The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 3

Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 12

Jara

The difference between this year’s claiming and last year’s is evident on the first night. Like last year, we have a welcome dinner where everyone attends. However, rather than wearing their finest gowns, this year is a more casual affair. Everyone still dresses up, but not to the level that we did last year. This isn’t a pageantry.

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Layan had been terrified of walking into the dining room alone, so Mignon and I had held her hands and walked in with her. Unlike Katerina and McKenna who decided to sit at a table with a bunch of claimants and begin to get to know their possible contenders. Layan chose to sit with us. ‘Us’ just happened to include Elijah and Davis.

Annabel arrived earlier, but being very pregnant, she decided to skip the dinner tonight and rest in their room.

I look over at Layan and Mignon. “I heard from Seth. Hana had her little girl a few hours ago. They named her Harper. Momma and baby are healthy and doing well.” I tell them.

That gets the expected ‘ahhhs’ from both Mignon and Layan “I hope we get to meet her.” Mignon says, gently rocking the baby carrier in the chair beside her.

“You guys should all start planning play dates for your daughters to play together. They will all be around the same ages. They should grow up as friends.” Layan says.

“That’s a great idea.” Mignon says.

our conversation. He had been talking to Asher, but he got distracted by a dirty

several hundred juvenile males in all of our combined packs, maybe we should start considering a community education program. Most of us live within an hour or so drive from each other.

is really hard. If we had a centralized school, we could probably find enough teachers to have

We could figure out transportation, especially from the packs that are farther away, to make

be a good alternative for

all stop and look at her. She shrugs. “All of you have pups, and/or you’re busy running packs. I have time and it would be something positive for me. Tessa says I need something positive

you liked cooking.” Davis says,

many different ways

smiling. “My mother was a cook. She found all sorts of ways to make variations on food. If she didn’t have a name for it, she called it a blah-blah. So, if she

sure I’m that creative.” Layan

“But, if you feel passionately about helping to build a school, then you

want to do

an underlying current of competition in the words being spoken by Elijah and Davis. It’s almost as if they are trying to prove that they are more supportive of her

there is dancing.” I say, cutting off whatever they were going

says,

tango.” I tell him, thinking of our first dance together. His eyes get dark and he takes my hand, kissing my

you early, my love.” He says, smiling at

you were.” She says,

Elijah returns the