Vivian Arend - Wolf Games

TJ continued to stare. “How can you be so calm when chances are I’m about to screw this up for us like I always—”

“Enough.” Erik let his power roll out over the young man as he towered over him. “I don’t let anyone talk shit about you, not even you. Do your best, that’s all any of us ask. If you do have an accident then fix it the best way you can.”

The panic in TJ’s eyes faded slightly.

A piercing whistle broke the air and the team gathered around Erik.

“Okay, there’s the five-minute warning. Those are prospector canoes—flat bottomed so they’re nice and stable. I want Jared in front, TJ and Maggie side by side in the middle. I’ll take the stern and steer us. What do you think about going for the extra buoys? Yes or no?”

TJ flicked a glance at the team. “I’m just going to paddle and keep my ass in the seat. I’ll do whatever you decide.”

Maggie chewed on her lip. “Are the buoys far out of our path?”

Erik shook his head. “Looks like we can pretty much stick to the current. We’ll want to do that anyway to make the best time. The fastest route down the river is not a straight line. When we get close to the rocks we’ll have to stay to the right.” He looked at Maggie. “Did you ever see the rapids when you lived in Whitehorse?”

“If I did, it was a long time ago.”

“There are four towers of granite dividing the current into five parts. The far right is the best one to go through, but the main thing is to avoid the towers themselves and the far-left channels. There are sweepers off the left, and some nasty undercurrents over there. When we get close, just listen to my instructions. We’ll use the first few minutes in the canoe to practice our strokes.”

“What about the symbols?” Jared jiggled on the spot as he stood waiting.

“Maggie, I want you to try to memorize them. Describe them out loud when you see them and we’ll all try to help remember, but I don’t want all four of us staring at the damn things or we’ll be in the drink for sure.”

The final warning whistle blew and there was no more time for discussion. The gun went off and they were away, racing over the grass to grab paddles. They sprinted to the side of the canoe to manhandle it down to the water’s edge. Jared hopped in, TJ fell in and Maggie gracefully jumped over the side as he pushed them out into the current.

“I hate wet socks.” Jared complained from the front of the canoe.

Maggie laughed at him. “You’re not wearing socks.”

Erik laughed. “Okay. Practice time. Everyone draw on the right.”

They practiced maneuvering the canoe until Erik felt they should at least survive the trip. The rest of the competitors had settled into a pattern around them. There were two canoes alone in the lead, a group of six or seven close around the Granite Lake team, and another larger pack behind them.

“Buoy approaching on the right,” Jared shouted.

Erik checked the river. “We’ll try for this one, then we need to slip over to the left more.”

Three other canoes all veered the same direction and suddenly the river grew crowded. Erik steered their craft to the side but it was too late. One canoe rammed them in the bow, another slammed into the other side.

“Shit.” TJ’s paddle went flying. He managed to grab the seat, the boat rocking as he attempted to regain his balance.

Erik ruddered hard, even as Maggie’s quiet voice rose over the confusion and shouts of the other teams. “I saw the symbol. We can go.”

They pulled away from the mess of boats. Once they were back in the current, Erik reached under his feet and poked the swearing TJ in the back with a spare paddle.

“You eat with that mouth? Here.” The look of delight on TJ’s face made Erik grin. “Just hold on to it tight, okay? We’ve only got one spare left.”

“I thought you were going to call out the symbols, Maggie?” Jared glanced over his shoulder at her.

“I figured just in case someone didn’t see it, I shouldn’t announce it for them all. It looked like a cowboy hat with a triangle underneath.”

The crowd of boats slowly spread out. Clusters of twos and threes still paddled beside each other, but with each buoy Granite Lake managed to lose another of their closest competitors. They made it past three more buoys before Erik decided it was enough.

“The rapids are around this corner. I think we should just concentrate on finishing strong and not worry about the final clues.”

The team was silent for a minute before Maggie spoke. “I am getting tired.”

Jared nodded. “I vote for finishing. If you noticed the canoes ahead of us, not one of them stopped to get any of the extra clues. I think the four we saw is enough.”

They settled into a paddling pattern. There was a certain joy in moving in synchronization with the group this way. Not as good as running in a pack, but with a rhythm and a beauty to it all the same. Erik admired Maggie’s arms and shoulders as she paddled, watching the way her muscles moved under the skin. He’d love to see her body shifting like that on top of him, rocking from side to— damn . This was not the time to get distracted thinking about his mate.

He steered them toward the safest channel just as a loud ruckus behind them made him check over his shoulder. Oh shit.

“Holy crap! Did you see that?” Jared gasped his surprise.

“Eyes forward, Jared. You need to keep to your task as lookout.”

“But they dumped the other team!”

Erik shook his head. “Keep paddling, crew. Yeah, we’ve got a group trying an unusual method to gain points. Concentrate on the river in front of us and let me worry about the cheaters.” TJ and Maggie exchanged worried glances before paddling madly. “Whoa, no rush. Just paddle. Trust me.”

He laughed. He’d wondered when someone would get creative. While wolves followed a strict code of conduct in governance, one of the sub-rules was if you were powerful enough, you could make your own rules.

Another shout rose from behind and he watched for a moment as the cheating team came alongside their next victim and made short work of tipping them over. Erik considered a defense and decided they’d never know what hit them.

“TJ, you remember when we guided that family reunion down the Stikine?”

“Are you freaking kidding? I still have nightmares…no, oh no. Holy shit, you can’t be serious—?”

“On my command.”

“Crapola. Yes, sir.”

“Erik. What’s happening?” Maggie sounded frightened and he wanted to reassure her, but there was no time. In a rush the other canoe was at their side, three of their team all at the ready to grasp the side of the Granite Lake craft.

“Now?” TJ asked, his voice coming out high and squeaky.

“Wait for it.” Erik glanced over at the captain in the rear. He should have known. “Darren. Having a good time so far? You and the team?” There weren’t many people Erik actively disliked, but Darren topped his shit list.

The captain of the Anchorage team startled at Erik’s bland response, then grinned widely, his canines showing. “Wonderful time. We’ll see you at the finish line, dripping wet.”

Erik shrugged. “If you insist. Now, TJ.”

TJ leapt, his long limbs propelling him into the air and over the side. He came down hard in the neighbouring boat.

Maggie squealed as their canoe rocked. Jared dropped into the bottom to help stabilize it. Erik threw himself down as well, cracking his paddle on the knuckles of the other team where they clasped the gunnels. Shouts of pain rang out, the hands released and with a clatter the boats sprang apart.

“What the hell—?” Darren’s angry shout was following by an enormous splash.