Page 39 of Wild Games
“Jax Reynolds had an extreme reaction to Dean’s announcement.”
I was wondering how long it would take for him to bring that up. He was watching Jax closely from the moment his wild energy crashed into the dining hall this morning.
“He’s protective of his pack.”
No big deal. Just a practically feral wolf who sleeps chained up in a basement on the loose in the middle of a packed competition that’s already full of overstimulated and aggressive shifters.
“Is that what we’re calling it?” Zane stops walking, forcing me to face him. “Look, I’m not blind. Something’s going on there. It wasn’t hispackhe was being protective of.”
He sniffs the air to prove his point and to remind me that I’m covered in Jax’s scent.
“Unstable wolves are dangerous, Camille. To themselves and everyone around them. I shouldn’t need to remind you of that. It’s Enforcer 101.”
My wolf bristles at the criticism of our mate, but I keep my voice level.
“I’m here to investigate magical interference. Personal opinions about Dean’s pack members aren’t a priority right now. Let’s deal with one thing at a time.”
A pause.
“Right.” He clearly doesn’t believe me, but reluctantly, lets it drop. “Just be careful. You know from experience that not all wolves can be brought back. Raven said...”
My wolf bristles, not wanting to hear his name.
Zane’s warning is clear. He doesn’t need to labour the point. And he definitely doesn’t need to drag my ex into it.
“I appreciate your concern.”
My mild tone betrays my wolf’s assertion that there’s absolutely no fucking way we’re letting him, or Raven, deal with my mate like some dangerous criminal that needs to be locked up.
“Good.” He glances around again. “I need to find Ryan. Try not to cause any more scenes while I’m gone.”
But something tells me it’s not his brother that he’s looking for.
With a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder to dispel the tension between us, Zane strides off across the training grounds. I watch him go, then turn my attention to the wolves preparing for morning practice.
Time to play up to my enforcer title, and be very, very visible.
Doing my best to look very serious, I approach the first pair of sparring wolves, pulling out my phone to make obvious notes. They’re mid-grapple when they notice me, and the taller one, Eli, stops what he’s doing immediately.
“Don’t mind me,” I say pleasantly as they wait for me to speak. “Just observing.”
They exchange uncertain glances before resuming, but their movements are stilted now, self-conscious. The flow of their sparring turns mechanical, each trying to look skilled rather than actually fighting.
“Investigator Black?” Eli pants between rounds before wiping sweat from his forehead. “I want you to know I’m here to win fair and square.”
Dash nods, resting his hands on his knees as he catches his breath, looking equally offended that I’m here keeping a close eye on them.
“No offense, gentlemen, but of course you’re going to say that.”
I like the twins, but I’m here to ruffle some feathers, so I give them a neutral smile, write some more notes, and move on, leaving them to worry about what I’ve jotted down about them.
Similar protests follow as I make my way around each competitor, all of whom swear their innocence with varying degrees of conviction.
Alpha Williams rolls his eyes when he sees me doing the rounds, unimpressed apparently, that Dean is kicking up such a fuss over this.
After poking through the equipment and making copious notes, I stand back and simply stare, waiting to see if anyone looks more than just a little curious.
Callum appears as planned, materializing at my elbow as I examine the equipment, their gear bags, and water bottles. “Finding anything interesting?”