The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 3

Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 44 (Epilogue 2)

Jara

Thirteen years later

“Jaxon, your father and I want you to attend the Alpha meeting today.” I tell my son. He’s fourteen now and all those problems that I said could wait for another day? Well, that day has arrived.

“Why would I bother, mother? It’s not like I’m going to ever have a pack to run.” He says angrily, stomping out of the room.

Mason kept his promise and we stuck with the decision that Jordan would take over the pack. We, however, had been the only ones to decide to have our daughter lead the pack. In the end, all of the other packs had sons and they decided that their sons would take over as heirs. So, Jaxon is the only one who won’t. To say he’s bitter would be an understatement.

I move to follow him. “Let him go, mother.” Jordan says. Even though there is animosity between Jaxon and me, he and Jordan remain very close, thankfully.

“He’s right, you know. It’s not just hard for him. I know why you did it and I appreciate the reasons behind your decision, but it’s hard for me too. I never know if the guys who want to date me want to because they truly like me or if they are just hoping to be my mate one day so they can have a pack of their own.” She says.

I sigh. I understand that it’s hard and it’ s not just hard for my children. We’ve had a baby boom over the last decade. Alpha Quinton claimed Sophia, Katerina’s sister in her claim several years after Katerina’s. Jared, Jonas’s brother had claimed a warrior the year after Elijah claimed Layan. And other ranked members and warriors had claimed their mates. That is until seven years ago when we did away with the annual claiming.

Once we allowed females to choose their claimants, we realized that they were drawn to certain males, similar to how I was drawn to Mason. We began to believe in the fated mate bond again. So, we started having social gatherings amongst the packs. Now, mates can choose each other once they turn 18. And so far, it’s working.

But now, our packs are overflowing with pack members and, as with Jaxon, there are many ranked members that have nowhere to go and no role to play in their packs. It’s becoming more and more of a problem as they get older and their limited options become more obvious.

Rather than annual Alpha and Luna meetings, we now meet quarterly, and we rotate which packs host the meetings. This month, Mason and I are hosting the meeting.

I walk into the kitchen, seeing Layan and her daughter Ella. When Layan first got pregnant, everyone was excited. We were all so happy for her. Elijah was over the moon but insisted that they would only have one. Layan is very private about her intimacy with Elijah, but I knew she had struggled taking his knot. So, after the birth of their son, no one expected Layan to have another child, except Layan apparently.

A year after Carter’s birth, Elijah and Layan had the worst fight they’ve ever had, before or since. Layan finally confided in me that she sneakily seated herself onto Elijah at just the right moment and had managed to take Elijah’s knot again. He had been angry that she had allowed herself to be hurt as she had torn and bled, and she promised him that she would never do it again. Thankfully, five months later, Ella was born.

say to them. Both of Layan and Elijah’s children are the mix they hoped for, Layan’s blond hair and Elijah’s curls. On Ella, they are big fat curls hanging down her back. On Carter, they are the messy curls Elijah has if he lets his hair

Everyone should start arriving

Luna.” Ella says to

and Elijah setting up. They look up

He asks through the

doesn’t want

about ways to take the pressure off the ever-increasing pack sizes and finding alternate options for ranked members who

to him.’ He

the sounds of people at the entrance of

will be served soon. Would you

thank you,

claiming process. And then, once we reinstated mates choosing each other, no one has shown much of an interest in him, even though he’s an Alpha. I had heard that after Katerina’s claiming, he had stopped having relations with Isabella or any other female. However, it didn’t

son that can take over the pack when Jonas retires. Only, he refuses to

start the meeting. Since we are hosting the meeting, Mason is in charge of running it. I sit beside Jordan as

to start off today by talking about the issue that we know is going to become a real problem in the next few years. We have too many ranked members now that have no position in our packs.

in our families. Mason had insisted that we stop after five. He told me that I was not a baby making machine and that he wanted to have some time in our lives when I wasn’t pregnant. So, after the first three years, we stopped, even though Jaxon was our only son. Mason didn’t care, all of our children are happy and healthy and that

into warrior status. Quinton, you and Sophia have three boys. If all of them were to remain ranked members, you’ d have to push your Beta and Gamma’s children to warrior status. None of

Jonas asks him. Of all the packs, only his has some openings since

room. “We have ten pack lands that have no packs on them. They

would need positions.” Asher says, leaning forward. He’s another one that has two boys. One will be

and so, what I’m proposing is that we set up

at her. She’s already figured out what this means. Jaxon would have too, if he’d have shown

kind of contest?”

of the pack lands. We can decide our Alphas

females to compete?” Hana asks. I have to smile. I told Mason that

anyone who

omegas, too?” Alpha

years to figure out the logistics and decide what criteria will prove that one person is eligible to have

take a vote, and, in the end, it’s decided. We will

Jonas POV