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.

about that as I head to my room, wondering what it means

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

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

sisters are staying on the Beta floor. Alpha Jaxon is staying in the

a long moment. “Let me guess, he’s as far away from this side of the house

yes, that’s

else show me which room will

course, Alpha, I can show

with our lead omega, knowing that this is very purposeful on my father’s part. He’s allowing Jaxon on our pack lands, but he’s obviously not happy

there. I’m at least happy to see that he’s making 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 of our

and checking to make sure that

and Rowan’s rooms

said, they are on the

I tell

as Teagan and Rowan

I see the barest of head nods. Finally,

arrives a couple hours later and Alejandro, Makayla and I take them on a tour of our

good for the packs and our alliances, isn’t it?” Makayla

do you mean?” I

other, pooling our resources so everyone has an equal chance to win, it 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 creating bonds with them now,” she

over our pain and suffering will be bonds that will last a lifetime. And obviously, mate bonds like those between your sister

her,” Al and I

to put her arm through Jaxon’s. “I like him, he’ll

Luna when the time comes,” Jaxon says to her making

used it,” Rowen