The Claiming by Cooper

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 45 (Jordan)

I stand on the stage looking out over my pack and all of the visiting Alphas that are here to watch me take my oath. I didn't think it would impact me as much as it is. My cousin Griffin had tried to warn me. He had taken over the pack from my Uncle Seth last month. He said that no matter how much you think you're ready for it. You're not.

He was right.

As I stand here in front of my pack, I know I can't show even the slightest bit of weakness. No matter how overwhelmed I feel, no matter how tight my throat gets or how much my eyes burn from unshed tears, can't let it show. Everyone is watching me, waiting for a weakness they won't see today.

My voice rings out strong and true as I take my oath as Alpha, swear my loyalty, strength and compassion to the pack. As I look out, I make eye contact with my family, my brother winking at me, giving me strength.

I slice my hand, letting my blood pour into the ceremonial cup. My father, as the exiting Alpha, is the first to drink, to claim me as his Alpha. As he does, I feel the swell of power, so much stronger than before, and right behind it, the weight of my responsibility, the weight of the pack which now rests squarely on my shoulders.

My mother is next, followed by my siblings, then my father's Beta, Elijah, and his family and then Jace. Jace makes a point of watching me as he drinks my blood. I've been avoiding him this week. It hasn't been hard, we've both had a lot to do, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he's done waiting.

As he moves on, I refocus, and one by one the entire pack conies and swears their loyalty to me. When the ceremony is over, we all go inside for the celebration dinner.

The pack link that I've had since I got my wolf is now stronger. I can identify each individual pack member just by their mind link, even if they are all talking at once, as they are now. And that's why I know it's him.

'You can't avoid me forever, Jordan.' I ignore it and continue to talk and mingle with my pack members. I've always been an Alpha, always been the Alpha heir, but even so, the pack's interactions with me are suddenly different. Everyone is more formal, more deferential.

My family gathers around, congratulating me, along with Uncle Seth and Aunt Hana's family. I'll admit, I was surprised that Taylor wasn't sitting with Jace during the ceremony today. It wouldn't have been odd. She's part of our family and he's a ranked member. Instead, Jace was sitting with Jaxon and Evangeline.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Griffin says, coming to stand beside me as people come and go.

"You didn't mention the power swell or the weight of responsibility," I tell him.

"Some things you have to feel for yourself to truly understand."

I nod, saying hello to Alpha Antonio, Luna Annabel and their son, the next Alpha, Giovanni.

"Alpha Giovanni, I heard your sister Noelle dropped out of the ntest." I say to him. I'm keeping track of Jaxon's

mpetition for him.

"She did, she found her mate, Alpha Paolo and since he has now taken over as Alpha, she is a Luna and has no reason to compete." "Well, congratulations to her," I say.

"Yes," he says distractedly. "Might I ask, do you now that woman over there?"

Griffin and I look in the direction that he's looking. Harper and Teagan are standing together talking.

"One is my sister and the other is Alpha Jordan's. Is there a reason you are asking?" Griffin asks him, protectively.

"I would say I'm asking about the one with long brown hair, but they both have that. I take it they are cousins?" he asks, ignoring Griffin's question.

"Yes," I say. "Are you looking at the one on the left or the one on the right?

"The right," he says.

"That's my sister Harper. So, I'll ask again, why are you asking about my sister?

Giovanni looks back at us, smiling. "She's my mate. I just wanted to know her name before I approached her."

Griffin frowns at him. "You aren't 18 yet."

"Doesn't matter," I tell him. "Evangeline isn't 18 either, yet she and Jaxon are confident that they are mates."

"I guess if we're going to be family, you and I should spend some time together soon," Griffin tells Giovanni.

"I'll be taking my oath as Alpha in the next few months. I'll make sure your entire family gets an invitation," Griffin says, watching Harper. She looks up and their eyes lock.

It makes my heart ache.

"Who knows, maybe we'll have an Alpha and Luna ceremony together," he says distractedly as he begins walking toward Harper.

"Well, I'm guessing she'll be dropping out of the contest now too," I say to Griffin.

"Definitely," he says.

The night goes on and by the end, I'm tired and my mouth hurts from smiling so much.

When nearly everyone has gone to bed, I kick off my shoes and begin walking toward the stairwell. As I pass one of our conference rooms, a hand reaches out, grabbing me by the arm and yanking me into the room, the door closing behind us.

I'm about to attack when I smell it, eucalyptus. Jace. He pins me against the wall.

"What do you want, Jace?"

"I want you to stop ignoring me, Jordan. I want you to talk to me."

"What would you like to talk about, Jace?" I ask him. I'm tired and I don't have the energy for this.

"Us. I want to talk about us, Jordan."

"There is no 'us', Jace. You made sure of that." Anger from months of pain and frustration wells to the surface.

"You chose to be with Taylor, knowing that I was your mate. Yon made that choice, Jace."

My lip curls as I look at him. "Do you know how many times you've been intimate with Taylor in the last year, Jace?"

"We were never intimate, Jordan. Our relationship wasn't like that, I swear."

"Well, you did something, Jace. The mate bond doesn't lie, and I felt it. Every. Single, Time."

"I'm sorry, Jordan. I didn't know, not until you kissed Nolan. I had no idea that you could feel it if it was only a kiss. I would never have kissed her if I'd known you could feel it."

"But it was okay to be with her, Jace? Her, not me? Why? I'd really like to know why, Jace? Why did you choose my cousin over your mate?"

"I was stupid and foolish and...." he releases me and begins pacing in front of me.

"I know how hard it is for you, Jordan. I've watched the mountain you've had to climb to get where you are. I thought you needed a strong mate, an Alpha, to help you achieve your goals. I didn't think I was strong enough to be that man for you."

I know Jace's history, I know he has issues thinking he wasn't good enough for his mother to live for him when his father died. I know that, but this is different.

"Then why didn't you reject me?"

He looks at me and there is heartbreak in his eyes. "Because I love you, Jordan. I always have. I love your strength, your compassion, your intelligence, I love how you rise above when others try to bring you down and you do it with grace and poise. You never let others see the softness of the woman behind the Alpha. But I know who you are, Jordan. I just never felt good enough to be yours."

"Jace, you can't just decide all of a sudden that you want me because I showed an interest in someone. It's not fair! You've had over a year. I mean, I look around and I see all of the people around us, they all feel the mate bond before they turn 18. You're almost 25 Jace. So, how long have you known? How long have you known that I was your mate?"

He girts his teeth. "You were too young to say anything."

"And then? What, you lost your nerve? Seriously Jace?"

"Jordan, I'm trying to make it up to you now. I know I was wrong."

I close my eyes, shaking my head. It's time for me to do what I should have done a year ago.

"I'm sorry Jace, but you're right. I deserve better. I, Alpha Jordan Stern, reject you, Gamma Jace Read, as my mate."

"Jordan, don't do this!" He says, falling to his knees, clutching his chest.

The tears well in my eyes, fighting to spill over onto my cheeks, but I refuse to let them fall.

"Accept it," I snarl.

He looks up at me, determination like I've never seen before in his eyes. "No."

"Don't make me give you an Alpha command. Accept it."

"We both know the Alpha command doesn't work on the mate bond. I, Gamma Jace Read, refuse your rejection," he growls.

I clench my teeth, but I know I only have moments before the tears come streaming down my cheeks.

I move to the door, swinging it open to find Taylor standing there. She looks at me, then at Jace.

"Jace!"

She looks back at me. "What did you do to him?"

I look at Jace, still clutching his chest. "Ask your boyfriend," I say as I sweep out the door.

I barely make it to my room before the tears come and I'm clutching at the pain in my own chest.