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“I can already guess why you’re here,” she said quietly.
I attempted a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I do appreciate you coming here and participating, but as you know, this is how the competition works. I’m afraid I’ll be letting you go tonight.”
She nodded, dropping her gaze to the floor. “I understand.”
Honestly, she didn’t seem very surprised or disappointed. Her passive nature seemed to extend to everything, and as I said a few more pleasantries, I felt confident I’d made the right choice.
With that handled, I raced to the third floor and straight to Jessica’s office, not even bothering to knock. Relief hit me when I saw her seated at her desk, and I shut the door behind me, my eyes fixed on her face as I strode forward.
She attempted a smile, but I saw right through her. The events of the night had really shaken her up.
“How is Elizabeth?”
“She’ll be fine. Margie is taking good care of her.” Instead of sitting in one of the two white leather chairs in front of her desk, I rounded the large oak desk and leaned against it, looking down and studying her face. Yeah, she was definitely upset. The urge to pull her into my arms and comfort her was strong, but I resisted.
Running a hand through my hair, I said, “I need to visit Holden and call Taylor’s alpha.”
“I’ve already taken care of it.”
“What?”
Jessica nodded. “I spoke personally with Holden then notified the alpha myself.” Her hands began to shake, her voice a whisper when she said, “I hate this part, Garrett. All I could think about during that challenge was when I was attacked during Holden’s Contention. How it came out of nowhere… how I thought I was going to die.”
I knelt in front of her, resting my hands on her knees. I remembered that night all too well. Jessica might not have made it if I hadn’t been there to pull her from the water.
“Look at me, Jess.” She did, and her lips trembled. “I know how hard this is for you. I know it brings up bad memories. But you have to remember that the girls signed up for this. They knew what they were getting into. No one came into this under false pretenses. Death is always a potential outcome.”
Jessica reached out and rested her hands on top of mine. They were still unsteady. “Yes, but how many of them actually had a choice? I know I didn’t when my father selected me to come. How many times had I been told that it was my duty to my family and my pack to secure a position on the council?” She shook her head. “Garrett, I don’t think you understand the enormous amount of pressure that’s been put on these women. Some of them may have been chosen against their will, and now they’re stuck here, knowing they might die at any moment because they can’t leave.”
I turned my hands over, gripping hers tightly and staring into her eyes. “Listen to me. Seriously, Jess. I want this to be crystal clear.” I stroked the backs of her hands with my thumbs, hoping it would offer some small comfort. “This Contention is different from Holden’s. You made it clear from the beginning, in your letter, that participation wasn’t mandatory.” I would never forget that addition to the rules. “No one was forced to come, and no one is being forced to stay. Perhaps we should remind them of that.”
Jessica nodded, and I squeezed her hands, adding, “These women chose to be here. After seeing what happened today, some may question that decision. What if we offer them the choice to leave? Would that make you feel better? I won’t let what happened to you happen to another girl. The fights will be fair.” The memory of her limp body as I dragged her from the water flashed in my mind again, and my grip tightened.
Jessica moved to stand, and I pushed to my feet, pulling her up with our joined hands.
“I don’t know if that’s allowed,” she whispered. Her eyes were huge as she looked up at me like I had all the answers––like this was too much for her, and she needed me to step in. I was more than willing to do so.
“I don’t give a fuck if it’s allowed or not. You’re the coordinator, and this is my Contention. We can do whatever the hell we want.” I was adamant. If this is what she needed to feel better, I’d happily change whatever rules I needed to. “Holden and I are breaking tradition in so many ways these days. Offering them the chance to go home is honoring the tradition of the Contention while still allowing for change.”
She nodded slowly, still shaking, but not nearly as much as before. I pulled her into my arms, holding her close, wanting to comfort her. To take away her worry, her fear. To erase all her bad memories.
She buried her head against my chest, taking several slow, deep breaths. I stroked my hands over her silky, soft hair, giving her time to calm down. After a moment, I felt her start to relax, her tense muscles releasing slightly.
Jess started to pull back, but I kept my arms where they were, not quite ready to let her go. She looked up at me, a trace of sadness still lingering in her eyes.
This time, when I bent my head, giving in to the urge to kiss her, she didn’t resist or fight. She melted into my embrace as I softly pressed my lips to hers. And I knew then why I did it.
Right now, she needed me, needed that comfort. And perhaps I needed it, too, because as I deepened the kiss, my tongue delving in to taste her sweet mouth, I felt saner than I had in days. All my tension melted away, leaving a sense of peace in my chest. For the first time since this crazy mess first began, everything felt right.
12
JESSICA
Even though Saturday was typically my day off, I was hard at work in my office the morning after that bloody, deadly challenge, trying to stay out of my head and get things done.
That seemed to be the way of it lately—always trying to escape my thoughts. Then again, up until recently, my thoughts hadn’t been nearly as consumed with Garrett as they were now. What was he thinking last night, kissing me like that?
Even now, my body warmed at the memory, my lips tingling and skin humming. He’d been soft, and sweet—not expecting anything in return but simply offering me comfort when I needed it most. By the time he’d pulled away, giving me a long, lingering look before he’d cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead, I’d been putty in his hands, willing to do anything to keep him right there.
