The Claiming by Cooper Book 4
The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)
Chapter 21 Jaxon
Dancing with Evangeline is the highlight of my night. She fits against me perfectly. When Dad and Jordan left to start calling the fight gurus, I knew this was my chance. I only have one more night before I’ll go back to my pack and Evangeline will go back to hers. I know I want to date her for the next few months, but seeing her one day or evening a week won’t be enough.
‘Jordan, would you be okay with me inviting Alpha Luke and Luna Katerina’s family to spend some time at our pack, training with us.’ ‘Training? Is that what we’re calling it these days?” she asks as I moved toward Evangeline in the crowded room.
‘There will be some training.’
‘Sure, Jax. Invite your mate and her family to visit our pack.’
‘Jordan, she doesn’t know she’s my mate, she’s not 18 yet.’
‘Trust me, Jax, she knows.’
Her response makes me pause. ‘You and I need to have a conversation in the very near future, Jordan.’
Her sigh lets me know that I’m right.
‘Thanks, sis,’ I say, thanking her for letting me invite my mate and her family to our pack. As the Alpha, or soon to be Alpha, it’s her decision.
‘Because I’ve ever said no to you?’
‘Because you’re the best and you’re going to be an incredible Alpha.’
‘Got news for you, I already am.’
That makes me smile as I walk up to Eve. ‘Yeah, you are.’
Now, as I dance around with my mate in my arms, I know I need to see her again soon.
“What do you think your father and your family would say to coming to our pack and training with us. Come stay a week each month,” I ask her.
“That will depend on the schedule he gets for the fight champs, or whatever they are.”
“Guru is the term dad and Jordan used.”
She looks around the room. “I’m guessing that our weeks won’t be filled for the entire time, and maybe, if your pack gets a guru we don’t…”
She looks at me. “We could invite you to come train. And, vice versa, your father and brother could be nice and invite me and my sisters to come train,” I finish for her.
“I’ll talk to Al. He’s more likely to allow it than dad who already has you on his dad radar.”
“Yeah, I went straight to Jordan,” I say.
“I think we can make it work,” she says.
“When do I get my date?” I ask.
“When do you want it, Alpha?” she asks in a flirty tone that has me going hard and has her smirking at her power over me.
I growl softly and have the satisfaction of watching eyes widen and her mouth open on a gasp.
That’s right gorgeous, two can play at this game. We’re pressed so close together that I can feel her nipples as they harden against my body.
“What is it, exactly, that you’re offering Evangeline?” I ask her, my voice low and seductive.
She licks her lips as I slowly spin her around the dance floor. “We were talking about a date?” She says and the flirty tone has been replaced by false bravado. She’s trying to act like she’s not as impacted by our closeness as I am, but I can feel her body’s response to me, just as she can feel mine.
“Hmmm, if we’re talking about a date, I want one as soon as you’re willing to go out with me. Tomorrow night sounds good to me. And in case my body’s response to you wasn’t obvious enough, I want everything with you, Eve.”
I whisper the last part in her ear as the song comes to an end. I have the satisfaction of seeing her eyes darken.
I walk her off the dance floor, knowing that her father will never allow me to dominate her time while she’s still underage.
I take her hand, k*issing her knuckles, wanting to k*iss so much more.
I look up at her, keeping her hand by my mouth. “Save the slow dances for me tonight,” I k*iss one of her knuckles, running my tongue over her skin as I watch her. Her eyes go nearly black as I stand up. “I want them all.”
She nods her head, just as Magdalena and Makayla come rushing over. “Come on, Evie.” Makayla say, pulling Eve onto the dance floor.
“Alpha Jaxon,” Magdalena says, nodding at me with a knowing smile on her face.
“Magdalena,” I say, nodding my head at her as she turns to follow her sisters onto the dance floor.
“Are you going to ask anyone else to dance tonight, big brother?” Rowan asks, coming to stand beside me.
“Nope.”
“You think she’s your mate?”
“I know she is. I can feel it, smell it. She’s everything.”
“So, what are you going to do for the next three months? Surely, you’re not planning to wait that long to see her again?”
“Of course not. I’ve asked her on a date, and I’ve also talked with her about our families splitting time and sparring in each other’s packs. That way, she and her family can come and stay, I can show her our pack lands and hopefully Alpha Alejandro and Alpha Luke will allow us to visit their pack lands. They be fools to deny their family this opportunity, especially if we get one of the gurus that they don’t,” I say, looking at Rowen.
“That’s brilliant, Jax.”
“Thank you, I thought so.”
“You know, you’ll make just as good of an Alpha as Jordan.”
I turn my attention to my sister. “So will you.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t want it, not like you and Alpha Evangeline seem to. I don’t know that I want all that responsibility on my shoulders.”
“Then why are you in the competition?” I ask really wondering at her intentions. “Jaxon, it’s the chance of a lifetime. Plus, I get to test myself. I may not want my own pack, but I’m still an Alpha.”
“Well then, I know you’ll put in a good showing. You have a lot of good intuition, you should use it where you can in this competition.”
“I plan to, but I won’t be upset when I don’ t win. There are others here who want it more than I do. They deserve to win, you included.” “Thank you,” I say, meaning it. It makes me proud that my family thinks I would be a good Alpha.
“What about Evangeline?”
“What about her?”
“What does she want? Does she really want to have her own pack, or is she here more as an Alpha?” Rowen asks.
“She wants her own pack. It’s something we’ll have to discuss more. I’ve already started those conversations, but like Tobias and Flavia, both of us would continue to compete, even after she recognizes me as her mate.”
“Whereas, if I found my mate, I would drop out of the competition. Well, if he’s an heir. I’d have to think about it if he were in the competition with me. Creating a new pack with my mate does sound exciting. But I wouldn’t want to do it alone.”
“You’re nearly 18, Rowan. You should know soon.” She just shrugs.
I watch as Eve and her sisters walk off the dance floor and go get some water. Just as she starts to drink, the music changes to another slow song.
“There’s my cue. I’ll see you later, Rowan.”
Evangeline’s eyes lock on mine as I make my way toward her. She sets her glass down and by the time I get there, she’s extending her hand for me to take.
“Shall we?” I ask.
“I saved the dance for you, Alpha.” She’s back to being flirty. Perfect.