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“They’ll be here soon. I met them all this morning, and I already have some favorites,” I teased him. “But I’ll let you make your own first impressions.”
He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Perhaps you should be the one to date them, then.” The joke fell flat, and he sighed. “I’ll get out of your hair and come back once they’re all here.”
Then he was gone, and my stomach dropped. Had I said the wrong thing? Though I didn’t know what exactly I needed to say to get him to cheer up. I only hoped he shook it off before dinnertime.
Soon enough, the women arrived one by one with their assistants, a long line forming outside the grand dining hall’s double doors. I greeted each with a smile, consulting my clipboard to point them toward their assigned seating.
Kayden and Holden arrived soon after, the room buzzing as the contestants caught sight of the alpha and the woman who’d stolen his heart. They moved to sit at the head table, where Garrett, I, and four enforcers would be dining. Some council members, more enforcers, and Kessa and Bridger had tables as well, further back. The fifteen contestants were split between three tables at the front of the room close to the small dais I’d had erected, where I’d be giving my speech later.
Then it was time for Garrett to make his grand entrance. When he appeared in the doorway, my breath caught in my throat. I’d already seen him all dressed up, but seeing him standing there, all eyes on him, commanding the room like the leader he was, his power and dominance stole every thought from my head.
I watched as he approached the first of the three tables, surprised to see he didn’t give anyone his signature charming smile. Instead, the smile was forced, fake, and he nodded to each woman as they introduced themselves, as disinterested as if he were saying hello to great-aunts he didn’t really want to see at a holiday dinner. What the hell was he doing?
I narrowed my eyes, staring at him, hoping he’d feel the intensity of my gaze so I could give him a warning glare. It wasn’t like I could just go up and pull him aside. There was a certain decorum to keep. If he felt my eyes on him, though, he didn’t give any indication.
He made the rounds, just as we’d discussed, but he certainly wasn’t giving it his all. I looked around my own table, wondering if anyone else could notice his unusual behavior. But everyone else was engaged in conversation as appetizers were brought out. I absentmindedly picked at mine, my gaze returning to Garrett.
“We’re so glad to have you here,” Holden was saying to one of the new enforcers. Ryker, I thought he’d introduced himself as. He was tall and broad with close-cut brown hair and striking, dark eyes that seemed to take in every detail around him, something that would make him a good addition to the pack. “I’ve heard great things about you. How has your first day been?”
I tuned out the conversation, trying to figure out how to smooth over this shitshow. Garrett wasn’t doing anything to try to make a good impression. Not once had I seen him smile, and the look on his face was sheer boredom as he listened to whatever the women were saying.
As the staff came out to clear away the appetizers, that was my cue to take the stage. I excused myself from the table and headed toward the front of the room, pausing next to Garrett.
I gave him an overly wide smile, trying to communicate with my eyes, but he just looked at me blankly.
“Okay, ladies.” I clasped my hands together. “Time for Garrett here to take a seat while I go over the rules.”
He turned on his heel without a word and strode back to the table. I could feel his eyes on my back as I made my way to the dais, but when I turned back around, he was picking at the entrée that had been delivered, still avoiding my gaze. What was he doing?
Clearing my throat, I offered the fifteen women a smile directly in front of me. “Welcome, ladies, to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Over the coming weeks, you will be tested and challenged in ways you never imagined—believe me, I know this firsthand and live to tell the tale.”
Polite laughter floated through the room, encouraging me as I tried to ignore my nerves—I’d never been comfortable with public speaking. “Let’s begin with a quick review of the rules. While you’ve each received a welcome packet, I also know firsthand that not all of you will have read it.”
Nervous titters came from the three tables, and I made a point of noting the women’s expressions, trying to see who might not have read theirs. Not that I could say anything, but this would reveal who was taking this seriously, and who might think they were above the rules.
“Rule number one: you must always have your assistant with you. No exceptions. Rule number two: all challenges are one-on-one. Under no circumstances shall any of you challenge more than one contestant at a time.” My gaze involuntarily went to Kayden, who made a face that none of the contestants could see, thankfully. “Speaking of challenges…”
I continued on for the better part of thirty minutes, covering all the rules, explaining how they would have physical training and classes every day, how the competitions would happen every few days, and how eliminations would work. When I moved on to discuss the first date with Garrett, the women perked up.
I also felt an intense gaze boring into me, and wasn’t surprised to see Garrett staring me down, his mouth pressed into a thin line. What was going on with him? It wasn’t like he didn’t know any of this. We’d discussed most of it together, and what we hadn’t, I’d sent to him in a detailed email.
I lost my train of thought, my voice trailing off, but I quickly recovered, irritation replacing the confusion. This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to be going—far from it—and I’d most certainly be having a word with him when dinner was over. In fact, I intended to give him a piece of my mind.
9
GARRETT
Idrummed my fingers on the table as Jessica continued on and on about how the Contention would work. If it weren’t for my shit mood, I might have enjoyed the opportunity to listen to her voice, which I’d noticed lately put me at ease.
As it was, though, I could barely tolerate this evening. Just after I’d come in and spoken with Jess before dinner, Holden had pulled me aside to have a little chat.
“I think you might need to take some time off work over the course of the Contention,” he’d said, and the words had barely registered.
“Sorry, what?” I’d replied, stunned.
Holden nodded. “I think it’s for the best. You’ve been distracted the past couple of weeks, today even more so. The new law you’ve been drafting is… a bit of a mess.”
I winced. Ihadbeen distracted today, but how could he blame me? Still, he’d worked tirelessly through his own Contention, and I had no intention of doing any differently.
