The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 3

Layan’s Return by Cooper (Jara & Mason)

Chapter 23

Katerina

The morning that I was scheduled to enter the claiming, I was nervous. It was finally time. I was excited by also nervous. Alpha Luke had told me to find the cave tonight and sleep there. Luna Jara had told me the same. She also told me to carve my name into the wall, that they had started a tradition last year.

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After the morning announcement that I was going into the claiming, I was given a bag of food, mostly freeze-dried meats that had minimal scent and therefore minimal flavor, but still food I would need over the course of the week.

Luna Jara had asked if I wanted anyone to walk me to the entrance, but I told her I was fine. As I walk to the entrance, I am rethinking that. My heart rate is ticking up. One more day. One more day before the hunt is on for me. I can only imagine what it was like last year for Luna Jara or Luna Hana.

my 50 claimants watching me intently, possessively. They all want to catch me. I’m about to turn away when chocolate

Luna Jara said to use this first day to learn the lay of the land, and I

at the top and several areas where the trees were especially good for hiding. Layan, Mignon

the territory, I look at the front line of trees. I see the one that is most likely the one Jara spent her last couple of minutes in. It’s closest to the entrance and has a large branch near the bottom. Her group was in the claiming haze though, so she sat quietly waiting for her time to be near. I won’t have that, most likely. We don’t anticipate the claiming

of the territory. I take off my shoes and begin to casually walk through the stream, eliminating my scent. Jara created multiple scent trails in her claim, but I

into a tree, or identifying the areas where one of the Lunas said they found a hiding spot. When I get to the end, I realize there

claiming territory. This is where Jara said the cliff with the watering hole is. Once I get there, I see that there is a bit of distance for me to make it to the cliff. I take a deep

are during the week. If I make it that long. I have three Alphas hunting me. All of them are smart, all of them know the Lunas and have heard the stories of how they were captured, and most of them came across at least one of the Lunas during her time in the claiming in one way or

omega, getting themselves caught. It’s how my mother was caught by a warrior. She was being chased by two Alphas and they chased her right into the arms of my father, who didn’t waste any time

spots the others told me about. I also make note of a couple of other cliff faces that Jara and Hana told me about. I stop at each of them, checking to find

to the lake and leap down. They’ll find this trail, but it won’t lead them anywhere. I strip off my clothes, putting them in the waterproof bag with my food and enter the lake. I swim across, enjoying the cool water after a long day of leaping

up to the cave from this side. All of the Lunas said that, but I wanted to make sure it’s still true. This will be my only time in the cave. If I’m cornered up there, there is only one way to escape. Leaping off the cliff into the waterfall. I’m a good swimmer, but I have no idea if there are any rock