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.”
Yeah, right.
“Didn’t you listen to me? I don’t want to be tied to a mate. I’m still wondering if I made
the right decision to come and be with your pack.” She looked down at her sister. “How can you be so
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Vivian Arend
comfortable around all these wolves? After everything they did to you? All those years of your life wasted
because our Alpha—”
“Oh, honey, I’ve told you this so many times over the past two years.
These
wolves have been nothing
but kind to me. Our Alpha wasn’t an Alpha—not in the truest sense of the word. Tad is more than twice the
man my first husband ever was. I’m happy now, Mags, really I am. Yeah, it was a rotten situation, and I
didn’t deserve to be treated like that, but I’ve moved on. Isn’t it time you did the same?”
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.”
Oh God.
Not what she needed right now. “Great. I tell you I found my mate and the first thing that
jumps to your mind is how we’re going to manage sex. You’re such a bitch.”
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
things
out. You need help, and he’s
the one able to give it. You need to trust him.”
“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.
26
Wolf Games
“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.
Get a mate, solve all your problems.
Maybe it just wasn’t
that easy. Maggie jerked to a standing position.
“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.”
Oh hell, no.
“I can’t do any big events yet. I only have to see you and Tad, right? At least for a
while?”
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.
Welcome to hell.
27
Vivian Arend
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
and
getting aroused. His mouth was next to her ear. “I like you too.
Very much.” He licked her earlobe gently.
A shockwave raced through her system.
Shit.
“Stop that.”
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.”
28
Wolf Games
“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.”
Damn it anyway.
Sisters were a pain in the butt. “Fine. It’s easier when he’s next to me.”
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.”
29
Vivian Arend
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