14

Aspen

I smacked at the bedside table, searching for my phone to make it shut up as it continued to blast that annoying ringtone. It was still dark outside. Which meant it wasn’t quite time to be awake yet. The small bit of bourbon I’d drank burned off quickly–thank you shifter metabolism–but I’d spent way too long past my bedtime last night searching for answers about who these people were until the WIFI went out around midnight.

Guess we were officially cut off.

“Hello,” I growled, putting the phone on speaker and hoping this wasn’t an emergency.

“You’re still in bed,” my papa greeted me.

“Yes.” I rolled over and flung my arm over my eyes. “It’s five in the morning.”

“Wasting daylight if you ask me.”

“No one asked, Papa. And it’s still dark.”

“Sun will be up soon.” The gurgle of the coffee machine sounded behind him. We really needed a new one that didn’t spit out liquid in bursts. “How are things going?”

“Hmmm.”

“I said, how are things going?”

“You don’t have to yell.” I pushed off the covers and tried to blink the sleep from my eyes. “Everything is fine. Sort of. They made me do this interview and I sounded like some sweet little girl from the boondocks.”

“And that’s not who you are?” He chuckled.

“Would you consider me sweet? Never mind. Don’t answer that.” I pushed the pillow behind my back and sat up. “How are you feeling? How’s your leg?”

“Itched a bunch last night, but I think it might be growing more.” He slurped from his coffee cup. It was probably his favorite one with the saying Papa: The Man, The Myth, The Legend and the chip near the handle.

“That’s good.” I nodded, more awake. “Are you taking it easy?”

“As easy as I can.” That was not an answer. “Have you met any potential mates yet?”

Two could play that game. “Nope. Don’t forget your appointment with Dr. Greenwood tomorrow.”

“Is that tomorrow?” He scratched his beard.

“Yes. I wrote it on a note on the fridge.”

“Oh that’s what that was. I used it for fire starter.”

“Papa…”

“Just teasing. Russell is coming up the road so I’ve got to go, but I’m glad you’re doing alright. Go back to bed.”

“Stay safe, okay,” I begged.

“I’ll try.” He hung up on me.

Well, I wasn’t going back to sleep.

I rolled over and stared at the wall, thinking through everything I’d learned last night. Which wasn’t much. Ranger McCaw. I wanted to believe he was an asshole, but on paper he was the perfect catch. Twenty-four years old and already Alpha of the largest pack in the Pacific Northwest. It was a fair challenge when he’d taken over at eighteen. His predecessor was thirty and seemed like a real dick.

McCaw Pack looked like they loved their new Alpha. And the pack was doing really well. Fallon was his only living relative and they were close, usually photographed together in public. They had a real rags-to-riches story, growing up in the system and coming out on top. My heart ached thinking how hard that must have been. But if I’d learned anything here so far, it was that the media could twist things to make you believe anything they wanted.

I needed more dirt on him.

Sighing, I rolled to my back.

There was no reason to care this much about some Alpha anyway. Shifters like him and Chad Tulia were way out of my league. They were like gods among us mortals. Powerful. Untouchable.

Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to touch him. Just a little. Like run my hands along his abs and dip down under the waistband of his…

I needed a cold shower. Stat.

*

Freshly showered and dressed, I walked straight into an ambush. Trenton and Stef sat on the sofas in the hotel room waiting for me.

“Good morning…” I started, looking to the door as if I could make a quick escape. But it was only the two of them which was more of a fair fight than I was used to in dealing with the members of my pack.

“I don’t know what’s good about it.” Stef narrowed her eyes. “But maybe I’d be happy too if I was hanging out with Fallon McCaw and Edith Tulia all night like some rank jumping show dog.”

Was that what this was about? “It wasn’t all night. It was one drink. And they’re really nice. Maybe you should meet them sometime and see if you could learn a thing or two about being friendly.”

“I’ll show you friendly, you little–”

“Enough,” Trenton barked. My wolf growled at his command and I had to yank her back before she took over the shift.

Trenton turned his glare to me. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but you need to remember that we’re on the same team for the trials and the games.”

“Now we’re on the same team?” I sighed.

Trenton growled. Stef cowered.

I pretended to pick a piece of lint off my shirt. “I remember you saying to take care of ourselves.”

“I told you to get through the Luna Trials. We’d worry about the Alpha Games later,” Trenton said.

The early morning wakeup call must have set me on edge. Or I was tired of dealing with these assholes. I gave them my biggest smile. “I’m pretty sure I was called a cow and that neither of you wanted me here. Did something change in the last few days?”

I knew I was testing my luck. This was about the time they’d corner me with their posse and remind me of my place. Lower ranking wolves weren’t supposed to talk back. Which was crap if you asked me. No one usually asked me.

My wolf tensed, waiting for the familiarity of the first blow and ready to go down swinging.

Trenton closed his eyes and groaned, breathing deeply as if he was trying to learn patience. That was a little confusing. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”

My jaw dropped. “Me?”

“I don’t think she gets it,” Stef said, with none of her usual bite.

No. I didn’t. “Gets what?”

“Will you sit down and stop thinking everything is a fight?” Trenton actually asked me to do something without a command.

Stunned, I sat. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

“I thought you were smart,” Stef said, changing tactics when Trenton shot her a warning look. “Fine. You’re smart. But you’re an idiot if you think messing around with Tuila and McCaw Packs will keep you in Mating Season. You’re going to make enemies and we won’t be able to help you.”

The thing about growing up with someone is that you knew when they were mincing their words even if they didn’t flat out lie. She wouldn’t have helped me even if she could. “I can take care of myself if anything happens. Do you want to tell me what you’re really worried about?”

Stef had the decency to glance away, but not before I saw the scheming look in her eyes.

“This is all about the polls, isn’t it?” I turned to Trenton.

“I’ve been working to get you two some sponsors,” he explained. “But it’s harder than it seems. They want to know their investment will be worth it.”

“And?” I asked, loving the way they squirmed.

“Do we have to spell it out for you?” Stef growled.

I leaned back against the sofa. “Please do.”

“You are such a brat.” Stef straightened her shoulders, taking a deep breath. I didn’t bother to respond to her insult. This was too much fun.

Trenton dragged his hands over his face. “There was one sponsor who said they’d bite, but they want to make sure you’re on board before they send stuff over.”

I burst out laughing. “Two days ago, you didn’t want to be anywhere near me and now you need me here.”

“You have to understand why we felt that way,” Stef’s voice was sugary sweet and oh-so-fake. “You’ve never exactly been Luna material, but seeing the magic you must have worked on the reporters, I think we underestimated you.”

If that was the case, I’d underestimated myself. I’d done nothing to draw the attention I was getting. But the Luna comment rubbed me the wrong way.

I looked to Trenton, willing him to say something. Even though we’d long since passed the time where I actually cared if he’d step up. It was just funny, watching this come full circle, and I was curious what he thought. Call it an experiment.

He stared back at me, clenching his jaw in anger. If that’s the way he wanted to play it, I refused to care about his tantrum.

“Good luck with–”

“Please,” Trenton said before I stood up.

Damn it. As much as I wanted to live with my newfound power, that wasn’t the reason I was here. Alpha Derek was in charge. I was a good little wolf, doing what I was told to help Trenton with the games. That was my ticket out of the pack and I wasn’t about to throw it away.

Still…

My wolf chuckled as I cupped my fingers around my ear. “I’m sorry. Can you say that again? It was hard to hear you over the cheering of my fans.”

“Why are you like this?” Stef screamed as she threw her hands in the air.

Trenton shook his head, a small smile causing the dimple on his cheek to deepen even though his eyes still held to that brewing storm of frustration I knew so well. “Thank you, Aspen.”

Geez.

That shouldn’t have been so hard to say.