The Claiming by Cooper Book 3
Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Chapter 5
Elijah
It’s the day of my a*s*sessment. They scheduled us to be a*s*sessed a month before the claiming. The council sent the group of a*s*sessors to each of the packs and because our pack is one of the larger ones, several a*s*sessors were sent to complete our evaluations.
This year, we have nearly fifty guys going into the claiming. While no one is excited about the a*s*sessment, everyone is excited about the claiming this year. With the no kill order from the council, even omegas have a better chance of claiming one of this year’s females.
Mason had agreed to allow Jara to a*s*sist with the a*s*sessment aftercare, but only with certain parameters. I know he’s worried about her. but the doctor agreed that she could a*s*sist as long as she complied with the conditions which mostly consist of her taking hourly breaks. Since I’m up for a*s*sessment. I can’t help Mason with the aftercare of our pack members, but both Luke and Brynn agreed to help That will take a lot of the pressure off of Jara, which I know gives Mason some peace of mind.
I tell Mason that I want to go on the first day of a*s*sessment. That way. I can help our pack members who are a*s*sessed on the second and third day. But it will also give me a chance to tell Layan that I’ve passed a*s*sessment. As the time comes closer to the claiming, she’s becoming increasingly nervous. She’s told me that she wakes up almost every night now with nightmares I’ve told her she can call me any time, day or night, but she says that her mother and Alpha Davis are there for her and that she is okay
I hate that she’s in Alpha Davis’s pack and he is able to be there when she needs him. It should be me. And I can tell that she has become more attached to her Alpha, but I’m not giving up. We still talk every day and even this morning, she called me to wish me luck and tell me that she would be there for me this evening if I needed to talk.
She had told me that she wished she could be here for my a*s*sessment, but her pack is getting a*s*sessed as well and she felt the need to be there to help them. I understand, and I love that she wants to help her pack, but I really miss her. Since I’ve been through a*s*sessment many times before, so I know what to expect, but it doesn’t matter. a*s*sessment is meant to try to push you to a point where you lose control. That’s why you feel so sick afterward. You have to fight against your own nature, your own instincts, to pass.
I’m not sure if this year they are pushing harder or if they just use what they know about me to provide the worst possible scenario for me to face. But the a*s*sessment takes me into the claiming with Layan. At first, it’s fine. I’m in wolf form chasing her and she’s giving me a good run. But then, it happens. I’m forced to watch as the Alpha from last year’s claim overtakes her in his wolf form, biting her, trying to mark her as she screams, begging me to help her.
Somewhere in my head, I know this is the a*s*sessment, but everything in me wants to kill him, wants to fight him and get him off of Layan. But I have to think. I have to be smart. I need to do something. I can’t stand by and watch him hurt her, but I can’t kill him either. It will eliminate met from this year’s claiming.
So, I leap at him, biting into his back leg. I taste his blood as my teeth, puncture his flesh. His howl of pain lets me know that he let go of Layan and I tear him away from her, putting myself between him and her. He comes in to attack me, trying to get to her. I grab him again, throwing him aside before pushing back against Layan, moving her against a rock face where I know that no one can sneak up behind us. I can hear her crying, hear the pain in her voice, but I can’t lose my focus, or the Alpha will get her.
He gets up again, this time, I can see that he seems crazed. The only way he’ll stop is if I kill him, but I’m not allowed. I quickly look up, seeing the guards with guns. They are watching the scenario play out. They should have stopped him when he tried to claim Layan in wolf form, but they didn’t. If they don’t do their job, I’ll have no choice but to kill him to protect her.
He comes at me again. This time, I leap, attacking him. While we’re fighting. I see more Alphas coming. They are racing trying to reach Layan, trying to take what’s mine. I rip a chunk of fur out of the Alpha in front of me before turning, trying to protect Layan who is watching with fear in her eyes as the group of wolves approaches her.
One of the Alphas jumps on me. Another attacks the Alpha I’ve been fighting. But there is a third. I try to get past the Alpha that’s on me, try to bring him down. But he’s strong, stronger than I am. I’m forced to watch as the third Alpha shifts. Alpha Davis. I watch as he walks slowly to Layan, crouching down in front of her. My snarls of fury only increase, knowing she might accept him. She turns her head, looking straight into my eyes, before moving into Alpha Davis’s arms. I’m forced to watch as she turns her head exposing her neck and he leans forward, sinking his canines into her marking spot, claiming my mate.
I shoot out of the virtual reality that the a*s*sessment put me into. I open my eyes to a dim light that still feels blinding.
“Congratulations Beta, you passed a*s*sessment. You may go see your Alpha and Luna. They have a room set up to help the pack members heal after a*s*sessment.” I stumble out of the chair, barely able to see. My head feels like someone is banging on it with a hammer and feeling like I’m about to upend the contents of my stomach. One of the a*s*sessors reaches out to help me out of the room, but I rip away from them. I’m still caught in the image and feelings of Layan accepting Alpha Davis, Layan choosing him over me, Layan belonging to someone else.
I race to my bedroom, barely making it to the bathroom before I’m vomiting what little I put in my stomach this morning. I’m not sure if the a*s*sessors just know me better or if they are making this year’s a*s*sessment more difficult than the previous ones, but they used the best or worst possible weapon against me, the woman I love.
When I finally stop dry heaving. I stand, moving to the sink and rinsing, my mouth before feeling my way to my bed. My head has gone from feeling like someone is hammering into it, to feeling like someone sliced it open with an ax.
I grab a garbage can on my way to my bed, falling onto it, unable to do anything else. I close my eyes, pulling a pillow over my eyes and ears to eliminate as much sound and light as possible and I lay there, replaying the scene over and over in my head.
I’m not sure how long I laid there before I hear my bedroom door open. Unlike in previous year’s my headache hasn’t started to ease. But I don’t want Jara to help me. She needs to help our other pack members. I’ll heal, and I really don’t want to be around anyone right now anyway. I still feel too raw after my a*s*sessment.
I feel a cool hand on my forehead, and I instantly feel the relief.
“Luna, you need to save your strength. I’ll be fine, go help our pack members.” I say, not opening my eyes or moving the pillow.
“Not Jara.” A voice, the only voice that matters in this moment, says to me.
I rip the pillow off my head, not sure I heard correctly. But there she is, Layan. I pull her to me on the bed, curling up around her like she’s my security blanket.
“You’re here.” I say as her hands come to either side of my head, instantly easing the ma*s*sive headache and nausea I’m feeling.
“I’m here. Alpha Davis came out of a*s*sessment looking terrible and he told me what they did, using me in his a*s*sessment. I knew they must have done the same to you I knew you’d need me.
I just nod, letting her scent of ripe apricots fill my nose, soothing my senses
“Thank you for coming Layan I know your pack needs you” I say, my arms wrapped around her waist, my head on her chest, listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat, her soft breaths helping me to control mine
I feel her kiss the top of my head “You needed me more. Elijah.”
I nod again, feeling my body relax, letting her hands soothe my head until sleep overtakes me.