The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 11 Evangeline

I’m exhausted and everything hurts, but I’m actually enjoying myself. Jaxon is funny, intelligent and he never breaks the pace. He sets it and sticks with it. He’s a great running partner. I had thought that I might need to shift into my wolf, but at this rate, I think I can do the entire run in my human form. I’d be willing to push it anyway, just to continue talking to Jaxon.

When we hit the last rest stop, I ask again what time it is. It feels like the night is only about halfway done when they tell me it’s 5am. I’ve been running 23 hours straight. Ten miles to go, three to four hours left, and I’ve done it. I’ve passed the first cut.

“Who’s ahead of us?” Jaxon asks as we pass through.

This time it’s Alpha Paolo, Alpha Asher and Luna Mignon’s oldest son who is stationed at the rest stop.

“Tobias is a few minutes ahead of you, and Taylor is only about a minute ahead of you. She’s out of steam. I was surprised she didn’t stop.”

“Not her style.” Jaxon says as we run through.

As we run back out into the darkness, I look at Jaxon. “Almost there “

“Almost! We can do this.”

“Definitely.” I say.

“Okay, when you’re ready, it’s your turn to ask first.” He says to me.

I’d been thinking about it, so I’m ready. “If you win…”

“When I win.” He corrects me.

win,” I stress the ‘when’, “how will you choose your Beta? Are you planning to go with the family lines or choose

really great at it. Not only that, if I take a Beta and Gamma from another family, I’ve just strengthened my alliances with those packs. For me. I’ll already have an alliance with Jordan, then, let’s say your brother Lazio doesn’t win in this tournament. If he were to compete in the Beta trials and I chose him as my Beta, well, now I also have an alliance with Alejandro. And your cousins from Alpha Quinton and Luna Sophia’s pack aren’t even eligible to compete for the Alpha spot, but I’d

a few breaths as we run. “Let’s say I took their son, Wade, as my Gamma, well now I’ve also created an alliance with your cousin Nathaniel when he

you will have an alliance with three of the 20 packs, your pack being the fourth.” I say. It’s not

also allied with her brother, Giovanni. So, I’d be allied to a quarter of the packs. And that doesn’t include if Taylor gets a pack and my alliance with her brother Griffin. As cousins, we’re already family. It’s not really important, since the packs all get along now, but things change over time and

all the things he just said, the one sticking in my head is Jaxon being mated to Noelle. “She’s not your

dawning light of morning, I see a smile breaking across

do you say

shrug a bit. “She’s that uppity Alpha

think of Jaxon with Noelle. I mean she’s okay,

I think he and Griffin are the same age, so he’ll be

better knowing Noelle

just rounded a bend in the path when we see Taylor standing

“Taylor, are

leaning over and sucking

to your wolf, Tay.” He tells her but she shakes her head. “No,

this. The rules are the same no matter what form you cross the

haven’t shifted, neither of you have.” She says, stubbornly, looking

behind if it wasn’t for Jaxon. He’s been my pacer almost the entire time. He’s a

two. We’re all so close I can taste it. I just need to catch my

me, nodding. I nod back and he picks up

while and I can feel my

are doing points for the race?”

finish gets 100 points, next group gets 90 and

benefit?” I ask, knowing that the points are

“Exactly. “

the finish line ahead of us. I can’t believe we’re almost there. I