Page 37 of Alpha Games

I bit into the doughnut first, chasing the sugar with a chunk of meat, and watched all the other late-risers still eating around me. They were mostly women and the ones who had Alphas with them seemed to be hanging out with their own packs.

“Are you okay this morning, Trenton?”I tried to mind-link him, but he must have been somewhere outside. Only the pack Alpha was strong enough to call us at long distances and even that had its limits.

I assumed I’d feel if he was dead though so I took another bite of my doughnut.

My wolf started growling.

“That was quite a show you put on yesterday.” Meghan walked up to my table.

“That’s what we’re here for, right?” I swallowed my breakfast, making sure to look her directly in the eyes. “To put on a show.”

“Right.” Meghan smiled. It was faker than the cheese they’d used in my eggs. “Are you coming out with us tonight?”

“I’m not sure yet.” I had no clue what she meant, but I didn’t want to let her have the upper hand. She was definitely on my list of suspects for thecupcake situation now despite not speaking to her until recently.

“I hope you do.” Meghan gave me a little finger wave, carrying her granola bar out the door.

I bit into my doughnut again, shushing my wolf as Fallon came walking into the cafeteria. She had a black hoodie on that was big enough to swim in and her sunglasses hid her face.

“Hey Fallon,” I called, waving her over like she’d done a dozen times to me.

She nodded, holding up a finger, and filled her coffee before hurrying to my table like something was on fire. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I eyed her shaking hands as she sipped her coffee. “Are you okay? Should you have something other than caffeine?”

“I’ll grab a bagel to go.” She looked over her shoulder just as the doors to the cafeteria opened.

Two Luna contestants, Amber and Danielle O’Neil, came strolling into the room. Fallon’s upper lip curved into a grimace that she hid behind her coffee cup. I heard her heart rate pick up as blood pulsed faster in her veins.

“Why don’t you have some of my sausage?” I pushed over my tray. Now that I thought about it, I hardly remember seeing Fallon eat anything besides coffee in the morning. Shifter or not, that couldn’t be healthy.

“I’m fine.” She growled softly, taking a step back as the doors to the cafeteria opened again. John came in after his nieces. They were younger women, about nineteen, but they made him look so much older as he tolerated their teasing and laughter.

Fallon didn’t seem to mind how worn out he looked. The scent of arousal filled the air. I was polite enough not to point it out, finishing the last of my doughnut in another bite.

“I’ll talk to you later.” Fallon took off running out the emergency exit door just as John O’Neil glanced in our direction.

That was strange.

I sniffed my eggs, wondering if I’d missed something in my food after all.

16

Ranger

“I’m going to leave these in here until I send word for the boys to bring them out.” I placed the table and chairs in the larger tent next to Jenna’s cot where they’d be safe.

“Are you taking her on a midnight picnic?” Jenna put her hands into the pockets of her green romper overalls.

The production team kept the wrought iron bistro tables and chairs in the storage shed when not using the equipment for the speed dating round. I figured no one would miss them if I borrowed a set for my own date.

“Something like that.” I gave her a smile as she sighed wistfully. “Do you want me to put the idea in Beau’s head for you?”

“No thanks, Alpha.” Jenna laughed. “He doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body and I don’t feel like rutting in the dirt before he takes a nap.”

What’s wrong with rutting in the dirt?

Jenna’s words gave me pause and I added a picnic blanket to the mental list I was building for tonight.