The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 277

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

Chapter 04 (Jordan)

"I need to get Jace and Carter in here. They need to hear this," I say, mind linking Jace who I know is close.

I try to mink link Carter, but his mind link is closed. Before I push through, I'll see if Jace knows where he is. I wouldn't want to interrupt some romantic interlude.

Jace knocks coming in and closing the door.

"What's up," he says, not stepping any further into the room.

"Come in and sit down, we need to talk. Do you know where Carter is? His mind link is closed off," I say.

"We need to talk about that, but for now, let's chat without him. What about Beta Elijah?" Jace asks.

"He's over talking with Griffin," I say, giving him a meaningful look.

Griffin, my cousin and Alpha of his pack, finally told Layan and Elijah's daughter Ella that he's her mate. Griffin is nineteen where Ella is only 17, so Elijah felt the need to have 'the talk' with Griffin. Jace grimaces at that but comes and sits down. "Is this about what was so important earlier?" Jace asks Nolan. "Yes."

I give Jace the quick version of Nolan's story, watching as he gets more and more concerned. When I'm done, he sits back and scrubs his hands over his face.

"Do we know anything about these wolves? Names, who their parents were, anything?" he asks looking at Nolan.

"I don't."

Jace turns back to me. "You know you' re not the only female Alpha any longer, Jordan. If these wolves are feeling displaced, they could be talking about Taylor."

I've been the only female Alpha for so long that I had completely forgotten about Taylor.

"That's right, your cousin is now an Alpha of her own pack, isn't she?" Nolan asks me.

"Yes, you would have met her during the training for The Contest," I say absently. "She's part of Griffin's pack."

"I never made it to that pack. The only weeks they were free, I was booked. Which pack did she end up choosing?" I look at Jace. "The one between our pack and Griffin's pack. Even if they're after Taylor and not me, she's close enough that it puts this pack in danger. Add to that, she's family and it's a real problem."

"We need to alert the council," he says. "Yes, Councilman Jason ran The Contest, but I hear that Councilwoman Gia is planning to run The Beta Trials."

"You should call your mom, Jordan. She's on the council now too," he says to me gently. He knows how much I try to do things on my own, without my parents' help. But he's right, this is different. This isn't about me and this pack. This could potentially impact not only me and/or Taylor, but also the new packs that are being formed. Nolan said one Alpha is after the Alpha female, but he also said there is at least one more pack out there.

"This could put Flavia and Evangeline and their new pups at serious risk too," I say, turning back to Nolan. He's been watching the silent exchange between me and Jace. It wasn't intentional, but Jace has been Gamma longer than I've been Alpha. He and I have worked together for years and have a way of understanding each other without words.

"You said there is more than one pack," I say to Nolan. "Do you know how many there are?"

"I only know what the bears told me. But Jordan, you and the packs here will need to do damage control with the bears eventually. You may have been living in an unspoken alliance with

them, but it is the actions of the packs here that have caused the issues that the bears have now. My suggestion to you and the pack leaders is to have someone go speak to their leader. Get as much information as you can from him, but also do damage control. They are losing their kin because of these wolf packs."

I move to my desk and pick up the phone. My mother was just arriving at Raelyn and Collin's pack when I left. "Jordan, what a pleasant surprise," she answers.

"Mother, I need you to come home. We have a situation that requires a discussion with the council."

"Tell me everything," my mother's voice has instantly gone from motherly to serious.

I give her a basic rundown of what Nolan told me.

"We'll want to speak with Nolan. Can you send Jace over to warn Taylor? She'll need to know the entire story and I'd rather not have her hear it third or fourth hand at this point. I will call Seth and make sure he knows that Taylor needs to have more than just herself and a couple of wolves on her pack lands at all times."

She pauses as I look at Jace. The thought of sending him to go tell Taylor makes my stomach churn.

"I know you're the Alpha, Jordan, and of course it's your decision, but we should consider working with Griffin to help protect Taylor's borders."

"Yeah, I've already thought of that. I'll send Jace to speak with Taylor. If you call Alpha Seth, I'll call Griffin. Elijah is over there now speaking with him about being mated to Ella."

I hear my mother snort. "Elijah has always been very protective."

"Yes, he has."

"Okay, I'll call Seth, then the rest of the council. Your father and I will head home just as soon as I talk with Collin and Raelyn and let them know of the danger of being out here alone."

"Teagan and Rowan too, mom. At least Jaxon and Evangeline are heading home soon or heading here, I should say. But that will leave Tobias and Flavia out there alone with their new baby. It's a big problem that we need to look at, not just for Taylor, but for all the packs."

"Spoken like the true Alpha that you are, Jordan. Your father and I will see you soon."

"See you soon, Mom."

I hang up and look at the two men who are watching me closely.

"You're sending me to warn Taylor?" Jace asks me.

"Yeah. You may want to suggest that she either come stay here or at Griffin's until the council meets and we can figure out how to make sure that not only she, but also the other packs are going to remain safe," I say before turning to Nolan.

"My mother said the council will want to speak with you. Can I have a room made up for you to stay here until that meeting is scheduled?"

"I would appreciate that, thank you," Nolan says, glancing at Jace.

"I'll head out now, so I can be back before it gets dark,” Jace says, making sure I understand that he's not going to spend any unnecessary time with Taylor.

"I'll walk you out," I say, just as there is a knock at the door.

"Come in, Alicia," I call out.

She comes in with another omega. "Alicia, can you get a room set up for Nolan? You can put him on my floor. And I'm done with lunch," I say. I see Nolan frown at my nearly untouched food. "Of course, Alpha."

I walk with Jace to the perimeter of the pack lands before turning to him. "What's this about Carter?" I ask him.

He blows out a breath and shoves his hands into the pocket of his jeans. "He's considering entering the Beta Trials."

It hurts, but it's not surprising. I don't want to ask the next question, but I need to know the answer.

"And what about you, Jace? Are you entering the Beta Trials?"

Faster than I thought he could move, his arm is around me and he has me pressed against his body.

"Why would I enter the Beta Trials when what I want is right here, Jordan?"

"Jace..."

"I've asked for a chance, Jordan. A chance to prove to you that I'm ready to be the mate you want and deserve. I'm not going anywhere. I'm ready to claim what's mine and you are mine, Jordan."

Before I can say anything, his hand is in my hair and his mouth is on mine. It's a gentle k*iss, full of promise and as much as I know I should pull away, I don't want to. His mouth is warm, his lips are soft and something about k*issing him feels so incredibly right. Everything that has felt off for the last week while I was gone, settles inside me.

He pulls back before I'm ready for the k*iss to end, rubbing his nose against mine. "I'll be back soon," he says before stepping back, stripping, then shifting and racing off to see Taylor.

I watch him go, my lips still tingling from the k*iss. Stupid mate bond