33

Aspen

I woke fully rested with a big ole’ smile on my face, ready to take on the day. By tomorrow, I’d know if I passed the Luna Trials or not and could get on with the rest of my life. Though the thought of Ranger being here and finding another Luna made my wolf itch with jealousy, I purposefully pushed away her worries.

If it was meant to happen, it would.

A phone ringing in the living room startled me as I was brushing my teeth. I didn’t even realize there was a phone out there and I found it by the mini-fridge.

“Hello?”

“Hey Aspen. It’s Opal. I’m at the reception desk and there is a delivery here for you. Do you want me to bring it up? They say I need your permission.”

“A delivery?” I looked to the box of opened letters on the coffee table, wondering if some had been delayed. “Sure. If you don’t mind carrying them. I’m in room 623.”

“I won’t mind if you share.” The nervousness in her question made me laugh.

I didn’t know what she wanted with letters from inmates, but I wasn’t going to deny her something so silly. “You can have as many as you want.”

“Great. You’re the best. I’ll be right up.”

I was still laughing as I pulled my hair into a messy bun. We had all day before it was time to get ready for the final trial tonight and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the morning than hanging out with Opal. There were questions I was dying to ask her about being an Omega and I wasn’t sure if I’d get another chance.

The knock at the door came quicker than I expected.

“You’re fast.” My eyes widened as I came face to face with Ranger standing in the doorway.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

“Good… Good morning.” I swallowed hard. His masculine smell was messing with my senses and it was way too early for this. “Can I help you?”

“You can.” Something wicked gleamed in his smile. “May I come in?”

“No.” I panicked, moving to shut the door.

His foot slid in the way. “Please?”

I shoved against the door, but his foot was a boulder. Why did it feel like he was only asking as a courtesy? “What do you want?”

Ranger ran a hand through his hair, tousling it further as he looked me over. It was then that I saw the dark circles under his eyes. The tortured expression called to something deep within me.

“Are those llamas on your pajamas?”

And just like that, my sympathy was gone. “If you came here to mock me, you can leave.”

“I’m not here to tease you. Yet.” He licked his lips and I felt a tug in my core. “But I don’t want to stand in the hall. There are cameras out here.”

I knew there were cameras everywhere! “Cameras are good. That means there are witnesses.”

“Witnesses?” He cocked his head to the side. “I’m not going to hurt you. I want to speak with you in private.”

“Considering you want me off the show, I’m not sure I can trust any of your intentions.” I was really proud of how badass I sounded even as my heart beat faster at the mention of doing anything in private with this beast of a shifter.

“That’s what I want to speak with you about.” Ranger’s smile was dangerous. It did something to me a smile shouldn’t do.

Like make me open the door wider.

In my defense, Opal should be here any minute so it’s not like I would do something stupid any time soon.

“You have five seconds to explain why you want me off the show,” I said it as if I was the one in control here and not slowly stepping backwards like prey as he closed the door, locking us alone in the hotel room.

His wolf flashed in his eyes as he inhaled my scent and I froze. Never run from predators. It incites their prey drive.

“I don’t want you here.” The way he was looking at me now did not at all vibe with his words.

I resisted the urge to point that out. My head was still reeling at his proximity and the scent of pine and sawdust filling my space. “I heard.”

“How much do you need?”

All of it.

I blinked. “Need of what?”

“Money,” he said. “How much will it take to get you out of here?”

He might as well have dumped a bucket of ice over my head.

“You don’t have enough.” I crossed my arms, needing a barrier between us, as my heart squeezed painfully in my chest.

“No?” His eyebrow arched.

Freaking Alphas. “That isn’t a challenge,” I growled. “Why do you care so much that I’m here?”

“Because I can’t focus on what I need to do while you’re here.” He stepped closer to me.

I took a step back. We could do this dance all day. If only my body behaved and stopped aching to be closer to him. “That sounds like a you problem.”

Don’t antagonize the Alpha, Aspen.

My wolf covered her eyes with her paws and groaned. Ranger seemed to swell larger as he crowded me. My back hit the wall. I was trapped.

His eyes dropped to my lips. “That smart mouth is going to get you in trouble one day.”

“So they keep telling me,” I whispered.

Ranger leaned closer, closing the distance between us, and my hands fell to my sides.

“Why are you really here?” He captured a tendril of hair that escaped from my messy bun.

My breath caught in my chest. “Why do you care?”

His fingers rolled the strands between them and he studied my hair like looking at a fallen feather. “Because if I have to stand here for one more minute watching those other Alpha wannabes look at you, then I’m going to burn this place to the ground.”

That was a red flag.

Right?

Don’t care. My beast purred.

“I don’t…” I couldn’t think with him this close to me and all those masculine pheromones floating around. “I’m not sure what you’re saying.”

A deep growl came from his chest making vibrations dance along my skin. “Tell me you don’t feel this too. You were made to be mine.”

Okay that was definitely a red flag.

I put my hands on his chest, intending to push him back, and was surprised when my fingers fisted around his shirt, pulling him closer instead. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

Ranger chuckled as he stared at my hands still holding the material on his chest. “That’s not what you’ll be screaming when I finally get you where I want you.”

My heat had to be coming early because my body literally burned at the image his dirty words invoked. I don’t think I’d ever been spoken to that way.

“You like that idea.” He lowered his head to my neck, nostrils flaring as he sniffed.

And I felt it. His beast calling to my beast. The primal urge to claim. To mate. Ranger wanted me. Why?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My breaths were coming too short and I was getting lightheaded.

“You will.” His lips brushed against my neck in the whisper of a kiss. “We’ll work through whatever is holding you back just as soon as I get you out of here.”

His statement made me regain some control and I didn’t arch into him like I wanted to as I thought through what he was actually saying.

“I’m not going anywhere and you’re not buying me off.” Because that’s all this was. He wanted me gone so no one could touch what he claimed as his while his wolf chose a better Luna candidate as a mate. And then where would I be? Some kept mistress on the side until he got tired of me?

Though the idea was… tempting.

Over my dead body. She growled.

Right. Sorry.

“Your time is up.” I smiled.

“No.” Ranger slammed his palm against the wall. Not hard enough to break the plaster, but still red flag number… I’d lost count.

I ducked under his arm, moving to open the door. He was there in a heartbeat, blocking me.

“You don’t want to be here.” There was a tightness around his mouth. It wasn’t a question.

“And how do you know that?” I asked.

Ranger growled. “It’s not safe for you here. I can’t explain everything right now and you have no reason to trust me yet, but I need you off the show so I can focus on the Alpha Games and then I will explain everything.”

Because that didn’t sound like the world’s lamest excuse. “How about you give me more than that cryptic bullshit and maybe I’ll think about your offer?”

“Are you always this frustrating?” He yanked his hand through his hair.

“Sometimes, but you wouldn’t know because you don’t know me at all.” I shrugged.

If I’d hoped that would shake him from the trail, it did not go as planned. His eyes lit up and I felt myself drawn into them, wanting to tease more humor out.

“I plan to get to know you very intimately.”

My toes dug into the carpet as my wolf purred again. “And why can’t you get to know me here?”

His expression darkened. “Because this isn’t a place to play around. This is a wolves’ den and you don’t belong in it.”

Typical Alpha control issues.

I rolled my eyes. “Like I said, you know nothing about me. And it’s time for you to leave.”

I reached for the door handle. I swear I did. But my fingers brushed against his forearm and the contact of his skin with mine burned deep within my core. I let my nails trail down to his wrist, fascinated by this new sensation.

“You’re playing with fire,” he said breathlessly.

“Am I?” I forgot what we were talking about.

“Yes, little wolf.” His calloused palm landed on my waist, thumb brushing the exposed skin above my pants, and he pulled my body flush with his.

I could feel every point where we connected. The hard planes of his chest and hips. The pulsing throb of his cock pressed against my stomach. Mouth suddenly dry, I looked up at him.

His lips hovered dangerously close to mine.

Those lips cut from stone on his chiseled face. The statue of a dark wolf shifter god staring down at me, holding me soft as if I was precious while his eyes scowled. Every single nerve ending of mine was on fire, wanting to close the electric inch between us and taste those lips. I needed this. My body ached for it.

He was…

“Aspen!” A fist pounded against the door behind us.

His fangs bared at the same time mine did. Ranger pushed me behind him. My mind was still reeling as I tried to shake off the fog and a keycard slid against the lock.

Ranger’s muscles tensed and dominance came from him in waves. A smarter wolf would have cowered, but apparently my IQ dropped a few points since coming on this show.

“It’s only Trenton.” I stepped around Ranger, shoving at his arm that was held protectively over my chest. It was made of steel and didn’t budge. Sighing, I ducked under it.

Trenton’s nostrils were already flaring as he stepped into the room. His wolf flashed in his eyes and he assumed a fighting stance. “Aspen, get over here.”

“You better watch that bark, punk.” Ranger’s voice dripped with power. “She’s not yours to command.”

“I’m nobody’s to command.” I threw my hands in the air, fed up with these freaking Alphas. Whatever. I didn’t even care anymore and wasn’t going to stay here to deal with this macho display.

“Where are you going?” Trenton demanded.

“Back to bed.” I looked over my shoulder to see Ranger’s humored expression. “Alone.”

“No, you’re not,” Trenton continued like he wasn’t on thin ice here. He was no match for the growly beast who was taking up too much space in the room. “Put on something other than those stupid pajamas.”

“Can everyone please stop making fun of my clothes?” I screamed.

Ranger’s eyes narrowed and he stilled, looking out into the hall while still blocking me.

Trenton stared at the two of us in confusion for a moment before lowering his face. “Just get dressed, Aspen. There’s an emergency. Something happened to Opal.”