The Claiming by Cooper Book 4
The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)
Chapter 26 (Jaxon)
After I leave Evangeline, I go back to my room. Jace is sleeping and I’m too wound up to sleep, so I take a quick shower and head downstairs to see if there is any food.
I grab something to eat and walk outside, looking at the entrance of the old claiming territory. I wonder if our time here will change Eve’s feelings about this place. I could see myself choosing this territory for my pack now that I have these memories here. Eve and I could revisit the lake and relive this night as often as we wanted if this was our pack.
When I hear some people packing up to leave, I’m a bit surprised. It’s still early. I head around the side of the packhouse to see who it is. When I see that it’s Evangeline, I call out to her, wanting to say goodbye before they leave. I thought she’d be sleeping.
When she turns, I know something is very wrong. The sweet, happy face I left just an hour ago is gone, replaced by one that looks devasted.
She subtly shakes her head at me and climbs into the car. I begin running, wanting to know what happened, why she suddenly looks so sad and won’t even talk to me.
As I race to the car, her father takes off. I chase them for a few minutes, knowing I won’t be able to catch them and even if I did, what would I do?
I watch, feeling helpless, as Eve puts her hand up against the window, as if she’s saying goodbye.
Oh, hell no!
I turn, racing back inside. I lift my nose in the air and follow my sister’s scent to her room. I can smell that she’s just getting out of the shower, so I bang on her door.
‘Jordan, it’s me. Open up.’ I mind link her just as the door opens. I push past her into her room.
“You’ve got to help me,” I say, not giving her a minute.
“Jaxon, slow down, what’s going on.”
“It’s Evangeline. We spent the night together, the most amazing night of my life. I just left her an hour ago, she was all smiles and happiness and then, I just saw her leaving with her family just now and she looked devastated. She wouldn’t talk to me, and they left. They just left Jordan!”
I walk to her, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her with the fear of losing my mate. Her hands come down onto my arms.
“Breathe, Jaxon. Breathe.”
I look at my sister and I know she can see the desperation that I’m feeling clearly on my face.
“I can’t lose her, Jordan. I can’t!”
“Okay, Jaxon. I’ll do what I can. But everything I need to look her up is back at our pack. Go get your things, let Jace know we’re leaving, and I’ll meet you downstairs in 15 minutes.”
I pull her to me, holding her tightly for a moment. “Thank you, Jordan.”
I race to my room. When I walk in, Jace is coming out of the bathroom. “Where have you been?” he asks me.
“No time to talk. Jordan and I are leaving. She wanted me to let you know.” I say in staccato rapid-fire fashion.
“What do you mean you’re leaving? She said we weren’t leaving until noon.”
“Change of plans, I need to her to help me with something.”
“I’ll come too, then,” he says.
“Whatever, as long as you’re ready in 15 minutes.” I tell him and begin throwing everything into my bag.
“You want to tell me what this is about?” he asks, watching me as he packs his own bag much more carefully.
“Evangeline is my mate. I just had the best night of my life. Everything was great. An hour later, everything is terrible, and I don’t know what happened. I need Jordan to help me figure it out.”
“Why don’t you ask Evangeline?” he asks, the voice of reason.
“Gee, Sherlock, why didn’t I think of that?” I ask sarcastically. “I would have, if her family hadn’t already left. She wouldn’t even say goodbye to me.”
He stops, looking at me. “You said you had the best night of your life?”
“Yeah.” I say, rushing into the bathroom and grabbing my things.
“Like she would have been covered in your scent, kind of night?” he asks, looking at me as if I’m missing something important.
“Yeah. So?”
“Jaxon!” He says, using his Gamma tone and getting my attention. I turn and look at him.
“Did you consider the fact that she’s underage, that her father might take offense to his underage daughter coming back to her room with an Alpha male’s scent all over her after being out all night?”
“She feels the mate bond, same as I do. He should accept that.”
“Really? Because parents always make great decisions about their children when the children feel the mate bond? Maybe you should ask my sister about that and get her input.”
“That’s different, although it shouldn’t be. Melinda is half Alpha Jonas’s age.”
“And Evangeline is UNDER age. The issues may be different, but the parental response is the same. The parent either doesn’t believe in the mate bond or in your case, maybe her parents don’t believe that she can feel the mate bond yet.”
“She can feel it,” I tell him, emphatically.
He puts his hands up. “I’m not saying she can’t. What I’m saying is, her parents, an Alpha and a royal Alpha, are going to be protective, especially since Evangeline is their oldest daughter.”
“They can’t keep me from her.” I snarl, gritting my teeth so I don’t punch something.
“Yes, they can. You need to be careful here, Jaxon.”
“Why? Why do I need to be careful? Did that work for Alpha Jonas? Is it working for you? Doesn’t look like it to me,” I say, grabbing my bag. I know that last part was out of line, but I don’t care. “If you’re coming with us, be downstairs in a few minutes,” I turn and walk out, leaving him stunned by my comment.
When I get downstairs, Jordan is waiting for me.
“Did you tell Jace we’re leaving?” she asks.
“Yes, and I’m coming with you,” he says, skipping down the stairs to join us.
“Jace, you don’t have to come with us,” Jordan tells him. “I know you were planning to meet with Taylor before we left.”
“I’ll text her,” he says.
She looks between us and turns. then, “let’s go.”
Jace drives and Jordan sits in the passenger seat, turning to talk to me on the way home. I tell her everything, seeing Jace looking at me periodically in the rearview mirror, but not saying a word.
As we pull into the pack lands, Jordan turns back to me. “Let me handle this Jaxon. We don’t want a pack war that could cause innocent lives or needless deaths. I will do everything in my power to help you, but I need you to trust me.”
There is no one that I trust more in this world than my sister. I look at her and I can see the sincerity in her eyes.
I nod. “Okay, I’ll trust you, but Jordan, I can’t go three months without seeing her. I can’t. It hurts already not knowing if she’ s alright, if she’s angry at me for keeping her out all night. I just….” I run my fingers through my hair, gripping it as her phone rings.
“Alpha Jordan,” she answers.
“Alpha Jordan, this is Magdalena, Alpha Luke’s daughter. Do you remember me?”
My head snaps up and Jordan puts the phone on speaker, putting her finger to her lips for both me and Jace.
“Of course, Alpha Magdalena, I know who you are.”
“Well, I just wanted to let you know, or really, hope that you’ll pass a message to Alpha Jaxon for me?”
I look at Jordan, her eyes intent on mine. “What’s that?”
“My sister, Evangeline has left our pack. She nearly rejected my father because he refused to let her see your brother. Evie was heartbroken. I know Alpha Jaxon saw us as we were leaving. I was hoping you’d let him know that it didn’t have anything to do with him. It’s our father.”
We all hear her sniffle. “I don’t know how long she’ll be gone, but we’re all devastated and I’m guessing Alpha Jaxon was too. Evie said she thinks he’s her mate.”
“Yes, my brother said the same. Where is your sister now? Is she safe?”
“She went with my Grandmother Isabella. She’s in Alpha Jonas’s pack.”
I’m out of the car, shifted and running before Jordan can respond.