The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 41 (Evangeline)

This week has been much like the previous week. Each day the training gets harder and my body is more and more tired. And I’m not the only one.

Then, after three days, I found out that Jordan is getting one-on-one sessions with Nolan in between the two sessions we’re getting. How the woman is still standing is beyond me. If that’s what it takes to be an Alpha of a pack, maybe I don’t have it in me.

As I look around though, I see that everyone is struggling, not just me. I have to give Jaxon credit. He may have bitched and moaned the first couple of days, but he never once gave up, he never even gave a hint of slacking off. The man is incredible and he’s all mine.

We started sparring against each other on day three, using our kicks and punches to take each other down. As soon as contact was a requirement, Jaxon refused to spar with me any longer.

“I’m not hitting you, Evangeline.”

I’m Evangeline when he’s trying to get a point across or being serious. I’m Eve when he’s being flirty or sweet. “Jaxon, what if we get paired against each other in the contest?” I asked him. “Then I back out. I’m not fighting against my own mate. I won’t hit you. If you want to go on offense and spar against me, fine, but I refuse to hit you, even in training,” he says to me.

“He’s right, Evie. Go spar with your mother. I’ll spar with your… with Jaxon,” my father says.

I watched as my father had gone at Jaxon hard, pushing him, forcing him to go on defense quickly. But Jaxon held his own, sparring hard against my father, getting in more hits than my father did.

done, my father had

and my daughter acting like mates before she knows for sure that you are her mate, but I can respect a man who refuses to hit his mate, even in sparring, especially when that woman is my daughter. So….I hope you’ll join us for Savate training

my honor and privilege, Alpha,” my mate had said, respectful as

my father had told Jaxon that he knew that I was spending the nights with him and that

think that your daughter and I are doing anything other than sleeping, you’re not paying attention. We can barely crawl up

house, my rules,”

is exhausted and unable to keep up with training, maybe you’ll change your mind. We both sleep better when we’re together, just like I assume that you sleep better next to your

willing to give.

Your entire family is invited, especially

do you want to do once you’re 18? I mean, I want to celebrate, but

the contest?”

continue to fight, just like I am. I mean, where do you want to live? We should consider that now. If you want to live outside of a packhouse, I need to start thinking about buying or renting a house. Which pack do you want to live in? All those things. I mean, our living arrangement is temporary, since one or both of us will win pack, but we should decide where we’ll live. It’ll most likely be

about it,” I say honestly. I mean, I want to be with Jaxon, but when he starts asking these types of questions, it makes everything more of a reality. I’d considered

ear that he knows is sensitive and makes me shiver. “Think about it. We have some time, but I want us to be together. I want my mark on your neck and yours

to have to worry about your father having any say in whether or not I sleep by your side,” he says

willing to leave your pack?”

to be where you are, Eve. That’s

not only gorgeous, but romantic too? How

when my father’s throat clearing

isn’t going to s*trip me down and take me right here outside the dining hall!” I say, completely