The Claiming by Cooper

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 69 (Jace)

Jordan immediately steps out of my grasp. F*uc*king Nolan, this is twice he’s interrupted a conversation I was having with Jordan.

“Nolan, what are you doing here?” she asks him.

“I came to see if I could pry you away from your work and take you to dinner,” he says, eyeing me.

“Yes, absolutely,” she says, turning to me.

“We’ll talk later, Jace.”

I take a step back. “Remember what I said, Jordan,” I say, holding her gaze until she nods.

I walk past Nolan, nodding my head in greeting before walking out. As I get to the end of the hall, I hear him. “So, he’s the mate, huh?”

So, Jordan told him about me, or at least that she has a mate. I’m guessing that he also knows that she rejected me.

I walk downstairs, going to the kitchen to grab something quick to eat before heading back upstairs to my room. On my way out of the kitchen, I hear his voice.

made her choice, Gamma. You should accept her rejection and let

him. “You mean move on

mate bond, and her. She needs someone that will stand by her side, support her

and runs interference on those difficulties, so she doesn’t have to fight for herself and her position every f*uc*king day. You know nothing about what Jordan needs. And what do think will happen if she accepts you as her mate? That you would just continue to go off and train people around the world? Leaving her here to run and pack AND raise her pups? What kind of life is that for Jordan? I’ll tell you. It isn’t one and it’s not one that she’ll want, I can guarantee you that. So maybe it’s you, Nolan, that

know nothing about me or my intentions, pup,” he says condescendingly, getting in my

have no idea how to live in a pack. When’s the last time you spent more than a week or two in any pack, much less your own? You’re a wanderer, a lone wolf. Leave my Alpha alone.

sharp. I take a

dinner, Alpha,” I say before heading

Evangeline POV

was expecting, but the complete disarray of these pack lands wasn’t it. They are a disaster

the ground, literally falling apart in front of us. The second one had vines and trees growing inside the packhouse,

time we get to the third one two days later, the excitement in our group is gone. We’re all overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that will need to be done once we claim our packs. Well, let’s be honest, no one is going to move to any of these pack lands while they are in this state. Why would you go from

is just as dilapidated as the first one was. Jaxon

Think about what it will look like when we’ve made this place our home,” he

It’s the first time he’s said something like

told you about? All of this land is the pack lands. Personally, I think it was foolish to put the packhouse way out here. I much prefer having it like it is in Jordan’s pack, closer to the

to Jaxon, seeing his image

we could put a small town where we could have pack members open their own shops, making it easier to get

that idea, and I love you. So, do