The Claiming By Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 40 (Jaxon)

It took me a couple of hours to recover from the morning training session, but by lunch time, I was mostly back to normal.

“Are you gonna make it, Super Hotty?” Eve teases me over lunch.

“If you had asked me a couple of hours ago, I’d have said no, but at least now I feel like I can walk.”

Title of the document

“That was brutal,” Alejandro says, having come to sit with us.

“If you think that was brutal, just wait. If he is anything like Ezekiel, we’ll all be barely standing by the end of the week,” Eve says.

“Yeah, it was about two days before we were all struggling to get through both classes each day and by the end of the week, none of us were able to hold our heads up to eat dinner.” I tell him, enjoying my lunch while my body still can.

“Was it really that brutal?” Magdalena asks.

“Yes,” both Eve and I say together.

After lunch, Eve looks at me. “I was going to spend some time with Maggie this afternoon.”

“Perfect, I wanted to speak to Rowen. She mentioned wanting to talk to me while I’ m here.”

Eve comes over, wrapping her arms around my neck and looking up at me. “See you for afternoon training?”

My arms rest perfectly around her waist, pulling her against my body. “I’ll see you there.”

Her lips start twitching and I raise my eyebrow.

“I’m sure it will get easier for you,” she says, a full-on smile spreading across her face.

“You,” I say, pecking her lips, “are lucky I love you.”

“Every minute of every day,” she says, before leaning in for a d*eeper k*iss. This one lingers until someone, presumably her father, loudly clears their throat. I pull away. No since kicking over the beehive.

Eve shoots a glare at her father before heading out with Maggie. I turn and go in search of Rowen. I follow her scent to her room, where I knock.

“Come in,” she says from inside her room. I open the door to see her sitting on her bed looking out the window.

“Oh, hey Jax.”

I say,

to one of the chairs in her room. By chair, I mean bean bag blob on the floor. I hate the things. Once I’m in, it feels practically impossible to

“What’s up, Rowe?”

looks outside, then at the quilt on her bed that she’s sitting on before taking a d*eep breath and looking up at me. “How do you know Evangeline is your mate? She’s not old enough

at my sister. “Did you find your

I am, almost a whole year. But he’s in the competition.” She says, looking down before looking back up at

picked her scent out of every other one that first day of the contest. She was like nothing I’ve ever smelled before,” I say, smiling as I remember honing in

to have her and that being away from her

young to

talk

frowns, looking up

and Eve’s brother Alejandro are

eyes go wide at that. “Teagan is going to

while Teagan is about to turn 18, Alejandro is still

again. “If he can smell me, if he can sense the mate bond, then

Jordan that he knows that they are mates, because he thinks she deserves someone stronger. Although, it hasn’t escaped me that he hasn’t

don’t know, Rowe. Maybe your strength in the competition intimidated

that’s the case, then I deserve better. And I doubt it anyway, he’s

is it?” I ask

debating

You know

looks at me another moment. “It’s Alpha

think for a minute. “You beat him

“Do you think that could

stand beside my sister. “If that’s the reason, you’re right, he doesn’t deserve you. He’s an Alpha and I can tell you, as a mate, I love that Eve is

says she only finished the race because of

strong and because she dug d*eep inside herself, just like you

her. “Listen, I don’t know Enzo very well, but I’ll pay more attention in the next round. If you want, I’ll give you my impressions. Plus, he’ll be older. If

neck and laying

a

part of this competition because of him. You fight for what you

smiles up at me. “Yes, big brother,

speaking of fighting for what you want, I’ll

YOU going to make it?” she

Alpha, little sis, nothing is getting

Jordan POV

even h*arder than the morning and nearly as h*ard as

it’s good. I’m already feeling stronger, and