I let my gaze drift around the room, sizing up the Alphas that walked away from the bar with their drinks in hand. I caught the eye of Colton Penobscot and smiled demurely as he headed my way.“You clean up real nice,” he teased in his northeastern accent as he handed me a flute of champagne.“So do you.” I took a sip, looking him over slowly to show my appreciation.He cleared his throat and thrust out his hand. “We haven’t gotten a chance to formally meet. I’m Colton.”“Aspen.” I shook his hand as the cameras rounded my table. “Nice to meet you. What’s Maine like this time of year?”“A mud pit.” Another Alpha joined us at my table. I struggled to place where he was from.“Tucker Jones.” He smiled a dimpled grin that seemed right at home with his mess of curly blond hair. “From upstate New York.”“Northeastern boys.” I laughed as the champagne bubbles danced on my tongue. “You two smell like trouble already.”Colton ran a hand over his beard, circling me like prey. “You ever been up
Sure enough, the camera teams had fanned out and caught us on video as we made our way around the empty floor. Chad twirled me and I managed to balance on the heels as he guided me back to his arms again. The melody was sweet and a few of the contestants watched us wistfully. As we changed places, I saw Trenton take Lilith’s hand and lead her to the dance floor.She wasn’t my first choice for him, but the cameras followed, giving him more screentime which was what we needed. I was going to have my work cut out for me in the Alpha Games helping to showcase his personality that I’d always found… lacking.“You’re a great dancer,” Chad said as more couples joined us on the dance floor.“Thanks.” I smiled, glancing over to where Ranger stood in the shadows of my table watching. “My papa taught me.”“Where did he teach?” Chad’s hand laced through mine, drawing my attention back to him. His skin was softer than I realized.I laughed. “He wasn’t a teacher. Not unless you count having me stand
The tiger shifter squinted up at me through a swollen eye. I waited. He finally nodded.“That wasn’t so hard.” I helped him to his feet and even brushed off his suit jacket.He wasted no time in running back to the resort parking lot where Beau and Foster would be watching to ensure he met no one else before heading down the mountain.Mattox stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a tree. “Since when do you play with cats?”“Since my mate picked up a stray with a gambling problem.” I cleaned the brass knuckles on the dirt and tossed them over for Mattox to catch. “Everything set up?”“We’re running a perimeter sweep now, but we’re not the only team in these woods. I told you we should have gotten here sooner.” Mattox pocketed the knuckles into his jeans.I grabbed his shoulder, giving him a little affectionate shake. “It’s good to see you too.”“Admit it. You missed us.” He punched my arm as his goofy face split into a grin.I did miss them. My gaze traveled around the small camp
“Maybe.” Opal smiled at the image of Ranger kissing me. “I want that. But I could do without the whole getting poisoned part. It’s funny. I tried so hard not to come across as sweet so I didn’t get targeted, but my sweet-tooth did me in.”“Five minutes.” The security guard, Ivan, popped his head into the room.I gave him a nod. The past few days he’d been wherever I looked. After the cupcake situation, I was glad he was there now that I knew I was making enemies who sent threats.“You really can’t remember who it was from or any other markings on the box?” I asked Opal. I’d tried to look for it myself, but the evidence was swept away.“No.” She lowered her eyes as if she’d failed me somehow. “It was so stupid. I saw them in a brown box on the receptionist desk and asked who they were for. When they said you, I got all excited and asked to bring them up.”“I’m sorry you took the hit for me.” I gathered my purse, wishing I could stay longer.“It’s okay.” Opal giggled. “You handled Cindy
Aspen“My girl’s going to be a Luna.” Hearing the pride in Papa’s voice brought tears to my eyes.“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I swallowed down the shame. “I’m only an official contender and I still have to get Trenton through the Alpha Games before we make it to mating season.”And mating season was a whole other can of worms I was not ready to process just yet.I wished I could tell him the truth and he wouldn’t try to take matters into his own hands. Alpha Derek was forcing me to be here. I wasn’t sure if I’d even survive the next few weeks now that someone threatened me.With freaking cupcakes.What kind of monster does that?“That’s not what I’m seeing. Ranger kissed you. The whole world saw it too. Don’t tell me he’s getting cold feet. You give that Alpha my number and I’ll…”The key card sliding across the lock of the door was a welcome relief.“I have to go. Trenton is here.”“Alright,” Papa grumbled. “Call me later.”“Will do. I love you.” I tossed my old phone on the
“What if he wanted you to be alone?” I cried. “What if he asks for a challenge or whatever it is the guys are doing during the Alpha Games and it involves something with the prison? He could kill you, Trenton.”And then where would I be?Alpha Derek would never sign my release. My papa would waste away on Nuva Pack lands.“Seriously? I thought you were smart. This isn’t like the old days with Alphas killing each other to take over more territory.” Trenton shook his head. “He’s obsessed with you. That’s all it was.”“Obsessed with me?” My jaw dropped and my wolf purred her approval.Trenton was delusional.He was as good as dead.We already knew someone wanted to kill me.How was I going to keep both of us alive here on Mating Season?2RangerI exited out of the video feed on my laptop and sent a quick text to Ivan, telling him to meet me later. We hadn’t put cameras in the second bedroom and that was an oversight on my part. Thankfully, it was an easy fix.I dragged my hand over my f
“Are you ready for today?” Chad popped the collar of his polo-shirt as the doors to the elevator opened and we stepped in.“I was born ready.” I folded my arms over my chest, leaning back against the mirror inside and waiting for him to push the button for the lobby.He noticed what was happening as he reached for it and hesitated.There was a subtle shift in the air as he tensed, his finger hovering a few inches away from the L. It was a childish power play, but he’d moved so easily into it, I couldn’t help but want to win.Chad realized how stupid he looked and chuckled a little, letting the challenge roll off his shoulders even though I could see the anger reflected in his eyes through the mirror. “Let the Alpha Games begin.”Finally, both my wolf and I agreed. I clapped Chad on the back a little harder than necessary as the doors slid shut. “That’s why we’re here.”3Aspen“Is this seat taken?” Fallon didn’t wait for my answer as she sat next to me in the convention center. I stif
“I’d rather deal with the popular vote than go through what they’re about to,” Fallon’s voice held a note of warning that made me shiver.“Is it really that bad?” I thought of Trenton, wondering if he’d measure up. Even if Ranger wasn’t out to kill him, Alpha Derek would still want my head if anything happened to his precious son.“Have you ever seen the games?” Fallon asked.“I caught the highlight reels.” I chewed my bottom lip, watching as Jay took center stage. I studied a bit more for this round, but it never seemed like enough and I was always playing catch up.Fallon chuckled as she patted my knee with sisterlike affection. “You’re in for a treat.”*“5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”“Good evening, viewers.” Jay smiled for the camera.“Good evening,” we called back from the stands although it was morning, but the people watching at home didn’t know that. It’d be night when the show aired on TV.“Twenty Luna contestants passed the trials and earned their spot on Mating Season thanks to our voter
I reached up and turned the TV off manually, scratching the back of my head as the room quieted and eight pairs of eyes looked my way. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?”“Wasn’t he on the show?” The coyote shifter looked at Aspen. “I swear I saw him there.”“You can be on the show and not have a clue what’s going on. Ask me how I know.” Aspen giggled, leaning back so her head rested against Ranger.He affectionately squeezed her shoulder as he pulled out his phone and scrolled. “It’s true. They finally got enough dirt to bring her in. Took them long enough. It’s been almost three months since our settlement against the network.”“Thank the Goddess.” Aspen sighed. “Wait, this doesn’t mean we have to go back to court, does it?”Ranger pocketed his phone. “No. They have her on a technicality and the feds are involved with the interstate gambling. Jesse’s testimony should be all they need. It’s bigger than us now.”We all glanced at the cheetah shifter. Jesse laid back on the leather
My beast thumped his tail as she smiled at me.“Are you ready to go?”I finished off my beer and tossed it into the trashcan, moving around Andrea as she tended the bar. Crossing the hardwood floors, I met the owner of the bar halfway, then scooped her up into my arms. “You missed my show.”I didn’t care if I sounded pathetic; Fallon was the one who insisted I put on a festive performance each Thursday night for the month of December. “We need more fun in this territory,” she’d said. “Make them want to stick around.”Fallon was a tough Luna, but she had a vision. It was something beautiful to watch it come alive. Because that’s what she’d done. Slowly but surely, she’d brought more life into this pack.A public playground sat by the new elementary school. She’d recruited some small businesses and created a boutique shopping center right outside the resort. Shifters were coming back and bringing their families with them. Especially now that Chase and Kimberly Williams were running the
“Well. I didn’t think…” Tim looked around the room as he stuttered. “She just…”“Come on, man.” Bryant laughed as he clapped the old man on the back. “Did you lose a nut or two back there?”“I need you to leave. Now.” John growled.Tim scrambled out the door.Bryant sighed as he followed him. “We’re going to have to burn this table.”“Out.” John’s Alpha strength washed over me, giving my wolf a heady rush as it mixed with my own power.I gave him a seductive smile, practically tasting his pheromones and desire pulsing in the air. “What seems to be the problem, Alpha?”“That was so fucking sexy.” He moved me over so I was standing in front of him, spreading my thighs apart with his knee. I was bare under the makeshift dress I’d made from his flannel shirt.Bare and already aching with need.His hand slid up between my legs and he groaned at what he found waiting there. “How did I get so lucky?”“Ask the Goddess,” I teased, gasping as he pushed me back so I lay flat on the table.He mad
I placed her scent as soon as I’d shifted and entered the lodge through the back door. The widowed Luna of Williams Pack. It was only a matter of time before she showed up. I pulled on one of John’s flannel shirts from the hooks in the mudroom and cinched it at the waist with one of his belts, grabbing my spare thigh-high black boots from the mat in the hall.Reminder to self:Leave more clothes easily accessible here.Especially if we’d be hosting representatives from the neighboring packs at random times.“Fallon.” John smiled at me as he came out of the bathroom. His eyes traveled hungrily up my thighs as I zipped my boots.“Later.” I put my hand in his. “Do we know what Janice Williams wants?”“Probably something about the debt from the show and my bargain with Chase.” A menacing aura pulsed around John that made my beast purr in delight. We hadn’t seen him in his dominant stance yet. He’d been mostly cinnamon roll around me and the pack. But this version of him was definitely get
“Are you going to let your Alpha in on these plans?” I asked as I tossed the towel into the laundry basket.“There will be signs,” she said mysteriously.And like a love-sick pup, my beast wagged his tail, ready to do whatever she asked.“Come on.” Fallon grabbed my hand and dragged me off the bed.“Where are we going?” I hobbled after her, realizing I’d probably be doing this for the rest of my life. Which didn’t sound all that bad.Fallon pulled open the front door as the cool spring breeze entered the warmth of the cottage, blowing a gust of her intoxicating scent around me. The morning sun shone down on her raven-black hair, giving her an ethereal glow. Her fangs descended through her smile.“My wolf needs her apology now.”11FallonBits of green sprouted through patches of muddy snow that crunched under my wolf’s paws as she raced through the quiet forest. The morning sun peeked down past the branches overhead. My beast’s lungs burned deliciously with the exertion. She was fast–
With my hands full of plastic bags, I jumped out of the truck onto the dirt road to the lakeside resort. I had a feeling she’d like it here. Her own little safe haven, especially when it was off-season and the pack stayed inland where the hunting was better and the air was less cold. Come summer, they’d all be out fishing and swimming and soaking up the sun. Fallon could have full range of the lodge then.I tapped into our mental connection, not wanting to disturb her if she was sleeping. Her emotions washed over me. The anger. The loneliness. It squeezed at my heart.My beast whined as I sat down on the front porch, putting the bags beside me.“What’s your favorite type of candy?” I rested my arms on my knees and waited. Back at the show, I’d gone through so many questions and she never answered. But maybe, just maybe…“Dark chocolate with salted caramel.”My beast howled his triumph as I looked into the plastic bag. Hopefully milk chocolate with caramel filling was a close second. O
“But you won’t because, despite your tough exterior, you aren’t a complete asshole.”“I…” I didn’t know what to say to that.“Listen, I know you and Ranger had a shit life. And we’re wolves. We’re used to fighting for what we get. But it’s different when it comes to you and your mate–especially one who is the Alpha. He’s going to protect you. It’s in his nature. You don’t have to fight every battle alone anymore.”“But–”“No buts. It’s biology, girl. Your wolf could only be tamed by the male strong enough to be an equal, but being equal doesn’t mean you do the same type of work all the time. He’s supposed to protect you in his way. You’re supposed to protect him in yours. He’ll take care of you when you’re sick and when you can’t do something. Just like you’ll do the same when he falls short. You don’t have to prove your worth anymore. If you did, then he wouldn’t be your perfect mate.”“What if fate got it wrong and he’s not perfect?” I swallowed down the lump of emotion in my throat
I shook my head. “How did you do it?”“Do what?”“One second everyone was talking shit. The next, they were eating out of the palm of your hand.”“Not everyone,” she huffed.“More than half the pack.” I started to unbutton my shirt, loving the hungry look in her eyes. “It was magic. Princess magic.”“I’m serious.” She licked her bottom lip as I dropped my shirt to the ground. “Don’t call me that.”“If you want me to stop, I’m going to need your passcode.”Her fingers traced the neckline of her shirt. “Passcode? I prefer the light system for safe words. Green to keep going. Yellow means slow down. Red is–”“Damn it, woman.” I groaned as I held my cock through my jeans with one hand and waved her phone with the other. “Your passcode.”Her eyes narrowed. “Give that to me.”“Are you hiding something?” I teased.She better not be.“It’s none of your business if I am.” A dismissive tilt of her chin had my beast growling.“I think everything about you is my business.” I caught her by the ank
“But the dams sure think so.” Aiden nodded.“It’s not your fault though.” Alice patted my hand. “You can’t help being a pampered city girl.”Did she just call us…I guess she did.I burst into laughter, laughing even harder at the horrified expressions on their faces. This was great. More than great.The O’Neil Pack thought I’d left my comfortable position in McCaw, with my own house where I made all my own rules and had more money than I knew what to do with, for a life like this?They were all high as a kite.8JohnIt took a massive amount of liquor for shifters to get and stay drunk, but that didn’t stop the O’Neil Clan from testing the limits. Pitchers of beer and jugs of homemade apple pie moonshine were passed around the picnic tables out front of the lodge. The far tables were laden with potluck casseroles and Shirley’s kitchen creations.Young pups came running through the maze of adults, causing chaos as I searched the crowd, looking for Fallon. My mate. It still had a ribbo