The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

Chapter 29 (Jace)

"Kyra, come with me," Dr. Braxton says, obviously concerned that his underaged daughter is sitting in the lap of a n*aked man who just moments ago was exhibiting signs of feral-fever. Balor, however, looks up and snarls at Dr. Braxton.

"Balor," Jordan growls warningly, just as Kyra reaches up and smacks Balor on the nose.

"Hey, that's my father. Show some respect. He's the man that's going to heal you," Kyra says, completely unconcerned that Balor was acting so erratically just moments ago.

"My apologies, little one. I thought he was trying to take you away from me," he says.

Before Kyra can say anything that might set him off, I jump in.

"Let's get back to why Dr. Braxton and Kyra are here. Balor, we need her to help us find a cure for your clan," I say, trying to help him understand that she can't continue to sit in his lap.

He looks at her. "You're a doctor?"

She giggles. "No, I'm too young to be a doctor. But I want to be one. My father is a great scientist and I want to be just like him," she says.

"You'll be an amazing doctor. I can already tell that you're an intelligent young woman," he says, then looks up at Jordan.

"She can work in my cave," he says then turns to Dr. Braxton. "You too, Dr. Braxton. I understand your daughter is underage and I respect that, but I want her close."

I look at Dr. Braxton who presses his lips in a thin line.

"Please, dad. You know it will help him if I'm close to him," Kyra says.

"Both of us will work there, but only if you put some clothes on," Dr. Braxton says sternly, speaking to Balor as if he weren't the leader of this clan and nearly his age.

Balor frowns, looking down at himself. "How did I..."

Kyra takes his face in her hands. "You' re infected with feral-fever. You were bitten, right Alpha Jordan?" she asks, turning to Jordan.

"Yes. Do you remember, Balor? You protected me against the rogue Alpha wolf," Jordan says.

"But I had clothes on when we crawled into bed," he says, making Kyra snarl. She slaps her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did that," she says, looking at Jordan. "It's okay, Kyra. We'll figure it out and I stayed with Balor for the same reason you want to stay close to him. It keeps the feral fever away," Jordan tells her, then turns to Balor.

"You shifted and were acting aggressively. Do you remember that?" she asks him.

He looks at Kyra, lifting her up and looking her over. "Did I hurt you? Are you injured?" he asks worriedly. "No," she says, and he begins to calm. "You listened to me, even when you weren't listening to Alpha Jordan. And her aura was out, stronger than I've ever felt before. But you were still fighting her."

He looks at Jordan. "Did I hurt you? Are you injured, little wolf?" he asks her and Kyra growls again.

Balor pulls her back into his lap and k*isses the top of her head.

"You don't like me calling Alpha Jordan 'little wolf'?" he asks Kyra.

She shakes her head, looking away from him.

He lifts her chin, a smug smile on his face. He likes her possessiveness, even though she's young. "Why not?"

"I should be your little wolf," she pouts, her words so quiet that I almost didn't hear her.

"Very well, I won't call her that again. You ARE my little wolf," he says, standing and setting her on her feet. "Clothes, please, Balor!" Dr. Braxton says, losing patience with the n*aked man holding his daughter. "Come see my cave. I'll find a space for you to work while I get dressed," he says, taking Kyra's hand and walking her into his cave, Dr. Braxton right behind them.

"I'll get her things," I say, walking over to Jordan. "But have you ever heard of a bear being mated to a wolf?" I ask her.

"Is that what all of that was about? I thought he had gone crazy, but you think they're mated?" Darryl asks, having heard me.

"That's how wolves act when they meet their mate. Although Kyra is young, too young to feel the mate bond. But I've also never heard of a wolf being mated to a bear. Have any of you?" Jordan asks as my father and Apollo walk over.

"No, I've never heard of it, have you Brynn? You sat on the council for years," 'my father asks my mother.

"No, but I'll call Councilman Jason and see if he's heard of anything. But, in truth, I doubt it. In the previous generation, she-wolves were nearly extinct. There were only a handful of us, so if there is a history of bears and wolves being mates, it's been a few generations. But Jason can check the archives," she says, pulling out her phone and stepping away.

I jog back to my room and get Kyra's bags, then go to Balor's cave. I stop at the entrance, seeing that Dr. Braxton is having a serious conversation with Balor. I can only imagine what that conversation is about

I look at Kyra and wait until she makes eye contact then lift the bags to show her that I'm dropping them off before setting them on the floor and walking out. I'm not interested in getting involved in that drama unless I have to or unless Jordan tells me we need to.

When I get back to Jordan, I see everyone is waiting. "What's the plan?"

"Your brother and I are going to go follow the scent of these wolves. We're going to see if we can find their den. They have to have found a place to hole up," my dad says.

"Dad, no. That pack attacked a clan of bears. You and Victor won't stand a chance against them," I say.

"We won't engage them..." my father begins.

"I'm going and several of our warriors are going too," Apollo says.

"Are you sure, Apollo?" Jordan asks him.

"They are a threat to our clan. You and your pack members are trying to help us. It makes sense for us to work together. After all, isn't that why you're here, little Alpha?" he asks her.

"I can go too, then," I say, turning to Jordan. "You and mom can work with Dr. Braxton and Kyra and be near the clan members until they can create a vaccine. Hopefully, it will help them as much as it helps the wolves," I say. "It's working for Balor," Darryl says, looking toward Balor's cave.

"That's the mate bond," all of the wolves say at once.

"It's that potent?" Apollo asks. "It is," my father says.

"We don't have mate bonds. Not like that anyway. It's strange that Balor seems impacted by a bond that is something only the wolves have," Darryl says.

"Except that he's mated to a wolf," I say.

"We should get going. I'd like to be back before it gets dark, especially if they don't have a vaccine yet. We'll need to help contain the infected bears," my father says. "Okay, let's get going," Apollo says. "Be careful, Jordan," I say to her before turning to follow the others.

"Jace," she says, grabbing my hand.

I turn back, looking at her.

"Come back to me. That's an order from your Alpha," she says, not putting the Alpha command behind it.

I step up to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her to me. "Make it a command from my mate, and I promise I will," I say.

She looks at me a long moment. "Your mate commands you to return to her, safe and unharmed."

A slow smile spreads across my face. "Yes ma'am."

(Jaxon POV)

"Alpha Jaxon! Alpha Jaxon!"

I turn and sigh internally.

"Hey Carter, what's up?" I ask him, but I don't stop moving. We just finished morning warrior training and I need to grab a quick bite to eat and check on Eve before going to the office to tackle today's paperwork. She's due to have our pup any day now.

"Hey, I was wondering if you'd heard that I was entering the Beta Trials?" he asks me.

"Yep, I did," I say to him.

"Oh, good, because I'd love to be your Beta," he says.

I stop and turn to him, narrowing my eyes.

"And why would I want a Beta who obviously doesn't have any respect for women in positions of authority?" I ask him.

He looks taken aback for a moment, before collecting himself. "I'm not sure what Alpha Jordan told you..."

"Nothing, other than you had entered the Beta Trials. But that act tells me everything I need to know about you, Carter. My mate is co-Alpha in my pack. Not Luna, co-Alpha. Why would we bring in a Beta who wouldn't respect her position in the pack? We wouldn't. And honestly, Carter, I'm not really sure if there are any Alphas that will. Most of them are mated to strong Alpha females. So, good luck, but I'm pretty sure you shot yourself in the foot and have lost your ranked member position in any pack because you were acting like a misogynistic a*sshole."

He's about to respond when I hear my mate.

"Jaxon," there's something in my voice that has me rushing to her. As soon as I see her, my eyes go wide.

She looks up at me, one hand on her stomach, the other on the handrail of the stairs that she just descended. "I think it's time."