Page 25 of Alpha Games
I made my way over to Fallon’s table, glad when Ivan found a seat, and skirted a camera team speaking to a group of the younger Luna contestants. Trenton’s name came up and I slowed to listen, but the women tensed when they saw me eavesdropping.
I nodded and kept walking. Fallon’s group at the plastic round table had doubled in the past few days. Edith and Lilith were sitting there. I smiled at them as I took a seat, glancing nervously at Cindy who sat next to two other women. Sarah and Meghan, if I remembered their names right. Meghan was a tanned blond bombshell from down in Florida and Sarah was her complete opposite. A country classic beauty from Chism Pack outside Nashville.
They both seemed at ease with Fallon and Edith and Cindy even though I hadn’t seen them hang out before, but I was the one without money or a large territory at this table. So maybe I was the only one who was awkwardly nervous.
“See anything good out there?” Fallon asked.
I swallowed another gulp of water, stalling, as a dangerous howl filled the tent and the image of Ranger in his monstrous half-shifted form showed on the screen. Fallon rolled her eyes as I choked on my water.
Holy Goddess…
He was perfect. A freaking delicious specimen of an Alpha. Heat rushed straight to my core, throbbing deep.
“Ranger’s going to win,” Meghan purred.
I will gouge your eyes out if you don’t stop–
Enough,I growled at my wolf.
“He’s so far ahead,” Edith agreed, “and barely breaking a sweat.”
The plastic water bottle crinkled as my hands fisted around it under the table. “Where’s Chad?” I barked out, needing them to focus on someone else.
Lilith smiled, nudging her sister’s shoulder in a secret gesture that I didn’t have the patience to try to understand. “He’s coming in fifth, but Trenton is up there in front too.”
“Is he?” I should have felt relief that they were speaking of Trenton, but that just made me look at the screen again. The cameras were hovering around Ranger as he grunted, shoving the boulder up the hill.
“Don’t worry about Chad,” Cindy growled.
“I wasn’t?” My eyebrow arched in a question mark as I stared at her. “Trenton is my packmate.”
“Oh yeah.” Cindy rolled her eyes. “I almost forgot you were from nowhere.”
Not again with this bitch.My fangs itched.
“Chill out,” Meghan said. “Not everyone cares about Chad Tulia.” Her eyes shot to Edith. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Edith waved her off.
I breathed through my nose, offering Meghan a grateful smile. “Who are you rooting for?”
Her lips pursed as if she’d eaten something sour. “It doesn’t matter who I think I want. Our wolves will decide on an appropriate match. This is all for show in case you forgot we’re literally on TV.”
There was a threat in there, somewhere.
I wasn’t quite sure where, but my wolf’s hackles raised in response.
“Isn’t this your second season?” Fallon broke through the tension with a bored laugh as she leaned closer to me. My eyes widened.Oh really.
I wouldn’t say I enjoyed drama, but I wasn’t going to say no to listening in.
“My wolf is picky.” Meghan shrugged as she turned her attention back to the screen. “Last season didn’t have this good of selection.”
Ranger’s sweaty muscles rippled from the strain and his tattoos peeked out of black fur under the tatters of his shirt. He looked like a monster straight from the pits of hell.
“I’ll say.” Edith winked at Meghan. Both of them were practically drooling as they stared at what was…Mine.
My claws broke through the plastic water bottle in my hands and my wolf flashed in my eyes as a territorial growl slipped out.