The One He Claimed by Cooper novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Aftermath
Sophie
I stayed with Brooklyn while they stabilized her mother.
“Luna, Brooklyn, we’re going to keep her unconscious for a day or so. Her wolf will have gone silent, possibly for good,” the nurse says, looking at Brooklyn before looking at me. “As an omega, losing your mate, even one you rejected, can kill your wolf.”
“I’m so sorry, mother,” Brooklyn whispers.
“Look at me, Brooklyn,” I say and wait for her to look up. When she does, I can see the devastation in her eyes. I take her face in my hands and wipe her tears. She and I are very close in age, but right now, I feel like I’m years older than this sweet, fragile
woman.
“Your mother did not want to be with your father. You can’t tell me that she wasn’t ready to die saving you today. Am I right?” I ask her.
She nods as I wipe the tears that continue to fall. “So, even if she loses her wolf, she’ll be happy that both of you are free of your father and that you’re both alive. Right?”
She nods again.
“Okay. Now it’s your turn to be strong for her. You are brave and you are stronger than you give yourself credit for, Brooklyn. I believe you get that strength from your mother. She’ll survive
Chapter 86. Memuth
this, if for no other reason than she loves you and refuses to leave you alone. Even though you would never be alone. We would never abandon you, Brooklyn.”
“What if…what if she never gets her wolf back?” Brooklyn asks
me.
‘She’s worried because her wolf hasn’t resurfaced since her attack by Alpha Owen,’ Hedda says. She’s been forward since the beginning of the attack, ready to protect me and our son if needed.
“Do I look like the kind of Luna who would kick you or your mother out of this pack? Do you think Hunter would do that?”
“I don’t have my wolf either,” she admits, confirming what Hedda says.
“You are still part of this pack, Brooklyn. You accepted Hunter as your Alpha and me as your Luna. I do not dismiss my pack members because they are suffering with an injury that may or may not have killed their wolves. You and your mother will always have a place here, if you choose to remain in our pack. Do not let that worry you,” I tell her.
She grabs me unexpectedly and whether it’s because of the fear of being cast out, the adrenaline rush of killing her father wearing off, or just being overwhelmed by everything, she begins to s**b in my arms.
I carefully lift her, moving to sit in a chair and cradling her in my lap, rocking her as I would a child, letting her get it all out of her system.
I nod at the nurses that they can leave and murmur soft words.
1521%
111
16:55 –
of comfort to Brooklyn long after she stops crying but continues to cling to me.
When she finally sits up, I wipe her tears again and smile at her. “Better?”
“Yes, thank you, Luna,” she says, giving me a watery smile in
return.
“Okay, I’ll let the nurses know that you’re going to stay here with your mother until she wakes. They’ll bring in a bed or cot for you, but it may be a while. We still have injured coming in.”
“I want to help,” she says suddenly.
“Brooklyn, you don’t have to help. You can stay here,” I tell her.
“No. They said my mother will be out for another day. I can help. Sitting here, watching her sleep, won’t help anyone, definitely not me. I need to feel useful. Please, Luna.”
I think for a moment. “What do you know about injuries?” I ask her.
“I know a little. As omegas, we’re always having to help each other when we burn or cut ourselves in the kitchen since our wolves don’t heal us as fast as others.”
“I think they still need people to help them triage the injured. Do you feel up to that?”
“I do,” she says determinedly. “I can help. I’ll still sleep in here. with my mother, but I’ll do what I can.”
“Okay, let me get you a walker. I know you can’t walk on your own yet,” I say, and step out, quickly asking a nurse rushing by
32.88%
။
where I can get one. She gets it for me before rushing off to her task.
When I step back in, Brooklyn is leaning over her mother, telling her that she’ll be back soon.
I give her the walker, making sure she can use it and is strong enough to walk with it. Then I lead her back out to the main entrance. I find a lead nurse and let her know that Brooklyn wants to help.
“We can use all the help we can get. Are you sure you’re okay, Brooklyn?” she asks. All the nurses know her from when she was here in the hospital.
“Yes, I want to help.”
The nurse gestures to the room full of warriors in various stages of injury. “We have the most seriously injured in surgery or waiting to go in. We need to know of those left, who has the most serious injuries needing treatment and who just needs to be stitched up and sent home to rest.”
“I can help stitch them up,” Brooklyn says, surprising me.
The nurse tilts her head. “Are you the one that has been stitching up the omegas?” she asks her.
Brooklyn blushes and nods her head. “We don’t always have time to come in, so I learned. My mother taught me.”
“Well, you’re very good at it. If you find someone who needs to get stitched up, make sure to wash the wound, supplies are over there, and then you can stitch them up and send them on their way.”
Chald. Aftermath.
“I’ll leave you to it, Brooklyn,” I say to her.
“Thank you, Luna.”
“Thank you, Brooklyn. I’m sure the staff here are grateful for your help.”
“More than grateful,” the lead nurse says before turning to the next person in the room.
I leave her, heading back to the packhouse. When I arrive, I can see that we have even more injured here that either refused or haven’t made it to the pack hospital yet. I look around,
searching for Hunter.
“Luna.” I turn and see Margot walking toward me. Her hands are bl**dy, and she’s wiping them on a towel. “How are things at the hospital? I have a doctor friend that might be willing to help, if you need him to.”
“That would be great. We need these warriors back to full fighting strength before Joshua comes,” I say to her. She presses her lips together and nods.
“Hey, I’m not blaming you. He’d come anyway, but we know he’s out there and it’s only a matter of time.”
“I’ll call my friend and let you know.”
She turns to leave. “Margot, you trust him right? We’ll be letting him onto our pack lands. He won’t betray us?” I ask, needing to make sure.
“I trust him,” she says, looking around and pulling me aside. “No one knows this except my mother, so please, keep this between
65.79%
111
us. But he’s been giving me birth control since I was mated Joshua. He’s very discreet and he cares about his patients. He won’t betray me or you.”
“Okay. I trust you, Margot. If you trust him, then call him. Just let
me know his name and when to expect him so I can let the border patrols know.”.
She turns again. “Wait, Margot, how was your safe room? Is everyone okay? Did anyone lose their mate?”
“No one lost their mate, but…if I’m honest, I’d rather never do that again,” she says.
“It’s a lot easier to fight, isn’t it?” I ask her, understanding.
“Very much so.”
“Then let’s get you strong so you can fight,” I say. This time it’s. me who starts to turn away, but she stops me.
“Luna, I’ve been watching you, at the committee meetings and for the couple of days that I’ve been here. I didn’t understand the fuss before, but I do now. You really are a legend.”
I chuckle. “I’m just a girl who found her incredible mate, that’s all.”
“No, reason all of this has happened. Not in a bad
you are th way, in a good way. Things needed to change. I thought it was hype, thought your title was overdramatized, but it’s not. You really are worthy of being called a legend,” she says before nodding her head and walking off.
I stare after her, feeling equal parts awed and inadequate. That
|||
Chapter 66 Mftermath
288 (Vouchers
was high praise coming from another Luna, even if she rejected her mate. I truly hope that I never give her a reason to find me unworthy of the title.