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He didn’t have to say anything else for me to know what he meant. If it were up to him, none of this would be happening in the first place. I had to admire his willingness to go along with it, to make such a big sacrifice to advance his and Holden’s agenda. He was committed to the pack above all else.
“Thanks,” I murmured, my gaze catching on his, and for a moment, we just stared at each other, the silence stretching between us. His blue eyes were the color of the sky on a cloudless summer afternoon. My gaze roved over his face, noting the sharp angle of his jaw, his full lips that were just as soft as they looked…
The corners of those lips tipped up slowly, and I jerked my eyes away from his mouth. He was still watching me—and was it my imagination, or was he leaning closer?
In that moment, there were so many things I wanted to say. So many things I wanted to ask. I wanted to know where his head was, why he’d kissed me twice now, and if he wanted to do it again. But that was silly because thatcouldn’thappen again. The thought was enough to jolt me out of my stupor.
I stood quickly, putting distance between us before I did something stupid. “Okay then, I guess we’re all set. Just as a reminder, you’ll need to eliminate one more contender after the competition is over, so you need to watch carefully and make a decision that will give you a better idea of who would make a good mate.”
His expression darkened at the reminder that we would be one more elimination closer to him sealing his fate. I didn’t want to think about it, either, which was exactly why we had to remember the reason for the Contention in the first place.
I had to stop entertaining the idea that he might be thinking of me in the way I’d once only dreamed he could because that could never happen. Not now. Garrett was meant for one of the twelve remaining contestants.
Not for me.
And I’d do well to keep that in mind.
13
GARRETT
Ichecked my appearance in the mirror, frowning at the formal attire. Holden had often dressed up for the competitions during his Contention, but it really wasn’t my preference. I readjusted my tie for the fourth time, wondering if it was even necessary. It would be an outdoor event, taking place on the expansive estate grounds.
Bucking tradition—because why not—I ended up yanking the tie off and tossing it aside. Then I rolled up the sleeves of my dress shirt and undid the top button. Immediately, I felt more at ease, more like myself. If the women didn’t like it, too bad.
Though I was pretty sure what I wore was the least of their concerns today. One of them would be going home this afternoon after the competition ended. That was one of the few things I remembered Jessica saying when she was here in my apartment yesterday. I’d been too distracted thinking about kissing her again that I hadn’t paid as close attention as I probably should have.
Even now, as I ran my hand through my waves, smoothing some of the more unruly pieces, my mind kept drifting back to what it had felt like to kiss her. In fact, I was thinking of it far more often than I should be.
I needed to focus on the girls and start thinking more seriously about who would be an asset to the council.
And who will make a good mate. I grimaced. I kept trying to forget that part, keeping my mind on the council positions, but after the challenge the other night, I was forced to recognize that if I wasn’t careful with my choices, decisions could be made for me.
That was one part of the Contention I didn’t fully agree with. Sure, challenges were part of our lives—Holden himself had been through dozens over the years on his path to becoming alpha—but when it resulted in death because of women fighting over me, literally, I couldn’t dismiss it so easily.
Jessica’s plea for the women had struck a chord with me. I was glad it had come up now—that she gave them all a chance to change their minds and go home now that they saw what they were in for. They’d all opted to stay, though. Today would be interesting.
With a final glance in the mirror, I left my room and headed downstairs. The halls were relatively empty—most people were probably making their way out to watch the competition.
Jessica had given me an overview of the scavenger hunt the contestants would participate in, and it sounded interesting. I was eager to see how it would play out.
A few minutes later, I walked out onto the manor’s large front balcony, taking in all the hard work Jessica had coordinated. It was quite impressive, actually, considering how little time she’d had to bring all the elements together. A viewing area had been erected, with four massive screens on the front lawn and rows of chairs in front of them for anyone who wanted to watch.
A line of chairs had been set up close to the railing of the balcony. There weren’t many people up here yet, only Jessica and some assistants at the moment, and I wondered who would be joining us to watch from this vantage point.
Below, to the right of the screens, the twelve women were lined up on a platform, waiting for their instructions. Willow was there, as was a slew of assistants, plus a camera crew who would follow the girls around, streaming their activities to the screens. Everything would be recorded in case we needed to review the footage later.
I waved at Jess, and when she looked up at me and smiled, an answering grin spread across my face. She said something to the assistants then broke away from them and headed toward me.
She cocked her head as she got close, her silky hair falling over her shoulders. “You decided against the tie?”
I shrugged. “I wanted to feel more like myself.” Then I grinned and did a little spin. “Do I not look good enough for your high standards?”
Jessica rolled her eyes, but I didn’t miss the twitch of her lips. “You look fine.”
“Just fine?” I pressed, enjoying the way her cheeks turned pink.
She clasped her hands in front of her, but she didn’t shy away from me this time, arching her brows as she met my gaze. “You know you look good, so why are you fishing for compliments?”
