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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"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

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 her into my office, and I told her that she either

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

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

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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 find some of these females. Would you be willing to

then looks at Lucas. "I'm not.

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

get three trays of food and

door closes, Lucas looks at me. "Thank you, Hunter. I know our mate bond is not your problem, but as my Alpha, as her Alpha, you seem to have a better understanding of how to get through to her than I

do, except in the one instance where she was killing herself. Everything I do leaves the decision up to her. Perhaps

caused all of these problems. That night, she had no choice. It didn't matter how

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can't move past it

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 to o**m.

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.

that occurred after Sophie ran. Many Alphas bonded together in 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 who

stood beside him. I was surprised when Alpha Ezra, my sister's mate, also stood beside him. I guess I shouldn't be, though. My sister killed herself to get away from the mate bond. Alpha

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that Sophie left. For al long time, the Alphas kept tabs on him, certain that he knew where his daughter was, ready to go find her and drag her back. However, from everything that I could tell, she never contacted him, and he never sent anyone out to find her. They still keep tabs on him, just

was two

11

until their 18th birthday to tell them what was going to happen, mothers

the public claiming. This has only made the Alphas become even more strict

packs have become divided, creating clear alliances, and splitting the packs into one of two sides. One 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 it has not become a

Chapter 6 Kinsley