The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Chapter 21
Jara
When Layan finally stopped crying, we stepped back to give her some room. “I’m so sorry, Alpha Jara. I’m sure you’re here for something important. I didn’t mean to take up your time.” She says, sniffling.
“You’re right, Layan. We are here for something important. We’re here for you.” Hana says to her.
She turns, looking at all of us. “For me?”
“Yes. We’ve been worried about you, so we decided we’d come visit and have a pajama party, movie and popcorn weekend.” I say.
“And pizza!” Annabel says. There’s a hint of a smile on Layan’s face at that.
“But, before we can have our party, you, beautiful, desperately need a bath.” I tell her, cupping her face.
“Oh!” She exclaims, her hand going to her hair as she looks down at her wrinkled, soiled clothes. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, Alpha, Beta.” She says, looking at me and then Hana.
“Oh foo on that. We’re all Lunas now.” Mignon says to her.
Layan’s eyes go wide. “Lunas? All of you?”
She frowns, looking at Mignon. “But I thought Beta Asher claimed you.”
“He did.” She turns, looking at her mate lovingly where he’s standing by the front door, watching but giving us space. “But then his Alpha died, and he took over, making me a Luna.”
She turns, looking at Annabel. “Who claimed you?”
“Tony. Or you’d remember him as Alpha Antonio.” Annabel says.
“And you?” She asks Hana.
“Alpha Seth. So, Jara and I are officially sisters now.” She says, smiling at me.
She turns to me. “Mason caught me, but just barely. I almost made it out on my own.” I hear Alpha Asher snort behind me.
“Come on, we can talk while you get cleaned up.” I tell her, putting my arm around her shoulders and guiding her back the way she came.
As we pass, her mother mouths a ‘thank you’ to me. I nod at her, and Hana squeezes her hand as we pass her.
When we get to her room, we can smell the stale smell of sweat and tears. I pull Layan into the bathroom and begin running the water in the tub.
“I’ll get you some pajamas for our pajama party.” Annabel says.
“I’ll find some clean sheets so we can make the bed up for you.” Mignon says, walking off to find clean sheets.
Hana looks around the bathroom as I help Layan out of her clothes. She’s so exhausted, it’s like she’s a child, barely able to comprehend what’s going on around her. Once I have her clothes stripped off of her, I get her in the tub. When she doesn’t release my hand, I sit on the side of the tub, holding her hands as Hana comes back with shampoo, body wash and a cup so we can wash Layan’s hair.
“You’re really here to see me?” She says softly, never taking her eyes off of me, as Hana begins to pour warm water over her head. Her hair is so oily that it just flows right off.
“We are. We love you Layan. We’ve all been worried about you. So, when we saw Alpha Davis last weekend, we asked if we could come to visit you, and he agreed.” I tell her and Hana begins working the shampoo into her hair.
Tears begin to slide down Layan’s cheeks. She looks down and Hana looks up at me worried.
“What is it, sweet girl?” I ask her gently.
“I can’t sleep. You said we’re having a pajama party, but I can’t sleep. Every time I do, the nightmares come….”
“If you can’t sleep, we’ll stay awake with you.” Hana says to her, coaxing her head back up so she can continue washing it.
Annabel comes in, carrying a set of fluffy pajamas with baby ducks on them.
Layan looks at them a moment before turning away. “Those are for children. I’m not a child anymore.” She says quietly.
“Who says they’re for children?” Annabel says. “The ones I brought have bunnies on them.” She says, coming to sit on the other side of the tub, and grabbing the body wash.
“Really?” She asks before turning to me.
“What about yours?” She asks.
I roll my eyes. “Mason said he didn’t want me forgetting him, so he got me pajamas that has wolves all over it.”
She giggles at that, but only for a second, as if the sound is foreign, and unwelcome.
“Mine have kittens on them.” Hana says as Mignon walks in.
“What has kittens on it?” She asks, coming to sit beside me.
“My pajamas.” Hana says.
“Layan was saying that her cute little duck pajamas are for children.”
“UH!” Mignon looks offended. “Mine have little puppies on them. And they are soooo soft. Asher got them for me.” She looks at me, smiling. Asher got them for her when they found out she was pregnant, obviously.
“So, you see, you won’t be the only one wearing cute little baby animals on your PJs.” I tell her.
“Okay.” She says. I can tell Hana’s head ma*s*sage is relaxing her. That and the warm bath. When she’s as clean as we can get her and her hair is rinsed and conditions, I help her out of the tub, putting a towel around her. Mignon gets her brush and begins brushing the knots out of her hair.”
“So? Is it pizza first, or are we going to have popcorn and sodas?” I ask her, still holding her hands. She has a death grip on me as if she’s afraid that if she lets go, I’ll disappear.
“I’m not very hungry.” She says.
“Well, then, we’ll make pizza, since I know that everyone else is starving. And I believe I remember your favorite being pepperoni?” I ask her.
She nods and Hana turns to head to the kitchens. When she’s done combing her hair out, Mignon braids Layan’s hair into two braids and she helps me get her into her fluffy pajamas.
When we’re done, Mignon heads to her room to change into her pajamas. Annabel has just returned wearing hers.
“Do you want to go with Annabel, or do you want to come to my room with me while I put on my pajamas?” I ask Layan. I know that even though I’m a Luna now, I still have Alpha blood. Layan, as an omega will respond the most to me, so while I’m here, I plan to give her as much attention, love and comfort as I can. Hana, being a Beta, will be able to help too, but even though Annabel and Mignon are now Lunas, they aren’t true ranked members. Layan will feel safest with me, and I know that.
“Can I stay with you?” She asks.
“Of course. Annabel can come with us. I’m not even sure where my room is.” I chuckle.
“I do. I made sure your things were in there, Jara.”
I wrap my arm around Layan’s shoulders as we walk, and Annabel holds her hand. When we get to my room, I can see that Annabel must have put my things away for me. I smile at her before sitting Layan down on a chair in my room and getting my pajamas.
After I change, we head back to the kitchen and living room. Because my arm is around her shoulders, I feel her tense.
“It’s okay, Layan. We’re all here for you. You know I… we would kill anyone that tried to hurt you.” She looks into my eyes, hers so fearful, before I feel her body relax and she nods.
I get her settled on the couch with Annabel, Mignon coming in at that moment and sandwiching Layan in between them.
“I’m going to check on Hana and the pizza and I’ll be right back. Why don’t you start deciding what we’re going to watch first.” I say.
Before I leave, I grab a blanket off another couch and wrap it around Layan, tucking it around her and kissing her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right back.” I whisper to her.
When I walk into the kitchen, I can see that Hana is touching as many of the males as she can while still trying to get the pizzas made. She looks at me and subtly nods in the direction of a male who’s off to the side and trying, unsuccessfully to make a pizza.
I walk to him and as soon as I touch him, I can feel that he’s as bad as Lewis was. “What’s your name?” I ask him, keeping my hand on his back and slowly feeling his body relax, as if he the rigidity is leaving and it’s allowing him to regain control of his muscle functions.
“I’m Giovanni.”
“Giovanni? I hope with a name like that, that I’ll get the best pizzas of my life.”
He laughs, looking down at the pizza crust he was trying to prepare. “My mother was Italian. She made the best food.”
“I’m hoping she taught her son how to cook?” I ask.
“She did, Luna.”
“Perfect! Make me a delicious pizza Giovanni.”
“Yes, Luna.” He says and begins putting the pizza together in a much more organized fashion.
Alpha Davis and Asher come in.
“What’s for dinner?” Davis asks, looking at Giovanni.
“Pizza and apparently I have to impress a bunch of Lunas.” Giovanni says, focused on his work.
I stand beside him, doing little things to help him, but basically just giving him time beside me to help with his feral-fever.
Alpha Davis looks at me and I wink at him before turning back to another male that has come up to me.
I see Alpha Asher watching me and Hana, frowning. I don’t have time to worry about that as I’m busy trying to help Davis’s pack members, get food made and get back to Layan.
When the first pizzas come out, I send Hana into the living room with them so they can begin eating. Annabel comes in almost immediately, getting glasses and drinks for us. She also looks at me thoughtfully for a moment before walking back out. When the last pizza is in the oven, I turn to the room of men lingering. “Thank you all very much for your a*s*sistance this evening. I hope to see all of you again tomorrow morning at breakfast?”
“Yes, Luna!” They say and I make a point to touch each of them as I walk out of the room, carrying yet another pizza.