The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 88 Evangeline
It’s been over a week since the rogues attacked and I’ve barely left Jaxon’s side. When I do, Jordan takes my place and I’m so thankful to my family for watching Jaxon Jr. for me. I’ve had to leave for short periods to spend time with our son, but otherwise, I’m here, beside my mate.
Every morning and every evening, the doctors come in and take x-rays. Each time, I hope that I’ll hear the good news that his back is healed enough that they can wake him up. Each time, they say not yet.
They took Griffin off his sedation last night and he just woke up this morning. Taylor came in to tell us while her other two sisters, Harper and Brooke, went to let the family in Caleb’s room know.
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When I asked why Griffin healed faster, I was told that he had landed farther away from the cliff than the other two, in a grassier area. He also had the smallest woman, the one who has barely started to show her pregnancy whereas Jaxon and Caleb caught the much more pregnant women.
I’d heard that the women had come back, and I met the one that Jaxon had saved. Her name was Emily and she told me how sorry she was for Jaxon’s state, but how much she appreciated what he did for her. It was only a couple days later that she, and the one Caleb had saved, both ended up in the hospital due to bleeding. One has had a miscarriage from the harsh landing of the fall and the other is still at risk.
The third one, I heard, couldn’t stand the thought of being around us after what had happened to her, so she ran off. We were going to go after her, but Gianna told us to let her go. If she finds her way out of the forest, she’ll be lucky to make it home alive.
She was foolish to leave but right now, we have our own problems. A man is barely alive because he risked his life to save her, and she couldn’t even say thank you.
The doctor comes in and as usual, I’m sitting beside Jaxon, holding his h*and while he lays unconscious on the bed. His family has been great, being here, but also checking on the others, while my family has alternated between my room and Caleb’s, checking on Magdalena.
“Time for our x-ray,” the doctor says.
The plates are already under Jaxon, having been placed under his back, along with Caleb’s and Griffin’s when they were put on the bed. It has made it easier to do the x- rays without moving them and risking further injury.
I’ve gotten really good at reading Jaxon’s x- rays. The doctor explained every break, every fracture on the first day, taking his time and showing me each one on the x-ray. Every day, I’ve looked to see that some of the smaller fractures have healed, and the larger breaks are also starting to heal.
The doctor takes his x-rays, and then goes to get the screens. He has a light box in the room and when he returns, I go to stand next to him as he puts the screens on the light box. As soon as they come up, I can see that the bones are healed.
I s*uck in air, and hear others in the room do the same, seeing what I’m seeing. His back is healed.
I look at the doctor, who takes a very long time, his f*inger tracing every bone in his back, down his spine and to his h*ips. Finally, he steps back.
“When can take him off of his sedative,” he says and everyone in the room cheers until the doctor tells them to quiet down.
“We still have one who is sedated and two humans that have either miscarried or are at serious risk of miscarriage, both having lost a lot of blood. Their recovery time is much slower than ours, so they need their rest just as much as Alpha Caleb.”
“Sorry, doctor. We just needed some good news,” Luna Jara says.
“Of course,” he says, unhooking the sedative from Jaxon.
“How long do you think it will be before he wakes up?” I ask.
“Within the next 12 hours, I’d say. When he does, you need to bring a doctor in right away. We’ll need to evaluate his ability to move and his pain level.”
“Yes, doctor,” I tell him.
I refuse to leave his side today, knowing that at any moment he could wake up and I might not be here. It’s after dinner when I finally see his eyelids begin to flutter. He m*oans and I lean over, brushing his hair away from his face.
When his eyes finally flutter open, he looks at me, a pained smile on his face. “Hello, my gorgeous mate,” he croaks, and I burst into tears.
Gianna POV
“Have they found anything?” I ask Ezekiel. “No. I know I should go out to help them, but I don’t want to leave you,” he says, his arms wrapped around me.
The elite fighters and the bears have been out searching for the rogues. So far, it seems as though they’ve run off to where they came from. They haven’t found any recent scent trails.
“Is it terrible that I don’t want you to leave either?” I ask, my f*ingers playing with the collar of his t-shirt.
“No. I like it that you want me around. How are you feeling? I know it was h*ard for you to find those women like you did?”
“I’m doing okay,” I tell him.
I had taken it upon myself to look after the human women. They knew me and felt safe with me, so they had all decided to stay in the room that I had shared with Ezekiel. He ended up sharing a room with Levi, which meant that I had to start sleeping alone again. My bed has never been so full of people, since we three pregnant women are sharing one bed, but it feels completely empty without him in it.
It was because we’re sharing a room, that it was me who found them. Carol had taken off, and honestly, I was happy she did. She was so ungrateful for what Griffin and the others had done for her. I know they’ve been through a lot, we all have, but Emily and Bailey were at least appreciative of the men nearly giving their lives to save them. They had both asked to go to the hospital and both had thanked the mates of the men who saved them. Neither of them failed to notice that both women looked to be in the early stages of pregnancy.
That morning, I found Bailey first. She had tried to come find me after Emily had woken up with blood soaking the sheets. However, Bailey began bleeding on her way to find me. It was Ezekiel who smelled the blood and came rushing to make sure I was okay. He and Levi had helped me to get the women to the hospital. The doctors had taken Emily in right away, but she lost her baby. Bailey is still fighting, but she’s on bedrest and is still bleeding. The doctor said her prognosis isn’t good. I think Emily was relieved at her miscarriage, but she mourned the loss of the child. I don’t know how Bailey feels about it. She’s being stoic and not showing much emotion.
Me, on the other h*and, I sobbed when I found out Emily lost her child. It could have so easily been me and after years of trying to conceive, I desperately want this little boy of mine to live. Ezekiel had held me, one h*and rubbing my back while the other rubbed my stomach, my son responding to him immediately, like he always does.
“You’re not a human and you didn’t crash land off a cliff. You and your son are going to be happy and healthy, Gianna,” he had said, holding me and consoling me until I settled down.
It’s strange, the draw I have to him. Ezekiel mentioned that my wolf might be starting to show herself. Whether it’s that or the man is just completely endearing himself to me, I’ m not sure, but I know that every room brightens the moment I see him in it and I know that my new favorite thing in life is the smile on his face every time he sees me.
I never realized how little attention my ex- husband showed me. It was more than I had ever received in my life, so for me, it was a lot. But Ezekiel, he can’t get enough of me. He’s always t*ouching me, wanting to hold my h*and, sneaking k*isses. He’s not embarrassed to be affectionate with me in public and has no problem letting everyone know that he’s with me. I’ve seen the way the other females look at him. I know he could have any woman he wants. And he wants me.
“What’s the smile?” he asks, his thumb stroking over my l*ips.
I look up at him. I find it very easy to be honest and open with Ezekiel. He never scoffs when I say loving things to him, he never brushes it off. Instead, he almost thrives on it.
“I was thinking about how lucky I am that a man like you is mated to me.”
“Oh yeah? A strong, powerful man like me?” he asks. It’s his identity, and in the pack, it makes sense. But that’s not how I see this man. With me, he’s different. I’ve seen his power and his strength, but I’ve seen the side that no one else gets to see. The side that’s all for me.
“A loving, caring man like you,” I clarify, lifting my hands to stroke his face.
“Did this loving, caring man do something to earn a k*iss from his mate?” he asks, leaning in.
“Every minute of every day,” I say, lifting up on my toes and taking my time, k*issing him long and deep until the world falls away and it’s just him and me.