Page 34 of Alpha Games

Fallon cracked a smile, handing me the bottle of whiskey. “How’s the mate situation going?”

“It’s going.” I took a swig from the bottle and squatted down by the fire, feeling my pack’s eyes on me. I owed them honesty. “She still hasn’t admitted she’s my fated mate, but I think she’s warming to the idea.”

Warming was an understatement.

But I wasn’t going to bethathonest.

“Seriously,” Fallon groaned. “This is going to drag out forever. You know what? Maybe I was wrong earlier and we should rethink the kidnapping plan so we can get out of here already.”

I thought of how Aspen stilled in my arms and the panic in her eyes when my teeth grazed the traditional claiming mark area. “No. I won’t rush her.”

“And why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Jones leaned back against his camping chair, staring at my sister. Silence passed between them and seemed to ripple through the rest of my pack. “Alpha Ranger hasn’t finished what he came here for.”

Fallon’s gaze hardened. If you didn’t know my sister as well as I did, you’d miss the tell. She was hiding something, but she wasn’t going to let any of us know that. “We’re getting close to mating season. It’s pushing things too far. We’ll find another way.”

As much as I wanted to explore her reasons for the change of heart, she was right. “I can’t ask any unmated McCaw members to stay here much longer.”

It wasn’t like I wanted to be here much longer either, but I could control myself. My shifters needed to be home on our own land and with our pack elders to help them during the season.

Mattox was still in wolf form as he came back to the fire with Justin and Foster behind him. Foster laid down at Jones’ feet and the big guy leaned forward to scratch his mate’s ears. I looked over at Jenna who was wrapping a plate in tin foil, no doubt planning to save it for Beau when he got off duty.

Other than the four of them, the rest of my pack needed to be heading home in the next two or three days before the start of the mating season urges began.

I placed my hands on my thighs, ready to stand and make the declaration. I’d lost today and didn’t achieve what I came here for, but I wasn’tgoing to needlessly drag this out when so much was on the line. It was up to me to lead the pack and make the best decisions for all of us.

Fallon beat me to the punch. “I think we can all agree that it’s too risky for my brother to focus on revenge when Aspen is here.”

My wolf bristled a bit. As did I. She didn’t have to word it that way. I agreed with her, but my beast didn’t like the insinuation that he couldn’t take care of his mate. “Risky, yes. But not impossible.”

My sister growled in frustration.

I looked around the campfire. “What do the rest of you think?”

Mattox sided up to us, shifting into human form and grabbing a wool blanket to cover his junk. “The hunt is in less than two days. I don’t see why we can’t stay until then and try it your way one more time.”

There were a few murmurs of agreement.

I studied my Beta, mind-linking him so as not to air all our dirty laundry to the pack.“You’re one of the reasons I want us home by mating season.”

“Don’t worry about me, Alpha.” He sat down next to Fallon and grabbed the whiskey bottle. “We’ve been waiting years to give that family a taste of what they did to ours. Two more days isn’t going to kill us.”

“Will you stop riling him up?” Fallon rolled her eyes as she yanked the bottle back. “He has enough on his shoulders as it is. We’ll handle that prick another way.”

I don’t like this.My beast started growling.

I raised my face to the night sky, letting the moon caress my skin. Mattox was right. Two dayswouldn’t hurt. I’d get another chance to win a favor and still have time to take Aspen on our proper date.

“We stay till the day of the hunt and then move out,” I told my pack, making the final decision. That would give us another three days or so to get back to our lands and set up for mating season. It wasn’t much time with Aspen without our biological urges taking control, but I had a feeling I could convince her to leave with us on our date tomorrow night.

My packs’ howls of approval rang around me. Fallon took a long draw of the whiskey. The fire flames danced in my eyes as I watched the wood burn, praying I wasn’t making a mistake by not tapping out of the fight.

15

Aspen

“Spill. How many inches? How thick is the knot?” Clara’s panting stopped as she muffled the phone. “Will you shut up? I’m asking her now.”

I cringed so hard my face hurt.