The Claiming by Cooper

The Council Chapter 58 Elijah

Elijah

Things are starting to get back to normal. Isabella returned to her pack already and sadly, it’s time for Layan to return as well.

I had tried everything I could think of to keep her here. But today, she’s leaving, and I don’t know when I’ll get to see her again.

“My pack needs me, Elijah. You know that. I’ll see you soon. Plus, you showed me how to video call you, so I can do that now.”

“It’s not the same.” I say, putting my hands on her hips and gently pulling her toward me. I’ve been testing out the ‘I’m not scared of you‘ philosophy by doing little things like this. She never flinches when I touch her. I love that.

“I don’t want you to go.” I say. I’m trying to stay strong, but I feel like my heart is breaking. What if this is the last time I get to hold her in my arms. What if someone else claims her this year.

I look into her sweet, soft eyes. “Can I kiss you, Layan?” I ask her, hoping she’ll say yes, but also prepared for her to say no.

A smile graces her face, and she nods her head.

Never taking my eyes off of hers, I lean in, touching my lips to hers. I hold myself back from pulling her to me and kissing her passionately like I want to. If this is her first kiss, I want to make it memorable, special, something she wants more of, hopefully dreams about.

I gently slide my tongue over the seam of her lips, and they open, letting me tickle them further, gently sliding my tongue into her mouth. Her sweet taste of apricots nearly brings me to my knees. My hand goes into her hair, and I tilt my head to get a better angle. My other hand wraps

around her waist, pulling her to me. Her arms slide around my neck, and we kiss until we both come up gasping for air.

I lean my forehead against her as we catch our breath. “I love you, Layan. You don’t have to say anything, I just…”

to my lips. “I love

close with the emotion I’m feeling. I pull her to me and hug her tightly. I don’t want her to leave. It takes

Yeah, I can still feel her warm lips and taste her sweet apricots on my

each other as the car pulls away, and it’s not until they turn a

for me. I move to walk past them, my head

silence for a

that she had

know. She’s welcome back

have to claim her. I have to, Mason. If anyone else….” My throat clenches at the thought of anyone else touching her. “I

with the council. They want to wait until it’s closer to the time of the claiming, to give her time to heal and to feel more comfortable,

won’t. They can’t. There are still too many of us

her too. She’d be a good Luna.

She chose Seth. When she was cornered, she ran to him and chose him. You never know what

you and me. We were working together for the pack. We knew Luna Jara wanted you and I

to allow them into her claiming. She may not. Maybe she chooses only omegas just to give you the edge. You don’t know what it will be like this year. It will be a whole different

it. I’m ready to step back in now, so if you want

to work. The more I work, the faster this year’s claiming will come. And hopefully, the sooner the claiming occurs, the sooner I can bring Layan

it’s imminent. Alpha Gunnar won’t let this go. We have all the she–wolves, we killed the Elders, he has nothing to lose.”

my arm and holding me

know that you will look after her. I trust the pack, but you are the one that has the best chance of protecting her, just like you did against Typhon.”

think our Luna will survive his death, but I know

stealing another Alpha’s Luna. If anything happens to me, she’s at risk. Can I trust that you will protect her?” He asks and I

I say, looking him in the eye