The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 74 (Mason)
As I walk around the gathering area and check on the wolves and warriors that are here, I smile. It’s about time my previous Gamma finally mated with my daughter.
I’ve known Jace since he was a child, took him under my wing after his father died in battle and his mother died of a broken heart. So, I know that he’s always had a thing for Jordan, even when she was just a little baby.
Having such a strong bond with my own mate, I wondered if they were mated. However, when he started dating Taylor, I questioned it. Maybe I was hoping for something that wasn’t there. But then, I realized that his relationship with Taylor was superficial. They were friends, but not lovers. I’m not thrilled that he didn’t immediately accept Jordan when she turned 18, but I also know, more than most, what he has suffered mentally from seeing his mother die in front of him.
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I’m glad he finally figured it out and realized that if the Moon Goddess thinks he’s good enough for my daughter, he shouldn’t question it.
Jara and I walk around, checking the pack members and sending many warriors to the pack hospital for a vaccine. In the end, we realize that we didn’t lose any pack members and neither did Griffin, however, many were bitten and scratched, requiring medical care and monitoring.
We help pile the dead, disgusting rogues into a pile. After checking to make sure that none of them are the Alphas, we light up the bodies an let them burn.
Afterward, I take Jara’s h*and and we walk over to the pack hospital to check on the injured.
Jara leans into me as we walk, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “What’s on your mind, my little Luna?” I ask her. “Our little girl is all grown up,” she says to me.
I hold her t*ighter as we walk. Giving birth to Jordan was always special to Jara. After losing our first child, being able to deliver a live, healthy baby had been overwhelming for her and she has always had a bond with Jordan that she didn’t with the others.
I’m no different. While I struggled with the fact that my first born and only son would not take over the pack, Jara and I had agreed and unlike the other Alphas, I stuck to my agreement with my mate. Knowing that my daughter would one day take over for me, I spent a lot of time with her, teaching her, training her and while I was h*ard on her, she always rose to the level of my expectation. I love all of my children, but I have a special place in my heart for Jordan, as does Jara.
“Yes, she is. And her mate finally figured things out so they could be together,” I say, answering her statement.
“It’s a good damn thing. I was about to knock him over the head to see if I could jostle some sense into that brain of his. For a smart man, he can be really dumb,” she grumbles.
“My sweet little mate, I think all of us have that potential,” I say, stopping and pulling her into a hug.
She wraps her arms around my waist. “You mean all men have that potential.
Woman are much smarter than that,” she says, making me chuckle.
“Whatever you say, my love,” I say, tilting her chin up so I can taste her sweet l*ips. “You’re placating me,” she grumbles against my m*outh.
“Is it working?” I ask, continuing to k*iss her.
“Mmmhmm,” she murmurs as her arms wrap around my n*eck and she k*isses me back, giving herself to me in front of anyone and everyone.
Goddess, I love this woman.
When I pull back, I stroke her cheek, basking in her loving smile.
“Come on. We need to check on these injured, then find out what happened with Ezekiel and Gianna and then I can finally take my mate to bed and show her how much I love her,” I say.
“Let’s hurry,” she says, stepping away from me and tugging on my h*and. I growl softly making her giggle in excitement.
When we get into the pack hospital, it’s chaos. Dr. Teresa is doing triage while Dr Braxton is taking blood and sending the individuals into another room. I’m just about to ask Dr. Braxton what we can do to help, when I hear a crash and a roar that shakes the entire hospital.
I take off running, racing into a room where things are crashing. Balor, the man who’s as big in his human form as he is in his grizzly form, is snarling and slamming things around the room. His giant claws are out and he’s slashing the walls and furniture.
I push Jara behind me, ready to take him on, if need be. I have no idea what is wrong with him, but if this is feral fever, then I’ll have to somehow put him down.
I’m about to leap at him when Kyra walks into the room.
“Alpha, no. I’ve got this.”
“Kyra…”
“Trust me,” she says and steps into the room. I don’t move, unwilling to let her die for this crazed bear shifter.
“Big bear, you need to calm down,” she says quietly and calmly.
He turns, snarling in her face. To Kyra’s credit, she doesn’t flinch.
“Balor, I know you’re hurting, but you need to calm down. Your adrenaline has worn off and the injuries you sustained need time to heal. I will give you a sedative if you want, but you must calm down.”
She slowly walks toward him, reaching out and stroking him as if he were in his bear form.
“There you go. Deep breaths, my teddy bear,” she says as he pulls her to him, burying his head in her n*eck.
“I know. You were so brave, and you protected me and my father,” she looks past me and waves her father into the room. He carefully walks in, and I see the needle in his h*and.
“You were so strong, and you took out so many wolves, my big bear. You just need to give yourself time to heal.”
Kyra takes the needle from Dr. Braxton. “I want you to rest. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here in the hospital, helping others and as soon as everyone receives the vaccine, I’ll be back here and I’ll stay the night with you, just like I did when you were sick before,” she tells him, and she gives him the injection. I’m shocked that he doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even appear to realize that she injected him.
She hands the needle back Dr. Braxton and wraps her arms around Balor until he begins to sway.
“That’s it, my big bear. Let’s get you into bed and I’ll be back before you know it,” she says, and I rush over to help her lift the huge man onto the bed.
“On is stomach,” she says to me quietly, as she strokes his hair, keeping him calm. “Careful with his back and b*uttock. He took some nasty scratches and bites.”
As gently as I can, I lift him onto the bed and step back as Kyra croons to him until he falls asleep.”
“Well, that was interesting,” I say. “Yeah, now, let’s get these others vaccinated before your mate wakes up again,” Dr. Braxton says.
“Do you need us for anything?” I ask. “No, but we’ll have Dr. Teresa mind link you if we need you.”
“We’ll be at our home,” Jara tells them before taking my h*and as we walk out of the pack hospital.
We walkthrough the quiet streets of the pack, not saying anything until we get close to our house, and I smell a man inside our house.
I snarl and race inside to find Ezekiel sitting on our couch. I stop, looking at him.
“I brought Gianna back here. She said she was staying with you. I need to be close to her and if you don’t have a spare bedroom or aren’t comfortable with me staying in your home, I told her I’d stay outside her window.”
“Of course, we have room, and you are welcome, Ezekiel. I see you have clothes, but you smell like you could use a shower,” Jara says to him, gently. “I didn’t want to leave to see if there was a shower available at the packhouse,” he says.
“We have a shower as well. Why don’t you go take a shower, change your clothes and come back out here. I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Jara says to him. “I do. Thank you for understanding. And thank you for allowing me to stay here. I know as an Alpha male that my scent and my strength must make you feel uneasy,” he says to me.
“It does, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not strong enough to kill you if you hurt my family, and that family includes Gianna. As long as we’re clear on that, you’re welcome to stay.”
“I have no intention of hurting her, but I do have a lot of questions.”
“Go shower. Not all of the answers you’re looking for are ours to tell and some answers we still don’t have. When you come out, we’ll talk about what we can talk about and then we’ll save the rest for tomorrow.”
He nods and heads into the shower.
When he comes out, smelling much less like a battle and decomposing flesh, he sits on the couch across from us, folding his h*and together.
“Tell me about the amulet.”