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“No.”
“It wasn’t a request, Garrett.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I could barely contain my anger. “It’s a fuckingdraft. I know it’s nowhere near where it needs to be. Give me a break, Holden.” This was unbelievable. “Do you not trust me to do my job right?”
Drafting laws was part of my role in supporting Holden. I handled communication for the pack and helped turn his big-picture ideas into reality. Yeah, this new law regarding how pack territory will be claimed was a big deal, especially in light of all the changes that would be coming over the next months, but it cut me to the core that Holden was telling me I couldn’t work.
Holden’s expression softened slightly. “Of course, I trust you. More than anyone. You know that.”
“Then you should also know that asking me not to work is like asking me not to breathe,” I said through gritted teeth. My role as beta was my life, something I was perfectly happy with.
Holden sighed. “I just think you have a lot on your plate. You should spend time getting to know the girls. Take a break. Make the most of this opportunity.”
“We’re about to turn our whole world upside down, and you think now is a good time to take a break?” I shook my head in disbelief.
But no matter how much I’d tried to argue my point with Holden, he’d stood firm. And I hadn’t been able to shake this mood since. I didn’t even want to be doing this damned Contention in the first place, and now it was coming between me and what I loved most.
I raked my gaze over the fifteen women seated at the front of the room, all listening intently as Jessica gave them some final words of advice and encouragement. They were all pretty enough, but it had been a nightmare listening to them all drone on and on this evening, trying their best to impress me, each clearly wanting to make herself stand out from the others. The weeks ahead of me now felt like torture without the prospect of work to distract me from the fact that my life, as I knew it, was coming to an end.
“Good luck to each of you,” Jessica concluded. “I’ll see you all back in the morning for breakfast.” She stepped down from the dais, and the women began standing from their tables.
“Wait.” I abruptly stood and strode toward the front of the room, an overwhelming desire to get this competition moving taking over. The sooner I was finished with it, the sooner I could get back to work.
Jessica paused, her narrowed eyes cutting sharply to me, but I ignored her and went to stand in front of the women. All eyes were on me, curious.
I looked at each woman in turn then loudly announced, “One of you won’t be making it any further tonight.”
A murmur raced through the room, and I could feel Jessica’s gaze boring into my back.
“Garrett—” she began, but I cut her off, still not looking at her.
All the women before shifted uncomfortably, exchanging nervous glances.
“Kylie,” I announced, recalling how she, more than any other, had babbled endlessly about herself all night, listing off all the things that made her so wonderful. She’d talked over everyone else, and I simply didn’t have the energy to deal with that kind of self-absorption. “Thank you for coming, but you can pack your bags and go home.”
Shocked whispers filled the room, and the contestants all looked terrified. Vaguely, it registered that this might have been best handled in private, but what was done, was done. With a quick nod to everyone in the room, I turned and stalked toward the door.
Jessica stared at me, her mouth agape, a horrified expression on her face, but I didn’t stop. The sooner I could get out of here, the better.
I’d only made it halfway down the hall and into a small alcove where a private elevator only used by family and the inner circle was located when I heard footsteps behind me. I knew it was Jessica, even before I noted the faint rose and vanilla scent that was becoming so familiar.
I turned in time to see her rounding the corner, eyes blazing. I leaned casually against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest, almost itching for a fight. It would help burn off some of this wild energy. Plus, she was the one responsible for putting me in this position in the first place.
Jessica halted when she saw me, her mouth opening, no doubt ready to lay into me. I arched a brow, and she gritted her teeth. I could practically sense what she was thinking.
Arrogant bastard. Asshole.She’d be right in this instance.
But instead of saying anything, she closed her eyes and sucked in a large breath before exhaling slowly. She opened her eyes, some of the fire dying out, but it wasn’t quite gone. I furrowed my brow as she took another deep breath, holding it, and then letting it out even slower.
What was she doing? I watched, confused why she wasn’t giving me a piece of her mind. At least thirty seconds passed before she spoke, and when she did, her voice was soft, quiet.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
I stared then let out a disbelieving laugh. Before I could answer, she took a step forward and asked, “Why did you do that, Garrett? You only just met Kylie. You don’t know her at all. You didn’t even give her a chance.”
Jessica shook her head, and the anger in her eyes turned to disappointment. “And then to go and dismiss her like that in front of everyone? Humiliating her? What were you thinking?”
I hadn’t been thinking clearly, but I wasn’t going to admit that now. I shrugged. “I didn’t like her. She’s full of herself, and I don’t want to waste my time. I’ve already been pulled away from my work. The sooner this thing is over, the sooner I can get back to things that actually matter.”
