It's asking for trouble.
So much trouble.
But I'm going to do it.
I'm too curious. I want to know what they'll do. My wolf isn't curious, she's excited. She's inside me preening. She is completely confident that Drew is going to use that shirt as a pillowcase for a week, and she thinks he's going to send more shirts, his and Parker's, for me to sleep in. I think Parker is going to be angry. He didn't want me wearing it in the first place, that much was obvious. He might burn it before Drew ever gets a whiff.
Chapter Twenty-three
Parker
“Are you and Cross doing Middle Ground?” Dylan asks, sitting down across from me with his tray of food.
I like Dylan. He's from a neighboring pack and we grew up seeing him at gatherings and celebrations. He's a year or so older than Cross. I don't know why he's here. He's as reluctant to talk about his issues as everyone else is. He doesn't outwardly seem any different than he ever has before, but that doesn't mean anything because neither does Cross.
“No.”
“How come?” he asks, stabbing his fork into his plate of pasta. “You could win.”
That's exactly why we wouldn't compete. We would win. Well, I would win. Cross couldn't compete because he's still having trouble shifting, but no one needs to know that. If he were to compete it wouldn't be a competition at all. Instead of telling Dylan any of that, I redirect. “Are you doing Middle Ground?”
“I don't know,” he says. “Maybe. I'd like to win the prize, but I don't know. The only person I'd really like to challenge is Walker.”
“The money? How much is it?” I didn't realize there was an actual prize other than the money in the betting pools.
“I haven't checked. There aren't too many challenges yet so there's not much to bet on. No, the prize is from the admin and staff. It's not money. It's kind of like a favor that the winner gets. Like they can ask for something they want while they're here.”
That sounds like a disaster in progress. “What kind of favor?”
He shrugs and takes another bite. “It sounds like anything within reason. I'm sure they'll shut it down if someone asks for something unacceptable or excessive.”
“Where did you hear about this prize? There's nothing about it in any of the registration paperwork.”
“I guess it's something new they're offering. They were talking about it in the gym this morning. Didn't you get the note? This morning?”
“No, I didn't.” I stayed in Cross's room last night and we left out before breakfast to go on a run with a few other people.
“It's not a big deal. Most people were talking about asking for special meals or days off or things like that. Yall's girl was there.”
I fucking hate that. Aside from the she-wolves who spend a lot of time making their availability known to Cross, a lot of people here make remarks about Genie being our girl. I fuckinghateit. Sometimes I wish Cross would spend a night with one of the other women here just to quell the gossip. “Genie isn't our girl.”
“You keep saying that,” he says, smirking.
“She isn't. Everyone knows what happened.”
He nods. “Yep. Everyone knows. But I saw her sneaking out of your room this morning, so...”
Sneaking out of my room? This morning? “What?”
“After breakfast. It's okay, man. Lots of us share.” He looks down at his plate, pushing the last few bits of food into a pile. “Just not with the Alpha.”
“We aren't sharing Genie. She isn't with us. She isn't with Cross.”
“Then why is she sneaking out of your room?”
I get up, leaving my untouched tray on the table. “I don't know.”
“Are you finished with this?” he yells as I stalk towards the door.
