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“Don’t worry about it, Laney.” Reagan licked her lips. “We’ll enjoy Christoph together tonight.”

Bell lunged for the girl, her eyes completely blue like her lioness. Her fingers curled into claws, her hands became giant paws. "I'll kill you if you touch what's mine."

The two girls laughed. “Awe, look at the cute kitten trying to be a lion.” Laney giggled more.

“Don’t get too worked up, Bell. We’d hate to see you do something you’d regret,” Reagan said, with a tiny pout. “We don’t want to see you get into trouble.”

“Bell,” Hayden whispered in her cousin’s ear. “Let it go. Christoph is your mate. They’re only trying to piss you off and cause a scene.”

“Yeah, listen to your little friend, Bell.” Kylie laughed.

“You’re going to look killer in that dress you bought, Laney,” Delilah said. “Christoph is going to be all over you.”

“Don’t do it,” Hayden murmured again. “They’re not worth it. They’ll be eating their hearts out when Christoph leaves with you.”

Bell looked at her. Fear radiated from her blue eyes. “You keep saying that,” she whispered. “But, I fear he’s already made his choice.” Her cousin slipped from her grasp then hurried away from the stands, heading for the woods surrounding them.

Hayden growled. “You’re not going to win this. Whatever your little game is, you will not win. I will make sure of it.”

Cheers rang out in the stadium as Jackson finished the course and Hill was declared the winner. “I’d say we already are.” Laney gracefully exited the stands.

“Bye.” Reagan giggled. “I hope you like my sloppy seconds. Your mate was really good.”

Hayden rolled her eyes. "Zoe looks like we're going to have to find your sister."

“I can’t stand those wenches. I can’t wait for them to get what’s coming to them,” Zoe snarled. “I’ll go find my sister. I know where she went.” She stormed toward the exit. “And tell your mate he better talk some sense into Christoph, or else I’m going to neuter his lion.”

How the hell did she get wrangled into this again? Oh yeah, her cousins promised it would be a good time.So not happening.

Somehow, the guys all ended up in one room together, getting ready for the ball. The whys of it still mystified Nico as he took the proffered beer from Christoph’s hand. The Alpha, already dressed in his tux, looked tense as hell, and who could blame the guy? However, he’d done it to himself. “You ready for tonight?”

“Not in the least,” Christoph answered, throwing himself into the chair next to him.

“Good, you shouldn’t be.” Not one to beat around the bush, Nico hit the Alpha with both barrels. “You fucked up big time, and you hurt my mate’s cousin.”

“Do you think I don’t already fucking know that?” the lion growled. “I don’t know why I said I’d help. It just came tumbling out.”

“Sure it did. Just like you’ve known Bell is your mate, and you’ve yet to act on it,” he quipped. “What the fuck is going on in that head of yours?”

“It’s complicated.”

“The hell it is.” Nico placed his beer on the table next to him. “You saw the shit I went through to win my mate back. Are you going to do the same?”

“No,” Christoph snarled. “I’m not that fucking stupid.”

“No? Are you sure? Because, from where I’m sitting, you’re letting your dick dictate what you’re doing.”

“I don’t need this shit.” Christoph stood. Tension and anger radiated off the Alpha.

He’d seen the whole situation with Laney and her group of troublemakers. He also knew Christoph had seen Bell run off into the woods, alone. “Coward,” he muttered. “I should have known you’d never be good enough for her.” He glanced at Jackson. The six-foot-five dragon fixed his blood-red tie in the mirror. "Hey, Jackson."

“Yeah?” He pulled his long sable hair back with a leather thong before turning to face Nico.

“Bell needs a date. Would you mind helping me out? It seems Christoph has other pussy he’d like to play with.” Nico curled his lip, giving Christoph the side-eye.

A purely indulgent smirk tugged at Jackson’s lips. “Sure. That won’t be a problem at all.”

“Thanks.” He focused on Christoph. “Make sure you show her a good time. After the little scene at the games, she deserves to cut loose.”