.

    That¡¯s it, nothing else.

    I blink. ¡°Okay what?¡± I ask him.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll move in, and I won¡¯t mark you. But we can¡¯t have s*ex, real s*ex, until you¡¯re ready to be

    marked. We can y like we are now, we can enjoy and explore each other¡¯s bodies, giving each other

    amazing orgasms, but there¡¯ s no way that I can bury myself inside you without sinking my teeth into

    your n*eck, Jordan. So, those are my parameters.¡±

    I feel happiness spreading through me. ¡°You¡¯ll move in with me?¡±

    ¡°Yep, but I want the right side of the bed,¡± he says.

    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s my side,¡± I say, sitting up and moving over top of him. ¡°You didn¡¯t rify that in your

    parameters, so it¡¯s the left side for you,¡± I tell him in mock seriousness before leaning down and l*icking

    a line from his chest to his stomach.

    His low growl rumbles through my t*ongue. ¡°Is this your way of making it up to me?¡± he asks.

    ¡°Is it working?¡± I ask, moving lower and feeling his h*ard length jerk against my chest.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he says, his voice low and deep. When I look up, he¡¯s looking down at me with eyes that are so

    dark they are nearly ck with desire.

    ¡°Good,¡± I say, and I take my time, tasting my mate before we get up to shower.

    He returns the favor in the shower, before we check out and head back to Balor¡¯s n.

    Jace drives us there, holding my hand and periodically pulling it to his mouth to k*iss me. I don¡¯t mind

    at all. I like the contact and that he seems to want to continue our connection as much as I do.

    However, he¡¯s not the only one paying attention.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me what¡¯s rolling around in that brain of yours?¡± I ask him.

    He pulls my hand to his mouth again, giving me a smoldering look that has my p*anties going damp.

    ¡°Your thoughts weren¡¯t s*exual a moment ago,¡± I say, knowing he was more in Gamma mode than

    mate mode with this thinking.

    ¡°Are you watching me, Jordan?¡± he asks, the flirty smile still in ce.

    I turn in my seat, giving him my full attention. ¡°Yes.¡±

    He growls low and deep in his chest. If the way he looks at me is bing one of my favorite things,

    this sound that he makes when he likes something I say or do, is definitely in my top three.

    He returns his focus to the road, and I wait, letting him get his thoughts together. While I wait, I rub my

    thumb over his hand. Absently, he pulls my hand back to his mouth. This time, he gently nips at my

    fingers one at a time as he focuses his thoughts.

    ¡°I think we should consider asking the bears if they would be willing to help us keep watch during the

    Beta Trials. Not only would it help to seal our alliance and bring the bears and wolves together, but

    maybe we¡¯ll find some more mate bonds.¡±

    It¡¯s not a bad idea. It¡¯s also a thought to have them help monitor Jaxon and Tobias¡¯nds, since they

    are closest to them. I¡¯d love for Balor to meet Jaxon and Evangeline, and I¡¯m pretty sure Tobias and

    via would be more than willing to build alliances with the bears as well.

    ¡°Do you think they would want to do that?¡± I ask him.

    He looks at me and gives me one of his s*exy Jace smiles. ¡°Will Kyra be there?¡±

    I smile, knowing exactly what he¡¯s thinking. ¡°Dr. Braxton will be, so I¡¯d assume that his daughter will be

    as well.¡±

    ¡°Then there isn¡¯t a doubt in my mind that Balor and some of his bears would be more than willing to

    come assist.¡±

    I call Councilman Jason as we pull into bear territory. I tell him what we are thinking. He lets me know

    that he will talk to the other council members and then get back to me.

    Just as we walk up to Balor¡¯s cave,

    Councilman Jason calls me back.

    I look at Jace and he smiles back at me.

    ¡°The Council loves the idea and wants us to ask Balor while we¡¯re here,¡± I say as we walk in to see how

    the bears are doing with the vine.

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315

    The iming by Cooper Book 4

    The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

    Chapter 42 (Jace)

    When we get back to the n, you don¡¯t have to be a doctor to see that the vine is working. Not

    only is Balor out of his cave, but the other bears are no longer being held in such a tight quarantine,

    although it does appear that they have been given a limited space with which to move.

    ¡°Alpha,¡± my father calls, jogging up,

    Victor right behind him. I watch as both of their noses twitch and my father gives me a look. I must not

    have washed Jordan¡¯s scent offpletely. Doesn¡¯t bother me, I want her scent on me and mine on

    her. I hope they can smell me on her, too.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to stay and continue to hunt the rogue wolves from here. We know they have to be nearby, and

    I¡¯m concerned that if we leave, they wille back and cause more problems for our new friends,¡± he

    says.

    ¡°Is that what we are?¡± Darryl asks, walking over.

    ¡°We hope so,¡± I say, stepping up. ¡°Third in charge doesn¡¯t answer that question,¡± Jusan says following

    behind his brother, who rolls his eyes.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m short a second and since Jace¡¯s brother offered to take on my Gamma role, I¡¯m going to

    temporarily move Jace into my Beta position and Victor into my Gamma position,¡± Jordan says,

    shocking me.

    I frown, looking at her. She didn¡¯t mention anything about this to me while we were at the hotel.

    ¡®Sorry, we¡¯ll talk moreter,¡¯ she says in the mind link.

    ¡®Yeah, we will,¡¯ I say and school my features. But I see that Victor has puffed out his chest, and the look

    on his face is much prouder than it was a moment ago. He really does deserve the Gamma position.

    Who knows, if Jordan doesn¡¯t ept me as her mate, maybe she¡¯ll keep me in the Beta position and

    leave Victor as the Gamma. He¡¯d be good at it.

    ¡°My second inmand DOES get to answer for me and in this he¡¯s absolutely right no matter his

    rank. I would have assumed that the bears wanted an alliance with the wolves now, too. Perhaps I was

    mistaken?¡± she asks, turning to Darryl.

    My mate. F*uck, I love this woman. Without saying it, she has basically put Jusan in his ce,

    challenging Darryl to acknowledge their desire for an alliance.

    Darryl, surprisingly, turns and smacks his brother upside the head. ¡°If third in charge doesn¡¯t get a say,

    then the man with no rank should keep his mouth shut! The pup was trying to create a partnership. One

    that you know Balor wants, so stop being antagonistic,¡± he says, and Jusan begins to sulk, crossing his

    massive arms over his chest.

    ¡°Of course we want an alliance. I¡¯m not going to war with my mate¡¯s people, not unless they go to war

    against her,¡± Balor says, walking over with Kyra riding on his back. If his hands weren¡¯t on her arms

    that are wrapped around his n*eck, I¡¯d swear he wouldn¡¯t even know she was there. ¡°Anyone who

    doesn¡¯t agree can leave the n,¡± he says, giving Jusan a h*ard look. ¡°Balor, no,¡± Kyra says.

    He turns and looks at her over his shoulder. ¡°I waited a long time to find you, little wolf. I may not have

    known what I was looking for, but now that I found you, I won¡¯t let anyone get in the way of me being

    with you. I know I¡¯ve got some time before you¡¯re an adult, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to spend

    as much time with you as possible. Anyone that doesn¡¯t understand that, isn¡¯t wee in my life.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear, because I have a proposition for you,¡± Jordan says to Balor.

    ¡°What kind of proposition,¡± Kyra says, jealousy and possessiveness clear in her tone.

    Balor smiles and pulls her hand to his mouth, k*issing it. ¡°Easy, little wolf. I don¡¯t want to have to fight

    Alpha Jordan for you. I like her, respect her, and I think you do too.¡±

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re mated to a bear, Kyra, you¡¯re still a wolf. Your father would be disappointed if he knew

    you were disrespecting an Alpha. She may not be your Alpha, but she is an Alpha,¡± my mother says,

    scolding Kyra.

    ¡°Mine,¡± she grumbles, cuddling against Balor¡¯s n*eck.

    ¡°No one questions that, Kyra. I don¡¯t want to hear that you are disrespecting Alpha Jordan or any other

    Alpha or ranked member again. Every wolf here

    knows that you are mated to the bear n leader. That does not mean that you get to be disrespectful.

    You need to find a way to befortable with your mate, knowing that neither of you will wear the

    other¡¯s mark until you are of age,¡± Dr. Braxton says walking up.

    I can see Balor struggling to allow Dr. Braxton to scold his daughter, but Dr. Braxton is right. All of us

    understand the pull of the mate bond and at her age, she¡¯s not mature enough to handle it well, nor is

    she old enough to do anything about it.

    Kyra looks at Jordan. ¡°I apologize for my behavior, Alpha Jordan,¡± Kyra says and unlike some

    apologies, I can tell she means it.

    ¡°Apology epted, Kyra. The mate bond is a powerful thing. Trust me when I tell you that I¡¯m not

    interested in your mate, not like that anyway.¡±

    ¡°How are you interested in him? You mentioned a proposition?¡± Kyra asks as Balor pulls her off his

    back and puts her on the ground in front of him, wrapping his big bear arms around her and k*issing

    the top of her head.

    ¡°Jace had a really good idea earlier and I spoke to my council about it. We¡¯d like to know if you, I¡¯m

    assuming you, and anyone else that you¡¯d like to bring, would help us during our Beta Trials,¡± I say.

    ¡°Help how?¡± Balor asks, watching Jordan.

    ¡°Well, it would give you and anyone you bring a chance to meet some of the wolves in the different

    packs, specifically the two Alphas and their mates that will be living near you, one of those being my

    twin brother. It would also provide an opportunity for your bears to see if any of them happen to be

    mated to our wolves, since that¡¯s apparently a thing. Besides that, it would give you time with Kyra,¡±

    Jordan says.

    ¡°I¡¯m hearing a lot about what it would do for me, but not what it is you want from me,¡± he says.

    ¡°We want you to help us guard our pack members during our test for Beta positions. We¡¯ll have other

    warriors there, but it would not only be a show of solidarity to the rogues, but it would give us a sense

    of security to know that you and, if you choose, your n mates were there to help protect our pack

    members while theypete.¡±

    Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

    Not surprisingly, Balor looks down at Kyra. ¡°Will you be there, little wolf?¡±

    She smiles up at him. ¡°Dad and I were already nning to be there, to test the contestants and make

    sure no one has been infected. The Trials are anticipated to run three to four weeks, Balor,¡± she says

    excitedly, but then her face falls a bit. ¡°I mean, if you can get away that long.¡±

    He strokes a finger down her cheek. ¡°I will be protecting you as much as anyone, so I will be there as

    long as it takes to ensure your safety,¡± he says.

    She leaps into his arms, and he wraps his arms around her again, his eyes closing in a way I¡¯m very

    familiar with. There is something about holding your mate in your arms that soothes and calms you in

    ways that nothing else will.

    Balor looks at Jordan. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around, but once word gets out that it¡¯s possible for wolves and bears to

    be mated, you may have more bears than you know what to do with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Jusan says, surprising me and apparently his brother as well, who raises an eyebrow at him.

    Rather than respond, Jusan looks away, refusing to meet his brother¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be happy to take as many as you give us,¡± Jordan says, turning to my father. ¡°Now, about these

    rogues¡­¡±

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