The Claiming by Cooper

Layan’s Return Chapter 12: Jara

288 Vouchers

Jara

The difference between this year’s claiming and last year’s is evident on the first night. Like last year, we have a welcome dinner where everyone attends. However, rather than wearing their finest gowns, this year is a more casual affair. Everyone still dresses up, but not to the level that we did last year. This isn’t a pageantry.

Layan had been terrified of walking into the dining room alone, so Mignon and I had held her hands and walked in with her. Unlike Katerina and McKenna who decided to sit at a table with a bunch of claimants and begin to get to know their possible contenders. Layan chose to sit with us. ‘Us’ just happened to include Elijah and Davis.

Annabel arrived earlier, but being very pregnant, she decided to skip the dinner tonight and rest in their room.

I look over at Layan and Mignon. “I heard from Seth. Hana had her little girl a few hours ago. They named her Harper. Momma and baby are healthy and doing well.” I tell them.

That gets the expected ‘ahhhs’ from both Mignon and Layan

“I hope we get to meet her.” Mignon says, gently rocking the baby carrier in the chair beside her.

“You guys should all start planning play dates for your daughters to play together. They will all be around the same ages. They should grow up as friends.” Layan says.

“That’s a great idea.” Mignon says.

“We should build a multi-pack school.” Davis says, leaning over and joining our conversation. He had been talking to Asher, but he got

distracted by a dirty diaper and had to leave for a moment.

him, joining in

and several hundred juvenile males in all of our combined packs, maybe we should start considering a community education program. Most of us live within an hour or so drive from each other. We could find a place

a great idea. The pups in our pack are all different ages. Trying to educate them all at their different levels is really hard. If we had a centralized

stretch to build a school. We could figure out transportation, especially from the packs that are farther away, to

the council. They can put together the project, interview staff interested in becoming teachers, it could be a good alternative for omegas that aren’t strong enough to be warriors but want to do

and look at her. She shrugs. “All of you have pups, and/or you’re busy running packs. I have time and it would be something positive for me. Tessa says I

”

liked cooking.” Davis says, frowning.

there’s only so many different ways that you can make chicken.”

name for it, she called it a blah-blah. So, if she mixed whatever was in the kitchen together using chicken, her

I’m that

passionately about

says.

to

underlying current of competition in the words being spoken by Elijah and Davis. It’s almost as if they are trying to prove that they

is dancing.” I say, cutting off whatever

says, looking at me.

tell him, thinking of our first dance together. His eyes get dark

preoccupied by

early, my love.” He says, smiling

you were.” She

Layan, do you dance?” Elijah returns

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