Chapter 274
The iming by Cooper Book 4
The Beta Trials by Cooper (Jace & Jordan)
Chapter 01 (Jordan)
One Month Later
I pull onto a dirt road, heading to my brother’s new pack. The drive out here, alone, is helping to clear
my head. Ever since Jace pped that piece of paper down on my desk, letting me know that he’d
resigned from the contest, my emotions have been all over the ce. In thest year, I’ve gone from
wondering if he could feel the mate bond, to thinking he chose my cousin over me, to now, finding out
that he entered thepetition just to prove to himself that he’s worthy of being my mate.
And then there’s Nn. After walking in on me and Jace, with Jace practically ready to kiss me, Nn
has been spending a lot more time around the pack. I’m not sure if he’s keeping an eye on Jace, or if
he’s trying to show me that he’d make a good mate for me. Either way, it’s making everything more
awkward and so, I decided to get away, just me, toe see my brother. After this, I may even stop in
and see my sisters in their new packs.
I continue down the long road, passing the old dpidated packhouse and other buildings that are in
various states of disrepair. I’m not sure what they n to do with thisnd, but the area is gorgeous. It’s
simr to my packnds with a mountain in the backdrop, framing the sky.
As I pull up, I see a very pregnant
Evangeline directing some construction guys and pulling branches and tree limbs away from the
construction site. I hop out of the car, rushing over to her and taking the brush from her hands.
“What are you doing? Where’s Jaxon?” I ask her, concerned that she’s doing manualbor in her
advanced stages of pregnancy. Thankfully, her pregnancy has been easy, but that doesn’t mean that
she won’t strain something working out here.
“Hey Alpha Jordan!” she says, wiping the sweat from her face as I pull the brush over to where I see a
pile that she must have already started.
I toss it on the pile and turn to her. “I thought we agreed that we’re sisters and I’m Jordan, Luna,” I say,
giving her a look.
“Sorry, pregnesia. I don’t remember anything.”
“Pregnesia?” I ask.
“Pregnancy amnesia. It’s like Jax Jr. is sucking the brain cells right out of my head. He better be the
smartest wolf I’ve ever met to be causing me such problems,” she says as I reach out to hug her.
“And your brother is over at Tobias and via’s pack. Tobias took her back to her home pack to have
her baby. Theysted as long as possible, but we agreed to watch over their packnds while they’re
gone if they would do the same for us,” she says, rubbing her stomach.
“How much longer before youe home?” I ask her.
She smiles at me. “I am home. But only two or three more weeks before Jaxon brings me back to your
pack” she says, reminding me that Jaxon is no longer part of my pack. It makes me sad. I miss my
twin.
I look at the construction site. “Wow, this ce is reallying along. I’ve heard that most of the other
packs barely have a foundation, and some are just breaking ground, but you guys already have walls
going up,” I say, truly amazed at the progress they are making.
“I know! It helps that we are working together with Tobias. They’ve been great to have as neighbors.
We agreed to work together and try to get discounted rates for everything and have thepanies we
contract with do both of ournds at the same time.
So, Tobias worked on getting pipesid and Jaxon worked on construction. The pipes are done, and
the buildings are going up. It’s a win-win all around.”
I look at Eve, knowing they’ve been living out here. “So, the pipes areid. Does that mean that you
have running water now?” I ask her.
“It does! We don’t have hot water yet, but I usually try to shower in the middle of the day when I’m so
hot that the cool water feels good. But I’ll tell you this, it’ s a lot warmer than the pond we found with run
off from the mountain snow. That water was cold!”
“You’re a better woman than I am,” I say, watching the construction guys as theyy one concrete block
on top of another.
“Come sit,” she says, guiding me to a pic table and chairs. There’s a cooler beside it and she opens
it looking inside. “We have water, soda and beer,” she says turning to look at me. “Any of that sound
good to you?”
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“How about a beer?” I say.
Shees to sit beside me, handing me my beer then leaning back and finding her way to sit down.
“How is my nephew?” I ask, watching her rub her stomach. I feel a sharp pang in my heart. I’ve always
wanted a pup or two, or three.
“He’s active. Here,” she says, taking my hand and putting it on her stomach. I smile as I feel my
nephew kick my hand.
I lean down to her stomach. “Hey there, JJ. This is your Aunt Jordan. You be good to you momma, but
give your daddy hell.”
Evangeline’s smile widens as I sit up and we both look out over the construction going on nearby.
“I know I’m not your twin, Jordan, but I’ m willing to listen if you need someone to talk to,” she says to
me, ncing at me before looking back at the work being done.
“Oh, I just came by to tell you guys about the announcement of the Beta Trials,” I tell her.
She turns and looks at me. “Jordan, you could have sent anyone to tell us that. And I have enough
sisters to know that sad look in your eyes isn’t because of something pack rted.”
I lean forward, rubbing my face in my hands. I didn’t just lose my twin in the contest, I lost all of my
siblings, not that I was ever really close to Teagan or Rowan, but they are both working on building their
packs and even Raelyn is working with her mate, Collin, to build their pack. Everyone left all at once
and left me alone, or not alone. They left me to deal with my mate mess while they get to wallow in the
glory of theirs. I feel Eve’s hand begin to rub circles on my back and I look up at her. She has one hand
on her stomach and the other on my back.
“Sorry, I just know it’s rxing. I can stop,” she says. I shake my head, appreciating the sisterly
camaraderie.
“I don’t want to be forward, but does this visit have anything to do with Jace and Nn, by chance?”
she asks.
“Is it that obvious?”
She shrugs, continuing to rub circles on my back. It really is rxing. “As I understand it from Jaxon,
you have a mate, he didn’t acknowledge the mate bond. Which, by the way, I will never understand.
Then he dated your cousin, you rejected him and then he proved that he wanted you by participating in
the contest but before it waspleted and he potentially won his own pack, he resigned so you would
know that he did it all for you. Add to that, you found a man who is interested in you, appreciates you
for the woman you are, wants to be with you and doesn’t really care about taking your Alpha status.
Does that about sum it up?”
I turn and look at her. A slow smile spreading across my face. “I’m beginning to see why you’re mated
to my brother. Youpliment him well.”
“Wepliment each other,” she says, just as I hear paws pounding against the earth.
I stand, ready to protect my brother’s mate and pup when I see my brother’s wolf racing toward us.
Evangeline does the pushing herself up thing that pregnant women do, and I reach out to help steady
her as my brother runs up, shifts and takes her in his arms.
“Hello beautiful!” he says, kissing her, then leaning down to kiss her stomach. “Hey, Jax Jr.,” he says
before standing and pulling me into a hug.
“Ew, gross Jaxon. Don’t hug me when you’re naked. I had enough of your junk t*ouching me when we
shared mom’s womb.”
He snickers, grabbing the shorts that Eve pulled from goddess knows where and putting them on.
“You here trying to escape the Jace Nn debacle?” he asks me.
“Something like that,” I tell him. “Well, I’m starved, and my mate and son need to eat. Let’s go get some
food and you can tell us all about it.”
I smile, it’s good to be with my brother and Evangeline. “Sounds like a n.”