The moment I stepped off the dais, I was caught up in a swarm of bodies. At first, I thought they meant to surround Regan in a show of support, but they stopped when they reached me. Voices swirled together with words like “great job” and “we knew you could do it.” Ha!
There were more vampires than members of my pack but even so, it was a shock to finally feel as if people were rooting for me. My hand was shaken, smiles were handed out, “Congratulations” given. All the while, my head spun with the hum of their pleasantries and the shock of my victory.
I won the test.
Not Regan. Me. Charlie Vuk.
I actually had a shot at alpha. At being with Owen openly.
Through a break in the crowd, I caught sight of Regan as she slipped away from the stage and into the trees. She was alone. A quick glance told me no one had even noticed her going. Even our father seemed caught up in my win. He was locked in low conversation with Mr. Rossi, but he kept catching my eye and nodding appreciatively—the most show of excitement I’d ever seen from him. I couldn’t see Regan’s expression as she left but if the set of her shoulders was any indication, I didn’t need to.
I found Carter not far behind me. I jerked my head in Regan’s direction. His eyes flitted and scanned. I knew the moment he spotted her. His expression completely shifted and it made me pause. I knew they were friends, but the way he was looking at Regan’s retreating back … It was the same expression I imagined on my face when I looked at Owen. Was there more between them? Apparently, there was for Carter. He broke away from his dad and elbowed his way out of the crowd. I watched him follow her away and wondered if Regan knew the way he looked at her.
The crowd slowly dissipated and I found myself with enough room in front of me to move toward the sidelines and a possible exit. The moment the last well-wisher drifted away, I stepped off the faux grass carpeting that marked the tent’s edge and hurried into the trees.
I hadn’t gone far when I heard voices. One male, one female. They were low, as if they were afraid of people hearing or they were standing very close together. Curious, I slowed and picked my way carefully over the narrow trail. When I got close, I recognized the back of Regan’s honey-brown hair falling over her shoulders. Carter was standing in front of her and they were talking. She seemed less tense. Good, maybe he’d said something to make her feel better.
I took a step toward them. I wanted to talk to Regan, make sure she knew she wasn’t a failure. I’d seen the look in her eyes enough times already to know she carried the weight of any sort of loss heavier than most people did.
I took another step and then froze.
Carter was no longer speaking to Regan. He was kissing her! I held my breath and waited for Regan to react. To pull away and kick him or yell or something Reganish. But she didn’t move. After a moment, she leaned in and her hands landed on Carter’s chest, sliding slowly upward to caress his shoulders.
Ohmygod, Regan was kissing Carter!
“It’s not nice to spy.”
The words were so unexpected that although they were whispered, I jumped. I whirled and found Owen behind me, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth. His familiar scent, not-quite-human, not-quite-alive, reached me just as he did.
“It’s not nice to sneak up on people either,” I said.
He planted a kiss on my cheek, his eyes wide with mock innocence. “You must not be using all of your senses again.”
I swatted at him and he dodged it, light on his feet as always. I scowled and swung again. This time, he caught my wrist in his hand and held it still. I brought my other arm up but he was too quick and again, held my wrist firm in his grasp.
“Owen, let go,” I said, laughing.
“Nope. Not until I get a victory kiss.”
“Um, the victory was mine.”
“Have it your way then,” he purred. “I’ll kiss you.”
Still holding my wrists, he closed the distance between us and caught my mouth with his. I leaned into the kiss, happy to be held in such a delicious trap.
“What the hell? Are you trying to rub it in or what?”
At Regan’s shrieking, I yanked away and almost lost my footing. The only thing that held me up were Owen’s hands still clamped around my wrists.
Regan broke away from Carter, who tried to snatch her wrist but missed as she marched toward Owen. “Are you trying to test the limits of my patience?” Regan demanded, rounding the tree like a storm cloud cresting a mountain. “Because today is not the best day for that.” As proof, her form shook and shimmered at the edges. Her face was red with either temper or the exertion of not shifting. Or both.
“Regan, I didn’t mean—”
She cut me off and leaned at Owen. “And why are you holding her down? Is that how vampires treat their women? Or just you?”
“Obviously not.” His lips curled into an impish smile. “Although I’m open to new things.”
This was so not the time to tease. I glared at him, hoping my murderous expression was clear. He stopped talking.
“Regan, calm down,” I said. “We’re all on the same side, remember?”
Regan snorted, but there was no humor as she glared back at me. “No, you and Owen are on a team, that much is clear. But obviously you weren’t on the same stage I was. You and I are not on the same team.”
I felt her words like a slap. Especially after last night and everything we’d laid out, promising to help each other. Clearly, I’d overestimated our sibling bond. “Regan, I…”
“That’s enough,” Owen said.
Carter walked over and cut in before Regan could spew whatever had been on the tip of her tongue. “Regan’s not used to losing. Or seeing … this,” Carter explained, gesturing to Owen and me.
“Carter, don’t manage me,” Regan snapped and he jerked back. That got her attention. She blinked and her shoulders sagged as she turned to him. “Sorry,” she said quietly and then to me, “Knowing you’re together is one thing. Seeing it … that’s another. You don’t have to rub it in my face.”
I could feel my patience waning. I took a deep breath, trying again, this time with less temper. “Regan, I didn’t mean for you to see us. I was looking for you and then Owen found me. And as far as public displays go, yours wasn’t any better than mine.”
I looked pointedly at Carter. For a moment, his irritation disappeared and his eyes sparkled. He pressed his lips together as if fighting a smile, but then, he glanced at Regan and just as quickly as it’d lifted, the stony expression returned.
Regan’s face reddened further—something I didn’t think was possible. She opened her mouth, closed it again. It gave me a stab of satisfaction to see her at a loss for words.
“Looks like we’re even,” I said.
Regan shook her head, angry all over again. “Even? You think because you won today it gives you a chance against me. It doesn’t. We’re not even. We’re not equal. I am meant to be alpha, not you.” She bit out every word, all but spitting at me.
“Really? And why is that?” I shot back, hurt and angry at the way she was treating me. “Because you can hunt deer with your teeth?”
“No. Because duty will always come before desire,” she said. Her cheeks were spotted with red but her eyes were filled with tears. I knew then she wasn’t angry at me—she was angry at what she thought was expected of her. In the back of my mind, I felt sorry, but I couldn’t quite reach pity through the anger.
Regan was hooking up with Carter, and I had won the second alpha test. My skin might as well have been armored. Nothing she said could hurt me now.
“Duty before desire, huh?” I asked, letting Owen pull me against his side and giving Regan a smug smile. “Looks like I’m going to have both.”
Regan’s jaw dropped open with shock. She wasn’t used to having me stand up to her. She needed to get used to it. We were on even footing now. The contest was tied. I could just as easily win this thing as her. In fact, I intended to.