We arrived at the open grassy area to find the oddest competition ever. Nothing was as I thought it would be. Instead of rock walls, balancing tests, or strength tests as I assumed there would be, it looked like a human family reunion threw up all over the place. There was a ring toss, a table with a basket full of eggs, some sort of balloon dart board, and ladder ball. What in the actual hell?
“Augie…”
“I have no words.”
When they said “friendly” on the schedule, they weren’t kidding. I couldn’t believe it. Liam finally caught up with us, and the look on his face was enough to make me laugh.
“What are we supposed to do with this?” Liam seemed honest-to-god confused as well. It was priceless. Mr. Arrogant was entirely out of his element, and I loved it.
Thankfully for me, I had actually played some of these games when I was younger and had nothing better to do in the middle of nowhere Oregon.
A loud commotion brought our attention to the left side of the area. I couldn’t hear what was happening, but the red tint to Declan’s face made the grin on mine even wider. It was turning out to be a great day.
We walked closer, and the voices finally became audible.
“This is unacceptable,” Declan roared. “Who approved this?”
“Sir, the decennial committee planned it. We didn’t realize we needed approval. We thought it would be a good idea for the young to have fun together instead of fighting against each other,” the poor wolf said as he shrunk back from the raging lunatic in front of him.
“You will address me as alpha,” Declan spat out, “and you all thought wrong. Tell your committee they will be hearing from me. These alphas-in-training aren’t kids. They should have a chance to prove their strengths. Not entertain us like monkeys.”
Well, I guessed he’d been hoping for a more hands-on competition. Part of me had, too, but whatever. I’d make it as fun as I could. Tomorrow, I could challenge Rafe to something and let my aggressions out.
I was ready to get started now that I realized how easy it would be. The sooner we got the event over with, the sooner I could get back to our primary purpose. I didn’t like the lack of chatter regarding Cord’s death. I felt like people knew more than they were letting on but were too afraid to speak up. That was not going to fly with me for very long.
“That guy is such a dick,” said, breaking the silence.
“That he is,” Augie agreed, and I nodded.
I didn’t want to stick around and get chummy with Liam, so without saying a word, I headed toward the bright yellow banner that said ‘start’ on it. Kason and Colt, alphas-in-training I had met earlier, were already there, mocking the oddness the course provided. I butted right into their conversation, because I didn’t want to leave myself open for anyone else to come and strike one up with me.
“You guys ever played any of these games before?” I asked.
They eyed me curiously, but Kason shrugged first. “A few, but not since I was a kid. You?”
“Same here. Good thing it’s all in fun, right?” They shared another look that told me otherwise. “What? You know something I don’t?”
Colt shook his head. “Kason, stay out of it.”
“She just lost her brother. She deserves to be warned,” he said.
“Whatever, dude. I’ll be sure to say ‘I told you so’ when it bites you in the ass.” Colt walked away, and now I really needed to know.
“Sorry about him,” Kason said. “Things have been tense for everyone lately.”
I nodded. I understood that, but it didn’t give anyone the right to be an asshole.
He moved closer to me and lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. “Just let Rafe win, okay? We were a lot younger last time we were all here, but I remember. There were similar games, but a whole lot rougher, which is probably why they changed it this year. It got pretty bad.” He did another cursory glance to make sure nobody was listening before continuing.
“Rafe was losing to Cord when the halfway mark rolled around last time. When we came back, Rafe was a completely different person. He got aggressive and as nasty as his old man. Cord and I had decided to let Rafe win. They were just games. Why not let the hotheads think they’re better while we’re all forced together? Anyway, I saw Rafe grab you earlier, so be careful, okay? I’d hate to see anyone get hurt over stupid games.”
I wasn’t sure if that made me want to kick Rafe’s ass even more or play it cool. Hopefully, my dad would hurry up and get here, so I could ask him about it before things started.
“Thanks for the heads up. I really appreciate it.” I smiled sincerely at him.
“Not a problem. Just don’t repeat it, and good luck out there.”
Kason walked away, probably in search of his friend. I glanced back to where I had left Augie and Liam, thankful to see Augie was now by himself. I swiftly made my way back to him and relayed what I had just learned.
“So, what do I do? Poke the bull or play it cool?” I asked him since my dad still wasn’t around.
He laughed. “Well, I know what you want to do, but I think you just need to see how it plays out.” He turned toward the games. “Obviously, nobody expected this. See how it goes and most importantly, be safe like Kason said. If Rafe is getting too agitated, back off. We will get him, but it’s not going to be here with an audience.”
Damn, Augie was right again. I put my hand in his and gave him a squeeze. “That’s why I keep you around. For all your wise words and shit like that.”
He pulled his hand back. “I love the sweet things you say to me. Warms my heart.”
Another bell sounded, and a woman got on a loudspeaker. “Alphas-in-training, please gather around the starting line for further instructions.”
“Watch my back, Augie,” I whispered before pulling away from him. I wouldn’t be letting my guard down, even for supposedly ‘friendly’ games.
I went back to the starting line. Kason and Colt were back as well and avoiding my stare. Liam still looked confused, and Rafe was just as flustered as his dad had appeared to be when we first got here.
“Here are the rules,” the woman began. “You must complete each task in the order they are set up on the field. Your pack may not help you. Each game has specific instructions at the start. Read each set of instructions carefully. The first wolf to finish all four games and ring the bell at the end wins this trophy.” She gestured to the golden cup on the table next to her. “Most importantly, have fun!”
The woman seemed so excited; I felt bad that, by the end of the day, she was going to feel Declan’s wrath over the committee’s choice in games. Screw letting Rafe win. He and his dad needed to be knocked down a few pegs, and if this was the only way I could do it today, then I was going to, whether it was smart or not.
“You ready for this, doll face?” Liam asked as he strode up to me.
I schooled my features, smiling sweetly at him. “If you call me ‘doll face’ one more time, I’m going to kick you in the balls.”
He grinned at me. “There’s the famous spunk I’ve heard about. I was starting to think it had all been lies.”
He was goading me, and I refused to fall for it. I looked away and put my focus on the games ahead of us. There were five rows set up, so we’d each have our own set of games to work with, which made me feel better. I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone sabotaging me. A ring toss was first. Hand-eye coordination was a must with the task, and I wasn’t worried about it at all.
“Going for the silent thing?” Liam asked. “I get it. Not everyone can handle being in my presence. I’ve been told it’s rather intimidating.”
Was this guy for real? He couldn’t be. I glanced back at him, and the smirk on his face told me he was kidding, but only slightly. Egotistical bastard.
“You’re hot on the outside, I’ll give you that. And had you kept your mouth shut, I might have considered giving you a second look. Unfortunately, the words coming out of your mouth are such a turn-off that I’d rather kiss a toad.”
His jaw dropped marginally before he recovered from the insult, but not before I could see the impact of my words. One point for me.
“I see,” he said slyly. “I’ll try and work on that.” He winked at me and walked the few feet to his starting line. He was becoming increasingly annoying to me, which was good. The more he irritated me, the less I would act like an idiot around him.
“Alright, wolves!” the announcer called out. “On your mark, get ready, go!”
She rang another bell, and we each approached our tables. I read the instructions as directed. There were three levels we had to hook our rings on. Each one was a foot further back than the previous. Didn’t matter which order, but the rings and poles were color-coded, and we had to match them up. I took aim and nailed the first ring. Liam took notice and muttered something under his breath. I missed the next one but hooked it on the second try. The third ring took me four tries, but I kept my cool and moved on.
I glanced down the tables and saw Rafe had already loaded his egg on the wooden spoon and was trying to walk at the same time. He was moving too fast and dropped his first one. I watched as it splattered on his boots, leaving yolk all over. I grinned and refocused on my own table. The others weren’t too far behind.
I read the instructions once again and laughed out loud. Rafe must have assumed what needed to be done. At the bottom of the paper, it stated we could use any means necessary to keep the egg on the spoon as long as it wasn’t with one of our body parts. I immediately ripped a piece of fabric from my shirt and tied it around the egg and spoon. It paid to actually follow directions.
I immediately took off at full speed and made it to the next table within seconds.
“She’s cheating!” Rafe shouted.
The announcer ignored his outburst and simply reminded everyone to read the instructions in full. I laughed some more as I read the next directions. The game was called ladder ball. I hadn’t played it before, but it looked easy enough. Instructions said I had to throw the rope with weights on the end, and if I did it correctly, the weights would wrap the cord around the ladder-like structure before me. The catch was that I had to make the rope only go on every other rung in the ladder.
I reread the instructions again just to be sure I understood and glanced back at my competitors. Liam was just now arriving at his ladder rope. Poor Colt was still stuck on the ring toss. Kason had just secured his egg and was right behind us, and Rafe somehow already had two of his ropes on the ladder. I needed to pick up the pace if I had any hope of winning.
I threw the odd rope and completely missed the ladder. I tried several more times without success. Rafe was done, and Liam was pretty close. I was getting frustrated, which made my aim even worse. I took a minute to relax, then called on my wolf. Come on, girl. Help me win. Our minds melded as we both concentrated on the task before us. I finally swung another rope and squealed a little when it wrapped around the ladder.
Before I could try again, I had heat at my back, causing me to stiffen. I took a deep breath before turning around and smelled the most tantalizing combination of scents. Pine and cinnamon with a hint of something I didn’t recognize. It was sweet on my senses, making me curious. As I began to turn around, the low tenor of Liam’s voice sounded in my ears.
“Care for an assist? The rules said our own pack couldn’t help us. It said nothing about the other packs helping each other.”
“Why would you want to help me?” I asked, surprising myself with how steady my voice remained. I finished turning to face him, waiting for his reply.
“As much as I’d like to kick Rafe’s ass myself, I think him getting beat by a female would be so much more enjoyable.”
I nodded and grinned. He had a point. Rafe seemed like the type of guy to think of women as the lesser species. I’d love to show him otherwise.
“Let’s do this,” I agreed.
Without needing to be told, Liam picked up a few ropes for the ladder game and made quick work of finishing the task. We then made our way to the last task, and when Rafe saw Liam had joined me at my table, he lost it.
“What the hell do you two think you’re doing?” he screamed.
“Calm down, bro,” Liam said casually. “It’s all in good fun, right?”
Oh, he was pushing Rafe’s buttons, and it was hot. I couldn’t manage to wipe the grin from my face. If he hadn’t been such an ass earlier, I’d be tempted to show him my gratitude without an audience.
“Whatever,” Rafe said snidely, “you’re just trying to get laid. I get it.”
Oh, hell no. He didn’t just say that. Before I could open my mouth, Liam placed his hand on it. “You want to beat him?” I nodded. “Then, focus and ignore him.”
Damn it, he was right. I rolled my eyes but complied. I turned back toward the table, and Liam’s hand fell away. We both read the instructions. Throw the darts in the basket at the balloons on the board. Find the metal mallet and ring the bell. Sounded easy enough, especially when we had two people working together.
I glanced back at Kason and Colt. They caught on to what Liam had done and decided to team up as well, but they were still on the ladder ball, and I doubted they’d catch up in time. Rafe had already begun popping his balloons, and I noticed stuff was dropping on the ground.
“Look.” I pointed. “I bet the mallet is inside one of the balloons.”
Liam seemed to consider it but shook his head. “The mallet would be too heavy.”
He was right, but it gave me a thought. I peered around the board but didn’t see anything. I glanced at the stand the bell was on, and there was a box with a lock underneath it. “A key. We need to find a key and open that box,” I whispered.
Liam grinned, and I ignored the flutter in my chest it caused.
“I hope you have good aim,” he taunted.
We began throwing the darts as quickly as we could. I swear, I wasn’t keeping score, but I was totally beating him. Once almost all our balloons were popped, I could hear Rafe cussing up a storm about how there was no mallet. Idiot. His dad was standing on the side, just as angry, but thankfully, there was no way they could cheat with so many eyes around.
Once our balloons were popped, Liam and I scoured the ground in search of the key. From where we stood when we threw the darts, there hadn’t been any way to know where the key might have landed or what balloon it came from.
“Got it,” I said animatedly a minute later.
“Go ring that bell.” Liam grinned, genuinely pleased for me, and I melted a little more. His sudden change in personality was going to be the death of me.
I wasted no time and ran for the box. Declan shouted at Rafe and his stupidity for not figuring it out. Before I could hear Rafe’s response, I swung the mallet at the bell in pure satisfaction.
“We have a winner!” the announcer shouted. “Great job, Taya Rush!”
“Taya, watch out!” Liam yelled. Before I could turn around, I was knocked to the ground face-first, though my arms and knees took the brunt of the impact.
“You cheating little bitch,” Rafe growled at me. “You’re going to die just like –”
He never got to finish that sentence. Before Rafe could even blink, Liam was inches from him and threw a punch, knocking Rafe out. He fell flat on the ground a few feet away from me, and a hush fell over the crowd.
Holy fuckery, things just got crazy.