The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 190

Layans Return Chapter 35. Elijah

Elijah

On the morning of Layan's claim, Mason joins me.

"I'd like you to reconsider. If things don't go the way you hope..."

I'm already shaking my head before he finishes. "I can't. And you, of all people, should understand that."

He grits his teeth. "I do, but I don't' want to lose you. You're a great Beta, and a better friend."

"Then wish me luck." I tell him.

His hand comes down on my shoulder. "Bring her home, Elijah."

When the gun goes off, the others run into the territory. I walk in, taking my time. But as soon as I hit the forest line, I smell it, the scent trails. They are everywhere.

I close my eyes and smile. She did this for me. In one of our discussions, she asked me what I would have done with my life if I hadn't been a Beta. I told her that my family had come from a long line of trackers. I can pretty much hunt anyone, anywhere. I'm not as good at is as some of my other family members, but I'm better than most.

I begin walking, take a deep breath, finding the strongest of the scents and I begin to follow it. Last year, there were 75 of us in the Hana's claiming and nearly 200 in Jara's. While I can track well, I don't have the ability to track a scent that has been stomped over by multiple males, basically covering the female's scent.

This year, that isn't a problem. There are only nine other men in

Layan's claiming, and they all went running for the lake and the

cave.

I follow the scent that leads me to the burned-out fire. I look around, seeing how she scorched the area. I wasn't here last year, I didn't see it happen, but I heard about it, like everyone else did.

I move around the firepit that she obviously made until I find where her scent is strongest. Then I squat down and look at the remains of the fire. This is where she stood last night, howling. This is why she sounded so fierce.

Others may have thought that Layan was weak, but I never did. The woman is amazing, capable of kindness to others, even when she's afraid for herself. She has never let her fear overrule her desire to help others.

I'm proud of her. She took control of the past, burned it so there is nothing left but ashes. I hope it helped her find peace.

I stand, catching her scent again, and turning to find her. This isn't a hunt. I refuse to hunt her, not after what she suffered here last year. I won't be the reason that those memories, that horror comes back to her, especially now that she seems to have buried the past where it belongs, here in the claiming territory.

I'm amazed at how many scent trails she has created. This territory is large, large enough that I'll be surprised if I run into any of her other claimants this week. I close my eyes again, taking a deep breath, finding the strongest scent and turning to follow it.

I follow her scent for three more days. I knew she'd be on the move, and she has been. Surprisingly, none of her other claimants have raised the howl of the hunt. It's nearly as quiet in here as it was for Katerina's claim. I wonder if that's intentional. Layan hand-picked these men. All of them have been kind to her in one way or

another. All of them know what she suffered last year.

Tonight, I'm lying on the ground, looking at the sky. I'm not sure if she's scared or feeling lonely, so I do what I've done every night. I howl, letting her know that I'm here.

She doesn't respond. She can't and I know it, but my howl is not about me. It's about her knowing that I'm here for her.

I close my eyes and I swear I feel someone watching me. As I fall asleep, I hear her voice, soft and quiet in the night. 'Goodnight, Elijah.'

The next day, I'm up again, searching for her. Her scent trails are getting more intricate each day. It's almost as if she's up all night. leaving trails and sleeping during the day.

But today, it's time for me to find her. It's time for her to make her decision. Today will be the turning point in my life. I will either walk out of here with my mate, or I will leave her and my pack forever. Since I've been tracking her for days, I know which trails are a dead end. I've been strategically maneuvering myself to where her true hiding spot is. She's almost exactly in the middle of the territory. All of her scent trails lead here.

I slowly make my way to her. There's a cliff, standing alone in the territory here. If I had to guess, I'd say that's her ground zero, a beacon drawing me to her. There must be a burrow or hidey hole there where she's been staying out of sight and under cover.

I walk out of the tree line, stepping into the clearing in front of the cliff. I can smell her. She's definitely close. I continue to sniff around until I find the spot where I know she's hiding.

"Layan, come out." I say quietly, and I step back.

It's quiet for a moment, then I hear her rustling around before she emerges from a well-hidden hiding spot.

She smiles at me. "Are you going to claim what you've rightfully found, Elijah?"

I shake my head. "No."

I see the hurt flash in her eyes before she looks down. "You don't want me?" She asks so quietly I almost don't hear her.

"Oh, I want you, more than anything that I've ever wanted in my life." I tell her.

Her eyes come to mine. "Then, why? Why won't you claim me?"

I look around us, at the territory, at this place. "Layan, I will gladly hunt you every day for the rest of our lives. I will nip at your heels and happily chase you all over our pack lands. But not here. I refuse to hunt you here, in this place. You deserve better."

"What are you saying, Elijah?" She asks me.

"I need to know that you want me as much as I want you. I need to know that you want to be mine, mine for the rest of our lives. I want you so much that it hurts, Layan. But I won't take that choice from you. So, I want you to choose me. Claim me and make me yours so I know that you want this as much as I do."

I smell the salt of her tears. "You want me to claim you?" She asks, her voice shaking.

I hear the sound of others coming up on us, having heard her voice. I realize though, that they've heard what I said, and they stop, not willing to hunt Layan either. She did a good job at choosing the men in her claim.

"I don't just want you to claim me Layan. I refuse to claim you until you've claimed me. Make me yours and I will make you mine. This time, the choice is yours. I won't allow anyone, myself included, to take tha choice from you again."

She takes a step toward me.

"I've wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. You were on that stage, young, frightened." I tell her.

"And you purred at me. You were the first one that did. Others followed your lead, but it was you, Elijah that calmed me that day."

She takes another step toward me. "It's always been you, Elijah. You are the only man for me, you always have been."

Something in me relaxes, easing the tightness around my heart and in my stomach.

I open my arms and tilt my head to the side. "Then mark me as yours Layan. Claim me as your mate."

I hear her growl, a fierce, possessive sound I've never heard from her before. And then she's in my arms.

"I love you Elijah, and I claim you." She says before reaching up and slowly sinking her canines into my neck.

I hold her tightly to me, overwhelmed with emotions, happiness, acceptance and the pure love that her venom sends through my body.

"I love you, Layan. And you are mine now and forever." I say before gently sinking my teeth into her neck.

I hold her there, long after my venom has knocked her out, afraid that if I move, something will happen and I'll realize this is a dream.

One of my warriors slowly approaches me. "She's yours, Beta. She chose you. We all saw it."

I pull my teeth from her neck, her mouth still attached to mine, and I watch as the other nine claimants walk out of the woods.

They had all stood by, letting Layan make her choice, letting her choose me.

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