The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 157

Mason

Jara wasn't happy with the outcome of the council meeting, but I convinced her to calm herself so she doesn't get her blood pressure up. The doctor has already threatened her with bed rest to which she reminds him that while he is a doctor, she's Luna and an Alpha and she won't be commanded.

The council had decided to wait until our next Alpha meeting, no longer called alliance meetings since it's only the alliance members on the call, to discuss the next round of results for the Luna's blood work. In the end, all six Lunas, Nina and Isabella had given samples. I'm very excited to hear the results.

While I don't need the results to know that Jara's presence has made an impact. I will be interested to see what they say about them. I am thrilled that I haven't had to put any of my pack members down this year. We lost so many due to fighting that we can't afford to lose any more.

Not only do we need to discuss the results, but we also need to start planning this year's assessments. Unlike previous years, I think the council members are correct. I don't think anyone will be eliminated from this year's claiming due to not passing assessment. I know none of my pack will fail assessment. However, that doesn't mean that they won't suffer because of it. And that is the cause of my current argum Jara.

with

"Love, I know you want to be there for the pack, but you're pregnant with twins. You'll be three weeks away from your due date, IF you take them to term, which the doctor says is not likely."

"This is my pack too, Mason. You can't do it all." She says, and as much as I want to be angry with her, I admire her strength, passion and love for

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this pack to truly be angry. But that doesn't mean that I'm giving in, not this time. There's too much at stake.

"Jara, you're considered a high-risk pregnancy getting pregnant with twins after having a miscarriage. I know you've been doing well, and the doctor says that everything looks good, but I remember last year. You were exhausted, you and Hana both."

"But we were helping everyone, Mason. Now it will just be our pack members and you'll be here too. I won't over do it." She tells me and I don't know if she actually believes that or if she's hoping that I believe it.

"Are you willing to stay seated throughout the process? Are you willing to stay strapped to a heart monitor, one for you and one for the twins? Are you willing to have the doctor here in case something goes wrong and are you willing to stop helping if either he or I say it's taking a toll on you?" I ask her, knowing the answer already, but wanting to know if she's thought this through.

"I can help." She says, but her voice lacks the force that it had earlier.

"You can love, and I want you to, but not like you did last year and not without parameters and breaks. LOTS of breaks. And at least one nap each day, maybe two if you get too tired." I tell her.

"Fine. Not like I won't have to pee every five minutes anyway. Your children seem to think it's fun to jump on my bladder and kick my kidneys." She says as she begins rubbing her stomach.

I move to her, rubbing my hand on either side of her stomach, feeling both my children respond to my touch. I still have no idea which body part is pressing against my hand, but the first time I felt it, it brought tears to my eyes, reminding me of doing this with Mena.

"They're probably just trying to stretch out in there, love. I mean, look at you. No one would know that you're pregnant with twins. You're all belly

and that's saying something."

"I guess." She says grumpily before turning away from me.

"Where are you going, love?"

"To pee. Again!" She says, waddling away.

"Do you want me to draw you a bath?" I ask her, knowing it helps relieve some of the pressure on her back, at least for a short amount of time.

"Only if you're joining me." She says.

I begin following her into the bathroom. "If that was meant to be a deterrent, it wasn't and never will be."

I draw the bath and grab some towels, along with a washcloth and body wash. When she's done, I help her get undressed and into the tub. Then I strip down and slide in behind her. As soon as she leans back against me and I put my hands on her stomach, I feel her relax. Perfect.

She closes her eyes as I begin to gently wash her belly, watching as her stomach moves with the movements of our children. I don't know that there will ever be a time when I'm not fascinated by this, knowing that there is only a thin layer of my mate's body between me and my children.

"What are we going to do about Layan?" She asks, pulling me out of my thoughts. I look at her, but her eyes are still closed.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"We can't send her back to the claiming alone this year. You saw her at the council meeting. And Davis said she had a panic attack the night before. She'll freak out, Mason. Hana, Annabel, Mignon and I have been talking about it. We all want to go.

My hand stops washing her and her eyes open to look at me. I refocus on

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the motion of washing around my baby's butt, or head, or knee, or whatever is poking out of Jara's stomach, giving myself a moment to collect myself.

"You're saying you want to go to the claiming, to be there for her?" I finally ask.

"Yes. We all do."

"Are you planning to stay in the main packhouse?" I ask, knowing there is no way on the Goddess's green earth that I'm allowing my newborn twins to be in that chaos.

"No. We think it would be a better idea to stay in the females housing from last year. There will only be three females this year and so it shouldn't be a big deal to stay there. In the beginning, there will be too many males in the packhouse if their numbers are accurate. It won't be until the females choose their claimants that the others go home and make room in that packhouse. But by then, we'll all be set up in the other house. I think it could work, don't you?" She asks, opening her eyes and looking at me.

I look at her for a long moment. "Yeah, it could work. Are all of you set on going back this year? Because the other three will still be pregnant."

"Yes, we need to do this for Layan."

I sigh. This is not a battle I will win, and I never start a fight unles know I'll be the winner.

"Okay, I'll talk to the council and make it happen."

She squeals, putting her hand on my face and turning it toward her so she can kiss me. Her warm lips press against mine and what starts as a thank you kiss quickly turns into something more. There's a lot I would give up in this world to make Jara happy, and while

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