The Claiming by Cooper

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 56 (Jaxon)

I wake, curled up with my mate on the morning of day two of the sparring battles. Hopefully, if all goes well, we’ll both wake up tomorrow, having moved on in the contest. Both of us had a fairly easy time with our opponents yesterday. Joanna was a tough competitor, but I’m ready to win, today and in the last three events of this contest.

When we get to breakfast, it’s the same as yesterday. Everyone is quietly eating, contemplating today’s events and what they need to win. When we’re done, we head out to the leader boards to see who we are paired with today.

The first thing I notice is that they now have a “1” next to everyone that won their match yesterday and a “0” next to anyone that didn’t. So, now, it’s obvious to everyone who needs to win today to move on, and those that, if they lose today, will be done with the contest overall. A make a note that Jace lost to Tobias yesterday. He has to win the next two days or he’s out of the competition.

I start hearing people calling “Alpha” and I turn to see Jordan striding up to me.

I turn, pulling her into a hug. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I ask her.

“I took a couple days to come root on our pack.” She walks around me to hug Eve before looking up at the scoreboard. I see her frown. I turn and look back, quickly going over the list of our pack members that lost and I can’t imagine she’d be surprised by anyone except Jace.

I turn back to her. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just surprised to see several of our pack members with zeros next to their name.”

“Our pack did have the most contenders of any other pack,” I say.

“By one,” she says, giving me a look like I’m exaggerating things. “Griffin’s pack has eleven in the competition.”

She makes a face, still looking at the leaderboard. “I see Taylor beat Lazio, Evangeline.”

“Yeah, he said she’s pretty tough.”

She’d make a good Alpha,” Jordan says, and her tone has gone

when the leaderboard changes and our competitor’s names for today are flashed on the board. As soon as I see mine, I turn, heading for the tables. “Well, I guess…. Jaxon? Jaxon! No, Jaxon!” Eve says, having

I see Tobias from the corner

forfeit,” we both say

looking at him. “You got

I refuse to fight her,” he says and I nod. We’re both

as Eve catches up

this, let me forfeit. You’re only doing this for me,” she says, as her

watch today. I know I want to see

past me, seeing Tobias and Flavia

you hadn’t done that,” she says, leaning into

this. We’re both Alphas, we’ll run our pack as co-Alphas. I don’t care what our names are.

“TF?”

I’ll have to postpone our congratulatory love making until tomorrow now. I’m still planning to win this competition, but

Top Male?” she asks

say, trying to get her out of the frustration that I feel coming through the bond. I knew she’d

If you win tomorrow, I’ll let you be on top.

the kind of incentive I’m looking for,” I

pull away, I look at

but I will be. I understand why you did it, and I love you for

for today, let’s go see who

back to where Jordan is talking

got more exciting. I

won’t fight my mate,