Vivian Arend - Wolf Games

“The Arctic Wolf Games? Those are now?”

“Yeah. The selection banquet for the Granite Lack pack is tonight. That’s why there’s a crowd of cars at the pack house.” Panic must have shown on her face because Missy rushed to reassure her. “Honey, it’s going to be okay. I’ll sit with you, and Tad will, and we can leave as soon as they finish the announcements.”

A shiver of fear rolled over Maggie. There was going to be a gathering of wolves and she had to go.

Welcome to hell.

She kept her back against the wall for as long as possible. Hidden in the shadows, she watched the pack members stroll around the large hall, chatting and laughing.

It looked safe. For now.

“You okay?”

She bit back a little scream. “How did you sneak up on me like that?”

Erik stroked a finger down her arm, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ve been here for five minutes watching you. I thought you might like an escort back to the table. We’re going to do the selection soon, and it will get a little noisy in here.”

She swallowed hard. Somehow her fingers snuck their way into his. The warmth of his hand reassured her, calmed her slightly. There were a hell of a lot more wolves in the building than she had ever wanted to see in her life again. Still, she couldn’t hide in the corner all night, no matter how much she wanted to.

“Okay.” She stood straighter and held her head high. She might be shaking inside but there was no way she would let any of the pack know. Erik squeezed her fingers as he led her past the Alpha and his mate. The two of them smiled at her before turning their attention back to the man seated beside them.

“They like you.” Erik pulled out her chair, next to Missy. He sat on her other side and draped his arm along the backrest. The curls of hair on his arm tickled the back of her neck and her nipples tightened. Great. She was freaking out with fear and getting aroused. His mouth was next to her ear. “I like you too. Very much.” He licked her earlobe gently.

A shockwave raced through her system. Shit. “Stop that.”

His soft voice tickled her ear. “I can smell your desire.”

She elbowed him and he moved away slightly, chuckling.

Missy leaned over. “You okay? We can go now if you want. Seriously, we’ve put in our appearance, we can leave.”

Maggie shook her head violently. She just wanted to get to the end of the bloody evening so she could curl up in a ball and collapse. But she refused to appear weak.

At the head table an older man in a business suit rose, a badge on his suit jacket marked with the initials AWG. He cleared his throat and the room hushed.

“The Arctic Wolf Games will begin three days from now in Skagway, Alaska. The rest of the teams have already been selected and are en route to the first challenge. The captain of the four-wolf team from Granite Lake will be selected first from a pool of ten hopefuls submitted by your Alpha. The other three will be filled by random selection. As always, the events involve both physical and mental abilities, so strength and speed are not the only abilities honoured.

“Every pack member over twenty is eligible. Your Alpha has already removed the names of those members who for one reason or another aren’t capable of taking part in the Games. Like your Omega, obviously.”

“Yeah, cause she’d kick their butts,” some wiseass in the back shouted out and the room rang with laughter.

Maggie wrapped her arms around herself to keep her limbs from shaking. It was too noisy, too many bodies and just too much. She glanced to her right, her fingers itching to re-grasp Erik’s hand. He returned her gaze, reaching to clasp her fingers and anchor her spinning world.

The chairman dug into the bag and pulled out a paper, holding it aloft. With great pomp he opened it and leaned into the microphone. “The first competitor, and team captain for Granite Lake, is—Erik Costanov.”

Roars of delight filled the hall. Erik squeezed her fingers for a second before releasing them to stand and wave at the pack members who all cheered and clapped.

“Damn straight. Finally we’ll have a chance at winning this thing.”

Maggie looked at her sister in confusion.

“Granite Lake has never won. They’ve never even placed. The random-lottery method of selecting the team means most years there’s been a team or two with a ringer. It looks like this time it’s our turn. This is fantastic for the pack.”

Something went cold in Maggie’s soul. She might not be ready to take Erik as her mate but selfishly she wanted him nearby. “Will he be gone for long?”

Missy shook her head. “The Games themselves take about ten days. You can always go along as a spectator.” She smiled and touched Maggie’s arm softly. “Are you thinking you’ll miss him? That’s a good sign.”

Maggie shuddered. “I’m not going to hang out with more than a hundred wolves for a week. Tonight is bad enough, and it’s only bearable because you’re here.”

“And Erik. Be honest.”

Damn it anyway. Sisters were a pain in the butt. “Fine. It’s easier when he’s next to me.”

Conversations filled the hall for a while as Erik chatted with the selection chairman. He smiled across the room at her like she was the only thing he cared about. Maybe…this would work out. Eventually. She knew better now than to deny her wolf, and the urge to get together with Erik grew stronger by the minute.

If only she didn’t feel like vomiting from simply looking out over the sea of bodies in the hall.

The chairman repeated his routine, selecting another name from a larger bag this time. With a loud yell, a man somewhere in his late twenties threw himself into the air, clasping his hands over his head and shaking them in victory. He strolled forward, taking the time to stop and plant a kiss on a pretty girl near the front of the hall.

Missy leaned in again and whispered with a laugh. “Oh goodie, that’s Jared. If there’s a challenge involving getting into the girls’ pants, we’re now guaranteed a win.”

Rather than watching what happened with the selection, Maggie was more intent on keeping an eye on Erik. He shook his new team member’s hand then stood back, his gaze once again meeting hers. Calming her from across the room.

He was there for her. Could she believe that? She’d been taught all her life her wolf was an important part of her, not something she could deny. She’d challenged that teaching to her own detriment. Maybe Missy’s lovingly delivered lectures over the past two years had been right. Maybe it was time to move on.

Lost in thought she barely heard the chairman call the next name.

“Margaret Raynor.”

Terror raised its head and choked her throat closed. “I can’t…” Her voice was a ghost of a whisper. Confused questions rang throughout the room.

“Margaret who?”

“Is she really eligible?”

The Alpha stood and raised a hand. The chaos stilled as Keil looked out over the room. “She is eligible. Maggie officially joined the pack two years ago when her sister became Omega for Granite Lake. I have no troubles with her appointment to represent our pack.” Keil’s gaze stayed steady on her. His smile did little to calm the butterflies doing backflips in her belly. She didn’t like attention from an Alpha, no matter what her sister said about the man.

The pack quieted at Keil’s words, and everyone resumed eating and chatting. She couldn’t do this. She’d ruin everything for the whole lot of them, and the Games were a big deal. More than a few curious glances were thrown her way as she excused herself and made her way over to Erik.

“I need to talk to you.”

The pleasure in his eyes at her request hurt. She didn’t want to be the one to ruin what should be a special day. She tugged him back into the corner of the hall. He knelt by her side so their heads were closer to level.