The Claiming by Cooper

Chapter 73 Mason

Mason

Where is she? Where is she?

I walk back to the trees where I can smell her scent, then to the trees past it where it disappears.

Where is she? Where is she?

Back and forth, back and forth.

She’s got to be somewhere. But her scent ends here.

Back and forth, back and forth.

I look up into the tree for the hundredth time. I can’t see her. Even if it was daylight, I couldn’t see her. How can I find her if there is no sound, no scent?

Where is my mate? Where is she?

When I collapse, exhausted, I lay under the tree. The last one where I can find her scent. Maybe tomorrow, I can find it again. If not, I’ll have to go searching for it somewhere else.

How could she escape me? She can’t. She must be nearby. I’ll stay here. Guard her, guard what’s mine until I can claim her.

I close my eyes, only for them to fly open in what feels like moments. I stand, ready to fight. What did I hear?

No one is

the ground, lifting my nose into the air, sniffing again. There, on the

capture the scent, trying to find that delicious smell. My mouth waters at it. All I want to do is sink my canines into her neck,

lift my head up, listening, not wanting to move. This is a hunt, and I am a stealthy predator. I will hunt my mate. I will run her down if I have to, but I just need to

my face, I catch her scent. I turn, focusing my attention on the leaf, sniffing hard. It’s

as they will go. There, very faint, is her scent. I have her caught

low for me to catch. I still can’t

in my frustration, clawing at the tree, leaving big

sense more than hear another wolf stalking

down on his neck as I catch him by surprise. I shake my head, violently as our snarls and growls echo in the surrounding forest. Animals all around us

me. His paws begin scratching my underside, slicing into my ribs, but I

rip free, it’s with a mouthful of fur and flesh, leaving a gaping wound on the wolf’s back. I leap

Dividing into pages now

front leg. I feel teeth bite down on my back, tearing my skin and sinking into my flesh. I thrash my head, hearing the

pain, letting go of my back. I take the opportunity to grab hold of the side of his neck, my bottom teeth puncturing

have him in a death hold. I just have to wait him out. He continues snapping at me until he becomes too weak. When he collapses at my feet, I hold on to him until I hear his breathing and heart stop. I hold on for

air, howling my dominance over this competitor who thought he could take

to make sure that he won’t get back up before turning back to the tree. I jump up and realize that my mate’ s

I was fighting to the death,

Elijah POV

injured. I was hoping that I would be immune to the claiming haze, but once he succumbed

that Mason had Jara treed, I found a tree that I could climb and slowly made my way to her. When I finally got to her, she was in a precarious position. The limb she’s on is small and as I watch,