The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 48: Unexpected Sophie

I'm not sure what got into me, except when Hunter talked about Owen, I started thinking about what my life could have been like if Owen had marked me, if Hunter hadn't gotten there in time. The thought of being that man's mate, of being bound to him, set me off.

Then, to hear my mate tell me how incredible he thinks I am, to feel his pride in being my mate through our bond, well, it just made me throw caution to the wind. What I hadn't expected was the feeling of happiness from the pack. They seem to like seeing the two of us being close, seeing how strong our relationship is and how much trust we have in each other. It once again makes me proud to be Hunter's mate. It also makes me wonder how much stronger our bond will be over time. Our relationship has such a strong foundation, I can't imagine how our love and trust will grow in the future. And Hunter didn't let me down. I wrapped myself around him, kissed him with utter abandon and he answered my kiss until I was ready to stop. He didn't push for me to continue, pressure me for more, or make our kiss feel unseemly or seedy. It just felt like a woman kissing the man she loves with all her heart, which is exactly what it was. Well, that and Hedda might have been staking her claim in front of our visiting ranked members and the female warriors in the pack.

'He's mine. Everyone needs to know that,' she says.

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"Everyone does. We wear Hunter's and Shaw's marks, and they wear ours. No one can claim that we aren't mates.'

The moment I say it, I know that's EXACTLY what the Alphas are going to try and say. Or at least say that our marks aren't valid in their eyes because they didn't watch Hunter mark me.

'Which is why we have to win. Not just because they are wrong, but because we are right. Look at the difference in our relationship with Hunter. Your sister and her mate may never have what we have in less than a week."

'I know, Hedda. And I know that we have to do this for the others, for Allison, Letti, and Nikki, for Penny and all the others on the run. I just don't understand why it's so hard, why the Alphas in particular are fighting so hard against this.'

'Because this isn't their reason for fighting. It's not about the mate bond,' she says, making me stop.

'What do you mean?'

'I don't know what their real intentions are, but if this was about the mate bond, they wouldn't be fighting so hard to keep things as they are. They'd be fighting to make the change. So, it's not about the mate bond itself. It has to do with something else. around the public claiming process,' she says.

I'll have to think about that. What Hedda is saying makes sense. The Alphas are literally out hunting for a mate instead of running their packs. They want a mate, so it's not about that. Changing the laws would change the she-wolves desire to run and leave the pack, making it easier for the Alphas to claim. them. So then, what is it?

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My thoughts are distracted by the discussion over breakfast. Today, I want to go see Nikki and after hearing Allison say that Nikki wants to be here when our visiting Alphas arrive, I know that I need to make sure that she's well enough to be released from the hospital. I don't want her injuring herself further to protect her friends. Hunter and I will do that, if needed.

When we finish eating, I kiss my mate again, taking an extra moment to deepen the kiss and also holding his hand against my face. I know he'll release me the moment I end the kiss, but I want him to know that trust him. So, when I pull back, I hold his hand against my face, feeling his thumb caressing my skin

while he stares into my eyes.

"I'll see you soon," I say shyly.

"Not soon enough," he says, leaning forward to peck my lips again before I release his hand.

I feel like I'm floating as I lead the girls to our pack hospital.

"What's it like?" Letti asks me.

"What?" I ask.

"Feeling so safe, so comfortable with your mate."

I think about it for a moment. "I'm not sure how to describe it. It's unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's like the best day of my life magnified by a hundred, no, a thousand. There's so much love, so much... care and concern that I feel from Hunter, that it's beyond my words to describe."

one day that I

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we walk into the

see our doctor walking out of a room, and

do so, but only if she's willing to walk on crutches. Her rays show that her wolf is healing her, but her bones aren't completely

to aggravate her Injury,

Nikki sitting on the edge of her bed,

as Allison and Letti

says snarkily. "Yes, my mate did tell me that. And the doctor told me that you are only allowed to leave if you use your crutches. So, where are they?" I say,

with

front of her. "Do not risk further

stand by and allow my friends to be marked

Chapter 48: Unexpected

mated publicly," she growls.

leaning into her space and letting my Alpha aura push hers back. Because she's weak, it's no contest, but I imagine that when she's healthy, Nikki will have a

given my word as an Alpha to keep you all safe,

her face becomes contrite. "My apologies, Luna. I did not mean to offend you. I...It's in my nature to protect," she says, as if this changes things. I just raise my eyebrow at her.. "Okay, you're an Alpha wolf

and I do know what

also under my protection. I know that doesn't sit well with an Alpha wolf, but this is my pack, I am the Luna, and I gave my word as an

in and smiles widely.

ordered for you," I say as

then we head

them, letting Allison and Letti tell her about what they've seen in the pack so

Alpha Hunter in training this morning,

if all Alphas

fast," Allison

be out of

knew what to say to get me out of my head and into the fight,' I

Owen," Letti says,

and his ranked members caught me. He realized I was an Alpha when I didn't shift after he commanded me. He shifted, intending to mark me in wolf form, then command me to shift into my human form. He had me pinned. He almost had me..." I say, my heart rate s**g

he didn't, and he never will," Hunter's voice rings out across the courtyard we've

walking into Hunter's arms and letting him bring the peace that only

I hear Nikki

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mild. She kisses tem,"

"A lot," Letti sayı

enough," Hunter says smaling

you

initation, so I tuned into your emotions. I don't like

lifting up on my toes to kiss him. Because! know we have an audience of ranked she-wolves, I slide my hand into his hair and deepen the kiss. He

have work to do, no distracting me," he says,

this morning," I say, swinging my hips a bit as I walk up to the packhouse door, turning to

to discovering your choices this evening," he says,

truly never thought I'd say this about anyone, least of all an Alpha, but that man is s**y," Letti says. "No

Nikki says, watching me closely. "Allison and Letti told me that it was different

none of us has ever seen a mate bond like