The Claiming by Cooper

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 68 (Jaxon)

After collecting my reward from my mate, we head back downstairs to eat lunch and catch up with the rest of the

contestants.

Rowan’s turn is after lunch and when she comes out of the territory with only six flags, I know her time in the

contest was over. I try to console her, but it’s Enzo that makes the difference, basically telling her that since he is

still in the competition, they still have a chance to get their own pack. He’s only a couple of months away from

turning 18, so it’s pretty clear that they are mates.

In the end, four Alphas are eliminated from the contest including Rowan, Magdalena, my cousin Brooke and Ainsley,

Reid’s mate.

No one collected all ten flags, and only three of us collected nine, so everyone who collected seven or more flags,

moved into the next l*eg of the contest. The final competition.

After dinner, Councilman Jason steps up onto the stage. Many people have already left, knowing they were

eliminated. Magdalena and Rowan stayed because Lazio, Caleb, Enzo, Eve, and I are all still in the competition.

When he gets up on the stage and announces that there isn’t a need for a final day of competition, everyone

cheers.

“Congratulations to the final 20. You are the elite, but only half of you will be able to win the title of Alpha and claim

your own pack. In one week’s time, you will all come back here where you will receive a written test. The test will

consist of five scenarios, and you will have to write how you, as an Alpha, would respond to those scenarios. Each of

you will be judged by all five council members on certain categories, such as thoughtfulness of your response,

leadership, understanding of the true issue, and your ability to resolve conflict. The ten with the highest scores will

be declared Alphas and will be given the opportunity to choose your pack lands based on the ranking you receive in

the final test.”

The excitement in the room is palpable. In less than two weeks, Eve and I will know if we’ve become Alphas and we

will get to choose our pack lands.

“All of you will receive the list of the pack lands, the current state of the land and the packhouses as well as basic

information about the area. I suggest that you review the information and, if possible, go see the pack lands so

that, if you win, you will know which pack you would like to claim.”

“See, Maggie. We need to go look at the pack lands, see which ones we may want to choose,” Caleb says.

“I agree, Rowan, we should do the same,” Enzo says.

“Why don’t we all go?” Eve says. “I mean, we all want to see the pack lands, see where they are in relation to each

other. We could make it a fun getaway, a break before the final test.”

“I love that idea,” I say. “That way, I can make sure no one wants our pack lands,” I say, making the others laugh.

We make a plan and rather than going back to our packs, we’re going to do a tour of the pack lands that are

available for selection. The one we’re in now, we can wipe off the list and there is another one that is far away from

all the others, and Eve and I agree we don’ t want that one, so that leaves eight pack lands to see in one week’s

time.

“Let’s do it,” Lazio says.

“Let’s do it!” Eve says.

Jordan POV

I’m at my desk, pouring over the work that just keeps piling up. Elijah has been helping, but really, he had been

passing a lot of the work to Carter. Now that Carter is out of the competition, he is helping more, but I need to

make sure he wants to stay in this pack and isn’t planning to participate in The Beta Trials. It’s not a requirement

that he becomes my Beta and not everyone would be okay becoming a Beta to the only Alpha female.

The rest of the work is coming from Jace’s workload. He’s been doing a great job of keeping up, when he can. But

knowing that he’s so close to winning a spot as Alpha, I’m trying to make sure I know everything that he does, so

that when he’s gone, I can train the next person.

The thought of Jace not being here any longer makes my heart hurt. I know what I said to him about needing to

accept my rejection and maybe it’s because he hasn’t that I still have feelings for him. I’ve tried to move on, but I

just haven’t been able to completely let go.

I’m just about ready to pack it in for the day when there’s a knock at the door. Just as I say, “Come in,” I smell the

honey roasted almonds. Jace.

I look up, fighting the fluttering in my stomach. I paste a smile on my face. I’ ve already heard that he’s in the top

20, although I’m not surprised. He’s a born leader.

“Congratulations, Jace! I hear you are part of the elite, the final twenty.”

“Thanks, Jordan. That means a lot coming from you.”

I look down, unwilling to let him see the hurt in my eyes that I know very soon he’ll be leaving me. Jace is smart, I

know he’ll pass the final test to become Alpha and then he’ll be gone. “I thought you’d be out celebrating,” I say,

glancing up and jolting when I see that he’s laser focused on me.

“I have something for you,” he says. “Remember when I said it wasn’t my time yet, but it was coming?”

I frown. I had no idea what he was talking about at the time.

“I remember,” I say.

He slaps his h*and on the desk and when he pulls it away, there’s a paper lying there.

“Read it,” he says.

I watch him, still frowning as I reach out and take the paper. I pull it to me, watching him until I have the paper in

front of me.

When I read it, I gasp, looking up at him.

“Jace, what have you done?”

“I’m keeping my word, Jordan. I told you I wasn’t leaving, and I’m not. I wasn’t ready to explain that before. I

needed to prove that I was good enough to be your mate.”

I look back at the paper. The paper that says that Jace resigned from the Contest. It’s dated today. AFTER he moved

into the top 20.

“But why, Jace? Why did you resign. You’re so close. You could have your own pack. Be an Alpha!”

He leans over my desk. “Don’t you get it, Jordan? I never wanted my own pack. I just wanted to prove that I was

worthy of being your mate.”

I look at the paper and then back at Jace, trying to make sense of his words. “I never needed you to prove that you

were worthy of being my mate, Jace.”

“No, you didn’t, Jordan, but I did. I needed to know, in my heart, that I was worthy of you.”

“But Taylor…”

“Was a distraction. And if I’m honest, she was a good second choice for me, up until they announced the Contest.

Then, I knew I had a chance to prove that I was worthy of you.”

“You mean, you did this, all of this, just to prove to yourself that you were worthy of the mate that the goddess gave

you?”

He comes around my desk, pulling me to my feet. “I know it doesn’t make sense to someone that has been

confident her entire life. Believe me, I’ve watched you grow up and you, my Alpha, are an amazing woman, full of

confidence.”

“No, Jace, I’m not. I’m not always confident and more often than not, I struggle to try and look like I’ve got my s*hit

together when I don’t. You’re right, I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all,” I tell him.

He steps up, getting into my space. “I know, and I know that I didn’t go about things the right way. I know I screwed

them up, but not completely, I hope. All I’m asking for is a chance, Jordan.

Please, just give me a chance before you accept Nolan as your mate. Let me prove to you that I can be the mate

that you deserve, the mate that I know I can be to you.”

“Jace,” I say, my head spinning with everything that he’s telling me.

“Please, Jordan. I’m just asking for a chance.”

I open my mouth to respond, not sure what I was going to say, when I hear a familiar voice.

“Am I interrupting something?”

I turn and see Nolan standing in the doorway.