Page 50 of Savage Games

"Pissed all over his stuff."

"Good enough for him.Did you see the look in his eyes when he left the hall?You tell me that man isn't a ticking time bomb."

"Bet he went feral.That's what rogues do, right?Snap and lose it."

"Probably needs Blake to put him down.I mean, they'll have to, right?To stop him?"

“Maybe he’s running away.I mean, he knows nobody wants him to win.”

My hands shake, rage and fear churning inside me, until I can't tell one from the other.They talk about him like he's some wild animal, not a person, not a wolf with honor and heart.Like his strength is something to fear, not respect.

They don't know him.

I do.

And all I want, all I long for, is the moment I can step into the light beside him and tell them all, He's mine.

Let them have their charming, rich alphas.Let them chase titles and wealth and easy power.I want him.

Whatever's happening in those woods, Wyatt isn't running.He's fighting.And from the sounds echoing through the trees, he's not backing down.

The forest swallows the alphas, their howls ringing back toward us, and all I can do is stand here, helpless and furious, and so desperately in love, that I can barely breathe.

Lynn appears beside me, staring into the distance in silence, saying nothing but slipping her fingers into mine and gripping my hand with hers in support.

Please come back.Please, don't let them, or this stupid competition, break you.

I stare into the trees until my vision blurs, until the cold bites through my skin.

And I wait.

18

Wyatt

They think they’ve got me boxed in.

I tilt my head to watch them, weighing them up.Giving them one last chance to back down before they do something they’ll regret.

I enjoy how their glowing eyes widen when they realise exactly who they’re dealing with.They thought I was just a giant when I was in human form?Well, that’s nothing compared to how terrifying my wolf is.

My wolf stands nearly five feet at the shoulder, far larger than any normal shifter.My midnight-black fur bristles along my spine, muscles rippling beneath my coat, as I lower my head.I've been told my wolf's eyes glow like molten gold in the darkness, the only feature that betrays what I truly am when I'm in this form.

None of them are alphas, just bad sportsmen looking to take me out early.They might think they’re here to improve their own chances, to take me out in a group because they know there’s no way they can beat me, one on one, but I have no doubt who sent them.

Brad.

He knows Naomi’s mine and doesn’t want to risk me winning the Games.He needs me to stay weak, on the outskirts, and easily discredited, so I can’t avenge whatever he’s done to my mate and her sister.

And because he’s a coward, he’s sent these idiots to deal with me instead of doing it himself.

Deciding that their time to retreat is up, I release a deafening snarl that sends the roosting birds up into the night sky.

The sound echoes through the forest, a primal challenge that seems to shake the very air.This is who I truly am, not the careful, controlled man I present to the world, but this wild force of nature.After years of holding back, of checking my strength and tempering my instincts, there's a savage freedom in finally unleashing my wolf.

If they want to see a vicious rogue, I’ll give them one.

Fear glints in the wolves’ eyes as they exchange hesitant glances, their ears flattening slightly, their confidence cracking.

---