The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 6: Kinsley

Hunter

"Why hasn't Alpha Aiden returned my f**k**g call," I growl at Lucas.

"He's out hunting Alpha females like the rest of them," he says, gloomily.

Lucas found his mate a year ago. Once he claimed her, he realized just how right I was to hate this process. His mate, while a good Beta female and role model for the pack, still struggles with their mate bond. Every time he touches her in public, she flinches away from him.

I know he hates it, but she's actually more comfortable with me than she is with him. I asked her about it once and she told me that she saw me walk out of the room during the claiming process. She said that she trusts me because I did what I could to give her a bit of privacy. The same couldn't be said for the others at the party, and so, she still struggles with Lucas' touch.

I also know that it extends into their bedroom. I don't ask, and he hasn't said anything to me, but Kinsley hasn't gotten- pregnant yet, so I doubt they are having sex and I know it must be killing him to not be able to touch his mate.

"Anyone in their right mind who's paying attention realizes that all we're doing is causing more problems for our packs. They need to end this ridiculous process and stop having these public claimings," I growl, standing and pacing.

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Chapter 6: Kinsley

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"Yeah, I agree with you," Lucas says contritely.

There's a knock at the door and before I tell her to come in, I already know it's Kinsley. When she opens the door, she looks surprised to see Lucas in here. She collects herself quickly, then glances back at

me.

"Alpha I was wondering if you wanted lunch. I wasn't sure what your plans were for today." She glances at her mate. "I could bring you lunch as well, Lucas."

"I'd rather have lunch with you, Kins," he says.

really have time to

I had to step in. It was soon after they had been mated and she had stopped eating completely. As much as I don't want to interfere in a mate bond, she is a pack member, and I was worried about her. I brought

not sure if she didn't believe me, but when I started insisting that she sit beside me at every meal and I watched everything that she ate, she finally took me seriously. She doesn't eat as much as she should, or as much as Lucas would like her to eat, obviously. But she hasn't gotten dangerously

to look at me, a pleading look in his eyes. Where he is unable to make

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have a different perspective, different insights, something that we're overlooking that could help us find some of these females. Would you be willing to have lunch with us

Lucas. "I'm not. sure what information

these are ranked females on the run. They're in danger and we need to do something to help them. You have insights to that different than what Lucas and I have." She looks thoughtful for a moment,

get three trays of food and I'll be

Hunter. I know our mate bond is not your problem, but as my Alpha, as her Alpha, you seem to have

the one instance where she was killing herself. Everything I do leaves the decision up to her. Perhaps you should

and I know that he understands that their very first meeting, his claim of her, has caused all of these problems. That night, she had no choice. It didn't matter how kind he was during the process, it didn't matter what he had done to make it

Chapter & Kinsley

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they can't move

long after they were mated, he got **t-faced drunk and told me that the moment that his canines sank into her flesh, he felt her fear, her embarrassment, and her shame at what was happening. The strength of her emotions had flooded into him, and it had made him almost incapable of completing their mate bond. He hadn't even been able

Amelia, ran the night of her sister's claiming. Calvin, like Lucas, had done everything that he could

wanting him to go after his daughter. But he refused. He

to war with Alpha Carter if he didn't find his daughter and bring her home. But several of us, including Robin, Dutton, and Kayce, stood beside him. I was surprised when Alpha Ezra, my sister's mate, also stood beside him. I guess I shouldn't

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his daughter was, ready to go find her and drag her back. However, from everything that I could tell,

was two years

11

than waiting until their 18th birthday

actually made things much worse. In some instances, ranked she-wolves are choosing death rather than the public claiming. This has only made the Alphas become even more strict in keeping tabs on their ranked female members, and therefore causing those females to go

is still fighting to continue with this antiquated process. In some packs, such as my own, there is disagreement within the pack

Chapter 6 Kinsley