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It made sense, and I had to admit the idea of being asked to spearhead such a huge undertaking filled me with pride, even if it was overwhelming. Risking a glance at Garrett, I offered him a small smile. “Perhaps Garrett could help with the selection of the contestants. That way, he has a bigger say in his options. We could change things up just enough that he doesn’t feel like it’s out of his control…”
Garrett shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t even look at me yet again.
I licked my lips, nerves getting the best of me. I hated that my voice was unsteady when I asked Holden, “Can you get me the contact information for all the alphas? I can go ahead and get submissions going.”
“Yes. The sooner, the better really. We need to get moving on this so we can move on to implementing the changes we want to make.”
Garrett scoffed and stared off into the distance. Holden frowned at him then exchanged a glance with Kayden. “We have things to attend to this morning, darling.” He rose to his feet, holding out a hand for his mate. “We can get you the details this afternoon. Tomorrow at the latest.”
“Thank you,” I said softly, my heart hammering as I realized they were leaving me here alone with Garrett. I started to stand, and Kayden must have seen some panic on my face because she shook her head slightly then eyed Garrett. She wanted me to talk to him. To smooth this over. The idea of it nearly made me laugh out loud. This man didn’t want anything to do with me right now.
I blew out a heavy sigh as Holden and Kayden left the terrace. Garrett still stared out at the sea, seemingly zoned out.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
For a moment, I thought he hadn’t heard me, but then his gaze slid to me. The heat in his eyes took me by surprise until I realized it was fueled by anger.
“No, not really.” He ground his teeth together. “You just had to go and throw me under the bus. What gives, Jess?” I didn’t know what to say to that, but he didn’t give me time to respond. “No one was thinking this. No one. But I heard you. It was your suggestion. And now I’m obligated to marry a woman I don’t even know.”
An emotion I didn’t recognize flickered over his face but was gone an instant later.
“It was a joke,” I whispered. “Just a sarcastic remark. I didn’t intend for anyone to hear, much less take me seriously.”
“Yeah, well, they did. And not only was it your idea, but now you’re helping plan the damn thing? This is mylifewe’re talking about. Not an opportunity for you to advance your career.” He stared me down with such rage in his eyes that I could barely breathe. No one had ever looked at me like that—like they could barely stand the sight of me. My chest tightened, and my throat burned with tears, but I refused to let him see how much he affected me.
I stood and moved to the railing of the terrace, staring out at the grounds below. Once I took a few deep breaths, getting myself somewhat under control, I turned to face him. “You never know what might happen, Garrett. Look how it turned out for Kayden and Holden. They found the love of a lifetime. Maybe you’ll find the same.”
He stood slowly then strode toward me. I wanted to shrink away, feeling like prey being stalked by a predator. But I forced myself to stand tall—well, as tall as my five-foot-three frame allowed. He towered over me as he glowered down at me.
“What if I already wanted someone?”
The words were so unexpected that, for a moment, all I felt was shock. Garrett was known for being purposely unattached, never falling for anyone. Could it be that he’d kept feelings for someone hidden? Jealousy reared its ugly head at that thought, but I quickly shoved it away. Letting my little crush on Garrett fully take root was the stupidest move I could possibly make right now. He was about to enter into a competition to find his mate.
“Then you should break it off.” My voice was stronger than I’d expected, much to my relief. “You’re the future of this country and this pack, Garrett. Holden is counting on you. You have big plans? You want to make a name for yourself as beta? Then you have to make sacrifices.”
He blinked, a flash of bewilderment replacing his anger, but only for a moment. He took another step forward, and then another. Getting right in my face, filling my space. The scent of pine and leather filled my nose, my awareness of everything narrowing to only him until he consumed my senses. The urge to reach out and push a stray curl from his forehead was so overpowering that I instinctively took a step back, only to bump up against the railing.
Garrett took another step forward, and all the air was sucked right out of my lungs. His eyes flashed with frustration. “What happened to that shy girl from Holden’s Contention? The one who never challenged anyone?”
A lump formed in my throat as his words hit home. Yes, that had been me. And while I’d been working on that, trying to be stronger and not always live my life to please others, I hadn’t realized my efforts were becoming so obvious. Truth be told, I still felt like that small, insecure girl.
A lifetime of being her made me want to shrink away, hide behind that old persona and appease Garrett. But I wouldn’t back down now. I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin, meeting his intimidating stare full-on.
“She grew a backbone and found a purpose for her life. She values her position and doing what’s best for her pack, even if you don’t like it. She found her voice and isn’t afraid to use it.” The words were quiet but strong, and surprise flickered on Garrett's face, his eyebrows lifting.
But then his expression hardened again, and he leaned in so close I had to angle my head high to see him. “Is ruining my life part of that purpose?”
Is that really how he felt? His words sent a shiver down my spine. Or was that simply the proximity of his large body to mine? So close that we shared the same breath. An errant urge to pull him even closer took hold, and to my shock, my hand lifted between us, inches from his broad chest. What the hell was wrong with me?
I balled my hand into a fist and pointed a finger at him. “You have quite the ego to think I’d waste my time trying to ruin your life. As if I don’t have better things to do.”
His hand darted up, fast as lightning, and he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, holding tight. I gasped at the heat that raced through my veins at that small bit of contact, my mind going blank as my body flared to life.
Garrett stared down at me, his sky-blue eyes blazing with the heat of the sun. When his gaze flicked to my mouth, I felt as if my knees might give out. The muscle in his jaw ticked, his chest rising and falling as he breathed me in, and for a brief moment, I had the crazy thought that he might kiss me.
I swiped my tongue over my lips, unable to tear my eyes from him or move at all—frozen on the spot as I waited to see what he’d do next.
“Miss Martin?”
