Page 84 of Midnight Moon
My imagination took over, and I pictured Asher lying next to me. The memory of his arms around me filled me with warmth. The sensation seeped through my skin and burrowed deep within my chest, coaxing me farther and farther away from consciousness.
I would deny it in the morning, but I’d never slept so soundly in my life.
Twenty-Two
The following morning,I woke up to dim sunlight shining through the blinds on the window. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned. Then, I looked at the clock on the nightstand.
“Shit!”
I jumped out of bed.
It was almost noon! The fourth, and final, game in the competition was tomorrow, and Hunter and I had planned on training together. We were ninety-five percent sure the last game would have a physical component since the others had been relatively easy-going. Hunter and I needed to brush up on our combat skills to prepare.
I changed out of my pajamas and shimmied into black yoga pants and a loose razorback tank top. I was pulling my hair into a ponytail when I rushed out of the room and skidded to a stop. Stephanie sat at the kitchen island, drinking a smoothie.
“Morning, sleepy head.”
“You’re here! Why didn’t you wake me? Where’s Hunter?”
“Calm down, girl,” Stephanie hopped off the stool and leaned against the countertop. “My dad and Angelina dragged Hunter to the healer when he made the mistake of complaining about a headache this morning, and I didn’t wake you because your dad asked me to let you sleep in before he left.”
My chest constricted. “He left? When?”
“Around ten.” Stephanie sipped her smoothie, unaware of my inner panic.
“Do you know where he went?”
Stephanie frowned. “Um… yeah. He flew back to Colorado to deal with something with the pack. I’d assumed he already told you.”
He most certainly didnottell me.
My jaw slackened. Disbelief rippled through me, followed by hurt, and ending with anger.
My father had promised we would speak in the morning. Instead, he snuck out like a coward.
I couldn’t remember my father ever lying to me. Not once. That truth made the betrayal sting so much more.
I moved to the kitchen window, hoping to hide my reaction from my best friend. I wouldn’t be able to explain myself if she noticed—not without lying.
And I wasn’t in the mood for lying.
Staring outside, I realized why the sun hadn’t woken me earlier. Dark, angry clouds covered the sky, and the ground was covered with puddles. The weather perfectly mirrored my feelings.
For a moment, I considered that my father’s departure had nothing to do with avoiding our conversation. He’d gone to speak with Beta Nathan last night, and I hadn’t heard him return in the hours I’d lied awake. Maybe he and his beta discovered something important—something that necessitated my father’s returns to Colorado.
If that were true, then I worried about my pack members. I prayed to the Mother for her protection over my fellow Summit shifters.
Looking to distract myself from my inner turmoil, I licked my lips and asked Stephanie, “Has there been any information about the final game?”
I expected her to say no.
Alpha Kurt had been waiting until the day of each game to share details so far, so I was taken aback when she answered, “Yeah, this morning. Alpha Kurt announced the last game would be your typical combat competition, like the ones from past Alpha Games.”
The news wasn’t surprising, but I was still disappointed. A fighting contest pretty much guaranteed Hunter and I would not be winning the Alpha Games.
“Have the matches been announced?”
Stephanie’s voice tightened. “Yeah...”
