11

Aspen

I was not cut out to be a spy.

Fallon wasn't much better. We crouched behind the bushes overlooking the little pond and nests on either side, trying to be quiet as we gawked at the scene below.

There was no way the Tulia sisters didn't have some sort of sway with the show. Both their nests were water-front property, set upon the pond's sandy shore like prime real estate locations. On the hill past their nests were a few more crates tucked away in the woods.

This was a nesting neighborhood.

One I hadn't been invited to apparently.

I wasn't sure if I should be grateful or a little bit jealous that my nest was placed so far away up the mountain. Most females liked a little space during the season, right? Or was that just me?

Despite Amber and Danielle–who stayed in wolf form behind us–describing the whole Meghan and Edith gathering like some Hunger Games- type chaos, this felt more like a sorority party gone wrong with the females bringing gifts in exchange for food and the chance to drink water from the pond.

It was a little frightening, but not as bad as I imagined.

The camera drones were loving it. A cluster of them hovered like seagulls filming Edith, Lilith, and Meghan sitting on some sort of log chair setup while the line of females brought them offerings.

The buzzing of the drones would hopefully cover the sound of us spying because we weren't exactly stealth. A change in the breeze would give away our location and if any of them had been in tune with their wolf's senses, they would have noticed us a few yards ago when we'd come tumbling down the mountain.

I didn't tumble. My wolf huffed. I slid on my rear end like a lady.

Fallon picked at the final flakes of black paint on her nails, growling like they were a personal affront. I had to give it to that bit of polish for still hanging on after Goddess knew how many shifts now.

"What?" Fallon bared her fangs when she caught me staring.

"Nothing." I looked out over the bushes again. It was a little tense down there, but some of the girls were laughing. I didn't see Cindy in the mix and wasn't sure what Amber and Danielle wanted me to do. Fallon knew these girls better than I did.

They're scared of Cindy. My wolf sounded just a little too haughty, like she was the one who'd fought her the other day and not me.

I was there. I lent you strength.

You did not.

"Ouch." I rubbed my side where Fallon's bony elbow hit. "What was that for?"

"There's Cindy," Fallon whispered.

Amber and Danielle whimpered as their wolves slunk deeper into the cover of the trees.

No freaking way.

A massive fiery red wolf came stalking around the side of the pond. She was so big it didn't seem real. Like a dire wolf on steroids or how I'd imagine our Viking ancestor shifters might have been. Her paws hit the ground with thuds and were at least twice the size of my human head. I was still staring in shock, watching in slow motion as Cindy's wolf lifted her gigantic snout and sniffed in my direction.

Get down. My wolf yanked on me and I fell to the ground as she started to panic. What do they feed them in the south?

Thought you weren't scared. I sucked in air, trying to refill what had been knocked out of me, as I rolled to my side.

She can eat us! my wolf screamed.

Not so tough now, are you?

Give me a second to think.

Take all the time you need. I crawled to my knees. "New plan. Let's get out of here and find a nice hotel with a hot tub to relax in."

"I didn't realize wolves could get that big." Fallon was still staring.

I jerked her down to my level, trying not to draw the giant wolf's attention our way, especially after our history. "We're screwed."

Amber and Danielle whined, pawing the ground as their wolves crawled forward on their bellies.

"Not like screwed, screwed," I tried to reassure them. "But maybe it's best to stay out of her way. We can split the packs up. Run in totally different directions…."

A noise on the slope behind us had me baring my fangs.

There was a small brown wolf with short fur poking her snout through the trees followed by a taller golden wolf with light red streaks down her fluffy tail. I sniffed the air, recognizing them just as Amber's and Danielle's wolves bounded forward. The sisters bumped into and rubbed against Ismelda's and Kimberly's wolves.

"Great. We're running a daycare now." Fallon shooed the younger females, herding them back up the mountain and away from whatever was going on down by the pond.

"They're not that much younger than us," I said. But the way their wolves tumbled together didn't add weight to my point.

A chestnut-colored wolf was standing on the knoll past the thicket of aspen trees. I hesitated at seeing her, resisting the urge to call the other females back like dogs.

Fallon sniffed the air. "I was wondering where she'd gone."

"Who?" I didn't recognize the newcomer's scent, but Kimberly and Ismelda raced over to her side.

Before Fallon could explain, the brown wolf shifted. Pale human skin dotted with freckles replaced her fur and long brown tresses fell around her shoulders.

As a general rule, shifters didn't care about nudity, but I couldn't help gawking at her hourglass shape. Like I knew I had a womanly body, but… damn.

Fallon let out a low whistle, making me feel less like a solitary creeper, and nodded at the woman. "Sarah."

Sarah Chism from Nashville jumped down from the boulder and I tried not to stare at her boobs bouncing.

"Just the woman I was hoping to run into," she said.

When Fallon didn't answer, I looked up. "Me?"

"They said you might do your own thing this mating season. I want in." Sarah came to a stop in front of me. The slight country lilt to her accent was so adorable.

Too bad she was crazy.

I glanced around at the trail cams placed strategically in the woods and the drone that buzzed lazily overhead, wondering if this was some kind of twist the producers cooked up.

"Who said what?"

Sarah draped her arm over my shoulder, turning us so we were looking at the valley and pond below. "They said you wouldn't join them and we were to tell them if you showed up. So naturally, I want to know what you'll be doing instead. The way I see it, Ranger will be leading the season. Despite what Edith thinks, I'm betting he'll pick you."

I will cut a bitch if he doesn't.

Sarah smiled with perfect teeth as if she could hear my wolf in my head. "So, what exactly is the plan?"

*

The evening brought a chill with it like winter was making another stage debut. My bag of jerky disappeared into greedy hands as it was passed around the fire. I knew better than to feed strays if I wanted them to leave, but they were hungry and I didn't have it in me to say no.

"What exactly are they saying?" I stared into the empty bag that was handed back to me. My stomach rumbled in response. I'd deal with it though. Papa never let me go hungry, but there were times when meat was lean.

"Edith and Meghan are saying Ranger is going to pick one of them this season." Kimberly chewed her piece of jerky.

My wolf growled and it vibrated my chest.

Fallon put her hand on my shoulder. "It's wishful thinking. Their wolves are probably riding them hard to pick the strongest male in the group because they were bred to hunt him out, but Ranger's wolf already made his pick."

Damn straight he did.

I laughed softly at my beast's confidence. She was so sure of this fated mate thing, but it wasn't unheard of for wolves to change their mind during the season. There were so many stories of females and males giving into their animal's primitive urges to mate and breed. Things didn't always go like humans planned.

Ranger had a lot of control, but at the end of the day, he was still a beast. A powerful one, who deserved a powerful mate who wanted to have his pups and help lead his pack and…

"Hey." Fallon shook my shoulder. "Stop."

"Stop what?" I forced a smile that probably looked as fake as it felt.

She narrowed her eyes. "You don't get to do this."

"Do what?" I looked to the other girls, wondering if I'd said something out loud that I missed.

"Act like some defeated little pup," Fallon growled. "You've handled everything thrown your way and then some. Don't start now with the pathetic pick-me insecurities. They believe in you and what you stand for. I do too. So stand the fuck up."

I massaged my forehead. That was the worst motivational speech in the history of the world, yet the women seated around the fire were nodding in agreement.

Goddess.

How did I end up here?

"I apologize for whatever emotions you saw cross my face as I internally processed my love life, but please tell me what I'm supposed to stand for so I can live up to your expectations."

Fallon blinked. "That was easy."

"She means that you're proof breeding and bloodlines don't matter when it comes to love," Kimberly said.

It totally sounded like an insult.

"And you make it feel like we all have a choice this season. That it doesn't matter how poor or low ranking you are, you have the freedom to choose a different life." Ismelda nodded.

That was definitely an insult.

"Aren't I literally the antonym of free choice?" I laughed.

"What's an antonym?" Amber asked.

"It's a weird lit-nerd thing," Danielle explained.

"It's…" I stopped myself from diving into a lecture. "Never mind. What I'm trying to say is that Ranger thinks I'm his fated mate. That means we didn't have a choice in all this. Fate decided."

A few of the women gasped as they spoke in hushed tones to each other. Stars filled their eyes as they looked back at me.

"I rest my case," Fallon said.

"What?"

"Now everyone is going to follow you." She leaned back with a smug smile.

"Follow me where?" I groaned.

"Wherever you decide to take us this season."

Sarah and the rest of the women nodded eagerly. They were nuts. Maybe it was a sign I needed to get them off the mountain before the season started. They could follow me to a therapist. We all were going to need one after this show anyway. I closed my eyes, leaning into my wolf and trying to get her advice.

But she was oddly quiet and content, listening and waiting and hardly paying any attention to the conversation.

What's wrong with you?

There was a rustle in the foothills. The sound of paws pounding against the earth. The space in my chest felt fuller as my heart beat faster. Everything else in the world faded away as the golden hour of the setting sun cast the woods in a dull glow.

He's here.