“I’m going to get TJ to change now. You okay?”
How did he know? “I…have to be, don’t I?”
He stepped closer and spoke softly, for her ears only. “You think I haven’t noticed you’ve tensed every time one of the other teams had a member shift? I didn’t think it was because you were embarrassed by their nudity.”
“Well, there was that one guy…”
“Hush.” He kissed her nose, and she went all soft and melty inside. Three days on the trail with him. It was going to be heaven and hell. Oh no, they would be camping out. How was she supposed to avoid him in the evening? Avoid giving in to the attraction between them that grew by the minute? It was one thing to say she wanted to hold off on becoming mates, it was another to stick to her guns.
TJ stripped off his clothes and folded them neatly, slipping everything into one of the three packs waiting nearby. Maggie admired his muscular body. He might have two left feet in human form, but it was a pretty nice package of clumsy altogether. A low grumble from her left distracted her and she turned to see Erik staring, one brow raised. “You seen enough? Or do you want him to pirouette for you?”
No way. “Are you jealous?”
“Yes.” The warmth he’d started earlier grew into raging heat. “I want you to be looking at me like that, not at TJ. I want to see admiration in your eyes for me—for your mate. It doesn’t mean I’m going to go Rambo on his ass, but I’d appreciate if you’d stop drooling in front of me.”
Maggie stepped into his body space and wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him as close as she could.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her instant need to comfort him puzzled her. Being in his arms satisfied something deep inside. Made her wolf rumble, low and needy. He stroked one hand down her back, the fingers of his other hand running though her hair. He held her for a minute, their heartbeats slowly synchronizing, and it felt so damn good she almost forgot where they were.
“It’s okay. Apology accepted. He’s a good-looking kid and an even better-looking wolf. You ready to meet him?”
She froze. TJ had shifted. Had Erik deliberately distracted her? Knotting her fingers in his shirt, she glanced over her shoulder. TJ sat on his haunches, his tongue lolling to the side as he panted in the heat of the noontime sun. His silver-grey fur shone, his eyes were bright and his nose twitched as he sniffed the air.
She reminded herself again—it was TJ. They were in public. Erik was nearby. “He is a goo…good…looking wolf…isn’t he?”
She could do this. Only she wasn’t doing it alone. She grabbed Erik, tugging him with her as she approached. She held out her hand, palm open like a person would with a strange dog.
“What the hell?” Jared muttered.
“Let her be,” Erik ordered. He squatted to the side and ran his free hand over TJ’s flank. She was squeezing the blood out of his other hand. TJ tilted his head to the side, confused, before sniffing her palm. His wet nose brushed her skin and goose bumps rose all over her body. He licked her fingers, then plopped on his belly at her feet.
And rolled over.
Her wolf howled with delight, fighting to take control, fighting to break free. A wave of dizziness rushed her. Erik’s grip tightened and he moved to support her. “Okay?”
Wilderness. Starlit skies. Cool mountain water. The wind in her fur. Maggie ached for all the things she’d missed for so long. Again her wolf bumped the surface, making her blood sing, making the knot in her belly loosen a little more. She shook off Erik’s supporting arms and reached for TJ, touching his chest, running her fingers along the stiffer fur of his muzzle. She took a deep breath and soaked in the scent of a wolf giving her obeisance. It felt good. Oh so very good.
“Granite Lake. You’re up in ten minutes. You can take your place at the starting line.” The Games Marshal passed them quietly, headed back to the officials’ area.
TJ scrambled to his paws. Erik smiled at her as he helped her up. He kept hold of her hands. “Are we ready?”
He wasn’t talking about the event. Maggie squared her shoulders and let the joy inside her shine out a little as she nodded. For the first time in years she felt like there really was hope.
Chapter 6
Maggie drew another deep breath of crisp mountain air into her lungs before quick-stepping to catch up. Erik walked ahead of them with TJ. She found herself surprised to be enjoying the chance to get to know Jared better.
“You’ve lived in the North long?”
Jared scrambled over a fallen log blocking the trail and turned back to give her a hand. The trail was in good shape, except for people with short legs.
“All my life. I’ve always been in the Granite Lake pack too. I can tell you, things have really changed in the past couple of years. Since Keil and Erik took over running things, conditions have improved so much.”
He lowered her to the ground then motioned for her to walk ahead of him.
“What do you mean improved?”
“The old Alpha and his crew, they never took part in anything like the Games. Too far beneath them. It’s not just special events like this one. Man, at times it’s tough getting a job in Haines, but Erik and Keil have things arranged so there is never a chance for any of the pack to be unemployed.” He laughed. “That doesn’t mean you won’t be working your ass off. They seem to be able to find the dirtiest, rottenest jobs around for the pack members who are slow to get their acts together. No, it’s been good to see the younger kids find a way to stay in the North instead of having to head south where their wolves aren’t as happy. Plus the old timers? You see them regularly around the pack house now, where before they used to hide out since no one wanted to listen to them talk. Especially the real old geezers who forget they’ve told the same tale a million times.”
She stopped to take a drink from her water bottle, thinking for a moment. It didn’t sound like huge changes to her. Well, jobs were good, but she’d been thinking in the line of murder and other crimes being the issues, not laziness and neglect. “Did you know Erik spoke Russian?”
“Of course. He knows seven languages.”
She jerked the bottle from her lips, the water sloshing down the front of her shirt. “Seven?”
Jared leaned back on a nearby tree, looking at her with a curious expression on his face.
“What?”
“You’re very pretty.”
She felt heat race over her skin. The admiration in his eyes embarrassed her and inside her wolf sniffed with disdain. “Thank you.”
“Is there something between you and Erik? TJ swears you two are scented like mates, but…” He shrugged. “You’re not acting like it. Just in case you’re interested in a—”
“I don’t want to get involved with you.” Maggie’s tongue tripped over itself in her hurry to turn him down. An icky sensation covered her at the thought of touching anyone but Erik.
Jared laughed out loud, his face split with an ear-to-ear grin. When he finally got himself under control he wiped the tears from his eyes and sucked in air. “I was going to ask if you were interested in a little advice. Sweetie, if you’re scented to the Beta, I’m not going anywhere near you in a sexual way, even if you beg. I’d like to keep the family jewels intact and usable for a few more years.”
She didn’t think she could be any more embarrassed. All she’d done lately had been jump to conclusions. “Sorry.” When she lifted her gaze, he was still grinning. “So, what’s your advice?”
Jared shrugged. “You don’t seem to know much about him. The mate thing is supposed to be cool, as in you’re positive they’re the only one for you. Yada yada. It works, I’ve seen it with the Alphas, and with others in the pack. I still think there’s nothing wrong with a little good old-fashioned conversation to go along with the instant physical attraction and the lifelong chemical bond.”