The One He Claimed by cooper (Sophie and Hunter) novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96

I nod, acknowledging that I heard her, but continuing to watch as the others enter. Kayce walked in with us, but I nod as Dutton, Carter, and Luna Amy enter the room. I see Sophie finger wave at her parents and her father winks at her before taking his seat. I notice that they are all sitting on the left side of the seating, while Zahn. Alaric, and Owen have chosen to sit on the right side.

When Ezra walks in, he raises his eyebrow, looking at the seating arrangements. “Choosing sides already, I see,” he says, sitting beside Kayce.

“That’s Ezra,” I say in an aside to Sophie.

“And that?” she asks about the Alpha who just sat down on the right side of the seating area.

“That’s Alpha Aiden.” I whisper

She nods. “He’s the one who was hunting me before I got on the train,” she says and an inadvertent grow! escapes

I cut it off, but not before the room goes quiet. Since the meeting hasn’t started, everyone looks at me, then turns back to their own discussions.

‘He’s second after Owen on our list to obliterate,‘ Shaw says in my head, seething at the man who

hunted for my mate

‘Yes,’ I say. I’m not going to argue. If he’d caught Sophie, I would never have found my fated mate. She’d have been taken by someone else and she’d be a shell of the person she is today.

I watch as Alpha Joshua walks in with his mate, Luna Margot. She’s stoic, always has her face well–schooled, and in the three years since she’s been mated to Alpha Joshua, I’ve never once seen

her smile.

Next to enter is Calvin with Luna Amelia. I knew from our discussions that he didn’t want her here because of her pregnancy, but Amelia, being the Alpha she is, insisted. Calvin sits her in between himself and her father. The safest place in the room by his standards.

I watch as the last two enter the room, Alpha Elias and his mate Luna June. June moves to sit beside her daughter, Luna Margot. I watch as she takes the younger woman’s hand and they both face us, as if creating a unified front. Alpha Elias, the oldest Alpha in our Committee, leads these meetings.

0.00%

10:47

He stands in the center of the seating area, looking down at me.

“Alpha Hunter, you have been commanded in front of this Committee of Alphas today because it has been brought to our attention that you have broken one of our laws. How do you plead?”

“Guilty.

He wasn’t looking at me, obviously expecting me to argue. But I won’t. I’m standing up for Sophie and for what I believe in.

His eyes snap back to mine. “You agree that you broke one of our laws?”

“It’s a law I don’t agree with, as this committee is aware.”

“Whether or not you agree with it, it is still a law Alpha.”

“Yes,” I say, standing my ground. Because he’s above us, and because I’m an Alpha, my chin is raised to look him in the eye. I’m glad and proud to see that Sophie’s is as well.

Alpha Elias looks at me a moment, obviously restructuring the argument he had already planned.

“You took this woman as your mate?” he asks

“I believe you know I did I’m sure that when my previous Gamma joined Alpha Owen’s pack, he let Alpha Owen know, who then let you know just who my mate is,” I say, looking at Owen, then back at Elias. I’m not going to let them play games with me.

“Yes,” he says growling as he looks at my mate. “Sophie Meyers.”

I take a protective step forward and partially in front of Sophie.

“She’s Sophie Reynolds now

“That remains to be seen,” he says, refocusing on me. “You have broken our laws. Do you intend to rectify that here and now?” he asks.

“How do you propose that I do that?”

“You would need to mark her in this committee chamber, of course,” he says arrogantly

“Do your noses not work?” I ask innocently. Sophie has placed her hand on my back, whether to keep herself or me grounded I’m not sure, but my protective Alpha nature is pushing forward.

“Excuse me?” he growls, but I see Kayce smiling. He and I discussed this.

48.01%

10.47

“Well, as Alphas, I would assume that you can see my mark on Sophie’s neck. As Alphas, I would assume that you can smell my scent on my mate, and hers on me,” I say, stressing her relationship to me. “So, I’ll ask again, do your noses not work?”

“Of course our noses work. But that is not the law,” he says banging his fist on the banister of the seating area. “You must claim your mate publicly.”

90.73%