Taking Down the Alpha

20 Brazenly Withholding

Walking into the arena with Al was a completely different experience than the previous night. My wolf had been a bit on edge going into a new place, and I wasn't exactly enthused about watching a bunch of violent males beat each other bloody. It wasn't somewhere I'd ever be seen, without it being a potential aspect of my plan.

I certainly never, ever would have bothered going there on something that could almost be mistaken for a double date, yesterday.

But today, I was actually excited. It was probably Al rubbing off on me, since he seemed to be looking forward to it, and my sappy wolf was eager to please her mate. And if watching a bunch of violence happy males try to exert physical dominance over each other was the way to achieve that, she was all in.

Al intertwined my fingers with his as he led me through the crowd, although it was more like the crowd manoeuvred itself around him rather than the other way around. Of course my wolf was pleased at the deference other wolves instinctively gave to him.

He never seemed overly friendly to anyone besides me, but he also didn't seem brooding or aggressive. Maybe he would make a good alpha after all. Maybe the moon goddess knew what she was doing when she sent all my plans into a tailspin.

Maybe.

I wasn't quite ready to completely trust him with Huntstone yet. There were too many blanks. I needed the information he was so brazenly withholding from me. Maybe he should get credit for not pretending he wasn't, but it was driving me crazy. He was only getting away with the mysterious nonsense because my wolf was silly for him. If he were anyone else...

He stopped in reserved seating on the opposite side of the cage from where I had stood with my friends in the overflow crowd the previous night, and led me down the fourth row from the front. Once we stopped, I texted Denise where we were at so they could meet us when they arrived and then I looked around. A couple of the other fighters I had watched were a few seats ahead of us and off to the right. I guessed they were all scoping out the competition like Al was. Or maybe they just really enjoyed watching bloodsport. I didn't get it.

"Looking around for a better champion?" he asked in a low teasing whisper by my ear. My skin prickled.

"No. Are you ready to tell me your name yet?"

He chuckled, casting me a curious expression. "What makes you so curious?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe that you're my mate and it's the most basic pertinent information?" I didn't even try to hide how much the situation was vexing me.

"You're not enjoying the mystery and buildup to the surprise?" I saw straight through his innocent act.

"I don't like mystery or surprises. They mess with my plans. You're lucky I was busy today or I'd have been searching for your identity online." Well, more than I did whenever I had a spare moment between going places or checking emails.

"I'll make you a deal. Like a challenge. Let's see who can hold out longer. Because, you know, Jess, I really do want to tell you. I have this drive to tell you anything, give you anything, become anything that you want. My wolf wants you to be happy." His voice was rough and earnest and my body thrummed in response.

Worse, my heart did a silly flip, but I pushed that nonsense aside. "So you're saying, if you tell me before I ask, I win?"

He grinned. "Exactly. And if you ask again before I tell you, I win. Maybe we should make this more interesting."

"Oh?" He was piquing my interest.

"Yeah. Let's say whoever loses owes the other a favour."

I crossed my arms. "That's disturbingly open-ended."