The One He Claimed by cooper (Sophie and Hunter) novel Chapter 227

Chapter 227

‘I’m betting he’s wondering the same thing right about now,‘ I say, ‘but it brings me to my next item that I wanted to talk to you about. It looks like the remaining Alphas are planning to open up the vacant packs to anyone who wants them. It will be a fight, as it should be and the strongest, last person standing, would take over the pack. You and Kinsley should talk about whether or not you want a chance to become an Alpha, Lucas. You‘ d make a damn good one.‘

I can feel the shock of my words through our pack link. But when he answers, his surprise is covered with a joke.

‘You trying to get rid of me, Alpha?‘

‘It would be a devastating blow for me and this pack to lose you, Lucas. But you deserve the opportunity if you want it. I wanted you to know, that no matter your decision, I support you. Owen’s pack will be first, but Joshua and Elias‘ packs are now without a leader and as soon as we’re back to full strength and take out Alaric, that pack will also be without a leader. That’s a lot of opportunity for Betas and Gammas to take over as Alphas. Think about it. Talk to Kinsley about it. Having you as an Alpha and ally is a close second to having you as my Beta.‘

That night, we laid our pack members to rest, lighting the pyres as the sun set and letting our pack members speak about and remember our beloved ‘family. This time, Sophie put aside her own grief and like the amazing Luna she is, she went around and consoled our pack members, as did I. However, I watched as the pack gravitated to her, wanting her to hold them, to comfort them in a way that I, as their Alpha, can’t do. My mate has a special gift of making others feel loved, and cherished, even when she, herself, is feeling wrecked with grief.

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“That’s because I have a mate who holds me together when I fall apart. Á mate who gives me a strong foundation to stand on and arms around me to hold me up when I get weak,‘ she says in the mind link.

‘You, my mate, are never weak,‘ I tell her.

“That’s only because my mate is always there to support me and help me stay strong. I don’t know what I would have done without you these last couple of days, Hunter.‘

‘I never intend to let you find out, Sophie. I will always be here, in any way that you need me.‘

Our pack members grieved well into the night, the mournful howls of those who lost their loved ones, surrounding the packhouse until the early morning hours.

The next morning, I get up, ready to put the war behind me and start moving to a future where we give our pack members the opportunity to earn their own right to become an Alpha. But first, I make a phone call.

“Alpha Zahn, this is Alpha Hunter. What can I do for you?”

Sophie

I’m not sure why it feels better to share my grief with the pack, but it does. Maybe it’s because we’re stronger together, able to support each other, or just because we all love each other so much, but whatever the reason, as much as I’m hurting, I want to help others heal from their losses too.

It once again says so much about Hunter as the Alpha and leader of this pack that everyone has bonded together, is working together, to make sure no one feels alone at this time, especially the pups and mates who lost someone. I’ve already had requests from the two new surviving mates to have their homes moved to what they’ve started to call the ‘survivor

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Now that Leah has been marked by Brutus, she will be moving out. After checking with Brooklyn, she also wants to stay closer to Dr. Caspian, so their home is available. That leaves only one that needs to be built. I make a mental note to talk to Hunter about having the warriors build another couple of homes out there. Mates die for other reasons besides war, and we know that our battles aren’t done yet. If nothing else, Alaric must die. But Aiden is still out there as well.

I spend most of the morning after we lay our pack members to rest consoling the still grieving pack members. Some are still too distraught to return to their duties. I make a note of those and work with the omegas to cover kitchen and packhouse duties as well as talking to Lucas about the ones who need time before returning to patrols. I know it will spread our patrols thin to lose even more of our warriors while we have so many in the pack hospital, but our pack needs time to grieve and those who are strong enough are willing to work harder to keep the pack safe.

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