Fur and Claws (Race Games 4) - Page 5

FOUR

Jo smoothed down the blouse she was wearing in the hopes of taking out the wrinkles she’d managed to wallow into the fabric in the hour she’d been wearing it. The movement didn’t work, the wrinkle springing back up the moment her hands passed, and she sighed. She couldn’t look dingy before the Elders. It didn’t matter if the meeting was casual or not. She wanted to look put together.

Thus, the heels on her feet.

She really shouldn’t have worn the heels. They sunk into the dirt, better suited for the office than for the cabin hall she stood in front of. The twelve elders were behind those doors, waiting for her to arrive at the meeting called specifically for her decision. It was common practice to approve a request in person once decided. She hoped that them calling her here meant they were going to approve her request to race for the wolves in the Race Games, but she couldn’t be sure. Perhaps, they called it to let her down easy instead.

And if they approved her request, they would then tell her who her partner was going to be. It had been a long shot, leaving it up to the elders, but they were wise beyond their years. If anyone knew a wolf who would be an excellent driver, it would be them. She was experienced with the technology and the weapons systems enough to be the navigator, but she wasn’t the strongest driver. She could admit that. She didn’t have so much of an ego that she couldn’t admit her faults.

Taking a deep breath, Jo walked up the steps, her weight on the ball of her feet so her heel didn’t sink into the dirt or the old wood. The cabin needed some repairs, but the elders usually sent money to more important things than for this building. It was always the last to be fixed. She could understand their priorities. There were families who needed roofs over their heads far more than they needed stairs that didn’t creak.

She knocked on the door three times and waited until someone whistled from inside before she pulled open the heavy wood. The moment the door opened, the scent hit her, and her entire body tightened.

She paused in her mission to walk inside, waited, contemplated running, but instead, a voice from inside kept her from running.

“Johanna Adalwolf. Step inside.”

An elder. She wasn’t sure which one. In her own Lima Pack, she knew the three there. Jezebel, Naomi, and Clyde. But she didn’t know any of the other pack elders. She should have taken the time to learn about each of them.

Still, she was stalling. That scent could only belong to one person, and she knew who, but she wasn’t sure if he was inside or if he had simply recently been there. She was almost afraid to look around the room.

“Johanna?”

That was Jezebel. Jo would recognize her sweet but stern voice anywhere.

Taking a deep breath, Jo stepped inside, letting the door shut behind her. Her eyes immediately went to the wolf standing to the left. He was currently standing with his arms crossed over his chest like he owned the place, but the moment he saw her, he dropped his arms and then, after a moment, he put them behind his back as if he couldn’t decide which position was less threatening. It didn’t matter. Jo scowled at him anyway.

“What is he doing here?” she spat, focusing on the elders before her.

“Welcome Johanna. We’ve heard so much about you. You’re making the wolves proud,” a man—his nametag said Elder Gary—announced.

Realizing she needed to be respectful of them, Jo turned away from where Nic stood, determined to not look at him. If she ignored him, perhaps he would go away.

“My apologies,” Jo breathed. “I was caught off guard.”

Jezebel smiled gently. “Understandably so. But we’re here to announce our decision upon your request.”

“Of course.” Jo bowed her head slightly, a sign of respect. Nic’s scent wrapped around her, squeezed, beckoned, and it took everything in her not to glance in his direction. She couldn’t. It had been ten years and not once had he appeared. Ten years and they’d never accidentally run into each other. Looking at him both angered her and was painful.

What they could have been. . .

“We’ve reviewed your request,” Jezebel continued, taking the lead since she knew Jo personally. “Your business is doing quite well and your need to upscale is amazing. We’re so proud of you.”

“Thank you.” Jo had worked hard for it, and had come to the council only five years ago to ask for a small stipend to invest in the company. She’d already repaid that loan ten times over, happy to give back to the pack that had helped her.

“Entering the Race Games is a significant risk,” Gary began.

“I understand the risks.”

“And you’re certain you can win?” Jezebel asked.

Jo paused, mulled over her answer. “I believe I can, yes. Especially with a strong teammate.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors of corruption,” Clyde offered. He was always a sweet, tough old man, better suited for the battlefield than retirement, but he was always upfront. “The chances of your death are high.”

“I’ve already put my affairs in order should something happen to me,” Jo offered. “I accept the risks, and I’m willing to enter the Games in the hopes of bringing the packs better assets to help where best needed.”

Jezebel smiled. “There was no need to offer those assets. If you win, they belong to you, but I’m sure those families still waiting for homes would be grateful for land to build them on.” She glanced at the other elders. “We’re going to approve your request, Johanna.” Jo grinned, prepared to celebrate, but Jezebel’s next words stopped her cold. “Under one condition.”

She froze, and she couldn’t help the small glance toward Nicolas where he still stood, his hands in his pockets now while he tried to appear casual. “What condition?”

“You left the choice of your teammate up to us. You wanted the strongest wolf, the one who would give you the best chance of winning.”

“I did,” Jo murmured, glancing toward Nic again.

“What better team than mated wolves?” Gary asked.

Jo’s heart dropped. “I rejected the bond—”

“Informally. The bond still stands as Luna has blessed you.” Jezebel’s eyes were soft. “We understand your hesitation, Johanna, but this is our decision. If you’d like to enter the Race Games, Nicolas Olcan will be your driver.”

“There’s no other choice?” Jo asked softly. “No one else?”

Jezebel shook her head, and Jo grimaced. There was no choice really. She needed to enter the games, needed to win, and if the only way she could enter was with Nic as her driver, then that’s what she’d have to do, but she couldn’t help but feel as if Nic was trapping her in this somehow, that he’d taken the decision away from her. It was just bitterness, just past hurt making an appearance, but old habits died hard.

And the last time Jo had seen Nic, he’d been asking to continue fucking other wolves.

“Fine,” she admitted. “But if I kill him after the Games are done, it’s not my fault.”

Jezebel grinned. “Of course not. May your car be swift as a wolf.”

Jo nodded and turned, intent on leaving, on escaping without ever having to look into Nic’s eyes.

She should have known better. The wolf was always chasing after her when she didn’t want him to.

Tags: Kendra Moreno Race Games Paranormal
Source: readsnovelonline.net
readsnovelonline.net Copyright 2016 - 2024