The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)

Chapter 12 (Jordan)

I’m in my office the next morning when there’s a knock at my door. I look up and see the woman who has caused me all sort of angst standing there. “Hey Jordan, I know you’re getting ready for the Alpha meeting, but could I trouble you for a moment?” Taylor says.

“Sure, Tay, come on in,” I say, already pretty sure I know what this is about.

She comes and sits down across from my desk.

“So, I’m not sure if Jace told you, but I’m pretty sure I smelled my mate’s scent in your packhouse. We searched everywhere, but we couldn’t find him and Jace thinks that maybe it’s someone that comes and goes in your pack. So, I was hoping that, in the next day or two, you could make a list of the people that have been in and out of your pack in the last week or two. The scent was stronger in some places, but I smelled it all over the pack, so definitely not someone in and out, if that helps,” she says.

“I did talk to Jace yesterday and I made a list of the people that it could be,” I say, handing the list to her.

She looks at it a moment, then looks up at me. “I hope that what happened between me and Jace didn’t affect our relationship too much. We never had sex, although I’m sure you know that by now. And I know you rejected him. I’m not sure if you knew that I had asked him if he was still willing to be chosen mates.”

She looks at me, but I remain silent. I don’t remember Jace telling me that, but I also know that I wasn’t willing to listen to him for a long time after I rejected him.

“Anyway, he turned me down. He told me that he needed to prove to himself that he was worthy of being your mate and he’s done that, so now, he just needs to prove to you that he’s worthy.” She looks down at the paper then back up at me. “It’s none of my business…”

“No, it’s not.”

been worthy of being your mate. He just needed to figure that out for himself,” she continues

desk in front of me. “Why are you telling me this?” I

deserves to be happy. For a long time, he thought that he could be happy with me, but now, I think we both realize we’re better friends than

know my Gamma better

my door. She stops, turning to me. “If you knew Jace better than I did, Jordan, you would

I realized he had known all along that I was his mate, I

he denied Taylor. It can’t be because she is now an Alpha. He’s been very clear that he wants me, and he doesn’t care that

right now to worry about it. I need to focus. I have a packhouse full of Alphas and council members, and there are more

have some Alphas coming down the drive,” Jace says. Speak

my way. Do we know

checked with Dalia earlier, we’re all set.’ Dalia is our Lead Omega and has been running herself ragged to make sure the rooms were ready early for the

me to order her that dress she was looking at,’ I say to Jace as I grab my jacket, putting on what I call

Alpha,’

He really is making

working?’ he asks, a sultry

toward the packhouse entrance, saying hello to my pack members and guests. When I get there, Jace has a smirk on his face. I narrow my eyes at him. “Alpha,”

shake my head at

soon as Melinda gets out of the car,

say as I walk up to her and hug her,

“And who is this?”