The Claiming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)
Chapter 56
Jara
This week has been crazy. It’s day six since the Hana’s claimants went into the claiming territory. I’ve heard Seth a couple of times and I’m so thankful that he’s still alive and in the hunt.
The second day after Hana’s claimants entered the claiming territory, all of the males that were injured at the beginning of her claim were released from the hospital. I’ve made sure to spend extra time with them this week.
They missed Hana’s claim, but they will be in mine. That is, if they are willing to risk being killed again.
I know from speaking to Mason that he’s lost a couple of his pack mates. He lost an omega a couple days ago and yesterday he lost a warrior. I don’t know about the others, but if Mason has lost that many, I know there are others that will be dead in the territory. I know Seth lost at least one. I heard his howl of pain when the tether to his pack mate snapped. Every day we hear more yelps and cries.
Hana only has one more day before she can walk out on her own. I say walk, but really, she’ll be running.
If they catch her before she crosses the line of the territory, even if she’ s only a foot away, it still counts as a claim.
It’s late in the day and I’m finishing another social gathering when we hear Hana’s cry. I stop, immediately running to the edge of the territory. Elder Jason joins me almost immediately.
“What’s happening?” I ask him.
“I’m not sure, but it’s not a cry of pain, that was a cry of fear.” He says.
He’s right. I recognized the fear in her cry as well. We hear the howl of the hunt and there are several howls that go up at once.
“They have her surrounded.” I whisper.
“It would seem so.” He says as we listen.
I feel Mason come up behind me, several others coming closer, waiting to see what will happen. While the sounds inside the claiming territory have gotten impossibly louder, the sounds on our side have gone silent, all of us listening to see what will happen next.
We hear snapping and snarling. Hana’s yelp goes up again but is cut off quickly. Guards come to stand beside us, in case they need to enter the claiming territory quickly.
We hear the howl of victory, quickly followed by more snapping and snarling.
“Seth.” I whisper. I recognized his howl of victory, but why was the fighting continuing.
“Go!” Elder Jason gives the command to the guards who were waiting for his order. They race into the territory.
The snarling turns to growling and yelping and then we hear gunfire. My hand comes to cover my mouth. Seth!
Mason’s arms come around me. “He’ll be okay. You would have felt it if he were dead.”
I look at him over my shoulder quickly. He’s right. I nod before turning back.
It feels like it takes hours, but it’s probably only five to ten minutes before I see Seth break through the trees, Hana in his arms. His canines are out and so are his claws. He’s snapping and snarling at anyone that comes even remotely close to him.
Elder Jason and Mason step back as does every other male who has been watching.
I wait until he passes the line of the territory and I race up to him. He turns, snarling at me, going into a crouch. His eyes are black. He has a large slash mark across his chest and another one on his thigh. Blood is dripping down his body and onto Hana. I can see other wounds in different stages of healing all over his naked body. Hana is also naked in his arms.
“Seth, it’s me. Jara.” I say, pushing my aura out to him so his wolf can feel it. This must be the claiming haze that Mason told me about.
I watch as Seth shakes his head and his eyes clear, going back to his normal sage green color. “Jara… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I say, putting my hands up.
“You’re injured. Is Hana injured?” I ask him, slowly walking toward him.
“I don’t know.” He says looking down at her. “They didn’t stop coming for her, even after I marked her.”
“I’m going to check her Seth.” I say, waiting for him to acknowledge me before I reach out to pull her hair away from her face. He looks down at her, looking over her body, searching for injuries.
“She’s got some scratches and bruises, but she’s not nearly as bad as you.” I say to him. “You need to see a medic.” I say, but he bares his teeth.
“No. I’m not leaving her.” At that moment, some of the other claimants come walking out of the territory. He snarls and snaps at them, his canines coming out again.
“Seth!” He doesn’t respond to me, so I reach out taking his chin and forcing him to look at me.
“Seth, the guards are here to protect her. I can smell your scent on her, I know you claimed her. You need to focus on what she needs. The claiming is done. She’s yours, Seth.”
His eyes clear again, his canines retracting as he looks down at her. A tender smile spreads across his face. “She chose me.”
“What?” I ask, not understanding what he means.
He looks up at me. “Did you tell her what father told you, about choosing your mate if you can’t get out?” He asks me.
“I did.”
He nods, looking back down at her. “They had her surrounded. I was injured and there were four of them.” His eyes cloud over with the memory.
“I was trying to get to her. She saw me and raced to me, jumping into my arms. I sank my teeth into her neck, but I could feel them surrounding us.” He stops, looking at me.
“They weren’t going to stop. They were going to try and take her from me. I had to kill them, Jara. I had to, for her.”
I don’t let my shock show. I know, as an Alpha, he would feel extremely protective of his new, unconscious mate. I also know, as an Alpha, that he has killed before. “You did what you needed to do to protect your mate, Seth.”
He frowns as he remembers. “Beta Elijah was there, he helped me fight them off.” He says and we both turn and watch as Elijah limps up to Mason. He also looks like he’ s been in a fight. His body is battered and bloody.
He looks back down at Hana. “I hope she can forgive me. I didn’t want to kill them, but they gave me no choice.”
“She’ll understand. I’m sure she realized that other wolves were dying in the territory. She will understand that you were protecting her.”
He looks at me and I can see the exhaustion in his eyes. “We need to get you cleaned up. Come on, I’ll walk you to the female housing. You can stay in Hana’s room.” I say, gesturing for him to come with me.
I turn, looking at Elder Jason “The claiming territory will need to be cleaned. I’ll send a medic to your housing. Get your brother seen.” He says to me.
“Yes, Elder.” I tell him before walking Seth back to our housing.