Page 4

4

Wyatt

N aomi is skittish. That’s why I said nothing to Jamie. I need to get my mate alone first and find out what’s making her so nervous.

When I set her down, she’s stiff, brushing off her clothes and stepping away from me, still attempting to keep her distance, while at the same time drawing me closer. I’m confused, but I can be patient. Something's wrong, something she's not telling me, and my protective instincts are now on high alert.

Hopefully, it’s not my rogue status that’s giving her cause for concern.

We can’t take our eyes off each other as we make our way toward the tables laden down with an endless supply of food and water for the competitors. The one thing I have to give my new brother-in-law credit for is that he knows how to feed a crowd of starving wolves.

“Here.” I hand Naomi a bottle of water and a selection of snacks to choose from before retrieving my own.

She accepts them with a shy smile, and I feel the weight of her eyes on me as I gather more supplies and tuck them in my pockets.

“Picnic,” I explain, and she raises an eyebrow, wondering why I’m squirrelling away food from an all-you-can-eat buffet.

“Come around here. Sit with me. It’s quieter.”

And she won’t have to witness the abuse I get from the other competitors.

Amusement shines in Naomi’s eyes as I steer her further away from the throngs of people enjoying the spectacle that is the Alpha Games, to a more secluded spot where we can sit and talk before the madness begins again.

We find a small clearing behind the food tent, shielded from view by stacked supply crates. Dappled sunlight filters through the trees overhead. It's not private, exactly, but it feels separate from the chaos of the competition, a small pocket of calm.

When I pull out a chair for Naomi to sit on, she chuckles, a sound that lights up my very soul.

“What?” I ask, perplexed, when she plonks down and continues to grin at me.

“I’m not used to this kind of chivalry. Are you always like this?”

I pause, mid opening her bottle of water for her, and glance at my hands. She stares too, and I hesitate, unsure now whether she likes it, or if it's too much. Too bossy.

“I like it,” she says kindly. “I love it, in fact. I’m just not used to it.”

I’m relieved. Bending to hand her the water, I make sure she hears the truth in my words. “Good. Because you’re going to have to get used to it. And it’s not the bond, it’s just you.”

Instead of letting my mind wander to thoughts of hunting down and killing any man who was dumb enough to let her go, I focus on the fact that she likes me spoiling her and resume ensuring she has enough fluids on board.

Naomi has to get through.

If she gets knocked out before me, there’s no way I’ll be able to concentrate, wondering where she is and what she’s doing.

“I don’t think we should tell anyone,” she blurts out, immediately grabbing my hand and squeezing it gently. “I’m so sorry. Is that a terrible thing to ask?” I can see how concerned she is that she’s hurt my feelings, and while I’d love to show off my good fortune, for her sake, I have to agree.

“Honestly, I was thinking the same thing. There are plenty of people here who’d love to see me gone. I’d hate for you to have to deal with that, too.” I don’t go as far as to say they might target her, but I can see from the steely look in her eye that she knows what I’m hinting at.

What better way to force me out of the competition than to threaten my mate? I would love to trust that nobody would stoop so low, but everyone here has their own reasons for competing. Plenty are just as desperate to win as me.

“My alpha… well, he’s not even really my alpha, but I live there…” She fidgets. “He… isn’t the easiest. And I fear he’d try to intervene.” Her cheeks turn pink as she holds back from telling me the full story.

I catch a flash of something dark in her expression, and my wolf bristles, sensing there's more to her relationship with her alpha than she's letting on. Not romance. No, this feels like the exact opposite. Fear, but for her or for me, I can’t tell.

I don’t like it either way.

Maybe there’s some history there with rogues that makes her believe he wouldn’t want us to be together.

All wolves treasure fated mates, but this is a slightly unique situation. If he believes me to be dangerous, he could try to stand in our way.

“Ha. I’d like to see him try.” I scoff, trying to keep the mood light, as I push another piece of fruit her way. When she looks up at me, exasperated, I tear a piece of my orange away and press it to her lips. There’s something intimate about feeding your mate. On a very primal level, it’s the most basic way of taking care of the person you love.

“Once this is all over, we’ll be free to do whatever we want,” she adds, and though I like the sound of that, I can tell there’s something else, something more to her words. But I can’t push her right now, not when we’ve only just met.

I sense her internal conflict, the way she's torn between pulling me closer and pushing me away. I note her elevated heart rate and shifty body language, but don’t comment. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. Or I’ll figure it out for myself when I meet the douchebag.

If I can’t tell the world Naomi’s my mate, and I can’t claim her yet, I’m going to make damn sure she feels like she’s already mine. And that she can see how perfect things will be once this competition is over.

When she takes another piece of fruit from my fingers, and her lips brush my skin, I rumble my approval from deep in my chest.

“Good girl. You’re doing so well.” My voice is deep and husky, and when her tongue darts out to take it, I groan. “Fuck, you’re so hot.”

Smirking at the way her pupils dilate, I pop the rest into my mouth, needing to end this game before I can’t control the urges swelling up inside me. I ignore the faint scent of her arousal and pretend to be unaffected by the sight of her nipples hardening through the thin top she’s wearing.

My urges aren’t the only thing swelling.

Fuck. I fidget in my seat, needing to think unsexy thoughts if there’s any hope of walking back onto the course with my dignity intact.

“What if we both get to the final?” she asks, a hint of worry making her features pinched. My sweet mate, worried about how my ego will cope if she beats me.

“I love a bit of healthy competition, and I can’t think of anything sexier than watching my mate winning a pack to call our own. Doesn’t matter who wins once we’re doing it together.”

And I mean it. Watching her clamber onto the platform earlier gave me more of a thrill than my own performance.

Naomi smiles, big and bright, her eyes shining with emotion. “Thank you.”

She stands suddenly, leaning down to kiss me hard on the lips. It’s unexpected given we’ve just decided not to reveal our relationship, but there’s no way I’m pushing her away.

I hold her tightly as she melts into me, climbing into my lap and curling up against my body. The first touch of her lips against mine is electric. The mate bond flares, strengthening in an instant. It's as if some invisible thread that's been connecting us suddenly pulls tight, binding us closer. I can feel her joy, her desire, but underneath it all, there’s a persistent undercurrent of worry.

My arms tighten around her protectively, as if I could shield her from whatever's causing her pain.

“Nothing to thank me for yet, mate. We still have to get through today before we can get cocky.”

She laughs and snuggles in closer, like she’s settling in to watch a film rather than preparing to go back out and battle other alpha wolves. More relaxed now, she rests a hand on my chest, and I breathe deep, pressing my nose to her hair, so I draw her scent in.

“If you get us through today, I’ll make it to the final.”

There’s no doubt in her voice. No hint of joking or sarcasm. She’s deadly serious. Her confidence is so sexy.

“And what makes you so confident that you’ll be able to do that?” I ask, intrigued, as I examine my mate from head to toe, looking for a clue to her unwavering faith that we’ll get to the end. She doesn’t have my obvious size advantage, and I see no hints toward special powers.

“You’ll see.”

Interesting. My curiosity is piqued. There's more to my mate than meets the eye.

When a booming voice over the loudspeaker tells all contestants to find their next trial, I reluctantly stand, with Naomi still in my arms, and wait while she unfurls herself and finds the ground with her toes.

“I could have fallen asleep there.” She practically purrs, stretching up to place one more chaste kiss on my lips before we gather our empty wrappers and head back toward the crowded field.

“I’m sorry, that probably wasn’t very comfortable for you.”

It’s my turn to laugh. Any time with my mate curled up in my arms, the mate I never thought I’d find as a rogue makes me happy.

“It was perfect. My wolf is calm and content knowing you’ll be close by. That’s definitely worth a crick in the neck.”

Naomi pokes me in the side, laughing when I rub the back of my neck.

“ I ’m teasing. You’re as light as a feather. And soon, you’ll be able to sleep on me any time you want.”