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J.D. was the first to launch into questions. “So, what pack are you from?”

“Ninth,” Gavin said.

“What’s the location? I’ve never met someone from the Ninth Pack.”

Gavin sighed. “Eastern Wilds, same as Eleventh Pack.”

He didn’t seem excited to answer questions. While J.D. continued to badger him, Gavin stared across the room at Wyatt and Leif, who were standing together. Every few seconds, Gavin’s gaze swiveled toward me, and I couldn’t miss how he looked at me. The only way to describe it was lustful, and that made me even more uncomfortable. Had there been something stewing under the surface all the years I was promised to his brother?

“Will you or your brother be alpha now?” J.D. asked.

Gavin shook his head. “I’m not allowed to be alpha. My brother Jayson will take that role.”

Jayson was alpha of the Ninth Pack? That was weird to contemplate. Their dad had always been such a strong presence—of course he had after being alpha for nearly forty years. He’d taken over the role at eighteen, becoming one of the youngest alphas in shifter history. The idea of anyone other than him being the alpha was difficult to get my head around, especially when I envisioned Jayson in the role.

I didn’t like that Gavin had mentioned how close in proximity our packs were. That might lead to questions about whether he and I had history. There were already too many threads connecting me and Wyatt; now I had to deal with Gavin as well. I needed a degree in logistics to keep these relationships hidden for the duration of the show.

As though he’d read my mind, Tate spoke up. “You said your pack is near the Eleventh Pack? Isn’t that your pack, Kira?” He turned to look at me as he said it. Looking back toward Gavin, he said, “Have you ever met Kira before?”

Gavin looked from Tate to me, then across the room to Wyatt. His face didn’t change, but the look in his eye was a direct challenge. For Wyatt’s part, he remained as calm as he could, only crossing his arms.

After a moment, Gavin looked back at Tate and shrugged. “I won’t lie. I did notice Kira a few times from afar. It would have been hard to miss her living in such close proximity.”

Tate’s eyes narrowed. “Interesting.”

Several other alphas had the same look on their face. It was what I’d feared when Wyatt ended up on the show. None of them liked the thought of one of the guys having a perceived upper hand.

Sensing the mood, Gavin added, “Having knowledge of her before the show doesn’t grant me any favors. It was all in passing. She probably doesn’t even remember me. I mean, it’s not like we worked together or I was friends with her brother or something, right?” He laughed.

The other alphas chuckled, but the rocks in my stomach now had knots around them when Gavin glared at Wyatt again. The two shifters had a stare-off, and the tension was so strong between them, I knew the others would notice it soon. I had to put a stop to it quickly. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been that uncomfortable. The others seemed oblivious to what was going on between the two men. Everyone but Leif, who was glancing back and forth between them.

He caught my eye and mouthed, What the hell?, nodding at Wyatt and Gavin.

“I think everyone needs to go ahead and finish lunch,” I said, desperate to cut the tension. “We all need our energy. Go on, boys, get some grub.”

Thankfully, the others did as I suggested. The alphas who’d already eaten headed back for dessert, and the others filed away to get their first plates.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as Wyatt brushed up against my hand. “That’s a funny surprise, isn’t it?” he whispered.

“I’m not talking to you right now,” I hissed.

“Why?”

Why? Was he really that dense? “Because you should be on a helicopter home. This whole thing with Gavin would be less difficult if you were home safe. That’s why.”

I sat back down and picked at my food. Wyatt went out of his way to piss me off by taking the seat next to me. Ignoring him, I concentrated on my food.

J.D. sat next to Gavin and continued to pepper him with questions.

“What’s your wolf look like? Color, I mean?” J.D. asked.

Gavin frowned. “Why would you care about that?”

J.D. leaned forward. “Bro, this place is crazy. You never know if we might get surrounded by feral wolves out in the jungle. I want to figure out what everyone looks like. That way, I don’t accidentally hurt one of my buds, you know?” He shook his head. “I’d be freaking heartbroken if I hurt one of my guys here. I especially don’t want to hurt Kira. I need to figure out what her wolf looks like, too. She hasn’t shifted yet, but when she does, I need to make sure I don’t attack her by mistake.”

Gavin frowned and put his fork down at J.D.’s words. My mouth went dry with fear as the confusion on Gavin’s face deepened. “What do you mean?”

J.D. looked equally as confused. “What do you mean ‘what do I mean?’”

Gavin shook his head like he was trying to clear it. “You won’t have any trouble knowing who Kira is in battle. She’s fairly well-known in the Ninth, Tenth, and, obviously, Eleventh Pack. She’s a latent shifter. She doesn’t have a wolf. She can’t shift.”

Every sound in the room stopped. I clamped my teeth together and looked at Wyatt. From the expression on his face, he was ready to leap across the room and kill Gavin.

Chapter 28

Wyatt

I pretty much hated every single member of the Fell family, so I already disliked Gavin Fell before he set foot inside the mansion. He was a wrench in the works, a pain in the ass, and a variable I wasn’t ready for. At the best of times, I’d have been pissed off to see him walk through those doors. But the smart-ass little comment and the way he stared at me made it even worse.