The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 5: On the Run

Sophie

Nearly two years later

"Sophia! Get your head out of your a** and come get this food for table six!" my boss, and I use that term lightly, yells from the back.

I've been on my own for almost two years. I tried changing my name, but it became obvious quickly that I didn't answer to the fake names that I made up, so I had to go with something close enough that I'd actually realize they were talking to me. Sophia.

area.

When I left my pack, I had run for weeks, barely stopping and skirting around the pack lands that I knew were in my Once I was out of our area, I had to be more careful. It wouldn't be good for me to end up on someone else's pack lands. They might just hold me until my 18th birthday and force their mark

on me.

I finally stopped running in a small town full of humans. In the time I've lived here, I've only stumbled across two lone wolves passing through. They had asked if I was okay, recognizing me as a pup, but because they were also running, they didn't argue when I said I was fine.

When I got here, I found a small apartment, or rather, an efficiency. The entire place is smaller than my bedroom back home. But I don't care. Here, I'm free. There's no chance that any Alpha or ranked member will claim me publicly. I still wake

Chapter 5: On the Run

up with nightmares about what happened to my sister.

"Coming Josephine." It's not her real name. Her real name is Jane, but she hates it, saying it's boring and plain. We live in a town that is boring and plain, so I'm not sure what she thinks changing her name is going to do for her.

I grab the food and head to table six. I lift my nose, identifying which one of them is the shifter. I smelled him when he walked in, but I didn't make eye contact, choosing to watch him subtly. When I walk to the table, his eyes lock on mine, and I look at the others at the table. They are all human. He's hiding as much as I

am.

"Patty melt?" I ask, waiting for them to point me to the person who ordered the food.

"Reuben?" I ask, again waiting for them to tell me which one.

I sniff the next one. "Burger, rare?" I already know this one is going to the shifter.

"He likes it bl**dy, miss. I hope they didn't overcook it," one of the humans says, laughing at the shifter.

I look at the plate. "There's blood running off the burger, so I hope that works for you," I say, handing him the plate. He nods. and I hand out the rest of their plates and ask if they need anything else. When they don't, I go back to my other tables and it's not long afterward that table six heads out.

"Sophia, break!" my boss yells at me. I don't need a break, but I'm required to take one by human standards.

Chapter 5: On the Run

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most of the humans go to smoke. I'm about to step out of the alleyway when the

"Hey, Sophia, right?"

alert, Hedda's

don't want any trouble," he says, his hands up in front of him. "I just wanted to say thank you for

since you were among so many humans. They didn't seem to know what you

just wanted to say thanks and see if you're okay or need anything.

tell anyone that you

I'm Jethro," he says to

raise an eyebrow at him,

J'm Jaime. James. You smell like an Alpha. You

to

mean anything by it. I've seen several ranked females, several of them Alpha females on the run from the claiming process. It's a

the air again. "Would you still

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Luna of her pack. Not everyone agrees with me, but if they don't figure it out, there won't be a lot of ranked females left in the packs. Take care of yourself and watch

the head's up,"

hear someone calling

better go," I tell

nods. "Remember what I said,

think about what Jaime told me. I haven't come across any Alphas or Alpha females, but in the forest where I let Hedda out on the weekends, I've found faint trails that smelled like ranked females. Over the next couple of days, I worry about

decide to head back to a different forest this weekend, one that I don't go to often. The terrain is rockier than the one I usually go to, but that's where I've been smelling the Alpha female

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making sure I can't hear any sounds of wolves running or people whispering in the forest around me. All I

clothes away and I shift. Hedda is a big wolf, and we have to be careful not to run up on any hunters. She's

as she runs. She hates that she can only come out

landscape provides a much-needed challenge for Hedda, and she has to focus to climb up the rocky terrain to find open

feeling pretty good and has been running for hours when we hear a

'Hedda, what is that?'

says, turning to head in the direction

scream.

several males. Hedda gets on her stomach and crawls to some bushes,

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while he pumps into her from behind while three other men cheer him on. The Alpha, or whatever

by the hair, pulling her up to him. "Never run from me again," he snarls before slamming

as her