The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 67 (Jace)
It’s several hours later when I get a mind link that there’s a big man, smelling like an animal at our borders, saying Jordan requested his presence.
‘Is his name Balor?’ I ask.
‘That’s him.’
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‘Let him through,’ I say and head out of my office to find Jordan.
‘Balor’s here,’ I mind link her. ‘Where are you?’
“I’m right here,” she says, walking out of her office, smiling at me. “You must have a lot on your mind if you couldn’t tell I was so close to you.”
I press her against the wall, k*issing her deeply. “My mind is focused on one thing, and Balor isn’t it,” I tell her when I pull away, leaving her l*ips looking a little puffy and her eyes looking a little dazed.
She presses her f*ingers to her l*ips and her eyes darken.
“Jordan, don’t look at me like that,” I growl at her.
She reaches up, nipping at my chin. “Later, then,” she says, turning on her heels and leaving me staring after her.
Just as she’s about to turn the corner, she gives me a sassy, s*exy look over her shoulder. “Coming?”
“Not yet, but I plan to later. A lot,” I say, jogging to catch up to her.
We get outside just as the car pulls up. “Did you tell Kyra?” I ask Jordan.
“That he was coming, yes. That he’s here? No,” she says as the car doors open and Balor and Jusan step out. Jusan looks around the parking area. “You have a lot of buildings here,” he says, as Balor walks up to us. He k*isses Jordan’s h*and before shaking mine. “Where do you want the b*ody?” he asks, a split second before his nose goes into the air. He turns as a smile spreads across this face.
“BALOR!” Kyra shouts, running full out and leaping into his arms. Balor doesn’t move and doesn’t appear to even feel the hundred-pound girl slam into him.
“There’s my little wolf,” he says, wrapping his arms around her.
“Alpha Jordan said you were coming, but I didn’t think you’d be here so soon. I wanted to shower and make myself pretty before you arrived,” Kyra tells him pouting.
He strokes her hair away from her face. “I think you look beautiful just the way you are, little wolf. But, if you wanted to change, I do have something to deliver to your father.”
“Oh, I can take you. Is it the b*ody?” she asks in a much more subdued voice. “Yeah, how do you know about that?” he asks her.
“I want to be a doctor, like my father. I can’t be squeamish about things like that, and dad doesn’t sugar coat things, so I’m pretty much used to it.”
“Jusan, grab our bags and find out where Alpha Jordan is putting us for the night.”
“Would you prefer to stay in the packhouse, or I can find a place for you outside. Whichever you prefer?”
“I should probably get used to sleeping in houses if my mate expects it of me,” Balor says.
“Silly bear. I’ll want to be wherever you are once we’re mated.”
“How old are you again?” he asks her. “Not old enough.”
He k*isses her nose. “Don’t rush it, little wolf. I’ll be here when you come of age. I’ m a patient bear,” he says and Jusan snorts.
I step up and grab one of the bags. “What about you, Jusan? Are you good with sleeping inside?”
“Yeah, let’s see how the wolf side lives.”
I walk him to their rooms, checking to make sure his room is ready before dropping Balor’s bag in the room next door.
When we get back downstairs, Balor, Kyra and the car are gone.
“Do you want a tour?” I ask Jusan.
Jusan keeps lifting his nose in the air. “Do you smell something?” I ask, concerned.
He frowns. “What do these rogues smell like?”
“Like the others, like rotting garbage.”
“It’s not that. This smells good,” he says.
I narrow my eyes at him. “How good?”
He looks at me. “Really good.”
I raise my eyebrow at him. “Don’t piss off my Alpha by rejecting your wolf mate.”
“I don’t have a wolf mate.”
“Wanna bet?” I ask him.
“S*hit!” he says.
He lifts his nose in the air again. “She’s heading this way,” he says, turning in the direction that his mate, who must have smelled him too, is coming from.
I open my link and catch the mind of the she-wolf, just as she comes around the corner and stops in her tracks. She looks Jusan up and down.
She barely spares me a glance. “Mate,” she says.
Jusan’s c*hest begins rumbling. I’m not sure if it’s a purr or a growl.
“Yeah, you are,” he says, and the warrior runs and leaps into his arms, very similar to what Kyra just did to Balor.
“You’re not a wolf,” she says as he turns, carrying her into the packhouse.
“Bear.”
“Is that…”
“Yeah, you’re about to find out just how good that will be for you, my pretty little wolf.”
I watch them walk away. Then I open the mind linkto Jordan.
‘Jusan just found his mate.’
‘Who?’ she asks, and I can feel her heading back to the main living area of the packhouse.
“Get a room!” I hear her growl, just as Balor and Kyra drive back up.
When he gets out, swinging Kyra out of the car and onto his back, Balor looks around.
“Where’s Jusan?”
“He found his mate?”
Balor stops in his tracks. “Who?” Kyra asks.
“Emily,” I tell her and then look at Balor. “Good luck getting any sleep tonight. Jusan will be marked by morning, if not by the time we meet for the gathering tonight. Truthfully, he may not make it.”
“It’s alright. I may not have been so accepting before I met Kyra, but now I understand a whole lot better the power of your mate bond,” he says, pulling her h*and to his l*ips and k*issing it.
Kyra giggles and snuggles into his n*eck, making Balor smile.
“Why don’t you show me where this gathering is going to be held. And you, little wolf, need to let me know where you will be, because I want you to stay close, so I can keep you safe.”
I take Balor, who continues to carry Kyra on his back to the area in between the packs where we’re going to have the gathering.
Balor lifts his nose in the air. “You’ve had rogues hanging out here a lot lately. Back that way, in the forest.”
“How can you tell?” I ask him.
“The scent is strong coming from that direction. I can also smell other scents, and blood,” he says.
“Yeah, we killed some rogues last night.”
“I’m not sure, but I think I can smell your traitor,” he says, still sniffing the air. “What traitor?” Kyra asks.
“I’m not at liberty to say, Kyra. I’m sorry,” I tell her.
“Just know that there is a traitor and it’s why I want you close to me tonight, little wolf.”
“Okay, my big mate,” Kyra says, hugging him t*ighter.
When we get back to the packhouse, I let Kyra show Balor where the dining hall is and I go make sure the omegas know that we have two bears, who eat more than wolves, in house.
“One found his mate, so he may or may not want food sent to his room,” I warn them.
“Thank you, Beta,” they say, and I head upstairs to get ready for tonight’s gathering.
Jordan is already in our room, getting ready. She’s dressed for protection detail or battle, and she’s s*exy as hell. I walk up behind her as she pulls her hair into a ponytail. I nip at her n*eck and wrap my arms around her waist.
“Can we just fast forward to tonight when we’re back in this room and my canines are sinking into your n*eck?”
She turns in my arms, her arms going around my n*eck. “If it weren’t for Gianna, I’d say my family could fend for themselves. But, we asked Balorto come assist…”
“And he gets to be with his mate and Jusan found his mate, so it feels like a win-win forthem.”
“And Gianna trusts me. She might feel comfortable with my mother, but it’s me she’s closest to.’
“Fine, but if you invite her to spend the night in our bedroom, you’d better prepare her for what she’s going to witness.”
She laughs, throwing her head back and giving me her throat. I lean in nipping and s*ucking on it.
“If I did invite her to stay the night, it wouldn’t be in our room. Tonight is all about you and me,” she says, leaving her n*eck exposed to me and letting me l*ick and s*uck on her. When I move her marking spot, I s*uck down h*ard and am rewarded with her b*ody quivering in my arms, her loud m*oan is music to my ears. “Jace,” she says breathily.
I scrape my canines over the spot then pull back. “I know, later,” I say, letting her go and stepping back before I lose control.
I quickly shower, then put on jeans, a t*ight-fitting black shirt and sneakers. Then I take Jordan’s h*and and we head downstairs.
I’m surprised to see Jusan, and it looks like Emily wore his a*ss out in a short amount of time. He looks stunned, but I also notice that he’s got a nice new mate mark on his n*eck. When I look at her, I see her proudly showing off her own mate mark, although it looks very different than a usual mark. The punctures are wider apart, more indicative of a bear than a wolf.
Emily is clinging to Jusan’s arm, showing him off to everyone. She has a bit to learn about bears and their solitary nature.
“Jusan, I’m surprised to see you,” I smirk at him.
“Yeah, well, Balor brought me along to help. And now, Emily said she’ll come with me, so I need to make sure she’s safe.”
“Isn’t he the best, Beta? He’s perfect,” she says, k*issing his cheek. I watch his eyes go wide and I don’t bother hiding my smile.
“Yeah, he’s the best,” I say.
“Jusan, we can’t thank you enough for being here and adding your protection to the pack. We appreciate it even more knowing that you’ve just found your mate,” Jordan says, diplomatically. “No problem, Alpha Jordan.”
“Good, you’re here,” Balor says walking up, still carrying Kyra on his back. “I smelled the rogues earlier, so they’ve been close to the packs. We’ll need to split up since our sense of smell is better than theirs,” Balor tells him.
“Okay then, let’s go,” Jordan says.
Just as we get outside, Alpha Mason, Luna Jara and Gianna come walking up. Right behind them are Taylor and Nolan. “Hey Gianna. Everything will be fine. You remember Balor and Jusan?” Jordan asks her.
“Yes. Hello,” she says to the bears.
Jordan introduces everyone and then Nolan steps up.
“Alpha Jordan, I’ve requested the other fighters to attend tonight. I know my mate and you yourself are strong, powerful Alphas, but I thought that it would be a good idea to request that the others join. They are all coming, but it will take them some time to get here. They most likely won’t arrive until after the gathering has begun.”
“No problem. I’ll take as much protection and safety as we can get. Hopefully, it will all be unnecessary, but I’d rather not risk it,” Jordan says.
She takes Gianna’s h*and, pulling away from me. I let her go, knowing that my time with her will come later and then for the rest of our lives.
“Gianna, it’s time you see what pack life is really like,” Jordan says, and she and Gianna lead the way to the gathering.