26

Aspen

The moon was a shell of itself tonight which was fitting because I was too. Answering those questions on stage shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was. I’d compromised my values, giving a performance that bared my soul. These people didn’t really care about me. I needed to remember that and not give any more information that could be used against me someday.

I tightened the laces on my sneakers, partially shifting to let my wolf breathe the scents of the woods and use her eyes to guide us on the run. I still hadn’t figured out a safe area to let her take our body in this unfamiliar forest, but I was hoping the night jog would relax her a bit.

She was all worked up, still thinking of Ranger, which should have been the last thing on our mind.

We ran along the trail that branched off the walking path on the other side of the pool. Somewhere out in these mountains would be the arena for the Mating Season finale when we would go into heat and rut. My skin itched with the need to get out there. To explore the area and familiarize myself with the terrain we’d be working with. Going in unprepared was giving me anxiety.

I needed to know how to keep myself safe.

I trusted my wolf’s instincts as we ran, leaning back into my own thoughts. If I passed the Luna Trials and helped Trenton through the Alpha Games, then I’d need to get closer to the distant landscape and map out the best spots to set up a good defense.

My wolf growled, yanking me back to her senses and urging me to pay attention to something more important than our future survival.

Our ears twitched, picking up the sound of voices. It was Opal’s soft pitch that carried on the night wind.

I took full control of my body and picked up the pace. I’d been meaning to talk to Opal after the situation with Cindy the other day and the little Omega was hard to find when she wanted to stay hidden.

Another voice, one deep and masculine that would probably haunt my dreams for the rest of my life, stopped me in my tracks.

My fangs extended and my wolf kept growling as if someone was in our territory. Which was crazy.

I slowly crept forward, coming to the nearest tree, and peered around it down to where the path ended at the stone benches near the smaller fountain in the garden.

The weak moonlight caught the shimmer of Opal’s jet-black hair as she leaned back on her elbows, kicking her feet in the water.

She wasn’t alone.

Trenton stood to the side with his hands in his pockets, mesmerized by what Opal was saying. I hadn’t seen him look like that… Ever. Beside her on the fountain ledge sat Chad. He was laughing and leaning closer, trying to tease another smile out of the Omega.

But that wasn’t why I was hiding on the trail like a creeper and peering through the branches.

I could have sworn I heard his voice. Though I was probably delusional, again. I couldn’t see him, but I could sense him. Ranger was there. I knew it. Some part of me had to know if he was swept up in whatever sweet spell Opal was casting at the fountain.

It’s not like I really cared or anything. Heck, maybe laughing would loosen the stick in his ass a little bit. I had no claim on him. He was free to do whatever he wanted.

I stepped around the trunk of the tree, trying to get a better view as my wolf continued to growl her territorial nonsense.

A branch snapped on the ground behind me and I jumped, spinning to collide with a solid chest of muscle.

We had to stop meeting like this.

“I didn’t take you for a spy.”

“I wasn’t spying,” I shrieked, wanting to smack my palm against my face. Real smooth, Aspen.

“What do you call peeking through the trees while trying not to make any noise then?” Ranger’s lips twitched as he tried not to smile.

“I call it minding my own business. Like you should be doing.” Admittedly, not my best comeback.

“I can assure you, I’m very adept at minding my own business.” His grin turned wicked as he backed me towards the tree. “Would you care for a demonstration?”

My heart was racing and my head was spinning as the intensity of his pheromones surrounded me. It was hard to think with him this close, wrapped in his intoxicating scent.

I ducked under a branch, moving behind him and he growled as he turned to follow my awkward little dance.

“No. Thank you.”

“There’s that word again.” He smirked. “It’s still a no?”

“Yes.” I nodded earnestly, trying to get the fresh air to wash his masculine smell from my nose.

“Yes?” He cocked his head to the side.

“No!” I cried.

Ranger dragged his hand over his face as if I were the frustrating one. “Are you going to tell me what you want soon, love? Or am I going to have to drag it out of you?”

Oh. Make him work for it.

You’re not helping.

“I don’t know what you mean.” I stood taller, which didn’t make me any more intimidating to the beast of a man standing in front of me.

Ranger’s nostrils flared as he dipped his head and dragged his nose up the side of my neck, staying just a hair’s breadth away from touching me. Goosebumps broke out along my skin from his hot breath as he whispered the word, “Liar.”

“I am not.” I stepped back, needing space between our bodies as my wolf chose that moment to purr. Loudly.

Ranger’s expression darkened, which was really hard to do in the dim light. “I think you want the chase.”

Yes. Please.

I was very aware I was sending mixed signals, but I was currently trying to get ahold of my beast who’d apparently gone feral. “No thanks, buddy.” I thumped him on the chest and my cheeks flamed with heat when I realized how stupid that sounded.

Goddess, what is wrong with me?

“Aspen, what are you doing over there?” Trenton called out. My cover was officially blown. Not like it was a good one or anything.

“She’s with me,” Ranger spoke like he was staking a claim.

Back up. “I’m not with anyone.”

“So I’ve seen.” Ranger scratched his jaw, looking as confused as I felt. “Which brings me back to my earlier question, why are you really here?”

“I knew you put that question in the cue.” Anger. I could cling to anger instead of the swirling twist of emotions raging inside me. “Why does it matter so much to you?”

“Because I want the answer.” He crowded me again and I backed across the trail. “And don’t tell me you are here for love like that bullshit you spewed on stage.”

“That wasn’t bullshit.” I growled. “I was talking about my papa. Everything I said was the truth.”

Amusement lit up his stupidly handsome face. “Then you are a romantic.”

I was about to tell him I wasn’t and he could wipe the smug grin from his chin, when Trenton came walking up the path.

“No. She’s not a romantic,” he said.

My angry gaze shot to Trenton. “What would you know about that?”

The silence of the night breathed around us as we stood staring at each other, broken only by the deep growl building in Ranger’s chest.

“Tell him why you’re really here, Aspen,” Trenton challenged me.

“You know what? I don’t have to deal with this.” I stormed past him, seeing red. It was his fault I was here and he knew it. “Why don’t you two go take a hike and swap stories of your Alpha dicks?”

*

Ranger was a bully just like Trenton.

He is not.

Yes he is. I growled at my wolf to shut her up as the sound crew fixed the microphone on my shirt.

We’d spent too long last night fighting over what we thought about those stupid Alphas and were no closer to coming to any sort of agreement. I’d skipped breakfast again and didn’t get enough sleep again.

I hated this.

The Luna candidates stood in line on either side of me as we walked into the elimination room for the second round. I was done. They could send me home. I almost welcomed the fallout from Nuva Pack over spending another second here in this dramatic hell.

“Liar.” Ranger’s voice still rang in my head and was burying itself under my skin. I purposefully didn’t look at the crowd as Jay Renfro did his thing on stage for the cameras.

The screen came up with the results from the polls and I almost screamed in frustration. I wasn’t at the top any more. My name moved to fourth place in the top twenty of the popular vote. And next to that, a lone Alpha vote. One. Uno. As in singular.

“Ester. You are our first elimination of the night.” One of the quieter females stood and nodded.

“Toni from Yesina Pack, please exit this way.”

Tears stained her cheeks as she hurried down the bleacher steps.

I tightened my fists in my lap.

“As...” my breath hitched in my chest, “…hley from Turner Pack, thank you for your time.”

That was way too close of a name and would probably be my fate if I couldn’t keep up the popular vote from all the viewers at home. Which was fine. I didn’t want to be here.

Right?

I let my eyes drift to the front seats of the crowd. Ranger sat there, a beast among Alphas, with his dark gaze fixed on me.

He hadn’t even voted for me so he had no right to stare like I was worth something to him.

“Colleen from Mason Pack and Wyona from Fraizer, your time on the show has come to an end.”

Jay stood back, watching them go. “A round of applause for our remaining candidates.”

I peeked back up through my lashes, taking one last look at Ranger. The asshole didn’t even clap.

*

Hugging my arms around my chest, I made my way down the hall toward the elevators in the lobby. I don’t want to be here, I reminded myself. This is a means to an end.

But my words felt hollow, competing with the guilty pull inside of me. If this was just a stupid show, things shouldn’t hurt this bad. Something was wrong with me. I could feel it. A twisting sense of unease like I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

My wolf’s fur bristled, sensing the tension in the lobby just as I turned the corner of the hall.

“You stupid, bitch. It should have been you!”

The familiar sight of shifters gathered in a circle and itching for a fight set me on edge. I’d been at the center of rings like that for most of my childhood. A cold numbness overtook me as I elbowed my way through the crowd.

And then I felt sick.

Cindy had Opal’s long black hair wrapped around her fist. The Omega was crying and squeezing her eyes shut, not even trying to fight back. She was half Cindy’s size.

“Let her go,” I growled as I grabbed Cindy by the wrist so she couldn’t yank on Opal’s hair.

“Back off, trailer trash,” Cindy spit, releasing her grip to glare at me. Opal slipped behind my back, shaking, as the crowd of females kept her in place.

Trailer trash? I smirked and raised my hands. My pulse pounded in my ears. She may have been from southern money, but Cindy was the only one who reeked of desperation.

Still, I tried to keep a level head. “I’d go cool off if I were you before you say something you really regret.”

Cindy’s fangs extended.

As did mine.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the crowd part for the camera crew who came running through the lobby. My rational brain was telling me to stop. That I’d lose the popular vote if I didn’t.

I couldn’t turn my back on a bully.

Cindy moved fast. Her fist cracked against my jaw, splitting my bottom lip and rattling my teeth. But I barely felt it. I’d been hit worse.

Kill her. Bloodlust filled my beast.

I lunged.

For all the dominance she was pushing off, Cindy was really uncoordinated. She swung again when she should have kicked while my stance was unbalanced.

I grabbed her fist and twisted it behind her back, wrapping my arm around her throat as she started to scream.

“None of you sluts deserve–”

I tightened my hold, cutting off her airway.

“What is wrong with you?” I growled into her ear, turning around as the cameras made their way into the circle and giving her a second of privacy to chill out.

“Break it up!” Molly was running towards us with a security team flanking her.

“Are you trying to get kicked off the show?” I whispered, hoping to shake some sense into her.

Cindy’s body relaxed as she tapped my arm. “I’m good. Let me go.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

I loosened my hold, prepared for her to attack again.

“Does someone want to tell me what happened?” Molly was brave for a human, standing in the circle of shifter females still sniffing for blood.

I put my hands in the air and stepped back.

“Cindy attacked me because her cousin got sent home.” Opal stood up straight.

“Aspen didn’t do anything. She was trying to help the Omega,” a female from the crowd spoke on my behalf.

I stared at the antler chandelier hanging from the ceiling, sensing Molly’s frustration. There was no way I was getting off that easy. In my pack, it didn’t matter who started it. Finishing it was what counted.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Molly spun to the camera crew. “Please tell me you got some action shots.”

Whatever apology I was about to come up with died on my tongue. I looked to the crowd, wondering if they were hearing the same thing I was, but now that there wasn’t a show, they were spreading out.

The cameraman shook his head.

Molly turned a shade of purple I’d never seen. “Next time, don’t gather around like this so we can get the fight on film.”

What?

Molly turned to me. “You’ve been pushing buttons since you got here. I’d watch it if I were you.”

“I’m….”

“Save it.” Molly marched off in her pointed heels.

“You better hope I don’t catch you messing with Chad again,” Cindy growled at Opal as the Omega turned tail and ran.

I glanced at Cindy from the corner of my eye. “Seriously?” She was just as bad as the inmates at the prison.

“The Omega knew this was coming.” Cindy pulled out her compact and checked her makeup.

I touched the already healing split on my lip, too shocked to even continue the fight.

Slow clapping sounded from the leather chairs around the stone fireplace of the lobby.

He sat there like a dark king surveying a castle next to Chad and Brett Fraizer who were grinning at the scene.

Not Ranger though. His elbows rested on his knees as he studied me. My stomach flipped as I growled at him, tugging on my wolf to hold her back from taking over our skin.

Ranger curled a finger.

Was he beckoning me?

Go, my wolf urged.

No. I flipped him off, turning on my heel to leave.