by Tl Reeve
“Really not good.”
The pair came to a small clearing not far from where he had taken down the buck. The elk turned on Hill and charged. Hill, the dumb shit, didn’t try to hide. He followed the elk’s lead. Nico wanted to close his eyes, look away, but it was like a trainwreck happening before his eyes. He glanced to where his mate sat with her cousins. Each of them shrank away from the screen, their heads turned, their eyes squeezed shut.
The impact of the bull hitting Hill rattled Nico’s teeth. He could feel the impact as though it happened to him. Blood poured from Hills hind leg as the elk pulled the tip of his antler from the guy’s body. The ungodly howl echoing around them, called to his wolf. He howled in pain with the wolf on the screen, followed by several others in the stands. One judge shot the elk, while three others grabbed Hill and ran.
The screen shifted to Jackson who took down a bear by the caves. The bastard grinned at the camera then winked. Nico and Rocky laughed. The ham. As he’d gotten to know the people Bodhi called friends, he’d also come to like them. And, at some point, they’d become his friend. “That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, the asshole owes me. He fucking beat me,” Rocky groused.
“Shit, I think he beat everyone with that kill.”
“I believe you’re right.”
The announcer came out on stage and raised his hand. “So far, the total amount of weight collected tonight comes to fourteen hundred pounds.”
The crowd erupted. A picture of Bodhi circling a wild boar filled the screen behind the emcee. Hayden gasped. She covered her face with her hands. Shit. He ran to where she sat. He gathered her into his arms. “He’ll be fine. Your fathers taught him how to hunt. He’s done this before. Have faith.”
“I’m trying, but after Hill….” She glanced up at him, fear shadowing her beautiful blue eyes.
“I know, sweetheart,” he whispered. “But, your brother isn’t stupid. He’s got this.” He kissed her gently. “Did you see me take down that buck?”
She grinned, relaxing in his arms. “I did. But you could’ve done better.”
He scoffed. “What?”
“You could have done better,” she teased. “Why didn’t you go for something bigger?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t feel like it. Plus, I wanted to be with you. You’re the best catch.”
“Aww,” she whispered. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you’re trying to get laid.”
“Is it working?” He kissed her again.
“Perha— Oh my God. He did it!” She pointed to the screen. “He took down the boar!”
“I told you he’d do it.” He hugged her tight when she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yeah, you’re getting laid tonight.” Elation filled her voice.
“Damn straight I am. How about we sneak out of here? I have a feeling Jackson’s the winner anyway.” He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear as he gazed down at her.
“I’d like that, mate. Lead the way.”
Chapter Eleven
Hayden stretched and opened her eyes. Last night, they’d barely made it to her room before her mate had stripped her down, and, as he put it, had his way with her. He had a voracious appetite, waking her up twice more during the night. With his back to her, she watched as he dressed then grabbed a bottle of water out of her fridge.
“You know, if you keep looking at me like that, we’ll end up being late for the last day’s events.”
“And this would be a bad thing…why?” A small grin tugged at her lips when he faced her.
“You are insatiable, mate,” he growled, stalking toward her. “One more event then we can spend all our free time locked in this room.” He crawled onto the bed and hovered over her. “But, for now, we have an obligation to fulfill.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Up and at ’em.”
“When you put it that way.” She flung the sheet off of her then slid out of bed. “I’ll grab a shower and put on my last frilly dress.”
He chuckled. His heated gaze warmed her. “You’re a tease, little wolf.” Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pressed her body flush to his. “I’ll see you on the field.” He nipped at her mark before turning her face to him. His kiss made her toes curl and her body tingle. It possessed her. She sighed, giving over to him, rubbing against him. She relished their last few minutes together until tonight when they’d enjoy the Howler’s Ball together.
“Be safe.” She kissed him one last time.
“Always,” he replied, pushing a lock of her hair out of her face. “Go on, shower and get prettied up for me. I can’t wait to see what color you’re going to wear today.”
She nodded then headed for the bathroom. “Hey,” she called out.
“Yes?” He paused at her room door.
“It’s blue, like my eyes,” she said. His rough growl of approval made her grin. “Have fun today.”
“You know it.” The soft snick of the lock slipping into place signaled his departure.
She started the water and stared at her reflection in the mirror. In less than a week, her life had changed dramatically. When she’d placed the letter to her dads in the mailbox, she hadn’t expected the journey she’d placed herself on. Boy, won’t they be surprised when they find out I took the plunge and gave him a second chance? Seemed like a reoccurring theme to her. Because, in reality, she wasn’t just giving him a second chance, she’d given herself a do-over as well. Stepping into the shower, she quickly washed her hair and body then got out. She had two classes to get through then she’d meet up with her cousins and get ready for the gauntlet. She wondered absently if Hill would be there. Even with his wolf genetics and ability to heal without much intervention, the goring he’d taken had looked horrible. She walked out of her bathroom and dressed then finished getting ready for class.
At the knock at her door, she grabbed her bag and headed out. Bell and Zoe waited for her outside, and neither one of them appeared happy. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ve got a situation,” Zoe muttered. “Looks like Laney and her little bitches are going after Bell’s sorority house before we’re done with pledge week or the games.”
“What?” Surely, she’d heard her cousin wrong.
“Yeah, I had an eviction notice on my door this morning.” She handed the paper to Hayden who read it.
“They have to find you other housing, Bell. If not, they’re in violation of the school’s housing rights, especially if you haven’t done anything wrong.” She continued reading the papers as they walked out of the dorm. “Just because Laney wants to expand her sorority house, doesn’t mean she has to take your house out with it.”
“She can if my sorority isn’t getting the membership it should,” her cousin muttered.
“So we’ll just have to boost them. When is pledge week?”
“It starts two weeks after the games, and it goes for thirty days,” Bell replied. “See, the games showed everyone the fraternities and the sororities available to them.”
“Right. So, how can the school allow this?”
Bell shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“We’re going to find out.”
By the time the final game started, they were nowhere near an answer. Nobody in administration knew where the letter came from, even though it had the president’s seal on the paper. Perhaps Laney had played a trick on Bell, but what would happen if they didn’t move out? So many questions swirled in her mind. But, until the administrative staff could figure out where the letter came from, there was nothing they could do.
Taking her seat, she stared out over the obstacle course set up between the thirty yard lines. Men lined up on either side while swinging sand bags hung idle for the moment. At the entrance stood all of the competitors, including Hill. He looked a little worse for the wear, but not as bad off as she’d expected. Standing away from the idiot gang—Nico and her brother. They laughed while Jackson, Rocky, and Alex gathered
around. When had she made this little group of friends?
She’d spent so much time trying to keep herself away from people, she’d actually done the opposite, rallying people around her. She waved. Her mate winked at her while her brother waved back and grinned. For the past week, they’d brutalized their bodies. Done things she still couldn’t wrap her mind around. All in the name of charity. Or, in Nico’s case, to win her back and claim his mate.
“We’re going to enjoy ourselves,” she announced. “We can worry about evictions and catty girls later. This is for us.” She curled her lip when Laney’s little bitches giggled and pointed at them.
“Yeah, I agree.” Emma grinned. “Besides, who says you have to do anything? As long as you make the pledges, you’re not going anywhere.”
“And we’re going to help you,” Lacy added. “Starting Monday, we’re going to make sure you get the pledges you need to keep your place. No matter what those little hussies try to do.”
“You guys.” Bell’s bottom lip trembled. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“What Dad taught us to do,” Zoe piped up. “Kick ass and take names.”
They all laughed then settled in. “I hope Hill gets the crap knocked out of him,” Terri snarled.
“Now, now,” she laughed. “He got the shit knocked out of him last night.”
“I know,” Terri answered. “That’s awesome.”
“Bloodthirsty.” Zoe nodded. “I like her. Keep her as a friend, Bell.”
The announcer stepped forward and held up his hands.
“Shh,” Bell admonished. “The games are beginning.”
“Welcome to the final day of the Greek Shifter Games. We’ve already crowned three champions, and tonight we’ll crown the last.” The crowd erupted in cheers. “The man with the quickest time through the gauntlet without being knocked off of any pedestals will be declared the winner.”
She took Bell’s hand then Zoe’s. So far, Christoph, Nico, and Jackson were victors. It would be fair to say she wanted all of her friends to win, but it might not happen. For all she knew, Hill might pull this off, or Winston. Her stomach knotted at the thought of that little shit winning anything.
The horn sounded, and the first person went into the gauntlet. The shifter traversed the obstacle course with ease. Hopping from base to base, he got to the swinging sand bags. She held her breath. The object, she figured, was to get through them without the bags knocking the person off-balance. He hurried through the first three then lost his balance by the fourth. The guy’s arms flailed as he tried to catch his balance and stay upright, but, in the end, tumbled off. She frowned. One down, fifteen left to go.
One by one, the guys went, and, one by one, they fell. Some, almost at the end. Others, well, she wondered if perhaps they even understood the concept of what they were supposed to do. When her mate stood at the starting line, she held her breath and crossed her fingers while repeating the mantra, please don’t fall. At some point, she closed her eyes, the anxious energy coursing through her making her stomach jittery and her heart pound. She knew he had the skills to make it through the course. Cracking her eyelids open, she watched him pause at the sand bags. He observed them, timed them, and then leaped.
Each pedestal he landed on, she breathed a little easier until he got to the final one and jumped to the last platform. She shouted and bounced, cheering for her mate who’d made it across in under thirty seconds. The last few guys might beat his time, but right now, she didn’t care. Her mate stood above the rest.
“Aren’t you just adorable?” Laney said from her perch beside her. “I wouldn’t count on him winning this. Hill still has to go.”
“Yeah, I know. But, then again, my mate is in one piece. Can the same be said for Hill?” She grinned. “You know, that elk looked awfully familiar with Hill.”
Laney curled her lip. “You’re a disgusting pig. Just like your friends.”
“Is that the best you’ve got?” Zoe sneered. “Someone needs to teach you how to trash talk.”
“We don’t need to,” Reagan added. “Before long, you’ll all be the group of losers who couldn’t keep your home.”
“There you go again, running your mouth. Writing checks your ass can’t cash,” Bell said, without any emotion. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, shut the fuck up and let us enjoy the last day of these games.”
“Don’t worry about it, Laney.” Reagan licked her lips. “We’ll enjoy Christoph together tonight.”
Bell lunged for the girl, her eyes completely blue like her lioness’s. Her fingers curled into claws, her hands giant paws. “I’ll kill you if you touch what’s mine.”
The two girls laughed. “Awe, look at the cute kitten trying to be a lion.” Laney giggled more.
“Don’t get too worked up, Bell. We’d hate to see you do something you’d regret,” Reagan said, with a tiny pout. “We don’t want to see you get into trouble.”
“Bell,” she whispered in her cousin’s ear. “Let it go. Christoph is your mate. They’re only trying to piss you off and cause a scene.”
“Yeah, listen to your little friend, Bell.” Kylie laughed.
“You’re going to look killer in that dress you bought, Laney,” Delilah said. “Christoph is going to be all over you.”
“Don’t do it,” she murmured. “They’re not worth it. They’ll be eating their hearts out when Christoph leaves with you.”
Bell looked at her. Fear radiated from her blue eyes. “You keep saying that,” she whispered. “But, I fear he’s already made his choice.” Her cousin slipped from her grasp then hurried away from the stands, heading for the woods surrounding them.
She growled. “You’re not going to win this. Whatever your little game is, you will not win. I will make sure of it.”
Cheers rang out in the stadium as Jackson finished the course and Hill was declared the winner. “I’d say we already are.” Laney gracefully exited the stands.
“Bye.” Reagan giggled. “I hope you like my sloppy seconds. Your mate was really good.”
Hayden rolled her eyes. “Zoe, looks like we’re going to have to find your sister.”
“I can’t stand those wenches. I can’t wait for them to get what’s coming to them,” Zoe snarled. “I’ll go find my sister. I know where she went.” She stormed toward the exit. “And tell your mate he better talk some sense into Christoph, or else I’m going to neuter the lion’s ass.”
How the hell did she get wrangled into this again? Oh yeah, her cousins promised it would be a good time. So not happening.
Chapter Twelve
Somehow, the guys all ended up in one room together, getting ready for the ball. The whys of it still mystified Nico as he took the proffered beer from Christoph’s hand. The alpha, already dressed in his tux, looked tense as hell, and who could blame the guy? However, he’d done it to himself. “You ready for tonight?”
“Not in the least,” Christoph answered, throwing himself into the chair next to him.
“Good, you shouldn’t be.” Not one to beat around the bush, he hit the alpha with both barrels. “You fucked up big time and hurt my mate’s cousin.”
“Do you think I don’t already fucking know that?” the lion growled. “I don’t know why I said I’d help. It just came tumbling out.”
“Sure it did. Just like you’ve known Bell is your mate and you’ve yet to act on it,” he quipped. “What the fuck is going on in that head of yours?”
“It’s complicated.”
“The hell it is.” He placed his beer on the table next to him. “You saw the shit I went through to win my mate back. Are you going to do the same?”
“No,” Christoph snarled. “I’m not that fucking stupid.”
“No? Are you sure? Because, from where I’m sitting, you’re letting your dick dictate what you’re doing.”
“I don’t need this shit.” Christoph stood. Tension and anger radiated off th
e alpha.
He’d seen the whole situation with Laney and her group of troublemakers. He also knew Christoph had seen Bell run off into the woods, alone. “Coward,” he muttered. “I should have known you’d never be good enough for her.” He glanced at Jackson. The six five dragon fixed his blood red tie in the mirror. “Hey, Jackson.”
“Yeah?” He pulled his long sable hair back with a leather thong.
“Bell needs a date. Would you mind helping me out? It seems Christoph has other pussy he’d like to play with.”
A purely indulgent smirk tugged at Jackson’s lips. “Sure. That won’t be a problem at all.”
“Thanks.” He focused on Christoph. “Make sure you show her a good time. After the little scene at the games, she deserves to cut loose.”
“Full court press?” Jackson fiddled with his suit.
“Sure, why not. Not like Christoph over here won’t be doing the same with the bitch squad.” The lion growled beside him, and he chuckled. “It’s about time someone showed Bell a good time.”
“I don’t mind dancing with her. I saw that shit, too,” Alex said. “Christoph, whatever the fuck has crawled up your ass, I hope it dies soon and you get back to normal. Or whatever is normal for you.”
“All of you can fuck off,” the lion growled. “You don’t understand the pressures I’m under.”
“So, you’re going to hurt a young girl. A girl who fucking idolizes you, knows who you are to her, and what…ditch her?” Jackson stepped away from the mirror then got into Christoph’s face. “You’re a fucking coward. If you don’t want her, I’ll claim her myself.”
“The hell you will,” Christoph roared.
“I guess that’s up to Bell.” Jackson headed for the door. “I’ll take care of Bell.”
A few minutes later, the alpha stomped from the room. The lion needed to learn a hard lesson here. If anyone knew the damage hurting a mate could cause, it was Nico. Better to wake the beast now than lose everything later, even though it sucked to see Christoph struggle.
