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.

I don't really have time

I stay out of it. This is their mate bond, and he has to figure it out. There was a time when Kinsley did lose too much weight and I had to step in. It was soon after they had been mated and she had

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 thin

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

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least try to help. "Kinsley I was going to talk to Lucas about the missing ranked she-wolves over lunch. You might have a different perspective, different insights, something that we're overlooking that could help us

at me a long moment, then looks at Lucas. "I'm not. sure what information I

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

three trays of food and I'll be

know our mate bond is not your problem, but as

don't tell her what to do, except in the one instance where she was killing herself. Everything

no choice. It didn't matter how kind he was during the process, it didn't matter what he had done to make it as private for her as possible. She

Chapter & Kinsley

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they can't move past it

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 to o**m. He had immediately pulled out of her and scooped her up in his arms, taking her from the room. But the damage was

party seems to have been the catalyst that started it all. Sophie Meyers, the younger sister of Amelia, ran the night of her sister's claiming. Calvin, like Lucas, had done everything that he could to make that evening better for his mate. Like Lucas and Kinsley, Calvin and Amelia had a rocky start. However, they

a way they never have before, fighting against her father Alpha Carter, wanting him to go after his daughter. But he refused. He said if she was unwilling to participate in these events, then

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

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

two

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rebellion against this process, sparked a revolution of sorts among the ranked females. Rather than waiting until their 18th birthday

made things much worse. In some instances, ranked she-wolves are choosing death rather than the public claiming. This has

side is in agreement that the public claimings should end and the other is still fighting to continue with this antiquated process. In some packs, such as my own, there is disagreement within the pack itself. So far

Chapter 6 Kinsley