Page 16 of Alpha Games
Ranger
She would top from the bottom if she could and that shouldn’t have excited me as much as it did. Truthfully, there wasn’t much about Aspen that didn’t rile me up. That should have been terrifying, but it wasn’t. The thrill of the hunt was calling my beast and pumping him full of adrenaline.
Damn straight.He puffed up his chest, preening from our latest encounter.
The pull of the mating call was a shot to my veins and I’d never felt more alive. There was a part of me that was curious about the logistical aspect of this fated mate attraction.
I was a practical person, not overrun by emotion, and the thought of this feeling never abating was cause for some concern. Would I be able to continue to lead my pack in the capacity I strove for when this draw was so consuming?
Don’t care.My beast growled.
I smiled to myself as I slid the keycard against the lock. Just between the two of us, I could admit I didn’t care much either. I’d find a way to make this work. The Goddess had seen fit to bless me and I wasn’t stupid enough to throw it away.
*
“Someone looks happy. I guess speed dating went well.” Fallon pulled her earbuds out as I kicked the door closed behind me.
“Weren’t you supposed to be there?” I tried to keep my tone disinterested, but my voice betrayed the lightness I was feeling.
“I told them I had a headache.” She shrugged.
“A headache?”
“I would have gotten a real one if I had to sit there answering what my life goals were on repeat.” Fallon closed her laptop. “Now spill. Why do you look like you’re about to break into a musical number?”
“I don’t sing.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. How was your first date?”
“I don’t know because it hasn’t happened yet.” I kept my expression blank, teasing my sister as she itched for more details, and waited until she frowned. “But we’ll be having our first real date very soon.”
“You asshole.” Fallon started clapping. “Does she know you two are fated now?”
“We haven’t discussed it.” I thought through our conversation, realizing that exact topic never came up. There was so much to unravel and I wasn’t sure what the protocol was in these kinds of situations.
“You… Haven’t… Discussed…” My sister stared at me unblinking. “Don’t you think that was the part you should lead with? Like, ‘hey, I don’t know you that well and forgive me for my obsession, but my wolf is dead set on you being my fated mate. Does your wolf feel the same?’”
“When you put it that way…” I scratched my jaw, thinking through Aspen’s possible reactions. “No.”
“No?” Fallon threw her hands in the air. “What are you going to do? Kidnap and hold her hostage until she finally gives in?”
“If I thought it would work, I would try it,” I kept riling her up, only stopping when my sister’s face flamed red. “Calm down. I can sense her more than I can normally sense anyone. I know she wants me, but something is holding her back. I’m not going to steamroll her into accepting our bond.”
Fallon had her mouth open to argue, but she slowly closed it as my words broke through. “Oh. That’s, um, very noble of you.”
“Did you expect less from me?” I chuckled.
“Maybe.” She sighed. “The cameras are a little much.”
“They aren’t enough,” I growled, taking a seat on the couch. “We still haven’t figured out who threatened her.”
Fallon sat beside me. “The pack is here now. You don’t have to worry so much about keeping her safe.”
I stared at my hands, slowly cracking my knuckles. “You know that’s not possible. Even if she wasn’t my fated, I couldn’t let a threat like this slide.”
“Speaking of which…” Fallon took a deep breath, not having to finish that sentence.
“Nothing has changed,” I said. “Obviously Aspen is more important to me now, but I’m still here competing in the games.”