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.

lot going on. I don't really have time to stop for lunch

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.

finally took me seriously. She doesn't eat as much as she should, or as

his eyes. Where he is unable to make headway with

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sigh internally, I can at 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 find some of these

at Lucas. "I'm not.

female, and 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

three trays

the 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

what to do, except in the one instance where she

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

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can't move past it

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

table thinking back to that birthday party two years ago. That 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

wanting him to go after his daughter. But he refused. He said if she was unwilling to participate in these events, then who was he to force

Alphas threatened to go 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

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on eliminating the public claiming process since the day 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

was two years

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among the ranked females. Rather than waiting until their 18th birthday to tell them

down their packs, refusing to allow any ranked females out alone. Rather than fixing the problem, this has 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

some packs, such as my own, there is disagreement within the pack itself.

Chapter 6 Kinsley