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.”

say, closing

in her room. By chair, I mean bean bag blob on the floor. I hate the things. Once I’m in, it feels practically impossible to get out of it. But I’m here to see my sister, who said she wanted to talk to me, so I flop

“What’s up, Rowe?”

bed that she’s sitting on before taking a d*eep breath and looking up at me. “How do you know Evangeline is your mate?

my eyes at my sister. “Did you find your mate,

almost a whole year. But he’s in the competition.” She

her scent out of every 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

had to have her and that being away from her was going to be impossible.” She nods, looking down

to feel it,”

you talk to

up

brother Alejandro are pretty sure that they are

eyes go wide at that. “Teagan is going to be a

is about to turn 18,

again. “If he can smell me, if he can sense the mate bond, then why didn’t

she deserves someone stronger. Although, it hasn’t escaped

don’t know, Rowe. Maybe your strength

“If that’s the case, then I deserve better. And I doubt it anyway, he’s an

it?” I ask her

debating if she should

tell anyone. You know I can

“It’s Alpha Enzo. Alpha Antonio and Luna Annabel’s

minute. “You beat him in the race,

nods. “Do you think that could be

sister. “If that’s the reason, you’re right, he doesn’t deserve you. He’s an Alpha and I can tell you, as

says she only finished the race

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

in 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 pull of the

wrapping her arms around my neck and laying her head

hug her a moment before pulling

throw any part of this competition because

at me. “Yes, big

of fighting for what you want, I’ll

she

nothing is getting in the

Jordan POV

word, Nolan made the evening training even h*arder than the morning and nearly as h*ard as

I’m already feeling stronger, and I

a knock at my door.