Page 55 of Mating Season

Now I feel bad for hitting him.

He sniffed our mate’s nest. He deserved it.

Scott glared at Chad, waiting for an answer.

“Revenge probably won’t happen.” I motioned to their teams standing slightly back in the woods and out of the camera shot. “You’d need to get all of them together to help. I’m not sure if you know me, but I was holding back in the ring.”

I was slightly bluffing–not sure if I could take all seven of their guards plus them–but the way they stepped away from each other drove my point home.

“I’ll tell you what though. Here’s your official apology for the cheap shot I took.” I glanced back at Aspen, giving her another wink. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. There were other things on my mind.”

She smiled at me with adoration in her eyes.

I never knew I’d enjoy being the ‘better man.’

I’m not a man and I’m still not sorry.

Scott looked to Chad and then to the cameras, thinking about our deal before he turned to me. “Does Meghan have a shot with your wolf?”

“No chance in hell,” Aspen spit.

“Figured as much.” He held up his fingers. “Peace out, guys. Enjoy the rest of the season.”

And then there were two.

“So, what did he promise you?” I asked Brett again. The shrewd look in his eyes reminded me of his father though he didn’t have the Frazier red tint to his hair.

“Where’s John?” Brett looked to the trees.

Was this about the fight he’d lost?

“Currently mating Fallon,” Aspen said.

My wolf put his paws over his eyes and I cringed. Could’ve gone the rest of my life without hearing those words.

“But that’s not why you’re here,” Aspen pressed. Brett turned his face to the moon and sighed.

I was pretty sure he didn’t sign up for this.

“I don’t know what prior beef you two had, but I’m barely keeping my beast in check. Can we hurry this up? I want to go hunt.” There was another crunch in the woods and Brett’s eyes drifted ever so slightly in that direction.

I took a step closer to Aspen.

Chad put his hands in the air, trying to save face in front of the cameras, and turned up the watts on his smile. “Let’s chill on the politics for once and speak honestly.”

I narrowed my eyes. The surest sign one of these political Alphas was about to lie was when they said they were going to tell the truth.

“You do know you don’t have to settle for this, sweetheart.” Chad tested the waters as he took a step forward. “I could set you up better than he ever could. Give you everything you need.”

“No thanks.” I could practically hear Aspen roll her eyes. “Besides, you make promises you won’t keep.”

“Like what?” Chad huffed.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Aspen kept going with the challenging tease to her voice. “What did you promise Ranger in the ring? Or can you even remember after that knockout?”

Chad snapped his teeth like a weak wolf who couldn’t help but rise to a perceived challenge. “Don’t you dare question my integrity. Tulia Pack will stay out of McCaw territory and he’ll get his little reparations thrown to the trailer trash shifters in the outskirts of pack borders.”

My breath hissed through clenched teeth.