AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And never wanting the moment to end.
19
GARRETT
Jessica and I barely made it down to breakfast in time, and she insisted on going separately.
“If Reagan is suspicious, she might not be the only one,” she’d said as she left my room. She was right, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
I was so ready for all of this to be over now that Reagan had propositioned such a good deal. While Jessica’s reaction hadn’t been what I had hoped, I understood her concerns about making sure Reagan was the right choice. We wanted the right people on the council, and I wanted to be sure her offer wasn’t clouding my judgment, which was why I planned on spending as much time as I could over the next few days getting to know her better.
Jess was already at breakfast by the time I entered the dining hall, having changed into a different outfit. I grinned, knowing I’d probably messed up her other one.
She walked up to me, her posture a little tense, her brow furrowed. “Kelly just came to me and asked to go home.”
I frowned. “Really? Why?”
“She said she doesn’t want to be part of this anymore. I think it might have to do with the challenges.” Jessica glanced back at the tall blonde. “What do you think? I know it wasn’t allowed during Holden’s Contention, but none of this was mandatory for these women.”
Kelly hadn’t really stood out to me during any of the competitions, and I’d only gotten to know her on a surface level, though that could be said of many of the contestants. I didn’t really see her as a potential council member, either. “I don’t see why not. If she doesn’t want to be here, there’s no reason for her to stay.”
Not when I was seriously considering accepting Reagan’s offer.
Jessica gave me a tight smile. “Guess that brings us down to five.” Then she turned and walked away without another word.
I watched her go, confused by her distant behavior after what we’d just done, but maybe she was freaked out that people might be on to us. I shook it off then joined the last five women at the only remaining breakfast table.
The next couple of days were much of the same—dining with the contestants, going to classes and observing PT, and trying to really get a feel for who I wanted to be in the final three with Reagan. Where I’d ignored much of this earlier in the Contention, it was becoming much more important now. I felt confident that all the remaining women would make good council members, but I wanted to choose the very best.
The next competition was late on a Wednesday afternoon. A small arena had been erected on the south lawn, the same as it had been for a competition during Holden’s Contention, with open bleachers as well as a private box set up for the audience to watch from above.
“How is this going to go down?” I asked Jessica, who’d joined me in the box seats.
“It’s similar to the paintball maze we competed in last year,” she said, pointing to the edge of the arena where the five women were being suited up with vests and guns. “Only this time, they’re all working together on a rescue mission. They’ll encounter obstacles along the way that we’ve hidden within the maze, and they’ll have to find ways to work as a team if they want to get through. It should be interesting to see how that plays out.”
I was much more interested in this competition than I had been in the last one—perhaps because Jessica was at my side, and we could talk about what was happening. But I was also paying close attention to how the women interacted. I definitely needed team players on the council.
As the competition got underway, we debated the merits of the last five contestants.
“What do you think about Melissa?” I asked her. “She’s from your pack, right?”
“Right. I’m surprised you remembered that.” She laughed lightly, and I nudged her with my shoulder.
“Despite what you think, I do pay attention to what you say.”
She pursed her lips. “Just not when it comes to following the rules.”
I shrugged. “Where’s the fun in that? So, do you think she’d make a good council member?”
“Based on what I’ve observed during the competition, I think so. She’s really smart. Knows how to think things through, though she isn’t always the most diplomatic person.”
“What I really need in a partner…” I mused “… is someone who’s already well-versed in politics and law. I don’t want to have to bring them up to speed, you know?”
“Yes, that makes sense,” she agreed.
“That’s another thing about Reagan—she knows politics, knows the intricacies of leadership. She’s an alpha’s daughter, like you. So she would have spent her entire life learning first-hand how to lead a pack.”
Jessica made a humming noise but didn’t comment on that.
