I ran laps around the tree line in the backyard for half an hour, pretending to exercise, before I became convinced it was safe to slip away. Sixteen hours had passed since the epic fail that was my engagement party. All evidence of the night had already been cleared away by the caterers so I was alone in the greenery of the back acre. I’d spent the morning in my room reading more of the pack law book but there was nothing in it to help me out of this mess.
Owen Rossi was my mystery vampire friend and the prince I was now co-engaged to marry. He was also public enemy number one to those I was supposed to bond with—become family with, even. And here I was getting warm fuzzies every time he came around. Even I couldn’t deny that, not when it had been obvious to everyone watching, including Bevin.
Yep, my life was a royal mess.
By the time I’d snuck downstairs, everyone else was off doing their own stuff. I’d put on running shorts and tennis shoes and purposely hadn’t shifted. Maybe if I looked like I just wanted human exercise, they’d leave me alone. I did need to stretch my legs, get some fresh air. But mostly, I just needed to be alone. To think. To try and make sense of everything that had happened last night.
So with one last glance around, I slipped into the woods and raced down the trail. My running shoes pounded the dirt in a staccato rhythm. My breaths became shallow and short, finally finding a pattern of their own even as my pulse sped in my ears. Trees and ferns whirred past me on both sides of the narrow trail. When one blocked my path, I veered left or right until the only path I followed was my own. I didn’t slow down for at least a mile. When the trail forked, I took the smaller one. Finally, as the trees closed in around me, I slowed and allowed my mind to wander.
I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been. I’d stood right in front of Owen and had an entire conversation with him, all about the sad state of my life now that I belonged to the pack. All about how angry I was to be forced into competing for a title I’d never wanted, and possibly forced to marry someone I’d never heard of—and he’d never said a word about his own part in all of this.
What must he think of me? He knew I was a werewolf, and that I was Regan’s sister. He knew that I could be his future wife—and he purposely didn’t introduce himself. He must have been laughing at me.
I wasn’t sure if I was angrier at that—or at the entire pack being so quick to count me out of the competition. Not a single one seemed even on the fence about the outcome—or my fate—much less interested in getting to know me in the interim. I’d never felt less valued in my entire life.
After I’d escaped Bevin and her accusations at the party, I’d tried stealing away to catch my breath. But Dad had caught me edging toward the woods and called me back. He’d paraded me around to the pack members—and even some of the vampires. I’d even met Mr. and Mrs. Rossi. I shuddered as I remembered the cold that had crept along my skin when I’d shaken Mrs. Rossi’s hand. It wasn’t just her body temperature; it was the cold calculation in her crimson eyes. I’d felt threatened from that single glance she’d given me and, for the first time, I thought I knew why Regan felt the way she did.
But the werewolves hadn’t been any better. Carter’s dad had all but forgotten I was standing there and gone on about how proud Dad would be when Regan was alpha.
But none of that topped the way Owen had teased me. I’d thought he’d been flirting when he’d found me lurking near the buffet table, but by the time he’d given that secret wink onstage, I’d realized the truth. He was making fun of me for what he’d known all along. My naiveté was such a joke.
In the wake of it all, I’d made a decision. I was determined to fight. To show them all that I wouldn’t be so easily cast off.
But before I could do that, I needed to train. The problem was I had no idea how to go about it. Dad had said I would learn from the pack, which meant some sort of homeschooling, but that hadn’t started yet, and it wasn’t like I was going to ask him to teach me. Especially when I was pretty sure part of that meant hunting live prey. And ultimately, killing. A reality I wasn’t prepared for yet.
I needed another way, but I had no idea how to find out what the competition would entail. The book Regan had given me was vague, citing past examples of sibling contests in poor detail. The only thing I knew for sure was that there were no set rules for each round of “tests.” The arenas and contests were chosen by the council members; they were different each time.
Unless I found someone to help me, all I could do was general physical conditioning. But the thought of asking any member of the pack made my stomach coil.
I kicked at a downed limb, not really paying attention. My toe hit the flat end with a hard thunk. “Ow,” I muttered, hopping and shifting my weight. Inside my shoe, the injured toe flared with heat and pain.
Behind me, soft laughter rang out.
I whirled, forgetting all about my stubbed toe. The wolf inside me rose to the front of my mind and hovered there. I could feel my skin tingling as my hands shimmered in and out of focus. My body wanted to shift in the face of the possible threat. I held my animal in place and scanned the trees.
“Calm down, I’m not going to attack.”
My insides jumped as I identified the owner of the voice. Rather than ache for the attack, the wolf in me receded. Instead, butterflies began and I scowled.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
Owen stepped out from behind the trees. His body movements were so fluid, it seemed like he’d materialized out of empty air. “Me? You’re the one crossing the treaty line, darling. You’re on my side of the world.”
“I am? Oh…” I looked around and it hit me that the scenery had changed. The trees were closer together, taller, older looking. The air had a different scent to it. Sweeter, almost to the point of rotten. And the canopy overhead was thick enough that it blocked out all but the most penetrating rays, throwing a layer of shadow and gloom over the rich greens and browns. “I guess I was … preoccupied,” I muttered.
He smirked, but it was more teasing than friendly and reminded me of the expression he wore last night when he’d addressed the crowd. A mask, I realized. “I’ve heard engagements tend to do that to women. So many fine details to keep straight.”
I narrowed my eyes. He was laughing at me again. “Not to mention there’s the fact that you lied to me and purposely kept your identity a secret,” I said.
He merely shrugged. “I wanted to keep it interesting. Make sure you liked me for me before I told you about my fortune.”
I glared. “Your fortune has nothing to do with it.”
He arched a brow. “So you do like me?”
I let my eyes trail over him, giving him a cursory inspection. His dark pants looked just faded enough to be sexy rather than stiff and he’d rolled the sleeves of his button-down shirt to his elbows. Like he’d started out proper but changed his mind halfway through. The ruggedness of that and his scuffed boots added to the dangerous charm that hung about him. I kept my mouth twisted into a humorless line, but inside, my pulse quickened. I hated to admit that I found him so attractive.
I rolled my eyes. “Ugh. Do you ever take anything seriously?”
He grinned and something about it told me I hadn’t been as covert in my admiration as I’d hoped. “Not if I can help it. Life is much more bearable if I keep a certain sense of humor about it all.”
“A sense of humor and humiliation are two different things.” I turned and marched back toward the wolf side of the woods.
His voice from behind me stopped me in my tracks. “You are not a laughing matter, Charlotte Vuk.”
I spun, flattered and frustrated. “What does that even mean? You lied all that time—”
In a flash, he closed the distance and stood before me. His smirk was gone, replaced by the most intense and studying gaze. “I only wanted to get to know you. And to maybe … let you see the real me. No one else does,” he added quietly and I knew without being told that he’d just been more real with me than he had with anyone in a long time.
My heart softened. “I like the real you,” I said quietly.
His smile rattled me and my pulse sped as his hand reached for mine. “I like you too,” he said. “I don’t want to stop this because of our family’s prejudices.”
My shoulders sagged at that. “I don’t either,” I said but inside, I knew things had changed.
His pleasure melted away and he eyed me suspiciously. “You’re going to compete, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. Why?”
He shrugged. “My father said we were invited to watch. I want to know what kind of show to expect.”
My palms went clammy at the prospect of Owen in the audience. “You mean, you want to know if it’ll be over quickly?”
“I didn’t say that.”
I winced. “You didn’t have to.”
“I’ve heard what your people think of your chances.” His head tilted and the mask he’d worn before slipped away to reveal genuine interest. “Out of curiosity, why are you going to compete against her? Why not just walk away? Go home, like you wanted.”
I swallowed back the humiliation of yet one more person’s belief that I would lose. “You wouldn’t understand,” I mumbled.
Owen shot forward so fast I missed it. In less than a breath he was inches away from me, staring into my eyes hard enough to make me nervous. His hand hovered at my cheek but never made contact. The mask he’d worn a moment ago was gone. Now, he was open, inviting.
“Try me,” he said so gently that I swallowed against the urge to lean in and press my face to his palm in comfort.
Oh, I was in so much trouble with this boy.