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I glanced down at her, appreciating her willingness to go first and ability to laugh at herself. “Let’s try again.”
Hannah and Taylor made their way to their stations, and as Elizabeth laid out a fresh roll of nori, spreading rice across it, I took the opportunity to engage her in conversation. “So what inspired you to enter the Contention?”
She was focused on the task at hand, her brow furrowed in concentration. She didn’t look at me as she said, “The opportunity. I want to work in law, defending shifters from unfair treatment. I feel that sometimes those accused of violating pack law aren’t adequately represented. They aren’t given an opportunity to properly defend themselves. So often, the death penalty is simply dealt based on tradition, not considering anything else. I’d like to change that.”
It was a good answer, one I hadn’t expected. “I’d have to agree with you there. Blindly following traditions isn’t always the right course of action.”
She nodded, carefully rolling the bamboo mat around the sushi roll. “Exactly. Which is why I’d love the chance to make a difference.”
It was the first time any contestants had spoken about what they hoped to accomplish if they were part of the council—which three of them would be, as whomever I selected as my mate would also hold a seat.
“There,” she said, grinning triumphantly, standing and looking down at the completed roll. “This one actually looks edible.”
“Nice.” It would have been the perfect opportunity to put my arm around her, and maybe hug her. Something more than the platonic smile I gave her. Normally, I had no problem laying on the charm. I just wasn’t feeling it, though.
We made a few more attempts at the rolls, and then I moved on to Casey’s station. She’d already worked her way through three practice rolls, and was happy to show me how skilled she had become.
“Looks like you’re a fast learner,” I commented. “Mind if I give it a try?”
She moved in close, her tall, toned body brushing against my arm. “I can give you some tips if you’d like.”
The sultry tone in her voice caught me off guard, though it shouldn’t have. Many of the women had blatantly flaunted their sexuality over the last few days. I glanced up, my gaze snagging on Jessica, who was now deep in conversation with her assistant. She was tapping her cheek with a pencil, her lips pursed in thought, and I was transported back to Monday night for a moment.
I could still feel her soft lips, the gentle caress of her breath, the way her body had fit so well pressed tightly against mine…
“Garrett? Are you okay?”
I blinked, jerking my gaze back to the woman next to me. Shit. I’d totally zoned out. “Sorry, could you repeat that?”
Casey looked between me and Jessica, frowned, and then batted her eyelashes. “I was just going to show you that I’ve found it easier to just wrap my hand around the girth of the roll, like this.”
I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction she wanted to get out of me with a statement like that. I might have played along under normal circumstances, but I thought it was good enough just being present and keeping a smile on my face.
I let her show me a few tips on making the rolls, and I was doing pretty well by my third or fourth attempt. I couldn’t even remember what we’d talked about by the time I moved on to the next woman’s station—Hannah, I think her name was. She didn’t talk much, but I was okay with that. I was having a hard time focusing with Jessica in the room. I couldn’t help but wonder what she thought about this, seeing me with five different women after that kiss we’d shared.
Still, I made a point of asking Hannah some questions, trying to pull her out of her shell. Out of all the women, she was the quietest, which was why I’d invited her to this date. Her responses were short, giving me no insight into her personality. While she seemed really nice, I was fairly certain she was on the short list to going home tonight. She was simply too passive to be council material, and there was no spark whatsoever between us.
Reagan and Taylor had worked their way through making at least half a dozen rolls each by the time I got around to one-on-one time with them. As the evening wore on, making small talk became more and more excruciating, and I was relieved when things finally wrapped up.
“Thank you all for joining me tonight,” I told them, trying hard to appear interested and not like I couldn’t wait to get out of there. “It was an honor to get to know each of you better, and I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I did.”
What I really hoped was that they couldn’t tell just how much I was over this date. I said my goodbyes then walked toward Jessica, ready to tell her I’d made my decision.
“Walk with me?” I extended an arm to her, and she gave me a wary look, so I gave her my most cajoling smile and added, “I want to discuss tonight’s date with you.”
“Um, yeah. Okay.” She glanced at her assistant, told her they would catch up later, and then stood, though she didn’t take my arm.
The contestants had already filed out of the kitchen with their assistants in tow, so I was surprised to hear voices in the hallway as Jess and I approached the doorway. Just before I stepped through, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end as a snarl pierced the air. Someone had shifted.
I darted forward then halted abruptly as another female wolf shifted, the two poised for a fight. They both crouched low, teeth bared, and instinct kicked in. I flung my arm out behind me, blocking the doorway, every sense on high alert. The driving urge to protect Jessica from harm pulsed through me, defying reason.
But I knew how these challenges could go down—so did Jess. She’d been challenged herself during her own Contention. My heart dropped as I remembered how she’d nearly drowned, the memory of her lifeless body in my arms as I’d dragged her from the water still as fresh as the day it happened.
“Stay back,” I hissed, even as she surged forward. She gripped my arm, and I pushed her behind me, but she didn’t let go, peeking around my shoulder as the challenge began.
A quick glance around the hallway at those still remaining told me it was Elizabeth and Taylor engaged in the fight. There was nothing I could do, though. This was part of how Contentions worked. Every contestant had a right to challenge another. The challenge would end in either one wolf submitting to the other, or duking it out to the death.
Jessica’s breath was unsteady, the warmth of it grazing my arm as she clung to me, and I stayed on high alert, ready to shove her out of harm’s way if necessary.
