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.

Title of the document

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

you mean?” Mason asks him, joining in the conversation as well. “Well, now that we have six pups, not including the roughly 20 juvenile females and several hundred juvenile males in all of our combined packs, maybe we should start considering a community education program. Most of us live within

all different ages. Trying to educate them all at their different levels is really hard. If we had a centralized school, we could probably find enough teachers to have real cla*s*srooms and educational

build a school. We could figure out transportation,

the council. They can put together the project, interview staff interested in becoming teachers, it could be a good alternative for omegas that aren’t strong enough to be

and we 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 to

you liked

do. But there’s only so many different ways

she called

sure I’m that

you feel passionately about helping to build a school, then

want to

in the words being spoken by Elijah

cutting off whatever they

there?” Mason says, looking at

together. His eyes get dark and he takes my hand, kissing my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Do you dance, Layan?”

early,

She

do you dance?” Elijah returns the conversation back