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“It would amuse her, nothing more,” stated Havana. “And Deke will only get between you anyway. Let’s not make him pay for her sins again.”
“Sins?” echoed Bailey. “I’m an honest to God’s angel.”
Deke actually snorted at that.
Havana cast the mamba a disbelieving look. “They don’t call us the unholy trinity for nothing. You are far from angelic. And you really need to stop pushing Aspen’s buttons.”
“Why?” It appeared to be a genuine query. “And how is pointing out a character flaw triggering for her? We have to know these things or we can’t grow as a person.”
Havana’s eyelid twitched. “Don’t play innocent.”
“But I like that game.”
Deke curved his arm around the mamba’s neck. “I think maybe it’s time you paused the game, though. The eat-off is about to start anyway.”
Bailey brightened, turning her attention back to the table. “Awesome.”
Isaiah looked over to see one of their pride mates Archie standing behind Quinley and Alex’s chairs. His inner cat slinked closer, not wanting to miss a thing.
The older male clapped to get everyone’s attention, nodding in satisfaction when the chatter died down. He cleared his throat. “Okay, contestants, prepare yourselves.”
Alex plucked off both the top bun and first patty at once. He squeezed them together as if to make them thinner and then held him near his mouth.
Casually, Quinley removed the top bun but put it to the side of her plate. She grabbed the first patty, along with the toppings splattered on it, and positioned it in front of her lips.
Just then, Isaiah’s parents appeared at his side.
“I think I’m more nervous than Quinley,” said Andaya, putting a hand to her stomach.
Koen’s lips quirked. “I don’t think the girl’s nervous at all.”
She wasn’t. She was completely confident that she had this in the bag. And as her gaze leapt to his, Isaiah gave her a slow and encouraging nod.
Archie lifted a finger. “Ready. Set. Go.”
Alex stuffed his food in his mouth, eating it in only five bites.
Quinley wasn’t quite as savage, but she ate like a beaver in fast-forward. It was fascinating to watch.
“You got this, baby!” Isaiah called out, his cat pacing.
Other voices shouted words of encouragement to one or both parties as the seconds ticked by. Both the wolverine and black-foot broke down the patty tower layer by layer. Occasionally they’d pause to sip from the bottles of water provided, but then they’d go straight back to their food.
The faster eater of the two, Alex fell into the lead. But Quinley didn’t appear whatsoever dispirited by that, and no feelings of tension or self-doubt tripped down the partial imprint bond.
Isaiah kept on loudly egging her on, as did his parents. Alex’s family were equally as loud and vocal, and there was a touch of smugness in their tone.
A smugness that faded when Alex began to slow, his cheeks stuffed, his mouth chewing hard, his throat bobbing slowly as he swallowed.
The guy had hit a “wall,” just as Isaiah had predicted he would.
Quinley, on the other hand, was undergoing no such struggle. She was also catching up fast, able to swallow her food more easily than Alex because she broke them down into smaller bites.
Suddenly, with only four patties left to eat, she stood up. Isaiah frowned, thinking she might be quitting. But then she continued to eat.
“She’s making it easier for her belly to expand,” Blair realized. “Smart.”
It was. Alex didn’t mimic her move, but he did begin to recover from his earlier struggle. He went back to scoffing down his food ridiculously fast.
