The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 43: Refuge Sophie

"I'm so glad you're here, Sophie. If I'm being honest, I'm excited that our Alpha was deserving of the legend,"

Kinsley says to me.

"I don't know anything about being a legend. I'm just Sophie," | say to her.

She stops and looks at me. "But you do. You stood up foryesterday. | watch how you openly love your mate. |

can feel how much you care for and want to do right for our pack. And most importantly, | can feel your desire to

fight for what is right in this world. That makes you worthy of being a legend. | believe that you and Alpha Hunter

will make the changes that our world desperately needs." "No pressure," | say, only half joking.

"Are you willing to let your daughter go through what happened to me? To your sister?" she asks, and | feel

nausea and anger rising inside me.

"Never," | growl, making her smile.

"See. The legend. Unlike others who try to escape, you are doing something about it. It started by running and

now, you're taking a stand. Those are the behaviors of a legend."

| shake my head at Her. "We'll see, | guess."

"In truth, seeing you with Alpha Hunter madesee what it's

supposed to be like, or at least what it could be like with Lucas. He's a good man. He followed the law, but the

law is wrong. I'm glad you're here, and proud to call you my Luna," she says. “Thanks, Kinsley. Now, | know

something of running a packhouse, but it's been a long time."

It's nearly lunch twhen | see Hunter again. He comes looking for me, finding Kinsley and I in the kitchen

making sure lunch is ready for the pack. He walks up behindand wraps his arms around my waist.

"What's for lunch?"

"Barbeque beef and pulled pork sandwiches."

"Yum. Are you stopping to eat? I'd like to talk to you," he says.

"I could take a break and eat something," | say, knowing he's worried about how thin | am.

"Good, let's get sfood and sit. Or we could eat in my office."

"Whatever is more comfortable for you," | tell him.

"Let's eat with the pack. They're all still getting to know you. They'll appreciate having you among them," he

says.

"And you as well, Alpha," | say as | grab a sandwich. He frowns when | only grab one, but after breakfast, | don't

want to put more food on my plate than | can eat.

We say hello to several pack members before sitting down.. "Okay, Alphas Kayce and Robin will be here this

weekend."

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"This weekend as in two days from now?" | ask.

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"Yes. Since they are coming from so far, they will be staying the night. I'd like to plan to have a private dinner

with the four of us as well as Lucas and Kinsley. But then I'd like to have something out back, an informal

gathering so they can see you interacting with the pack. I think they'll be watching you very closely Sophie, not

just because you're the legend, but because your

interactions withare so different than anything they've ever seen before."

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"So, you wantto make it look good?" | ask, already thinking through what we could do.

"No, | want you to be yourself. Don't put on any airs, don't act any differently than you would if it were just us

and the pack. Just being you will be different enough for them to notice."

"I can do that, and | have sideas of the type of gathering we can put together, something that has a small,

intimate feel to it, but still allows all the pack members to participate if they choose." He stops eating and smiles

at me.

"What?" | ask him. "Do | have something on my face?"

"No, you're just so perfect and I'm so happy that you're mine."

| lean in toward him. "You are such a charmer, Alpha Hunter."

He smiles, leaning in to the point where | can feel his breath on my lips. In public, he always letsmake the

final step of kissing him. I hold his gaze as | lean in, pressing my lips to his. Once | take the step, his response is

instant and his hand is in

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my hair, his head tilting to deepen the kiss.

As always, | get lost in my mate, his scent, his taste, his playful tongue. When he finally pulls away, | leave my

eyes closed for a moment, loving the way my lips tingle from his touch.

When | open them, he's smiling possessively at me.

"Definitely a charmer," | say to him, making him chuckle.

He sits back in his seat, turning back to his food. "Back to business, I've also left a message for Alpha Ezra."

"Would he come, if you invited him?" | ask.

"Maybe, maybe not. He still struggles with losing my sister, even after all this time."

"Second chance mates aren't unheard of," | say, biting into my sandwich. Pack food is SO much better than the

greasy diner food | lived on for two years.

"I don't know if he's there yet, but I'll invite him. Who knows, it might be good for him to get away from his pack.

Or it could possibly make him even more sad seeing what he could have had and lost." "Hey Luna, | have a favor

to ask," Kinsley says, jogging over.

"What's that?" | ask, putting my food aside.

| want you to write a note today to the she-wolves on the run. It's one thing forto say that you're here and

are happily mated to our Alpha, but if you were to write something...I don't know, they still wouldn't have any

guarantee that it's you, but at least it wouldn't be my handwriting saying it."

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"What should I say?" | ask, taking the pen and paper.

“Tell them the truth. We were mated in secret, we're fighting the laws that require public claiming for ranked

members, and we're offering sanctuary for any she-wolves on the run, no questions or strings attached. Well, we

will ask them to participate in the pack, so maybe put that," Hunter says, taking another huge bit of his

sandwich. The man seems to have a huge appetite for everything, including me. 'Most of all, you," he says,

winking atand makingblush.

| turn back to the paper and stare at it.

'Hedda?' | ask, wondering if she's in agreement with my idea.

'l would be happy to confirm everything you say. They may or may not know my wolf form, but can push forward,

and their wolves will feel that I'm an Alpha wolf."

| write the note, saying what Hunter suggested but then also stating that Hedda would confirm the pack's

intentions if they cto the border and ask to see me. I sign it, ‘Our word as Alphas, Sophie (Meyers) Reynolds

and Hedda’.

Hunter looks over reading what | wrote. "That's perfect," Shaw says, coming forward and purring at his mate. "No

one can deny your word as an Alpha."

"We should go for a run again soon, my mate," Hedda says.

"Very soon. Perhaps tonight," Shaw says.

"Actually, | like that idea. Let's plan on it," Hunter says, pulling Shaw back. "We could use the tto get you

acquainted with

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hepler das Artuga

288 Vouchers

our borders and you and | could do a run and assist the patrols."

"I'd like that. It's important that | know where our pack borders end, especially if those she-wolves casking

for me," | say, pushing the note back over to Kinsley. "Wishluck. Maybe someone is there waiting for me,"

she smiles, then heads out to go deliver the food to the mountain.

While she's gone, | meet with the kitchen omegas and begin talking through dinner options for our visiting

Alphas this weekend. | plan for two nights, just in case they decide to stay. Then | begin planning to put t**g

lights up all along the edge of the forest and in the area where we'll put the food and drinks for the pack, adding

storches to keep the bugs away and give brighter light in sareas.

When Kinsley returns, disappointed that no one was there waiting for her, I tell her everything that | planned

while she was gone, getting her ideas for sadditional food items that make it easier for the pack and our

visiting Alphas to mingle if they choose.

Hunter gets his return call from Alpha Ezra just as I'm ready to sit down for dinner. So, rather than wait for my

mate, | decide to sit with sof my new pack members and begin getting to know them better. I've just

finished eating, seeing Hunter enter the dining room. with a look on his face that he wants to talk towhen |

get a mind link from the patrols.

'Alpha, Luna, we have three she-wolves at the border asking if Sophie Meyers is here in our pack."

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I look at Hunter. 'Tell them I'm on my way," | say, racing outside, quickly stripping down and shifting, having

Hedda grab my clothes before running to where the patrols are waiting for me. Hunter is right behindand

while | know that Shaw could catch up, or even pass us, he stays behind me, letting Hedda and | take the lead.

When we arrive, | shift. A moment later, Hunter does too and before | can pull my clothes on, his large shirt is

pulled over my head.

"Seriously, Hunter?" | ask before turning back to the women. They are standing back from the borders, far

enough to give themselves a head start if someone cchasing after them. They're all watching the

interaction betweenand Hunter with various expressions of surprise on their faces.

As | get closer, | can smell blood.

"Which one of you is injured?" | ask, concerned.

"Are you Sophie Meyers?" one of the girls asks. | lift my nose and smell that she's a Beta.

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"I was until a few days ago. I'm mated to Alpha Hunter now," | say, pointing to where he's standing behind me.

"My nis Sophie Reynolds."

"Is this true?" she asks, holding up the paper that | wrote earlier today.

"If you're asking if our pack is providing sanctuary to she-wolves on the run, then the answer is yes. | give you

my word as an Alpha.”

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Chapter 47. Refuge

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"An Alpha's word is wortniess, one of the other giris growls.

Her words offend Hedda who pushes forward. She stomps past the patrols, standing in front of them.

"MY word as an Alpha will always be good," she snarls, and | watch as all their necks go up in deference to my

Alpha wolf.

"Shut up, Letti. You're p**g her off," the third girl says.

| pull Hedda back enough to take over but leave her forward enough so they can feel her presence and see her in

my eyes. "Are you here for refuge?" | ask them.

Rather than answering my question, the Beta asksanother question. I'm getting the feeling that she's the

leader of their little group.

"You said your Alpha claimed you in private. Is that true?"

"That is correct. Hunter is a good man, a good Alpha and together, he and | are going to fight against the laws

that require that we, as ranked she-wolves, get claimed publicly.

The Betas eyes move pastto Hunter. "Why would you do that?"

"First because I'm a possessive Alpha and | will never share my mate with anyone."

"That's why you pulled the shirt over her head when she shifted?" the third girl asks.

"That's correct. My pack knows they had better be respectful, but that doesn't mean | want anyone looking at my

mate."

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"What's the second reason?" the Beta female asks.

| turn to look at him and he looks at me. "Because, as an Alpha it is my job to care for and protect my pack. My

mate should be loved, respected, and revered above all others. How can | show her that | can protect her, that |

love her, if our first night together is a public claiming?" he asks, then looks back at the

women.

"I've lost a sister to the claiming process, I've seen ranked she- wolves struggle with their mate bonds for years,

and we, as Alphas and ranked members, are losing our most valuable possessions - you. How can we have

strong heirs to carry on our bloodlines if all of our ranked she-wolves are hiding or dead. It makes no sense to

me, so yes, | am fighting the laws and I'm working to get other Alphas on my side so that when the Alphas who

don't agree cafter me, | won't be fighting alone."

| watch as the Beta female looks at the other two. The one girl, Letti, still looks unsure, but the third girl, the one

I'm guessing is injured, looks desperate for her to agree.

The Beta turns back to me, squaring her shoulders. "My nis Allison and I'd like to request refuge for myself, ©

and my friends, Letti and Nikki."