The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 72 (Jordan)
I watch as Ezekiel and Gianna walk away. There is so much that needs to be done here before I can check on them. “That’s a pretty mark you’ve got there, Jordan,” my mother says, and I turn, my h*and moving to my mark as I look at Jace and smile.
His eyes are filled with a possessiveness that I’ve only seen on occasion before, but I imagine I’ll see more of in the future. My mother pulls me into a hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispers to me before pulling back.
“You too, Jace. You were always family to me, but now, it’s official. But I’m guessing this is a recent occurrence?” she asks, pulling Jace into a hug as well. “Yes. I was surrounded by rogues, and they were trying to block me so the Alpha could get to me, but…” I say, turning to Jace as the memory comes back. “I told Jace to shift and then I leaped in his arms, telling him to mark me.”
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“And you did, obviously,” my mother says to Jace.
“Well, not until her canines were in my n*eck. I wanted to make sure she was ready for the forever commitment. But once I felt her teeth in my n*eck, I sank mine into hers,” Jace says, his eyes on me.
“Excellent. Now, you two go finalize your bond and we’ll take care of the clean up here,” mom says.
“Oh no, mom. I need to be here,” I say, turning to her.
“Nonsense,” she says, as my dad comes jogging up.
“Hey, what’s going o “ he stops, mid-sentence and mid-stride, his nose going up in the air and a smile slowly spreading across his face.
“About damn time,” he says, looking at me. “But I hope this is what you wanted, not because you had to,” he says seriously.
“Yes, we had already planned to mark each other tonight, after the gathering,” I say as Jace steps up to me and takes my h*and. “This just rushed things along.”
“And I’m sending them off to complete their bond and you and I will take care of the clean up,” mom tells him.
“Absolutely! But not before I get my congratulatory hug,” he says, opening his arms to me.
I rush into them, holding him t*ightly. “I’m so happy for you, Jordan.”
“Me too, Dad.”
He steps back and looks at Jace, pulling him into a hug and slapping him on the back. “Welcome to the family, Jace.”
“Thank you, Alpha,” he says.
“Well, two new members of our family in as many days, what could possibly be next?” he says.
“Uh, well Gianna might have found her mate,” I say.
“What? Who?” he asks.
“I’ll tell him about it, you two go,” my mother says to us, pushing us toward the packhouse. “Oh, and by the way, you’ll have to tell your Aunt Hana about your marking. It’s very similar to hers with Uncle Seth. She’ll love it!”
Jace takes my h*and again and begins leading me back to the packhouse. “How are you feeling?” he asks me. “You mean besides exhausted from the fight, Ezekiel and Gianna, and the marking?”
He chuckles, then picks me up bridal style.
“Jace!”
“You’re my mate, Jordan. Now it’s official and I get to take care of you, but I will feel better when the bond is sealed,” he says, nuzzling his nose in my hair as he carries me. “How are you feeling about that?”
“Equal parts nervous and excited,” I say honestly.
“The good news is, we’ve already explored so many things that make our bodies come alive. I’ll use all of them tonight and make this as good for you as it can be,” he says.
I wrap my arms around his n*eck, leaning in and scraping my teeth over his new mark. His b*ody shivers at the t*ouch. “Jordan, I don’t have any clothes on, and I’ d rather not walk into our packhouse with a raging h*ard on,” he growls.
I chuckle but stop teasing him.
“My mark looks damn good on you,” I tell him.
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about my mark on you,” he says as we reach the borders of the pack. The patrols come running over.
“Alpha, Bet….” They stop, all their noses going up in the air.
“Alpha Mason and Luna Jara are in charge of the pack tonight, along with Gamma Victor. Your Alpha and I have some unfinished business to attend to,” Jace says, moving past them.
I turn, looking over Jace’s shoulder as the patrols lift their heads to the sky and howl their happiness, announcing that their Alpha has found her mate. Instantly, the howls go up all around the pack and then we hear them from our pack members back at the gathering. “Wolf’s out of the bag now,” I tell him. “Good, now all those pack members that kept trying to gain your affections will stop,” he grumbles.
I frown as we walk into the back of the packhouse, not sure what he’s talking about.
“Alpha, B….uh, not sure what to call you now, but welcome back,” Victor says. “Thanks, Victor. Jace already told the patrols that mom and dad are in charge, along with you for the night,” I tell him.
He smiles at us. “Congratulations! And just so you know, Gianna and Ezekiel went to Alpha Mason and Luna Jara’s home.”
“Perfect, I’ll check in with them in the morning, but I’m sure mom and dad can handle anything that comes up tonight.” Jace begins carrying me up the stairs to our room. I look down and see Victor smiling, watching us walk away. “Oh and Victor, it’s Alpha Jace now. He and I will be co-Alphas,” I say, watching Jace’s face to see his reaction. “That’s not necessary, Jordan. I never wanted to be your mate for your title.”
“I’m not giving you my title, Jace. I’m sharing it with you. You’re mated to an Alpha, and I’m not going to ask you to take on the Luna title.”
“I’d be happy to keep the Beta title,” he says, as I turn the knob on our door, and he walks us inside. He carries me straight to the bathroom to wash off the battle before we complete our bond.
“You’re my equal, Jace. You need a title that says that you’re my equal.”
He sets me down, turning on the water then pressing me against the wall, his m*outh taking mine in a passionate, dominant k*iss.
When he pulls back, he lifts my shirt over my head and pushes my shorts off my h*ips. Then we step into the shower, washing each other, k*issing each other, and t*ouching and stroking each other in all the ways that we’ve learned that the other likes.
Before he steps out, Jace presses me against the wall of the shower, k*issing me again before stepping back.
“When you’re ready, meet me in our bedroom,” he says, stepping out of the shower and drying quickly before walking out of the bathroom.
Maybe he felt it, or maybe he just knows me well, but I needed this moment, needed to ground myself before taking the final plunge. I let the hot water fall over my head as I think about what the night will bring me.
I refuse to think about anything else that happened tonight. There is plenty of time for that tomorrow. Tonight is about me and Jace. No one and nothing will get in the way of that.
I step out of the shower, drying my b*ody and then rubbing the towel in my hair as I step out of the bathroom, and I stop.
The lights are off and the room is filled with candles. Jace is standing by the bed with a single rose in his h*and.
“I had the omegas leave the candles and the flower, knowing that we didn’t really have time to prepare anything special. But this moment should be special, something for us to always remember.”
He holds his h*and out to me. “Come, Jordan. Come to me and let’s complete our bond.”
I drop the towel and walk to him, taking his h*and and then the rose, bringing it to my nose to smell before setting it aside. “Make me yours, Jace,” I say, before he lifts me up and sets me gently on the bed.
(Carter POV)
I watch as the wolves from the gathering begin cleaning up the mess of the battle. “She’s marked now. There’s only one Alpha female left, Durai,” Mathais snarls. “We’ll find you another mate, Mathais. Curtis is dead, when the b*itch delivers her baby, you can have her,” Durai says. “I don’t want a human that will die,” Mathais snarls. “I want a mate.”
“Then we will find you a mate, Mathais,” Durai says calmly. Mathais snarls then stomps off.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned. You didn’t warn me that the Alpha female might let someone mark her.”
“I didn’t know,” I say as I watch my mother come to stand at the edge of the pack border. Even from here, I can tell she has tears streaming down her face and I know they are because of me. Her arms are crossed in front of her, almost as if she’s holding herself as she cries.
I can’t be sure, but I think she’s looking for me, maybe hoping that I wasn’t part of this. But of course, I was. I just didn’t realize that it would backfire like it did. They only wanted the three females, Jordan, Taylor and the human. I gave them the ways to sneak in, but I hadn’t expected that they would rush in and begin fighting. Although, this group of rogues is very undisciplined, so I shouldn’ t be surprised. If they had followed the plan I put together, Jordan wouldn’t be marked, Durai’s Beta wouldn’t be dead, and everyone would be happy.
As I watch, feeling guilty for making my mother cry, my sister comes up to her, hugging her.
“Well, well, well, there’s a pretty, young female. She looks ripe for the picking,” Durai says.
I growl at him. “That’s my sister. Leave her alone.”
The backhand is so unexpected that it sends me flying to the ground. I grab my cheek and look up at Durai.
“You seem to think that you’re still some Beta in a pack and that your word matters,” Durai says, squatting down in front of me. “You’re nothing. Nob*ody. A rogue, like the rest of us. You act like your old position matters here. It doesn’t. Listen and listen well. Out here, you do as you’re told, or you die. There are no second chances, there is no forgiveness. You will do what I tell you to do, or I will kill you. If I say I want that pretty little blond, I get her. You have no say in it.”
He stands, looking back at Ella and my mother. I look and see them walking away, my sister’s arm around my mother, as she holds her.
“Yes, I think that pretty little blond will do quite well for Mathias,” Durai says, before turning. He takes two steps before looking at me.
“Get up, we’re leaving. We need to plan our next attack.”