The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 44 (Jaxon)

Savate training is somewhere in between kickboxing and Aikido for me when it conies to intensity. Thankfully, I had kickboxing first, so I am already more limber than I was last week. However, by the end of the week, my flexibility is even better.

The difference however, is how you use your kicks. Where kickboxing can give smaller, more flexible fighters an advantage, Savate is all about carefully placing your punches and kicks for maximum impact. It’s about taking your opponent down in the fewest moves possible. It’s intense, and I love it.

Eve is still aggravated that I won’t train with her, but I don’t care. I refuse to hit my mate, or my sisters. I’d prefer not to hit any of the females, but it’s impossible for me to not get paired with them at some point.

Eve has been sneaking into my room every night. After the first couple of nights, I told her not to. We were both hitting the fatigue wall and I was worried that she might slip and fall on the roof while sneaking to my room, but she insisted that she wouldn’t be able to sleep without being beside me. So, after the third day, I started meeting her on the roof and helping her back to my room.

Today, Rowan, Teagan, Eve and I are all heading to my pack for Jordan’s Alpha ceremony. Really, Jordan has been running the pack for months, so this is just a formality. Alpha Luke, Luna Katerina, and Alpha Alejandro are invited, as are all the Alphas from all the packs. With the competition, many of them won’t be able to make it, but a lot will, which will be nice. We’ll be able to talk to the other packs to see how their training is going.

“I wish I could come,” Magdalena says. “It’s probably a good experience to have before we have Al’s ceremony here next year.”

“Why can’t you come?” I ask her.

“I’m sure there isn’t any room,” she says.

I give her a smile. “You could share a room with Eve again.”

Eve leans against me, smiling at Magdalena.

She told me that her sister knew that she was sneaking out to my room every night.

“Really?” she asks excitedly.

my mom just to let her know there is one more

Jaxon!” she says running off

be perfect,”

room you were in the last time.” I tell her as I put the

more and she reminds me that she wants me there early to

my arm around my mate as we walk inside the packhouse. “How many more months before I can officially make you my mate?”

before the next contest, really,”

to where you

thinking your pack. Your family doesn’t seem to have the hang up that

planning to tell your

it’s

to Alpha Jonas’s pack?” 1 ask, stopping at the stairs where she’ll

Levi coming in. He is trained in

another grueling week ahead of us?” I ask

pretty sure you can take

to take you on that date I promised you. Maybe we can do that

into me and wrapping her arms

go away for a night, just

love that

ask, not

think that she, at least, is starting to realize that things are different in this

we can’t go away overnight,

missed

“Me too.”

where it’s easier for Eve and I to be together. Her father did everything in his power to ensure that we were apart as much as possible, not that it’s difficult as the week progressed. Our physical fatigue and to do more