The Claiming by Cooper novel Chapter 206

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 6 Jaxon

“I’m going to go to introduce myself.” I tell Jace as Councilman Jason finishes his speech.

“Bad idea, Jax. Alpha Luke might be a casual Alpha, but when it comes to his daughters, I hear he’s fiercely protective.” Jace says to me.

“I’m introducing myself, Jace. I’m not proposing we mate for life.” I tell him, not taking my eyes off of her.

“How old is she, anyway?” I ask.

“Alpha Luke claimed Katerina the year after your dad claimed your mom, so I think she’s 17, definitely not 18 yet.” He says.

“Do we have a roster somewhere? I’d love to know when she’ll turn 18.” I say, watching her as she looks around and I make my way toward her.

Since she’s not paying attention, I put myself right into her path so that she has no choice but to run into me. The minute her body touches me, my body lights up, tingles rushing all over me. It’s the most pleasant and yet uncomfortable feeling I’ve ever had. Pleasant because it feels f*uc*king amazing and uncomfortable because I just went rock hard and there’s no way she can’t feel it.

I do my best to cover my discomfort. “Alpha Evangeline, I’m Alpha Jaxon.” I say by way of introduction. Up close, I can see that she has the most beautiful pale blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Her thick, rich brown hair hangs to her lower back. She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen.

“I know who you are Alpha Jaxon. Even if I didn’t know your parents, I’ve met your twin, Alpha Jordan.” She says, her eyebrow raising, but she gracefully doesn’t call me out on my hardened state.

“What about me?” Jordan says, walking over and putting her arm through mine.

“Hello Alpha Evangeline, hello Alpha Magdalena.”

“Hello, Alpha Jordan.” They both say, inclining their heads. “I was just telling your brother that I knew who he was, and of course, that I’ve met you when you’ve visited our pack.”

“Jax, you’ve never met Evangeline and Magdalena?” She says, looking at me quizzically.

“Jordan, when do I travel around to the packs? That’s what future Alphas do.” I say to her.

“Well, you’re a future Alpha now, so you’d better start.” My sister says confidently.

“Is that so?” Evangeline says, giving me a smirk.

“I guess it’s a good thing there are ten spots, since my family plans to claim three of them.” Magdalena says confidently. Damn, I like these girls.

“Well then, I guess it is good for everyone else, since my family intends to claim four of the ten spots, and Jace here intends to claim one. That only leaves two available spots.” I say, smirking at Evangeline.

“Two available spots for what?” Taylor says, coming up beside Jace and putting her arm through his.

I feel Jordan tense on one side of me, and interestingly, Jace tenses on the other. I’ll have to ask him about that later.

“We were just discussing the contest and who was going to win. Obviously, we all think our families will win.” Jace says.

Just then, the bell announces dinner. I look at Evangeline, not ready for our interaction to be over.

“Would you like to join us for dinner. We can talk strategy and discuss why we both think all of our family members will win the contest.” I say to her.

“Why Alpha, are you trying to learn my secrets by plying me with food before our first contest?” Evangeline says coyly.

“What if I am?” I ask her teasingly. I feel Jordan look at me. I’ve never shown this kind of interest in a woman before.

Evangeline’s smile spreads across her face. “At least you’re honest about it.” She says, turning to Magdalena. “What do you say?”

“Yes, I would love to hear your strategy for the contest. Thank you so much for offering to share it with us. I just want to find my brother and we’ll join you.” Magdalena says.

“Which brother?” Jordan asks.

Evangeline turns her head, looking for her brothers. Her neck is thin and graceful. I’ve never given much thought to a woman’s neck, but I can definitely see myself sinking my canines into hers.

Almost as if she heard my thoughts, her head snaps back to me. I hold her gaze, unflinching.

“I think your sister is with my brother.” She says, making me look away from her. Teagan is walking beside a man I recognize as Alpha Alejandro. My sister looks as entranced with him and I am with Evangeline.

“Of course not, that would be ridiculous.”

“Exactly. The fastest werewolf has done this race in 26 hours. If you aren’t going to eat, you’ll need energy from somewhere. Stuff yourself tonight, eat a small meal in the morning and it will have to get you through.”

“Is this your strategy talk?” She asks me.

“Part of it. But what I really want to know is, who do you think is your biggest competitor?”

“You, of course.” She says to me.

I stop, looking at her.

“Why me?”

“You’re descended from two true Alphas, you’re a male which makes you genetically stronger than me and I know that your sister thinks you’re going to win, which means she’s been training with you.”

I raise my eyebrow at that. “Are you going to tell me that your brother hasn’t been training with you?”

She smiles. “No, but your sister is the only one out of all us that was chosen to be the heir of her pack because of birth order, not gender. I can’t say that I haven’t had my problems with my brother because of that. It makes me angry that because I’m a woman I was passed over. Maybe it shouldn’t, but there it is.”

She sighs and I can see that she wants to say more, so I wait her out.

“In some ways, this contest is almost harder because it’s okay for me to become an Alpha if I defeat nearly every other werewolf, but my own parents didn’t feel I was good enough to be Alpha of our pack.”

She looks down and I immediately want to comfort her, so I reach out, taking her hand in mine.

“I don’t think that’s it at all. I don’t think it has anything to do with you. Just like it doesn’t have anything to do with me that I’ m not going to be Alpha of my pack. And don’t think I haven’t given my mother a ton of shit over years about that.” I say, making her chuckle.

“Your parents are living in the old ways and you hate it. I get it. My parents are trying to be trend-setters, or some shit and I hate it.

She laughs out loud now.

I wait until she focuses back on me. “So, we prove them both wrong. We fight and we take our packs just like good, strong Alphas should.”