The Claiming By Cooper

Chapter 29

The Claiming 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 become the hinderance that so many others are becoming in this circus sideshow they call a claiming.

When I arrive back at our room, Elijah looks at me for a long moment. “Want to talk about it?”

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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 to command 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.

“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 claiming territory. The group of 20 in Layan’s claiming 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 claim. My warrior remained in human form, but the omegas are already in their wolf form. The rest of her claimants 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 claiming 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 claim. 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 claiming.

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 her come 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 the comfort, 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 night last 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 become 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.”