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“New alliances…”
“Mated to the beta…”
It went on and on, and I turned to Holden, who was watching me with an unreadable expression.
“No.” It came out harsh, abrupt, in a tone I had never used with Holden in public. But what the actual fuck? They couldn’t be serious.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Holden said, leaving no room for argument, at least not right now. We were supposed to present a united front, so I clamped my mouth shut even though everything in me was railing against how ridiculous the idea was.
Even if inside, I was fuming.
* * *
The council meetingnever took place, not after the chaos that ensued at dinner. I paced the marble floor of the dining hall, my head pounding as I tried to process everything that had happened.
Everett’s suggestion had been a hit; nearly everyone agreed that it was only right for the packs to have a fair shot at putting their women forward. It was absurd.
I spun on my heel, retracing my steps over and over as the handful of shifters that remained discussed where to go from here. Most of the alphas, betas, and council members had left, but our inner circle, along with Amelia, were rehashing the night’s crazy events. Specifically, the prospect of having another Contention.
My gaze snagged on Jessica, who was sitting at a table with Kayden, her eyes wide as she listened. How many people realized this had been her idea? Everett brought it up, but I was willing to bet my position that he’d heard Jessica’s comment.
Frustration burned in my chest. Perhaps she felt my ire because her head snapped in my direction, wariness clouding the ocean blue depths. I clenched my teeth, my jaw ticking. Her tongue darted out nervously, and she quickly looked away.
“You can’t possibly be serious,” I finally said, whirling to face Holden, barely containing my anger. “This is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Is it, though?” He raised his brows. “Did you see how quickly they all jumped on board? You know we’ve been struggling to find a way to smooth things over—for going on six months now. And here, the solution has practically presented itself to us.”
Kayden and Jessica walked over, Kayden resting a hand on my arm. “Garrett. I know it’s a lot to take in. Believe me, I have firsthand experience of having my entire life turned upside down against my will. But you really need to consider this.”
I glared down at her. “If that’s your sales pitch, you might want to go back to the drawing board.”
“I think what Kayden’s trying to say is that you never know what might happen,” Jessica chimed in. She gave me a small smile. “Life has a way of throwing curveballs, but this might just work in your favor. Look at Kayden and Holden.”
I glared at her, hardly able to believe everyone was so on board with this. I certainly didn’t see how this could be a good thing for me. I had absolutely no desire to find a mate. Even though Holden had been putting pressure on me lately, I was content to be a perpetual bachelor. My life was dedicated to my pack. To Holden. I didn’t need or want a distraction from that.
I shook my head, pulling my arm from Kayden’s grip. “Maybe it worked out in your favor. But I’m not you. There has to be another way.”
Holden sighed, shaking his head. “Look, it’s getting late, and we aren’t getting anywhere with this tonight. Let’s get some sleep and reconvene in the morning with clear heads and some fresh perspective.”
Everyone murmured their agreement—everyone except me. I didn’t care what he or Kayden said. I didn’t want this. And nothing they could say would make me change my mind.
4
JESSICA
“Ireally think this is the solution to all our problems.” Holden shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth, nodding enthusiastically.
Seated next to him at the round table on their private terrace, Kayden tilted her head, tapping her chin in thought. “It could work,” she agreed. “But we need to think through all the possibilities.
I looked back and forth between them, and then at Garrett, who was staring down at his plate, stabbing his eggs with his fork. His jaw worked, the muscle ticking, and my stomach sank. He’d barely even acknowledged me this morning, even though I’d specifically been invited to this breakfast. The look of anger blazing in his eyes last night had told me all I’d needed to know—he was furious about this. It hurt more than it should have for him to be so dismissive, so angry, but I’d thought we’d connected last night at dinner. Apparently, I’d thought wrong.
I tore my gaze from Garrett’s golden waves and stared out at the gorgeous view. The salty sea breeze and crashing surf on the east contrasted starkly with the dense evergreen forest to the west. Normally, I’d be in awe that this was my home now, that I lived on such a beautiful estate, but I barely saw any of it now.
Taking a bite of my toast, it felt like sawdust in my already dry mouth, and I chased it with a tall glass of orange juice. Looking back at Garrett, I took a deep breath.
“You know, it doesn’t have to be a true Contention. There are plenty of options.” Garrett’s hand stilled, his knuckles white on his fork, and I hurried on. “It doesn’t even have to be Garrett who participates. It could be any one of the pack’s high-ranking enforcers. Maybe even a council member. Surely, we could find someone else as eligible and desirable as Garrett.”
Garrett looked up at me then, his brows drawn together, and my pulse stuttered. Oh my God, I’d just called him desirable.
