Aisha follows my eyeline and spots him too.
“Ugh, he’s always been ridiculously competitive. He thinks winning is his birthright.”
“Hey Max,” Katie says, appearing out of nowhere.
“Hi, I didn’t know you were here.”
“I sort of kept it quiet.” She’s having trouble making eye contact as well.Do I have a massive zit or something?“I came to support Todd and Simon.”
“You could have said.”
“I know.” She sighs. “I thought if I let you believe I wasn’t coming you might be less likely to race. I guess I was wrong.”
“Well, thanks for the support.” My words are more bitter than I mean them to be, but I almost died, so Katie should probably let it slide.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she says, fidgeting with one of her bracelets. “And sorry, you know, about the Rocky Pack and all.”
Then it dawns on me. Todd and Simon get to go and bring their mate.
“I hope you have a nice time,” I say, and this time I mean every bitter syllable.
“Max…”
I turn away from Katie and focus on the bonfire. She waits for a moment but I ignore her, waiting for her to run back to the terrible twosome.
“Max, I…” She trails off and I’ve had it.
“What?” I ask. “Why can’t you finish a sentence?”
Katie’s mouth is clamped together, her eyes darting from me to a towering figure I’m only just now realizing is behind me.
Alpha Jericho steps over my log bench and stands in front of the fire; the flames light one side of his face in orange and leave the other in shadow.
Automatically, Aisha and I stand out of respect.
“Please accept my apologies, Max,” Jericho says, every eye in a ten-meter radius staring in his direction. Even Jasper glances up. “I had not intended to put anyone in danger.”
“I’m okay…” My jaw is quivering more than when I was drowning in a frozen river. “Really, it’s okay.”
“You nearly had it, too,” Jericho says with a grin. “You’ve impressed me once again.”
I don’t really know what to say. I’m not sure being a drowned rat is that impressive—and I mean, it’s sort of his fault. He’s a big part of the reason I entered the race in the first place. If he wasn’t pressuring me so hard I don’t even know if I would have put myself in that position. But he’s still my alpha, and the thought of mouthing off at him doesn’t sit well. So I say nothing.
Our little conversation has caught a lot of people’s attention. Jasper is watching his dad with keen intent. Clayton is ignoring his lackeys, waiting to hear what the alpha will say next. Even Olivia is glancing in our direction, looking like she’s just swallowed a bug.
“I’d like to make amends for this evening’s little accident,” Jericho says.
Accident?! Little?I know some people are questioning Jericho’s authority, but somehow I don’t think undermining my almost-drowning is the way to convince people you’re fit to lead.
“There were six available spots in the emissary to the Rocky Pack. Our first- and second-place winners don’t have mates.” Clayton bristles; Olivia’s eye dart to the ground. “Of course, our tied third-place holders and their mate”—he glances at Katie ever so briefly and I can feel her melt—“make the group up to five, which leaves an open space. It would give me great pleasure to invite you to join my son, and the others, on the trip to the Rocky Pack.”
Clayton looks like he wants to try and murder me all over again. Jasper’s eyes are wide and full of quiet fury.
“Max!” Katie squeals. “This is such good news!”
“Will you accept?” Jericho asks, sticking out his oversized hand for me to shake.
For a second I stand there like a dumbass. I glance at Aisha, who only raises her eyebrows and tilts her head as if to say, “Hey, it’s what you wanted, right?”
