Wild Games (Alpha Games #3)

Chapter 1 – CAMILLE

CAMILLE

I’m halfway to the Reynolds’s territory checkpoint when I first detect it, a whisper of something that shouldn’t be there.

Most wolves would miss it entirely, but I’ve spent years training my senses to identify magical residue.

This trace is faint but unmistakable. There’s an underlying sourness to the scent that makes my wolf stir uneasily.

Someone’s been using magic. The kind the Council prohibits.

A giddy thrill runs through me. I’ve been working on this case, a stolen magical artifact, probably sold on the black market, for six months.

This is the first concrete lead I’ve had, a report of magic being used to subvert the outcome of the Alpha Games.

I’m surprised anyone else was able to spot it.

I slow my SUV, rolling down the window to better analyze the scent.

It’s several days’ old and carefully masked, which makes it all the more suspicious.

Getting caught using it made me think this was amateur work, but now that I can see they attempted to cover it up, it seems they were not entirely careless.

Just not cautious enough.

My phone buzzes with a message from High Alpha Councilman Torres.

Remember, complete discretion. Observe only until we’ve identified the culprit. And keep an open mind, it may not be one of the competitors.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. This isn’t my first covert investigation, but the Alpha Games are prestigious, a new spin on an old way of doing things, and a magical cheating scandal would put an end to using them as a means to appoint new alphas in the future.

No pressure then.

Most wolves are eager for change, wanting packs to be awarded on merit. Those with all the money and power are unsurprisingly less keen and desperate to keep handing down leadership by bloodline.

There are people on both sides willing to do whatever it takes to get their way.

A bridge appears as I round the bend. There’s no welcome sign, nothing to mark this out as a border, other than the guard with a clipboard who’s signing in new guests and issuing passes to those crossing on foot.

Feeling eyes on me, my wolf stirs, alert but not alarmed.

I scan the tree-line beyond the checkpoint but see nothing unusual.

Probably just border patrol keeping an eye on arrivals.

There’s no ramped-up security or other indication that they’re aware of anything unusual happening in their territory.

Good. The fewer people who know something is amiss, the better chance I have of catching whoever’s attempting to manipulate the games. Or shut them down completely.

If that’s really what they’re trying to do.

I park and step out, smoothing down my casual attire, looking every bit the curious wolf shifter coming to be entertained by the competition. Nothing about me screams council investigator, and combined with my young age, it’s rare anybody suspects a thing.

A high ponytail, a bright smile, and some lip gloss is enough to fool most people into thinking I’m another harmless she-wolf here to have some fun. I’m merely a young wolf who wants to come and witness the best of the best compete, and maybe, find their mate.

My fingers unconsciously find the delicate gold chain at my throat, hidden beneath my shirt. The moon charm is warm against my skin, a constant reminder of why I don’t long to find true love anymore. Not after Raven.

Five years ago, I stood there like a fool at his birthday party, watching, along with dozens of other wolves, as his eyes locked onto Jane’s from across the room, and he announced their upcoming mating, proclaiming her his future Luna.

Not me. Much to my humiliation.

So, no, I’m definitely not here looking for a mate.

But if I wasn’t sent here on a mission, chances are I would have tried to score a pass for the final anyway. At least this way, I get paid to be here.

“Welcome to Reynolds territory,” says the young female wolf manning the checkpoint. “Name and pack?”

“Camille Black. Fern River.”

She hesitates for a second, assessing my response, detecting no trace of deceit in my scent or demeanour, then nods. I’d heard Dean’s wolves are well trained. It appears the rumours are true.

“Dean mentioned he was expecting an important guest from your pack.” She scans me from head to toe, obviously trying to figure out what about me makes me special in her alpha’s eyes. “I take it that’s you, Ms. Black.”

She smiles and hands me a lanyard with VIP in blocky gold letters on the front. “Access to all areas.”

I raise an eyebrow, and she laughs, explaining, “It just means you won’t have to fight for a front-row seat at the events.”

Slipping it around my neck, I give her my friendliest, most disarming grin.

“I work in the Western region. We have a similar situation coming soon—a pack with no heir. Alpha Reynolds has kindly allowed me to observe the Games format for potential implementation back home.” And for added girl-bonding effect, I force myself to add, with a wink and some practiced enthusiasm, “And if I happen to find my mate while I’m here, then that’s an added bonus. ”

The half lie rolls off my tongue with ease.

We do have a similar situation about to occur, and a similar competition may be an option, although hopefully with less drama than this one.

Reynolds is the guinea pig that every other region will be able to learn from, including the challenges he’s faced, and attempt to pre-empt the same issues.

Although that’s easier said than done.

Any competition where charged-up dominant shifters are forced to battle it out for power and land is always going to result in some ruthless behaviour.

“Why do you think I took this job? Everyone has to go by me.” The guard chuckles before smiling, satisfied, and then waves a hand toward the path up the hill, gesturing for me to go ahead. “Just follow the path to the packhouse. Someone will find you and escort you to Alpha Reynolds shortly.”

The Reynolds compound is impressive. Rustic cabins blend thoughtfully with the natural landscape. The forest is old, filled with ancient trees that feel almost mystical, and touched with enchantment of the good kind.

Not the type of magical presence I’m hunting here today.

There are modern training arenas visible in the distance, and the imposing main packhouse comes into view as I crown a gentle rise.

Competitors and staff move purposefully between buildings, the atmosphere charged with anticipation.

Everyone is busy. There’s none of the hostility toward the new arrivals that I expected to feel from a previously isolated pack.

They all seem invested in making the Games a success. The pack’s cubs play happily with the children who’ve arrived from other regions. When I close my eyes and reach out, looking for the kind of poisonous vibrations I can normally feel when a pack is divided and bitter, there are none.

This pack is united in support of its Alpha, making sabotage from inside seem less likely. While not completely off the list, that’s one angle that’s immediately pushed further down the pecking order.

“Ms. Black?”

I turn to find a tall, sandy-haired wolf approaching, his posture and confidence marking him clearly as the pack’s beta, despite his casual clothes. His eyes hold a sharpness that suggests he misses very little.

“You must be Callum,” I reply, shaking his hand firmly.

He dips his head with a slight smile. “Alpha Reynolds sends his regrets. He has a pressing matter to attend to but will be done shortly. He’s asked me to get you settled.”

As we walk toward my assigned accommodations, Callum tells me all about the Games structure, and the remaining competitors, joking about the issues they’ve had so far with over-crowded cabins and voracious appetites causing them to run out of food.

He talks about everything except the magic.

For a moment, I wonder whether Dean has kept this from his own beta. It’s only when we’re crossing an empty stretch of path that he drops his voice and indicates that he’s in the loop about what’s been going on.

“Blake Steel arrives back tomorrow. The situation has... escalated, and we only have a few days before the next round to catch whoever’s involved.”

I keep my expression pleasant as if we’re discussing the weather. “How many incidents now?”

“Seven, we suspect. Three for sure. Increasingly brazen.” His jaw tightens. “Things are heating up as we get to the business end of the competition. We’re afraid they’ll go too far, and someone’s going to get hurt.”

My blood chills. If this isn’t someone who knows what they’re doing, this could end up becoming dangerous.

“That’s why I’m here to help. We’ll find them.” I sound more confident than I feel. With so many people coming and going from the territory, so many mingling scents and big personalities, as well as competing political agendas, there are endless potential suspects.

Callum scans our surroundings carefully. “Officially, you’re here observing how the Games have worked. Only me, Dean, Blake, and Lynn, our pack manager, know the real purpose of your visit. And of course, Jamie, Dean’s mate.”

The rogue who stole the angry alpha’s heart. I can’t wait to meet her.

“The fewer who know, the better. If word gets out that a council investigator is here, we’ll never catch them.”

We pass a training area where several males are sparring, their movements fluid and powerful.

One of them, leaner than the others and moving with a precision that speaks of years of discipline, executes a perfect takedown of a competitor nearly twice his size.

Smiling, he extends a hand and pulls the other man back to his feet, but I don’t miss the steel in his gaze. This guy is no pushover.

“That’s Eli,” Callum says, following my gaze. “His brother, Dash, was eliminated during the hunt, but Eli’s been surprising everyone.”

I nod, filing the information away. Anyone performing above expectations needs close observation, either as a suspect, or a potential target.

As we continue walking, the feeling returns, stronger this time. A presence prickles at my awareness, distracting me. It’s powerful enough to make my wolf snap to attention. I turn slowly, scanning the treeline.

A figure stands at the forest edge, partially shadowed by pines. So this is who’s been watching me.

Kain.

Even at this distance, the raw power emanating from him is palpable.

Tall, broad-shouldered, and with an intensity that seems to distort the air around him.

Our eyes lock, and something inside me stills.

My wolf, normally so disciplined, surges forward with unexpected interest. Whether it’s merely curiosity or alarm is hard to tell.

“What’s he doing here?” I ask, keeping my voice deliberately casual while I focus on keeping my breathing even, and my heartbeat steady.

Callum follows my gaze, his expression shifting almost imperceptibly. “You know Kain? He’s a bit of a mystery to us. Seems to have come from nowhere, but he’s... an acquaintance of Blake’s. Doing well, too. He’ll go right down to the wire.”

That goes without saying. A wolf that strong would have to be among the favourites to win.

Known for his work with our enforcer team in handling feral wolves or those who have succumbed to moon madness, including the unflappable Blake Steel, his participation in the Games surprises me.

Maybe he’s looking for a slower pace of life. Or maybe, it’s the challenge of reuniting a broken pack?

“I know him by reputation only. I didn’t think an alpha position would interest him. Or is it that pack in particular that he’s after?”

“I wouldn’t know. You’ll have to ask the man himself,” Callum replies, his tone making it clear the subject is closed for now. “Your cabin is just ahead.”

Kain continues watching us for another moment before melting back into the trees, his departure as silent as his arrival. I glance around to see if anyone else had the same visceral reaction to him, but they all continue to go about their business, unperturbed.

Callum clears his throat, dragging me back to reality, and I refocus, falling into step beside him as he weaves his way through the lively crowd toward the quieter side of the clearing.

We follow a winding path along the edge of the woods before coming to a stop at a quaint wooden cabin, with a small table and two chairs already sitting out on the deck.

My assigned quarters are isolated enough for privacy but close enough to the central grounds for me to observe everyone’s comings and goings. Inside, it’s basic but comfortable, with a bed, kitchenette, and a small desk by the window that faces the forest.

“Alpha Reynolds would like to brief you properly this evening,” Callum says, depositing my bag inside the door. “Dinner is served at the main lodge at seven, but I can have food brought here if you’d prefer. And feel free to wander the grounds to get your bearings.”

For a pack that was closed to outsiders until now, this is a surprisingly generous offer. Most packs want to escort me wherever I go.

“I’ll go to dinner.” I glance around the cabin and set my small backpack down inside the door. This is perfect.

“What about the alpha’s brother? Does he know I’m here?”

The alpha’s secret younger brother. The one nobody speaks of, who Dean has shielded from the rest of the shifter world.

Something flickers in Callum’s expression, a hint of concern perhaps, that I noticed he wasn’t mentioned in the list of insiders he gave me.

With a sigh, he rests one elbow on the porch railing and meets my eye.

“Jax was the one who spotted what was going on. But he’s…

otherwise occupied with some other issues.

” He stands back to his full height and looks back toward the packhouse, keen to get going.

“But I’m sure you’ll get the chance to speak with him at some point. ”

At some point. The way he says it piques my interest.

“It’s impressive that he caught it, Callum. Most alphas I know wouldn’t have detected this low level. I’d like to talk to him sooner rather than later. He can probably help me. And I was promised full cooperation.”

“And you’ll get it.” Callum checks his watch and changes the subject. “I should get back. The files you requested are in that folder on the desk. Access codes, a map, keys, and personnel records. It’s everything we’ve documented so far.”

I nod, knowing he’s not going to share any more with me right now. I’ll go through the files and see what’s in there about this mysterious Jax Reynolds first.