The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 87 Taylor
I’m watching my brother in the hospital room with my family and Ella. Half of the family is gathered in here, the other half is with Magdalena watching over Caleb, and then Evangeline and Jaxon’s family are in his room, watching over him.
I feel Nolan’s arms go around me from behind and I lean into him.
‘This isn’t your fault Taylor,” he says to me in our mind link.
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‘They came for me, Nolan, but I was marked. I basically said, “f*uck you” to the rogues and now my brothers are lying in hospital beds with shattered backs, h*ips and l*egs.’
Before the tears come, I turn and walk out of the room, Nolan a step behind me.
“Taylor,” he says, but I keep walking.
“Taylor!” he says more forcefully and takes my h*and, pulling me to a stop and turning me so I’m facing him.
“They would have come anyway. We already knew that they would be desperate since Jordan was marked. All we did was protect you by marking you before the Beta Trials. No one knew that the humans were so close, nor could we have anticipated that the rogue Alpha would throw them off a cliff so he could escape. I mean, they’re carrying the rogue pups. You’d think he’d have protected them.”
I lean in, letting Nolan wrap his arms around me, letting his calming nature soothe me. “Your brothers will heal, as will Alpha Jaxon. It will take time, but doctors from every pack are here looking out for them as well as Dr. Braxton. None of them have severed spines and they will remain sedated until their spinal columns have healed enough that they can’t cause permanent damage.”
“Why did they go after Ella?” I ask into his c*hest.
He shrugs. “Unmated female, nearly of age. With you and Jordan unavailable, Ella and Gabriella are the most valuable females they could take. Camille and Catalina are still too young to mark. Ella is a future Luna and Carter’s sister, so they would have known she was a Beta and Gabriella is an Alpha female, so they would have wanted her. My guess is they were watching us the last few days and if so, it would make sense that they saw Haley find her mate in Apollo and that’s why they didn’t go after her.”
I look up at him. “Do we know if Gabriella is okay?” I ask him.
“She is. They went after her, but she was near her brothers, Tobias and Cillian, and they kept her safe. They came for you too, Taylor. Don’t you realize that’s why there were so many that came after you? The three of you and Gianna either had an Alpha or five or more wolves that came for you.”
“You were really strong and brave fighting so many wolves at once for me,” I say, remembering as he jumped into the fight, taking on at least three of the five wolves that came after me.
He lifts my chin so I’m looking into his patient, kind eyes. “You were very brave and strong, taking on two at once. I’m proud to be mated to such a strong female Alpha,” he says, making my heart soar. His praise, always so easily given, makes me want to be a better person, a better mate, a better Alpha.
He leans in, gently k*issing my l*ips. “Do you want to go back in there?” he asks, nodding toward my brothers1 rooms.
“No. They won’t wake up until the doctors feel it’s safe to wake them. There’s a lot of clean up still to do. Do you want to help me?” I ask him.
“I’m with you, Alpha,” he says to me, taking my h*and.
“And I’m with you, Alpha,” I say to him.
I know it makes him uncomfortable to be called an Alpha, but hopefully, by the time our pack is established, it will feel more comfortable for him. I’ll just have to keep calling him Alpha until he’s used to it.
We head outside, to help clean up dead rogues and burn their bodies.
Elijah POV
I asked the doctors for a sedative for Layan. She fought with me at first, but her grief is overwhelming both her and I, and right now, I need to deal with my own so I can help her deal with hers later.
I stand, staring at my son’s b*ody.
“How did I do so wrong by you, son? How did we get to this place?”
I walk to his b*ody. I couldn’t t*ouch him earlier, not when I found Layan and not when we chased after the rogue Alpha that killed him. That bastard got away. I checked after Layan fell asleep. But now, I’ve put this off as long as I can. I crouch down and reach out, laying my h*and on my son as I finally lose the battle with my tears.
I don’t know how long I stay there, crying for my son who will never have the life I always hoped he would. When I feel a strong h*and on my shoulder, I jerk, looking up.
Mason crouches down beside me, nodding to me, his grip on me strong, grounding me, telling me he’s here for me without any words.
“I know what he did. I know he betrayed your daughter, you, our pack, but…”
“He was still your son,” Mason says quietly.
I nod, wiping my tears and getting hold of my emotions.
“Where is Layan?” he asks gently.
“Resting. I had the doctor give her something,” I say, turning back to my son. “He saved her. For all his faults, he gave his life to save his mother,” I say.
“He was always closest to her. Whatever you need, either of you, you let us know. I know Jara feels the same. You’ve always been my brother, Elijah. That hasn’t changed.”
I nod again and we sit for a few more moments.
“Come on. I’ll help you build a pyre. Carter may have betrayed our pack, but he wasn’t one of them and he gave his life for his mother. We’ll send him off properly. It will be up to the Moon Goddess to decide what to do with him now,” he says as we stand. “Thank you, Alpha,” I say, turning and hugging him t*ightly. His arms around me are just as t*ight.
“Come on, let’s get this done before Layan wakes up. I’ve asked Jara to keep an ear out for her.”
Mason helps me put together a pyre, building it apart from the rogues and away from where the Beta Trials are occurring. When it’s all set up, I go get my son’s b*ody and I gently place it on the top of the pyre.
I’m just about to go get Layan when I see Jara walking her out. I jog over, wrapping my arms around my mate before looking at both Mason and Jara.
“Thank you, both of you. I can’t ask you to stay here with us. You son is in the hospital, partially because of mine. Layan and I will stay with him and send him off,” I say to them.
“Elijah, no matter what your son has done, we would never leave you in your darkest hour. We will stand beside you, as we always have,” Jara says.
I fight the tears that threaten to fall again, as my mate loses the battle with hers. Mason goes and lights the pyre, then he comes to stand beside me, his h*and gripping my shoulder again. Jara comes to stand on the other side of Layan, wrapping her arm around her waist as we hold each other and quietly watch my son’s b*ody burn to ash.