The Claiming by Cooper

Chapter 286

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

Chapter 13 (Jace)

It’s late in the evening when I step out back behind the packhouse and see my sister sitting on the patio looking out over the pack pool and the forest.

“Is this seat taken?” I ask Melinda. She’ s nursing Kaiden and I’m assuming that Jonas is upstairs with their other two. “It is if you sit in it,” she says, and I take the seat.

“So, am I getting another niece or another nephew?” I ask her.

“Don’t know yet, it’s too soon. We should find out next week.” I turn and look at her. “I saw dad leave. How was that?”

She shrugs and I smell the salt of her tears. I reach over and lay my hand on her arm.

“It was good to see him,” she says, and I can tell her throat is tight with emotion. She looks down at Kaiden, stroking his head of dark hair. He, like Ryder, is going to look like Jonas.

I stroke her arm, not saying anything. She swipes her face with the back of her hand. “He says mom’s sorry, that she misses me and wants to meet her grandchildren. I just… how do I trust her after what she did? How do I even begin to forgive that? You know?” she says, turning to look at me.

“She kept me from my mate, the father of my children, making us both think that we didn’t want to see the other. Who does that? What kind of person keeps their child away from her mate because you don’t agree with the age difference?”

“I’m probably not the best person to answer that question, Mel,” I say, turning and looking out over the forest.

She’s quiet a moment.

told Jordan that you

sister. “I’d ask how you knew,

to you, Jace. I’m glad you

and now it’s time for my

chuckles. “I bet she did.

person,” I say jokingly, feeling my chest loosen

she’d really ever be okay with that,

to believe that I was good enough for her,” I say quietly. “Your mother dying had nothing to do with

I may have been young, Jace, but I remember how closed off you were after your parents’ death. You tried to shut everyone out, and you did a

at the memory of Melinda, who was like a beacon of sunshine in my dark and stormy

see in you, Jace, is the same thing I’ve always seen, someone

and I reach out my hands. “Here, let me,” I say, taking him and putting him against my chest, rubbing and gently tapping

face me, pulling one leg up in her chair and leaning

to prove to her that I can be a good mate to her, that I’m worthy

think you have to

a moment. “I do now. Maybe I didn’t before, but I do now. After everything, well, she hasn’t

we have to add another mate bond to the

I ask, more sharply than

eyebrow at me. “I think you already know what I

a moment.

I’ll take that as a

lean down, k*issing the top of my nephew’s head, smelling his

you going to do about mom?” I ask

in her seat, slouching down and

would give her a chance to see Ryder and Molly and meet

she’d be

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