The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 40 (Jaxon)

It took me a couple of hours to recover from the morning training session, but by lunch time, I was mostly back to normal.

“Are you gonna make it, Super Hotty?” Eve teases me over lunch.

“If you had asked me a couple of hours ago, I’d have said no, but at least now I feel like I can walk.”

“That was brutal,” Alejandro says, having come to sit with us.

“If you think that was brutal, just wait. If he is anything like Ezekiel, we’ll all be barely standing by the end of the week,” Eve says.

“Yeah, it was about two days before we were all struggling to get through both classes each day and by the end of the week, none of us were able to hold our heads up to eat dinner.” I tell him, enjoying my lunch while my body still can.

“Was it really that brutal?” Magdalena asks.

“Yes,” both Eve and I say together.

After lunch, Eve looks at me. “I was going to spend some time with Maggie this afternoon.”

“Perfect, I wanted to speak to Rowen. She mentioned wanting to talk to me while I’ m here.”

Eve comes over, wrapping her arms around my neck and looking up at me. “See you for afternoon training?”

My arms rest perfectly around her waist, pulling her against my body. “I’ll see you there.”

Her lips start twitching and I raise my eyebrow.

“I’m sure it will get easier for you,” she says, a full-on smile spreading across her face.

“You,” I say, pecking her lips, “are lucky I love you.”

“Every minute of every day,” she says, before leaning in for a d*eeper k*iss. This one lingers until someone, presumably her father, loudly clears their throat. I pull away. No since kicking over the beehive.

Eve shoots a glare at her father before heading out with Maggie. I turn and go in search of Rowen. I follow her scent to her room, where I knock.

“Come in,” she says from inside her room. I open the door to see her sitting on her bed looking out the window.

“Oh, hey Jax.”

Rowen,” I say, closing her

hate the things. Once I’m in, it feels practically impossible

“What’s up, Rowe?”

breath and looking up at me. “How do you know Evangeline is your mate? She’s not old

my eyes at my sister. “Did you find your

think so, but I’m not sure. He’s younger than I am, almost a whole year. But he’s in the competition.” She says, looking down before looking back up at me. “How

other one that first day of the contest. She was like nothing I’ve ever smelled before,” I say, smiling as I remember honing in on my mate. “And then she made eye contact with me, and

moment on, I knew she was mine. I knew I had to have her and

he’s too young to feel it,” she

you talk to

up at

Alejandro are pretty sure that

that. “Teagan is going to

But while Teagan is about to turn 18,

looks down, frowning again. “If he can smell me, if he can sense the

are mates, because he thinks she deserves someone stronger. Although, it hasn’t escaped me that he hasn’t

don’t know, Rowe. Maybe your strength

the case, then I deserve better. And I

I

at me, debating if she should tell

won’t tell anyone. You know I can keep a

another moment. “It’s Alpha Enzo.

minute. “You beat him

could be why?

chair and going to stand beside my sister. “If that’s the reason, you’re right, he doesn’t deserve you. He’s

says she only finished the race because of you,” Rowan

she has the heart of an Alpha, because she’s strong and because she dug d*eep inside herself, just

the next round. If you want, I’ll give you my impressions. Plus, he’ll be older. If he wasn’t sure he was feeling the

around my neck and laying her head on my shoulder. “Thanks, Jax.

her a

this competition because of him. You fight for what

at me. “Yes, big

of fighting for what you want, I’ll see you at

“Are YOU going to make it?” she asks me, like the bratty sister she

Alpha, little sis, nothing is getting in the way of me

Jordan POV

word, Nolan made the evening training even h*arder than the morning and nearly as h*ard as my one-on-one training.

it’s good. I’m already feeling stronger, and I have overnight

a knock at my door. I look up to