The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 89 Jordan
It took a month for my brother, Caleb and Griffin to heal completely. Most of those in the Beta Trials went home as the tournament was put on hold, many others went hunting the rogues. We’re pretty sure we depleted their numbers at least by half, maybe even more, but one Alpha got away.
In the month my brother and cousins were healing, Jace and I have gone back and forth between our pack and this one, wanting to support the family and also needing to support the pack and Victor. Victor continues to take everything in stride, picking up the slack where needed, and never once has he complained.
In addition to all of us being in limbo, waiting for the Trials to continue, those of us who are pregnant all have baby bumps showing now. Even Flavia, Tobias’ mate is pregnant again. My mother and all the other previous Lunas of the packs just laugh. They were all pregnant for 2-3 years straight. I have no intention of getting pregnant right away, I can’t even believe that my mother did after getting this large. I’ m still a couple of months away from delivery but I already feel like I’m the size of a packhouse. Evangeline and Magdalena have their cute little baby bumps, but my stomach is the size of Gianna’s and she’s due to deliver any day. Although Evangaline is getting her twins now, so it won’t be long before her stomach is as large as mine.
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I feel warm arms wrap around me as the scent of honey roasted almonds floods my senses and gentle hands begin to rub my stomach.
“You’re carrying two pups, Jordan. Of course you’re going to be larger than they are. And think of this, our twins can grow up with Jaxon and Evangeline’s twins. I know how close you and Jaxon are, imagine how close the two sets of twins will be,” he says consolingly.
“I know, and at least we’ll have our Beta before they are born. I was starting to worry about that.”
“Hey,” he says, coming around me and standing in front of me, one h*and staying on my stomach while the other comes up to hold my face. “You don’t need to worry about the pack. Victor and I have it handled while you are recovering from birthing our pack’s next heir. All you need to worry about is having happy, healthy babies.”
“And choosing a Beta,” I say.
“And choosing a Beta,” he confirms.
“They’re all coming back tomorrow. The Trials are going to resume now that the others are healed,” he says.
“Did you spar with Jaxon today?” I ask.
The three that had nearly become paralyzed were anxious to gain their full strength back as soon as possible. The longer they are weak, the more likely it is that someone will challenge them for their Alpha position.
Jace smiles. “I did. I started easy on Jaxon, wanting to make sure I didn’t hurt him. He made sure to remind me that he’s an Alpha. It felt to me like he is back to full strength. I saw Griffin taking on his dad and some of the other retired Alphas were there, sparring with each of them. They all seem back to normal.”
“Good.”
“How are the humans doing?” he asks me.
Emily and Bailey had been hesitant to join in our activities at first. Emily had been released from the hospital first. Bailey’s bleeding never stopped and eventually, she miscarried her child as well. They are both still recovering, but the doctors agreed that they could be released from the pack hospital as long as they continued to come in daily for checkups.
Gianna had convinced them to come down to eat with the pack and although everyone had gotten quiet when they walked in, Evangeline, Magdelana and I had called them over to sit with us. Ezekiel and Levi had accompanied them and while Ezekiel’s constant presence makes sense because of Gianna, I was surprised to see that Levi was still hovering.
“After that first meal with us, they seemed to relax. I’m letting Gianna take lead with them. They trust her, but it feels like they are starting to trust us as well too. At least more than the other one.”
The third girl, Carol, had been found mauled to death. The only positive thing was that she was mauled by a real animal, not a rogue. None of us had expected her to survive in the forest alone, especially pregnant, but it was still sad to think that she had died needlessly, because she wouldn’t give us a chance. Sadly, it has only reinforced our need to maintain our secret from the humans, which has now sparked a lot of discussion about what to do with the two humans currently living with us. After the Beta Trials are over and the packs settle down, the council will need to reconvene to discuss that and what to do with the remaining rogues. We can’t afford to have a repeat of what happened here, and we can’t have them kidnapping any more humans.
“Are you sending Gianna home? She’s due any minute. I know Ezekiel is becoming more and more nervous about her walking around, although she seems perfectly comfortable in her pregnant state,” he says. “She does. She loves being pregnant which is good, since Ezekiel seems like he wants pups with her now. I’ve talked to her about it, and she wants to stay.”
“What do you think will happen with her wolf?” Jace asks me as we walk outside, watching them set up for the Beta Trials again.
“I’m hoping that after the birth of her child, her wolf will re-emerge, but only time will tell. There are certain things that make me think that her wolf has started to make her presence known,” I say.
“Like becoming possessive of Ezekiel?” Jace asks, smiling.
Gianna had growled at a she-wolf that had run up to him asking for his help. She had apologized profusely and thankfully the woman had understood and didn’t take offense. Ezekiel, however, couldn’t stop smiling all day after it happened.
“Yeah, that and have you noticed that she’s been lifting her nose in the air a lot lately?”
“Yes. She frowns, like she smelled something, but then can’t catch the scent again.”
“Exactly. I think it’s just a matter of time. And maybe her wolf is protecting the pup. My mom seems to think that most of our wolf spirit’s energy goes to the pup when we’re pregnant. If that’s the case, then once she delivers her son, her wolf spirit may come rushing back.”
“That would be interesting,” he says.
“Never a dull moment,” I say to him. “Definitely not with you,” he says, holding me as we watch the other setting up.
Two days later, the Beta Trials begin again.
Durai POV
‘Ding, dong, bell,
This wolf isn’t well.
Who did this to him?
The one who wants to win.
Who had to pull out?
Little Durai, with a pout.
What a naughty Alpha was that,
To try and kill me with his clout,
I’d never have done them any harm,
If he hadn’t raised the alarm.’
I move around my den, struggling to find a comfortable place to lay so I can heal. It’s taking much longer than it should. That bastard Beta pup took a couple of good chunks out of me.
He deserved to die. He knew I wanted that she-wolf for Mathias and still he fought me. Well, he won’t be fighting me or anyone, ever again.
I was surprised when the older she-wolf attacked me. Based on the scent, she was family to the young she-wolf, which would also make sense as to why the Beta pup tried to protect her. I can understand why the packs tossed the arrogant little s*hit out. He had no respect for authority. As the Alpha, I get what I want, even if it is his sister.
I had seen that the second female Alpha was marked, and we had watched while one of the Alpha females had found her mate and practically marked each other on the spot. That left two good options for me and Mathias, one being the Beta pup’s sister. He should have been happy about it. She’d have been a Luna in her pack. But instead, he attacked me, and I had to kill him.
I hated tossing the pregnant women over the cliff. Two were close to delivery, but we can find more. It was that or those Alphas would have killed me. I could never have survived three against one, and I wasn’t ready to die. Although when I got back here, I realized Mathias hadn’t been so lucky. In fact, most of our packs are now gone.
I’ve brought what’s left of us back to our original den and hiding spot. It puts us close to the bears again, but the ones who had come here and started rebuilding are gone, at least for now.
We’ll take our time, recover from our wounds and then, we’ll go find ourselves some new females to impregnate.