The Claiming by Cooper

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 60 (Jace)

It’s time for my match. I was hoping that Jordan would be here again, but I also know there are several of our pack members who are battling today and I’ m not the only one in this timeslot. I begin stretching, trying to get my head centered on the match, not my mate.

“Hey, where’s Jordan?” Taylor asks, jogging up.

“Probably helping one of the others in our pack. I’m not the only one battling at this time.”

“I can coach you, if you want?” she says.

“Sure Tay, thanks.”

She looks over to see my opponent. It must be a family trait, the way they assess their opponents before a fight. Jordan had the same assessing look on her face that Taylor does now. “I think that guy is a Gamma, too. But he’s not as strong as you are,” she says as I continue stretching. Jordan would know for sure who this guy is.

I look over at him. “How can you tell?” I ask her. He’s smaller than I am, but he’s muscular.

“You’re ripped, Jace. That guy is muscular, but he’s not ripped,” she says shaking her head at me as if it’s obvious.

“Hey, I’m here,” I hear Jordan say and I turn, seeing her running over. As soon as I see her, everything in me settles.

She’s smiling at me until her eyes move past me to Taylor and her smile falters. “Unnnnnless, you don’t need me,” she says.

“No, I do. Taylor was just…”

“I was filling in until you arrived. Now that you’re here, I’ll let you take over,” she says and turns to walk away.

“Thanks, Taylor,” I say, and she waves her hand, not looking back.

back to Jordan. “Thanks for coming. I know there are others battling right

still my Gamma, Jace. What kind of an Alpha would I be if I didn’t try to help you achieve your goal of getting your own pack,” she says. Gone

left-hand dominant, so make sure that you take that into consideration. I’m also pretty sure he’s great with his fists, terrible with his footwork,” she says. Yep, I knew she’d know everything there was to know about this and most likely every other opponent on the field today. She probably stayed up

Jordan,” I say, as I

got this,

the match begins, I realize that everything that Jordan said was completely accurate. Terence is almost solely dominant on his left-side, making his right

injuring him and limiting his

to his feet and then I turn, hoping Jordan will rush into my arms like she did when I won the first

she nods, acknowledging my win, then turns and

Luke POV

what’s going on?” my mate asks me as I watch

snarl. When she doesn’t answer, I turn to look at

“So?” she asks me.

understand what that means?” I

eyes narrow, I know I crossed a

she snaps in a tone I’ve only ever heard her use with our children when

checking to see that I’m following her. I may have had a lapse in judgement in my

with my mate. I’m the Alpha, but she’s got the royal

enough away from the crowd that no one will hear

all,” she says, smacking her hand against my chest, “don’t ever think you can speak down to me, Luke. I’m your mate. You will only treat me with

pretty sure that if it were possible, there would be steam coming out of

me repeat that for those whose ears seem to be clogged lately. Our daughter doesn’t seem to have a problem with the fact that her MATE knotted her, not that it’s any

open my mouth to say something. “Say something. I dare you,” she snarls at me, and I snap my mouth closed. “I stood by you when you chose to make Alejandro Alpha, not Evangeline. I didn’t agree with you, but I stood by you. I stood by you when you had issues with Evangeline and Jaxon before she turned 18. Once again, I didn’t agree with you, but I stood by you. Now, you want to try and put a rift between them because they are acting like a young, mated couple? Let’s be clear, Luke. If you force her hand, there is only one way this will go. You lose. She will choose Jaxon, as she should!” She takes a deep breath and I keep

about when a man knots his mate,

the moment, she feels larger than life, her anger radiating off of her

word, like it’s a terrible thing that I’m her mate. For the first time, I realize how much my mate has supported me over the years and how much I haven’t done the same for her. “If our daughter is forced to make a choice, and she blocks you from our grandchildren’s lives, I won’t stand beside you. I refuse to allow you to keep me from my grandbabies. So, you make the choices you need to make, Alpha,” she snarls again, making it sound like a filthy title, “and I’ll make the ones I need to make for me and for

not wanting the