Page 22 of Alpha Games
“There’s a finish line. It’s a race.”Trenton growled through our link.
Let him die.“Fine then.”I growled back.“But slow and steady wins it.”
“To keep things interesting, the first Alpha to cross the finish line will be awarded a traditional boon like the days of old,” Jay spoke to the cameras with growing excitement. “A favor? A challenge? A lifetime debt? Stay tuned to the end to see who will receive this highly anticipated prize.”
Wait a second…
What kind of debt?
Someone fired a gun.
10
Ranger
It was shaping up to be a wonderful morning. The sun was shining. Birds were chirping. The scent of testosterone was thick in the air.
It smelled of battle.
Of victory.
I hadn’t expected a boon to be given out so early in the games. It was a welcome surprise. If things went according to plan, I could be done with this show by this afternoon, leaving with everything I’d come for and more.
I glanced up at the cliff, looking for the goddess that stood watching over us. Aspen was beautiful. Even from this distance, my beast was able to pick up the subtle notes of her soft scent on the breeze.
Soon, my mate.My beast settled down.
Very soon,I agreed, filled with a rush of energy. All I had to do was win and I could claim my prize.
The twenty of us males stood at the starting line. Some had fur breaking out on their skin and fangs snapping as the anxious tension built while we waited for the gun to fire.
I caught the eye of John O’Neil standing stoically near the other side of the starting line and we nodded at each other. The younger Alphas between us were pacing and scratching.
“How many roses do you think Aspen will give out?” Chad Tulia flexed beside me. Two weeks I’dspent feeling this idiot out and it seemed the only thing he’d come here for was to rile the other Alphas up.
I glanced at him, not letting my beast show. “She can give as many out as she wants.”
It was true. I wasn’t a complete barbarian. Aspen could do whatever she wanted, as long as I had control of the situation and made sure she was safe.
And if she wanted to give him a rose?
I could arrange an entire bouquet sent to his grave.
“A fine piece of ass like that.” Chad whistled. Apparently, money couldn’t buy sense. “I can’t believe you haven’t locked it down yet.”
He was only baiting me. A shifter like him wouldn’t have looked twice at a female of Aspen’s standing if I hadn’t shown interest in her. But I struggled to explain that to my beast.
A territorial growl slipped out. Chad’s eyes widened as he scratched his jaw, trying to hide the slight twitch of his head moving on instinct to show his neck.
He was no threat.
This was child’s play.
The gun fired. I took off running, leaving Chad and the rest of the Alphas behind in the dirt.
My feet hit the platform at the edge of the pit and I leapt, feeling the fibers bite into my palms as I grabbed to the rope about fifteen feet overhead.
I navigated the first part of the course moving hand after hand. My legs dangled above the jagged rocks and mud pools as the taunt rope arched upwards to the maze of nets.