The Claiming by Cooper Book 3
Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Chapter 18
Mason
Later that week, Seth and Hana arrive with their two little ones in tow. Hana immediately goes to Layan, hugging her tightly.
“I’ve missed you!” She says. “I can’t believe you’re here. You literally gave birth a few days ago.” Layan says to her.
Hana scoffs at that and I see Seth giving me a pained look. He obviously wanted to wait longer to come here. I just give him a knowing smile. I’m mated to a strong woman too. I get it.
As this year’s females settle into their daily routine of choosing their claimants and participating in their social gatherings, it gives me time to speak with my Gamma Luke, who is running things back at the pack. Since we have quite a few pack members here, there isn’t a lot going on. but the pack still has to be managed and run. In the mornings. I video chat with him and discuss everything that is going on, what I need to handle, or anything that he’s dealing with.
Jara and the other Lunas usually go to the stage in the morning when the females announce any new members in their claims. Jara told me that Layan has invited a few omegas from her pack. I was a bit surprised by that, but Jara told me that she has worked with them in the kitchens and is fairly comfortable around them. Not surprisingly, she hasn’t chosen any more Alphas for her claim.
We’re coming to the end of the first week, when Councilman Phillip comes to see me and Jara.
“Hi Dad.” Jara says, walking up to kiss him. I shake his hand in greeting and ask if he wants to come in.
“Actually, I’d like it if the two of you would come with me. We have a visitor that would like to speak with the two of you.”
“Who?” Jara asks him.
“Dr. Braxton.”
I feel Jara stiffen beside me as my hackles go up. “Why does he want to meet with us?” I ask.
“I don’t know, but I told him it would be better if I came to get you, rather than bringing him here. Too many pups here and most of you are already feeling protective of them, and that doesn’t include all the talk about testing.”
It’s true. I look at Jara. “We can at least see what he wants.” I tell her.
She asks the other Lunas to look after our pups and we follow her father to the main packhouse. When we arrive. Phillip takes us to his office, the same office that Jason used last year when he was managing the claiming.
I can hear the sounds of chattering from the back of the packhouse where they are having their social events. It really is amazing how different this year feels from last year when tensions were so high.
When we walk into the office, Dr. Braxton stands, extending his hand. “Alpha, Luna. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“Doctor.” I say, shaking his hand.
Jara does the same and Phillip turns to leave. “I’ll let you talk. Let me know if you need anything.” He says before walking out and closing the door.
“Please, have a seat.” Dr. Braxton says and we sit, facing him across the table.
“I wanted to meet with you both because I’m not sure I was clear in discussion last week.” He begins.
“You were clear that our children have higher antibodies than we do, as does Melinda. You were going to test the children of the other recently mated Alphas and Lunas to see if their pups have the same higher level of immunity.” I say. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought.
“Yes, well, I’m glad that much was clear.” He says, clearly nervous.
“What is it that you wanted to talk to us about, doctor?” Jara says, trying to ease his discomfort.
“Well, as Alpha Mason said, your pups are showing a higher level of antibodies than what we found in our testing of the Lunas and other she- wolves. What I think you may have overlooked, Alpha, Luna, is that one of your pups is a male. He also is showing the higher level of antibodies in his system. It’s very possible that he is the first male to ever actually have been born with antibodies in his system.”
I frown. I had missed that part. I had been so concerned about what it meant that our pups had higher antibodies that I’d completely missed the part where my son shouldn’t have any.
“What does that mean?” Jara asks.
He sighs, pushing his glasses up his nose, looking at both of us. “I can’t say for sure yet. But there are some possibilities. First, it’s possible that we, as a species, are evolving. That means, it’s possible in the future, both males and females will have antibodies for both feral-fever and claiming fever. Or it could be that as a true Alpha, he inherited the antibodies from you Luna.”
He looks at me. “I’d like to take some blood, Alpha, but I understand that you were beginning to feel the effects of going feral before you claimed Luna Jara. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“So, I would a*s*sume that you don’t have the antibodies in your system. I’ve started another round of tests, looking at the males, specifically the older population and my initial findings are very interesting.”
He pauses, pushing his glasses up his nose again. If Antonio was here, he’d be pushing him to move along. Dr. Braxton likes his pregnant pauses.
“I took samples of older males who have been mated for long periods of time, or from males who may have lost their mate, but were mated for a long time before their mates passed away. In those instances, such as with Councilman Phillip, the males have a low level of antibodies in their system. It’s not enough that I would say they were born with it….”
“But having spent so much time with their mates who conceivably did have the antibodies, their bodies actually were able to produce enough to keep them from going feral?” I ask, trying to follow along.
“That’s correct, or at least, that is my current a*s*sumption. None of this data will be known for sure for many years. But we know from Alpha Typhon’s tissues samples, that he did not have the antibodies in his system. It’s possible, had your sister lived, Luna, that he too could have developed a low level of antibodies in his system over time.”
“So, you’re saying that we, the ones with the antibodies, truly are a vaccine to the ones that don’t have antibodies?” Jara asks.
“It would seem so. But that brings me back to your son. His antibodies are off the charts, along with your daughter’s, Melinda’s and now I have the data from Alpha Seth’s and Luna Hana’s newest pup, Harper. Her antibodies are at the same high levels.”
“So, what is it that you want from us, doctor?” I ask him.
“I’d like to do more tests, on samples from both of your children, but specifically from your pup Jaxon and also from you Alpha. I want to see if you have dormant antibodies in your system that may have been genetically passed to your son, or if, as I suspect, he is the first to have them on his own.” He says.
“You should talk to Seth as well, doctor.” Jara says. “As a true Alpha, Seth would have a higher possibility of having these dormant antibodies or whatever they are, just as much as Mason.”
“Yes, I am hoping to speak to him and Luna Hana while I’m here as well.”
“Antonio as well.” I say. “He’s a true Alpha.”
“Thank you. I’ll speak to him as well.”
“When do you want my blood?” I ask him.
“I’m ready to take samples right now, Alpha. You can roll up your sleeves and I can draw your blood here.” He says.
“I’ll go get Jaxon and I can bring Hana and Seth as well, if you’d like, doctor.” Jara says to him.
“That would be much appreciated, Luna.” He says and Jara walks out to go get our son. The doctor grabs his syringe and his tubes and begins taking my blood.
“You know doc, you keep asking for all this blood, I’m going to start worrying that you’re a vampire.”
He just laughs as he draws another tube of my blood. I wasn’t completely joking.