AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I let him suck me into his game as we each tried to gain the advantage. It became a playful teasing, seeing who could get a friendly bite in. Of course, he was far more powerful and skilled than me, and I was certain he was holding back. He wasn’t the beta of the entire country for nothing. I admired the strength and power of his wolf form as we played.
This was the first time I’d ever seen him like this, so playful and lighthearted, and I longed to see more of it. Was this side of him ever present in human form? Instinct told me it was, but he never revealed it to those he wasn’t close to.
We continued chasing each other, my sides heaving as I breathed hard from the exertion. It wasn’t long before we came to a wide stream. Garrett charged right into it, so I followed suit, only for him to turn and lunge back at me, catching me off guard. He hit the surface with his massive paws, causing a spray of freezing cold water to splash right in my face.
For a moment, all I could do was stand there, stunned. The giant golden wolf stared at me, tongue lolling to the side, amusement in its sky-blue eyes. That’s how he wanted to play? With all the strength I could muster, I mimicked his movement, splashing water all over him, too. He made a sound, a bark that sounded a whole lot like laughter before he charged toward me, knocking me off my feet so I tumbled into the rocky stream. Then he pinned me, his powerful front legs pushing gently into my chest.
The question in his eyes was unmistakable.Submit?
I growled up at him.No way.
He bared his teeth in what strangely resembled a grin, practically daring me to fight. This definitely wasn’t my area of expertise, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. We were only playing, after all. The pressure he put on my chest was practically nothing compared to the training I’d received during Holden’s Contention, and I managed to wiggle out from under his grasp. I wasn’t under the illusion that I’d done that on my own, though—he almost certainly let me go.
We continued playing for the better part of an hour, until I was too exhausted for more than a slow run back toward the forest’s edge. He shifted back first, and my heart stuttered at the sight of his naked backside. His muscles coiled and bunched as he moved toward his discarded clothes, and I was infinitely grateful I was in wolf form as he looked back over his shoulder and tossed me a cheeky grin. My cheeks would have been blazing otherwise.
I padded slowly to my clothes. The sudden realization that he was about to see me naked when I shifted back made me feel faint.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice light and teasing. “I won’t look. Much.”
I growled at that, and he tilted his head back in laughter. A moment later, though, he had his jeans and t-shirt back on and was striding out of the trees, leaving me alone. I quickly shifted and pulled my clothes back on, and when I emerged from the woods, I found him standing there, leaning casually against a tall wooden pole with a lantern affixed to it.
“Oh.” I stopped in my tracks, surprised.
“What? Did you think I’d just leave without saying goodnight?”
I bit my lip, unsure what I’d thought. Honestly, this entire thing had me feeling off-kilter.
Garrett smacked a hand to his chest. “Ouch.” Then he grinned. “That was really nice, getting some energy out. I’ve been buzzing with it all day.”
“I know what you mean,” I said, finally finding my voice. “I tried all kinds of things to relax, but I just can’t shake my nerves about tomorrow. You do seem less tense now than when I saw you outside earlier. Are you ready for tomorrow?”
Garrett sighed heavily, tilting his head skyward where the crescent moon was just making its appearance. “If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.”
“Same,” I admitted. “And I really want this to go well. It’s a chance for me to prove myself as an event coordinator. And, of course…” I hurried to add “… I want it to go well for you. No matter what, I want you to know I have your back. We’re in this together.”
Garrett tore his gaze from the sky, leveling it on me and staring for a moment. “Together,” he murmured. Then he shook his head, flashed me a grin, and started walking back toward the house. “You have to have my back—you’re the one who exposed it to everyone in the first place.”
He laughed as he left me standing there staring after him, only this time, I didn’t feel guilt at his playful jab. I only felt determined to make sure he found the very best woman to stand by his side.
That thought brought a tiny spike of jealousy with it that I chose to ignore.
* * *
My nerves didn’t abatethe entire day. Right at nine o’clock, the first of the contestants began arriving, each in a car driven by a member of our staff. I remembered arriving at the estate all too well—full of anxiety and fear that I might not make it out alive. Willow had done nothing to put me at ease then, treating each one of us very formally, and I’d been beside myself, hoping to make a good impression. She’d intimidated the hell out of me then, too.
One by one, I greeted each woman at the door, clipboard in hand as I checked them in, assigned them an assistant, and then sent them on their way to get settled in.
“Dinner will be held tonight in the grand dining hall,” I repeated each time. “Your assistant will help you with your attire. Please review your welcome kit and familiarize yourself with the rules.”
As I met each contender for Garrett’s heart, I found myself critically assessing them, comparing my first impressions to the applications they’d submitted. I made little notations on my notepad. Some of the women seemed nicer than I’d expected, but I could sense that many of them were putting on a front, and I wondered just what type of bitch simmered beneath the surface.
Be nice, I told myself, but it was hard not to be critical—not when Garrett’s future was at stake here.
Kelly, the California blonde, was even taller and more beautiful than I’d expected. I recalled all too well how Garrett’s eyes had lit up when he’d seen her picture. She smiled and said all the right things, but there was an unmistakable shrewdness in her eyes.
Kylie, one of the last-minute additions to the roster, was a shocking six-feet tall, though she was still many inches shorter than Garrett. Her platinum blonde hair reminded me of Kayden, but that’s where the similarities ended. My first impression was that she was full of herself, though I reminded myself to reserve judgment.
Hayley was stunning with her deep brown skin tone and natural curly hairstyle that skimmed her shoulders. She was friendly enough, but like many of the other women, I couldn’t quite tell what was real and what was put on for the sake of the Contention.
