by Leigh Walker
That sentiment was too familiar for my liking. Duncan had said as much to me. “I’ve heard that as well.”
“Well it’s good, then, that we’re doing this community project. We need to win the pack over.” Joely nodded, and the color returned to her cheeks. “This is a very important challenge, indeed.” She sat back down and returned to her sketchpad.
“You know, that’s a good point.” Dae got back to work as well.
I went to my station and stared at my doodles. It wasn’t like me to struggle for an idea, but it was hard for me to figure out what on earth I could do for the mangy mutts who’d mistrusted me so much they’d dragged me into the woods.
Sunshine Playdate
My progress with the Contestants’ Challenge was lackluster. The only thing that cheered me was Mira’s announcement after lunch that Rhys had finished his meetings for the day and would be spending one-on-one time with each of us in front of the cameras.
He’d promised me he’d touch me when we were filming. Finally! It wasn’t like me to be needy, but seeing him that morning and not being able to be close to him had been torture. I looked forward to my time with him.
“Tamara, you’re first,” Mira announced. “Then Joely, then Dae. Listen, it’s very important that every interaction you have with King Rhys from now on is romantic. We need the audience at home to feel as though there’s something very important at stake for each of you—in other words, your feelings. They also need to see the king’s attachment to each of you and his struggle to make a choice. I’ve been very clear with His Highness that there is no private contact allowed. He is only to interact with you in front of the cameras. I understand he had a private word with Tamara earlier, but that was about politics. It was also the last time contact of that sort will be allowed until the competition is over. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Mira,” we all answered. I wasn’t happy about it, though.
“I have also told him that these next encounters need to be physically affectionate. You only have a short amount of time left to win him over. He only has a short amount of time in which to choose his bride. We need you close to His Highness, we need you romantic, we need you touching, and most of all, we need you falling in love. All of you.” She gave us each a long look. “Now, go and freshen up, ladies. Tamara, join me in the formal salon in a half hour. His Highness will be waiting for you.”
Joely raised her hand. “What are we doing with the king? Where will we be filming? So that I may plan my outfit, of course.”
Mira nodded. “It’s your choice what you do with this time. His Highness will likely want to stretch his legs after being tied up for so many hours, so perhaps dress for a walk. Get a move on. You’re dismissed.”
I hustled to my room with a plan forming in my mind. Rhys needed fresh air and exercise, and so did two other very important creatures I knew. “Elsa, Beast,” I said as I entered my chambers. “Come, now. We must comb your fur and change your hair bows. It’s time you got to know His Highness.”
Twenty minutes later, I wore a heavy cranberry-colored gown and a matching coat. Giuliana had arranged my hair in waves and updated my makeup. I’d made sure to properly hydrate all morning so that my complexion had improved, and I was feeling much more like my normal sparkling self. But the best part was the gnomes, who jabbered expectantly inside my tote. They were thrilled to be going outside for a long walk. I hadn’t given them enough attention for the past week because I’d been so involved with planning the ball. I would make it up to them.
I wasn’t sure how Rhys would feel about interacting with my pets. Historically, vampires and werewolves had low tolerance for gnomes. But Elsa and Beast were very important to me. If Rhys wanted me to be happy, he would make an effort with them.
“Tamara, darling, there you are.” Mira beckoned from beneath her klieg lights. The production crew was packed into the salon, the cameras already rolling.
Elsa and Beast peeked out over the top of my tote, blinked at the lights, then buried themselves in the depths of my bag.
“Ah, I see you’ve brought company.” Mira beamed at me. “Will you be bringing them out for a walk?”
“Yes Mira. If His Highness is all right with that plan, of course.”
“What plan is that?” Rhys stalked into the room, his tall black boots shining, his dark tunic snug against his chest. His eyes sparkled as he came even with me. “Good afternoon, Lady Layne. What have you planned?”
“Well, I’d like to take my pets for a walk around the grounds. I was hoping you’d join us.”
Beast peered at the werewolf over the top of my bag. He was shaking a bit. Rhys eyed him with either amusement or thinly veiled distaste—I couldn’t be sure. “I’d be honored. A walk around the grounds is just what I need. Shall we?” He held out his arm for me.
“Yes.” I relaxed as I took his arm and he held me close to his side. Finally. “I’ve missed you, Your Highness.”
“And I’ve missed you, Lady Layne.”
The cameras followed us as we went through the kitchen. I stopped to grab the treats the staff had packed for the gnomes: avocado, bits of roasted sweet potatoes, and small bites of bacon. Rhys grinned at me as we headed down the back stairs and out into the crisp fall afternoon. I inhaled deeply and raised my face to meet the sun. “Ah, it’s lovely.”
Rhys stared at me. “Yes, it certainly is.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose.
Thank goodness Mira told us to be affectionate! I kept close to the king’s side, relishing the feel of his big body next to mine as we crossed the grounds to one of the gardens. “I’m going to let the gnomes out.” I stopped and lowered my tote to the ground. Two round puffs of fur, one brown, one gray, rolled out onto the lawn. Beast and Elsa stared at us with their big eyes.
“Elsa, Beast, I’d like you to formally meet His Highness, King Rhys, Ruler of the Realm. Your Highness, these are my pet gnomes, Elsa and Beast.” Beast technically belonged to Princess Blake, but I’d been babysitting him for an extended period of time and dreaded the day she finally asked for his return—he and Elsa were dear friends.
Rhys surprised me by crouching on his knees. The gnomes shook as he faced them. “There, there, you mustn’t fear me. I’m a great friend of your”—he turned to me with a confused expression on his face—“mother’s?”
“I do call myself ‘Mommy’ to them.” My cheeks heated.
He turned back to the gnomes. “I’m a great friend of your mother’s. I’d like to spend some time with you this afternoon, if that’s all right.”
Eventually, Elsa and Beast stopped quivering and blinked at him.
“There, now, off you go.” Rhys nodded toward the garden, and they whizzed toward the blue, woody shrubs.
I reached for his hand and laced my fingers through his. “Thank you, Your Highness. I wasn’t sure if you’d be pleased to hang out with them.”
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. “I’m pleased to spend time with you, my lady. The gnomes are merely a bonus.”
I beamed at him and took a daring step closer. It wasn’t like me to make the first move, but one thing I’d learned over the past few weeks of the competition was that I needed to be more open with my feelings. At the moment, my feelings were begging to be close to the werewolf king and to touch him while I could.
The cameras surrounded us, but I ignored them. My resolve was strengthened by the sun on my face, the vast green lawns stretching around us, and the happy sounds of the gnomes jabbering as they played in the gardens. I tentatively put my hands on Rhys’s broad chest.
He sucked in a deep breath as he gazed down at me. “Lady Tamara, I am so glad that you accepted my invitation and chose to stay with me.”
I looked up at his smooth, dark skin and his searching eyes. “I’m so glad you asked me to stay. I wasn’t ready to leave you or the Realm, not at all.” My pulse quickened as our gaze locked.
“You’ve made me very happy,” he said si
mply.
I smiled at him, warmth blooming in my chest. “We share that happiness, Your Highness. There’s no place I’d rather be, no one I’d rather be with.” I held my breath, surprised by my own boldness.
But the grin on Rhys’s face was my reward, as were his big hands, which he planted firmly on my hips. “Your words bring me great joy.” His gaze tracked to my lips. “May I, Lady Layne?”
I answered him by leaning up on my tiptoes and gently putting my face close to his. He didn’t hesitate to press his lips to mine, softly at first. I remembered the camera crew and stopped myself from nearly moaning—it felt so good to be kissing him again. But Rhys seemed to entirely forget that we weren’t alone. He deepened the kiss, his tongue searching for mine. When they connected, I felt a zip of electricity straight to my core, and the moan escaped me before I could stop it.
Rhys’s hands flexed against my hips, and after a moment, I no longer cared who heard me. I ran my hands up his chest and buried them in the back of his bun, his hair thick and springy beneath my fingers. Rhys’s own hands released my hips and roamed down my back, resting dangerously low.
My skin flushed, but not as hotly as the king’s face and neck. They burned beneath my touch. He kissed me again and again until I was dizzy. The werewolf ran his lips over my jaw and down my neck to my ear. “Tamara,” he whispered, “my Tamara. You stayed with me.”
“Yes.” My breath was fast. “Of course I did.” I kissed him again. I was acting purely on instinct. I’d never been so bold in all my life.
He sank his hands into my hair and crushed his lips to mine. I could barely breathe. I wanted—oh, I wanted all manner of things, but I had a strange desire to pull him through me. I didn’t pause to ponder that as our tongues connected again.
Something whined at our feet.
“Oh.” We broke apart, and I was surprised to see Elsa and Beast sitting near us, their heads—well, whole bodies—cocked to the side, watching us with interest. Elsa whined again.
“It’s quite all right, Elsa. Mommy was just… Just…” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mira Kinney fanning herself. “Just spending time with the king.”
Rhys’s lips were swollen, his eyes a bit dazed. “That’s right, little friends. No need to look so concerned.” He glanced at me and chuckled. “I suppose we got a bit carried away.”
I wondered if I looked as properly snogged as he did. “I suppose we did.”
Mira kept fanning herself. She held up her other hand with three fingers raised, which meant we only had a few moments of filming left. I didn’t hesitate. “Kiss me again, Your Highness, for good measure?”
In answer, he wrapped me in his powerful arms again.
Miffed
Rhys was called to another quick meeting. I watched him longingly as he crossed the grounds with one of his advisors at his side.
“Well done, Tamara.” Mira gave me an appraising look. “That’s the most…engaged I’ve ever seen you. You have real feelings for him, don’t you?”
I secured the gnomes inside my tote. “The werewolf has surprised me, I suppose. There’s more to him than I originally anticipated.”
She chuckled. “I love that you’re acting so coy after you just went at it with him in front of the cameras.”
My cheeks burned. “We did not ‘go at it.’”
“Did so,” Mira said conspiratorially. “I watched the whole thing.”
“Excuse me, Mira. I need to go and splash some cold water on my face.”
“I bet you do!” she called merrily after me.
I couldn’t blame her for chiding me, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I hastily made my way to my chambers. Halfway up the stairs, Joely and Dae intercepted me.
“That was some kiss.” Joely eyed me up and down. “You look as though you’ve been—well, doing exactly what you were doing.”
“You saw us?”
Dae nodded. Her face was pinched. “Rose let us watch from the kitchen. She said they want to be transparent about what’s happening with each of the contestants.”
“So I’ll be able to watch you two?”
“Yes, and they just sent for me. I have to go.” Joely hastened down the stairs. “Wish me luck, girls!”
“Good luck.” Both Dae and I sounded unenthusiastic.
“Shall we?” Dae’s lips twisted into a frown.
“Yes, just let me go and get the gnomes settled.” When I got to my room, I immediately saw what Joely was talking about and why Dae was frowning at me—I looked as though I’d been snogged within an inch of my life, which I suppose I had. My hair was mussed and wild, my eyes were too bright, and my lips were red and swollen.
Once I got Elsa and Beast into their beds with their treats, I quickly straightened my hair. I swiped on some neutral lipstick then hustled back down the stairs. I didn’t exactly want to see Joely with Rhys, but I didn’t want to miss a moment of their date, either.
I found Dae pacing the front lobby, a worried look on her face.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“They’re playing croquet.” She sounded miserable.
“Rhys knows how to play croquet?” It was a bit civilized for the werewolf.
“No, but apparently Joely’s teaching him. See for yourself.” Dae kept pacing, muttering to herself.
“What’s the problem, Dae? It’s just a friendly game of croquet.”
She snorted. “Hardly. See for yourself.”
I went to one of the windows which faced the front lawn. The camera crew was spread out over the lush green grass. Mira stood with them, suggesting camera angles and watching everything closely. The microphone boom was positioned right above Joely and Rhys, who were indeed playing croquet.
There were six hoops set out across the lawn, with four colored balls lying nearby. Joely held a mallet and motioned for Rhys to join her. She positioned him, widening his feet and angling his stance toward the first hoop. They laughed and chatted, appearing to have a great time. I recognized the smile on the king’s face and knew it was genuine. He laughed at something she said, and my stomach clenched.
Calm down, I reminded myself. He has to be genuine with the other girls.
Rhys took a shot and missed the hoop by a mile. He and Joely kept grinning at each other. She repositioned his feet, appearing to talk him through improving his aim. When he missed again, he slapped his forehead, and Joely couldn’t seem to stop laughing. He motioned to her, and she went to him. The wolf whispered something in her ear. Joely’s skin flushed pink, and she gazed up at him expectantly.
He lowered his lips to hers, probably for a good-luck kiss, except they didn’t stop kissing. Not for a second. Not for a nano-second. His hands roamed down her back, and I cursed.
“Told you so!” Dae said. “It’s another snogfest!”
“Wait, wait—they’re stopping. Ha!” I felt ill and a little triumphant when they broke apart. He’d kissed me for much longer than that.
“Let me see.” Dae took station at the window next to mine. “I don’t think this is much better.”
I looked back outside. Joely had positioned herself in front of Rhys. His arms draped over hers as they held onto the mallet together. He was pressed to her back, his whole body against hers, one of his cheeks to hers. She leaned into him, and he nuzzled her ear.
“Oh no, she didn’t!” I wondered if Dae would make fun of me if I threw up in front of her.
“Yes, she did.” Dae pointed at them. “And she is still doing it.”
Joely wriggled against Rhys, and it appeared he couldn’t take it any longer—he turned her around and pressed his lips to hers. She arched her back and got as close to him as was humanly possible. I watched, my jaw agape as he ran his hands worshipfully over her curves. Tears spiked my eyes.
Dae looked at me in sympathy. “It was worse with you, if it makes it any better.”
I would’ve thanked her, but I was too busy trying to stop from crying.
Eventual
ly, they broke apart, Dae left to refresh her makeup, and Joely came inside. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, her lips were swollen and puffy, and her eyes glittered with either excitement or lust. Maybe both.
“I guess that went well.” I could barely get the words out.
Joely, who was always so friendly and kind, seemed oblivious to my misery. “You could say so. I’ve never been kissed like that in my life!”
“Great. That’s…just great.”
“Oh, but don’t be upset.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “You had plenty of up-close-and-personal time with him before me. Dae and I were so jealous, we could have spit nails.”
I pointed toward the front lawn. “That was no croquet lesson. That was a groping session.”
“Ha.” The color in her cheeks deepened. “He did get a bit handsy, I suppose.”
Dae clicked down the stairs in sky-high heels. She’d changed into a very tiny, skintight red minidress, over which she wore a stylish open-front red coat. Her scarlet lips matched perfectly.
“What are you going to do outside in that outfit?” Joely asked.
“His Highness.” Dae arched an eyebrow. “Kidding. I’m kidding.”
Joely and I scowled at her as she continued, “At this point, after what you two have done with him so far this afternoon, I figured the only way to get his attention is to dress like this.” She motioned to her mostly exposed skin. “Wish me luck, will you?”
“I don’t think you’ll need much luck.” I shook my head at Dae’s perfectly toned body.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see.”
Joely scoffed once Dae had disappeared around the corner. “How much more snogging can the king take in one day?”
“I don’t know”—I frowned—“but I have a feeling we’re about to find out.”
“Ladies!” Rose, one of the producers, called from the top of the stairs. “Come to the upstairs study. You’ll have a perfect view of the action from the balcony.”
“Yay?” Joely said then traipsed up the stairs.
