The Mating Tournament

Epilouge

Finally...

Epilogue

"I can't do it, Cooper. I can't send her in there."

Cooper leaned against the driver side door of our family car and looked off into the distance in distaste.

"It's not like I want to send her there either Chloe. We don't really have an option. We may both be Alphas, but we can't fight the werewolf laws."

I looked towards the ground, remembering...

"We can fight them-"

I shuddered as I remembered what happened last time they were fought. A few moments of happiness, and then anguish as new laws were set up, ones that were much more strict and harder to be taken down.

"And make it worse? No. We've already lost one. You know that was the punishment. I don't care to lose our last. "

I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, the strong Alpha I portrayed for my pack falling to the wayside as I searched for comfort in my mate.

"Our baby girl, Cooper. This is all my fault, what if it happens again..."

I sobbed loudly and he pulled me into his chest.

"It won't happen again, I've made sure of it."

I looked up at him through the tears which made my sight blurry.

"How...?"

"Shhhh, kitten, don't concern yourself over it. Our girl will be fine."

I nodded and lay my head against his chest once again.

"I now regret the way I did it, you know. I don't regret choosing you, but I should have followed the laws, I shouldn't have tested the council."

He rubbed his hands against my back in soothing motions. My long-time spitfire of a mate had subsided and become a calm man in his older age.

Once a typical bad boy Alpha, now he was calm and mature, reminding me of my father in the way he respected his people and his pack.

In my old nature I was rebellious and headstrong, much like our first child. Our second, thankfully, took after her father. Hopefully that would help her survive.

"Stop this, my love. What's done is done, you didn't make the council turn into a group of murders, that wasn't in your control."

He moved to get a look at his watch, then started darting his gaze in every direction insistently.

His brows furrowed. "Where is she? We can't be late, this is too important."

I heard shuffles from the front porch of our pack house and looked up to see our daughter standing in the doorway.

"Are you ready, darling?" Cooper asked.

"No? I don't think anybody is. Dad, I'm going to die out there."

He moves to open his door and I let him, and he started to climb in.

"Don't be so dramatic, Paige, please."

But his words were heavy, this whole situation was heavy, really.

Paige, my lovely daughter sauntered up to me with her pack all ready to go into what will most likely be the worst part of her life.

"Mom I don't want to do this."

Her bottoms lip quivered, and mine started too as well. Our last daughter had gone in and had never come out. I couldn't bear to lose Paige as well.

"Nobody wants to go Into the Arena, Paige. it's just something that must be done."

Her eyes grew dark and distant. "But why, why do we have to do this?"

I pulled her into my arms for a hug and held her, looking off into the distance as the sun started to rise.

"Because once upon a time, a very stupid beta female thought she could outsmart the council. And she did, then she had to pay for it with her child."

Paige looked up at me. "How did she manage to do that?" Her tone confused.

"Don't worry about it, Paige. What's done is done."

I walked to her door and held it open for her, helping her as she climbed in with her supplies. Shutting her door as she got settled.

"Nobody wants to go into the Arena, Paige. But you have someone waiting for you inside. I just know it." I whispered to myself as I walked to the passenger seat. "

Cooper and I were about to drop off our last child into a death trap, I could only hope that her saving grace was on the other side.

Cooper reached over and squeezed my hand. The hint of a smile on his face, reassuring me everything would be alright.

But I wasn't so sure.

End.