Chapter 268
The iming by Cooper Book 4
The Contest by Cooper (Jaxon & Evangeline)
Chapter 68 (Jaxon)
After collecting my reward from my mate, we head back downstairs to eat lunch and catch up with the
rest of the contestants.
Rowan’s turn is after lunch and when shees out of the territory with only six gs, I know her time
in the contest was over. I try to console her, but it’s Enzo that makes the difference, basically telling her
that since he is still in thepetition, they still have a chance to get their own pack. He’s only a couple
of months away from turning 18, so it’s pretty clear that they are mates.
In the end, four Alphas are eliminated from the contest including Rowan, Magdalena, my cousin Brooke
and Ainsley, Reid’s mate.
No one collected all ten gs, and only three of us collected nine, so everyone who collected seven or
more gs, moved into the next l*eg of the contest. The finalpetition.
After dinner, Councilman Jason steps up onto the stage. Many people have already left, knowing they
were eliminated. Magdalena and Rowan stayed because Lazio, Caleb, Enzo, Eve, and I are all still in
thepetition.
When he gets up on the stage and announces that there isn’t a need for a final day ofpetition,
everyone cheers.
“Congrattions to the final 20. You are the elite, but only half of you will be able to win the title of
Alpha and im your own pack. In one week’s time, you will alle back here where you will receive
a written test. The test will consist of five scenarios, and you will have to write how you, as an Alpha,
would respond to those scenarios. Each of you will be judged by all five council members on certain
categories, such as thoughtfulness of your response, leadership, understanding of the true issue, and
your ability to resolve conflict. The ten with the highest scores will be dered Alphas and will be given
the opportunity to choose your packnds based on the ranking you receive in the final test.”
The excitement in the room is palpable. In less than two weeks, Eve and I will know if we’ve be
Alphas and we will get to choose our packnds.
“All of you will receive the list of the packnds, the current state of thend and the packhouses as
well as basic information about the area. I suggest that you review the information and, if possible, go
see the packnds so that, if you win, you will know which pack you would like to im.”
“See, Maggie. We need to go look at the packnds, see which ones we may want to choose,” Caleb
says.
“I agree, Rowan, we should do the same,” Enzo says.
“Why don’t we all go?” Eve says. “I mean, we all want to see the packnds, see where they are in
rtion to each other. We could make it a fun getaway, a break before the final test.”
“I love that idea,” I say. “That way, I can make sure no one wants our packnds,” I say, making the
othersugh. We make a n and rather than going back to our packs, we’re going to do a tour of the
packnds that are avable for selection. The one we’re in now, we can wipe off the list and there is
another one that is far away from all the others, and Eve and I agree we don’ t want that one, so that
leaves eight packnds to see in one week’s time.
“Let’s do it,” Lazio says.
“Let’s do it!” Eve says.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.
Jordan POV
I’m at my desk, pouring over the work that just keeps piling up. Elijah has been helping, but really, he
had been passing a lot of the work to Carter. Now that Carter is out of thepetition, he is helping
more, but I need to make sure he wants to stay in this pack and isn’t nning to participate in The Beta
Trials. It’s not a requirement that he bes my Beta and not everyone would be okay bing a
Beta to the only Alpha female.
The rest of the work ising from Jace’s workload. He’s been doing a great job of keeping up, when
he can. But knowing that he’s so close to winning a spot as Alpha, I’m trying to make sure I know
everything that he does, so that when he’s gone, I can train the next person.
The thought of Jace not being here any longer makes my heart hurt. I know what I said to him about
needing to ept my rejection and maybe it’s because he hasn’t that I still have feelings for him. I’ve
tried to move on, but I just haven’t been able topletely let go.
I’m just about ready to pack it in for the day when there’s a knock at the door. Just as I say, “Come in,” I
smell the honey roasted almonds. Jace.
I look up, fighting the fluttering in my stomach. I paste a smile on my face. I’ ve already heard that he’s
in the top 20, although I’m not surprised. He’s a born leader.
“Congrattions, Jace! I hear you are part of the elite, the final twenty.”
“Thanks, Jordan. That means a loting from you.”
I look down, unwilling to let him see the hurt in my eyes that I know very soon he’ll be leaving me. Jace
is smart, I know he’ll pass the final test to be Alpha and then he’ll be gone. “I thought you’d be out
celebrating,” I say, ncing up and jolting when I see that he’sser focused on me.
“I have something for you,” he says. “Remember when I said it wasn’t my time yet, but it wasing?”
I frown. I had no idea what he was talking about at the time.
“I remember,” I say.
He ps his h*and on the desk and when he pulls it away, there’s a paper lying there.
“Read it,” he says.
I watch him, still frowning as I reach out and take the paper. I pull it to me, watching him until I have the
paper in front of me.
When I read it, I gasp, looking up at him.
“Jace, what have you done?”
“I’m keeping my word, Jordan. I told you I wasn’t leaving, and I’m not. I wasn’t ready to exin that
before. I needed to prove that I was good enough to be your mate.”
I look back at the paper. The paper that says that Jace resigned from the Contest. It’s dated today.
AFTER he moved into the top 20.
“But why, Jace? Why did you resign. You’re so close. You could have your own pack. Be an Alpha!”
He leans over my desk. “Don’t you get it, Jordan? I never wanted my own pack. I just wanted to prove
that I was worthy of being your mate.”
I look at the paper and then back at Jace, trying to make sense of his words. “I never needed you to
prove that you were worthy of being my mate, Jace.”
“No, you didn’t, Jordan, but I did. I needed to know, in my heart, that I was worthy of you.”
“But Taylor…”
“Was a distraction. And if I’m honest, she was a good second choice for me, up until they announced
the Contest. Then, I knew I had a chance to prove that I was worthy of you.”
“You mean, you did this, all of this, just to prove to yourself that you were worthy of the mate that the
goddess gave you?”
Hees around my desk, pulling me to my feet. “I know it doesn’t make sense to someone that has
been confident her entire life. Believe me, I’ve watched you grow up and you, my Alpha, are an
amazing woman, full of confidence.”
“No, Jace, I’m not. I’m not always confident and more often than not, I struggle to try and look like I’ve
got my s*hit together when I don’t. You’re right, I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all,” I tell him.
He steps up, getting into my space. “I know, and I know that I didn’t go about things the right way. I
know I screwed them up, but notpletely, I hope. All I’m asking for is a chance, Jordan.
Please, just give me a chance before you ept Nn as your mate. Let me prove to you that I can be
the mate that you deserve, the mate that I know I can be to you.”
“Jace,” I say, my head spinning with everything that he’s telling me.
“Please, Jordan. I’m just asking for a chance.”
I open my mouth to respond, not sure what I was going to say, when I hear a familiar voice.
“Am I interrupting something?”
I turn and see Nn standing in the doorway.