The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 161

Layan's Retum Chapter 6 Mason

Mason

This year's assessment seems to be much more intense than any of the years I remember before. The assessor told me Elijah looked like shit when he came out of his assessment. I didn't even see him. I've been so busy taking care of the others and keeping an eye on Jara, that I haven't had a minute to go check on him.

When Layan shows up in our pack lands, saying she knew Elijah needed her. I know it isn't just us. When I have a moment, after sending Jara up to our room to lay down. I call Seth.

"Is it me or is this year's assessment worse than usual?" I ask.

"I thought it was just me. This is terrible. My pack members are wrecked. Hana wants to help, but I keep having to tell her to take breaks."

I tell him about Layan showing up in my pack and what she told me about the assessors using her in Alpha Davis's and most likely Elijah's

assessments.

"So. they know us better, since we've become a closer-knit community. They know how to push our pack members to the extreme." Seth says.

"Yes, but it doesn't seem like it's intentionally cruel, although it probably feels like it to them. It feels like they are making sure that these men have control over themselves to ensure that no one gets killed this year and that we don't have a repeat of last year."

"I agree. But between you and me, I'm glad I'm not going through assessment this year.

"I couldn't agree more." I say before hanging up.

Thankfully, Jara slept the rest of the afternoon and the assessments finished for the day before she woke up. When she did, we went to the pack hospital to check her pulse, the babies' heart rates, anything and everything the doctor felt was necessary. After hearing that momma and babies were healthy, I agreed that she could help again tomorrow, with the same parameters in place.

As we walk back to the packhouse, well, I'm walking, she's waddling in her cute way. I give her the information that I've been waiting to drop on her, knowing she'll be excited.

"So, Layan is still here, in Elijah's room. Has been all day."

She turns to me. "Get out!" She thinks for a minute. "All day?"

"Mmhmm, and I know Elijah is awake because I saw the omegas taking a couple trays of food upstairs."

"What do you think they're doing?" She asks me, slyly

"I'm sure they're just talking. Catching up on old times." I say, smiling.

"You mean, like you and I used to talk" she puts her fingers up in air quotes, "when you'd walk me back to the female housing during my claiming."

"Hey, we talked a lot on those walks." I said.

"Mmhmm, and sometimes we didn't." She says, turning and lifting her head for a kiss. I may have to lean over her belly now to kiss her properly, but I'll take every opportunity possible to kiss my mate. I pull away, about to suggest that we re-enact one of those moments, when I see Jace sneaking out of the packhouse, heading to the forest.

Jara must catch the change in my mood because she turns to look in the direction I'm looking.

"Where's he going?" She asks.

"I'm not sure. Luke says he's been sneaking off at night. He's tried to talk to him about it, but Jace won't talk."

We watch him sneaking through the forest trees for a moment.

"You should go to him. Maybe he'll talk to you as his Alpha. Things are still pretty tenuous between Jace, Luke and Brynn.

"I'll take you back to the packhouse, then I'll go see what he's up to." I tell her, not willing to let her walk alone, even a short distance.

Once we get inside, she takes my hands. "Go, I'm fine. I'm going to see what I can find out about Layan and Elijah." She says, a mischievous look in her eye.

I shake my head at her before kissing her nose and jogging out the back of the packhouse.

I lift my nose in the air and pick up his scent. I begin to follow behind him at a leisurely pace. I know he's not leaving the pack, I just want to make sure that he's okay. He's pretty young to have to deal with the loss of both of his parents, but I still don't like him out here by himself at night.

I find him out in the forest, picking something up off the ground.

"Jace." I say quietly and even though I tried not to startle him, he jumps up, putting his hands behind his back.

"Alpha." He says, looking guilty. Of what, I can't even imagine.

"What are you doing out here by yourself after dark?" I ask him, slowly approaching him.

"Nothing." He says, looking down. A sure sign that he's hiding

something.

"Luke says you've been sneaking out every night. Want to talk about it?" He looks up at me then shakes his head, no,

"Mind if I walk with you then?" I ask him.

"I'd rather be alone, Alpha, if that's okay."

"Jace, this is a pack. That means that we all support each other. I'm the Alpha of that pack. That means that I'm in charge of making sure everyone in my pack is safe, healthy and happy. And right now, one of my pack members isn't happy." I say, moving to sit on a fallen tree branch.

"Do you not like living with Luke and Brynn?" I ask him. It's only been a couple of months, but I know the transition has been difficult.

"No, they're fine." He says, still not looking at me. When he doesn't continue. I try another tactic.

"What are you searching for out here?" I ask him.

Now his head shoots up to look at me. "Why do you think I'm looking for something?" He asks, defensively.

"I'm an Alpha, Jace. It's my job to figure these things out." I tell him, exaggerating the truth a bit, but at six years old, he won't know that. He kicks the dirt with his shoe. "I don't want to hurt their feelings." He

says

I frown. Does he mean his parents' feelings? "You don't want to hurt whose feelings, Jace?" "Luke and Brynn's. They've been really nice to me, but I think it would hurt their feelings.

"Why don't you tell me what it is, and we can decide together if it will hurt their feelings."

He shuffles his feet some more. I tap the branch beside me. "Come sit down and tell me what you think will hurt their feelings." I say gently.

He looks at me a moment before coming to sit beside me. I put my arm around him, and he leans into me. I may not be his father, but I am hist Alpha and for a pup his age, the feeling would be similar. He pulls his hands in front of him and I see that he has a stone in it. It's flat and more oval than circular, but it looks like it's a bluish-gray color. He's rubbing his thumb over it as he looks at it.

"My dad used to collect stones for my mom. I heard him tell her once that he was missing her and he found the stone and it made him think of her, and how it might make her smile. It did make her smile, so any time he would find a stone that reminded him or her, or something that seemed unique. he would bring it to her."

He lifts the stone up to show me. "I thought I could make a place for them. where I could go and talk to them. Since their ashes went to the Moon Goddess, I don't really have a place that feels like I can connect to them. So. I made one."

"What do you mean, you made one." I ask him.

He stands, taking my hand and I walk with him to the lake that's on our pack lands. He walks me around the back side of the lake and shows me a place where he has been putting the stones around the base of a tree.

He leans down, putting the new stone into the existing pile "I made a place where I can come talk to my parents when I want to I know they'll know it's their place because of the stones" He says

I sit down in front of the tree, pulling him into my lap

"Do you want to know what I think?" I ask him.

He nods, looking up at me over his shoulder.

"I think you have made your parents very proud of you."

"You do?"

"I do. And I also think that Luke and Brynn would like to come visit them with you sometimes. Maybe they want to tell your parents how well you' re doing, or something funny that you did. They could come here and talk to them too."

"You don't think it would hurt their feelings?" He asks, looking back at

the tree.

"No, I don't."

He leans back against me, and we sit there, having our own private conversations with Joe and Stella until Jace starts to fall asleep.

When he does, I carry him back to his room, tucking him in to his bed before letting Luke and Brynn know where he's been going every night.

"We'll take it from here, Alpha. Thank you." Brynn says.

I leave them, heading back to my bedroom and my mate. I wonder if it will be different for me when it's my own children that are struggling. Will they come to me for comfort, guidance? Will they confide in me, trust me with their secrets?

I guess time will tell.

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