The Claiming by Cooper novel Chapter 254

The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)

Chapter 54 (Jace)

I finish packing to go to the next contest. I’ll be away from the pack for the four days. I’ve been training hard and other than the times when Jordan was with Nolan, I feel like I’m getting stronger. I’m feeling pretty confident that I will be able to defeat my opponent this weekend and move to the next level in the competition.

I grit my teeth thinking of the times when the pain has ripped through me. I know that Jordan hasn’t gone all the way with Nolan as I know that would have seriously weakened me, but that hasn’t stopped her from at least k*issing him.

When I’m done, I head down to Jordan’ s office, knocking on the door. I wait until she calls for me to come in before opening the door.

“Hey, Alpha. I wanted to see if there is anything you need from me before I head out to the competition.”

She looks up at me and clasps her hands in front of her on the desk.

“Come in and have a seat, Jace,” she says.

I know there is nothing special about the request, but I can’t help the little flip in my heart at her request. I close the door and come to sit in front of her, dropping my bag beside me on the floor.

She looks at me a moment and I wait her out. “Jace, you need you to accept my rejection.”

I grit my teeth. Definitely nothing special about this conversation. “Listen to me, you entered this contest to win your own pack. I know that you can feel the times when I’m with Nolan. You’re allowing yourself to get weak when you need to be getting stronger.”

“It’s my choice and I refuse to accept your rejection.”

“Jace, you need to stop this. I won’t be held hostage by you or anyone. I’ve held back with Nolan because I know it impacts you, but I won’t continue to do that. You’re not being fair to me. You had your chance, Jace. You chose someone else. Now, I choose someone else. I’m asking you to do this, for me and for you.”

“And I say no.”

I watch as she scrubs her face with her hands before standing up quickly, her chair flying out from behind her. She turns, walking away before coming back and slamming her hands down on the desk, leaning towards me.

“Why? Why now have you decided to be so stubborn, Jace?”

“I just need a little more time, Jordan,” I tell her.

“For what, Jace? Time to become an Alpha and move on? Newsflash! You don’t have to be an Alpha to move on! Accept my rejection so you’ll at least have a chance of becoming an Alpha. I don’t want to feel like I played a role in weakening you during this competition, but I’m not going to let your choices impact mine.”

“Do what you need to do, Alpha,” I say standing. “Are we done here? I wanted to know if there was anything that you needed from me before I left.”

She’s around the desk and in my face in an instant. “Yes, there is something I need from you, Jace! Accept the rejection!”

“No,” I snarl, leaning over her. In true Alpha fashion, she doesn’t back down, not even a little.

“Do it!” she snarls.

I’m not sure if it’s her passion, her scent or the desperation that I see in her eyes, but something in me snaps and I grab her by the hair with one hand, wrapping the other arm around her waist, pulling her against me as my m*outh takes hers, devouring her like I’ve wanted to since the day she turned 18.