The Claiming by Cooper Book 3
Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Chapter 22
Mason
I’m in the hospital’s makeshift nursery when Jara and the other Lunas walk in. “How did you know what to do, Layan?” Jara is asking her.
“Seriously, Layan. That was awesome.” Hana says.
Layan blushes and shrugs. “I’ve been helping Luna Nina when she’s needed help and she taught me some things. And,” she says, pulling an ear bud out of her ear, “I literally had a doctor in my ear the entire time.”
I walk over and kiss Jara, as she takes Jaxon from me. I’m still holding Jordan. It’s getting easier to balance two now. Just as I’m about to ask what happened, the doctor walks in.
“Nice job, Layan. Thank you for your a*s*sistance.”
“No problem, doc. Alpha Antonio said he’d get his daughter to you so you can check her over.” Layan tells him.
“He already did, thank you. I won’t interrupt, I just wanted to say that you did an excellent job, young lady.”
Layan blushes again and I mind link Elijah letting him know that his intended mate just helped deliver a baby.
“What? She did? How?” He asks.
“Why don’t you come to the hospital and ask her yourself?” I suggest.
I feel him smile through our bond before he disconnects our link. I’m refocusing on the group as Antonio walks in, carrying his new daughter.
“Everyone, meet my daughter, Valentina.” He looks up at us. “We named her after my mother.”
“It’s a beautiful name!” The girls exclaim.
We all move around him, and I see that this baby has Antonio’s dark hair. It’s too soon to know if she will also have his darker skin tone and her eyes are closed, so I can’t tell if she got his eyes or Annabel’s.
“I’d better get back. Annabel should have calmed down by now, but she’ll be wanting to nurse this little one.” He says.
“Was she like this during the first delivery?” Mignon asks him.
“Like what?” I ask, having no idea what they are talking about.
“She’s one of those women who goes crazy during delivery.” Hana says.
“Yeah, be thankful all I did was break your hand.” Jara tells me. Yeah, thankful. That’s the word I’m looking for…
“I love my mate with every ounce of my being, truly I do. But when she goes into that delivery room, it’s like Jekyll and Hyde. She scares the crap out of me.” Antonio says. I notice that his hand is still healing where Annabel must have broken his too.
“We’ll come back later and see her after she’s had a chance to rest.” Jara tells him.
“Do you want us to take Noelle, or do you want to keep her here with you?” Hana asks him, referencing their first child.
He looks over at his sleeping daughter, smiling a soft smile that I understand well. Your heart just feels full to bursting when you look at your children, especially when they are sleeping sweetly.
“I’ll keep her with us. Can someone help me move this crib into our room?” Antonio asks.
Asher and Seth each grab an end and begin walking out. As we step out of the room, Elijah comes walking up.
“Hey there, pretty lady. I hear you’re delivering babies now?” He says to Layan, whose smile goes from sweet to brilliant in a moment.
“I did!” She exclaims.
“Want to walk with me and tell me all about it?” Elijah asks her. She nods, putting her hand through his arm. He waves at us and turns, walking off with Layan.
“I hope to the goddess that he claims her.” I tell Jara quietly. Jara just smiles and says nothing. A sure sign that she knows something that she’s not telling me.
“What is it, my little Luna? What secret are you keeping from me?”
She shrugs. “She may surprise us and choose him.”
“Really?” I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Her attraction to my Beta has been clear since the beginning. But she’s also shown affection for Alpha Davis and more recently some of the members of both our packs, if her claimant choices are any indication.
Jara just shrugs. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
The next day, I help to rea*s*sign and move this year’s remaining claimants into new rooms. With so many going into the claiming in two days and then most of those leaving if they don’t claim Katerina, there is a lot of space up for grabs in the main packhouse.
There’s a party the night before Katerina goes into the claiming territory. They have music, food and dancing. It reminds me of the time that Jara, Hana and Annabel had their private party at the female’s housing, only with more people.
“What’s on your mind, my s*e*xy mate?” Jara’s voice is close to my ear as she leans down from behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“Just remembering the good times from when we were here and those private parties you girls had.”
She leans her head against mine, watching as the groups laugh, talk and dance.
She turns, nuzzling my ear. “My favorite part was when it was just you and me.”
I bring my hands to hers, pulling them to my mouth and kissing them. “I have some very fond memories of those days.”
She leans in, nibbling on my ear lobe. “The best memory is when I took your knot for the first time, Alpha.”
“Greedy mate. It’s too bad the doctor hasn’t cleared you for that yet, or I’d give you a repeat while we’re here.”
Her nose runs against the edge of my ear. “I just happened to go see the doctor today.”
I feel my d*ic*k twitch in my pants. Surely she wouldn’t be teasing me like this if he told her she still has to wait.
“What did he say?” I ask, pulling one of Jara’s fingers into my mouth and licking the top of it before nipping it playfully.
“That my body is fully healed.”
“Did he?” I ask, and now I’m rock f*uc*king hard. It’s been over a month since I’ve been able to have s*e*x with my mate.
“Mmhmmm, and I got my mom to watch the ki….”
I don’t even let her finish. I’m up and have her over my shoulder, walking out the doors of the main packhouse in less than a minute.
“In a hurry, Alpha?” My little Luna purrs from behind me. I can feel her long hair brushing back and forth against my pants as I walk.
“The first time will be rushed, my Luna. It’s been too long. But after that, I’ll be taking my sweet time with you, reminding you why it is that you like taking my knot so much.”
“I hope you’re planning to give me another baby, Alpha.” She says, nipping at my a*s*s.
I swat hers as I walk us into our housing, not stopping to say hi to her parents, as I turn and head up to our room.
“Your wish is my command, Luna.”