The Claiming by Cooper Book 5
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 90 Jace
When the Beta Trials start again, it’s different than the first time. Now, it feels like everyone understands the importance of what we’re doing, the need to create a complete leadership in the packs, especially the ones that are currently in the process of being built. We need to make the packs safe from the rogues or others who may attack.
Jordan had tried to subtly stay close to her twin on the first day. That is until he turned around and asked if she was going to be his shadow all day. She had smiled, knowing he caught her hovering, and had gone to hug him before returning to me.
We’re keeping Gianna close, just in case the rogues come back, but everyone who has been out hunting them seems to think they are gone, or at least nowhere near here.
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Another surprise was the humans who decided to come watch. They had asked if it was okay, then they had ohhh’d and ahhh’ d and clapped from their seats beside us, which was weird because no one else was clapping.
“It’s like a reality TV show,” Emily had said excitedly.
“Yeah, and we get front row seats,” Bailey had said, just as excited.
“So, they’re fighting to be the second in command in the packs?” Emily had asked. “Yes. It’s an important position from what I’ ve seen. So, this competition is very significant to all of the contestants,” Gianna had answered.
“I like that some of these women can kick a*ss,” Bailey says. “I wish I could.”
“If you decide to stay in the packs, we could train you,” Jordan says.
“You would train us to fight? Against werewolves?” Emily asks, surprised. “We would train you to fight against an enemy. We are not your enemy. Not this group, anyway,” I clarified.
“But the Beta position is more than being a good fighter, right Jordan?” Gianna asks. “It’ s also about being able to exert the expectations of the Alpha and do it the way the Alpha intends.”
“That’s correct. That’s why, in this contest, we choose the winners. Every Alpha has their own ideas of how to run their packs. While they may be similar in many ways, there are subtle and sometimes not so subtle, differences,” Jordan tells them. “Like being co-Alphas,” Gianna says, looking at me, a smile on her face.
“Like being co-Alphas,” I say, taking my mate’s h*and and k*issing it.
“And there are how many open positions?”
Bailey asks.
“Eleven,” Jordan confirms.
Bailey whistles low at that. “There will be a lot of unhappy people here if there are only eleven positions to fill,” she says.
“What are you looking for in a Beta, Alpha Jordan? If that’s okay for me to ask,” Emily says.
“It is. I’m looking for someone that has strength, but doesn’t necessarily have to flaunt it,” Jordan begins.
“Like that guy,” Bailey asks, pointing to someone who is acting lead of his team and is barking at his people when they don’t follow his instructions.
“Exactly. Subtle strength, confidence, poise. We all face adversity, but how do they handle it? That person you pointed out wouldn’t be my choice because he’s getting fl*ustered. As a leader, I expect my team to be able to remain calm. If the leaders don’t stay calm, then the pack will follow suit and become overwhelmed with frustration or anxiety.”
“Is that why your pack feels so comfortable?” Gianna asks. She’s rubbing her stomach and shifting around a lot.
“Is that the feeling you get from our pack?” Jordan asks, smiling.
“It’s all because of my mate,” I say, k*issing her h*and again as I watch the leaders in this round. There is no one in this group that I’m interested in.
“According to your mate, it’s about the entire leadership team, of which you are a part, correct, Alpha Jace?” Emily asks.
Jordan leans into me, laying her chin on my shoulder, smiling at me.
“My mate doesn’t always recognize the value and importance he brings to others,” she says as a subtle reminder that I am just as much a reason for the pack’s calm as she is.
I lean in, k*issing her softly.
“And Victor slipped into his role easily, at least from what I could tell,” Gianna says, looking out over the group and frowning. “Do you like any of this group?” she asks quietly.
“No,” Jordan and I say together.
“Good,” she says, turning back to us. “So, Victor?”
“He’s been great, as I knew he would be,” I say.
As the week goes on, we make our list and by the end, we have our top eleven. We chose eleven in case we have to choose our candidate last, and all of our top choices are gone.
Not surprisingly, nearly all of the remaining Alphas are on our list: Celine, Gabriella,
Damien, Wade, and Jake. Haley dropped out when she realized Apollo was her mate, knowing that he wouldn’t stay in the packs with her, and technically, he is a Gamma in the bear clan. Camille and Catalina, Alpha Quinton and Luna Sophia’s youngest two, are just too young for us at 15 and 14 years old. I know others have them on their lists. We also have a couple of Gammas and some warriors that made the list, but our preference is to have one of the older Alphas join our pack.
On the last night of the competition, each Alpha draws a number and based on that number we get to choose our Beta. The Beta then has the option to accept or deny the Beta position. I let Jordan draw our number and lady luck is on our side. She pulled the number 2 from the bucket.
Since Taylor pulled number 1, she and Nolan get on the stage first.
“Our choice of Beta is Alpha Celine.”
We all turn to watch Celine stand up, smiling.
“Alpha Celine, do you accept the position of Beta in our pack?”
“Yes, Alpha. I would be proud to be your Beta,” she says, and cheers go up around the room.
I lean into Jordan. “That gives Taylor two elite warriors in her pack,” I say.
“It does. It will be a draw for others to join her pack,” Jordan agrees.
When the cheering dies down, Jordan and I walk to the stage. I nod for Jordan to announce our choice.
“Our choice of Beta is Alpha Gabriella,” she says, and we watch the smile spread across Gabriella’s face as she stands.
“Alpha Gabriella, do you accept the position of Beta in our pack?”
“I would be honored to be your Beta, Alphas Jordan and Jace,” she says and joins us on the stage to lots of cheering.
The rest of the Alphas take their turns, with Jaxon and Evangeline getting Damien as their Beta, Caleb and Magdalena got Wade and Tobias and Flavia got Jake. Camille will be Beta for Enzo and Rowan and Catalina will eventually become Beta for Reid and Ainsley. Because she’s so young, I heard her parents were going to move with her to the new pack lands and will help Reid and Ainsley build.
We celebrate into the night, spending most of that time with Gabriella, answering questions about our pack and making plans for her to move within the next week. She wants to go back home and pack, saying goodbye to her brother, Alpha Paolo, disconnecting her link to her pack, then saying goodbye to her parents, Mignon and Asher, before heading to our pack. That gives us a week to set up a Beta ceremony so she can immediately be instated in the pack.
The next morning, we say goodbye to our future Beta and pack up our things along with Emily and Bailey who will stay with us until decisions are made about what will happen next with the humans. Gianna drives with Ezekiel, who is hovering over her like a shadow. I’ve noticed that she’s becoming more and more aggravated with his constant attention.
Levi approaches me before we leave, asking if it would be okay to come visit our pack.
“You want to tell me what’s going on? You’ ve been hovering around ever since we brought the humans back,” I say.
He looks extremely uncomfortable. Then he looks around before pulling me aside.
“I think that one, Emily, is my mate. I don’t know how or why since she’s human and it’ s forbidden, but I need to be close to her and I need to talk to Dr. Braxton to get his opinion on it.”
Well, that’s a major cl*uster f*uck.
“Yeah, come on. I have to let Jordan know though, and you need to talk to Dr. Braxton sooner rather than later.”
“I will,” he says before getting in his car and following us to our pack.
When we arrive at the pack, I run around the car to help Jordan out. The twins are big and she’s already struggling to get up and down.
I hear Gianna complaining to Ezekiel when he tries to do the same for her. She may be complaining, but there’s no way she’s able to get herself out of that car on her own. “Ezekiel, I’m fine! Stop hovering over me every min Oh.”
We all stop and turn to look at her. “What’s that?!” Ezekiel asks, his eyes wide.
Gianna looks up and over at us. “I think my water just broke.”