The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 49: Sophie's Power Kayce

"What do you think of Hunter taking a mate privately?" | ask Robin. He and | had decided to drive together. Our

packs are close in proximity and while we both could have done work while we were driving, sometimes it's

better to confirm alliances rather than to let them sit idly by until one day you realize that your ally is no longer

your ally. My father learned that lesson the hard way and | don't intend to repeat history.

"Honestly, | don't like the practice myself. | hate being in the room every ta woman is claimed, but | won't

miss the events in case she's my mate?"

"But he broke the law," | say. And this is where | struggle. If we all begin breaking the laws that have been put

into place, then it becomes anarchy.

"| agree, but | also think that we have to consider that our she- wolves, our ranked females, our best possibility

for creating a strong future and another generation of strong Alphas, are literally killing themselves."

| sigh. He's right and | know he is. | don't like it any more than he does. It's been almost a year since there's been

a coming-of-age party for a ranked she-wolf. Any other females are gone long before they turn 18. | know many

Alphas and other ranked members are out hunting down their mates, but | refuse to do that. | refuse to hunt her

down, running her nearly to death or possibly to her death, like she's nothing more tothan prey.

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Unlike sAlphas, | want a partner, not another pack member.

"Well, we've agreed to hear him out at least. Did he tell you anything about his mate?" | ask.

"No, just that he marked her in private, and he refuses and will continue to refuse to mark her in public."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what he toldas well."

"Did he tell you he's received a summons to the Committee?" Robin asks me.

"Is that why we're meeting next week?" | ask.

"That's why."

"Well f**ksideways," | say.

"Sorry, you're not my type," he says, smirking at me.

"A**ole," | grumble. Robin laughs as we approach Hunter's pack borders. We let the border patrol know we've

arrived, and we drive onto his pack lands.

"Pretty area," | say, to make conversation.

"Yeah, there are several packs in the near vicinity and mountains in between them, giving them a natural

separation."

"How do you know so much about this area?" | ask.

"We went to Luna Amelia's 18th birthday party two years ago, remember? After she was claimed, | spent the

next day looking around the area before leaving. Dutton is their neighbor on the eastern border, and | spent a

couple of days with him, working

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on an alliance with him."

Something else that has caused problems with the public. claimings in sinstances, such as with Alpha

Calvin, is that our alliances have becstrained because their Lunas do not wish to see the men that

witnessed their claiming. SAlphas don't care, but the good ones, like Calvin, do.

"That was smart," | say, just as my wolf, Rodion, stands up in my head.

'Rod, what's going on?"

He doesn't answer me, but when get out of the car, he lifts our nose in the air and takes a deep breath.

Gingerbread, the scent of sweet gingerbread, like cookies that have just cout of the oven, warm, with

maybe a hint of icing envelopes my

senses.

'Find that scent,' he growls at me, just as | hear a female voice. welcomingto the pack.

| jerk Rodion back and look at the woman who is holding hands. with Hunter. Actually, holding hands, not him

holding her, but her fingers are intertwined with his and...she's smiling. | thought Hunter said that were just

mated

I'm annoyed when Hunter introduces his new mate and she's none other than Sophie Meyers. I'm tempted to get

in the car and leave. She's the cause of all of our problems. But | drove with Robin, and he looks intrigued.

Besides, Rodion won't letleave. He's practically ready to pull a shift to find that scent.

I'll admit my mouth is watering, but geez, we'll get sd**n cookies. 'Chill Rod," I growl at my wolf. 26.47%

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However, the moment we step inside, the scent surroundsand Rodion pushes forward, moving toward her.

"Mate," he growls, ready to claim her right here, right now.

| can see the terror on her face as she repeats the word to me. And then, my view of her is blocked by Hunter.

"Stand down, Kayce. | do not allow public claimings in my pack and this woman is under my protection."

"She's my mate. Get the f**k out of my way," Rodion growls.

"No, and if you don't want her to reject you, | suggest you get a hold of your wolf," Hunter growls, and | can feel

Shaw pushing forward, ready to shift if Rodion does.

"Get it together, Kayce. We chere to hear what Alpha Hunter and his Luna have to say. Let's give them time.

I'm sure Alpha Hunter can assure us that he won't send your mate away while we're busy, right Hunter?" Robin

says, nearly stepping between us to keep our wolves from fighting.

"She's here, under my protection. | won't send her away, but | won't allow her to be claimed against her will

either."

"Her will? She's my mate!" Rodion growls, pushing past Hunter only to have his way blocked by Luna Sophie.

| feel the blast of her Alpha aura as her wolf pushes forward, her eyes flashing with the threat of violence. "Get a

hold of yourself Alpha. Now," she snarls.

The shock of finding my mate finally wears off and | pull Rodion back. He begins pacing in my mind, keeping a

close watch on

his mate. Our mate.

1 look at the woman, | don't even know her name, but she looks terrified. | also realize there are two other

females blocking my path to her and Hunter's two Betas on either side of her, ready to protect her. "My

apologies. | didn't mean to scare you, or your wolf. | wasn't expecting to find my mate today, so | wasn't

prepared for my wolf's reaction. Alpha Hunter, it seems, has been keeping quite a few secrets," | say, growling at

him.

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have cand then where would you be?" he asks me, unabashedly.

sigh, ignoring that remark and focus on my mate.

"I am Alpha Kayce. My wolf is Rodion. May | at least have your names?" | ask her, careful to make sure that Rod's

growling doesn't exit my mouth. "Allison, and my wolf is Mizette."

"Allison," | say reverently just as Rodion begins purring at his mate's name. | smile. "Mizette, meaning a mini

reflection of you? How appropriate."

She seems surprised that | know what her wolf's nmeans. "She's very much like me," she says shyly.

I nod, unwilling to let her out of my sight, but also not wanting to scare her.

"Perhaps, Luna, our dinner for four could beca dinner for seven? Assuming the two young ladies who are

also protecting

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my mate fromare her friends?" | ask Luna Sophie.

"That will be up to Allison, Alpha," Luna Sophie says.

| look back at my mate. "My word as an Alpha that | won't try to claim you. | would just like to get to know you

and my wolf is going to drivenuts if he can't see and smell you," | say honestly, eliciting a small smile. |

realize | want to see that smile, much larger, on her face every day.

The two women in front of her, well one is still a girl, underage, turn and look at her. Rodion sniffs the air, one

Alpha, one G**a.

'And our mate is a Beta, he purrs

"Do you trust his word as an Alpha, Luna Sophie?" she asks. | want to be offended, but I know that not all Alphas

can be trusted these days. However, it's interesting that they are asking Luna Sophie, not Alpha Hunter, since he

knows us, and she doesn't.

Even more intriguing tois that Sophie turns and looks at Hunter, asking him if | can be trusted. | turn to look

him in the eye, raising an eyebrow. He watchesfor a moment, then nods.

"Alpha Hunter trusts him and if he does, | do," Sophie says. My eyes flash back to Allison.

She nods, then looks at the other two. "You don't have to come."

"Like hell I'm not," the Alpha female says.

"What happened to your leg?" Robin asks her.

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"Casualty of the war we're fighting to not be claimed publicly and not be hunted down like dogs," she says

sharply. She's got grit, that's for sure. If she's an Alpha, she's someone's prize, but not mine. My prize is still

watchingclosely.

"Will

you walk with me?" | ask her holding out my arm.

She looks around at all the others, but it's Luna Sophie who shrugs, basically saying it's up to her to decide.

| wait her out, pleased when she slowly walks up to me, barely putting her hand on my arm, as if she's afraid

she'll have to jump away fromat any moment.

| cover her hand with mine, noticing that her eyes nearly roll into the back of her head as she takes a deep

breath of my scent. I'll

have to ask her what I smell like to her.

"How about you two, may | escort you ladies?" Robin asks, using his most charming voice.

"Fat chance, Alpha," the Alpha female says to him, but it only makes him smile.

"Do | at least get a name, little Alpha?" he asks her.

Once again, the girls look at Sophie, not Hunter for confirmation that it's okay. | have sorely underestimated her

power over these young she-wolves. Something | need to make sure | never do again. When Sophie nods, the

Alpha female looks at Robin, her chin up high. "My nis Nicole, but everyone callsNikki."

He nods, then turns to the other young woman.

Chapter 43 Sophie's Power

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"And you, little G**a?" he asks the other one.

"Letticia, but everyone callsLetti."

"And what's your name, Alpha," Nikki asks, her voice still full of snark.

"I am Alpha Robin and my friend, as you heard, is Alpha Kayce."

"Now that that's settled, where are we meeting?" | ask.

"Right this way," Hunter says, and begins guiding us to the room where we will eat and talk in private.

x

On the way, | rub my thumb over Allison's hand, pleased when | feel her body shiver in response to my touch.