The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 63

Mason

Then next morning when I wake, everyone is moving around. No one slept well last night, since we could still here the sounds of the hunt and of killing in the night.

“What’s the plan. Alpha?” Elijah asks as we head out.

Title of the document

“Let’s head to the lake and check the hiding spots that we find along the way.” I tell him.

As we move through the territory, it’s quieter than it has been since this started yesterday. Those that tried to find Jara overnight, have finally settled or fallen asleep.

Elijah and I find several hiding spots, some with Jara’s scent and some without it. She found a lot of them, but not all of them. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. We also find some of the dead bodies that we heard yesterday. We pull the aside, knowing their bodies will begin to rot before the claiming ends.

When we get to the lake, we’re on the far side, away from the waterfall.

“What’s that?” Elijah asks pointing to the other side of the lake.

“Let’s go see. But keep your eyes open. It could be a trap.”

We walk around the lake. I use the time to sniff to see if I find Jara’s scent. It isn’t until we’re close to the bodies that I smell her. When we get to them, I can see that they’re dead and have been for a while.

“Do you think she k*illed them?” Elijah asks, having smelled Jara’s scent on them.

I look around, then up at the cave above us. “No. I think they were in the cave and were k*illed, possibly tossed into the water. Maybe Jara went to check on them and pulled them out of the water, thinking they had drowned. But either way, she was here, and I think she’s the one that pulled them out.

shift and begin sniffing around the area where the dead bodies are

tell Elijah through

looking around. He crouches down at the water’s edge. “Look

look at where he’s pointing. There is a set of footprints that walk into the water.

cave. ‘She was here when they

of hiding. That

and put my clothes back on. “I

side of the waterfall until we get to the top. We sniff the air before

her scent is strong.” Elijah

first night here.” I say, turning in a full circle to look around. I’m hoping to find any clue as to where Jara might be.

asks, coming to stand beside

read the words of the others from this year’s claiming. Then,

My sisters-in-arms. We will

slaps his hand on my shoulder. “One hell of

to get caught up here and have to fight our

the water, and my guess, she was soaking wet last night. It was a cool evening.

track Jara’s scent. I follow it to a tree and look up, before turning to look at

looking in the wrong

can figure out which

her to be up m the trees.

sniffing the air and find the tree she exited this morning. I look back up and to where we found her entrance and I begin retracing my steps. If she’s going to be spending a lot of her time in the trees, I need to know what

tree before finding the one where I think

I say

you say that?” He

the ground, but she would also have room in case

to catch her if she did actually fall

“So, now we know what to look for.” I say