Page 82 of Wild Games

I press one more kiss to her hair and close my eyes, letting her scent and warmth lull me toward rest.

My last thought before sleep takes me is a vow. Nobody is taking this from me.

36

CAMILLE

The pack dining hall buzzes with morning conversation as Jax and I enter together. His hand rests on my lower back, a gesture so casually possessive, that it makes my stomach flutter. Around us, conversations pause momentarily as pack members register our arrival, and how close together we stand.

At the alpha table, Dean looks up from his coffee, takes one look at us, and pauses. He makes a show of inhaling deeply, then shakes his head with a knowing look.

"Morning, brother. Camille." His tone is carefully neutral, but I catch the slight quirk of his lips. "Get some breakfast. Long day ahead."

I feel heat creep up my neck. We're both still damp from our shower, but not exactly clean. I definitely shouldn't have let Jax join me in the shower, but the pleasurable ache between my thighs makes it hard to regret it.

We move toward the buffet, Jax's hand never leaving my back. At the serving table, I pile fruit onto my plate while Jax loads up on bacon. Our movements fall into an easy rhythm, passing items before the other reaches for them.

A younger wolf I don't recognize does a double take when Jax reaches around me for the salt, his chest brushing my back. When the wolf accidentally bumps into me, Jax doesn’t even flinch, just smiles and waves off his effusive apologies.

Further down the buffet line, two female pack members exchange glances when Jax's fingers trail along my waist as we move to the juice station.

"Is that really Jax?" I hear one whisper to the other.

The casual intimacy seems to surprise everyone around us, and I have to admit, I get a thrill from the thought that they’re all so surprised to see him being affectionate with me. This clearly isn’t a regular thing.

The dining hall is fuller than before, competitors and visiting pack members filling every seat at the tables. The energy is different too, the anticipation for the Games final mixing with the underlying tension of recent events.

Ryan Williams sits at a corner table alone, picking at his food. The suspicions that many still have that he knew something about his father’s actions, hangs over Ryan like a storm cloud.

I imagine the only reason he’s still even here is to ensure his name is fully cleared by the investigation Zane and Raven are closing out.

Jax spots Eli and Kain at a table near the windows and gives them a nod. "I'll be right back," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple before heading their way.

I continue filling my plate, adding toast and jam to the pile, and ignoring the looks I’m getting from those nearby. Behind me, I hear Jax's voice, steady and sincere.

"Thank you. For last night."

Dash looks up from his mountain of pancakes, syrup dripping onto his plate. The bandage on his shoulder is visible under his shirt where Jax's claws caught him.

"Just glad nobody got seriously hurt." He shakes his head, then corrects with a smile. “Or, should I say, I’m glad you didn’t get yourself into trouble. I wouldn’t have been upset to see somebody else getting hurt.”

Eli nods along, in complete agreement with his brother, a nasty bruise still colouring his arm. I hope it doesn’t impact his performance today.

"You would've done the same for us," Kain adds. There's something different about his eyes, one seeming to catch the light differently than the other.

"Still." Jax shifts his weight, and I can see how much this matters to him. As a wolf who most people stay away from, the display of friendship and support has meant a lot. "You risked your chances in the final. An injury could have cost you everything."

Eli waves off the concern with his fork. "Had worse in training. Besides, who else would patch us up after the final if you got yourself hauled off?"

"You don’t deserve to be an alpha if you can’t push through a little pain anyway," Kain says. “Or help someone who deserves it.”

Jax nods, throat working like words are stuck there. "Good luck today. Both of you."

"May the best wolf win." Eli grins, then sobers slightly when Kain stares him down, slipping back into hardened competitor mode.

While Jax talks with them about how the final is going to work, I notice movement from across the room.

Raven has risen from his table, gaze fixed on me, using Jax's absence to make his move. He starts toward the buffet with purpose, his path designed to intercept me.