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.

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

still shining down, keeping me warm in my nakedness. I 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

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 are heightened even more than normal. It would make sense why Elijah said my scent would be addictive. In this

that tries to claim me while in their wolf form will lose their claim, I decide that I’m going to stay in my human form. I had planned on it anyway, since I’m going to stay in 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 claimant wouldn’t be eligible to claim

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

climb down, I realize that he was not only looking for me, he climbed my tree to get to me. I sniff the air again, making sure that he is

the meat. He left me food. I can’t help but smile.

up the food, I hear a snarling fight going on nearby. This tree is no longer safe, so I tie a knot into the shirt and put the strips of meat

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

is actually hunting me. The only choice

protect myself. But if I

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