The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 40: Kinsley's Acceptance Kinsley

I'd forgotten how grueling running patrols is. It's eight hours of nearly non-stop running and since I'm a Beta and

running with a bunch of male warriors, | have to set an example, not only that I'm worthy of being a Beta but

also that I'm just as strong as any male in this pack.

I'm tired, not having slept well with Lucas out running patrols all night. While I've been struggling with intimacy

between us, realize that | miss him when he's gone. Now that I've invited him back to our bed, | really miss

feeling his arms aroundat night.

When we finish our patrol, | shift and reach for my clothes.

I hear a wolf-whistle behindand | turn, seeing one of our warriors staring at me. Ogling me, really.

"Knock it off, Trent. You're being disrespectful," one of the other patrols says.

Trent shrugs nonchalantly and opens his mouth to say something else. Before he can, his eyes move to

something behind me, and | turn, seeing Lucas standing at the back of the packhouse, waiting for me, watching

out for me.

| see that he's holding a shirt for me, and he steps off the patio, heading my way.

"Don't know why he bothers. We've all seen you anyway," Trent

sneers quietly enough that only | hear him as he passes me. 288 Vouchers

"Good afternoon, Beta," he says cheerfully as he passes Lucas.

"Trevor," he says, his eyes not leaving mine. "Kinsley," he says, pulling the shirt over my head.

"I have my own clothes, Lucas," | say, but | take a deep breath, letting his scent of the rainforest fill my senses

and relaxafter Trevor's comments.

"I noticed you slept in my shirt last night," he says, wrapping an arm around my waist, but not pullingto him.

He's always so careful with me, ever since the day he marked me. But I've decided that it's tforto put

the past behind me. | need to start trusting my mate to care for me, to protect me. So, for the first tin our

relationship, | lean into him.

His eyes instantly brighten, and he tightens his arm around me, wrapping the second aroundas well, just

holding me. We stand like that for a while before he kisses the top of my head. "How was your run?"

"Exhausting," | say. "But no scent of Alphas or she-wolves."

"Well, the she-wolves won't know that we're a sanctuary yet, but I'm glad to hear that there are no Alphas. And

speaking of Alphas, Alpha Calvin is sending 20 warriors to help us run patrols, so we have stto

reorganize the patrol schedules.

"Oh, that's great news," | say walking inside.

"Yes, and Alpha Hunter and Luna Sophie won't be huntil late. They are meeting with Alpha Calvin and Alpha

Dutton

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tonight at Alpha Carter's pack."

"That's excellent! Do you think they'll stand with us?" | ask him.

"Hunter said that Alpha Carter has already agreed, so | have hope that the others will too. Alpha Calvin is mated

to Lunal Sophie's sister, and Alpha Dutton hasn't found his mate yet, but he's at least not one of the Alphas out

hunting for a mate."

"Do you think it's safe forlet the she-wolves know our borders are open? | can leave a note when go to drop

off the food today," | ask Lucas.

"Alpha Hunter was pretty clear, Kins. | think it's safe. But | want you to be careful. My legs are stiff after running

all night. I'm guessing yours will be too and I still don't like you going alone."

"I'll go now before it gets dark," | tell him.

He holds onto my hand. "Hurry hto me, Kins."

I nod and turn to head upstairs. Every the says something like that, my heart melts a little bit more. Not for

the first time, | wonder what it would have been like for us if our mating night had been like Alpha Hunter's and

Luna Sophie's.

When | get to the mountain, | see that the food is gone. I'm glad because the scent of sex and Alpha Hunter still

lingers in this area, but if the she-wolves are hungry enough, that won't deter them, at least not until they have

food in their stomachs. | leave the food and the note that we are now offering sanctuary. | also added that Sophie

Meyers has found her mate, our Alpha, but he mated her privately and she is now the Luna of our pack. I'm

hoping that they trust my words enough to at least check out our pack.

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When | return, Lucas and | have dinner and once Alpha Hunter and Luna Sophie return, we head to our room. It's

good to know that at least two more Alphas are on our side and while | would have liked to talk to Luna Sophie

more, I'm exhausted and as Lucas expected, I'm very sore.

"I think | need to start training more," | tell him as we walk into our room. "Are you still sore?"

"No, but it took several hours to wear off," he says. "Why don't you get ready for bed and lie down, I'll massage

your legs."

| do as he suggests, and he begins massaging my legs. | know he wants to touchmore than I'm comfortable

allowing, so this is a nice compromise, and my mate's fingers are magic.

| try to be good, but a moan slips out occasionally. | can see that he's getting aroused and while it makes me

nervous that he might want something more, he doesn't act on it. | feel bad for my mate. | feel his arousal

pressed against my back every night when we go to sleep and every morning when we wake. | know it must be

hard for him, but even now, he doesn't push me. He accepts what I'm willing to give him. "How's that?" he asks