The Claiming by Cooper
Chapter 239

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline) Chapter 39 (Jordan)

This morning's routine was great. I could tell immediately that Nolan was right. The women in the class were having a much easier time with the stretching and the kicks. By the time we got to punching, the men were wiped out and struggling and the women were still going strong. Now, more than ever, I'm excited about my extra training with Nolan.

As an Alpha, I know I'm strong. It's the same with Evangeline and her sisters, my cousin Taylor and her sisters and every other group of Alpha females in our generation. And there are lots of us. But I'm the only one that is taking over my pack, and because of that, I feel the need to be stronger, faster and smarter than every other Alpha, male or female, out there. I not only have to prove my ability and worth to my pack, but I have to do the same for the other packs.

Thankfully, we're not in a situation where there is the possibility of a pack war, but those things can change quickly. Jaxon's situation with Evangeline and Jonas's situation with Melinda are perfect examples of how quickly those things can change.

I'm just about ready to go replace Nolan for our first afternoon sparring match when there's a knock on my open door. I look up and see Jace. Even now, nearly a year after turning 18, my heart still flutters when I see him.

"Hey Jace, what's up?" I ask. I learned a long time ago how to act normal and put on a good front, even if my insides are in turmoil.

He frowns, seeing me putting my desk in order. "Are you going somewhere?" he asks.

"Yeah, but I have a minute, did you need something?" I ask.

Jace is my Gamma, he has been since I became Alpha, and he was my father's Gamma for years before that. He's great at his job, I trust him with my life. I've just realized that I can't trust him with my heart. "I was hoping to talk with you. Where are you going? Maybe I can walk with you?" he asks.

"Jordan has a date," Nolan says, walking in.

I look up and smile at him. "I'm not sure I'd call you kicking my ass, a date," I say. "Well, after this morning, I'm not sure I'll be kicking your ass at all. I was very impressed with you, Jordan." "Alpha Jordan," Jace says and it's just shy of being a growl.

Jace has become accustomed to supporting me with others who try to make me seem less than the Alpha heir that I am, and I appreciate it. But in this instance, I have given Nolan permission to be familiar with me, and I tell Jace as much.

I can see that this information doesn't sit well with him, but I don't have time to worry about that.

"Oh, Taylor called. I'm guessing she wants to invite you to spend the week training with them. They have Jameson this week. Feel free to join them if you'd like. I can take care of things here if you decide to go." I tell him, moving to leave.

"I'm here this week," he says, grinding his teeth together.

I want to ask him what's going on, if something happened between him and Taylor, but it's not appropriate with Nolan standing here.

"We'll talk later, Jace. Maybe after dinner tonight, or before training. Let me know what works best for you."

"After dinner works for me," he says, just as Nolan says, "I was hoping to speak with you after dinner."

I look between them. This feels a lot like masculine posturing, but that can't be right. Jace never postures, at least not like this.

"I can meet with you first, Jace and then, if there's time, Nolan, I'll meet with you. Otherwise, I'll make some time for you tomorrow morning, or after our session now." I say, holding the door open.

"After you," Nolan says, holding his hand out for me to precede him. I step out into the hallway, waiting for the two of them to exit before closing and locking my door.

"I'll see you later Jace. If anything happens in the next hour, can you let Elijah know? I should be back after that."

"I'll handle anything that comes up," Jace says grumpily.

"Oh, and don't forget to call Taylor," I say as Nolan and I walk outside, heading toward my individual training session.

Jace POV

I watch Jordan walk outside with Nolan. She's never shown an interest in anyone before. I had no idea it would feel like this. F*uck! Is this what it has felt like for her since she turned 18?

If so, my mate is a master at hiding her emotions. I guess she has to be if she's going to be a good Alpha. And I know that she'll make a damn good Alpha.

I go to my office and dial Taylor's number. Honestly, I'm surprised to hear from her. I pull my cell phone out and realize that she's been trying to reach me, but I had it on silent.

She answers almost instantly. "Hey Tay, what's up?"

"Hey, Jace. I...."

I frown, looking at the phone. Taylor never hesitates. She's always strong, confident.

"Taylor, is everything okay?"

"I..." I hear her take a deep breath. "I wanted to make sure everything is good between us, Jace. You know the competition is important to me, but so are you. I don't want you to think that you are any less important to me than being an Alpha."

Honestly, it does shock me. Taylor is very driven. In a lot of ways, she's like Jordan. If I was a betting man, I'd say that of all the Alpha females in this competition, she's the one that will beat out the guys to get a pack. She's strong, fierce and exactly what a pack needs, just like Jordan. It's what drew me to her. She and

Jordan have a lot of the same qualities, qualities that will make a good leader of a pack. The difference is, when Taylor and I started seeing each other, she didn't have the option of being the leader of a pack. Now she does, and she should focus on that.

"Taylor, I know this is important to you, for a lot of reasons. And of all the females that are in this competition, I think you have the best shot at winning a pack." "Really?"

"Of course. You have to know that too."

"Maybe," she says and I can hear the smile. But in her next sentence, I can hear that the smile is gone.

"I just... this isn't about me wanting to wait to see if I can replace my fated mate, is it? I thought you understood that I wanted to save myself until we decided that we would take each other as chosen mates." "I do understand, Taylor. And I'm perfectly okay with that."

It's actually one of the reasons I was willing to get into a relationship with Taylor. She wanted to save herself in case she found her mate. I'm a bit surprised she hasn't yet. I honestly thought this would be a short-term thing between us. But then people got used to seeing us together, she didn't replace her mate, and it just went on longer than I expected it would. But her desire to save herself for her mate allowed me to date her without causing Jordan any pain through the mate bond.

At least not any physical pain. If seeing me with Taylor bothers Jordan as much as me watching her flirt with Nolan, then I've been unintentionally cruel. Another reason to cut things off with Taylor.

"I think you need to focus on this contest. There's a lot at stake and I know you want this. The competition is going to be fierce, and you don't need any distractions."

"Are you sure, Jace? I could come there this week. I hear you have Nolan. I could train with him instead of Jameson. Or you could come here if Jordan can part with you for a week."

"No, Taylor. You focus on your training, and I'll focus on mine here. There's a lot of work that I need to do anyway. Nolan is apparently giving Jordan extra classes to help her get stronger, and I need to make sure that everything continues to run smoothly."

"Okay Jace. As long as you're sure."

"I am Taylor. I expect to see you kick ass at the next competition," I tell her.

"You'd better hope that you don't get slated against me, Jace. You know I'd have to take you down."

I laugh, a good hearty laugh. Taylor really is a great person. I like her a lot. "Yeah, I know. I would expect nothing else from you, Tay."

"Okay, I've got to run. Don't be a stranger, Jace."

"Talk soon, Tay." I say, before hanging up.

When I'm done, I put my head in my hands.

Now, how do I explain to my mate that I've been trying to give her a chance to take a better mate and that nothing really ever happened between me and her cousin and that, if she wants me, we need to talk about how that would work? And, most important, does she truly believe that I am strong enough to lead at her side