The One He Claimed by cooper (Sophie and Hunter) novel Chapter 88

she says quietly.

Chapter 88

ou could put your comfortable for b me with your

“Are you

“I

und my neck. It would be more

d maybe then you wouldn’t keep jabb say something that annoys you.”

me?” she asks, narrowing her eyes again.

ike the way you stand up to me,” I say, looking er it’s my gaze or my honesty, Nikki is at a loss for

pens and closes a cou by us being called b until the doctor con e more day.

does take it

a war c

es before she’s saved from while they take her x–rays is her that she needs to take

t attend warrior training? Doc, prepared to fight,” she says

she work on her punches? That way she’s

I say, recognizing how important this is to

I can see how surprised she is that I’m trying to

her.

ing only, I’ll allow

er off balan

from her opponent that

spin out of the

alt

Chapter 88

way.”

She sighs. “Thanks, Doc. So, tomorrow I can spar?”

“Yes, tomorrow you can get back to regular training.”

She nods and I go to pick her up, but she hops down quickly and points her finger at me. “No!”

“You sure?” I ask, smiling at her.

“Yes.”

When we step outside, I can see she’s focused on her own thoughts.

“What’s going on in that head of yours? I thought you’d be happy that you could at least punch.”

She looks at me. “Who’s going to give up their training to help the near–invalid practice her punching? No one.”

I grab her arm and pull her to a stop. “Uh, I thought it was obvious that I was going to do that. Hunter has pads. I’ll put them on, and you can practice your punches.”

“You would do that for me?” She looks surprised again. I’m hoping it’s because no other Alpha has ever treated her like this and not because she thinks that I’m an asshole.

“Yeah, and besides, I wouldn’t want the other Alphas to embarrass me in training. So, you’re really doing me a favor here,” I say.

I get the smile I was hoping for and when she looks away, I scoop her

Chapter 88

back into my arms.

“Hey!”

**

thing. If we’re going to convince the others that I’m doing yo has to look real,” say, beginning to walk to where I know eeps his sparr

she says

ed by her putting her arm around my

Two we

“WI

g on wit

sk Hunter

impression on him,” he says.

e the public claimings, but he also would

nat.”

sk Shouldn’t he be worried about disrespecting

Chapter 88

“Yes. I told both him and Kayce that I don’t allow public claimings in my pack. It would be extremely disrespectful and would end any chance of an alliance if he did.”

“Maybe he doesn’t care about that,” I say.

“First, Nikki is underage and Robin isn’t Owen. Second, he and Kayce are close. If Kayce is going to side with me, which it looks like he is, then Robin will have to think twice if he isn’t planning to. Those two are neighbors and do have an alliance, just like your father and Dutton. Plus, he’s got Alpha Aiden on his other side, so it’s better for him to maintain the alliance between him and Kayce, especially if a war is coming,” he says as we get ready for training.

I watch as Allison pairs off with Alpha Kayce. “I saw that coming,” I say, turning to my own mate.

“Who didn’t? He’s basically put his claim in neon lights on her neck,” Hunter snorts.

“Is that what you would have done,” I ask him as we begin. As expected, my exhaustion is making me slow. Hunter, however, is somehow powering through the fatigue.

“Yes. I would have wanted everyone to know that if they touched you, I’d kill them, because the thought of anyone else putting their hands on you was and is abhorrent to me,” he says.

He’s able to put me into a hold, wrapping his arms around me and pulling my back to his chest. “Focus,” he growls in my ear.