The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 190: Saying Goodbye

Hunter

Last night was bittersweet. I’m truly happy for my friends and what they’ve accomplished, but **n it hurts to know that I won’t have Lucas by my side every day any longer.

I convinced Lucas to join me for one more training session. I get up early, letting Sophie sleep. I know today is going to be a difficult day for her too. She and Kinsley have gotten very close, but hopefully, the bonds we created here will continue. And while we’ll see them less, the times we do see them will be that much more special.

When I walk out onto the training field, Jaime is already at the front of the group, Lucas standing beside him.

“Get used to Hunter being late to training,” Lucas says good naturedly to Jaime, making the warriors chuckle.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. In the last two days since you’ve been gone, he’s beat me to training,” Jaime says, giving it right back.

“Spoken like my new Beta!” I say. “Come on, Lucas. You’re with me today.” I say as my warriors grumble that they don’t get a last chance to spar with him.

It’s a great sparring match and I know that Lucas is ready to take his place as an Alpha. When we’re done, he rubs his side and smirks at me. “D**n, you really are upset that I’m taking a handful of your pack members, aren’t you?”

“You could have given me some warning,” I grumble.

“Where’s the fun in that?” he says, chuckling as we walk inside. I refocus my attention on Sophie, and I feel her overwhelmed with her emotions.

“I need to go find my mate,” I say, all joking gone.

“So do I. Today will be…”

“Tough. Yeah, it will,” I say before jogging upstairs to find Sophie in the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, crying.

When I walk in, she looks up at me with tears streaming down her face. “I’m going to miss them so much.”

I scoop her up, and gently carry her into the room, sitting on our loveseat and snuggling my mate against me.

with Lucas this morning,” I say,

nods. “How did

if Sophie’s emotions are getting to me, or if I’m struggling on my own with

see them again soon.

be walking into our offices asking to speak with us, we won’t run into them at the pack hospital as we’re having our pups checked. It won’t be the same, but we will see them and once

breathing in my scent as I hold her in my lap, rubbing my hands over

we shower together. I wash her hair and feel her relax as I massage

done, we head downstairs to have breakfast, seeing Lucas and Kinsley surrounded by pack members all wanting to speak with them before they leave. I can tell that Kinsley is struggling just as

she extends her hand, and Sophie goes to sit beside her. I get my mate some breakfast and hand her the plate while she and Kinsley talk to the pack members. I can feel Sophie struggling not

knowing that Lucas needs help loading their things. It’s

doesn’t look like much, does it?”

the start of a new life,” I say

looks at me, and I see the same emotion in his eyes that I feel in

he says, and I pull him into

to miss

while they say goodbye to everyone.

you’ll be a great Beta for Lucas but get your a**back to this pack when you’re done,” I tell

Alpha. I didn’t…I didn’t realize it would

helps that Brooklyn will be there soon for Luna

“You too, Leah,” I say as she walks up, having said goodbye to her

Alpha. I’m sure I’ll want to come back a lot to see my

“You’re always welcome.”

move to Beth and Chloe. “This is a whole new opportunity

I’m terrified. What if I screw up?” she

don’t cost anyone their life or put the pack at risk. Then when you make a mistake, own up to it and learn from

“Thank you, Alpha!

others outside, Sophie and Kinsley taking the longest to say their goodbyes, both still crying. Lucas and I walk up to them, wrapping our arms around our mates much like