The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 2

The Council by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 55

Jara

I haven’t spoken to Mason since he rejected me several weeks ago. If I’m honest with myself, I know it wasn’t a rejection, it was from a place of love that he told me no. I know that, somewhere in my mind, I know I’m being irrational, but it does nothing for my feelings of anger and hurt so I’ve stayed away from him, choosing to sleep in Layan’s room every night instead of going to our room.

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I’ve shut myself off from Mason. My grief is so overwhelming that I can’t handle any more. I know he’s hurting too, but I can’t be there for him. It’s just too much right now. The same is true for the pack. I know they are feeling grief for our loss, and I’ve shut myself off from them, not able to deal with more than my own pain. And so, I’ve stayed locked inside my own head.

I’ve avoided everyone, everyone except Layan and Isabella who refuse to let me ignore them. Or, if I refuse to speak, they sit with me, talking around me or sometimes, just sitting quietly with me. They’ve made sure that I eat and that I bathe. Otherwise, I go where they tell me, I sit where they tell me.

Tonight, as with every evening, I’m in a rocking chair on the back porch with a blanket over my lap, rocking gently in my chair looking out over the forest. Layan is on one side of me and Isabella on the other.

“Luna!” Melinda says, racing toward me.

“Melinda, no. Come back here. Leave Luna alone.” Brynn says, coming up behind her.

“I’m so sorry, Luna.” She says, taking Melinda’s hand and trying to pull her away.

Melinda is having none of it. “No momma. I have a message for Luna. I have to give it to her, it’s important.” She says, fighting to pull her hand out of her mother’s grasp.

“Melinda, stop this. We’ve talked about this.” She says, picking Melinda up.

It’s important.” Melinda says as Brynn begins to carry her

out for Melinda. She’s so insistent that whatever she feels the

back to me. I help her crawl into my lap, and she takes my face in her

dream to tell me and she said it was very important that I tell you. She made me

frown at her. “A message from Mila?”

says, nodding. Isabella is watching her closely and she leans

your dream, Melinda?” She asks, maybe wondering if Melinda has heard my sister’s name before and had a dream

like Luna Jara. Only her hair is a lighter brown, and her eyes are a light green color, not like Luna’s, which are brown.” She says, studying my face as if

That’s exactly what my sister looked like. “What did she say?” Layan asks,

have. She said you don’t have

my mouth. “What?” I

here. So, she will watch over your little girl as if she was her own, so you don’t have to be sad anymore. And she said she loves you and she’s very proud of

the hot sting of tears in my eyes. “She always wanted to name her daughter

Mila was holding her. She’s very pretty. She has your dark hair and Alpha’s grey eyes. Oh, and Warrior Lewis was there too. He said he’ll watch over them like

Melinda.” I say,

said to make sure I gave you this message. She said it would

really does. Thank you.” She

I’m

that Brynn, Layan and Isabella are all crying too. They reach out, holding my hands. I squeeze them, closing my eyes and sending a silent prayer of thanks

darkness removed. My child is with my sister, and I know she will always look

There’s no laughter, no talking, nothing. Just the sound of paws hitting the dirt in the distance as the patrols

the loneliness of the pack. They not only suffered the loss of a member of their pack, but they are feeling the

I undo what I should never have done. I open the door in my mind that connects me to Mason. The moment I do, it’s as if I can feel his head snap up, as if he’s been staring at

his scent to his office. I open the door and