“Okay, my little love doves, we have to go and join the rest of the crowd and cheer on our favorite girl.”
Sam comes bounding up to Oliver and I.
I jump down from Oliver’s back and wrap my arms around Sam’s waist and he kisses the top of my head, Mateo steps up and I do the same thing. I turn to Oliver and wrap my arms around his neck, he squeezes me tight for just a second before letting me go. Sierra wraps her arms round my neck and pulls me close.
“T want to know what that is all about, but later. Now focus and kick everyone’s ass like always.” She pulls back and we both laugh.
I step up to the twins and they do their usual sandwich, Cam in front and Kota behind. They both have their hands in their pockets again, like they are
actively trying not to touch me. Cam leans down to my ear. “Do yourself proud, Tiny, we will be cheering you on.” He brushes his cheek next to mine,
his nose running along my ear. Then he pulls back and I tum to Kota.
“Kick some ass Smalls. I can’t wait to watch you put someone else through the wringer.” I can feel him smile as he rubs his cheek on mine the same
as Cam.
It’s like they are both trying to leave their scent on me before I go.
They leave me at the gate of the arena where the Royal guards are waiting for the crowd of candidates to begin lining up. I am getting my head in the
game and focused on unknown physical and mental tests they will put us through. When the only thing that could possibly break my concentration
did.
“HEY Boys!! I’m so glad you waited for me, thank you so much, it’s so sweet of you.” The grating high pitched, nails on a chalkboard sound breaks
every ounce of calm demeanor the guys left me with.
“Kaley, not now. Run along and find your little minions. We have no plans to put up with you or your antics today, it’s too important. You have not beer
invited to the Alpha’s box and we wouldn’t have room for you if you were.” Sierra states matter of factly. I chanced a look over my shoulder to see
they really didn’t go far from me and Sierra made her claims loud enough for all the patrol guards to hear, she knew exactly what she was doing,
putting them on alert. My best friend is her own force to be reckoned with.
“How dare you speak to your future Luna like that, you lowly little b*tch. Cam, Kota, tell her I am sitting with you, as your future mate we should be
seen at functions like these as a united front.” She flips her hair over her shoulder dramatically.
“Just so we are clear,” Sierra’s voice get dangerously low, but still loud enough to be heard by the growing crowd, “I outrank you on so many levels
and you only want to be seen, you could care less who you are with so long as you feel special in the Alpha’s box.
You bring no value to any of us, go away before I have the guards remove you.” She spares me a quick look and wink over Kaley’s shoulder and I jus
smile back.
She’s not going to let that waste of space anywhere near my guys. It instantly puts me at ease. I Huh. I wonder when I actively started to think of
them as “my guys’? But they are, aren’t they? The twins said as much last night, Oliver said so on the way here. Ugh! Boys are so complicated.
But before I can get lost in my thoughts. Delta Kyle comes out of the gates that have been strategically covered so you can’t see into the arena.
“I’m impressed. I didn’t think you would be able to hold off. I was ready to fight with you at 5am.” He laughs at me.
I roll my eyes. “Haha, very funny. I wasn’t given a choice really. I was threatened by the guys and they made sure the Alpha King’s patrol knew I
wasn’t supposed to leave early, so here I am, almost not early.”
“Well, let’s get your name on the register and wait for the rest of the slackers to show up.” He hands mea clipboard that asks for basic information, lik
my name, contact info and pack affiliation.
At 10 all the competitors start to show up. I have no idea what the actual number is, but there are about a hundred people here of all ages. Once
everyone is signed in, they divide us into groups. The high schoolers who are just here for exhibition purposes, those 20-30 and then anyone over 30
Since we age more slowly than humans do, our fighters continue until well into their seventies without issue. They don’t divide male and female
though, which I appreciate. There are a fair amount of females here, but we are far outnumbered by the men.
