AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I should have known this wasn’t actually an attack,” Kayden said, “but when I heard them say rebels, all I could think was Branson…”
I grimaced, hating that was even a possibility. But what she’d done, throwing herself in front of Garrett like that. She was lucky bruised ribs were the only problem. “Kayden, you can’t—”
I was cut off by the sound of my father’s voice coming through the speakers in the ballroom and another resounding round of applause.
“We need to get back in there,” she said, and it was only then that I realized we were the only two remaining in the foyer.
“I’ll carry you,” I said, starting to lift her in my arms, but she batted my hands away.
“I can walk, Holden.”
The urge to do it anyway was strong, that protective instinct was hard to resist, but I thought better of it. I’d already let too much show tonight. There was no way people wouldn’t notice how much I’d favored Kayden. I’d have to be more careful until I found a way around these forsaken laws, I simply couldn’t let anyone know what she was to me.
24
KAYDEN
Iwinced as I walked down the hall by Holden’s side, my whole torso aching with each breath. Still, I was proud of how well I’d done—Kessa submitting was a huge deal, and I hoped I’d proven that I deserved to be here. So many of these women had prepared their whole lives for the Contention, yet I was holding my own having been tossed right into the fray.
Holden led me into the ballroom, where Bridger was up on stage, speaking to the crowd about what had just happened and how proud he was of the contestants.
“Here, have a seat,” Holden whispered, gesturing to a row of chairs lining the wall inside the doorway.
“I’m fine standing,” I replied with a slight shake of my head.
Holden’s jaw ticked, his brows drawn together as he sat anyway and pulled on my hand, giving me no choice but to sit next to him unless I wanted to cause a scene. He’d already done enough fussing over me as he did. Not that I was complaining about his attention, but someone was bound to notice how much more I received than the others.
“What you did back there was incredibly stupid,” he hissed, his voice pitched low so no one would hear.
I cut my eyes to him. “Excuse me?”
“Never, and I meannever,throw yourself in front of a wolf like that again.” His gaze was hard—angry.
“I was trying tosaveyou,” I whispered incredulously. Was he serious? “I didn’t know it wasn’t real. I thought you were in danger.”
“You risked yourself for me.”
“Yeah. And I’d do it a hundred times over.” I stared at him as he ground his teeth together. His eyes softened at my words, but he still shook his head.
“Never again, Kayden. I mean it. I never want you to put yourself in danger for me. You must understand that.” His tone remained firm. Insistent.
What I understood was the raw and very real fear I’d felt when I’d seen that wolf attacking Holden. It was pure instinct to move to protect him. It must have something to do with being mates, that all-consuming urge to keep him safe at all costs. Surely, he felt the same.
“I won’t agree to that,” I said, knowing I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t do the same thing again.
Giving me a once-over, his face a mix of worry and frustration, he shook his head. “I need to go check on some things.”
“You can’t just leave,” I hissed. “You’ll cause a scene, and that’s exactly what we need to avoid.”
Abruptly he stood and stalked from the room, despite my warning. Bridger’s eyes tracked his son as he left, his gaze drifting to me next, and my stomach dropped. If we weren’t careful, everyone would realize what Holden and I were. Bridger spoke louder, more exuberantly, going on about how proud he was of the women in the Contention this year, clearly trying to keep all eyes on him instead of his son.
“You should all be proud of yourselves as well,” he concluded with a broad smile. “A big thank you to everyone for coming out tonight. The music, food, and drinks shall continue as long as you’d like, so please, enjoy yourselves.”
He exited the stage, and I made my way back to where Jenna was sitting with Jessica and her family. They were all deep in an excited conversation about everything that happened.
“I can’t believe that,” Jenna said, wide-eyed. “Are things always this crazy?”
I wrinkled my nose. “This was a bit more intense than usual, but yes. I’ve learned to expect anything at this point.”
