Page 6 of Rogue Games

Before tonight, I felt confident that once we got onto Reynold’s territory, we’d have a good chance of getting the answers we want. Now, I’m not so sure we’ll even make it across the border.

Finally meeting Wyatt’s eye, I tell him what I’ve been ruminating over for the entire journey home. “He knew I was there.”

“Did you…?”

Raising a hand, I cut off Wyatt’s questions about what I did wrong to give my position away. There’s nothing I would do differently. Dean sensed me watching him, somehow.

“I have no idea how he knew, but he did.”

The memory of Dean’s eyes locking onto my position sends a shiver down my spine. Oh, he knew.

“If I’d competed tonight, I could be through to the second round already.” Wyatt pouts. He was furious that I didn’t want him to attend the launch, but I’m being strategic. He probably could have beaten the smug asshole that got the bye, but in the long run, it would have worked against him.

And I’d be left camping out here alone, without Wyatt around to protect me, until the competition was over. No thanks.

“You need to be there at the first event, learning who the biggest threats are, and catching the attention of the judges.”

Steel hasn’t elaborated on exactly how the winner will be picked or what the scoring system is. All anybody knows is where and when it’s on. While there will be tough physical challenges, I don’t believe for one second that there won’t be components based on emotional intelligence and leadership skills. It can’t all be about who can run an obstacle course in the fastest time.

Or at least, I hope not. Otherwise, I’ll be out straight away.

“Plus, the last thing we need is for you to get injured or dragged into a row by some jackass with a chip on his shoulder before we even get there.”

We’re rogues. There are plenty of wolves who’d pick a fight with Wyatt for that alone. But a rogue who’s a serious contender? He might as well paint a target on his back.

“There were lots of strong wolves, but there were also some idiots who’ll weed themselves out sooner rather than later. It’s not going to be easy to stand out in a good way. You need to be as visible as possible.”

Wyatt tucks his wavy brown hair back behind his ears and nods, hating the idea of being on show after years of trying to blend in. But he knows that I’m right. We’ve spoken about this before. Acting like an alpha for the duration of our stay in Reynolds’s territory, provided they let us in, is just as important as winning the challenges. That includes staying out of drama and petty squabbles.

“Plan B it is. We still have the element of surprise now, and this will definitely make you memorable.”

Wyatt scoffs. That’s an understatement. Nobody will be expecting us to turn up. The last thing we need is to give them time to come up with a reason to turn us away. Dean Reynolds will want us off his territory as soon as possible, and any excuse will do. It’s up to us not to give him one.

“We’re going to need our beauty sleep then, and to keep our strength up,” Wyatt says, handing me a plate of charred meat cooked over his small fire.

“Speak for yourself,” I quip, immediately leaning out of reach before he can hit me. “It doesn’t take much to polish a diamond.”

He presses his hand to his heart, pretending to be wounded by my words. His expression turns serious again as he moves back to his post, guarding us as we sleep in another pack’s territory. Grey Ridge isn't known for being violent, but you can never be too careful. We’ve learned the hard way just how unwelcome rogues are.

“I’ll get up at 4 a.m. and let you grab a few hours before we leave.” I call to his retreating back.

Wyatt waves away my offer, but I’m getting up and taking over whether he likes it or not. We’re going to need to work as a team to have any hope of moving through the competition.

With a big stretch, I let my wolf push forward and take control, shifting to stay warm in the chilly night air. She’s not happy that we left the brewery without getting to interact with the other wolves; something she’s missed desperately.

We’re going to be spending a lot of time surrounded by other shifters. She’ll get her chance.

4

DEAN

The packhouse is a hive of activity. Brushing off the usual shiver of dread I feel whenever I cross the threshold, I find Lynn in my father’s study, printing off list after list of authorised visitors to the pack territory. That’s a lot of names.

Feeling like a stranger in what’s now supposed to be my office, I lean against the doorframe and watch in dismay as the stack of sheets gets spat out onto the output tray. That’s a lot of people who are going to be appearing on my border in the very near future, if they’re not already there. Beckett tells me they’ve been gathering since dawn. I feel like we’re under siege.

“Not everyone who registered for the opening round was able to make the launch. There may be more who just turn up on the day,” Lynn explains, a hint of warning in her tone as she senses my mood darkening with each page she flicks through.

I thought there were a lot of shifters there last night. This is going to be way worse.

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