The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 30

Jara

I'm not sure why being close to Mason makes me feel better, but it does. His comforting touch and his presence are soothing. I've become more and more concerned about Layan. The howling and yelping that have been coming from the territory seems extreme. I'm thankful he's willing to sit with me. Last night, I sat by my window, alone, listening to the sounds coming from the claiming territory. I know poor Layan didn't get a wink of sleep.

I get Luke to give Mason permission to come into the gates of our housing. He isn't allowed inside the house, but we walk to a place where we can sit outside and listen to the sounds coming from the territory. Mason and I sit for hours, not talking, just listening. He has his arm. wrapped around me and it makes me feel safe. It's not a feeling I'm used to wanting or needing, but I like it and I curl up against him, taking the comfort he's offering me.

It's not until I feel him lifting me that I realize I've fallen asleep. "Come on, your guard said I could put you to bed."

I'm surprised, but I don't argue. I'm exhausted and content in Mason's arms. I hear him murmuring to someone and he replaces his way to my room. He lays me down in bed, taking off my shoes and pulling my blanket over top of me before kissing the side of my head. "Sleep well, Jara. I'll see you in the morning."

The next day, I wake up tired, but ready to face the day. When we get to the main house, I have them set me up outside again. I want to keep an ear out for what's happening in the claiming territory. The sounds coming from inside the territory have gotten even

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more frantic. There's a lot of howling and yelping, snarling and growling. Even from here I can tell that it's become fierce inside the territory. I'm not the only one effected. Even the males in my social gathering seem to realize something is wrong.

When I hear Layan scream, I race to the edge of the territory entrance. "No Jara." Seth says, grabbing me before I can go inside.

"Something's wrong Seth! Let me go!"

"One of them will try to claim you, Jara. It's not safe for you."

"I'd like to see them f*cking try." I snarl at him.

Mason comes to stand in front of me. "Jara, your brother is right. You can't go in there. But I can."

"No! No one enters the claiming territory except those that were pulled in the lottery." Elder Carson says coming up to us.

"Don't you realize something is wrong, Elder?" Hana says, coming to join us.

"Something is very wrong!" Mason says, starting to walk inside the territory.

"Any male that walks into the territory will be disqualified from any future claimings. You are not allowed to enter the event unless you were pulled for the contestant's lottery."

Mason turns, snarling at the Elder. He takes two menacing steps before he's standing in front of Elder Carson, towering over him. "You had better hope that nothing happens to that girl, Elder. Because if she is not safe and in the same condition she entered that claiming when she emerges, I'll have your job."

"You can't do that!" He says to Mason.

"Maybe not alone, but when there is more than one Alpha standing together, the council can't ignore us." Seth says, still holding on to

me.

"And if there are a group of us, they will definitely not ignore us." Alpha Antonio says, coming to join our group.

I can see Elder Carson's anger overlaid by his concern that these Alphas might actually overthrow him from his position of power. A position that he doesn't seem to deserve.

The group stands around, waiting and it's nearly an hour before see someone carrying Layan out. But what I see has my heart dropping into my chest. It's Alpha Mason's warrior carrying Layan, but something is obviously wrong. She is naked and there is blood dripping from between her thighs.

I race up to him, ripping her from his arms and snarling at him. He puts his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "It wasn't me, Alpha. I swear."

I pull Layan away from the others, Hana rushing over to look at her. "Oh goddess, Jara, what happened to her."

Mason has stepped up to his warrior. "Warrior Grayson, what is the meaning of this." Even from here, I can feel Mason's impressive aura and his anger pulsing out of him.

"As I said to Alpha Jara, it wasn't me. It was that Alpha. He......" He stops, gulping and looking over at Layan. I'm standing in front of her, not letting anyone past me. Hana is checking her over behind

me.

"He what, Warrior? Spit it out."

Just then, we see several other warriors dragging the Alpha in Layan's claim out. He's snarling and snapping at everyone around him. He's in a state of partial shift, his claws and canines extended. It's obvious that he's gone feral.

"The Alpha has been acting erratically, attacking everyone that came close to catching Layan. He finally caught her, but she was in human form and he was in his wolf form. He marked her as a wolf, then...." He gulps, his fists clenching. "While still in his wolf form, he began mating her. He shifted while mating her and then....then he f*cking knotted her, Alpha. We all had to wait until his knot went down before we could pull him off of her."

I hear Hana gasp behind me. I feel so sick I think I might vomit all over the ground. He not only mated her, but in his wolf form and then he knotted her, a virgin. No wonder she's bleeding so profusely. As one, the group of males begins snarling and growling at this blatant disregard for one of the few females left in our society. Several of the males turn and start walking in our direction. I snarl viciously, my claws coming out. Elder Carson walks up to me as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. "Alpha Jara, let us pass. The girl needs medical attention."

"This is your fault. You stay the f*ck away from her." I snarl, slashing my claws across the Elder's face, leaving claw marks from his scalp to his neck. "Come near me or her again and I'l remove your head from your body." His hand comes up to his b*oody face and he looks at me like he can't believe I just attacked

him.

I can feel my anger raging in my body and my aura. This sweet girl is a casualty of this hideous process and I've had as much as I'm willing to take. Several omegas and some warriors are showing me their throats, many are on their knees at the force of my aura.

"Jara." Seth says, walking up to me slowly. "Let me through. You

know I won't hurt her. But if you don't let someone treat her, she's going to bleed out."

He holds my gaze until I nod, and he races past me. Others move to join him, and I stand in their way, snarling at them to stay back.

"Elder Carson. I believe I warned you of the consequences if something bad happened to Layan. I'll be speaking to the council about your ineptitude. But for now, deal with this Alpha who has obviously gone feral. If you won't, I will."

"I've got this." Alpha Antonio says to Mason, walking up to the feral Alpha. "You deal with the council and let me know if they need to speak to me."

Mason walks over to me, but he keeps his distance. "I'm going to alert the medical team, Jara. Have Seth take Layan to the medical wing. I'll make sure they are ready for you."

It takes me a moment to respond. "Okay, Mason."

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He nods before turning and heading off. I turn to look at Seth who is already picking Layan up. "I've got her Hana. You lead the way, I'll be right behind you." He says.

They begin walking toward the medical facility. I follow, walking backward making sure no one tries to get to Layan. She's already been marked, but it won't stand, especially since the Alpha that marked her has now officially gone feral. But even if he hadn't, it is against the rules to mark someone in your wolf form when the contestant is in their human form.

As we're nearing the medical facility, I hear the shot of a gun and I know that the feral Alpha has been put down.