The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 78

Jara

When I left Mason at the cliffs, I thought he’d catch me quickly. When he didn’t, I was surprised, but also on alert. Just because I don’t see him doesn’t mean that he isn’t up to something.

It takes me awhile, but I finally find a tree that will hold my weight but few, if any, of the males left in the claiming. I climb high, knowing that Mason won’t be able to smell me when he finds me. I know he will, he won’t sleep tonight if he doesn’t find me.

Title of the document

However, because the tree is smaller, in general, than the others that I’ve been sleeping in, I can only go so high before the branches become too small to hold even my weight.

I get as comfortable as I can, using several branches that are bunched together to squish myself into. Between all of them, I feel safe that my little spot here will hold.

I’ve nearly fallen asleep when I hear the rustling of the underbrush beneath me. Then I hear a limb snapping and the growling of frustration.

I lean over and see that Mason has found me. I’m really surprised that it took him this long. As I watch, he jumps up again, only to break the limb and fall back to the ground. Then he’s up and climbing the tree next to me. When he leaps over to my tree, I feel it sway with his weight.

Shit! I didn’t plan for him to get to me up here. There’s nowhere for me to go.

he falls to the ground, only when he lands, he’s in

did the other night. Then he leaps up, trying to catch my scent. His howl of frustration brings several wolves

as if he’s trying to bring it down. In between he’s attacking wolves who either try to attack him

it’s the middle of the night. I’m exhausted and cramped but unwilling to move. Mason lays down at the bottom of the

me again. He’s whining and growling, then he scratches at the tree before jumping up

exhausted by the time the sun starts to rise, but my adrenaline is

and see that Mason is sleeping again. I carefully unfold myself from this tree limb bed, hearing my joints crack and creak as I stretch them after not moving for so

look down again. Still sleeping. Good.

careful not to slip and send debris tumbling onto Mason. If he wakes up now, there’s no chance I’ll

my Mason’s attempt to climb to me, I leap to the tree next to me. This is the tree that Mason climbed last night.

below me. The ranked wolves are aware enough to know that this is the last morning, their last chance to catch me

this point, they’d probably pull the trees down to get to me. When I get as close as I can,

clock at the entrance. It’s 7:30am. I have 30 minutes and

have congregated near here. They are all keeping their distance from each other, but right now, they are so busy trying to

possibly, and several warriors from Seth’s pack that I know. There are some others, one definitely is an Alpha based on his size and others that are large

probably 30-40 wolves waiting for me, all searching, all whining and growling in frustration at not being able to find my scent. The breeze is

I send a silent thank you to Elder Jason for giving me the time so I don’t rush it. If I tried to leave the claiming territory before the end of the claim, the males would be within their rights

still asleep? Does he not

the ground beneath me. The wolves are all moving around