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.

know there is one more but that you’ll be

says running off to get

will be

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

and she reminds me

wrap my arm around my mate as we walk inside the packhouse. “How many more months

next contest, really,” she

any thought to where you

have the hang up that mine does with us

you planning to tell your father

it’s

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

Levi coming in. He is trained in

of us?” I ask her, pulling her

you can take it Super

of these days, I want to take you on that

that,” she says, leaning into me and wrapping her arms

we can go away for a night, just the two

love that idea!”

father will be okay with that?” I ask, not wanting to

She saw Teagan and Alejandro. I think that she, at least, is starting to realize that

if we can’t go away overnight, we

I’ve missed

“Me too.”

before heading to my room to get my things. This week has been a good workout, but I’ll be glad to be back in a different pack 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 than eat, sleep and train. But still, even in the afternoons, he always seemed to have