Chapter 18: Dean

18

DEAN

W ave after wave of fit, athletic shifters take off across the stony beach and into the trees, all departing close together. Beckett argued for spreading them out more, leaving five minutes or so between groups, but I wanted them to feel the next wolves breathing down their necks.

Dealing with pressure is part of being an alpha, and this competition is meant to be uncomfortable. We need to push their animal’s buttons. Each round is designed to test their temperament, not just how fast they can cover some difficult terrain.

Some people stick to the paths, others veer off into the forest to avoid the congestion. All have only one thing on their mind: getting home as fast as they can.

Jamie takes off at speed, racing across the beach with ease, while the heavier males struggle more on the shifting sand. She’s going to need every second of that head start. There are challenges further ahead where she won’t have the brute strength they do, and somehow, I don’t see many people here giving her a helping hand.

“I kind of feel bad for them,” Callum says, his barely hidden smile suggesting he feels anything but sympathy for the contestants.

“No, you don’t,” I scoff. He’s enjoying this as much as I am. Or, as much as I was before I saw Jamie lining up in those tiny shorts and getting jostled by the wannabe alphas who resent her presence in the competition.

Those that aren’t threatened by her piss me off just as much, because I know they see what I see: a gorgeous, capable woman who’s excited about challenging herself. And a pair of tanned legs that would bring a grown man to his knees.

And those golden eyes. Eyes I should have recognised the instant I saw them.

Eyes that are the same as Maggie’s.

Jamie’s her daughter, she must be. Which means I was right all along. She’s not just here to win, and she’s definitely going to cause me some trouble.

“Can it even be done in four hours?” Blake Steel asks, coming to stand beside us as the last of the men charge around the bend. As they disappear from view, only the echoes of their footsteps, and the distant sounds of snapping branches remain.

Blake says he’s here to lend some support, to make sure everything runs smoothly and to keep a watchful eye over how the contestants are behaving. I think he’s just as interested in how my pack handles interacting with our guests.

“It can. I did it myself after Callum made the last adjustments.”

Rubbing my shoulder, I wince, my still recovering muscles a reminder of just how difficult it is.

The three of us listen as the noise of departing competitors fades away. If you didn’t know the race was on, there’d be nothing to suggest dozens of wolves were charging their way through the trees.

“You didn’t have the weather they’re about to get though,” Callum points out as we all watch the surface of the lake as it turns slightly choppy.

The sun disappears behind a cloud, and the temperature noticeably dips. A breeze stirs the trees, and I glance up at the sky, noticing the dark shadows blowing in from the west. The weather is turning bleak, just like my mood.

We toyed with postponing until tomorrow when the forecast showed a storm brewing, but what better way to test both their determination and decision-making abilities than to see how they cope with the bad weather.

“So, what do we do now?” Blake asks when I make no move to leave. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on standing here for hours, waiting for them to come back.”

The right thing to do would be to go back with my alpha and use this time to show him the improvements we’ve made to the pack. It might convince him to send more business our way. And yet, an invisible string tugging my gut is keeping me in place.

Sensing my hesitation, Callum steps in, lightening the mood.

“You could always give it a go yourself, Alpha Steel?” Callum jokes. “I’m sure I could find you some trainers.”

Blake laughs, a deep rumbling sound, and smooths the front of his crisp white shirt. Always smartly dressed, Blake is every inch the ideal alpha. He’s calm, charming and impeccably mannered, but lethal behind it all. A real wolf in sheep's clothing.

“Fun as that sounds, I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to get involved in whatever goes on out there. When the rain starts, it’s going to get messy.”

Blake’s right. We’ve purposely left the rules loose because an alpha needs to be tough. They need to be able to anticipate what an adversary might do. They need to be a good judge of character, and they need to be able to defend themselves when push comes to shove. If I shield them from everyone who doesn’t play fair, they’ll never make it in the real world.

Plus, it will allow us to spot and eliminate those who don’t have the integrity that we want.

But that means Jamie’s out there, unprotected. A lone female with nobody in her corner is an easy target for unscrupulous wolves who’d do anything to win this competition.

My wolf’s reluctance to leave is concerning. It was bad enough that he dragged me to Jamie’s room this morning. An odd mixture of shame at my lack of self-control and regret that I didn’t do more has lodged itself in my chest.

Feet rooted to the spot; my wolf is adamant we make sure Jamie’s safe. He saw the nasty looks and heard the snide comments being made behind her back by some of the men here today. It’s a long course with nobody looking out for her except for Wyatt.

She’s a rogue, I remind him. She’s able to take care of herself. I’m running the competition. I can’t get involved.

And yet, a sense of unease settles itself in my gut.

DEAN: Callum, can you stay with Blake while I go and…?

I trail off, not sure how to finish that sentence. What am I going to do?

CALLUM: Go find her. When the first runners are almost back, or if there’s any trouble, I’ll let you know.

The fact my beta knows that my thoughts are consumed with her isn’t a good thing, because Callum, while a wonderful beta, is not exactly the most emotionally intelligent shifter you’ll meet.

Sighing loudly, I reach out to Maggie via mind-link, but there’s no response. Maggie has always refused to let me tell anyone that she’s here. I promised I’d keep up the ruse, even if someone came looking for her. They think I’m dead, she’s told me, over and over. But clearly not if Jamie’s asking questions and snooping around.

I respect her desire not to contact her old pack, if that’s what she wants, but her own children? They deserve to know she’s still alive. Even if she doesn’t want to re-establish a relationship. But Maggie protected us from my father, and she has my loyalty. I won’t tell anyone anything without her permission.

I curse, hating the thought of lying to Jamie, but it’s best if she hears the truth from the horse's mouth. Which is why I need to find Maggie and fast.

DEAN: Jax, tell Maggie I need to talk to her and to stop fucking blocking me.

Jax is a whole other headache to consider. Jamie was snooping around the basement entrance. How do I explain that she’s living under the same roof as the brother she knows nothing about, but he locks himself away after dark because his wolf is practically rabid?

“You look troubled,” Blake observes. He’s not asking me to spill my deepest darkest worries, but he’s giving me the opportunity to bend his ear if I want it.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind.” And that’s the truth. My mother’s anniversary. The pressure of showing all the other packs that we’re not a bunch of withdrawn hillbillies. Balancing the need for the wider pack to return to normal social interaction, with the horrible trauma some of my wolves still carry with them.

Keeping secrets and respecting privacy.

Jamie, Jamie and more Jamie.

“Anything I can help with?” Blake’s offer is genuine. He’s proven that he cares about all the packs that fall within his region. That’s why he’s forcing me to host this event. Ripping the Band-aid off despite my reluctance, he’s bringing us back into the wider community by throwing us in at the deep end.

“No. As the days go on, the pack's nerves will settle. It will just take some people a while to get used to it.”

A lot of my wolves came out to watch the start of the games, but the real interest will be in the latter stages, when those strong enough to make it through will compete in advanced challenges like combat and tracking.

“That’s not what I was talking about.” Blake turns and stares at me. “I won’t pretend to know every detail of what happened here before you took charge, but don’t forget, I got my pack by force, too. There’s not a day that goes by that it doesn’t weigh on me, but it gets easier. Finding my mate helped.”

Blake’s fated mate appeared in his life just in the nick of time. There were concerns that without a mate at his side, moon madness was starting to take hold. Fear that the same could happen to me weighs heavily on my mind considering the man my father was.

“You waited for her,” I state simply. “And obviously you’re happy you did.”

He could have taken a chosen mate, but he refused to bow to pressure. Instead, he held out for his fated mate, the one the moon goddess has chosen to be your perfect partner in every way. It’s every wolf’s dream, but the reality is that they’re scarce.

Even if I do, will she want anything to do with a Reynolds?

“Rumours of my imminent demise were greatly exaggerated. Moon madness was still a way off, but regardless, I could feel her out there. There’s nothing wrong with taking a chosen mate if you’re in love, but I wasn’t mating someone I had no feelings for just for convenience.”

Jamie's face flits into my mind. Feisty and strong. She’s not mine, but damn if she wouldn’t be exactly the type of mate I’d want. Like me, she hasn’t had an easy life. I see her eagerness and strength, even if everyone else just sees a rogue.

Would my pack ever accept a rogue as Luna? I doubt it. I’ve seen the wary glances they’ve been giving her. They need calm, they need stability, they need someone boring and safe, as unappealing as that sounds to me.

I stay silent, afraid to voice the thoughts running through my head.

What if he tells me no, that it would be a terrible idea to pursue her?

“You’re not your father, Dean. Whether you wait for your mate or take someone else who’s caught your attention… you won’t turn out like him. You’re a grumpy asshole sometimes, but you’re a decent one.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

But Blake doesn't know for certain that I won’t turn into him .

My father became obsessed with another alpha’s mate, and he tormented her new pack, believing they had stolen her from him.

He refused to admit he was wrong, his ego too big to accept it, even when he found his fated. For years, he punished my mother, and us, for being the walking proof of how wrong he was about Marie. To the end, he tossed about wild accusations of black magic. His obsession never waned.

“Trust your instincts, Dean. Your wolf kept you alive this long and protected your pack when he needed to. He’ll keep you safe.”

I nod, but it’s not always as easy as that, and he knows it.

He gives me a knowing smile as I bid him farewell, making an excuse about checking something out on the course. I can’t stop myself from following her through the forest, picking up the pace until I finally get eyes on her.

My wolf watches with pride as she overtakes another male and beats him to the foot of a steep rock climb. She grips one of the ropes and starts up the wall without a moment’s hesitation, ignoring the name calling jackass behind her. She’s incredible.

I watch with delight as she disappears over the top, taking a second to dust off her hands and assess what comes next, before she takes off again. As the seething male scrambles awkwardly over the ledge, he mutters something unflattering and stares after her, eyes narrowed in anger.

I want to drag him into the trees and teach him some manners, but instead, I force myself to retreat. Being out here is a bad idea. And still, despite all the reasons that I should leave, I find it nearly impossible to turn and walk away.