The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 70 (Nolan)
I’ve been a lone wolf for a long time. Ever since I came of age, started looking for my mate, and training to become an elite fighter, I haven’t really belonged to a pack. I spend a lot of time in them, but not as a pack member.
So, this gathering is something very different for me. I watch as many individuals come up to speak to Taylor. She’s poised, but there’s something in her presence that comes across as abrasive. It feels like she’s been fighting for her position her entire life and now, she doesn’t know how to simply be a leader.
I come up to her, taking her h*and and joining in the conversation. We’re not mated, but I push calm into her through our bond. She turns her head to look at me, then leans into me. I wrap my arm around her, as we continue our conversation. I watch as those talking to Taylor relax, their interactions changing with the change in her. I can tell that she feels it too and we’ve just started to really get into some good conversations when the patrols raise the howl of attack.
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Instantly, there are pack members shifting all around us as rogues come rushing into the pack from all sides. Taylor moves to step in front of me, but I push her behind me, ignoring her when she growls at me.
Instead of fighting me, she leaps in front of some of the other pack members that are here tonight. Somehow, the two of us end up side by side, fighting the rogues as they come in from every side. We have a mom and her pup behind us, the she- wolf’s mate on the other side trying to protect them. He’s a good fighter, but Taylor is better. And I’m even better.
We’ve taken down several wolves when I see a large wolf heading towards Taylor.
I snarl, leaping in front of her as I shift, ready to take on the rogue Alpha. Most people think that I’m only an elite fighter in my wolf form, I’m not. All of us, every elite fighter, is a just as deadly in their wolf form as they are in their human form.
I grab onto the Alpha’s back, just missing his spine. I still shake my head back and forth viciously, hoping to snap his spine. Instead, he rips himself away from me, and I spit out the m*outhful of skin, fur and flesh.
I’m just about to leap back at the Alpha when I hear the sound of another wolf leaping and shifting behind me. I turn and immediately recognize Mateo’s wolf. He and I have been friends for a long time. He woofs at me and together, we move around the rogue Alpha, who snarls at us, realizing that we’re blocking him from Taylor.
I hear Taylor snarl behind me, and I turn, seeing that she’s fighting off two wolves, keeping them from the she-wolf and her pup.
While I’m distracted, the Alpha leaps and Mateo knocks him aside, allowing me to grab the n*eck of one of the wolves attacking Taylor. This time when I shake my n*eck, I hear the snap of the spine and I let the wolf drop to the ground at my feet. I watch as my mate grabs the throat of the second wolf, ripping it out then turning and snarling as she looks around to make sure that the others are safe.
Just then, we hear a howl of retreat, and all of the wolves begin retreating. Taylor shifts and runs to the she-wolf and the pup, making sure they are okay. I shift and turn to Mateo.
“You arrived just in time buddy,” I say, shaking his h*and.
Then I turn, just as Taylor comes up to me, grabbing my hands and looking me over, then she looks up at me and snarls. “Don’t ever push me behind you in a fight again.”
I hear Mateo chuckle as I pull her to me, grabbing her hair and k*issing her, dominating her m*outh with my t*ongue until she’s forgotten why she’s angry with me.
(Jace POV)
The moment the howls of attack go up, I know the rogues are here for Jordan. They’re here for Taylor and Gianna too, but they want my mate and I’m not having it.
As they come racing into the gathering from all sides, I realize that they are prepared. There is only one way they would have known how to get into the gathering as quickly and easily as they did. Carter.
When I see the Alpha racing straight at Jordan, I yell a warning before leaping, shifting and going after him, clamping down on his l*eg.
Jordan goes into a partial shift, trying to protect Gianna, but when the rogue Alpha turns and begins snapping at me, she moves toward where we are fighting and begins slicing him with her claws. He snarls at her, turning to face her. I’m just about to leap on him again, when another wolf tackles me to the ground.
There are too many wolves here for this to be just one of the rogue packs. This has to be both of them combining their efforts to take our females. I fight the wolf in front of me, hearing Luna Jara shift and go after the wolves that are coming for Gianna. Maybe it’s because the two of them are close together, but it feels like we have a lot of wolves attacking us at once. It’s a good thing that there are several of us protecting Gianna.
As soon as I think it, I hear her scream for Jordan. I turn, seeing a rogue stalking toward her. He has shifted and based on the absolute fear on her face, this must be the man who raped her.
I move to go to her, but another wolf jumps on me, causing me to stumble. I turn, snapping at him and grabbing his flank, shaking my head violently until I take a chunk out of his l*eg. The disgusting taste of rotten flesh makes me want to vomit, but I push it aside, needing to focus.
I turn back to Gianna and see that another wolf has jumped in front of her and is attacking the rogue, so I turn to Jordan. Cold fear slips down my spine when I realize that the rogue Alpha has her pinned down and is trying to mark her while she’s in her human form.
I snarl, leaping at him, knocking him away from her, just as another wolf comes rushing up to us. I leap back at Jordan as I realize that the wolves are starting to surround her, hoping to pin her down for their Alpha.
She looks at me and she too must realize what they are doing. The rogue Alpha, gets back on his feet, shaking his head and turning his focus back on Jordan.
Just as I’m about to leap at him, Jordan opens our mind link.
“Shift!” she yells.
I don’t hesitate. I don’t ask questions. I trust Jordan with my life and if she says I need to shift, I will.
I’m on my feet in an instant and I turn toward her, seeing her racing toward me. The rogue Alpha snarls moving to head Jordan off. I take off running, needing to get to her before he does.
When I’m close enough, she leaps into my arms, wrapping her arms and l*egs around me.
‘MARK ME’ she screams in our mind link. Of all the things that she could have said, it’s the last thing I expect.
“Jordan!” I say, needing to know that she really means it. If I mark her, it’s forever. “Now, Jace,” she yells, and she sinks her canines into my n*eck.
P*leasure explodes in my b*ody, and I snarl, my own canines extending as I sink them into her marking spot. Instantly, the bond snaps into place, both of our bodies jerking with the p*leasure flowing through us.
As much as I want to get lost in this moment, I keep my eyes on the rogue Alpha who has now stopped, realizing what we’ve done.
He snarls at me before lifting his head to the sky and howling their retreat.
I should go after him, should go after all of them, but I’m still milking my venom into my mate, still reveling in the feel of her venom flowing through my system.
I cup her head in my h*and, holding her t*ightly against me with the other, as we stay locked together. When we finally pull apart, she takes my face in her hands.
“I love you, Jace.”
“I love you so f*ucking much, Jordan,” I tell her before taking her m*outh in a passionate k*iss.