The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 130: Amelia's Agreement Hunter

The information that Jaime had for me was interesting, but not totally unexpected. I knew Koden was still out there, I knew Aiden was still out there, and Alaric is as well, for the time being.

The biggest question I have is the timing. It's a bit too convenient that I hear about the three remaining Alphas wanting to gather their forces and attack, at the same time that Alpha Zahn, who made a point of not participating in the war, wants to come 'visit' my pack.

"What are you thinking, Hunter?" Sophie asks. She's still in my lap and I realize that as I've been thinking, my hands have been protectively rubbing over her stomach, shifting to the spots where I can feel my pup. I love feeling my son moving around, but it's making my need to protect become much stronger and I'm afraid Sophie is going to find me suffocating soon.

"Alpha Zahn," I say, still deep in thought.

"It's very convenient, isn't it?" she asks, bringing my attention to her. I'm still not used to having a partner in my life. I went so long without Sophie, trying to work things out on my own that it still takes me by surprise when she gets where my thoughts are going without me having to tell her.

I focus my attention on her, kissing her deeply for always ûnderstanding me. It's a heady feeling to know that the person you love most in the world gets you.

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"Yes, it's too convenient," I confirm when I pull back. "Why now? Why did he wait until now to reach out? He has to know that the others are trying to pull their forces to come at us again." "Do you think he's trying to get inside information? Trying to find our weaknesses?" she asks.

"He could be and using the guise of wanting to help his mate would be a good entry into our pack. I don't know Zahn very well, but I don't remember thinking he wasn't s**d like Owen, which means this could be an intentional invasion of our pack to gain intelligence for an attack.

"Why don't we ask him?" Sophie asks.

Mlook at her and frown. "Do you think he'll tell us if that's his plan?"

"No, but he doesn't know that we know about it, does he? If you confront him, his response may tell us what we need to know. And sadly, it would mean that he really doesn't care about his mate, and that she is disposable.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

She shrugs. "The best time for the others to attack would be when Zahn is here, when he's able to help them gain access, right? He said he wants to stay as long as necessary, which could mean he wants to gain our trust so he can get that intel."

I think through what Sophie said. Zahn's request had been

strange to begin with, but now, if I add this part in, it all makes sense, which p**s me off.

"We need to talk to your sister. We may need to move up our

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attack on Alaric."

I watch my mate as she thinks through our options. I catch the two waves of concern and smile. I'm not surprised by either of them.

"Depending on what Zahn says, we'll still let them come. If we can help Jocelyn, I know you want to do that. And since our pack is strong and none of them will trust Zahn while he's here, we could make sure he stays only in the places we give him access. As for your sister..."

"She needs to be a part of that attack, Hunter. You know that as well as I do," she says.

"How close is she to delivering her pup? Do you know?"

"Six to eight weeks, I believe. She's at least a month ahead of me, maybe two."

"In six weeks, Alaric will be back to full strength," I say, not liking that plan at all.

"Let's talk to Amelia. I doubt she'll be willing to involve Calvin, but maybe she'd be willing to attack earlier if she knew it meant keeping her pack safe."

I look at my mate thoughtfully. "What would you do? If you were in Amelia's situation, what would you do?"

I watch her as she thinks through her answer, listening to her thoughts as she does. I love my mate's mind. She's so intelligent but also so compassionate. Her mind is a beautiful place. 14.968

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"It's hard for me to say, exactly. I'm not as far along as Amelia is, so for me, right now, I'd attack while Alaric is still weak, not give him time to come at me again. And given Alaric's thoughts about women, he will attack again, because he won't think that Amelia is capable of running a pack. He'll underestimate her, just like he underestimated Nikki," she says, looking at me.

I kiss her again, because I caught the thought that HER mate would never have put her in the position that Amelia is in, and she's right. Calvin screwed up, and I'm still shocked at how much of a mess he made by speaking without thinking. He obviously never put his mate ahead of himself or his pack. If he had, he would be sitting with his mate in his lap right now, just as I am, rather than living hours away from her. Nothing in this world is worth me losing Sophie. And even if I hadn't lost her, would never have tolerated being separated from her for long periods of time. She's mine and I want her close to me, always. Sophie must catch the tenor of my thoughts because she turns, deepening our kiss. By the time she pulls away, she's straddling me, and her arousal is scenting the air around us.

"Should we continue, or should we call your sister?" I ask her.

She sighs. "If I agree to call Amelia, do you promise we can continue this later?"

I lean in and nip at her neck, my own desire for her s**g when she lifts her chin to give me her throat. "The night I leave you wanting, not fulfilling every need and desire you have, my love, is the night that I am dead. I love hearing you screaming my name almost as much as I love feeling your body contracting around me as I empty myself inside you," I purr, nibbling on her mate mark. Chapter 130: Amelia's Agreement

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"Keep it up, Alpha, and you'll have to ease this ache right now."

I glance at the clock. While I know that Amelia doesn't keep 'office hours' as an Alpha, I also know that she'll want to spend the dinner and evening hours with her pack, bonding with them.

"I don't like rushing when I'm inside you, Sophie, so we'll put this on hold until tonight when I can take my time and reward you for being patient," I say, licking my way up her throat to her chin and finally taking her mouth again.

"I'm not very patient, but I also know that your rewards are worth every moment of torment that I suffer," she says breathily when I pull away.

I smile at my mate, whose eyes are still closed, and her chin is

still lifted enough to be submissive to me. Goddess, I love adore this woman.

However, since we have something important to do and I need to focus on someone other than my mate, I lift her, turning her around so she's sitting with her back to me. Maybe after we finish with our call to Amelia, I can just stand and bend her over my desk. The idea makes me rush to dial the main number for Amelia's pack.

When the warrior answers, I let him know that Sophie and I want to speak to Alpha Amelia.

"Alpha Hunter, Sophie, is everything alright?" she asks when she

answers.

"Amelia, how are you?" Sophie asks before I can answer her.

She sighs. "Tired."

elia's Agreement

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"Is everything okay there?" Sophie asks quietly. I sit back, letting the sisters talk before we get to the reason for the call.

"So far, yes. Beta Matthew has been great. Ga***a Caleb is the one I'm most worried about. But, so far, he's behaving."

"How about Calvin? Have you heard from him?" Sophie asks.

"I have. I haven't returned his calls though."

"Do you need anything from us?" Sophie asks.

"Sleep, the ability to shift, a mate who doesn't feel the need to abandon me," she says the last part bitterly. "Sorry, what can I do for you?" Sophie turns and looks at me.

"Alpha Amelia, we wanted to talk to you about plans to attack Alpha Alaric."

She sighs in a way that's almost identical to Sophie's. "You're going to want to attack before I do. I was hoping to deliver my pup before we attacked his pack."

I tell her what Jaime told us about the Alphas rallying together. Sophie then tells her about Alpha Zahn's request and the timing of it coinciding with the news of the Alphas rallying together.

"Zahn is closer to Calvin than any of us," she says thoughtfully. I notice she says us, as if she's part of our group, not her mate's group. The ping of sadness I feel from Sophie lets me know she caught it too. "I could ask Calvin, if you'd like," she says.

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"That's not necessary. I intend to call him myself to see how he responds to us knowing about this planned attack. But it does mean that if we wait, it not only gives Alaric time to recover but also time to collect his forces, and possibly the aid of the other Alphas to retaliate."

Amelia sighs again. I know the weight of being an Alpha, I know the toll it takes. I can't imagine what it's like for her, as a pregnant female, having recently separated from her mate.

"I was hoping to be able to fight, to be able to participate in the battle, but I'm not sure that I can if we push it up. I'm not willing to risk my pup. Alaric has already taken too much of my family from me," she says sadly. I wrap my arms around Sophie, knowing she's feeling that same sadness, although I won't allow Sophie to fight, not when I know that Alaric and any of the other Alphas will go after her.

"I already told everyone that Hunter will fight and let me deliver the killing blow, Amelia. You and I could do it together," Sophie

says.

"It's not the same, Soapy. You aren't an Alpha," Amelia says.

"But she is an Alpha wolf, just like you and just like me. If your pack was okay with me fighting the battle and capturing Alaric so Sophie can kill him, they should be okay with you doing the same, Amelia. We were planning to renew our alliance, correct?" I say, as Sophie turns and looks at me with hopeful eyes.

"Yes, that is correct," she says.

"It's not uncommon for packs to fight together in a war, and when that happens, they follow the Alpha closest to them. In this case, it would be me, or perhaps Dutton, if he joins us as

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well. Your pack would still see you and Sophie deliver the killing blow."

"How would that work? There is only one killing blow," Amelia says.

"Not true," Sophie says, and I smile behind her back, watching my mate take charge. "When we killed Owen, Hunter captured him; held him and offered to let Brooklyn deliver the killing blow. She refused, but her mother, Leah, wanted to do it. She found her second chance mate, who is a warrior. He helped Leah rip out Owen's throat, but it was Brutus who severed his head from his body a moment later. We could do that, Amelia. I could do the soft tissue killing and you could sever the head. We'd both participate in the killing blow."

It's quiet on the other end of the line as Amelia thinks through what Sophie said. She starts to speak again, but I pull her against me, letting her give Amelia time to think.

"That could work," Amelia finally says. "I really think that could work."

“Let us talk to Zahn. If he says he's truly coming to repair his relationship with his mate, then I want Alaric out of the picture, leaving only Aiden and Koden."

"And Camden. I guarantee that he'll cut bait and leave if we attack. I remember how much he wanted Nikki, even from a young age," Amelia says.

"Three is still better than four," I say.

"And our parents' deaths will be avenged," she says, in a tone that is more savage than anything I've ever heard from Amelia

Chapter 130: Amelia's Agreement

before.