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.

Layan’s blond hair and Elijah’s curls. On Ella, they are big fat curls hanging down her back. On Carter,

for breakfast? Everyone should start

Luna.” Ella says

walk into the conference room, seeing Mason and Elijah setting up. They look

wrong?’ He asks through

want to attend

finding alternate options for ranked members who will have no place in the packs. It’s

talk to him.’

I hear the sounds of people

welcome. Come in, breakfast will be served soon. Would

would be great, thank

only Alpha to never get his mate. While his brother has been happily mated for years, Jonas never claimed a mate during the 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

pack when Jonas retires. Only, he refuses to retire. He has no one to share his life with, so he continues to spend

plate, and we all sit to start the meeting. Since we are hosting the meeting, Mason is in charge

to business. “I’d like 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. Not only that, our packs can’t continue to handle the massive growth that has occurred over the past decade. Even though

making machine and that he wanted to have some time in our lives when I wasn’t

of our children will reach maturity in the next 3-4 years and have no role to play in the pack unless we begin making Alphas into Betas, Betas into Gammas and moving Gammas into warrior status. Quinton, you and Sophia have three boys. If all of them were to remain ranked members, you’ d have

suggest?” Jonas asks him. Of all the packs, only his has some openings since he doesn’t have any heirs. Jared’s sons can take over as Alpha

around the room. “We have ten pack lands that have no packs on them. They are overgrown and need work, but they are

says, leaning forward. He’s another one that has two boys. One will be Alpha, but the other would either have to push his Beta’s heir aside or have no

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

She turns to me, and I nod at her. She’s already figured out what this means.

of contest?” Antonio

We can decide our Alphas first and from there, they can choose their Betas and

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

me. “I think that anyone who wants to compete, should

saying warriors and omegas, too?” Alpha

for debate and we have a couple of years to figure out the logistics and decide what criteria will prove that

in the end, it’s decided. We will have a

Jonas POV