"Wolf Games" - читать интересную книгу автора (Arend Vivian)Chapter 4On the outskirts of Haines, Alaska, Erik turned down a long driveway. They passed a large log building Maggie assumed was the pack house. There was a meeting happening tonight, judging by the cars gathered three deep in the parking lot. Another minute down the same road Erik pulled up in front of a tidy bungalow. An older home was tucked into the trees next to it. He opened her door and helped her out, his fingers caressing hers lightly as he held her hand a little too long. Why did he have to make her tingle? Maggie shook her hand free and turned to admire her sister’s home. This was far quieter and more up her alley than living in a common apartment like some packs did. Being with a mess of wolves right now? Ix-nay. Not something she could handle. Being cooped up with Erik for the past four hours made her more than ready for a little space from him as well. He’d done nothing but chat quietly to her about the Granite Lake pack, and ask polite questions. After the sensuality of the lunch they’d shared, all that danced through her brain were visions of them naked. It had been a very long four hours. A tall, lean figure strode down the stairs to greet them. Spiky black hair and a wicked smile flashed for a second before he snatched her up and spun her in a circle. “Welcome. It’s about time you made it north to join us.” Tad released her, ruffling her hair. She returned his grin and simply stood next to him, relaxing into the calm his presence cast over her. It was amazing how his skills as an Omega soothed her jangled nerves. His brow shot upward and he hooted with laughter as he hugged them both. “Erik! You old dog. Congratulations, both of you.” “Tad—” “Missy is going to be so excited to know you’re mates. This is fabulous news.” “Tad—” “Erik, you coming in as well? Or will you come back to get her later?” “Tad, wait.” Finally he stopped to listen, his head cocked to the side. The sensation of a cool breeze floated from him and she took a deep breath. The edge of her pain numbed as she took his hand. Omega skills ran deep in both her sister and Tad, and she’d never been more grateful for a calming touch. She had to speak quickly before she lost her nerve. “Erik’s not staying with me. Not yet.” Tad raised a brow, concern written on his face. “Really?” He glanced between them for a few seconds before he shrugged. “Okay. Your choice. I guess we’ll see you later.” Maggie turned to face the giant standing mere inches away. She kept her hands by her sides to stop from reaching for him and begging him to stay. “I…” He tapped her lightly on the nose, his strong body and gorgeous features so tempting and reassuring at the same time. Love and concern poured from him. “I heard you. Right now, I’ll give you space. Say hi to Missy for me and I’ll see you at dinner. You will sit with me.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Please.” Erik winked at her, nodded at Tad and then strode across the deck toward the larger house on the adjacent property. Maggie suddenly felt timid standing alone next to an Omega wolf—she wasn’t scared of him, but he might be able to tell exactly what was wrong with her, and why. The reason for her attempt to return to the pack, as well as the reason she’d left in the first place. Was she ready for anyone to know it all? For many years she’d been on her own, dealing with her fears. She still wasn’t ready to admit to anything more than she needed help healing her body. Maybe in a few weeks, or months, she could talk about the rest of the trouble. Now it was enough she was attempting to rejoin a pack on a trial basis. She pasted on a bright smile before lifting her gaze to his. The expression on his face made her drop the fa#231;ade. “You know what’s wrong with me, don’t you? And why?” He dragged a hand through his hair, staring off into the distance. When he looked back at her the anger and indignation she’d seen was once again controlled. He nodded slowly. “It’s an Omega thing. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, and I doubt Missy will pick it up. She’s a little distracted right now. But, Maggie, you need to understand—you’re safe here. Erik is a rock. You can share anything with him.” Tad’s simple statement, and the lack of pity in his eyes did more to ease her fears than anything else. “Thanks.” “Now, we’d better get inside. Missy’s a trifle…touchy these days. I’m going out of my way not to piss her off.” The house was clean and tidy except for a few toys scattered around. Bright pictures and fabric filled the cozy rooms. Maggie admired what she saw as they moved at a quick pace through to the back of the house. There the kitchen faced the trees, and just to the side was a cheery sunroom with floor-to-ceiling windows. Missy sat curled up in one of the comfy chairs, basking in the sunlight. “Maggie? You’re here!” Missy twisted in her chair and what Maggie thought was a pillow twisted with her. She threw her arms open wide, her eyes bright and her smile from ear to ear. “I can’t believe you’re finally here. Come and give me a hug.” Maggie raced across the room, maneuvering as close as possible, wrapping her arms around her sister and relaxing into her embrace. The tears that had threatened earlier fell now as they held each other for the first time in what felt like forever. Finally Missy patted her on the head and kissed her forehead. “I’m so glad to see you again.” The heavy bulge of Missy’s baby-filled belly separating them moved and Maggie pulled away in amazement. “Oh my goodness, you’re…” “Huge? Damn it, I don’t feel like a wolf, I feel like a stinking whale.” Maggie laughed. “There’s never been more of you to love than now.” “Oh gee, good one. Like I’ve never heard that before.” They grinned at each other. The years apart faded away. Missy was family—all the family she had left—and she desperately needed family right now. She reached out to give Missy’s hand one more squeeze. “Thanks for letting me join you.” “You’re going to be working for your keep, trust me. I can’t move fast enough to keep up with Jamie. I’m so glad he won’t be able to shift into a wolf until he’s a teenager. He’s hard enough to catch at eighteen months.” Maggie glanced around the room, looking for her nephew. “Where is he?” “Sleeping. I think. I don’t hear rockets going off, so he must still be locked in his room.” Tad dropped a kiss on his mate’s forehead before squatting beside her. Missy glared at him. “Finally. Did you get me—?” He thrust out a handful of brightly coloured chocolate bars. “Dark chocolate. Plus orange chocolate…with walnuts.” Missy stared, disgruntled, her mouth twisting. She planted both hands on the sides of her chair to heave herself into a new position. Tad rushed to help her. She smiled sweetly at him and started again. “After you left, I decided I also wanted—” “—dried smoked salmon. There’s one bag on the table. I left the rest in the fridge.” Maggie laughed behind her hand. “Missy, are you trying to be difficult?” Her sister pouted. “It’s his damn fault I’m a bloated beach ball. Again.” Tad winked. “All my fault. I confess.” Maggie watched in amusement as the two of them teased and verbally sparred for a minute before he rose, kissing Missy’s cheek once again. “I’m going to leave you two ladies alone to get reacquainted. I’ll take Jamie with me, but we’ll be back in time to escort you to dinner.” “I want pickles at dinner.” Maggie burst out laughing as Tad shook his head slowly. “You hate pickles.” “I want them.” Tad snickered at Maggie. “Pickles. At least it’s not pickles and ice cream. That would be too clich#233;.” “Your fault,” Missy restated. He blew her a kiss. “I seem to remember you were there too.” He ducked the pillow she threw and left. The sun shining in made the room a warm haven of peace. To the side of the open window, an indoor water feature splashed and tinkled, the sound calming and reassuring. Missy adjusted herself, stretching her legs in front of her. Maggie stared in amazement at the perfectly round protrusion extending from her sister’s stomach. “You really are a beach ball.” “Shut up. Wait until you meet your mate and get pregnant. You’re not much taller than me. There’s nowhere for the baby to go but out, and this time with two of them…” Missy paused, then narrowed her eyes. Maggie felt her face heat up. “Crap, you’ve met your mate. Haven’t you?” Maggie leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Anyone ever tell you it’s damn hard to have a conversation with you when you seem to know everything, about everybody, before they tell you? It was bad enough when we were young, but since you’ve accepted you’re an Omega, it’s gotten ridiculous.” Missy snorted. “It’s worse than you think. With Tad being an Omega too, we occasionally have really freaky conversations. Quit stalling. Who is it?” Maggie stared out the window. “I’m not ready for a mate.” “Who is it?” Missy rubbed her hands together with glee. “Someone in Vancouver? Why didn’t he come with you? Or is he making arrangements to move north too?” Maggie stood and wandered away a few steps. She didn’t need this. Not now. Did Missy not realize how difficult it was to be surrounded by wolves again for the first time in years? Had she forgotten what it was like to be truly afraid? The only reason Maggie had maintained any contact with their old pack was to keep in touch with Missy. As soon as Missy had mated with Tad, Maggie instantly severed all final ties with Whistler. Her sister wouldn’t drop the topic. “You met him in Whitehorse? Mags, you do realize this might be the solution to your problem.” “Oh, honey, I’ve told you this so many times over the past two years. The only person in the world Maggie knew who had gone through more hell than she had sat before her, huge with her second and third children. Living with a man she trusted, who went out of his way to make her smile. Was it really possible to leave the past behind? “Maggie. Tell me. Please.” It was impossible to resist her. “Erik.” Maggie squeezed her eyes tight as her body reacted to even saying his name. Her wolf woke again, this time with a slow and sensuous stretch itching up her spine. She hadn’t felt that sensation in years. Complete and utter silence greeted her announcement. She poked open an eye to see Missy sitting with her mouth gaping open. “What?” Missy giggled naughtily. “You don’t want to know.” “Bullshit. You made me tell you who it is, now spill. Do you not trust him?” Her sister gasped. “Not trust Erik? The Friendly Giant? Girl, there is no one I trust more, except Tad and my Alpha. I was just imagining…umm…the two of you together. That’s all.” They both laughed. “Yeah, well, sex is kinda up there on my ‘things to think about’ list these days since I’m not getting much.” Maggie rolled her eyes. “Enough. I haven’t accepted the mating yet. I need to figure other things out first.” Missy lifted her belly with her hands and wiggled to the front of her chair. “What you’re not taking into consideration is with Erik as your mate, he’ll help you figure those “Stop being a bloody oracle.” “I’m not being an oracle, I’m being an Omega. More importantly, I’m being your sister and I only want the best for you. Why are you fighting it so hard? Erik is a good man, and he’s gorgeous. If I wasn’t mated I’d be interested in a roll in the hay with him.” A low growl burst from Maggie. She froze in shock. “Oops, looks like your wolf isn’t as asleep as you thought.” Maggie dropped back into the chair opposite her sister. “No, she’s getting more and more vocal, especially when it comes to Erik.” “That’s a good thing.” The delight in her sister’s eyes bothered her. “So you say, but I’m not convinced. I only met him a few days ago. I need more time.” She scrubbed her hands over her face, rubbing her temples. Her body and mind ached. Plus she wanted Erik so badly she could scream, but she was attempting to ignore those sensations. “I’m tired. I’m hoping to catch up on my sleep tonight before I hop into nanny mode for you.” Missy wrinkled her nose. “Heading to bed? Already? But we have plans for tonight.” Missy hemmed and hawed a few times. Something was up. “Dinner has been planned. The Alphas will be there. You can’t insult Keil and Robyn and not come.” Shit. Her first night here and already she felt like running into the woods and hiding. She gritted her teeth together and spoke through tight lips. “Fine.” “There’s the Alpha’s brother, TJ. And…well…” “Erik’s going to be there, isn’t he?” “He goes where the Alpha goes, especially at formal events.” The only sound was the water tinkling in the fountain. Maggie turned to stare in horror at her older sister. “Formal events? What are you talking about?” Missy sighed. “I’m really sorry, Mags, I didn’t do it on purpose. There’s kind of this thing tonight. It’s a big deal around the wolf community. I didn’t realize the timing overlapped when you called to say you were arriving. It only happens every five years. I don’t know if you remember from when we lived in Whitehorse before moving to Whistler. The AWG?” “The Arctic Wolf Games? Those are now?” “Yeah. The selection banquet for the Granite Lack pack is tonight. That’s why there’s a crowd of cars at the pack house.” Panic must have shown on her face because Missy rushed to reassure her. “Honey, it’s going to be okay. I’ll sit with you, and Tad will, and we can leave as soon as they finish the announcements.” A shiver of fear rolled over Maggie. There was going to be a gathering of wolves and she had to go. She kept her back against the wall for as long as possible. Hidden in the shadows, she watched the pack members stroll around the large hall, chatting and laughing. It looked safe. For now. “You okay?” She bit back a little scream. “How did you sneak up on me like that?” Erik stroked a finger down her arm, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ve been here for five minutes watching you. I thought you might like an escort back to the table. We’re going to do the selection soon, and it will get a little noisy in here.” She swallowed hard. Somehow her fingers snuck their way into his. The warmth of his hand reassured her, calmed her slightly. There were a hell of a lot more wolves in the building than she had ever wanted to see in her life again. Still, she couldn’t hide in the corner all night, no matter how much she wanted to. “Okay.” She stood straighter and held her head high. She might be shaking inside but there was no way she would let any of the pack know. Erik squeezed her fingers as he led her past the Alpha and his mate. The two of them smiled at her before turning their attention back to the man seated beside them. “They like you.” Erik pulled out her chair, next to Missy. He sat on her other side and draped his arm along the backrest. The curls of hair on his arm tickled the back of her neck and her nipples tightened. Great. She was freaking out with fear A shockwave raced through her system. His soft voice tickled her ear. “I can smell your desire.” She elbowed him and he moved away slightly, chuckling. Missy leaned over. “You okay? We can go now if you want. Seriously, we’ve put in our appearance, we can leave.” Maggie shook her head violently. She just wanted to get to the end of the bloody evening so she could curl up in a ball and collapse. But she refused to appear weak. At the head table an older man in a business suit rose, a badge on his suit jacket marked with the initials AWG. He cleared his throat and the room hushed. “The Arctic Wolf Games will begin three days from now in Skagway, Alaska. The rest of the teams have already been selected and are en route to the first challenge. The captain of the four-wolf team from Granite Lake will be selected first from a pool of ten hopefuls submitted by your Alpha. The other three will be filled by random selection. As always, the events involve both physical and mental abilities, so strength and speed are not the only abilities honoured. “Every pack member over twenty is eligible. Your Alpha has already removed the names of those members who for one reason or another aren’t capable of taking part in the Games. Like your Omega, obviously.” “Yeah, cause she’d kick their butts,” some wiseass in the back shouted out and the room rang with laughter. Maggie wrapped her arms around herself to keep her limbs from shaking. It was too noisy, too many bodies and just too much. She glanced to her right, her fingers itching to re-grasp Erik’s hand. He returned her gaze, reaching to clasp her fingers and anchor her spinning world. The chairman dug into the bag and pulled out a paper, holding it aloft. With great pomp he opened it and leaned into the microphone. “The first competitor, and team captain for Granite Lake, is—Erik Costanov.” Roars of delight filled the hall. Erik squeezed her fingers for a second before releasing them to stand and wave at the pack members who all cheered and clapped. “Damn straight. Finally we’ll have a chance at winning this thing.” Maggie looked at her sister in confusion. “Granite Lake has never won. They’ve never even placed. The random-lottery method of selecting the team means most years there’s been a team or two with a ringer. It looks like this time it’s our turn. This is fantastic for the pack.” Something went cold in Maggie’s soul. She might not be ready to take Erik as her mate but selfishly she wanted him nearby. “Will he be gone for long?” Missy shook her head. “The Games themselves take about ten days. You can always go along as a spectator.” She smiled and touched Maggie’s arm softly. “Are you thinking you’ll miss him? That’s a good sign.” Maggie shuddered. “I’m not going to hang out with more than a hundred wolves for a week. Tonight is bad enough, and it’s only bearable because you’re here.” “And Erik. Be honest.” Conversations filled the hall for a while as Erik chatted with the selection chairman. He smiled across the room at her like she was the only thing he cared about. Maybe…this would work out. Eventually. She knew better now than to deny her wolf, and the urge to get together with Erik grew stronger by the minute. If only she didn’t feel like vomiting from simply looking out over the sea of bodies in the hall. The chairman repeated his routine, selecting another name from a larger bag this time. With a loud yell, a man somewhere in his late twenties threw himself into the air, clasping his hands over his head and shaking them in victory. He strolled forward, taking the time to stop and plant a kiss on a pretty girl near the front of the hall. Missy leaned in again and whispered with a laugh. “Oh goodie, that’s Jared. If there’s a challenge involving getting into the girls’ pants, we’re now guaranteed a win.” Rather than watching what happened with the selection, Maggie was more intent on keeping an eye on Erik. He shook his new team member’s hand then stood back, his gaze once again meeting hers. Calming her from across the room. He was there for her. Could she believe that? She’d been taught all her life her wolf was an important part of her, not something she could deny. She’d challenged that teaching to her own detriment. Maybe Missy’s lovingly delivered lectures over the past two years had been right. Maybe it was time to move on. Lost in thought she barely heard the chairman call the next name. “Margaret Raynor.” Terror raised its head and choked her throat closed. “I can’t…” Her voice was a ghost of a whisper. Confused questions rang throughout the room. “Margaret who?” “Is she really eligible?” The Alpha stood and raised a hand. The chaos stilled as Keil looked out over the room. “She is eligible. Maggie officially joined the pack two years ago when her sister became Omega for Granite Lake. I have no troubles with her appointment to represent our pack.” Keil’s gaze stayed steady on her. His smile did little to calm the butterflies doing backflips in her belly. She didn’t like attention from an Alpha, no matter what her sister said about the man. The pack quieted at Keil’s words, and everyone resumed eating and chatting. She couldn’t do this. She’d ruin everything for the whole lot of them, and the Games were a big deal. More than a few curious glances were thrown her way as she excused herself and made her way over to Erik. “I need to talk to you.” The pleasure in his eyes at her request hurt. She didn’t want to be the one to ruin what should be a special day. She tugged him back into the corner of the hall. He knelt by her side so their heads were closer to level. Oh shit, was she really going to tell him? She had to. She grabbed him by the collar and put her lips inches from his ear to make her confession. “I can’t shift.” He’d wrapped his arms around her without her even noticing. Now his hands tightened where they held her waist. “What?” She fought to get it out before she lost her courage and simply ran from the confining and overwhelming setting of the hall. “Some of the challenges are done in wolf form, right? I can’t shift. I haven’t for over seven years.” Erik stared for a moment before folding her closer, their bodies touching. “Thank you for telling me.” He kissed her forehead gently. “Don’t worry about it.” Maggie gaped at him. “But…did you hear me? I can’t shift. We’ll automatically lose any challenge requiring us all to be wolves. I don’t need a group of wolves pissed off at me. I need to decline, or whatever.” He shook his head. “You can’t decline. If you step down, we compete with three. No substitutes are allowed. As for the rest, you need to trust me. Remember the mate thing? We’re a couple and there’s no challenge we can’t face together.” His totally honest and straightforward answer did something to the block of ice enclosing her heart. Maggie reached out and latched onto his collar again, dragging their lips together. Instant need. Passion and desire rocked her body. Moreover, she felt safe. Loved. His fingers tangled in her hair as he angled her mouth to the side, his tongue stroking her lips, her teeth, the roof of her mouth. They wrapped around each other in the corner of the hall, and she was oblivious to anything but the raging fire sweeping over her. A roar rose from the crowd. A mixture of laughter, jeers and moans. Maggie jerked to attention and squirmed back. The sound, so overwhelming and loud, frightened her and she clung to his forearms even as Erik released her. He cupped her cheek for a moment. He led her back to the head table, keeping her safely tucked under his arm. “What’s the fuss?” The chairman sniffed. “Didn’t you hear the selection for the final member of your team?” Erik glanced down at Maggie and grinned. “Nope. I was kind of distracted.” A long-limbed young man sauntered forward. Maggie frowned. He looked barely old enough to take part in the Games, although the resemblance to the pack Alpha was uncanny. So this was the younger brother she’d been told about. “TJ?” The gangly male flashed them double thumbs-up. “Hey, big guy. Let’s win this thing!” He reached to give Erik a high five, and tripped over his own feet. |
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