Page 77 of Luna Trials
Oh. Make him work for it.
You’re not helping.
“I don’t know what you mean.” I stood taller, which didn’t make me any more intimidating to the beast of a man standing in front of me.
Ranger’s nostrils flared as he dipped his head and dragged his nose up the side of my neck, stayingjust a hair’s breadth away from touching me. Goosebumps broke out along my skin from his hot breath as he whispered the word, “Liar.”
“I am not.” I stepped back, needing space between our bodies as my wolf chose that moment to purr. Loudly.
Ranger’s expression darkened, which was really hard to do in the dim light. “I think you want the chase.”
Yes. Please.
I was very aware I was sending mixed signals, but I was currently trying to get ahold of my beast who’d apparently gone feral. “No thanks, buddy.” I thumped him on the chest and my cheeks flamed with heat when I realized how stupid that sounded.
Goddess, what is wrong with me?
“Aspen, what are you doing over there?” Trenton called out. My cover was officially blown. Not like it was a good one or anything.
“She’s with me,” Ranger spoke like he was staking a claim.
Back up.“I’m not with anyone.”
“So I’ve seen.” Ranger scratched his jaw, looking as confused as I felt. “Which brings me back to my earlier question, why are you really here?”
“I knew you put that question in the cue.” Anger. I could cling to anger instead of the swirling twist of emotions raging inside me. “Why does it matter so much to you?”
“Because I want the answer.” He crowded me again and I backed across the trail. “And don’t tell meyou are here for love like that bullshit you spewed on stage.”
“That wasn’t bullshit.” I growled. “I was talking about my papa. Everything I said was the truth.”
Amusement lit up his stupidly handsome face. “Then you are a romantic.”
I was about to tell him I wasn’t and he could wipe the smug grin from his chin, when Trenton came walking up the path.
“No. She’s not a romantic,” he said.
My angry gaze shot to Trenton. “What would you know about that?”
The silence of the night breathed around us as we stood staring at each other, broken only by the deep growl building in Ranger’s chest.
“Tell him why you’re really here, Aspen,” Trenton challenged me.
“You know what? I don’t have to deal with this.” I stormed past him, seeing red. It was his fault I was here and he knew it. “Why don’t you two go take a hike and swap stories of your Alpha dicks?”
*
Ranger was a bully just like Trenton.
He is not.
Yes he is.I growled at my wolf to shut her up as the sound crew fixed the microphone on my shirt.
We’d spent too long last night fighting over what we thought about those stupid Alphas and wereno closer to coming to any sort of agreement. I’d skipped breakfastagainand didn’t get enough sleepagain.
I hated this.
The Luna candidates stood in line on either side of me as we walked into the elimination room for the second round. I was done. They could send me home. I almost welcomed the fallout from Nuva Pack over spending another second here in this dramatic hell.