Alpha games mating seaso.., p.13
Alpha Games (Mating Season Book 2), page 13
23
Aspen
My mouth tasted like candy apple coated death and smelled about just as gross. I gagged on my inhale, rolling to the side and burying my face in a pillow that smelled like…
Oh no.
I cracked one eye open, coming face to face with the petals of a smushed sunflower, and slowly blinked as I tried to come to terms with my situation.
Go back to sleep, my wolf grumbled.
Of course she would be a lazy bitch, laying here basking in the woodsy scent of the unfamiliar room. It was everywhere. The pine and sawdust seeped into the blankets, drifted from the open closet doors, and seemed to be coming from the curtains.
I forced myself up onto one elbow. The walls spun and then righted themselves. I ignored my wolf as she groaned.
This is definitely not my hotel room.
The bed I was laying on was twice the size of mine. Did they make something bigger than a king? There were chairs. As in plural. Two of them sitting by a small oak desk. And that was a freaking jacuzzi tub on the platform near the glass windows overlooking the mountains and forest below.
If it wasn’t for the view, I wouldn’t know we were in the same resort that I’d been in for the past few weeks.
What happened last night?
I pulled the sheet to my thankfully still clothed chest, pausing for a moment to admire how soft it was. They got silk sheets in the jacuzzi room apparently.
Focus. I shook my head, instantly regretting the motion, and tried to calm my heart as it started to race.
The last thing I remembered was that awful apple martini and then Ranger showing up with sunflowers. I looked to the remains of one, seeing the yellow petals curling against the black sheets.
Poor little thing.
Ranger took care of us when you drank the poison. My wolf stretched out languidly in my mind. Go to sleep. He’ll return after the hunt.
“The hunt!” I screamed, kicking off the blankets and hopping across the giant bed. I didn’t see my phone anywhere so I didn’t know what time it was, but the sun was already shining through the tinted windows lining the back wall.
Finally, I made it off the bed and threw open the bedroom door, coming face to face with Fallon.
I let out a panicked shriek.
She stood there in her black checkered pajamas as if she was waiting for me. “Good. You’re awake.”
I clung to my chest, trying to keep my heart from leaping outside it. “What am I doing here?”
“Having a little chat with me.” Fallon gave an apologetic smile, moving to the side to show the cart with silver lidded trays. “I ordered us breakfast.”
*
I sat on the leather couch in the drop-down loft that was bigger than the living room and kitchen of my trailer at home. A red Moroccan style rug covered the hardwood floors under the glass coffee table. Floor to ceiling windows lined the wall. They didn’t have a balcony, but something told me whoever used this room wouldn’t miss it.
A flatscreen television was mounted over the gas fireplace in the formal sitting area. To the right was a four-seater dark wood table next to a bar cart and small stocked kitchen.
We are definitely in different tax brackets.
I didn’t even know the resort had room service. Fallon removed one of the lids from the tray, revealing a plate of steaming omelet and breakfast meat. On the side was a basket of freshly baked croissants that hadn’t spent any time on the buffet line. As uncomfortable as things were, I wasn’t going to turn down good food.
“About last night,” I started, picking up the silver tongs and adding sausage to a clean plate. I wasn’t sure where to go after that, but I was hoping she’d fill in the blanks.
“Did you have fun?” Fallon sipped her ceramic coffee mug, watching me with a strange expression.
“I can’t remember.” I shoveled a bite of cheesy eggs and mushrooms into my mouth to cover up my embarrassment.
Fallon’s black nails drummed against the side of the mug. “Have you ever done drugs before?”
“Drugs?” I choked on my breakfast, hoping this wasn’t some sort of rich person mafia indoctrination test to determine if I was worldly enough to be here. I was about to fail big time.
And I never flunked tests.
“So, no then?” Her eyebrow arched as she relaxed back in her seat. “How are you feeling this morning?”
My mouth hung open as I connected the dots and then my claws started to slowly descend. “The apple martini. I knew it tasted like poison. Did Edith drug me?”
“Slow down there, killer,” Fallon said. “Edith didn’t drug you. But even if she did, you wouldn’t be going to fight her alone.”
I liked Fallon, but she was crazy if she thought I’d let another threat to me slide. I had to put a stop to it. Now. We weren’t in Nuva Pack, but it was the same cycle all over again. Upper ranking wolves thinking they could do whatever they wanted without consequences. I was done taking their shit. They’d messed with the wrong wolf… again. Edith may not have poisoned the drink, but she was right there and might have seen who’d done it. I wasn’t messing around anymore.
“Thanks for breakfast.” I set down my plate.
“Aspen, stop.” Fallon started growling as I rose to stand. “I didn’t mean it as a challenge. Edith didn’t drug you, but we–as in all of us–will find out who did.”
“We?” I looked around the empty suite dramatically, as if there were more people hiding somewhere. Granted it was big enough to fit a whole classroom in here.
“I’ll explain,” she said. “Will you sit down?”
I crossed my arms. “Explain what?”
“Really, you’ll want to be sitting for this.”
That made me want to keep standing. “How bad is it? Should I go brush my teeth first?”
“No, I can’t let you…” Her eyes widened.
“You can’t let me what?”
“Leave.” She winced.
We might have a problem. I pulled on my wolf, getting ready to draw on her strength if I had to. She ignored me, yawning. Seriously?
Relax. It’ll be okay.
“You can’t let me leave,” I repeated, taking a step toward the door.
“Damn it Ranger,” Fallon muttered before taking a big sip of her coffee. “Yes. You’re not allowed to leave. My brother thinks you’re his fated mate and now we’ve got McCaw Pack out here to protect you. They’re all excited to meet their new Luna. We should have known that things were too quiet lately though. Your drink being drugged was not supposed to happen and Ranger isn’t going to risk a third attempt on your life. So we’re stuck in this room until after the hunt and then you’ll be coming home with us.”
The air rushed from my lungs as I took a seat.
Just breathe. Finish your breakfast.
“Now you know.” Fallon refilled her cup from the silver pitcher on the cart. “I’m glad that’s all out in the open. Ranger can kill me later.”
“I…” The walls were closing in. I was trapped, abandoned by my wolf who was taking sides with the rich Alpha family and bribed by flaky croissants.
It could be worse. She sighed.
I shook my head. Panic was squeezing my chest. “Don’t I get a say in this?”
“Sure.” Fallon nodded. “Say anything you want.” She paused to look at me over the rim of her coffee mug. “Are you going to be sick again?”
“Sick again?” My stomach churned.
“Technically you only gagged a bunch last night while Ranger sat on the bathroom floor holding your hair. Then he held you in bed and wouldn’t let any of us near you for the rest of the night.”
I needed to get out of here.
The leather couch squeaked as I slid to the edge. Fallon narrowed her eyes. There was a commotion outside as the lock clicked and the door swung open.
“Ivan!” I jumped to my feet, beyond happy to see the big guy. Sure, Fallon and Ranger had money and questionable behavior, but they couldn’t stop the show security from doing their job.
Ivan lowered his bald head, giving a strange sort of one-armed bow. “Luna, you’re awake. How did you sleep?”
His odd choice of words finally clicked.
I looked between him and Fallon, not wanting to believe what was staring me straight in the face.
This couldn’t be happening.
“Ivan, be a dear and block the door,” Fallon said, way too calmly compared to the rapid beating of my heart. “Our new Luna is going to run.”
24
Ranger
“Derek isn’t happy, but he’s letting them in.” Mattox sat in the jeep on the forest service road, staying out of the southeast boundaries designated for the hunt and monitoring our phones.
“Let me know if anything changes.” My beast nodded his massive head as we left Mattox behind.
This morning, each Alpha had taken a different direction from the starting line. Jay Renfro was mysterious in our instructions, no doubt hoping to increase viewer ratings, but the general idea was there would be one winner based on size and adversity of the kill. Time wasn’t of the essence which was a blessing to me. I would have been further up the mountain if I wasn’t forced to hang back waiting for Nuva Pack updates. Alpha Derek hadn’t taken too kindly to my demands, but the rest of the morning and his cooperation would determine how his impending punishment would go.
Now I had to focus on what was in front of me. Which was strange with this new pull to what was behind us. The resort where Aspen sat waiting with my sister. There was a tug in the center of my chest growing stronger with each step. A sharp stab reminding me of the lingering threat of what could happen, what did happen, in my absence.
As Alpha I was used to the underlying constant need to protect. Even before I’d assumed the position, it was second nature to take care of those around me. But with Aspen, it was physically painful to walk away when I hadn’t done anything to seal our bond and I wasn’t right there to make sure she was safe.
This had to be a unique experience to fated mates. I knew the basics of a chosen mate bond and how wolves left their mark during the mating, declaring their loyalty and merging their wolves’ spirits. They formed their own link, being able to check on each other, and settled down for life. But this was too consuming. Something about the connection to Aspen was so raw and vulnerable. I had an overpowering need to hide it–to cultivate it–away from the prying eyes of the world. I wanted her hidden. Safe. And alone with me.
A camera drone buzzed above my wolf’s head causing him to bare his teeth and snarl.
Idiots will scare the game.
I know. I urged him forward, trying to keep a soothing tone. He was more keyed up than I was when it came to Aspen and the hunt and the coming rut. We were walking a thin line about to snap and I knew it, but I had no choice except to see this through.
She’s in our bed, he reminded me as he put his snout to the forest floor, picking up a trail.
The thought filled me with a strange warmth. We wouldn’t be here for much longer, but I’d deny room service to keep her scent on my sheets when all she’d done is slept there a few hours. Most of my previous sexual encounters hadn’t lasted more than a scene or two in the club. I didn’t engage in long term relations with the same women due to pack drama and favorites, but also because there were none I’d like to bring home. Now I had a sleepy female in my bed and I never wanted her to leave it.
If she stayed there, I could keep her safe.
The thought of someone else touching her, of her being taken advantage of as she partied last night, had both me and my beast seeing red. My wolf ran faster, taking his aggression out on the game trail we were hunting, and I settled down with my human thoughts.
The Nuva Pack situation was handled for now and her grandfather would be heading to McCaw Pack lands this afternoon as long as everything went according to plan. That was taken care of, but I needed Aspen off this show and safely within my territory so I could breathe easy again.
We didn’t even have to run this mating season if it would be easier for her to accept our bond. As long as she was safe, I’d wait until next year for the chase. Or the year after if she needed the time.
Speak for yourself.
I laughed off my beast’s outrage.
He’d wait.
And I realized that’s what we’d been doing our whole life. Ever since we’d lost our mother, we’d never gotten close to any other female that wasn’t blood related. We’d been waiting for this moment.
Waiting for Aspen.
And now she was waiting for me.
With a renewed sense of purpose and pride fueling our mission, my beast picked up the pace. The area we’d scouted earlier was familiar, but fresh scents crisscrossed the tracks. A trail cam blinked red as the recording started when my wolf trotted past it. He gave an internal eye-roll with his focus still on the scent of the game trail embedded in the rich and dark soil. The path diverged, crossing prey with predator.
We continued on the hunt.
Sunlight streamed through the sparse branches on the aspen trees that were budding with bits of green above. Despite following the trail of a predator we’d been chasing for the past couple of hours, we still came upon an elk.
The scent of fresh blood hung heavy in the air and the brays of pain called out to the primitive nature of my wolf as he stalked through the underbrush.
I tugged on the reins a little, pulling him back to sense the immediate area. It could be a trap.
None of the other Alphas had openly challenged me, but after the spear tossing and the threats to Aspen, I was wary of the shadows.
My wolf doubled back and crept through a more northern passage into the clearing, keeping his scent downwind. The mewls of a dying female elk grew weaker.
I shivered in disgust as we came upon the body, wondering which of these Alpha wannabes had taken down a doe in calving season.
I’d known hunger so deep it clawed at my insides and brought me to my knees and I’d watched helplessly as the fat melted from my little sister’s body, but even in our hardest days as pups, I’d never killed mindlessly like this.
The pregnant elk lay half-eaten as she drew her last breath. My beast growled, scenting the ground around her and frustrated at the senseless death.
Not a wolf. He picked back up the trail we’d been following all morning. Our intended kill was so much sweeter now and we weren’t that far behind it.
*
We’d left the trail cams in the woods, but coming up to the mountain ridge brought us right under the camera drones that circled like vultures. My wolf panted heavy, slowing as his muscles tired.
Hunting was never a sure thing, but this mountain range was teeming with game. It was overpopulated and under-regulated, likely due to the show’s influence. It made me furious to think of the predators running unchecked and destroying the prey’s habitat all to keep things interesting for viewers.
We passed an old bear den. A black bear might bring in bragging rights and score decent points. But if I was spending the day out here, I’d be coming back with a more worthy kill.
My wolf caught his breath and took a switchback trail to the boulders. He climbed slowly, ignoring his aching joints as his claws scrambled for purchase on the rocks. At the vantage point, the wind shifted again, putting his scent where we wanted it to go.
You ready? I lay watching through his eyes as he lowered himself to the ground, feeling the anticipation of the hunt coursing through us.
I was born ready. My wolf scoffed as we waited for the game to turn and our prey to catch a whiff of us now.
Slowly and steadily, we scanned the horizon.
There.
A flash of tan fur had my wolf snarling as he leapt off the boulder and raced through the woods.
The mountain lion’s banshee like shriek echoed down the valley as it slashed out with his claws still coated in the pregnant elk’s blood. My wolf dodged under the massive paws and swiped with his own claws at the underbelly.
The cat bolted, scrambling up the nearest tree.
That was easy. My wolf panted as he paced beside the evergreen trunk while the feral cat growled in warning overhead.
It’s not over yet. I took my human skin, stretching out my back as my spine cracked into place and turning my face to the sky as my jaw rearranged into that of a man.
The cat let out a panicked hiss, scared out of its wits to see a human in its midst.
I didn’t blame it. Humans were terrifying.
The lowest branch was a foot or two over my head and I jumped for it, catching the rough bark with both hands and pulling myself up.
The mountain lion bared its fangs.
I bared mine in return.
It inched backwards along the branch above my shoulder and swiped at my ear. I ducked, using my bare feet to balance on the branch below and testing my weight before I leapt to the higher branch.
The tree groaned under both of us, swaying to the side. The mountain lion’s eyes were wide as it screamed and lunged at me.
I grabbed the back of its neck in one hand and jumped to the ground, holding the wriggling beast like an errant pup. It hissed and scratched, catching its claws into my forearm and digging deep.
I grit my teeth through the pain, pinning the lion to the ground. “Nice try, kitty. But I’m no elk.”
Allow me. My wolf forced the partial shift and his jaws descended again. His teeth glinted in the sun before he clamped down on the thick hide of the mountain beast’s neck, ripping through leathered flesh.
It was a clean and quick kill. Humane.
A hell of a lot more than the mama elk got.
I slung the body over my shoulders. Warm blood dripped down my naked back and I whistled a little tune as I started jogging along the game trail.
I might have finished the hunt earlier if I wasn’t being picky about my predator, but this was one of many debts needing to be repaid. It wasn’t that I had a vendetta against all cats. There was one on my payroll now after all. But mountain lions were out of control in the Rockies without a natural predator and it just so happened one had hurt my mate’s grandfather. The debt was paid by extension.
