Page 91 of Midnight Moon
I watched him disappear down the dirt path, assuming he would return to town to meet up with Chase. Sadness tried to take root from his departure, but I swiftly shoved the negative emotion aside.
Once the games were over, I’d return to Colorado and live my life, and Asher would go to Alaska to live his. I would work with my father to figure out the rabid shifter problem, and Asher would continue investigating rogue sorcerers, or whatever he did in his free time.
We would never be together, and the bond would fade away.
And this haunting sadness would fade with it.
Twenty-Three
Hunter pacedthe soggy field in front of me, swinging his arms back and forth and rotating from side to side. His earlier headache had faded, and he’d spent the past fifteen minutes warming up for our match.
I sat on a moist wood log, focusing more on getting my mindset ready for the impending fight than my body.
Other competitors warmed up in various spots on the field. They were a mix of relaxed and tense, just like me and Hunter.
“We’ve got this, Blair. I can handle Tyler while you deal with Jasper.” Hunter threw an arm across his chest and used the other to hold it and enhance the stretch. “An hour is nothing for us.”
I shot my partner an encouraged smile, but it fell the moment he looked away.
Beta Nathan and his son were the ones who decided I should focus my efforts on the Coastal Pack beta during our fight and let Hunter face the alpha heir. Tyler’s strength surpassed both of us, but Hunter would be a closer physical match. My two packmates hoped our superior endurance would let us outlast our opponents, increasing our odds of winning.
If I were feeling optimistic, I might’ve believed we had a decent chance of winning. But then I remembered the Coastal Pack had access to magic, and all optimism was snuffed out like a dying flame.
I didn’t know how, or when, the sorcerers planned to help the Coastal shifters, but I knew it had to be subtle.
Otherwise, they risked disqualification.
I moved my legs into a saddle stretch and leaned forward, feeling the pull in my hamstrings. I scanned my surroundings, searching for any sign of the sorcerers. I saw only shifters.
What did I expect?
Cloaked figures to be strolling around the field?
Wherever the sorcerers were, they were well hidden. The knowledge made the hair on my arms stand on end, as I recalled their magic’s agonizing bite.
I wasn’t eager to lose the match, but I was eager to get it over with. The unknown felt far more unnerving than a loss.
“Are you two ready?” Beta Nathan joined us.
“Yes.” Hunter replied.
I got to my feet, but I ignored my pack’s beta.
My father hadn’t returned from Colorado, and all my calls went unanswered. When I woke up to an empty cabin this morning, I’d cornered Nathan the first chance I got. I demanded he tell me what was going on. My father wouldn’t miss the final game, not unless something bad had happened.
Nathan barely met my eye before dismissing my questions, telling me to focus on the upcoming game. He promised everything would be explained to me before the day ended.
I didn’t believe him.
Before I could press the issue, his son and daughter had walked into the room, forcing me into silence.
Beta Nathan clasped a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Want to go over the strategy one last time?”
“We know the strategy,” I countered, not bothering to hide my irritation.
For a moment, I’d considered telling Nathan about the Coastal Pack’s involvement with sorcerers, but I talked myself out of it. If he knew our opponents were cheating, he would report it to Alpha Kurt. The Coastal Pack would be removed from the games, and that would clear the path to victory for Asher and Chase.
“Very well,” Beta Nathan replied, choosing not to acknowledge my rudeness. His son, however, shot me a curious look.
