The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 72

Jara

After leaving Elijah, I skirted around the territory, staying in the trees. I have food now, thanks to Elijah and based on what he told me, things are going to get increasingly worse in these last few days.

As I’m skirting the edge of the territory in the trees, I find another cliff. This one has a small watering hole in it. It’s probably meant to be drinking water, which I need, but I also need to wash this blood off of me.

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I’m careful this time, checking all sides of the cliff before leaping from my tree to the top. I turn and immediately crouch to see what is going on below me. From here, I have a better view of the chaos on the forest floor. Every where I look, there are wolves fighting, running, hiding. It’s terrible. There are very few that are still in groups now, they all seem to be on their own.

Mason’s shirt and realize that once again, it is also covered in blood. I check my surroundings once more before pulling it off

lay the shirt down on a rock, letting the heat and sun dry it before I have to leave. I wish I could spend the night here but it’s not safe. Having seen how easily Typhon’s Beta snuck up on Elijah,

below and eat another piece of meat. Everywhere I look, wolves are sniffing the ground, hunting for me. And everywhere I look, there are only wolves. No one seems to be in their human form anymore. It must be because of the claiming haze, in our wolf form, our senses

the trees for as long as I can. But knowing that my claimants would have to get out of the haze long enough to realize they need to shift to catch me just confirms that decision. Because, even if I’m marked by a wolf, the

cliff, I grab the shirt, and pull it over my head. I take one more look around. I’ll try to come back here if it’s safe. I like it up here, especially since there is water. I take a couple more gulps, using my hands to scoop the water, before leaping into the nearest tree and heading toward my spot from last night. I felt safe there and no one was around. I’m hoping it still

for me. When I leap into one of the trees I use to climb down, I realize that he was not only looking for me, he

to the tree where I slept last night, I see the meat. He left

as I pick up the food, I hear a snarling fight going on nearby. This tree is no longer safe, so I tie a knot into the

the verge of stopping and settling in for the night when I hear the howl of the hunt. I’ve been hearing them for days now, so I’ve become accustomed to ignoring them. However, this one is coming from the direction I

only

fall, I’ll be injured and unable to protect myself. But if I don’t, every remaining

now, but thankfully, I can see in the dark, as can all wolves. Mason’s shirt which was once white, is now