Page 10

10

Naomi

T hat note. My stomach has been tied up in knots since I got it.

Between that and the wounded look in Wyatt’s eyes every time I keep my distance, I feel sick to my stomach. Watching him waiting for me at the packhouse with more food than I could ever eat almost broke me.

I hate that I’m hurting him, but I can’t think about anything other than my sister right now. Wyatt’s strong. Maddie is most definitely not, and her note has made me even more worried about her.

"Brad knows something's up," she wrote in her cramped, unsteady handwriting. "He's been asking questions about that night, about what happened to Rowan. I don't know how much longer I can keep pretending. Please hurry."

The paper trembles in my hands, her fear seeping through the ink as I rub my finger across her words. She’s not coping without me there. Her wolf is fragile, suffering after the severing of the mate bond in such violent circumstances, and Brad practically has her under lock and key, with his pack cronies following her every move.

They pretend to be concerned, but I see the way they look at her. They think she’s going moon mad without her mate. That her mind is about to snap.

Not Maddie. If she didn’t break after everything Rowan did to her, she won’t now.

But I still can’t leave her there, not with him dangling the suspicious death of her mate over her head like a sword, while I ride off into the sunset with Wyatt.

At the same time, I can’t steal Wyatt’s chance at winning a pack out from under him to do it. Even putting our bond aside, could I really do something that would force him to leave here as a rogue once more?

But she’s my sister, my blood, and I’d die for her.

Damn it. What the hell do I do?

For now, the only thing I’m sure of is that I need to stay in the competition and keep Brad and Wyatt away from each other.

I’m lost in my thoughts as I head the long way back to the house I’m sharing with the remaining female contestants. They seem nice, but we’ve been like ships passing in the night and haven’t had a chance to speak beyond a quick hello. Maybe that’s on me, because I don’t really want to get into my reasons for being here or how it’s going.

Grabbing a towel from the back of my bedroom door, I stare at myself in the mirror, not liking the person I see looking back. Lying isn’t something I do, and yet here I am, keeping secrets from my mate, the one person I should be able to tell anything to. And causing him pain.

The mate bond tugs insistently, a constant reminder of what I'm denying us both. My wolf is restless, angry with me for pushing Wyatt away when every instinct screams to pull him closer.

It feels like I must have a giant sign over my head, calling me out as being a walking piece of shit.

“Fuck.” I hiss, turning away in disgust. The pale, drawn face I see looking back is barely recognisable.

I’m playing over the options in my mind, all of which suck, as I make my way to the bathroom, sighing when I hear the water turn on and a high-pitched voice begin an enthusiastic rendition of a song I don’t recognise.

With a groan, I spin on my heel, ready to head elsewhere to wash the day from my skin and come face to face with a tiny she-wolf with short black hair and massive honey-coloured eyes.

“There you are!” Hands on hips and feet planted firmly a shoulder width apart while blocking the hallway. It’s clear she has no intention of letting me pass without a conversation.

“Hi,” I say, plastering the fakest smile I can muster onto my face and trying to appear bright and chirpy. “Amy, isn’t it?”

Amy's perfectly styled hair and flawless makeup seem out of place for what's essentially a wilderness competition. Unlike most of us who've been focused on the physical challenges, she looks like she's about to step onto a runway. Her designer clothes are crisp and unwrinkled, a feat that seems impossible given our shared accommodations and the muddy grounds outside.

"You're getting quite cozy with the rogue," she says, skipping past pleasantries entirely. There's a calculation in her eyes that wasn't there before. "Ryan was pretty upset about it this morning."

My body tenses. "Ryan Williams? Why would he care who I talk to?"

Amy leans against the wall, examining her flawless manicure. "Ryan and Brad go way back, you know. Alpha training college. Thick as thieves, those two." She glances up to gauge my reaction. "Didn't Brad ever mention him to you?"

My heart stutters in my chest.

Brad and Ryan are friends? He never said a word about it.

"They're quite the pair," Amy continues, clearly enjoying having information I don't. “Me and Ryan used to be ‘close’ but he decided I wasn’t good enough for him.”

Ah.

She seethes, clearly not over the rejection. Frankly, I think she had a lucky escape, but I’m not getting drawn into that conversation. She might hate him right now, but who knows in the future? It’s safer to keep my opinions to myself.

“His loss,” I say, hoping we can move on to another topic when she gives me a grateful smile. But she’s not done yet.

"They bonded over being second to their brothers in everything that counted to their fathers." She smirks. “Ryan was so jealous when Brad got his pack. I suppose they’re frenemies, really. Close buddies only when it suits them.”

I can feel the bitterness rising inside her. She’s still hurt. As a beautiful she-wolf, Ryan turning her down was probably a first for her.

"I didn't know they were friends," I say carefully, trying to sound casual, despite the alarm bells ringing in my head. “Although I’m not surprised they get on.”

Two peas in a dickhead pod.

"Mmm." She tilts her head. "I heard them last night at dinner. Talking about some old stars' rules that Ryan heard about.” Pausing for effect, she adds. “And about the rogue being a threat?"

The blood in my veins turns to ice. Is that who’s behind Wyatt’s harassment? Could they be convincing the others to give him a hard time? It wouldn’t surprise me.

"Why tell me this?" I ask, suspicion creeping in. We’ve barely said hello. Why is she suddenly spilling all this information to me now?

“You seem close to the rogue.” When I raise an eyebrow in disbelief, Amy shrugs, dropping all pretense of casualness. "And hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Her eyes flash with rage.

"I’ll tell Wyatt to watch his back, thanks.”

She fixes me with a hard look. “I'd watch your back around Brad. The way he looks at you..." She shivers theatrically, and with that bombshell dropped, Amy steps aside, finally unblocking the path.

"I think I'll run out to the communal showers," I say, needing space to process what I've just learned. What the hell is the stars rule? Nothing good, I’m sure. "I'm still all gross after my workout, and I can't wait to get this sweat off me." I pull the thin vest I'm wearing away from my clammy skin for effect and grimace.

Dashing out the front door, I hold my bath towel to my chest and hurry toward the shower block. Because now I'm not just worried about my sister and myself, I'm worried about what two ruthless alphas with something to prove might plan for Wyatt.