Page 3 of Challenged Mate
Moments later, Asher exited the building and put his own bags into the back. Then, he closed the trunk and walked to the driver’s side. Once he and Chase were buckled in, he turned the key in the ignition and drove towards the trees.
An objection formed on my lips, prepared to point out the vehicle was way too wide to squeeze between the large cedars up ahead when a blue glow appeared in front of us.
I blinked and the large cedars disappeared, revealing a rugged dirt road winding through the forest ahead.
“What in the world?” I muttered under my breath. I recognized the color of Asher’s magic, but he hadn’t even muttered a spell or waved his hand. Could he control his power with a simple thought?
Chase turned around, wearing a secretive smile. “The Wilds Pack takes pack security very seriously. We can’t have just anyone finding the road leading to our territory.”
“Of course not.” Not for the first time, I was stunned by their abilities.
I’d grown up believing only sorcerers and sorceresses could wield magic. I had no idea a pack of half-blood shifters existed. Of whom, I guessed most could wield spells and charms like any of the pure-blooded magical race.
I wonder what I can do.
I shoved the thought aside.
My mother might’ve been a sorceress, but I had no knowledge of magic. Whatever power the rogue shifters believed I had, didn’t exist. It was all a misunderstanding—one that managed to ruin my life.
“How long is the drive?” How much longer before I met the male I was intended to mate?
“Two hours, give or take,” Asher answered, speaking to me for the first time in days. Just like before, the sound of his voice made my toes curl. My heart rate increased.
I looked up and met the dark-haired shifter’s gaze in the rearview mirror. His lips moved, but I didn’t hear what he said.
His gaze turned questioning. “Blair?”
I tore my eyes away, focusing on the cleared path through the front windshield.
Ignoring whatever it was Asher had said, I stated, “I think I’ll take a nap.”
I’d barely slept a wink since leaving Montana, and even if I didn’t sleep in the vehicle, at least I could pretend and avoid any awkward interactions with the ruggedly handsome driver.
“Good idea,” Chase said. “I’ll wake you when we’re close.”
I nodded, then pulled more slack from the belt around my waist and managed to lie down across the back seats. Tucking my hands under my head, I closed my eyes. The hum of the vehicle beneath my body relaxed me, but the silence from the two shifters upfront was unnerving. Knowing they were communicating and not knowing what they discussed was unnerving.
I exhaled and forced myself to stop wondering what they were saying. I doubted it would make me feel better about my predicament, anyway.
My thoughts traveled to what I could expect when we arrived on Wilds Pack territory.
Would the pack be welcoming?
Had they known what prize their packmates requested in the Alpha Games? Did they know I was coming?
What did they think about an outsider mating their alpha?
Mate selection for alphas was a huge ordeal for every pack.
The powerful pack leaders only mated with the strongest females in their pack, ensuring their children would be strong enough to inherit the position one day.
Without a doubt, there would be females in the Wilds Pack who’d feel slighted by their alpha’s choice to mate with an outsider.
I spent my entire young adult life avoiding all romantic entanglements; I’d never had to deal with the drama that could be embroiled in relationships. I hoped it wouldn’t be too bad.
Especially considering I didn’t want to mate the Wilds alpha in the first place.
I had no interest in the unknown male. In fact, there was only one male I could even imagine—
