The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 46 (Evangeline)

Jaxon and I spent the evening laughing and dancing together, celebrating his sister becoming the pack’s Alpha. It felt a lot like we were already a mated couple. No one else asked me to dance, not that Jaxon gave them the chance, but there were no jealous she- wolves hovering around us either, clamoring for a chance to dance with Jaxon. It was a great night and now, I’m heading to my room to shower and change before I sneak up to Jaxon’s room for the night.

When I get out of the shower, Maggie is just walking in.

“Hey Maggie, did you have a good time tonight.”

“Hey, Evie, yeah I did,” she says distractedly, going to her bed.

“You okay?” I ask her.

“Yeah, I’m good. You headed to Jaxon’s room?”

My sister and I have been best friends our entire lives. We know everything about each other and right now, I know something is bothering my sister.

I finish getting dressed in my pajama shorts and top and I sit on my bed. “Spill,” I say.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Well, I mean, you’re not like Makayla and bouncy all the damn time, but you’ re usually more upbeat than this, especially when we’ve just come from such a fun night.”

She begins chewing on the inside of her m*outh. A sure sign that something is bothering her.

“I found him, Evie.”

I wait, thinking there’s more. She doesn’t say any more, she just looks at me.

“Found who?”

“Him. My mate.”

I jump up, pulling her into a hug. “Maggie, that’s wonderful!” I say, before stopping and pulling back.

“Wait, why aren’t you more excited?”

“Dad, obviously.”

“Oh shit.”

“Yeah, oh shit. If he’s struggling this much with you, imagine how he’s going to act with me. I’m six months younger than you are.”

“How old is your mate? WHO is your mate?” I ask, watching as a smile spreads across her face.

“Jaxon’s cousin, Caleb. And we’re the same age.”

“Griffin is the oldest male, right? He just

know, not only because I’m Jaxon’s mate, but now my sister

is the youngest and there’ s another sister, Brooke, but she already found her mate. She’s your age, not quite 18, but her parents let her go spend time in her mate’s pack and let him come to visit theirs. I guess they are splitting the time going to where

Caleb is in the contest

saw him at the race, and I felt the pull, but things were so crazy with dad that I didn’t approach him, and he didn’t approach me, or he didn’t have a chance since dad rushed us out of there so fast on the last day. But Evie, now I want to spend time with him, I want to get to know him. I could do what

I know that, unlike you and Jaxon, I won’t be 18 before the next competition, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t

If you want to come with me to grandmother Isabella’s pack, I’ll support you. If

and his family or we’ll go find our own place to live until

eyebrow at me. “You’ve really thought this

no intention of letting dad

agrees, maybe you could even stay there if mom and dad try to keep you apart. Did

me, a sheepish smile spreading across her face. “He’s actually coming here

lot of ‘talking’ that first night,”

are still giggling together when there’s a quiet

door and Caleb’s eyes go wide. “Oh,

I’m mated to your cousin,

Evangeline. I heard about

“Good things, I hope.”

s heart,” he says, turning to Maggie. “I guess it runs in the family, since your gorgeous

smiling. “I’ll see you in the morning. Keep your ears out for dad. We’ll figure things

“Thanks, Evie.”

said hi.” Caleb

my fist to knock when the door swings open and Jaxon pulls me into his room and into his

took you so long?” he asks

“Care to share?”

to your cousin,”

He frowns. “Griffin?”

He was just arriving as

your father going to

sure, but Maggie and I will have to talk more this weekend. You and I may have

have you, I don’t care

and kisses me and that’s the last I think of Maggie, Caleb

Jace POV

of the room. Taylor rushes to me, wrapping her arm around my

“Jace, what happened?”

never really figured out how to tell her that Jordan was my mate. I guess I figured Jordan would reject me early on and it would never come up. But she

me.” Better to just

you as

Taylor. “As

I slapped

“Jordan is your mate?”

“Yeah.”

you knew? All this