The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

Chapter 13 (Jace)

It’s late in the evening when I step out back behind the packhouse and see my sister sitting on the patio looking out over the pack pool and the forest.

“Is this seat taken?” I ask Melinda. She’ s nursing Kaiden and I’m assuming that Jonas is upstairs with their other two. “It is if you sit in it,” she says, and I take the seat.

“So, am I getting another niece or another nephew?” I ask her.

“Don’t know yet, it’s too soon. We should find out next week.” I turn and look at her. “I saw dad leave. How was that?”

She shrugs and I smell the salt of her tears. I reach over and lay my hand on her arm.

“It was good to see him,” she says, and I can tell her throat is tight with emotion. She looks down at Kaiden, stroking his head of dark hair. He, like Ryder, is going to look like Jonas.

I stroke her arm, not saying anything. She swipes her face with the back of her hand. “He says mom’s sorry, that she misses me and wants to meet her grandchildren. I just… how do I trust her after what she did? How do I even begin to forgive that? You know?” she says, turning to look at me.

“She kept me from my mate, the father of my children, making us both think that we didn’t want to see the other. Who does that? What kind of person keeps their child away from her mate because you don’t agree with the age difference?”

“I’m probably not the best person to answer that question, Mel,” I say, turning and looking out over the forest.

She’s quiet a moment.

“It looks like you finally came clean and told Jordan that you know that she’s your mate.”

I glance at my sister. “I’d ask how you knew, but you’ve always known things that others didn’t.”

comes to you, Jace. I’m

me,” I say and now

she did. You DID date her

person,” I say jokingly, feeling my chest

ever be okay with

“Your mother dying had nothing to do with your worthiness, Jace,” she

young, Jace, but I remember how closed off you were after your parents’ death. You tried to shut everyone out, and you did a damn good job of it,” she

I smile at the memory of Melinda, who was like a beacon of sunshine in

all apologetic. “You said yourself that I see what others don’t. And what I see in you, Jace, is the same thing I’ve always seen, someone who is strong, compassionate and deserves to be loved more than

him against my chest, rubbing and gently tapping on his back until he burps, then keeping him there, enjoying the quiet calm that always comes from being around

to face me, pulling one leg up in her chair and leaning

her that I can be a good mate to her, that

have to prove that to

think about that for a moment. “I do now. Maybe I didn’t before, but I do now. After

have to add another mate bond to the

ask, more sharply

raises an eyebrow at me. “I think you already know what I

moment.

smiles. “From you, I’ll

my nephew’s

about you? What are you going to do about mom?”

turns back around in her seat, slouching down and resting

in as mediator, but it would give her a chance to see Ryder and Molly and meet Kaiden,” she

she’d be happy to do

around,” she says