The Claiming by Cooper novel Chapter 201

The Claiming by Cooper Book 4

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 1

Jaxon

I finish getting ready and head out of my room. Today is the big announcement. The day that they are going to tell us what to expect for the contest that they have been working on for the last couple of years. The contest that will finally allow me to have a pack, as I always should have had.

It’s not that I don’t think that my twin sister Jordan will make an amazing Alpha. She will, I know she will. My problem with the whole thing is that I am the only first-born male in the history of werewolves to not be the heir to my father’s pack.

It was a decision that was made by my parents before we were born, that the first-born child would be heir to the pack, and my sister was born a few minutes before me. Girl power and all that bulls*hi*t. Okay, it’s not total bulls*hi*t and my sister would probably kick my a*s*s if I ever said that to her, but it still grinds my a*s*s that every other male heir, even though most are younger than I am, get their packs handed to them and I have to fight for mine.

I asked Jordan why they took so long to have the contest and she told me it was so most of the children in my generation would be eligible. Because it will be a rigorous contest, they are requiring all contestants to be sixteen years old or older. There is no maximum age limit which I find surprising because many of our older pack mates have never found mates and would love a chance to become an Alpha and gain a mate that way. I just hope the Alphas, my father included, know what they are doing by leaving it open to nearly everyone.

And by everyone, I mean all of the she-wolves in our packs will be eligible as well. Most of them intend to participate and try to claim a pack of their own. That should be interesting. I’m pretty sure they have no idea how much my sister struggles. There is always a male trying to gain her attention and she never knows if they truly want her or if they just want her pack. Thankfully, my sister trusts my judgement and most of the men that have shown an interest in her have been kicked to the curb.

When I get to the first floor, everyone is heading to the back of the packhouse where my father will make the announcement.

I fall into step beside our current Gamma, Jace. He’s about six years older than I am and was the son of my father’s original Gamma that died in a pack war before I was born. He was adopted by our current Gamma family and while they have a biological son, it was determined that Jace would be the Gamma-heir.

“Hey Jace, what’s up? What are you doing?”

“Hey Jaxon, I’m going to hear what the announcement is, just like everyone else.”

I stop and look at him. He takes another step before stopping and turning toward me, his eyebrow raised.

“Do my father and sister know that you’re planning to compete in the contest?” I ask.

“Yes. Your sister was much more understanding than your father was, surprisingly. I’m not sure why it matters. If I get an Alpha position or even a Beta position, then Victor is free to step into the Gamma position here.”

Victor is the current Gammas, Luke and Brynn’s, biological son. Jace was adopted by them after his parents’ death. He is the original heir to the Gamma position, which is why he’s in that position currently, but it leaves Victor, like me, with no place in the pack.

I start walking again. “You know Taylor is planning to go into the contest as well, right?” I ask him.

Jace and my cousin Taylor have been flirting around, sort of dating for a couple of years. It’s been slow since he’s so much older than she is, but ever since she turned 18, they’ve been more outwardly together. However, Taylor has refused to actually claim Jace as her mate.