The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

Chapter 35 (Jara)

“Mmmmm,” my mate growls as he pulls out of me, the water from the shower washing over both of us.

I nip at his chin as I put my feet on the floor.

“We need to get ready, my mate,” I say, knowing that look in his eyes. It’s the look that he has when he hasn’t had

his fill of me yet.

He leans in nipping at my n*eck. I lift my chin, giving him full access to me. “Are you sure?” he asks, his voice husky

with desire.

“Something to look forward to after the call?” I say.

“I can be quick,” he says, and I start laughing.

“Oh my love. You can do many things, but making love to me quickly, isn’t one of them.”

“It’s not my fault that you’re so incredible that I can’t enough of you,” he says.

I don’t know how it is that this man, after so many years can still make me crave him like I’m a teenager. But he

does and since he does, I turn, arching my back and pushing against him. “Be quick,” I say, looking at him over my

shoulder.

“Never,” he growls as he slides himself inside me slowly, making me arch even h*arder.

We’ve only just finished and are stepping out of the shower when we hear Mason’s phone begin to ring. He grabs a

towel and quickly dries himself as he runs to answer the phone.

“Hey sweetheart! Your mother and I are just getting ready to head downstairs to get the room set up. Griffin, Seth

and Hana are coming over to join the conference call with us and, of course, we still have several of the other

Alphas and Lunas here in your pack. I must say, Jaxon is doing a great job in your absence,” I hear him say as I

wrap a towel around my hair and then move to the closet to get dressed.

“Yeah, she’s right here, hold on,” he says. “I need to get dressed anyway.”

He hands me the phone and I see my daughter is on video.

“Where are you?” I ask her.

“Hey mom, I’m in the car. Where’s dad?”

I narrow my eyes at my daughter. I know all of my children. I know every nuance of their moods. I know when they

are hiding things from me, I know when they can barely contain their excitement and I know, like now, when they

need to tell me something that they don’t want to tell me.

“What’s going on, Jordan?” I say, and I see Mason’s head snap up to look at me. I don’t look at him, I stay focused

on my daughter. Something is wrong. “I need to talk to both of you,” she says. “Where’s Jace?” I ask, worried that

something might have happened to him. They have both tried to hide it from me, but I’ve known for years from the

way Jace looked at my daughter that they were mates. It took a lot for me not to interfere, but I feel good that I’ve

let them figure it out and it seems like they are finally getting closer, so I hope this isn’t about their bond.

“I’m right here, Luna,” he says, and Jordan turns the phone. I see that Jace is driving but he turns and smiles into

the phone. I know instantly that he and my daughter have been together. This trip has been really good for both of

them.

“Good. Now, what is this about?” I ask. “Where’s Dad?” she asks again.

“I’m right here,” he says, coming up behind me.

Jordan’s eyes move to Mason’s. “You should sit down.”

“Jordan…” I begin, but Mason takes my hand.

“Let’s sit, Jara,” he says, and I know he realizes something important is about to be said. He only ever calls me Jara

in public or when something is serious. Once we’re settled, Mason takes the phone from me. “We’re sitting Jordan.

Tell us what’s going on,” he says.

Once again, I can see how much Jordan doesn’t want to tell us whatever it is she’s calling about.

“So, you know that Balor got bitten protecting me from the Alpha wolf, the one from the second rogue pack?” she

asks.

“We hadn’t heard it was another Alpha, but yes, Jaxon told us what Balor did to protect you. Is he okay? Did

something happen to him?”

“No. No, he’s fine. He’s being treated by Dr. Braxton just like the others. But Dr. Braxton has been running tests on

the strains of the virus that infected the wolves. It’s an older version of feral fever and the claiming haze,” she says.

“Does he need our blood?” I ask, still uncertain what is causing Jordan so much stress. I swear I can see sweat on

her brow and my daughter is never afraid. Never. She is tough and she is strong. I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

“Give me the phone, Jordan,” I hear Jace say quietly, and I watch as Jordan looks like she wants to say something,

then clenches her teeth and hands the phone to Jace.

When his face enters the phone, I know it must be bad. So bad that my daughter can’t tell me.

“Jace?” I say, needing to know, but terrified of what it could be that’s got Jordan so concerned.

“Luna, Alpha, Dr. Braxton found a strain of the virus from the feral fever and one from the claiming haze. Both of

the viruses were from your younger days, the days of the claiming. The first, is from the Alpha that attack Beta

Layan, Alpha Camden.”

I s*uck in air. That horrible man had a child? A child with a human?

I feel Mason’s arm go around me, pulling me to him. He’s still watching Jace. They worked together for six years.

They know the nuances, the looks of the other and Mason hasn’t looked away.

“What about the other strain?” he asks.

Jace clenches his teeth, then looks right into my eyes. “Dr. Braxton says it’s the same strain of virus that Alpha

Typhon had in his blood stream.”

I suddenly feel like there isn’t enough oxygen in the room. I feel like I’m gasping for air.

“Jordan wanted to give you a head’s up before it’s announced on the conference call this morning,” Jace says.

“Thank you. You were smart to tell us. We’ll talk to you soon,” Mason says and hangs up.

He drops the phone and pulls me into him, pushing my face into his n*eck. “Breathe, Jara. Deep breaths.”

I try. I really try to catch my breath, to take deep breaths of Mason’s wintery scent, but I can’t stop gasping, trying

to breathe.

Mason takes my face in his hands and pulls my face in front of his.

“Breathe, Jara,” he commands me.

His command washes over me, but doesn’t impact me, not enough to make me comply, but enough to make me

want to comply and I feel myself able to take a bit of a deeper breath. “Look at me. Look at me,” he says and when

I finally look at him, his eyes lock on mine.

“Follow my breaths,” he says, and I do the best I can, following his breaths until I feel like I can finally breathe.

“There you go,” he says soothingly when I can finally breath.

“Mason,” I say, and I s*uck in a breath as a tear rolls down my cheek. “How is that man still in our lives?”

“He’s not, and believe me, if this self-proclaimed Alpha is his son, I will kill him. His family has already taken enough

from me. I won’t allow them to take any more.”

“He took Mena from us, Mason. We can’t let him take Jordan. We can’t let him take Taylor either. I can’t lose

another daughter, another child to him. Mason please, please we can’t let him, we can’t let him get to her…”

I begin hyperventilating again, tears streaming down my face. Mason pulls me into his lap, tucking my head against

him.

“No one, not Typhon, not his son, not this other Alpha, no one will take another family member from me, Jara. I

swear to you, on my life, if it’s the last thing I do, this rogue Alpha will die.”

I cling to my mate as I begin to sob, all the memories of Typhon, the battle, losing Mena, losing Lewis, it all comes

rushing back to me, that horrible time in my life that pulled me into an abyss that took much too long for me to

return from.

I can’t let it happen again. I won’t. I won’t let Typhon or his child hurt my family again.