Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Cayson
It’s the next morning after the food fight, and our subsequent lecture from the ultimas about proper behavior at The Selection. The weather is absolutely perfect outside , I can’t help but think as I walk through the stables, stopping in front of a particularly beautiful black horse. It seems like a great day to seduce a beautiful woman, but sometimes, seduction takes planning.
Glancing around and pulling an apple from my pocket, I say, “Here you go, girl.”
I took the apple from the breakfast table, knowing we would be riding today, and knowing these horses don’t get nearly enough love. If I wasn’t a wolf, I’d think horses were my spirit animal. The horse looks at me skeptically for a moment, then takes the apple in a single bite, chomping it noisily. I grin and pat her neck, wishing I had stolen more apples.
“That girl is actually a male horse,” a man says, coming around the side of the stable.
I direct my grin at him instead, holding up my hands to him like we’re long-lost friends. My smile instantly puts him at ease and the short beta’s face relaxes, and the tension in his body calms, if only by a little bit. I actually don’t blame him for being immediately on edge after seeing an alpha in his territory. A lot of us are complete shitheads.
“Reginald,” I say casually, even though we’d only met once before, “My man, thank you so much for meeting up with me.”
“Come on,” he says, glancing around impatiently, probably nervous about getting caught. “Let’s just get this over with before someone sees us.”
“No worries, my man,” I say, pulling out the money from my pocket. I slip it to him, and he quickly hides it away in his jacket. “Discretion is key. I get that. Listen— Faye , got it? She’s the one wearing the yellow blouse. With the flowers.” Reginald nods and starts to pull away, but I reach out and grab his arm, wanting to express how important this is to me. “No, listen, there’s another girl here named Felice. Do not get it mixed up, alright? Faye .”
Reginald yanks his arm away from me, a look of disgust passing over his features. I’m sure he’s thinking he wishes he didn’t have to stoop to such extremes, but he’s the one with the drinking problem and not enough money to fuel the habit. I’m just the one taking advantage of a good situation when I see one.
“I got it,” he says, annoyance in his voice.
You’d think this was his first time fixing a game.
“Good man.”
He lifts a brow. “Shouldn’t you head back to the others?”
I should. “Of course. Of course. Thanks again.” Then I stride back out of the stables, probably with less discretion than I should.
But then again, I think I’d be more suspicious slinking around.
When I round the corner, I see all the omegas and alphas hanging out in a clearing near the stables. Even though there are far too many people, I find Faye right away, and she instantly takes my breath away. She’s standing with her head held high next to another omega. Like the others, she’s wearing riding leathers, but her blouse is yellow with small flowers stitched into it.
Even from here, I can see how the clothes hug Faye’s body, showing that she has more curves than the dresses let on. Of course, I could feel those curves when I had my hands on her body in the water the other night. But it’s a completely new thing, seeing them in the light of day.
Not that I minded the dresses either.
Earlier, at breakfast, she was wearing a pale green dress with a high neckline. It was cute and sexy all at the same time, and all I wanted to do was run my hands along her waist and tuck her into my side. Maybe finally get to taste those full lips of hers…
Fuck. I need to sleep with this woman. It’s the only way I’ll stop obsessing over every inch of her. I’ll just make sure she’s aware that it’ll be a one-time thing first. I meant it when I told Ezra I didn’t plan to hurt her.
I swallow hard and turn, watching as Reginald makes his way across the field. Crossing my fingers in my pocket, I hope he doesn’t fuck it up. I need to spend the day with Faye. I need to get her out of my head.
It’s a gorgeous afternoon. The sun is shining and the horses neigh cheerfully. Faye leans to the side and says something to the woman standing next to her, and I can’t tear my gaze away from how her shirt stretches to accommodate her chest.
My brain feels foreign to me. This girl is doing something to me that I don’t understand. The other night, when I saw Faye climbing into the boat with Ezra, I’d felt a rush of jealousy, the same rush of jealousy I’d felt when Ezra came to his room smelling like her. My thoughts had gone crazy. Why was she climbing into a boat with him, when she was supposed to be climbing into a boat with me ?
I’d wanted to shout and throw a fit like a goddamn toddler. I wanted to grab Ezra and pull him out of the damn boat. I just wanted to loudly say, for everyone to hear: I saw her first.
And I did. Didn’t I?
Not that it matters. I am not in the market for an omega. I just want to have a little fun. And for some reason, only one omega will do for me right now.
“Good morning, everyone,” the ultima, Brock, says, from the front of the field. “Today’s event will be horseback riding and a scavenger hunt. It’s a chance to work together as a team and follow clues to a special treat. I guarantee you’ll have a blast and get to know a new potential match. Now, the groupings.”
Reginald steps forward and starts reading off the names. I bounce on my heels, looking between him and Faye, who’s holding hands with her friend. It’s like we’re all playing a game, but I’ve already won it.
It’s just that no one else knows that quite yet.
The friend squeals when her name is called with three other alphas, and goes off to meet with them across the field. Immediately after, Faye’s name is called with mine, and she looks over. When our eyes meet, she raises an eyebrow at me, and I shrug like what are the chances?
It’s hard not to smile. What are the chances indeed?
All the rest of the names are called, including Ezra being paired with the irritating girl who he’d gotten stuck with at the cake decorating event. He and I exchange a glance, and I can practically feel his jealousy dripping off of him. Then everyone starts moving.
It might be my ego, but Faye doesn’t look un happy to be partnered with me. Which I’ll take, since she seems to be trying so hard to give me an icy reception at every turn.
“I guess we’re partners,” she says, stopping in front of me, brow raised.
“It looks like it,” I say, hiding my smile. “I guess I’m just that lucky.”
“Or I’m just that unlucky,” she banters.
I slide closer to her, ignoring all the people who are being given their horses and sent on their way. “Faye, Faye, we both know you like me, so why keep up with the game?”
She leans in and her delicate scent comes over me. I have to stop myself from breathing her in or I’ll end up like a teenage boy sporting an erection based on just a girl’s scent. It’s not that I’m playing it subtle with her, but I do need to keep in control of some part of this situation.
“I can’t help it if I win every game I play,” I tell her, flashing her a cocky smile.
Her hazel eyes are filled with mirth. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re playing a game by yourself.”
“It’s okay, I’m used to playing with myself,” I say, not missing a beat.
Her jaw drops open and her eyes go round. Then she’s laughing. And even though she’s laughing at me, I don’t mind one bit, because she has a damned beautiful laugh.
My luck just gets better and better when we’re brought out our horse and it’s the one I fed earlier. Remembering the apple I gave him, no doubt, he nuzzles into my hand affectionately. Apparently, I’m impressing everyone today. Now, I just need to make sure I impress the girl I want to impress.
“Wow,” Faye says, glancing between me and the horse. “I wouldn’t have thought you'd be good with animals.”
In all fairness, I’m not, but I have a thing with horses. We understand and respect each other. Not that she needs to know that.
“There’s a lot of stuff you don’t know about me, baby,” I murmur, winking at her, and she rolls her eyes.
“Let’s keep it that way,” she says, and I blink at her.
Since meeting her, it’s been shocking that she’s so opposed to my advances. Normally, after this amount of effort, it’s as easy to get a woman eating out of my hand as it was the horse an apple. Faye is different. It’s like she’s not just playing hard to get—she’s actually hard to get.
And maybe for the first time in my life, I’m willing to work to get something I want.
Something competitive stirs in my chest and I grab Faye’s waist and assist her onto the horse. I jump on after her, giving her a cocky grin when she glances over her shoulder at me. That’s right, babe. I’m your knight in shining armor.
The servant who brought out our horse hands Faye a little scroll. “Your first clue.”
Faye takes it with her little hands, and I have the strange urge to compare our hand sizes. Most omegas are small, but Faye is tiny. I bet I could spin her on my dick like a top. The thought makes my blood heat up, and I have to actively distract myself, so Faye won’t feel the evidence of my arousal.
“Our clue,” Faye says, reading from the paper they gave her. “You’ll find me under a sad tree, where you can sit on me.”
My own woody will be sad if she doesn’t sit on me soon…
We stare at the paper for a long moment before the answer clicks in my mind, but I want to give her a chance to guess, since I’m good at things like this. I know from experience that games are more fun when everyone feels useful and included.
“A sad tree?” she says, frowning. “Trees don’t have emotions.”
“You’re right. Sad, crying, what could it mean?”
She perks up. “The weeping willow!”
“Ah, yes, but can we sit on it?” I ask, pretending to ponder the question.
Turning around, she smiles at me, and her smile takes my breath away. “The bench under the weeping willow.”
“I bet that’s it!” I say, returning her smile.
Making her happy is better than winning any game.
We ride for a few minutes, and no other riders follow our path. That tells me that either we’re going in completely the wrong direction, or every couple has been given different clues and will end up at different spots. Either way, I don’t particularly care. I want to draw out every possible moment I can enjoy with her firm ass pressing against my hard cock.
“So, Faye, tell me more about yourself.”
She lifts a brow. “More about myself?”
“Yes.” I try to think of an easy place to start. “Do you play a lot of games like this?”
“I used to, with my brother.” She shakes her head, like she’s trying to shake off the conversation. “What about you? Do you play a lot of games?”
Probably not the kinds of games you’re used to. “As a boy, I had a whole pack of idiot boys to play with, so we were always busy and getting into trouble. Now, things haven’t changed all that much. I have a group of guys I’ve been seeing the world with. They’re morons, but I love them. Just recently we followed a group of girls to somewhere that was supposed to be an awesome club, but ended up being a room with a group of armed guys who intended to rob us and beat us up. Unfortunately, they weren’t aware we were shifters, so they’re probably all still in the hospital.”
Her mouth is hanging open.
I lift a brow. “Not the sort of games you were talking about?”
Her eyes crinkle. “No, not at all. That’s insane!”
I shrug. “We only have one life, we need to live it well.”
“By nearly getting robbed and beaten by thugs?”
I grin. “But now I have a great story to tell.”
“You’re crazy!” she tells me.
“And you’re beautiful!” I tell her right back.
She shakes her head like she thinks I must be out of my mind.
Time to regroup. “So, where is your favorite place to travel?”
Some of the bravado fades from her face. “I’ve… I’ve never really been anywhere.”
“Really?” I know packs are more careful with their omegas, but they still have the ability to travel.
She nibbles her full lip. “I mostly spend my time at my cabin and go into town when I need to.”
“That doesn’t sound very exciting.”
“It’s not.” She gives me a funny look. “But in my experience, excitement just means trouble.”
“Then you haven’t experienced the right kind of excitement.” I shift my hands on her waist. “I’d be glad to be your teacher.”
She laughs. “Oh, I bet.”
We arrive under the weeping willow and Faye seems far too eager to get off the horse. I just wish she wanted to get off with me . I jump off, then take her waist and slowly lower her down, pulling her against me.
“Don’t we need to look for the clue?” she asks, sounding breathless.
“In a minute,” I whisper, then slide my lips down her throat.
She leaps out of my grip, then hurries to the bench. “The next clue must be under here somewhere.”
I shift my cock, trying to make the bastard less noticeable, then stop in my tracks as she leans down on the bench and starts searching for a note, her perfect ass high in the air.
“Found it,” she says, snagging the note and standing up, a smile on her face.
And, man, I feel like I’d do anything to make her smile. “What does it say?”
“Soar on me to fly high in the air.” Her brows wrinkle, and she takes a minute before she’s smiling again. “The swing set under the big pine tree!”
“Let’s give it a shot,” I say.
I help her back up on the horse, then slide on behind her. Man, I hope there are a thousand more clues. I could ride pressed up against Faye all day.
“What’s your favorite color?” I ask as I steer the horse towards the swing.
She looks at me, like she’s trying to figure me out. “Why do you care?”
“Isn’t it clear I’m trying to get to know you?”
She trains her gaze straight ahead. “If I haven’t made it clear, I’m not looking for an alpha. I’m just trying to get through these games and get home, alone.”
I laugh.
But she doesn’t.
I frown. “Faye, I know you said it before, but I didn’t think you were serious. You have to be looking for an alpha. You’re going to go into heat soon, and you’re going to be begging any man to put his dick in you. Men will abuse that. You’re going to want to find the right alpha to mate you.”
Her cheeks heat at my words. “I live far enough from any other wolves that when I go into heat, I’ll just… take care of it myself.”
This time, I chuckle. “You have to know that that won’t satisfy you enough. You’re going to end up crawling on your hands and knees to the closest alpha and begging him to put you out of your misery.”
I can see it in her face. She never considered just how bad she’ll do without an alpha, but she seems to be trying her hardest to stick to her guns. The thing is, if that’s her plan, that’s insane. If she doesn’t find an alpha here, in all likelihood the alpha of her pack will assign a male to take care of her needs when she goes into heat, with protection, and then they’ll send her to the games next year to find her match all over again.
“I know this might be hard, but you’re not getting out of this. An omega needs an alpha. She needs a loving partner to help her through going into heat,” I tell her. “So, you may as well accept it and choose an alpha.”
“Choose you?” she asks, lifting a brow in disbelief.
My gut clenches. “No, I’m not going home with an omega. I’m the kind of guy who is good for a few nights of fun and not much else.”
“I believe that,” she says, without missing a beat.
It kind of hurts that she sees me that way, even though that’s who I am. Every time she’s spoken to me, has she just seen me as a guy who’s trying to get in her pants and not a potential match? Am I that obvious?
I don’t know how I feel about that.
Leaning in closer, I let my nose run down the side of her throat. “The thing is, you’d never forget your time with me, no matter how short it might be. I can guarantee it’d be worth it.”
“For you.” Her words are a challenge as she stares back at me, like she actually believes them.
I can’t help myself. “No, for you .” My gaze locks with hers. “I would make you come so many times you wouldn’t even be able to walk when I was done with you.”
She’s breathing hard, uncertainty in her face. “I think I’ll pass.”
“I think I’ll give you more time to picture what it’d be like.”
We reach the swing dangling from the big pine tree. I help her off the horse, and my eyes are glued to her as she searches the swing for the next clue before finding it secured under the swing. She lifts it up with a brilliant smile and shows it to me as she rushes over to me.
I grasp her around the waist and pull her against me. Her eyes go wide, and we stand pressed against each other. Heat courses through my blood, daring me to try all the many things I want to do to this woman.
Instead, she looks down and unrolls the scroll between us, almost as if she’s unaffected by our closeness. “The clue is ‘You’ll find me at the lush riverbend .’”
“Want to take a little break from the hunt?” I ask, my voice low and husky.
She pulls away, not meeting my gaze. “I think we need to finish it.”
Reluctantly, I again help her back on the horse and swing on after her, waiting to see what she’ll say about where to go next. But she seems to think we’ve both come to the same conclusion, so she just sits quietly, waiting. Alright then.
“Here we go then,” I say, deftly steering the horse in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?” Faye asks, twisting a bit in her seat to look at me. “The water is that direction! You should remember, you still smell like it.”
I raise my eyebrows and sniff at myself and she shakes her head like she thinks I’m impossible. Which I like. If she’s getting under my skin, I might as well get under hers.
But no matter how frustrating she finds me, the thing is, I’m good with clues. “That’s a pond, not a river, and I believe our clue isn’t referring to a river at all.”
“You can’t be serious,” she says.
“I most certainly am.”
She looks back at me. “You’d think you were an expert at this with your attitude.”
I lean forward and rub my lips against hers. “Maybe I am.”
She jerks back and seems to take a minute to answer before saying, “I can’t wait to see where this takes us.” Then she fixes her gaze straight ahead of us.
My eyes roam over her back and down to her ass in the riding leathers, watching the way it bounces on the saddle, almost obscenely. I can’t help it. I picture what it would be like to have her riding me like that.
Oh, fuck me, I need this woman.
Leaning forward, I sniff at her neck and once again, her scent of lavender and vanilla, laced with something else, swims over me, making my cock stiffen. This woman smells good enough to eat… Speaking of which, I better be eating her out before the end of the week. I will be, if I have anything to say about it.
“You still smell like pond water, too,” I say, murmuring so my lips are just against her skin. “Maybe you should come back to my room and we can help each other wash up properly.”
“I can’t imagine there’s anything clean happening in your room, Cayson.”
I take one hand off the reins and pull her harder against me, and to my surprise, she doesn’t pull away immediately. Her perfect ass just rests against my erection, making me feel even more desperate to have her.
“We can be as dirty as you want in my room,” I say, already picturing all the ways I could have her, what I would do if I had a night alone with her.
“Thanks, but no thanks. You already got me dirty enough in the lake.”
She seems to realize what she said a minute later, because her cheeks go red.
“Oh, I know. I remember our little swim in the lake quite clearly,” I tell her, loving the tension I feel in her body.
When we crest a hill, there’s a small pavilion with a little fountain. I pull the horse up and tie him to a tree, then help Faye down. Her body slides against mine in the most intoxicating way possible as I bring her down. When her chest brushes against mine, I tighten my grip on her waist, and I swear I can see arousal in her gaze.
We’re all the way out here. Nobody is around. Just me and Faye. We could truly do whatever we want right now. I start to lean closer to her, intending to offer her anything she wants with me, but she pulls away, moving toward the pavilion.
It’s hard not to be disappointed. None of my usual tricks are working. What’s more, I’m doing things outside of my comfort zone, and they’re still not working. How can I win her over? What does she want?
She leans down, reading the poem from the plaque affixed to the outside. A poem I was well aware of. “ When the world tips from its axis and threatens to end, dare come find me at the lush riverbend .”
When she looks up at me, there’s a bit of awe in her gaze, probably because few people would know about this random poem at a random spot on the castle grounds. I know, to most people, I’m not known for anything but my good looks and tendency for messing around, but when Faye looks at me like this, I have the sudden urge to show her that I’m much, much more than that.
“How did you know that this was here?” she asks, curiosity in her voice.
I could tell her that reading is one of my secret hobbies—that I recognized the poet and the plaque’s location right away, but I won’t. That’s too much information and may lead to more questions I’d rather not answer. I want her to know I’m not a complete dunce, but she doesn’t need to know more than that.
“I like to take walks,” I say, followed by a shrug.
Her eyes narrow, like she doesn’t believe me, but she picks up the little scroll. “Now your hunt is complete, enjoy your lunch treat.”
I turn my attention away from the plaque, gesturing to the picnic laid out in the pavilion for us. “Shall we?”