Page 85 of Midnight Moon
I turned away from the window to see unease marring my best friend’s face.
“Who am I up against?” I asked.
She grimaced. “The Coastal Pack.”
Fantastic.
I sighed. That pretty much sealed the deal.
Tyler and the Coastal beta were in peak physical condition. Imighthave had a chance at winning against the older Northeastern shifters, or maybe even the Moors Pack, but I had absolutely no hope against the West Coast shifters.
“What about the others?”
“The Wilds Pack will face the Northeastern Pack.”
“And the Moors Pack?”
“They were selected as the pack who will sit out the first round of the competition. After that, whichever pack performs best will sit out the second round while the Moors Pack faces the other winner.”
It wasn’t how a typical combat match would be laid out, but the addition of the Wilds Pack gave the Alpha Games an odd number of competitors. Adjustments had to be made.
I crossed the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to pour myself a glass of orange juice. “Are there any specifics I should know about?”
“Nothing major.” Stephanie shrugged. “The fight will occur in wolf form, and the match will be capped at an hour. If one pack hasn’t surrendered by then, the Badlands Pack will pick a winner based on points awarded during the fight.”
Standard practice.
“Anything else?” I sipped my juice.
“Not that I can think of, but I’m sure my dad will fill you in on anything I’m forgetting.”
Mention of her father made me wonder if mine would make it back in time to see me compete in the last game. I might’ve been upset with him, but I still wanted him by my side.
Stephanie rotated the smoothie between her hands, staring at the pale pink liquid. Then, careful to sound casual, she asked, “So, are you going to tell me what happened last night?”
My sip of orange juice almost went down the wrong tube.
I choked back the liquid, then replied, “I don’t know what you mean.”
She gave me a pointed look. “Are we really going to do this again?”
Denial was my new best friend. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She scoffed, then pointed at me before waving her hands around her head as she said, “You. Asher. The crazy sexual tension I felt between you last night. That’s what I’m talking about.”
I pressed my lips together. I refused to acknowledge the mate bond, and I’d promised not to say anything about the attack. There wasn’t anything I could tell her about what was going on—not without going back on my word.
Knowing Stephanie would call me out on any lie, I opted for only truth I could give. “I can’t talk about it.”
She started to object.
I held up my hand. “Steph, I love you. Normally, I’d tell you everything. But I promised to not say anything.”
Her eyes scanned my face, reading me the way only she could. “Who did you promise?”
“My dad.” And Asher… but I left that out.
Stephanie stared at me for a prolonged second, then sighed heavily. “Fine, I’ll drop it, but only because your dad knows what is going on. You’re really worrying me, Blair. It’s not like you to be so closed off.”
