The Claiming by Cooper

The Council Chapter 49 Jara

Jara

My little pup has become very active. I was so excited when I first felt her move inside me. It was wonderful. Ever since Mason could hear her heartbeat, he couldn’t wait to be close to her at night. Now that he can feel her moving around inside me, he’s always touching my stomach, hoping to feel her move. When she’s awake, she never disappoints him.

Today, after Mason and our large group of warriors leave to help Alpha Davis rebuild, I decide to go with Layan and the kids outside to play. Jace and Melinda are very active and giving them time outside to run around is a great way for them to burn off some of their energy. Since Katerina will be here tomorrow for the weekend, I wanted to spend some time with Layan today to see how she’s feeling about the

visit.

I sit and watch Layan chasing the kids around the yard, playing tag and then hide and seek. When she finally comes to sit beside me, I turn to

her.

“How are you feeling about tomorrow and this weekend?”

She shrugs. “I don’t want to scare her off. You, Hana, Annabel and Mignon all had good experiences. I know mine wasn’t the norm and I know that you are working to make sure it never happens to anyone again, but….” She trails off, watching the kids playing.

“But?” I prompt her.

“But that wasn’t my experience. If she asks me, I’ll tell her the truth. Things can go bad inside the claiming territory. You know that as well as I do.” She says.

“Yes, I do.”

I’m just about to say something else, when the howl of warning goes up. Almost instantly, it is cut off, as if the person was attacked. I’m hoping they are okay but I don’t have time to worry about that.

I jump up as does Layan. “Jace! Melinda!”

We run to them, picking them up and turning to go inside when the scent of rotting flesh hits my nose.

I turn and see the most hideous creature I’ve ever seen running straight toward us. It’s black, its fur, if that’s what it has is matted all over its body. It looks like it has four legs, but they aren’t placed like they should be on a four-legged animal. The two in back are too close together and they are too close to what should be its front legs. Whatever it is, it isn’t natural.

I shove Melinda into Layan’s arms. “RUN! Get them into the safe room. NOW!”

She yells, seeing the creature behind me.

I yell again, turning to put myself between the creature that is still coming straight for

the sound of the howl immediately turn to help her.

as the creature leaps at me, Lewis jumps in front of me, taking the brunt of the hit, but the force of the creature attacking pushes it

into me, knocking me to the ground.

the creature pins

at his

ripping the creature off and Lewis gets up, standing in front of me. The smell is horrible, worse than anything I’ve

but it’s so wild, and misshapen that it’s just attacking randomly. Its snarls are feral, and I finally realize that this is a feral

that it doesn’t even know that its

in wolf form come racing over, leaping over the men to fight the creature, the creature that is also a wolf, but

yanks it away from me. The men following, attacking the intruder as they can. It continues snapping its teeth at everyone. Even when they get

safe room.” Lewis says to

is it?” I ask. “It looks like

to get up. Are

at the creature again. I would never have guessed

can you stand?” Lewis asks me again more urgently.

say, and I try to stand. My side hurts, but I push myself to my feet. I stumble, not feeling steady after my fall.

his arm around my waist. I wrap my arm protectively around my stomach and we begin making our

snarling intensify behind me and Lewis turns, releasing me and stepping in front of me just as the creature attacks him again. This time, there’s nowhere for me to go and Typhon slams Lewis into me. I fall to the ground on my back, Lewis on top of me, crushing my stomach as Typhon snaps and snarls at him, trying to get to me. His saliva, which smells

he snarls, making me want to

the back of Typhon’s leg. I can hear the crunch of bones breaking but Typhon doesn’t seem phased at all by the pain. If anything, it seems to drive

and others have slashes and gashes on their bodies. Even feral, Typhon is an Alpha. He may

form coming to attack Typhon from different sides, surrounding him. Lewis is still thrashing on top of me, trying to keep Typhon away from me and I can

he latches onto the corner of Lewis’s neck where it connects to his shoulder. Elijah, not realizing,

me lessens, I feel hot blood begin

I scream, pushing him off of me. I can hear the snaps and snarls that continue behind me, but I can’t

scream again. His eyes are so wide, and his mouth is opening

and I realize he’s drowning in his own blood

on his side, putting his head in my lap, hoping