Page 40 of Rejected Mate

I shot him a look. “You did a lot of ordering around last night,” I hissed. “I figured it was my turn.” I didn’t know if vampires couldn’t blush, but his narrowed eyes and his smirk disappeared letting me know my comment hit home.

“About last night…”

“Save your apologies.” I turned my eyes to the barrels, so I wouldn’t have to look at him. Shifters could blush, and I knew I had to be bright red at the moment.

“Who said anything about apologizing?” he growled quietly in my ear. “I was trying to help.”

My head whipped toward him. “Trying to help?” My voice was no longer quiet. It was a raised hiss. “You attacked me and tore down a tapestry. A very shitty, drunken plan, if you ask me. And what was all that nonsense about us being tied together?”

He grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to the barrels and away from the other couples. “Keep your voice down,” he said through gritted teeth.

I peered around and caught William intent on us. He had moved to a chair by the door that led into the castle. Could he hear us from there? Maybe not since Ares had taken my bait. Either way, he could see us and the undeniable tension buzzing around us.

“I will,” I hissed back, “if you start giving me some answers. What does that tapestry have to do with anything? And answer me this…” I pressed my lips together, knowing I should just let it drop, but one question kept swirling in my head. “Did my parents pay to get me into this game?”

I hated asking that last question, but it was one that had been running around my head ever since Callan spilled the horrible words in the library. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Maybe if I knew it wasn’t true, I could finally focus.

“What?” Ares’s brow furrowed. It looked as if he was about to answer me, but William’s voice boomed over the garden.

“Get in position. We will start in one minute.”

Damn it! Just when I was about to get some answers. I knew I had to win just so I could have time with Ares to yank the truth out of him.

“Come on,” I said, waving him toward the barrels. “Let’s get ready.”

Ares walked over, but he didn’t seem pleased I was giving orders. “Look, I’ll get the barrels going. When we get a few levels up, I might need your help.” He winked, surprising me.

“Youmightneed my help?” I asked, incredulous.

“On your mark. Get set. Go.”

A buzzer rang out. The other teams jumped into action.

Ares and I both ran over and went for a barrel. He hefted his up easily, while I nearly sprang a hernia moving mine over.

He frowned and put both hands on his hips, awhat the hell?expression on his handsome face.

“Duh, they have to be stacked on top of each other..” I glared at him.

He rolled his eyes. “Do you never listen?”

“I listen when someone has a good idea.”

“Oh, my idea is good. If you’d just go along with it, you would find out.”

He growled and went for another barrel, stacking it on top of his own. The barrels were huge and heavy. His strength was incredible. I had to give him that.

“Here, hold these steady.” He ran back to the wheelbarrows without even checking to see if I’d heard him.

I gritted my teeth. Yes, it would be in my best interest to win, but, dammit, he was so insufferable. To my left, the other teams seemed to be faring better than us, probably because they weren’t bickering like old married couples sick of each other’s shit.

But you need answers, my dumb inner voice said.Behave.

“Fine,” I breathed, going over to steady the two barrels while he brought over a third. Strong arms hefted the huge barrel over his head so he could stack it on the other two.

“Hold it,” he said, going for another.

“You hold it,” I growled under my breath.

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