The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 43 (Evangeline)

When I arrive back at my pack, everyone seems happy to see me, as if they all missed me.

“Of course, they missed you,” Makayla says when I mention it. “You’re the heart of this pack.”

“Makie, that’s not true. Mom is the heart of this pack,” I tell her.

“Yes, she is, and you’ll hopefully forgive me for saying this Evie, but you’re just as much of the heart of the pack as she is,” Alejandro says.

“Why do I need to forgive you for saying that?” I ask.

“Because it means you were meant to be a great Luna, or at least you would make a great Luna,” Lazio says.

I frown at them. “Alphas have a heart.”

Both of them look at me.

“No, Evie. The Alphas are meant to be the hard ones in the pack, the ones that make the hard decisions and the ones that lay down the law and hold people accountable when someone doesn’t follow that law. The Luna is the heart, the gentleness, the kindness that counters the Alpha’s dominance of their pack.” Al says.

“And you’re damn good at it, Evie. The pack adores you, as they should…if you were going to be a Luna.” Lazio says.

“So, you’re saying I need to be a bitch if I want to be Alpha?”

“No, Alpha Jordan is finding a middle ground, sort of. I’m just saying, the pack responds to you in a way that they respond to mom, not in the way that they respond to dad.” Al says.

to my room, wondering what it means

It was rough living off of a few pairs of clothes for the past couple of

find our lead omega. “Do you know where my father has Alpha Jaxon and his family staying this week?” I ask

are staying on the Beta floor. Alpha

me guess, he’s as far away from this side of

yes, that’s correct,

you or someone else show me

course, Alpha, I can

very purposeful on my father’s part. He’s allowing Jaxon on

sure that he isn’t insulting a neighboring Alpha by giving him a terrible room. The room itself has a great view of the training fields and the forest at the back and to the east

that it’s stocked and checking to make sure

assuming Teagan and Rowan’s

said, they are on the

I tell

and get to the entrance of the packhouse just as Teagan and Rowan arrive. “Welcome to our home,” Alejandro says, walking up

and see my mother watching them intently. When her eyes meet mine, I just raise an eyebrow at her. She presses her lips together and I see the barest of head nods. Finally, I think she’s realizing that we can feel our mate bonds. Maybe they couldn’t in their generation, but

and I take them on

good for the packs and our

mean?” I

can only strengthen all of our packs, right? And now that I’ve become friends with Teagan and Rowen, wherever they end up as Lunas, we’ll already have bonds created because we are

brains! You’re absolutely correct, Makayla. I think these weeks together, bonding over our pain and suffering will be bonds that will last a lifetime. And

her,” Al and I

put her arm through Jaxon’s. “I like him, he’ll make an excellent brother once he

a Luna when the time comes,”

get used it,” Rowen