The One He Claimed by Cooper

Chapter 70: Promises Nikki

When someone else had cried mate, I'd felt fear slither down my spine. All the horrors, all the spectacles of

public claimings, csmashing into me. But then....Robin had moved in front of me, his claws extended, ready

to fight another Alpha for me, even though his mark isn't on my neck.

As soon as | hear the twins softly cry 'mate’, | knew what had happened, even if it took the rest of the room a

minute to figure it out.

| put my hand on Robin's back, letting him know that I'm safe, but also enjoying the feeling of his muscles

quivering under my touch. He smells like musk and earth, like raw masculinity. Everything about this man

screams Alpha to me, even his willingness to letstand up to him. Nothing says power like a man who isn't

afraid to let others show theirs.

| feel his body relax and while | continue to watch Hunter trying to calm Dutton and his wolf, | step up to Robin.

"Are you going to go all protective Alpha all night?" | ask softly, helping to diffuse his anger, but also happy to be

teasing him again.

"That depends," he says, still watching Dutton intently. "Are you planning to dance with anyone other than me

tonight, mate?" He turns and looks atover his shoulder. His intense gaze sends heat pooling south. My

mouth has gone dry so all | can do is shake my head, no.

Chapter 70: Promise

"Good," he growls softly.

When Sophie suggests that she help the twins and Hunter check on Robin and I, I can see his reticence, but

Sophie, being the queen she is, takes control of the situation. | know the twins are worried, but I also know that

Sophie won't allow anything to happen to them, lettingfocus on my mate.

I look back at Robin. If things between us work out, | hope to be the skind of Luna that Sophie is, strong and

confident.

As Sophie begins to lead the twins and Alpha Dutton from the room, Robin turns to me. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe our wolves were identifying each other as mates," say. I'm feeling shy all of a sudden. What does Robin

expect ofnow?

"Nikki, are you good?" Alpha Hunter asks, walking over.

"Yes, Alpha. | think we're good."

"Robin, remember my rule," he says.

Robin nods but doesn't look away from me. "I'm here until the committee meeting so that my mate and | can

spend ttogether," he says. | jerk in surprise, and he merely smiles at me. "What, you didn't think I'd cin,

and expect you to leave withimmediately, did you?"

"| wasn't sure what to expect," | say.

"Hunter, can we get the music back on so | can dance with my mate?" Robin asks and when Hunter doesn't

respond, we both look to find him gone. 09:39

Chapter 70 Promises

"Oh, well..." | look around wanting to find Kinsley. Robin, however, pullsto him.

"We can make our own music," he says and begins swaying back and forth. His gaze onis so intense, it

makesblush.

"You look so beautiful tonight. Even if you weren't my mate, I'd be jealous of the man who was lucky enough to

call you his," he says.

I tilt my chin up and narrow my eyes. "So, you only wantfor my looks?"

His smile grows wide, and | realize that while he probably was givinga real compliment, he also knew it

would antagonizeand | played right into it.

His eyes drop to my mouth and his gaze turns to a burning hunger. “I also love that smart mouth of yours and |

can't wait to taste it."

He drags his eyes back to mine. "I love the intelligence and strength that are behind that beautiful face and the

passion... Oh my little mate, how I do hope that you keep your passion. | think you and | can have a wonderful

life together."

"I have a lot of things that | want to change about our world," | say, defiantly. He may as well know what he's

getting into.

"Like what?" he asks softly, watchingas if every word | say is of the utmost importance.

"Women should have an equal say in the packs. We should have the srights as men. Women should have

the right to take 09 391

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over as Alpha," | say, quickly muttering the biggest of my issues, the one that would cause other Alphas the

most concern.

“So, you're saying if our first child is a girl, she should have the right to take over our pack?” he asks, as if it's a

simple conversation, casually bringing up our child.

I swallow hard, struggling with the image of having this man's pup as a flash of hot desire rushes through me. |

really want that.

"Why not? | would have made a better Alpha than Alaric," | say, defensively, trying to get myself and my purring

wolf under control.

"You definitely would have, but that's not saying much. Your brother is a terrible Alpha. Would you, let's say, have

made a better Alpha than Hunter?"

| turn, looking around the room for our host. | see him putting together plates of food, possibly for Dutton and

the twins. I'm guessing he wants to check on his mate.

| think about his question a moment. Robin's right. There's a huge difference in being better than my brother

versus being better than Hunter. "I would always strive to do my best and to be the best Alpha | could be for my

pack. | would be open to their worries and concerns, listening to their ideas and trying to make the pack more

cohesive and stronger. | don't know if that would makea better Alpha than Hunter, but | would think it would

at least makeas good an Alpha as he is."

Robin reaches up and strokes my cheek. “You can do all those things as my Luna. Listen, make the pack feel

heard, be open to their ideas, make the pack stronger," he says. 109 39 L

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I look up at him, seeing pride at what I've said. "And what about you, Alpha Robin? What do you want in a

mate?"

"A partner," he says without hesitation. "Running a pack, if your do it well, isn't easy. | want someone who is

kind, loving, intelligent, strong, passionate, someone who will stand up toif they think I'm wrong, someone

who will aggravateto the point of nearly losing my mind, someone who makecrave them every minute

of the day so that | can barely stand to be away from them, someone who will learn to trust me, someone who

will give themselves tocompletely, freely, and with complete and utter abandon."

"Well, with such simple criteria, | can't imagine why you haven't found her before today," | say sarcastically,

feeling a bit

overwhelmed by his words. He's very confident about what he wants.

"I've had a week to think about it, wondering if you were my mate. I've had a week to realize that you meet

every one of those criteria, or hopefully, you will one day when you learn to trustand give yourself to me. |

would never want to compare what | have with my mate to someone else and theirs but when we were in that

committee meeting and Hunter asked Sophie to submit to him? | can't imagine the amount of trust. that it took

for her or the amount of love and respect that it took from him for her to give it. | want that. The moment | saw

them, | knew that it was exactly what | wanted in my relationship with my mate. | want her, you, to know that if

we were in a room full of Alphas, that you would never, ever have to worry that | wouldn't put you first, that |

would never betray your trust, that | would never let you down." We've stopped dancing, his words impacting me

more strongly

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1288 Vouche

than | would have imagined.

"All I'm asking, is for you to givea chance, to letprove to you that | can be that man to you, I've seen

what Hunter and Sophie have, I've seen what Kayce and Allison already have. | want it. | desperately want you

and | to have that, that trust, that love, that respect, all of it. But with you, | also want your F**g passion. You

have a fire, Nikki, and | want to burn in your flames every f**g night for the rest of my life."

I don't know what to say, all | know is his words are having a very strong effect on my body. | feel hot and

uncomfortable in ways 'I'm unaccustomed to.

He looks down at my mouth, and unconsciously lick my lips. His low grow! of approval sends another wave of

heat to my core, causingto press my thighs together so my arousal doesn't begin to drip down my thighs.

"And | desperately want to taste that mouth," he says, and now he's panting, his eyes glued to my lips. "Please

tellthat I can."

"Yes," | say, and in a fraction of a second, his warm, soft mouth is devouring mine in a gentle, dominant kiss,

promising everything that he intends to givein our future.