The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 39

Mason

I feel sick as I watch the Alpha wolf shift to his human form. Alpha Cameron. Beta Luke knew it wasn't likely that he'd make it through reassessment, and he was right.

I see him from the corner of my eye, standing in the hallway. His face is a mask of the pain he's feeling at the loss of his Alpha. He throws his head back and howls his pain. The rest of the pack answering him as they feel the tether to their Alpha snap.

"Beta Luke, is there an heir for the Alpha position in your pack?" Elder Jason asks him.

He shakes his head. "No, just me."

Elder Jason nods. "We'll need to perform an Alpha ceremony today. Your pack needs an Alpha."

Jara looks up at Beta Luke. "We can have a burial ceremony this evening for Alpha Cameron, allowing your pack to grieve."

I see Elder Jason look at Jara. He hadn't planned to have an official funeral, but I agree with Jara. It's the right thing to do. His pack needs to grieve him and then they need to submit to their new Alpha, even if this postpones Annabel's claim by another day.

After they remove Alpha Cameron, Jara stands, wiping her eyes and the group of men in the room settle, all of us more somber than before. Some of the omegas that were protecting Beta Hana have now vomited from moving too quickly. Jara goes to assist Hana in helping them feel better. None of them are my pack members, so I can't help them.

As I stand there, waiting for more of my pack to come in, grieving the loss of another good Alpha, Elder Jason comes to the door.

"Alpha Mason, you volunteered to be re-evaluated today. There is a slot available now."

I nod, looking at Jara. "I'll look after any of your pack mates that come in while you're being reassessed." She says, before standing and coming to me.

Without regard for anyone else in the room, she takes my face in her hands. "You pass assessment and come back here. To me. I'll help you heal. Do you hear me, Alpha Mason? I expect you to pass and return to me." Her eyes are wild with her fear for me and her need for me to pass reassessment.

I gently put my hands on her wrists. "Yes, Alpha Jara. I hear you. I will return to you as soon as I can."

She pulls my face to hers, kissing me fiercely. I pull her against me, taking her mouth, drawing strength from her before I hear a throat clearing behind me. "This way, Alpha Mason." Elder Jason says.

I pull away from Jara, walking backward, my eyes not leaving hers. until I get to the door. When I do, I turn, and follow Elder Jason to my assessment room. Assessment is as brutal as I remember. I've had to go through it every year since I started coming to the claimings. The assessors get into your head. They force different scenarios into your mind, pushing emotions at you, assessing your ability to control yourself and your wolf. As an Alpha, the push is harder than others. We're put through simulations where we are forced to submit to another Alpha, to give up our pack and once we feel destitute, we are forced to watch as our mate, or the one we want as our mate,

chooses another. The assessment leaves you with nothing, nothing but a useless title. No pack, no mate, no place to live and no place to belong. As a werewolf and definitely as an Alpha wolf, it's the worst possible feeling you can have. Our wolves fight against it, but we have to control them, not letting them attack during the assessment. As I feel the desolation try to pull me under, I remember Jara. The feel of her hands on my face, her lips. on mine, her request to return to her, and I hold steady.

When I'm done, my head feels like it's going to explode. The pain is so severe, it's hard to see. I'm light sensitive and although I've never vomited after an assessment, I feel nauseous. I walk out, heading back to the room, intending to help my pack mates and let Jara know I passed.

The moment I enter, she's there. Her cool hands go to either side of my face and I can't help the sigh of relief. It's as if her hands are drawing the pain out of my head.

"Come sit down, Mason." She leaves one hand on my forehead and takes my hand, guiding me to a couch. I sit, leaning my head back.

"Are any of my pack members here?" I ask, wanting to know if I need to suck it up and help my non-ranked members.

"Beta Elijah is here. He's helping the couple of pack members who have come in since you left. Relax. If you feel better, you'll be better able to help your pack." She says to me quietly.

So, I stay still, letting her touch soothe the ache in my head. I'm not sure, but I think I drift off to sleep. When I wake, I hear quiet voices around me.

"Come sit on my other side. I can help two at once." I hear Jara

say.

"Thank you, Alpha Jara." The authority in the voice lets me know it's a ranked member that she's helping.

"Does this tire you out, Jara?" I ask her, keeping my eyes closed.

"Not any more than the assessments wear you out." She replies.

"So, you're exhausted?" I ask, opening my eyes and looking at her. I can see the fatigue on her face. I look over at Hana and see the same exhaustion in her face as well. "You two are overdoing it." I say, starting to sit up.

"I'm fine, Mason. Give it a few more minutes. An hour seems to be the key." She says.

"How long has it been?" I ask, not having any sense of time, but realizing that the pain in my head has become a dull ache rather than the stabbing pain it felt at first. "About 50 minutes. Ten more minutes and you're free of me."

I take her hand, bringing it to my mouth, kissing her palm. "I hope I'm never free of you, Jara.”

When the hour is up, I don't feel great, but I feel much better than I have before. I know by tomorrow I'll be back to normal.

Assessments are for the day are completed by dinner time, and Hana and Jara join the claimants for dinner. Most of them have been treated by these two today and are gracious and happy to just enjoy some additional time with them. The feeling tonight at dinner is less aggressive, more appreciative. It's good that most everyone is feeling better because we still have a funeral to attend this evening.