The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 80 (Jace)
There is so much going on. The rogues, Jordan being pregnant with not one, but two babies, the upcoming Beta Trials and then, there’s me taking on my role as co-Alpha in the pack. I told Jordan that it wasn’t necessary for us to have a ceremony, but she insisted. And so, tonight, I will stand in front of the pack and swear my oath as their Alpha.
I was Gamma for years, I was a Beta for a couple of months, but this is so much more significant. I’m overwhelmed with the expectations of not only our pack but also other packs and Alphas. I’m now being pulled into conversations that previously I was excluded from. Now, people are asking my opinion, wanting to know what I think. When it was Mason and Elijah, I felt comfortable giving my opinion because if it wasn’t the right choice, they would figure out what was the best option for the pack. Now, my answer stands unless Jordan disagrees with me. And if I’m wrong, it’s the pack that suffers.
It’s terrifying.
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And yet, my incredible mate navigates this stress and pressure without breaking a sweat every day. I’m yet again in awe of this woman that I’m lucky enough to call my mate.
Speaking of my mate, I smell her peppermint scent before her arms wrap around my waist from behind.
“Stop second guessing yourself, Jace. You’re an incredible Alpha already. You just need to trust in yourself,” she tells me.
I turn and wrap my arms around her. “It’s easier for me to trust in you, Jordan. You make all of this look easy.”
“That’s the trick, Jace. Do it all and make it look easy,” she says.
“I’ll try, Jordan, but this job is the h*ardest job I’ve ever had.”
“It should be. You have every pack members’ life in your hands. We have one of the largest packs in the area and every one of our pack members expects you to make the best decisions for them while keeping them safe. It’s a huge responsibility and one that I know you’re more than capable of doing. I wouldn’t have accepted you as my mate if you weren’t.”
I lower my forehead to hers. “I wouldn’t be the man I am, without you by my side, believing in me, Jordan.”
“Of course, you would,” she says, but I cut her off, pressing my l*ips to hers.
“No. I wouldn’t. You make me want to be a better man. You make me want to be the best Alpha that I can be so no one can ever question that I deserve to be mated to a woman as incredible as you.”
She reaches up and runs her f*ingers through my hair. “No one has ever questioned that but you, Jace. I really wish you could see what I, and everyone else in this pack, sees in you.”
“I don’t care what everyone else sees. I only care what you see. As long as you are proud to wear my mark on your n*eck, that’s enough for me,” I had told her.
And now, I stand on a stage in front of hundreds of our pack members, and our neighboring packs’ members and I say my vows, making me an Alpha of this pack.
When Jordan sliced her palm and let her blood drip into the ceremonial chalice, I had to grit my teeth, not wanting her injured in any way, but knowing this is necessary. Then I repeated her words, swearing my loyalty to her as her mate and co-Alpha, to the pack as their Alpha and I had taken the cup and drank her blood.
What I didn’t expect was the surge of power that flowed through me, the strength, the confidence that I had been lacking inside myself washes away and what is left is the belief that I am just as capable of running this pack as the Alphas that came before me. I close my eyes as the power of Jordan’s blood, and the blood of the Alphas before her flood into my system and when I open my eyes again, I know that I was always meant to be here, beside my mate as we run our pack together.
Possessiveness flows through me and I reach out, grabbing Jordan by the back of her n*eck and pulling her to me, taking her m*outh in a dominant, possessive k*iss, letting her know that I finally understand, that I get what it means to be an Alpha, a true mate to her, after all this time.
The pack begins to howl and whistle around us and when she’s whimpering, clinging to me with desperate need, I finally release her.
I look down at her, her eyes nearly black with d*esire mirroring mine, her arousal perfuming the air around us, leaving a peppermint taste on my t*ongue, and I claim her in front of the entire pack. “MINE!” I say, then throw back my head and howl.
When I run out of air, I wrap my arms around my mate and look out at the pack. “Let’s celebrate!”
And it’s one hell of a celebration. I dance with my mate late into the night and early morning and when we finally got back to our room, I make love to her until the sun comes up the next morning.
Now, we’re getting ready to leave for the Beta Trials and I’m meeting with Victor before Jordan and I head out to Alpha Caleb and Luna Magdelana’s pack. They took over the old claiming territory, so they still have the best pack to host these competitions.
“We have the patrols set for our borders and Taylor’s, so you’re good there,” I tell him.
“Nolan and Ezekiel haven’t found any recent trails. They did find the den where the rogues were living, but they said it smelled like they left a week or more ago,” he says.
Then he looks at me. “What happened to the woman and her baby that they found?”
Nolan and Ezekiel had found another dead human in their hunt forthe rogues. She had already started to decompose along with her baby. It looked as though the baby didn’t survive its birth and we all thanked the Moon Goddess for small favors. But both Nolan and Ezekiel thought that the scent of pregnant she- wolves was strong enough in the area that there are more that haven’t delivered their babies yet.
“They burned them. I know Gianna is upset and worried about her upcoming delivery. She’s due in a month or so,” I say.
“Well, at least we’ll be set with our ranked members once you return. Then the pack can settle, and we can get back into a rhythm of normalcy around here,” Victor says. “So, of the three Alpha females,
Alpha Jordan is looking closely at Celine and Gabriella?”
“Yes. We’ve talked about it and we both think the two of them will fit our deficits better than Haley. I’m sure Haley is strong, but she’s not the right fit for us and because the Beta Trials aren’t about who is at the top, we can put in our request for whomever we want. Then they can decide if they want to accept the position as Beta in our pack.”
“We’ll be gone for close to two weeks, but if you need us, don’t hesitate to contact us. Alpha Mason and Luna Jara will be at the Beta Trials too, since all of the council members will be there. And since Ella offered to help out, Elijah and Layan will be there as well. How are you feeling about running the pack for that long on your own?” I ask him.
“I’m nervous, but I’ll be good. I know that if anything happens that you’re only a couple of hours away.”
“Yes, and Finn, Griffin’s Beta, is close by as well. Griffin will be at the Beta Trials because Ella will be, but his Beta is available and if you’re attacked, he will send fighters. And of course, if their pack is attacked, we will send warriors too.”
“Absolutely.”
“Any other questions?” I ask him. “No, I’m good. I’m excited to meet our new Beta. I didn’t really have a chance to meet all the Alpha females at the contest. There were so many people and since I was eliminated in the first round, I wasn’t around to really meet anyone.”
“Well, it may not be one of the Alpha females that we choose. Remember, that Alpha Quinton and Luna Sophia’s two youngest sons are also in the competition. They’re young, but they’re Alphas, so I’m not disqualifying them.”
“Wade and Jake. And don’t forget Beta Jared and Juliet’s youngest son, Damien. Jared may be Jonas’s Beta, but that’s only because he was the second son. All of their children have Alpha blood.”
“A very good point. So, let’s see who Jordan thinks the best choice will be for the pack,” I say.
“Call me and let me know,” Victor says, standing as we say goodbye.
The next day, Jordan and I take off once again for the old claiming territory to finally get our pack their Beta.